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Chapter 577: Chapter 581: Not Sending Someone Off?_1
"You can buy the glutinous rice and lotus root from Old Lady Huang’s house, and there’s one more thing, I’m going to transfer Xiu Lian to the Embroidery Room, so you’ll need to hire someone else to help. Also, with Chao Lian gone, Erhu is no longer willing to drive the cart, so it might be better to have Brother Zhong fill in for now,"
Qiao Duo’er said calmly, perfectly concealing her ulterior motives.
After all, that’s how Erhu and Chao Lian started their relationship, and it would surely be the same with someone new.
Huang Zhong felt a bit troubled, mainly because of his ingrained cautiousness toward interactions between men and women.
With just a man and a woman together, people would certainly gossip.
"Zhong Zi, how have I taught you? Duo’er is going out of her way to help us, and you must not repay kindness with ingratitude,"
Huang Zhong had no choice but to steel his heart, "I know, I’ll go."
"When the time comes, we’ll settle both the labor and vegetable costs together. Old lady, let’s agree on the prices first,"
Qiao Duo’er gave a suggestive glance, and Aunt Huang immediately caught on, "After I take my medicine, I start to feel drowsy, so better let Zhong Zi talk about it with you."
"Oh no, I left the fire burning at home, I really hope the rice isn’t scorched. Sister Lan, I’ll leave this matter to you, I need to rush back and check," Qiao Duo’er quickly made her exit.
Huang Zhong scratched the back of his head, "Mother, you rest first, I’ll talk with her outside."
Hu’s Clan knew about Qiao Duo’er’s cunning plans, but since she couldn’t abandon the business at hand, she followed them out, albeit reluctantly.
"You... I’ll bring some glutinous rice and lotus root to you tomorrow. If it works out, we can discuss the price then,"
Huang Zhong’s face turned so red it looked like blood might drip from it.
In the past, he was only in charge of heavy lifting and cleaning at the shop, rarely interacting with people, which is why he was somewhat stuttering now.
"Let’s just go with the normal price, and you can weigh it when you bring it tomorrow,"
Hu’s Clan flatly refused, prepared to pay for the expenses herself if the deal did not work out.
But when she came to buy things, she had to pay with silver.
"No, my mother would be angry if she knew,"
Huang Zhong quickly brought his own mother into it, as he had to accommodate his sick mother’s wishes,
In the end, Hu’s Clan had no choice but to compromise, secretly vowing to make the osmanthus sugar lotus roots so that Huang Family’s lotus roots could be sold.
Once they reached an agreement, Hu’s Clan took her maids and headed home, while Huang Zhong went to inform his mother about the situation.
Old Lady Huang expressed her dissatisfaction, "Why didn’t you invite them to stay for dinner? If that was not possible, you should have escorted her home. It’s almost dark outside, what if something bad happened?"
If she had known, she wouldn’t have let her old man take the goat to mate elsewhere; at least he could’ve offered some help.
Seeing Huang Zhong still standing in the room, Old Lady Huang wished she could hit him with her shoe.
"What are you still standing there for? Go and escort them while they haven’t gone far!"
Faced with Old Lady Huang’s displeasure, Huang Zhong hastily complied.
Still, he couldn’t help but grumble internally about his mother making a mountain out of a molehill. Big Willow Village was peaceful, with no bad elements to speak of; was an escort really necessary?
Huang Zhong was a fast walker and caught up with them in no time, so he quickened his pace and stealthily followed behind.
It was only after watching Hu’s Clan and the maids enter their home that he turned back.
When he got home and Old Lady Huang learned that her son hadn’t even spoken to them, she could only stew in silent irritation.
Alas, how had she given birth to such a blockhead?
"What do you think about Hu’s Clan?" Old Lady Huang suddenly asked.
Huang Zhong touched his nose, "Mother, are you feeling okay in bed? Why are you asking me this out of the blue?"
"None of your business, just tell me,"
Old Lady Huang gave Huang Zhong an exasperated look. He wasn’t some bashful young lad, so why the shyness?
