Chapter 26 [VIP]
Unable to tell Li about the experimental field, he had to lie and say, "These vegetables were actually brought from the estate."
"Does the village still have green vegetables at this time of year?"
Wang Ying's mind raced. "There's a warm spring on the hilltop of our village, and the surrounding climate is warm. In the autumn, I had the head of the village plant some vegetables next to it. Last time I went to check, they were growing well, so we can sell them in the winter."
"I see."
"We can't tell anyone about this. If someone with ulterior motives finds out, we won't be able to do business anymore."
Mrs. Li nodded repeatedly. She didn't understand business matters, but she would naturally listen to her son-in-law's instructions.
Wang Ying wiped the sweat from her forehead, managing to smooth things over at least.
Soon, guests arrived—several friends of my mother-in-law who came to show their support. These ladies were well-off and could naturally afford fresh vegetables.
"These vegetables are so fresh, they look like they were just picked."
"That's right, people are strange. They hardly eat any cucumbers in the summer, but as soon as the weather gets cold, they crave them."
"Me too! I don't want to eat any eggplants in season, but I crave them when they're gone in the fall. In previous years, I had the servants dry the eggplants, but this year I'm lucky to be able to eat fresh ones!"
While weighing the vegetables for them, Wang Ying said, "If you ladies enjoy the food, please come again next time. Our shop has such fresh vegetables every day."
These ladies were quite well-mannered. Although they were curious about where the vegetables came from, none of them asked. After all, it was their business, and if they told you, how would they make money?
The price of vegetables is too high, generally ten times more expensive than in summer. Eggplants that used to cost three coins a pound now cost twenty-eight coins, and green beans that used to cost two coins a pound cost twenty coins. Buying just a few pounds of vegetables costs over a hundred coins. It's okay to eat it once in a while, but even wealthy families can't afford to eat it every day.
After seeing the women off, Wang Ying threw the money into the box and beckoned Chen Qingyun over.
"Have you written down the prices of all the vegetables?"
"Hmm!" The little girl was quick-witted; she remembered almost everything after listening to it only once.
"If I'm ever away, I'll leave the business in your hands."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll definitely be able to take good care of her!"
Li hesitated to speak, for in her upbringing, a woman's virtue lay in her lack of talent, and unmarried women and men were not to show their faces in public easily, lest their future husbands look down on them.
But after her husband passed away, she gradually realized that her education was flawed.
Without her son-in-law's support, this family would probably have fallen apart long ago. She gradually came to accept Wang Ying's parenting style, thinking it was good for her daughter to gain experience early on, so she wouldn't end up like herself, unable to handle anything.
The two wives of the Feng family's grain shop arrived. This family was one of the wealthiest in town, and upon learning that Wang Ying's vegetable shop had opened, they naturally wanted to come and take a look.
"Do you still have those red berries I gave the child last time? He loved them after trying them once and keeps asking me to buy them for him every day."
"Yes, I've saved some for my sister-in-law!" Wang Ying quickly pulled out a small basket of tomatoes from below.
He didn't put this out earlier because, firstly, people who didn't know it might not buy it, and secondly, he wanted to sell it at a higher price.
"Tomatoes have a high water content and don't keep well, so a lot of them were damaged during transport, which will probably make them more expensive..."
"How much?"
"Ten coins each."
"Oh dear, how much is this? Give me ten." Madam Feng waved her hand, signaling the servant to pay. Wang Ying quickly picked out ten large ones and put them in her basket.
The second wife also ordered ten. Seeing that they had bought a lot, Wang Ying taught them how to make a hot dish: scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
"This thing can be stir-fried?"
"Of course! It'll be sweet and sour, and the kids will definitely love it!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Feng's eyes crinkled with joy. "Alright, if you like it, I'll buy more next time."
Seeing that there were other dishes nearby, the two of them each bought quite a lot, spending a total of more than four hundred coins.
After the two left, several more customers came to inquire about the prices of the vegetables. Some thought they were too expensive to buy, while others only bought a little to try.
At noon, Chen Qingyan arrived carrying a food box. From afar, he could see the large signboard at the entrance of his shop. When he went inside, he saw Wang Ying teaching Chen Qingyun how to keep accounts.
