"Sister-in-law, please spare me! If you say any more, I'll truly want to crawl into a hole!"
Zhao Jiaqi pleaded with a smile, releasing her husband's hand and naturally linking arms with her sister-in-law. "Sister-in-law, are you heading to town to sell things?"
She cleverly steered the conversation away from the topic of having sons or daughters, asking intentionally while also trying to understand the village situation.
Having just arrived, she didn't have any friends, and it was rather inconvenient to move around. She found the sister-in-law in front of her quite approachable.
There was no excessive calculation in her eyes. As the saying goes, you can tell a person by their eyes; eyes are a window to the heart.
"My name is Wang Zhaodi, and I live next door to your house. From now on, you can call me Sister-in-law. If you ever need anything at home, just say the word, and my elder brother and I will definitely not stand idly by." Wang Zhaodi introduced herself.
A village woman who hadn't attended school spoke in plain language. Her words 'will not stand idly by' likely meant they wouldn't turn a blind eye.
The two chatted warmly along the way. Their temperaments and ways of handling things were very similar, as if they had found a kindred spirit. On the other hand, the man following behind them looked displeased and had already added Wang Zhaodi to his blacklist, as his wife was ignoring him because of her.
Before they knew it, they had reached the town.
Wang Zhaodi bid her farewell reluctantly, "I'm going to sell handkerchiefs. If I have time this afternoon, I'll come find you to chat!"
"Okay, Sister-in-law, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled away by the impatient person beside her.
Seeing this, Wang Zhaodi smiled and shook her head. She knew what kind of person Fan Zehao was and didn't dwell on it, turning to head towards the clothing shop.
Zhao Jiaqi frowned and tapped the large hand holding hers with her small hand, "What are you doing? Sister-in-law is a very nice person. You're acting so grumpy, with a long face, after just a short chat!"
He stopped in his tracks, pouting unhappily. He lowered his head to look at her and said in a subdued tone, "You've never smiled at me like that, nor have you talked to me so much!"
Was he jealous?
He was jealous of a woman. This was unacceptable. If she spoke to men in the future, would he shatter the vinegar jar?
No, she had to teach him a lesson, starting tonight.
"Let's go. While they're fresh, we can get a good price," she said, not wanting to bicker with him on the street about useless things.
She also knew that even if they argued, it wouldn't lead anywhere. His mind was straightforward.
Familiar with the way, Fan Zehao led her to the back entrance of a large restaurant. Upon entering, they saw quite a few people delivering goods, and they lined up at the end.
Xiao Liuzi's eyes lit up when he saw the big傻大个 (silly big guy) arrive. The basket was filled with many wild rabbits and one wild pheasant, all quite plump. He grinned so wide his ears almost touched his cheeks.
"Same old price, fifteen wen for a wild rabbit, fifteen wen for a wild pheasant. Let me see how much you've brought."
Zhao Jiaqi found this price too low upon hearing it.
"Second brother, these wild rabbits are so fat, each weighing about three catties. Fifteen wen each, which works out to about five wen a jin. And the rabbit pelts can be sold for silver after skinning. You're offering too low a price, can you raise it a bit!"
Zhao Jiaqi earnestly negotiated with him.
Xiao Liuzi's brow furrowed tightly upon hearing the woman analyze the situation so thoroughly. "What kind of crazy woman is this? Hurry up and get lost, don't hold up my business."
As soon as Xiao Liuzi finished speaking, three men appeared in the courtyard shortly thereafter. They were lightly tapping their palms with wooden sticks, their faces full of brutishness, glaring fiercely at the couple.