" He asked you to thank me on his behalf?..." still finding it hard to believe.
Then again, who was Lin Yi?!... He was Elder Mo's eldest disciple, there was no reason for someone like him to lie to her regarding such matters.
However, Lin Yi didn't find her offensive. After accompanying someone like Elder Mo for years, Lin Yi naturally developed a good temper. So, instead of getting annoyed at Lou Lihua's disbelief and doubts, he nodded again good-naturedly.
Lou Lihua's doubtful expression was washed away instantly and replaced with a genuine smile as she asked after a moment of pause, "....Did that young master say anything else?" she subconsciously wanted to hear more.
She could feel the tip of her nose turning sour and within her heart, a mixture of emotions started bubbling after a long period of numbness.
After all these years....after all these years, there was at least still someone who recognized her ability, who saw her for what she did and what she was rather than judging her just based on her looks.
After her passing Lou Lihua felt that she had been left in the lurch with no one to lean on and share her emotions with.
However, Lin Yi didn't respond and started at her fixedly, sensing the apparent up and downs in her emotions, and ultimately making Lou Lihua misunderstand him.
Realizing that she had overstepped Lou Lihua apologized quickly, " I shouldn't have asked that, I apologize for overstepping my boundary!'
Lou Lihua instinctively assumed that the young master Lin Yi had mentioned must be someone of higher social standing to get acquainted with someone like Elder Mo and be treated with so much respect.
A person with such an admirable status, how could he have free time for idle talking?
It was already a great honor for her to have received that person's appreciation.
However, beyond her expectation, Lin Yi nodded his head and relayed to her the rest of the message, " Yes, he said that he appreciates a talent like you, and if there is a chance then he would very much like to hire you."
" Hire me?!" Lou Lihua looked puzzled once again.
" Yes, he intends to hire you to work for him." Lou Lihua was incredulous. It was one thing to appreciate and anything to hire.
" So, Miss Lou, you can take your time to consider it for a while and look for Elder Mo after you have decided on it. Here..."
With that, he handed her a special token that could allow her to contact Elder Mo anytime.
" With this, no one will stop you from entering Elder Mo's residence."
He handed her both the token and ointment together and turned to leave.
Lou Lihua just stood there in a daze holding those two items in her hand. These cold, lifeless objects somehow managed to bring her a trace of warmth.
The weather was growing sultry with the summer heat lately, yet, her heart had always been cold. But today.....it felt different. It was so warm and fuzzy, so much so that it made her entirely ignore the oppressive weather.
Lin Yi had already walked away to a distance when he halted suddenly, remembering something in flash. He patted his head in annoyance, before turning and hollering, not wanting to walk back, " Miss Lou, you are a cool woman!!..." With that, he copied Jiang Ying Yue's gesture and gave her a thumbs-up before adding, " That was what Young Master You had called you!"
Lou Lihua, who had yet to recover from her daze was startled by a holler before looking at him in bewilderment, what did he mean?
Cool....what was this thing?!
Upon realizing that she didn't understand and looked just like how he looked back then when he heard Jiang Ying Yue speak the word for the first time, he explained briefly out of kindness, " It's a good word, he's complimenting you for your bold move."
Yes, injuring herself just for promoting an item was a bold yet foolish move.
And many people would share the same opinion.
No matter how light the cut the injury it was still a painful act towards oneself, it was undeniably utter foolishness.
However, Jiang Ying Yue felt it was different. In her hurtful choice, she didn't see Lou Lihua's foolishness instead she saw her stubbornness and will to overcome every obstacle that came along her way.
She may have appeared as a foxy woman at a first glance, earning her the impression of someone who was used to using the underhanded method to gain anything.
However, contrasting to her appearance this bold action of hers spoke so much of clean character. A straightforward person, who'd rather hurt herself than resort to anything unethical.
That was why Jiang Ying Yue felt that it would be good to have such a person work for herself, who understood her boundary well.
In a working place, competitions were inevitable but she didn't want someone with good ability but loose character to cause trouble in her place every now and then and disrupt the working pace of others.
So, when finding her close subordinates Jiang Ying Yue had always been very careful and rational.
When Lou Lihua walked back home she felt extremely regretful and frustrated.
Why was she acting so dumb?!
So dazed and dimwitted that it didn't even cross her mind to return a thank you!! Ugh....!
Walking forward Lou Lihua looked absentminded and didn't pay attention to the woman who was waiting at the door.
" You shameless thing, you are finally back after seducing a bunch of men out there, huh?!"
Those harsh words with a jarring critical tone brought Lou Lihua back from her warm and fuzzy dream, her cold heart that seemed to have regained some of its warmth lost all its traces as it plunged back into the cold abyss of endless darkness.
Lou Lihua respond and just gave a mere glance before entering the door.
However, the woman seemed to be used to her quietness and indifference and this didn't put her off. The woman's voice turned louder instead, " What sin did I commit in my past life to have birthed an immoral daughter like you?!...Look at you, which good daughter from a good family would go out looking like this in broad daylight seducing the every man she met on the road?! No wonder, you are living at home as an old spinster, which family would want an outrageous daughter-in-law like you?!"
