Chapter 130: Tailing

“Ouch, my stomach hurts a little…” Li Taohua suddenly clutched her belly.

“Mother, are you alright?” Qin Huiyin quickly put down what she was holding and anxiously supported her.

“It’s nothing, just a sudden urge,” Li Taohua muttered softly. “Don’t speak so loudly. It’s embarrassing for someone as beautiful as me to talk about such things in public.”

Qin Huiyin was speechless.

She forced a smile and lowered her voice. “There’s a public restroom over there. You should go.”

“I’ve had a bit of a stomach upset today; it might take a while. Please keep an eye on things here,” Li Taohua said.

“All right, take care of yourself first. I’ll watch over everything here, no worries.”

“Okay.”

“Is there any toilet paper?”

“Shh…” Li Taohua made a shushing gesture and hurried back, rummaging through her cloth bag to pull out some yellowed toilet paper.

Most common folk here didn’t use toilet paper. At home, they’d use leaves or, if more refined, a basin of water and a cloth nearby.

Qin Huiyin found it hard to tolerate. Last time, when she bought writing supplies for Tang Yichen, she had chosen the cheapest paper to use as toilet paper.

Li Taohua was also a neat person and fully supported Qin Huiyin’s approach without objection.

Seeing Li Taohua head toward the public restroom, Qin Huiyin continued turning over the skewers in her hand.

Li Taohua entered the restroom but soon came back out, slipping away from the side and returning near the market to look for the person she had spotted earlier.

Indeed, her stomach wasn’t hurting, and her trip to the restroom was a ruse.

She vaguely saw a suspicious figure lurking nearby, watching this direction—someone who looked very much like Tang Jizu. The previous incident had taught her that the clown hiding in the shadows must be dealt with; otherwise, her precious daughter would face many more scares.

She hadn’t told Qin Huiyin. First, because she wasn’t yet certain who the person was—telling her prematurely would only cause her unnecessary worry. She would reveal it once she had proof. Secondly, her daughter was already busy and tired; she had experience handling villains and didn’t want a young girl to endure needless anxiety.

Found him.

Li Taohua accurately located the rat hiding in the shadows.

In front of the “Smile Always Food Stall” stretched a long queue. The stall was run by a few teenagers, with the elderly Tang Sanye helping collect money and hand out orders, tidying tables after customers left. Several constables were eating there, chatting and praising the owner’s cooking.

The business was booming, the customers patiently waiting in line, and with the backing of the officers, the scene stirred Tang Jizu’s ire until his eyes reddened.

He knew that no matter how much he hated it, he couldn’t act rashly. He had sent someone to rough up others just yesterday; now was the time to stay calm.

Spitting disdainfully, he turned and left.

Li Taohua followed him all the way until he entered a courtyard.

She looked up at the plaque above the gate, which boldly read “Xia Manor.”

“Hey, are you his wife or his mistress?” A beggar boy squatting in a corner grinned mischievously.

Li Taohua placed a hand on her hip and snapped, “My eyes aren’t blind—why would I want that kind of scum?”

“Oh, then you must be an enemy!” the boy chuckled. “If you want to know anything, I can tell you. But you know, information doesn’t come for free.”

“You know who he is?”

“A lackey of the steward. The steward’s lapdog who’d swallow shit if told—a despicable wretch.”

“You seem to have a grudge against him?”

“Not really. It’s just that every time he sees us, he either hits or curses us. I just hate him!”

Li Taohua dug into her pocket and pulled out ten copper coins, waving them in front of the boy. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll see if it’s worth the money.”

After the busy period passed, Qin Huiyin finally had some free time. She glanced into the distance and muttered to herself, “Mother’s been gone so long—hope she’s okay.”

Tang Luwu said, “Yinyin, I’ll go check.”

“No need… Mother’s back,” Qin Huiyin said, watching Li Taohua approach from the restroom.

Li Taohua looked guilty and avoided Qin Huiyin’s gaze, speaking to Tang Luwu, “I had a bit of a stomach upset today. Are you all managing okay here?”

“Don’t worry, Mother, we’re handling things well,” Tang Luwu replied obediently. “You’ve been sitting so long; are you feeling unwell? Maybe you should see a doctor.”

“No need. It’s probably because the pancakes this morning were too delicious—I ate too many,” Li Taohua said. “I’m back now. You all can rest; I’ll take over here.”

“I’m going with Grandpa Tang to deliver the sauce to Big Brother and Brother Ruizé,” Qin Huiyin said, looking at the skewers. “There’s plenty of ingredients today; I’ll grill some meat skewers to take to them.”

“Having more ingredients is for making money, not for you to play the good Samaritan,” Li Taohua muttered.

“Mother…” Qin Huiyin grasped Li Taohua’s arm and shook it gently.

“Send, send, send—might as well give him the whole stall,” Li Taohua said irritably.

“One saint once said that the more beautiful a person is, the kinder they are, because Heaven only grants supreme beauty to the kind-hearted. It must be true,” Qin Huiyin mused.

“Which saint said that?” Li Taohua was surprised. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“I made it up,” Qin Huiyin laughed. “Luwu, little brother, come help.”

Li Taohua scolded with a smile, “You little brat, such a slick talker—wonder who you take after.”

Tang Luwu and Tang Yi smiled.

Together, they grilled the meat and steamed the braised meat in a pot, wrapping it in oiled paper and placing it in a basket.

They had originally brought twenty jars of seasoning sauce; ten had been sold to Boss Ning, leaving only ten large jars.

Qin Huiyin divided them into two parts, five jars each.

Because the sauce quantity was limited, Qin Huiyin prepared extra grilled skewers and braised meat. The small dried fish sold well today; not a single one was left. Next time, she planned to bring more dried fish, enough to give each of them a packet.

Tang Sanye asked, “Who are we visiting first?”

Qin Huiyin thought for a moment and said, “It’s closer to Big Brother from here. When we get to the academy, you take the supplies down first. It takes a while for the gatekeeper to let us in to see Big Brother, and I’m worried the skewers will get cold waiting, so I’ll take the ox cart straight to the dam. After delivering to Ruizé, I’ll come back to pick you up.”

“Should I take the stuff to the dam, and you wait here for Yichen?”

“I’d better take it to the dam myself. I have a feeling Ruizé is hiding something from me. I’ll inquire later to see if anything’s wrong.”

“I don’t mind, just worried someone might get upset,” Tang Sanye said, amused.

The old ox ambled slowly, the grandfather and granddaughter chatting and laughing like ordinary people enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

For those who enjoy stories about a farm girl stepping into a new life, spoiled by her powerful brothers, please add to your collection: “Farm Girl Stepmate, Spoiled by the Big Brothers.”