Wen Liang looked up and stared at Wen Qing in surprise.
Yao Shiling stopped what she was doing.
"Big sister, where did you get so much money?" Wen Peng asked in surprise.
Wen Qing smiled and said, "I sold the floral dress."
Yao Shiling was shocked; this was not something Wen Qing would do.
"Take it." Wen Qing stepped forward, took Wen Liang's hand, and stuffed four yuan into his hand.
Wen Liang refused to answer. He had always disliked Wen Qing. Wen Qing had spent years hanging out with his second uncle and had loved fighting since childhood. He had once beaten his friend so badly that the friend would cry and never play with him again. Wen Qing showed no remorse; in fact, she became increasingly shameless as she grew older. The whole village knew she liked Ji Yanjun from the county town, and she would frequently go there to see him. The villagers gossiped behind her back, calling her shameless. Wen Liang was disgusted by all this.
"Wen Liang, take it." Yao Shiling suddenly spoke up.
Wen Qing was slightly taken aback, a warm feeling washing over her.
Wen Liang's fists remained clenched, and he refused to take the money no matter what.
"Second brother, take it. It was given to you by eldest sister, not by a stranger. If you don't pay your tuition, your homeroom teacher will kick you out," Wen Peng advised from the side.
Wen Liang pursed his lips, clenched his fists, and secretly competed with himself.
"Take it, consider it a loan from me. You can pay me back when you make money," Wen Qing said with a smile.
Wen Qing's smile was exceptionally gentle and beautiful. It was completely unlike her usual arrogant and annoying demeanor.
Wen Liang was slightly moved. After struggling for a moment, he suddenly took the money, said, "I will pay you back," and then ran out of the yard without looking back.
"Second brother, wait for me, wait for me!" Wen Peng chased after him.
Wen Qing then turned around to look at Yao Shiling.
Yao Shiling has returned to normal and is continuing to do laundry.
Wen Qing knew that her mother had always been proud and that she herself was the same in some ways.
She picked up the sack again and walked past Yao Shiling, when she heard her say, "I'll pay you back the four yuan after this batch of wheat is sold."
“Okay,” Wen Qing replied, then added, “I didn’t take any money from Ji Yanjun. The money for the skirt was left to me by my second uncle. It was only twelve yuan in total.”
"I understand," Yao Shiling said calmly, continuing to wash the clothes with her head down.
Wen Qing was happy, feeling a slight sense that the distance between her and her mother had thinned a bit, and she moved much more lightly while carrying the sack.
She poured the flour she bought into the flour container, the rice into the rice container, and placed the oil in the oil container. After arranging everything, she began to wash the meat. The meat she bought was quite fatty, so she cut off a layer of fat, fried it in a pot to render the oil, poured it into a bowl, and let it solidify into a block of oil for later use in stir-frying.
While Wen Qing was pressing oil, Yao Shiling came in and asked, "Why did you buy meat?" You see, in this era in Shuiwan Village, people had to wait until the New Year to eat meat. They would eat it on New Year's Eve, and even then, they couldn't finish it all and had to save some for New Year's Day.
"Let's buy meat to eat," Wen Qing said.
Looking at the kitchen filled with noodles, oil, vegetables, and meat, Yao Shiling felt a pang of heartache: "How much did this cost?"
When Wen Qing saw that Yao Shiling was no longer speaking to her in the same hostile tone as before, she was secretly delighted. It seemed that her mother still loved her daughter. If this continued, she would surely be able to change their opinion of her.
"It didn't cost much, only three or four yuan in total," Wen Qing said.
Yao Shiling immediately frowned.
Wen Qing quickly said, "Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
Yao Shiling stared at the meat and asked, "What is it?"
“There’s a tailor shop called Aunt Xiao’s in the county town. I’ve been there a few times before. Aunt Xiao’s business is good, and she wants me to help out. She’ll pay me a monthly wage. She also bought me that floral dress. So, I’m thinking of starting tomorrow and helping out at her shop every day to earn some money,” Wen Qing said calmly.
