Chapter 29
Yu Wan patiently explained, "I spent about sixty taels of silver to buy you medicine. You helped me with my work and even saved my life. Let's just call it even."
To be honest, this guy is so skilled in martial arts, she couldn't have forced him to stay even if she wanted to. She only stayed to work and pay off her debts because he kept his promise.
He Jing remained silent, staring at her with a livid expression.
Yu Wan felt uneasy under his gaze, wondering why he was still unhappy.
Could it be...?
She scratched her forehead and asked tentatively, "Can I give you another fifty taels of silver for your travel expenses? I really can't afford any more. You know my little eatery isn't doing well either. As for your injury, Elder Rong can treat it for you, so I have nothing to worry about."
The boy seemed even angrier.
Yu Wan couldn't fathom his thoughts. He had already given him his freedom and the money, wasn't that enough?
What exactly do you want?
At this moment, Yu's mother returned with Acheng, followed by several women.
Yu Cheng called out happily, "Brother A-Su, you're back! How are you feeling? Are you all better?"
He Jing nodded listlessly. "Hmm, it's alright."
Yu Wan hurriedly stuffed the contract into the boy's hand, stood up and greeted several women with honest-looking faces. They were dressed simply and looked somewhat familiar, most of them probably being people the original owner had met before.
With a smile, Yu's mother introduced, "Wan, they are our neighbors from the same village. Do you remember them? Didn't you say you wanted me to invite them over to help make clothes? I brought Acheng back to the village today to find them."
Yu Wan suddenly remembered that she hadn't had a chance to make clothes since she bought the fabric.
She looked at the group of people and matched them with those in her memory.
The thin, wheat-brown woman is Aunt Li; the taller one with big eyes is Zhang Ma; and the younger one is Sister-in-law Dong.
She quickly called out, "Acheng, go pour some tea. Aunt Li, Aunt Zhang, Sister-in-law Dong, please sit down and rest."
Everyone chatted and laughed for a while, marveling at Yu Wan's abilities as a girl, saying she was even more capable than the men.
In this joyful atmosphere, there was one person who didn't fit in.
Aunt Li looked at the boy sitting in the corner with a dark expression and asked, "This kid is really handsome."
Aunt Zhang, munching on sunflower seeds, also sized him up. "Yes, I've never seen anyone so handsome in my entire life."
Sister-in-law Dong asked with a smile, "Wan, your mother said you hired a helper, is it him? This child is really good-looking, his height, his eyebrows and eyes, he doesn't look like an ordinary person."
Yu Wan smiled and replied, "He's not exactly a laborer, he's just helping out. By the way, is there anyone in our village who wants to be a waiter? Could you help me find a few when you go back?"
After He Suzhi left, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to handle the work alone, so she definitely needed to hire people. One person wouldn't be enough; she would need to find three.
The group readily agreed, mentioning that so-and-so's child was honest, hardworking, and could definitely help out.
He Jing sat at the table in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, his face ashen. Although the others found it strange, they said nothing.
Mother Yu smiled and said, "Then let's take your measurements. We can also ask A-Wan what styles she wants. She drew some sample designs before."
Aunt Li stood up and said, "Alright, let's take Wan's measurements first. You're the boss's wife now, so you'll inevitably have to show your face in public. Your mother also said she'll make you a few more outfits to change into."
Yu Wan said, "I'm not in a hurry. Let me measure my mother and Acheng first. I have something to do. We'll talk later."
They then began to take the measurements of the mother and son.
Seeing the boy still sulking, Yu Wan walked over to him and asked in a low voice:
"What's wrong with you? Didn't I give you your freedom? I'm not rolling in money, giving you fifty taels isn't a small amount, is it?"
He Jing remained silent and did not look at her, but coughed a few times.
Seeing this, Yu Wan said, "I understand. Is it because your injury hasn't fully healed and you can't travel too far, so you want to stay a little longer?"
He Jing clutched his abdomen, looking as if he was in excruciating pain.
Yu Wan understood: "Okay, I get it. What's there to be embarrassed about? Just say you want to stay and recover, and I won't do anything about it. You've been kind to me, how could I force you to leave?"
This person is really hard to communicate with!
Fortunately, she still has the ability to read people's expressions.
"Anyway, you're free now. You can stay or leave as you please. We're even now, right? You agree?"
He Jing pursed his lips, something was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back.
Yu Wan said, "Alright, if you're not feeling well, go and rest. You don't need to do any more work for me."
He Jing said coldly, "I won't eat and drink for free." After saying that, he got up, picked up a broom, and went outside to sweep the floor.
Yu Wan watched his retreating figure and murmured, "Why does it feel like I've been in a relationship that turned out to be all for nothing?"
Before long, Yu's mother and Yu Cheng finished taking their measurements, and then they took Yu Wan's measurements as well.
Yu Wan called out, "Acheng, go and call your brother Asu in to take your measurements."
Yu Cheng ran out happily and pulled He Jing into the house.
He Jing looked at Yu Wan, "I have one too?"
Yu's mother, unaware of their complicated past, smiled and said:
"Of course, you should have paid for it when Awan bought the fabric. It's thanks to your help that Awan has been able to work so hard these past few days, otherwise her body wouldn't have been able to handle such strenuous work. We already consider you family. Look, she even wants to make two sets for you."
