Fortunate Wife

After eating the noodles, the brothers went out to attend to their own affairs, and Li Man stayed in the kitchen to clean up the dishes.

"Sister." After a while, Xiao Wu came in, holding a small basket of overripe yellow apricots in one hand.

"This is?" Li Man asked curiously.

Xiao Wu put the small basket on the pot, "Dayong sent it this morning, and said it was for my sister."

"Oh." Li Man knew about the apricot tree in the yard of Dayong's house, and smiled while washing the dishes, "Thank him for me?"

"Yeah." Xiao Wu nodded hesitantly. In fact, he didn't intend to accept it at first, because, since he recovered from his illness, Dayong seemed to have changed a little, which made him not like him so much.

Li Man didn't care about his small thoughts, and felt that the basket was in the way on the pot, so she said, "Take it to the stool, and I'll wash and eat for you after I clean it up."

"Apricot sour." Xiao Wu said.

"Ah?" Li Man put the washed bowls into the cupboard, glanced at the egg-like yellow apricots in the basket, picked one up, washed it with a ladle of water, put it in her mouth, took a bite, and laughed. Said, "It's very ripe, not sour at all."

Xiao Wu frowned, "Apricots are not sour, what's so delicious, sister, why don't I return them?"

"..." Li Man was taken aback, "You can eat it even if it's not sour? You don't like it?"

Xiao Wu immediately shook his head, "I don't like it."

Li Man smiled, "If you don't like to eat it, just leave it there, people are also kind, so it's not good to go back like this."

In fact, she knew in her heart that his family had always been grateful to her for Dayong's well-being, but Dayong's family was not well-off, and she returned the eggs she sent last time, and asked his family to make up for Dayong's health. , Dayong Niang probably felt very sorry, and always wanted to repay her.

Country people are very simple-minded, and she knows that if they can't be asked to do something, they will always feel sorry for them. Therefore, a basket of yellow apricots, which grow on their own trees, is not expensive, but it is their heart .

If Li Man accepts it, they will feel better.

Xiao Wu still frowned, looking at the basket of yellow apricots, and thinking of the look in Dayong's eyes when he mentioned his sister when he asked him to give the apricots, he felt very responsive.

But my sister said so, well, Xiao Wu Xingzi poured it all into her own small basket, and then took the empty basket and said, "Sister, then I will return the basket."

"Well, go ahead and thank Dayong Niang for me." Li Man ordered while wiping the pot.

Xiao Wu let out an 'um' and ran away.

Xiao Wu went directly to Dayong's house, and Dayong just came back from the field. When he saw Xiao Wu coming back with an empty basket, he greeted him happily, "Xiao Wu, Teacher Man'er is back?"

"Teacher is the teacher, what is Teacher Man'er?" I didn't feel anything before, but now when someone calls sister Man'er, Xiao Wu feels very uncomfortable.

Dayong was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, and then hurriedly pushed open the courtyard door of his house, letting Xiao Wu in, "Let's sit inside."

"If you don't want to sit down, this is for you." Xiao Wu handed the basket to him, turned around and was about to leave.

"Xiao Wu." Dayong called to stop him.

"Why?" Xiao Wu turned to look at him.

Dayong scratched his head, and asked with some embarrassment, "Man... oh, teacher, has she eaten?"

"Yeah." Xiao Wu nodded, "My sister took a bite, she doesn't like apricots."

"Oh." Dayong was taken aback, with a look of disappointment on his face.

"Oh, and, my sister asked me to thank you." Seeing Dayong's shocked expression, Xiao Wu added another sentence.

Dayong smiled dryly, "Doesn't the teacher like apricots? Then... there are melons grown in my uncle's field, and I will..."

"No, she likes to eat, we can buy it ourselves." Xiao Wu immediately refused, "Dayong, don't give away any more things in the future."

After speaking, turn around and leave.

"Little Wu..." Dayong wanted to say something, but seeing Xiao Wu left without looking back, he felt extremely sad. Xiao Wu was his best partner since childhood, but There seems to be something wrong with him lately.

Xiao Wu soon returned home. Li Man was already busy. She also grabbed more than a dozen yellow apricots, washed them several times, put them in a small porcelain plate, and ate one by herself. Then, holding the small porcelain plate, Seeing that Li Mo and the others were busy, they fed them one by one.

When Xiao Wu came back, he happened to see Li Man feeding yellow apricot into Li Shu's mouth. She couldn't help but frowned, but she didn't say anything, and went back to her room feeling bored.

In the room, Li Man was sewing, and when she saw Xiao Wu came back, she pointed to a few washed apricots on the kang and said, "Man'er has just been washed, you eat."

Xiao Wu glanced at the yellow apricot, and there was a hint of disgust in his eyes. In front of Li Hua, he grabbed the yellow apricot and threw it out through the back window.

Li Hua was dumbfounded, "Xiao Wu, what are you doing?"

"Don't eat." Xiao Wu lay down on the kang and replied in a muffled voice.

Li Hua saw that something was wrong with him, and stretched out his hand to pull him up, "Is there something wrong?"

Xiao Wu turned his face away and looked out the window angrily, but didn't speak.

Li Hua stared at him seriously, "Tell fourth brother, what happened?" Otherwise, according to Xiao Wu's personality, he wouldn't throw away the delicious food.

"Could it be that you have a conflict with Dayong?" Li Hua guessed.

Xiao Wu glanced at Li Hua, "Fourth brother, don't ask, I'm not friends with him."

