I traveled through time without patched pants, I was the richest man in the Republic of China

Red Rose was her nickname in the dance hall. During the years when she was popular, she was also well-known in the dance halls in the foreign concessions.

But what the foreign land has the most is women who are like flowers, who come into prominence quickly and fade away just as quickly.

Mrs. Dong never thought that a small-time scoundrel in the Chinese district actually knew her nickname.

"Are you embarrassing yourself again so early in the morning?" Mr. Dong glared at Mrs. Dong with a cold look in his eyes and a very unfriendly tone.

He stood at the door of the barber shop, wearing a leather apron for shaving, with his head covered by long hair on both sides, looking very strange.

He glared at Mrs. Dong with his cloudy eyes, then looked coldly at Wei Miao before turning around and going into the house.

Mrs. Dong snorted coldly, spat, and turned back.

Wei Miao didn't care at all. She stood in front of the wonton stall and said crisply:

"Brother Wu's friends said that he injured his hand and was not able to use his hands, so he hired my mother to cook and clean for him."

Those people also seemed to remember the women that Patrolman Xiao Wu brought home every time. They were young and beautiful, and all of them were ladies from wealthy families.

How could a young and handsome man like Patrolman Xiao Wu fall for the thin and shrewish woman Xu Ayu? He was really influenced by the dancer's dirty words.

They felt guilty and immediately said:

"That's good. It not only solves Officer Wu's food problem, but your family can also earn more income."

"Patrolman Xiao Wu is so lucky to have a beautiful woman to support him."

Wei Miao exchanged a few more words with them, and only when she pricked up her ears and heard Mrs. Dong's suppressed sobbing and begging for mercy coming from the barber shop did she feel relieved.

The reason she disliked Mrs. Dong was not because she was a dancer or because of her vulgar behavior, but because she always spared no effort to belittle women of the same social class.

Wei Miao has been here for more than two years. Although women are talked about being liberated in this era, their status is still not high, and innocence is more important than anything else. Here is the first time she knows that gossip can kill people.

Mrs. Dong was a person who, because she herself was not clean, wished that all women in the world were not clean. She seldom disliked someone, especially women, and Mrs. Dong was one of them.

Wei Miao walked to Grandma Cui's stall and waited until she sent away two students who were buying scallion pancakes before going forward.

"Grandma, I'm here to return the rice."

There was a glimmer of surprise in Grandma Cui's eyes. She had already made preparations. The rice would not be returned before the New Year.

But in just a few days, it was taken back.

"Ah Miao, is everything better at home?"

Grandma Cui doesn't like to gossip about others. After selling scallion pancakes every day, she moves a stool to the door of her house to bask in the sun or knit a sweater.

Wei Miao smiled and nodded, "Dad can eat well and sleep well now, and Mom can also make some income by cooking for the injured patrolman Xiao Wu."

Grandma Cui showed a sincere smile, picked up the scale, hooked the bag, and was very satisfied when she saw that the weight was enough.

"It's only been a few days. I won't take any extra rice. I'll weigh out two taels and you can take it back."

Wei Miao took out a small croissant wrapped in brown paper from his cloth bag and said:

"Grandma, this is your rule, you can't break it. At that time, you were willing to take us in in an emergency. How could this friendship alone be worth these two taels of rice?"

Granny Cui felt comfortable listening to her polite words, and when she looked at the croissant handed over to her, she felt even warmer in her heart.

This little kid is more insightful than the adults in the alley.

These days, you live today without knowing tomorrow, and you don’t even know if you can get back what you lent out.

Lending it is a favor.

It is our duty not to lend.

But many people didn't understand clearly. They disliked that she charged interest for lending things and said very unpleasant things about her behind her back.

They say she is a miser, a stingy person, and a top-grade diamond sand in the sand pit. (Note 1)

Wei Miao took the three scallion pancakes that Grandma Cui had stuffed into his hand and went home, just in time for breakfast.

