Plum Blossom Screen
[Plum Blossom Screen]
After Yan Yu left, Su Liang took her used bedding to the backyard and hung it on a tree to dry. Read
М
The room was thoroughly cleaned, and the fishy smell was gone.
At dusk, Bai Xiaohu brought two playmates to find Su Liang.
"My grandma said that Su Xiaoming's house is yours now?"
"There are still many pears on his tree! We all saw it!"
"Such big pears!"
Su Liang chuckled, "Can you climb trees?"
The three boys nodded like pounding garlic.
"Ning Jing." Su Liang called Ning Jing.
The window was open, and Ning Jing's cold and indifferent voice came from the room, "I'm not going."
"Then you boil water and cook porridge." Su Liang took Bai Xiaohu and the others out after he finished speaking.
After borrowing a large backpack from Bai's house and crossing the wooden bridge, he heard the three children say that the heavy rain had damaged the two bridges in the village and they needed to be rebuilt. Each family had to contribute and work.
Just after crossing the bridge, I ran into the village head Su Bai.
When Su Bai saw Su Liang, he was polite. When he mentioned the bridge repair, he did not ask Ning Jing and Su Liang, two rich people in everyone's eyes, to pay more money. He just said that her family could not provide labor, and he had to pay for one more person's wages.
Su Liang asked the village head to find Ning Jing at home.
…
Ning Jing heard the knock on the door and got up.
After listening to the village head, he went back to the room to get the money.
"One more person's wages." The village head counted, but it was not enough.
Ning Jing shook his head slightly, "You can provide labor."
The village head was stunned, subconsciously looking at Ning Jing's thin figure, clean clothes, beautiful and flawless face...
"I." Ning Jing said one word and went back.
The village head was very puzzled. Ning Jing didn't have much money, but he wanted to work in person? He didn't look like a person who could work!
…
Su Liang stepped into Su Daqiang's yard again, but in just a few days, it was deserted and quiet as if no one had lived there for a long time.
Bai Xiaohu and the other two scrambled to climb the tree.
The pear tree was not too high, so Su Liang told them to be careful.
A boy picked a big yellow pear, put it to his mouth and took a big bite, then remembered to ask Su Liang, "Can I eat it?"
"Eat it." Su Liang said as he walked towards the main room.
Neither she nor Ning Jing could live here, nor did they want to use the things here. They were short of money, so after looking at it, they decided to sell everything.
Daily necessities in this world, even if they are old, are not difficult to sell.
As for the house, keep it for the sake of the pear tree.
The shack where the original owner lived for more than a year collapsed after a heavy rain.
There is a neat vegetable garden in the backyard, which must have been taken care of by the original owner.
Su Liang propped up and fixed the fallen bean rack, picked a handful of beans and two eggplants, and returned to the front yard.
The three children each finished eating a pear and were picking the pears and putting them in their pockets.
Bai Xiaohu was stunned to see Su Liang climb up easily, "You can climb trees too?"
Su Liang smiled without saying anything, picked a pear, wiped it with his sleeve, took a bite, and the juice was sweet.
Finally, he picked a full basket of pears, and there were still some small ones left on the tree.
"Can I take one home for grandpa to eat?" The shy Erniu said, pulling the corner of his clothes.
"As many as you can take are yours." Su Liang smiled.
The other two looked at Bai Xiaohu, a little bit unbelievable.
Bai Xiaohu raised his chin and smiled, "I said, sister Su Liang is very generous!"
They took off their coats, filled a bag each, and ran away.
Su Liang carried the basket on his back and went home with Bai Xiaohu in the afterglow of the sunset.
When they crossed the bridge and were about to separate, Su Liang said to Bai Xiaohu, "I need your family's help with something."
...
When they got home, it was already dark.
Su Liang went into the kitchen, and the porridge in the pot was bubbling and exuding fragrance.
Ning Jing turned his back to the door, his arms slightly moving, not knowing what he was doing.
Putting down the pear and walking over, Su Liang saw Ning Jing frowning and stirring a large bowl of batter...
"What are you going to do?" Su Liang was puzzled.
"Pancakes." Ning Jing put down his chopsticks, and a flash of embarrassment flashed in his eyes, "Look at you making it. Add too much water, add more flour, and more flour..."
Su Liang:... He doesn't have to be so diligent...
The radish shreds next to him were cut very finely and evenly.
There was nothing in the vegetable basket.
The flour bag was also empty.
"Go to the town to buy things tomorrow." Su Liang took over the bowl of batter.
But Ning Jing said, "Repair the bridge tomorrow."
Su Liang was stunned for a moment, "Didn't you give me money today?"
"If you want to do the labor, I'll go." Ning Jing's face was calm.
Su Liang looked at him, thoughtfully, "Are you...experiencing life?"
"Experience?" Ning Jing shook his head slightly, "It's life."
"Okay. Then you go to repair the bridge, and I'll go to the town." Su Liang said that his down-to-earth attitude towards life is worthy of recognition.
Bai Peng came to Su Liang to confirm what Bai Xiaohu said.
"I don't know how to sell those furniture items. Uncle Bai will help sell all that can be sold. I will give you 20% of the money as hard work fee." Su Liang said.
