Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 135 - 130: Niu Er and Widow Song Make a Good Match

Chapter 135: Chapter 130: Niu Er and Widow Song Make a Good Match

Niu Er was dragged away by his father, and due to this little drama, the village had yet another topic for the women’s gossip.

Close to noon, in a certain family’s field, the women might have been tired from work and paused to chat.

"Niu Er is still sending things to Widow Song?"

"I don’t know, Niu Er himself said so, claimed he bought eggs."

"If you ask me, Niu Er matches Widow Song pretty well, the Niu Family’s conditions are decent."

"No way, I think Niu Er isn’t good enough for Widow Song."

"Even a woman who’s been married can’t be too good; do you know the widow from the next village? She remarried a fifty-something cripple, Niu Er might be a bit rough, but his legs aren’t crippled, and he’s only twenty-seven or eight."

"That’s true, ah, Widow Song was ruined by the Lin couple, if it wasn’t for marrying into the Song Family for good luck, who knows how much better off she would be."

"Cough, cough, stop talking, Song Tingfan is coming."

The gossip ceased, and one woman in a brown jacket looked at the young man in a blue jacket, smiling, "Tingfan, it’s not even noon yet, why are you back?"

"Came back to cook." Song Tingfan didn’t like talking much to outsiders, and with those words, he strode off.

The woman behind him clicked her tongue, "Song Tingfan is growing more handsome by the day."

"Indeed, even more handsome than Song Rong was in his youth."

...

At the Song Family.

Lin Qiao was sitting in the main room drawing designs. Hearing a noise, she turned her head and was surprised, "Little Uncle, why did you come back early?"

"I told the master I’d come back early to cook and then go back later." Seeing her legs hanging naturally, Song Tingfan found a small stool, placed her feet on it gently.

He continued, "Sister-in-law, I’m going to cook."

Before Lin Qiao could say anything, he hurried out of the main room. She smiled softly, her gaze falling on his cloth bag. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

She reached out for a basket of sewing supplies, matching thread to the cloth bag, then began to sew and mend the tear.

Before long, she was finished, put the contents back, and placed it as it was before.

She continued drawing, not knowing how much time passed, when Lai Cai and Jinbao barked at the door. She looked over and saw a cart stopped, and then the boss from the cloth shop got out.

She quickly scolded the dogs, "Lai Cai, Jinbao, no barking."

She struggled to get up and moved toward the door, "Boss, what brings you here?"

The boss, seeing her limp, quickly waved her off, "What happened to your leg?"

"Fell on the mountain." Seeing Song Tingfan come out, Lin Qiao said, "Tingfan, bring out a bowl of hot water."

Song Tingfan nodded but didn’t go immediately, instead helping her sit down before going into the kitchen.

Lin Qiao liked to drink warm water, so hot water was often ready on the small stove.

Song Qin busied herself with the dishes, asking, "Who is here?"

"The boss who buys my designs," Song Tingfan mixed honey in the water with chopsticks, then took it out, placing one bowl before the boss and another before Lin Qiao.

He then obediently left the main room, seeing the cart driver at the door, he went back to the kitchen.

The boss, having ridden all the way, was indeed thirsty, took a sip, "It’s sweet, where did you get the honey?"

"Little Uncle found some in the mountains." Lin Qiao moved the cloth bag.

Outside came a voice, "Child, no need, you drink it yourself."

Turning toward the door, they saw the young man offering water to the driver, the boss smiled and sighed lightly, "No wonder you want to take care of him, this child is so considerate, with such a kind heart."

She paused, then teasingly said, "Wait a couple of years, and let’s have him marry my daughter."

Knowing she was joking, Lin Qiao laughed along, "Sure, when Little Uncle is the right age."

"Then I’ll take it seriously, don’t say you’re unwilling later." The boss couldn’t stop smiling.

After chatting for a while, the boss discussed business, "A cloth shop in the county town wants to see you, says it’s about the designs, seems like profitable, so I came to tell you."

If Lin Qiao hadn’t been absent from town for so long and the design request wasn’t urgent from the county, she wouldn’t have revealed who the designs were from.

This way, she owed Lin Qiao, and Lin Qiao would remember her kindness.

Lin Qiao understood but didn’t point it out, her eyes lit up, "Really? Thank you so much!"

"I’ve spent a lot on my leg, didn’t know what to do, didn’t expect such good news from you."

The boss, thinking she believed her words, relaxed, praised, "It’s your own talent, that shop is big, a single design won’t give less silver."

"But your leg might need more time to heal."

"It’s been resting for days, almost fine, but Little Uncle and Grandma won’t let me move around." Lin Qiao, as an actress, knew opportunities must be seized or they’ll be gone.

Back when she did group performances, even if it’s a passerby or a corpse, she had to act.

The boss didn’t know the leg’s real condition, thinking it was almost healed, "Then tomorrow I’ll take you, okay?"

He whispered, "They’re in a hurry, say it’s for the County Magistrate’s wife’s sample clothing, if you seize this opportunity, there will surely be benefits like never before."

No wonder the boss hurried to find her, Lin Qiao readily agreed, "Okay."

Then she asked, "Are you still accepting my designs? I’ve done quite a few while at home."

She called out to the outside, "Little Uncle, could you bring the designs from the room?"

"Sure." A reply came, soon Song Tingfan brought the designs in, placed them before her and then went back out.

The boss, the more she looked at the designs, the more thrilled she was, "How did you manage so many designs without repetition?"

There were almost eighteen designs, all springtime long sleeves, mainly short sets for farm work, yet styled with more appeal than common designs, standing out.

"I can’t do anything else, just know how to think these up." Lin Qiao pretended to be modestly embarrassed by the praise.

"Far better than me at this."

The boss wasn’t saying empty words, if Lin Qiao could open a cloth shop, she’d surely profit, considering this, she cautiously suggested, "Ever thought of opening your own cloth shop?"

Both were tied by interests, conflicts would mean a breakdown, Lin Qiao shook her head, "I don’t understand cloth shops, maybe if I had some silver, I’d open a diner."

Seeing she wasn’t interested in a cloth business, the boss’s demeanor softened, agreeing, "A diner’s good, will surely support your business."

Their conversation went on till lunch was served, Lin Qiao invited the boss and the driver to join for lunch, once done, the boss paid nine taels of silver and shortly after left.