When he returned home, Li Fu's expression was very ugly. Mrs. Qian saw him and said in a sincere voice, "Don't be angry, it's normal for children to have their own ideas when they get older ."
Zhao Wanwan was preparing dinner, so Li Qinghe went to help her in the kitchen. When only the two of them were left, she whispered, "Sister, father came back just now and my mother told him that you had run out because you had a date."
Before Li Qinghe could say anything, a shadow fell over the doorway, and when she raised her head, she saw Mrs. Qian’s furious face. She reached out to grab Zhao Wanwan’s ears and scolded, “Damn girl, you’re learning how to talk behind my back.”
Zhao Wanwan was grabbed and swayed from side to side according to her force. Li Qinghe stepped forward and pushed her away, "Don’t hit your daughter ."
But by then Zhao Wanwan’s ears were already red. Li Qinghe frowned, "Don’t you feel bad for your daughter......"
Mrs. Qian hit the door frame clutching her shoulder and shouted, "She’s siding with outsiders to bully me."
This was just heard by Li Fu who had heard the commotion and come out. Frowning, he said, "What are you doing, not eating? If you don't want to eat then get out!"
Mrs. Qian immediately swallowed the curse that she was about to utter, while Zhao Wanwan lowered her head and pinched the corners of her clothes uneasily. Li Qinghe was also quite surprised, Li Fu rarely got angry like this. He was always gentle and generous, especially when facing Mrs.Qian.
The meal was very depressing. Li Fu threw the chopsticks away after he finished eating, and got up to go out.
Mrs. Qian asked hurriedly, "Where are you going?" After a pause, she added, " Should I bring you food at noon?"
"No." Li Fu turned around to look at her, "I will go to town to find Qianwen and ask him for the silver."
Mrs. Qian's face turned pale, "I..."
Li Fu raised his hand to stop her, "I said, you can spend the silver for yourself and you can buy some clothes and snacks for your parents. Men earn money. The wife buys clothes and jewelry and shows filial piety to the in-laws’ family. But if you give the silver to my younger brother-in-law, even a penny, I won’t agree to it!”
Mrs. Qian’s eyes were full of tears, “He borrowed it and will pay it back. He is my brother, he came to me to borrow some silver to buy rice, can I still refuse?"
Li Fu nodded, "Then you go change clothes, let's go to town and see what he is doing."
Mrs. Qian still vaguely knew the virtues of her brother, he liked to go to the flower house, but it was almost noon. It would be mid-afternoon by the time they reach the town. It hadn't opened yet, and she couldn't refuse at the moment, so she went back to the room and changed clothes crying.
Zhao Wanwan began to clean up the dishes and chopsticks. Li Fu stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back and out of the corner of his eyes saw her red ears, but she had been running a few times between the kitchen and the hall. He thought for a while and said, "Wanwan, you also go to change clothes, go together."
Zhao Wanwan's eyes lit up after hearing this and she asked in surprise, "Really?"
Li Qinghe heard their conversation when she came out with a bowl, Li Fu was a little embarrassed, "Qinghe, do you also want to go?"
Of course, she did.
On the way to the town, Li Fu was very cold and the atmosphere was dull. It was useless for Mrs. Qian to find opportunities to talk to him several times.
Zhao Wanwan was quite excited. The atmosphere of the two in front of her was not right, so she didn't move forward, and only whispered excitedly to Li Qinghe about the last time she went to town. It was during the Chinese New Year, and it had been more than half a year.
"My favorite food is steamed buns. The last time you brought it back, I got one. I didn't want to eat it all at once. I divided it into three times, it was delicious." She said as she sucked a mouthful of saliva.
Li Qinghe was surprised, " You ate only one?!"
That time she had brought a dozen of them. She only took two of them, and there were around ten left.
Zhao Wanwan looked at Mrs. Qian in front and said in a low voice, "Mother said that father worked hard and wanted to save it for Father to eat."
Then Zhao Wanwan didn't know what came to mind and fell silent. They walked fast and arrived in town just after noon. Li Fu went straight to the back of the east street in the town, where Qian Laiwen's rented yard was located.
When they arrived at the door, they could see that Mrs. Qian was very nervous. Li Fu raised his hand and knocked on the door. No one responded for almost half an hour. When they all suspected that there was no one inside, the man's lazy voice rang out, "Who is it?"
Li Fu glanced at Mrs. Qian.
Mrs. Qian knew what he meant, "It's me."
Another half-hour passed before the door opened.
Then, Li Qinghe only took a glance before Li Fu quickly blocked the door and ordered, "Qinghe, take Wanwan to go around the street and wait for us at the entrance of the town later."
Li Qinghe did not hesitate to pull the red-faced Zhao Wanwan to turn around and go. Zhao Wanwan turned around and left. Even if Li Fu had blocked the door quickly, she also had a glance. Qian Laiwen's clothes were loose and in his arms was a half-naked girl with heavy makeup. It was not difficult to imagine what they were doing just now because they took so long to open the door.
Zhao Wanwan didn't say a word until she reached West Street. Li Qinghe took her to the bun shop. Smelling the unique fragrance of meat buns, Zhao Wanwan raised her head, a little surprised and anxious, "Sister, I don’t have any silver."
"I do," Li Qinghe pulled her down to sit and said, "I'll treat you to eat."
The lady from the bun store brought up four buns and asked with a smile before she left, "Don’t you work at the Xilai Restaurant?"
Li Qinghe was a little surprised. Although the buns were good, she really hadn't eaten them several times, so naturally, she wasn't familiar with the aunty, so she nodded and said, "Yes, but not anymore."
The aunty didn't care about her words, and continued, "That’s good! The Sun family lives to the east of town. The young master of the Sun family is getting married on the sixth day of the month, and the chef for the feast has already been found but they still need helpers in the kitchen. They will pay half a silver coin for two days."
This was a good job. Previously, Li Qinghe only got paid two silver coins per month.
Seeing Li Qinghe’s interest, the auntie smiled and said, "I'll take you there when the time comes."
She has seen this bun shop here since she could remember. Although she hasn't come in many times, the auntie has been there all the time, so there should be no problem.
"Can I go too?" Zhao Wanwan said in a soft voice, "I have been cooking at home since I was a child. If you don't think I can serve well, I can wash the dishes."
Li Qinghe was a little surprised, and the auntie looked at her and nodded. She said, "Washing dishes is also necessary, but only forty coppers are paid for it."
Even so, Zhao Wanwan was very happy and promised to come in a hurry.
"Sure enough, it's better to find work in the town." After leaving the store, she still exclaimed.
Li Qinghe suddenly said, "Will your mother agree to let you come to work?"
Zhao Wanwan’s smile froze, "Didn't you work in town for two years? She should agree to it..." In the end, she became uncertain.
The two wandered around the town unhurriedly. Li Qinghe didn't want to buy anything. She was thinking of ways to earn silver, and her eyes were moving around without really seeing anything. Suddenly Zhao Wanwan at the side dragged her, "Sister, there is the Zhou family’s elder son."
Li Qinghe, having heard what was said, looked over and saw that it was Zhou Chengkang's elder brother. But he was not alone. He was carrying a bundle and was accompanied by a young woman.
The strange thing was that the woman's hair was pulled up in a bun and generally only married women will do so.