Lan Ya Mei went to the river to look for the two of them.
Wang Fengyang has made great progress; his arms and legs are gradually developing muscle definition. Although only ten years old, his expression is not at all childish. He practices martial arts in the morning and afternoon, and helps out at the shop in the evening. Since he was left alone at home, he has never mentioned his family in front of others.
No one mentioned it, and they secretly took care of him.
The bamboo raft was four meters away from the shore. Wang Fengyang took a light run-up and flew onto the raft, waving to the two of them with a look of accomplishment on his face.
Lan Yamei clapped her hands, realizing that her skill level was still within three meters, and that the gap between the two had widened significantly in a short period of time.
But she couldn't focus on her training; she was too busy with other matters. Before Zhao Zhicheng could even settle things, he sensed that Butterfly was in trouble. The old man impersonating the False Reputation Daoist hadn't been found, and she vaguely suspected the earthquake was related to time travel.
I've been quite stressed lately; my top priority right now is ensuring the safety of the butterflies.
When Qiu Zeyu saw her coming over, he asked Wang Fengyang to move the bamboo raft out another half meter to increase the difficulty, and instructed Wang Fengyang to continue practicing.
He then drew closer and said calmly, "I want to go home! I received a letter from home saying that they've arranged another marriage for me, and if I don't go back, they'll come to Longyang Town to take me away."
Before Lan Yamei, who had something to ask for, could even speak, she heard this and jokingly asked, "Is this the girl who came to eat boiled fish last time?"
Qiu Zeyu was speechless for a moment. They only ate one meal of boiled fish and didn't exchange a single word. Yet, she guessed so accurately! Women are truly terrifying!
Actually, she guessed it back then based on a woman's intuition. However, at that time, she wasn't as concerned about Qiu Zeyu as she is now.
The last time that girl came, her eyes seemed to hold a story. Before I could figure out why, she never came back.
"You guessed it!" Qiu Zeyu spread his hands. "So I had no choice but to go back. Besides, I had no reason to refuse. At my age, not being married and having children has already embarrassed my father."
In ancient times, people married and had children very early. It was extremely rare for someone to be virgin at the age of twenty-four! Because of this, Qiu Zeyu usually dared not stay at home and would run around seeking peace and quiet.
After all, her parents are still young, and Qiu Ming Manor doesn't expect much from her.
"From what you're saying, you're willing to marry her too. Then why did you hide from her last time? Why not just introduce her to us openly and say she's your sweetheart? I wouldn't even charge her for the fish." Lan Yamei didn't realize that her tone was jealous.
"I had no choice! Why don't you come back with me?" Qiu Zeyu asked tentatively. He was a little flustered. This was the first time in his life that he had spoken so bluntly. He was very embarrassed and didn't dare to look at the other person. He just stared at the white clouds in the sky.
Lan Yamei smiled knowingly upon hearing this. She simply said, "It's not impossible for me to help you with this, but you have to do me a favor first."
Hearing that she didn't refuse, he knew she was definitely interested in him too. His ears turned red, and he said, "Don't just say one thing, I'll agree to ten things. Tell me!"
So, Lan Yamei recounted in detail her encounter with Pei Feiyan and Butterfly Orchid Fragrance.
After listening, Qiu Zeyu suggested, "Shall we go take a look tonight?"
“I’m not sure exactly where the butterfly is, but the area where Pei Feiyan is active is definitely the key. It’s strange today; she’s been rushing to do the dirty and hard work, which is completely out of character for her.”
“That makes sense. I’ll go check out her courtyard and the First Madam’s courtyard tonight. If Butterfly is really in the Murong residence, she’ll definitely be within this area.”
"I'll go with you!" This is risky; we can't leave all the danger to him.
"What are you going to do? Postpone the question? Just stay home and wait for my message."
"Alright!" It seems I still need to strengthen my kung fu training so that I won't be disliked next time I take action.
