Scholar Wang snorted lowly, his tone dripping with superiority: “I’m a successful scholar with a promising future. You’re just an illiterate village girl, shamelessly dreaming of marrying into the Wang family?”
“Not even bothering to check if you’re a match!”
“If you insist on marrying me, you’ll only be my concubine!”
Shen Erya couldn’t hold back her tears, her voice trembling: “You… you only want me to be a concubine?”
Shen Qingyue had had enough of this scumbag Wang Xiucai. As a bully herself, she felt she had to teach him a lesson to live up to her title.
Without hesitation, she punched Wang Xiucai.
Wang’s left cheek visibly swelled up.
“Don’t think I’m afraid to hit you just because you have ties to Captain Zhang!” Wang shouted angrily, pointing at Shen Qingyue.
“Then go ahead and hit me!”
Shen Qingyue sized him up with contempt, “You’re weak and powerless. Do you really think you can beat me?”
Wang truly couldn’t.
Rubbing his burning cheek, furious but with no outlet for his anger, he turned to Shen Erya and hissed, “Today your brother treats me like this, so if you beg to be my concubine later, I still won’t take you!”
Before Shen Erya could respond, Shen Qingyue swore loudly, “Screw being a concubine!”
She clenched her fist and punched Wang Xiucai’s right cheek.
Both sides of Wang’s face swelled up.
He looked like a complete pig’s head.
Clutching his face, his eyes bloodshot with rage, Wang threatened, “You siblings dare treat me like this? I’ll make you regret it!”
Shen Qingyue coldly spat one word at him: “Get lost!”
Unable to fight Shen Qingyue, Wang swallowed his pride, grabbed the sweet cake, and left.
“Still want to eat the sweet cake I bought?” Shen Qingyue snatched it away, “Hand it over.”
Wang angrily flicked his sleeve and slunk off.
Shen Erya finally broke down, tears streaming: “I was so good to him… why does he treat me like this? He clearly said he’d marry me… and now he just wants me as a concubine…”
Shen Qingyue wasn’t one to comfort people much. After a moment’s thought, she patted Shen Erya’s head gently and softened her voice:
“People’s feelings change. When he needed you, he made grand promises. Whether he keeps them depends on his conscience.”
“Look at how he acts—does he seem like someone with a conscience?”
“There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Why be stuck on just one flower?”
“Our Erya is so good, she can definitely find a man ten thousand times better than Wang Xiucai.”
Shen Erya felt sad but didn’t want to worry Shen Qingyue, wiped her tears, and nodded firmly.
Just then, the boss brought over the wonton soup, its delicious aroma lightening the mood.
Shen Qingyue quickly said, “Stop thinking about Wang Xiucai. Eat your wonton before it gets cold.”
Half an hour later,
Shen Erya rubbed her round belly, her sadness noticeably faded: “The wonton is so delicious! I never got to eat it even once a year before. Today, not only did I eat meat buns, but also wonton!”
Shen Qingyue noticed her reddened eyes, thought for a moment, then slipped some silver coins into her hand generously: “If you like wonton, come eat some yourself next time.”
Then, suddenly serious, she warned:
“This is your brother’s money. You can only spend it yourself, not give it to others. Got it?”
Shen Erya felt her brother had become very authoritative—not the kind of fierce bully, but like a mountain, giving an indescribable sense of security.
Suddenly, having a brother felt really nice.
Even if that brother was actually a girl.
Shen Erya nodded seriously, “Brother, I understand.”
Shen Qingyue had bought thirty jin (about 15 kg) of goods—too heavy to walk back to Qingshui Village—so she paid four wen to take a cattle cart home.
As soon as she pushed open the courtyard gate,
Liu Cuihua hurried over, eagerly asking Shen Erya, “Erya, how much did you sell the embroidery for today?”
Shen Erya hesitated whether to show the money Shen Qingyue had given her, but Liu Cuihua snatched the pouch away suddenly.
“What are you dawdling for? Take out the embroidery money.” Liu Cuihua opened the pouch, coins clinking on the table.
Five shiny silver pieces stood out.
Liu Cuihua bit one coin and then exclaimed joyfully, “This silver is real!”
After a moment, she looked at Shen Erya suspiciously: “Erya, did the embroidery really sell so well? Five taels of silver?”
Shen Erya honestly replied, “These five pieces of silver were given to me by my brother.”
Liu Cuihua’s gaze turned to Shen Qingyue. Forgetting proper manners, she blurted out: “Goudan, where did you get the money? Don’t tell me you stole or robbed?”
“Even if your uncle is the captain, stealing will get you into trouble sooner or later. Don’t be foolish!”
Shen Qingyue sighed. Couldn’t they think well of her? The original bullying image stuck too deep.
“The money came from a business deal I made with Wang Youcai, absolutely legitimate. You can rest assured.”
After a brief explanation, Shen Qingyue handed Liu Cuihua the pouch. “Here’s twelve taels of silver for household expenses. When I earn more, I’ll give you more. Don’t take Erya’s money.”
Liu Cuihua stared incredulously at the silver. Her illiterate bully daughter could actually earn money?
And not spend it all on herself?
And was even willing to give some to her?
“Erya, pinch me.” Liu Cuihua said dazedly to Shen Erya.
Shen Erya carefully pinched Liu Cuihua’s arm.
Liu Cuihua gasped at the pain, then laughed like she’d hit the jackpot: “I feel it! Mom isn’t dreaming!”
Seeing their reactions, Shen Qingyue chuckled and shook her head. She uncovered the cloth covering the bamboo basket and said, “These are what I bought today. Tonight, I want to eat braised pork!”
Since coming here, she had eaten only vegetarian meals and had grown tired of bland food.
Finally, she could enjoy a proper meat meal!
Liu Cuihua’s eyes lit up as she excitedly pulled items from the basket one by one:
“There’s brown sugar, polished rice, white flour…”
“And such a big chunk of meat—at least ten jin!”
“And four pairs of cloth shoes, four bolts of cotton cloth!”
Liu Cuihua fondled the soft cotton, reluctant to let go.
Shen Erya took out two oil-paper wrapped packages: “Here are the meat buns and sweet cake brother bought.”
In these famine years, earning silver was difficult. With this kind of spending, even a lot of silver would quickly be gone.
Liu Cuihua looked at Shen Qingyue hesitantly. “Qingyue, you picked only good things! Isn’t this… a bit extravagant?”
Shen Qingyue didn’t want to live poorly when she had money. She said decisively, “I decide how to spend my money. The things are bought—just manage them as you like.”
Liu Cuihua dared not say more. Goudan wasn’t a filial daughter, but a ruthless bully both inside and outside the family! What if she earns money later but spends it all on herself?
It was already good that she was thinking about the family now.
Liu Cuihua began making arrangements skillfully:
“Erya, your embroidery is good and delicate. Take these four bolts of cotton and make two sets of clothes for each family member.”
“Tonight, Mom will cook braised pork for you all!”
Shen Erya took the fabric and softly replied, “I’ll stay up late these days to finish the new clothes quickly!”
Better to be a poor wife than a nobleman’s concubine.
Besides, Wang Xiucai wasn’t really nobility.
Do more and surely forget about him…