"How's business?"
"Big brother's here! We made over 700 coins this morning!"
Wang Ying proudly raised her chin at him, "My business is doing pretty well, isn't it?"
Chen Qingyan cupped his hands in a perfunctory manner to congratulate him, saying, "Not bad, I admire you."
"Come on, this is just the first day of opening, everyone's just looking forward to the new thing. There probably won't be as many people buying tomorrow."
Chen Qingyun's face fell upon hearing this. "What should we do? Won't these vegetables spoil if left out for too long?"
"Think of something, is there any way?"
After scratching her head and thinking for a long time, Chen Qingyun said, "Sell the vegetables at a low price?"
Chen Qingyan said, "If you sell at a low price, even fewer people will be willing to pay a high price to buy it. They will all be waiting for you to sell it at a low price because you can't sell it."
Wang Ying gave Chen Qingyan a look that suggested he was a promising young man. “Selling at a low price is feasible, but we can’t sell to ordinary people. Don’t we have a few restaurants and eateries in our town? They also need vegetables. We can sell the ones we can’t sell to them at a lower price.”
As the three were talking, the owner of the Yingke Restaurant in town arrived.
The boss's surname was Zhao. He was a middle-aged man in his forties with a goatee, wearing a dark green jacket, and his hair was neatly tied into a topknot. He had long, narrow, and upturned eyebrows and a shrewd look on his face.
"Which one of you is the vegetable shop owner?"
Wang Ying stepped forward and said, "This is me. What kind of vegetables would you like to buy, sir?"
Zhao Lan looked Wang Ying up and down and asked bluntly, "Where did these vegetables come from?"
“From Laizhou.”
"Is it bad luck that it's so far away?"
Wang Ying smiled without saying a word, since no matter who asked, it was all transported from Laizhou.
Seeing that she couldn't get an answer, Zhao Lan didn't press the matter further. Instead, she picked through the vegetables in her basket and said, "This selection is quite comprehensive. If I buy a lot, could you give me a discount?"
"Of course, how much does Manager Zhao want?"
Zhao Lan turned her head and said, "You recognize me?"
"The manager of Yingke Restaurant naturally recognizes him."
"Then I won't beat around the bush. I want to buy vegetables from you. Please give me a price quote."
Wang Ying quoted a price of five coins cheaper per pound for each dish.
"At such a high price, how can I make any profit? In the summer, a bunch of chives can be bought for one coin, but now it costs ten coins a pound. It's too expensive. Please make it cheaper."
"Mr. Zhao is joking. Of course, chives are cheaper in the summer. Where can you buy such fresh chives in the winter? We really can't lower the price any further. If we lower it any more, we won't make any profit."
Zhao Lan turned to Chen Qingyan and said, "It'll be cheaper. We need ten jin of each kind of vegetable a day."
"Shopkeeper, you should discuss this with my husband. This is his shop, and I don't know anything about these things."
Wang Ying knew this was a sign of disrespect for his status as a male prostitute. She thought the man was crazy, even recognizing gender when buying groceries. A nameless anger rose within her.
Zhao Lan pursed her lips, walked to the side, picked up a tomato, and said, "What kind of fruit is this? I've never seen it before."
"These tomatoes were also transported from Laizhou."
How do you eat it?
"Slice it open, sprinkle some white sugar, and it becomes a delicious snack to enjoy with drinks."
"Give me a few."
"Ten coins each."
Manager Zhao paused, "Two, please."
Wang Ying picked out two and handed them to him. Zhao Lan took out his purse and paid the money shrewdly. "If you sell them for such a high price, the rest of the vegetables will just rot and go to waste. You might as well sell them to me at a lower price."
"If it really can't be lowered, Manager Zhao, why don't you reconsider?"
Zhao Lan flicked her sleeves and left.
After seeing the guest off, Chen Qingyan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why didn't you sell it to him for a lower price?"
"A discount of five cents per pound is already a significant reduction. If the price drops any further, no one will come to buy from us. The food in restaurants and eateries is definitely better than what we make at home. Cooked vegetables and fresh lettuce are about the same price, so who would still come to buy lettuce?"
Chen Qingyun suddenly realized, "Sister-in-law, what you said makes so much sense!"
