Chapter 41: 040: Excellence is not Without Reason i
Translator: 549690339
Sun Chunxiang was fuming with anger at Zhu Yonghong.
She picked up a stick lying next to her and went to hit Zhu Yonghong, “You’re a disgrace to our family and dare to talk back! I’ll beat you to death today! Six for one cent, why not give them away for free then? Don’t you treasure the money 1 earned? Do you know your brother doesn’t even have his living expenses this month! You’re such a waste! I’ll beat you to death!”
In this era, university students were highly valued. If a family had a university student, it was almost like having royalty in the household..
As for daughters?
Daughters were seen as an expense, as they would eventually be married off.
So Zhu Yonghong quit school early, setting up a stall with her mother to earn living expenses for her brother.
“Mom, stop hitting!” Zhu Yonghong grabbed the falling stick, “Tomorrow morning 1 will earn back the money we lost today! I promise it won’t affect my brother’s living expenses.”
Zhu Yonghong’s mindset had been assimilated. Just like Sun Chunxiang, she treated her university-educated brother as if he was an ancestor, without feeling it was unfair at all.
“That’s easy for you to say, how are you going to earn it?” Sun Chunxiang asked, her face full of anger.
Zhu Yonghong took a deep breath, “Mom, listen to me…” Zhu Yonghong leaned on her mother’s shoulder and whispered her plan.
After hearing Zhu Yonghong’s words, Sun Chunxiang frowned and asked, “Can that really work?”
Sun Chunxiang was a money-loving person, but she was tentative about this plan because she was also timid.
Zhu Yonghong laughed and said, “Why not? It will definitely work as long as nobody gets hurt.”
“You’re right.” Sun Chunxiang nodded, the anger on her face gradually fading away, “Then we will do as you suggested.”
“Good, Mom.” Zhu Yonghong’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Just wait and see, nobody will want to eat her noodles tomorrow!
She will make that little tart experience what desolation feels like.
**
Ni Family
After lunch, Ni Yang went to the river to check the crab trap she had set a few days ago, and also collected some snails along the way.
Not long after she left, Zhou Qingshang showed up at the gate of Ni’s courtyard with a basket of vegetables.
Zhou Qingshang had come to thank Ni Yang. After following Ni Yang’s advice and drinking the decoction made from the roots Ni Yang had given her, her cold was gone overnight!
When she first took the roots home, people had scoffed, saying such roots couldn’t possibly cure a cold. She had also been simply trying when she drank the decoction.
She didn’t expect that it would work so well!
The next morning, her headache was gone, she stopped coughing, and her fever had also subsided!
That root was even more effective than the Immortal Pill.
“Is Yangyang at home?”
“Yes, who is it?” Ni Cuihua appeared confusedly from inside, looking at Zhou Qingshang, “May I ask who you are?”
Zhou Qingshang smiled and said, “You must be Yangyang’s mother, right? I live nearby, my family name is Zhou.”
Through Ni Yang’s dietary care for these days, Ni Cuihua’s spirits had significantly improved. Even her facial wrinkles had subsided a lot, her complexion had improved a lot too. One could see Ni Yang in her eyes.
It can be seen that Ni Yang’s beauty is all thanks to Ni Cuihua’s good genes!
Ni Cuihua nodded, “Yes, I am Yangyang’s mom. Are you looking for our Yangyang? Please come inside and sit, she just went out.”
“Well, I came specifically to thank Yangyang.” Zhou Qingshang followed Ni Cuihua into the house, narrating her story of curing her cold as she walked. She boasted about the efficacy of the herbal medicine given by Ni Yang. It sounded as if she wanted to praise Ni Yang to the sky.
Upon hearing someone praising her daughter, the mother was naturally pleased.
Ni Cuihua said, laughing, “Please sit for a while. I will get you a glass of water.”
Zhou Qingshang took Ni Cuihua’s hand, “No need to keep yourself busy, Yangyang’s mom,” she said as she put the basket of vegetables on the table. “Yangyang has helped me a lot, but I didn’t have anything as a token of gratitude. These vegetables are all grown by me, you guys can have them. If it’s finished, we still have some at home, you can take them from my vegetable garden.”
Ni Yang and her mother just moved in, so Zhou Qingshang assumed they must not have any vegetables. That’s why she brought over some fresh vegetables.
This was indeed a help in urgent need.
The basket was filled with yardlong beans, tomatoes, pak choi, cilantro, bitter gourd, celery, spring onions, etc…
“Big sister, you are too polite. Actually, Yangyang didn’t do much. We can’t accept these vegetables.” Ni Cuihua is a straightforward person. She felt like they didn’t do enough to deserve such a big advantage.
“Since 1 have already brought them, there is no reason to take them back! Unless, Yangyang’s mom, you are disparaging my vegetables because they are not valuable!” said Zhou Qingshang, feigning an upset face.
Seeing this, Ni Cuihua immediately explained, “That’s not what 1 meant…”
Zhou Qingshang immediately said, “Since that’s not what you meant, then accept them. They are not something valuable.”
Having no other choice, Ni Cuihua had to accept, “Big sister, wait a moment. I will empty out the basket for you.” With that, Ni Cuihua took the basket of vegetables into the kitchen.
Zhou Qingshang stood in the living room, looking around.
It was evident that Ni Cuihua knew how to manage a home. Everything was neat and orderly, even there was no trace of dust on the tables.
All the furniture was arranged neatly.
After awhile, Ni Cuihua came out from the kitchen with the basket. It was not empty – it held two apples.
Reciprocating kindness is a virtue passed down through thousands of years in China. She surely couldn’t let someone return with an empty basket.
It’s not only a virtue but also a matter of propriety.
Though Ni Cuihua has not received any formal education, she deeply understands the principles of life.
At that time, apples were quite expensive, costing five to six cents a jin, and two apples were about half a kilogram.
Zhou Qingshang insisted on not taking them. She had grown her own vegetables, whereas the apples were bought with money.
Ni Cuihua held the basket tight, not allowing Zhou Qingshang to remove the apples, “Big sister, take them back for your kids to taste. If you refuse to take them, we will have to refuse the vegetables you brought.”
Ni Cuihua was determined. With no other option, Zhou Qingshang reluctantly accepted, thinking to herself, it’s no wonder that Ni Yang is so sensible. She has a wise and understanding mother.
**
By the river.
Ni Yang gathered her fishing trap. This time she got quite a few fish and shrimps, one of which was a grass carp weighing about seven or eight jin.
All together, including the snails that Ni Yang had just picked, there were two buckets.
As Ni Yang was resetting the trap in the river, Wang Xiuhong approached her from the other side of the riverbank.
Wang Xiuhong looked at Ni Yang who was busy with her fishing trap in the river, a smirk appeared on her face.
Heh.
Her chance for revenge had come.
Ni Yang naturally noticed Wang Xiuhong. She immediately saw the ill-intention in Wang Xiuhong’s eyes. Ni Yang calmly placed the fishing trap, then walked towards the shore.
Seeing Ni Yang approaching, Wang Xiuhong felt vaguely uneasy and hurriedly walked in the other direction.
“Stop.” Ni Yang extended her hand and blocked Wang Xiuhong’s path.
“Wha…what’s the matter?” Whenever Wang Xiuhong saw Ni Yang’s face, she felt both hatred and fear.
What she hated was that Ni Yang dared to hit her that day! What’s more, she had curried favor with Yang Guobao before her.
What she feared was that Ni Yang hit her once before. Now she was alone and no match for Ni Yang.
Ni Yang cracked a faint smile, “Why do you think I’m stopping you? Don’t you have an idea in your mind?”
