Li Ying handled the situation with grace, and most of the lady's annoyance and disdain faded away. Looking at the golden statue of the Mazu Goddess with its kind and compassionate face, the lady's anger completely vanished in an instant.
In a rare state of calm, she took a deep breath, folded her hands in prayer, and bowed devoutly. Then she rose, respectfully picked up a little clay figurine with a smiling face from under the statue.
She lovingly stroked the figurine, and her face showed undisguised maternal affection.
Seeing the lady's eyes involuntarily drift towards her daughter, Li Ying decided not to hide anymore. She generously brought Mianmian in front of the lady.
"My daughter is naive. Please don't mind her, madam."
Mianmian grinned cutely. The lady instinctively reached out and tickled the little girl's face, her eyes filled with longing.
Li Ying softly said, "Madam, you are in the prime of your life. As long as you stop being troubled by your obsession, your wishes will surely come true."
Even if things didn't go as planned, getting a bit of the good luck from this little lucky charm of hers might just turn things around.
The lady didn't understand the underlying meaning. She just forced a smile and said faintly, "Thank you for your kind words."
This small incident was smoothly defused by Li Ying. Within a few hours, the exquisite craftsmanship of Dong Erlang's clay figurines spread throughout the fishing village.
Although Dong Erlang was incredibly skillful, he was as taciturn as most of the men in the village. He rarely interacted with women. Under the curious gazes of the guests, his dark face soon blushed to the ears.
This shy look of a young man was so different from the playboys in the capital. For a while, Dong's clay figurines became a local attraction.
Li Ying couldn't help but smile. She secretly thought that perhaps this was what people meant by "a focused man is the most charming."
The weight on her heart finally lifted. Before Li Ying could take a short break, the voice of an unexpected guest came from outside.
"Boss Li..."
Li Ying put down the teacup, raised her eyebrows, and looked up. It was Qingliu again, accompanied by a few of her sisters. Each of them carried a small parcel. They stood at the door hesitantly, looking at her with teary eyes.
They seemed to be there to bid farewell. Li Ying immediately guessed their intention but pretended not to understand. She gently asked, "Miss Qingliu, what's going on?"
Without hesitation, Qingliu knelt down and kowtowed. "Boss Li, thank you for taking us in and taking care of us. We sisters are grateful. We wanted to repay you, but we've caused so many problems and brought bad luck to you and the village..."
"We have no face to stay here any longer. Today, we've come specifically to say goodbye."
Before she finished speaking, A Man snorted contemptuously. "You're not completely stupid! Since you know you'll only cause trouble, then pack your bags and leave quickly!"
A Man's face was as black as coal, and she was clearly in a bad mood. Qingliu was embarrassed by her harsh words.
Li Ying raised her eyebrows slightly and softly said, "A Man, don't be rude."
She slowly got up and walked gracefully in front of Qingliu. Her voice was gentle.
"Miss Qingliu, I know you meant well."
"Putting on flowers and the Mazu's incense tour are all new things. It's the first time we've entertained so many guests from afar. It's understandable that we were a bit flustered and made some mistakes."
"I know you and your sisters are kind - hearted and didn't mean to cause trouble. You don't need to blame yourselves. If it weren't for this misunderstanding, the clay - figurine business in the village might not have thrived. If we have to judge right from wrong, your merits and faults can be offset."
Her words were so reasonable that the look of a frightened bird on Qingliu's face finally relaxed a bit. A Man, on the other hand, was so angry that she gritted her teeth.
"Miss Qingliu, don't underestimate yourselves. You can stay in the village with peace of mind. After the first lunar month, I'll rely on you and your sisters for A Man's dance accompaniment."
Qingliu was flattered and nodded. Her eyes glistened with tears.
"Thank you, Boss Li, for your trust! Please rest assured! We sisters will do our best and be at your disposal!"
She bowed and led her sisters out of the room. As soon as she turned around, a victorious and smug look flashed in her eyes.
Lord Lin highly praised that this Boss Li was meticulous and extraordinary. But in her opinion, Boss Li was nothing special!
Even though she and her sisters had caused so much chaos in the fishing village, didn't she still blindly believe in her own kindness and stay completely in the dark?
"Sister! I know you've been making concessions for a reason, but I really can't bear it anymore! How long do we have to keep up this pretense with these vixens!"
After Qingliu and the others were out of sight, A Man finally calmed down. Her small face was flushed with anger as she complained.
Li Ying smiled and patted her hand. There was a rare cold glint in her gentle eyes.
The over - confident will surely fail.
She was on guard against Qingliu, and Qingliu was also on guard against her.
After all these acts of pretense, Qingliu was finally completely convinced that she was indeed a mediocre person with a dull mind. She must have just been lucky to achieve such success.
Li Ying was like a patient hunter. By retreating strategically, she had finally carefully led Qingliu into the trap she had set.
From now on, Qingliu would be the most loyal messenger by her side.
Everything she wanted Lord Lin to see and hear, Qingliu would whole - heartedly believe and pass on in detail.
A Man was straightforward and didn't like these scheming and intrigues. Seeing Li Ying so confident, she felt relieved and smiled. She urged, "Alright, alright, Sister, if you need my help, just tell me!"
"Sister, tomorrow is Chinese New Year's Eve. Can I help you prepare the food?"
Li Ying smiled, a bit envious.
If she could live as freely and unrestrainedly as A Man, without being troubled by the worldly affairs, wouldn't it be a great blessing?
She lovingly rubbed A Man's hair.
"Sure. You've been so busy with the Mazu's incense tour these days. I've really neglected your gluttonous stomach!"
Mao Mao was drowsy and half - awake. Hearing the word "glutton", it thought they were playing with it. It lazily jumped onto Li Ying's lap, acting coquettishly and begging for food. From afar, it was a scene of tranquility.