Yao Shiling looked at Wen Qing as if she had never known or understood her. This girl had been talking since she was born, and she had made her second uncle very happy. He would play with her all day long. Her second uncle was a bachelor who had been to prison and was too poor to find a wife. He treated Wen Qing like his own daughter. Wen Qing's clothes and tuition fees were all given by her second uncle.
Wen Qingzhen spent very few days by Yao Shiling's side.
Yesterday she said some outrageous things, and she hit her. She felt guilty but didn't know how to bring it up. All she could do now was ask about the incident: "Is it reliable? They won't lie to you, will they? Maybe Mom can go with you to check it out tomorrow."
“Reliable, Mom. Look, Liangliang’s tuition, and the rice, flour, and meat in this house were all paid for by Aunt Xiao. Her shop has been open for several years, she wouldn’t lie to anyone.” As far as Wen Qing knew, Aunt Xiao later opened a clothing factory and became a big boss, making a lot of money.
“Alright, if you like it and are willing, then go. But the county town…” Yao Shiling thought of Ji Yanjun.
Wen Qing never expected Ji Yanjun to come up. She thought Yao Shiling was worried about the county town being too far away, so she said, "The county town isn't far from our Shuiwan Village. I walk fast, and it only takes me half an hour to get there. I came back before it got dark after I finished work in the evening."
Yao Shiling never imagined that one day her daughter would become like this. Moved, she nodded and said, "Good, good, good."
Wen Qing felt a warm glow in her heart and began preparing dinner.
When Wen Liang and Wen Peng returned from school, the courtyard was filled with the aroma of meat, making everyone's mouths water.
Wen Liang was taken aback.
Wen Peng rushed into the kitchen and asked excitedly, "Mom, are we having meat tonight?"
"Hmm." Yao Shiling was adding firewood to the stove and starting the fire, while Wen Qing was cooking.
Upon hearing that there was meat, Wen Peng's mouth watered, and he immediately ran to wash his hands.
When Wen Liang came in, he looked unhappy. When he saw that there was meat, vegetables and flour in the kitchen, he was extremely displeased and turned to go into the main room.
Wen Qing looked at Yao Shiling, who said, "He's like your father; he feels bad when he sees money being spent."
Wen Qing smiled, feeling more and more at home.
Wen Qing made braised pork with Chinese cabbage. Chinese cabbage is cheap and goes well with everything, and the pork is a good mix of lean and fatty meat. With the addition of scallions, salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings, it's incredibly fragrant.
"We have meat to eat! We have meat to eat!" Wen Peng shouted happily.
Yao Shiling quickly covered his mouth: "Don't shout, or someone will find out."
Wen Peng nodded, promising not to shout anymore.
Yao Shiling released Wen Peng, carried the dining table into the main room, and then brought the braised cabbage and pork, as well as steamed buns, into the main room. She closed the courtyard gate, let Wen Qing, Wen Liang, and Wen Peng into the main room, closed the door, and started eating.
Wen Liang and Wen Peng were used to this.
Wen Qing roughly understood that the Wen family had attracted too much gossip. They were already so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, and now they had a meal with meat. Who knew what the neighbors would say about them? How would Wen Liang and Wen Peng find wives after the news got out?
"Mom, you should eat too, this meat is especially delicious." Wen Peng chewed on a piece of meat that Yao Shiling had picked up for him, took a small bite, and seemed a little reluctant to eat it.
Yao Shiling smiled and said, "If you like it, then eat it." Then she picked up another piece for Wen Liang. Although Wen Liang looked mature, he was still a child after all. He had been eating and drinking poorly for a long time, and when he suddenly saw meat, he was tempted and did not refuse.
Before Yao Shiling could serve Wen Qing a piece, Wen Qing picked up a piece and gave it to Yao Shiling: "Mom, don't just focus on the two of them, you should eat too."
"Okay." Yao Shiling also put a piece on Wen Qing's plate.
They enjoyed a sumptuous dinner together, and even after Wen Qing lay in her bed, she was still savoring the moment, feeling as if the day had been a dream.
She died and became a ghost.
She came back to life, becoming the seventeen-year-old herself again.
In one day, she took a big step closer to her family.
...
