Chapter 34: Photographic Memory 3/3

Jin Xiaoye added, “The stores in the county town use clam shells to make jewelry, but the shells need to be well polished before they can be sold to them, and they only pay a little money.”

People nowadays really made the most of everything! But the inner layer of river clam shells was very shiny and looked very beautiful.

He remembered reading in a book in his past life that many pearl powders were actually made from river clam shells, as the composition of the inner layer of clam shells was similar to that of pearls.

When Jin Xiaoye went to the county town in the morning, her boat was full of things, but now it was empty. Li Qingzhi looked at her face and knew that she must have made a lot of money.

Grandma Jin asked, “Xiaoye, did you make a lot of money?”

Jin Xiaoye said, “Grandma, it costs forty cents to rent this boat for a day!”

Grandma Jin didn’t say anything. After all, when Jin Xiaoye’s father went to cook for someone’s banquet, they only paid thirty cents for the whole day.

The first time Li Qingzhi sat in a boat, he found it very interesting, but now that he sits in it every day, it doesn’t feel so novel anymore.

As usual, Li Qingzhi taught the two children some poems. Unconsciously, they arrived back at the Miaoqian Village.

As soon as the boat stopped, many people crowded around, most of them wanting to exchange money for a hair flower. Among the crowd was also Li Laogen, who was there to beg for food.

Jin Xiaoye said, “We’re out of hair flowers, but I’ve already asked someone to make more. They’ll definitely be brought back tomorrow.”

Today, when she was rowing for someone in a village, she shouted a few times, and the people in the village bought all the remaining hair flowers from her.

Such inexpensive little things were still popular among many people.

The people in Miaoqian Village who wanted to buy has felt disappointed for a moment. Then someone asked, “Xiaoye, have you met Mr. Yao yet?”

“No, hasn’t he come back yet?” Jin Xiaoye was puzzled. Yao Zhenfu and the others usually came back earlier because Yao Zhenfu didn’t like waiting around.

“He hasn’t!” someone in the village replied.

“He’s probably delayed by something,” Jin Xiaoye said. Together with Jin Xiaoshu, they moved the things from her boat back home.

Grandma Jin went home, and Jin Xiaoshu stayed to eat with Jin Xiaoye.

Just as they were eating, Li Laogen, who had gone to boast by the riverbank, suddenly returned. “Xiaoye, Yao Zhenfu’s back! Someone else brought him back, but Mr. Yao didn’t come back!”

“How come he didn’t come back?” Jin Xiaoye was surprised.

“Could something have happened to him?” Li Laogen said worriedly as he shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth.

Jin Xiaoye also frowned. There could indeed be accidents while rowing outside. She had heard of a small boat colliding with a large one and getting badly damaged.

There were also cases where people rowing outside had all their money stolen.

Was Mr. Yao okay?

Just as they were worrying, Yao’s mother arrived with Yao Zhenfu. “Xiaoye, have you seen Old Yao?” Yao’s mother asked.

“Jin Xiaoye, I saw Uncle Yao this morning, but I haven’t seen him since then,” Jin Xiaoye replied.

“Why didn’t we see them? Weren’t you all supposed to be boating in the county town?” Yao Zhenfu’s tone was very unpleasant.

“The county town is so big, who said we’d definitely see them?” Jin Xiaoye retorted, also in a bad mood.

After the retort, Jin Xiaoye turned to Yao’s mother and said, “Auntie, are you going to find someone? I can take you there by boat.”

In the past few years, Jin Xiaoye had often borrowed things from the Yao family.

For example, borrowing Yao’s stone mortar, or borrowing fire when there was none at home.

She always remembered these favors, so when the Yao family needed help, she was willing to lend a hand.

“Xiaoye, then we’ll trouble you! It’s been so many years, Old Yao has never forgotten to pick up Zhenfu. I’m really anxious now,” Yao’s mother said.

After finishing their meal, Jin Xiaoye took Jin Xiaoshu and, along with Yao’s mother and Yao Zhenfu, went to find people.

Li Qingzhi also wanted to go, but after seeing Li Damao and Li Ermao, he ultimately didn’t.

He took Li Damao and Li Ermao to bathe by the river, and incidentally washed their clothes. When he returned home, he put the two children to sleep… Li Qingzhi waited for Jin Xiaoye at the door.