"Besides, we're the only one in town, so we're not worried about not having business. Even if he wanted to buy vegetables elsewhere, he wouldn't be able to."
There's one more thing Wang Ying didn't mention: the vegetables in the experimental field were all grown by themselves, and he wouldn't mind if they rotted, since they wouldn't be sold to him cheaply anyway!
Chen Qingyan nodded. "That makes sense. You're definitely more skilled at business."
Wang Ying moved a stool for him to sit down. "How's it going at the private school? Did those kids misbehave today?"
"Children are naturally mischievous, but they've become much more obedient since you introduced the little red flower reward."
The so-called "little red flower" reward system is something that elementary school students all experienced in their past lives. It uses rewards to motivate children to study more actively.
After attending school for a few days, the Feng family's children discovered that Chen Qingyan was gentle and never hit or scolded anyone, so they were no longer afraid of him. Sometimes, when he was being naughty, they couldn't be controlled at all.
Chen Qingyan was at his wits' end, and that night he complained to Wang Ying. The next day, Wang Ying made him a small board.
The names of the three Feng brothers were written on it, with a blank space after each name. Small red flowers were cut from red silk cloth, and each obedient child received a small flower. Collecting ten flowers allowed them to exchange for a reward from Chen Qingyan.
The rewards weren't expensive; they included a copy of the Three Character Classic handwritten by the Master, fruit from Wang Ying, and some small toys contributed by Chen Qingsong.
Although the items weren't expensive, they held great significance for the children. From that day on, Feng Xiaopang, who was often late, stopped being late. Feng Bin, who liked to talk in class, also stopped talking, and Feng Lin started paying attention in class. The three children were all determined to earn little red flowers.
The changes in the three children of the Feng family are obvious to all the neighbors, and some people are thinking of sending their children to school here. Before long, the school has enrolled six children.
With more students, Chen Qingyan has more energy to teach, and his health is getting better and better. He is now almost back to his pre-illness condition.
While he was in good spirits, others were suffering.
The teacher at the school where Chen Qingsong went to study has been intentionally or unintentionally ignoring him these past few days, and he seems indifferent when Chen asks him about his studies.
As the saying goes, rivals are enemies. There were already few students in the town, and since Chen Qingyan opened his private school, several of his students had already left. How could the old scholar not be angry?
He didn't even glance at Chen Qingsong's essay today, tossing it aside and saying, "Since you have an older brother who runs a private school, why are you studying here with me?"
Chen Qingsong was taken aback by the question, "I...I've been studying here all along..."
The old scholar sneered, "Go back and let your brother teach you. I don't have that kind of ability!" With that, he chased the man out.
Chen Qingsong carried his book basket home, wiping away tears all the way. Just then, Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan returned from the shop and, seeing him like this, quickly went up to ask him what was wrong.
"What's wrong, Third Brother? Was he bullied at school?"
"Big brother, sister-in-law, sister-in-law," Chen Qingsong cried as he recounted the events of the afternoon to the two of them.
Wang Ying frowned after hearing this. "That's too much! I'm going to find him!"
Chen Qingyan quickly grabbed his arm. "Forget it, there's no use going to him. I was taught by him years ago. If we make a scene, it will make me look disrespectful to my teacher. Since he doesn't want you to study there, you can stay home and study with me from now on. You can go to the county school after you pass the preliminary examination."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingsong stopped crying. He realized that studying at home meant attending school for only half a day and not having to be punished. Thinking about this, he immediately smiled broadly.
Chen Qingyan seemed to know what his younger brother was thinking. "You should study at home the same way you studied with the teacher. Don't think about being lazy. If you don't study well, I'll still beat you with a stick."
Upon hearing this, his face fell again, but at least he wasn't upset anymore.
During dinner that evening, Chen Qingyan mentioned the matter to Li Shi, without mentioning the old scholar's harassment, only telling her to let Qingsong go home and study with him.
Li naturally did not disagree; in her eyes, her eldest son was exceptionally outstanding.
"Madam Qiu's family has sent an invitation; we're going to their house tomorrow for the baby's one-month celebration."
Wang Ying said, "I asked Ershun to help prepare the congratulatory gift."
