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墨書 Inktalez
Gao Zhengping heard from someone that Zhao Linting was about to get married, and the bride was not a suitable match for him; she was just an ordinary village girl from the Xiao Family in Caotou Village. The person who brought him this news also knew about Xiao Lihua, so naturally, they mentioned that Meihua was Xiao Lihua's younger sister.
Gao Zhengping thought to himself that Xiao Lihua was quite capable. He had once wanted to marry her, but it didn't work out; now her sister was marrying well.
Zhao Linting, like Hua Heng, was from the capital. Gao Zhengping had met them both in the capital and, in fact, he had some familial ties with Hua Heng.
Gao Zhengping's maternal aunt was Hua Heng's father's second wife. Hua Heng was the son of the first wife and the eldest son at that. Given this relationship, it was difficult for them to get along, and indeed it was true; Gao Zhengping's aunt had been scheming to strip Hua Heng of everything he deserved so that her own son could inherit everything. Over the years, she had plotted against Hua Heng, but Hua Heng was too clever and managed to avoid all her traps.
The Gao Family had been supported by Gao Zhengping's aunt; thanks to her, their family had grown larger and more prosperous. Because of this, they had tried to scheme against Hua Heng. They once wanted to create a scandal where Hua Heng would be accused of mistreating a servant girl from a relative's family, hoping that Master Hua would come to despise him. However, their plan failed.
Since then, the Gao Family had not found another opportunity. Meanwhile, Hua Heng had gradually expanded his business over the years and found a way to convince Master Hua that his assets did not belong to the Hua family but were solely his own. Hua Heng began openly competing with the Gao Family for business. Under the impact of products like Pickled Eggs and Tea Eggs, their business had plummeted over the past six months.
Thinking about how all of Hua Heng's new recipes came from Xiao Lihua made Gao Zhengping feel frustrated enough to sigh heavily. Back then, Xiao Lihua had been so eager to climb into his bed, yet now they were being driven out by her. If he hadn't pushed Xiao Lihua onto Hua Heng in an attempt to scheme against him and subsequently forced her out because of it, perhaps seeing a woman work so hard for his affection would have led him to accept her. Then all those profitable recipes would have belonged to the Gao Family!
Gao Zhengping felt very upset, and what made him even more frustrated was that Hua Heng had actually gotten involved with Xiao Lihua. After Ruyi returned from visiting her in-laws and expressed her feelings, Xiao Lihua still refused to share her recipes with the Gao Family under pressure from her in-laws. She must still harbor resentment towards them; perhaps Hua Heng had spoken ill of the Gao Family.
"People really can't be judged by appearances; I never expected that such an insignificant girl would become someone important."
Gao Zhengping thought as he recalled Xiao Lihua's appearance. After so many years, he had long forgotten what she looked like; he only remembered seeing her briefly at Qiao Xiu Fabric Shop when Su Yuanchun had a minor incident. In his anger at that time, he remembered Xiao Lihua's features—she was indeed pretty enough but still looked like a peasant girl who brought him so much trouble.
If Xiao Lihua were just an ordinary villager bent on revenge, Gao Zhengping would have dealt with her harshly. However, now he coveted what she knew, especially since Xiao Lihua's sister was about to marry Zhao Linting. Zhao Linting's family also hailed from the capital and wasn't inferior to the Hua family. For the sake of his aunt, he couldn't offend Zhao Linting too much. So he thought it best to keep things amicable; now that Xiao Lihua's sister Ruyi had entered their family, they were somewhat related by marriage. He believed he could eventually persuade them to hand over those recipes.
After contemplating this back and forth, Zhao Linting began visiting Ruyi's room more frequently.
Su Yuanchun angrily smashed a set of fine tea utensils while cursing at Ruyi's courtyard, showing no semblance of nobility whatsoever.
Su Yuanchun received word from someone bought off by Gao Zhengping, which made her realize why Gao Zhengping had gone to Ruyi. She became even angrier, recalling that she had once been pregnant with Gao Zhengping's child but had a miscarriage. If she hadn't lost the baby, she would have given birth to the legitimate son of the Gao Family and wouldn't have to worry about being told by the Physician that her body was weak and needed proper care. She wouldn't constantly worry about other women getting pregnant before her.
Su Yuanchun believed it was all the fault of those two sisters from the Xiao Family. If it weren't for them, she wouldn't have lost her child. Now they were living so happily—one had become wealthy, and the other married Ruyi's husband. Because of them, Ruyi's little, despicable person was thriving. She thought to herself that she must not let them off easily.
At this moment, Ruyi was also unhappy. Initially, she was pleased that Gao Zhengping visited her frequently, thinking it was because she was charming. However, upon learning that Meihua was going to marry Zhao Linting, she nearly fainted from anger.
Ruyi had originally wanted to marry Zhao Linting and had set a trap at Dabai Temple, only to end up losing her purity to Gao Zhengping in a muddled way. Later, she found out that it was Meihua who helped Zhao Linting, which prompted her desire for revenge, but she failed and was even reprimanded by Fourth Brother.
Now Meihua was actually going to marry Zhao Linting. Ruyi felt as if she had swallowed a mouthful of blood; all her schemes had ultimately tied Meihua and Zhao Linting together!
"I will never let you have it easy!"
Ruyi silently shouted in anger, her finely cared-for white hands clenched into fists, veins bulging.
Time passed quickly in this atmosphere of mixed joy and sorrow, and soon it would be New Year’s. This year’s New Year was particularly cold; after a heavy snowfall, another layer of snow fell on top of the still unmelted ground, blanketing everything in white once again. However, people had already grown accustomed to it.