Wen Qing had never felt so accomplished. These were all things she had done, and although they were insignificant, they were enough to give her the confidence to face what lay ahead, change her own destiny, and be kinder to her loved ones.
As for Ji Yanjun, she plans to forget about him and find a time to break off the engagement.
However, the most urgent task is to solve the problem of survival first.
The next morning.
After having breakfast, Wen Qing took the cloth bag from yesterday and went to the county town.
Before leaving, I asked, "Are you coming back for lunch?"
"No, I'll be back tonight."
"Okay." Yao Shiling nodded: "Come back soon."
"Um."
As soon as Wen Qing left the village, another wave of public opinion arose.
"Look, Wen Qing has gone to the county town again."
"Tsk tsk tsk, you go there so often, every day."
"Didn't Yao Shiling tell you that? Women who throw themselves at men are worthless. And she even married Ji Yanjun. Her reputation is ruined."
"Last time, my family went to the county town to buy fabric and saw Wen Qing chasing after a man all over the street. I heard that the man was Ji Yanjun."
"Is that really true? Wen Qing isn't ashamed at all. If the Ji family doesn't marry her, I guess she really won't be able to get married."
"That's right, that's right."
"..."
This time, Wen Qing didn't hear any rumors. She walked quickly along the dirt road and went straight to Aunt Xiao's tailor shop in the county town.
Aunt Xiao was overjoyed to see her: "Wen Qing, Wen Qing, you're here! I've been waiting for you."
Good morning, Aunt Xiao.
"Okay, have you eaten breakfast? I have two big meat buns here, you can have them," Aunt Xiao said.
"No, no, I always eat at home before coming here," Wen Qing declined.
Aunt Xiao smiled and said, "So, you came directly to help Aunt Xiao. You're such a punctual child." As she spoke, Aunt Xiao handed her a roll of cloth and said, "So, what do you think about having me come and help out?"
Wen Qing was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay."
Aunt Xiao was overjoyed: "Really?"
Wen Qing nodded: "However, I have one condition."
"What are the conditions?"
Wen Qing looked at Aunt Xiao and said, "I sell shoes in your shop."
"What? Selling shoes?" Aunt Xiao was surprised, then looked troubled: "I sell clothes here. I'm paying you to help out. It's not appropriate for you to sell shoes here, is it?"
Wen Qing wasn't embarrassed, angry, or anything else because Aunt Xiao refused. Instead, she looked around the store and saw that Aunt Xiao's floral cotton dress and floral striped flat sandals were gone. She smiled and asked, "Aunt Xiao, isn't it perfect to match clothes with shoes?"
Aunt Xiao was speechless.
Just then, a young woman walked into the store. She was wearing the same floral cotton dress that Wen Qing had worn, and the same floral flat striped sandals that Wen Qing had made. She looked exceptionally slender and beautiful.
As soon as the woman came in, she wanted to buy floral cotton fabric to make matching cotton skirts and sandals.
At the same time, some people come here to buy fabric to make clothes, while others bring their own fabric to trouble Aunt Xiao to make clothes and then pay a labor fee.
After looking at the young woman, they all asked Aunt Xiao:
"Is this dress from your store? I've never seen it before. How much is it? I have some fabric at home. I'll give you a dollar for the service fee. Can you make me a set too?"
"These shoes are nice too."
"Hey, the shoes are made of the same fabric as this dress."
"Aunt Xiao, are all these yours? Why did you hide them from us? Are you afraid we don't have money? Let me tell you, my husband and his brother are in business, they don't need my money to buy clothes."
"..."
Aunt Xiao was quite helpless when asked the question. She had been making clothes for several years, but she couldn't compare to the skills of this young girl, Wen Qing. Then she thought about it and realized that she had been making Zhongshan suits, overcoats, cotton-padded coats, and slit pants for many years. Unlike Wen Qing, who was quick-witted, knew how to choose fabrics, and made beautiful clothes.
So, I braced myself and said, "It's from my shop, okay, sure, we have it, alright."
Turning to Wen Qing, he whispered, "Selling shoes is fine, but you have to give me three cents per pair, and you also have to help me sell clothes."
Wen Qing smiled.
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