Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 191 - 186: The Little Boy Has Truly Grown Up
The shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment, probably not expecting him to worry about his sister-in-law’s reputation; after all, his family was a noble house in the prefecture, and which woman wouldn’t want to get close?
If the young master truly fancied her, it would be a blessing earned over ten lifetimes.
Lin Qiao turned her head to look and saw the young man’s tall figure standing by the door, not letting the shopkeeper close it. She found it amusing, thinking that he was the only one who treated her like a treasure.
Originally, she, as a widow, already had a bad reputation, and now, after the brothel incident, it was even worse. No one would think highly of someone as "dirty" as her.
"Little uncle, it’s fine, I’ll be out in a bit."
"It’s okay, no need to close the door."
The young master Wei Yun sat in the chair, saying this without turning his head, his innate nobility unassailable.
Lin Qiao gave him a glance; he looked decent, but not as handsome as the villain. Gosh, why was she comparing everything to him now?
At this rate, no one would measure up in the future.
She bent slightly, "Thank you, young master, for your help today."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yun lifted his eyes, his gaze falling on her, a look of amazement flickering in his eyes. No wonder the brothel wanted to kidnap her; her beauty was indeed striking and of the kind that captivated men’s attention.
He had no romantic intentions toward a widow and quickly withdrew his gaze, "No need, I’m a person who believes in reciprocity."
Lin Qiaoxin understood; he had a request.
She wasn’t surprised; it was normal. He wasn’t familiar with her, so why would he help out of goodwill? "Young master, just say what you need."
She paused, "I’ll do what I can; if not, I must apologize."
"Of course, there’s a reason for your participation. Recently, in Changzhou Prefecture, there’s the Xia He Painting Contest, creating paintings with summer as inspiration. I want you to participate under the name Ruyi Shop. If you win, I’ll give you fifty taels of silver. If you lose, it’s alright."
Wei Yun raised a hand, and the shopkeeper at the door quickly stepped in to refill his tea, even checking the cup’s temperature with his hand.
Lin Qiao saw this, unable to resist mentally tutting several times. Rich families had it good, even having someone pour tea.
"Changzhou is far from here?"
Wei Yun did not respond, and instead, Manager Li answered, "It’s a ten-day journey."
Wouldn’t that mean nearly a month round trip? Lin Qiao hesitated; after all, at home, there were two elders and a young one to care for. "It’s really far. I have no one to look after my grandpa, grandma, and little uncle. Four or five days would be manageable."
Fifty taels of silver sounded like a lot, but she wasn’t confident she could win. This area might be feudal, but it wasn’t lacking in capable people.
However, now that she owed him a favor, she added, "I’ll provide some designs for free. You can let someone else go."
"Young lady, the Xia He Painting Contest requires creating artworks on-site, incorporating the Clear Pond’s scenery." Manager Li explained quickly, realizing she wasn’t familiar with the contest.
Lin Qiao felt somewhat troubled and remained silent for a moment. Just then, Wei Yun put down his teacup, "I’ll find someone to take care of them for you. Any other conditions?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiao didn’t naively think he was being kind. He was actually implying not to push her luck.
Forget it, wasn’t worth fighting over.
"When do I leave?"
"It’s already April. You’ll need to set off in a day or two. Go back and pack a few things to stay at Ruyi Shop tomorrow." Wei Yun took another couple of sips of tea.
At the door, Song Tingfan, upon hearing his sister-in-law was going far away, felt a bit anxious but held back from speaking, understanding it was the young master who had helped them.
After Lin Qiao agreed, she quickly left the room without exchanging a few words. Once outside Ruyi Shop, Song Tingfan hurriedly asked, "Sister-in-law, are you going to Changzhou?"
"Yes, once I get the fifty taels of silver, I’ll buy you some new clothes." Lin Qiao smiled and winked.
"I don’t want clothes; I don’t want sister-in-law to go."
Song Tingfan, looking sullen, resembled a child separated from his parents. Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh and then pointed to a nearby stall, "Little uncle, look, there’s a mask. Let me buy you one."
"Don’t want."
"Come on, let’s go get you one."
"Don’t want, I don’t want it."
"Be good, say you want it."
Only after purchasing a mask did Song Tingfan look appeased. The two strolled around the county town for a while before heading back.
The cart was still crowded, no, it was overloaded. One couple, the woman had to sit on the man’s lap to squeeze into the cart.
Even so, the cart continued taking on passengers. Lin Qiao, originally seated at the edge, was now squeezed into sitting sideways. Beside her, Song Tingfan was the same.
Their shoulders pressed tightly against each other; however, it wasn’t comfortable. Lin Qiao’s shoulder began to ache, unsure if his shoulder was just too firm.
Noticing this, Song Tingfan instinctively moved his hand back, with the result that Lin Qiao ended up leaning against his chest, finally having space to move her shoulder.
She didn’t realize how close they were now.
The chest’s touch made Song Tingfan’s body stiffen, not daring to breathe. Suddenly, the cart jolted, causing everyone to lurch forward.
Song Tingfan quickly hugged Lin Qiao tightly, and even so, Lin Qiao’s head bumped lightly against the basket in the middle but not too hard.
She patted her forehead, muttering, "This face doesn’t have insurance."
In her previous life, her management company had insured her face for millions.
Her focus was on her face, while the boy holding her was focused on his arm around her shoulder, quickly pulling back as his ears turned bright red.
Getting up too early, Lin Qiao began to doze off. Soon, she fell asleep, initially leaning against the cart’s wooden boards. But when discomfort struck, she shifted positions until finding just the right spot to rest.
With his face beet red, Song Tingfan dared not look at his sister-in-law sleeping on his chest, only using his hand to protect her from bumping against the basket.
Once off the official road, the path became uneven, with frequent jolts waking Lin Qiao, who drowsily glimpsed Song Tingfan’s chin. After spending so much time together, she wasn’t as startled, instead observing his chin’s little stubble.
He hadn’t had that last year.
The little boy truly was growing up.
Accidentally lowering his head, Song Tingfan met her eyes, his heart racing uncontrollably, leaving him awkward and at a loss, "Sis...ter-in-law, you, you..."
Seeing him stutter, Lin Qiao chuckled softly, then sat up straight, "Did you do something bad?"
"No, I didn’t do anything bad." Song Tingfan’s blush deepened to his neck.
This kid was too easy to tease; he blushed so easily. Lin Qiao stopped teasing him, turning to look out the window as they neared town.
A quarter of an hour later, the cart stopped at the town gate. The two of them caught the Zhou Family’s donkey cart, which was full of fellow villagers.
Just as Lin Qiao sat down, the woman next to her scooted disdainfully away. Unbothered, Lin Qiao raised an eyebrow; more space was better anyway.
Song Tingfan noted the woman’s behavior, feeling a bit angry but remained silent, simply taking his seat.
Previously, someone would still exchange a few words with Lin Qiao, but not today, and it seemed intentional to ignore her.
