Chapter 112 Ambitious
"Were you mute just now? Were you deliberately keeping quiet to see me make a fool of myself? How could you be so mean?"
Li Daya was very unhappy. She angrily shoved Granny Sun and said in a low, sarcastic voice:
"Don't think you're so great just because you can sew. You're old enough to be buried. If you ever get sick or your hands and feet aren't up to par, your master will kick you out the door!"
Granny Sun was pushed and staggered backward, only managing to avoid falling by grabbing the table.
She glanced at Li Daya, said nothing, carefully put away the two taels of silver, and picked up a rag to continue wiping the dust off the tables and chairs.
Li Daya looked down at the silver in her hand, her expression growing increasingly dissatisfied: "We did the same work, but they each got ten taels of silver, while I only got two. It's so unfair!"
Her room and Granny Sun's room were next to the four treasures'. Last night, the four treasures came back excitedly. She secretly eavesdropped under the window and found out that the four treasures had not only received their monthly allowance in advance, but also a full ten taels.
Li Daya was so excited by the ten taels of silver that she tossed and turned all night, fantasizing that she could also receive that much.
She had just come to the small building to clean when she had the idea of collecting her monthly allowance in advance.
Upon seeing Sheng An return, he brought it up directly without consulting Granny Sun beforehand.
Now she only had two taels of silver in her hands. Last night's beautiful dream was shattered. The more Li Daya thought about it, the more resentful she became. She snatched the rag from Granny Sun's hand and threw it on the ground.
"What's the use of being so diligent? Even if you work here until you die, you'll never be like those eight in the front yard, doing easy work and earning ten taels of silver a month!"
Grandma Sun ignored her and bent down to pick up the rag from the ground, but Li Daya stepped on her foot and stopped her: "I'm talking to you, don't forget we're in the same boat!"
Granny Sun pushed Li Daya aside and picked up a dusty rag: "This old woman is not on your side."
Having lived to this age and experienced the heartbreak of being kicked out of her home by her stepson whom she had raised with such care, Granny Sun knew very well what she should do.
Now she can only rely on Shengyuan, and she is content with the one tael of silver she receives each month.
I had heard from the brokers at the brokerage firm that for an old woman like her, it was already a blessing if the employer was willing to give her a full meal and a place to live.
Even if one day she can no longer work and is kicked out of Shengyuan, as long as she has savings, she will not starve to death on the streets. People like Li Daya will not have a good ending.
Therefore, Granny Sun never competed with Bao Lan, the scholar, or the silver coins.
Staring at Granny Sun's retreating figure, Li Daya's chest heaved with anger: "Fine, fine, you dare disobey me? Let's see what you can do in the future!"
Seeing that Granny Sun didn't even turn her head, Li Daya became even angrier and clutched the two taels of silver tightly.
No, she's only in her early thirties. She can't stay a lowly servant forever, wasting her life doing these hard and tiring jobs every day.
She should be like that woman upstairs, with plenty of money in her hands every day, and someone to do her laundry, cook for her, and serve her, living out the rest of her life comfortably.
Unaware of Li Daya's ambitious plans, Sheng An was sitting by the well-lit window, flipping through a collection of medicines.
She closed the medicine book after reading for less than three minutes, then closed her eyes and kept rubbing her temples.
The hastily drawn picture and the obscure and difficult description were enough to give her a headache if she looked at them for too long. Luckily, she did not agree to the doctor's suggestion, otherwise she would definitely go back on her word and avoid him whenever she saw him.
However, Sheng An did not want to disappoint Physician Wang's good intentions. He flipped through the medicine collection and glanced at it a couple more times, then closed it again as if he had seen a flood or a beast, and stuffed it onto Xu Jinnian's bookshelf.
Forget it, don't force yourself. I'll have the top student in the family translate it into plain language when she has time, and then she can study it carefully.
In the evening, Xu Jinnian returned home and cooked chicken noodle soup with Sheng An in the kitchen.
Watching the man roll up his sleeves and diligently knead the dough and fold the noodles, Sheng An propped his chin up, his eyes full of admiration: "It's almost the Little New Year, when do you take a day off?"
Xu Jinnian continued kneading the dough, adjusting its position and rolling it up again: "You don't need to go the day after tomorrow, the teacher is taking his wife back to Jinling for the New Year."
Upon hearing this, Sheng An quickly said, "I'll prepare some food for the teacher and his wife so they can take it with them on the road."
Xu Jinnian shook his head: "No need to prepare. After the New Year, when my teacher and his wife come back, I will invite them to our house for dinner. I'll have to trouble An'an then."
Sheng An scolded, "It's just cooking a meal, why be so polite?"
Speaking of which, Master Jiang came from the Jiang family of Jinling, which was much more powerful than the Song family.
It is unknown whether she sought help from Master Jiang before the tragedy occurred in her previous life.
Even in his middle age, Master Jiang kept his courtyard clean and tidy, with only his wife, his teacher's wife, which shows that he was a man of great affection and loyalty.
Given how much he values Xu Jinnian, he probably won't stand idly by.
I recall that Master Jiang once had a son who died suddenly, which seemed to involve the royal family.
Sheng An suddenly shivered and stared into thought as he looked at Xu Jinnian's back.
If they were enemies from a past life, their power would be unimaginably strong, and simply having Ning Sihan as a connection might not be enough...
Xu Jinnian noticed his wife's silence and couldn't help but turn around to look at her.
Seeing her furrow her brow, as if she were lost in thought, Xu Jinnian put down the rolling pin and walked over, squatting down in front of Sheng An to observe her expression: "What are you thinking about, An'an?"
