How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 61 - Anxious_1
61: Chapter 61: Anxious_1
61 -61: Anxious_1
Old Mrs.
Qin’s eyes twinkled with a kind smile, “Our Qiaoqiao is really capable, not only is she good-looking and knows how to make money, but she also studies well.
Such a bargain for that stinky boy.
Is a portion of this meat a reward for her?
Paired with fruits, is she planning to take them back to her maternal home?
Why divide it into three parts though?”
Li Qiao spoke slowly, “No.
A married daughter is like spilled water.
From now on, I will be part of the Qin family and have nothing to do with the Li Family.
It’s sufficient to just show my face during festivals and holidays.
The two portions with fruits are for my sisters.
The rest is for our own consumption.”
Old Mrs.
Qin: “…” This…
was exactly what she hoped for.
After a pause, she said, “Your two sisters did have it tough.
When Jin was little, I took him to dig river ditches, and we met with your village’s collective.
Your sisters took care of you, and you were so naughty, always running around.
Your eldest sister was afraid you would get lost, so while working, she would strap you to her back, unable to earn even three work points in a day.”
Li Qiao was shocked.
Wasn’t it Dong Lamei who raised her?
Her mind raced as she asked, “Grandma, how old was I then?
I’ve forgotten.
Did I ever play with Jin when I was little?”
“About six or seven years old,” Old Mrs.
Qin recalled, “I didn’t notice whether you two played or not.”
Li Qiao was outraged.
By the time she was six or seven, Dong Lamei had long since married into the family.
Weren’t there solemn assurances that she was raised with every care, from her infancy?
No wonder Li Jinhua could say without blushing or panting to her roommates that Dong Lamei was knowledgeable and faithful from beginning to end.
So, the art of lying was a family tradition.
Qin Jin came out of the house, tucked a couple of buns into his pocket, greeted them, and hurriedly rode off on his bicycle with the prepared gifts.
After eating and taking a nap, Li Qiao got up and joined Old Mrs.
Qin in weaving.
The neighboring Peng Chunhua and Yu Feng, along with three other women, came over for a visit.
Li Qiao busied herself moving stools around to welcome the guests to sit down.
When there weren’t enough stools, Li Qiao offered hers, “Third auntie, please sit.”
“You sit, you sit.”
“Please, sit down,” Li Qiao insisted.
The third auntie, Yu Feng’s cousin from her mother’s side, was Yu Cuiying, a person of good character, well-spoken of in the village.
Li Qiao was willing to chat with her.
Yu Feng said, “I see your grandmother weaving at home every day.
She must be earning a good sum, right?”
Li Qiao, who had been thinking about expanding production, found this as timely as a pillow for a sleepy head.
She teased with a secretive smile, “It’s not really a lot.
Today I saw grandma’s hands were even cracking.
I didn’t want her to work anymore.”
And long periods of sitting were not good for the back.
Young people could push through it, but how could the elderly endure?
“Just right, teach us!” Yu Feng decided on the spot.
Li Qiao laughed, thinking who did she think she was, that she could teach just because she said so?
Pretending to be serious, she said, “I can teach you, that’s possible.”
Yu Feng, excited, asked, “That’s great, thank you so much.
How much for one?”
Only then did Li Qiao quote a price, “Ten cents.” She intended to make a margin as a middleman.
“I’ve heard they sell for twenty cents, thirty cents, even more.
Ten cents is almost the same as what you’d earn doing labor.
Doesn’t seem worth it.”
“Then you can choose to do labor, or I can weave them and sell them to you for twenty cents, thirty cents, even more—would you like that?
We have a dozen or so in grandma’s house,” Li Qiao said.
Yu Feng had an awkward expression, “What would I want this stuff for?
How many can be woven in a day?”
“If you get up early, maybe seven or eight, but there are standards to meet.
Don’t think these are just straw; the twined ropes need to have a consistent thickness, and they must be smooth and flat on the outside, without scratching the skin to the touch.” Li Qiao showed everyone the semi-finished rope she was making.
“How do you twist such patterned ropes?”
Li Qiao demonstrated once.
Peng Chunhua and Yu Cuiying got the hang of it after trying it a couple of times, while the others managed it more or less.
Looking at the wasted straw, Li Qiao felt a pang in her heart.
These had been handpicked meticulously by her grandmother, each straw nearly the same thickness, “Ladies, could you please find some straw on your own?
The amount you’ve wasted is enough to make half for me.”
“Oh,” a couple of them immediately stopped.
Yu Feng complained, “There’s so much straw at the threshing field, we can’t even use it all for fire; why be so stingy?”
Yu Cuiying addressed Yu Feng, “Sis, just stop it, if you’re not stingy why don’t you soak some for everyone to use for learning?
Let’s go home and soak some ourselves, and bring it over for Qiaoqiao to teach us.” With that, she took the lead in leaving.
