Chen Fang's eyes also welled up with tears instantly, and she tried her best to hold them back.
"Yao girl, we should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, we probably would have... from the very beginning."
Chen Fang didn't say what came next, but everyone understood.
If Pei Yao hadn't come up with so many ways to make money in the first place, how could they have gotten better?
She and Sister Yun are afraid they won't even be able to survive.
"Yao'er, you've worked hard." Pei Erlang couldn't help but rub his daughter's head beside him.
Pei Yao looked up and smiled at her father: "It's not hard work..."
Having such a wonderful family is the happiest thing for me.
Pei Yao didn't say those words aloud; she couldn't bring herself to say something so sentimental.
After finishing their New Year's Eve dinner, the family sat in the courtyard and chatted for a while.
Everyone was busy with the New Year, so Pei Yao and her family didn't go out to visit each other.
They were chatting in their own yard.
Yunniang took some melon seeds, peanuts, and some candy and placed them on the table.
Pei Yao took a small mud stove, burned some charcoal inside, placed a small iron mesh on top, and roasted some small sweet potatoes, as well as some chestnuts that Pei Yicheng and Pei Xuan had picked in the mountains in the autumn.
Then he took a small earthenware pot and boiled a pot of tea on it.
The family gathered around a small stove to brew tea and eat pastries. After dark, they continued to admire the moon and stars, staying up all night together to welcome the New Year.
...
After the New Year, Pei Yao got busy again.
Not only did he have to deal with Pei Ji's business, but he also had to handle Gu Mingqian's orders.
Ever since Gu Mingqian started buying goods from Pei Yao, his business in Kyoto has been booming.
His merchant ship would come almost every two months to purchase a large quantity of goods from Pei Yao.
Therefore, Pei Yao spent most of her time in the workshop, which expanded from the initial small courtyard to a large area.
Uncle Niu helped approve the expansion project, and now he is the village chief of Liangshui Village.
Moreover, Pei Yao's actions were not only for her own benefit, but also contributed to the development of the Liangshui Village.
Therefore, Uncle Niu was naturally very willing to help Pei Yao obtain land.
While busy with the workshop, Pei Yao still managed to inquire about Zhang Niangzi from Granny Wang from Liujia Village, who had come to work there.
Granny Wang looked regretful upon hearing this:
"Zhang Niangzi, it's a pitiful story. She finally managed to get through Qi Dayong's period and he started to get better, but then Qi Dayong had an accident."
Wang Po sighed after she finished speaking.
Pei Yao looked puzzled: "Something happened?"
What could possibly happen to someone like Qi Dayong? Was he arrested for prostitution?
Pei Yao expressed her confusion.
Seeing Pei Yao's puzzled look, Granny Wang continued, "Yes, a few days ago, Qi Dayong went out drinking with his friends and fell into the river. When they found him, he was all white from being submerged, and he looked... yue..."
At this point, even Granny Wang couldn't help but gag, blaming herself for liking to join in the fun.
When she went to see him that day, she happened to see Qi Dayong's face, which was swollen from being soaked in water.
That's terrifying.
Thinking about it now, even Wang Po can't help but shudder.
"Qi Dayong is dead?" Pei Yao couldn't help but raise her voice.
In just a few months, Qi Dayong died.
That lady Zhang...
The woman next to Wang Po chimed in, "I don't think Dayong died from a fall. My husband told me that Zhang Shi made him go out the night he died."
No sooner had the person finished speaking than Pei Yao suddenly glared at her.
She immediately stopped making a sound.
“Aunt Mi, you can’t just say things like that. Qi Dayong is dead, and Zhang Niangzi is already having a hard time. If you keep saying these things without any evidence, how will Zhang Niangzi face people in the future?”
Pei Yao looked at Mi Shi, who had just spoken, and said coldly, word by word.
Pei Yao was, after all, his employer, so after hearing this, Madam Mi didn't say anything more.
Wang Po, who had recently been at odds with her mother-in-law, immediately retorted upon seeing her mother-in-law's discomfiture:
"Exactly, does your husband, Mrs. Mi, spend all his time loitering near Mrs. Zhang's house, and even know what she does at night?"
Mi Shi wouldn't argue with Pei Yao, but she wouldn't stand for what Wang Po said, and the two immediately started bickering.
Pei Yao began to worry about Zhang Niangzi's situation. She had sensed something was wrong when Zhang Niangzi looked at Qi Dayong earlier, and a bad feeling arose in her heart.
However, Pei Yao quickly put the idea out of her mind.
However, the next day, Pei Yao still went to see Zhang Niangzi.
Qi Dayong's funeral had just been held, and white banners were still hanging all over her yard.
Qi Dayong was too muddle-headed, so his original relatives stopped visiting him. Even after his death, not many relatives came to visit.
The surrounding area was desolate.
Pei Yao walked to the courtyard gate and knocked on the door.
A clear, crisp voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
Pei Yao: "Xiao Chun, it's me, Pei Yao."
The courtyard gate opened the moment Pei Yao finished speaking.
Qi Xiaochun's tender little face appeared inside: "Sister Ayao, what brings you here?"
Pei Yao looked around and then said, "I came to see you all. Xiao Chun, is your mother here?"
A slender woman emerged from the room; it was Madam Zhang: "Miss Pei, you've arrived. Please come in and sit down."
When Zhang Niangzi saw that Pei Yao was no longer as indifferent as before, she had a rare smile on her face.
Even her eyes, which used to always look tired and cloudy, have become much clearer now, and her complexion has improved considerably.
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Pei Yao asked:
"Zhang Niangzi, I heard from the villagers that Qi Dayong fell into the river and died."
Upon hearing Pei Yao's words, Zhang Niangzi paused, her hand, which was about to hand Pei Yao water, pausing.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze.
Pei Yao noticed the changes in Zhang Niangzi's face and guessed some of the clues.
It seems that Qi Dayong falling into the river was pretty much what she had guessed.
Pei Yao understood, reached out and took the water cup from Zhang Niangzi, which was suspended in mid-air, and smiled at her:
“Zhang Niangzi, good and evil will be rewarded in the end. Qi Dayong has committed many evils and will be punished by heaven. You don’t need to blame yourself for falling into the river because he accidentally drank too much.”
Pei Yao's words brought Zhang Shi back to her senses. She looked at Pei Yao and after a long while said, "Miss Pei, you guessed it?"
Pei Yao shook her head, her smile still gentle and warm: "I don't know anything. I just overheard the villagers talking about it when I arrived. They all said that Qi Dayong was just drunk and that's why he acted like that. It has nothing to do with anyone else, and even less to do with you."
When Pei Yao said this, she emphasized the last sentence.
Zhang's heart skipped a beat, but she said nothing.
However, she also understood Pei Yao's meaning and intentions.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Pei Yao added, "Zhang Niangzi, come back to work for me. You're hardworking and efficient, and Pei's Workshop is just missing someone like you."
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