After dinner, Qi Jiao first went to the neighboring workshop for a stroll.
The workshop was running smoothly. When the women saw Jiao Niang coming, they worked even harder for a moment.
Qi Jiao smiled and appropriately asked about their well - being. Then she turned to Aunt Zheng and told her to add two meat dishes to the dinner for everyone.
To prevent the women from getting heatstroke on their way and considering that some lived far away, Tang Guiniang and Jiao Niang had discussed providing meals for them.
Those who had difficulties, like A Lian, could also stay in the workshop.
Aunt Zheng was in charge of cooking for everyone. Since she saw that Tang Guiniang and Ye Shen were both busy with their own things, she simply took on the cooking job.
The heat was unbearable. Ye Geng brought two baskets of freshly picked green mangoes, which smelled fragrant.
Qi Jiao took them with a smile and asked about Jiang Yuniang and Qin Jie'er.
Ye Geng gave a kind smile and said they were all well. "Mother misses you. She asks you to go back and stay for a night when you're free."
Qi Jiao nodded. "I'll come after I finish what I'm dealing with."
At night, Qi Jiao went to stay at the Ye's.
As soon as Qi Jiao entered the room, she saw Qin Jie crawling all over the couch.
She picked up the babbling Qin Jie and kissed her. "Our Qin Jie is so fair and cute. She's really a lovable child!"
Ye Shen brought a bowl of tremella soup for Qi Jiao and another for Jiang Yuniang. She said with a smile, "Our Qin Jie is close to her aunt. She knows her aunt loves her. As soon as you came in, she stared at you with wide eyes without blinking."
Qi Jiao said exactly so.
Jiang Yuniang drank the tremella soup, then took Qin Jie from Qi Jiao's arms and lifted her clothes to breastfeed the baby.
Ye Shen sat down next to Qi Jiao. She asked about the business in the shop. Then, changing the subject, she lowered her voice and said, "My girl, you've been married to A Xia for almost half a year. Have you had your period recently?"
Qi Jiao was slightly stunned. Then she reacted and said, "Mother, A Xia and I aren't in a hurry to have a child."
Ye Shen showed a puzzled expression, but she soon understood. "That's right. You're now doing such a successful business. You're so busy. Where would you have the time to have a child?"
Ye Shen pondered for a while and then said, "You young couples living together will inevitably have sex. How about I go and find some sheep intestines for A Xia..."
"Ah? What do we need sheep intestines for?"
Qi Jiao subconsciously glanced at Jiang Yuniang. Jiang Yuniang had a smile on her lips and a rather ambiguous look in her eyes.
Qi Jiao suddenly realized that sheep intestines were one of the few contraceptives in this era.
She almost choked on the tremella soup.
Qi Jiao laughed uncontrollably. Leaning on Ye Shen's shoulder, she said, "You're so kind. You've even thought of this for me."
Ye Shen said frankly, "Since it's not a good time to conceive now, we can only use contraception. If the contraceptive soup wasn't ineffective for you, how would I have thought of this?"
As she was speaking, Ye Shen blushed.
She had damaged her body when giving birth to Ye Pa. The doctor advised her not to conceive again.
But a couple would always have sex, and some things couldn't be avoided. So they used sterilized sheep intestines.
Although it wasn't as pleasant as before, the effect was good.
Qi Jiao told her not to worry. "A Xia and I went to Huichuntang in the county. The doctor prescribed contraceptive soup for men for him."
At this, Ye Shen had nothing more to say. She was full of relief. "It's good that A Xia knows how to take care of you. Don't just be busy all the time and forget about him."
Qi Jiao said how could she.
She was extremely doting on her husband.
The mother and daughters chatted for a while more before taking a shower and going to rest.
The next day, Qi Jiao returned home after having lunch at the Ye's.
Unexpectedly, Pei Li rushed out in a hurry. When he saw Qi Jiao, without saying a word, he grabbed her and ran towards the dock.
Qi Jiao felt uneasy. "What's going on?"
Pei Li couldn't hold back his tears. "Sister - in - law, big brother... had an accident."
Qi Jiao's face instantly turned pale. She couldn't believe it. "What did you say?"
