A ragged cub at the beginning

Tang Xu cursed and said it was bad luck, not wanting to argue with him.

Seeing that she ignored him, He Xide angrily threw his sleeves and sat back in his seat. He muttered, "Women are so short-sighted. They dare to eat in restaurants after earning a few dollars. Go home and wait for scolding. Business is good today, but it may not be tomorrow..."

The murmurs were so loud that Qiyue could hear them. She looked up and asked in confusion, "Mom, is he talking about us?"

Tang Xu smiled and said, "It's just a barking dog. Why bother with it? Come, have some soup."

"Yes." July held out her hand obediently, holding the small bowl.

A haggard and tired looking woman came quickly with a basket, stopped in front of the scholar's stall next door and said, "Husband, it's time to eat."

"How can you be so anxious!" He Xide was angry and immediately scolded him with a stern face. After that, he did not step forward to receive it, but just sat down on the stool with a big horse and a golden knife, waiting to be served.

The woman nodded timidly, brought out the food and placed it in front of the scholar one by one.

He Xide glanced at it and saw a plate of fried vegetables with pork lard, a bowl of egg soup, and a bowl of rice with mixed grains. Then he thought of the woman next door who had meat, eggs, and even a bowl of mushroom soup, and he was immediately furious and asked, "Why are these again? Where's the meat?"

The woman was so frightened that she trembled and whispered, "We have no money at home, and meat is also put in this dish."

He Xide took another look at the two dishes, a soup and white rice over there, and raised his hand to throw the bowl and chopsticks. The woman was so scared that she shrank her neck and took a step back, putting her hands in front of her face.

Tang Xu happened to see this scene. If she hadn't been beaten all the time, why would she cover her face with her hands when she saw someone raise his hands? I thought he was a petty person who liked to say sour words, but I didn't expect him to be a scum who liked domestic violence. She sneered and said, "Look, a useless idiot is beating a woman."

He Xide turned back suddenly, his face flushed with anger, and asked, "What does it have to do with you?"

"Of course it has nothing to do with me. I'm just here for fun. I heard that there are several kinds of people in this world, some are smart, some are nimble, and some are neither smart nor clumsy, with only temper left. Now it seems that this is true." Tang Xu said sarcastically while picking up some food for July.

He Xide said angrily, "When did I start? You are a long-tongued woman who loves to talk nonsense. Is there no one to discipline you at home?"

Tang Xu pointed at July's bowl and asked him to continue eating, saying, "I just have no one to discipline me now, but you look like you've been undisciplined since childhood." Seeing the scholar walking a few steps closer angrily with his hands shaking, she said innocently, "Oh! Are you angry? Why are you so angry? I just said a few words casually, so I didn't hit you. You're not going to hit me, are you? You try it!" After saying the last sentence, Tang Xu's face turned cold and she stared into the scholar's eyes.

He Xide was stabbed by the cold gaze and subconsciously took a step back. A few curious people gathered around and watched him whispering to each other, with excitement on their faces. He Xide's face turned purple with anger. He returned to the stall panting and pulled a painting in front of himself.

Seeing her husband's expression, Wu Xiuer felt bitter. She would be beaten and scolded when she got home at night. She couldn't help but blame the talkative girl. If she hadn't been so talkative, her husband wouldn't have been so angry.

Seeing the panic-stricken look on the woman's face, Tang Xu secretly thought that she had good intentions but ended up with bad results. Even if she didn't do it now, it would be hard to say what would happen when she returned. She frowned and thought for a while. At this moment, she could only threaten the scholar with words, hoping to make up for it. She turned her head and said, "I don't know which academy taught this scholar. He has no skills at all, but he beats his wife who dared not resist so impressively. I heard that scholars value their reputation the most. If the news of beating his wife gets out, I don't know if it will affect the imperial examination. Can such a person still take the imperial examination?"

He Xide went from being angry to being ashamed. At this moment, the hair on his back stood up. He glanced at the woman next to him with fear, ate his meal quickly, and threw away his chopsticks. "Go back quickly!"

