allonlinenovel Chapter 300 Annual Gift
Chapter 300 Annual Gift
It is popular in Da'an Kingdom to send holiday gifts before the New Year, so these days the streets are full of people carrying things in their hands or driving horse-drawn carriages, and the atmosphere is festive everywhere.
The Shangguan family's eldest house had an easy time choosing the New Year gifts, and all the gifts were the same. The servants in the mansion carried baskets of green vegetables and carefully put them into the carriage, and planned to deliver them door to door according to the route that had been set long ago.
Baili Nanqing leaned against the gate, watching the carriage go away with a painful look on her face.
Shangguan Chong was very puzzled.
"Madam, why do you keep sighing? I think this New Year's gift is both expensive and unique, and most importantly, it saves money. Why are you still not satisfied?"
Baili Nanqing glanced at her husband and said unhappily:
"How can we save money? Do you know how expensive vegetables are at this time of year? I'm afraid ten taels of silver can't even buy one pound of them, and they were all planted by our precious daughter herself!"
Shangguan Chong immediately fell silent. He had actually forgotten about this! So he thought about it and said softly,
"You have to sacrifice to gain. After this incident, our Yue'er will definitely gain a good reputation as a 'filial and capable' child. She doesn't like socializing, so this can be considered a rare opportunity. It's worth it!"
Baili Nanqing thought about it and it made sense, so she stopped worrying about it.
In fact, Shangguan Qingyue still had some selfish motives. She didn't give away the chives that she grew in the glass house to anyone. Da'an Kingdom didn't have the custom of eating dumplings during the New Year, and she knew about it in the village last year.
Therefore, this year she plans to show her cooking skills herself and let her family have a taste.
Shuiyunjian's business became more and more prosperous as the year drew to a close, so they had no choice but to postpone the closing of the store again and again until the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Shangguan Qingyue gave a thick red envelope to everyone in the store. The ones in the hands of the female shopkeeper and Mother Dou, who was in charge of making desserts, were particularly heavy. They both smiled so hard that their teeth were showing, and they were so happy.
The female shopkeeper was full of fighting spirit and repeatedly stated that she would work even harder next year.
Everyone put the red envelope in their arms, thinking in their hearts that they must make new clothes this year. They stood up and were about to leave, but Xiangxue stopped them:
"Don't be in a hurry to leave. Our host has prepared New Year's goods for everyone."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and several servants came in carrying two large baskets of fresh green vegetables. Upon closer inspection, one could see crystal clear water droplets faintly gleaming on the leaves.
Heshun patted the dirt off his hands and said proudly:
"Each of you should take a big basket of vegetables home. This is what our boss saved from his own pockets for everyone!
You all know how precious vegetables are at this time of year, so everyone should work hard next year!"
After only being in Shuiyunjian for over a month, the young man's face became visibly plumper and he looked full of energy, a tremendous change compared to before.
Shangguan Qingyue found it funny. She had never thought that this kid was good at winning people over. Thinking that Xiao Shitou still lacked a capable person, she called the person over after everyone left and asked directly:
"Heshun, are you willing to sell yourself to be Xiao Shitou's personal attendant and go to Xinglin Academy to accompany him?"
Heshun didn't react for a moment. He was stunned for a long time before he stuttered:
"Miss... Are you serious? Can I really be the young master's attendant?"
He started begging at the age of five and is still alive thanks to luck. He thought that this would be his life.
One day he accidentally got sick and hid in a corner to fend for himself. After his death, he was thrown into a mass grave by patrolling soldiers, and there was no trace of him in this world from then on.
Unexpectedly, the boss not only paid for his medical treatment, but also kept him working in Shuiyunjian. Now, is his luck really going to change? !
With an excited heart and trembling hands, the young man stared at Shangguan Qingyue, waiting for her to give a definite answer.
"Of course it's true, but the prerequisite is that you have to sign a contract to sell yourself. Think about it carefully and don't rush to answer me."
How could Heshun not be anxious? He was afraid that his boss would regret it if he was a step late. So as soon as the other party finished speaking, he nodded like crazy. His actions were funny and amusing, causing Xiangxue beside him to bend over with laughter.
"Miss, you are kind-hearted. It is our blessing to be by your side. Heshun, you must work hard. Good days are yet to come!"
