On the way back, Xiu'er subtly asked her many questions about Li Si, and Li Rou Niang told her everything. Then she jokingly said, "It seems like you have a thing for Brother Li Si."
"Rou Niang, don't talk nonsense. I think Brother Li Si seems quite enthusiastic towards you," Xiu'er asked tentatively.
"No way, we just met here because we knew each other before, so of course we were more enthusiastic. It's been many years since we last saw each other; we were childhood friends," Li Rouniang said with emotion.
"Rou Niang, given the current situation, have you considered looking for someone else? I think Li Si would be a more suitable candidate," Xiu'er asked.
This statement wasn't a test; it came from genuine concern for Li Rouniang. Rouniang had so many children, no income, and was living a difficult life in an unfamiliar place. Li Si was a yamen runner and an old acquaintance, making him the best choice.
She had thought it through. If Rou Niang had feelings for Li Si, then she would cut off her own inappropriate thoughts and sincerely wish her well!
"Xiuer, you can't say things like that. You know I'm still waiting for him." Li Rouniang's mood was somewhat downcast.
Xiuer stopped talking. Yes, Rou Niang was still waiting for Mo Bei.
Mo Bei represents an untouchable pain in Li Rou Niang's heart.
If we had said goodbye properly, perhaps we wouldn't be so sad. It was that sudden departure that caused this irreparable regret.
"Let's not talk about that. We've earned enough money today to bring back lots of nice things for the family. I'm sure the kids will be very happy." Xiuer changed the subject!
Li Rouniang also composed herself and excitedly discussed the children with Xiuer: Da Ni was so well-behaved, Er Ni was so naughty, San Ni and Xiao Shan seemed to have gained a lot of weight, Xiao Cao looked so wilted, and so on.
As they talked, the two saw Old Man Mo waiting under a big tree at the village entrance with his children in the distance. They couldn't help but smile, and the family returned home together.
“Dahe and Erhe, these are the fabrics I bought. I’ll send them to you tomorrow after Xiu’er and I finish making the clothes, and also to Father,” Li Rou Niang said with a smile.
"I'm old, what can't I wear?" Old Man Mo waved his hand with a smile, but felt a warm feeling in his heart.
The next day, Li Si arrived.
Everyone was very surprised.
At that time, Li Rouniang and her family were having breakfast at home. They thought they had been busy for three days in a row and wanted to rest at home today, do some sewing or something.
"Soft!"
Li Si greeted him warmly.
This caused everyone to look at Li Rouniang in surprise.
Li Rouniang blushed slightly and said, "I'm a mother now, you're not allowed to call me by my childhood nickname anymore."
Then he opened the door and let Li Si in, generously introducing him to everyone: "This is Li Si, my neighbor from Li Family Village, whom I met in town yesterday."
Then she introduced the people in the room: "This is my godfather, Old Man Mo. These two are Dahe and Erhe, my cousins. These are Da Ni and Er Ni, my children. Oh, and there are San Ni and Xiao Shan. This is Xiao Cao, Xiu's daughter." Li Rou Niang gave a brief introduction.
Li Si was a little reserved, not expecting that Li Rou Niang had four children and such a large family.
He tossed and turned all night, thinking that Li Rouniang was living a lonely and helpless life alone with a child, but he never expected that there were so many people.
Thinking about this, I felt a pang of pain in my heart; Rou Niang had endured too much.
"I didn't find out clearly either, I only brought some snacks, I'm a bit rude," Li Si quickly said.
"Where? Are you off today? What brings you here?" Li Rouniang asked with a smile.
Seeing how familiar the two were, Old Man Mo, though he had been mentally prepared that Mo Bei might not return and that Rou Niang, being so young, would eventually find someone else, still felt a pang of sadness at the thought of facing them together.
He knew he couldn't stop them, but he still couldn't get over this hurdle in his heart.
The Dahe brothers, however, didn't seem too opposed to it. After all, they were their sister, and they knew they would support her if she could find a good partner.
"It's like this, I know the butler of the Liu family, and I happened to run into him yesterday. I mentioned your relationship with Xiu and thought that if you were willing, you could get a job in the kitchen through Butler Liu's introduction."
"The monthly wage is about forty coins, which is a bit low, but it's stable, and it's an employment contract. What do you think?" Li Si explained.
"Thank you, Brother Li. You've gone to so much trouble. Xiu'er and I are happy to go. It's better than us having things to do today and nothing to do tomorrow. So, when do you think would be a good time for us to go?" Li Rou Niang asked.
"If you're free today, why don't you come with me to get to know them?" Li Si said. Actually, he had asked his good brother Zhang San for help. It just so happened that Zhang San's wife and Steward Liu's wife were good friends, which was how they got in touch. Naturally, he was also afraid that things might change if they waited too long.
“No problem.” Li Rouniang nodded with a smile, and Xiuer quickly thanked her as well.
"Father, you stay home and watch the children for me. I'll go take a look first. If it's suitable, Xiu'er and I plan to go work for the Liu family," Li Rouniang said to Old Man Mo with a smile.
Li Si bid farewell to each of them warmly, displaying a proper and considerate demeanor.
The three of them went together to see Steward Liu, who knew Li Si, though not very well. They quickly got down to business, with Steward Liu looking at Li Rou Niang and Xiu Er, asking a few questions. He had been worried, but seeing their clean and clever appearance, he was relieved. Seeing that things had gone smoothly, Li Si quickly took his leave.
“Originally, the Liu family required indentures and didn’t want menial laborers like this. But since you are friends of Third Brother, I’ll make an exception. You’ll only be doing menial work in the kitchen. You don’t need to go to the main courtyard. Try not to cause trouble while you’re working and keep a low profile.” Butler Liu led the two to the kitchen, giving them instructions along the way.
Liu Niang and her companion nodded quickly.
"Steward Liu, what brings you here?" Steward Fan, the head of the kitchen, greeted her with a smile.
She was rather plump, quite unlike the delicate appearance of most women in the South. Her eyes gleamed with gold, suggesting she was a calculating person.
"Well, I'm helping a friend out by introducing two people to your kitchen as general helpers. I'll trouble you to look after them regularly," Butler Liu said with a smile.
"Not at all, not at all. Butler Liu's recommendations are always good. You can rest assured leaving the person with me," Butler Fan said with a smile.
The two then stayed in the kitchen.
Manager Fan asked them to help with tasks such as lighting the fire, washing dishes, and washing vegetables.
The two of them were naturally very capable and worked very diligently, which reassured Manager Fan.
I was initially worried that since it was introduced by Butler Liu, she might be a bit pretentious, but now I'm quite satisfied.
During the lunch break, he pulled Xiu'er aside for a chat: "I know a thing or two about Butler Liu's friends. I wonder which of his friends introduced you here?"
Xiuer was not scheming, and since Steward Fan had indeed taken good care of them that morning, she said without reservation, "We know Li Si, we are his friends, and it was Steward Liu who introduced us here."
Manager Fan's expression changed when he heard the name Li Si, but Xiu'er didn't notice.
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