After seeing off Little Pearl and Le Bao, mother and daughter, Qi Jiao thanked the young and strong men who had come to help.
"Don't mention it. We're all villagers. Don't be so polite!"
"Exactly. All things have spirits. Since we saved the big fish, the Sea God will bless Yinwan with good weather and keep us safe when we go out to sea."
...
Seeing how kind and simple these men were, Qi Jiao couldn't help smiling.
Although these men didn't mind, Qi Jiao thought it was inappropriate to have disturbed their sleep.
Moreover, they had all helped save Le Bao together.
The next day, she took A Jin and A Li and went from house to house to give gifts of thanks.
A packet of brown sugar, a packet of snacks, two bottles of rose jam, and one hundred copper coins.
The gifts were not much, but they showed her heartfelt gratitude.
She sent gifts to everyone who had helped.
After this incident spread, Qi Jiao's reputation in Yinwan became even better.
Among those who had helped that night were not only people from Baiyun Village but also quite a few from Biwu Village.
Everyone praised Qi Jiao for being generous and kind - hearted, and for the merit of saving the big fish.
Some even said that Qi Jiao was the reincarnation of the Sea Goddess.
Of course, these joking remarks couldn't be taken seriously. But while the speaker might not mean anything, the listener might take it to heart.
Xuan Niang in Biwu Village gritted her teeth in envy.
Why did Qi Jiao get all the good things, whether it was money, reputation, or a man!
The angrier she got as she thought about it. After pacing around the room a few times, she grabbed her handkerchief and went to find Qi Fu next door.
It should be said that Qi Fu was forced by her father, Qi Laoda, and her mother, Qian Shi, to marry Pang Erlang.
At first, she was resentful, but after experiencing Pang Erlang's tenderness on their wedding night, Qi Fu gradually changed her mind.
Qi Fu had never seen Pang Erlang before. She thought he was an old and ugly widower.
Unexpectedly, Pang Erlang was not yet thirty, with a fair and handsome appearance.
His first wife had died a year ago, and he had a little daughter named Niu Niu.
Because Pang Erlang's family was well - off, there were countless match - making proposals for his remarriage. But Pang Erlang didn't take a fancy to those rough - handed women.
After Qi Fu returned from the county, Pang Erlang saw her by chance when he was having a drink at a relative's house.
Qi Fu was not extremely beautiful, but she was outstanding among the women in the villages around Yinwan.
Especially since she had been with Guo San and experienced the affairs of men and women, she had a coquettish charm.
After seeing Qi Fu once, Pang Erlang couldn't forget her. He quickly asked a matchmaker to go to the Qi family to propose.
Pang Erlang gave quite a generous betrothal gift. Comparing with the five gold coins the Pei family had given back then, he also had gold jewelry made specifically for Qi Fu.
On their wedding night, Pang Erlang was gentle with Qi Fu. Both of them had been lonely for a long time, and they were unexpectedly in perfect harmony in bed.
Qi Fu had never experienced such pleasures with Guo San. Her heart immediately turned to Pang Erlang.
Even though Qi Fu had high aspirations, she had to admit Pang Erlang's merits.
Pang Erlang was willing to spend money on her, and there were no in - laws to serve at home.
As for the annoying step - daughter Niu Niu, who was only eight years old, she couldn't cause much trouble.
She decided to put aside her concerns and enjoy a few happy days with Pang Erlang first.
Xuan Niang entered the Pang family's courtyard. Before she got close to the house, she heard lewd sounds coming from inside, "I can't bear it anymore... Erlang, spare me..."
Xuan Niang remained calm on the surface. She thought Qi Fu was really a coquettish fox. She was seducing Pang Erlang to do such things in broad daylight without even closing the door.
As she listened, she couldn't help taking a couple of steps closer. Through the ill - fitting window paper, she peeked inside and saw two fair and delicate feet dangling, and the bed curtain hooks swaying like a swing...
Before Xuan Niang could see clearly, someone suddenly walked silently beside her and called out in a hoarse voice, "Sister Qi."
Xuan Niang almost screamed. She turned around and saw it was Niu Niu, Pang Erlang's daughter.
