"Hmph, all the new things in this house are mine, what right do you two have to take them from me?"
Ning Xin pouted and reached out her little hand, trying to snatch it without any hesitation. Ning Zhao was so frightened that she quickly shrank back, trying to avoid those greedy little hands.
Just then, Jiang Yuwei quickly stood up and blocked Ning Zhao's path. Her gaze was firm and serious as she looked directly at Madam Sun, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and accusation:
"Is this how you usually discipline your child? How can she be so unruly and bully the other family members?"
Madam Sun, however, paid no attention. She strolled in slowly, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
“It’s normal for kids to fight over things. Besides, in the Ning family, Xin’er is much more likable than these two good-for-nothings. It’s just a pair of straw sandals; let Xin’er enjoy them for a while before giving them to them.”
Jiang Yuwei picked up two pairs of worn-out shoes from the ground, almost too fragile to hold, and brought them to Sun Shi:
“Even children shouldn’t be so unreasonable. Besides, Ning Zhao and Ning Wan are also part of this family, and their things have the right to be protected. You can’t just spoil Xin’er because she’s your darling. Look at how worn out their shoes are, why haven’t you, as their aunt, bought them new ones?”
Upon seeing this, Ning Xin burst into tears:
"The new aunt is fierce! The new aunt is wicked! The old aunt always gave the new things to Xin'er first!"
Seeing this, Madam Sun quickly stepped forward, put her arm around Ningxin's shoulder, and comforted her tenderly:
"Xin'er, be good, Xin'er, don't cry. It's just a pair of worn-out straw sandals. Tomorrow we'll go to the market and buy you a pair of beautiful embroidered shoes, a hundred times prettier than their straw sandals!"
While patting Ning Xin's back soothingly, Mrs. Sun said to Jiang Yuwei with dissatisfaction:
"What are you saying? How I teach my child is not for you to tell me what to do."
Sun's eyes revealed hostility towards Jiang Yuwei. She glanced contemptuously at the worn-out shoes on the ground and continued:
"These straw sandals are meant for lowly people. Xin'er is the Ning family's darling, why should she fight with them for them?"
Jiang Yuwei was angered by Sun's attitude, but she tried her best to remain calm. She knew that only reason could overcome such unreasonable prejudice.
She ignored Madam Sun, turned around, and smiled softly at Ning Zhao and Ning Wan, saying:
"These shoes are yours, they should belong to you, and no one can take them away from you. Don't worry."
Tears of gratitude welled up in Ning Zhao and Ning Wan's eyes. The two children reached out and tightly grasped Jiang Yuwei's hand. They had never been protected like this before, and no one had ever cared about their feelings.
Even their own mothers have been making concessions for the sake of the family, always asking them to give their things to Ningxin. Everyone seems to have forgotten that they are just two children. Today, it seems that they have finally found a safe haven to rely on.
Jiang Yuwei looked down at the two small hands that were tightly holding hers, her eyes filled with tenderness. She gently comforted them, "Don't be sad, sweetheart. Since we're going to the market tomorrow, I'll weave the rest of the cattails into straw sandals, and we'll take them to the market to sell. With the money, I'll make you both a new outfit, so you can look pretty, okay?"
Her words were gentle yet firm, as if possessing a magical power that gradually calmed the two children. They looked up, their eyes sparkling with anticipation, as if they could already see themselves wearing their new clothes.
Jiang Yuwei smiled, her heart filled with anticipation and determination. She was determined to work hard to earn money so that her children could have a better life.
Jiang Yuwei was a skillful woman, and by the moonlight, she began to work. Following the standard children's shoe sizes, she quickly and skillfully wove straw sandals, which gradually took shape in her hands. These straw sandals were not only sturdy and durable, but also possessed a rustic beauty.
Not content with that, the leftover reed scraps seemed to magically transform into lifelike little animals in her hands. She skillfully wove them onto the shoe uppers, making the animals appear to leap and frolic on the surface, adding a touch of liveliness and charm to the straw sandals.
The next morning
Just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Yuwei was woken up by Ning Zhao. After working until midnight the night before, she went to her spatial dimension to take a bath with the spiritual spring water.
Although I was sleep-deprived, I felt full of energy. I didn't bother to eat breakfast. I just carried the straw sandals I had woven the night before on my back and headed to the market with my two children.
Although there were oxcarts in the village that went to the market, Jiang Yuwei couldn't even afford the meager fare. So, she decided to take the children on foot. Fortunately, the market wasn't far from Ningjia Village, and the three of them arrived at their destination in just half an hour.
Just as Jiang Yuwei set up her straw sandals at a stall, a mother and son came over with an aggressive expression. When the man saw that Jiang Yuwei was a woman with two infants, he went up and overturned her stall without saying a word.
Upon seeing this, Ning Wan burst into tears. Jiang Yuwei, disregarding the cleanup, quickly hugged Ning Wan and comforted her. Ning Zhao, on the other hand, stood in front of Jiang Yuwei and Ning Wan with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on the burly man.
"Hey, you blind bastard, you dare to steal my stall?"
When Jiang Yuwei learned of the man's purpose, she stood up neither humbly nor arrogantly, and pulled Ning Zhao and Ning Wan behind her, not wanting the two children to be afraid.
"Sir, you say this is your stall, but what proof do you have?"
"Proof? My face is the proof. I say this stall is mine, and that's it! What are you talking nonsense for?"
As the man spoke, he leaned forward. Jiang Yuwei looked at his mouthful of yellow teeth and felt a little nauseous, but these things were nothing to her, someone who had survived the apocalypse.
Then, with tears in her eyes, Jiang Yuwei looked at the onlookers and said softly:
"I urge my fellow villagers to judge this matter. He, a man, bullied me, a woman with two children, and even overturned our stall, insisting it was his. But we were the ones who arrived first!"
After saying that, Jiang Yuwei lowered her head and began to sob.
Upon seeing this, the man's mother was about to step forward and pull Jiang Yuwei's hair:
Stop pretending to be pitiful!
Jiang Yuwei raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at the old woman who was charging aggressively towards her. She nimbly pulled the child and deftly shifted her body to the side. The old woman immediately lost her target, stumbled, and fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
Seeing this, the man immediately put down his basket and rushed forward to help his mother up. However, at that moment, Jiang Yuwei took advantage of the situation and cleverly tripped him with her foot. The man lost his balance and fell straight onto his mother like a clumsy dog.
"Ouch, ouch, you wretched son, are you trying to crush your old mother?" The old woman was so badly crushed that she couldn't breathe and cried out in pain.
Jiang Yuwei bit her lower lip tightly, trying hard not to let a smile slip out. Her eyes were slightly red, and she said in a voice trembling with tears:
"This mother and son are really up to their tricks. They can't win the stall competition, so do they think they can team up to extort money from us orphans and widows?"
She quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, instantly putting on a pitiful expression as she looked at the onlookers and pleaded:
"Fellow villagers, you must bear witness for us, the widow and her child! They fell down on their own; it has nothing to do with us."
Immediately, some people in the crowd echoed:
"That's right, Niu Er has always liked to bully orphans and widows."
"Don't be afraid, we all saw it. They just fell down by accident."
The crowd was chattering amongst themselves when suddenly, a man in official robes burst into the fray. He pushed his way to the front, waved his hand to disperse the crowd, and shouted:
"Get out of the way! What happened? Tell me quickly!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com