Chapter 30

“What did you see?”

Ye Xiangdang frowned as he looked at Liu Lizhen, a hard-to-detect annoyance in his eyes.

Yet Liu Lizhen did not notice any of this at all. She put down the bag in her hand and began cursing. “I saw that dead girl Ye Wanqing get off the vehicle running to Shanyin Town. At her feet was a pile of big and small packages—one look and you could tell they were worthless agricultural goods. She definitely went to Yuanshan Village!”

“……That’s enough.” Ye Xiangdang sighed once. “No matter what, Liu Lixiu is still your sister. Why make the relationship so stiff? Treating them as ordinary relatives and interacting a bit—is that not okay?”

Not expecting Ye Xiangdang to speak like this, Liu Lizhen’s face stiffened and she unhappily refuted, “Didn’t you also not want to interact with the Wei family before? If we interact too much and the child can’t be raised properly, what then?”

Ye Xiangdang: “The past is the past, the present is the present. More than ten years without contact—the big girl never had contact with that side, yet didn’t she still grow distant just like that? Letting her understand the Wei family is also good. Once she understands, she’ll know which family is more suitable for her.”

Liu Lizhen stopped speaking.

During the days Ye Wanqing was not at home all the housework had been done by her. From morning to night she had not rested once—she was tired!

If Ye Wanqing were here, how good it would be.

That girl was diligent and from a young age knew how to help her with housework.

Washing vegetables and rinsing rice, feeding chickens and ducks—at eight she already knew how to take a wooden bucket to the pond to scoop duckweed to feed the pigs. The hundred-plus jin of grain distributed by the production team she could also drag home…… Thinking about it, after Ye Wanqing was six or seven she had never been this tired again. She truly could not adapt.

“Then what do you say we should do?” Liu Lizhen asked.

Ye Xiangdang: “Isn’t the big girl running a shop at the bus station entrance? You buy some things and go see her, say a few soft words, say from now on we won’t interfere with her anymore…… No matter what, we are the parents. We can’t be as petty as a child. Once the relationship is repaired the people at the station won’t gossip, and when you go out you’ll also see fewer unpleasant faces.”

“……Okay.” Liu Lizhen could only nod.

Although she did not want to lower her head to Ye Wanqing, who could do anything when the situation was stronger than the person?

The couple spoke in the living room. Today Ye Mingzhu, who happened not to be riding the routes, was sleeping in the room and heard their words crystal clear.

She turned over and angrily pouted.

—

Around four or five in the afternoon.

It was almost time to eat. The shop’s business was very good. Ye Wanqing was busy cutting braised dishes and mixing braised dishes without stopping.

She handed a mixed portion of braised dish to someone when a short and fat middle-aged man handed over two yuan. “Boss, two yuan of braised pork liver. Slice it thinner, mix it spicier, takeaway.”

“Okay.” Ye Wanqing agreed readily.

While she worked the middle-aged man chatted with her off and on. “Your shop’s business is pretty good, huh?”

“It’s okay.” Ye Wanqing smiled until her eyes curved. “Thanks to all of you taking care of my business.”

“The things you make are delicious, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people coming. Like me previously opening a shop here—tsk…… the business just wasn’t good.”

Hearing this Ye Wanqing was a bit surprised. “You previously also opened a shop here?”

If she remembered correctly, among this row of shop fronts at the bus station entrance, apart from her place changing owners the other shop fronts had all been open for a good while. Even earlier, before the economy developed, this place was just a stretch of single-story houses along the road that had not yet been converted into shop fronts.

While speaking Ye Wanqing’s hands and feet were agile as she finished mixing the pork liver and placed it in a brown-yellow oil-paper bag for the middle-aged man.

“Isn’t that so?” The middle-aged man took the things while emotionally complicated as he sighed. “This shop of yours was previously mine. I opened a pastry shop. Sales weren’t good—not losing money was already not bad. I never expected that after you took over the shop front the business would be this good.”

He then asked with a few points of probing, “You can earn five or six hundred a day now? Taking over this shop only cost one thousand six. You can earn it back in three or four days.”

Clearly he felt he had lost out a bit.

“One thousand six?” Ye Wanqing was even more surprised.

At the time buying this shop front was handled by Ge Yuan. He told her it only cost six hundred yuan. She also did not think that much and directly counted six hundred yuan to him…… Unexpectedly there was actually a little trick here.

