Fortunately, his mother said that if his nose got bigger during pregnancy, he would definitely have a son, which made him feel a little better.
"Alright, Mother, let her rest alone today. I'll go to your room to rest."
Liu Wangtao closed the door.
I left this place.
Zhu Wenjuan lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Her body was soaked; she had just fallen to the ground, causing her cotton trousers to be stained with snow, which had already melted into water since she returned.
Neither the mother nor the son wiped her face.
Not to mention changing clothes.
How pitiful.
...
At Yan Xia's house in the evening, Jin Lu looked at his mother with a puzzled expression.
"Mother, why did you agree to Uncle Dali's request to take Liu Wangtao to town by horse-drawn carriage?"
Yan Xia sighed when she saw his anxious look.
They're just too young.
“Although you and he don’t get along, and Zhu Wenjuan is also annoying, this is a matter of life and death. Every family in the village has its falling out, but when something big happens, the whole village will unite as one and fight together. If I hadn’t agreed to Zhao Dali today, and Zhu Wenjuan had bled to death, do you think the villagers would have thought of me? I taught you that reputation is more important than anything else. If I were just an ordinary farmer, I wouldn’t care whether she lives or dies. But I want to expand my business.”
Yan Xia took a sip of tea and continued.
"In these people's eyes, merchants have no good reputation. The word 'money-grubbing' is used to describe them, and even worse, they are called unscrupulous merchants. If your business grows big, your reputation will be bad. If something happens in the future, no one will stand by our side. If there is a drought or flood, our family will be the first to be affected in the village. Do you believe it? They don't care how Zhu Wenjuan died. They just talk behind your back about how heartlessly you refused her. Son, you still have a lot to learn in the future."
"Mother wants to buy more land and open more shops in the future, to make money from money. Naturally, more people will be needed to work for Mother. We can't buy people every time, can we? There are only two brokerage firms in the whole Shuangqiao Town that sell people. When the flowers are mass-produced, Mother will find someone to cooperate with to sell the flower cakes. Mother will also hire some people in the village to help Mother with the work. Once the reputation is good, these people will have tasted the benefits. They will be the people who are most afraid of Mother falling down, and they will support Mother unconditionally."
“A little bit of fighting is fine, but it’s unacceptable if someone dies, understand? Words can kill or save. They can make a good person sound bad, or they can make a bad person sound good, depending on how you use them. For example, Mother could have secretly beaten up the Yan and Chen families to vent her anger, but why did she have to take it to court and pretend to be wronged and weak? It’s all for the sake of her reputation! After this incident, if the Yan and Chen families come looking for trouble again, no one will be on their side. The people will just think that they’re bullying Mother again.”
"Son, broaden your perspective—"
After this lecture, Jin Lu felt completely transformed.
After tonight, he seemed to have completely grown up.
In the bedroom, Xiao Ji was massaging Yan Xia's calves.
"Master, let me fetch another basin of water for you to soak your feet."
Yan Xia took Xiao Ji's hand and patted her head.
“Xiao Ji, please call me Auntie from now on. You’ve been eating and living with me for a long time, and I’ve already treated you like a daughter. You’re ten and a half years old this year. If you find someone you like after you turn 22, I will recognize you as my goddaughter, give you a dowry, and marry you off. You won’t have to serve me in such fear anymore. As long as you don’t betray me or make any big mistakes, I won’t kick you out.”
Xiao Ji's eyes were red from crying.
"Auntie, Auntie, I don't want to get married. I just want to serve you for the rest of my life. I won't call you master anymore. Please don't send me away."
Xiao Ji was very scared.
She was afraid she would be kicked out when she turned 22.
"Auntie is worried that you might want to get married in the future. Don't worry, as long as you don't want to, Auntie will support you for life. But I can't make promises too easily. What if you take a fancy to a good man in the future and Auntie stops you from getting married? What if you hate Auntie then? Of course, if you don't get married, Auntie will be even happier. After all, I can't bear to part with our little one."
Yan Xia's eyes were gentle, and her hands were warm.
Xiao Ji felt the warmth from her hand, and the scenes of being hurt vanished like smoke, replaced by Yan Xia in front of her.
"Auntie, I won't get married. I want to take care of you for the rest of my life."
I said the same thing, but this time the tone was very firm.
Yan Xia smiled.
"As long as you're happy."
From then on, Xiao Ji completely changed her way of speaking.
At night, the temperature dropped below zero, the snow gradually hardened, and the ground froze.
Some shallow streams have also frozen over.
It's already the coldest time of the year.
A cold wind swept through the house, sending up puffs of white steam.
They sneak into every house through the cracks, trying to scare people sleeping in bed and make them shiver with cold.
However, when they arrived at Yan Xia's house, they were deterred by the warmth of her room.
The second day of the Lunar New Year.
It is a time for relatives and friends to visit each other during the New Year.
Yan Xia has few friends, let alone close relatives.
I thought today would be an ordinary day.
Unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door just as dawn broke.
"Yan, Happy New Year! I've brought my three children to wish you a Happy New Year. Everyone, please greet your family."
"Hello, Grandma Yan~"
The person speaking to Yan Xia was Aunt Mao from Baihua Village.
He had never even greeted Yan Xia before.
If Yan Xia hadn't had a good memory, she probably wouldn't have known who she was.
There stood Aunt Mao, leading three boys, blocking Yan Xia's door completely.
"Yes, hello."
One shouldn't hit a smiling face, and seeing that the three children were very polite, Yan Xia smiled and responded in kind.
Seeing Yan Xia's kind smile, Aunt Mao quickly nudged her three great-grandsons.
"Happy New Year, Grandma Yan! Wishing you prosperity and good fortune! Give me a red envelope!"
The three children said in unison.
The voice was loud and clear.
After saying that, he stretched his hand out in front of Yan Xia.
Yan Xia's expression changed slightly.
She comes to offer New Year's greetings empty-handed and expects a red envelope? Does she really think she's a sucker?
She plans to focus on her reputation at the start of the new year, but she's not planning to be a big-time philanthropist who throws money around.
Yan Xia didn't react at all, and the three boys' arms were tired from stretching.
"Grandma Yan, give me the red envelope! Where's the red envelope? My great-grandmother said you're very rich, eating meat every day. You wouldn't be so stingy, would you?"
The oldest of the three spoke up, his words laced with sarcasm, effectively putting Yan Xia on a pedestal and making her lose face.
It was as if she wasn't going to give the red envelope.
She's just stingy.
"Are you all here to wish me a Happy New Year?"
Yan Xia didn't care at all. She was getting a little tired of standing, so she leaned against the door frame, crossed her arms, and said with a slight smirk.
"Oh dear, Madam Yan, I noticed your house looks rather deserted, and you don't have any children. That's why I brought them here early this morning to wish you a Happy New Year. After all, you don't have a husband's family, and you've fallen out with your own family. This New Year should be celebrated in a lively and festive manner. It's cold outside, won't you invite us in for a seat?"
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