Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Spreading the Word Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Spreading the Word Luo Qiao was holding a package in her hands, which contained around a pound of dried red dates – the kind of gift that wouldn’t cause any misunderstandings, looked good, and was easy for others to accept.
She knocked gently on the door of the teacher’s office, where Teacher Ning was sitting at her desk. The other teachers, who lived closer, had already gone home, leaving only three teachers in the office.
Teacher Ning looked up and saw Luo Qiao, “Luo Qiao, what brings you here?”
Luo Qiao smiled and said, “I wanted to ask Teacher Ning when the results will be out, and what time would be suitable to come over. If I ask in advance, my classmates won’t have to make an extra trip to inform me. It would be rather embarrassing otherwise.”
Teacher Ning smiled and replied, “Come by on Friday noon; by then, the grades for all subjects should be out.”
Thinking to herself, this wouldn’t interfere with her work schedule.
While they were speaking, the other teachers in the office also took their leave one after another. After finishing her business, Luo Qiao placed the paper package on the desk, said nothing more, and prepared to leave.
Teacher Ning spoke up, “Student Luo Qiao, you’ve left something behind.”
Luo Qiao smiled and said, “Inside are some dried red dates. Teacher, keep them to soak in water for drinking, they’re good for replenishing one’s energy and blood.”
Without waiting for Teacher Ning to say anything more, she turned and jogged out of the office. She still felt she had troubled her homeroom teacher, so she wanted to express her gratitude.
After returning to the village and having lunch, she tended to the vegetables in the backyard. Every few days she would use her special ability to accelerate their growth, which made the vegetables exceptionally fresh and dewy. She would store what she could harvest in the space of her warehouse and then replant the next crop.
She continued this cycle, ensuring that the garden always looked verdant and lush. This didn’t arouse suspicion among the villagers. Luo Qiao thought about little by little building up her stock and then selling the produce when she went out on a long trip in the winter.
The next day was Zhao Xiaotao’s wedding. In the morning, the villagers worked in the fields, except for the Zhao family’s eldest, Zhao Changlin, who had hired two master cooks to help with the food.
After work ended at noon, the villagers started to bring gifts to congratulate the newlyweds. Luo Qiao learned ahead of time that those with average relations with the family gave two copper coins, closer relations gave five, and the very close gave one yuan.
Luo Qiao gave three copper coins to avoid any gossip.
Zhao Chunli and Gao Suhua’s smiles brightened when they saw Luo Qiao, but both failed to notice a child sneaking up to her side and tugging at her sleeve.
He signaled Luo Qiao to follow him. After checking that no one paid attention to them, she followed Little Stone outside. She had yet to thank the kid for his help last time.
Little Stone led Luo Qiao through a particularly narrow passageway, the kind of alley left between two houses that only permitted one person to go through. If she were any heavier, she might not have been able to pass.
Continuing forward led to the Zhao family’s back door. Little Stone pointed ahead, where Luo Qiao saw two middle-aged men standing guard. These two were clearly not from Qingshan Village.
Luo Qiao whispered, “Why did you bring me here to see these two people?”
Little Stone said, “These two men are from Beipo Village.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Qiao immediately thought of the conversation between Gao Suhua and that woman last night. She turned to look at Little Stone.
Lowering his voice, Little Stone said, “It’s exactly what you’re thinking. I overheard them talking just now. Gao Suhua told them to give you something with an extra ‘ingredient’ in it later on, and they also said that once they take you away, you should not be seen again easily.”
Luo Qiao scoffed in her heart. Was Gao Suhua a fool? If she, such a big living person, were to disappear, could the village really ignore it? Such wishful thinking indeed.