After finishing her meal, Zhang Hongmei ignored their drinking and went to the kitchen to clean up. She took a separate bowl of chicken to the old lady.
When they returned and sorted through the things they had brought, Zhang Shouyi came across a bag of rice. It was obviously old rice and quite broken.
There was a bag of flour, but it wasn't white at all, and a cage of eggs, layered with dry straw, thankfully none of them were broken.
There were also two pieces of Dacron floral fabric. It seems this was for myself, but I genuinely dislike Dacron, and I especially dislike floral fabrics. (My attempt to flatter backfired.)
There are also two packets of brown sugar, a packet of matches, two packets of candles, and a few novels. This is the right gift.
After everyone had finished cleaning up, they still hadn't finished eating. Zhang Hongmei sat down on a stool in the yard, placed the novel Zhang Shouyi had brought on her lap, and started reading. It was actually quite good. Although the classical Chinese was a bit difficult to pronounce, she still enjoyed reading it immensely.
Looking at Zhang Hongmei, who was engrossed in reading, Zhang Shouyi felt that the book he had casually picked up was exactly what she wanted, and he would bring more books next time.
The table was clean after we finished eating; everything was gone. That's good. At least it didn't go to waste. Without a refrigerator, food would have gone bad overnight.
Wang Xiaoshun volunteered to wash the dishes, knowing that Zhang Hongmei had washed them twice to make sure they were clean.
Liu Maocai went home, exhausted from the day. Wang Xiaoshun went with him, carrying two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor), two packets of brown sugar, and two packs of cigarettes. This was quite a generous gift. It was only because Liu Maocai declined that Wang Xiaoshun delivered it to his home.
Liu Maocai's daughter, Daya, knew Zhang Shouyi was coming again, and her heart was pounding like a madman. What girl doesn't dream of love? But her stubborn father wouldn't let her go out. Yesterday, when Zhang's father came, she wanted to go out and make a good impression, but her mother stopped her, and she was angry all night. Today, seeing the gifts they brought as a token of their gratitude, she became even more determined to marry Zhang.
Li Cuihua watched Daya pacing back and forth in the courtyard, feeling even more disappointed. She decided to agree with her husband's suggestion to marry her off far away, out of sight, out of mind.
Liu Erya was sitting in the courtyard reciting her lessons when she read aloud, which earned her a scolding from Liu Daya. The family was used to Daya's behavior, so no one paid her any attention.
Zhang Xingguo and his son went back to their own home to give Zhang Hongmei time to take a bath. As they entered the house, Zhang Xingguo asked, "Dad, what did you call me over for?"
"Shouyi, Hongmei has discovered a large amount of gold on the mountain. That's why I called you back this time."
"In the mountains? Gold?"
"Yes, that girl is really lucky. She found a lot of gold in a cave on the cliff. I talked to her yesterday about whether she could lend it to us, and she agreed. You can talk to her directly tonight."
Zhang Shouyi remained silent, his mind churning. Could this be their source of funds in their past life? How did this little girl discover it? Was she truly a fairy descended from heaven? But do fairies even exist?
"Shouyi, what are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing, Dad. I'm just thinking that this girl is too lucky."
"Isn't that right? She's got all the best things in the world happen to her, she's a lucky star. By the way, what benefits are you planning to give her?"
"I don't know, let's hear what she has to say. That girl is quite cunning."
"He's cunning but not bad. If you had this money, things would be much easier for you."
"Yeah, didn't they benefit from having too much money in their past lives? Let's see how glamorous they are in this life. I heard from Number Five that he's pregnant."
"Then there's even less room for him. Of course, he benefited from women. Didn't that old woman make a move? Did she just allow it?"
"It's still unclear. He didn't have a child at this time in his previous life. The authorities only discovered their affair this year. I estimate that the child won't survive."
"Sigh! I'm still a long way from holding my grandson."
Zhang Shouyi thought his father was no longer pressuring him, but the next sentence left him speechless.
"Hongmei is only ten years old. She'll be seven or eight years old at the earliest. Sigh! How come she's so young?"
"Dad, she's still a child."
"I don't care, I've made up my mind about her. Also, you need to learn to cook quickly. Hongmei said she'll find a man to cook for her in the future. What if my daughter-in-law runs away because you can't do anything? Go back and learn."
"Dad, just shut up already. There's still so much time. Who knows what might have changed by then? Why don't you just adopt her as your daughter?"
"What's the point of being a daughter? Won't she belong to someone else in the future? No way, she has to be a daughter-in-law. I'm telling you, you absolutely have to marry her."
"What if the girl doesn't like me?" Zhang Shouyi thought of the time he overheard Zhang Hongmei's words and felt that the girl might really not like him. Thinking of this, he felt very indignant. What was wrong with him? What a blind girl.
How could I not understand my own son? Seeing his squinting eyes, I knew something must have happened. But that's fine too; I'm not old-fashioned. If my children don't want it in the future, especially Zhang Hongmei, I definitely won't force them. But for now, I have to instill my ideas in my son, and I'm not afraid he won't take it to heart.
My worry is that if my son really falls for her, but the girl doesn't like him, then my son will suffer.
No, I have to stay by this girl's side and watch her grow up so that no foolish person will come and snatch Hongmei away.
Meanwhile, Zhang Hongmei had no idea that someone was thinking about her. She went into the space to finish harvesting the corn she hadn't finished yesterday, took a shower, and then left the space.
Zhang Shouyi will definitely come to talk to me today. To be honest, I already have enough treasures. Although I haven't even seen the treasures left by my ancestors, the things left by Cui Lin alone are enough for me to enjoy for several lifetimes.
I remember my boss in my past life once said that having too much money is just a number, as long as it's enough to live comfortably.
I didn't agree with it at the time, but now that I'm among the wealthy, I understand what it means.
Lending it to them isn't a problem; the question is whether Zhang Shouyi will take it. I wonder what they need so much money for? Do they want the tallest chair?
That's not good. If that's the case, I'll have to find a way to stay away from them. I have no ambition, so why take risks?
She still longed for the simple life of a farmer with a mountain spring and a small plot of land, and didn't want to get involved in any trouble.
Years later, Zhang Hongmei felt distressed when she recalled her thoughts at that time. Although there weren't any truly terrifying days, it wasn't easy either; she was definitely on edge.
I always regret that my soft heart has harmed me. Then someone else will suffer. Physical injury is a minor matter. What I fear most is being kicked out.
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