Seeing her hesitation, Pei Yao continued, "Madam Zhang, you can take it. Even if you don't wear it, you can give it to the child. In this weather, you may not be cold, but the child will be."
The child was Zhang Niangzi's weakness, so she accepted the gift with embarrassment upon hearing this.
"Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Miss Pei."
Zhang Niangzi reached out and took Pei Yao's cotton-padded coat, but instead of wearing it herself, she folded it all up and put it in her basket.
This jacket is still so new; it would be perfect for the child to wear when we get back.
This year must have been tough for the children.
It was a mild winter.
She had enough clothes on her own, and she had always gotten through the winter dressed like this.
However, the sea breeze always felt particularly cold on Zhang Niangzi every winter.
These coats are just enough for each of the three children; the children are weak and can't get cold.
After saying goodbye to Pei Yao, Madam Zhang went home.
After Zhang Niangzi came out, she picked a banana leaf from the roadside and carefully covered it on her basket.
Hide the cotton-padded jacket underneath.
These days, there are plenty of people who don't have clothes to wear. If she were to encounter someone with ill intentions on the street, she, a weak woman, would be completely powerless to resist.
After covering it up, Zhang Niangzi continued walking forward with the basket on her back. Just thinking about the four cotton-padded jackets in the basket made her extremely happy.
It's truly a blessing from heaven that she found such a great employer.
She would definitely repay them if she had the chance.
Zhang Niangzi returned home happily, but as soon as she reached the courtyard, she heard a commotion coming from inside the house.
The sound of children crying and men and women cursing made Zhang Niangzi's heart tighten.
......
After Zhang Niangzi left, Pei Yao and Yunniang chatted for a while.
Just as Yunniang was about to take out the seaweed that Zhang Niangzi had brought and put it away, she noticed a small purse that Zhang Niangzi had left on the table.
"Yao'er, Madam Zhang has left her purse behind."
Pei Yao followed Yun Niang's words and looked over, just in time to see the small purse in her hand.
"Qi Dayong knows that Zhang Niangzi is out selling seaweed today. If she doesn't take her money bag back, I'm afraid Qi Dayong will definitely beat her up again."
Pei Yao picked up the money bag from Yunniang's hand and said, "Zhang Niangzi has been gone for a while. Liujia Village is not far away. Zhang Niangzi is probably almost home by now. I have to hurry and deliver it to her."
Pei Yao was afraid that if she arrived too late, Qi Dayong would have already made his move.
Yunniang was naturally worried about Pei Yao going alone with someone like Qi Dayong, so she immediately insisted on going with her.
Just as the two reached the courtyard gate, Pei Dalang returned in his carriage.
Pei Dalang and Chen Fang now occasionally visit Pei Ji's shop to check on its condition, and then return home.
Pei Yao was leaving when she ran into Pei Dalang and Chen Fang returning home.
"Yunniang, Yao'er, where are you going?"
Chen Fang saw that Pei Yao and Yun Niang both looked anxious and hurriedly walked out.
I thought something had happened at home.
Pei Yao recognized Chen Fang and the others.
Pei Yao exclaimed with delight, "Uncle, Aunt, it's just in time that you're back! Uncle, could you please take me to Liu Family Village by carriage?"
When Pei Dalang saw Pei Yao's hurried expression, his own expression darkened and became serious.
"You two get in the car quickly, we're going now." Without any hesitation or asking why, Pei Dalang took Pei Yao, Yunniang, and Chen Fang, who was already in the car, and sped towards Liujia Village.
Inside the car, Chen Fang asked anxiously, "Why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened at home?"
Once they were in the carriage, Pei Yao and Yun Niang were no longer in such a hurry.
Sitting in the carriage, he told Chen Fang about Zhang Niangzi's matter in detail.
Even Pei Dalang, who was driving the carriage outside, said angrily, "This Qi Dayong looks so weak and frail, but he's actually a wife-beater."
Pei Dalang had met Qi Dayong once or twice before, and he saw that Qi Dayong looked shrewd. He didn't like the man.
Hearing Pei Yao and the others say this now, they looked down on him even more from the bottom of their hearts.
A grown man, instead of going out to work and earn money to support his family, relies on his wife's hard-earned money to squander.
He's truly unworthy of being called a man.
They are utterly unworthy of being human!
The four of them sped towards Liujia Village. As soon as they arrived, they saw many people running in one direction.
Seeing the throng of people ahead, Pei Dalang stopped the carriage at the village entrance.
Moreover, as a man, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go to Zhang Niangzi's house without permission.
"Uncle, Aunt, Mother, please wait for me in the carriage. I'll be back after I deliver the money."
Pei Yao got up and got off the carriage. She had been to Zhang Niangzi's house before; it was not far ahead.
Yunniang followed, saying, "Yao'er, I'll go with you."
The two walked toward where Zhang Niangzi was.
However, before the two arrived, they saw a large crowd gathered in front of Zhang Niangzi's house.
Pei Yao and Yun Niang couldn't squeeze in at all.
"I heard that widow Xia even went directly to their door, how arrogant..." said a chubby villager.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yao exclaimed that she was incredibly lucky.
Sending money can lead to hearing gossip? It seems to be some pretty explosive gossip.
Pei Yao loves listening to gossip. She's been in Lingnan for so long, and she's rarely heard any gossip before.
Liangshui Village has a small population, so there's rarely any sensational gossip; it's mostly just everyday stuff.
Nothing new or interesting.
Pei Yao's eyes lit up as she pulled Yun Niang into the center of the crowd.
Hearing the chatter of the people around him.
One villager said, "This man is heartless. His wife works so hard for the family every day, and he still goes out to find other women."
Another villager said, "Let her look for him, she's a widow."
Another villager said, "A widow is a widow, but this widow has come to our door to cause trouble! What kind of situation is this!"
Everyone gasped in shock upon hearing this.
They even came to our door to fight?
Someone asked, "Are widows coming to the door?"
"Yes, that's right, there's a battle going on up ahead."
The man exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"
"That's right, Old Qi's wife is being beaten by that widow Xia. Old Qi's wife doesn't dare to fight back at all, and Old Qi doesn't even try to help."
The man asked again, "Old Qi?"
"Yes, Qi Dayong... Hey, wait a minute, who are you?" At this point, the woman, who had been talking non-stop, looked at the two unfamiliar figures in the crowd and immediately asked in confusion:
"You two don't even know that lazybones Qi Dayong? You're not from our village, are you?"
Pei Yao and Yun Niang, who had just been gossiping, suddenly looked guilty.
The woman beside him also turned to look at Pei Yao and Yun Niang, echoing, "They look unfamiliar, probably from another village."
Pei Yao forced a smile: "Big sister, we're from Liangshui Well Village next door. Is the Qi Dayong you mentioned Zhang Niangzi's husband?"
Upon hearing that Pei Yao knew Qi Dayong, the man immediately frowned.
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