Chapter 181: The Robbery

Chapter 181: The Robbery

When Li Chunmiao returned, Lin Shu had already begun her lesson. Wang Yingen sat attentively, mimicking a diligent student.

Li Chunmiao took her sewing basket and joined He Guixiang in the cool shade of the courtyard, listening intently for a while.

"Well, well," she thought, "A Shu is telling stories! No wonder that boy is so engrossed."

After a short while, Li Chunmiao stopped listening and focused on her needlework. She dared not speak to He Guixiang, fearing their voices would disturb those in the main room.

But she was a talkative woman and couldn't keep quiet for long. Noticing the vibrant red fabric in He Guixiang’s hands, she lowered her voice and whispered, "Sister He, is this red fabric for A Shu's wedding dress? It's truly exquisite—the linen is finely woven, and the red dye is so rich and even. A bolt like this must cost several hundred *wen*, surely? You're incredibly generous with A Shu…"

Li Chunmiao was far more conversational than Lin Zhaodi and adept at initiating discussions. Soon, she and He Guixiang were chatting away animatedly.

Red fabric was expensive, and He Guixiang had purchased top-quality fine linen, so the price was naturally steep. But A Shu deserved nothing less. Once Li Chunmiao started talking about A Shu, their conversation flowed effortlessly.

The two women chatted through half the lesson. Lin Shu then began teaching new characters. Since it was Wang Yingen’s first time, she selected a few simple ones, like "sky" and "king." However, Wang Yingen, who had been so attentive earlier, suddenly became restless, fidgeting as if he had ants in his pants the moment it came to recognizing and writing characters.

But learning to read and write wasn't just about listening to stories; it required recognizing characters.

Seeing this, Li Chunmiao’s face immediately fell.

"Ah, yes," she thought, "that's my son."

As Wang Yingen’s shoulders slumped further and he began to hunch, his posture contrasted sharply with Lin Xiaopu’s upright sitting position, making him resemble a clumsy bear cub. Li Chunmiao couldn’t help but shout, "Wang Yingen, straighten your back right now!"

Wang Yingen flinched, his body reacting before his mind. He sprang from the bench and bolted for the door. "Mom, writing is so boring! I don't want to learn anymore—I'm going out to play!"

Li Chunmiao was livid. "Wang Yingen, stop right there! If you dare step out that door today, I'll disown you tomorrow!"

This was clearly not the first time Li Chunmiao had uttered such a threat, and it held no sway. Wang Yingen even made a face at her. "Nah nah nah! If you're not my mom, I'll just ask Dad to find me a gentle stepmother!"

Li Chunmiao’s face darkened with fury. "You little brat! You're asking for a beating! I'll tan your hide!"

In no time, mother and son had vanished, one chasing the other.

Lin Shu watched this dramatic display of "filial piety" unfold, utterly dumbfounded.

She knew Wang Yingen was a mischievous child with a sharp tongue, but she never imagined he'd direct it at his own mother.

Asking for a stepmother? How could he say such a thing without fear of enraging Aunt Li?

Lin Xiaopu, however, was unperturbed. "This kind of drama used to happen every few days. Aunt Li won't die of anger, and Wang Yingen won't be beaten to death."

Lin Shu paused. "Aunt Li certainly has her hands full raising that son. If Wang Yingen comes back tomorrow, I'll retell some of the stories I've shared with you before."

Lin Xiaopu understood immediately and chuckled. "I know—it must be those stories about mother-son devotion."

He Guixiang shook her head with a helpless smile, thinking, *What a mischievous pair.*

But with Wang Yingen as a comparison, she appreciated her own daughter's filial piety and good sense even more.

~

Before He Guixiang began preparing dinner, Lin Zhaodi returned from selling ice jelly. This time, she wasn't alone; a slender woman was squeezed onto the oxcart with her.

The woman was dressed very simply, her coarse linen clothes faded from countless washes, yet she carried herself with a neat and spirited air. Though she tried to conceal it, joy radiated from her face.

"A Shu, this is the distant cousin I mentioned yesterday. She knows this ice jelly business is yours, so she wanted to come and meet you."

The woman appeared somewhat reserved. Upon seeing Lin Shu, a fleeting look of admiration crossed her eyes, as if she hadn't expected her cousin's employer to be so young and beautiful.

"What should I call you, Auntie?" Lin Shu asked, her tone warm and approachable.

The woman's nervousness eased slightly, and she quickly replied, "My name is Huang Dahua. You can just call me Aunt Huang."

"Then it's Aunt Huang. You don't need to call me employer. I'm just dabbling in a small business. From now on, you can work comfortably with Aunt Lin. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to sell ice jelly until at least the end of August. Also, Aunt Lin will be paying your wages, so just follow her instructions in everything," Lin Shu said with a smile.

"Oh, yes, Lin Zhaodi said the same thing. But I thought since you're the employer, I should still come and pay my respects." After meeting Lin Shu, Aunt Huang didn't linger. She excused herself and left shortly after.

She didn't leave immediately, though. Instead, she went to Lin Zhaodi's house, where she diligently unloaded tables and chairs, tidied everything, and even washed the clay pots and other utensils in the kitchen. This way, when Lin Zhaodi returned, she could start cooking dinner right away.

She and Lin Zhaodi weren't very familiar with each other yet; otherwise, she would have directly helped her distant cousin wash rice and prepare the meal.

After a while, Lin Zhaodi returned, carrying her money jar.

