Buy cakes
As dusk approached, Mei Sheng, who had been busy all day, finally found several medicinal herbs that had been missing from the accounts, rummaging through some nook and cranny.
Back in the shop, she noticed that there weren't many account books on her wooden table, which belonged to her alone. Her eyebrows twitched slightly.
As the shop assistant unloaded the last load of goods, he shouted, "Second boss, Brother Feng is back. He told me to tell you that he's done today's accounts and that you don't need to worry about accounts anymore."
Mei Sheng gave a soft "hmm" and naturally replied, "I will hand over the account book to the person who gave it to me tomorrow."
The waiter dusted himself off and muttered, "Tomorrow? Isn't the boss always known for his decisiveness?"
In the dim light, his stubborn back view revealed his unwavering nature, unchanged from any other.
Mei Sheng greeted the other men as usual, but when she saw Xiao Qin pacing anxiously back and forth, she shed her tough exterior and revealed her soft side.
"Xiaoqin, is Lele asleep?"
Xiaoqin hesitated for a moment, then her gaze finally fell on Mei Sheng's tired face. She sighed softly, "Don't worry, Master. Lele is having a great time at school, playing with the other children, and falling asleep quickly."
"But you, sir..."
When Xiaoqin arrived at the shop in the morning, she saw that Mei Sheng hadn't said a word and just had a sullen face. She couldn't help but worry.
The owner hadn't returned all night, so she went to ask Manager Gao early on, but Manager Gao wouldn't say anything, only kept drinking and repenting, occasionally muttering things like, "It's all my fault," and "If I hadn't gone..."
When asked about Mei Sheng's whereabouts, he simply shook his head, but when asked about his safety, he said he was safe.
Thus, Xiaoqin could only wait anxiously.
Finally, the man returned, but not only had he changed his clothes, he also looked very dejected. The men in the shop were carefree and didn't pay attention to changing clothes, but Xiaoqin was observant and noticed it at a glance.
"I'm just a little tired, but it's nothing."
Xiaoqin thought to herself, "After working so hard all day, how can I not be tired?"
"Master, the hot water is ready, go and take a shower quickly."
Xiaoqin picked up the wooden bucket and filled it with another. She had been rescued by her employer during the war. She was weak and could only help her employer with odd jobs.
She pretended to forget what happened that morning, just as the employers were unwilling to talk about those things.
The small kitchen was in the next yard. She set up the iron pot and added the last bit of firewood.
The cook leaned closer and asked curiously, "Where did your master go last night? He looked like he'd been bullied by someone...tsk tsk."
"Don't talk nonsense, Granny Liu. Have you forgotten that the master kindly lent you money to raise money for your pregnant daughter-in-law's medicine? Otherwise, where would your little grandson come from? Besides, the master is always busy buying goods at night, and he also stops at inns outside for meals and lodging."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cook Liu gave an embarrassed smile, shrank back, and continued working.
"What Miss Xiaoqin said is true..."
Xiaoqin knew that Liu the cook was just a loose tongue, but not a bad person at heart. She had even discussed with her that morning about sending some red eggs to the employer.
The stove was steaming, and steam was billowing around it.
Seeing that the hot water was ready, she busied herself fetching water and delivering it to the employer, and didn't continue to argue with Cook Liu.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mei Sheng was already sitting in the warm wooden tub, resting with her eyes closed. As the hot water washed over her body, she felt her fatigue gradually fade away.
Physical fatigue from a long day can be easily relieved, but how can one cure mental fatigue?
She knew what Xiaoqin wanted to ask, but she didn't want to bring it up again.
Mei Sheng buried her head in the water and said sadly, "Am I destined to never leave him in this lifetime?"
The probing, scrutiny, and contempt of others were of no concern to her; all she wanted to know was when she would find her way home.
My heart gradually sank, until it reached the abyss.
Water entered her nasal cavity and flowed down her throat. The suffocating feeling of impending death bound Mei Sheng tightly in a cocoon, making it difficult for her to breathe.
She suddenly looked up, gasping for breath.
Why is she so distraught over this? Does she want to die?
Oh.
Mei Sheng raised her arms to support her body, her back exposed to the air, a pure white expanse, as if she were no different from any other day.
Mei Sheng lowered her eyes, gathering the many thoughts in her mind, and sorting them out one by one.
......
"Auntie, I'm going to school now."
After a night of complicated dreams, Mei Sheng woke up early. She put away the now-dull plum blossom jade pendant and hid it back in its original place.
"Lele, I'll go with you."
Since she is one of the adoptive parents, she should also shoulder this responsibility.
"Is Auntie not busy anymore?"
Mei Sheng smiled, only to realize that her face was stiff and her smile was rather awkward. Even the little girl noticed something was wrong: "Auntie, what's wrong? Did you miss out on the pancakes I brought back last night?"
"It was Erniu and his friends next door who ate it all! Ugh, how awful! Auntie, I'll bring you some after school, okay...?"
Lele was visibly chattering, and was more lively than before.
Mei Sheng's lips curled into a smile, and even the somber look in her eyes seemed to dissipate somewhat.
"Is Erniu a new friend?"
"Yes, we sit together and eat the good food and books together."
"Can you eat books?"
"Hehe, when the teacher was teaching us to read, I saw Erniu take a few bites. He can eat!"
"......"
The school and Mei Sheng's shop were neither far nor close.
When she returned alone, she ran into Brother Feng, who was there to work.
"Master, thank you so much for accompanying me to Qifu Temple that day."
"Don't mention it, your mother..."
Brother Feng said sadly, "She passed away. She always wanted to see me get married and start a career. She fulfilled her wish before she passed away, leaving no regrets."
