The old lady imdiately understood; what mory lapse? It was definitely that relative not wanting the poor relatives from the countryside to co and freeload, deliberately giving a wrong address, causing the young wife in front of her to not find them.
Upon hearing her explanation, Feng Qingxue said quietly with a downcast face, "They tricked ? What should I do then? I’ve brought all the New Year’s goods prepared by my family—lots of eggs, cured bacon, sausages, and dried chicken and duck. We’ve saved them up for half a year. I had to rest three or four tis on the way, and only just managed to get to the city. Do I really have to take them all back ho?"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in the old lady’s eyes as she leaned closer to Feng Qingxue and asked in a low voice, "You brought eggs and bacon?"
The three old ladies sunbathing with her also leaned over, pricking up their ears.
Feng Qingxue nodded, "Yeah, they’re all saved from my family’s supplies. I even asked around with friends and relatives for more. My relative in the city is an official, and it wouldn’t look good to bring too little, but now I can’t find him. What should I do?"
The old lady warmly offered, "Co, co, co, co to my house for a cup of hot water, and we’ll think of a plan together."
"Yes, yes, yes, dear, co to Auntie Qin’s house with us, we’ll put our heads together and surely co up with a good idea, so you don’t have to carry everything back and tire yourself out," the three old ladies chid in excitedly in unison.
Feng Qingxue chuckled to herself, and obediently followed Auntie Qin ho.
Auntie Qin’s house was very small, with two rooms and a living room, about fifty or sixty square ters in total. There was a bunk bed in the living room, the bedding was old and patched up, but still looked tidy, and the room was clean and well-lit.
Auntie Qin poured her a mug of hot water and mixed in so cool boiled water, "Dear, drink so water first."
She blew on it, sipped it, and was surprised by the sweetness that unfolded in her mouth. A hint of surprise crossed Feng Qingxue’s face.
"I added a spoonful of sugar, drink it while it’s hot." Auntie Qin and the other three old ladies kept their eyes on the basket. It was heavy for their hands, each basket weighed at least twenty or thirty pounds.
Holding the enal mug, Feng Qingxue shyly said, "Thank you, Auntie. It’s really good. It’s hard to buy sugar in the countryside."
Auntie Qin smiled kindly, "If you like it, have more, and I’ll pack half a bag for you to take ho."
Town residents receive Sugar Tickets every month, and many families can’t finish using them. Auntie Qin’s family was no exception; they didn’t lack sugar but they did lack at. The sa went for those three old neighbors, all with the sa idea; otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought Feng Qingxue, who couldn’t find her relative to deliver the cured bacon, to their house.
Feng Qingxue said, "I can’t just take things from Auntie for nothing. I’m just worried about having to carry all these things back. It’s so tiring, my arms feel like they don’t belong to , I really don’t want to endure that again."
An elderly gray-haired lady impatiently said, "Dear, I have an idea. Want to hear it?"
"What idea?" Feng Qingxue looked at her with curiosity. Though her complexion was dark, her blurry eyebrows and corners of her eyes emanated warmth, and the kindness and gentle gaze showed she wasn’t a sharp-tongued person.
The old lady smiled, "My husband’s family na is An, you can call Auntie An. You see, with so much to carry back ho, it would only tire you out, and it probably would be midnight by the ti you get back ho, and it might be hard to explain. Why not sell them to us? We won’t ntion it to anyone else, and you can take the money ho, that would be easier to explain."
Auntie Qin and the other two old ladies imdiately nodded, "If there’s anything you need, we’ll help you figure it out too."
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