Li hesitated, then said, "This is already her second grandchild. I don't know when I'll be able to hold him."
Wang Ying didn't respond and quickly lowered her head to eat. Giving birth is too difficult; it's better to leave it to someone capable. He's not quite up to the task.
*
After dinner, Wang Ying returned to the backyard and lit a candle to keep accounts, recording both the day's expenses and the shop's income.
Chen Qingyan prepared for tomorrow's lessons, and the two did not disturb each other.
Wang Ying was busy until 7 PM when she stretched and prepared to go to bed. "Stop looking at this, you should go to sleep too."
Chen Qingyan looked up at him and said, "You go to sleep first, I'm not sleepy."
He said, "If he doesn't come over, we won't be able to use the things in the experimental field." Wang Ying scratched her head and said, "Come over quickly, I can't sleep alone."
Chen Qingyan then got up with a flushed face, blew out the oil lamp, took off her clothes, and went to bed.
The two were about half a foot apart. When Wang Ying saw his shy look, she wanted to tease him, "Mom is urging us to have a baby."
No, we don't need to listen to her.
"We can't go on like this. Why don't you marry another woman and have her have children?"
Seeing that he didn't respond, Wang Ying turned over and said to herself, "To be honest, I don't want to have a baby. Your mother is hoping that you will carry on the family line, and we can't keep delaying you like this."
"Don't marry."
"If all else fails, she'll sleep on your left and I'll sleep on your right. I absolutely won't listen to either of you."
"Wang Ying!"
"Oh dear, I was just joking and now I'm getting angry."
Suddenly, the world spun around, and Chen Qingyan pressed down on her, their bodies overlapping. He braced his hands on the pillow beside Wang Ying, pinning her down with his lower body.
"Damn it... what are you doing?" Wang Ying struggled to push the person away, but after pushing for a long time, the person on top didn't budge. Only then did she realize the difference in physical strength between a young man and a man.
They look about the same size, and this kid is only a few inches taller than him, so how come he has so much strength?
Do you hate me that much?
"No...no..." Their eyes met, and Wang Ying couldn't help but turn her head away, her heart pounding like a drum.
Chen Qingyan slowly lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against his face. A tingling sensation ran up his tailbone to his scalp, and his body grew increasingly weak. This strange reaction terrified him.
Just as their lips were about to touch, a flash of white light appeared, and Wang Ying disappeared.
"Good heavens, that scared me to death!"
Sitting in the experimental field, Wang Ying patted her chest, her face as red as a monkey's bottom. Now she understood what it meant to get herself into trouble.
He clearly had no feelings for men in his past life, so why has it changed in this one... Just now, when he was on top of him, he actually had an urge to tacitly allow the other person to continue.
Is this what a young master is like?
That's absolutely terrifying!
Wang Ying rubbed the goosebumps on her arms, shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind, and hurried to the field to prepare the vegetables.
We picked a lot yesterday, and the shop hasn't sold out yet, so we don't need to pick any more today. I checked the wheat field and the few peach trees that were recently transplanted.
The wheat has already sprouted leaves. Probably due to the climate of the experimental field, the plants are still growing very fast even without the growth speed setting.
Wheat can be harvested in about ninety days on average, and vegetables are about the same.
A three-month period is not short, but it's enough to keep the shop running.
After inspecting the vegetables, Wang Ying glanced at the progress bar of the experimental field. There were still more than 30 experience points left to reach level two. At this rate, it would probably reach level two by the time this batch of wheat matured.
I wonder what new features the experimental field will have.
He had half an hour left after finishing tidying up the vegetable garden, and he sat there with his mind in a jumble.
Actually, I don't dislike Chen Qingyan at all, and I don't even dislike physical contact with him...
Wang Ying knew that if she wanted to use the experimental field for a longer period, it would be better to take her relationship with the other party to the next level, but she just couldn't get over that mental hurdle. The thought of that erotic picture, and the idea of the boy using that kind of place, made her feel an overwhelming sense of resistance.
Back in the bedroom, Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Qingyan was already asleep in the quiet room. She would never dare to provoke this kid again.
*
Chen Qingyun noticed that her brother and sister-in-law seemed to have been arguing these past few days.