"Okay." Wu Xiuer put away the dishes and left. She was not willing to deliver the meal. Ever since her sister-in-law made a few troubles at home and forced her husband to set up a stall to make money, she has not had a good day.

These calligraphy and paintings were all written and drawn by my husband himself, but for some reason, they didn't sell very well. It was completely different from what my sister-in-law said that everything a scholar had was valuable and there would definitely be people who would buy it. My husband was unwilling to go to a place where the stall fee was cheaper. My sister-in-law only went out but never came in, and she made a fuss at home every day.

The husband was so angry that he couldn't win an argument with his sister-in-law that he would beat and scold her to vent his anger. This life was so hard to endure, and I didn't know when it would end.

As Wu Xiuer thought about it, she couldn't help but feel sad and wiped her tears as she walked.

The couple from the sugar water shop also saw this scene. They looked at each other. This girl was very fierce and not easy to mess with. But they felt happy about this. The scholar always looked down on others. Few people on this street liked him. They couldn't understand those calligraphy and paintings, but the scholar's business was poor, so he must not have written well. Unlike the girl who painted, she painted like the real thing and had a good business. She was a talented person.

After Tang Xu and July finished their meal, Tang Xu held July and coaxed him to sleep.

However, not long after he slept, someone came over with number papers. That person brought a whole family with him. Tang Xu took out a large piece of uncut paper to draw.

After a busy afternoon, Tang Xu shook her arms. Not many people only paint for themselves, most choose to bring their families to paint together. She charges per person, and more people make more money, after all, less paper is used, so the cost is lower.

It was quite early when she closed her stall. The scholar next to her had a gloomy look in his eyes, and she always felt that he was going to cause trouble. But when she turned her head, he turned his back in a cowardly manner.

Tsk! Coward.

Tang Xu was wary of the scholar, but nothing happened for the next few days. The scholar's wife lowered her head and shrank her shoulders, and it was hard to tell if she was injured.

The scholar did not cause any trouble, the killer did not come to the door, and Tang Xu and July lived a very regular life.

July was well fed and well rested, with friends to play with. He was visibly healthier, with a little more flesh on his face, no longer sickly pale. His cheeks were pink, and with his cherry-red mouth, he looked more and more attractive.

Business was good during the day and Tang Xu's wallet gradually became fatter, but he was still a long way from buying a shop.

Before going to bed, she would draw the embroidery pattern for a while. Because she was not in a hurry, the more exquisite it looked, the more she believed it could be sold at a good price. She shook her sore and swollen wrist. Could it be tendonitis?

There was still a lot of medicine left from July's massage. Tang Xu took it out and rubbed her wrist. The medicine oil turned into a heat, which relieved the pain. The effect is really good! She thought, washed her hands, and went to bed with satisfaction.

Half a month passed in a blink of an eye. Just as she was about to go home after closing her stall, she noticed someone following her. He followed her all the way to the alley entrance. She was afraid that it was a Tang Sect assassin, so she didn't even dare to look back, let alone take him home. She could only push the cart around in circles along another street, and couldn't think of a good solution for a while.

"Mom, aren't we going home?" July covered her rumbling stomach.

"Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?" Tang Xu looked around and saw a small noodle restaurant.

"Hey, girl!" A little girl's voice came from behind, and then Tang Xu's shoulder was patted. She turned around and saw a pretty girl in pink clothes. "Who are you?"

Lu Huan knelt down and saluted, "Hello, young lady. My name is Lu Huan, you don't know me, but my old lady wants to see you about something."

"Your old lady? What's the matter?" Tang Xu was full of doubts. She looked around and asked again, "Were you following me just now?"

"Yes, I wanted to see where the girl lives. I didn't expect to scare her and make you go around in circles. I'm very sorry." Lu Huan bowed and apologized again, and then explained the purpose of her visit, "Our old lady wants to ask the girl to paint her portrait, but it's not convenient to do it on the street, so she asked me to find out where the girl lives so that I can visit her."

