Zhao Guanggun leaned against the blue brick wall, glaring at Zhao Hai'e with dissatisfaction.
"You make it sound so simple. You don't know how terrifying Shen Yun from her household is."
The last time he'd gone to their house to cause trouble, he'd been stared at by those eyes and still felt a bit scared thinking about it.
The reason he'd followed Su Xiaoqi for so many days and hadn't made a move yet was also because of an inexplicable fear he harbored deep down towards Shen Yun.
But then he thought about how the Shen family had wronged him so much.
And his leg was also suspected to have been injured by a beast trap they'd set.
It was simply outrageous. He'd only stolen two fish from their home, and he had to pay with a leg.
He couldn't swallow this indignity.
So, no matter how scared he was, he had to do it.
Anyway, as long as he could find a way to keep Shen Yun from knowing it was him.
He muttered, "You tell me, you tell me, how to create an opportunity?"
He wasn't smart to begin with, and his laziness had made him even duller. He had a stomach full of bad ideas but didn't know how to get rid of them.
Zhao Hai'e glared at him, thinking to herself, "May he be stupid to death."
But her face smiled sweetly, "You wait, I'll think of a way to lure her out."
As soon as Zhao Guanggun heard this, Su Xiaoqi's beautiful face immediately appeared in his mind.
He rubbed his chin, licked his lips, and swallowed hard, saying lecherously,
"If you can think of a way, it's best to lure her into Yuanbao Mountain behind here.
There's a cave in the Steep Ridge area. If you lure her there, I can..."
As he spoke, he acted as if Zhao Hai'e had already succeeded.
He touched himself somewhere, making his body feel hot.
Chang'e spat at him, seeing him act like this in front of her without any reservation:
"Pah, look at you. Uncle Dexing, speak properly."
When you speak, you speak. Is it necessary to have such a lustful expression?
Although she was precocious, she was still a maiden.
Unbeknownst to them, in this narrow space, someone was engaging in dirty deeds.
The Shen family's courtyard was filled with laughter and joy.
Shen Xiaomei took out the pastries brought from Chen Jinniang and placed them in the main hall.
Everyone tasted some of each.
Each one was sweet to their hearts.
"These are so delicious. What kind of candy is this?"
Shen Erdan, holding an egg tart, savored it as he ate.
Su Xiaoqi chuckled and corrected him:
"This is called an egg tart. If you want to eat them, I'll buy some ingredients in town the day after tomorrow, and your little sister will make them for you again."
"Did Xiaomei make all these?" Zhao Shi looked at the two speaking with disbelief.
Su Xiaoqi lightly hummed and nodded.
She then told them the names of the bread and pastries they had brought back.
There were many varieties, but not in large quantities. Each was only enough for everyone to have a taste.
After all, ingredients were expensive, and both Chen Jinniang and Shen Xiaomei were thrifty.
"Xiaomei, you're amazing." Zhao Xiaozhu stood in the corner, looking at Shen Xiaomei with envy.
Shen Xiaomei's face turned red as an apple from the compliment.
She was usually inconspicuous, how could she have heard so many nice words?
Thinking that all of this was brought about by her sister-in-law,
She couldn't help but look over.
Su Xiaoqi winked and smiled at her, giving her a thumbs-up.
Implying that this was her own merit, and had nothing to do with her.
Shen Xiaomei pursed her lips. Seeing that everyone loved the pastries she made, her timid and fearful heart gradually found its anchor, and she slowly straightened her spine.
She had finally found a way to realize her own value.
Zhao Shi picked a few of the more substantial pastries, wrapped them in oil paper, and had Shen Erdan take them to the Zhao family's old house for her father, the old scholar, to try.
Upon seeing this, Old Yu Shi snorted, "Hmph, what's the point of sending them? Your sister-in-law isn't good.
And the old man doesn't eat sweets. Giving them over would only benefit your sister-in-law."
She harbored great resentment towards Qian Shi.
If it weren't for her, how could she, who had given birth to so many sons, need to rely on her married-off and widowed daughter for old-age support?