"Oh? But you didn't play very well before. I remember, when you were bullied, he helped you?" Li Hua guessed that it was a conflict between the little guys, so he didn't take it seriously. thing.

But Xiao Wu suddenly felt like a kitten whose tail was stepped on, and immediately frowned, "I don't have him as a friend."

"Oh, it seems that the contradiction is quite big. I don't even eat the apricots they gave me." Li Hua looked at him funny, picked up the needle and thread, and continued to sew. No matter what happens today, I have to get rid of my eldest brother's set of clothes first. come out.

Hearing what Li Hua said, Xiao Wu knew that he looked down upon him. Is he the kind of stingy person who disregards the friendship of friends because of personal conflicts? no, he is...

"Fourth brother, you don't know that Dayong also wants to be his sister's husband."

In a hurry, Xiao Wu said everything.

"Ah?" Unexpectedly, the tip of the needle stuck into his finger.

"Fourth brother." Seeing blood dripping from Li Hua's finger, Xiao Wu grabbed his hand in a panic.

Li Hua pushed him away, put his finger in his mouth, he was fine after a while, and then looked at Xiao Wu dissatisfied, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Xiao Wu blushed, "I didn't talk nonsense, I heard it with my own ears."

Li Hua felt that this was impossible and extremely absurd, so he ignored Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu felt that he was not trusted by the fourth brother and did not raise the vigilance that the fourth brother should have. He felt very annoyed, "Last time, I went to Dayong's house to play and heard Dayong's mother talk to Dayong. Dayong's mother seemed to want to marry him, but He wouldn't, and then they talked about sister—"

"Okay." Even Xiao Wu was not accepted by Man'er, let alone other people's children. Li Hua felt that Xiao Wu was too nervous. The children's family heard that the wind was rain, maybe he was a poor listener.

Just like the last time I saw my second brother and Man'er, I thought my second brother was bullying Man'er.

"This is impossible, don't think about it, by the way, don't tell Man'er, you know?"

Xiao Wu shut his mouth sullenly, but when he thought of Dayong's shining eyes when he mentioned his sister now, he panicked.

——

Since everyone ate noodles in the middle of the afternoon, no one felt hungry when it was dark.

Dinner was very simple. Li Man directly picked some shallots and came back, chopped them up, and spread out some egg pancakes. Anyone who is hungry can eat some.

After eating, instead of boiling water for a bath as usual, the whole family sat around the big table and held the first official family meeting in history.

The host of the meeting is the only woman in the family - Li Man, of course, she is also the organizer.

"Brother, how much money do we have in total now?" Li Man first asked Li Mo.

Although Li Mo is not very literate, he has an account of his family's accounts. The four hundred taels he brought from Nuanxianglou last time, after buying clothes, shoes and some daily expenses, there are still three hundred and seventy-eight taels left. Two, and today another six hundred and seventy-eight taels were settled.

As for other odds and ends, he didn't count, and only reported the whole number, "Nine hundred and seventy-eight taels."

As soon as the count was reported, except for Li Man, the eyes of the others glistened. It was the first time they had seen such a large amount of money in their lives.

"Are we the richest in Shennvgou?" Li Shu couldn't help asking proudly.

Li Mo's gaze sank, he glanced at him, and then asked Li Man, "What do you want to do?"

Everyone else looked at Li Man.

Li Man smiled slightly, "Of course, I think so. First of all, our house needs to be improved, don't you think?"

This thatched earth embryo house is small and damp, the key is that it is extremely cold in winter and extremely hot in summer, and the most disturbing thing is the weak sound insulation effect.

Everyone nods.

Li Hua asked with a smile, "Do you want to build a new house?"

"Yeah." Li Man nodded, "I discussed it with my elder brother last night, and I want to build a two-story building."

"A small two-story building?" That must have cost a lot, Li Hua looked at Li Mo suspiciously, and thought to himself, elder brother would agree?

Li Mo's expression remained the same, he listened carefully to Li Man's words, and after she finished speaking, he explained to his younger brothers, "Originally, I also planned to build two new houses before the end of the year. I want to build a small building with two floors, which saves land, and..."

The latter words were persuaded by Li Man last night, and he didn't remember all of them. The key is that it was the first time he had heard what she said.

"And the view of the space is good." Li Man took his words, and excitedly said to the others, "Think about it, the living room and bedroom are separated upstairs and downstairs, and the bedroom is upstairs, so it's clean too. , besides, living in a high-end place is far from impressive, isn't it?"

The most important thing is that she wants to arrange all of them downstairs. Of course, she didn't say this now.

"Oh." Li Yan and the others nodded repeatedly. Living upstairs and downstairs is naturally comfortable, but, is it convenient?

Li Man couldn't think of anything else, so she just asked Li Mo, "Brother, you are going to build a two-story building. Let me estimate how much money you will spend."

Li Mo thought for a while and wanted to answer, but Li Man said first, "Don't just think about saving money, this house is related to our safety and health, as well as a better life in the future. Money has to worry about."

Not only Li Mo, Li Yan and others laughed at this statement.

"Don't worry, I will cover it for you." Li Mo said.

"Then you are hiring people?" Li Man asked worriedly. She knew that the men in the family were capable, but building a house was a big project, and she didn't want her men to get tired.

Unexpectedly, Li Mo and the others were stunned when they heard about hiring someone.

"We're not rich people, who should we hire?" Li Yan looked at her with a smile on his face.

Li Man was surprised, "Do you want to do it yourself?"

"Of course." Li Shu said.