The middle-aged man was even more surprised. “Yes, only one thousand six! Were you cheated by the middleman?”

“……” Ye Wanqing fell silent.

Cheated she was, yet that middleman was clearly a big fool who could not even calculate first-grade primary school math problems.

Not wanting people to misunderstand Ge Yuan, Ye Wanqing opened her mouth to explain. “……My partner told me this shop only cost six hundred yuan. The other one thousand was probably put in by himself.”

The surprise on the middle-aged man’s face disappeared and turned into teasing. “This is a good thing, a good thing! You have a good man—enjoy the blessings!”

Saying this he lifted the things in his hand and prepared to leave.

Ye Wanqing: “……”

When she returned she definitely had to properly question that “good man” of hers!

If she had not run into the previous boss she would still be kept in the dark right now. It was not as if she had no capital—did he need to subsidize her this much? That fellow.

Although there was a bit of small complaint in her heart, more of it was happiness and joy.

Who did not like being spoiled like this?

Just as she was thinking, another person walked up to the counter. Ye Wanqing smiled and raised her head. “What would you like……”

Before she finished speaking, seeing the person standing in front of her was Ye Mingzhu, the smile on her face instantly faded a bit. She changed the question. “Why did you come over?” Could it be the Ye family was going to cause some trouble again?

Last time she had just said that from now on the two of them need not contact each other much.

There was no need.

Yet Ye Mingzhu seemed to completely not remember her cold words from last time. A pair of eyes was full of anxiety as she urgently asked, “Where did that little hooligan get the money from? Could it be from robbery?”

Her voice grew lower and lower under Ye Wanqing’s icy gaze. Yet she still stubbornly refused to lower her head. “His reputation is bad and he looks very fierce. He…… he’s not a good person. Don’t stay with him anymore.”

“Not stay with him—staying with Wang Jiabao is better?” Ye Wanqing coldly smiled once. “Ye Mingzhu, do you actually know what your parents did to me? You have the face to watch them scheme for me to marry Wang Jiabao in place of the engagement with you, and still have the face to stand here saying Ge Yuan is not a good person?”

Originally she did not want to speak so heavily with Ye Mingzhu. After all Ye Mingzhu was only fourteen now and still a child. Bullying a child seemed a bit wrong…… Yet she simply could not hear anyone speak ill of Ge Yuan.

“If you feel Ge Yuan is not a good person, then what good thing is the Ye family?”

“Wang Jiabao had an engagement with you. You didn’t like it. When you knew the family was scheming against me what did you say? Weren’t you just taking pleasure in my misfortune?”

“When the family wanted me to hand over the stall money, how many fair words did you speak for me?”

“……”

“Compared to you all, at least Ge Yuan knows how to protect me and is truly good to me! Not like you all who secretly scheme against me while hypocritically caring about me!”

Ge Yuan not good? What good things were the Ye family and this Ye Mingzhu of hers?

Only speaking nicely—were the things they did the deeds of human beings?

One pile after another, one matter after another, Ye Wanqing tore open that layer of so-called kinship veil and nakedly spoke it to Ye Mingzhu, until her face turned deathly pale and the tears in her eyes trembled on the verge of falling.

Ye Wanqing looked and felt a bit soft-hearted, yet still steeled her heart and said, “Alright. From now on just pretend you don’t have this older sister of mine. Don’t come looking for me again.”

“You just like the Wei family, like those brothers and sisters of the Wei family, right?” Ye Mingzhu suddenly shouted out. “What’s bad about me? Where am I inferior to those country people?”

“No matter what the Wei family has that is not good, being good to me is truly good.” Ye Wanqing deeply looked at Ye Mingzhu once. “Don’t even say the Ye family is only county-town people. Even if you were provincial-city people I still would not feel you are particularly noble. Those who are not good to me are completely unimportant in my eyes.”

Ye Mingzhu sobbed as she wiped the tear traces from her face and turned to leave.

Ye Wanqing did not call her back and only lowly sighed once in her heart.

Although she knew it was impossible, she truly hoped not to have any more contact with the Ye family.

Perhaps after she tested into university and walked out of Qingshui County the opportunities to meet in the future would truly become fewer and fewer.

—

What one feared would come.

Ye Wanqing did not want to get involved with the Ye family. As a result the next day she saw Liu Lizhen who specially came to find her.

Liu Lizhen’s face was full of smiles. She carried some food and clothes over, looking as if she had spent quite a bit. Her whole body radiated an eagerness to repair the relationship with her.

