"Speaking of which, I was just about to look for Lin Wan. You mentioned a batch of new designs the other day, and I thought Iâd come to your house to check them out, ready to take a run outside." At this point, Wu Liu hurriedly said, "Lin Wan, my Old Wu at home has been talking a lot about you. The clothes you made last time really impressed me; theyâre almost as good as those outside. Oh, I havenât introduced myself; my name is Liu Xuehua. The neighbors all like to call me Sister Liu."
"Nice to meet you, Sister Liu. I wouldnât dare compare with outside goods, but I can guarantee that our goods are unique here in our country," Lin Wan said humbly.
"Will you be home tomorrow, Lin Wan? Old Wu and I plan to stop by to look at the styles. Itâs just the right time to visit the city in the south of Central Plains."
"Sure."
Lin Wan and the couple Wu Liu talked satisfactorily, even Shi Lan, mentioned her familyâs soy sauce, Wu Liu was preparing to take another batch.
Looks like Wu Liu is going to be out and about for a while this time.
...
Speaking of Zhang Dandan, after giving her salary for this month, Liang Hongmei urged her to go home quickly and apply some external medicine to her face.
Couldnât avoid mentioning a few words about the incident with Wu Liu; Zhang Dandan responded on the surface, but inside, she was feeling quite resentful.
Back home, Liang Weixiang spent the whole day pasting paper boxes neatly, waiting at home for her children to return, so she could deliver them early tomorrow morning.
Working non-stop all day, she only made seventy cents. Liang Weixiang thought to herself, since coming from the old home to here, she hasnât had a moment of comfort.
Busy working every day, she doesnât even dare to step out the door.
Although living in the city sounds enviable, only she knows thereâs no comfort here like at the old home; with a daughter-in-law around, she didnât need to cook or wash up.
Except for the busy farming season, she was quite comfortable otherwise.
"What happened?" Zhang Dandan came in with a face full of bruises and blood marks. The first thought Liang Weixiang had was about those people who tied her last time, "You... you didnât meet those people again, did you?" Liang Weixiang said, slapping her thigh and crying out, "How can anyone survive like this? Why is this big city worse than our countryside?"
"Mom, no, why are you yelling?" Zhang Dan Dan was quite upset herself, having finally found someone wealthier than Lin Yinghui, only to discover he was already married. Now her job was gone, and no money, what to do next? She didnât want to go back to the rural hometown.
"Really? Then who was it? Liang Hongmei! Was it that bitch Liang Hongmei who hit you?" Liang Weixiang said, and was about to rush out, intending to confront Liang Hongmei.
"Ah, Mom, can you not jump to conclusions? No... it wasnât." On the way, Zhang Dandan thought about not telling Liang Weixiang, but this matter couldnât be hidden.
So she roughly told Liang Weixiang what happened.
Sure enough, Liang Weixiang got angry, "Are you stupid? I told you to keep an eye on Lin Yinghui, why are you involving yourself with a married man? Is your brain full of water?"
"How was I supposed to know he was married? If Iâd known, I certainly wouldnât have rushed in like that." At least do it secretly, right? "You just want me to find someone rich. That Wu Liu is wealthier than my cousinâs family. They have a car, a big truck. I found out he has more than one truck, several actually, and a TV at home too. My cousinâs family doesnât even have one yet."
"Really?" Upon hearing such good conditions, Liang Weixiang was immediately tempted, "My daughter really has ability, meeting someone so good. You too, why werenât you careful, letting his wife find out... how old is he?"
"Should be... over thirty."
Liang Weixiang clapped her hands happily, "Over thirty is good; this is when couples get tired of each other. Suddenly, you, a tender young girl, come along and give him a little hint, heâll certainly fall for it. Then, with a few sweet words, you can make him do whatever you say. Listen to Mom, when you see that man, talk more behind his wifeâs back, got it?"
"Mom, your daughter was beaten by his wife today. You donât care about me but want me to go forward; isnât this harming me?" Zhang Dandan was scared. Today they talked about hooligan charges, which frightened her. She couldnât follow her momâs advice on this.