"It's okay, it's okay." Tang Xu breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, it was okay as long as they weren't the killers. It was understandable that the old lady wanted to have her portrait painted on the street. There were many restrictions on women in ancient times. The old lady must have a good family background. Her attitude was also sincere. She didn't invite her home, but was ready to visit her. It was just that it was a bit inappropriate to follow her directly to inquire about her residence, which really scared her. "I set up a stall during the day and go home before dinner. When will your old lady come?"

"Of course the time depends on the girl's convenience. I see that the girl usually comes out at the beginning of the Si hour, I wonder if I can come at the beginning of the Chen hour?" Luhuan asked.

Sishi? Chenshi? Tang Xu was not very good at calculating the time. She estimated that she would go out at eight or nine o'clock every day. Even earlier, six o'clock? She hesitated for a moment, but agreed to make money. The old lady might want to paint a color portrait, and she could make a small fortune. "Okay, when will you come?"

"I'll go back and ask about this, and come back to answer you tomorrow," said Lu Huan.

"Ok."

Green Ring saluted again and left.

So many gifts, don't your knees feel sore? Tang Xu wondered curiously. The tracking incident was a mistake, and it was too late to go back and cook. She simply took Qiyue to a noodle shop to eat noodles. The shredded pork noodles were quite delicious. The soup was chicken soup, which was delicious and the noodles were chewy. Tang Xu noted the location and planned to try other noodles next time.

When he got home, he found two little potatoes peeking through the crack of the door. The young man stood by and stopped them: "Jia Rui, that's too rude, come here."

Qiyue's eyes lit up, and she ran with her short legs, shouting, "Brother!"

"Brother Qiyue!" Fang Zijun turned around when he heard the voice and ran towards Qiyue. The two hugged each other, and the fat boy Du Jiarui also came over. The three potatoes shouted and jumped happily. Who would have thought that these three kids had just played together in the morning, and it was as if they hadn't seen each other for several years.

"Miss Tang, sorry to bother you." Du Yun lowered his eyes slightly, his voice gentle. "My mother is not feeling well today, so I'll be the one to see you off."

This voice is really something that you never get tired of hearing. Tang Xu rubbed his ears and said, "Mr. Du, you are too polite. Please come in first."

Fang Zijun asked as he walked, "Brother Qiyue, why are you back so late? Where did you go to play?"

"We went to eat meat noodles, it was delicious." July reads every day and plays with Fang Zijun and the others. He has become a lot bolder and rarely stutters when speaking now.

"I want to eat meat noodles, too." Du Jiarui sucked his saliva and licked his lips.

Tang Xu chuckled and said, "I'll take you there to eat next time."

Du Yun replied softly, "Jia Rui, your uncle will take you out to eat tomorrow."

"Okay, okay." Du Jiarui nodded.

"I too..." Fang Zijun paused as he began to speak. His mother told him not to eat other people's food, so he changed his words and said, "I'll ask my mother to take me to eat."

"Okay, okay." Tang Xu nodded, thinking about bringing the three little ones to eat together next time. The three little ones slurping noodles together must be very cute. She had a picture in her mind and couldn't help but take out a pen and paper.

Three chubby little kids were slurping noodles with their puffy cheeks, looking very cute.

"Aunt Xu, what are you drawing?" Fang Zijun was the first to notice and came over.

"Guess which one is you?" Tang Xu asked with a smile.

"Here, here." Xiaorou pointed at one of them and looked up at Tang Xu. "Clothes, these are my clothes."

"Let me see," Du Jiarui squeezed over, "This is the dress! I'm wearing it today! It's me! It's me!" He was so excited that he mumbled the last sentence.

Tang Xu couldn't help laughing and said, "It's you, it's you."

"This is me. Mom likes to tie my hair like this." Qiyue smiled and said, "I'm not that fat, am I?"

Tang Xu pinched his little face, and finally it was not a layer of skin. She said confidently: "It will be there soon."

Du Yun took a curious look. He had never seen such a style of painting before. It was full of childishness and made people smile. He looked at Tang Xu. He didn't expect that Miss Tang's painting skills were so extraordinary at such a young age. He praised sincerely: "With just a few strokes, it is quite charming."