Knowing that she felt sorry for them, Li Hua hurriedly said, "Everyone in the village builds their own house first, and neighbors, relatives and friends, if someone is free, they will come to help."

It’s one thing to help, but it’s different to hire people. People in the countryside are poor and can’t afford to hire people, but they are very simple. If a family has such a major event as building a house, it’s okay to ask someone to come and help for a few days. OK.

"This is not good." Li Man thought for a while, but still asked seriously, "Do you have bricklayers and carpenters here?"

Everyone listened and shook their heads.

"My second brother knows how to tinker with wood." Li Shu pointed at Li Yan.

Li Yan also nodded, but there are many people who know how to make bricks, but few people live by this.

"That is, we can contract it out to others." Li Man felt that they should be able to understand this statement.

Unexpectedly, Li Mo vetoed it with a smile, "How can I let others do my own house? Besides, I don't worry about it."

"Building a house is a big deal." Li Yan also said, only his own people can take care of it seriously, others? Stealing and playing tricks, which part is not done well, will not be more troublesome in the future.

Li Man's head was full of black lines.

Li Hua said, "Man'er, don't worry, just leave this matter to us."

Li Manxin said, doesn't that feel sorry for them? "Actually, money can still be earned back after spending money. Besides, it's up to you guys. When will we be able to live in that house? Besides, you and I have other arrangements."

"What arrangement?" Li Shu asked curiously.

Li Man said slowly, "The shop is rented, so it can't be allowed to hang there to mold, can it? Open the shop, you can rest assured that there are only one person there?"

Everyone shook their heads, worried.

Li Modao, "As agreed before, let the second brother be the shopkeeper."

Li Yan did not object to this, but what made him curious was what kind of business Li Man wanted to do.

"What do you want to sell?"

"Clothes, and some simple jewelry." Haven't they figured out what she wants to do? Careless men.

Li Yan's eyes twitched, "Are they all for women?"

"Yeah." Things that men use, or we'll talk about them later.

"You want me to sell women's clothes and jewelry?" Li Yan stared at her in disbelief.

Li Man blinked, "What's wrong?"

Li Yan's face turned black, and Li Mo hurriedly smoothed things over, "I'm talking about building a house."

"By the way, big brother, how much money do you have in your budget?" Li Man clarified his thoughts again and asked.

Li Mo said with a smile, "Money doesn't cost anything, the main thing is that it takes a little time. In addition, if someone helps, the family will have to add more food."

This point is very particular. When people come to help, the food must be good. If the hospitality is not good, it will be talked about.

"Ah? Who's cooking?" Li Man was still thinking about working in the shop in the future, just to avoid the rush of building a house at home.

Li Mo and the others all looked at Li Man with a look of 'of course it's you'.

Otherwise, is there anyone who can sell the craftsmanship of the men in the family? Others are afraid of having a meal, so they don't want to come again.

Li Man quickly waved her hands, "No, I still have to work in the store."

"Isn't there a second brother in the store?" Li Shu said.

Li Man said, "He is the shopkeeper, so I can't be the shopkeeper behind the scenes? Besides, how much does he know about women? How much does he know about women's things? How much does he understand women's thoughts? I should give more guidance, right?"

"Ha." Li Shu laughed when he heard the words, "Daughter-in-law, after so long, you still don't know the second brother? Don't worry, with him around, you can get a good price for shit."

"Ah?" Li Man was taken aback, Li Yan has the ability to sell shit?

Li Yan squinted at Li Shu, and quietly replied two words, "Nonsense."

Li Hua also pursed his lips and smiled lightly. He didn't know about the second brother's other skills, but if he sold things to women, no one in the family could be better than him.

Li Man looked at Li Yan coolly, with a sense of scrutiny. It seemed that before her, this guy had hooked up with women a lot.

Li Yan immediately received the suspicious look from Li Man, and hurriedly said, "Listen to the nonsense of the third brother, I don't understand the things those women use, girl, you will have to sit in charge at that time."

"Okay." Li Man looked at the night, and didn't want to dwell on this issue for too long, so she said, "I've decided, let's do this, the house at home is mainly under the management of elder brother and Li Shu, elder brother, you can budget separately , The wages of hiring a small worker can be paid on time or on a regular basis, but we don’t include room and board.”

"Don't eat? Then... is it reasonable?" How can anyone work in someone else's house without food? Li Mo felt unreasonable.

Li Man thought it was normal, "Let's pay the wages, how much work they do, how much we pay, we won't lose them."

"But—the folks in the village are talking about money? Still hiring people? This spread..."

"That's it." Li Man stared at Li Mo complainingly, curled her lips, and said aggrievedly, "Otherwise, in this hot day, I'll cook for you every day under the pot, don't you feel bad? "

Just this one sentence is worth a thousand words, Li Shu immediately said, "That's right, brother, the kitchen is very hot, and my daughter-in-law cooks every day, is it okay?"

Li Yan and the others immediately felt that something was wrong, and they all complained that elder brother Li Mo was cruel.

Li Mo also felt guilty, but he originally thought that Li Man only needed to stir-fry vegetables, and as for lighting the fire, she naturally didn't need her, and in fact, she seldom did it.

In a word, the situation was reversed in an instant, and everyone felt that it was too cruel to ask Li Man to cook, and it was absolutely unacceptable.

So, if Li Man doesn't cook, what will the people who come to work eat?

Just let them go home and eat by themselves, they just pay their wages.

As for the salary, there is no market price, and Li Mo doesn't understand it very well, saying that he will inquire about it tomorrow, and the matter will be closed here.