The family sat around the table. A plate of dried tofu, browned baguette slices sprinkled with sugar, small pieces of fermented tofu, and a bowl of porridge with a little rice for each person were all placed on the table.

Seeing Wei Miao coming back, Wei Ling's eyes lit up, "Brother, I've been waiting for you!"

Xu Ayu, who had just finished feeding Wei Ada and came downstairs, looked down at Wei Ling and said jokingly:

"I see you've been drooling so much that your belly is bloated."

After saying that, he saw the scallion pancake in Wei Miao's hand and complained again:

"Why are you wasting money again?"

Wei Miao said: "It was sent by Grandma Cui. She said it was only a few days old and I didn't want to use more rice. I disagreed, so she gave me scallion pancakes instead."

Xu Ayu sighed:

"In this alley, Grandma Cui is the most insightful."

Wei Ling and the others stared at the fragrant scallion pancakes.

Xu Ayu took it and preached to them:

"This is not enough for you to eat in the morning. Save this for lunch."

Wei Ran, Wei Ling and other little brats looked at Wei Miao pleadingly.

Wei Miao spread her hands, helpless and she did not dare to offend the crazy woman.

After the family finished their breakfast, they each went about their own business.

Wei Ran took Wei Ling to the nearby market to see if they could find some discarded vegetable leaves and rotten fruits and vegetables.

Wei Li was doing handicrafts while looking at Wei Ping and Wei Dong.

Xu Ayu had to look after Wei Ada and clean the house at the same time, as well as wash the dirty clothes that had piled up like a mountain in the past few days.

"Mom, I'm going to buy some medicine for my uncle. Do you want me to buy some food for Brother Wu at noon?"

Uncle Xu's house has a big vegetable market. The meat, eggs and vegetables there are a few cents cheaper than this market. If you're lucky, you can get a bargain.

Xu Ayu threw a pile of dirty clothes into the basin beside the patio and said:

"Patrolman Xiao Wu is not home for lunch or dinner. It's very chaotic outside, so come back early after delivering the medicine."

Wei Miao was holding a small bag of croissants and another chestnut cake and was ready to go out.

Xu Ayu took out another dollar from her pocket, put it in the small cloth bag she carried with her, and said:

"Go to the market and buy some rice, flour and oil for your uncle's house."

"Got it!" Wei Miao said, and then disappeared.

Xu Ayu shouted loudly, "Slow down," then made himself laugh and turned around to wash clothes.

The weather is very good today. It is very appropriate to say that it is a cool and crisp autumn day.

If autumn has a flavor, the autumn in Shen City is sweet. There are occasional osmanthus trees on the streets and in the courtyards, and it is the blooming season.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus can spread from far away with the gentle autumn breeze.

Passersby felt that they were surrounded by this warm scent.

Wei Miao walked through three alleys and saw the entrance of Ding's Clinic from afar. There was a little boy about thirteen or fourteen years old with short hair, thick eyebrows, and an ill-fitting white coat on, cleaning the entrance.

Looking up, Xiao Ding saw Wei Miao standing in the distance, and waved at him with a big smile.

Wei Miao ran over in two or three steps, "Brother Xiao Ding."

Xiao Ding was sweeping the floor as he asked, "Ah Miao, I went to your alley twice to look for you, but your brother said you were out both times."

Wei Miao said: "I have been running outside every day these days."

"Is your father feeling better?" Xiao Ding's tone was filled with worry.

Wei Miao nodded and smiled, "Much better."

Xiao Ding was so happy that he smelled a sweet fragrance, "Ah Miao, I smell the fragrance of bread."

Wei Miao laughed and showed him what he had in his hand. "I bought it from Wenchang Coffee Shop. The chestnut cake is for Dr. Ding, and the croissant is for you."

After Wei Miao finished speaking, he stuffed the small croissant in the brown paper bag in his hand to Xiao Ding and went into the clinic.

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Note 1: Shanghai dialect, used to describe a person who is extremely stingy and never gives a penny.