Dong Shan came back, and those dirty and smelly ones didn't dare come to the door easily. Wang Chunhua was very happy and talked about everything that had happened in the past few days to Dong Shan excitedly.
Dong Shan looked at Li Mingwei with some surprise in his eyes: "Sister Mingwei is so amazing, she can embroider flowers and recognize characters."
"Of course!" Wang Chunhua proudly straightened her chest: "Don't you know who her sister is?"
Dong Lei raised his little hand: "It's still my auntie. My auntie is the most amazing!"
Dong Shan looked at Wang Chunhua fondly, patting Dong Lei's little head with his big hand: "Yes, yes, you are both right!"
Seeing the loving interaction between the family of three, Li Mingwei thought of her grandfather and parents. Her heart felt warm. She wondered what they were doing now and if they were still looking for her.
They probably weren't. She had left them a letter after all. But her mother might still be, she never liked her wandering around. She wouldn't even let her follow her father when he went on inspections.
Dong Shan also brought back a lot of things from his uncle's house. After they chatted and ate, it was quite late. While there was still some light outside, they busily tidied up.
"So many dishes? Did big brother and them come by?"
Dong Shan poked his head out from the cellar, took over the dishes Wang Chunhua handed to him, and crawled back in to put them away.
"Yeah, besides the dishes there's also two bags of grains. Added to what uncle gave, there should be enough to get through the winter."
"It's usually about enough, but there's sister Mingwei this year too."
Wang Chunhua said disdainfully: "Her? She eats as much as a kitten, even less than Lei."
Dong Shan laughed: "That's why she's so skinny."
Wang Chunhua touched her small belly. After having a child, she had gotten fatter. Was Dong Shan saying she was fat?
She didn't reply. When Dong Shan went down to put away the dishes, she closed the cellar door.
When it suddenly darkened, Dong Shan felt something was wrong. He pounded on the door: "Chunhua, Chunhua!"
"I'm going suffocate you to death, husband! Teach you to run your mouth!" Wang Chunhua stomped on the door.
"Dear, I know you can't bear to. Quick, let me out!" Dong Shan pleaded apologetically: "My mistake, you're the skinniest and most beautiful!"
Only then was Wang Chunhua satisfied. She opened the door: "If you dare say something like this again, I'll turn you in to the authorities!"
"Yes, yes, I absolutely won't anymore!"
Seeing their playful bickering, Li Mingwei tactfully brought Dong Lei away with her. She drew a hot bath for him, had him wash his face and feet, then brought him back to the room and tucked him into bed.
"Sleep tight!"
"Mm!"
Dong Lei responded and closed his eyes. Children were special - they could fall asleep as soon as they closed their eyes. Seeing he was settled, Li Mingwei lit an oil lamp and quietly left.
After washing up, she embroidered handkerchiefs by lamplight in her room.
Wang Chunhua and Dong Shan fooled around as they tidied up. Dong Shan saw Li Mingwei's room was still lit up and told Wang Chunhua: "Go tell the young miss she should sleep earlier, staying up hurts her eyes when she's still young."
Wang Chunhua shook her head. Over the past days she had gotten to know Li Mingwei's habits: "It's fine, she'll turn in soon. Without money on hand she doesn't feel secure, thinking she owes us. Once she earns a bit and has some free cash, she won't push herself so hard."
Li Mingwei had already turned in her second batch of embroidery and paid Wang Chunhua for the winter clothes. Wang Chunhua used the rest to make her some lined innerwear and winter shoes, so most of it was spent.
After nearly half a month at the Dongs, Li Mingwei was anxious to give Wang Chunhua money for food and board. That was why she urgently took on embroidery work.
To prevent Wang Chunhua from taking her money and buying her more things, Li Mingwei turned in the work behind her back. Though Wang Chunhua noticed her leaving with packages, she didn't expose her.
Dong Shan had noticed too. He laughed: "Try declining at first when she pays you, but do take some in the end. Use it to buy her meat and nourish her, or some other things. Don't refuse it all or she'll be too embarrassed to keep staying with us."
Wang Chunhua thought that made sense. This lass was too polite.
She agreed: "Alright, she really is too skinny. We'll buy her some meat. Needs to put on some weight or the north wind will blow her away!"
Dong Shan...Surely not that extreme.
Winter came swiftly after autumn arrived. Bouts of autumn winds and rains, and the weather sharply turned cold. The wind howled frigidly, biting Li Mingwei's face till it hurt.
Li Mingwei forcefully shut the classroom window, suddenly realizing scattered snowflakes were drifting down outside. She went out and held out a palm. Some fluttering snowflakes landed in her hand and immediately melted.
It seemed her winter clothes would come in use very soon!
The waiting parents outside all had their hands tucked into their clothes looking at her.
Auntie Cui smiled at her, "Haven't seen snow before, eh girl Mingwei?"
Li Mingwei wanted to say she had, then heard someone say: "Not having come from the south, she probably really hasn't."
She closed her mouth. Then said: "You guys can go sit in that room over there, it's too cold out here in this wind. Dress the kids warmer tomorrow. It's quite cold in the classroom too, don't want them catching cold."
"You needn't worry for us about that. We've raised kids for years, we know what to do."
Li Mingwei nodded and went back into the classroom to continue teaching. Seeing her turn, the children watching the snow through the window also quickly returned to their seats.
Auntie Cui glared at the previous speaker: "What'd you open your trap for? She meant well."
Only then did he recall Li Mingwei's infertility. He smacked himself: "Slip of the tongue."
"It's fine, she won't take it to heart."
At this point, the crowd somewhat understood Li Mingwei's character and acknowledged her professional capability. Their attitude towards her had greatly changed from the past.
A sister-in-law tucked in her hands and whispered: "Truth is, only three years, maybe she can still have kids. Just bad luck. I have a relative who only had a child after five years of trying."
"That's true. And it might not be the woman's problem. I'll tell you, I know of a case where after eight childless years the woman was divorced. Then with another man she got pregnant right away."
"Then it was the man's fault!"
"Exactly!"
The women chatted more and more loudly outside. Li Mingwei helplessly stared at them but they remained oblivious.
Just as she was about to go remind them she was teaching class, someone happened to glance her way. She hurriedly tugged the immersed chatty ones beside her.
The few looked back, smiling apologetically at Li Mingwei, then supported each other as they went to continue their discussion in a corner.
The students laughed quietly. Li Mingwei severely rapped the table. "No laughing! Focus on writing your characters. Anyone I catch messing around, your homework is doubled!"
"What? No!"
"Mister Liang~ "
Li Mingwei cockily looked away. She was a mature mister now. Flirting wouldn't work on her anymore.