Next, Li Man talked about the opening of the store. The date was set in ten days. During these ten days, she wanted to do the preparatory work, including store decoration, publicity, and even workers.

When they heard about recruiting workers, Li Mo and others were dumbfounded.

Li Man looked at them strangely, "If you don't recruit workers, how can you make the clothes? Could it be that Li Hua did it?"

This is too much nonsense, besides, Li Hua has an autumn exam at the end of the year, and he has to read books.

The men fell silent for a moment. If they made one or two, it would be okay, but if they made more and sold more, it was obvious that Li Hua couldn't do it.

Li Man also thought about it. In this era, there are no machines, and if it is purely manual, the quality may vary, so she must personally check and make the clothes the best, so that the price can be raised.

Right now, she just finished the work in Nuanxiang Building, and she has time to do these jobs. If possible, she would like to rent a separate factory building in the future, so that the workers can work together in one place, and she would like to Timely supervision and inspection quality.

Of course, recruiting workers and renting a house cost money.

In her previous life, she was used to other people doing everything for her. In this life, she has a healthy body, is young, and has the support of her husbands. Naturally, she wants to start her own career. The concept of money is not very big, so I can only tell Li Mo and the others her thoughts. They need their help in specific planning and budgeting. She herself is blank about this aspect.

So, in the end, when Li Mo and the others were discussing the budget for building a house at home and the budget for opening a shop to recruit workers, Li Man fell asleep lying on the table listening to this.

The result of the men's final discussion is that all the silver should be used only by Li Man to open the shop. They are not afraid of building a house at home. They are all big men with plenty of strength. They are not afraid of doing more work. What will happen to their business in the future, they have no other ability, silently supporting her and saving her worry is the most basic thing.

After discussing it properly, Li Yan hugged Li Man who was sleeping soundly, and returned to the Westinghouse, and the other brothers also went back to their rooms to rest.

——

On the second day, Li Man got up early and cooked a hearty breakfast for the whole family.

After eating, he asked Li Hua to write a recruitment notice for himself, and then went to town with Li Yan and Li Shu.

As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the shop, Guanshi Zhang immediately came out from the shop next door, "Miss Li, I'm finally waiting for you here today."

"Yeah?" Li Man looked at Guanshi Zhang who was smiling suspiciously, "Aunt Zhang, did you wait for me on purpose?"

"Yeah." Manager Zhang didn't hide anything, "I also came yesterday, but according to shopkeeper Hao, you didn't come yesterday, so I came to try my luck again this morning."

Shopkeeper Hao is the shopkeeper of the jewelry store next door, and he has been friends with Zhang Guanshi for many years, so when Li Man is alone, Zhang Guanshi is drinking tea and waiting in his shop.

Li Yan took the key and opened the door of the shop. Li Man asked Steward Zhang to enter the room, "Auntie Zhang, is there something urgent for me?"

"Oh, it's not urgent. It's not our old lady. Our young master got a theater troupe somewhere. The old lady heard it and found it interesting. She sent me here early yesterday morning, wanting to pick it up. The girl went to the theater, but unfortunately, I didn't wait for the girl all day yesterday." Zhang Guan said.

Li Man was stunned, "Listening to an opera?" I don't know what kind of opera it is? Although she was also very keen on opera in her previous life, how could she have thought so much about listening to opera on a hot day, not to mention, she still has a lot of things to do now.

"Well, the theater troupe can only stay in Zhang's residence for about three or four days. I've also heard that the singing is really good. Girl, why don't you follow me to have a look." Zhang Guanshi said enthusiastically.

Li Man chuckled, and politely declined, "I accept the old lady's kindness, but, Manager Zhang, you have also seen that I still have a lot of things to do in this store, so why go to the theater?"

"Oh, don't be afraid. I'll take someone with me. Girl, if you have anything to do, just order it and let it be done." Manager Zhang said with a smile.

As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and six sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls came in from outside.

Li Man and the others were a little dumbfounded when they came in. They didn't see anyone when they came in just now. Where are they all?

"How is it? If it's not enough, I'll send someone over when I return home later." Guanshi Zhang said.

Li Man shook her head, "They can't do it."

"What's the matter?" Manager Zhang thought she had a way of working with other people, and the people under her were all nimble girls.

Seeing Manager Zhang's confident face, Li Man smiled, feeling a little helpless, so she had to show her the recruitment notice, "I'm going to recruit workers today, and I want to try their skills."

"Xiu Niang?" Zhang Guanshi asked.

Li Man tilted her head, "It's not embroidery, it's making clothes."

"It's the embroiderer." The female workers who embroider and make clothes here are collectively called embroiderers.

"Oh, then I'm recruiting embroiderers." Li Man said directly.

Guanshi Zhang laughed suddenly, "What's so difficult about it? The girls in our house, not to mention how skilled they are, but anyone can do rough work like sewing clothes."

so smart? Li Man expressed doubts.

"Oh, girls don't believe me, let them try it." After speaking, Zhang Guanshi asked the six girls who followed him to come forward, called out one at random, and then asked Li Man how to try it.

Li Man took a piece of old material from the cloth bag she brought, took out the needle and thread, unfolded a pattern to the girl, and said, "Can you sew it for me according to this pattern?"

In fact, what Li Man asked the girl to sew was not difficult, it was just a sleeve of ordinary clothes, and what she wanted to see was the cutting and stitching of the other party.

Clothes that are made are meant to be worn by others, and the unevenness of the stitches is very important.