Once the twentieth day of the twelfth month arrived, people began preparing various New Year goods, and the festive atmosphere started to build.
The rabbits at Xie Youshun's home were very prolific; they had given birth to quite a few recently. After raising them, they sold all but enough for their own consumption, making a small fortune that left onlookers envious. Everyone thought that they would also raise rabbits in the future. In the past, some had tried raising rabbits but found it difficult to sustain them. They all said they wanted to learn from Xie Youshun how to raise rabbits. Xie Youshun agreed; Xiao Lihua had long said she would help the villagers become prosperous so they wouldn’t envy them.
The villagers were very happy and felt that Xie Youshun and his family were good people. Initially, there were rumors that Xie Youshun's family became wealthy selling pork, which made some feel envious since they thought they were profiting off their pork sales at high prices. However, because they helped repair bridges for the village, any lingering resentment faded away. When Xie Youshun announced that Flavor Fragrance Tower decided to buy pigs exclusively from their village—taking as many as they raised—everyone's happiness soared.
Upon hearing this good news, joy spread across everyone’s faces.
Xiao Lihua thought that with everyone having a way to make money, they would eventually be able to dress well and eat well without envying her family for their good fortune. The vast majority of the villagers were simple and kind-hearted; only a few were exceptionally difficult. As long as she ignored those few people, her interactions with the villagers went smoothly and pleasantly. She didn’t want money to create distance between herself and everyone else.
Xiao Lihua walked down the street, constantly greeted by people. She smiled and chatted with each one, thinking how wonderful it was to live such a vibrant life.
Xie Youshun returned home with a large tray of tofu. Xiao Lihua placed the tofu outside, where it quickly froze. Eating frozen tofu in winter was the best; the soup would seep into the tofu, and when bitten into, it would burn the tongue—Xiao Lihua's favorite.
Xiao Lihua asked Xie Youshun to prepare the rabbits. They kept two for themselves to stew and stir-fry, while the rest were smoked. This way, not only could they enjoy it at home, but they could also take some as gifts when visiting others.
The Zi Clan sent them couplets and the character for good fortune. She would return to her family home every year to collect these items, and this year she brought a set for Xie Youshun.
"Thank you, Second Sister," Xiao Lihua said gratefully as she looked at the bright red couplets and good fortune characters.
Zi Clan smiled and said, "My father knows you are helping us earn money; he is very happy. He asked me to thank you on his behalf and said you have taken good care of us. He wrote these couplets himself."
The preparations for the New Year always seemed to come quickly. After another trip to the market to buy necessary items and finalize preparations, the New Year had arrived.
Xiao Lihua instructed Xie Youshun to send gifts back to their old house: ten pounds of rice, ten pounds of flour, ten pounds of pork, one rabbit, one chicken, a pack of white sugar, a pack of brown sugar, two boxes of snacks, and a complete outfit with shoes for each person. This was quite generous and considered one of the best offerings in their village.
"Why didn't you make a pair of shoes? You’ve earned quite a bit; just sending rice and flour? How much would it cost to send another bag? And what about Silver? You earned hundreds of taels but can’t spare me a few dozen?" Wang Clan complained. She couldn't stand not having money in her hands; she had given all her money to her daughter and now felt empty without any cash.
Xie Youshun pretended not to hear; he was used to his mother's constant dissatisfaction.
Xie Youtai said, "Mother, Fourth Brother has given enough already. If he gives more, where will we put our faces? You need to consider us too. Eldest Brother, Third Brother, what do you think?"
Xie Youkang smiled and said, "Mother, this year I really have no money."
Xie Youhe remained silent; after all, he had no money to ask from him, yet he was thinking of making others pay.
Wang Clan was so angry that she wanted to scold someone, but Xie Shengcai stopped her. He didn't want to hear her fuss during the New Year. Wang Clan finally calmed down and started criticizing Xiao Lihua's sewing skills, claiming she wasted fabric.
Xie Youshun didn't want to listen anymore and exchanged a few words with Xie Shengcai before leaving.
On New Year's Eve, the family had a reunion dinner without any incidents. Then on the first day of the New Year, families visited each other. Many daughters-in-law returned to their parental homes on the second day. Some In-laws, wanting their daughters-in-law to welcome their own daughters, insisted that they return home on the third day. However, Xiao Lihua was not a pushover and insisted on going back on the second day.
As a result, Ruyi, who came with Gao Zhengping, did not see Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua. Frustrated, she hurried back home. Ruyi also did not return to her parental home happily and grew even more resentful towards Fourth Brother Sister Four.
After returning to her parental home, Xiao Lihua saw Meihua and noticed that she seemed to be in much better spirits. It seemed that being with family made everything look brighter.
The wedding date for Meihua and Zhao Linting was also set for spring.
This year, Xiao Dashu made a good profit from selling pork and planned to build a brick house once the weather warmed up after the New Year.
Seeing her family happy made Xiao Lihua very pleased as well. She thought that although the original Xiao Lihua was somewhat odd, she would still be happy seeing her family live well; she felt she had done right by her.
Once the New Year passed, time flew by quickly. Although the weather was still cold, it gradually began to warm up day by day. Spring finally arrived, bringing everything back to life. Xiao Lihua realized that she had been in this world for almost a year.
The author has something to say: I'm sorry, I'm really sorry; it's too late. I got delayed with something. I wrote this chapter quickly because I wanted to write about spring~~~
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