When she arrived at the dock in a daze, she saw Tang Guiniang kneeling in the sea, shouting Pei Xia's name hoarsely.
Pei Jin was half - submerged in the water. With red eyes, he was trying hard to pull her up. There were three or five women around trying to persuade her.
None of the fishing boats docked on the shore was Pei Xia's.
Mi Sheng, who had gone out to sea with Pei Xia, was lying straight on the shore. He had a wound on his forehead and was unconscious.
Soon, dozens of people gathered here. Some men were giving first - aid to Mi Sheng.
Mi Sheng was back, but his life or death was unknown.
And what about Pei Xia? Where was he?
Qi Jiao felt as if struck by lightning. She stood there motionless. In the middle of summer, she felt that all the blood in her body had frozen.
It had been a sunny day with warm weather. The water surface was like floating gold.
But in just half a day, the sky turned gloomy. The waves were surging. The waves hit the rocks, churning up like piles of snow.
Qi Jiao kept telling herself that it was impossible, impossible.
She couldn't accept that Pei Xia had an accident.
She just couldn't accept it!
Qi Jiao bit her tongue hard. The clear pain helped her calm down.
Qi Jiao found a relatively high rock, stood on it, and shouted, "Please help me. If you can find Pei Xia, I, Qi Jiao, will surely reward you handsomely! I want to see him alive or see his body if he's dead. Please go out to sea to search for him! No matter dead or alive... I will reward you generously!"
Qi Jiao choked out the last two sentences.
She took out all the silver on her and asked Pei Li to distribute it to everyone.
There were many fishermen at the dock. Many of them were familiar with Pei Xia. Hearing this, they all got on their boats one after another and set out to search for Pei Xia.
Qi Jiao tried hard to hold back her tears and pulled Tang Guiniang back from the sea.
Tang Guiniang was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
She had lost her husband ten years ago.
Unexpectedly, today she had lost her son too.
Qi Jiao didn't care about anything else. She told Pei Jin to take good care of Tang Guiniang, and then she turned around to find the shipowner.
Pei Li followed her.
The shipowner had dozens of large ships under his command and countless sailors.
He had just heard about Pei Xia's shipwreck.
Qi Jiao quickly explained her purpose and asked him to mobilize all his ships to rescue the people.
The shipowner looked a bit embarrassed. "A Xia is an old acquaintance. I'm also sad to hear the news. It's not that I don't want to rescue him. It's just that we're in a hurry to deliver goods. We can't afford any delay."
Pei Li was so angry that tears welled up in his eyes. He shouted, "Our big brother has helped you a lot. Now that he's in trouble, you're shirking when we want to borrow your ships to save him. Where's your conscience?"
The shipowner folded his arms and said nothing.
Qi Jiao was both angry and anxious. She wished she could beat the shipowner to a pulp.
But she needed the ships and manpower, so she had to suppress her emotions and said, "I'm willing to bear all the losses caused by the delay of the cargo ships. In addition, I'll give you ten gold coins."
The shipowner's eyes lit up. He waved to his two subordinates over there. "Set sail! Search for Pei Xia with all your might!"
One ship after another sailed into the sea. Qi Jiao stared at the deep sea with a desolate look in her eyes.
For the first time, she hated the sea so much.
The sea was vast and generous, but it was also cold - blooded. It could casually take away people's lives.
Pei Xia hadn't even bothered to wake her up when he left yesterday.
She hadn't even seen Pei Xia for the last time.
Qi Jiao finally couldn't hold on anymore. She cried loudly facing the boundless sea.
Hearing the news, the Ye family members rushed here in a hurry, as well as many relatives and friends from Baiyun Village.
All the able - bodied men who could go out to sea had gone.
Even Uncle Ye, who hadn't been out to sea for a long time, wanted to get on the ship.
Qi Jiao stopped him. With red eyes, she said, "Father, so many people have already gone. You have trouble walking. Don't go."
Uncle Ye tried to comfort her. "Don't be anxious. A Xia has been good at swimming since he was a child. He will surely turn the corner. I'll let Dalang go with me. It'll be okay. The more people, the more hope."
Qi Jiao sent Uncle Ye onto the ship with tears in her eyes.