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Little Pei pointed to Xiaowan's figure and happily said to her father. "Daddy, let Aunt buy me a candied fruit."

But Ling Chaofeng just stared at him sternly. "What did I tell you before we left, not to run around, have you forgotten everything?"

Little Pei lowered his head timidly and carried on his shoulder. The little guy accidentally dropped half a stick of candied fruits on the ground. He shouted that he wanted to pick up the candied flakes, but Ling Chaofeng ignored him, and even patted his bottom a few times, warning him to be quiet.

Returning to the tavern, Little Pei cried bitterly after getting beaten up. After getting beaten up, he sat on the doorstep alone and sobbed, unable to be coaxed by anyone.

Ling Chaofeng was a little impatient, he came downstairs to reprimand his child, but was stopped by Aunt Zhang at the foot of the stairs and said: "He is only three years old, if he is not naughty now, can he wait until he grows up? If you don't like him, why did you pick him up? If you don't send him away, then find him a mother, and in the future, you won't have to worry. "

Ling Chaofeng listened silently.

Aunt Zhang said: "Don't hit him anymore, you are such a young child, you can do it yourself."

Ling Chaofeng hurriedly explained: "I didn't use my strongest skill, and only lightly patted a few times."

Aunt Zhang said, "Then you've scared him too."

Although Aunt Zhang was only a shop assistant, Ling Chaofeng always treated her as an elder and did not dare to talk back. After she finished muttering her thoughts, she walked over to the door and sat beside Little Pei.

The little guy looked at him, wincing and wincing, and cowered at the corner of the door.

Ling Chaofeng reached out and pulled his son into his embrace, rubbing his little fart, he roared: "Does it really hurt? You purposely cried so loudly to make Grandma hurt you, right? "

Little Pei laid on his shoulder and whimpered lightly. He was extremely wronged that Ling Chaofeng had lost the fight, he consoled him, "I won't hit you anymore, I promise."

Ling Chaofeng kissed him. "Alright, stop crying, you're a boy, you can't cry easily."

Little Pei looked at his father foolishly and said, "I want the candied fruits."

Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Daddy will buy it for you in a while."

Little Pei shook his head: "I want to buy from my aunt."

Ling Chaofeng thought about how when he came out, other people would buy him candied flakes for no reason. The next time he had the chance, he would have to thank that lady.

He said, "You have to call me elder sister."

However, Little Pei said loudly, "It's not big sister."

At this moment, Xiaowan had already returned home. Although it was delayed for a few hours, her luck was good today. His father's good friend, the blacksmith shop's Uncle Zhou, had brought his wife and children to pay respects to him.

Xiaowan was smart too. When the guests left at night, she took the initiative to hand over the New Year's money that Uncle Zhou had given her.

Before going to bed, Xiaowan went back to the cold wooden house and burned another batch of firewood for the house. She curled up into a ball on the bed and took out the red paper packet given by the doctor from her chest pocket.

The money was gone, but she still had the red paper.

Xiaowan loved red the most, she knew that one day she would be able to get married in bright red clothes, and she wouldn't have to suffer the mistreatment of her stepmother anymore.

What kind of person would her husband be? Xiaowan thought dumbly.

As long as he didn't hit anyone and didn't gamble, even if he was missing an arm or a leg, it didn't matter. No matter who he married, she would live a good life with him.

If she had a child, a big fat kid or a fat girl like the little guy she met today, she would definitely cherish them and love them dearly, not letting them suffer even a little bit.

Xiaowan laughed mischievously, not feeling embarrassed at herself. She turned his body around and curled his body even tighter.

On the second day of the new year, his father brought his stepmother, younger brother, and sister to visit the stepmother's home, carrying large and small bags of things.

The stepmother then warned the Xiaowan, "Chop some firewood for me at home and fill the water vat. If you don't finish doing these things when you get back, I'll chop you apart."

Xiaowan agreed and sent them out of the house. She rolled up her sleeves and started working, splitting firewood and fetching water was a common occurrence for her, she would finish doing it before noon.

For the next half day, when it was rare that there was no one at home, she took some clothes that needed mending and sat in the sun, warming herself in the sun while she did her needlework.

From time to time, a villager would pass outside the fence. She would stand up to congratulate him. She was very polite.

After they had walked a distance, one of them said, "Whose lady is this? Even if it's the new year, with such a beautiful appearance, why is it that her body is covered with patches and she doesn't wear any good clothes."

She was from a foreign land, so she naturally did not know. The village people explained to her that the Xiaowan did not have a mother, and the stepmother had treated her very badly, causing everyone in the village to know about it, and they all laughed bitterly: "All year round, there is no time where people don't get beaten up. This child's body, if it was my girl, she would have already been beaten to death."

"Why didn't you say anything?" The woman said.

The woman from the village clicked her tongue, "How could you say that, her stepmother is a famous shrewd character in our village."

The woman said, "You look sixteen or seventeen years old. Why aren't you getting married? Stay at home and be her stepmother's servant? "

Only now did he know that because Xiaowan's life was too tough, she had exterminated everyone in the family at birth, leaving her father with nothing.

People in the village didn't dare to marry a daughter-in-law like that. They would go out as a matchmaker, but when they heard that someone with a tough life was going to marry her, they refused to take it.

The women had already left long ago, so Xiaowan quickly finished her needlework. Although it was just some mending, she also cherished it and kept it away, afraid that the Queen would suddenly barge in and make things difficult for her.

But today she was not unlucky either. The stepmother was drunk at her mother's house, brought back by her father. How could a drunk person have the energy to torment her?

