After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 248, Episode 0260: Masters Among the Common People

"Why don't you call someone else to share the burden?"

Zhang Hongying smiled so hard her eyes were filled with tears, and she reached out to carry some of the load to help Xu Shan.

Although Xu Shan's gaze seemed to be clouded, he precisely avoided Zhang Hongying's hand, saying, "Madam, no need, I can handle it."

Zhang Hongying knew the nature of their work and didn't insist. She stepped aside and asked Lin Yuexi, "Why did you buy so much stuff?"

If someone else had heard Zhang Hongying ask this question, they might have misunderstood that she was complaining that Lin Yuexi was spending too much money. But Lin Yuexi knew that Zhang Hongying didn't mean it that way; she was just simply curious.

Zhang Hongying is well-off; she has never lacked money since childhood and has never cared much about money.

Lin Yuexi grew up pampered in the Leng family. Everything she ate and used was the best the Leng family could provide. Even things the Leng family couldn't afford, the eldest and second elders had, and the old man shamelessly asked for them.

Therefore, in Zhang Hongying's eyes, her daughter was probably just there to join in the fun at the market, and it was impossible for her to actually look at anything there.

That's why they were surprised to see Lin Yuexi buy so many.

"I bought some handicrafts, which were all very beautiful, and I also bought some food."

Lin Yuexi didn't say much, but Zhang Hongying already understood. Her daughter was just excited about her first time at the market, and everything seemed new and interesting. Since she had money and coupons in her pocket, she bought everything.

She wasn't upset about it. Even if the money and tickets were all earned by her daughter herself, or even if they were all paid for by her and her father, as long as her daughter was happy, they were happy too. Money was just an external thing.

Back home, when Lin Yuexi took out the peony cheongsam, Zhang Hongying immediately retracted her earlier thought that there was nothing special at the market.

"Wow, double-sided embroidery! And the colored threads that change color with the light are a specialty of the Hawi people. I heard it's made with ice silkworm silk and the dye is a secret Hawi recipe. It takes several or even a dozen embroiderers two or three years to embroider a cheongsam like this."

“A few years ago, the Wu family in our compound got married. Originally, the old lady of the Wu family wanted to order a wedding dress of the Khawi ethnic group for her eldest granddaughter-in-law. They didn’t know the Khawi customs. Khawi people make clothes purely by hand, and they have very strict requirements for quality. The more gorgeous the dress, the longer it takes. Custom orders must be made in advance, and you can’t cut in line. The Wu family’s order was too rushed, and the Khawi people wouldn’t accept their order. The Wu family made quite a joke about this in the compound.”

When she was young, Old Mrs. Wu was a maidservant to the daughter of a landlord. Later, after the liberation, the social status was reversed. Old Mrs. Wu gained everyone's sympathy as the oppressed party and received a lot of care. She entered a military hospital as a nurse, and it was through this identity that she met Old Mr. Wu.

Putting aside other past events, which we don't know much about, just the fact that Old Madam Wu was literate because she had been a personal maid makes Zhang Hongying very disgusted by her behavior of constantly talking about how she was oppressed.

Perhaps she felt ashamed of her past identity, or perhaps it was simply her personality that made her want to excel. As the patriarch of the Wu family rose higher and higher in rank, she became increasingly concerned with the so-called issue of dignity. There are rumors that her family still retains the tradition of paying respects to elders.

The embroidery skills of the Hawi people are renowned. During the Ming Dynasty, they were exclusively supplied to the imperial family. In particular, the Second Elder's wife once wore a cheongsam presented by the Hawi people for her birthday celebration. This made the Wu family matriarch obsessed with Hawi clothing, as if the family could only have Hawi-made clothes to maintain its status.

"Well, it's pretty unhealthy. At first, her granddaughter-in-law said that it was fine to be like everyone else, that everyone else was wearing imitation military uniforms or Zhongshan suits and boujira suits, and that would be fine too. But the old lady of the Wu family insisted that it must be done properly, saying that if the wedding of the eldest grandson of the Wu family was not done properly, it would be a disgrace to the entire Wu family."

I don't know how big the Wu family's face is. They can barely be considered a second-rate family. Even people of their level can't get to see them. Families like theirs are all better off keeping a low profile. Some of them just get a marriage certificate and then have a meal together as a family. But the Wu family seems to want to compete with the Second Elder's wife.

She looks down on the Khawi people, a minority group of less than two thousand people. It seems that her willingness to buy Khawi clothes is an honor for them. She hasn't even sent anyone to buy them yet, but she's already boasting about it to the heavens in Beijing.

"Who would have thought that the Hawi people have backbone? No matter who you are, if it's not right, it's not right. If you dare to force them, they will walk all the way to Beijing to appeal to the emperor."

The one who is horizontal is afraid of being stunned, and the one who is stunned is afraid of losing his life.

As mentioned earlier, the Wu family is merely a barely second-rate family, only having some influence in Beijing. Many people can easily dismiss them with a flick of their finger. Protecting the rights of ethnic minorities is a matter of great importance to the higher authorities. If the Wu family dares to provoke the Kazakhs into petitioning the emperor in Beijing, then the Wu family will truly have nowhere to go but back to their hometown.

"So, what could Old Madam Wu possibly do? She's been hiding at home for more than half a year and hasn't dared to come out."

Zhang Hongying touched the cheongsam again with fondness, showing that she really liked it.

"The Second Elder's wife's dress is a casual outfit, and it doesn't look this fancy. But I heard that it took more than 600 people nearly three years to make it. This time includes raising silkworms, not that more than 600 people embroidered it together."

[Don't ask why it's dedicated to the Second Elder's wife instead of the First Elder's wife; the First Elder's wife passed away seven years ago.]

Lin Yuexi took another light-colored cheongsam out of the basket and placed it on top of the red one. "Mom, this is what I bought for you."

How could she forget her mother, and even her father, three brothers, and Xiao Zhaohua?

Speaking of Xiao Zhaohua, "Mom, how's Huahua doing lately?"

“Your grandfather called the day before yesterday and said that Hua Hua has gone back to school and is doing well.”

Not long after Lin Yuexi arrived in Jiuquan, Xiao Zhaohua was brought back to the capital by Uncle Zhang, sent by the old master.

The old man didn't give a reason, but everyone could guess that he felt the Northwest was too harsh, and that with even Lin Yuexi going to the research institute, no one would have enough time to take care of Xiao Zhaohua.

As for Zhang Hongying, let's look into her social circle.

Knowing that Xiao Zhaohua was adapting well, Lin Yuexi felt relieved and started taking out more clothes.

This shirt belongs to Dad, this one to my eldest brother, this one is for my second brother, and this one is for my third brother.

After taking out the clothes, he took out the shoes and socks.

Zhang Hongying's eyes welled up with tears. Who said that children who aren't her own can't be raised well? Look at her daughter; even her own children might not be able to treat her this way.

Lin Yuexi: "Mom, what's wrong?"

Why go through all this emotional manipulation?

Zhang Hongying was so moved that she ran away, glared at her, and then hugged the cheongsam and went back inside to try it on.

This unlucky kid.

Lin Yuexi chuckled and shook her head; she truly couldn't stand that kind of atmosphere.

He called Xu Shan in, left some of the food for himself, and put the rest in a basket, pushing it to him, saying, "Take this and share it with the brothers."

Xu Shan knew her personality, so he didn't refuse politely. He thanked her and happily took the basket away. A while later, he returned with an empty basket.