A ragged cub at the beginning

She was originally planning to go to Sansi Embroidery Building today, but after this incident, Tang Xu couldn't get out, and she didn't know if the people outside had dispersed. Fortunately, there were so many people, otherwise she didn't know how to end it. Unfortunately, there were too many people, and she didn't know how to thank them. She sighed. If it was the original owner, Zhu Tou would probably die quietly. She inherited the body, so why didn't she inherit the original owner's martial arts? Speaking of the last time she fought with that young man, is it considered a body memory?

I can't figure it out, so I'll put it aside for now. She also thought that the new shop needed to be renovated and arranged, so she could draw a decoration plan at home without leaving. She couldn't draw seriously, so she just needed to draw the decorations.

Dong Wanwan had to trouble the renovation and asked Zijun's father to help find a worker to repaint the store.

What do you want to decorate the walls with? Forget it, decorating is too expensive, just paint it.

There should be a counter in the room, against the left wall, facing the door, so that customers can see the person behind the counter as soon as they enter.

Some people don't like being watched, and it's not inconvenient if there are female guests. So put a screen to separate a room. Put the screen on the right side so that she can see the counter when she turns her head while painting. Put a table and stools on the outside of the screen for guests to wait and rest.

What should she paint on the wall? She was sketching a portrait, so she couldn't just paint a bunch of people on the wall? What about a landscape? No, no, the paint is too expensive! She thought for a while, but couldn't think of anything. She looked at the sleeping faces of the children, so cute. These little faces, long eyelashes, and upturned noses. Hey! Tang Xu suddenly had an idea, why not paint a person's life, from a baby to an octogenarian. The name of the store is: Keep this moment!

perfect!

I am so smart! Ha! Ha! Ha! She couldn't help but brag a little.

"Xiao Xu." Dong Wanwan went home to pack up, then came to her house with her sewing basket to chat. "Come out."

Tang Xu nodded, turned around to confirm that the children were sleeping well, and then followed Dong Wanwan to the yard. She just wanted to talk to her about the shop looking for workers.

"Xiao Xu, try this." Dong Wanwan took out a pair of cut shoe patterns.

"For me?" Tang Xu asked in surprise. She obediently took off her shoes and tried them on. They were a little big.

"It's a little big. I don't think you can do these. All the clothes and shoes for July were bought. You didn't buy anything for yourself. It's just the right time to make shoes for Dandan's father, so I cut a pair for you. Don't dislike it." Dong Wanwan smiled and trimmed it with scissors. It was just the right size.

"How could that be?!" Tang Xu was happy and touched. He sniffed and said, "No one has ever made shoes for me before. Sister Wan, you are so nice to me!"

"It's just a pair of shoes," Dong Wanwan said and then laughed, "Yes, if your mother knows how to make it, she should be able to teach you. Your family should all be scholars, and judging from your appearance, you must have been a young lady in the past."

"It's just that life is better. My grandma can make clothes, but I've never seen her make shoes. My mother can't do anything, not even cook." Tang Xu watched Dong Wanwan put the needle into her hair and rubbed it on her scalp twice. This scene reminded her of her childhood, when her grandma would do the same thing every time she sewed clothes, and she was always worried that she would get pricked.

"What's so difficult about shoes? Clothes are more difficult than shoes." Dong Wanwan said, "Your mother can't cook? Then what do you eat? Do you have maids and cooks at home?"

"Haha, no way. My dad cooks for us, and his cooking is delicious." Unfortunately, he passed away early, when she was fifteen. Her mother seemed to have lost her soul. When she was eighteen, she took the college entrance examination and committed suicide after leaving a suicide note. In fact, she expected it. Her father spoiled her mother like a little princess. When her father left, her mother lost the desire to live. She couldn't do anything well, couldn't dry clothes well, couldn't cook well, but after her father left, she worked hard to learn, and took care of her for three years despite her bumps and bruises.

During the days when she was taking the college entrance examination, her grandmother came over and her mother became very happy. She kept talking about her father's life every day. At that time, she felt a little uneasy and had some suspicions in her heart. She wanted to ask her mother to live, but she was not qualified. Her mother had persisted for her for three years, and she didn't want to be too selfish.

Grandma should also know that she came to see her daughter off for the last time. After that, it was her grandmother who took care of her. Grandpa died of illness when she was a child. Grandpa and grandma didn't like her mother and rarely contacted her. After her father died, they disappeared directly.

My grandmother passed away in the hospital during my senior year. She said she would not live to see me graduate. In fact, after my mother passed away, my grandmother's spirit and energy were very poor.

That year, she lost all her relatives. No one needed her, no one loved her. During that time, she was in a daze all day, didn't take medicine, didn't eat or sleep well, and then she had a heart attack and went to the operating table.

Here she met July. She needed July and July needed her.

"Xiao Xu?" Dong Wanwan called out again when she saw her in a trance.

Tang Xu came back to his senses, "Ah? What happened?" Oh, I met Sister Wan, who is really like my own sister. I am not alone in this world.