On the morning of the third day, Madam Xu woke up with a splitting headache. When Xiaowan sent hot water in, she impatiently kicked him twice, cursed him a few times, and lost all her strength to continue tormenting him.

After a while, the women of the village came to the door and sat in the sun together, eating melon seeds while the Xiaowan rubbed corn in the corner and listened to their stories.

The Li family's concubine walked past the wattled fencing and handed out candy for everyone to eat.

Everyone asked her why she married but did not say a word. She laughed and said: "Our family's hair has not been fully grown yet, which family should we marry, it's the daughter of Prefect Meng who was originally married from the Li Prefecture today. I came over from the town, nice fellow.

Everyone began to discuss why they had not caught up with such a good matter.

"Evening, eat a piece of candy." The Li family's aunt threw a piece to Xiaowan. She carefully caught it and looked at the Queen Mother timidly while holding the candy.

Madam Xu impatiently said: "Auntie, you can eat if I give it to you. What, you still want to show off in front of everyone? "Little girl, you really don't know anyone."

Xiaowan hurriedly stuffed the candy into her mouth. It was sweet, even sweeter than the candy on the candied fruits on the first day.

She couldn't help but to laugh, feeling so happy that she didn't know what she was happy about.

Within the Ling Xiao Inn, Meng Lianyi, dressed in Feng Guanxia's attire, was pushed into the inn by everyone. The inn had already been set up once again and large red and joyous words were pasted everywhere.

Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang sat in a hall, looking at the high-spirited Ershan joyfully, proudly walking over to bring the bride in.

After kowtowing and kowtowing, he changed the order and sent it to the bridal chamber.

Ling Chaofeng had a lot of friends in the town, who all brought gifts for the wedding wine. The Prefect Liang also sent a big gift, ordering the Constable Li to come watch the ceremony for him.

The inn was crowded with people, it was extremely lively, but Little Pei did not enjoy the bustle of shuttling through the crowd like he usually did, he just sat below the railing on the third floor, looking down.

Ling Chaofeng inadvertently looked up and saw his son sitting there depressingly. He thought that if there was anything suitable, he should find a mother for Little Pei.

But, what kind of woman should he marry? At the very least, he must treat his own child well, no … He should marry a woman he liked, and love her all his life.

Within the Qingling Village, the women chatted until it was noon before they dispersed. This morning, Xiaowan had finished kneading a large basket of corn and listened to many stories.

In the past, everyone said that it was a black shop, killing and selling meat buns, and the shopkeeper was a fiendish demon or demon. Every time Xiaowan heard it, her heart would tremble.

However, in the past two years, their shop's shopkeeper had gone all the way to the capital. Although he had not won the top scholar in the end, he was now a fifth ranked official, returning home in glory.

And what the women discussed the most today was that Manager Ling had picked up a baby in its cradle at the entrance of the shop three years ago and raised it inside the shop. It was unknown whether it was a debt that he owed the woman or something else.

They were very curious as to what kind of woman would become Ling Chaofeng's wife in the end.

Madam Xu asked, "Have you all seen his appearance? What does he look like?"

The women all had their own opinions. There were also people who said that they had recently seen a beautiful and elegant woman.

As the days passed, Xiaowan was used to being beaten and scolded. The year quickly ended.

After the Spring Lantern Festival, Master Mu was about to leave the Baisha County to go work outside. Before he left, he said a few words to Xiaowan, saying that he would definitely arrange a marriage for his daughter when he returned this year.

The Xiaowan just listened in silence, not saying anything.

After her biological father left, Xiaowan had even more carefully taken care of her stepmother and brother and sister. Although she couldn't avoid being beaten up and tortured, she still thought that she might be able to get married this year.

So, no matter what, she had to live until that time. But if she married someone, she would live a dark life. If she could run away, then she would run away. If she couldn't, then she would just die.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, winter had passed. The mountain gradually became greener after Qingling Village, and Xiaowan was always the first to go up the mountain to pick firewood.

Madam Xu saw that she was diligent and did not hit her at all for the past few days. She did not know why, but she was always in a good mood. Of course her stepmother was in a good mood, it was all because of Xiaowan's good fortune that she was able to avoid getting beaten up.

In the middle of March, Xiaowan was sent to the mountain by her stepmother to dig up bamboo shoots. She was not allowed to go home until she had filled a big basket.

She was lucky to meet her uncle and aunty in the village. They felt pity for Xiaowan who were always being abused by her stepmother, so they gave all the bamboo shoots they dug to her so that she could return home early to make friends with them.

At this time, every household in the village had either gone up the mountain or went down to work. The entire village was silent.

Xiaowan was afraid that she would wake up her stepmother so she lightly opened the door. Just as she walked to the window with a big basket of bamboo shoots on her back, she heard a sound she hadn't heard in a long time.

Madam Xu was shouting crazily, "Big brother, go easy on me, you're going to kill me, ah …" "My dear father …"

Every time she and her father did this, it was always very loud. When she was young, she thought that her father was beating up her mother, and only after growing up did she understand that it was because she doted on her mother.

But, hadn't her father left home to work? Could the man in this room …

The man's voice was fierce as he said, "Jian, am I stronger than your man? "Hmm?"

This was Uncle Wang's voice from next door. Xiaowan's heart almost jumped out of his throat.

Carrying a basket full of bamboo shoots, she ran all the way out to the riverside outside the village.

At the moment, the sun was shining brightly on the shallow river. The river water was crystal clear and Xiaowan was sweating profusely from running, hence she leaned over to wash her face.

Looking at her reflection in the water, her heart stirred. She hadn't washed her hair in a long time.