The sunflowers were in season, and many families had planted a few. With little land and low yields, they weren’t sold for money but purely used as snacks at ho.
These families usually had so other sources of inco. If they relied solely on that bit of land and hunting in the mountains to make a living, who would bother planting sunflowers?
Beisitian really liked sunflower seeds, especially enjoying the taste of picking fresh ones from a large sunflower while munching away.
Beisitian didn’t expect Liu Chunyu to give her sothing and had nothing good to offer in return. After thinking for a bit, she took a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to Liu Chunyu.
"I didn’t prepare this especially for you, but don’t look down on it." Beisitian said.
The handkerchief was ant for her own use. It was new and, although not double-sided embroidery, featured a branch of proud plum blossoms flourishing on a pure white silk handkerchief, blooming with icy elegance!
Liu Chunyu saw the embroidery and was amazed, looking up to say, "It’s beautiful! Did Aunt Qin embroider this?"
"I embroidered it myself," Beisitian said with a smile.
Whether it was embroidery or calligraphy, she never intended to keep it hidden as these were her ans of earning money at the start. If she didn’t display them openly, if people talked about her family’s money coming from dubious sources, what then? In the countryside, there’s nothing more than a multitude of gossiping won!
Liu Chunyu probably didn’t expect the forrly quiet Beisitian to have such a skill, showing an expression of surprise and then awkwardly smiling.
"You’re really good at embroidering, better than Aunt Qiao from our village!" Liu Chunyu sincerely praised.
Zhang Qiao Niang was a skilled embroidery woman in the village.
"I’m not there yet. I need to keep learning to compare myself with real embroidery won in the future."
Compared to Liu Chunyu, Beisitian had more worldly experience. She not only liked to leave herself a way out while speaking but also liked to lay the groundwork for her future. It had beco an unconscious habit ford throughout her life of struggle.
By telling Liu Chunyu about learning the skill, when people later found out about her working at Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop as an embroidery woman, it wouldn’t seem abrupt.
Liu Chunyu, still with the mindset of a young girl, was delighted with the pretty handkerchief and gradually grew closer to Beisitian.
"By the way, did you go to town today?" Liu Chunyu asked, tilting her head.
Beisitian was startled. She wasn’t afraid of being seen, just that she left early in the morning when presumably no one was around to see.
"How did you know?" Beisitian asked.
...
Over at Luo’s house, separated by a large pit.
Qin Hongi was sitting on the kang, leaning against a stack of quilts as she worked, muttering curses as she did.
"Mother, I’m not talking nonsense. Everyone outside is saying that Little Tian’er went to town, and it’s said she bought white bread buns. Even though we’ve split from the family, we’re still tied by blood. With white bread buns in hand, wouldn’t you think of your family first? But we haven’t even seen a crumb!"
An elderly woman sat cross-legged on the kang, her skin saggy and toothless, making her speech a bit unclear.
"Where would the second household get the money to buy white bread buns? You know how their life is," Old Mrs. Luo said while breaking a vegetable flatbread into crumbs and putting them into her mouth.
Without teeth, she couldn’t eat properly. She would eat a bit with her son and daughter-in-law during als but mostly wouldn’t get full. She’d find sothing to eat later when hungry.
Qin Hongi glanced at the vegetable flatbread, feeling a bit distressed but said, "The village wouldn’t make things up, right? Everyone knows how the second household is. Without concrete evidence, who would spread rumors?"
She wanted to instigate the old lady to have a look. Luo Aiguo didn’t care about much, but he still supported his brother. If she talked to him, he might scold her, so she instigated the old lady for anything.
Old Mrs. Luo wouldn’t have had any option if she spoke up.
"That’s true,"
Old Mrs. Luo had a soft heart. With age, she had long lost her previous decisiveness from her days as the head of the family, and Qin Hongi was good at coaxing people, so Old Mrs. Luo trusted her a lot.
"Mother, I don’t think Second Brother should act this way. Even though he married a rural woman, he still has so education. If it’s true, it must be Mrs. Qin whispering in his ear. It’s not the white bread buns I mind – I fear Second Brother might turn against you, his own mother! Think about it. Who wouldn’t think of the elderly when they have food?"
Old Mrs. Luo paused her hand from throwing the vegetable flatbread crumbs. She had two sons and a daughter in her life. When the family fell on hard tis, the daughter, who got married, didn’t co to this poor village, leaving her with the two sons.
What mother wouldn’t be upset or hurt upon hearing that her son was distancing himself?
"It’s certainly that Mrs. Qin! No, help down from the kang, and we’ll go see!"
Her son was such a good person. If the family hadn’t fallen on hard tis, he wouldn’t have married a rural woman from a poor village! That rural woman was inexperienced, and her son was essentially ruined because of her!
Old Mrs. Luo couldn’t stay put. Her eldest daughter-in-law made sense. It wasn’t about the white bread buns, but about ensuring the second son didn’t lose heart, especially with soone as fierce and ignorant of manners as Mrs. Qin around. She felt even more uneasy.
Qin Hongi was secretly pleased when she heard this and quickly helped the old lady down from the kang. She had overheard that the second household’s widow secretly bought white bread buns using money from selling her handiwork and hid them at ho.
Ever since coming to this poor village, Qin Hongi felt like she hadn’t had a decent al. White bread buns, she hadn’t eaten those in a long ti, and just the thought made her mouth water, secretly cursing why that little brat didn’t just die. She bought white bread buns but didn’t know to bring them over!
In the west room, Luo Aiguo heard the commotion and peeked from beneath the door curtain to see them, asking, "Where are you going?"
"Mother misses Second Brother, so we’re going over to see him." Qin Hongi didn’t tell him, replying with a sentence before heading out.
The two had just left the yard when they saw Beisitian leading Luo Anping over. She called out as soon as she entered the door, "Grandma, I brought white bread buns for you!"
Her voice wasn’t small, and anyone nearby could hear the commotion. Those sitting in the yard cooling off perked up their ears at the ntion of white bread buns.
Qin Hongi, with her small eyes filled with a crafty gleam, glared at Beisitian and said, "Only bringing them over now!"
Beisitian looked surprised, "How did you know I bought white bread buns for Grandma and Dad, Aunt?"
Qin Hongi was stumped by her question. She couldn’t very well say she heard it from outside, could she?
Without waiting for her to speak, Beisitian took out the buns wrapped in a cloth.
Seeing this, Qin Hongi let go of Old Mrs. Luo and took two steps forward to grab them, but Beisitian walked past her and directly gave the buns to Old Mrs. Luo.
"Grandma, I went to town today, sold so handiwork, made a bit of money, and bought a white bread bun for both you and Dad. Have a good al!"
"Only bought two?" Qin Hongi asked sharply.
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