Sheng An came to his senses and said, half-jokingly, "You said before that the Master's child died young, which seemed to involve the royal family. I was wondering what exactly happened that made the Master give up his promising future and resign to live in seclusion."
Was it a decision made out of disappointment, or was it forced upon them? Or perhaps both?
Why think about these things? Aren't you afraid you won't grow tall?
Xu Jinnian touched his wife's hair and awkwardly changed the subject: "An'an's hair is much smoother now, and it doesn't feel as dry and frizzy as before."
Sheng An's attention was indeed diverted. She touched her head a couple of times and said, "Hey, your hair quality has improved. I didn't even notice until you told me."
As she spoke, she touched it several more times, seemingly unable to put it down: "My period is normal this month, so it seems like I'm almost fully recovered."
What was originally a casual remark took on a different meaning in Xu Jinnian's ears, and a flicker of fire rose in his eyes under the lamplight.
Sheng An didn't notice the man's change and told him about what happened in the neighbor's yard that morning: "That Prince Ning, who had been in a coma for many days, has woken up. It's truly a cause for celebration. All those roosters we slaughtered every day weren't for nothing."
This rooster is really old, at least three years old. Such roosters are rare in the market; the poultry seller has to go to the countryside to buy them.
"That Physician Wang gave me a book of medicines, but the contents are obscure and difficult to understand. Please make some annotations for me when you have time."
At this point, Sheng An looked at Xu Jinnian and met a pair of unfathomable eyes. She couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine: "What kind of look is that? It's like you want to devour me?"
Xu Jinnian closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her eyes filled with a soft light: "An'an, you've mistaken me for someone else."
Sheng An wondered if the light was too dim and she was seeing things.
It wasn't anything important, so Sheng An didn't take it to heart. She reached out and nudged Xu Jinnian, saying, "Hurry up and cook some noodles. My stomach is growling."
Xu Jinnian gently patted her head, his eyes tender: "Okay."
Sheng An didn't lift a finger the whole time, he just kept talking: "The noodles are cut a bit too thick, they need to cook a little longer, add less salt, and add a generous amount of chopped cabbage, I like the crunchy and sweet texture..."
Xu Jinnian did as instructed, and soon the steaming hot chicken soup noodles were ready, making Sheng An's stomach rumble even louder.
The two didn't go to the main room, but instead nestled at the small table in the kitchen and enjoyed their meal.
Sheng An was good at providing emotional value, praising while eating: "Your cooking skills have improved again. The noodles are chewy and the soup base is rich and fragrant, almost the same as mine."
Xu Jinqing smiled and said, "It's because An'an's chicken soup is so delicious that the noodles are so tasty."
Sheng An smiled and said, "I'll make the chicken soup and you'll make the noodles. It's a perfect match."
Xu Jinnian had a big appetite, and Sheng An also had a good appetite; the two of them managed to finish half a pot of noodles.
Not long after they finished eating, the two elders of the Sheng family and Xu Chenglin returned under the cover of night.
They had dinner at the shop before coming back, and they mentioned that it had been a long time since the family had sat down to eat together.
Grandma Sheng called Sheng An into the room, took out the Xiaomi box from last time, opened it and showed it to her: "This month's money is all here. You can spend it or save it as you please."
Sheng An refused, saying, "I still want my New Year's money. Grandma, you can keep it."
Grandma Sheng smiled and said, "Alright, alright, Grandma will keep it for you and Jin Nian as New Year's money."
After saying that, her gaze fell on her granddaughter's belly: "I wonder if I'll be able to give my great-grandson a New Year's gift next year."
Grandma Sheng was genuinely anxious, not so much for holding her great-grandson, but for whether her granddaughter was even capable of having a child.
Seeing the deep affection between her granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Grandma Sheng was afraid that her granddaughter would be hurt because of the child.
"Grandma, didn't we agree not to rush you?"
Sheng An was both amused and exasperated, and quickly changed the subject: "The Little New Year is coming soon, so let's keep the shop closed. You, Grandpa, and my father-in-law should rest for a while. Don't ruin your health just to make money."
I'll prepare some things for you and Grandpa to visit your old brothers and sisters in the village, and let them know that you two are doing well.
Grandma Sheng nodded, her tone tinged with sadness: "You should go back and burn some paper money for your mother, so that she can have a good New Year in the afterlife."
Sheng An had no memory of her mother in this life, only a vague image gleaned from the words of the two elders: "Okay, I'll buy some paper money tomorrow."
The next day was the engagement day for Zhang Daikui and Zhang Zhaodi. Sheng An and Xu Jinnian got up early and rode with Xu Chenglin in the family's donkey cart to the Zhang family.
The carriages are fully enclosed, so you won't be exposed to the cold wind while sitting inside, but it's a bit tough for those rushing to catch the train outside.
The person rushing to catch the carriage was Xu Chenglin. Since recovering from his serious illness, his health has improved day by day, and his spirit of not giving up on his youth has returned. He is even more energetic than Sheng An.
The donkey cart was much faster than the oxcart, and it stopped in front of the Zhang family's house in no time.
At this time, the Zhang family's gate was completely renovated.
Not only was the tung oil repainted, but a pair of red ribbons were tied to the door knocker, and a large red flower was hung above the door, making it look exceptionally festive. Unsuspecting people might have thought it was a wedding ceremony.
This detail shows that the Zhang family values Zhang Zhaodi, their future daughter-in-law, very much.
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