Dabao sensed something from his attitude, but at that moment, Xiang Lifeng was being too gentle with her. She lacked maternal love and fatherly affection, so being coaxed like this made her feel dazed, and she honestly said, “It was Aunt Yuzhen from next door. She told me that with a stepmother, there will be a stepfather. When the stepmother has a baby, you won’t like us even more. Maybe we’ll even be sent away…”
So it was her.
This woman always liked to say all sorts of nonsense, but Xiang Lifeng never expected her to talk like this in front of a child!
Was she out of her mind?!
Xiang Lifeng’s face gradually darkened; he was naturally angry, but more than that, he felt powerless.
His mother was right; he hadn’t even taught his children how to behave, so how could he expect them to be outstanding?
Did he have to stay in the army and only come back two or three times a year?
As he watched his daughter babble and mimic Aunt Yuzhen’s way of speaking, he felt somewhat overwhelmed. Even if he knew about this Aunt Yuzhen now, with so many women in the village who loved to talk like this, who could say there wouldn’t be another Aunt Yuzhen?
His three kids—one eight years old, one five, and one three—had a long way to go before growing up. If he let things go on like this, they might really end up going astray.
“Dad?” Dabao sensed that something was off with his father’s expression and timidly called out.
Xiang Lifeng forced a smile, trying not to reveal anything in front of his daughter. He coaxed them into having lunch, told them to take a nap, and then rolled up his sleeves to head next door…
That night, news of Xiang Lifeng beating up the neighbor spread throughout the entire village.
Because Qingli had almost become family with Xiang Lifeng before, Aunt Xiuhong from next door made a special trip to tell her about it.
During dinner, she came over with her bowl to gossip, hoping to snag a little meat.
Aunt Xiuhong knew her limits; she only dared to take a bit of vegetables and taste a little meat.
However, Qingli always made sure to give her a little meat.
Though this aunt was a gossip, she was still a decent person and had taken care of her, so Qingli was not stingy. She just didn’t want to give too much and be accused of being too generous.
Hearing this gossip, she was surprised; she hadn’t expected Xiang Lifeng to be so impulsive. He looked like a stable person.
But this matter had nothing to do with her; she just listened and let it go. After sending Aunt Xiuhong off and closing the courtyard gate, Qingli started hammering and preparing a nest for the puppy.
She lived alone and would often be out, and there were many valuable things in her house, like the plump little chicks that would be good for something when they grew up.
Plus, she often cooked meat in the kitchen.
A dog could help guard the house, which would be perfect.
This little puppy was one she had asked someone from the black market to help her find. Most people at this time couldn’t even afford to feed themselves, so they couldn’t keep dogs. The numbers were low, but with a careful search, one could still find them.
Today, Qingli brought back this local dog, which supposedly would grow up to be quite a looker.
After settling the dog in, Qingli went to bed early.
As more and more people began buying her egg cakes, she increased her production, hanging two baskets on the back of her bicycle—one for regular egg cakes and one for red date and grape egg cakes.
However, a week later, the number of customers started to drop sharply.
Anything becomes less interesting when consumed too often.
And the price wasn’t cheap; eating them every day was unaffordable.
Qingli had expected it to take at least ten more days for the number of customers to decline. She was quite confident in her skills. Although most people in the town were not wealthy, they wouldn’t lose interest after just a few tries.
Looking at the sold-out red date egg cakes, grape egg cakes, and the thirty or so regular egg cakes still left, she frowned slightly.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar small voice: “There’s a street across selling egg cakes too…”
Qingli turned to see a little girl, who had somehow come to her side, standing two meters away and mustering the courage to talk to her.
Qingli smiled knowingly. “Thank you! Do you know when they started selling them?”
The girl nodded. “Yesterday morning. They sell them for a penny less than you do, but they’re not as good as yours.”
“I see.” Qingli chuckled and teased her, “How do you know mine is better?”
The little girl replied softly, “I heard it!”
Qingli’s smile widened. This time she handed over two pieces of egg cake. “Here, take this. I have some leftover today, so enjoy another piece.”
The little girl immediately broke into a smile, took the cakes with both hands, thanked her sincerely, and then added, “Sister, if you want to change locations, I know a place with a lot of people.” She pointed in a direction, “There’s a restaurant down that street; many people go in and out. Your egg cakes are delicious; they’ll like them.”
“Thank you,” Qingli said. “I’ll go take a look.”
“Okay!” The girl felt happy that her suggestion was accepted, skipping back to the street, but this time she didn’t stop to eat; she waved goodbye to Qingli and entered an alley, disappearing from sight.
Knowing there was also a place nearby selling egg cakes, Qingli decided to change locations.
There were many bustling areas in town; she had planned this ahead of time; it was just two days earlier than expected.
Now, having heard the child’s suggestion, it coincidentally matched her planned spot, so she headed straight there.
Having a bicycle was indeed convenient; she didn’t need to unload her goods again—just covered them with a cloth to shield them from dust, hopped on the bike, and rode off, quickly passing through a lively street and heading toward another street with decent foot traffic.
The two streets were somewhat far apart, and there would likely be a significant overlap in the crowds.
Once she stopped, she took out the fragrant egg cakes, and immediately someone curiously asked, “What is this?”
“Egg cake, made with egg whites, sugar, and flour. Five cents each,” Qingli explained as usual, offering a small piece for tasting. “Come try it; if you like it, you can take some home. I used to sell them on Yonghua Street; I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. Everyone who’s tried them says they’re good, though I made a bit extra today.”
“I’ve heard of it, it’s you!” the person laughed, taking the small piece of egg cake, tasting it, and immediately nodding in satisfaction. “Good, I’ll take one.”
Another successful transaction.
Once one sale was made, the second and third followed quickly.
Just as her stock was almost sold out, a somewhat familiar voice called out, “Qingli?”
Qingli looked up to see a middle-aged man staring at her, uncertainty on his face. When he saw her glance his way, he confirmed it was Du Qingli and walked over.
“Here are your two pieces.” Qingli handed over the last two egg cakes, satisfied to see her baskets empty. She placed the items down and noticed the man approaching. She called out, “Uncle.”
“Qingli, what are you doing selling things out here? Where are your grandparents?” The middle-aged man frowned, his expression serious.
He was dressed in a neat worker’s uniform, holding a stainless steel lunchbox in one hand and a bag in the other; compared to the people coming and going, he looked more presentable, walking with his head held high.
This man was her aunt’s husband, though this aunt was somewhat distant—she was the daughter of her grandfather’s brother. But both families came from the same roots, so they helped each other out when needed. This aunt was capable and had married into the city; her husband, the man in front of her, was also a worker making a few dozen bucks a month, a family everyone in the village envied.
With a bright smile, she replied as if there had been no conflict with her grandparents, “My grandparents are at home working.”
The man’s face was tense as he said sternly, “Why are you out here alone? Where did you get this bicycle? If you need money, just tell us; don’t do this kind of work. It’s shameful to be self-employed!”
As he spoke, he pulled out some money from his pocket. “Here’s five bucks; you can use it for now.”
Qingli hadn’t expected him to be so enthusiastic; she thought he was just coming to scold her. Although this kindness was a bit odd, she didn’t want to be rude and quickly rode her bike, waving to the man, “No thanks, I don’t think being self-employed is shameful. You keep your money; I earn enough.”
“Hey!” The man had just pulled out the money when he looked up, and all he saw was Du Qingli’s retreating figure. He immediately felt displeased and frowned.
This child didn’t understand; refusing his money and running out here to be self-employed—wasn’t that a disgrace to the entire Du family?
He would have to tell his wife when he got back. It had been a while since he had visited the village.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152