Sure enough, the girl took the scissors, modified the old material a little, then picked up the needle and started to sew. Her fingers were slender and skillful, and she saw the needle and thread going back and forth. After a while, a sleeve came out.

Li Man was very satisfied, and kept nodding while holding the sewn sleeve, "That's right, can everyone here know how to make clothes?"

In this way, it is easy to recruit workers.

"No, the main reason is that all the clothes in our house are made by ourselves. Little girls like them have to learn from their master since they were young, and they also do some sewing in their spare time." Zhang Guanshi said.

"Oh." Li Man suddenly thought, they are all maids in Zhang's mansion, even if they are good at sewing, what does it matter to her? Could it be poaching people's corners and recruiting them all?

But Zhang Guan said in advance, "How many girls do you plan to recruit? I can't guarantee if there are too many girls, but if there are twenty or thirty girls who are good at sewing, I can still take them out."

Tyrant? All twenty or thirty female workers were dumped to her all at once? Li Man was very pleasantly surprised, but, receiving favors for no reason? More than once, she felt bad.

"Thank you, Mrs. Zhang, but these girls are all from Zhang's house, how can they come to me? Besides, it doesn't take much to recruit, so I'll spend some time recruiting." Li Man said.

Guanshi Zhang snorted helplessly, while holding Li Man's hand, "Miss Li, you should also pity Aunt Zhang."

"What's wrong?" Li Man was taken aback.

Guanshi Zhang's face was broken, and he smiled wryly, "You also know, how hot are you and I running around on this hot day? If I can't find you again today, I have to come out tomorrow. Not only that, but also complained by the old lady."

no? The corners of Li Man's eyes twitched, "This..."

"Miss, just take pity on me and I'm already old. It's hot in summer, and it's not easy to come out. Come with me to watch a heavenly show with the old lady." Steward Zhang's voice was pleading this time, and she I know very well that Li Man is a girl who is soft but not hard, especially because she is kind-hearted.

Li Manguo really softened her heart, and besides, she wanted to clarify some things in front of the old lady.

However, before she spoke, Li Yan couldn't help it.

"Ms. Zhang, we can't bear to see you waiting for a long time, but who hasn't asked about their own business? You old ladies are watching the show, don't you need someone to accompany you? We Man'er don't want to do something. Easy, how can you see the sky, your old lady has to go and accompany you if you think about it?"

Zhang Guanshi's expression froze, seeing that Li Yan's face was not good, he said with a dry smile, "Who says it's not, but none of us would dare to say this in front of an old lady, besides, elderly people are sometimes really like children Yes, we can’t do anything if we think about it.”

Li Man also laughed, thinking of her grandmother in the previous life, that was the master who wanted to come out.

"Miss Li, why don't you go back now and talk to the old lady, she will listen to you. Otherwise, we will be sent back like this, and she will blame us for not doing things well, and she may come to bother you tomorrow You." Zhang Guanshi said helplessly.

"Can't we rely on us?" Li Shu didn't have much affection for the Zhang family, and they waited anxiously for a long time when the daughter-in-law entered the inner house.

Moreover, a big family, who knows what thoughts they have for their daughter-in-law? The daughter-in-law is such a beautiful and simple wonderful person, if something happens to him, he will be afraid.

Guanshi Zhang's face turned pale, and he hurriedly explained, "Young master is overwhelmed, but the old lady really just likes Miss Li tightly, and has no other thoughts."

Li Man believed this. She believed in her sixth sense. The old lady looked at her with kindness, even gratitude and reverence. Although she didn't quite understand why, there was absolutely no malice.

"Then, shall I go and have a look?" Li Man turned her head and asked Li Yan and Li Shu for their opinions. Seeing that their faces were not looking good, she quickly softened her voice, "Just go for a while."

When Li Shu saw his daughter-in-law begging softly, his heart softened, and he almost blurted out, 'Go, go'.

But seeing Li Yan's eyes on him, he immediately fell silent.

Li Man knew the relationship between the two, so Li Yan made up his mind and just looked at Li Yan, "Really just for a while, huh? An hour at most?"

"Can we finish the show in an hour?" Li Yan raised his eyebrows at her, idiot, the old lady didn't know what she was planning.

Li Man walked up to him and said in a low voice, "I'm not saying that I'm going to the theater, but I'm just going to see the old lady, and explain some things to her by the way. Otherwise, you just heard what Zhang Guanshi said, today I won't Go, maybe she will come tomorrow."

Don't you bother? She blinked hard at Li Yan.

"Are you their family or my daughter-in-law?" Li Yan just didn't want her to get mixed up with that family. If she had nothing to do, she would either listen to a play or eat snacks. One day, if she couldn't think of leaving, she wouldn't want to go back to his dick. The house is broken, and they don't even want them, what should I do?

Li Man looked at him aggrieved, "Don't you know?" What time is it, and he asked this, who is her wife, he doesn't know? Get cheap and sell well.

"My daughter-in-law goes to serve the old lady every day?" Li Yan was displeased, and he didn't order people like this. He said it nicely, and he liked his wife, but she didn't want to go, so he sent someone every day. A kind of intimidation? Relying on his family's wealth and leisure, how can you make fun of them?

Li Man actually doesn't like the old lady's behavior, "So, I have to explain it clearly. Otherwise, I will be annoyed every day in the future."

"Are you making it clear?" Li Yan looked at her suspiciously. He knew what kind of character she was. He could coax her into submission with a few pitiful words from others, "That's fine, I'll go with you."

