Chapter 55 A Pillar Supporting the Sky However, the plan is still underway…
However, while the plan was still in progress, Baiweifang faced a new crisis.
After Liu Xing's elderly mother and his wife and children finished handling the funeral arrangements, the whole family went to Yipinzhai's shop to make a scene. After giving them a lot of money, they somehow ended up making a scene at Lin Qing'an's Baiweifang.
"My son, you died so unjustly!"
"Husband, how are we supposed to survive if you leave me and our children behind..."
Liu Xing's wife and elderly mother sat down at the shop entrance, crying and shouting with snot and tears streaming down their faces. Their young child, who was only a few years old, also started whimpering, whether from fright or something else.
There were few people in the morning, and it wasn't market day, so even such a big commotion only attracted a few people to stop and watch, most of whom were shop owners from the surrounding area.
At first, Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian didn't know what trouble they had gotten themselves into, but they quickly realized that this person was the family member of Liu Xing, who had hanged himself at the entrance of Yipinzhai a few days ago.
The two men strode out of the shop and shouted, "What are you doing? What are you doing making a scene in front of my shop so early in the morning?"
The woman suddenly raised her eyes and glared fiercely at Lin Qing'an. After gritting her teeth, she finally uttered no more words and continued to cry loudly.
Seeing this, Chen Gengnian was about to go out and get the people away, but before he could take a step, Lin Qingan grabbed him, "Brother Nian, let them make a scene."
Chen Gengnian stopped walking and raised his voice to shout at the two men: "I will only state this once: your son's death has nothing to do with us. Only Manager Wu and he know about the defamation of my shop. Now that he is dead, we have not pursued the matter any further. So if I am in a bad mood, I will send someone to kick you out if you come here to cause trouble!"
Chen Gengnian's words were respectful of her deceased son, after all, the matter had not yet reached a definitive conclusion and he did not want to pin the blame solely on Liu Xing.
Seeing Chen Gengnian's tall and strong body, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn't dare to utter a word of rebuttal, and pretended not to hear, continuing to sob.
Most of the shop owners who were watching the commotion knew the truth about what happened a few days ago, and they had also received a lot of benefits from Lin Qing'an and his group, so they all spoke up for him.
"That's right, that's right. This is clearly your own problem. If you want to find someone, go find Yipinzhai. What does it have to do with Baiweifang?"
"I think you're trying to rip off Baiweifang!"
The crowd erupted in shouts, leaving the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law speechless. But the crying and shouting showed no sign of stopping. Lin Qing'an gratefully said to the onlookers, "Never mind, let them make a fuss. I'm exhausted lately, so this is a rest for me."
The shop owner, who had received many benefits from Lin Qing'an, naturally knew his thoughts. This young man and his wife were both very kind and would certainly not want to make things difficult for the couple who had just lost their son and husband.
Since the host had said so, no one could say anything more. After watching for a while, they dispersed. Those who passed by later and were unaware of the situation only stopped briefly to take a look before leaving.
Lin Qing'an originally thought that the two of them wouldn't cry for long before leaving, since there was a child involved, and they couldn't let the child stay here and suffer the stares of others. But he was wrong; the two of them had more endurance than he had imagined.
From the moment the shop opened in the morning until nearly noon, the family's crying never stopped, attracting passersby to stop and watch the spectacle, which in turn blocked the shop's business.
Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian had tried to persuade them several times during this period, but neither of them made any demands.
"Are you sure you don't want to use force to drive them away?" Chen Gengnian asked worriedly after countless attempts to persuade them had failed.
Lin Qingan shook his head without hesitation, "No need, let them cry!"
After saying that, Lin Qing'an casually picked up some candy and biscuits and walked over. Finally, he squatted down next to a three- or four-year-old child. Just as he was about to give the child the things in his hand, the woman warily pulled the child into her arms.
Lin Qing'an didn't insist. He put the food on the ground and turned to go back into the house.
Before long, Chen Gengnian went to cook. Lin Qingan grabbed a handful of melon seeds and sat there leisurely cracking them open. The child timidly turned around and looked over. Lin Qingan stretched out his hand to him, extending a silent invitation.
The child still didn't dare to come over. Lin Qing'an propped his chin up and pointed to the cookies and candies next to him, gesturing for him to eat. The child looked down, then looked up at Lin Qing'an. The hesitation and longing in his little eyes were clearly visible. Lin Qing'an gave him what he considered to be the kindest and gentlest smile. The child stared at him for a long time, then looked up at his mother and grandmother. After pausing for a while, as if he had made a great decision, he tremblingly reached out to touch the candies on the ground.
Lin Qing'an's laughter grew wider and wider. Only when he saw the child put a candy in his mouth did he look away and continue cracking his melon seeds.
A little while later, Chen Gengnian's meal was ready.
When decorating the shop, a space was specially reserved for the kitchen, which is only one wall away from the merchandise display area. In addition, the door is covered by a bamboo curtain, so it doesn't block out any smells at all.
Chen Gengnian made stir-fried pork, and the fragrant aroma of the meat filled the air and reached outside the door. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, whose voices were hoarse from crying, subconsciously touched their stomachs. Before Lin Qingan entered the house, they took out a dry pancake from their pockets and handed it to their child.