A while ago, my brother would deliver meals to my sister-in-law at the shop every day after school, but these past few days he's had Chen Qingsong deliver them instead.
Chen Qingsong came again at noon today, carrying a food box containing two plates of steamed wontons with chives and eggs. These wontons are what we now call dumplings.
Qingyun took the food box from her younger brother and whispered, "Why is it you bringing the food again? Where is my older brother?"
"My older brother said he would grade the homework assigned yesterday."
"Do you think my brother and sister-in-law had a fight?"
Chen Qingsong craned his neck to look at Wang Ying next to him, "Really? I don't feel anything."
"I can't explain it to you." It has to be said that girls are more perceptive than boys. Even Wang Ying, who is usually slow to notice, realized that Chen Qingyan seemed to be throwing a tantrum at her.
Ever since he fled to the shield test field that day, this guy hasn't said a word to him for three days in a row, and almost every day he goes to bed on time.
Seeing that no one had brought the food again, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, and even eating dumplings didn't taste good anymore.
Today is market day, and many villagers have come, making business busier than usual. Everyone comes in to inquire about the prices of the fresh vegetables, but often leaves as soon as they hear the quote, as no one is willing to spend tens of coins to buy some vegetables.
A few more people arrived, and Wang Ying put down her chopsticks and got up to greet the guests.
One of them suddenly spoke up: "Wang Ying?"
Wang Ying was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were the original owner's older brother and sister-in-law.
If the Wang family's parents were aiding and abetting evil, then the eldest brother, Wang Suo, was that evil one. In his memory, this man often beat and scolded young Wang Ying, practically using him as a punching bag. He would beat and kick him for the slightest dissatisfaction. As a result, the original owner had a physical fear of him, and even Wang Ying would turn pale with fright when she saw him.
However, she quickly composed herself and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Wang Suo chuckled maliciously, "What? You've been married for so long and haven't come home to visit. Your parents miss you terribly."
"Why would you miss me? A married man is like water spilled from a bowl; just pretend I never existed."
"That won't do." Wang Suo walked in, rubbing his hands together. His sister-in-law tugged at his sleeve and looked at Wang Ying with unease.
Of the Wang family, only the sister-in-law, Xu, is a normal person. Since she entered the family a few years ago, Xiao Wang Ying has been beaten a lot. Every time Wang Suo was about to beat someone, she would find an excuse to send him away.
They originally came to the town market today. They sold some grain during the autumn harvest, which made them a little better off, and they were thinking of buying some cloth to make a new cotton-padded coat.
As soon as he turned his head, he saw Wang Ying sitting at the entrance of the shop. Without saying a word, Wang Suo walked over.
Wang Suo walked around the shop, then casually picked up a cucumber and started munching on it.
"A cucumber costs twenty coins a pound, and this one weighs about three ounces, so you should give me seven coins."
Unexpectedly, Wang Suo slapped Wang Ying across the face, yelling, "You dare ask me for money? You're insane!"
The unexpected turn of events left Wang Ying completely stunned. She covered her face, feeling dizzy and disoriented, with a ringing in her ears.
Standing to the side, Chen Qingyun screamed in fright. Chen Qingsong grabbed the door latch and was about to rush up when Wang Ying saw this and quickly pulled him back, saying, "You two go home quickly and call Chen Bo and Ershun over."
This Wang Suo is like a super strongman; if the two kids really fight him, they'll definitely suffer.
"Sister-in-law, sob sob sob..."
With red eyes and a worried expression, Chen Qingyun realized that she couldn't help much if she stayed, so she grabbed her younger brother and ran home.
"Brother, what are you doing? I didn't do anything to you, why are you suddenly hitting me?"
"What, just because you married into the town doesn't mean I can't hit you?" Wang Suo spat out a mouthful of phlegm and said fiercely, "I haven't even settled the score with you for tricking my parents last time."
He was referring to the matter of Wang Ying writing a letter of severance. After the incident, the family was vilified and criticized by the villagers, and they were not invited to any weddings or funerals.
Instead of reflecting on his own problems, Wang Suo pointed the finger at Wang Ying.
There's no point in reasoning with this kind of person. Wang Ying narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you still think I'm the Wang Ying I used to be, someone you can hit or scold whenever you want?"
