"Master Wang's in-laws are all family. Making a scene would only make us a laughing stock. It's alright now." Qin Xiaoyu said it was alright, but her brows were furrowed, which Qi Si noticed.
"They promised to pay?"
How did you know I would give you money?
"With your personality, it would be strange if you didn't pay."
“She wants too much, and I can’t afford it right away. I need to think of a way to help her.”
"How about this? You told me last time that I should change careers, so I'll buy your master's shares. I'll give her the money, and then your master will have nothing to do with this hairdressing school anymore. She won't have to cause trouble, and we can have some peace and quiet. Is that okay?" Qi Si's suggestion made perfect sense.
"No way! That would mean kicking my master out, and I can't do that."
"You can't be so soft-hearted. Your master has such a relative by marriage, which will be detrimental to you sooner or later. You'd better deal with it as soon as possible."
“No, even if we know she’ll cause trouble again, we can’t fix it. My master is a traditional person who’s relying on his son for support in his old age. Forcing her to cut ties would be like killing her.”
"Are you afraid I'll take your job?"
"Brother, you've misunderstood. I'm not afraid of anyone taking it from me. My livelihood is in my own hands; what's mine is mine. It's just that your personality isn't suited for this line of work."
Qin Xiaoyu was stubborn, but Qi Si wasn't one to argue or debate. His way of solving problems was simple and direct; when he got angry, he would just walk away.
Qin Xiaoyu brought Hanhan and her siblings home, but instead of having dinner right away, she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and spaced out for a while.
"Madam wants you to come over. Don't cook tonight, come over and eat with us. I made wontons," Grandma Hanhan said, peeking through the door. Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to cheer up and go to the main room.
Grandma Hanhan is quite diligent; she keeps the house spotless and odor-free, unlike an elderly person with limited mobility.
The lady leaned against the quilt and beckoned Qin Xiaoyu to sit down when she saw her come in.
"You child, you're not petty, so why did you hold a grudge after your mother-in-law hit your younger sister a couple of times, and now you don't even come over after get off work?" the wife complained.
"Madam, it's not because of that, it's because of school that I'm worried," Qin Xiaoyu quickly explained.
"What happened at the school?" the wife pressed. Qin Xiaoyu wanted to keep quiet, but now it would be difficult to explain if she didn't. So she recounted how Master Wang's in-laws had come to ask for money.
“You did the right thing. People should not forget their roots. You are where you are today because of Master Wang’s help. You should pay him this money.”
"But I don't have the money right now. I'm worried that if I give them the money, they might not be satisfied and come to make trouble every now and then. Wouldn't that cause trouble?" Qin Xiaoyu was full of concerns.
“Well, the money is due. You don’t have it, but I do. As for what happens next, that’s easy to handle.” The wife pulled a cloth bag from under her pillow, inside which was a wad of cash, which had been prepared beforehand.
"Madam, no need, you keep it. I can raise more money." Qin Xiaoyu quickly waved her hand. Although she paid for Madam's medical expenses last time, the things Madam gave her afterward were already worth more than she could ask for, and she couldn't be greedy.
"Little Fish, I have to say something to you. You don't treat us like family at all," the wife sighed and continued.
"Take today's matter for example. If I hadn't called you here to ask, would you have told us? Probably not. You've spent money on this family, but you shoulder everything yourself, not integrating yourself into the family. You only give and give, and you think that's family, that's kinship? You're completely wrong. The result is that in the end, no one will appreciate your efforts, and you'll always be an outsider. Family is about helping each other, owing each other, and eventually becoming entangled, with everyone intertwined, and the accounts becoming a mess. That's when the closest relationship is formed, that's what family is." The wife's words were like a wake-up call for Qin Xiaoyu. Indeed, in her previous life, she had only given and given, and in the end, she had raised an enemy.
"Madam, I understand. I'll take the money." Qin Xiaoyu took the money. His wife hadn't lived in vain for eighty years; this lesson was extremely useful.
The next day when he arrived at school, Mr. Wang's eyes were swollen from crying, and his face was yellowish; he looked pitiful.
"Little Fish, if you give her this money, I'm quitting," Master Wang said weakly.
“Master, please don’t be angry. This money must be given. One must have a sense of morality. Although she has many faults, she is pregnant with your grandson. The house was bought for your son and grandson to live in. If you think about it this way, this money is well spent.”
"Little Fish, you only care about what's in your heart, but I can't." Master Wang sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face, and said nothing more.
Mrs. Xu was indeed obedient; she came to collect the money within two days. Qin Xiaoyu gave her the money as promised. The next day, Mr. Wang disappeared with his luggage.
When Qin Xiaoyu ran to her house, she saw her washing clothes with her sleeves rolled up.
"Xiaoyu, you should go back. I'm too ashamed to go back to school. I'm not going to earn this money anymore. Anyway, I have my old pension, so I'll just leave it at that. Don't worry about it." Master Wang said resolutely.
Xu Dahua blinked but didn't say anything. Qin Xiaoyu couldn't persuade Master Wang, so she could only let her be for the time being.
Since Master Wang used to live at the school, but she has now moved out, Qin Xiaoyu was worried about not having anyone in charge, so she simply moved in with Hanhan and her younger sister.
Grandma Hanhan was reluctant, but she had no choice.
As the number of students increased, especially the number of female students, Qin Xiaoyu added another female dormitory room and reserved a double bed in it for the three of them, mother and daughter.
She used to only eat lunch at school, but now she eats dinner at school too, and that's when she realized Zhu Bao was a real talent.
Qin Xiaoyu understood why hairdressing and cooking were taught in the same school after seeing him; it was probably for easy switching majors. Zhu Bao didn't have any talent for hairdressing, but he had unique insights into cooking.
He's from Sichuan and used to spicy food; northerners are naturally insensitive to spice. After eating bland food for a few days, he had to cook for himself. From the first time he stepped into the kitchen, he took charge of almost every meal afterward.
Qin Xiaoyu just kept looking at the ever-increasing variety of chili peppers on the shopping list and wondered how they were being consumed. After eating a spicy hot pot, she had already succumbed to their allure.
"Zhu Bao, you need to learn more about hairdressing, don't just stay in the kitchen all the time." Qin Xiaoyu had a conscience and remembered that she had charged him 300 yuan for tuition.
"The rice you cook is bland and not good," Zhu Bao said helplessly, her pretty face flushed red by the firelight, making her look like a beautiful young woman.
"But what if you can't graduate when the course is over?" Qin Xiaoyu groaned in pain. This was a real headache for her. She didn't want any of her students to fail to graduate, as that would be a stain on the school.
"Then I'll stay and be the chef, you guys can just run the restaurant." Zhu Bao was quite confident.
"Mang Mang?" Qin Xiaoyu didn't understand.
"莽莽 means wages." (Translated by Hanhan)
"Got it!" Qin Xiaoyu was also influenced by them.
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