mtl008 Chapter 351 The house was more lively than when bandits were being suppressed.
Chapter 351 The house was more lively than when bandits were being suppressed.
When there are many children, everything feels like a battle.
Sanchuan sat on the stool, carefully scooped up a spoonful of warm porridge, blew on it, and then brought it to Wuyuan's lips.
"Ah—Gobuchi opens his mouth."
He exaggeratedly opened his mouth wide to demonstrate.
Wu Yuan blinked his round eyes, obediently swallowed, and the rice porridge flowed down his chin onto his bib.
"My turn, my turn."
Sihai was so anxious that he jumped up and down and snatched the wooden spoon, imitating Sanchuan to scoop up a full spoonful. However, because he was too hasty, the porridge directly smeared onto Wuyuan's nose.
The child's lips twitched, and he burst into tears, flailing his chubby little hands wildly, almost overturning the porridge bowl.
You're so stupid!
Sanchuan went to snatch the spoon.
"I'm not stupid!"
Sihai hid the spoon behind his back.
Er'er was still holding half a handful of millet when she saw this and scattered the grains all over the ground: "What's all the commotion so early in the morning!"
The chicken flapped its wings and rushed in, instantly sending rice grains and chicken feathers flying.
"Each one is more troublesome than the last."
The little girl sighed and watched the farce unfolding in the yard with a sense of helplessness.
Xu Yiyi leaned against the door frame, drinking her porridge and watching the chaotic battle with a smile.
Old Lu squatted in the corner, gnawing on dried squid, grinning from ear to ear: "Your house is more lively than a bandit suppression operation every day."
The two children had a minor argument, then immediately made up.
After Wu Yuan had eaten his fill and the house was tidied up, it was broad daylight.
The sun was already high in the sky.
Only a few boats remained on the river.
"Sister Yi-yi? You're back already?"
Xu Anyang was somewhat surprised to see her figure while standing on the small boat.
She responded.
Then, rowing, the small boat nimbly glided through the winding waterway.
Sanchuan, seeking respite from the heat, leaned against the bow of the boat, his fingers tracing the cool river water.
Er'er and Sihai sat on Xu Anyang's boat, laughing and talking about something.
Where did you go just now?
Old Lu sat in the boat, with Fatty Wu Yuan, who was sucking his little hand, sitting next to him, his dark eyes curiously gazing at the scenery.
The old man looked at Xu Yiyi with curiosity.
"What else could we do? We hid the things back then."
Although Ah Yin, Ah Nai, and Uncle Tai Nai help look after the house, it's still not quite right to leave such a large sum of money lying around at home.
She figured she needed to find a reliable money exchange to deposit her money.
The old man understood and said nothing more.
Although A-Yue is no longer stupid, her childlike nature hasn't changed. Sitting in the boat, she carefully protects the bamboo basket containing the bird's nest.
"You can still sell this? I thought you were going to throw it away."
This pile of bird's nests was picked out yesterday; the quality isn't very good.
It has a lot of stray hairs on it and looks quite dirty.
"It can be exchanged for money. This pile of bird's nests isn't bad either, it's just that there are too many feathers."
Wealthy families in town would typically buy them.
"Picking out the feathers is also a hassle."
“Rich families have servants who specialize in picking out the feathers; they are very quick and efficient, so it’s no problem for them.”
Xu Yiyi said casually.
When the boat docked, the town was already bustling with activity.
The bluestone path was wet with morning dew, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell.
Xu Anyang and Lao Lu led the children back to the restaurant.
She and A-Yue walked through the bustling crowd and arrived at an old shop with a plaque that read "Sihai Goods Warehouse".
Sihai mentions this shop every time he passes by.
Just because the store name is the same as his name.
The store is brightly lit, and the shelves are filled with all kinds of delicacies from land and sea.
The shopkeeper behind the counter was a lean old man with a small mustache and shrewd eyes. He was weighing dendrobium with a scale.
