Chapter 550: Chapter 283: Trouble _1
At the second watch, ask for a blushing pink.
××......×××
"Mother, what’s the matter with you?" Lian Manman noticed Lady Zhang seemed somewhat distracted and asked.
"It’s nothing, your mother is fine," Lady Zhang came to her senses, "After we finish planting these fields, I plan to go into town to buy some good fabric and make each of you sisters a nice dress."
"Mother, our family has many expenses this year, let’s focus on the most urgent matters first. Clothes and such can wait, our old clothes are still wearable," Lian Zhizhi responded.
"How can a grown girl always wear old clothes?" Lady Zhang replied.
"Mother, that person named Xi Bao who was here earlier, he’s about the same age as my sister, isn’t he?" Lian Manman suddenly said.
Lian Zhizhi gently slapped Lian Manman. Lian Manman chuckled to herself but didn’t continue the subject. It was all just speculation, after all, and they shouldn’t tease and jest as sisters.
Lian Manman looked up and saw Lian Yeye standing in the field nearby, so she gestured for her to come over.
"Yeye, come sit for a while."
When Lian Yeye heard Lian Manman calling her, she happily ran over and sat down beside her.
"Tired?" Lian Manman asked while taking out two pieces of candy, sharing one with Lian Yeye.
"I’m used to it, not tired," Lian Yeye said, taking the candy and popping it into her mouth.
"Yeye, why hasn’t Brother Erlang come down to work in the fields?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye upon noticing Erlang was missing from the workers.
"Sister Manman, you don’t know. Just before we were about to head to the fields, there was nearly another fight at home... Brother Erlang went up to the mountain to work," Lian Yeye explained.
"What? Didn’t the Old Master say that for the next couple of days, he didn’t want them to go work and instead focus on farming?" Lian Manman was surprised.
"That’s what the Old Master said yesterday. This morning, Sister-in-law Xiu E said Jizu had returned, and he could take over for Erlang. There were enough hands for the farming, so Erlang could go back up to the mountain and earn some money every day," Lian Yeye answered.
"So the Old Master agreed?" Lian Manman asked.
"What could the Old Master do when they already sent Erlang off? When it was time to go to the fields and Erlang was nowhere to be seen, the Old Master asked where he had gone. That’s when Sister-in-law Xiu E spoke up," Lian Yeye said.
Making decisions without prior approval, Zhao Xiue, a bride who had not been in the family for even a year, was certainly audacious.
Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi turned their heads, drawn to the conversation by Lian Yeye’s words.
"...Initially, they wanted my eldest sister-in-law to work the fields too, but seeing Erlang going up to the mountain, she followed Sister-in-law Xiu E’s lead and said since there were enough people, she would stay home to look after the children and help with cooking," Lian Yeye said.
"I see," Lian Manman thought. So there had been this incident; Lady Chiang was also not one to be taken advantage of.
"No wonder, I was thinking that when we arrived earlier, it seemed like you had just gotten there not long ago. In previous years, the Old Master would have been in the fields much earlier," Lady Zhang suddenly understood.
"With constant arguments at home, we aren’t involved anyway. My mother, father, and I just wait to get to work," Lian Yeye pouted, "...My uncle and Jizu did go down with everyone to work, but they’re not good at it. Didn’t you see how angry they made the Old Master earlier? When Old Jin and the others arrived, they managed to distract them. The work they did will have to be redone by us later. They’re useless and just get in the way."
"Sister Manman, did Old Jin and the others come to help you with the farming?" Lian Yeye curiously asked.
"They said they wanted to help, but how could we let them do that," Lian Manman replied. Knowing it was not appropriate to dwell on the topic, she asked Lian Yeye, "Yeye, who’s cooking at home today?"
"Grandmother, Auntie, plus my uncle’s wife, Duoduo, my eldest sister-in-law, Sister-in-law Xiu E, and even Yaya are all at home. The Old Master said he would not return for lunch, asking my uncle’s wife and the others to prepare the meal and bring it to the fields," Lian Yeye said.
"Oh, they all have bound feet; who will be able to deliver the food later?" Lian Manman remarked.
"Other families also have women with bound feet working the fields," Lian Yeye glanced at the neighboring fields and said, "Our family just needs to send over a meal..."
While they were speaking, Lady Zhao called for Lian Yeye. It turned out Old Master Lian had returned and was calling the family to resume work.
Lian Yeye ran back to work, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi also returned from feeding the calves, and the Lian Manman family all got up to continue planting peanuts.
It was almost noon, and some of the people tending the fields were packing up to go home for lunch, while others had their meals delivered to them.
"Father, when are you going home for lunch?" Lian Shouxin asked Old Master Lian loudly.
"No need to go back home, they will bring lunch here soon," Old Master Lian replied.
