Chapter 131
Aunt Lin and the others looked at Lin Qingqing, thinking that if she earned twenty coins a day, she could earn six hundred coins a month. After deducting one hundred coins for rent, she would still have five hundred coins left.
"What about food? Do you cook for yourself?" the old lady asked. Lin Qingqing looked up at her family members at the table and slowly lowered her eyes.
"Yeah, I bought some and cooked something for myself."
Hearing this, everyone at the table fell silent. Lin Qingqing didn't know what they were thinking, nor did she delve into it. After a long silence, Wang Shi chuckled and began to talk to herself: "This is the county town, and it's not even as good as this village. The old women in the village can earn twenty coins a day."
No one at the table responded to her. Because of Wang Shi, their family had a bad relationship with Lin Chuntao and the others. Let alone twenty coins, they wouldn't even dare to ask for ten coins for work. Aunt Lin was still angry inside, but because the Wang family had gone too far, they were afraid that if they provoked Wang Shi again, she might commit suicide, which would be pitiful for the children in the family. So everyone kept quiet.
Now, when Wang brings this up, they don't say a word.
Lin Qingqing just listened without saying a word. Suddenly, Wang turned to look at her and said sarcastically, "What? Didn't your good friend who stood up for you tell you how much she paid for the workers? Didn't she ask you to do any work for her? You're so protective of them, I thought they were supporting you this month since you left!"
Lin Qingqing's feelings toward Wang Shi were very complicated. Compared to the other branches of the Lin family, her grandparents were not particularly sexist, and her parents did not mistreat her in terms of food and clothing. She always felt that Wang Shi loved her very much.
However, love cannot withstand comparison; no matter how much she is her biological daughter, she cannot compare to her cousin.
Lin Qingqing sometimes thought that it was fortunate that she had a younger brother; otherwise, Wang Shi might have been in an even worse situation.
She loved Wang but didn't understand why Wang couldn't see things clearly and why she was still unwilling to admit how things had developed. She didn't blame her.
She held the bowl but didn't touch her chopsticks; she just stared at it quietly.
Her eyes were too calm, and such eyes made Wang feel unfamiliar. In fact, not only Wang, but also the old lady felt that Lin Qingqing had changed a lot in just one month. She seemed to have grown up, but she was also unfamiliar to everyone.
“I didn’t help them when they were suffering. When they were building their houses, my own mother made things difficult for them in every way. I have a sense of shame. I’m not shameless! My own mother was trying to push me into a pit of fire. How could I accept kindness from others? After all, my mother’s efforts were marked with a price for return. Don’t others need to receive the same?”
“Whether you resent me or hate me, it was wrong of me to leave home without telling you. But since I dared to go out, it is my fate to die out there. I did not come back today to ask for forgiveness. If you still consider me your daughter, then I will come back whenever I have time. If you do not consider me your daughter, then I do not have to come back.”
Wang stared intently at Lin Qingqing. This cold and indifferent face was completely different from the daughter who had cried and begged her before. It was as if the daughter who had cried and depended on her was dead, and a demon had returned.
People's intuition is very accurate. The reason she dared to force Lin Qingqing against her will was because she was certain that Lin Qingqing wouldn't dare to go out, or that if she went out she wouldn't be able to support herself and would eventually come back.
But she lost her gamble.
Lin Qingqing went out and found a job to support herself. As for what Lin Qingqing went through and how she found the job, she had no idea.
She knew it wasn't Lin Qingqing's fault, but she was bewitched. Sometimes she wondered if things would have been different if Lin Qingqing had been there, if the marriage had gone through, and if her nephew had been well.
She also wanted to ask Lin Qingqing how she had gotten through the past month, but the words just wouldn't come out. In fact, she felt much better after saying those harsh words. She realized that she did hate her daughter a little.
Especially Lin Qingqing's face at this moment.
But if she accepted Lin Qingqing's words and told her to get lost, wouldn't that be letting her off easy? If Lin Qingqing never came back, who would she be cursing at?
She didn't dare to gamble again. Lin Qingqing had become too independent; once she said those heartless words, Lin Qingqing might really never come back.
She held back for a moment, until her hand holding the bowl trembled slightly.
The old lady hurriedly said to Lin Qingqing, "You child, this is your home. How could they disown you as their daughter just because you had a few arguments with your parents?"
Aunt Lin chimed in, "That's right, Qingqing, your mother is worried about you. You've been gone for almost a month without a word. What would we do if something happened to you?"
Lin Qingqing just listened, never mentioning her own experience, and not uttering a single word about Lin Chuntao lending her money.
She will have to repay Lin Chuntao's favor on her own in the future.
Given Wang's current state, if she were to reveal the truth, wouldn't she blame Lin Chuntao for her running away from home?
Not only will you be unable to repay the favor, but you'll also create new grudges. There's no need for that.
After dinner, the sun was strong outside, so everyone went inside to sit and rest. Lin Qingqing took out a bag of snacks and candies and gave it to the old lady. There were many children in the family, so she let the old lady distribute them.
After all, they were siblings, so she still kept a separate copy for her brother and placed it in Lin Changhua's room.
The old lady looked at the two items and knew that Lin Qingqing had left some. She didn't say much, but simply said, "You child, it's not easy for you to earn money to support yourself. Why did you buy these?"
Lin Qingqing said, "This is the first time I've earned money. I'm buying some candy for my brothers and sisters so they can have a taste."
Aunt Lin was also nearby, and it was only then that she began to inquire about Lin Qingqing.
