Of course, Li Mingwei eventually compromised with money, although she was not poor, but in such a small place, silver bills and the like hadn't encountered any major events, so it was better not to use them.
Books cost from a few dozen to a few hundred wen, which was still a considerable income. In addition to the embroidery workshop orders, it was no small sum when calculated for the year, enough to spend in Qingshi Town.
Li Mingwei was also contented. Leaving her parents, she could support herself.
Holding Dong Lei's little hand, the two walked leisurely home. It was time to eat, and there were few people on the street, but aromas of dishes floated out from the houses.
Li Mingwei sniffed and pointed to a yard, "The dishes in that family are burnt."
Dong Lei also moved his little nose, "Yeah, they are a little."
"You two still have time to care if other people's dishes are burnt or not, hurry home, Sister Chunhua is about to fight with someone!"
Yun Jie from next door to the Dong family ran to them in a hurry. Seeing them, she grabbed them and took them back to the Dong house.
Li Mingwei ran after her, "How did you start fighting?"
Yun Jie didn't know either. She was cooking at home originally and heard Wang Chunhua arguing with someone next door, so she went out with her mother to see. She had only listened to a few sentences when her mother told her to go call someone.
"I didn't hear it clearly either. My mother said that old lady is not easy to get along with. Sister Chunhua is alone and may not be able to handle it well, so she told me to find you."
In fact, Yun Jie felt that calling Li Mingwei, a little girl, back would not help much. She was so soft that she could not even help argue, it would be better if Big Brother Dong was at home.
"Old lady? That old lady?"
"The matchmaker on East Street. You must have seen her before. She was at my house when you first came and asked you a few questions."
A matchmaker?
The only one who could talk about marriage in the Dong family now was her, Li Mingwei concluded it was related to herself. Her pace quickened even more, leaving Dong Lei behind.
"Wang Chunhua, don't be ungrateful. Your sister is now fatherless and motherless, and childless. What capital does she have to be picky? She should be fortunate to find a man."
"In my opinion, a divorced woman may be of questionable character. She is no different from Wu Dong."
Wang Chunhua looked left and right, picked up a stick and held it in her hand, "You old hag, speaking nonsense!"
"My sister, even if she never marries for the rest of her life, does not want the likes of Wu Dong!"
"If he is crude, how much better can your sister be!"
This was already the second person today saying she was of poor character. She didn't mind the first, but she had to mind the second.
Li Mingwei pushed away the onlookers, stopping Wang Chunhua who was about to rush forward to hit someone, and stared at Matchmaker Chen.
"How am I of poor character? You had better come up with evidence today. If you have no evidence but continue to slander me, I don't mind taking a trip to the county office with you to see what crime it is to falsely accuse someone!"
Matchmaker Chen was not one to be easily frightened either. She was naturally not afraid of a few sentences, she ridiculed, "Oh my, could it be that your husband's family divorced you because your character was too good?"
"Who told you I was divorced? My former husband and I had an amicable separation! My infertility is my problem. It's only natural that he wants to continue the family line. I stepped aside, which has nothing to do with my character. Who here doesn't have some illness?"
"If you don't believe me, I'll bring the separation agreement and go to the county office to discuss this with you, and have the county magistrate bear witness!"
"Take it out now if you have it, why do we have to go to the county office to see it!"
"I have no need to show you my separation agreement, or the county magistrate. It's because that would be evidence of your slander against me!"
With that said, Li Mingwei forcefully grabbed Matchmaker Chen's sleeve and started pulling her towards the town entrance, giving the impression that she was determined to take her to the county office overnight to sue her.
Matchmaker Chen was also cowed. Seeing her attitude, it seemed she really had something, and it might really be a separation agreement, which was very different from divorce.
She took two steps back, shook off Li Mingwei's hand, and Wang Chunhua came over to grab her again, "Don't run, let's go together. We all heard what you just said. Let's go to the county office together to talk it over."
Li Mingwei crossed her arms and smiled as she watched her, "I've read Da Chu's laws. Slander alone, just a few sentences, won't get you beaten. At most you'll be fined some money and jailed for a few days. I wonder if there are rats and the like in the county jail."
Wang Chunhua sneered in agreement, "We country folk have seen everything. Rats are nothing. She's an old lady with thick skin, she surely wouldn't be afraid."
Matchmaker Chen was at a loss for words, wanting to flee but unable to.
More and more people gathered around to watch the fun. Li Mingwei was not afraid either. She did not actually have a separation agreement, but she was certain Matchmaker Chen would not dare to go to the county office with her. Even if she really hardened up and went with her, she had ways to make the county magistrate see a separation agreement.
"Seeing this, the younger sister can't have been divorced, right?"
"Shouldn't be, she said she has a separation agreement."
"But we didn't see it."
"Why would she show it to you? She dared to show the county magistrate, how could it be fake?"
"That's true too."
The discussions around her kept entering Matchmaker Chen's ears. She also began to doubt, just who was it that told her this girl was divorced back? Why did she believe it so readily, she should have asked more questions.
Now it was too late, she had no way out. Wang Chunhua kept holding onto her. It would be really bad if she was actually taken to the county city. Even if nothing came of it, she would lose face terribly. She should not have been greedy for that bit of money from Wu Dong.
Wang Chunhua was actually quite happy to hear that Matchmaker Chen had come to propose marriage for Li Mingwei, and welcomed her warmly into the house, pouring her water. But her face instantly fell when she heard it was Wu Dong.
She rejected Matchmaker Chen, but Matchmaker Chen still shamelessly disparaged Li Mingwei, angering her into arguing with her.
The two sisters worked together to pull Matchmaker Chen towards the town entrance. Matchmaker Chen could not resist and kept retreating, "Let me go! Let me go!"
They obediently let go at the same time, and Matchmaker Chen fell straight to the ground, instantly eliciting laughter from the crowd.
"What are you all doing at my door?"
Dong Shan's loud shout came. Wang Chunhua immediately found her backbone. Pushing through the crowd, she ran to him.
"You're back!" Wang Chunhua grabbed his arm and pointed at Matchmaker Chen, who had just climbed up from the ground, "Just in time. This old lady is speaking nonsense about our sister. Our sister was about to take her to the government office, and you're back just in time to help us take her together."
Dong Shan glared angrily at Matchmaker Chen, "What nonsense did she say about our sister!"
Matchmaker Chen's legs trembled a little. Taking advantage of him not having approached her yet, she hurriedly ran in the opposite direction.
Everyone knew Dong Shan had formidable fighting skills, able to take on five men alone easily. If she let him catch her, she really would end up going to the government office.
Watching Matchmaker Chen flee in panic, Li Mingwei felt some disdain. Fool, you should have been more stubborn, if you were a little more stubborn she might have backed down.
After all, she did not want to expose her identity so quickly.
