As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Daliu and Liu Erling screamed, "Hey-hey-heyyyy! Ping! Watch the road, watch the road, don't drive the ox cart sideways, else we'll head directly into the ditch later!"
After a moment of inattention, the ox car went astray!
Li Ping quickly turned back and drove on the right track again.
And the picture of Liu Dalin and Liu Erlin in terror and squealing, drew laughter.
Li Ping coughed lightly, his face turning red in embarrassment, and said, "I was just too happy, unable to believe it. Don't you worry. This is an old bull in my family, so I definitely can't take you guys to the ditch."
As soon as he spoke, the laughter revived again, and the few women laughed their heads off.
When the laughter died down, only then did Liu Yusheng speak, "Uncle Ping, what I just said is true. When you go back, tell Uncle and Aunt that you can start making wine jars now. And as before, with the word Xinghua engraved on them. Make jars for half-catties first. If I need other specs later, I'll talk to you about it."
"Okay, okay!" Li Ping was overcome with joy that his face flushed red and he stuttered, "Uncle Liu, Auntie, I don't care if you laugh at me, but when I first heard that Xinghua Village was going to build a winery, I also thought about coming to your door to talk to you about having our family produce wine jars for the winery. But on second thought, that Young Boss' family's winery isn't small, and they must have their own porcelain kiln that specializes in producing wine jars. If we were to come to your house and ask for it, wouldn't that make things difficult for you? So this has been on the back burner.
Now that Nannan says she wants our wine jars, I'm so happy, I don't know what to say. But Nannan, you still have to ask the Young Boss first. If he's fine with it, then we guarantee that the produced wine jars won't have the slightest defect, and we definitely won't embarrass you! If not, that's fine. Don't make things difficult and upset the Young Boss for our sake.
We're all aware of the hows and whys, and definitely won't blame you."
Li Ping chattered on for a long time, but Liu Yusheng only pursed her lips and smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Ping, I can still make decisions about the winery in our village. Moreover, this winery is newly built, so even if this order of wine jars doesn't reach their regular customers over there, it won't affect their original business, right? Besides, we're in the same village, so it's a lot easier and more convenient. Wouldn't it be more costly if we were to reject what's near at hand and seek what's far away? I'm not just saying this to help Uncle's family, but it's also for the sake of the winery."
"Look at our little poppet. She's speaking reasonably like a little adult."
The family looked at Liu Yusheng's grown-up demeanor, which was really funny, and couldn't help but tease her. They earned a grimace from Liu Yusheng in return.
Axiu sat next to Liu Yusheng, holding her steadily in his arms the whole time and staring at her wise and sprightly face with pampering and tenderness swimming in his eyes.
His Shengsheng always surprised him.
He liked her kindness, her understanding, and the lingering warmth around her.
Holding her was akin to holding the golden sun.
She was his Shengsheng; the most beautiful existence in the world.
During the Mid-autumn festival, the streets in town were flooded with traffic and a sea of people.
Children's laughter could be heard in every alley and street, boisterous and lively.
The Liu family got off the cart on a certain street.
When it was time to pay the fare, Li Ping refused to take it, but Grandpa Liu shoved the coins at him. "Xiao Ping, one yard to one yard, even blood brothers have to settle accounts. You have to take it, or else I'll be ashamed to ride in your cart later. As for the wine jar, if you are grateful in your heart, you can just add a pair of chopsticks for me when I drop by your house later on."
Having said that, only then did Li Ping take those coins. "Uncle Liu, then we'll prepare a table for you soon. You'll have to come over to my house and have a couple of drinks with Dad! Deal?!"
Grandpa Liu smiled and waved. "Okay, I'll surely come. Hurry back, there are so many people in the village waiting to take your cart, don't delay."
The family watched until Li Ping turned around before heading to the town.
With Axiu's company, Nannan needn't be carried by her family. Her little hand that Axiu held firmly absolutely couldn't be separated.
The two boys, Liu Zhixia and Liu Zhiqiu, took flight as soon as they reached the town. They made a fuss whenever they caught sight of something new, laughing and whooping.
The children's laughter was most contagious. The Liu family and Wanrong, who were a pace behind the children, were all smiles the entire time, listening to the kids' words and laughter.
Blending in the crowd, they could feel the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Anywhere they looked, there were smiling faces. After a few steps, they would hear hawkers shouting. Bargaining matches were everywhere.
There wasn't a sign of anyone arrogantly throwing money away. There were multitudes of responses to somebody's call without anyone parading their wealth. They were just real, plain and simple life.
Simple and pristine, everywhere was extraordinarily mundane.
The stalls on both sides of the street were full of dazzling goods.
There were trinkets, small toys, and all kinds of handmade snacks.
The kids surveyed excitedly all the way down.
Axiu's eyes were inadvertently drawn to a pair of red hair bands on a stall.
They were bright red identical to a cluster of flames, warm and vigorous, just like Shengsheng.
It would look great tied around her pigtails.
He led the little child over, and pointed to the pair of red hair bands, "Shengsheng, do you like it?"
Liu Yusheng nodded. "I like it, the color is so pretty!"
Seeing them, the peddler took a glance at the smiling adults following behind, and immediately greeted them warmly.
"Little brother has good eyes. This hair band is the best headwear I sell here. Little girls especially like them the most. Look at this little girl, she looks like a little fairy in a painting. With the red hair band on, she will definitely be pretty and cute. How about buying a pair?"
"How much?"
"It's not expensive, 10 Wen a pair."
Axiu's eyebrows furrowed. His hand subconsciously caressed his lapel, there was only six Wen there.
It wasn't enough.
He didn't even have the ability to buy a pair of hair bands for Shengsheng now.
"Even 10 Wen can buy 20 catties of grapes! I don't want such an expensive hair band. I'd be distressed wearing it on my head!" Before Axiu could make a sound, the little girl's eyes in his hand widened and blustered loudly.
She pulled Axiu's hand and stalked away.
Seeing this, the peddler felt anxious and quickly said, "Hey, don't go. It's not that I'm selling it at a higher price. It's a red hair band and that's the regular price. Young Miss, take a look again. If you really like it, how about I give it to you at a discount?"
Liu Yusheng turned around. "Five Wen a pair!"
"Five Wen…" The peddler's face twitched. "If I sell it at five Wen, I'll have to pay the loss myself. At least eight Wen, take it or leave it. Just take a walk the whole street and ask, there is absolutely no red hair band for five Wen."
"Don't buy it." Liu Yusheng's small face twisted and she continued to drag Axiu forward.
But he didn't budge.