The other two aunts followed her out.
Yu Feng and Peng Chunhua couldn’t sit still anymore and quickly went home to prepare materials.
Old Mrs.
Qin said, “Are you really going to teach them?”
Li Qiao shared his thoughts, “Grandma, in the future, you can just be a quality inspector, checking if their work is up to standard.
No need to do any work yourself.”
“Is that possible?
I’m afraid they’ll find out the price and accuse us of speculative hoarding,” Old Mrs.
Qin was still worried.
Li Qiao: “Without me, they wouldn’t make a penny.
Besides, I’m doing them a favor by delivering goods for a mere five percent commission.
That’s a running fee, how can it be speculative hoarding?
I’m clearly creating opportunities for them to make money!
And everything needs evidence; if I refuse to admit anything, what can they do to me?
Don’t worry.”
Old Mrs.
Qin was slightly reassured.
After two or three hours, the aunties who had left gradually returned, bringing their own materials.
Li Qiao put down the work in his hands and patiently guided them on how to twist ropes and use bamboo to make models.
Except for Peng Chunhua and Yu Cuiying, the others just couldn’t learn it.
Li Qiao didn’t want to waste time.
“You all figure it out slowly on your own.”
“Don’t be like that, Qiaoqiao, teach us again.”
Li Qiao: “You can learn from Third Aunt and Sister Chunhua.
I’m pretty busy here too.”
People crowded around to watch the handiwork of Yu Cuiying and Peng Chunhua, exclaiming and asking them to slow down their movements.
Yu Feng thought, if you all learn this, how can my family make money?
“Mother-in-law, aunties, not everyone can earn this money.
If you can’t learn, just forget it.
Plainly hoeing the earth earns the same.
Didn’t Qiaoqiao say it, at most seven or eight a day, which makes barely seven or eight dimes.”
The two showed displeasure—how much easier could earning those seven or eight dimes be?
Digging River Ditch could exhaust you to death, and you’d earn only seven or eight dimes for a full day’s work, and you still had to flatter the team leader.
“Look at what you’re saying, as if you’re scared we’ll learn it and steal your rice bowl.
Qiaoqiao, how much do you charge for this work?
Don’t wait until we’ve learned it and then say you’re not taking it anymore.”
Li Qiao: “Don’t worry about that.
But there’s one thing, the work must be done well; I won’t accept anything with defects.”
“Will you pay on the same day?” Yu Feng asked, concerned.
Li Qiao thought for a moment.
“Yes!”
She also didn’t want to owe people in the village, to avoid suspicions of her intending to default on payments.
When everyone heard that payments would be made the same day, their enthusiasm soared.
Despite the approaching darkness, they were reluctant to go home.
“It’s getting late, why don’t you all come again tomorrow?” Old Mrs.
Qin gently issued the order for them to leave.
Yu Cuiying led the way out.
The rest started to disperse.
Li Qiao closed the main gate to finish up, while Old Mrs.
Qin washed the meat, getting ready to chop it for filling dumplings. frёewebηovel.cѳm
“Qiaoqiao, I’ve cut these two pieces of meat.”
Li Qiao: “Leave the smaller piece.
I’ll make some pork paste with it tomorrow to take to school.”
“Sure.”
The sound of chopping echoed to the next room.
Yu Feng said, “She must be chopping meat.
It looks like the Qin family has been making quite a bit of money lately.
Chunhua, hurry up with yours.
If you do about ten a day, you can make over thirty yuan a month.
That’s even higher than a city worker’s salary.”
Yu Feng was excited just thinking about it—it was like striking it rich.
Peng Chunhua thought to herself, Li Qiao, an experienced worker, can only manage seven or eight a day, and you expect me, a novice, to do around ten?
Soaking the straw in cold water, I’ve been working half a day and my hands are almost frozen.
You don’t show any concern, just thinking about money, money, money.
Marrying into your family was a curse for eight generations.
Li Qiao is the lucky one.
Although Qin Jin was carefree, he always remembered to drop everything at the end of working hours to pick up his wife from school, arriving clean and tidy.
Whenever Old Mrs.
Qin had any delicacies, she would think of waiting to share them with Li Qiao.
And look at herself, being treated like a workhorse by everyone, young and old.
And she was pregnant.
The more Peng Chunhua thought about it, the angrier she became, and her stomach gave a sharp twinge in protest.
“Ouch, I’ve been sitting for too long, my stomach feels uncomfortable.”
Yu Feng’s face darkened instantly, her voice raised, “Every time you do a bit of work, your stomach hurts.
You’ll never learn how to make money, useless thing!”
Peng Chunhua didn’t dare to talk back, quietly cursing the old hag in her head.
Just wait until I become the matriarch, then it’ll be your turn to suffer.
…
