The woman touched the copper coin in her palm, and her expression softened a bit. "It's only because I, Aunt Wang, am kind-hearted. If it were someone else, I wouldn't just be scolding them, I would be slapping them and kicking them out."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yun'er quickly flattered and smiled, "Yes, in this alley, who doesn't know that Aunt Wang is the kindest person? Even the Bodhisattvas in the temple are not as kind as you. It is a blessing for Yun'er to be taken care of by Aunt Wang!"
The woman received nine large coins and was praised so highly that the last bit of anger in her heart instantly dissipated. "Let's just let yesterday's matter go. I only entrusted such a good job to you because I saw that you were clever and obedient."
However, if there's a next time, these flattering words won't work.
"Yes, Yun'er understands, Yun'er will definitely not make the same mistake again." Meng Yun'er nodded in agreement quickly.
When he turned around, the smile on his face vanished instantly.
She gripped the dirty clothes in the wooden basin tightly with both hands. He was nothing but a lowly servant, yet he dared to act arrogantly towards her. Once her son became the top scholar in the imperial examination, she would definitely be the first to deal with this scoundrel!
Thinking of this, the girl felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
It has been almost a month since Zicai returned to Shanghe Village to attend his brother's wedding banquet, but there has been no news from him. Not long ago, Feng's mother also returned to Shanghe Village, but there was still no response.
She was left all alone in this city.
Everything in the city costs money; even a handful of green vegetables costs two coins.
She had long since spent all the money she had saved up. Now she had taken on laundry work for five wealthy families, charging 250 copper coins per family. After deducting the commissions for the maids, she could still earn one tael of silver a month.
Although we often had to be mindful of others' attitudes, life was much better than that of the peasants in Shanghe Village.
She never wanted to go back.
The girl, carrying the dirty clothes, walked to the end of the alley and was about to head to the last house when she suddenly heard a familiar voice, "Third brother, stop planking the wood, quickly help me carry this plank to the outhouse..."
Meng Yun'er paused, wasn't that Su Husheng's voice?
She looked up and saw a large restaurant with carved eaves that shone in the sunlight. The restaurant was about ten feet away from the street, with four black doors in a row. The porch in front of the door was full of exquisite carvings, but the plaque above the door was empty.
Meng Yun'er frowned slightly. She had been in Tangshan Prefecture for more than two months. Ever since she took on the job of washing clothes, she had been walking around this area every day. She had even wondered why such a large restaurant had been left idle.
It wasn't until seven or eight days ago that she heard some faint noises coming from the restaurant, but the door remained tightly closed, so she only glanced at it twice and didn't think much of it.
But this sound...
Su Husheng often visited Su Hua when she was young, so she wouldn't forget his voice. The girl raised her eyes, glanced at the half-closed door, and walked towards the door.
As she pressed her face against the crack in the door, she caught a glimpse of a dark blue figure turning around, and the girl's eyes widened in surprise.
Who else could it be but Su Husheng!
But why would Su Husheng, that little carpenter, suddenly come to Tangshan Prefecture? And why in such a grand restaurant?
Looking at the seemingly endless restaurant, and then thinking of her own small shop in Qingshui County, Meng Yun'er's mind went through several cycles of thought.
It seems that Su Husheng has been working for the same carpenter in Tangshan Prefecture all these years. Could it be that the master and apprentice took on the carpentry work for this restaurant and are helping out here?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a cold, sharp male voice rang out, "Who's outside?"
Meng Yun'er was startled. Then, the door, which had been slightly ajar, slammed open from the inside, revealing a face that was all too familiar to her.
"Third Brother?! You... how did you get here?"
Su Sanhu frowned and looked Meng Yun'er up and down. "What are you doing, sneaking around behind the door?"
Su Husheng, who was inside, looked at Meng Yun'er with a rather unpleasant expression. He put down the wooden board in his hand and walked over to stand behind the boy in a few steps.
Feeling stared at by the two men, Meng Yun'er quickly forced a smile, "Third Brother! Brother Husheng! I heard some noise in here and came to take a look, but I didn't expect to run into acquaintances!"
As she spoke, she looked up into the courtyard, feeling even more puzzled. If Su Husheng was helping his master with carpentry, then what was Su Sanhu doing?
Could it be that he's going to become a carpenter like Su Husheng?
When she left Shanghe Village, wasn't the Su family selling snails? Their daily revenue was about the same as their noodle shop, so why would they come to do such hard work?
Could it be that the business of selling flavored snails is no longer viable?
Seeing her eyes darting around, Su Sanhu felt utterly disgusted and reached out to close the door.
But Meng Yun'er simply braced her hand against the side of the door.
The smile on his face deepened, "Third Brother, Brother Husheng, what kind of work do you do in there? Are you no longer selling the flavorful snails you used to sell in Cangwu Town...?"
Upon hearing this, Su Sanhu scoffed coldly, "Instead of wasting your time, you'd be better off worrying about your own family matters. Go home early, and maybe you can see your father one last time and prepare a coffin!"
"What did you say?" Meng Yun'er was taken aback, then her face darkened. "Third Brother, you've gone too far! I was just concerned about you, why are you cursing my family like that?"
"Don't keep calling me 'Third Brother,' I, Su Sanhu, would never have a sister as disgusting as you!"
Furthermore, you know perfectly well what kind of relationship our Su family has with your Meng family.
If you dare to act tough on our Su family's turf again, I'll beat you to a pulp!
After cursing, Su Sanhu forcefully pried her hands off the side of the door and slammed the door shut.
Meng Yun'er couldn't avoid it in time, and her nose was hit directly by the door, turning bright red. Tears streamed down her face from the pain.
Staring at the tightly closed door, he raised his leg to kick it, but when he saw the dark wood, he subconsciously pulled his leg back and spat out a mouthful of saliva instead.
"Pah! I'm just someone's henchman. You're giving back your Su family's territory? You have quite the nerve!"
The girl, carrying her dirty clothes, walked towards the next alley, cursing and swearing, and even after returning to the riverbank behind her rented room, she still had a sullen face.
She pounded the clothes with a washing stick, cursing incessantly, "Su Sanhu, Su Hua, the whole Su family, they're all bastards, all of them deserve to die..."
Sizzle!
Perhaps she used too much force, because a piece of clothing under her hands was torn open with a large rip. Meng Yun'er stopped cursing and stared at the torn clothes, completely dumbfounded.
This dress is made of silk; she might not be able to afford to lose it even if she worked hard for a year!
Her embroidery skills were mediocre, and if she sewed up the tear, it would definitely be noticed. But if she returned it like that, the customer would surely cause her trouble.
Just when she was at her wit's end, there was a slight movement on the river. Meng Yun'er looked up and saw a snow-white shadow floating on the river.
Long, black hair, a pale face, and a snow-white dress—one glance was enough to terrify anyone. Meng Yun'er felt a chill run down her spine and screamed, "Ah!! A ghost!!!"
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