The woman was parched from scolding and swallowed and licked her dry lips before continuing with a look of heartache, " Ah...my poor Ah Wei, my poor son!! With a sister like this at home how could he find a good wife in the future?! Ah, my poor son!!...." Madam Cui's wails and howls grew louder and louder as if she wanted everyone to listen that she was a righteous and upright mother who was condemning her immoral daughter.
After being years of a mother and daughter, how could Lou Lihua not understand Madam Cui's small thoughts and calculations?!
While being raised by her 'immorally' earned money she still wanted to maintain her upright front.
A mocking upward curve appeared on the corner of her lips, and the look in her eyes suddenly shifted from her usual indifference.
Her eyes were exceptionally cold.
If it was in the past, she would have taken it all without expressing a tinge of her emotions and complaints. However, today it was different!....
She had the sudden urge and need to express herself and make her mother and everyone realize that her emotions and opinions count too. And no one should step on her taking the righteous ground she hadn't done anything wrong.
" You calling me shameless? You are calling me spinster? Heh!! If you find this daughter so shameful then why don't you take the initiative to sever the mother-daughter relationship between us?!" Lou Lihua's voice was equally loud.
The neighbors around who had nothing better going on all gathered around their door, which was yet to be closed.
Madam Cui was stunned for a while not expecting such a sudden and fierce retort from her usually indifferent daughter.
However, Lou Lihua was someone who had a lot to vent. While Madam Cui was taking her time to recover she had already said a lot, " And you are talking about my marriage?... Mother, you should not know better than anyone how this 'spinster' daughter of yours ended up becoming a 'spinster'!"
The word ' spinster' was extremely harsh and jarring to her.
It wasn't that she had never thought of falling in love, getting married, and starting her own family. She had her own dreams and fantasy once, naively thinking that just like ordinary girls she would be able to have all of this.
However, reality gave her a harsh slap and proved that she wasn't destined to have even those things that were considered ordinary.
The man she loved just abandoned her after hearing her mother's and brother's lies and provocations.
" With a mother like you, what else can I be except being a 'spinster'?!"
" Don't talk nonsense! I was thinking for your own good, I am your birth mother, you fell from my womb, how can I harm you?!" Madam Cui suddenly woke up and tried to salvage the situation.
Seeing that more and more people were gathering she wanted to run inside and shut the door.
However, Lou Lihua seemed to know her thoughts and walked out, standing right outside the door.
Madam Cui paled instantly but she couldn't do anything about this. After all, unlike herself Lou Cui a cultivator of Martial Yellow, initial stage. Even if she wanted to drag her in forcefully, there was no way she could do it.
" Thinking for my well-being?!... If marrying a decent man with simple background isn't good for me then what do you think is good for me?... Being a concubine or mistress of a wealthy old man?!"
Lou Lihua was very thorough with the detailing and answered all of the public's doubts and satisfied their curiosity.
Thus, after knowing the whole truth about the way the people looked at Madam Cui changed one-eighty degree. They had thought that Madam Cui was a loud-mouthed yet pitiful woman who was troubled by her disobedient and misbehaving daughter. But now it seemed like this daughter's rebellious behavior stemmed from her mother's actions.
Wanting her daughter to be a concubine or mistress, tsk, tsk, she was really shameless!!
There was derision and scorn in their gazes that pierced Madam's Cui inflated pride thoroughly.
She felt both embarrassed and enraged, wanting to beat her daughter badly.
However, the reality was always harsh, and she lacked this ability.
" Lou Lihua, shut up, you don't know anything! Don't you feel guilty?! Because of you, your younger brother kind find a match even till now?! He's your only brother, this family's, and the only one who can carry this family's lineage, yet because of you he couldn't find a good girl to be his wife?!" Madam Cui tried her best to divert the attention of the crowd only to dig another pit for herself.
" Heh, what has it got to do with me?! Your son couldn't get married because he's incapable to do so. Furthermore, you keep saying that he couldn't find a good girl, couldn't find a good girl, just tell me which good family would hand their daughter to your precious son, who is well-known waste and lecherous to the core?!"
Lou Lihua stabbed the place where it hurt the most, Madam Cui was instantly overcome with fury and raised her hand to slap Lou Lihua hard.
But Lou Lihua being a stronger party dodged it easily by moving to the side and continued, " Did I say something wrong? Who doesn't know how your precious son hangs around the shady streets around the brothel the whole day, gambling and whoring?! And you are here complaining that I am the reason your son is unmarried!! Do you think that it is not enough for me to raise you, mother and son, and now even wanted to pin all these nonsensical blames on me?!"
Lou Lihua's eyes were tinged with red revealing her rolling emotions and surging fury, " Do you think that I'll let you do that?...No way! From now on other than the money to express my filial piety I won't give you more, not even a single cent! As for your son, he's old enough to earn his living, I don't care about him."
With that, she didn't even glance at her mother and walked away from the door, " Mother, take care of yourself. I'll return occasionally to see you."
Lou Lihua was very clear with her words when she made a decision she was very straightforward and decisive.
Since she had decided to start afresh what was the reluctance in leaving a place that had never felt like her home.
When Lou Liwei returned after hollowing himself and enjoying to his fill he found his mother sitting in the yard and frowning.
And after hearing the recount of his mother of the day and realizing the severity of the situation both mother and son came up with a plan immediately.