"How is it you?" Liang Shuyan looked at the man in front of her with a surprised expression!
This man was none other than Liang Shuyan's brother, Liang Zhengdong. With his hands on his hips and a fierce look on his face, he pointed at Ugly Girl hiding in the corner and said, "Don't worry, I'm not looking for you. I'm here to take Ugly Girl back!"
Ugly Girl isn't actually ugly. She has a fair face, sparkling eyes, a high nose bridge, and long braids, making her irresistible to look at.
"Auntie, help! My father is going to sell me to a slave trader! I won't go!" Ugly Girl said, grabbing Liang Shuyan's legs and trembling all over.
Zhang was a kind-hearted person by nature. When she saw Liang Zhengdong, she pleaded, "Uncle, Chouya is still so young, how can you do this?"
"Don't listen to this girl's nonsense. She's not some slave trader. Ugly Girl is of marriageable age. How can she not get married?" Liang Zhengdong's meaning was that he wanted to take Ugly Girl away, and no one had the right to stop him.
Liang Shuyan snorted coldly: "Ugly girl's surname is Liang, and mine is Liang too. Why can't I interfere? If you want to take Ugly girl away, go and get the marriage certificate first. Let me see it, and then I'll allow you to take Ugly girl away. Otherwise, don't even think about it!"
After saying that, Liang Shuyan instructed Zhang Shi: "Eldest daughter, take Ugly Girl inside, change her clothes, and get her some food!"
Liang Zhengdong said with a commanding tone, "What are you doing? Ugly Girl is my daughter. Do you want to take her away from me? Let me tell you, I'm going to report this to the authorities and see what the magistrate has to say."
Liang Shuyan smiled and said, "Alright, now that the magistrate is here, I'll say you're a child trafficker. Don't blame me for selling you out, your older brother!"
Liang Zhengdong's hands trembled with rage: "Liang Shuyan, how could you be so shameless and unreasonable!"
Liang Shuyan didn't say a word. Seeing Jin Erniu return behind her, she said, "Erniu, close the door!"
Liang Zhengdong stomped his feet in anger, but had no choice but to leave helplessly.
Ugly Girl already knew about the affair between her father and her aunt. As soon as she entered the door, she knelt down on the ground, crying and wailing, "Auntie, it's all my father and grandmother's fault. My brother's death had nothing to do with my aunt. He was killed by my stepmother. This time, my father was in debt and was being chased by debt collectors, so he had no choice but to sell me to a slave trader. Auntie, please, please let me stay. Ugly Girl can do everything, wash clothes, cook, and feed the pigs."
Seeing that Chouya was crying so sadly, Liang Shuyan went over and helped Chouya up: "Get up quickly. Since you're here, you can stay with your aunt for now, and we'll talk about it later."
Ugly Girl then followed Zhang Shi away.
Standing in the yard, Liang Shuyan glanced at the progress of the construction shed and thought that it was time to buy peppers. Although there were many people in her family, if she asked them to go up the mountain to dig peppers, who would do the work at home?
"Dashan, write an advertisement and post it at the village entrance. Anyone with free time can go to the valley to find wild peppers. They're two coins a pound!"
Although wild peppers are everywhere, to find the best ones, you have to go deep into the mountains and along the ridges. You can find several kilograms a day and earn a dozen or so coins.
Da Shan responded by writing an advertisement and posting it up. Soon, people from the village came to Liang Shuyan's door with baskets on their backs.
Liang Shuyan coughed lightly twice: "Look everyone, our tea workshop is almost finished. Now we need you to go up the mountain to pick peppers. A portion of dried peppers is five coins, and freshly picked peppers are two coins per pound. Anyone who has free time can go up the mountain to pick them."
Upon hearing this, the plump auntie exclaimed happily, "Oh my, what a wonderful thing! Auntie Dashan is so generous, actually using money to buy wild peppers. Some families in our village aren't even pregnant, where would they get the money for this?"
Aunt Liu snorted coldly: "You don't know this, do you? Da Shan's mother is a big businesswoman. Now she's even selling her cold noodles in a big restaurant in town. I believe this tea workshop will do even better."
A commotion arose in the crowd. After giving a few simple instructions, Liang Shuyan left.
Inside the shed, the workers were still busy hammering and banging away. Sanwang came out of the shed, glanced at the workers on the roof, and said with a smile, "Starting today, you can all leave work earlier. It's basically all done."
Liang Shuyan walked in and inspected each shed one by one. She found that the workmanship of the shed was quite satisfactory. Then she said, "Well then, since everyone has completed the work within the agreed timeframe, I should keep my promise and pay you your wages. As agreed, the total amount for the completed project is 240 copper coins. I have given this money to the foreman so that he can distribute it to you all. In the future, if I have any work to do, I will ask you all to help out!"
Everyone was overjoyed to hear that they would be paid, and kept saying, "Great, great!"
Liang Shuyan then instructed Dashan and Zhao Heng to clean up the shed. They would choose a suitable day in the next few days to start work. She had completely handed over the cold noodle business to Zhang Shi, and she couldn't just sit idle like that.
Chunyan walked over, head bowed, and said, "Auntie, I want to go back and see my father. He's sick."
It was clear that Chunyan was a filial child. Liang Shuyan then gave Chunyan 10 coins and said with a smile, "It's only right, Chunyan. I'm very happy that you think this way. Go back and buy some medicine for your father."
Chunyan didn't want the money. Since arriving at Liang Shuyan's house, she had been well-fed and well-treated, and she was able to attend school while doing some work at her aunt's house. Her aunt also paid her wages, which made Chunyan feel guilty.
“Auntie, I can’t accept this money. Chunyan is so grateful for your care that I can study, work and earn money at your house. I dare not accept any money.”
Liang Shuyan sighed: "You child, how can you be so formal? You are my niece, and besides, you have helped me with a lot of chores at my house. Take this money and go back to see your father!"
Chunyan then took the silver and left.
As soon as Erniu got back, he sat on a bench and kept complaining: "What kind of master is that? He said he would teach us skills, but what did he do? He just sat there eating and sleeping. I think he's a complete waste of space."
Liang Shuyan was furious and grabbed Erniu by the ear: "How dare you say such things? Last time you were beaten so badly you were screaming, and now you still have the nerve to say such things? Let me tell you, this big 33 martial arts school has been handed over to you, how come you have no ambition at all? You only keep complaining about others, how come you can never see your own shortcomings?"
Erniu's ears were being torn and hurt, so he immediately cried out, "Mother, Erniu, Erniu knows he was wrong, Erniu..."
"Mom, I want to go to the martial arts school. Anyway, we don't need anyone to take care of things at home. I want to go to the martial arts school to keep an eye on Erniu!"
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