Chapter 81 What a Poor Child
Hearing Chen Qi asking about her father-in-law, Sun Xueyi snorted coldly.
"Oh, you don't know my father-in-law, he's a boneless man in his life! He looks like the head of the family, but in fact he has no opinions of his own. He's afraid of his wife and his mother. Even when he's in front of his own son, he's a coward.
He wasn't very capable, and couldn't even understand the account books. After the Xie family's father died, he was forced by my mother-in-law to run the shop with my eldest brother. He wasn't good at anything, and he dragged the shop down to the point of nearly failing. Fortunately, your father-in-law was there to keep it afloat. It wasn't until his son grew up that he finally let go and stopped pretending.
Take the matter of Aunt Yun, for example. It is said that he did not dare to say a word from beginning to end. If the shrew said to take her into his room, he would take her into his room. If the shrew said to kick her out, he would kick her out.
Shen Qi shook her head.
"That's not necessarily true. Wasn't it his own idea to take possession of Concubine Yun?"
This casual remark left both of them stunned for a moment.
Sun Xueyi's lips trembled and she was a little hesitant.
"Could it be that this was also the idea of that shrew?"
Chen Qi didn't respond.
Both of them felt a chill in their hearts.
According to Xue Yi, Aunt Yun was very favored when she was in the old lady's room. She was in charge of all matters at home and outside. I'm afraid that the old lady's private money was also handed over to her.
The second wife is not as capable as the first wife, and it is heard that the old lady wants to marry Miss Yun to the eldest brother who is now a widower. If the second aunt is afraid that the two will join forces to control the Xie family, will she take the initiative and instruct her own man to rape Miss Yun?
When Aunt Yun really entered the west courtyard, seeing that she didn't smile or talk, she must have given up on everything at home, not to mention the old lady's private money.
Second Aunt saw that she could not seize the financial power, and when Concubine Yun gave birth to a son, she found it even more annoying, so she simply drove her out, thinking that all her efforts were in vain.
Both Chen Qi and Sun Xueyi thought of this possibility and did not dare to speak for a moment.
After a while, Chen Qi said to Xue Yi, "No matter whose idea it was, it was ultimately Second Uncle's doing. If anyone is to blame, blame him for not doing his job... But you and I must be careful about everything and be on guard against others."
Sun Xueyi nodded in agreement.
Chen Qi inexplicably thought of Xie Yuduo who was far away in the provincial capital.
He lost his mother when he was thirteen or fourteen, his elder sister married far away, his younger sister was young, his father only knew how to take care of the shop, and there was such a mess at home.
As soon as I grew up, I followed the caravan on a long journey, crossing mountains and rivers, visiting thousands of cities and roads, and enduring the hardships of wind and frost. It is hard to describe in words.
But when he talked about it now, he never talked about the hardships he had experienced on the road, but only told her the funny things he had encountered to make her laugh.
What a poor child.
Even so, he is now an eight-foot-tall man.
She also felt that the child was very pitiful.
Chen Qi counted the days in her mind and realized that in five days, he would be back.
…
Seeing that they could not marry the county magistrate, the second branch continued to arrange the matchmaking and still asked Chen Qi to come forward to support them.
Chen Qi knew about Aunt Yun's affairs, and felt sickened when she saw the couple in the west courtyard, but she didn't want to show up again, so she found an excuse and hid back in her parents' home.
Unfortunately, Qiao went out with her eldest brother to look at goods, so her one-year-old nephew Shuoer was left in the care of Shen's mother.
Chen Qi held her nephew in her arms and shouted to the two children who were fighting with bamboo sticks in the yard.
"Xiao Ji, Yu Shuo, be careful! Don't hit people in the face! You might hurt your eyes!"
The two teenagers responded in unison and continued jumping up and down, waving their bamboo poles.
The two of them attended classes politely in school every day, but as soon as school was over, they started fighting and playing.
There were no classes at school today. Yu Shuo heard that his second sister-in-law was going back to her parents' home, so he followed her here happily just to play with Chen Ji.
Shen Ji was older and stronger, while Yu Shuo was two years younger and more delicate. He was a little bit unable to beat him, but he still enjoyed it.
Zhang was picking vegetables at the door, preparing lunch and talking to her daughter.
"Ji'er used to be a three-day fisherman in Baihe Town, two-day slacking. I originally thought he wasn't cut out for studying, but unexpectedly, after arriving in the city, he's doing quite well and has even mastered the Thousand Character Classic. Your father checks his recitation every day, and he remembers every word. I never expected him to."
Chen Qi picked up her little nephew who was sucking his fingers and teased him with a very proud tone.
