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Xiao Lihua went to comfort her mother and sister Meihua, saying that she would find a way to resolve the issue and urged them not to worry. However, they did not believe her, and Xiao Pozi insisted that she should not cause trouble at the Xiao Family. If things escalated, not only would Meihua suffer, but their entire family would be affected.
Xiao Lihua swore that she would not cause any trouble, which eased Xiao Pozi's worries. She then took Meihua's hand and left with a frown.
After such a commotion, another hour passed. Xiao Dashu suggested that they stay overnight to comfort their mother and Meihua. However, Xiao Lihua preferred to stay at her own home and wanted to go to Xiao Family Village, which was obviously closer than Xiaqiao Village. So they returned home, and by the time they arrived, it was already dark. They returned the cart along the way and walked home, with Little Wood feeling sleepy.
Once at home, Xiao Lihua quickly prepared a meal for the family. After they ate, she washed Stone and Wood's faces and hands and let them lie down on the kang to sleep. She and Xie Youshun sat on the kang at a small table with an oil lamp, talking.
Xie Youshun said, "Are you really going to Xiao Family Village? I'll go with you."
"Sure, let's go tomorrow and leave Stone and Wood at Wang Ersao's house."
Xiao Lihua turned to look at her two sons who had fallen asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. A loving smile appeared on her face; having these two children made her feel particularly strong. At the same time, what happened today at her mother's house strengthened her determination to earn money. She didn't want her family to be bullied due to lack of money in the future. She wanted her two children to grow up happily and healthily, whether they wished to study for the imperial examinations or live as carefree wealthy individuals.
Xie Youshun had been worried about what might happen when his wife went to Xiao Family again, but seeing her gaze at their sons relaxed him. He thought she had changed and that he no longer needed to worry.
The couple talked for a while before extinguishing the lamp and going to sleep.
The next day after breakfast, they took their two children to Wang Dashan's house and handed them over to the couple there. Watching their children play with Copper Coin, they felt relieved as they left.
Xiao Family Village was not close to Xiaqiao Village; even if they walked quickly, it would take about an hour. Fortunately, they encountered an ox cart on the way, which saved them some effort. They arrived in less than an hour.
Xiao Family Village was quite impressive. Xiao Lihua thought that she also wanted to earn such property in the future—counting silver and collecting rent while having many descendants would be so blissful.
It was not easy to meet Miss Xiao; it wasn't something one could do just by asking. Xiao Lihua had anticipated this, so she asked Xie Youshun to give some money to the gatekeeper to send a message saying that they had something to tell Miss Xiao regarding Su Yuanchun. She didn't believe that Xiao Ziyi would refuse them after Su Yuanchun publicly humiliated her in front of so many people that day and even brought up men; even the most magnanimous woman would harbor resentment in her heart. Although Xiao Ziyi appeared calm that day, Xiao Lihua did not miss the anger in her eyes.
"Are you going to talk about that Miss Su?"
Xie Youshun asked, thinking that Miss Su seemed to be petty, and he wondered if there would be trouble if she was provoked. He wasn't worried about himself; he was concerned about his wife and child. Moreover, Su Yuanchun was a relative of the Gao Family and recognized his wife. He didn't want his wife to have any more ties with the Gao Family.
Xiao Lihua said, "Don't worry, I'm just using that woman named Su as an excuse; I just want to see Miss Xiao. I need to discuss something else with Miss Xiao, but this matter was also brought up by Su Yuanchun. If Miss Xiao is interested, she could help us deal with that steward, and then Mei Hua will be fine."
Xie Youshun nodded and waited with Xiao Lihua. He thought he would keep an eye on things; if anything happened, he would take the blame.
After a short while, the servant returned, accompanied by a Maid, who was to take Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua inside.
Once they entered the estate, Xiao Lihua looked around at the scenery inside, marveling at how well it was laid out. However, she didn't want to appear overly curious or draw disdain from others. Soon they arrived at the back courtyard, where the Maid instructed Xie Youshun to wait while she led Xiao Lihua further in.
Xiao Lihua reassured Xie Youshun not to worry; she would be back shortly. Thus, Xie Youshun had no choice but to wait there.
The back courtyard was clearly more beautiful than the front. It was late spring and early summer now, with vibrant flowers and lush greenery everywhere, making it hard for one’s eyes to take it all in. Before long, they reached a room where Xiao Ziyi sat on a chair, still dressed in a purple top but wearing a light blue skirt adorned with floral patterns. A golden hairpin held her hair up, topped with a peony made of gold threads—gorgeous yet elegant—perfectly matching her temperament.
Xiao Lihua thought that Xiao Ziyi exuded the grace of a refined young lady. She felt somewhat out of place dressed like a peasant; if she were dressed like such a young lady, she wouldn't know how to carry it off.
Xiao Ziyi was also observing Xiao Lihua. She noticed that this Villager had an oval face, large eyes framed by willow-like brows, fair skin, and her hair wrapped in a blue scarf. She wore a blue top and green skirt, looking neat and tidy. Although her looks were average, her calm eyes and gentle demeanor made her quite appealing. She wondered what kind of information this rural Villager could have regarding Su Yuanchun. Her curiosity grew, but she didn't hold out much hope.
