Chapter 18: Qin Dazhuang

She ignored Qin Dazhuang's displeased look, put down her backpack, and began helping him.

"Aunt Zhang, you want this piece? This one's good. It has lots of fat!"

"Uncle Liu, these pigs' lungs are very fresh. You can buy them without worry. When the pig's lung soup is made, your little grandchildren will definitely love it!"

"Ah, Grandma Lin, we're all old neighbors. Don't you trust our Qin family's pork? The price I'm giving you is definitely the best!"

Qin Xiaoyao greeted the customers with enthusiasm and familiarity, handling them with ease.

Seeing this, Qin Dazhuang stopped frowning. He waved his cleaver and got busy.

After a large wave of customers had passed, the pork stall finally became quiet.

Qin Dazhuang went to the side to pour a bowl of cold water and gulped it down noisily.

Seeing that his daughter was also wiping her sweat, he immediately poured another bowl for Qin Xiaoyao.

"Drink it," Then, he handed the bowl to Qin Xiaoyao.

Qin Xiaoyao didn't stand on ceremony and gulped down the water as well.

Then, she returned the bowl to Qin Dazhuang.

"Why are you the only one running the stall today? Why didn't Big Brother, Second Brother, and Madam Zhang come?" Qin Xiaoyao asked.

Qin Dazhuang took the bowl and looked at Qin Xiaoyao in annoyance.

"What Madam Zhang? It's fine if you don't call her Mother, but will you lose any anything if you just address her as Aunt?"

It wasn't without reason that his wife and daughter didn't get along.

With her daughter's personality, it would be strange if the two of them could get along with each other.

"Hmph, my mother is already dead. What kind of mother is she?" Qin Xiaoyao said in a bad mood.

"Hmph! I haven't said anything yet! Today is the big fair, the busiest time. Why didn't any of them come to help?"

The so-called big fair was held on days ending with two, five and eight every month.

On these days, there were more people entering the town, so the market would be more lively.

In the past, before her predecessor got married, she had helped the family a lot, and it was common for her to come to the meat stall to help.

It was only after Qin Dazhuang married Madam Zhang that her former self was dissatisfied and rarely came over. In the end, it was Madam Zhang or one of her older brothers who came to help.

"What do you know! Recently, it's not easy to slaughter live pigs. Your big brother and second brother have gone out to slaughter pigs. And your mother..." 

Qin Dazhuang paused when he saw Qin Xiaoyao looking at him with displeasure.

"Sigh! Your aunt!" He corrected himself helplessly.

"She's not feeling well, so I told her not to come out and get in my way!"

Qin Xiaoyao pouted sullenly.

"Feeling unwell? She's obviously slacking off," she said resentfully.

In fact, as a transmigrator, Qin Xiaoyao shouldn't have hated Madam Zhang so much since she was not her predecessor. She should have not been getting along with Qin Dazhuang so naturally either.

However, perhaps because her predecessor's emotions were still present, she felt a strong sense of emotional infusion from her predecessor.

She even had the delusion that she was the predecessor.

Qin Dazhuang glared at his daughter. He knew that it was useless to say anything, so he didn't continue the topic.

Then, he walked to the meat stall and tidied it up while asking, "Didn't I tell you not to come back? Why are you still looking for me?"

Only then did Qin Xiaoyao remember what she had come here for, and her expression became more congenial.

She then stood up.

She went to the backpack by the side and took out the bowl of hare meat.

Qin Dazhuang was surprised to see the hare meat.

"Where… where did you get this?" he asked.

With the Song family's situation, how could they afford to eat meat?

He looked warily at Qin Xiaoyao. Qin Dazhuang now suspected that his wife might be right.

Perhaps the eighty taels of silver were really in her daughter's hands.

Qin Xiaoyao saw Qin Dazhuang's reaction and rolled her eyes.

"I hunted them in the mountains. Take a look. This is the meat of wild hares," she said.

Qin Dazhuang was surprised. He looked at the meat in the bowl carefully and realized that it was not pork or chicken.

Seeing the change in Qin Dazhuang's expression, Qin Xiaoyao continued. "I went into the mountains yesterday and got two hares and a pheasant."

"I thought you rarely eat wild game, so I brought some for you."

"It's already been boiled in water. Later, you can get Madam Zhang to add the seasoning and stir-fry it." 

Qin Dazhuang looked at his daughter in confusion. He was a little touched, but he was more worried.

"You went into the mountain?" There were many mountains behind Brook Falls Village, but it was not safe.

Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Qin Dazhuang.

"What can we do if we don't go into the mountains?"

"It's not like you don't know about the Song family's situation. They lived in a thatched house and even sold the land to treat Father-in-law's illness. Now, my husband's leg is injured..." 

Qin Dazhuang paused as a trace of suspicion flashed in his eyes.

"Son-in-law's leg is really injured?" He looked at Qin Xiaoyao with suspicion.

Qin Xiaoyao's expression was filled with anger.

"How can I lie to you about this kind of thing?"

Qin Dazhuang did not say anything.

Only then did Qin Xiaoyao step forward and pull Qin Dazhuang to the side.

Then, she lowered her head in front of her father.

"I was too impulsive before. I shouldn't have gone against Madam Zhang and scolded her."

"But now, my husband's injury can not be dragged on anymore. I can only come to you." 

Seeing Qin Dazhuang look away awkwardly, Qin Xiaoyao quickly grabbed his hand again.

"I'll give a written IOU to pay you back within half a year. If I can't pay up, I'll never approach the Qin family again." 

As soon as she said that, Qin Dazhuang immediately looked at Qin Xiaoyao.

"And…" Qin Xiaoyao's face flashed with a hint of displeasure.

"If you lend me the money this time, I won't argue with Madam Zhang in the future. In the future, I'll either give in to her or avoid her." 

In fact, after thinking about it carefully, Madam Zhang didn't do anything to her and her two older brothers.

The main thing was that Madam Zhang was a young widow and had been a childless widow for many years.

The reason she didn't get along with Madam Zhang was mainly because of her predecessor.

This was because her predecessor did not want to have a second mistress in the house.

"Honest?" Qin Dazhuang was a little surprised and asked.

Only the heavens knew that his biggest headache was the relationship between his wife and daughter.

Now that his daughter was willing to take the initiative to propose a ceasefire and retreat, he was naturally happy to see it happen.

Besides, given his daughter's personality, for her to agree to such a condition, it was highly likely that his son-in-law was really injured.

Although he didn't like his son-in-law, since his daughter had already married him, he couldn't completely ignore him.

"It's the truth," Qin Xiaoyao replied helplessly.

After thinking for a while, she said, "Father, I was insensible in the past. I caused you to be caught between Madam Zhang and me..." 

Seeing Qin Dazhuang looking at her, Qin Xiaoyao quickly shut her mouth.

She then corrected herself immediately.

"Ahem! Aunt Zhang, putting you in a difficult position."

"Now that I'm married, I've understood many things.

"In the future, I will try my best to rely on myself to improve the living conditions of my family. I won't give you any trouble."

Qin Dazhuang's eyes flashed with emotion.

He stretched out his hands and patted his daughter's arms.

"Sigh! It's not as bad as you say. Even if you're married, you are still my daughter. How can I not care about you?" he said in an emotionally charged voice, and his eyes had even turned a little red.

A warm sensation rose in Qin Xiaoyao's heart as she felt the fatherly love she had not felt for a long time.

"Thank you, Father!" she said sweetly.