Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 112 - 107: What to Do If You Throw Out Your Back at a Young Age?
Sure enough, it’s a little white rabbit, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but smile, and casually said: "Madam Tingfan is good to you."
The young man’s face inexplicably flushed red, and he stopped speaking, lowering his head to continue making egg dumplings.
At this moment, a tender voice suddenly rang out, "Little auntie."
Upon hearing it, Lin Qiao quickly went out and saw a three or four-year-old child, the great-grandson of the Wang Family next door.
She reached out and picked him up, teasing him with a smile, "Pangtuan, did you smell something tasty and came over?"
"Yeah, smells so good, eggy aroma." Pangtuan hugged her neck, his big dark eyes staring at her.
Lin Qiao carried him into the kitchen, "Your little uncle is still working on it, I’ll give you some to eat once it’s steamed." She couldn’t help but pinch his chubby cheeks with one hand as she spoke.
Pangtuan nodded happily, "Little auntie, you’re so nice."
Perhaps fearing Song Tingfan wouldn’t give him some, he added, "Little uncle is nice too, just like little auntie."
The childish remark amused Lin Qiao and the others, and Song Qin pretended to be unhappy, "Does that mean Grandpa and Grandma aren’t nice?"
"Nice, they’re all nice." Pangtuan couldn’t handle teasing and hurriedly explained.
Song Qin grinned from ear to ear, "Come, let Grandma hold you."
Pangtuan is easy to hold, and as soon as she said that, he reached out to be picked up.
A while later, Mrs. Wang Zhu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wang Family, came looking for her child. Before entering the kitchen, she was already anxious, "Madam Tingfan, have you seen my Pangtuan?"
"He’s here." Lin Qiao replied.
As Mrs. Wang Zhu entered the kitchen, she saw Pangtuan sitting on Song Qin’s lap, fiddling with some fragrant sunflower seeds, happily munching away. She felt both exasperated and resigned, half-joking, "Why are you eating at your auntie’s house again, be careful she might charge you silver coins."
"Mom will give them to you, you have lots of silver coins, I saw you and dad counting them, lots." Pangtuan said while gesturing with both hands, so exaggerated it was laughable.
Mrs. Wang Zhu couldn’t help but laugh, and teased, "Even if I sold myself, I wouldn’t have that much silver, but if your Aunt Song wants silver coins, I’ll let her have you work in exchange."
Pangtuan glanced at Lin Qiao, shook his head, and seriously said, "Little auntie would never make me work, she gives me good food."
The pure-heartedness of a child clearly distinguishes who’s good or bad to him, and it was evident Lin Qiao treated him well.
Mrs. Wang Zhu knew this well, which was why she had been visiting the Song Family frequently lately, "Then ask your little auntie if she will make you work?"
"I won’t ask, I know mom is just trying to scare me." Pangtuan cleverly replied.
Instantly, everyone in the kitchen laughed. Mrs. Wang Zhu looked at the pale yellow items in the small basket and then glanced at Song Tingfan, "What’s this you’re making?"
"Egg dumplings, it’s wrapping dumplings using egg." Lin Qiao explained.
Mrs. Wang Zhu, having never had it before, found it fascinating, and moved closer to inspect it for a while, "Egg-wrapped dumplings must be delicious."
Eggs cost two cents each, quite expensive, not to mention the meat.
"Try it once it’s steamed. I’m just trying it out." When Lin Qiao saw the small basket was full, she immediately switched to a new basket.
Mrs. Wang Zhu waved her hand, "Since I have nothing to do, I’ll go home and try making it." Saying so, she picked up Pangtuan.
Pangtuan hadn’t had the egg dumplings yet, and struggled not wanting to leave, "Mom, I want to eat dumplings."
"I’ll make some at home." Mrs. Wang Zhu gestured to Song Qin and the others then left.
After they left, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but praise, "Pangtuan is so clever."
"Indeed clever. Yesterday he came back covered in mud, and knowing he’d get scolded, he kept sweet-talking his parents with ’dad’ and ’mom’ till they laughed." Song Qin said this, glancing at Song Tingfan with a smile, "Niu Niu used to be like that, so sweet-mouthed, got whatever he wanted."
Seeing Lin Qiao’s interest, she elaborated, "When he wanted a toy, he wouldn’t directly ask for it but would stand still in front of you, looking up with such an adorable face you couldn’t resist buying it. Once he had it, he’d sweet-talk everyone he met."
"Your grandpa, as long as Niu Niu wanted something, he bought it, only because he loved hearing him praise him."
So standing still and staring was a trait from a young age, Lin Qiao found it amusing, glancing at Song Tingfan, "Little uncle is well-behaved too, very well-behaved."
Being praised again, Song Tingfan felt a bit shy, continuing with his work on the egg dumplings.
After another half hour, more than two hundred egg dumplings were ready. Lin Qiao picked twenty and brought them to the Wang Family, then eighty each for the Lin Family and Song An’s house.
The leftover was more than enough for a filling lunch.
...
In the afternoon, they continued smoking spicy dried fish and spicy dried meat, finishing quite late. Lin Qiao, thinking about taking the donkey cart early the next morning, packed them in a basket, storing it in Song Tingfan’s room to prevent rats from gnawing.
The two of them strained to lift it onto the table, Lin Qiao caught her breath, "Tomorrow we might need two baskets to separate the load."
"I can carry it." Song Tingfan earnestly said.
"Even if you can carry it, don’t strain yourself. If you hurt your back at a young age, what will you do later?" Lin Qiao retorted seriously.
If you hurt your back when you’re young, how will you have children later?
She was already thinking about helping take care of children, hoping they’d be like Pangtuan.
Song Tingfan obediently nodded, but he thought he’d carry more tomorrow to avoid his sister-in-law straining her back.
"Sister-in-law, you go back and sleep."
"Alright, you too, sleep well." Lin Qiao stretched and walked out, closing the door behind him.
...
Today was market day, people were coming and going.
Usually, once the stall was set up, people would start buying, but today, only a couple of people bought something. Lin Qiao found it odd and said to Song Tingfan, "Little uncle, I’m going to take a look up front."
Song Tingfan nodded, "Be careful sister-in-law, don’t wander too far."
Lin Qiao nodded, indicating he needn’t worry. She then walked a bit ahead along the street and noticed several stalls selling spicy dried fish and meat too, even expanding their offerings to spicy pig stomach and pig’s feet.
The marinating ingredients were not secret, so they were easy to replicate.
She stood by and watched for a while, noticing they were priced a bit cheaper than hers — no wonder no one came to buy.
Lin Qiao sighed to herself, alright, after selling these, she might have to think of other ways to sell something else.
Anyway, she could always make some food.
Turning back to the stall, she saw an old customer haggling with Song Tingfan, asking for a small discount, but Song Tingfan wouldn’t budge. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Lin Qiao went over and said with a smile, "Little uncle, give him a discount, this uncle is a frequent buyer."
The middle-aged man, hearing this, felt he had gotten a good deal and replied, "That’s right, your sister-in-law understands, you should learn from her."
Song Tingfan weighed two pounds for him, and after the man left, Lin Qiao explained, "Little uncle, offer a few cents off for customers, there are stalls selling the same things up ahead, cheaper than ours."
"But we were the first to make it." The young man was a bit upset.
Lin Qiao patted his shoulder, "It’s normal, any money-making business attracts competition, but now there are more people doing it, so we won’t make much profit."
"No worries, when we sell out, we won’t sell these anymore this year. Next year we’ll sell something else, there’s always a way to earn money."