"Yeah." Originally, she didn't plan to go alone, but Li Man smiled happily when she saw him nodding.

Li Shu also heaved a sigh of relief, and it was good for his daughter-in-law to smile.

——

Seeing that Li Man agreed, Zhang Guanshi immediately smiled, and hurriedly ordered someone to bring the carriages, one for himself and Li Man, another for Li Yan and Li Shu, and one for the rest of the maids.

The carriage drove slowly, and soon arrived in front of Zhang's mansion.

Li Man got out of the car and only saw the carriages of the maids, she was a little displeased, did she send Li Yan and Li Shu away again?

"Ms. Zhang, where is my husband?" This time, she asked directly.

Manager Zhang said with a slight smile, "Because they are going to the inner house in the backyard, it is inconvenient for the two young masters, so I decided to ask someone to take them to the side hall to rest. Don't worry, Miss Li, good tea and water will be served. They will not be slowed down.”,

Even so, Li Man still felt uncomfortable. No wonder Li Yan and Li Shu didn't want to come. How dare she eat and play in the inner house, and the two of them just stayed in the small hall and waited?

"Don't worry, girl, I'll let the two storytellers pass by later to relieve the boredom of the two gentlemen." Seeing that Li Man's expression was not good, Guanshi Zhang hurriedly said.

Li Man glanced at her, "Forget it, let them wait for a while." Anyway, she didn't plan to stay for long, to see the old lady, and to prevent her from sending someone to find herself in the future.

"Oh, okay, please, girl." Steward Zhang quickly apologized and walked ahead to lead the way.

Seeing Guanshi Zhang being so respectful, Li Man was a little taken aback, but she didn't think deeply about it, and followed into the mansion.

From far away, she could hear the sound of vocal music. She couldn't quite tell what kind of play it was. It was very different from the ones she had heard in modern times, but it felt quite joyful.

That's right, older people like to be lively, and Li Man doesn't doubt it.

It's just that, this time, Manager Zhang didn't take her to the old lady's side, but walked a small path. During the period, she walked for a long time through flowers and willows before reaching a back garden.

It turns out that there are verdant trees in the back garden, and there is a lotus pond pavilion, and a stage is set up in the lawn far away. People watching the theater sit in the high pavilion and listen to the opera while the lotus wind blows. It is indeed a kind of enjoyment.

At the edge of the garden, Li Man originally wanted to wait and let the manager Zhang report, but the manager Zhang directly took her hand and said no.

So, Li Man directly followed Zhang Guanshi, went up the steps, and came to a gazebo.

The old lady was sitting alone on a grand chair, with a small table next to it, which was filled with melons and fruit snacks, and a maid on each side was playing a fan.

Next to the old lady, there were a few well-dressed young girls who accompanied her to the theater.

The singing on the stage was very lively, and when she saw that she was happy, the old lady laughed loudly regardless of her image, and then the little girls and the maids around her also laughed.

It can be seen that they are all trying to cater to the old lady.

At this time, Guanshi Zhang approached and whispered something in the old lady's ear. The old lady immediately turned her face, saw Li Man, and hurriedly got up.

"Grandma." Li Man hurried over to support her without waiting for her to get up.

The old lady smiled, and helped Li Man's hand to sit down. Then, she asked the servant girl to move a stool, and let her sit beside her, while she personally brought a small plate of washed melons and fruits to her. "Come on, have you worked hard all the way? Eat some, this, it seems to be called honeydew melon, it's watery and sweet, it's delicious."

Li Man looked at it, and it looked a bit like the cantaloupe eaten in modern times. Whatever it is, she was really thirsty, so she picked a piece with a toothpick and ate it first.

"Qing'er, go get that ice cream, and bring two more bowls." The old lady was very happy to see Li Man eating happily, so she ordered the maid next to her.

The servant girl led the order to go out, and here, Li Man was not polite, she looked towards the stage while eating, and asked, "Grandma, what play are you playing?"

"Oh, you haven't heard of this before, and it's the first time for me to hear it before." As soon as the play was mentioned, the old lady was very happy, and chatted with Li Man in a crackling manner.

It turns out that it is similar to the modern version of "The Case of Guillotine Beauty". It is nothing more than that after a man has made a fortune, he does not want a bad wife, and the bad wife finally punishes the man with various forces.

But is it fun? Why did the old lady laugh so happily when she heard it.

And Li Man also asked directly, "It sounds like a tragedy, isn't it?"

"Sad? Not sad, hehe, that woman got married later, and followed the officials who helped her to avenge her grievances. The two later gave birth to a pair of children. It's alright." The old lady said happily.

Pfft——Li Man almost choked on the melon seeds in his mouth, Qin Xianglian and Baogong? Oh no, the story is not that, but it sounds so weird.

Sure enough, there are wonderful screenwriters here too?

After listening for a while, Li Man was still confused about what was sung in the play. On the stage, there was a man with a colorful face kneeling down to a woman in plain white clothes, as if begging for something.

Seeing this, the old lady laughed again, "Look, that man regretted it, hmph, what's the use of regretting now? What did he do back then, he's heartless."

Some of the little girls in front of her also echoed the old lady's words.

It was only then that Li Man noticed that these little girls were not very old, and the biggest estimate was about the same as him. The youngest was about twelve or thirteen years old. They were all well dressed and looked good.

It's just that, on this hot day, no matter how beautiful the clothes are, it's hard to hide the sweat. There are two faces with a little makeup, but they don't know how to make excuses.

