Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 587 - 587 588 Muniangs Little Schemes_1

Chapter 587: Chapter 588 Muniang’s Little Schemes_1 Chapter 587: Chapter 588 Muniang’s Little Schemes_1 Muniang raised an eyebrow—old friend? How come she knew nothing about this?!

“So this is Muniang,” the man said with a smile, as if not feeling at all like a stranger, “You’ve grown up so much. I’ve seen you when you were just a little girl, and really, a woman changes eighteen times as she grows. Indeed, how true that is.”

Mrs. Lin pulled Muniang inside and then smilingly introduced, “Muniang, this is the son of a neighbor from your mother’s maiden home. Our families had very good relations. Later, their family faced some troubles, and he was no longer in Jinyang Town. That’s how we lost touch. Who could have thought that after so many years, we would have a chance to meet again? You should call him Mr. Zhao.”

Muniang sized up the man, who appeared to be around forty years old, but that could also be because he looked a bit older than his age. Dressed in a gray-white cotton outfit, although it was not made from the finest fabric, it didn’t look shabby at all. To be honest, upon hearing the words “old friend,” Muniang reflexively thought of relatives who came to freeload, but in this man’s eyes, there seemed to be no greedy intent. Muniang felt a little relieved and became somewhat warmer in her attitude towards him.

She softened her sharp edge and politely said, “Hello, Mr. Zhao.”

Zhao Song’s eyes crinkled with his smile: “You’ve turned out even prettier than your mother was back in the day. Truly a beautiful girl you are.”

Muniang shot Mrs. Lin a teasing look, “Was my mother really that beautiful when she was young?”

Zhao Song suddenly stumbled over his words, knowing he had misspoken, and awkwardly laughed it off, “The neighbors all said she was very pretty.”

“Where do you live now, Mr. Zhao, and what brings you to Qinghua City all of a sudden?” Muniang, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed Mr. Zhao’s unusual demeanor towards her mother and couldn’t help but feel amused inside.

With a smile, Zhao Song said, “Back then, my parents were killed by the gangsters in Jinyang Town, and even the Local County Official didn’t dare to get involved. Our shop was taken over, and as just a kid, I naturally didn’t have the strength to fight back, so I had to flee for my life.”

Muniang’s face turned pale—such a sorrowful tale; was it not too insensitive of her to have asked?

Yet, Zhao Song smiled it off easily, “It’s been twenty years, and I’ve mostly forgotten the bitterness. You don’t need to be so reserved, and interestingly, I’ve heard that those local bullies have already been dealt with, so my grudge is settled.”

Muniang was taken aback, “Which local bullies?”

“The Zheng Family of Jinyang Town,” Zhao Song replied. “I’ve heard from people in the town that Mr. Zheng had the most tragic death—his legs were broken, and his end was very unsightly. Mr. Zheng couldn’t accept the news of his son’s death and eventually succumbed to illness and depression. It seems that the Zheng Family was secretly brought down, and now there’s no mention of them in Jinyang Town anymore.”

Muniang was stunned; it seemed he was talking about the good deed she had done a few years ago. The young master of the Zheng Family had been crippled by her kick, and later, Yu Ze had killed him with a single palm strike. After Yu Ze came to his senses, naturally, he wouldn’t let the Zheng Family off, and he had dealt with them in secret. She hadn’t inquired further at the time and only now realized the miserable extent of the Zheng Family’s end.

Muniang glanced at Mrs. Lin only to see her smiling sheepishly, “It’s good that those people are dead. It’s like a weight off your chest now.”

Muniang chuckled to herself, her mother must not have the heart to say that they were the ones who had brought down that family.

“The past is the past, so there’s no need to bring it up again. I’ve done some small business over the years, opened a few shops, and I had planned to spend the rest of my life out there. But three years ago, my wife fell ill and died. I remained faithful to her for three years, and without any support out there, I decided to return to my hometown, Jinyang Town. Who would have known that as soon as I entered Qinghua City, I’d run into your mother,”

For a man of his age, it would be strange if he had never married, and Mrs. Lin admired Mr. Zhao for his candor in speaking of these matters.

Mrs. Lin sighed and said, “Whatever the case may be, life must go on. Your Uncle Zhao here has nothing else, but he does have a good attitude. No matter how hard life gets, he knows how to let things go.”

“You seem to have a pretty open mind about it too. They say having a daughter is like helping someone else raise a child, but I think your Muniang is a keeper. Now, she’s even bringing you the joy of grandchildren,” said Mr. Zhao. He had always been puzzled: they lived in such a fine house with so many servants, they must be wealthy. Could it be that she married a wealthy husband? But this wealthy husband, how come it seemed like he married into the family, living with his mother-in-law instead of his own parents!

Nevertheless, since it was someone else’s business, it wasn’t appropriate for him to pry.

“Since you’re here, why not stay for a meal? Are you here by yourself, Uncle Zhao?” Muniang spoke up.

Mrs. Lin nodded enthusiastically. Ordinarily, without Muniang at home, it wouldn’t be proper for her, a widow, to keep guests for meals. Now she was naturally eager to catch up, especially since they’d run into an old acquaintance.

However, Mr. Zhao declined, “I shouldn’t stay for the meal. My two sons don’t even know I’d eat out; they’d worry.”

“Where are you staying, Uncle Zhao?”

“We just arrived in Qinghua City today and are staying at an inn. We’ll continue on to Jinyang Town tomorrow, and then I’ll reopen my parents’ old shop. That’s how life will go,” said Mr. Zhao, but as he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Mrs. Lin, filled with regret, reluctance, and even some more complex emotions.

“Leaving tomorrow, that’s a shame,” Mrs. Lin admitted with some reluctance, for it wasn’t often that you ran into someone familiar, was it?

Muniang subtly curled her lips into a smile and then cheerfully proposed, “Does Uncle Zhao have any relatives back in Jinyang Town?”

A hint of desolation crossed Zhao Song’s face. What relatives could there be? When his parents had offended the Zheng Family and met with disaster, all the relatives in Jinyang Town, afraid of being implicated, declared they wanted nothing to do with his family, vowing never to interact again. Now, returning there was really just to fulfill a longing. It was a pity that his wife had died, and staying in a foreign place was unbearable. Returning to his hometown seemed to offer no family connections worth cherishing.

Muniang spoke up quickly, “Then why doesn’t Uncle Zhao open his shop in Qinghua City? My mother and I are alone here, and it’s rare to encounter someone familiar. We could support each other in the future. I know Qinghua City like the back of my hand, and I could help you select a shop in a prime location. Surely, the business will be no worse than in Jinyang Town.”

Mr. Zhao’s expression softened a bit. In truth, he had indeed considered staying, especially when he saw that Mrs. Lin was in Qinghua City; he had thought she might still be in Chatu Town and had planned to visit her upon his return. It seemed like fate that they had met here.

Mrs. Lin, unaware of the scheme Muniang was concocting, chimed in, “Yes, why not settle down in Qinghua City? Muniang is quite familiar with the area. Whatever you need, ask her, and she surely can help you. The relatives in Jinyang Town are nothing but a bunch of cold-hearted wolves. Going back there would only add to your grief. You’d be better off living comfortably in Qinghua City.”