Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Separation
At night, Tian Ge sat at the head of the bed, playing with a small silver box in her hand.
Looking closely, his eyes were not fixed on the object in his hand, but were blank.
In addition to the small silver box in his hand, there were several boxes of similar size on the table next to him, including wooden boxes, iron boxes, and one inlaid with gold.
These were the samples Bai Qingquan gave them, saying that this deal could be done.
The box is filled with ointments, some for lubrication and some for aphrodisiacs. In short, they are sex products.
Bai Qingquan.
White and elegant.
-----I was supposed to be his wife
-----We grew up together as childhood sweethearts
-----You don't deserve him
Tian Ge thought about these words over and over again.
Although he knew that Qin Xiong would be good to him and stand on his side, these words always sounded uncomfortable to him.
"What are you thinking about?" Qin Xiong came in from outside, wiping his hair. He threw away his handkerchief, leaned over and hugged Tian Ge, and kissed him lightly on the neck.
Tian Ge's body trembled, and she raised her head to let Qin Xiong kiss her. She was used to being kissed, and her body became more and more accustomed to Qin Xiong's touch.
This is a sign that you want to get things done.
Too.
After running back and forth for many days, the shop was finally settled.
Clean up. Get all the signs, shelves, steamers, and oil paper ready. Arrange the goods...
We chose an auspicious day to open the business.
only....
-----I can't bear to see you go.
Tomorrow, Qin Xiong will follow Bai Qingquan's caravan to purchase goods from other places.
The mountains are high and the road is long, so it’s hard to say how long the journey will take.
Or stay with the Bai family.
The only thing that comforted Tian Ge a little was that Bai Qingya didn't seem to be going with him.
Tian Ge put down the box in her hand, put her arm around Qin Xiong's shoulders, moved closer to him, and bit Qin Xiong's neck back and forth.
In the past, he was ashamed to leave any marks on Qin Xiong and would always blush when he saw him in the daytime.
But today he wanted to do it.
Like a puppy grinding its teeth, after biting both sides of the neck, it went to bite the chest.
Each bite leaves a mark.
The bite made Qin Xiong gasp, but it wasn't painful...
.....
-----I still want it.
Tian Ge's whole body was trembling. After resting for a while, she was about to fall asleep, but suddenly woke up and fell on Qin Xiong, sweating.
"Go to sleep."
----Not sleepy, let’s try again.
Tian Ge was getting a little anxious as he gestured.
----Are you not able to do it anymore?
It's a provocation that's easy to see through, but it does work.
.....
"Are you a man? Huh?" Qin Xiong asked. Tian Ge trembled with every slight movement.
He was already gentle enough, but it was Tian Ge's body that became more sensitive.
Tian Ge's face was steamed with sweat, like a hot, fluffy pink peach. Her eyebrows seemed to be frowning, but suddenly she pursed her lips and a line of tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. She looked so aggrieved.
Qin Xiong panicked, thinking that he had hurt him by doing it too many times, so he hurried out and hugged the man to comfort him.
-----I like you so much.
Tian Ge suddenly said, pointing his finger at his chest.
"I like you too. I like Tian Ge the most."
Qin Xiong also knew that Tian Ge was reluctant to separate, but there was nothing he could do.
There is a difference between going far away to purchase goods and going into the mountains.
They are not well off now, the journey is long and bumpy, and the food and accommodation are not good.
What’s more, you may encounter bandits on the road.
After careful consideration, Qin Xiong decided to go alone.
Tian Ge stayed at home to look after the store.
They have already agreed with the second brother that he will go to the store to help every day during this period.
There is another person.
Zhou, who had caused a quarrel with them before their wedding, was also invited to the store and would stay with Tian Ge in the small room behind the store at night.
Zhou was a widow and had no ties in the village.
She is very good at talking and she even claimed that she had an affair with Qin Xiong, and she could make a lie sound true.
Strangely enough, ever since Tian Ge put aside their previous grudges, pinched Zhou's philtrum when she fainted, helped her into the house to rest, and called a doctor for her, Zhou changed her previous hostile attitude towards Tian Ge.
Whenever they meet Tian Ge by chance in the village, they will take the initiative to talk to him.
When they got married, Zhou also came quietly to congratulate them, put down a basket of eggs, and left without even eating.
Tian Ge has a gentle personality, and Qin Xiong is worried about her looking after the store alone. After the couple discussed it, they thought of her.
They had just started out and could only offer a monthly salary of 500 wen. When Zhou heard this at first, she was overjoyed but also a little hesitant.