"Do I need to consider the weather before I hit you?" he said, waving his hand as if to hit him again.
Wang Ying dodged, grabbed a bamboo pole used for hanging firecrackers from the corner of the wall, and smashed it down on him. Damn it, is he addicted to bullying? He beat up little Wang Ying and now he dares to hit him too? Does he think he's an easy target?
Wang Suo didn't expect his younger brother to dare to fight back. After all, they had been fighting since they were little. When they were younger, if they couldn't beat their mother, she would hold Wang Ying down and make him slap her. Now, he was suddenly being attacked back and was a little overwhelmed.
Wang Ying was a skilled fighter from a young age. She lived in the countryside with her grandparents when she was a child. The children in the village were not well-mannered and would start fighting at the slightest disagreement.
Back then, he had no parents and his clothes didn't fit him. The kids bullied him, which made Wang Ying so angry that she fought them several times until she beat them into submission and became the leader of the kids.
Recalling the scene of Xiao Wangying being beaten, he felt even more resentful and struck without mercy with the bamboo pole, making Wang Suo run away with his head in his hands.
Just as they were getting into the swing of things, Chen Qingyan arrived.
My younger brother and sister just ran back crying, saying that someone had come to the shop to cause trouble and even hit my sister-in-law. They were so scared that he dropped the book he was holding and ran out.
He was filled with remorse the whole way. Why didn't he bring the food today? Why did he get angry with him? What if something happened to Wang Ying...
The battle was nearing its end. Vegetables were scattered all over the shop, and Wang Suo, covered in bumps, was still cursing and swearing.
"Don't you dare hit my husband!"
Wang Ying was startled by the sound, and looked up to see Chen Qingyan holding a piece of food in his hand, his chest heaving.
What brings you here?
Chen Qingyan rushed into the house, shielding Wang Ying behind him, and glared at Wang Suo, saying, "Who are you? Why are you here to beat my husband for no reason?"
Wang Suo was also startled when he saw Chen Qingyan. Wasn't this kid supposed to be dying? How come he suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
Her expression immediately changed, and she said, "Isn't this your brother-in-law? I'm your brother-in-law! This is like a case of mistaken identity – family members not recognizing each other!"
"Get out!"
Wang Suo was so frightened that he quickly left the house, just as Chen Bo and Er Shun arrived with the officials.
"Who is causing trouble here?"
Upon seeing the official, Wang Suo's legs trembled with fear, and he knelt on the ground with a thud. "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. The person in the room is my younger brother, a brother born of the same mother. I came here today to see him."
Wang Ying rushed out and shouted, "Pah! Who said we're family? You shameless thing! The disownment letter was written a long time ago. It's in black and white. Do you still want to deny it?"
Wang Suo was so frightened that he couldn't speak. It was his sister-in-law who knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This is our fault. Please, sir, spare our lives. Please, second brother, show mercy."
"If it weren't for your sister-in-law's sake, I would have dragged you to the yamen today!"
The constable was familiar with Wang Ying, and upon seeing this, he scolded her a few times, "If you come here to cause trouble again, we'll have you thrown in jail for a few days!"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong, I will never dare to come again."
"Get out of here!"
Wang Suo stumbled to his feet, almost losing his shoes in the process. Xu Shi looked back at Wang Ying, her eyes full of apology.
After seeing the constable off, Chen Qingyan quickly grabbed Wang Ying's hand and asked, "Where did he hit you?"
"It's alright, it's nothing."
"Your face is all swollen!" Chen Qingyan touched it with his hand.
"hiss……"
I didn't feel much pain when we were fighting, but now it feels like it's on fire.
"Come with me to the clinic quickly. Uncle Chen, please help clean up the shop and close the door!"
"Don't worry, young master, quickly take the young master to the clinic!"
"There's really no need to go through all that trouble. Just apply some sesame oil when you get back..."
Without saying a word, Chen Qingyan pulled him toward the clinic, not uttering a single word the entire way.
Wang Ying thought he was still angry with her, so she shut her mouth and followed him to the clinic.
When they arrived, the old doctor was out on a house call and wasn't there. He didn't return until quite a while later. After examining Wang Ying, he prescribed a box of ointment and told him to apply it twice a day, morning and evening, and not to get his face wet for the next few days.
