"I'm going to the hospital for surgery next month, and it would be best if I could get away from her."
Xiulan reminded: "Is the hospital open during the first month of the year?"
Huang Wanzhen nodded, "John's Hospital is run by an American church, so they don't celebrate the Spring Festival."
Early the next morning, Xiulan came to the back door wearing a thick cotton jacket and waited for nearly an hour before Mrs. Zheng came.
"Hey! Isn't this Miss Xiulan? Why are you out so early? It's so cold, what are you doing outside?"
Xiulan quickly stuffed five copper coins into her pocket and said, "Mother Zheng, it's too cold today. I want to go out and buy some cotton to refill my cotton-padded jacket."
Mrs. Zheng opened her hand, glanced at the copper coin, and opened the copper lock with nimble hands and feet.
"You young people don't know how to prepare in advance. It's expensive to buy cotton now."
Xiulan quickly agreed, "Yeah, you guys are more experienced, but if we don't continue, we'll still be freezing."
Mrs. Zheng: "Let's go, let's go, go quickly and come back soon."
Xiulan thanked him with a smile, "Okay, I'll be leaving now. Thank you for troubling Mother Zheng."
After going out the back door, Xiulan started jogging and ran to the street in one breath. Remembering what the lady said, time is money, she reached out and called a rickshaw.
After sending the letter at the post office, she didn't rush back. She first asked the newsboy to buy a few newspapers, and then found a shop and bought a pound of cotton.
After looking around on the street for a while, she remembered that the lady asked her to buy ink, envelopes and stationery.
She went back to the post office, bought envelopes and stationery, and asked the staff where to buy ink before leaving.
After finishing all these, I returned to the back door of Zheng's house and remembered that I didn't buy anything to bribe Mrs. Zheng.
She resigned herself to her fate and walked back to the street, found a street stall, and bought a few rice cakes.
After all the trouble, when we returned to Shuxiangyuan, it was already past dinner time.
"Oh! I was so worried. I thought you were out and something happened. Why did you take so long?" Huang Wanzhen turned the wheelchair and came to the charcoal brazier. She poked it with tongs to make the charcoal fire burn more vigorously.
Xiulan wrinkled her nose in grievance, lowered her head and whispered, "This is my first time buying these things. I didn't know where to buy them, and I took a lot of detours."
Huang Wanzhen heard something wrong in her voice and turned to look at her. She was both amused and angry to find that she was wiping her tears.
"Okay, I know you're feeling aggrieved. Stop talking nonsense and come warm yourself by the fire."
Then he thought of something and asked, "By the way, have you had lunch?"
Xiulan walked to the charcoal brazier and shook her head, "No time to eat."
Huang Wanzhen took out a handful of copper coins and gave them to her. "Go to the big kitchen and find some. I haven't eaten yet."
Xiulan suddenly looked up at Huang Wanzhen, "Yingtao didn't get you lunch? This is the only job she has every day. Now she doesn't even want to do it anymore?"
Huang Wanzhen: "You have wronged her this time. She should have been sent here a long time ago."
"Here, it's under the table. I was so anxious when you didn't come back that I didn't even think about eating it."
Xiulan walked over, opened the lid of the food box and took a look. "There are three dishes. I'll take them to the kitchen to heat them up."
Huang Wanzhen waved her hand and said, "Bring it here and let us see. If it's enough for the two of us, we can heat it up directly on the charcoal brazier to save you from being laughed at by them."
Xiulan moved the food box to the side of the charcoal brazier and took out three small plates of vegetables and a small bowl of rice.
"There's not enough staple food. You have to go to the kitchen."
Xiulan nodded. "If I had known, I would have left some rice cakes."
Huang Wanzhen: "Why? I bought some rice cakes for Mrs. Zheng."
Xiulan hummed, then continued, "I was in such a hurry at the time that I didn't think much about it and just stuffed the paper bag into her hand."
Huang Wanzhen: "Well! It's not a big deal, just give it to me."
The master and servant had a meal together and never left the Zheng Mansion again until the New Year.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zheng Yusang returned.
For the first time, Cherry returned to Shuxiangyuan before dinner time.
"Madam, the mistress has ordered that dinner tonight be served in the front hall."
Ever since the commotion in the front hall, Zheng Liu rarely called Huang Wanzhen over, as if to keep out of each other's way.
Today was unusual, and Huang Wanzhen couldn't help but think about it.
After thinking about it in a roundabout way, I thought of Zheng Yusang.
After figuring it out, Huang Wanzhen smiled and nodded at Yingtao, "I understand."
She had no expectations of Zheng Yusang, so naturally she wouldn't have the same worries and anxieties as the original owner.
This time when they reached the front hall door, Mother Li did not let her leave the wheelchair and walk by herself.
When we went inside, Zheng Yusang, second aunt Zheng Yuli, and eldest aunt Zheng Yumei were chatting and laughing, and the three children were running around them.
As soon as they saw Huang Wanzhen, the laughter stopped immediately. The three children felt something was wrong and looked at Huang Wanzhen one after another.
Huang Wanzhen didn't seem to feel like an uninvited guest. She smiled, nodded, and greeted them.
Even though they were at a considerable distance, Huang Wanzhen could still see the hostility in Zheng Yusang's eyes.
After seeing her feet wrapped like dumplings, a trace of disgust flashed across his face.
"Sister-in-law, please sit next to me." Second aunt Zheng Yuli spoke to break the deadlock.
She was wearing a gray sweater on her upper body, a black pleated skirt on her lower body, and a pair of thick-heeled leather shoes on her feet. She looked both comfortable and elegant.
"No, you guys go play, I'll read for a while."
No one expected that Huang Wanzhen would reject Zheng Yuli's kindness.
Just as the three of them were stunned, Huang Wanzhen turned her wheelchair and came to the other side. She took out a book from somewhere and started flipping through it quietly.
Huang Wanzhen knew that the three siblings were looking at her, but she didn't care. Let them look, it wouldn't hurt her.
She knew very well that Zheng Yusang was the only male in this generation, and he was the most doted on in the Zheng family. Even the youngest daughter, Zheng Yuli, had to give in to him.
As long as he dislikes her, the entire Zheng family will not take her seriously. Even if she tries her best to curry favor with him and make friends with them, she will only be asking for trouble.
"Are you reading a Chinese textbook? What's the point of reading it?"
Before she knew it, Zheng Yuli walked behind Huang Wanzhen.
Huang Wanzhen nodded without looking up. "It's the Chinese textbook. I plan to take the entrance exam for a girls' high school next year."
"You?" Aunt Zheng Yumei's voice was a little sharp and piercing. "You are a woman with bound feet. I'm afraid you don't even know which way the entrance to the girls' school opens?"
Even though Huang Wanzhen didn't want to conflict with them, she felt that she couldn't just endure it like this, otherwise she would be treated as a soft persimmon and they would want to pinch her at any time.
"Oh? Do you know which way the entrance to the girls' school opens? Why don't you tell us so that everyone can see your knowledge?"
This was obviously not something she could respond to. Whether she answered 'I know' or 'I don't know', Zheng Yumei would be embarrassed.
"Second brother, your wife is really sharp-tongued." Zheng Yumei was not stupid. She did not choose to answer directly, but chose to save the country in a roundabout way.
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