After finishing his meal, Shen Qingyun immediately ran back to the house and took out all his money.
In addition to more than 20 yuan in cash and a pile of tickets, there was also a passbook with 300 yuan in it.
"This is all my savings over the years, please keep it." He happily pushed the money and the passbook towards Yin Xiaoman.
Yin Xiaoman frowned and did not reach out to take it.
"Just give me the living expenses for this month, and you can keep the rest."
"That won't do."
Shen Qingyun shook his head quickly: "The money in the house must be managed by women. I took it before because you were not here. If I still take it now that you are here, what's going on?"
Seeing that Yin Xiaoman was frowning and still looked like she was going to refuse, he simply stuffed the money into her hand.
He threatened me in a very serious tone: "Hurry up and take it! If I don't give you the money, our instructor will definitely teach me a lesson again if he finds out.
Maybe I will even have to make a self-criticism at the general meeting.
You don't know, the words of the instructor carry a lot of weight in the army. If I am always criticized and educated by him, and left with a reputation of being unmotivated, then my future will be uncertain. ”
Yin Xiaoman was stunned by what he said. She blinked for a long time and couldn't say anything.
She also didn't know what kind of official position this instructor was. But judging from what the man said, he must be a higher-ranking official than him.
As the saying goes, a higher-ranking official can crush a person to death. Although she couldn't understand why the officers in the army were so idle, so idle that they even had to meddle in who was in charge of money in other people's families?
But she knew that being forced by her leader to be criticized and make self-criticism at a general meeting was a serious matter.
The two educated youth used similar words to scare Liu Chunxia.
So wouldn't an unreasonable person immediately become timid when he heard that he would be criticized at a village meeting?
For a moment, Yin Xiaoman was a little hesitant and did not dare to refuse as firmly as he did at the beginning.
"Put it away quickly. I'm going to go check first. If there's anything else, we can talk about it when we come back at noon!"
Shen Qingyun saw that his young wife was frightened, and at least the money he stuffed into her hands was not pushed back, so he felt happy.
While his wife was still not reacting, he quickly stood up and walked out the door, his steps so fast that it seemed as if someone was chasing him from behind.
He remembered what Qi Feng had said before when he mocked Qi Feng for being henpecked and having no money in his pocket.
Qi Feng said that men are responsible for the outside world and women are responsible for the inside world, and women should be the head of the family. If this woman is willing to take your money and help you run the household, it at least proves that she is on the same page with you.
If she doesn't even take care of the family, then this family will be finished.
Although he kept saying that he would keep his promise and would not stop her from pursuing a new life.
But who doesn’t want to have a wife and a family?
Especially the feeling of being surrounded by my family just now, and the hot meal...
Each of them was irresistible to Shen Qingyun, who had been living alone for many years.
So from the moment he heard Yin Xiaoman ask him to pay for living expenses, Shen Qingyun was so excited that he almost felt like he was floating when he walked.
Although he tried hard to restrain himself, he was afraid that if he stayed at home for too long, his young wife would notice something.
He is a grown man, and it would be embarrassing if someone saw him being so happy.
Yin Xiaoman always felt that this man was a little excited, although she didn't know what exactly he was excited about.
She wanted to remind him that she didn't know the instructor anyway and would not tell him. As long as Shen Qingyun pays attention, no one will know who manages the money in this family.
But before she could open her mouth, the man ran away.
Yin Xiaoman sorted out the money and bills on the table.
He kept twenty dollars and the bills for that month, and folded the rest again, put it in the passbook and took it into the man's bedroom.
It was placed in the middle drawer of the desk next to his bed.
When she asked to be the housekeeper, she simply wanted to take care of the family's meals. After all, she also had to eat here.
But there is no other meaning.
Just now at the dinner table, Yin Xiaoman remembered the agreement between the original owner and Shen Qingyun, and after listening to his promise, she thought about it and felt that it was not impossible to continue to implement it in this way.
Although she had told herself before that she should just make the best of it and accept everything. But to be honest, Yin Xiaoman was not used to and found it difficult to accept the fact that she suddenly became a man's wife.
She had been in the palace since she was a child, and the only men she had come into contact with were eunuchs and members of the royal family.
Their hypocrisy, cold-bloodedness, and meanness, their fickleness, and their embrace of women...all these characteristics were engraved in her bones, making Yin Xiaoman hate them from the bottom of her heart.
She was determined to leave the palace at the beginning because she was fed up with that kind of life and that group of people.
Before leaving the palace, she had made up her mind early on that she would never marry and would rather live out her life alone.
After traveling to this world and becoming Shen Qingyun's wife, Yin Xiaoman had no choice but to accept her fate no matter how unwilling she was.
If this man had really asked her to do something before this morning, she would not resist.
But the words just now seemed to open a new door for her——
She felt that she could just be like the original owner and maintain a cooperative relationship with this man.
