After Madam Gong finished making dinner, she roughly calculated that Gong Xiaohua would be back in about half an hour.
It was Gong Xiaohua's first day back at work since losing her memory, and Madam Gong had felt restless at home all day.
She simply tidied up the kitchen a bit, and headed to the alley entrance to wait for Gong Xiaohua to finish work.
On her way to the alley, she encountered familiar neighbors coming and going. They all greeted Madam Gong when they saw her.
Among them, Aunt Zhou from next door saw Madam Gong walking towards the alley and curiously asked:
"Xiaohua's mom, where are you going?"
Madam Gong smiled and said, "Xiaohua went to work today. I'm going to the alley entrance to wait for her."
"I see. That's good to hear. I heard from my daughter earlier that Xiaohua was injured. I was quite worried about her and thought that when I had time, I'd go see how Xiaohua was doing."
Madam Gong felt touched on the inside and said, "Thank your daughter for caring about my Xiaohua and express my gratitude to her. Ask your daughter-in-law to come to my house and play with Xiaohua someday."
"Sure, I won't hold you up. Go wait for Xiaohua." Aunt Zhou said.
"Alright, you're busy, I'll head over now," Madam Gong replied as she lifted her foot, preparing to walk forward. However, she had barely taken two steps when
Lady Qian, who had a somewhat harsh look with droopy nose, stood at her own door and said to Madam Gong,
"Madam Gong, your Xiaohua recovered so quickly! It seems being young means having a good body. Ah, your family really is fortunate with everyone working for the emperor - no worries about food or clothing, and the children are all brought up strong and healthy."
Hearing the sourness in her remarks, Madam Gong thought:
Damn you, with those lazy good-for-nothing men in your family, loitering in the streets all day. And you even wanted your son to marry my Xiaohua.
What a vexing thing. Do you think I don't know your whole family makes fun of my Xiaohua, saying she's an ugly girl who can't get married?
I really want to tear your mouth apart, you malicious thing.
So she put on a smile and said to Lady Qian: "It can't be helped, it's good fortune. The gods have blessed us with food to eat."
Lady Qian's face drooped as she gnashed her teeth and said, "Yes, indeed. By the way, has Xiaohua found a husband's family yet?"
Seeing Madam Gong instantly lose her smile, the old hag really knew which sore spot to prod.
Madam Gong said to Lady Qian: "You needn't trouble yourself with that. My Xiaohua already has her eyes on a handsome gentleman. We'll let you know once we've settled on a date to host the wedding wine."
Having said that, Madam Gong ignored Lady Qian and marched off to the alley with her plump figure swaying.
Seeing Madam Gong's smug manner, Lady Qian spat at the ground and said: "With your Xiaohua's looks, she should take a good look in the mirror. What handsome gentleman, such blatant boasting."
Humph, Lady Qian then headed back towards her home.
Madam Gong waited at the alley entrance for a while.
She ran into Gong's Father and Gong Xiaonan on their way back, who came over together.
Seeing Madam Gong at the alley entrance, Gong Xiaonan asked:
"Mother, what are you doing at the alley entrance?"
"I'm waiting for your sister. It's her first day at her new job today. I couldn't sit still at home so I came here to wait for her, it puts my heart at ease."
Gong Xiaonan looked towards his father. Dad Gong said to Madam Gong:
"Dear, why don't I wait here while you and Xiaonan head back first?"
Madam Gong was in no mood to stay home right now. And it would be inappropriate for the whole family to stand here. She said:
"You two head back first. I'll wait here, I can't rest easy at home."
"Alright then, Xiaonan and I will go back first. Call us if anything comes up."
Having said that, he motioned for Gong Xiaonan to follow him back.
When it was past the expected time for Gong Xiaohua to return home with still no sign of her, Madam Gong started to worry.
By the time the sky had turned dark, there was still no trace of Gong Xiaohua.
Madam Gong hurried back and pushed the Gong father and son out, urging them to help her look for Gong Xiaohua.
Hearing that their daughter/sister had still not returned, Gong's Father and Gong Xiaonan also started feeling anxious.
Could their daughter/sister really have gotten lost?
And so the three of them immediately headed out together to search for her.
Fortunately, when they were about 200 meters from the alley entrance, they spotted Gong Xiaohua and all let out a breath of relief.
From afar, Gong Xiaohua saw her father, mother and little brother running towards her.
Before she could get a word out, her mother started feeling all over her body in front and back.
Only after making sure she was uninjured did the three finally feel reassured.
Gong Xiaohua was left quite baffled by her mother's actions. She asked:
"Mother, what's going on?"
The nervous tension in Madam Gong subsided and she impatiently said to Gong Xiaohua:
"You troublemaker, and you still ask what's going on? Your father, brother and I saw you were so late coming back, afraid something might have happened to you, and were about to go looking for you! And you ask what's going on? We want to ask what happened!"
Seeing people coming and going on the street with some even stealing glances at them, Gong's Father said to the mother and daughter:
"Alright, let's talk more when we get home. Standing in the middle of the street is undignified."
"Yes, mother. We've been working all day too, and are starving now. Let's head back and eat first." Gong Xiaonan chimed in.
Madam Gong looked at her son then her husband, seeing the hungry looks on both their faces. Considering their appetites, she could only helplessly take her daughter back home with the whole family.
Back home, Madam Gong first went to the kitchen to reheat the dishes.
When everything was ready, the family of four sat down around the table to eat.
Gong Xiaonan and Gong's Father had already started wolfing the food down.
Seeing those two eat like starving ghosts reincarnated, Madam Gong rolled her eyes. Really sins from past lives.
She turned to Gong Xiaohua and said: "Xiaohua, why did you come back so late today? Did the Lin Prison Chief give you a lot more work?"
"On the contrary, mother. The tasks the Lin Prison Chief arranged were very light," Gong Xiaohua replied.
"Then why did you return so late?"
"Oh, because I went to see my little uncle today and was held up there for some time, so I was late."
"What did you go see your uncle for? He works in the prestigious Qin household, which has very strict rules. He can't simply come and go as he pleases."
"Last time I told my uncle that after I recovered and resumed working, I would go find him at the back door of the Qin residence after work to learn how to read and write."
At this moment, she heard a bout of violent coughing from her little brother sitting across the table. Everyone looked over at him until his coughing fit ended.
He looked at his sister with a speechless expression and said:
"Big sister, you really went to find little uncle at the Qins'? Aren't you afraid?"
He had barely finished speaking when his mother slapped him and mocked:
"What a coward you are. Hard to believe you're a man."
"Mother, why did you hit me again? I didn't say anything wrong. The Qin family is such an esteemed household, I heard the women there even eat people! How scary is that?" Gong Xiaonan rebutted.
Hearing this, Madam Gong was furious. "Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense! Who have you been associating with everyday? I oughta take a stick and beat you. What sin did I commit in my past life to give birth to a fool like you?"
At this time, Gong's Father set down his chopsticks and said to Gong Xiaohua and Madam Gong:
"Xiaonan does have a point. Distinguished households have very strict rules and have always looked down on people from our station. I think we should consider other options for the reading and writing lessons."
Madam Gong reflected that he was right. She turned to Gong Xiaohua with an awkward look.
Gong Xiaohua thought about it too and realized she had overlooked the rigid social hierarchy of this ancient society, unlike the modern era of liberty. She nodded, indicating she would tell her uncle tomorrow.