Li Meihua recounted everything, then sat by the kang (a heated brick bed) waiting for his reply.
Qiao Haisheng's anger flared up after hearing this.
“I’m going to confront his son. How dare he bully our girl like that?”
"I'll break his other leg."
Li Meihua chuckled, "That's all you've got. Alright, it's all in the past. Our son-in-law avenged our daughter."
"You shouldn't go and join in the fun. If the neighbors find out, who knows what kind of gossip they'll start spreading."
Qiao Haisheng stopped himself in his tracks, realizing this had blown up and was definitely not good for the girl. Thinking about what he had just done, he slapped his forehead.
"I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted. It would have been better to let the wind blow away those five dollars than to give them to him."
Li Meihua waved her hand, "Forget it, the money is given, it's not good to ask for it back. Just consider it as giving money away to a beggar. Remember, don't associate with Song Facai anymore."
Qiao Haisheng nodded, "I will never associate with them again, don't worry."
That's exactly what Li Meihua wanted to hear. She stood up and casually patted her clothes.
"I'll keep making breakfast; the kids are waiting to eat!"
“Go!” Qiao Haisheng replied.
...
When Qiao Xiaoni saw Li Meihua come out, her face beaming, she knew the matter was resolved. Judging from her demeanor, it was at most a matter of moral education, not physical punishment, which put her at ease.
Tao Chunfang stepped forward and said, "Mom, let's make dumpling soup this morning! That way we can make it quickly and let them eat it sooner."
Li Meihua nodded, "Okay, let's do it your way! Pick a handful of freshly picked vegetables from the backyard and add them to the pot to enhance the flavor."
"Okay! I'll go pick some from the backyard right away." Tao Chunfang took the basket off the shelf and hurried off to the backyard to pick vegetables.
Qiao Xiaoni sat on a stool peeling scallions, which she would use to stir-fry later. Life was getting better and better, and she was just waiting for the shop to open and start making money.
After breakfast, they rode their bikes to town. Their main task for the day was to clean the shop thoroughly, wiping all the windows inside and out and mopping the floor four times until it was spotless.
After finishing all this, it was almost noon. After eating the flatbread he brought from home, Bai Cheng drove over to deliver the goods. After some effort, all the tables, chairs, and benches were unloaded.
After settling the payment, Bai Cheng said goodbye and left.
Qiao Xiaoshan sighed, "I've only been sitting for a short while, and my butt hasn't even gotten warm yet! And now I have to start working again."
Qiao Dashan handed over the rag he was holding, saying, "Stop talking nonsense and get to work. Can't you see it's already afternoon?"
Qiao Xiaoshan squatted down on the ground, soaked the rag in the bucket of water, and began to wipe the newly arrived tables and chairs.
Many hands make light work. Before dark, all the tables, chairs, and benches were cleaned. In the morning, someone would deliver vegetables and meat. Qiao Xiaoshan continued to stay at the shop, and they rode their bicycles home.
the next day.
The Qiao family started getting busy before dawn, while Li Meihua stayed home to look after the children. The first day of business was particularly busy, and it wasn't convenient to bring the children, so after discussion, she decided to stay home. Tao Chunfang was incredibly nervous on her first day in town, not even knowing what to wear.
Qiao Xiaoni took the initiative to choose a decent outfit for her to wear underneath. She wore an apron over it so as not to get it dirty, her hair was combed neatly, and she applied some face cream, making her look several years younger.
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