Meng Daya originally wanted her father to take leave to take her younger brother and mother to see a doctor, while she stayed to continue working and earn an extra day's wages. However, her father, Meng Fu, refused to agree and insisted on taking leave with her.
So while waiting in line, Meng Daya had a dark face. She knew that the birthmark on her face could not be cured. She had gotten used to it over the years and didn't care at all. She might as well go to work on the construction site and earn twenty coins!
"Da Ya, your parents will definitely find a doctor to cure you, don't be discouraged!" Meng Fu carried his thin son in line, comforting his daughter from time to time. However, his voice was hoarse, as if it had been crushed, which was distressing to hear.
The middle-aged woman, who was also very tall and was standing quietly beside her, took Meng Daya's hand tightly and patted her head to comfort her.
"I... I'm used to it now, and it doesn't hurt anyway. Let's use the money at home to get my little brother treated first." Meng Daya felt a pang of heartache looking at her brother's increasingly frail body. "Little brother, be good~~ We're going to see the doctor now, you'll get better soon!"
The little body, whether asleep or unconscious, lay obediently on its father's back, motionless. However, upon closer observation, one could see that the child would occasionally frown and break out in a cold sweat.
Because the people at Cheng's construction site missed the optimal time, they were almost all at the end of the queue. Fortunately, everyone queued quietly and did not cause trouble like the people before them.
By noon, when Cheng Ruyi finished her business and arrived at the South Gate carrying a large basket, the queue had only moved forward less than a third of the way, and it looked like it would be a long time before they could finish watching.
Walking forward from the back of the line, it wasn't hard to see that more people were sick than injured. After observing carefully, she figured that most of them were probably suffering from malnutrition or eating the wrong foods.
As she walked along, whenever she saw workers from her construction site with elderly people or children, she would take out one or two multigrain steamed buns and hand them over.
"Boss! We...we might not be able to get back to the construction site today, so we can't take these steamed buns..."
"I'm not giving this to you, little baby. Auntie will give you a steamed bun, okay? Open your mouth obediently, ah~~"
Ruyi handed a freshly made, fragrant steamed bun to a little girl. The two- or three-year-old child didn't understand anything, only that she had been starving. Now that someone was putting the soft, fragrant steamed bun to her mouth, she couldn't help but instinctively open her mouth and take a bite.
When the man saw that his daughter was actually eating it, he couldn't help but shout at her, "Little sister! You!"
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean'? Who are you trying to scare by shouting like that? You've already eaten it, so if you don't want it, just throw it away!" Cheng Ruyi pretended to be angry and stopped the man, then stuffed another steamed bun into his hand and left without paying him any attention.
Ruyi slowly walked forward, and the number of steamed buns she handed out decreased. When she was almost at the front, she had just finished handing out all the buns.
Sigh, today is another day of playing the saint. If only her system were some kind of saint system, she could definitely complete many tasks smoothly and earn more rewards.
While she was still indulging in her fantasy and comforting herself, she suddenly saw a well-dressed middle-aged man walking towards her.
"Nice to meet you, Madam Cheng!"
"Manager Zhou, it's a pleasure to meet you. I really have to thank the Zhou family for their help this time. Without you, I don't know how many days these refugees could have survived."
Cheng Ruyi had learned from Manager Huang early on that the person who came to organize the event today was the Zhou family's steward. She was just a little surprised that the other party would take the initiative to greet her. She was wondering how to greet him in a way that would seem natural and appropriate.
While Cheng Ruyi was sizing up the other person, Steward Zhou was also observing her.
Zhou Fu is the head steward of the Zhou family. He usually handles important matters for the Zhou family and has never appeared before when distributing porridge. The reason he came today is to meet this Cheng Niangzi, whom he has recently "heard of".
The woman before me, Madam Cheng, was tall and dignified, with a calm expression. She wore a light purple embroidered long gown with straight sleeves and a light blue pleated skirt, which made her look very elegant and understated. Although she was not stunning at first glance, she was generous and dignified.
Although Zhou Fu was a servant, he had been in the Zhou family for decades and had seen all sorts of people. This Lady Cheng was just an ordinary widow in the county town and should not have received the upbringing of noble ladies from aristocratic families, yet she was so composed, confident, and knew how to behave appropriately. She was truly remarkable.
"Madam Cheng, you're too kind. If it weren't for your suggestion, we wouldn't have realized that what the refugees needed most was actually a doctor. We've heard that you even hired refugees to clear land and build houses; such kindness is truly admirable!"
Cheng Ruyi was somewhat surprised. She had been looked down upon by the owner of Zhiwei Restaurant before, but she did not expect that the manager this time would not only be kind and easy to talk to, but also not discriminate against women in his words.
She couldn't help but look up and saw the other person's sincere face, which made her feel a little embarrassed. "Manager Zhou, you flatter me. The Zhou family has been doing good deeds for generations without asking for anything in return. They are the role models for us. Speaking of which, the people of Huaishan County have benefited a lot from the Zhou family over the years. Especially during the lockdown, it was thanks to the Zhou family's money and effort that the lives and property of the people were saved. We should be the ones thanking you."
Her words were indeed heartfelt. Regardless of the Zhou family's motives, their generations of philanthropy were a rare blessing for the people of the county.
This time, it was Zhou Fu's turn to be surprised. He had worked for the Zhou family for so many years and of course he knew about the contributions the Zhou family had made to Huaishan County, but there were actually not many people who could understand this. This was the first time someone had said such a thing to him, and with such sincerity.
At this moment, he had to admit that this Lady Cheng was indeed somewhat different.
He suddenly had a premonition that this Madam Cheng and their Zhou family would definitely have an increasingly close connection in the future.
"Father, the carriage is ready."
When Zhou Fu saw his youngest son approaching, he said to Ruyi, "Madam Cheng, this is my youngest son, Zhou Shouyi. He's currently in charge of transporting goods for the Zhou family. I hope you'll take good care of him in the future."
Although Zhou Shouyi was somewhat puzzled, he still greeted Cheng Ruyi politely, "Greetings, Madam Cheng."
"Manager Zhou, nice to meet you." Ruyi was puzzled. Why was Manager Zhou suddenly introducing his son to her? Was he implying something? What could cargo transportation possibly have to do with her?
"Madam Cheng, we have some matters to attend to back in the city, so we'll take our leave now."
"Manager Zhou, young Manager Zhou, take care!"
Zhou Fu didn't give her a chance to explain further. After finishing his sentence, he got into the carriage and left, leaving Cheng Ruyi standing there in a daze.
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