When they arrived at the shop on Xishui Street, Meng Zhao first found two sets of clean clothes and had the two of them go into the woodshed to wash them.
Body is easy to wash; just scrub it a few times if there's mud. But hair is a different story. Because it hasn't been combed in a long time, it's all tangled up and can't be pulled apart at all.
Besides, the two of them had been living outside the city, so who knew if they had lice on their heads? He was in the food business, so hygiene was of utmost importance. He immediately decided to cut their hair.
Seeing Meng Zhao close the door and leave, Meng Jianqiu immediately turned around, her tone somewhat reproachful, "Why did you tell her your real name? Now that you've told her, how are you going to run away?"
He Jianxia lowered her head slightly, a hint of hesitation on her face. Throughout the journey, Meng Zhao had spoken kindly and gently, even bringing them a stove to help them take a bath and worried they would get cold. She murmured softly, "Do we really have to run away? I think she's a really nice person. Maybe... maybe we can consider staying."
Meng Jianqiu sneered, her eyes filled with disdain and determination. "If you don't want to run, do you really want to stay here as a slave? I spent so long picking a softie. If you don't want to run, just don't hold me back."
Hearing her say that, He Jianxia looked aggrieved. The two of them had fled here together, and Meng Jianqiu had protected her all the way. She had long regarded her as family, so she never wanted to be separated from her.
Before the two could exchange more than a few words, Meng Zhao entered the house with scissors, startling them both. Meng Jianqiu reacted quickly, immediately shielding He Jianxia behind him, his dark eyes warily fixed on Meng Zhao.
Meng Zhao knew she had frightened them, so she quickly said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I just want to cut your hair. I'm in the food business, and I'm most afraid of unclean things. If you two have lice, it will be terrible if you spread them to others."
Knowing that people in ancient times paid special attention to their bodies and hair, Meng Zhao explained a few more things. As a result, the two of them did not hesitate or object at all and immediately nodded in agreement. It makes sense, since they were so hungry that they had no time to care about their hair.
After Meng Zhao cut their hair, he added some charcoal to the stove and told them to rub each other to make sure they were clean.
Then she burned all the clothes they had just worn and the hair she had cut off. There was probably a lot of filth in there. If it weren't so cold outside, Meng Zhao would have liked to let the two of them wash up outside before coming in.
After the two finished washing, Meng Zhao finally saw their faces clearly. Due to malnutrition, their faces were mostly bony and lacked flesh, making them look rather unattractive. However, their eyes were both dark and bright.
Meng Zhao called Jian Qiu and Jian Xia, who had been washed, to the room and asked Cui Ying to cook a bowl of original-flavor thick potato noodles and bring it over. He then found an empty bowl and divided it into two bowls.
"You two probably haven't had a proper meal in a long time. Have something to eat first, otherwise your stomachs will feel uncomfortable," Meng Zhao said earnestly, her eyes filled with concern and pity.
The rich and mellow aroma of bone broth wafted over, making their mouths water. Upon hearing Meng Zhao's words, they quickly picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
The broth for these potato noodles was made daily by Meng Zhao and the others using fresh pork bones. It was incredibly flavorful, and in no time, the two of them finished the noodles and broth.
Seeing that the two of them still looked like they hadn't had enough, Meng Zhao didn't add more rice for them. Instead, he carefully inquired about their backgrounds. While listening to them talk, Meng Zhao watched their expressions to see if they were lying.
Although He Jianxia was literate, she did not come from a wealthy family. Her mother was a maid in a rich household. She learned to read by accompanying the young lady in her studies. Later, the family fell into ruin, and her mother was sold several times. By chance, her father's family needed a wedding to bring good luck, so they bought her mother back.
After He Jianxia was born, the couple lived a relatively good life. Unfortunately, they were later hit by famine and heavy snow. He Jianxia fled with her parents, but both of them died on the road, leaving only He Jianxia alone.
As for Meng Jianqiu, according to her, she was a farmer since childhood. The heavy snow collapsed her house and killed her parents. She fled with the villagers, but got lost. She happened to meet He Jianxia's parents, who felt sorry for her and gave her half a cornbread.
Later, after He Jianxia's parents died, the two of them started heading south together. They heard from the refugees that there was food in Qingshi County, so they ran over there.
As the two spoke, the sorrow in their expressions was genuine, and Meng Zhao felt a little more trust in them. That's the downside of buying people—you can't be sure of their background—but at least she had a contract of indenture.
Meng Zhao would not use the indenture for evil purposes. As long as they worked hard for her, they would be treated the same as ordinary workers.
When the time is right, she can return the indenture to them. For now, it's just a safeguard she left behind while they are still unfamiliar with each other.
When the two women first arrived, Meng Zhao didn't make them work. Instead, he took them out to meet people so they could integrate as quickly as possible. The people in the shop were quite surprised to see that their hair had been cut so messily, with the shortest cuts only reaching behind their ears.
Meng Zhao originally wanted to cut their hair into neat, shoulder-length styles, but their hair was in such poor condition and tangled together that they couldn't be separated. So, he ended up cutting a bit too much. If it weren't for the fact that everyone loves beauty, Meng Zhao would have shaved their heads completely.
Shen Yun, who always supported Meng Zhao, immediately smiled and said, "Short hair is good. You can cover it all with a headscarf, so not a single hair can fall out. That would be so clean."
"Yes, it saves us from having to comb our hair in the morning, and we can get more work done," Aunt Feng'e added.
Meng Zhao smiled and introduced the people present to them. The two women saw a room full of women and a boy who were all very simple and kind, which made them relax a little.
After they got to know each other, Meng Zhao picked out a few stewed pork bones and gave them to Aunt Feng'e, asking her to take them to the pig farm when she went back today. These pork bones were big and hard, perfect for Ah Huang to chew on.
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