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Yu Daman had no money left to return to the Qi Family. He yanked his hand away from Yu Chunmiao and pushed his daughter back. "What are you talking about? The girl has already been sold to you, there's nothing to refund." After saying this, Yu Daman ran off as if fleeing.
Yu Chunmiao stifled a laugh as she watched her mother-in-law, who was still acting as if she were trying to stop Yu Daman. What a charming old lady she was!
Once Yu Daman disappeared down the street, Chen Ruolan returned to her usual gentle self. She nervously patted her chest and asked, "How did I do? Did I act well?"
Yu Chunmiao could hardly contain her laughter. Holding her stomach, she gave her mother-in-law a thumbs-up and said, "Mother, you were amazing! Just look at how fast he ran away; that shows how well you performed."
The two women agreed that in front of outsiders, Yu Chunmiao should not appear too clever. If word got to the gamblers, it could lead to unnecessary trouble.
As they passed a meat stall, they spent twenty coins on some pork lard and another eight coins on two rather sad-looking pork bones. After lamenting the cost of the twenty-some coins, Chen Ruolan said to Yu Chunmiao, "Yu Chunmiao, just two streets ahead is your second brother's apprentice, Xiao Carpenter's home. I want to go see him."
Of course, Yu Chunmiao had no objections; it was only natural for a mother to care for her son. However, noticing her mother-in-law's troubled expression, she asked, "Mother, do you want to bring some gifts?"
Chen Ruolan felt a bit embarrassed; the money was earned by her daughter-in-law, and it felt awkward for her to spend it as a mother-in-law.
Yu Chunmiao smiled and said, "Mother, what do you want to buy? Let's get it." Her genuine smile and relaxed tone visibly eased Chen Ruolan's tension.
Xiao Carpenter was known far and wide for his craftsmanship and had no other hobbies except for smoking dry tobacco. Good Yan Ye wasn't cheap; a pack cost eighty coins. Chen Ruolan hesitated and suggested buying half a pack instead.
Yu Chunmiao urged her, "How can you give a gift without getting a full pack? It's like when people get married; they always buy things in pairs."
Just as Yu Chunmiao was about to pay, Chen Ruolan pulled her away. "No need to go; it's too expensive! I can feel my hair hurting just thinking about it."
Yu Chunmiao still wanted to buy the Yan Ye, but Chen Ruolan insisted, "No need; he'll be home in just a few days."
Actually, this had little to do with Qi Yuan not being home. Xiao Carpenter had an apprentice, and other families often brought gifts for him. Over the past year or so, Chen Ruolan had only sent one fish. She feared that Xiao Carpenter might look down on her son or that her gift might be inadequate.
Unaware of these underlying concerns, Yu Chunmiao thought that since he would be home soon anyway, it was best not to spend too much on gifts. It would be disingenuous for her to say she wouldn't feel pained by spending so much money. For the sake of her mother-in-law's maternal affection, she could endure it; since her mother-in-law said it wasn't necessary, she readily agreed without further argument.
The two women began heading home. With one brother limping and the other small in stature, they felt uneasy leaving them alone.
Meanwhile, Qi Rong finished his meal at home and set off with a basket and a dirt scoop to gather clams by himself. He worked diligently all morning and filled half his basket with clams while also digging up some wild vegetables.
As he was heading back, he spotted his cousin Qi Dai approaching with two lackeys named Liu Dagou and Liu Ergou from afar. Although they were cousins, they were not easy to deal with; things could easily escalate into a fight. While fighting wasn't a concern for him, he couldn't let them see his clams.
After considering his options carefully, Qi Rong slipped into the nearby woods and hid his basket among the grass before walking forward confidently.
As expected, Qi Rong was soon stopped by the three of them.
Qi Rong was two years younger than him. He was chubby and had none of the good looks that the Qi Family was known for. His eyebrows were so faint they looked like they had been lightly dipped in ink, as if someone had written a thousand characters and then drawn over them. His triangular eyes were squeezed into slits by the flesh around them, leaving one to wonder if he could even see all of Qi Rong's figure at a glance.
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