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“Aiya, Su girl, why so distant? Your Big Brother Dazhu only helped for an hour yesterday, and you gave him ten copper coins?”
Unable to hold back, Auntie Wang glanced at Su Qingqing again, feigning annoyance.
“Hmph! If you’re going to be so polite, then why did you come running here first thing in the morning?”
She truly felt sorry for this girl—no parents, a ruthless grandmother and uncle’s family, and still just a child forced to take care of her little brother on her own.
Su Qingqing smiled sweetly at Auntie Wang, knowing full well it was her way of expressing care.
“Hmph!” Auntie Wang snorted. But honestly, this girl really did look quite lovely when she smiled.
Yang Li joined in teasing, “Su girl, seriously—when I came back from the river yesterday after washing clothes, I told your Big Brother Dazhu to go help fix your stove. Who knew this wooden-head would actually take the payment?”
She glared at her husband, who was giving her a sheepish look.
Wang Dazhu: …Wuwu, so unfair. He already got scolded yesterday, and now he’s getting glared at again!
Uncle Wang put down his bowl and said, “Alright, enough lecturing the girl. If Dazhu hadn’t accepted the coins, I bet she wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for help next time.” Ever since she was struck by lightning, the Su girl had changed—more mature and calculating in the right ways.
Su Qingqing gave Uncle Wang a mental thumbs-up. That was exactly her thinking—feelings are consumable; the more you use, the less you have. She would never take others’ kindness for granted.
Uncle Wang glanced at his wife, “The Su siblings are here already. Why are we making them stand around chatting? The food’s getting cold.”
“Come on, Su girl! Sit down with your brother and eat breakfast!” Honestly, women loved to fuss too much.
Auntie Wang muttered under her breath: You’re sleeping in the shed tonight, aren’t you?
Su Qingqing quickly said, “Uncle Wang, we already ate. I’m actually just here to leave my brother with you. I have to run an errand in town.”
Phew, she finally got a chance to speak!
Upon hearing that, Wang Tiedan immediately dropped his bowl and shouted excitedly, “Yay! I get to play with Brother Zijin again!” He ran over to grab Su Zijin’s hand.
Su Qingqing placed the ceramic jar she was carrying on the table. She didn’t mention it was full of pork cracklings—otherwise they’d definitely try to return it again.
She gave her little brother a few reminders and promised to bring him snacks. After saying goodbye to the Wang family, she left.
Later, when Auntie Wang opened the jar and saw it filled to the brim with cracklings, she grumbled affectionately about Su Qingqing for quite a while.
After leaving, Su Qingqing ran like the wind back to her home in the east end of the village. She packed the wild chickens and rabbits she’d hunted into a hemp sack and then sped off toward town.
Since Heaven gave her this kind of speed, why waste time bumping along on an ox cart?
Villagers usually rode Old Li’s ox cart to town—an hour’s journey for three copper coins. He only went every five days, and if anyone needed a special trip, they had to arrange it in advance.
But Su Qingqing reached town in just 15 minutes—face not even red, breath completely steady.
Since Jiang Li had told her she could deliver game directly to Zuixian Restaurant, Su Qingqing headed there right away.
Zuixian Restaurant was a three-story building, the most luxurious structure in Xiahe Town.
Su Qingqing found a spot on the first floor and politely said to the server, “Excuse me, could you please help call your manager? I have some business with him.”
The server looked her up and down with a bit of pity. “Talking to our manager won’t help you beg for food. Here, go wait by the back door. After the guests finish, I’ll bring you some leftovers.”
This girl was clearly poor—her clothes were worn, and she was carrying a hemp sack. A beggar, obviously.
Sigh! Poor thing. Well, he’d consider it a good deed.
Su Qingqing: …You’re the beggar. Your whole family are beggars!
Why did everyone keep thinking she was a beggar? The grain shop manager did the same. Now the restaurant server too? Plenty of people dressed like her on the street—why weren’t they mistaken for beggars?
Was she holding a broken bowl? Leaning on a crutch?
She took a deep breath and tried to sound calm. “I really do have business with your manager. And I am not a beggar.”
She was genuinely confused. If the server hadn’t meant well, she’d have seriously considered punching him.
The server scratched his head, eyeing the sack again. Tattered clothes, hemp sack… If not a beggar, what else?
He wanted to help but feared losing his job.
Just as he was struggling, a figure in white—Jiang Li—descended from the second floor with her maid Lan’er and a middle-aged man with a goatee.
Jiang Li had come to instruct Manager Ming about her father’s upcoming 50th birthday banquet, which the restaurant would cater. Normally, the celebration would be held at the Jiang family estate in the city, but this year, her father chose to host it in his hometown.
The server saw the manager and gestured toward the middle-aged man for Su Qingqing. There, that’s the manager you wanted to see.
Huh? The lady in white was really pretty. But he had no idea who she was—he’d only been working here three days.
“Miss Jiang, don’t worry. I’ve arranged everything for the banquet tomorrow. Nothing will go wrong,” said Manager Ming gently.
“There’s no need to go overboard—it’s just a family meal. But Father and I trust you with the arrangements,” Jiang Li replied warmly.
Su Qingqing wasn’t looking at the manager—she’d spotted Jiang Li. With the owner of the restaurant present, there was no need to deal with the manager anymore.
She was excited to run into Jiang Li, the first friend she’d made in this ancient world.
When Jiang Li looked over, they both smiled brightly at each other.
“Qingqing, you’re in town! Were you looking for me?” Jiang Li asked happily, walking over.
“Uh… well, Sister Li, I came to sell some game and buy some things,” Su Qingqing admitted, scratching her head.
She didn’t want to lie to her only friend and had no idea Jiang Li would be here.
Jiang Li quickly said, “It’s fine! Meeting here just shows we’re fated. I’m really glad we ran into each other.”
“Right, you said you’re selling game? This is the manager of Zuixian Restaurant—Manager Ming. I mentioned you to him the day we parted on the street.”
She pointed to the middle-aged man beside her.