She would help him take care of the children and take care of the family for him wholeheartedly, and he just had to be a good employer to her.
She would still try to find a way to keep him alive, and would be willing to leave when he met the right woman to make room for his new wife.
After thinking all this through, Yin Xiaoman suddenly felt more cheerful and even the air became much fresher.
After sending the two children to play in the yard, she began to pack up.
While packing up the food, Yin Xiaoman thought about it and decided to take some of it back to the room in the palace.
As the saying goes, don't show off your wealth.
She was not clear about what the environment was like. It would always make people feel uneasy to leave so much food outside.
As for whether the man would doubt it?
She now understands that he is a person who doesn't care about household affairs.
Even though he was the one who carried all the bags in yesterday, he probably didn't even understand what he brought.
Yin Xiaoman made up an excuse and entered the bedroom, locked the door from the inside, and then entered the space.
She wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to bring in the food and sort out the things in the rooms of the palace.
As soon as I stood still, I suddenly heard the voices of two women talking outside.
Yin Xiaoman was shocked!
You know, she had always thought that this space existed independently, existed in her sea of consciousness, and belonged to her alone.
After all, she tried to go out many times, but all she could see was fog and no sound at all.
How could she not feel a chill when she suddenly heard someone talking?
Yin Xiaoman subconsciously hid in the corner, not daring to breathe.
Because my mind had calmed down, I could hear the two people's voices more clearly.
"Hey, have you caught the cat in the imperial kitchen? I heard that Chief Steward Wei got angry yesterday."
"That's right! Things kept disappearing from the small warehouse, and we've been investigating for days but haven't figured out what happened. How could Eunuch Wei not be angry? I heard that even Aunt Lichun was fined a month's salary!"
"Ah? How can you blame Aunt Lichun for the things that the cat took away? She is the one who got into trouble! Ever since Aunt Yin passed away, Aunt Lichun has been so busy that her work is almost split into two halves. How can she take care of the small warehouse?"
"Who says it's not true? It's fine to punish the storeroom manager, but it's bad luck to punish Aunt Lichun as well. Oh, but I heard someone say that it wasn't the cat that stole the things, it was Wong Tai Sin!"
"Hush! Don't dare say that!"
"I know, I know. But this is not necessarily a blind guess. After all, a cat is so small, how can it carry so much food? And, I tell you secretly, even Aunt Lichun thinks so! I heard that they bought incense and candles, and are going to pray to the gods at the small warehouse tonight!"
…
The sound became farther and farther away, and slowly could no longer be heard.
Yin Xiaoman sat in the corner, his mind in a mess.
She knew the Aunt Lichun that the little palace maids were talking about. She was her eldest disciple in the palace. From what she said, it seemed that after her death, Lichun took over as the aunt in charge of the imperial kitchen.
This is good, Yin Xiaoman also thinks Lichun is the best candidate to succeed her.
But Yin Xiaoman didn't know that his unintentional action would bring so much trouble to Lichun!
She really always thought that this house and the small warehouse belonged to her, but she never thought that they were still connected to the world she once lived in.
It turns out that the things I took out from the small warehouse will really disappear in that world!
Yin Xiaoman sat in the room, with an unprecedented conflict in his mind.
According to her personality, she definitely couldn't let Lichun take the blame for her. She took it before because she didn't know. Now that she knows, she naturally won't go to the small warehouse to take even a little thing again.
Logically, she should also return what she had taken.
But, just thinking about not being able to get it... Yin Xiaoman felt his heart bleeding.
Thinking about the fact that she had to return the things she had taken out, she subconsciously hugged the pocket containing Xiaomi tightly, wishing she could play dead and pretend that she had not heard what had just been said.
When she thought about losing all these and having to go back to eating coarse grains and black pickles, Yin Xiaoman felt that it would be better for her to just fall to her death.
No, not yet!
She gritted her teeth and said silently in her heart.
But, that would really be unfair to Lichun, and also to the warehouse manager who was fined for it.
Yin Xiaoman felt a wave of despair and leaned back subconsciously.
Then, his eyes inadvertently fell on the small wooden box containing the silver on the bedside.
Her eyes suddenly lit up!
The thing that is most in short supply in the palace is food. If there are fewer bags of rice or noodles in the imperial kitchen, what does it matter?
As long as she paid the money, she could just consider it as asking them to buy it for her, wouldn't that be fine?
Although Yin Xiaoman also felt that this idea was a bit out of line, it was not impossible to do after careful consideration.
Aren’t the Lichuns going to worship Wong Tai Sin in the small warehouse tonight?
Then I could leave a note or something to explain things to her and also leave some money.
That girl has always been spiritual and courageous.
When you see the note, you would at most think it is the spirit of Wong Tai Sin appearing, and you wouldn’t be too scared.
That shouldn’t be the case, right?