"I was saying, the schools in the city are really better, and the students are more well-behaved. Yu Shuo is even better at studying than him. When he's at home, he often writes and keeps accounts for the old lady!"
"The Xie family is a long-standing wealthy family, so naturally their children are sensible and much more refined than him. However, since this kid has some talent, your father and I plan to let him continue his studies, unlike you and Shao'er, who went home to help out after a few years of school."
"That's good, but we need to change schools. This one only teaches children the Hundred Family Names and the Thousand Character Classic. It doesn't teach them any profound knowledge."
"Your brother has already made his choice. He will go to the school in the west of the city. Next year, your father and I will pay the tuition fee and then go to study with the teacher."
Seeing that her nephew was drooling, Chen Qi wiped it with her handkerchief without any disgust.
"Look at Xiaobao, he's drooling all day long. I think if Xiaoji changes schools, Yushuo will probably follow. They're as close as brothers, they can't be separated."
"That's the nature of children. They're more motivated when they have company and compete with each other in studying."
Chen Qi smiled and nodded in agreement.
Zhang had almost finished cleaning up the dishes and stood up.
"When the time comes, ask your eldest brother to prepare some nice clothes for me and your father. We can wear them to present the tuition to the teacher and look respectable. As parents, our hearts are all for our children. If the children can study well, that's better than anything else."
When Chen Qi heard this, she suddenly thought of Aunt Yun, and looked at Yu Suo, whose face was flushed with playing outside the window, and seemed to be lost in thought.
Zhang had finished selecting the vegetables, and Xiao Baoer started crying. Chen Qi left the child in her care and went to the kitchen herself, making lunch for the family, just as she had done when she was a girl at home.
The meal was ready. Chen Qi called the children to come and eat, and then served a separate bowl for their father and sent it to the shop in front.
Shen Cong, the father of the Shen family, was sorting silk threads on the counter. When he saw his daughter bringing in the meal, he quickly stood up and took it.
"Just ask your mother to bring it over. Why did I ask you to bring it over? Really."
Although she is his biological daughter who has been raised for eighteen years, she is now the mistress of the Xie family in Silver Lion Street, and is no longer the little girl who follows him around in Baihe Town.
Chen Qi smiled and said, "Little Baoer is crying, and Mom is trying to comfort him. Today's meal is made by my daughter herself, so Daddy, come and try it."
Nowadays, Mr. Shen rarely eats the food cooked by his daughter, so naturally he praises it highly.
"Over the past two years, our family has been very fortunate to have you taking care of us. Even your brother and I have benefited greatly from our business and avoided a lot of trouble because of our relationship with the Xie family!"
Chen Qi blamed her father.
"Business is good in the city. I told you to come over a long time ago, but you refused to listen!"
"Oh, your mother said she wouldn't come, but when it was just the two of us at home, she kept thinking about you three siblings and shed several tears."
"It's good now. You guys are close by, so I can come back whenever I want. And my brother's family is also under your care."
While eating, Mr. Shen told his daughter about the old couple's plans.
"Your mother has said several times that although the house we live in now is mortgaged, the money we earn now, if we sell the old house in Baihe Town, will be enough to buy a small courtyard in the county. However, we have lived in that old house for more than ten years, and I am reluctant to sell it. In a few years, when your eldest brother's children are older and your younger brother has achieved some success in school, we will return to live there in our old age. When that time comes, we will feel relieved when you come back to visit us from time to time."
"You don't have to sell the old house. You can live in this new house with peace of mind. It won't be a problem."
Chen Qi didn't tell her parents at the time that this was the house bought by Xie Yuduo, and everyone thought it was rented out.
The father and daughter were talking when suddenly the door curtain rustled, indicating that a guest had arrived.
Dad put down his bowl and chopsticks and went to the counter.
Chen Qi stood up, asked him to continue eating, and left.
Father Shen hurriedly stopped him.
"I'll go."
Although my daughter has been able to help me run the shop since she was young, how can the second wife of the Xie family entertain customers in this small woolen yarn shop now?
Shen Qi waved her hand to stop her father and walked away quickly.
Father Shen was in the back, eating lunch made by his daughter, watching her skillfully greet customers, pick out threads, weigh things, and collect money...
In a trance, I seemed to see again the little girl who had been busy at the counter with her father since she was about ten years old.
Seeing his daughter grow up and find a happy marriage, the father of the Shen family felt very comforted. However, he did not know the origin of this good marriage.
Back then, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the Shen family in Baihe Town had just been forced to break off her engagement by the Xu family. Yet, she remained intelligent, smiling broadly, with bright eyes and a charming demeanor. No wonder a young passerby, after a fleeting glimpse of her, could never forget her.
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