Bai Peng agreed and said he would do it early tomorrow morning and let his brother repair the bridge.
Su Liang gave Bai Peng a few baked white flour cakes, but he refused repeatedly.
"Uncle Bai, take it. I won't be at home tomorrow. Ning Jing is going to repair the bridge and will have lunch at your house." Su Liang said.
Bai Peng was very surprised, "The head of the village asked Mr. Ning to repair the bridge? That job is tiring and dirty. How can Mr. Ning do it? I'll talk to the head of the village and pay a few dozen more coins!"
Su Liang shook his head, "Uncle Bai, just call him by his name. He wanted to go there himself."
…
That night, Su Liang moved back to his original room and copied two pages of calligraphy before going to bed.
He also wrote two new recipes for medicinal food, planning to sell them at Feiyan Restaurant tomorrow.
As for the gambling house, he could go there for fun later, but it couldn't be used as a serious way to make money.
…
Ning Jing was called away at dawn.
He appeared among a group of strong young men carrying shovels in Sujia Village, looking very out of place.
Except for Bai Xiaohu's uncle Bai He, no one dared to talk to Ning Jing.
Some people muttered, "He can't even take out a few dozen coins, he's even poorer than my family! How can he work?"
But when they really started working, this "little white face" made their eyes explode!
Why is he not afraid of getting dirty?
He is so strong!
He has never complained of being tired?
In short, Ning Jing proved with practical actions that he is naturally beautiful, but not weak, and even less squeamish.
So, after that day, there was a new rumor about Ning Jing's life in the village: Although he was born into a wealthy family, his father didn't love him and his mother didn't love him. He was abused since childhood...
After a while, someone shouted, "Mr. Ning, your wife is looking at you!"
Ning Jing looked up and saw Su Liang carrying a basket on his back not far away.
Su Liang waved to Ning Jing, said hello and continued to walk towards the village entrance.
Finding that Ning Jing had a good temper, someone started to make a noise, "When will Mr. Ning become a father? You have to treat us to a drink!"
Ning Jing was stunned for a moment.
Seeing that he didn't speak, they thought he was shy, and everyone laughed.
...
Su Liang was carrying half a basket of pears and walking to the town. When he stopped to drink water halfway, he saw a carriage.
"Which way is Sujia Village?" the driver asked loudly.
Su Liang pointed and quickly continued on his way.
The carriage arrived in the village and stopped at the door of Su Daqiang's house. A girl in a pink jacket got off the car.
The door was locked, and the girl called for help but no one responded. The old woman next door came out and asked her who she was looking for.
"Is this Su Xiaodie's house?" the girl asked.
The old woman nodded, "Yes!"
The girl frowned, "Where are her family?"
"They owed usury, and the whole family was sold to the mine!" the old woman said, "Why are you looking for Su Xiaodie?"
The girl did not answer, but turned and walked quickly to the carriage, whispered a few words, and came back to ask the old woman when Su Xiaodie was sold and who owned her house now.
Hearing the girl say that her master paid the deposit and came to Su Xiaodie to get the embroidery.
The old woman sneered and pointed to the other side of the stream, "It was also this girl, who married over there! Now this house is hers! How can Su Xiaodie embroider? It's all Su Liang's embroidery!"
"Su Liang?" The girl repeated the name and took out a few copper coins and gave them to the old woman.
…
It was almost noon, and the men who were repairing the bridge were sweating. Ning Jing, who worked with them without any laziness, still looked refreshed.
Bai Xiaohu ran over, "Brother Ning! Someone wants to see Sister Su Liang!"
The headman looked up at the sky and said that they were off work and should go home to eat before coming back.
Ning Jing took Bai Xiaohu home and saw a carriage parked at the door, with a girl in a pink coat standing next to it.
The girl was stunned when she saw Ning Jing's face.
"If you have anything to say, just tell Brother Ning! He is Sister Su Liang's husband!" Bai Xiaohu said loudly.
The girl came back to her senses, her face slightly red, and she said softly, "My lady ordered a double-sided embroidered plum blossom screen, but it was not delivered after a certain period of time, so I came to pick it up in person."
Ning Jing looked indifferent, "Who did you order it from?"
"Su Xu, she received a deposit of five taels of silver." The girl said.
"Go find her, it has nothing to do with Su Liang." Ning Jing said.
The girl's face froze, "I heard that the previous embroidery was all from Su Liang..."
A young female voice came from the car, "Sir, that plum blossom screen is very important to me. As long as you give it to me, the price can be negotiated."
Bai Xiaohu snorted, Brother Ning and Sister Su Liang are not short of money! Brother Ning went to work because he is a real man, not a gigolo!
As a result, the next moment, Ning Jing nodded, "Okay."
The girl's face was happy, "Then take out the plum blossom screen for us!"
"Ten thousand taels of gold." Ning Jing opened his thin lips.
The girl's almond eyes widened, looking at Ning Jing in disbelief, "What did you say?"
"Isn't the price negotiable?" Ning Jing asked back.
"That can't be... Ten thousand taels of gold? Are you kidding?" The girl looked annoyed.
Ning Jing's face was so calm, "My wife's embroidery is this price, no negotiation. If you can't afford it, go away."