"I treated you like that before, why are you still willing to let me go? Don't you hate me anymore?" Zhou asked Tian Ge at that time.
Her eyes were no longer on Qin Xiong. The expectation, uneasiness, and even a hint of admiration in her eyes were all directed at Tian Ge.
Qin Xiong was keenly aware of this change, and his eyebrows jumped at that moment.
Zhou was a pitiful woman. Her parents treated her as a mere laborer in exchange for a dowry. Her husband's family treated her the same way, often beating and scolding her. After her husband's unexpected death, many people wanted to occupy her house and kicked her out...
At that time, Qin Xiong just gave her some food in the dead of winter, but she still cared about him and even went so far as to make up rumors to destroy his relationship with Tian Ge.
Did Tian Ge's kindness to her also make her...
A young man and a widow, it is unlikely that others would think anything wrong with them.
But Qin Xiong was well-informed since childhood...
But there's really no way, I can't find anyone else.
Sister-in-law Jin Guihua was originally the most suitable candidate, but Dad and Zhuangzhuang are one old and one young, and the family needs someone to take care of them.
Tian Da was busy planting fruit trees in the fields, and Tian Er always squeezed out time to help.
Qin Xiong could only secretly warn Zhou to work hard and not have any bad thoughts. No matter how the business was, as long as she worked hard, he would not treat her unfairly. Otherwise, he would pack up and leave immediately.
Zhou was not a fearful person, so she pointed at his nose and yelled back, telling Qin Xiong not to look down on the widow, as she would never do anything sneaky.
Zhou thought Qin Xiong was warning her not to steal, and she was very angry.
Qin Xiong finally felt relieved.
——
-----I have decided that we will have a baby next year.
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly think of this?" Qin Xiong asked. He thought Tian Ge had fallen asleep.
By candlelight, I could indeed see fatigue in Tian Ge's eyes.
Qin Xiong is not the only one who worries about gains and losses.
Tian Ge felt uncomfortable when he thought of the look Bai Qingya gave Qin Xiong.
-----I've thought about it carefully. Although I'm still young, you're not young anymore and should have children.
"You're calling me old again?" Qin Xiong said with a smile.
Tian Ge found a comfortable position on Qin Xiong's chest, closed her eyes and did not answer.
That’s right, Qin Xiong is already twenty-seven years old this year.
"Don't worry about these things. Don't worry, you are a man in the prime of life. Others may not know it, but don't you know it?" Qin Xiong deliberately said these twisted ideas to make Tian Ge less anxious.
Tian Ge's ears were burning from listening to this, and she grabbed his chest.
Even though Qin Xiong had thick skin and flesh, it still hurt when he was pinched there. Suddenly, he begged for mercy and asked Cai Tiange to let go.
Qin Xiong stopped making jokes and stroked Tian Ge's long, smooth hair. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Believe me, it will take at most half a month. If it goes well the first time, it will go well the next time."
After a long time, Qin Xiong was ready to blow out the lights and go to bed.
Tian Ge raised her hand again and stroked the stubble on his chin back and forth.
-----Don't fall in love with others.
People always praise Tian Ge for her good looks.
But Tian Ge himself knew that the world outside was big and there were many good-looking guys and girls.
They have been married for so long and they love each other every day. He believes that Qin Xiong will be loyal to him, but Tian Ge is still afraid.
Qin Xiong was stunned and immediately realized that Tian Ge's abnormal behavior tonight was not entirely due to reluctance to part.
"Did Bai Qingya tell you something behind my back?"
While Tian Ge hesitated and remained silent, Qin Xiong got the answer.
Qin Xiong rarely recalls the past.
"He and I have been engaged since we were young. Our parents arranged it for us to be married."
Tian Ge's breathing stopped. It was true.
"But I annulled the marriage a long time ago. My family... before the incident happened, I annulled it myself."
"There has never been anything between him and me, never before, and never will be in the future."
——
"He and I have already secretly decided to spend our lives together. He wouldn't dare tell you this, would he?"
Qin Xiong had just left with the caravan when Bai Qingya came to him.
Mrs. Zhou was kneading dough and steaming buns in the back stove while her second brother went to buy pork.
Tian Ge was kneading dough, and when she was called out, her hands and apron were still covered with white flour.
It was still early and there were barely two people on the road.
Compared to the slightly disheveled Tian Ge, Bai Qingya looked more noble and elegant. Even the maid and servant following behind her were dressed in clothes that ordinary people could not match.