"Mother! Mother!"
Just when Yin Xiaoman was still thinking about it, Erniu's shouting was suddenly heard outside.
She hurriedly came out of the space and opened the bedroom door.
At this moment, Erniu just ran over.
"Mom, Aunt Cui is here! Mom."
Seeing her open the door, Erniu threw herself into her arms, then pulled her hand towards the door.
Aunt Cui?
Yin Xiaoman had never heard this name from the two children.
But judging from Erniu's attitude, she should be quite familiar with that person and have a good relationship with him.
I don’t know who it could be.
Thinking so, Yin Xiaoman did not refuse and let Ren Erniu pull her into the yard.
As soon as I went out, I saw a woman in her twenties standing in the yard near the kitchen, talking to Dabao with a smile.
The woman had a long face, short hair, and was wearing a dark grey round-necked jacket. She looked energetic and capable.
She was half squatting, chatting with Dabao with a smile on her face. There was a vegetable basket on the bench next to him, which contained half a basket of vegetables and some other things.
Seeing her come out, the woman stood up and took the initiative to greet her.
"You are Xiao Yin, right? I am Cui Yan, Qi Feng's wife."
After saying that, she stroked Dabao's hair affectionately, and then looked at Yin Xiaoman with gratitude: "I heard Qi Feng say this morning that Dabao can talk, but I didn't believe it... Xiaoyin, you are really amazing. You take such good care of the two children!"
What is going on?
Who is this person?
Why do you act so familiar with me when we first meet?
Seeing Yin Xiaoman looking at her with a confused expression, Cui Yan was stunned for a moment.
After a while, he asked tentatively, "Didn't Xiao Shen tell you? Qi Feng is the instructor of the camp, and he works with him."
When Yin Xiaoman heard the word "instructor", he suddenly realized.
Then there was a sudden shock!
She suddenly realized that the woman in front of her was the wife of the high-ranking official that Shen Qingyun had mentioned!
Yin Xiaoman suddenly became a little nervous.
She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to call her.
I wanted to perform the salute, but was afraid that it would be inappropriate and someone would find out.
After a long time, he finally smiled awkwardly at Cui Yan.
Looking at her little face that suddenly turned red, Cui Yan couldn't help but sigh.
It was obvious that this girl was young and had been brought up in a pampered environment.
Nowadays, people are saying that "women hold up half the sky" and are promoting the heroic image of the "Iron Lady". It is rare to find someone who is as easily shy as her.
Looking at Yin Xiaoman like this, Cui Yan suddenly felt that she was being too rough, and she couldn't help but lower her voice a few degrees.
She said softly, "Xiao Yin, don't be afraid. We are neighbors. I live next door to you and I know Xiao Shen, Da Bao and Er Niu. Xiao Shen usually calls me sister-in-law, so you can follow his lead and call me that."
Hearing her say this, Yin Xiaoman felt a little relieved. I felt that this official's wife was not as spoiled as I had thought, and my impression of her suddenly became much better.
She quickly followed suit and made an invitation gesture to Cui Yan: "Sister-in-law, please sit in the room."
"No more going in." Cui Yan shook her hand.
Then she held the basket in front of Yin Xiaoman and said with a smile: "I came here today to bring you some food.
I met Xiao Shen in the morning and he told me that you guys can cook at home now. This man knows nothing but eating.
If he only asks you to cook, he will definitely not remember to prepare food for you. As someone who eats in the cafeteria all year round, he probably doesn’t even have a single vegetable at home! ”
Hearing Cui Yan's humorous words, Yin Xiaoman couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
She quickly declined: "Thank you, but no thanks."
"Why not?!"
Seeing that she was too young to wipe her face, Cui Yan deliberately glared at her fiercely: "How are you going to have lunch without vegetables?"
After saying that, he actually went straight into the kitchen with a basket of vegetables in his hand, muttering, "Don't be polite to my sister-in-law. We are neighbors, so we don't care about this."
Cui Yan took out the things in the basket one by one and placed them on the stove. Only then did Yin Xiaoman realize that in addition to the vegetables and a bunch of kelp, there was actually a small bowl with four seabird eggs in it.
She knew that this thing was not so easy to find, and in these days, it must be very valuable.
Yin Xiaoman was really anxious now.
"Sister-in-law, you must take these eggs back..."
"What are you taking? These were picked up by Qiangzi and his brother for Dabao and Erniu. As adults, we should not interfere in children's affairs."
Yin Xiaoman was speechless now.
Seeing that she no longer refused, Cui Yan felt even more satisfied.
So he put his arm around Yin Xiaoman's arm more intimately and said, "Do you have anything to do this afternoon? If you don't, I'll take you out for a walk so you can get familiar with the environment."
Yin Xiaoman felt a little uncomfortable when he was suddenly held by a stranger.
But she still held back and didn't break free.