She quickly grabbed Niu Niu's hand and walked outside. "Why do you walk so quietly? You scared me to death."
Niu Niu was only eight years old. Her forehead was covered with thick bangs, which made her look a bit gloomy.
Xuan Niang thought Niu Niu was really pitiful.
Because they lived close by, she heard clearly that when Pang Erlang was at home, Qi Fu doted on Niu Niu.
But as soon as Pang Erlang went out, Qi Fu would order Niu Niu around like a servant, asking her to serve tea and water and do rough work. If Niu Niu did something wrong, she would be beaten and scolded, and Qi Fu would specifically target the hidden parts of Niu Niu's body.
The child didn't dare to complain, and even if she did, Pang Erlang might not stand up for her.
After all, once a man has a new wife, he often becomes a cold - hearted father.
Xuan Niang led Niu Niu back, grabbed a handful of dried apricots for her, and asked her to play with the two little cousins from the Pang family.
Xuan Niang went back to the west room by herself. She looked down on Qi Fu's immoral behavior.
If she wanted to achieve her goal, she had to rely on herself.
*
After the Dragon Boat Festival, Qi Jiao and the others stayed in Baiyun Village for two days and then returned to the city.
Since the factory building had been completed, Pei Xia finished the final work and returned to Shiliu Alley with Qi Jiao.
After a fulfilling and busy period, when they returned to Yinwan during their next ten - day break, they found that Xuan Niang was unexpectedly in their home.
When they got home, Xuan Niang was cooking chicken soup in the kitchen.
The weather in June was already hot, and the kitchen was like a steamer. Xuan Niang's little face was flushed from the heat of the stove.
She naturally pushed aside a wisp of hair from her forehead, revealing her smooth forehead.
Seeing Pei Xia and Qi Jiao, Xuan Niang looked up and smiled. "Brother Pei and Sister Jiao Niang are back. Come in and take a rest quickly."
Qi Jiao: "..."
Seeing Xuan Niang's confident manner of being in their home, Pei Xia's anger welled up immediately.
He grabbed Qi Jiao's hand and turned around to find Tang Guiniang.
Before they even entered the house, Pei Xia questioned, "Mother, why is Qi Xuan Niang cooking in our house?"
Tang Guiniang quickly put down the ledger in her hand and took a sip of tea before saying, "You mean Xuan Niang. Well, this girl has had a hard life. Her husband died last year, and her in - laws wouldn't tolerate her. She took the divorce paper and went to her aunt's house to seek refuge, but unexpectedly, her uncle was a scoundrel who molested her several times when no one was around, forcing Xuan Niang to almost commit suicide."
Tang Guiniang paused for a while and lowered her voice. "She had no other choice. When she heard that our workshop was recruiting workers, she came to beg me for a chance."
"I saw how she was crying. Since she's an old neighbor, I thought I'd help her out. I asked A Lian to arrange a job for her, and she's been living in the factory building these days. Xuan Niang is hard - working and sensible. She comes here every day to help with the cooking. I'm really embarrassed, but she insists..."
Qi Jiao understood. Her mother - in - law didn't know Xuan Niang's feelings for Pei Xia. She just wanted to help, not knowing that her good intentions had brought trouble into the house.
Since Xuan Niang was already here, Qi Jiao couldn't just drive her away directly.
She didn't have the time to play mind games with other women. After listening, she went back to the east wing and left this matter for Pei Xia to handle.
If he couldn't handle it well, the world was big, and she, Qi Jiao, would find a better place to go. She wouldn't stay in the Pei family any longer.
With each word Tang Guiniang said, more sweat appeared on Pei Xia's forehead.
When his mother finally finished speaking, Pei Xia asked Jiao Niang to go into the room to rest first. He was determined to get rid of this problem once and for all.
He would never allow an outsider to destroy their marital relationship.
If Pei Xia had only disliked Xuan Niang before, now his dislike had escalated into hatred.
Pei Xia frowned, turned around, closed the doors and windows, and then returned to Tang Guiniang's side. "Mother, I have something to tell you."