A while ago, the three of them went to Qifu Temple together, pretending to be a family to make the old lady happy.
During the war, Lele was still young and often got sick, which troubled Brother Feng many times. She felt bad about it and wanted to repay the favor.
Although Lele was adopted by her, Uncle Gao, and Aunt Gao, she was still a little girl who grew up eating everyone's food.
Mei Sheng did this hoping that one day when she returned home, she could have her neighbors taking care of her.
My condolences.
Brother Feng rubbed his face and said, "Why don't you go and rest for a while? You don't look too good."
"Thank you for your help."
Seeing that Mei Sheng was still as polite as ever, Brother Feng was stunned, and the light in his eyes instantly went out.
Back in her room, Mei Sheng suddenly felt a nerve churning in her head, throbbing painfully. Urged by Xiao Qin, she temporarily put down the account book and slept soundly.
I slept in so late that I didn't even pick Lele up from school.
Xiaoqin stood by the stall at the school gate for a while, but didn't see anyone. Feeling anxious, she grabbed someone and asked, "Chunrong, have you seen my Lele?"
This bustling little street is full of people who have watched Lele grow up. Upon being reminded, she slapped her forehead and said, "Look how busy I am! Lele left a message saying she was going to the pancake shop on the east side to buy some pancakes. We know this child well, so don't rush."
The pancake shop to the east wasn't far from here. Xiaoqin lifted her skirt and hurried away.
On the other side, the little girl ran like a wisp of smoke, yelling, "Auntie of the pancake shop, wait for Lele!"
"Ouch!"
Lele raised her head, looked at the hard wall in front of her, and covered her forehead: "It hurts."
"Little girl, how are you?"
A pair of strong, warm hands pulled her up, patting her clothes as they did so, their movements clumsy yet careful.
"It's alright, sorry uncle, I'm going to buy some cakes now."
She pointed to the small stall under the eaves, but before she could even move, her eyes widened in surprise: "Uncle stranger, what are you doing?"
Pei Jue picked up the little girl, and upon closer inspection, her face indeed bore no resemblance to Mei Sheng.
He must have been out of his mind yesterday to do such a bastard thing.
However, it is absolutely impossible to get Pei Jue, who holds a high position, to apologize.
Besides, if she hadn't run away three years ago, they would have already consummated their marriage. Now it's just a matter of postponing what happened before.
She was the one who owed him, not the other way around, Pei Jue comforted herself.
"Wrap them all up."
A large sum of silver was placed on the stall, and the couple quickly expressed their gratitude.
The two of them set up their stall, and in all these years they had rarely seen such a generous gentleman. After deducting the money spent on the cakes, the remaining tips were probably enough for the couple to live on for several months.
Pei Jue looked at the restless little girl in his arms and pursed his lips, saying, "I'm not abducting children."
Lele steadied herself and looked at the unfamiliar uncle with a puzzled expression. After listening, she puffed out her little chest and said, "Uncle, it's okay. Everyone on this street knows me."
Pei Jue chuckled softly.
While waiting for the sesame cakes, Lele kept looking in one direction. Pei Jue's heart tightened; it was the direction of Mei Sheng's shop.
He asked casually, "Your mother... no, is she?"
"Uncle, are you talking about Auntie?" Upon learning that Pei Jue knew Mei Sheng, the little girl perked up and became very talkative: "Auntie is the best to me, but she's not in a good mood today. She must be sick. That's how I feel when I'm sick, I feel terrible."
She sighed like a little adult.
Pei Jue's throat was dry. He asked, "Is she sick? Have you called a doctor?"
Lele cupped her face in her hands, looked Pei Jue up and down, and said, "Why are you so concerned about my aunt? Could it be that you like my aunt just like the other uncles?"
Pei Jue was dressed rather simply today, wearing a moon-white silk shirt with a pine-colored wide robe over it, and his hair was only secured with a bamboo hairpin.
"Other uncles?"
Even though he learned from the guards who had gathered information that what happened last time was a complete misunderstanding, Pei Jue still wanted to know the cause of the incident from people close to her.
"Little girl, this is for you."
Pei Jue pulled a small, lustrous jade pendant from his waist and handed it to the little girl.
"No, no."
"I need your help with something."
Lele's eyes lit up, and she said, "Thank you, Uncle."
At this moment, Xiaoqin squeezed in front of the stall, pulled the little girl behind her, and said nervously, "Honorable sir, the child is ignorant and may not have offended you in any way."
Lele couldn't sense it, but as soon as Xiaoqin got close, she was stunned by the imposing aura emanating from the other party.
"It's alright."
Without receiving any definite news, Pei Jue didn't linger and left immediately.
"Lele, you can't leave school early next time, okay?"
"oh."
"What's this?"
Lele hugged the cake, stuffed the jade pendant into Xiaoqin's hand, and said happily, "Today I made money just like Mr. Wu! Auntie will definitely praise me when she finds out."
Mr. Wu is very learned, but he earns his money by having others ask him for information.
Xiaoqin clutched the jade pendant tightly, intending to return it to the nobleman, but the nobleman, being tall and long-legged, had already disappeared into the crowd.
She felt a vague unease as she brought the jade pendant back.
"Auntie, Auntie!"
"Shhh."
Xiaoqin wanted her employer to get a good night's sleep, but as night fell, she realized something was wrong. She lifted the curtain and found that the person on the bed had not gotten up.
She was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead: "Could it be that he's sick?"
"Boss, boss..."
A faint call reached Mei Sheng's ears, disturbing her peace.
Consciousness is like drowning; it can neither float up to breathe deeply nor settle down to sleep peacefully.
The back-and-forth struggles only made her feel worse.
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