CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 77 DIDN’T EVEN DEIGN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR PRESENCE

After some back and forth, seeing that Qie Huaihua genuinely wouldn’t accept money for the seeds, Yunyi reached into her pocket, pulled out a few milk candies, and stuffed them directly into her hand. "Auntie, if you don’t want the seed money, then take this candy to sweeten your mouth."

After saying this, she picked up the straw hat from the stone wall and ran off. "It’s almost time for work, I have to go now."

Qie Huaihua looked at the milk candies in her hand, then at Yunyi who had already run far away, and smiled. "She’s not one to take advantage of others."

Zhang Jiashu, who had a limp, glanced at the candy in his wife’s hand. "Those few packets of seeds weren’t worth much, but this candy is quite a precious thing. It seems we’re the ones who’ve come out ahead."

Watching Yunyi run into the distance, Huaihua thought of her own daughter who had drowned. "This girl is a good person. We should look out for her more in the future."

After leaving the Zhang family’s place, Yunyi went to Carpenter Yin’s house. However, this time she didn’t enter the yard. She saw Carpenter Yin’s quiet wife airing out quilts in the courtyard and called out, "Auntie, busy?"

I was careless last time, entering their yard while still in mourning attire. Even though I didn’t go into the house, it was still my fault.

Gao Xiuhua recognized her as the young zhiqing who had bought furniture the other day. "Chu Zhiqing, are you here for something?"

Seeing that Gao Xiuhua wasn’t inclined to chat, Yunyi got straight to the point. "Auntie, I’d like to buy a few sunning trays woven from willow branches. If you don’t have any, ones made of wicker would also be fine."

Before Gao Xiuhua could reply, Carpenter Yin came out of the house. "Chu Zhiqing, there are only two willow sunning trays left. Is that enough?"

Yunyi glanced towards the shed at the edge of the yard. "Uncle Yin, how big are they?"

Carpenter Yin smiled and gestured towards Yunyi. "They’re all hanging in the shed. Come in and take a look."

Yunyi smiled and waved her hand. "Uncle Yin, I won’t go in. I’ll take both willow sunning trays, and please give me two wicker ones as well."

Carpenter Yin quickly brought them out. "The wicker ones are more durable, and the willow ones are smoother."

After paying, Yunyi carried the sunning trays and hurried back. It was almost time for the afternoon work session to start.

「Zhiqing Point」

Li Rongjuan looked at the pile of vegetables on the ground. "Deng Xiaojie, honestly! Why did you pick all the peppers, big and small? And all these eggplants – are you planning to eat them three meals a day?"

Deng Xiaojie ignored Li Rongjuan and continued braiding her hair. "If we hadn’t picked them, Chuyunyi would get to enjoy them all."

Li Rongjuan really couldn’t watch this anymore. "That private plot was never ours to begin with, and we didn’t plant those vegetables. Ever since Jiao Zhiqing and Yan Zhiqing returned to the city, we’ve only watered it once. We haven’t tended to it at all since then. If you act like this, what will Chu Zhiqing and Liu Zhiqing think of us?"

Deng Xiaojie said dismissively, "You said it yourself: we didn’t plant or tend to them. But they didn’t either, did they? So why should they get to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor?"

Li Rongjuan, who was usually so agreeable, was getting quite angry now. "If you do this, won’t people say our Zhiqing Point is bullying others? I really don’t understand what you’re all thinking!"

Qiao Yuxiang, annoyed by their quarreling, said, "Alright, calm down, both of you. What’s done is done. What’s the use of talking about it now? There are so many vegetables; they’ll definitely go to waste if we can’t eat them all. Why don’t we cut them up tomorrow morning and sun-dry them?"

Geng Erhong had figured them out. Among these people, only Li Rongjuan was genuinely a good person. Deng Xiaojie was a troublemaker. Cui Aiju was the type who would never let herself be disadvantaged. As for Qiao Yuxiang, she was quiet, but her mind was likely the most calculating. Each of them was busy with her own petty schemes, little knowing that Yunyi couldn’t be bothered to stoop to their level. They were truly full of themselves.