Xiaoyue didn't even look at Liang Qi. She simply plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), lowered her head, and sullenly refused to speak.

When Xiaoyue built this shed, there were windows on all four sides. As the space of the house gradually shrank, only one back window remained. In winter, to prevent the cold wind from blowing in, the window was sealed up long ago. The only light was a sliver of light flickering through the cracks above the stove in the kitchen.

Liang Qi reached out to hug Xiaoyue, but realized his attitude was a bit too harsh. Xiaoyue lowered her head to avoid him, then looked up at Liang Qi's face, which was dark and indistinct in the firelight, and said, "Don't you know what's going on? Or don't you want to know what's going on?"

After saying that, Xiaoyue scrambled onto the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the helpless Liang Qi as she took off her shoes. Holding the shoes, she stared straight ahead, the kitchen light casting Liang Qi's indistinct shadow. She said softly:

“As an orphan girl like me, with no one to rely on, it’s already difficult to find a husband. I’ve also taken in several adults and children, so there must be a lot of gossip in the village. What respectable family would propose to me?”

Xiaoyue felt increasingly aching as she spoke, and she almost burst into tears.

He rubbed his sore nose and sighed almost imperceptibly, saying, "Let's not talk about marriage anymore. I'm very grateful that you're willing to help me. You can continue to stay here with me. I need you here too, and I'll give you every penny you owe."

As she spoke, a growing sadness welled up inside her. She thought about how, after being reborn, she had finally met someone she clicked with, someone whose outlook on life and values ​​were similar to hers, someone she had hoped would grow old with.

Xiaoyue shook her head slightly in disappointment, as if a not-so-bright firework had been extinguished before her eyes. Tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes and entered her mouth. They tasted salty, and only then did Xiaoyue realize that she was crying. She didn't look up to wipe her tears, but tried to keep her voice calm and cold.

"What do you mean? What do you mean? You're the only one in my heart!" Liang Qi's voice rose two octaves as he shouted at Xiaoyue, looking at the faint shadow on the kang (heated brick bed).

"It's impossible between us," Xiaoming said calmly, his voice without a trace of emotion.

"Why is it impossible? Why is it impossible? What did I do wrong? I'll change, I'll change!!" Liang Qi started off loudly, but by the end it was almost like begging.

Xiaoyue moved further into the kang (heated brick bed), picked up her shoes, and stood up. Her voice was cold and hard as she asked, "Would you betray Uncle Liang because of me?" Before Liang Qi could answer, Xiaoyue continued, answering her own question:

"If you betray me, I'll think you're heartless and ungrateful. If you don't betray me, even if one day Uncle Liang agrees to let you marry me, I won't need to be given any rules even if my father-in-law looks down on me after I marry into your family."

I just can't stand it, so I won't marry you. So there's no solution to this between us. It's my bad reputation, but I don't want it either. Who doesn't want a clean reputation for life and never leave their home?

But I can't do it. I need to live, I need to work, I need to earn money, I need to make sure everyone in my family lives well. Am I wrong?

"Can't we work together to get my father's approval for our marriage?" Liang Qi coaxed Xiaoyue gently after hearing her words.

"No!" he said firmly.

These words struck Liang Qi like a blow to the head. He was stunned for two seconds, looked at Xiaoyue in the darkness, and reached out to reach her. Xiaoyue jumped back and hid in the corner of the wall at the end of the kang, saying, "It's too late today. Li Lei and Chunyue have to come back to sleep. Let's talk about our matter tomorrow morning."

As Xiaoyue glanced at Liang Qi and turned to leave, she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), groped for her shoes, got off the kang, and walked out.

At that moment, Liang Qi intercepted Xiaoyue at the door, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. Just then, Li Lei led the little donkey into the house.

Liang Qi awkwardly let go of her hand, and Xiao Yue glanced at Li Lei before running out.

Liang Qi also went out, then came back, and then went out again.

In a moment of impulse, Liang Qi wanted to stay at Xiaoyue's house and never go back to Uncle Liang's house again. But then he thought that Uncle Liang was his father after all, and he was getting old. How could he abandon his father?

Liang Qi slapped himself, asking himself if he really would go to such lengths for a woman. He then went to the main room, called Xiaoyue to the storeroom, handed her the keys and silver, slammed the door, and left.

...

The next day, Liang Qi didn't come, but Yang's wife did. As soon as she saw Xiaoyue, she asked, "Do you still have your sewing job?"

Xiaoyue quickly ushered Sister Yang into the west room, saying, "Yes, yes, what style do you want to sew? I'll get you a size."

Li Qianqian hurriedly took out the clothing sketches that Manager Ning had given her.

Sister Yang chose the simple one.

Xiaoyue went to the warehouse and found a stack of five sets.

When it was handed to Sister Yang, I noticed that she had dark circles under her eyes and cracks in her hands. Sister Yang used to rely on Yang Danian to work outside, and their life was neither rich nor poor.

Since Yang Danian was injured, his family's savings have been depleted, but life still goes on, which is why Yang's wife sought out Xiaoyue.

"Sister Yang, do you think it's possible to receive wages monthly? I've set a monthly wage of 800 coins for Lu Xiaomei, so you can get the same 800 coins. That's more money than earning one job at a time."

Sister Yang smiled at Xiaoyue with her curved eyebrows and said, "Okay." But a glint of tears flashed in her eyes.

For breakfast, I steamed bean buns and made a sauerkraut soup. At the dinner table, Li Lei said without batting an eye, "Three pheasants sold for one tael and two mace of silver, two geese sold for eight hundred wen, and two ducks and a chicken sold for one tael and two mace."

Xiaoyue nodded as she ate and said, "You and Liang Qi can split the silver for the pheasant, but you have to give me the silver for the goose, the duck, and the chicken."

"It's gone."

Li Qianqian hurriedly asked, "Brother, what does 'gone' mean?"

"We ran into our dad, he robbed us of the money, and we couldn't catch him."

Li Qianqian slammed her chopsticks on the table, then, realizing it wasn't her own home, she looked apologetically at Xiaoyue.

"Brother~~" Li Qianqian was just sulking and didn't say anything.

Xiaoyue pointed at Li Qianqian and said calmly, "You can't do this. If your father comes back and sells you, there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Li Qianqian's face was full of pleading eyes, and she lost her appetite. She stared at Xiaoyue and said, "Give us some advice. It's not that we don't want to raise him, but my brother and I can't afford to raise my father either."

Xiaoyue looked at Li Lei, who also said with a stern face, "If he hadn't run so fast, I would have broken his legs that day. I would rather our father stay at home and take care of him."

"I have a terrible idea, but I'm not sure if it will work. If you agree, I'll have to go to Village Chief Xu's house to ask."

Li Qianqian stared eagerly at Xiaoyue and said, "What idea do you have? Tell me!"