Originally, I wanted to find so ti to talk to Cuicui about Cheng's matters, but when I went to the embroidery shop to alter the winter clothes, Aunt Yu gave so more work to do. Mingwei thought about it and decided to just take it slowly with the embroidery, so she accepted the job.
By accepting it, she had things to do at ho in the morning. If Cuicui hadn't co over, she might have forgotten about it completely.
Cuicui ca over to return a basket. Her mother was ill so Old Lady Wang had visited her the day before, and forgotten the basket at their ho.
"Is your mother seriously ill?"
"No, she just caught a chill."
Such a minor illness really didn't warrant a visit. My ho has too many eggs and I eat them every day without finishing them. I'm even a bit tired of eating them. Old Lady Wang just wanted to repay the favor quickly, so she went.
Cuicui put the basket in the kitchen, and seeing embroidering, ca into the room to watch for a while.
"Sister-in-law embroiders very well."
Mingwei looked up. "You don't know how?"
I rember hearing from mother-in-law that Cuicui was very good at making clothes. I could buy fabric in the future for her to make so and earn a bit of money. Making clothes also requires needles and thread for sewing and nding. How could she not know at least basic embroidery?
Cuicui modestly said, "I know a little, but not as good as sister-in-law."
"Oh, then bring your needles and threads over another day. We can learn from each other. Also, there's Ying. She wanted to learn earlier too. You live next door to each other and are quite close. You could co together."
"Okay, in a few days."
Her mother has been taking dicine every day recently, so her body slls of it. Today she deliberately sat farther from Mingwei.
As for Ying, Cuicui gave Mingwei a aningful look and lightly coughed. "Little Ying has wanted to co over for a while now. She saw Hui enter your ho and turned back."
Hui?
It's true Hui ca over twice, just as she said last ti to embroider and learn from Mingwei. She didn't say anything else.
"That girl!"
Mingwei smiled helplessly, "They have affinity for each other it seems. What a coincidence to run into each other."
Cuicui also covered her laugh. "Sister-in-law, don't let Little Ying hear you say that. She'd vomit to death."
She dislikes Hui so much, yet likes her younger brother. How complicated...
Thinking of this, Mingwei carefully glanced at Cuicui, put down her embroidery hoop and needle, and motioned her to sit closer.
Cuicui shook her head. "Just tell what you want to say, sister-in-law. I sll of dicine and shouldn't get too close."
"Then I'll just ask. I..."
Mingwei hesitated for a mont before deciding to be more subtle, "Does Cuicui have soone she likes?"
Perhaps she wasn't subtle enough. Cuicui was clearly startled for a mont, then smiled and nodded.
Since she was so direct, Mingwei beca hesitant instead. What if it's Cheng she likes? How would she explain things to Ying? And if it's soone else, won't things get even more complicated?
Just as she was debating, Cuicui already spoke first.
"But he's married now." Although still smiling, Cuicui looked quite calm. "Sister-in-law just wanted to ask , and also propose a match for ? My mother has wanted married for a while. If sister-in-law knows soone suitable, please recomnd him."
"But sister-in-law should know of my family circumstances now. You still have to ask if the other party would mind."
In the past, hearing rumors from outside, Cuicui hadn't wanted to marry. She was afraid she would really give birth to sick children. But her mother feared she would be too old to marry easily as she got older, and had pressed hard. She didn't want to disobey too much so could only resign to her fate.
Hearing her words and seeing her smile, Mingwei suddenly felt sour inside. But she wasn't a doctor and also not very knowledgeable about illnesses. She couldn't provide comfort regarding this.
Mingwei quickly responded, "I happen to know soone who likes you, but his family doesn't know yet. Let ask them first."
If the children say yes first but the families make a scene, it would look bad and Cuicui would feel wronged too.
Cuicui had heard of her sister-in-law before marriage. First it was the Dong family and school. After marrying, it beca the Dong family, school, Liu family, embroidery shop, and dessert shop. At most there was also the peanut shop run by the Cui family.
Soone liking her and also needing parental approval, probably wasn't too far apart in age from her. Where could sister-in-law et such a person? From school? A student's family?
"Is the person sister-in-law ntioned Cheng?"
Mingwei blinked. "You know already?"
Cuicui nodded. "He told before, but Little Ying likes him so I rejected him."
You rejected him, but he doesn't plan on giving up. He even called you sister-in-law!
Mingwei pouted. How embarrassing, failed on her first matchmaking attempt. It seems teaching still suits her best.
No, how could she give up so easily!
Mingwei struggled hard, "But he still likes you. He even..."
"He told sister-in-law?" Cuicui frowned. No way. Cheng stutters when speaking to girls he doesn't know well. How could he possibly tell sister-in-law these things? Sister-in-law must have just guessed.
Mingwei explained, "He didn't say anything. But at the embroidery shop, he ordered a handkerchief embroidered with 'Little Seven', which I guessed was you. Later when I t him, he called sister-in-law."
Cuicui smiled. Not bad, Cheng has beco bolder.
When talking about Cheng, there wasn't any disgust on Cuicui's face. She kept a smile, almost doting. Mingwei suddenly felt strange.
"I feel you two are quite close. Is that right?"
"Yes." Cuicui nodded lightly then sighed, her gaze falling outside the window as if reminiscing about sothing. "Not just Cheng, but also my fourth brother, Little Ying, Hui, Brother Jian. We grew up together since young."
The Ye family also lived near them in the past. Later when they started their dried goods business, they moved to get a storefront.
Before that move, they played together almost every day in the sa alley. Of course, even after the Ye family moved, they kept in contact since Qingshi Town was so small. Just a bit more walking and they'd arrive.
Additionally, the Cui family grew very good peanuts. Every year, the Ye family would buy so to make fried peanuts, peanut brittle, etc. so both families had frequent dealings.
That was why Ying disliked Hui so much. Hui didn't just betray Ying and Jian's relationship built over a decade, but also over a decade of sisterly affection between Ying and Hui.
Cuicui said helplessly, "Little Ying was still young then and called her sister-in-law every day. Hui acknowledged it too."
Who knew Hui would deny it later and instead marry soone else as a concubine.
"I really..."
Mingwei felt a headache coming. She pressed her temple, still not understanding what Hui was doing. If Ying called her sister-in-law and she agreed to it, didn't that an she still liked Jian?
Hmm?
Jian!
Mingwei stared into Cuicui's eyes, "So is Jian married now?"
Cuicui nodded.
Seeing her open her mouth, Cuicui seed to know what Mingwei wanted to ask and nodded again.
Mingwei's mind exploded once more. She hugged her still flat belly, "Sister-in-law is pregnant now. Don't shock like this."
Seeing her pitiful state, Cuicui laughed heartily, "Does sister-in-law usually talk to brother-in-law like this too?"
No wonder brother-in-law...
"No!"
"Okay, no it is." Cuicui's laughter stopped and she said seriously, "Brother Jian is married. I don't like him anymore. Please introduce to soone else, sister-in-law."
Hope reignited in Mingwei's eyes...
"Except Cheng."
The light extinguished.
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