"Did he ever tell you that he was unhappy with the woman his mother was arranging for him?" Gu Xin asked.
"Yes. Just last month, he mentioned it. He said his mother wanted to find him a head maidservant from a wealthy family in the capital, and even introduced him to the eldest daughter from a village south of the capital. He felt that the head maidservants from the wealthy family were all born into the household, and their contracts of servitude were indefinite. Not to mention whether they even had the intention to become concubines for their future son-in-law, even if they didn't become concubines, their partners were usually the steward and his son. Why would he want to marry her? He thought the eldest daughter from the outskirts of the capital was too outstanding. She was an orphan, the eldest daughter who helped manage the household affairs, and she wasn't afraid of hardship or fatigue. He felt that a girl like that would suffer with him."
"He did complain about his mother about this. But at other times he cared about her. He once wanted to pay me to have my cook teach him how to make fish soup and other dishes. He wanted to cook for his mother. His mother was very frugal with money, trying to save money for his wedding. He couldn't reason with her, so he could only cook fish for her. Since she didn't know how to cook, he was willing to learn himself. It was free, and it was good for her health."
"The mother and son depended on each other for survival. He spoke loudly because he was forced to. He had to force himself to be strong, otherwise, as an orphan and a widow, they would be easily bullied. I remember when he first came to the shop, he was thirteen years old, thin and small. At that time, I had a cousin who was the same age as him, and I felt very sorry for him, so I tried my best to make him eat more every day. In three years, he grew tall and strong, and spoke very loudly. If he didn't fight, he could indeed intimidate people."
"only……"
As Du Sanniang spoke, her eyes became a little moist.
Gu Xin knew what she wanted to say, but it was just too sad that she was so young and already gone.
If it happened to her, she would be sad too. After all, she watched him grow up. Who wouldn't be heartbroken if something like this happened?
However, Gu Xin wouldn't let others' emotions sway her. She remained calm and asked, "According to what Mr. Du said, your relationship was quite good. Then, Mr. Du, did the deceased ever mention that he had a girl he liked?"
Du Sanniang was taken aback, then shook her head: "No. Qiangzi has a loud voice, and he's tall and strong. All the girls are afraid of him. All he thinks about is making money, making more money, and then taking his mother to the capital. He once told me that he must settle down in the capital when he turns twenty. Just recently he was saying that Madam Gu's commercial center has opened, and he plans to rent a small shop and take his mother with him to start a small business."
Gu Xin nodded and then asked, "Does Boss Du know anything about his mother, Madam Zhong?"
Du Sanniang said, "Zhong used to be very good at embroidery. She was grateful to me for taking in Qiangzi and feeding him. She gave me a lot of embroidery. Zhong is gentle and kind, kind-hearted, speaks softly, never gets into conflicts with anyone, and knows how to be grateful. She is a very good person."
At this point, Du Sanniang sighed, "Alas, she has had a tough life. Qiangzi's father passed away when he was seven years old. It was indeed not easy for Zhong Shi, a woman all alone. At first, she was bullied by others; they say there's always trouble around a widow's door. As Qiangzi grew up, things got a little better."
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