Qin also thought it would be a good idea to move to the county town, away from the old man. She said, "Lan Zhou's condition isn't just due to the previous family changes and Mother's poor upbringing, but also your grandfather's negative influence." She recounted what Old Man Xu had said yesterday, getting angry and even crying. "...I can't bear to leave you children, otherwise I would have gone to find your father years ago. But he thought so badly of me, driving a wedge between Lan Zhou and me, and raising Lan Zhou to be selfish and stingy."
I also asked Xu Lanyin and Zhao Wu to inquire about it and buy a house with two entrances. I didn't tell the old couple about this matter yet, for fear that the old man would stop me and cause trouble.
Xu Lanyin didn't plan to live in Nanping County for a long time, so two courtyards were enough.
Qin Shi didn't mention the silver given by the Min government and the shares given by the Hu family. Xu Lanyin took the initiative to say, "The Min government gave several hundred taels of silver, and I want to save it to open a teahouse. In the future, if I don't want to get married, I can take those two properties and set up a female household. If I want to get married, they will be my dowry, and the family's money and property will be left to my younger brothers. Don't worry, mother, even if I don't want the family property, I will still find a way to earn more money for the family..."
Qin's eyes reddened again, and she apologized on Xu Lanzhou's behalf, saying, "You earned those things, so you should keep them. You also earned the family fortune. Mother said long ago that she would give you a substantial dowry."
Xu Lanyin didn't argue anymore and decided not to do it anymore.
Afterwards, Qin asked Xu Lanyin to go to town and buy some meat and tofu. Since the family had made some money, they had to invite the old couple and the eldest wife to dinner at home in the evening. Even if she was angry with the old man, she had to keep a good face.
Seeing Xu Lanyin's reluctance, Qin added, "Just do it for your grandmother's sake and don't argue with him. If we don't treat our grandchildren to a meal when they return from the provincial capital, people will poke fun at us."
Even if she didn't treat everyone to a meal in the evening, Xu Lanyin would still go to town to buy things.
She went to town and bought not only the meat and tofu for the dinner, but also glutinous rice flour, jujubes, and a small pile of wild strawberries. Tomorrow, she and Zhao Wu were going to visit the monk Jie Chi at Daxiang Temple. She wanted to make a delicious snack to appease Jie Chi's stomach and inquire about the effects of blackroot grass.
While buying wild strawberries, I unexpectedly spotted Wang Sanni. She had a small stall selling small items made by her sister-in-law and herself, such as insoles, purses, sachets, handkerchiefs, and so on. Because she was fair and pretty, many men were willing to buy her goods, and her business was quite good.
Xu Lanyin had heard about Wang Sanni's street stall a long time ago. Many people in the village didn't understand. Even though her family had been robbed by Wang Dagu, they still had over 40 acres of land, enough to support the three of them. Why did she go out into the town to set up a stall and be harassed by men? Some even had ulterior motives, saying that she couldn't get married during the mourning period, fearing that she would be too old after the three years. She was using the stall as an opportunity to woo a son-in-law, and then get married after the mourning period...
Old Lady Xu had scolded Wang Sanni several times. "That girl is pretty, but she still runs a stall. Men often gossip about her. Her reputation is bad. Even if she gets married in the future, he won't be a decent man. If you really want to sell those things, you can make less money and sell them to the embroidery workshop..."
Xu Lanyin admired Wang Sanni very much. No matter what her real purpose of setting up a stall was, she didn't want to live off her savings and wanted to find something to do. Who cares?
Wang Sanni also saw Xu Lanyin and called out, "Sister Lanyin, are you here to buy something too?"
Xu Lanyin walked over and said with a smile, "Well, let's buy some food."
She squatted down and looked at the little things. The fabrics were good, all made of silk, and the workmanship was also exquisite, at least much better than her Xu Lanyin's craftsmanship.
Xu Lanyin picked out two sachets and two purses and asked with a smile, "How much?"
Wang Sanni said generously, "No need to pay, I'll give it to you."
Xu Lanyin shook her head and said, "How can I do that? If you don't want money, I won't buy it."
Wang Sanni laughed and said, "Sister Lan Yin is so smart, did she really think I was setting up a stall just to make a few extra cents?"
Walls have ears, and there are no walls here. Her words were heard by a man who had been paying attention to her.
The man laughed and said, "Sanni'er, if you are not here to make money, could it be that you are really here to woo your son-in-law? If so, take a look at what the old man is like. He is handsome and has five acres of fertile land at home. He is worthy of you."
His words made the onlookers and the vendors nearby burst into laughter.
Wang Sanni's face darkened. She picked up a clay bowl filled with water and stood up to throw it at the man, raising an eyebrow and cursing, "I'll smash you to death, you shameless dirty man. Let me tell you, I set up this stall not for the money, but to fulfill my filial piety. Believe it or not, I'll kill you with a white knife and come out with a red knife. After that, I'll just accompany my mother on her journey."
The Wang family murder case was well-known in Nanping County, and everyone there knew that Wang Sanni's mother had been sentenced to death after killing her husband. After hearing her words and seeing her eyes wide with anger, as if she were about to kill someone, the vendors were so frightened that they stifled their laughter, and the man ran away in disgrace.
Xu Lanyin admires Wang Sanni very much. This child has changed a lot and is completely different from the silly and innocent girl she used to be.
Wang Sanni didn't want to sell anymore, so she gathered the things together and wrapped them in cloth. She asked Xu Lanyin, "Sister Lanyin, are you still buying things?"
Xu Lanyin said, "I've bought enough. I'm going home."
"Let's go together."
On the way, Wang Sanni laughed at herself and said, "Now that I have such an identity, everyone is afraid of me."
Xu Lanyin comforted him, "All the difficulties will pass."
Wang Sanni sighed deeply and said, "Who doesn't want to enjoy a peaceful life at home? But there are also people who want that. Jincai is still young, and my sister-in-law is too honest. If I continue to be as incompetent as before, our family will be eaten up without a trace left."
Xu Lanyin began to understand that Wang Sanni's challenge was to meet all kinds of people and hone herself. She sincerely praised her, "You're doing the right thing by being self-reliant."
Wang Sanni continued, "I know everyone in the village hates my mother, thinking she's cruel and ruthless, beating my eldest sister-in-law to death. But she wasn't that kind of person originally. I remember when I was little, although my mother was a bit aggressive, she was kind-hearted and especially good to me and my eldest brother. When my eldest sister-in-law first came home, she wasn't the brightest, but she was well-behaved and sensible, not stupid at all. My father was away on business at the time, often away from home, and we lived in harmony and had a very good life. My mother was a bit harsh with my eldest sister-in-law, hitting and pinching her a few times, but she never hit her hard. Later, when my father stopped traveling for business, our family was no longer harmonious. He kept looking for trouble at home, often beating my mother and my eldest brother, and every time he hit me, my mother would help block it. Gradually, my father began to pay attention to my eldest sister-in-law, and my mother's temperament completely changed..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