Du Jiarui looked at it again and again, blinking his big eyes and asked, "Am I eating meat noodles in the painting?"

"Yeah~" Tang Xu couldn't help but reply in a low voice, and then she started to pinch his chubby face. She didn't use much strength, but after pinching, she remembered that the child's parents were here, and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. It would be bad if someone misunderstood that she pinched the child's face every day.

Du Yun saw that she was embarrassed and said, "My mother also likes to pinch his cheeks."

"So cute, haha..." Tang Xu looked at the children and was about to start the class when Fang Zijun leaned forward and said, "Aunt Xu, pinch me too, I'm cute too."

Tang Xu laughed so hard that he held Fang Zijun's face and rubbed it for a few times. Needless to say, it felt smooth and tender, better than a boiled egg after peeling it, and a little fluffy.

After laughing and playing, Tang Xu asked the children to go to the room for class. There are three empty rooms in her yard, one of which is used as a classroom, with three sets of tables and chairs. The get out of class ends in half an hour, and the children are allowed to play in the yard for ten minutes, and then go home after another half an hour of school.

Du Yun observed the etiquette, left the door open, and sat in the yard. Miss Tang's loud laughter came from the house. I wonder what kind of family can raise such a lively and talented girl.

While washing up at night, Tang Xu checked July's feet again. The nails had grown a little bit, and he believed that they would be fully grown in no time.

July held the Monkey King in her arms and listened to her mother's story of Journey to the West. Soon she fell asleep.

Recently, July no longer cries in the middle of the night. Tang Xu watches over him until he falls asleep peacefully, and then goes outside to draw for a while.

But not long after she started painting, she heard a commotion outside, so she went to the yard to listen. It seemed to be Zhao Yun's parents' home, and the woman's cries and screams were carried by the breeze, along with the old man's scolding and the man's roar.

What happened? She stood near the wall of the Zhao family's courtyard and vaguely heard someone working, a pregnant woman, about to give birth...

Could it be another mother-in-law torturing her pregnant daughter-in-law? This is the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law problem from ancient times to the present. I hope the mother and child are safe. She sighed. The last time she saw Zhao Yunniang's mother, she was a kind and gentle woman. I hope nothing will happen to her, otherwise the little girl will have a hard time in the future.

She was not familiar with the Zhao family, and could not help with the birth of the child. She went back to her room to check on July, the little guy was sleeping soundly and was not disturbed at all.

There was almost no stopping outside that night, and Tang Xu was woken up twice in the middle of the night. She heard a child crying, and she fell asleep again before she could think about what happened.

When she woke up the next day, she felt a little dizzy. She really didn't sleep well last night. Thinking of the crying last night, she wanted to get up and take a look.

"Mom, are you awake?" Qiyue raised his little head and looked at her happily. He had been awake for quite a while, but he didn't dare to move and wake up his mother. He had been playing with the Monkey King for quite a while.

Tang Xu greeted Qiyue in his usual cheerful voice, "Wake up, good morning, little Qiyue."

"Good morning, mother." The July cricket crawled out of his pupa.

The two of them had tidied up and were about to cook when they heard the sound of knocking on the courtyard door.

Who is it? Tang Xu put down the flour basin in his hand, opened the door and saw that it was Lu Huan, the maid from yesterday.

Seeing the door open, Lu Huan knelt and saluted, "Good morning, young lady. Please forgive us for coming so intrusively. My old lady was really anxious, so she rushed here early this morning."

"Ah, it's okay, come in." Tang Xu pushed the door open, and a sedan chair was parked in the alley. There were four servants, an old nanny, four middle-aged women, and four young maids including Lu Huan. This was really a big show, and I don't know which wealthy family it was.

A few nearby neighbors who were watching the fun stood in the back, looking over here curiously, whispering and pointing from time to time.

"Excuse me." The old nanny looked quite dignified. She asked the servants to push down the sedan chair, and an old lady walked out from it.