Chapter 48 Seizing the Initiative
"Hey!"
Qiao Manqing's lips curved into a slight smile.
Then she slowly pulled a whole package of White Rabbit candies from her pocket.
Gently twist open the outer transparent candy wrapper with your fingertips.
He deliberately waved his wrist in front of the little ones.
"Do you want some candy? Hmm? Your auntie has plenty here."
The children's eyes lit up immediately, staring intently at the candy in her hand, their mouths practically watering.
The air seemed to carry a slightly sweet scent.
Miaomiao was the first to jump up, her feet bouncing high, her round eyes sparkling.
Wow! Auntie has candy!
Qiao Shaohua and Qiao Niuniu are both the eldest sister-in-law's children.
The two children are a bit older.
They still remember some of the things that happened.
The original owner almost sold them to bad guys.
Although the child was too young at the time, he doesn't remember it very clearly.
But over the years, adults have been repeating and emphasizing it in my ears every day.
Therefore, even though Qiao Manqing had candy in her hand at that moment.
Qiao Shaohua and Qiao Niuniu simply stood quietly at a distance.
They remained wary of this aunt with a complicated background and were unwilling to approach her easily.
What exactly do you want?
Finally, Qiao Shaohua spoke.
He was the oldest of the four children and also the most calm and composed.
“Auntie has a way to make money,” Qiao Manqing said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a few bills. “Are you interested?”
She wasn't angry at the subtle wariness her nephews and nieces exuded; she simply waited patiently for their response.
"make money?"
Qiao Shaohua's eyes widened, and he took a step back in disbelief, muttering under his breath.
"We're still just kids, you know that, Auntie, are you going to mess with us again?!"
Qiao Manqing shook her head helplessly, a bitter smile creeping onto her face.
Try to sit up straight and control your emotions.
"There are many wild duck eggs in the reeds behind the hill. I'd like you to help me look for them—if you help me collect them, I'll give you five cents for each egg, okay?"
She turned slightly to the side and moved a little closer.
"Five cents each?"
The little ones exclaimed in surprise.
Five cents is not a large sum of money.
But you can still buy several candies.
That should be enough for them to get some treats at the market.
A wild duck egg can be exchanged for five cents.
If they picked up ten, wouldn't they have a full fifty cents?
Are you lying to us?
Qiao Shaohua blinked and asked, his tone hesitant.
After all, their mother and two aunts had repeatedly warned them to be careful of this little aunt.
Who knows, they might be sold off someday.
"Whether it's true or not, you'll know for yourselves if you try it. If I don't accept it, you can just take the duck eggs home and cook them yourself, right?"
Hearing her say that, Miao Miao immediately nodded firmly.
"My aunt would never lie to us! She's so strong, she can even beat a wild boar!"
These words stunned the children.
That's right, during this period, we've been eating wild boar meat that my aunt brought back.
Qiao Shaohua nodded, seemingly somewhat persuaded, and his brows relaxed.
He remembered it too.
Since this aunt came back, she has stopped teasing them like before.
Maybe—maybe she has changed, finally learned to love her nephews, and will no longer hand them over to those terrible bad people?
"Then you have to keep your word, Auntie! We'll go find them now!"
With the older brother speaking, the others naturally had nothing to say and began to eagerly prepare to set off.
Seeing that everyone agreed, the remaining friends couldn't help but blush with excitement.
They patted their chests one by one, promising to bring back plenty of duck eggs.
"Come on, have a few candies to sweeten your mouth, so you'll have the energy to work."
As she spoke, Qiao Manqing smiled and took out the cloth bag from her hand.
They took out packets of milk candy and gave each person seven or eight pieces.
The four little ones beamed with joy and quickly peeled off a kernel and popped it into their mouths.
"Let's go! Let's go find wild duck eggs!"
The youngest seedling ran and called out in a soft, tender voice.
Qiao Manqing, carrying an empty bamboo basket, walked slowly behind the group of children.
Watching them leap and bound happily ahead.
She suddenly felt a feeling she couldn't quite describe...
Shaohua is already nine years old.
Children his age should be going to school long ago.
However, he could only stay at home and help take care of his younger siblings.
Every day, I would chase and play with them in the fields, pick wild fruits, and gather firewood.
To understand why things are in this situation, we need to start with the actions of the original owner.
It was her rash decision that caused her family to incur a lot of debt.
This not only made the family's life even more difficult, but also caused the young children to suffer a lot as a result.
As a reborn woman, Qiao Manqing was naturally unwilling to let things continue like this.
She had already made up her mind.
Once she has saved enough money, she will definitely send Shaohua to school as soon as possible!
"You all better watch out!"
Before entering the reed marshes, she turned back and loudly instructed the children.
"Especially in that wetland area, snakes can easily hide, so don't step on the grass!"
Upon reaching the edge of the reed marsh, Qiao Manqing stopped and gave her instructions again.
"You must listen to your aunt and be very careful. Those snakes are especially dangerous. If you encounter one, don't go near it."
"I understand, Auntie!"
Shao Hua still had a piece of maltose that Qiao Manqing had given him in his mouth, and he nodded as he answered in a crisp voice.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Qiao Manqing picked up her own bamboo basket and led the way into the dense reeds.
"If anyone finds any wild duck eggs later, remember to shout immediately. Don't take them without permission, okay?"
She turned around and said with a smile.
"Found it! I found it!"
"Me too!"
"There's another one over here!"
Before long, the little ones started calling out to each other.
They ran back and forth through the reeds, searching.
They loudly reported their results to Qiao Manqing, their faces flushed with excitement.
Qiao Manqing discovered a nest of wild duck eggs. When she looked down to examine it closely, she was pleasantly surprised to find that there were eight duck eggs neatly arranged together.
Its outer shell has some spots, and its color is similar to that of soil and grass, making it difficult to spot.
She crouched down and gently parted the surrounding weeds.
I thought to myself, it must be the time when wild ducks are laying their eggs.
This season is their peak egg-laying period, which is why they have left so many nesting sites.
The rest of the villagers hadn't realized this yet; most were still busy with their daily farm work, and no one was coming to the reeds to collect duck eggs.
Once everyone realizes what's happening and starts taking action, it will be difficult to pick them up.
Why not take advantage of this lull and collect as much as possible? That way, you'll have a head start.
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