The narrow shops seem even more cramped.
Bai Qingya's malicious intent hit him in the face. Tian Ge had no intention of writing a reply on the paper. He just made a gesture of asking her to go back and turned around to go to the back kitchen.
"That day we went hunting in the mountains together, and suddenly there was a heavy rain. We were trapped in a cave for the night, just the two of us. At that time, you probably didn't know where you were."
Tian Ge paused.
"You are a thief. You stole the identity that was rightfully mine."
"I lied to you before. This time I'll go with the caravan too. We'll set off right away and catch up with them before noon."
"I've said it before, you're not worthy of him. I can help him return to the way things were before, and I'll take back what you took away myself."
"Goodbye, little mute."
.......
"Tian Ge'er, this whole basket of steamed dumplings is almost done. Come and try it." Zhou came out from the back kitchen and saw Tian Ge standing there in a daze, not moving.
The smile on her face froze, and she walked forward and asked with concern what was wrong.
Tian Ge shook his head.
He has his own considerations on who to trust.
The buns just out of the oven are still steaming.
Tian Ge took out one of each of the big and small meat buns, steamed buns, and flower rolls, and tried them himself before selling them. It was also perfect for breakfast.
Tian Ge has never done business.
There are so many shops in the county town that specialize in selling breakfast snacks, so this one is not a big deal.
Besides, it was a newly opened shop, and selling breakfast was just one of its offerings; the main business was groceries and mountain products.
The first thing he could think of was to do real business.
Each meat bun has a thin skin and a large filling. Tian Ge is generous with the ingredients, three parts fat and seven parts lean meat. The fat penetrates the skin, and the golden color makes people salivate at the sight.
The steamed buns also rise well and are softer than egg cakes.
"Actually, you can put less meat filling. Pork is so expensive this year. I go to other places to buy meat buns, and none of them are like ours." Zhou broke open a meat bun and ate it. The store provided her with meals.
Tian Ge shook his head and gestured to her seriously, deciding not to skimp on the ingredients.
Zhou nods her head in agreement with Tian Ge's words, but she still can't help but grumble, "The meat buns at Yanchunlou aren't as good as ours, and they sell for four cents each. Ours are this big, but only three cents..."
Yanchunlou has been operating in the county for more than ten years, and its signboard has long been established. Even if it sells meat buns for ten cents each, people still go to buy them.
Long before opening the shop, Tian Ge had visited all the breakfast shops in the county and set the prices based on compromises.
However, even if Tian Ge gestured these words, Zhou couldn't understand his gestures.
Tian Ge just smiled and ate his breakfast in a few bites.
Maybe he got up too early and didn't get enough sleep, and now he ate too fast, so he suddenly felt nauseous, but after drinking a sip of water, he was fine after a while.
As the sky brightened, people who looked like students could be seen walking around.
It's time to open the store.
Tian Ge opened the other door and took out their wooden sign from behind it.
Two rectangular wooden signs, as wide as an arm and almost as long as the gate.
Standing on both sides of the gate.
There was a sign with the store name written in large vermilion regular script - Tiange Grocery Store, which was simple and clear.
The other one is much more fancy, with both writing and drawing. It depicts a silly little man eating a bun, surrounded by steamed buns and flower rolls.
The shelves of the small shop were also outlined with colored pencils. On one side of the shelf were various vegetables, onions, peppers, potatoes, rice, wheat ears, mushrooms, and fruits. In short, they were all food.
The other side is relatively empty, with only brush, ink, paper and inkstone drawn on it, and half of the space left empty with a big question mark.
All the goods have prices marked underneath. This saves Tian Ge the trouble of gesturing, and also makes it easier for everyone to decide whether to buy or not.
Just then, Tian Er came back carrying some fresh pork, and he moved several layers of steamers from inside the house to the table at the door of the store.
As soon as the store opened, two or three people came to buy buns. They seemed to be students from a nearby school.
"Boss, are you still giving away steamed buns today?" one of them asked.
Tian Ge smiled and waved his hand apologetically.
Three days before the opening, buy a large meat bun and get a small one for free.
Today is already the fourth day.
The little meat buns cost only one cent each, and it’s not okay to have them delivered every day.
"Okay, then I want a big meat bun and a steamed bun." Almost all those who can go to school are young men. When they see the young and beautiful mute boy smiling at him, some boyish shyness appears on their faces.
Inevitably, he was pushed and teased by his friends, and his face soon turned red.
Tian Ge quickly wrapped the thing in oil paper and handed it over.