Inside the house, Lin Qing'an picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The texture of the pork was really good. After chewing for a few bites, he said with satisfaction, "Forget it, they won't believe anything I say now anyway, so let them make a fuss. It's good for me to rest and see what happens when Meng comes back tonight."
In fact, Chen Gengnian wasn't too worried. His thoughts were similar to Lin Qing'an's. He was just worried that his husband would feel bad when he thought about what happened that day because of the commotion outside.
The two of them ate their rice in silence. Since Lin Yanfeng and Abao wouldn't be coming back for lunch, Chen Gengnian cooked two dishes: a stir-fried fresh pork leg and bok choy. When picking up the food, Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian tacitly picked at one side. After finishing their meal in no time, they filled three bowls with rice and then took the dishes and rice that had been set aside out the door.
The food was placed on a chair next to the cursing person. The child stared blankly at the plate of meat that was mostly left over, drool constantly dripping from the corner of her mouth. After smelling the aroma of the food, the two of them paused for a moment. They looked at Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian blankly, their eyes filled with incomprehension and speculation.
But Lin Qing'an did not see hatred.
"Eat it without worry, it's not poisonous. You can continue cursing after you finish eating."
After Lin Qing'an finished speaking, she turned and went into the house. Chen Gengnian put a glass of water on each of the three of them before turning and going back into the house.
The two sat behind the counter, secretly observing the group's every move.
After waiting for a while, no one touched their chopsticks. The child was very obedient, staring longingly at the food in the bowl, drooling, but never uttering a word that he was hungry.
Time passed slowly, the cursing gradually subsided, and seeing that the food was getting cold, the woman turned her head and secretly peeked in the direction of Lin Qing'an and the others.
Lin Qingan and Chen Gengnian both dodged quickly. The woman didn't see anyone, so she turned around and tugged at her daughter-in-law's sleeve. The two whispered to each other, and then the young daughter picked up the chopsticks and bowl and handed them to the child.
The crying stopped, leaving only the old woman's low sobs and the occasional crisp sound of the child's chopsticks hitting the food bowl.
Seeing that everyone had started eating, Lin Qingan finally let out a long breath. He and Chen Gengnian exchanged a glance and then smiled.
To ease their worries about the meal, Lin Qing'an and Chen Gengnian went to the small pavilion at the back gate to drink tea. Feeling drowsy after the meal, the tea couldn't keep them awake; Lin Qing'an became sleepy as he drank, and Chen Gengnian carried him upstairs to bed. When they came downstairs, the people who had been making a ruckus at the entrance all morning were long gone. The bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged on the chairs, and even the food the children had dropped on the floor had been picked up.
Lin Qing'an slept for most of the afternoon. When he went downstairs, Lin Yanfeng and Abao had already returned from school. After the family had eaten, they waited for A Meng for a long time but it did not come back. So Lin Qing'an asked it with his mind. A Meng said that it had to wait a little longer.
So I went to bed early.
Chen Gengnian was sleeping soundly with his hands crossed on his lower abdomen, while Lin Qingan's hand rustled under the covers and moved closer to him.
She gently poked Chen Gengnian's side with her fingertip, startling him.
"What's wrong, Qing?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Lin Qingan turned her head to search for his profile in the darkness, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Nian, are you tired today?"
Chen Gengnian casually replied, "Not tired, didn't I do nothing today?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qing'an's hand slipped and swiftly grabbed the man's vitals. Chen Gengnian's legs instinctively bent and clamped down, and Lin Qing'an's hand was pressed down by the weight on both sides. The burning heat of his palm and the throbbing of the veins made him feel it more clearly.
In the quiet darkness, both of them held their breath, and it took them two seconds to realize what was going on.
It has been almost two months since the store opened. He has been so busy every day that he has no time to spare. Chen Gengnian is considerate of him and always lets him go to bed early at night while he stays up late to clean up.
So, during this period, the two of them almost became high monks.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and the sound of him swallowing was amplified in the darkness. Just as Chen Gengnian was about to explain, Lin Qingan cut him off.
"Wow! It's a pillar reaching to the sky!"
Lin Qing'an's voice was mocking, and Chen Gengnian stammered, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Lin Qing'an couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Even after all this time, he was still acting like a shy young lady. His husband was quite something.
He squeezed his hands together, and in a hoarse voice invited, "How about we make something tonight?"
Before she could finish speaking, two large hands gripped her waist, lifting her off the bed. Before she could react, Lin Qing'an was already straddling Chen Gengnian's strong waist.
Chen Gengnian's hand, which was on Lin Qing'an's waist, slowly moved up his spine until it stopped at the back of Lin Qing'an's neck.
Lin Qing'an's neck was long and fair. Chen Gengnian's hands were exposed to wind and rain all year round, and his palms had thick calluses. Lin Qing'an actually felt a little pain when his hands covered the fair neck, but this pain was mixed with an unspoken expectation.
"Ah Qing...do you really want it?" Chen Gengnian's voice was even hoarser than Lin Qing'an's, filled with intense desire.
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Author's note: Running a shop is exhausting, time to relax [eating melon emoji]
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