Li Man was stunned, the old lady wouldn't miss it, right? still......

"Oh, girl, I haven't introduced you yet." The old lady seemed to have just remembered a few girls, and introduced to Li Man with a smile, "Her name is Mei Fen, and her name is Mei Xue. They are two sisters. They are... ...."

One of the girls in pink and the girl in blue got up together, and then nodded towards Li Man. Although they didn't know who Li Man was, they saw that the old lady treated her so intimately, and she The old lady had no scruples in front of her, so she was a little more respectful.

But the old lady hadn't finished the introduction, so she didn't seem to remember, so she asked Guanshi Zhang next to her, "Are the two relatives of my wife's natal family?"

"It's not the two of them? They are the young ladies of the Hou family, this..." As he spoke, Steward Zhang personally introduced a girl in green clothes, "This is the real niece of Madam's natal family, Miss Wu'er. "

The little girl named Wu'er got up immediately, and Li Man realized that she was quite tall, taller than her. She saw Wu'er smiled coquettishly, her voice was crunchy and had a childlike voice, "Old Madam, why did you forget me again? Wu'er is sad."

"Hehe, little boy, don't be sad, you know, my old lady is getting old, her eyesight is bad, and her memory is even worse." The old lady smiled, and ordered Manager Zhang to introduce other girls.

Manager Zhang then introduced two older girls, who also had makeup on their faces, but it was a bit fancy.

"This is Miss Li's family, and this is Miss Mo's family."

Zhang Guanshi's introduction was very simple. The two girls also stood up and nodded to Li Man.

Li Man also politely wanted to stand up and return the gift, but was stopped by the old lady, "She is your sister Man'er."

"Sister Man'er?" The little girl Wu'er looked at Li Man up and down, and saw that she was beautiful, but she was dressed in coarse cloth and the workmanship was not very good, so she asked suspiciously, "Which family is Miss Man'er from? I've never seen or heard of it."

"Heh, how old are you, what can you see?" The old lady smiled, and now, the maid came over with two bowls of ice cream.

The old lady ordered someone to put it on the small table, and then, she took a bowl and handed it to Li Man, "Heat it up, and it will cool off after a bowl."

"Yeah." Li Man would not refuse something delicious, and besides, it was really hot.

She picked up the small spoon, took a spoonful and ate it.

On the side, those little girls immediately cast strange glances at her, jealous and puzzled.

During the half day since they came, the old lady didn't even give them a maid to serve them, except to invite them to listen to the opera, and even served some melon and fruit snacks.

They had never eaten what Li Man ate, but it looked delicious.

"Old lady, is this ice cream?" Wu'er asked with a lovely smile.

The old lady smiled and replied, "Yes, your brother Jing asked someone to get me some from Dayue Kingdom, and I haven't been willing to eat it yet."

"..." Everyone was suffocated, the old lady was reluctant to eat, but gave it to Li Man, could it be...

Everyone looked at Li Man obviously wrongly, full of hostility.

Li Man also felt it, and it seemed a little bad to eat ice cream by herself in front of so many people.

"Why don't you eat it too?" In her eyes, ice cream is just delicious, but it's not a rare item, so everyone looked at her, and she thought they wanted to eat it, so she was willing to share it.

But she invited her with kind words, but was misunderstood by those little girls as a silent provocation and demonstration, and they couldn't help but turn cold.

Li Man only felt baffled, and also had some doubts about the old lady's actions.

The old lady said, "Sister Man'er invites you to eat, you just eat, this is not much."

Those little girls choked for a moment, then giggled and said, "Sister Xie Man'er." But none of them were willing to answer.

The atmosphere was awkward.

Li Man is really inexplicable, she is here to see the old lady, why is this...

"Grandma, I've heard enough about this play, why don't we sit in another place." She still wanted to make things clear to the old lady.

"Well, I've been sitting for half a day, so I should walk." So, the old lady helped Li Man up.

In front, the little girls got up one by one.

"You all sit down, you don't need to wait on me, and continue to listen to the play." The old lady ordered, only supporting Li Man, and slowly leading her to a shady path.

None of the serving maids around her brought it with her. Apparently, the old lady seemed to have something to say to Li Man.

Li Man thought so, so she didn't speak first, but after waiting for a while, the old lady didn't speak, she was a little anxious, "Grandma, there are some things I don't quite understand."

"Oh." The old lady seemed to know what she was thinking, took her hand, walked to a stone bench in front of her, and sat down slowly, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Li Man sat down next to her, and said straight to the point, "Grandma, I told you, don't worry too much, and don't get angry."

The old lady nodded, squinting and smiling at her.

Li Man also smiled, "Speaking of it, maybe it's because of me, but I'm really curious, why are you so kind to me, grandma?"

"How am I treating you?" the old lady asked back.

Li Man froze for a moment, then nodded, "In some respects, it's really good." If it is ruled out that there are other relationships behind this goodness.

The old lady smiled softly again, "Girl, don't you deserve my kindness to you?"

"..." Li Man frowned, the words were too vague.

The old lady sighed, and continued, "Well, to tell you the truth, you look very similar to an old friend of mine."

"Old friend?" Li Man was curious.

The old lady thought for a while, and then said, "Actually, it is a bit exaggerated to say that she is an old friend, but it is true to say that she is my benefactor. Remember what I told you that day, you are the first person I have ever met in my life. Two beautiful girls, right?"

"Then your old friend is the first one?" Li Man asked.

The old lady nodded, "Well, but I only saw her once that year, and she was about your age at that time, or even younger, but her appearance was very similar to yours, even more refined."