"Qingqing, you didn't take a single penny with you when you left. What about the rent and food money, you..."
Lin Qingqing: "I was starving for two days and I was so hungry that I fainted. I met a kind sister who gave me some food and let me stay with her. Later, she asked her boss for help and we started working together."
Hearing this, Aunt Lin swallowed hard. She was so hungry that she couldn't imagine what Lin Qingqing would encounter if she met bad people.
“You’re quite lucky…” Aunt Lin said.
Lin Qingqing chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Yes, I'm pretty lucky. If I weren't, I don't know if I'd be dead or alive, or worse than dead."
Aunt Lin and the old lady fell silent instantly.
Lin Qingqing said, "But thankfully, it's all in the past now."
The old lady nodded, then asked her, "Are you still going back to do that job?"
"I'll take a day off today and go back to work tomorrow morning."
Aunt Lin pursed her lips and looked at Lin Qingqing, asking, "Qingqing, the engagement has been called off. From now on, you should tell your father about any work you need to do, and you should also tell him where you're going to work."
"That way, your family can visit you when they miss you."
Lin Qingqing looked at the old lady and Aunt Lin and said, "Let's talk about it next time."
The old lady frowned slightly upon hearing this, then said earnestly, "Qingqing, this is where you went wrong. For the past month, your father has been looking for you everywhere. Everyone in the village knows you left home, and now they all know you're back. If you don't tell him where you are, what will he say when people ask him in the future?"
Lin Qingqing understood what the old lady meant. These days, if a daughter went missing, the gossip would be that she had eloped. If she left, Lin Changhua and the others would definitely lose face.
After thinking it over, Lin Qingqing finally said, "I sell sauces at Chai's Sauce Market."
Everyone who's been to the county town knows about Chai's Sauce Shop, but when they hear the word "sauce," the first person they think of is Lin Chuntao. Every month, people come and go from the county town to buy sauce. Upon hearing where Lin Qingqing works, Aunt Lin tentatively asked, "It wouldn't be the shop that sells sauce to Chuntao and the others, would it?"
Lin Qingqing said, "Yes, that's right."
Aunt Lin paused, and after a long while she said, "Ah... Qingqing, you... you."
"Did they already know you were working in the shop?"
Lin Qingqing chuckled softly, then lowered her head. "Third Aunt, do you think I would have the nerve to come out and greet Chun Tao if I saw her delivering sauce at that shop?"
Aunt Lin: "..."
"Chunxing did see it a few days ago, but I'll be back soon, so I told her not to come to the house to tell her."
"So, Chun Tao still doesn't know you're working in the shop?" the old lady asked.
Lin Qingqing said, "Probably, but I don't know if Chunxing has told her."
Aunt Lin asked, "How's Chun Tao's sauce business?"
Lin Qingqing hummed in agreement and was about to leave when the old lady said, "You and Chunxing are close, and Chuntao is a person who can distinguish right from wrong. She won't hold a grudge against you because of your mother's matter. Since you're working over there, just tell her frankly."
Lin Qingqing was not surprised by the old lady's words, and she nodded.
"I'll go find Chunxing and tell Sister Chuntao later."
Lin Qingqing stayed at home for a while before going to find Lin Chunxing.
Lin Chunxing told her about the possibility of opening a shop in a while.
"I was thinking of asking you to open a noodle shop with me, but I don't know if you'll come."
Lin Qingqing was somewhat surprised and didn't reply for a long time. Lin Chunxing said, "Of course, I'm not asking you to come and work for me. If you come, we can open the shop together and talk about how to split the profits."
Lin Qingqing smiled at Lin Chunxing. She knew that Lin Chunxing and the others hadn't held a grudge against her because of the elders' affairs, but she was just helping out with some work. The recipes and everything else belonged to Lin Chunxing and the others, so what right did she have to ask for a share of the money? She didn't mind being asked to do the work.
She originally wanted to open this small shop with Lin Chunxing, and now that's possible, but it's not.
She could imagine what would happen if Wang Shi came to cause trouble once their shop opened. That would destroy their sisterly bond.
She remained silent for a while, then Lin Chunxing asked, "You're not happy about it?"
Lin Chunxing wasn't sad. She just said, "How could you let my sister know the truth? She said that the sauce shop might open in various counties in the future. There's only one Manager Chai, so he'll definitely send someone he trusts to manage it. And the people in your shop now will all be veterans in the future. Do a good job, and maybe you can become managers of branch shops in the future!"
“My sister said you wouldn’t come, but I even bet with her that you would.”
Lin Qingqing thought of Chai Xingyu, Zhang Qingqing, and Sanbao—they were all wonderful shopkeepers and sisters. Sanbao and the others were also wonderful, but she cherished her sisterhood with Lin Chunxing the most, and wished that this bond would remain pure and beautiful forever.
Moreover, she knew that Lin Chunxing's words were specifically meant for her.
Lin Chuntao, anticipating her potential predicament, conveyed these words to her, telling her that even if she didn't follow Lin Chunxing to open a noodle shop, she could still succeed in the sauce shop.
She took a deep breath and said, "Chunxing, I've never run a noodle shop before, but I'm used to selling sauces. I'm sorry. Besides, opening a shop is such a big deal for you. I need to find someone experienced to help you. I'm afraid I'll hold you back."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "There's nothing to apologize for. Let's just do our best!"
As Lin Chunxing spoke, she made a playful gesture. Lin Qingqing's eyes welled up with tears, but she smiled and agreed, "Okay!"
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