A wave of chill ran through Ye Wanqing’s heart.

On the first day she dealt with Liu Lizhen for a while and did not accept the things. On the second day she again ran into Liu Lizhen at the shop and felt Liu Lizhen would not easily give up. On the third day she simply did not go to the shop.

If she could not afford to offend, could she not afford to hide?

Liu Lizhen waited left and right at the shop without waiting for her person. Only after asking the waitstaff did she learn Ye Wanqing would not come to the shop anymore. Instantly she was extremely angry. According to her temper she originally wanted to carry the things to the Ge family’s small courtyard to make trouble, yet was called to a stop by Ye Xiangdang.

“Forget it. Don’t go.” Ye Xiangdang drank a mouthful of tea. “Right now the big girl is still angry. If you go find her she will instead hide from you. When she runs into difficulties in the future she will know to come back and find us.”

Liu Lizhen hatefully said, “Even if she kneels down and begs me I still won’t care about her matters! She’s so capable—let her handle it herself!”

Ye Xiangdang shook his head and did not take up her words.

What he did not say was that right now Ye Wanqing already did not seek the Ye family. She had people when she needed people and money when she needed money. In the future what else could she seek from the Ye family? The Ye family was not some important figure either.

It was just that originally he felt this adopted daughter of his would not have any prospects in the future—at least she would definitely not have more prospects than the biological daughter Ye Mingzhu…… Now he instead felt he might have misjudged.

—

Disturbed in her normal life by Liu Lizhen, Ye Wanqing simply accelerated her pace and became a hands-off manager.

After discussing with Fatty Wang’s mother for a while she decided to hire Zeng Li, the daughter of Auntie Meihua next door to the Ge family’s small courtyard who had good cooking skills, train her, and directly hand the back-kitchen matters of the shop over to her.

There were three people in the shop. Fatty Wang’s mother counted as the shop manager in charge of collecting money and selling braised dishes. Zhou Sao was in charge of daily cleaning and hygiene. And there was Zeng Li managing the back kitchen. The allocation was proper.

Ye Wanqing had more important matters to busy herself with.

Since Liu Lizhen made it so she could not concentrate on the small-shop career, then she would prepare to go to school.

Previously she had attended County No. 1 Middle School. After freeing her hands she first went to County No. 1 Middle School and directly found her original class teacher, Teacher Qin. Teacher Qin was also the school’s teaching-affairs director and had a certain amount of authority. Perhaps she could also ask about Wei Jun and Wei Hong’s studying matters together.

“Teacher Qin, may I come in?” Politely knocking on the office door Ye Wanqing stood at the doorway and asked.

Teacher Qin raised his head. Seeing it was her a flash of displeasure passed through his eyes. He put on a straight face and nodded. “Come in.”

The moment Ye Wanqing sat down he extremely coldly asked, “What matter are you looking for me about? Looking at your age you’re a senior student? Why do I not have the slightest impression of you?”

Ye Wanqing smiled a little and did not mind the displeasure in his tone. She directly stated her purpose.

“I was previously a student in your class. My name is Ye Wanqing. Because of previous ignorance and various reasons at home I dropped out just like that…… Now I want to return and continue my studies. I still hope the school can give me one chance.”

Dropped out and now wanting to return to study?

Teacher Qin coldly laughed once in his heart and was unimpressed.

Ye Wanqing had only dropped out half a year ago. At that time the Chinese teacher Teacher Zhao had still run around for a good while to persuade this student to return to school. Teacher Qin of course knew and even remembered extremely deeply—he was deliberately asking who she was.

Yet remembering was one thing. He did not like this kind of person who was irresponsible to herself and acted rashly at all.

Besides, her grades were also not good. Not only would she be of no help to No. 1 Middle School’s university-admission rate—she would instead be a drag.

Looking at it comprehensively, Director Qin felt there was no necessity for him to agree. Therefore his attitude remained indifferent the whole time and he simply would not loosen his mouth.

Ye Wanqing knew her previous behavior of dropping out was not good. Carrying a full chest of sincerity she chatted with Director Qin for a long time. As a result No. 1 Middle School was not only unwilling to re-accept this senior student who had dropped out—it also did not accept transfer students or students inserting into classes. She could only give up.

Having taught for so many years she could also vaguely guess Director Qin’s thoughts and therefore did not force it further.

At No. 1 Middle School she could still go find Teacher Zhao.