"Ah?" Li Man touched her face instinctively, so similar to herself? Could it be that the woman is related to the deity?

"Then she is now?"

The old lady shook her head, "I don't know."

"Eh?" Li Man didn't know what to ask for a moment.

After a pause, the old lady said, "She has saved my Zhang family's life, but it's a pity that I couldn't repay it. I saw you by accident in the vegetable market that day. I thought... But, think about it." That is impossible."

Li Man came to her senses, "So the old lady mistook me for a benefactor? Then..."

"Oh, don't worry, I don't think you are a benefactor. Of course, it is true that you are like her, and it is true that I like her. On the other hand, you are indeed a good girl. It is worthy of my kindness to you."

"But," Li Man bit her lip, and continued, "Grandma, don't be so nice to me in the future, otherwise, I don't feel at ease."

Especially after listening to her reasons, it feels like taking advantage of others.

The old lady laughed, "Then what should we do? The two of us will not communicate anymore? Are you despising my old lady?"

"Where?" Li Man frowned, "But I can't come to your place every day, I have to do things no matter what, I will come to see you when I have time, okay? Don't let Auntie Zhang go out to find me all the time. , It's not easy for her on a hot day."

"Hey, little girl, you only love Aunt Zhang, and you don't feel sorry for Grandma and me?" The old lady seemed dissatisfied, "Don't you think, it's not easy for me to ask you to come out to listen to a play in this hot day?"

Huh? Li Man glanced at the theatre, and suddenly smiled, "It's not easy for you? I think it's not easy for those little girls?"

The old lady suddenly laughed, "Did you see it?"

Li Man almost bit her tongue, "Isn't it? Did you really trick them on purpose?"

Why?

"They all want to be my granddaughter-in-law, how can I do it without suffering?" The old lady smiled slyly.

Li Man stared at her in astonishment, seeing her childish and mischievous smile, she couldn't help laughing too, "I want to be your grandson-in-law, isn't it good? Didn't you want to call your grandson a wife for a long time?"

"Hey." Speaking of this, the old lady sighed heavily, and stared at Li Man resentfully, "Yes, why didn't you show up earlier? Otherwise, you would be my grandson-in-law. Let me tell you, my grandson It's really one in a million, not as good as yours, handsome in appearance, good in character, very filial to me, you also followed him, and you will only enjoy happiness in the future."

Hearing what the old lady said seemed to be true, Li Man rolled her eyes secretly, and when she finished speaking, she laughed and said, "Well, but, I already have four husbands, you are willing to let you be so nice Grandson Qu as the fifth child?"

Who knows that the old lady's words are not amazing, "What's the matter? I'm afraid you don't want it, but if you want it—"

"Ah, bah, bah, bah, pretend I didn't say it." Li Man never expected that the old lady, who is quite old, would speak like a child. She said those words teasingly, but she just went along with it. up.

The old lady laughed loudly, "Look, I frightened you, I know, you are afraid of your husbands."

"Who's scared?" Li Man said with a guilty conscience.

The old lady just laughed, "Boss Zhang told me when he came back. Don't worry, don't steal their wives. I, I actually like your temperament. I talk to you right-tempered, unlike those over there. I knew beforehand how to pretend, whether it’s good to eat or not, and I’m so full of heart, how can their little tricks still fool my old lady? Besides, Jing’er is getting bigger, although I’m worried about him Marriage is not so rigid, it has to be decided by him, if he meets someone he likes, I will naturally fulfill it."

"Oh, then you asked me to come today? Just to listen to an opera?" No matter how you look at it, it seems that you are deliberately annoying those little girls.

The old lady grinned, "That's not it, it's mainly because of boredom, you said you've heard that play several times, what's the point, and the little girls can't talk, so stay in front of me, one scene to the left Brother, the brother Jing on the right is trying his best to be good, hey, think about it, I am worried about my grandson, why did I recruit these people."

It seems that the old lady's grandson is not as good as she said, at least if he is too attractive to women, it is not very good.

"Oh, what is the old lady worried about? It's because your grandson is very attractive, why don't you marry them all back." Li Man couldn't help teasing when she saw the old lady's worried mouth but a smug smile in her eyes.

The old lady shook her head, "I don't care, it's just that bastard, who doesn't want one, and is annoying to be entangled, good guy, dump them all to me, the old lady, and let me be the villain."

"Eh?" Li Man thought again, the old lady found herself, "Grandma, you found me again, do you want me to be a villain again?"

The old lady giggled, "That's not true, but with you here, it can make them a little self-aware, don't think that they are all angels, as long as they like it, others will have to go to the pole to ask for it."

Li Man didn't understand what the old lady meant. Since she didn't like it, she could just refuse it. Why did she make such a move to embarrass those little girls?

While chatting, Manager Zhang came over from there and replied, "Old lady, the young master is back."

"Why don't you come back? I've been listening to operas for three days, so send them away soon," the old lady said.

Manager Zhang smiled, "Young master said, I'll come over to listen to the play with you after changing my clothes."

"Oh?" The old lady's eyes immediately filled with smiles when she heard the words, and she couldn't help but said, "Is he here to accompany me? Or..."

Just about to say something, she looked at Li Man next to her, swallowed the rest of her words, supported Li Man's hand, got up and said, "Go, Man'er, I'll take you to see Jinger later."

——

The article has been deleted and edited a lot, and some plots are not connected, Linger will make it up as soon as possible, dear friends, don't worry.