Seeing that Huang Dahua had tidied the courtyard, washed the clay pots, and cleaned the stove, Lin Zhaodi felt a touch of helplessness but understood her intentions. Without saying much, she counted out forty copper coins from the money jar, strung them on a cord, and handed them over. "Cousin, here are today's forty *wen*. Count them to make sure."

Knowing her distant cousin was short on money, Lin Zhaodi had promised to pay her daily.

Huang Dahua quickly replied, "No need to count, no need. I'm sure it's correct."

She took the forty *wen* from Lin Zhaodi with both hands, her eyes welling up. "Lin Zhaodi, I truly don't know how to thank you. I'm not very clever—I can only do rough work. I never imagined you'd think of me…"

After her husband divorced her, she had returned to her parents’ home with her daughter. Although her parents were willing to support her and her daughter, and her younger brother and sister-in-law didn’t complain, she felt uneasy living there without contributing. She also wanted to save up a dowry for her daughter. She had been looked down upon by her in-laws because she had no dowry, and she didn’t want her daughter to follow in her footsteps.

But she didn't know what she could do. Her days were mostly taken up with washing clothes, cooking, and feeding the chickens and ducks. She had managed to make some palm-leaf fans to sell in town, but she barely earned any money from them.

When Lin Zhaodi sent an old man named Liao with a message for her yesterday, she had thought it was a scam. But the man directly gave her three hundred *wen* and told her to rent a stall in town the next morning, even specifying the exact location.

Huang Dahua had agreed half-doubtfully, tucking the three hundred *wen* into her clothes. She couldn't sleep all night and went to Jingxi Town early the next morning, worried she might mess things up.

What happened next felt almost surreal.

She worked with her long-lost distant cousin selling ice jelly, doing odd jobs like wiping tables and washing bowls. When she had a free moment, she helped collect money. When they were too busy, her distant cousin handled the money herself. The two of them were constantly busy—she had never seen any business so popular!

Being busy was good, and a thriving business was even better. It meant she could work with her distant cousin for longer.

She didn't envy how much money her distant cousin made. Although the money jar was full by the end of the day, most of it had to go to the employer. Her distant cousin only kept a small portion.

Besides, forty *wen* a day was already a lot for her. At forty *wen* a day, she could earn over a string of cash in a month! If, as the employer said, they could sell until August, she could earn over three strings of cash!

Moreover, she finished selling with her distant cousin by noon. If she hadn't wanted to meet the employer, she could have gone home right after selling.

Where else could she find a job that allowed her to earn money and still take care of her family?

How could Huang Dahua not feel grateful?

Lin Zhaodi said, "No need to thank me. I thought of you because you work hard."

After exchanging a few more words, Huang Dahua took her leave. Her village was closer to town but farther from Tianshui Village. If she delayed any longer, it would be dark by the time she got home.

Lin Zhaodi didn't try to keep her. After watching her leave, she hugged her money jar and grinned widely.

Earlier, at Lin Laoer’s house, she, A Shu, and the others had counted the money. Today’s earnings were nearly four hundred *wen* more than yesterday’s! And her share came to five hundred *wen*!

Combined with yesterday’s earnings, in just two days, she had almost a full string of cash!

This was something she wouldn't have dared to dream of in the past!

Lin Zhaodi happily held her money jar for a while, counting the copper coins inside over and over before reluctantly putting them away. Then she swiftly started a fire to cook.

The rice jar at home was nearly empty, so she decided to buy some rice tomorrow after selling ice jelly.

After a few more days of selling, she would be able to pay back the money she had borrowed earlier. However, she wouldn't repay it immediately. If she did, people would quickly realize how profitable her ice jelly business was. After all, her ice jelly operation was so public, and many villagers already knew she was selling food in town—though not everyone knew exactly what she was selling.

She planned to delay the repayment for a while and later buy some sugar or meat as a token of gratitude.

Lin Zhaodi was feeling pleased, and Lin Xiaopu was just as happy. She was counting up her money and grew more and more excited.

"Where did you hide your money? I couldn’t find it anywhere," Lin Shu asked curiously.

Lin Xiaopu grinned foolishly, "If it’s hidden money, how could I let Sister find it so easily? If your money is in such an obvious spot, Sister, any thief who breaks into our house would go for your money jar first."

Lin Shu laughed, "What do you know? Haven’t you heard that the most dangerous place is the safest?"

He Guixiang overheard their conversation and scolded, "Hush! Don't tempt fate! What if you actually attract a thief?"

Lin Xiaopu stuck out her tongue, "Our house is guarded every day, and with a strong guy like Brother A Ye around, who would be foolish enough to try stealing from us?"

However, some words truly tempt fate. While Lin Shu didn’t encounter any thieves, Lin Zhaodi ended up facing one.

The next day, when Lin Zhaodi returned after selling ice jelly, her eyes were red from crying, and Old Man Liao had been cursing the entire way back.

"A Shu, I’m so sorry. The money jar—that damn thief stole it!" Lin Zhaodi’s voice trembled with tears.

She had already cried herself out, but the thought of her hard-earned money being stolen by that wretched beast made her furious and heartbroken.

Jingxi Town had its share of loafers and thieves, and she had been prepared for the possibility of being targeted even before starting her ice jelly business. She kept the money jar right in front of her, watching it closely at all times except when scooping ice jelly, and her cousin also kept a close eye on it.

Unexpectedly, the thief didn’t strike while they were selling ice jelly but managed to steal the money jar while they were packing up after the sale!