But now it's too late; the Lu family can no longer give her another chance.
Yu looked down at her, waiting for her to make a choice.
After a long pause, she slowly reached out her hand and asked Madam Yu, "Then can you give me some money? I don't have a single penny, and I can't survive."
Yu: ...
She was almost laughing in anger. After all this, how dare he ask her for money? Where's his shame?
He Jiuniang watched the spectacle from the sidelines, her admiration for Zhou Shi was immense.
And this happened in front of so many people. If no one was around, would she have asked the Yu family to support her for life, to take care of her in her old age and to bury her in the afterlife?
Before Yu could even speak, the people around her started complaining: "Oh my, this is truly the most shameless person I've ever seen. He was caught stealing and still has the nerve to ask for money!"
"Who says otherwise? We even misunderstood the owner of Lu Hei Ya before, saying that he was unsatisfactory. That was really wrong of us! If I had a relative like that, I would have already broken ties and taken him to the authorities!"
"Sigh, it's so hard to be a good person!"
"Get out of here, you shameless woman!"
"Leave Daling County and don't let us see you again, you're such bad luck!"
...
As they spoke, several of the older women even started to get started.
Zhou was beaten until she lay on the ground, clutching her head and begging for mercy. Yu felt sorry for her, but still turned away cruelly.
He Jiuniang caught up with her and said, "Sister-in-law, I need to go to the clinic. You all go back first, don't worry about me."
Ms. Yu was not in a good mood. She nodded but didn't say anything more.
After He Jiuniang left, Boss Lu stayed by her side and comforted her, saying, "Don't be sad, you still have me, don't you?"
Yes, and you guys too.
Yu forced herself to smile, trying hard not to think about Zhou's unpleasant affairs.
She also felt that everyone in her husband's family treated her very well now, so there was no need to keep clinging to her own family. If she had encountered someone like Zhou, it would have been better not to have her at all.
The two went to find Lotus. They were all here to catch Zhou in the act. Lotus was the only one at the stall, and she was definitely too busy to handle everything.
Sure enough, even after being away for so long, there were still quite a few people gathered in front of the stall. Some were buying Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck), while others were just there to watch the spectacle, feeling that Lu Hei Ya was truly an extraordinary delicacy.
While efficiently selling Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck), Lianhua chatted with customers: "My garment workshop has already started operations, and new styles will be available soon. You all must come and support us! These new styles were designed by my aunt Jiu Niang, and they're perfect for spring. I've seen a few sample drafts, and they're so beautiful!"
Someone asked in surprise, "Don't you only make feather clothing? Today you're only selling food. I thought you didn't sell ready-made clothes anymore."
Lianhua explained carefully: "We have a workshop at home, and we've hired many female workers and embroiderers. We're definitely going to do this business. My Aunt Jiu Niang said that our workshop will have clothes for all four seasons, and the styles will definitely be the newest. No other workshop could ever make them!"
Hearing her constantly calling her Aunt Jiu Niang, everyone was quite familiar with He Jiu Niang. It was said that this Aunt Jiu Niang was an extraordinary woman. She was the one who came up with the idea for the family's ready-made clothes and the Lu Black Duck recipe. She was also a doctor in a clinic, and even the wealthy Dong was completely subdued by her.
The name He Jiuniang is very well-known in Daling County.
"You little girl, you've got a sharp tongue! You've made me quite tempted; I can't wait to see what those new clothes look like!"
From the crowd, a well-dressed woman smiled and spoke up. Living in the county town and still able to dress well, she naturally had plenty of money to buy clothes. Moreover, she had bought feather coats and down jackets from the Lu family in winter, so she trusted the Lu family quite a bit.
Another woman chimed in, "That's right! When you get home, you must tell the adults to hurry up and get the new products. We're all waiting to support your family!"
"It's amazing, really. I heard that your Lu family received a lot of big orders before the New Year. Logically speaking, you shouldn't have been able to finish them all, but you actually finished them ahead of schedule, and the quality is also very good. The stitches are so fine that they don't look like they were rushed. What's your secret technique?"
Someone mingled in the crowd and asked a question. The tone seemed casual, but it was very purposeful. Lianhua glanced in that direction and said with a smile, "There's no secret method. My workshop advocates that the more capable you are, the more you earn. The more clothes you make, the more you earn. If the female workers and embroiderers want to earn more money, they will naturally work faster."
This is not a bad idea. Instead of being paid monthly, it's based on what you do. Some people are lazy and like to slack off. If we use this method, no one will dare to be lazy.
However, even if the most capable were rewarded, the female workers would certainly cut corners to earn money, yet the clothes produced by the Lu family workshop never had any quality problems.
Most importantly, the fine stitches don't look like they were made by many people; they seem to be the work of the same person. But who can be so precise in every single stitch?
This stumped the man. He had been pondering it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He wanted to blend into the crowd and ask for clarification, but the girl was clever and knew how to avoid the main issue, easily deflecting his question.
"So that's how it is. It seems that the old saying 'You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub' really applies to your workshop!"
Someone said something fair, and the conversation naturally turned to the word "conscience." Lianhua followed their lead and boasted about her own workshop, which made the people who came to buy things very interested. They asked if the Lu family workshop was hiring.
When Madam Yu and Lu Laoda returned, they saw Lianhua mingling with everyone. Madam Yu couldn't even remember her own troubles and kept exclaiming, "Look at Lianhua's silver tongue! No wonder she can run her business so well. None of us adults are as good as her! What a wonderful child. If my two daughters had half of Lianhua's abilities, I, as her mother, would be laughing in my sleep."
Lu Laoda laughed and said, "Our daughter has her own good points too. Look at Ting, isn't she very opinionated? She knows what she wants to do and works hard to do it well. Shan is still young, so we can guide her slowly."
Comforted by her husband, Yu's mood instantly improved. What pleased her most about the Lu family was that no one discriminated against boys; sons and daughters were treated equally, unlike when she was a child, because she was a girl and never had a good life.
After the two adjusted their moods, they went to help Lianhua. However, He Jiuniang did not go to the clinic, but went directly to the backyard of Shili Piaoxiang.
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