Seeing Xu Yiyi enter, he raised his eyelids slightly and said, "Oh, a rare guest."
Xu Yiyi placed the bamboo basket on the counter and lifted the cover: "Let me see the goods."
The shopkeeper slowly picked out a bird's nest, examined it carefully against the light, and after a long while said, "It's a rock swallow's nest. There are too many impurities, so the quality is just average."
He glanced at Xu Yiyi and A Yue, who was curiously looking behind him, and added, "But its advantage lies in its novelty."
"how much is it?"
Xu Yi cut straight to the end.
The shopkeeper fiddled with the abacus: "These... total five taels of silver."
Upon hearing this, A-Yue's eyes lit up, and she quietly tugged at Xu Yiyi's sleeve.
This is much more than expected.
Just as Xu Yiyi put the silver into her pocket, two people appeared at the shop door, and a strong fragrance of cosmetics wafted in first.
"Oh my, isn't this Yi-Yi?"
A shrill voice pierced her ears. Xu Yi looked up and saw a woman adorned with jewels being helped across the threshold by a maid.
It was Ma Rongjuan, Zhong Congyun's mother.
Ma Rongjuan squinted her upturned eyes and scanned Xu Yiyi from head to toe, her gaze lingering on the bulging purse at her waist.
"I heard your restaurant is doing very well lately? You're just a lowly merchant, getting all high and mighty after earning a few copper coins."
Ma Rongjuan turned her gaze back to her face, "It's pitiful for you siblings. Your parents died early, and now you don't even know basic manners."
As Ma Rongjuan spoke, she raised her hand to adjust her hair bun, "She can't even call out to people anymore."
A-Yue clenched her fist, but Xu Yiyi grabbed her wrist and walked straight towards the door.
As they passed each other, Ma Rongjuan suddenly raised her voice: "Not bowing to elders, truly a woman born of a mother but without proper upbringing!"
Xu Yiyi paused in her steps.
But she merely tilted her head, a cold smile playing on her lips: "If Madam Zhong is so bored, why don't you go and take care of your precious son who failed the imperial examinations for three years and finally bought an official position in the government office?"
After saying that, he took Ah Yue and left without looking back.
Ma Rongjuan's face turned ashen, and she turned to the shopkeeper and snapped, "What is that little bitch doing here?"
The shopkeeper leisurely pointed to the bird's nest on the counter: "Let's sell it."
Ma Rongjuan stared at the bird's nests and suddenly remembered that a few months ago, before the engagement was dissolved, she would always send any rare or unusual items she acquired to the Zhong family as soon as possible.
Abalone and sea cucumber are free to eat.
"Now they're so arrogant..."
Ma Rongjuan murmured to herself, twisting her handkerchief, when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her throat.
"Didn't Madam want to buy bird's nest?"
The shopkeeper called from behind, "Would you like to see the newly arrived snow swallows?"
Ma Rongjuan suddenly rushed out of the store, making the bell ring wildly.
Looking at Xu Yiyi's figure in the distance, he felt even more resentful.
I returned home in a huff.
She kicked open the door, her hairpins trembling as she rushed into the inner room, slamming the handkerchief in her hand onto the table.
Zhong, who was dozing on the tatami mat, was startled awake. He frowned and sat up, asking, "What's going on now?"
"It's all because of that wretched girl!"
Ma Rongjuan's chest heaved violently, and the makeup on her face was mottled from the steam of anger. "I just ran into her at the Sihai Goods Store. She actually dared to humiliate Congyun in public, saying that he failed the imperial examination and that his official position was bought!"
Zhong Xiang's face darkened, and he slammed his teacup down heavily.
"Didn't I tell you to be kinder to others? Is she wrong? Congyun is just not cut out for studying."
"I bother!"
Ma Rongjuan shrieked, "A merchant's daughter whose engagement we broke off, does she even deserve—"
Zhong Xiang was impatient. He was already exhausted from the two days of bandit suppression, and now he had to listen to these trivial matters.