Although she still felt that she should keep a proper distance from people, especially those she was not familiar with.
But she could also receive the kindness that Cui Yan released.
Most importantly, this person's proposal really touched her sore spot.
After knowing that the things in the small warehouse might never be taken out again, Yin Xiaoman is now eager to know where to buy food.
She was not short of money, but there was not much stock left at home.
"I wonder if this will cause trouble to my sister-in-law?" She thought about it and confirmed it again carefully.
Cui Yan looked at the girl in front of her, her small face as big as a palm, her fair skin, her thin eyebrows, and the timid way she spoke. She just felt so envious!
She was born into a working-class family in Beijing, a typical urban poor family.
She is the only girl in the family, but she has two older brothers and two younger brothers.
Growing up among boys, she came into contact with tough and rough men, and even her two children were boys.
When have you ever seen such a delicate girl?
Looking at Yin Xiaoman, Cui Yan suddenly thought of a rag doll she had seen in a picture book when she was very young, which her parents had picked up from somewhere.
This Yin Xiaoman looks exactly like that doll!
The more Cui Yan looked at her, the more she liked her. For a moment, she even doubted whether this girl was eighteen years old as Shen Qingyun said.
Do you think that guy secretly married a child bride?
"No trouble, no trouble, Xiaoman, wherever you want to go, sister-in-law will accompany you!"
Facing Yin Xiaoman, Cui Yan even changed the way she addressed him, wishing she could pat her chest and make a promise.
After the two of them agreed to go for a stroll around the area in the afternoon, Cui Yan said goodbye.
Before leaving, Yin Xiaoman couldn't refuse and stuffed a bowl of fine corn flour that she ground herself and a few pieces of homemade sweet potato candy into his mouth.
Candy is a rare commodity these days.
Although every family with decent financial conditions would make some sweet potato candy for their children during the Chinese New Year, Cui Yan had never seen this kind of candy that was solidified into blocks and filled with crushed peanuts!
How many sweet potatoes and peanuts were used?
Needless to say, this is definitely something people prepare for their own children, and they would never make too much.
Looking at the candies in the basket, Cui Yan suddenly realized——
Could it be that Xiaoman gave me all the leftover candies at home?
This thought immediately made her uneasy, and she felt that the things she brought in the morning were a little too little.
“He’s a real person too!”
She sighed silently and made up her mind to get along well with Yin Xiaoman in the future.
Yin Xiaoman didn't know about Cui Yan's lamentations, as she had already started preparing lunch.
Although Xiaocangcang may not be able to bear this news any longer, it still feels heavy in his heart. But Yin Xiaoman has never been someone who is easily overwhelmed.
She has always believed that everything depends on human efforts, and that no matter what happens, there will always be a way to solve it.
So even though she was worried that there wasn't enough food at home, she didn't plan to just cook.
She steamed a pot of rice with brown rice and millet, soaked some dried bamboo shoots from the storehouse, and fried a dish of bamboo shoots and meat with pickled bacon. Then she took out a piece of kelp that Cui Yan had sent, washed it, cut it into strips, and cooked it with the vegetables she had sent. Before serving, she poured the egg drop soup with seabird eggs...
Because the regiment's spring competition is about to begin, the entire vanguard camp is now in intensive preparation.
After working hard with the soldiers for a whole morning, Shen Qingyun and Qi Feng were both tired and hungry.
At this time in the past, Shen Qingyun usually went to the canteen with the soldiers, but today he went back to the family compound with Qi Feng.
Qi Feng glanced at his partner who was walking as fast as the wind with his feet like long springs, and couldn't help but joked: "What delicious food did your sister-in-law give you to make you so energetic after being tired all morning? Tell me so I can ask your sister-in-law to learn from you. I'm old and can't stand the hard work anymore, so ask your sister-in-law to make something for me."
"Well, I don't think my sister-in-law can do it." Shen Qingyun answered without thinking.
After saying that, I couldn't help but think of the delicious wild vegetable dumplings and crispy and soft pancakes I had in the morning, and I couldn't help swallowing my saliva.
Before his wife came, he had never even seen such delicious food, let alone eaten it.
Although the raw materials are common.
Whether it is wild vegetables or dried bamboo shoots, they can all be found on the mountain behind the village. Diligent people dig them out, dry them and save a lot of them for eating in winter.
But Shen Qingyun never knew that these things could become so delicious after passing through his wife's hands!
“Yoho.”
After hearing what he said, Qi Feng stopped and looked at his partner, not knowing whether he was angry or amused.
"You are really good, my boy, now that the daughter-in-law is here, she is speaking in a louder tone.
Isn't it time for you to shamelessly come home with me every day to eat and drink?
No, I have to go back with you to take a look. I don’t believe that your Xiao Yin can cook rice into something beautiful. ”
After all, those are the only types of food available.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