On the way back, Chen Qingyan held his hand, his palms were sweaty. Wang Ying tried to pull away, but he held on even tighter.
Wang Ying looked up at the sky and said, "Fine... let him do it if he wants."
Finally arriving home, Qingyun and Qingsong were already waiting at the gate. Upon seeing her, they rushed over, "Sister-in-law, are you alright!"
"It's alright, it's alright."
Qingyun's eyes were brimming with tears as she tugged at his sleeve, her face full of heartache. "Why did that person hit you for no reason?"
"Well, that's a long story..."
"We'll talk about it later. Let's go in and apply the medicine first."
"Why!"
The two children followed behind them back to the backyard.
Wang Ying wanted to apply it himself, but Chen Qingyan ignored him and directly opened the lid, took a small amount of the blue ointment, and applied it to his cheek.
The ointment smelled like fresh grass, and it felt cool and refreshing on my face, making me feel much better than before.
Wang Ying took the time to explain why Wang Suo had hit her: "He was my older brother, but not really anymore. I cut ties with his family a long time ago."
He's a problematic person. He used to bully me a lot when we were at home, and he would hit me at the drop of a hat. I remember the worst time was when he blocked me in the ditch with a stick as thick as my finger, preventing me from getting out. The water in the ditch was frozen solid in late autumn, and my feet were so cold I could barely feel them.
As soon as I climbed up, he started hitting me. That stick really hurt; each hit left a sharp ache. Eventually, the neighbor's aunt saw what was happening and pulled me up. Ouch—"
"Sorry." Chen Qingyan paused in applying the medicine, then lowered his head and gently blew on it.
Wang Ying blushed and said, "No, it's nothing."
"Alright, you two can leave now that you've heard enough. Let your sister-in-law rest."
The two children obediently nodded. After the children left, Wang Ying tentatively asked, "Are you still angry? What's the big deal that you've been angry about for so many days?"
Chen Qingyan sighed, "I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with myself..."
"Hey, it's nothing serious, just a slap. He didn't get away with it either, I hit him a few times with a bamboo pole."
The two looked into each other's eyes, and Wang Ying suddenly felt her heart race, so she quickly lowered her head.
Chen Qingyan said, "Let's hire another manager for the shop. You can just visit whenever you have time. There's no need to work so hard."
“I’m just sitting at home doing nothing anyway, and hiring someone would cost more money, and I don’t trust that.”
What if he causes trouble again next time?
“It’s alright. Don’t think that just because Wang Suo and I are capable, he’s so scared that he doesn’t dare to utter a word when he sees the officials. If he dares to cause trouble again, I’ll have Huang San arrest him.”
"Then I'll come find you after class."
Wang Ying scratched her head. "Okay."
*
On the other hand, after Wang Suo returned home, he immediately told his parents what had happened during the day.
"Is it really the second son?"
"Of course it's true! He's living the high life now, he's even become a shopkeeper! And the eldest son of the Chen family, whom he married to bring good luck, is still alive, just like nothing happened!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Wang stood up from the stool. "Young Master Chen isn't dead? Well, that brat is the one who's done this."
Sitting next to him, Wang Laoshuan frowned deeply. "I knew he was hiding something from me. All that signing of the severance agreement when he came back was just him waiting for me to do it."
The Queen Mother asked anxiously, "What should we do then?"
"I'll go to town tomorrow."
Wang Suo hesitated, then said, "Father, Mother, I advise you not to go..."
"What's wrong?"
"Now that the second son has grown up, he doesn't acknowledge his sixth and seventh brothers anymore. Today, I took Cuiyun to his shop, and after eating a cucumber, he demanded seven coins from me. I was so angry that I slapped him, and he actually dared to hit me with a bamboo pole! Look, my shoulder is still bruised!"
"What? He dared to hit you!"
"Not only did they hit me, they also called the police to arrest me! They said if I dare to cause trouble again, they'll throw me in jail."
Standing to the side, Madam Xu hesitated, but ultimately remained silent. She had no right to speak in this family, and her words would be of no use anyway.