I think both she and Shuying took the initiative to sell themselves to come to the young lady!
When she mentioned Shuying, she couldn't help but worry. She didn't know how things were going at home, but she hoped her mother could find her way back and get out of the quagmire.
Shuying, who was thousands of miles away, suddenly sneezed. She put her hands in her sleeves and shivered from the cold. Seeing her mother's weak appearance, she couldn't help but persuade her again:
"Mom, have you made up your mind? As long as you make up your mind to divorce my dad, I will immediately go to the village head grandfather, and he will definitely make the decision for us."
Wang shrank back into the quilt, coughed lightly, and then said:
"Dafeng, go buy some firewood and charcoal. Mother doesn't have the energy to chop firewood this year, and we don't have any stored at home. Today is New Year's Eve, and we can't not buy anything."
Seeing her mother looking around and talking about something else, Shuying's face turned red with anger. She slapped the shabby table beside her with one hand, and her strength was so great that the table was directly broken into pieces, breaking into pieces all over the floor.
Wang was distressed and pointed at her with a shaking hand.
"You, you prodigal son, why did you hit the table? Now there is no place to eat at home!
Dafeng, you may have become capable now, but in the end, aren't you still a lowly slave who has lost your freedom?
Mother doesn't want to be a servant. It's so good to be in the village. There are fields to plant and herbs to harvest. Even the pears that were worthless in the past are now sold at a high price. Mother won't leave you unless you divorce her."
Shuying was so angry that she almost laughed. She stood up angrily and walked back and forth in the small room for several circles before stopping, waving her arms and shouting:
"I also know that our village is living a good life now. I don't know how envious other villages are. They are trying their best to marry their daughters here.
But mother, the baby in your belly was kicked away by your father! If Xiaonan hadn't come back in time, I'm afraid you wouldn't have survived! If my father had been a decent person, why would I have come all the way back to persuade you to divorce? ! "
Wang couldn't help but shrink back. Her daughter's scolding made her subconsciously a little afraid, so she could only say in a low voice:
"It would be better if you don't leave. Your father won't dare to beat me with you around. Dafeng, for mom, please stay here, okay? You are the only one mom can count on!
Your father, your father only likes to beat people when he is drunk, and he is very regretful this time..."
By the end of her speech, her voice was as soft as a mosquito, and her daughter's face looked frighteningly ugly, so she didn't dare to continue.
Shuying staggered backwards until she hit the wall from behind. She smiled sadly, tears filling her eyes, and said:
"So, it's not enough for you to be stuck in this quagmire alone, and you want your daughter to be with you, right? We work so hard to make money, and then my father spends it on drinking and prostitution, and this goes on and on, wasting our lives?
Mom, are you...unable to see me doing well?"
The last sentence seemed to anger Wang. She sat up suddenly and shouted sharply:
"What nonsense are you talking about?! Mom is doing this for your own good!
Do you know that your father has been beating and scolding me all these years because of you? If you were a boy, your father would be so happy! Mom has suffered so much because of you, but in the end, she raised an ungrateful person. Why is my life so miserable..."
Shuying leaned against the cold wall, feeling the chill spreading from her feet to her head. With a sarcastic smile on her face, she said calmly:
"If I could really choose my birth, why would I want to be born into a family like yours? Since you don't like girls, why didn't you strangle me to death when I was born so that I wouldn't be a disgrace to you two!"
She knelt heavily on the ground and kowtowed three times. She ignored the blood on her forehead and said coldly:
"I have already sold myself and am no longer a member of the Li family. The money that the young lady gave me for selling my body and the monthly salary for my stay in the capital during this period of time have all been given to you. We... have long since settled our debts.
Please take care of yourself, and I won't be an eyesore anymore."
She turned and left, ignoring Wang's shrill screams behind her. In the end, Wang had no choice but to grit her teeth, protect her head, and fall directly to the ground, groaning in pain.
Shuying paused, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and restrained herself from turning around. She kept telling herself in her heart that she must not be soft-hearted again! Then she remembered Shangguan Qingyue's words, "Everyone has his own destiny", which made her more determined.
She walked out with big strides, and Wang's voice soon disappeared in the sound of firecrackers.
She didn't stop any more, planning to walk to the county town, and then find a way to rent a carriage to go directly back to the capital. There were the people she depended on the most, and she was not alone.