Farm Tough Girl-Chapter 179 - 180 Unexpected Visitor_1
Chapter 179: Chapter 180 Unexpected Visitor_1
Chapter 179 -180 Unexpected Visitor_1
Qinghe was indeed a bit tired; the child was already five months along, and her body felt quite heavy, so without declining, she simply sat down.
She had thought that Zeng Gang would exchange pleasantries and then go off to drink with the other men, but to her surprise, Zeng Gang also sat down, “I’ve read in books that pregnant women should not overexert themselves. You must have worn yourself out, being so busy with your brother’s wedding. Take care and don’t let anything happen.”
Qinghe smiled and nodded, “Don’t worry, I know.”
“Also, eat more fish, soybean sprouts, fruits, and vegetables—they’re all good for your health.”
Qinghe paused before asking, “Master Zeng, how do you know so much?”
Zeng Gang smiled sheepishly, “I overheard others talking about it last time.” He had actually gone out of his way to ask brothers who had pregnant wives.
Muniang stood not far off, watching them chat happily, and her lips curved into a smile—this young man wasn’t too bad.
“Wife, what are you doing?”
Suddenly, Erliang appeared behind her, causing Muniang to jump, “Weren’t you drinking over there?”
“Chengzi is almost out of it; everyone carried him to the bridal chamber.”
Muniang smiled, “Sounds fun, look at you, your face is all red from the drink.”
“Fun!”
“Let’s go home, it’s getting too late, and mother might be waiting for us at home.”
Erliang agreed, and Muniang was about to say goodbye to Qinghe, but considering that Qinghe would surely leave with her and not wanting to interrupt Zeng Gang’s visit from afar, she held back. She sneaked away, knowing that when Qinghe needed to return home, Zeng Gang would certainly see her off, so Muniang wasn’t worried.
The next morning, however, a scolding greeted Muniang from Qinghe for being heartless and leaving her behind. Muniang apologized profusely on the surface but couldn’t help feeling smug inside, thinking: You’ll thank me for this later.
For some reason, Muniang felt that Zeng Gang was quite a match for Qinghe. Qinghe wasn’t a vain person; her liking for Qiao Yuanzhen was purely a momentary folly. Now that she had been hurt so deeply by Qiao Yuanzhen, her outward appearance might seem healed, but how could the scars in her heart disappear that easily? Muniang could only rest easy with someone like Zeng Gang, who was considerate and willing to treasure Qinghe.
Moreover, it’s not as if Zeng Gang was just a craftsman; he was a head craftsman, and his skills were famously good in Chatu Town. Otherwise, why would people from the prefectural city eagerly seek him to repair their houses? The fees he charged were also high, since he dealt with the wealthy, so no matter what, he would not be headed for poverty. He was many times better than Tofu Zhang, whom Xia Bing had married.
If Qinghe and Zeng Gang really did end up together, there would likely be quite a few people in the village green with envy.
“Muniang, look, these are the little socks I’ve made for the baby,” said Qinghe, who now spent her days crafting these things. The baby wasn’t even born yet and already had a whole collection of clothes and shoes, even the diapers were embroidered with flowers.
Muniang looked at the delicate little tiger stitched on them and laughed, “This child is lucky to have a mother like you; there will be no end to the clothes, if nothing else.”
Qinghe responded with a teasing smile, “You’re making fun of me again, aren’t you?”
Muniang waved her hands in denial, “I wouldn’t dare.”
They were in the midst of their conversation when Qingya came in and said to Muniang, “Lady, a strange woman has come and says she is looking for the elder Lady.”
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Muniang was startled for a moment before responding, “What woman? Is she not from our village?”
Qingya too was confused, “I don’t know. The boy at the gate stopped her. She didn’t look very good—pale and thin, wearing extremely worn-out clothes. She seemed very urgent, asking straight away if this was Lin Kelan’s home. I originally didn’t know that Lin Kelan was the elder Lady’s name. Then she asked if this was the home of Qiao Muniang, and that’s when I understood.”
People from Tupo Village generally referred to Mrs. Lin, so few knew her full name. Since this woman knew so much, she must be an acquaintance. Muniang then said, “Let her in, and please ask the elder Lady to come. It’s likely someone she knows.”
Although she said this, she felt somewhat apprehensive—could this be another “old acquaintance” showing up to take advantage of them? Otherwise, why would she come right when their family had become prosperous? However, Muniang couldn’t simply make assumptions; it was better to invite the woman in and see.
When the woman was led inside, she seemed a little panicked, gazing around the room at the grand décor as if she was stunned. Her hardly worn clothes had turned yellowish from washing, and her hair was a bit disheveled. Muniang felt it was strange; even people from poor families tried to look presentable when going out. This woman, on the contrary, seemed like a refugee fleeing disaster.
But Muniang was certain her family would never have known any refugees.
“Please take a seat. Qingya, serve some tea,” Muniang greeted warmly, maintaining proper etiquette, “May I ask where you come from?”
The woman gazed at Muniang in a daze before replying, “Are you… Muniang?”
Muniang responded with surprise, “How did you know?”
“You look so much like your mother,” the woman pulled at the corners of her mouth.
It seemed she was an old friend of Mrs. Lin, but how could there be such an acquaintance Mrs. Lin didn’t recognize? As Muniang puzzled over this, a voice trembled, “Kexin?”
The woman suddenly turned around, and upon seeing Mrs. Lin, her eyes immediately reddened. “Big sister!”
Mrs. Lin’s eyes also filled with tears. “It really is you. I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime!”
As they spoke, they embraced each other and broke down in tears.
It took Muniang a moment to realize, the woman was actually Mrs. Lin’s younger sister.
Muniang knew a bit about Mrs. Lin’s family—they did not live in Chatu Town but in a neighboring town, in a somewhat wealthy household. Mrs. Lin had once traveled to Chatu Town with her parents to visit relatives, where she happened to meet Qiao Yuanming. The two of them fell in love secretly, and later Qiao Yuanming went to propose. The Lin Family was initially reluctant as the Qiao family was much poorer by comparison.
Mrs. Lin, however, insisted on marrying into the Qiao family, and her parents could not dissuade her, so they agreed. After she married into the Qiao family, the Lin Family frequently supported them, fearing their daughter would suffer hardships. Muniang could guess that none of that money ever reached Mrs. Lin.
Over more than a decade since marrying into the Qiao family, the Lin parents had passed away one after the other, and Qiao Yuanming had died as well. Mrs. Lin suffered too much, and the cruelty of the Qiao Parents made it unbearable, which eventually wore her out. Disdained by the Qiao family, she was driven out.
Throughout the years, Mrs. Lin never once went back to her family home; the Qiao family forbade it. While the Lin Parents were alive, they often visited her, but after they died, it was as if her connection to the Lin Family was severed. So much time had passed since then.
Muniang remembered that Mrs. Lin had a brother and a sister—it must be that youngest sister, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen. Really quite young.
