Today what Old Lady Wang and them said also was known all over town, it can't be considered anything big. But Old Lady Wang thought about it, felt that daughter-in-law didn't really understand her own relatives, which still wasn't good. That night she knocked on her door.
"Mother, what's the matter?"
"Sit down." Old Lady Wang helped her sit down, then pulled up a stool and sat next to her, said: "Mother just wants to talk to you about the few relatives we still have dealings with."
Li Mingwei pursed her lips: "It was me who spoke wrongly today."
Old Lady Wang shook her head: "Can't be considered that either."
In fact in this town most families, there were more or less children who had died prematurely, it was just that in their family there had been three, so they were more sensitive about it.
"This matter originally wasn't anything major, but in front of Little Seven you still shouldn't mention it, because the three older brothers and sisters she doesn't have all died from illness before age ten. People outside worry she will be like her mother, children born to her will also have this problem, so no one dares to come asking for marriage."
You occasionally having one wasn't much, but having one, two, three like this, it really made people outside afraid.
And children so young, those who had been fathers and mothers, even seeing other people's children get sick or hurt made hearts ache, let alone happening to your own child, that would make people cry themselves to death, who would be willing to take that risk?
"But Little Seven is doing pretty well, she's grown up this big and hasn't had any problems, and her three older brothers and sisters didn't have problems either."
"Seven born and four living, that's still almost half that died isn't it."
Li Mingwei bit her finger: "Then did they not go see doctors?"
"In this town, and the county town, they went everywhere, not one doctor could say why, people outside all felt there was something unclean in their family."
So people outside didn't love interacting with their family. It was just Old Lady Wang, she who even dared to put memorial tablets next to where people slept, also wasn't too avoidant of these kinds of things.
And also their family was quite poor, mutual suffering, so they had never broken off dealings.
"What about the others, is there anything else that can't be said or asked?"
Old Lady Wang thought it over carefully: "The other families are fine, nothing that can't be said. It's just the Zhao widow next door, after she was widowed she never remarried, has always been alone, don't ask about the people in her family."
"And there's also that..."
That night, Li Mingwei heard the old lady tell her many things she didn't know, and also felt sorrow for the fate of countless people. There is no most miserable, only more miserable, each one was so helpless and heartbreaking. She seemed to finally get a sense of what a real quagmire was like.
Finally she lay in bed blankly, and even felt a bit numb.
Because she felt stifled in her heart, Li Mingwei slept very late. When she woke up Old Lady Wang had already gone out to buy vegetables.
She found her own breakfast cooked in the pot, egg soup again. She glanced at the full basket of eggs next to her, her heart felt even more blocked. It looked like for at least half a month going forward she could only eat this.
Not able to stay home, she decided to go out for a walk. It just so happened the winter clothes she had made last year wouldn't fit anymore once her stomach got bigger, so she could only go to the embroidery shop to have them remade. She went back to her room and got one of Liu Yizhu's outfits, and also went to Old Lady Wang's room to get one. She bundled them up and went to the embroidery shop.
At this time was the busiest time at the vegetable market. She glanced at the crowded, clamoring people and didn't really want to squeeze in. She turned and took a long way around. She had just walked a short distance when she heard someone calling her.
"Sister Li!"
"Sister Li!"
She turned around a couple times but didn't see who it was with so many people around. Until Cui Ying patted her shoulder from behind and took her arm.
"Sister Li, I called you so many times, how could you not respond?"
Li Mingwei said embarrassed: "There are so many people I didn't hear clearly."
"So many people and you came to buy vegetables alone?"
"No." Li Mingwei showed her the bundle in her hand and explained: "I'm going to the embroidery shop."
"To make winter clothes?"
"Mm."
Cui Ying immediately smiled, turning back to wave over a woman in her forties: "Mom, Sister Li is also going to the embroidery shop to have winter clothes made. I'll go with her, you don't need to come. Go buy vegetables, I'll go back myself later."
The woman glared at her slightly, then smiled at Li Mingwei.
Li Mingwei also smiled back: "Auntie."
"Mm." She took out a little purse from her pocket for Cui Ying to put away, and said to Li Mingwei: "I see you also go to the embroidery shop frequently, later also help her choose and take a look. This child just doesn't know how to pick things."
Cui Ying complained: "Mom!"
"It's fine, auntie don't worry. I'll help her take a look later."
"Oh, help her pick a nicer one. I just found a matchmaker, she might have to be taken to meet someone soon."
Upon hearing this, Cui Ying immediately became unhappy. She turned and started to walk away, but her mother grabbed her: "What are you running for, you can't not marry your whole life. Go with Sister Li, and take her home before coming back."
She put Cui Ying's hand in Li Mingwei's: "Sorry to trouble you."
"No trouble, no trouble."
Seeing she was still pouting, Li Mingwei gave her a look and led her away.
"You don't even want to just look?"
Cui Ying gave her an aggrieved glance, then lightly nodded.
"So you don't want to marry?"
Seeing Cui Ying didn't answer, Li Mingwei knew in her heart, and laughed: "Is it that your heart's desire doesn't match your mother's eyes?"
Having her thoughts seen through, Cui Ying's face showed some embarrassment and annoyance. She shook Li Mingwei's arm and grumbled twice.
Li Mingwei surrendered: "Fine, I won't ask, won't ask, okay?"
The two slowly arrived at the embroidery shop. female embroiderer Yu also hadn't seen her in a long time, and immediately came up to take a chair from behind the counter for her: "Rare guest."
Li Mingwei said helplessly: "It's only been a month since seeing you last, how can that be rarely seen?"
female embroiderer Yu laughed: "A month is still pretty long."
She looked at the bundle in Li Mingwei's hand, and didn't remember her having any unfinished work: "You came today to?"
"Make some winter clothes." Li Mingwei untied the bundle and asked: "Can I get measured without the people here?"
female embroiderer Yu looked them over and roughly knew they were her husband's and mother-in-law's. She nodded: "It's fine as long as they fit well when worn."
Li Mingwei pulled Cui Ying forward: "Sister Cui Ying also wants to make winter clothes, could you measure her as well?"
"Sure."
female embroiderer Yu took the bundles and led Cui Ying inside. Li Mingwei sat waiting in front. A teenage boy walked in, saw her and paused for a moment, peeking inside.
"Is Old Lady Yu not here?"
"She's here, she's just measuring, very quick."
The boy nodded, standing there obediently, seeming a bit ill at ease.
Li Mingwei looked the boy over. She realized she actually hadn't seen him before. This Qingshi Town, though seemingly not very big, was quite large it seemed!
She asked: "What did you come for?"
The boy hesitated for a moment: "I, I had Old Lady Yu embroider a handkerchief. I've come to get it."
Li Mingwei raised her eyebrows. This was prepared to give to a girl it seemed.
She went behind the counter, took out a tray from below. Customers who had special requests would usually be placed here. She indicated for the boy to come closer: "What did you have embroidered on the handkerchief?"
"Lotus flower." The boy paused for a moment, then added: "And words."
Li Mingwei looked through them for a while and found a handkerchief embroidered with lotus and the two characters for "Little Seven." She looked up at the boy in front of her.
Little Seven?
It seemed she had discovered something big.
