Dong Lei was scared to death, curling up in the corner and biting his hand. His auntie was so fierce just now, Li Mingwei turned around and smiled at him, first apologizing to the owner of the rouge shop, after all they had just fought in someone else's place.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I lost control for a moment."
"It's fine, it's fine, do you want to clean up your face?"
The owner of the rouge shop was also a woman. Coincidentally, her child was also studying under Li Mingwei. Her son came home every day praising Teacher Li Mingwei, saying he was gentle. Today she also got to witness it.
Really gentle...
She brought a copper mirror for Li Mingwei to look at. The person in the mirror had disheveled hair and two small scratch marks on her face. Li Mingwei cursed inwardly, she couldn't leave scars on her little face!
Seemingly seeing through her thoughts, the female owner comforted: "It's alright, not deep, it probably won't scar."
That's good!
Borrowing her copper mirror, Li Mingwei tidied up her hair and pushed the somewhat blank Dong Lei to the front. She still remembered the main purpose of today: "This child's face is chapped by the wind, could you see if there is anything that can be applied to help recover it a bit?"
"I don't want it! That's stuff for little girls."
Dong Lei protested. His auntie said she would give him a gift, how could it be something like this.
"You must use it. Feel your face, see what state it's in. If you get blown at for a few more years, your face will become rough and thick. When you grow up you won't be able to find a wife."
Dong Lei touched his little face and pouted unwillingly. Using little girls' stuff would make his classmates laugh at him, he would rather be a little rough.
The female owner took out a solidified pale yellow ointment from behind the counter: "This is tung oil, applying it will help, my son uses it too."
Hearing her say this, Li Mingwei felt more at ease. Her own child uses it, even if there is not much effect at least there shouldn't be any problems: "Alright, how much is it, give me a box to try."
She paid money and shoved the small box into Dong Lei's arms. Seeing that he was still sullen, she said: "Come on, auntie will buy you some snacks, okay?"
Dong Lei was about to nod when Wang Chunhua ran in. With one glance she saw the injury on Li Mingwei's face: "Snacks? You got into a fight and still want to eat snacks!"
She looked closely. She was no stranger to fights in the past few years. She knew it was not serious, and a big weight lifted from her heart.
She had just bought vegetables and hadn't entered the door yet when someone told her Mingwei was fighting with someone. Thinking of her little sister's petite body, she must have been bullied. She threw the vegetables in the yard and ran over.
"Who did you fight with?"
The female owner behind said: "Cui's daughter, Cui Yu. Don't worry, your sister didn't lose, she was pressing Cui Yu down beating her."
"As long as she didn't lose."
She didn't need to go to the Cui family to regain face either. The Cui family had many nasty women, she was outnumbered and bound to lose.
"It doesn't hurt anywhere else right?"
"It doesn't hurt. The clothes are so thick, just the face here."
"Then that's fine. Let's go back first. Don't tell anyone else though, I happened to buy meat today, you have to eat more later."
Seeing they were about to leave, Dong Lei hurriedly reminded: "Auntie, snacks."
Wang Chunhua pulled his ear and made a fist: "Snacks? Does this look like a snack to you? If you don't want a beating, hurry back with me!"
Li Mingwei desperately signaled Dong Lei with her eyes, mouthing to him: next time, next time.
Dong Lei could only compromise.
At the dinner table, Wang Chunhua kept putting meat in Li Mingwei's bowl, while praising: "That's right, when others bully you, you have to fight back, otherwise she'll dare to do it again next time. Eat more, grow some meat, or else next time someone fatter comes along that you can't beat."
Li Mingwei sent the meat into her mouth: "Okay."
Dong Shan picked up a piece of meat and brought it to Wang Chunhua's mouth, trying to cover her mouth: "Teach some good stuff."
"Let me tell you, fighting is not good. Whether you win or lose, you might get hurt. Next time someone hits you again, you just run. Girls go find your sister, boys come find me and let us handle it."
Wang Chunhua gave Dong Shan a thumbs up: "Your brother-in-law is right. Come on, eat more, run faster."
Li Mingwei smiled. Her eyes felt a little sour, but her heart was warm. It felt so good to be protected.
"Knock knock knock!"
There was a knock at the door. Wang Chunhua put down her bowl and went to open the door. Everyone was eating now, who could it be? It shouldn't be someone from the Cui family right?
Dong Shan thought the same thing. He stopped Wang Chunhua and opened the door himself, while Wang Chunhua couldn't rest easy and followed behind him. Li Mingwei's eyes were also following them.
The door opened and they were both a little surprised: "Tutor Liu?"
"Brother Dong, Sister Dong." Liu Yizhu bowed and greeted, his voice a little apologetic: "Barging in, sorry to disturb."
"It's fine, you...is there something?"
Liu Yizhu came to see Li Mingwei after hearing that she fought with Cui Yu and got injured. He just couldn't stop worrying and wanted to come see that she was alright before he could feel at ease.
"I...I want to see Miss Mingwei for a bit."
"Please come in first." Wang Chunhua took a look outside, there was no one on the street, so she moved aside to let Liu Yizhu in and closed the door. They couldn't let anyone else see, or else her sister would get scolded again.
She nudged Dong Shan and they went inside together to call Li Mingwei.
Li Mingwei rolled her eyes: "Make him leave. I don't want to talk to him."
"Oh come on, I already let him in."
"Sis! Why did you do that! Haven't I been scolded miserably enough? Just earlier I got into a fight and got hurt because of him, my face still hurts now! And you let him in!"
She had lived for over ten years and never been hit before.
Wang Chunhua lowered her voice: "Letting him stand outside would attract more attention. I looked and saw no one outside so I let him in. At least talk to him for a bit so he doesn't come again, right?"
Li Mingwei had no choice. She put down her chopsticks and went out.
"Young Sir, what do you want now?"
Liu Yizhu stretched out his hand then stopped himself: "Does it hurt?"
"It hurts, it hurts to death. So please stay away from me, I don't want to get beaten again."
"I..."
"Young Sir, please let me off. I've had continuous bad luck recently."
Liu Yizhu gritted his teeth without speaking. Li Mingwei met his disappointed eyes and felt a little headache: "Go home and focus on your studies. You still have a long way to go. There are plenty of nice young ladies, why cling to me and cause trouble?"
"You messing around doesn't impact you much, but they all come looking to make trouble for me. It's very hard on me, understand? Please just let me live in peace for a while, I beg you."
Every sentence from Li Mingwei was like a knife stabbing into Liu Yizhu's body. Her earnest voice made it a little hard for him to breathe.
After a long pause, Liu Yizhu finally moved his feet with difficulty: "Alright, I understand."
Wang Chunhua leaned against the door, watching Liu Yizhu's lonely back. Her heart ached a little: "Last time my sister said she didn't like Tutor Liu. I didn't believe it then, but turns out it's true."
"How can you explain things like this clearly? Weren't you also lovestruck when you first saw me?"
Wang Chunhua glanced at him: "Weren't you too?"
Dong Shan grinned: "I was!"
