Yang Lanrou was flushed with anger because of this.
The maid next to her saw that her master was suffering. She couldn't help but sneer, “You dare to say that you have no intention of admiring Young Master Xu? You risk your life to save him yet you say there is no love. You can’t win the trust of outsiders!”
Li Qinghe raised her eyebrows, “Isn't it pleasing that my character is noble? I will help you when I see injustice, and I will save people even if I get injured. I feel offended by your words!” She held her chest and made an uncomfortable look.
She looked at Xu Changjie again and said, “Young Master Xu, you still need to pay up.”
Xu Changjie's complexion was stiff, “It's not possible to pay you back before the date.”
“What payment are you talking about?” Yang Lanrou frowned.
Before Xu Changjie could speak, Li Qinghe said, “It’s the gift of thanks that Young Master Xu promised to give me.”
“How much is it?” Yang Lanrou felt bad, “I will pay for him.”
Li Qinghe snapped her fingers and said with a smile, “What I want is exactly Miss Yang's frank and straightforward character.” Stretching out her hand she said, “Twelve taels of silver. After receiving the silver, I will never look for Young Master Xu again.”
Yang Lanrou was a little surprised at the mention of twelve taels of silver, but when she heard the next sentence, her eyes motioned to the maid.
The maid didn’t have so many scruples. She took the money out from her purse and said, “I don’t think you are going to die if it’s not treated. You have some nerve to demand twelve taels of silver!”
Li Qinghe stretched out her hand, “Master Xu has promised. You are scolding me for no reason. You were not even there at the time.”
Anyone who saw the way the maid looks at Xu Changjie with bright and meaningful eyes could see that she is also interested in him.
Hearing Li Qinghe's words, the maid patted the silver ingot in her hand, “If I had saved Young Master Xu, I would not demand a gift from him as thanks.”
Li Qinghe raised her eyebrows and said with deep meaning, “Actually, it is important to receive a gift as thanks to clear the favor owed! Girl, you have to think carefully!”
The maid blushed and lowered her head in shame. Naturally, she didn't see her master's sudden cold eyes.
When they left, Li Qinghe took the silver ingot and was in a good mood. When she sat down with Zhou Chengkang afterward, she smiled and said, “I'm very happy today! Let me treat you to noodles with meat!”
Zhou Chengkang was a little puzzled and tentatively asked, “You didn't propose marriage? You don't like it...”
Li Qinghe asked back, “What do you like?” Touching her purse, “Money is more reliable than a man. Besides, there’s already someone in his heart. If we were together, I wouldn't get anything in return except for a broken heart.”
The last sentence is quite meaningful.
Zhou Chengkang was thoughtful, and the two stopped talking for a while. When they finished eating the noodles, they went to the cloth shop.
The cloth shop of Zhang's family is considered to be one of the best cloth shops in town. It happened to be the market day today, and the cloth shop was crowded and chaotic. Five or six shop assistants couldn't greet and take care of her. Li Qinghe leaned on the counter and went straight into the backyard.
When she opened the door, she saw Xǔ mother sitting under the eaves, with a six or seven-year-old boy sitting in front of her. He was shaking his head while reading a book seriously. Xǔ mother listened to him with a smile. Li Qinghe didn't know if Xǔ mother could understand. She raised her eyes to see Li Qinghe, smiled, and got up. “Why did you come?” She looked her up and down, “I heard that you got injured while saving the Xu family? What happened to the injury?”
(TN: Xǔ is different from Xu Changjie’s surname 徐. Li Qinghe’s mom surname is 许 (Xǔ).)
Out of the corner of her eyes, she looked at Zhou Chengkang who came in with Li Qinghe. Suddenly she frowned, pulled her inside, closed the door, and asked in a low voice, “Why are you walking with him? Don't you like Xu Changjie? Take this opportunity to propose marriage. I will think of a way so that the Xu family won’t refuse.”
Li Qinghe was surprised, “What do you propose?”
Xǔ mother was a little proud, “Bin’er’s aunt married a medicinal ingredients business owner, and the old lady of the Xu family has to get medicine every month. As long as I go and talk to his aunt, she is still willing to help with this small favor, and the price of the medicinal materials needed will increase...” Xǔ mother smiled and said, “I am confident that his Xu family will then agree.”
Li Qinghe was speechless for a moment. She suddenly understood why Xu Changjie and Yang Lanrou agreed to the marriage to her despite being happy together in their previous lives.
“Then you are not afraid that the Xu family will treat me badly?” Li Qinghe couldn't help asking.
Xǔ mother disagreed, “I'm here, I will help you out.”
But some things can't be threatened, such as Xu Changjie's failure to return to town, or the indifference and cold treatment of the Xu family, or not to consummate the marriage.
These things, even if Xǔ is the mother-in-law, cannot be controlled.
Xǔ mother was still discussing with her, “Men will be relieved when they get married. Besides, can’t the girl from the Yang family still become a concubine?”
Li Qinghe twitched her mouth. To some extent, Xǔ mother’s idea was correct, but she couldn't bear her affection! Unlike Xǔ mother’s expectations, Yang Lanrou was unwilling to become a concubine. She (Li Qinghe) was killed, so she (Yang Lanrou) could marry into the family as a second wife.
Furthermore, she is also a rascal and an unreasonable troublemaker. Even if she had died, Li Qinghe also felt that she was a bad guy who interfered with people's feelings when she read that novel.
“Mother, I asked him to give me money as thanks instead of marrying him.” Li Qinghe said seriously, “I don’t want a man whose heart is not set on me.”
Xǔ mother was stunned but then praised her, “You truly are my daughter.” Looking outside, she lowered her voice, “When your father married me, his heart was not set on me either, so our marriage didn’t last long. You see, I'm having a good time while letting him and his sweetheart be together.”
She sighed again, “Sadly, you have to suffer under your stepmother’s hand.”
Li Qinghe was speechless, “Aunt Qian doesn't treat me badly.”
“Impossible.” Xǔ mother’s tone was determined, “That was what she wanted. She would pretend to be gentle and virtuous in front of your dad but when your father is gone, she shows her true face. I can't even treat other people's children as my own. Besides, if she can hook up with other people's husbands, what else could she be?”
Li Qinghe doesn't like to listen to this. Although she is right in some ways, like she can't treat other people's children as her own, Mrs. Qian did not treat her badly.
Xǔ mother was very happy to see her because usually, she (Li Qinghe) didn’t want to come visit. The last time Li Qinghe saw Xǔ mother seemed to be a long time ago. It was in the previous life, so she came here today.
Hearing what she said, Li Qinghe got up and said, “It's late, I should get back.”
Ignoring Xǔ mother’s call, she got up and went out. She opened the door and ran into Mrs. Zhang. Li Qinghe said, “Hello, Madam.”
Mrs. Zhang glanced at her, paying special attention to her hands and body, and said casually, “Qinghe is here.”
Li Qinghe nodded and looked at Zhou Chengkang, “Let's go back.”