Six days later, Su Qingyue had gathered up all the ferns from many nearby villages, and even the rented house was piled full.
That evening, Su Qingyue was lining up to get water from the village well when
Zhou Fuquan passed by. Seeing her, he greeted her, “Sister-in-law…”
“Older Brother Zhou just came back from the town?” Su Qingyue noticed that he was carrying a jin of pork and looked weary, suggesting he had traveled a long way.
“The employer from the town hadn’t settled my wages from before,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Today I went to settle my wages, so I bought a jin of pork on the way.”
“It’s good that you’ve got it settled.”
In the past few days, Wang Cuihua was among the people Su Qingyue had hired to wash the ferns. Hearing this, Fuquan remarked, “Other employers aren’t as good as you, sister-in-law. You settle our wages as soon as the job’s done.” “That’s only right.” She smiled.
Zhou Fuquan looked at her face… the pus sores on her face seemed to have formed scabs… However, it wasn’t appropriate for him, a man, to comment on it. “I’m going home now,” he said, and then he left.
In the queue for well water, Ding Er’s wife, who was originally ahead of Su
Qingyue, had been earning wages these past few days for helping at the Xiao
Family, so she said, “Wife of the Xiao Family, you can get your water first.”
“No need, you go first.”
“Okay, I’ll go then.”
“Why the politeness?” Su Qingyue said, smiling.
As Ding Er’s wife was fetching water, she glanced at Qingyue, “Wife of the Xiao Family, your face sores seem to be getting better day by day. And your skin is becoming whiter. It now looks so clean.”
“Yes. I was not originally very dark-skinned. These days I haven’t been out in the sun much, and my skin has become whiter.” She nodded. After making the ointment to treat the sores on her face, she had been applying it daily, and now the sores on her face had dried into scabs.
“My, Wife of the Xiao Family, your skin is really nice…” Zhang Shun’s wife, who was also fetching water, remarked, “I didn’t think you would become so white.
You used to be as black as charcoal.”
Su Qingyue smiled lightly. Almost everyone had been saying the same these past few days.
After fetching a tub of well water, she carried it home.
Zhang Shun’s wife gazed at her graceful figure from behind, “Ding Er’s wife, don’t you think Su Qingyue’s figure is just perfect…”
“I hadn’t noticed until you mentioned it,” agreed Ding Er’s wife, “She used to be so skinny, but now, even though she’s still somewhat slim, her figure is indeed impressive…”
Zhang Shun joined them and laughed, “Ding Er’s wife, do you know? These days, your husband can’t take his eyes off Su Qingyue. He says she has the best figure in our village.”
“My good-for-nothing husband really said that?”
“He’s been saying it to everyone, what doubt can there be? Your husband is telling everyone that he can’t take his eyes off Su Qingyue’s figure. It’s just a shame about the scabs on her face.”
“I’ll kill him to death with words when I get home!” Ding Er’s wife was jealous.
“Actually many men in the village have been secretly saying that Su Qingyue has a good figure…” Zhang Shun was not one to worry about Ding Er getting into trouble.
Zhang Shun’s wife squinted at her husband, “And what about you…”
“Of course, I didn’t say anything…” Who’d be dumb enough to say something like that in front of his wife?
In the Xiao Family’s courtyard, Su Qingyue carried water into the kitchen and poured it into the water jar. As she bent over the jar, she saw her reflection in the water. Her scabs should naturally fall off in a few days. It was also okay if she wanted to remove them now..