Yan Qingqing didn't care about so many other things. After handing the last portion of large intestine to Chen Liu, she told her three sons to prepare to pack up and close the stall.
Chen Liu chuckled as he ate the braised pork intestines in his bowl, "Big sister, I feel so bad for you. You wouldn't take the money I offered, but I'm so greedy."
Yan Qingqing chuckled and said, "It's not that valuable. We've been so grateful for your help while we've been setting up our stall here. I won't be coming tomorrow."
"I've brought the three children over; I hope you'll look after them."
As Chen Liu ate, he nodded and said, "Don't worry, big sister, as long as we're at the dock, I definitely won't let anyone bully these three children."
After learning that Yan Qingqing was a widow, Chen Liu stopped calling her "sister-in-law" and started calling her "elder sister." This seemed more intimate.
Moreover, Chen Liu deeply admired Yan Qingqing, so the two had become quite familiar with each other these days and spoke without much restraint.
After finishing his meal, Chen Liu handed the bowl to Li Xiangjian and whispered to Yan Qingqing, "Big sister, I think that couple across the street are deliberately lowering their prices to compete with you. Should I teach them a lesson?"
Yan Qingqing was secretly pleased to hear this. It seemed that her interactions with Chen Liu had not been in vain. Look how quick-witted he was; she didn't even have to ask him to.
However, Yan Qingqing knew that not everyone could make braised pork offal taste good.
Moreover, she had just observed carefully that the people who bought offal from Li Erdan and his gang did not enjoy it; rather, they forced themselves to eat it while enduring nausea.
So Yan Qingqing smiled and said to Chen Liu, "No need. This dock doesn't belong to us. Anyone can sell food here, but whether they can do it in the long run depends on themselves."
It's not worth sacrificing our principles for such a trivial matter.
Chen Liu nodded upon hearing this, feeling that what Yan Qingqing said made perfect sense.
Yan Qingqing chatted with Chen Liu for a couple more minutes before taking her three sons to buy things they would need for tomorrow.
Yan Qingqing made a special trip to Manager Yang's grain shop to see if there were any rare seeds.
But Yan Qingqing was destined to be disappointed, as the grain store mainly sold millet and flour, which were common in this era.
Before leaving, Yan Qingqing repeatedly instructed Manager Yang to save any special seeds for her.
Manager Yang hadn't really taken Yan Qingqing's words to heart last time, but this time, seeing that Yan Qingqing had come to give him some instructions again, he finally took it to heart.
The next day, Yan Qingqing did not go to set up her stall again, but stayed at home to instruct Yuan Huiniang and the other two on how to make bow hair accessories.
Yan Qingqing overturned her previous idea. She had thought that these things were very likely to be imitated, mainly because the scraps of cloth were valuable and the craftsmanship was not complicated.
But now she feels that if handled properly, it may not be without prospects.
Bows are just the simplest type. Later, for children, you can add some cartoon dolls, or even make them into hairpins. If done well, they might even lead a social trend.
Thinking of this gave Yan Qingqing confidence.
As Yuan Huiniang and the others became more and more skilled, Yan Qingqing said, "When you're making these hair accessories, you can add your own ideas and create new styles. As long as they look good, any style is fine."
Yuan Huiniang and the other two nodded in agreement. Li Xinniang thought for a moment and then said, "Mother, these butterflies are not only beautiful but also come in many colors. Could we piece together several different fabrics?"
Yan Qingqing nodded in agreement and said, "Sure, art comes from life. You can make this bow not only look like the spirit of it, but also look like the shape of it."
Furthermore, I've been thinking about it, and there are many kinds of fabric headdresses. They can be animals, flowers, or plants, and you can also add other accessories, such as gold, silver, or pearls.
Of course, these things are still quite far off for us, but you can make a long-term plan in your minds. Treat it as a legitimate business; it will be something you can rely on in the future.
Yan Qingqing spoke at length, and Yuan Huiniang and the other two felt as if they had suddenly understood something.
After instructing the three, Yan Qingqing took a stroll in the fields to check on the crops. Food is the most important thing in any era.
Along the way, Yan Qingqing encountered many villagers going to the fields, and she greeted them one by one.
To establish herself in Canghe Village, Yan Qingqing had to cultivate good relationships with the villagers. This was the first thing she realized after arriving in ancient times.
Just as Yan Qingqing finished inspecting the field and was about to go home, a woman walked towards her from the opposite direction.
The newcomer was also a widow, just like Yan Qingqing. Her surname was Liu, and she was quite young, only in her early twenties.
Liu lost her husband just one year after their marriage, and she has never remarried in all these years, earning her much praise in the village.
Yan Qingqing didn't usually have much interaction with this Liu family member.
Liu looked at Yan Qingqing and said, "Oh, why didn't you go to town to do business today, Auntie?"
Yan Qingqing replied, "It's enough for Dalang and the others to go. I'll take this opportunity to rest at home."
Liu added, "Doing business is inherently a public affair, so it's better for us women to be more discreet, don't you think, Auntie?"
For some reason, Yan Qingqing always felt that this widow Liu was somewhat hostile towards her. She couldn't help but wonder why a widow had to make things difficult for another widow.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing remained silent, Widow Liu continued, "Ah, Auntie is truly blessed. Even though Uncle Erniu is gone, you still managed to have a child. It's truly enviable."
Yan Qingqing wanted to get along well with the villagers in Canghe Village, but she wasn't willing to befriend just anyone.
The sarcasm in Liu's words is obvious; she's implying that Liu committed adultery.
So Yan Qingqing said without any politeness, "People who do good deeds are blessed. Even though my Erniu is gone, he still left me with a child."
Besides, I'm already quite old. I have children and grandchildren; even if I lose my husband, I can't afford to live a bad life.
Unlike some people who, whether due to a lack of good deeds in their past life or the many bad things they have done in this life, not only lost their husbands early on, but also didn't have any children.
How will they live when they're old? Just thinking about it makes me feel so sorry for them.
Upon hearing Yan Qingqing's words, Liu's face flushed red and then turned pale.
However, since she provoked Yan Qingqing first, she had to endure it no matter how angry she was.
Just then, someone passed by, and Liu's eyes instantly filled with tears before she walked away without saying a word.
A passerby quickly asked, "Xiang Pingniang, what's wrong with Liu Shi?"
Yan Qingqing shrugged and said, "I don't know either. Maybe she saw me and remembered that she was also a widow, and felt a sense of sympathy for me."
The man gave an awkward laugh and then left.
As Yan Qingqing watched Liu's departing figure, she wondered if she had ever offended her. Could it be that she felt uncomfortable because Liu was the only widow in the village before, and now there was another one like her?
That shouldn't be the case, and the title of "widow" doesn't sound good either.
If Yan Qingqing really couldn't figure it out, she stopped thinking about it. Anyway, she definitely couldn't afford to lose a verbal battle with Liu.
With that thought in mind, Yan Qingqing went home with cheerful steps.
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