Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 202
Warmth
When Mo Yan stepped out of the alleyway, the streets were dark and the cold wind had caused the sorghum stalks on the sides of the streets to faintly ring out. She couldn’t help herself from shivering.
She had nowhere to go and could only return to town, but the sky was simply too dark. The only person she could think of going to right now was Cao Zhang. She walked towards the direction of the school, and saw that it was lit up. She suddenly thought of the scene last year, where she gathered with everyone here.
Mo Yan approached the school, but couldn’t hear the people inside say anything. When she gently pushed the door to the school open, she only saw Cao Zhang standing there alone, talking to himself sometimes and smiling to himself at others. He was definitely also thinking about the gathering last year as well.
“Cao Zhang,” Mo Yan gently called out. When he turned around to see her, a smile as bright and dazzling as the flowers of spring appeared on his face.
“Yan’er, quickly come in!”
Mo Yan shook her head, “I want to go back to town, but it’s too dark out.”
Cao Zhang saw that there was a strange expression on her face, “I’ll send you back!”
He extinguished the lamp, and walked on the streets with Mo Yan side-by-side. A gust of cold wind blew past, and Mo Yan pulled her cloak tighter against her and increased her pace.
Cao Zhang didn’t wear an outer coat, and was so cold his entire body was freezing, but endured it without saying anything. This was the first time Mo Yan had ever asked him for anything, so he didn’t want to reject her.
The two were practically running all the way to town.
At this time, there wasn’t a single person at the workshop, and Cao Zhang said, “Let’s go to Zhao’er’s!”
It was the only place they could go!
All of the shops in the alleyway had closed and locked their doors, and the courtyard gate had been locked a long time ago. Cao Zhang knocked at the gates, and Ms. Hua’s voice came from inside, “Who is it?”
Mo Yan replied with a quavering voice, “Godmother, it’s me.”
When Ms. Hua opened the door and saw it was Cao Zhang and Mo Yan, she opened her mouth and wanted to say something. However, when she saw them chattering from the cold, she hurriedly let them go in.
Zhao’er ran out from inside the house, “Sister, why did you come back at night?”
Cao Zhang shook his head at him, warning him not to ask, and Zhao’er ran to grab a hand warmer, pouring hot water into it from the kettle in the fireplace. Then, he placed a covering onto it and handed it to Mo Yan, “Sister, keep hold of it to warm your hands.”
Ms. Hua asked if she had eaten yet, and Mo Yan replied that she had, but Zhao’er said, “You must’ve faced a lot of cold winds on this road, mother, you should make sister a bowl of hot soup! We don’t want her to be uncomfortable tomorrow.”
Ms. Hua replied, “We have some lamb soup we’ve already made. I’ll add some noodles, and you can have a bowl each.”
Cao Zhang was sitting next to the fireplace, each breath puffing out cold air. Zhao’er asked, “Brother Cao Zhang, do you want to have some wine to warm the body?”
He replied, “Thanks! Then I’ll be staying for the night!”
“Alright, you can share a room with me!”
Zhao’er ran to grab a pot to warm wine, and placed it in the fireplace after adding warm water before placing a wineskin in it as well. Then, he ran to the kitchen to grab meat and vegetables again, and placed it on the small table next to the fireplace.
This scene of having a drink by the fire would make anyone feel warm inside just thinking about it. Mo Yan came over warmly, removing her cloak and sitting by the fire as well.
After the warmed wine entered her stomach, her entire body immediately heated up, and a red blush appeared on her face.
After Ms. Hua’s noodle soup had been served and she drank some of it, her entire body felt warm and toasty, and she felt extremely comfortable.
Mo Yan looked at Zhao’er’s smiling appearance, “Cao Zhang, among all of us, Zhao’er is the most fortunate with how much Godmother loves him.”
Zhao’er repeatedly agreed, Ms. Hua said, “My Zhao’er is just sensible, and I’m content with the days I’m able to have now. If Zhao’er’s father was alive now, he would also be content.”
This moment of carefree warmth became unforgettable by Mo Yan and Cao Zhang. After having wine and tea, they didn’t want to sleep and ended up keeping vigil with the mother and son duo.
They only went to sleep at three in the morning, and only woke up early in the morning the next day, when Lu Junming woke them up by paying his New Year’s greetings.
