In summer, the days are longer and it gets dark later.
When Zhuang Keqing and Qin Manzhi arrived home, it was still light outside.
The mother and daughter entered the small courtyard one after another.
I was in a hurry when I came out at noon, but the cart was still hastily placed in a corner of the yard. The chickens in the chicken coop were not fed in the afternoon, and the temperature had dropped. They got out of the chicken coop, and when they saw someone coming in, they all gathered together and chirped.
Shouting for food.
"Mom, I'll feed the chicken first. You carry Man Bao to the bed. Later we'll start the stove and cook." As Zhuang Keqing spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen. "I'm starving to death. I haven't been here since."
I haven’t eaten anything since noon.”
Qin Manzhi stood in the courtyard, listening to the small complaints coming from the kitchen, and then looked at the sweaty little son in her arms, but finally did not catch up to ask anxiously.
Usually Aman takes naps at home and she comes to fan him, but today he stayed out all afternoon and it was the hottest time. Even if he and his mother were close together, the little one still felt uncomfortable.
Qin Manzhi felt a little distressed.
She entered the room, stood in front of the bed, untied the cloth bag on her chest, and placed the baby's soft body on the bed. She just turned around to get a cloth to wipe his sweat, when she saw the little baby's head was in
He tilted and fell asleep.
It seemed that Manbao was too tired and didn't bother asking for milk.
Zhuang Keqing was busy in the kitchen.
She lit the stove neatly, first boiled hot water and chicken food, then made a lard pan, picked and washed the vegetables and simply put the noodles in. While waiting for the noodles to be cooked, she took the chicken food bucket out.
Just fed the chickens.
By the time she brought the noodle bowl and entered the room, only a quarter of an hour had passed.
"Mom, come and eat."
Qin Manzhi was in the back room. After hearing Zhuang Keqing's voice, she surrounded the bed, put Aman's favorite wooden piglet in his hand, and then came out.
"Mom, eat first."
Zhuang Keqing knew that her mother must have a lot to ask her, but she was very hungry now, so she just pushed the bowl forward, and then she took a big mouthful of noodles and stuffed it into her mouth.
Qin Manzhi didn't say anything, just took a bowl and started eating. She had been waiting outside all afternoon, and she hadn't eaten a grain of rice yet, so she was very hungry.
After the two of them finished the last sip of soup, Zhuang Keqing put down the bowl and then told everything that happened today.
"What! Why is Mr. Zhou so cruel?"
Qin Manzhi didn't know that there was a mother in the world who treated her child so harshly. Even if she was not her biological child, since the child called you mother, the relationship between mother and child was sealed.
"Mom, don't be angry with me for deciding my life's major events so casually. In fact, I also have my own considerations."
Zhuang Keqing didn't give her mother a chance to sigh, and went straight to the point. When she mentioned it like this, Qin Manzhi thought of the Zhou family forcing them.
"Let's not talk about Mr. Shen's saving my life. I owe him my life. Let's talk about our family's situation."
Zhuang Keqing paused, looking rather serious.
"We have a tofu business in our hands. We used to do some small business in the village and couldn't make much money. Although some people are jealous, because of our family's poor situation, they are more of a pity and can't do anything.
What an outrageous thing. But since I brought my business to the town, you also know what happened after that. Aunt Wang and Zhuang Er, who didn't want to get a share of the pie, didn't they also realize that there are no boys in our family?
A person in charge?"
No one knows her family's situation better than Qin Manzhi. After hearing this, she can roughly think of the reason for her daughter's decision. "But..."
She still didn't want her daughter to make such a hasty decision.
"As for Mr. Shen, I was able to save Mrs. Liu only because of his help. Otherwise, I don't know what kind of scolding I would have received now."
Zhuang Keqing had never mentioned this matter to her mother, and she only wanted to bring it up now to prove Shen Ling's character.
Only then did Qin Manzhi realize that there was such a reason, and he felt a little relieved.
"Mom, I haven't told you why I fell into the water." Zhuang Keqing threw out unknown facts one after another. "Yesterday, Wang San wanted to do that dirty thing when I was alone. It's a good thing, it's easy to cook the rice, and in the end everyone gets both money and money."
One after another, Qin Manzhi's mind was filled with everything that happened today, but with just these few words from her daughter, she woke up. She didn't even need to imagine how dangerous the situation was at that time. There was nothing in front of her. The embarrassment and vulnerability of my daughter at that time emerged consciously.
If it weren't for this Young Master of the Shen family...
She didn't dare to think about it any more.
"This is the third king who kills a thousand swords!"
"Mom, Wang San has already run away."
It was getting dark. Zhuang Keqing patted her mother's hand and squeezed her hand tightly. She turned around and took out the oil lamp, lit it and put it on the table.
"Run away?"
"Well, they robbed all the money from the family and kicked and injured Wang Da's daughter. Now the Wang family can't even get the money for the child's medical treatment."
Qin Manzhi stopped talking when she heard this. Although she despised what Aunt Wang and Wang San had done, what fault did the Wang family's children have? They suffered this crime in vain.
"As for Mr. Shen, I have rescued him twice. Who can say that we are not destined to be together? Now he has asked to be exterminated, and he is considered alone. The Shen family is a high-ranking family, and the Zhou family has fulfilled his wish this time, and he will not be in trouble again in the future. We, and..."
Zhuang Keqing's eyes curled up, and he squeezed Qin Manzhi's sweaty hand, pretending to be shy, "Young Master Shen is so good-looking, I'm not at any loss either."
They were originally discussing very serious matters, but when their daughter teased her at the end, Qin Manzhi burst into laughter.
But she thought about it more and realized that what her daughter said was all right. She didn't mention the Wang family, but the banker who had already split up the family. If her mother-in-law really sacrificed her face and used filial piety to pressure her into handing over the tofu recipe, then they, the orphans, would Being a widowed mother, there really is no way to deal with it.
She raised her head again, and her daughter's eyes were shining brightly under the oil lamp. She did not see any grievance or reluctance at all, but showed some expectation for the future.
Qin Manzhi pursed her lips and chuckled softly when she raised her eyes again, "Mom, I didn't expect you to get married so early. I don't know if this time is enough to prepare a dowry for you."
After Zhuang Keqing heard this, he knew that his mother had agreed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Ling slept until the middle of the moon and then woke up.
In a daze, he didn't even realize that he was no longer in the Shen family.
The moonlight filtered in through the gap in the window. He calmed down and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. When he lowered his head, memories came flooding back and occupied his mind in an instant.
In front of her eyes was the girl's slender back and thin white neck. She turned her head, and the sunlight shone on her slightly messy hair, creating a circle of pale golden light.
He couldn't see her face clearly, but he could only remember the few words uttered between those beautiful lips.
"Would you do that?"
Shen Ling answered in a voice that only he could hear.
I do.
The voice is not illusory and ethereal, but blends with the youthful youth and hope.
He answered "I do" over and over again, until traces of salty water slipped from the corner of his eyes and disappeared into his hair.