It was already dark, but fortunately, the moon was big today, shining brightly in the sky, reflecting on the river, creating layers of silver light… Jin Xiaoye and the others should be able to see something.

As Li Qingzhi waited, he silently recited the contents he had remembered from today’s book. Next door, the Yao family lit a lamp, and many villagers sat at the door, waiting for news. Some people were in groups, searching along the riverbank.

Mr. Yao hadn’t returned, and the villagers were quite worried.

It’s unclear how long they waited, but there was a commotion not far away. Li Qingzhi looked up and saw a group of people surrounding Mr. Yao, who had returned.

Li Qingzhi quickly went over.

Late at night, Li Qingzhi couldn’t see Mr. Yao’s expression clearly, but Mr. Yao stood there, seemingly fine.

Mr. Yao said, “I’m really sorry, I accidentally fell asleep and overslept. I was really out of it…”

Mr. Yao apologized to the villagers and said he would thank them properly tomorrow, then sent the villagers away.

Li Qingzhi and Jin Xiaoye also returned home.

As soon as they entered the house, Jin Xiaoye said, “Something must have happened to the Yao family!”

“Why do you say that?” Li Qingzhi asked.

Jin Xiaoye said without hesitation, “Mr. Yao seems really off, like he’s been crying.”

Jin Xiaoye, Yao’s mother, and Yao Zhenfu went out together to find people. They found Mr. Yao lying in a boat by the river near the county town. At the time, Yao Shaogong said he had accidentally fallen asleep, but his voice didn’t sound quite right.

Li Qingzhi thought for a moment and mentioned Mr. Yao asking him about Yao Zhenfu needing a hundred taels of silver earlier in the morning.

Without much consideration, Jin Xiaoye said, “Yao Zhenfu must have been cheated! Maybe his lover played a trick on him!”

Li Qingzhi was curious, “How so?” He had been thinking that Yao Zhenfu might have gone gambling or been deceived by someone.

“Yao Zhenfu comes home every day, so it’s unlikely he’s gambling or anything like that. And his lover… I’ve met that person once, not a good companion,” Jin Xiaoye said, “I don’t know what Jin Moli and Mr. Yao are thinking. If it were me, I would have beaten Yao Zhenfu up long ago and forced him to break up.”

She didn’t like Yao Zhenfu much, but he was a coward who couldn’t stand up for himself… As long as Mr. Yao didn’t give him money and beat him up, he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble outside.

“I think so too!” Li Qingzhi agreed.

Jin Xiaoye was just an illiterate village girl, but she lived very sensibly… Li Qingzhi leaned over and kissed Jin Xiaoye on the cheek.

Jin Xiaoye was startled, “What are you doing?”

“Just kissing you,” Li Qingzhi smiled.

Jin Xiaoye said, “What’s wrong with you? You didn’t use to be like this… Five years ago, Li Qingzhi didn’t talk much and liked to be alone. Although he was nice to her, he never kissed or touched her like this. But now Li Qingzhi…”

“Xiaoye, I just think you’re really good. I’m starting to like you more and more,” Li Qingzhi smiled.

Jin Xiaoye felt her face heat up a bit and said softly, “Why are you like this? And also, your body can handle it?”

“What?” Li Qingzhi didn’t react.

Jin Xiaoye said, “Do you want to? But with your body like this, we’d better not do it, or else what if you get tired?”

Li Qingzhi was both physically affectionate and sweet-talking, always wanting her to buy another bed. He must be thinking about that stuff!

But Jin Xiaoye wasn’t very interested. First, she already had two children and didn’t want to have more. Second… Li Qingzhi was so thin, his body was already weak, and doing that would be bad for his health.

She slept on the floor every day, just afraid that Li Qingzhi couldn’t hold back from fooling around and would harm his body!

Li Qingzhi: “…”

“Well, didn’t you eat a lot at Zhu’s house? Why are you still so skinny? I’m worried that I might accidentally break your arm with a little force,” Jin Xiaoye sighed.

She had worried that Li Qingzhi brought back all the food he ate at Zhu’s house, but after asking the children, she found out it wasn’t the case.

But Li Qingzhi… why wasn’t he gaining weight?