She wanted to find someone rich but someone who listens to her, a first marriage, so itâs less likely to divorce.
Today, she realized that Wu Liu clearly listens to his wife. Even if she successfully got Wu Liu, he wouldnât divorce his wife and marry her.
She didnât want to be a mistress for life.
"Mom, I know what Iâm doing, donât ask anymore. Hurry, go buy me some medicine to apply to my face. If my face doesnât heal and leaves scars, it wonât look good."
Talking about going out, Liang Weixiang got scared, "Dandan, you can walk yourself, go by yourself."
Zhang Dandan was dissatisfied, just about to frown, her face hurt badly, she didnât dare make any expression. A belly full of anger, unable to vent, felt suffocatingly uncomfortable.
"Mom, are you really my mother? Can I go out looking like this?"
"You know, Mom is scared of meeting those people."
"Youâre the one who came here without knowing the place, squawking and offending people. Now, itâs good, hiding at home all day, not going out, youâre better off going home."
"What a lousy city, you think I want to stay here? If you could give me two hundred yuan, Iâd go back right away."
"Where am I supposed to find two hundred yuan? Because of this matter today, my cousin directly drove me out, wonât let me go there anymore. Weâll have to wait and see if we can drink northwest wind in the future." "What? They wonât let you work anymore? Thatâs not okay, I have to go find them." Liang Weixiang, at this point, wasnât worried about encountering those people.
Rushed out the door, only realizing when she stepped out that they wouldnât be home at this time.
So she gave up the idea. Prepared to go tomorrow morning.
Having come out already, Liang Weixiang holding the list, headed for the nearest pharmacy.
Her daughter is a money tree now; canât have scars left on the face. If scars remain, finding a match in the future would be difficult.
A bottle of antiseptic water actually sold for one yuan. It made Liang Weixiang painfully hurt; her hands and feet working non-stop for a whole day only earned seventy or eighty cents. Now itâs good, a dayâs paper box pasting isnât even enough for the daughter.
Liang Weixiang didnât sleep well that night, worrying about Zhang Dandanâs work. Thirty yuan a month, enough for the two of them to live for several months. This money couldnât just be left for others.
Next morning, Liang Weixiang hurriedly rode her bicycle to Liang Hongmeiâs house.
Entering the yard, she met Lin Wan head-on.
Lin Wan seemed to have anticipated her return, no, should say, she and Mom thought Liang Weixiang wouldnât wait and shouldâve come yesterday. Didnât expect her to wait until today to come. Liang Hongmei wouldnât delay her morning market business, already gone to set up a stall.
Leaving Lin Wan to deal with their mother and daughter.
Actually, Lin Wan also thought well, now thereâs work making clothes at home, waiting for them to come, talk to them, if they agree to do it, all good, if not, she wouldnât care anymore afterwards.
"Xiao Wan, itâs too little. Only twenty cents per piece of clothing, how many do we need to make?"
Lin Wan raised an eyebrow, said, "Aunt, the work weâre offering you is better than what Dan Dan makes in the restaurant. You can sew at least twenty pieces a day. At twenty cents per piece, youâd earn two yuan a day, sixty yuan a month."
Upon hearing this, Liang Weixiang agreed, one person earning two yuan a day, if she and Dan Dan worked together, it would be four yuan a day. In a month, they could earn over a hundred.
This was much more than she earned pasting paper boxes.
"Aunt, thinking it over later, I feel itâs not suitable. I still rely on friends to see if thereâs washing dishes or scrubbing pots work for Dan Dan." Lin Wan said regretfully.
"Xiao Wan, why is it unsuitable? I think itâs very suitable; Aunt will do it," Liang Weixiang got anxious upon hearing this; why let such a good earning opportunity go to others? Washing dishes couldnât earn as much.
"The key is, clothing sewing requires a sewing machine; we donât accept hand-sewn goods, Auntâs family currently doesnât have a sewing machine, so this work canât be done by Dan Dan."
"It requires a sewing machine..." Liang Weixiang hesitated, showing some difficulty.