My fingertips accidentally touched, and that person even stuttered when he said thank you.
This is not the first time this has happened in the few days since the store opened.
Tian Ge took out the cardboard that he had prepared long ago and showed it to several young men who were reading.
My husband is out of town shopping. If you have anything you can't find locally, please write it on the cardboard over there. Maybe he can get it for you.
It was visibly that the young man was wilting, but his friends who were traveling with him laughed even louder. As they had to go to class, they bought breakfast and left in a hurry.
"That guy likes you." Zhou said with a smile.
-----You can't talk about this kind of thing casually.
Tian Ge's face was serious.
Zhou didn't understand the specific gestures, but she roughly understood what they meant and just smiled.
Thinking about how Qin Xiong specifically warned her not to have any bad intentions before leaving.
He should warn all the men who like Tian Ge.
In just a few days, several men have shown interest in chatting up Tian Ge, and they are all young and handsome.
Let’s see if Qin Xiong can warn them.
The number of pedestrians quickly increased.
In addition to students rushing to school, there are also women going out to buy things and country people selling things at the market. This street is very lively.
Zhou had a loud voice. While wrapping the dumplings in oil paper, she shouted, "Big meat dumplings with thin skin and big fillings, three cents each, three cents each."
Tian Ge and others were busy together and had no time to chat.
Sixteen steamer baskets, eighteen in each basket.
When only two or three cages were left to sell, Tian Ge said goodbye to Zhou and returned to the kitchen.
"Are sales so good today?" Tian Er had already chopped some minced meat and asked when he saw Tian Ge starting to make buns again.
Tian Ge walked up quickly and nodded without raising his head.
-----Second brother, you don’t need to chop it, just steam it for five more baskets.
Tian Ge took a break from his busy schedule and gestured a few words.
The main reason is that big meat buns sell well, and people are not stupid. If you buy buns with such full meat filling and eat them once and they taste good, you will buy them again.
Some people buy ten or eight at a time and take them home for their families to eat.
Tian Ge estimated the time and didn't dare to make more, for fear that he wouldn't be able to sell too much.
"Okay." Tian Er responded and couldn't help but look at his younger brother a few more times, his eyes full of satisfaction.
I don’t know when, the mute child who used to hide behind him and dared not communicate with others suddenly became the store manager who can stand on his own.
Tian Er couldn't do the job of making dumplings, so he went out to help Zhou sell things.
Not all the people who came were here to buy meals. Some came in to buy vegetables, and Zhou alone was unable to handle them all.
"Can you sell these mushrooms for a little less? Eight cents per pound?" asked a woman carrying a basket.
"These mushrooms are freshly picked by our villagers in the mountains. They are all wild, different from those grown at home. They are especially delicious when stewed in soup or meat. I just brought them from the countryside this morning. Ten cents per pound is already the cheapest price." Tian Erdao.
The woman picked and chose, seemingly dissatisfied, and said, "I see other shops only selling it for six or seven coins a pound. Why are you charging so much for your newly opened shop?"
You are here to find fault. Since it is cheaper elsewhere, just go buy it elsewhere.
The fresh green-headed mushrooms picked from the mountains are big and plump. Tian Er used to sell them on the street for ten cents per pound.
-----It really can't be missing, sister. How about this, since you look kind, if you buy some mushrooms, I'll give you some green onions as a gift, which will be just right for you to use when you make soup when you get home.
Tian Ge was paying attention to the movements in the store. Seeing that his second brother looked unhappy, he washed his hands and came out.
Tian Er helped him to speak out his words. Tian Ge had already picked a few green onions and was looking at the guests with a smile.
"Okay, I'll take a loss. I'm not saying anything, but who is this man in your shop trying to show off his fierce face to? He's not even as good as a mute. I want to buy two kilograms. Please weigh it for me."
Tian Er was so angry that he laughed.
After Tian Ge weighed the items and Xiao Lian sent him out, Tian Er cursed in frustration and jokingly said, "Are you selling things or smiles?"
-----Sell things as well as smiles, since the money goes into your pocket anyway.
Tian Ge opened the cloth pocket of her apron and deliberately looked at her second brother with a squinting look at the twenty coins in the pocket, then touched his arm with a smile.
Tian Er sighed, "It's okay, don't try to coax me."
He sighed again, "Doing business is really not as comfortable as farming."
......
During the day, the morning is the busiest period. After that, it’s time to relax.
Tian Er had to drive the ox cart home and leave when the sun set in the afternoon.