Dong Wanwan had a worried look on her face. "I can't go out to the stall these two days, and I met Zhu Tou again. Why don't you bring Qiyue to my house for dinner?"

Tang Xu shook his head. "Thank you, Sister Wan. But no thanks. I'll go out early tomorrow to buy groceries. I don't think young masters like them would hang out outside so early in the morning."

"Then you have to be careful. By the way, I have a veil at home. I'll get it and you can wear it when you go out tomorrow!" Dong Wanwan said this and got up and left. Tang Xu didn't even try to stop her.

The veil looked new and well preserved. Dong Wanwan tried it on her and found it was the right size. She lowered the veil so she couldn't see her face. "Okay, now you can't see it."

"Sister Wan," Tang Xu smiled and let her do what she wanted. For a moment, he actually felt happy. "Thank you. You really are like my own sister."

"Okay, I'll acknowledge you as my real sister. I'm lucky to have such a capable sister for free." Although she was just sympathetic at first, she liked Tang Xu more and more as they got to know each other for a long time.

Tang Xu said with a smile: "Well, dear sister, I have something to ask of you right now."

Dong Wanwan waved her hand and said, "Tell me! Everything about my sister is easy to talk about."

"I just bought a shop..." Before Tang Xu finished speaking, Dong Wanwan's eyes widened and she asked in shock, "What?"

Tang Xu chuckled and said, "The shop is on the street outside, next to the teahouse. It used to be the jewelry shop."

Dong Wanwan was surprised and asked, "Painting, is this so profitable?"

"Not really," she explained, "I was just lucky to meet Madam Zhou, who paid me very generously."

Hearing her say this, Dong Wanwan was unhappy again, "That's because you have the ability. How can ordinary people be favored by Madam Zhou? She has hired countless local and foreign painters over the years. The painters who want to make money from her are like that crucian carp."

"There are so many people crossing the river." Tang Xu reminded her, and then asked, "Is Madam Zhou so famous?"

"Of course not," Dong Wanwan perked up when she talked about this. "The Zhou family is kind and righteous. Every winter when the weather is tough, they set up a tent to give out porridge. In this town, there are always people who have trouble making ends meet. That porridge has saved countless lives. I drank it once when I was a kid." She seemed to be lost in memories, and the smile on her face became increasingly strange. "But that porridge was too hard to drink. I don't know what was added to it. It had the bitterness of medicinal herbs. Only people who can't survive can endure that taste in order to survive."

Very bitter? Only to survive can you drink it? Tang Xu understood and said with a smile: "Master Zhou is a very smart man."

"Huh?" Dong Wanwan was puzzled.

Tang Xu patiently explained, "If the porridge tastes good, I'm afraid many people who are not in difficult circumstances will also go. The Zhou family always has a fixed amount of porridge to give out, and it's impossible to take care of everyone. If those who take advantage drink it, there will be fewer people who can't survive. But what if it tastes terrible? Only those who really can't survive can drink it. The porridge has a medicinal taste, maybe it's to keep out the cold and remove dampness, or maybe it's something else."

"I see!" Dong Wanwan suddenly realized, "Hey, there are people who spread rumors that Mr. Zhou was testing medicine. He was such a good man! It's a pity that he didn't live long! God is blind! The Zhu family, a scourge, stayed, but Mr. Zhou, a kind man, died early. Madam Zhou was left behind. Oh, it turns out that Madam Zhou went crazy for a while."

"Ah?" Tang Xu was very surprised. The last time he saw Madam Zhou, she looked normal.

"You don't know, you weren't here at that time. A little over a month or two after Mr. Zhou's funeral, Mrs. Zhou had a hysterical attack. She was looking for Mr. Zhou everywhere all day long. One time, she didn't keep a close eye on him and he ran away. She shouted Mr. Zhou's name and would grab anyone of similar age. Many people saw it. Later, it seemed that she invited a Taoist priest to heal her." Dong Wanwan sighed, "After she recovered, she didn't look for Mr. Zhou anymore. Instead, she offered a reward and looked for a painter."

"So there is this one." Is it really so deep to love someone? What does it feel like? Fortunately, unlike her mother, she just followed him. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Dong Wanwan sighed, thinking of the previous shop incident, "That's too far away. Are you looking for a bricklayer? To paint the shop?"

"Yes, repaint it, and I want to draw on the wall." Tang Xu said, taking out the blueprint he had drawn, "I also need to buy these things. Do you think my brother-in-law is free? Find a craftsman, buy all the things and arrange them, and I'll pay the workers."

"I'm free! Why do you want payment? You can keep it for yourself. I will make sure he does a good job for you." Dong Wanwan patted her chest and promised.

"Sister Wan, listen to me. You see, I have my own business and I make good money. Besides, brothers have to settle accounts clearly. My brother-in-law helps run errands, so he must be paid. Otherwise, I can only do it myself." She sighed in a pretentious manner, "I'm unfamiliar with this place, and I don't know if I will be cheated?"

