Truth be told, Liu Duo had not been going out a lot since they were able to purchase and bring tomatoes back to the house, except when she had to fetch Liu Ran.
Ye Ling, who was washing dishes, spoke up when he saw her come in. “Duo Er, have you finished? Let me wash your bowl.”
She shook her head. “Not yet, I just came to check on you.”
She had only eaten half of her meal.
“Wow, I didn’t know you could be so attached to people,” Aunt Li teased with a smile.
They bonded very well, so she was very happy for their parents who had passed away.
Ye Ling blushed when he heard that, though Liu Duo was glad to receive the compliment.
She could get bashful easily in front of Ye Yang, Ye Liu, and Ye Mo when they teased her. However, she had the image of a strong woman to uphold in front of other people, so she would not show her shyness!
Liu Duo took her bowl and sat on a stool nearby. “Aunt Li, I didn’t know you like mocking people like that!”
“Haha…” Aunt Li laughed.
They had great fun joking about in the kitchen. After Ye Ling finished washing the dishes, they moved to Liu Ran’s location in the house.
The rain had stopped, and a few villagers came to sell tomatoes.
“Ling, you keep on practicing. Hold your pen well.” She passed the brush to him before leaving with her accounts book.
Ye Xuan looked at Ye Ling. “Ling, Sister Duo wants you to learn writing too? Are your brothers learning as well?”
“Yes, Yang learns when he’s free. Liu learns from Mo,” Ye Ling answered without looking up.
It would be rude not to give a reply.
Ye Xuan did not continue questioning her after that. He thought that Liu Duo was a woman with a vision.
When conditions at home improved, she got them to learn how to read and write. After all, to be literate was to gain respect, even if they did not take government exams!
“This is the money for your labor, please count it.” Liu Duo made a record and paid the villager.
The villager accepted the payment. “No need, we believe your conduct. You would only pay more, not less.
It was not the first time they traded with Liu Duo. They trusted her very much.
Liu Duo smiled at this.
A while later, Li Chunmei showed up in their yard.
Liu Duo looked up at her a few times, then said without any emotion, “Weigh them yourselves, then give me the numbers.”
At that time, only Li Chunmei and another woman had come to sell tomatoes in their yard. Liu Duo was not familiar with the other woman. This was the first time they met.
Li Chunmei’s mother had not come with her this time.
“But I don’t know how to read the scale, and my hands can’t carry them,” she said to Liu Duo.
Her mother had done that last time.
She did not know how to read the scale?
Liu Duo frowned, turned to look at the other unfamiliar woman, and said politely, “Madam, can you help her read the scales?”
She shook her head. “I can help hold them up, but I can’t read either.”
Aye…
Liu Duo arched her eyebrows. She recalled Ye Liu telling the villagers early on that they were required to read the scales themselves when they came to sell their tomatoes!
Liu Duo was not very skillful in this aspect either, so she would not do it for them.
She did not want to cause any misunderstandings!
She was about to ask them to wait for other villagers to come and help, when Li Chunmei shouted for Ye Ling.
“Brother Ling, help us with the scales, can you? We can’t read them.”
Liu Duo pouted, not quite pleased with her actions.