Yet although Teacher Zhao had previously advised her to continue studying, Teacher Zhao was after all only an ordinary teacher and did not have that much say in the school. Not wanting to trouble people, Ye Wanqing did not go find him.

With no other choice she could only go look at No. 2 and No. 3 Middle Schools.

Unexpectedly she continuously hit walls.

The weather grew warmer and warmer. Time had already reached late April. The college entrance examination was the three days of July 7 to 9—looking at it it was almost here.

Ye Wanqing knew she was too late to participate in this year’s college entrance examination and could only wait until next year to take it again. Yet in her heart it was hard to avoid a sense of urgency. Since she was already free, entering school one day earlier to review books was always better than one day later.

Apart from her own matter of going to school she still needed to arrange for Wei Jun and Wei Hong. This made her even more anxious.

Matters from her teens she no longer remembered that clearly. She thought student-status management at this time was not as strict as later generations. Unexpectedly even inserting into a class was not easy.

Just as Ye Wanqing was at her wit’s end Old Zhong unintentionally learned she was worrying about the matter of going to school and directly proposed taking her to find the principal of No. 3 Middle School.

Old Zhong and the principal of No. 3 Middle School had met a few times. Their interactions were not many, yet they still counted as having a bit of mutual appreciation. With Old Zhong stepping out the studying problem counted as solved…… just go to No. 3 Middle School!

No. 3 Middle School’s university-admission rate was not as high as No. 1 and No. 2. Every year in the county town it ranked at the bottom. Therefore they also had no “image burden” and were not afraid of lowering the university-admission rate.

However the principal of No. 3 Middle School also had one requirement for Ye Wanqing—that she could not drop out again. If she dropped out again No. 3 Middle School would not accept them anymore. Even if Old Zhong stepped out it would be useless.

Regarding this requirement Ye Wanqing agreed in one breath.

The matter was simply settled like this.

Ye Wanqing directly entered senior year and in the new week directly entered Class 2 of Senior Year to study. This year she would also participate in the college entrance examination and try once. If she could not pass then next year she would study senior year for another year and continue taking it.

She believed in herself. Even if she temporarily fell behind she could not possibly forever fall behind. Being so rejected by Teacher Qin of No. 1 Middle School—although she had no thought of slapping faces, in her heart she also held a breath of resentment and did not want to be looked down upon by people.

As for the Wei siblings, Wei Jun entered sophomore year and Wei Hong entered freshman year—both also at No. 3 Middle School.

Compared to No. 1 Middle School the campus of No. 3 Middle School was a bit tattered and broken. Speaking of teaching staff it also did not have the teaching conditions of No. 1 Middle School. Yet overall it was not considered bad. Better than having no books to read. Ye Wanqing was very satisfied.

In her previous life she had been a high-school mathematics teacher for so long. At the least for the subject of mathematics she could have confidence in her heart—this solved a very large trouble. She chose the arts stream. Most of the subjects relied mainly on memory. Politics, history and such were all memorized already. Only English would require a bit of effort.

Resolutely handling the student-status matters Ye Wanqing made a phone call to Yuanshan Village and notified Wei Jun and Wei Hong to come over.

—

Wei Jun and Wei Hong thought it was coming over to study next semester. After receiving the news they were a bit surprised, yet did not ask much more and the next day directly carried their bundles over.

Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu were not at ease with the two of them and also held the intention of wanting to look at Ye Wanqing. The couple together sent them over.

This of course was a pleasant surprise.

This time meeting, seeing the Wei Huainong couple also came, Ye Wanqing planned to set a table of food in the small courtyard, call Ge Yuan and Old Zhong and them as well, and have several people eat one lively and noisy meal.

She also wanted to take this opportunity to formally introduce Ge Yuan to the Wei family people.

Many people eating hot pot was lively. Ye Wanqing borrowed an alcohol stove from Auntie Meihua next door to the Ge family and planned to make a lamb-spine hot pot. The pot she prepared was just an ordinary large aluminum pot. Placing an alcohol stove underneath could serve as a hot pot.

Fresh lamb spine was chopped into pieces an inch long. In the pot she put scallion segments, ginger slices and whole cilantro and boiled water. After blanching the lamb spine to remove the gamey smell she skimmed off the foam, washed it clean and set it aside for later use.