He Jing glanced at the clothing patterns on the table, and his gaze softened as he looked at the girl.
Yu Wan pushed the boy, sending him into the middle of several women.
"Hurry up and take the measurements. Take Aunt Li and the others back later, and try not to travel at night."
He Jing was in a daze, repeatedly reliving the feeling of that soft little hand touching his back.
I don't know how long I was lost in thought, but when I came to my senses, the measurement was already done.
Yu Wan and the others agreed on the wages. Since sewing clothes was not a long-term job, they would be paid by the day, thirty coins per person per day.
I have to come over every day because there are some details that I need to discuss and confirm with Yu Wan at any time. As for the small things, I can take them home to make.
She knew everyone was having a hard time, and she also knew that the men were of good character, so she paid them their wages for the first day in advance.
The three men were a little embarrassed to accept the money. "We haven't done anything yet, how can we take money? What if you're not satisfied with the clothes we make?"
Yu Wan laughed and said, "Who said we didn't do anything? We've been busy for half a day, haven't we? Besides, my mother always praises your needlework skills, and I believe you can definitely achieve the effect I want."
Aunt Li beamed from ear to ear, "Thank you so much, Awan, I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. You'll definitely make a fortune in the future."
The other two echoed this sentiment with emotion.
Before leaving, Yu Wan grilled some skewers and gave everyone some vegetables and pork.
The three of them refused to accept anything.
Finally, Yu Wan secretly put it in the car and told He Jing to give it to them when they arrived at their destination.
As dusk fell, He Jing found Yu Wan and reported that he had returned.
Yu Wan asked, "Did you forget to give them the things?"
My mother said that the Yu family had received their kindness in the past, so they would naturally help them if they could.
She doesn't have mountains of gold and silver, but sending some ingredients is still within her means.
He Jing let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes fixed intently on the girl who was busy preparing dinner.
"At first they said no, but I managed to stuff the things into their hands and then hurriedly drove the carriage back."
Yu Wan stirred the stir-fried shredded potatoes in the wok with her right hand, a strand of her hair hanging down her shoulder, which she picked up with her left hand and tossed behind her.
A strand of hair brushed past the boy's nose, and a faint fragrance entered his nostrils, as if it had traveled around every part of his body.
He took a half-step back in a panic, his ears turning bright red. "What time tomorrow should we go to the village to pick them up?"
Yu Wan placed the shredded potatoes into a plate, and the last dish was finally done.
"It's fine to take over before dawn; after dawn, the restaurants will also need to open for business."
She felt a little uneasy. The sudden closure for a few days made it impossible to estimate the impact on the restaurant, and she didn't know how many customers would come tomorrow.
Will some people think that the restaurant has closed down and never come back?
But worrying now is useless; all the answers will be revealed tomorrow.
Seeing the boy in a daze, she called out "Hello" twice.
"What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, go ask Old Rong for one of those pills. I think it's quite effective. He's already back."
He Jing took the shredded potatoes and braised pork from her hand, and said, "I'm fine." He then turned and left.
Yu Wan sighed, "It's so hard to guess what a young person is thinking."
Forget about him, making money is more important!
She carried Mapo Tofu and a plate of vegetables out and heard Rong Xun and Yu Cheng, one old and one young, chatting and laughing.
Rong Xun dipped his finger in water and wrote Yu Cheng's name on the table.
This was the first time Yu Cheng had ever learned the exact characters of his name. "Wow, this is my name! Grandpa, how do you write my older sister's name?"
Rong Xun then wrote Yu Wan's name.
Yu Cheng said, "Grandpa Rong, you're so amazing! You can write all kinds of characters."
Rong Xun was both amused and exasperated: "What's so impressive about that?"
Yu Wan arranged the four dishes and one soup in their places. "Acheng, I'm planning to find you a school. It just so happens that you want to learn to read."
To everyone's surprise, Yu Cheng said, "No! I don't want to go to school, I want to become Brother Asu's apprentice! I want to learn martial arts from him!"
As Yu's mother was serving rice to everyone, she couldn't help but tease, "Not everyone can learn martial arts well. You have to practice day and night, through the cold and heat. If you did that, wouldn't you be crying every day?"
Yu Wan firmly believes that she will make a lot of money in the future, and she doesn't want her younger brother to become a spoiled brat and squander her money.
She earnestly advised, "You can learn martial arts too! Ah Cheng, I probably won't find a husband who is both scholarly and martial in this lifetime, but I can dream of a younger brother who is both scholarly and martial! Can you help me fulfill this wish?"
He Jing silently took the bowls of rice that Yu's mother had prepared and placed them in front of each person. When he heard what the girl said, he glanced at her without making it obvious.
Yu Cheng still felt that learning martial arts was better than learning literature. "What's the point of learning literature and writing essays with a pen? Learning martial arts can also protect my mother and older sister, so I want to learn martial arts!"
Yu Wan poked his forehead, exasperated. "No matter how strong your fists are, you can't succeed without brains! I'm not forcing you to be the top scholar, but it's always good to have more skills. Why don't you ask your brother Asu if that's the right thing to do?"
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