klisemfg Chapter 228: Not Giving Up
Chapter 228: Not Giving Up
Chapter 228: Not Giving Up
When Tian Cuiwei received news of her defeat, she was initially terrified and awaited their revenge. However, an afternoon passed without any news, which emboldened her even more.
Ji Meiqing sat at the stone table in the courtyard, lost in thought. Lu Yu walked over with some washed fruit. He waved his hand in front of her to bring her back to her senses.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about so intently? You've been quite busy lately. Have some fruit first!"
Ji Meiqing picked up an apple, took a crunchy bite, and gave a thumbs-up with both hands. "I wasn't thinking about anything, I just felt that I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and let her off this time. I have a feeling that this is the calm before the storm."
Lu Yu knew what she was referring to and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, even if a storm comes, I'll protect you from the wind and rain. What are you afraid of?"
"What I fear most is that you'll protect me from the wind and rain. What's the point of making so much money without you?" Lu Yu felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, but he still asked the question that had been bothering him: "Was it part of me that you let Xiao Cui go this time?"
Ji Meiqing didn't expect him to ask that, so she threw the question back at him, "Then you should want me to do that, after all, you've depended on each other for so many years. Also, what do you mean by asking this question?"
"I just want to tell you that no matter who it is, you must fight back if anyone bullies you in the future. As for Xiao Cui, we have nothing to do with each other from now on, so you don't need to get in my way. Besides, because I've known her for so many years, I understand her very well. She won't let this go, and the Ji family won't let you off the hook either. You should take this opportunity to teach them a lesson. After all, Xiao Cui is still a member of the Ji family, and they will be affected to some extent."
“I understand all these principles, but you know they’ve used similar tricks before, haven’t you? You even got yourself jailed for it. But this time, judging from the scale, it’s not that big. It should just be Xiao Cui’s doing. She can’t bring down the entire Ji family. Besides, Xiao Cui is completely blinded. Arguing with her would only make me look petty. Let’s just let it go. Anyway, the loss isn’t that big now. Just don’t let them give me another chance.” Ji Meiqing blurted out all her thoughts.
"Well, never mind. Since you're no longer here, I have nothing more to say. It's autumn now, and the courtyard is getting chilly. Come inside with me." Just as he was speaking, Lu Yu heard Ji Meiqing cough a few times.
“Okay, but it’s still early. I’m going out for a bit. Do you want to come with me?” Lu Yu readily agreed.
The two walked to the place where pigeons were sold. Lu Yu asked, puzzled, "What are you doing here? Are you going to raise pigeons?"
Ji Meiqing patiently explained to him, "Do you remember when I told you that we could start a food delivery service, where customers would say what they want and we would personally deliver it to their door? It's just that we've been busy lately and it's been delayed. Now that we finally have some free time, of course I want to think about how to implement it."
Lu Yu frowned, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "Hmm, I remember. But what does this have to do with you buying pigeons?"
"Oh dear, I can't explain it to you right now, but these little guys are much more important. Okay, okay, let's hurry up and go in." Ji Meiqing tugged at Lu Yu's sleeve and led him inside.
Upon seeing a customer, the pigeon shop owner immediately came out from behind the counter with a smile to greet them: "Are you two customers looking to buy pigeons? You've come to the right place! I have all kinds of pigeons."
Ji Meiqing glanced at the boss and said, "Boss, I don't ask for much. Just give me a few dozen pigeons that can communicate."
Upon realizing it was a big deal, the boss immediately said, "No problem, it's just the money..."
"One hand delivers the pigeons, the other hand delivers the goods." The boss said, "Wait a moment," and went to the backyard.
After some time, the boss returned, followed by two cages. Some of the cages contained pigeons, but some were on the verge of death. Ji Meiqing frowned as she weighed the silver in her hand.
"Boss, this isn't how you do things. Yes, we don't know anything about pigeons, but we do know about people. If you try anything funny again, I won't be so polite."
Upon hearing that he was being threatened, the shop owner quickly said, "Miss, these are the carrier pigeons our shop has acquired. It's not unreasonable for a few to look listless. How can you say that?" The shop owner's aggrieved tone was almost like that of a courtesan. Unfortunately, Ji Meiqing wasn't buying it.
"Alright, since we can't buy it here, then we'll take our leave." With that, she grabbed Lu Yu, who hadn't said a word the whole time, and pulled him out.
"Miss, please wait." Just as they were about to walk out the door, the shopkeeper called out to stop them. Ji Meiqing stopped at the opportune moment.
"Young lady, as long as the price is right and you trust me, I will deliver the best carrier pigeons to your home tomorrow," the shopkeeper said confidently to Ji Meiqing.
"Okay, then I'll pay you whenever it's delivered. Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged a penny. Here's my address." Ji Meiqing walked to the counter, picked up a pen, wrote a few neat lines on a piece of paper, and left.
On the way, Lu Yu asked, "Aren't you afraid he won't deliver it tomorrow?"
"I'm not afraid. Even if he doesn't deliver them, I haven't paid him, so I won't lose out. Besides, he has no reason not to deliver them. After all, small businesses are primarily about making a profit. He was just trying to pass off those dying pigeons as real ones because he can't sell them individually. But I'm not that easily fooled," Ji Meiqing said smugly.
Lu Yu affectionately ruffled her hair. "Looks like you're born to be a businessman."
The two returned home hand in hand, just as Granny Mei had finished preparing dinner. Ji Meiqing's stomach rumbled, and she rubbed her belly, saying, "I didn't even realize it was dinnertime. I'm really hungry now." Granny Mei served them each a bowl of congee, saying, "Young master, madam, try this congee. It's a new recipe I learned, and it tastes quite good."
Ji Meiqing took a sip from the bowl, then immediately put it down because it was too hot. "Slow down, why are you in such a hurry? Can't you see it's still steaming? Are you trying to burn yourself?" Although Lu Yu felt sorry for her, he still spoke sternly.
Ji Meiqing pouted and said, "I know, stop nagging." Then she went to eat the other dishes.
Grandma Mei decided not to bother them any longer and wisely left.
After dinner, Ji Meiqing rolled around on the bed, clutching her bloated stomach. Lu Yu sat beside her, watching her helplessly. "I told you not to eat too much at night, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened."
Ji Meiqing stopped and looked at him resentfully, "Stop making sarcastic remarks, okay? What are we going to do now? I feel so bad."