When Hong Xiaoduo went to the dining hall for dinner in the evening, the five guests were also there. She felt that the way they looked at her was different from that at noon, but she didn't think much of it.
"Eating this is good for your liver and eyes. Here, dip it in the sauce." Hong Xiaoduo said as she saw the children looking at the sliced lamb liver. She picked up a piece, dipped it in the sauce dish, and ate it.
Hong Xiaoduo couldn't explain the specifics of why eating lamb liver was good for the eyes, but she just knew it. The children wouldn't ask for details; if she said it was good, then it must be good, and they would just eat it.
Halfway through dinner, the rain gradually subsided, and by the time they finished eating and went outside, the rain had stopped.
Although the rain had stopped, Hong Xiaoduo didn't take the little ones out for a walk to digest their food. The streets were still wet, and she didn't want her and the children's shoes to get wet.
I took them for a walk back and forth in the corridor a few times, and then went back inside to continue teaching them to write.
A few people sitting on benches in the corridor not far away also got up and went back to their rooms to continue drying their clothes over a charcoal fire.
The five grown men didn't go out for a stroll, and since they couldn't talk about things in the military camp, they could only joke around and chat.
"I wonder what kind of person that young lady's husband is. I don't think he's the bookish type. How can his family let her travel with seven children? They must be really carefree."
"Hey, do you guys think it'll really rain by tomorrow afternoon?" Qi Feng asked, remembering the question.
Another said, "You actually listened to what that young lady said?"
“We’ve finished our business, and there’s no time limit on our return. It won’t make a difference if we wait another half a day. Why don’t we wait until noon and see if it really rains as that young lady said?” Qi Feng suddenly suggested.
The other three didn't echo him, but turned to look at their leader, Peng Xi.
Peng Xian frowned and glanced at Qi Feng. Just when the other three thought the matter was hopeless, they heard their leader say, "It's not impossible, but for tomorrow morning and noon, we'll order the food, and you'll have to pay for it."
None of the four subordinates expected their boss to agree. Three of them quickly nudged Qifeng, saying, "The boss has already given his word, so hurry up and agree. It's just two meals, it's not like you can't afford it."
"Alright, I'll pay, but don't overdo it. If it really rains heavily after noon because I stayed all morning, wouldn't you want to reward me?" Qi Feng asked with a grin.
Peng Xian glanced at him and said, "If that's really the case, I'll give you double the money you paid. One portion will go through the company account, and I'll cover the other myself."
The agreement was reached happily, and the happiest people were Yang Yichuan, Yuan Chengcai, and Ying Hai. In any case, no matter who paid for it, they would all have something to eat.
Hong Xiaoduo had no idea that her well-intentioned reminder had been used as a bet, and that she was sleeping soundly with the seven little ones.
After having breakfast early in the morning, I watched as the guests at the inn gradually left.
"Why didn't you remind them, young lady, that it would rain heavily after noon?" Peng Xian asked as he walked over.
"I haven't even spoken a single word to them. If I were to talk to them, do you think they would believe me? They might even think I'm deliberately trying to strike up a conversation for some ulterior motive. So why would I make myself uncomfortable?"
Take you guys for example, you didn't take my words seriously either.
Besides, it's just raining. Getting caught in the rain won't kill anyone. It's better to avoid trouble. Hong Xiaoduo replied with a smile.
“Who says we didn’t take the young lady’s words seriously? There’s a saying that you can eat your fill if you listen to advice,” Qifeng interjected.
Huh? Hong Xiaoduo was a little surprised when she heard this. Someone actually believed her?
"Young lady, I forgot to tell you yesterday because I was busy. A镖头 (bodyguard) surnamed Tang bought a load of top-quality fodder and put it in the stable's storeroom. Would you like to load it onto the cart first?" The shopkeeper behind the counter, having settled yesterday's account, looked up and saw Hong Xiaoduo. He remembered and quickly told her.
Hong Xiaoduo was taken aback, not expecting Tang Xihua to do such a thing.
"What's wrong? Is it someone you know or someone you don't?" Qi Feng heard clearly from the side, but seeing her reaction, he blurted out out of curiosity.
Hong Xiaoduo thought for a moment and said, "We only had brief contact on the way."
"You're afraid to accept it? Then we can help you check if it's poisonous." Qi Feng assumed that was what she was worried about.
Seeing that he had misunderstood her meaning, Hong Xiaoduo smiled and said, "It's not that bad, but thank you anyway."
She was just unsure whether Tang Xihua's silent delivery of high-quality fodder was an expression of apology or gratitude.
"Tian Shu, they say Chief Escort Tang sent some top-quality fodder. Go with him to the stables and see how it's being loaded," Hong Xiaoduo said to Tian Shu behind her.
Upon hearing about the high-quality fodder, Tian Shu's eyes lit up immediately, and he loudly agreed before following the stableman.
As for who bought it, who cares? As long as the donkey and horse have good fodder, she'll accept it, so there's definitely no problem.
"Aren't you going to go and see?" Qi Feng couldn't help but ask again when she saw that she was letting a child go.
Peng Xian glanced at his subordinate speechlessly, but then pricked up his ears, wanting to hear how the young woman would respond.
"It's just fodder, I don't need to do it at all, my kids can handle it," Hong Xiaoduo said casually, and then led the other children inside.
Qi Feng watched her and the six children's backs as they walked away, feeling a little regretful. He thought how wonderful it would be if she were a man, so he could invite them to drink, have tea, and chat without any reservations.
There were two groups of guests at the inn. One group had seven children who were reading and writing in the small shared room, and they didn't run around or make a fuss.
Another group of five adult men spent the entire morning sitting by the window in the lobby, frequently looking out at the sky.
It wasn't until noon that the sparse clouds in the sky were blown away by the wind. The sun would peek out, only to be quickly obscured by clouds drifting in from afar, and this cycle continued endlessly.
"Qifeng, I don't think you'll get the double subsidy that the boss mentioned."
“I’d like to say, Yinghai, I’m the exact opposite of you. I think the head should be doubled for Qifeng.”
The two who had initially been just watching the spectacle began to disagree.
The waiter came over and called them to the dining hall for a meal. On the short way there, they looked up at the sky several times.
The lunch menu was a bit pricey. Peng Xian ordered the expensive dish to teach his subordinate Qi Feng a lesson, while Qi Feng also ordered an expensive dish, hoping to get his boss to spend some money, just in case!
Upon entering the dining hall, they saw that the young woman and seven children had already arrived and were eating. When they saw them coming, she nodded and smiled.
A meal took less than half an hour, and by the time they finished eating it was already past noon. Peng Xian and the others continued to look out the window while eating, thinking that if it didn't rain later, they should be careful with their tone when speaking to the young lady, so as not to embarrass her...
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