After thinking for a long time, Wang Laoshuan said, "Since the hard approach doesn't work, let's try the soft approach. I'm his father, so even if we take it to the authorities, they can't do anything to me."
The third brother, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Second brother has hated our family for a long time, and even if he goes there, he will never forgive us."
Wang pointed at her son's forehead and said, "What do you know? He's the husband of a landlord now, and he probably has a lot of money in his pocket. If he lets a little of it out, it'll be enough for us to eat and drink for a year."
Wang Su muttered under his breath, "No amount of money is ours..."
When Wang's mother raised her hand to hit him, Wang Su turned and ran away. Ever since his second brother got married, half of the housework had fallen on his shoulders.
Wang Su hated his parents for favoring his eldest brother and taking his anger out on him all the time. Only now did he realize how difficult his second brother's life had been.
*
The next morning, Wang Ying got up early to prepare to tidy up the shop.
Yesterday we had a fight and a lot of the vegetables in the shop were ruined, so we have to pick them out in advance.
Before leaving, Chen Qingyan stopped him, took out a thick mink coat from the trunk and draped it over his shoulders. “This was bought by my father in Pingzhou a few years ago. He gave it to me after he passed away. I haven’t worn it many times. Wear it in the cold weather.”
The cloak was thick and warm, and the chill disappeared instantly when I put it on.
"Keep it for yourself."
"I'm warm and cozy at home, you can take this."
Thanks.
Chen Qingyan straightened his collar, saying, "You don't need to be so polite with me."
"It's so kind of you."
Chen Qingyan's face turned bright red, and she walked awkwardly towards the front yard.
When I arrived at the classroom, Chen Qingsong was already there and was sweeping the classroom.
"Brother, how is sister-in-law?"
"Call him 'Master' in the classroom."
"Master, is your sister-in-law's face alright?"
Chen Qingyan answered irrelevantly, "How's it going with memorizing the 'Shangxue' text I asked you to recite yesterday?"
"I haven't finished memorizing it yet."
"Then hurry up and go memorize it. You don't need to deliver lunch today."
"Okay." Chen Qingsong obediently took out his book, sat in the last row, and began to recite.
Soon after, the three Feng brothers arrived. The three children were about the same age and looked alike. Although they were cousins, they looked no different from biological brothers.
Feng Xiaopang, with the most carefree personality, greeted Chen Qingyan as soon as he entered, then took out the homework assigned yesterday from the book basket and taught it to her.
"Master, my mother made some bean cakes for you and Uncle Wang to try."
"Thank you for your trouble, Mother."
"No trouble at all. My mother just mixed the filling. Actually, it was all done by the servants."
"This child is honest," Chen Qingyan said with a smile as she wrapped the pastries in oil paper, preparing to take them to Wang Ying to taste at noon.
As everyone gradually arrived, Chen Qingyan began to teach today's lesson. He did not follow the teaching model of his predecessors, but instead created his own schedule.
Teaching according to each person's different needs, the younger brother Qingsong was preparing to take the imperial examination, and Chen Qingyan taught him the Four Books and Five Classics.
The three children from the Feng family will manage the shop in the future, and will mainly study mathematics and abacus calculation. The other children who have just started learning will focus on recognizing characters.
There are two classes in the morning. The first class is to teach new knowledge, and the second class is to finish correcting yesterday's homework and explain where it was wrong.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. As soon as get out of class ended, Chen Qingyan hurriedly gave a few instructions and ran towards the kitchen.
"Auntie, is the food ready?"
"It's ready. Isn't the Third Young Master going to deliver the meal today?"
"He can't go because he has to recite his lessons, and I'm free today."
Aunt Chen packed the food into a food box, and Chen Qingyan picked it up and hurriedly went out.
"Wait a minute, young master, you didn't bring chopsticks..." Aunt Chen chased after him, but he had already disappeared.
Chen Qingyan walked briskly along the way, his heart filled with indescribable joy. He suddenly understood the meaning of the poem in the Book of Songs: "She is picking kudzu; one day without seeing her feels like three months!"
As we approached the vegetable shop, we noticed two elderly people standing at the entrance, peering inside.
A note from the author:
I had a minor surgery for sinusitis, and I'm fine now, except for the aftereffects of general anesthesia—I'm always feeling dizzy.
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