This wasn't Cecilia Adler's first time doing business. Back when she lived in the village, she often foraged for local specialties like morel mushrooms and wild honey. After a month of hard work, she'd find a decent amount, but it never sold for much. Her income was barely enough to cover her daily expenses.
But things were different now.
Even ordinary red paper could be turned into money.
She felt she'd made the right decision coming to the city.
'Getting rich is just around the corner.'
Taking the money, she couldn't help but beam. "Thank you for your business."
It was a good start.
The rest of her sales went even more smoothly, and in less than two hours, she had sold almost all of the paper cuttings.
Her earnings were more than she had predicted.
A whole eighty cents.
There was still a week left until the New Year.
By the twenty-eighth, these probably wouldn't sell anymore.
Factoring out preparation time, she could still sell for two more days.
If she had enough stock and business continued to go well, she could probably earn five yuan.
'Life is finally looking up.'
She gave the remaining paper cuttings to the young man at the gate.
The young man had originally planned to charge her a fee for her stall, but now he was too embarrassed to bring it up.
He let her go.
Cecilia Adler had been out for most of the day and was frozen to the bone.
She jogged in the direction of the Quillan family's home.
Passing the entrance of the department store, she stopped and turned to go inside.
She browsed for a bit, used the eighty cents she had just earned to buy a small baby outfit, and then headed to the Quillan family's house with it.
Just as she neared the entrance to the alley where the Quillan family lived,
she saw the older woman who had lent her the charcoal fire carrying a manure bucket and chatting with another neighbor.
"Well, if it isn't the Quillan family's young bride. Here to see Ian again?" the neighbor, Mrs. Sims, teased with a wide smile.
Cecilia Adler gave a shy smile. "Hello, Ma'am. Ian and I registered our marriage today, so we're a proper married couple now."
'The subtext was, you can't go around telling people I was always running over to a man's house before we were married.'
Mrs. Sims said, "I know. Your mother-in-law told me first thing this morning."
Cecilia Adler gave a sheepish laugh. "Oh, is that right? Well, I have to get going. You two take your time chatting, Ma'am." She then hurried on her way.
Mrs. Sims chuckled. "That little gal is so pretty. So likable."
"Doesn't matter how pretty or likable she is. The day that man goes mad, she'll still get beaten."
Mrs. Sims sighed. She had warned her yesterday, but unfortunately, the girl didn't listen. She said, holding on to a sliver of hope, "We haven't heard his family say anything about his condition for so many years. Maybe he's better now."
"If he was really better, would he have settled for a girl like her?"
"..."
.....
Cecilia Adler stood at the doorway and called out, "Ian."
The next second,
Ian Quincy emerged from a side room, with Mr. Quincy following behind him.
Cecilia Adler smiled and greeted them.
"Hello, Uncle."
"Still calling me Uncle?"
Cecilia was too shy to say the new term.
Mr. Quincy laughed. "Come on in."
"Okay."
Ian Quincy pointed to the bag in Cecilia Adler's hands. "What's that you're holding?"
"Clothes I bought for our little niece." After seeing Christal Russell's true colors, Cecilia's impression of her had soured considerably, but she knew she couldn't neglect basic courtesies. She couldn't afford expensive nutritional supplements, so an inexpensive baby item was perfect.
It was a way to show her goodwill and earn some favor.
Mr. Quincy said with a smile, "We're all family now, no need to be so formal. How has your father been recently?"
"He's doing well."
After they went inside,
Cecilia first went to the bedroom to visit Christal Russell and give her the gift. After a few words of small talk, she returned to the living room.
Mr. Quincy was in the middle of persuading Ian Quincy to settle down and get a proper job.
Ian Quincy was set on taking the college entrance exams and absolutely refused to change his mind.
Eventually, Mr. Quincy ran out of options and turned to her for help. "Cecilia, you talk to Ian."
Cecilia supported Ian Quincy, but she didn't want to offend Mr. Quincy. She finally addressed him properly, "Dad, you know I'm not well-educated; my perspective is limited. Ian endured ten years on that farm in the Northwest. What hasn't he seen? He knows what he wants. As his wife, it's already bad enough that I can't be of any help. How could I possibly start bossing him around and interfering with his decisions?"
At the mention of the farm, Mr. Quincy was filled with guilt.
And because she had called him "Dad."
He couldn't voice any more of his objections.
He could only let out a sigh. "I'm just afraid he'll regret it later."