Xiao Lihua gave a slight bow to Xiao Ziyi, introducing herself.
"You also share the surname Xiao; I wonder which Xiao you are? The grass-top Xiao or the Xiao Yue Xiao?"
Xiao Ziyi thought of Xiao Lihua as a farmer woman, and generally, women in the countryside are illiterate. Asking her such questions would only make her feel awkward. However, to her surprise, Xiao Lihua answered. This piqued her interest even more; she appreciated that a villager could read.
"It turns out we share the same surname. Xie Si Niang, please have a seat."
Xiao Ziyi had a good first impression of Xiao Lihua because of her surname and her composed demeanor, so she offered her a seat. Xiao Lihua sat down without hesitation.
"Xie Si Niang, I wonder what you want to discuss with me. Please go ahead."
"Miss Xiao, a few days ago, I saw you talking with Miss Su in town. I found her words quite unpleasant."
Xiao Lihua said this while noticing the smile on Xiao Ziyi's face fade. She felt no fear; it seemed that Xiao Ziyi was indeed upset with Su Yuanchun. This was good for her; the more Xiao Ziyi cared about Su Yuanchun's words, the more advantageous it was for her. She was now eager to find out if Xiao Ziyi was particularly concerned about the shortcomings that Su Yuanchun had pointed out.
Xiao Ziyi replied calmly, "So what? Didn't you say you wanted to talk about her? Is there something that could embarrass her? If you can tell me, I won't let your visit be in vain."
"Then thank you, Miss Xiao. I indeed have something to discuss. Your statement has put my mind at ease." Xiao Lihua did not hide her intentions; since they were not close, it was better to get straight to the point. "In fact, I haven't caught Miss Su in any wrongdoing; I just heard her mention your shortcomings and wanted to see if you cared or wanted to address it. I have a method that might interest you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ziyi felt displeased. Her shortcoming was her height; every time Su Yuanchun saw her, she would mock her for it. In reality, she wasn't that short, but compared to Su Yuanchun, she seemed half a head shorter. Every time Su Yuanchun made fun of her, she became self-conscious and felt that others also viewed her as short.
Sometimes rumors can become reality; initially, no one paid attention to Xiao Ziyi's height until Su Yuanchun kept mentioning it, leading others to believe she was indeed short.
Xiao Ziyi hated this feeling. Over time, she tried to avoid anyone taller than her to feel less pressured. Now even a villager could bring up her shortcoming, which made her even more uncomfortable. However, when Xiao Lihua mentioned having a solution, it intrigued her.
"What method? Please tell me."
"Please, Miss Xiao, bring me a set of brushes and ink. I want to draw something for you."
Xiao Ziyi had someone fetch it, curious to see what Xiao Lihua could create. When Xiao Lihua presented her finished drawing, Xiao Ziyi found it somewhat difficult to understand at first, only recognizing that it depicted a shoe. However, once Xiao Lihua explained it, her eyes lit up.
Xiao Lihua had drawn an embroidered shoe with a thick sole. Many modern women cannot live without high heels; wearing them makes shorter women taller and taller women even taller, giving them a graceful appearance and boosting their confidence. This was exactly what Xiao Ziyi lacked. It was unfortunate that the girls in ancient times wore flat embroidered shoes and long skirts; if one was tall and slim, it looked good, but if one was shorter and plumper, it was simply tragic.
"This is wonderful, Xie Si Niang. You are truly clever."
Xiao Ziyi finally shifted her gaze from the drawing to praise Xiao Lihua. It was impressive that a villager could come up with such an idea after seeing her just once; she was indeed sharp-witted. Most importantly, she had brought this design right before her eyes, which made her even more admirable.
Xiao Lihua smiled slightly and said, "As long as Miss Xiao is satisfied."
"I am very satisfied. By the way, you mentioned you had something to discuss here; what is it? Just tell me, and as long as I can manage it, I will agree," Xiao Ziyi said, feeling cheerful as she imagined herself wearing such shoes, looking even taller and more beautiful—her heart felt like it was blooming with joy.
Xiao Lihua had been waiting for this moment to speak up; she then shared the matter concerning her family and asked Xiao Ziyi to help resolve it.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ziyi readily agreed. She thought that the issue stemmed from their household manager's inappropriate behavior; how could they pressure a woman into marriage like that? She reassured Xiao Lihua not to worry.
When Xiao Lihua heard Xiao Ziyi's agreement, a heavy weight lifted from her heart; she felt she had finally done something good for her family. When she learned that Xiao Ziyi would give her fifty taels of silver as thanks for the shoe design, she became even happier. Fifty taels of silver was no small amount, and she believed the shoes were worth it. She told Xiao Ziyi that these shoes could be sold; surely many young ladies would buy them, or they could be gifted to someone who would surely be delighted.
Xiao Ziyi thought the same way, which was why she offered so much silver to Xiao Lihua. Seeing that she also thought of this made Xiao Ziyi realize that this farmer woman was not easy to fool; she regarded her with newfound respect.
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