Tian Ge opened the shop for a while longer and closed it when it was getting dark.
Twelve baskets of big buns, three baskets of steamed buns, three baskets of flower rolls, and three baskets of small meat buns. I was lucky today and they are all sold out.
I also sold thirty kilograms of mushrooms and some pens, ink and paper.
Side dishes are the least sold, and Tian Ge was a little worried. Although the vegetables can be kept, they will wilt in just two or three days at most.
I have to tell my second brother that next time we can harvest more mushrooms and fewer vegetables in the village.
Tian Ge counted carefully and found that he had earned 1,339 coins. This was the first time that his daily income exceeded 1,000 coins. It would be a lie to say that he was not excited.
After deducting the costs of meat, flour, daily rent, and wages paid to his second brother and Zhou, his net profit was about four hundred coins.
After making a note in the account book, Tian Ge simply washed up, climbed onto the kang and prepared to go to sleep, as he had to get up early the next day.
The kang bed is very small. If I sleep with Qin Xiong, it will definitely be crowded, but it is just right for Zhou.
Maybe it was Tian Ge's illusion, but he always felt that the kang was too hard. Even with two quilts on it, it was still not as soft as the one at home.
Tian Ge looked at the dark roof. He was very tired, but he couldn't fall asleep.
When I'm busy during the day, I don't have time to think about anything else.
Once you calm down at night, things are different.
Only one day had passed, and according to Qin Xiong, he still had to wait for more than ten days.
Bai Qingya's provocative words in the morning came to his mind again. He remembered every word exactly. Tian Ge didn't know how his memory became so good.
Hunting, heavy rain, hiding in a cave, spending a whole night together, and secretly deciding to spend their lives together...
Would Bai Qingya make up such a detailed lie just to deceive him?
Bai Qingya would definitely lie to him.
Would Qin Xiong lie to him? Would he not dare to tell him the truth just to coax him?
What will happen to them along the way?
After thinking about it in a mess, Tian Ge even had the most pessimistic idea.
What if Qin Xiong really doesn’t come back?
"What's wrong with you?" Zhou's voice suddenly rang out in the darkness.
Tian Ge was startled, and before she could react, a hand touched her face.
"Are you sad about those men again?" Zhou felt something wet on her hand and wiped away the tears from the corners of Tian Ge's eyes.
What about those men? Tian Ge wanted to argue, but he couldn't say anything. He only had that one.
"Why are your feet so cold?" Zhou asked again, moving her feet over to sit next to Tian Ge.
They were covered with separate quilts, and Tian Ge was a little uncomfortable with this sudden closeness.
But he always finds it difficult to refuse those who show him kindness.
Fortunately, Zhou did not take any further action and just wrapped herself tightly in the quilt.
"Go to sleep. There's nothing to be sad about for a man. Aren't all those people the same in the end?"
But Qin Xiong is different, Tian Ge thought.
"Sometimes I really envy you. You are so smart and have a good family. You can live well without anyone and you don't depend on anyone for food. What do you have to be afraid of?" Zhou found it difficult to understand.
——
Along the official road in the wild, a group of people took a break.
"Brother Qin, I asked someone to go to the nearby county to buy food for you. They are all your favorites. Go eat in the carriage." Bai Qingya walked out of the carriage and came to the campfire.
Although it is said to be close, the nearest county town is dozens of kilometers away from where they rest.
Only the young master of the big boss could send someone to do this. I don’t know where this Qin Xiong comes from.
Everyone was munching on their own dry food, each with their own thoughts.
Qin Xiong was a little annoyed, so he took his dry food and moved to another place.
Bai Qingya followed him and said, "Brother Qin, we grew up together and haven't seen each other for ten years. Why do you have to be so cold to me?"
"I've already written to your eldest brother. It's up to you whether you want to go back or not."
Bai Qingya had followed here secretly, so it would have been better if she had gone back and admitted her mistake on her own initiative. If she had been caught, she would have definitely been punished with house arrest.
"I'm not going back. I'm going to stay with you."
"I'm already married and have a family. I'm the young master of the Bai family. I don't need to teach you the meaning of self-respect."
These words sounded harsh, and Bai Qingya's eyes turned red, but he was stubborn and didn't leave. Since he was a child, there was nothing he couldn't get that he wanted.
Qin Xiong is the only exception.
"Yes, you are married, but we grew up together, and I have... called you Brother Qin for so many years. Does getting married mean you have to be my enemy?"
Qin Xiong frowned fiercely, said nothing more, turned around and left.
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