Dong Wanwan was both angry and amused. "Are you afraid of being cheated now? You didn't even ask us for advice on such a big matter as buying a shop. What if you get cheated?"

"I found a real estate agent, so I shouldn't be cheated, right?" Tang Xu said doubtfully, "I've already got the title deed."

"The dental dealer won't cheat you, but you should always ask about the price," said Dong Wanwan.

So that was it. Tang Xu said with some pride, "No, I am good at bargaining. I agreed for fifty taels." Then she told Dong Wanwan how she bargained for the shop yesterday and felt very satisfied.

"You," Dong Wanwan stretched out her finger and tapped her, "this price seems acceptable."

"Hehe..." Tang Xu smiled and asked, "Then you can let brother-in-law take my wages without worry. I can afford it."

It would be hurtful to refuse any further, and doing this would definitely delay the sale of the goods, so Dong Wanwan agreed.

The two chatted about other things. Tang Xu even tried to sew the soles of shoes, which was a physically demanding job. After she had sewed a few times, her wrists began to swell and ache, and she couldn't exert any strength. She shook it, but it didn't help much.

Noticing her movements, Dong Wanwan asked with concern: "What's wrong with your wrist?"

"It's nothing. My wrist hurts from drawing all day. I'll go get some medicine." He took out medicated oil from the house and rubbed his wrist.

"You must be tired," Dong Wanwan looked at her skilled movements, thinking that this must not be the first time, and couldn't help but feel distressed, "Then you can take a rest in the next two days. If the pain is severe, you should go to the clinic."

Tang Xu nodded, "I know."

Dong Wanwan sighed and said with emotion: "Nothing is easy. I thought painting was an easy job for you, but I didn't expect it to be so strenuous. Last time I passed by, I saw that your clothes were soaked with sweat, so I thought that if the neighbors let their children here, you could collect some money and make a living."

Tang Xu smiled and said, "I know Sister Wan is doing this for my own good, but three is just right now. Dandan and Jiarui are both well-behaved and easy to take care of. If I encounter a difficult and noisy child, I don't have the patience."

"That's right. It's not that easy to take care of a child." Dong Wanwan echoed, and then changed the subject, "But it's better than what you have now. You're so young and your wrist is already injured."

"But I make a lot of money." Tang Xu winked his right eye mischievously. Seeing that Dong Wanwan disagreed, he added, "It should be easier when you open a shop in the future. At least you don't have to bask in the sun."

"It won't be exposed to the sun for long. It's getting cold soon." Dong Wanwan lowered her head and sewed the sole of her shoe. "Get ready for autumn and winter clothes. Don't wait until it gets cold to buy them."

"Yeah." Tang Xu nodded, and suddenly thought of Dong Wanwan who could make clothes, so why not buy some cloth and ask her to make them. It doesn't matter who makes them, and it can also help the Fang family. "Sister Wan, you can make clothes, right?"

"Yes, I make all Dandan's clothes. You want to make one? Just buy the cloth and I will make it for you." Dong Wanwan said without raising her head.

"How about some labor fees?" Tang Xu asked tentatively.

Dong Wanwan got angry when she heard this, she looked up and glared at her, "Who would charge money for making clothes for a girl?"

"Making clothes takes time and effort, and I have to pay Aunt Wang. You see, I have to pay anyway, and it's better to keep the money within the family. Can you charge me less and let me save some money?"

The two argued about the labor fee for a long time, so long that the two little ones rubbed their eyes and came out to find their mother, but neither of them could convince the other.

Tang Xu told the children a story about stealing a bell while covering one's ears to wake them up, and the effect was very significant. Even Dong Wanwan listened with great interest and asked her to tell another one.

This talk, there are several. Tang Xu's mouth was dry, Dong Wanwan packed up and said she would go back to make dinner, and asked her to bring Qiyue to eat together.

There was no food at home, but Tang Xu did not refuse. It was a good opportunity for him to talk to Fang Yuanqin about the decoration of the shop at the dinner table.

At this time, Mrs. Du came over with snacks and fresh meat. "I should have come at that time, but the child was crying so hard that I couldn't get away. I just coaxed the child to sleep, so I came to take a look. The child was not speaking clearly. What happened?"

Tang Xu told the story again. Old Madam Du frowned. Coming from a scholarly family, she could not say anything bad. She just kept saying that the man was unscrupulous and lawless. Tang Xu consoled him with a few words and persuaded him to go back.

As soon as it got dark, Fang Yuanqin came back and Dong Wanwan called them to eat.

Fang Yuanqin was not very tall, but he was cheerful and talkative. If he was not talkative, he probably couldn't be a peddler, because he needed to be good at talking. He had heard his wife mention Tang Xu many times before, and knew that his son learned to read from her. After seeing Fang Zijun's draft of calligraphy practice, he had a good impression of Tang Xu.

When he heard Tang Xu asking him for help, he agreed without saying a word, without even mentioning the salary.