Oil was put in the pot. After the oil temperature reached thirty percent heat she put dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to release fragrance. After stir-frying out the fragrance she put in the lamb spine and stir-fried. Adding white sugar she stir-fried to color it. Adding soy sauce and Huadiao wine to season, she then added a ladle of boiling water and boiled over high heat.

After the lamb-spine soup boiled she switched to medium-low heat and slowly simmered for one and a half hours, cooking out all the fresh flavor inside the lamb spine. Adding an appropriate amount of salt and chili oil to season it could be taken out of the pot and placed into the hot pot.

After the bright-red lamb-spine soup was carried up, green vegetables and meat slices could be put inside and cooked while eating. If the alcohol ran out more alcohol could be added—convenient to eat.

Apart from the lamb-spine hot pot that smelled fragrant the moment one smelled it and looked fresh, fragrant, numbing and spicy, Ye Wanqing also stir-fried a plate of lettuce with cured pork, fried a plate of scallion eggs, sliced a braised-dish combination, mixed a plate of roasted chili preserved eggs, and smashed a cucumber.

Heavy flavors, light flavors, cold dishes, hot dishes…… a large table of dishes was laid out full and dense.

Ye Wanqing called out once to start the meal. Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu somewhat restrainedly sat at the table edge. Both of their hands were placed on their knees and they did not move their chopsticks.

Wei Jun and Wei Hong were a bit more relaxed.

Especially Wei Hong—not only was she not restrained, she affectionately lifted short-legged Ge Yue onto the chair. The two put their heads together and spoke, looking as if they got along very well.

After the Wei family people all sat down Ge Yuan, who these past few days had been somewhat like a divine dragon whose head could be seen but not its tail, only then returned carrying a bag of beer.

The tidied-up Ge Yuan had an impressive appearance, tall with long legs, looking handsome and steady. It was just that his expression was a bit melancholy.

Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu looked at him then looked at Ye Wanqing. After examining for a while the couple by unspoken agreement revealed a few points of satisfaction.

They had also heard Wei Jun speak of Ge Yuan at home and knew Ge Yuan treated Ye Wanqing extremely well. Loving the house and its crow, their initial impression of Ge Yuan was not bad.

“Come sit over here!” Old Zhong waved at Ge Yuan.

Ge Yuan placed the bottles of beer one by one on the table and obediently sat down beside Old Zhong. Ye Wanqing was still busy in the kitchen adjusting dipping sauces. The remaining seat was hers—the two of them would sit side by side.

Old Zhong poked Ge Yuan’s arm and lowered his voice. “The Wei family people are not bad. I see Wanqing has the intention of properly interacting with them. If you can gain their recognition you can also marry Wanqing into the door earlier!”

Saying this he even squeezed his eyes, looking as if “I have high hopes for you—don’t let me down.”

Ge Yuan: “……”

He did not speak. Silently he lowered his eyelids and gave no response to Old Zhong’s words.

Old Zhong became dissatisfied. “These past few days why have you always looked so lifeless and spiritless? What happened?”

“Nothing.” Ge Yuan shook his head. His gaze was still very heavy.

Old Zhong thought of the matters that happened these past few days, then thought of Ge Yuan’s current situation, and suddenly sighed once.

Patting Ge Yuan’s shoulder he said with earnest weight, “Wanqing truly is a not-bad girl. Testing out is only a matter of time. If you can grasp it, properly grasp it. If you can’t…… then that is also fate.”

“……Mm.” Ge Yuan’s lips pressed tightly into a straight line. Only after a long time did he lowly and almost inaudibly respond once.

Ye Wanqing carried over several plates of dipping sauces. Seeing that not a single person at the table had moved their chopsticks she could not help smiling. “What are you all still waiting for me for? The dishes are all ready. You eat first.”

She carried the dipping sauces in front of each person and naturally sat down beside Ge Yuan.

After sitting down she first raised her wine cup.

“Today, first we must celebrate a bit that Wei Jun, Wei Hong and I are about to begin a new path of seeking learning. Here I bless the three of us that everything goes smoothly and we test into the universities we like. Another matter—I want to formally introduce to everyone this person beside me……”

Ye Wanqing tugged Ge Yuan’s sleeve. She could not tug him. A pair of watery almond eyes glared at him with reproach. “Hey, get up a bit.”

Cooperate!

The low-spirited Ge Yuan suddenly froze. Following Ye Wanqing’s force he dizzily stood up, his gaze always following the little woman beside him.

Then he heard her sweet and clear voice ring out: “Ge Yuan, my partner, my fiancé.”