Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 122: Persuasion_1

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Persuasion_1

Qian Yixiu was delighted upon hearing that even the Wuxi Tea Building in the provincial city was using their pastries. She was considering how to quickly open up a sales channel in the provincial city, and this was just like a pillow appearing as one falls asleep. She said, "Our current scale is still small and we are short-handed, so we can only supply the head store before the New Year. Next year, once we scale up, we will then supply to the provincial city."

When Qian Yixiu excitedly returned home, she had not yet reached the doorstep when she saw Lady Wang and Lady Tang coming out of the main compound, each holding several pastries in their hands.

Ever since the pastry workshop began making pastries, these two sisters-in-law would often come to "inspect" the work.

Lady Wang was still okay, coming only once a day, not being too talkative, and sometimes even asking if they needed help. Lady Tang, on the other hand, was annoying, not only carrying the self-important demeanor of the owner but also trying to take a few extra pastries back home each time she visited. She also put on grand airs in front of Qian Hua and Lady Wei.

Qian Yixiu greeted Lady Wang and then entered the courtyard.

Lady Tang, who had been smiling at Qian Yixiu from a distance, rolled her eyes and muttered, "Dead girl, she has no sense of filial piety. Truly a brat raised without a father’s teaching."

Lady Wang said, "Younger sister-in-law, it’s best not to speak carelessly like that."

Qian Sangui had been feeling unwell for some time due to the stress of work and the increasingly cold weather, and he was still lying in bed. Qian Yixiu reported to him about her trip to the county and the achievements from it.

What was heartening was that right after the pastries from Old Brother Pastry Shop were launched, they were warmly welcomed. Lady Wei and two others would work from the Chen hour until the Xu hour at night, resting only twice for a little less than half an hour each time, just to barely keep up with the supply demands.

Now with Lady Wei specially responsible for making pastries, and Qian Hua and Huang Tie busy with their own tasks, plus buying pigs and chickens, the manpower at home was even tighter, and Lady Wu and Qian Manxia also had to pitch in.

Qian Yixiu asked her younger aunt to make a pair of gloves out of coarse cloth to wear during work to protect her hands.

Qian Manxia found it troublesome and didn’t want to wear them.

Qian Yixiu then scared her by saying, "I heard that many young men care a lot about the ladies’ hands. No one fancies a lady with rough hands. Look at how delicate and tender Auntie Die and Sister Xiao Yu’s hands are."

Qian Manxia blushed and scolded, "Shameless talk! Such things shouldn’t be said by a young girl. I’ll tell my mother on you!"

Not only did she not tell on her, but she also ended up wearing the gloves when doing certain tasks.

During this period, Little Monk Hong Ji paid a visit, accompanied by a young monk.

Hong Ji didn’t see the Little Monkey because Monkey Brother had gone into the mountains with Dashan again. After Hong Ji was lectured on his studies for a good while at Qian Yeejin’s home and ate his fill, he happily took plum blossom cookies and honey-glazed sticky rice lotus roots back to honor his master.

With income flowing into the household and the business booming, Lady Wu not only generously brought out two bolts of cloth sent from the Zhang family but also bought some coarse cloth and cotton. She had Qian Xiaoyu make clothes for the family, which was an excellent opportunity to teach Qian Manxia.

On an afternoon in late October, Qian Yixiu sat under the eaves playing with Benben and Tiaotiao, but her mind was on Cave Sky Pool. By then, Fierce Red Monkey had already left the place, and the weather wasn’t too cold either. It was the perfect season to visit. If she missed these days, she would have to wait until next year. She was figuring out how to get away from home for two days without causing her family to worry.

Laughter from her younger aunt and Qian Xiaoyu drifted over from the right wing room, and occasionally, a few coughs from Qian Sangui came from the main bedroom.

Looking up, the slanting sun was already falling towards the western horizon, and her mother had been standing at the doorway for quite a while.

Her slender figure was wrapped in a green dress, her black hair casually piled behind her head. As the wind blew, her dress hem and a few loose strands of hair fluttered, like a gentle breeze caressing the willows, graceful and charming.

From Qian Yixiu’s angle, she could only see a profile of her mother’s face. Even without a clear view, she instinctively filled in those jade-like contour lines with long and curled eyelashes.

Beyond Auntie and the wooden gate, the banyan tree was far less lush than in the spring and summer, the willow’s leaves had all fallen, and its slender branches swayed in the wind; further away, endless desolation stretched out.

This was an eternal and sorrowful picture of late autumn, no, it should be a picture of all four seasons.

Flowers bloom and then fade, year after year...

Jinwa’s eyes felt warm as she walked over and tugged at Auntie’s clothes, "Mother, you’ve been standing in the draft for too long, you’ll fall sick."

Cheng Yue continued to gaze outside and said, "All the flowers have withered, another year has passed, and Brother Jiang still hasn’t settled down."

Jinwa didn’t pick up on her words, saying, "Yixiu is feeling a bit cold, Mother, come take a walk in the courtyard with me."

Then she firmly pulled Auntie to the large courtyard, where two puppies joyously frolicked around them. The setting sun cast a layer of golden light over the barren land.

Inside the courtyard, the pigsty and chicken coop had already been built up, housing two piglets, dozens of chickens, dozens of ducks. The vegetable garden was enclosed with bitter melon vines, chickens were free-ranging inside the courtyard, and ducks were herded to the creek outside. Xiao Lei found his chores, which was to oversee the ducks.

In the late autumn season, although wildflowers were gone and most weeds had turned yellow, the life in the courtyard seemed even more vibrant.

Seeing all this, Jinwa’s spirit lifted from its earlier lowness.

Lady Xu, who emerged from the pastry workshop to dump water, spotted them and called out with a laugh, "Yo, you and your daughter look just like people who’ve stepped out of a painting." Lady Xu was diligent and clever, with a pleasing way of speaking.

Jinwa smiled and called out, "Auntie."

Jinwa and Cheng Yue took a turn around the large courtyard and just as they were entering the old yard, they saw Qian Yijin return, seething with anger.

Cheng Yue frantically asked, "Jinwa, who has been bullying you?"

Qian Yijin quickly reassured Cheng Yue with a smile, "No one has bullied your son; it’s just that I ran too fast and got a bit short of breath."

He rushed over, attentive in sending Auntie back to her room, before pulling his sister to Qian Sangui’s bedroom, saying, "Fan Erhei, that bastard, has returned. I saw him when school let out."

Lady Wu and Qian Manxia were both present there.

Lady Wu said through clenched teeth, "That damned scoundrel, why didn’t he die out there?" Worry filled her voice, "The Fan family lives right next to the school; he won’t start bullying Jinwa again, will he?"

Resting against the bed frame, Qian Sangui reassured, "Don’t worry, he shouldn’t dare to bully Jinwa now." He also said to Qian Yijin, "Stay away from that scoundrel. Huang Tie will escort you to and from school for a while."

He also instructed Jinwa and Qian Manxia to keep a close eye on Cheng Yue and not to let her stay alone at the doorway.

That night, Wang Lizheng, bringing two pieces of meat, a jar of wine, and Two Guan money, arrived at Qian’s third wife’s place, accompanied by Qian Dagui. It turned out that earlier that afternoon, Old Fan had taken Er Heizi to Wang Lizheng’s house, asking for his help in mediating between the Fan family and Qian’s third wife.

Since the Fan family had also given Wang Lizheng’s house two pieces of meat and a jar of wine, Wang Lizheng was willing to help with the mediation.