It was all because she was stingy and unfilial.
But then her daughter, Sanniang, was so soft-hearted.
Seeing how Qian Shi treated her poorly a few times, she had suggested bringing her to the Shen family to live in her old age.
This suggestion was exactly what Qian Shi wanted.
If it weren't for fear of what the villagers would say,
Qian Shi wished she would live in the Shen family forever and never return.
Ideally, she would die in that house, and they wouldn't even have to arrange her funeral.
Alas, such a heartless wretch.
Zhao Shi knew her mother was recalling her unpleasant memories of Qian Shi and weakly consoled her:
"Mother, I was just thinking about Baogui and Fugui."
No matter how much Qian Shi was disliked, Baogui was still a descendant of the Zhao family.
Old Yu Shi surely loved her two precious grandsons, so she stopped talking.
However, her bulging eyes revealed her displeasure at the moment.
Su Xiaoqi stopped Zhao Shi and told her that she had already packed a bag of pastries for Zhao Liushun to take back on the mule cart.
It was no less, and likely more, than the bag Zhao Shi was holding.
Hearing this, Zhao Shi looked at Su Xiaoqi with appreciation.
It was her daughter-in-law who was sensible, filial, and knew how to behave.
Zhao Shi, satisfied, helped the old Yu Shi, who had coughed a few times, back to her room to rest.
Su Xiaoqi looked at Zhao Xiaozhu.
She showed her the fabric brought back from the shop.
She said that this time she would have to trouble her to make two exquisite and beautiful garments.
Zhao Xiaozhu was a quiet person by nature.
Since that incident, she spoke even less unless necessary.
But her only pleasure was needlework.
Having lived with Su Xiaoqi for so many days, she dedicated herself to needlework, almost forgetting to eat and sleep, turning the fabrics Su Xiaoqi brought back into clothes one by one.
Many had already been worn by family members.
"Oh, and this fabric can be used to make quilts.
I bought some cotton. After you finish the clothes, you can make quilts when you have time."
Su Xiaoqi had long wanted to stop using those stiff and cold worn-out quilts.
However, cotton was really expensive in this era.
After all, they had just experienced a year of famine.
At this point in time, everyone was thinking of planting grains, sweet potatoes, and other food crops that could fill their stomachs.
They were unwilling to plant cotton and occupy the land.
Therefore, the price of cotton had been driven up, and it was hard to find.
Zhao Xiaozhu's dull face instantly came alive upon hearing this.
Her hazy eyes also lit up.
Taking the fabric Su Xiaoqi handed her, she happily returned to her room with Shen Xiaomei.
Shen Xiaomei, meanwhile, took the praise she received to the kitchen.
Today, her sister-in-law had bought many delicious ingredients, and she wanted to show off her cooking skills.
During this time, Shen Yun sat on the bamboo chair on the left side of the main hall, watching Su Xiaoqi interact with her family and meticulously arrange things.
Shen Yun's gaze towards her was filled with both surprise and tenderness.
After Su Xiaoqi had arranged everything, she found that everyone in the main hall had left.
Only she and Shen Yun were left sitting, looking at each other.
Moreover, the person opposite her had a strange look in his eyes, giving her the feeling of prey encountering a hunter.
She shook her head. Shen Yun's demeanor had returned to normal, but his eyes were still fixed on her.
"Why are you always staring at me?" Su Xiaoqi glared at Shen Yun.
She thought to herself, "Don't think your handsome eyes give you the right to stare at me so brazenly. Stare again, and I'll dig your eyes out..."
As Su Xiaoqi was complaining, she didn't expect Shen Yun to suddenly reach out to her.
As soon as she spoke, Shen Yun heard it all.
He looked at Su Xiaoqi in surprise. Was she really that fierce?
"You really want to dig my eyes out?" he asked leisurely.
"What, what did you say?" Su Xiaoqi was shocked.
Shen Yun's strange behavior made her momentarily unsure whether she had accidentally spoken her inner thoughts aloud.