"We'll be back in a little while. Can you make me a pot of sauerkraut fish? I haven't had it in ages, my stomach is rumbling," Qiu Zeyu said in a slightly coquettish tone.
"Ugh! I'm getting goosebumps." Lan Yamei had never been in a relationship before, at most she had only experienced vague and ambiguous feelings, so she was not used to it for a while.
"I really want to eat it, ah, just this once." Qiu Zeyu pleaded.
Ordinary ingredients, once in her hands, always take on a fresh and unforgettable flavor.
"Alright, alright, since you're going to have a hard time tonight, I'll cook myself. I'll head back now."
"Wait a minute, I'll catch you a fish." Qiu Zeyu said, picking up a sharp bamboo stick and sticking it into the river to catch fish.
As Lan Yamei carried the two plump bluefish, she saw a large crowd gathered at the shop entrance before she even reached it. Unlike the usual queue for food, it seemed like someone was causing trouble.
Squeezing in, I saw that it was Er Gou and San Lu Zi arguing.
Everyone in the shop looked indignant, but there was nothing they could do.
Seeing Manager Lan return, Sanluzi's wife sat down on the ground, slapped her thighs, and began to wail, "Life is unbearable! The lives of the poor are unbearable! We're all poor people from the same village, yet we're eating other people's flesh and drinking other people's blood, making money with no conscience!"
The crowd was buzzing with discussion.
"Oh my, this woman is really something, she can cry and make a scene. I think the barbecue restaurant is going to suffer today."
"Do you think this barbecue restaurant is really bullying them?"
"Ever since the barbecue restaurant opened, sigh, it used to be run by dead people, and now it's started swindling and cheating. I don't know if it can even stay in business! I'm never coming here again!"
"What's the rush? The barbecue restaurant is doing well, almost as well as Hua Man Lou. Who knows if this woman is just jealous?"
When Er Gou saw the shopkeeper return, he was so angry that his face turned red and his veins bulged. He pushed San Luzi aside and came over to explain to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, this San Luzi is a scoundrel. We clearly agreed on a price this morning, but after he went home, he changed his mind and insisted that I didn't pay enough and that I should pay more."
Tie Tou, clenching his fist, said, "If it were before, I would have beaten him to a pulp! I killed the cow; it was a crippled cow, barely clinging to life. Er Gou's price was perfectly reasonable."
Lan Ya Mei glanced at everyone and said to Aunt Guan and Uncle Ouyang, "Aunt Guan, Uncle Ouyang, you go ahead and do your work, I'll handle this."
Seeing that Manager Lan was going to handle the matter, the Sanluzi couple stopped making a fuss. They figured that the young girl would obediently hand over the money and let things settle down.
Even the renowned healer, Aunt Guan, was powerless against this shrewish woman who was cursing in the street. With a face ashen, she said, "Be careful."
Lan Yamei nodded.
After Aunt Guan and Uncle Ouyang left.
Lan Ya Mei asked Er Gou, "How much does the cow weigh? How much money did you get?"
"The gross weight is 850 catties! It costs 20 coins per catty, so it's 17,000 coins. They gave me 17 taels of silver," Er Gou said.
Lan Ya Mei nodded, not asking the three donkeys and their husbands, but instead clasped her hands and asked the crowd, "Fellow neighbors, I would like to ask you all, how much is a reasonable price per kilogram for a live cow?"
To everyone's surprise, watching the spectacle actually led to some people participating.
Among them were two butchers. One of them said without thinking, "A live cow, without removing the skin, hair, buffalo blood, or cow dung, 30 coins is appropriate."
Another person said, "They should at least give us 28 coins!"
Upon hearing the price quoted by the two butchers, the couple gratefully clasped their hands in thanks, their arrogance growing even stronger. "So what? I already told you, you're just a big shop bullying people! You only target people from one village, how unethical! Hurry up and pay me back!"
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