Second Auntie held Qin i’s hand, patting the back of it as she earnestly advised, "Fourth Wife of Jing, the Jie Family is well-off, Jing Si is handso, and he’s a good man who dotes on his wife. Fourth Wife of Jing, you can’t do anything foolish."
Qin i didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She pulled her hand from Second Auntie’s grasp. Qin i took a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Qin Xiang, pointing first to him and then to herself. "Second Auntie, look at us. Don’t we look alike?"
Second Auntie ignored Qin i’s question about their resemblance and pulled her back again, glancing at Qin Xiang with disdain. "Not a match! Not a match! You two are not a match at all! You and Jing Si are the ones who are a match—a talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match made in heaven."
Qin i looked to the heavens. ’I asked her if we look alike, not if we’re a good match!’
Seeing Second Auntie misunderstand the situation with him and his little sister, Qin Xiang wasn’t angry. On the contrary, he was quite pleased. ’How rare! My little sister is actually getting along so harmoniously with the neighbors.’
He recalled her interactions with the villagers back ho, which could only be described as chaotic.
"Second Auntie, have you really not noticed that we look very much alike?" Qin i asked.
Second Auntie froze. Her gaze darted back and forth between Qin i and Qin Xiang as she stamred, "You two... you two..."
"He’s my brother," Qin i said, her voice laced with laughter.
Qin i and Qin Xiang did look very much alike. Second Auntie hadn’t really taken a good look at Qin Xiang before. Now that Qin i said he was her brother, given their similar features, she had no reason to doubt it. She slapped her thigh, utterly embarrassed. "Oh dear! What a scene I’ve made. Fourth Wife of Jing, Big Brother Qin, my apologies. I was being foolish."
"Second Auntie, he’s my younger brother," Qin i corrected.
"Ah!" Second Auntie exclaid, then chuckled sheepishly. "Younger Brother Qin, my apologies, my apologies."
"It’s alright. It was all a misunderstanding. Now that it’s cleared up, all’s well that ends well," Qin Xiang said magnanimously.
"Hehe, Fourth Wife of Jing, your younger brother is quite handso. Younger Brother Qin, are you married?" Second Auntie asked, beaming.
"No," Qin Xiang said, shaking his head.
"Younger Brother Qin, where is your family from? Do you have a rural household registration? Or a city one? Do you have a job?" Second Auntie bombarded Qin Xiang with a string of questions.
Qin Xiang’s head was spinning. ’Is she trying to set up with soone?’
"Second Auntie, was there sothing you needed for?" Qin i cut in.
Reminded by Qin i, Second Auntie finally rembered that she had co looking for her for a reason.
"Oh, dear! Look at my mory, I almost forgot the important stuff." Second Auntie pulled Qin i aside, cautious and discreet. "Fourth Wife of Jing, soone ca to wanting to buy so ointnt."
"Second Auntie, I’m only responsible for making the ointnt. You’re responsible for selling it. Whether you sell it or not is your decision." Qin i suspected there was more to it. She gave the ointnt to Second Auntie, who rarely shared information about the buyers. Who to sell to, or not to sell to, was always Second Auntie’s own decision.
Second Auntie cautiously scanned their surroundings. Seeing no one was near, she leaned in close to Qin i’s ear and whispered, "That person... black market... speculation."
Qin i understood instantly. Without a second thought, she refused outright. "No sale."
’Having Qin’s ointnt appear on the black market could easily lead to trouble. The political climate isn’t right at the mont; it’s not worth the risk. For small-scale dealings, the authorities will just turn a blind eye. But once it’s sold on the black market, the nature of the cri changes completely.’
’First, I need to build a solid reputation through limited sales, making each plaster a sought-after item. Then, when the Reform and Opening-up policies are announced, I can start mass production.’
"Better safe than sorry. I agree, we can’t sell." Qin i’s refusal solidified Second Auntie’s position. She had initially refused too, but when the person offered to double the price, she’d been tempted and started to waver.
She got the ointnt from Qin i, who provided a fixed amount each day. If she agreed to sell but Qin i refused, there was nothing she could do. She saw Qin i as her God of Wealth and wasn’t foolish enough to offend her God of Wealth for a quick profit.
After buying groceries, Jie Jingchen ca out of the food store to see Jing Qi sitting on a small stool by the entrance, while Qin Xiang stood a short distance away, watching Second Auntie and Qin i whispering to each other.
"Fourth Brother," Jie Jingshan called out.
"Let’s go." Carrying a net bag, Jie Jingchen walked over to Qin Xiang and hung the bag on the front of the bicycle.
Jie Jingshan got up and cautiously walked toward Qin Xiang. Second Auntie turned her head and happened to see this. Her heart leaped, her nose tingled, and her eyes began to redden.
Qin i took in Second Auntie’s entire reaction. The older woman didn’t rush excitedly toward Jing Qi. Instead, with reddened eyes, she just quietly watched her walk, as if she was afraid that rushing forward would startle Jing Qi.
"Second Auntie, we’re heading ho now," Qin i said to her.
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