Chapter Thirty-Three: Quickly Kneel Down Before Educated Youth Shen
"Why are you so serious? Liang Zhiqing is very efficient at her work. She arrives early and is very popular with the villagers. With her around, I have more confidence. Give her a smile, you're scaring Liang Zhiqing."
Shen Yuzhu: "???"
"......."
Wasn't she smiling?
After everything was settled here, Shen Yuzhu returned to her residence. Liang Manxiu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Shen Yuzhu did not object, but at the same time felt a secret joy. She raised her eyebrows slightly when she turned to look at Qiao Wangshu.
In general, she got to know Shen Yuzhu first. With just a little bit of kindness, Shen Yuzhu would soften her heart. As for Qiao Wangshu, who came later, she still had to take a backseat in Shen Yuzhu's heart.
Looking at Liang Manxiu, who suddenly spread her tail feathers like a peacock, Qiao Wang was full of questions.
As dusk fell, Ma Daya arrived with three children, pulling a flatbed cart. The cart was piled high with firewood, and a basket filled with various wild vegetables and mushrooms sat on the front.
“Shen Zhiqing, we’ll put the firewood in this shed for you. You can take these wild vegetables and mushrooms and eat them.”
"Sister Ma, you and the children must be tired. Come and rest."
Ma Daya tugged at her sleeve, waved her hands repeatedly, saying she wasn't tired. She handed the basket to Zhang Jie and continued carrying firewood.
Shen Yuzhu poured several bowls of sweet soup and put some snacks on a bamboo plate.
Zhang Jie, holding her two younger sisters' hands, stood timidly beside the flatbed cart, watching her mother work, not daring to say a word.
"Come here, this is for you to eat."
"No need, really no need, Shen Zhiqing. It's such a waste to give these children such good food. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now."
Finally having a chance to be alone together, Shen Yuzhu was unwilling to let her go. She pulled her into the main room and placed the sweet soup in front of her.
"Sister Ma, you can drink the sweet soup and let the children have the snacks too. You don't have to be so reserved here. I'll give you the money. We agreed to pay you. If you can't pay when you get back, you'll definitely get scolded."
Ma Daya hurriedly reached out to stop them, but remembering her family's instructions, she ultimately remained silent. Seeing the three girls staring intently at the sweet soup on the table, her heart softened.
"Drink up, and then thank him. Thank Shen Zhiqing, understand?"
"Yes, Mom!"
Zhang Jie agreed and happily picked up the bowl. She first placed one bowl in front of Ma Daya, then picked up another bowl and turned to feed Yangyang a couple of sips, and then fed Qianqian. Although she kept licking her lips because she was craving it, she still resisted.
Shen Yuzhu, who had walked out of the bedroom and was standing at the door watching this scene, felt a lump in her throat. She turned her head and swallowed hard to calm herself down.
“Sister Ma, here is 15 cents. Take it home and give it to your family. I have an account book here. I’ve recorded your accounts. We agreed on 20 cents for a flatbed cart of firewood, so I owe you 15 cents. I’ll charge you 30 cents for the mountain produce, so I owe you 20 cents. You have 30 cents in my account now.”
“How can this be? These are all worthless items. There are plenty of them on the mountain. How can I ask you for so much money?”
"Of course we'd like to pay you. You and the children worked so hard to dig this up, how could we not pay you? Just keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone. By the way, how have you been these past few days? Has Zhang Li been bullying you?"
Ma Daya looked at her gratefully. No one had ever been so kind to her before, except... that person!
Feelings of goodwill arise in my heart, and my defenses are lowered.
“How could he possibly bully me now? His back injury is severe, he's bedridden and I don’t know when he’ll recover, plus… he’s practically useless. It’s all been the children’s grandmother taking care of him. I’ve had a few peaceful days.”
Ma Daya spoke in a daze, then realized she had said too much. She glanced at Shen Yuzhu apologetically, and lowered her head again after a few seconds.
"That's good, then I can rest assured. I see that children Zhang Jie's age are all sent to school in the commune, why didn't she go?"
Ma Daya paused, then said with a troubled expression, "Girls, why do you need to read so many books?"
"The off-season for farming is almost here, and I'll be free then. If you don't mind, I can have Zhang Jie and the others come over to play with me. I'll teach them to read, how about that?"
"Really? Shen Zhiqing, are you serious?"
Ma Daya was overjoyed. She had longed to go to school since she was a child, but unfortunately, she couldn't. After being sold, she ran away and didn't even know how to describe her hometown. Zhang Li would never let his child go to school; even if she did, it would only be for her future.
Now that Shen Zhiqing said he would teach her daughter to read, it was like a windfall to her.
Ma Daya was overjoyed and jumped up, pulling Zhang Jieyang and Qianqian to kneel down before Shen Yuzhu.
"Sister Ma, what are you doing?"
"I, I really thank you so much, Educated Youth Shen. You are such a good person. Xiaojie, Yangyang, Qianqian, kneel down and thank Educated Youth Shen properly. From now on, you will be able to read."
The three girls were very obedient and made a move to kneel down before her, but Shen Yuzhu quickly pulled them up.
"No need. Since I've called you 'sister,' I'm their aunt from now on, so it's only right that I teach them."
Ma Daya listened with tears streaming down her face. Seeing her like this, Shen Yuzhu gritted her teeth and was about to tell her why she had come here when she saw Granny Zhang coming over with a smile, rubbing her hands together at the courtyard gate.
"Da Ya, Chen Zhiqing, are you done with your work? It's getting late, let's go home."
"Oh, Mother's here."
Ma Daya hurriedly stuffed the 15 cents into her hand and stood in front of Shen Yuzhu, trying to hide it, afraid that Shen Yuzhu would see the account book on the table.
Actually, she was overthinking it; Granny Zhang couldn't read at all.
However, when she entered the main room and saw the table laden with water and snacks as a gesture of goodwill, her eyes lit up like searchlights.
"Oh, why have you prepared so much delicious food? This is too kind, Shen Zhiqing. They are all country girls, used to being rough around the edges. There's no need to give them such expensive things to eat."
"I just like them because I find them pleasing to the eye. There's nothing else here, so you can all go back now. Xiaojie, remember to bring your sisters over again tomorrow!"
"Um!"
The little girl's voice was still timid, but she wasn't so afraid when she looked at Shen Yuzhu. This educated youth gave them sugar water and delicious food, and even taught them to read. He was such a good person.
Watching their departing figures, Shen Yuzhu's eyes were deep and unfathomable. Everyone outside said that this Granny Zhang was very good to her sister, never letting her do any housework such as washing clothes, cooking, or cleaning. But why did she feel that this was because she was afraid her sister would abandon the child and run away, and that she did this in order to soften her sister's heart?
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