Cao Zhang walked out of the house sleepily, mumbling out of the corner of his mouth, “Happy New Year!”
Lu Junming’s brow furrowed, “Why are you here?”
Cao Zhang rubbed his eyes to wake himself up, “I sent Mo Yan over here last night?”
Lu Junming’s gaze darkened, “How’s Yan’er?”
Ms. Hua said, “She’s fine, but we just don’t know why she rushed back last night.”
As she had left home on New Year’s Eve, it went without question that she had suffered at home. Lu Junming started criticising himself, “It’s my fault, I should’ve gone back with her yesterday.”
Mo Yan came out of the house while tying up her hair and spoke while smiling, “Cao Zhang’s, you’ve gotten up too? Let’s go, we need to open the shops. There will be a lot of people paying New Year’s greetings today, so business might be good!”
Cao Zhang smiled and agreed, “Alright, the business today will definitely be good.”
Seeing her face, it didn’t seem like she felt like she had suffered. Chuzi, Zhao’er and Ms. Hua had all said they would help, because all of the employees had taken the day off.
A few days ago, the commercial firm had wrapped up some gift boxes which were suitable gifts for the New Year.
They had placed these gift boxes at the door of the commercial firm, so anyone who entered would immediately be able to see them.
They had sold out most of the gift boxes in an afternoon, and they wouldn’t be able to last a few days at this rate, so they had to swiftly make more. They just didn’t know if the Luo family had any remaining bamboo baskets.
Mo Yan wanted to try and ask. When she passed the Zhou family’s braised meat shop, she saw that the entrance of their storefront also had gift boxes. Manager Zhou was selling the gift boxes and Zhou Liangsheng was collecting the money.
“Liangsheng!” Mo Yan called.
Manager Zhou smiled and said, “Your idea is really brilliant. After wrapping up the odd pieces of braised meat, we’ve been able to sell a lot of it after just half a day!”
“Then it’s also because your goods are good. If the meat tasted bad, no one would buy it no matter how well it was presented.”
Manager Zhou laughed, “That’s true! Where are you going?”
“Our firm has sold most of our gift boxes, and I want to go to the Luo family to see if there are any more bamboo baskets I can buy.”
Zhou Liangsheng said, “Let’s go, I’ll come with you!”
As soon as the two entered the Luo family, Zhou Liangsheng immediately cupped his hands to pay a New Year’s greeting. The head of the household came out with a bright smile on her face, “Happy New Year, Happy New Year, come and have a seat.”
When they asked about the bamboo baskets, Mr. Luo exited his room and smiled, “I just knew you would be coming. I just so happened I had anticipated this and prepared a few dozen extra in advance.”
After Mo Yan heard this, she repeatedly thanked him, paid, and grabbed the bamboo baskets with Zhou Liangsheng.
Mr. Luo chuckled and said, “Earning money on the first day of the New Year is a good sign!”
His daughter-in-law also said, “This young lady has a lucky appearance, she definitely will have great fortune in the future.”
After the bamboo baskets were brought back, Mo Yan and Chuzi weighed the goods while Ms. Hua, Zhao’er and Cao Zhang helped wrap the gift boxes. Lu Junming also wanted to help, but Mo Yan said, “Why are you still here, go back to visit your grandfather! Otherwise, he’ll start to miss you.”
“Then I’ll come back before sundown!”
“Now we have a rare moment of being idle, you should stay behind to accompany him! I’ll also be staying with Godmother tonight.”
Keeping busy makes people temporarily forget about their worries. When it was approaching noon, Mo Yan suddenly remembered that the men in the family had to go venerate their ancestors at their graves today.
“Cao Zhang, Zhao’er, why aren’t you venerating your ancestors!”
Cao Zhang replied, “There’s my dad! I still haven’t married, so I don’t need to go.”
Something flickered in Ms. Hua’s gaze, “Oh! We should go, Zhao’er, let’s go!”
Why did it seem like she wasn’t willing to go! If Mo Yan hadn’t said anything, she might not have gone at all!
Ms. Hua called Zhao’er and went back home. After a while, she came out with a basket which was covered with a handkerchief, so they couldn’t see what was stored inside.
They went to Zhao’er’s father’s grave, but returned soon after and immediately went home to make lunch.
P.S. I have nothing to say here, really, except that I’m interested in your wildest theories about the truth of Zhao’er’s dad. Thanks for reading!