122 Retribution
Li Yu went home to take a shower and change her clothes before going to the drying field. Jin Cuicui, the She family, and the He family’s children were all drying grains in the drying field. When they saw Li Yu, they smiled and went forward to greet her.
Li Yu looked at their tanned faces and sweat-soaked hair and clothes. “You must be tired these few days. I came back from hunting wild animals in the mountain today. There’s delicious food tonight.”
She Chun and Ah Gou jumped up. “Oh! Oh! There’s wild meat to eat today!”
He Tiezhu looked at Li Yu with starry eyes. “Miss, can you bring me to hunt next time? I want to hunt too.”
“I want to go too,” Jin Cuicui said softly. Ah Gou poked her and made a face. “Sister Cuicui, forget it! Don’t let the prey get taken away by the wild creatures before you can catch it.”
With that, he turned around and ran. Jin Cuicui took the broom and chased after him. “Stupid Ah Gou, rotten Ah Gou, you’re asking for a beating!”
Li Yu looked at the other children. “Have a good time drying the grains. When I’m free, I’ll bring you to the mountain to take a look.”
“Got it. Let’s get to work.” He Tiezhu raised his bamboo pole and left with the children.
Li Yu looked at the grains on the drying field and thought about how she would start planting winter wheat again after cutting them. Thinking of the rapeseed seeds in her space, Li Yu decided to use 100 acres to plant rapeseed.
Er Ya came out of the barn and saw Li Yu. She walked up to Li Yu and said, “Miss, we’ve measured the grains in those two acres of farmland. There are twelve stones! We also collected one stone of wild rice.”
When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself, Two acres of twelve stones. Including the wild rice, there are thirteen stones. In her previous life, there were some high-yielding fields that could yield much more per acre. The difference is too great.
“How many stones can be collected per acre in the other fields? Have they been calculated?”
Seeing Li Yu frown, Er Ya hurriedly said, “Brother Ruyi has said that there might be five grains per acre of land. My grandfather said that this year is already a huge harvest. In the past, the good fields in the village only collected three to four grains.”
“Okay, I understand. I’ll get Ruyi to pull all the grains from the breeding field to the house in the village for storage.”
“Got it, Miss. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the drying field.”
Li Yu smiled and patted Er Ya’s head. “Yes! I won’t worry, since our Er Ya is a capable girl.”
Er Ya pouted. “Miss, you’re still a little girl too. Why don’t I dare to make you angry?”
Li Yu smiled. “Because I’m your Miss! Work hard. There’s good food at night.” Li Yu patted Er Ya and turned to leave.
After dinner, Li Yu, Zhaodi, and Old Madam Liu were enjoying the shade in the courtyard. Ruyi drove the mule cart back from town and looked at Li Yu with a smile. “Miss, I just came back from town. Do you know what High Scholar Ye is doing?”
Li Yu looked at Ruyi. “I saw you while eating. When did you go to town?”
Ruyi rubbed his head and chuckled. “I want to see what kind of expert his family invited back.”
“And? What did you see?”
Ruyi held back his laughter. “Ah Sheng said that, according to town gossip, that Master Ye is being pestered by malicious ghosts. He has to erect a Tao Field for 49 days to exorcise the evil spirits to bring peace to his family.”
“That’s right! Let him exorcise it slowly!”
Zhaodi and her sister were confused. Laidi looked at Ruyi and said, “Ruyi, tell us what happened. What happened to Ye Ju?”
Ruyi pretended to be mysterious. “Miss Laidi, I want to go to the manor to take a look. Ask Miss. Miss knows.”
Li Yu hid what she and Ruyi had done and told her about High Scholar Ye’s haunted house and his shaved head and eyebrows.
“Alright, he’s done too many wicked things. He’s suffered bad karma! I’ll go back and tell Mother so that she’ll be happy too.” Laidi clapped her hands and stopped chatting. She turned around and ran home.
On the next day, Old Hu and a man came to Phoenix Village and waited in front of Li Yu’s house.
Old Madam Liu opened the door and saw an old man and a young man waiting at the door. She asked curiously, “Brother, what are you doing at my door early in the morning?”
Old Hu looked at Old Madam Liu and cupped his hands at her with a red face. “Sister, we’re from Hu Village. We’re waiting for Miss Li.”
“Hu Village.” Old Madam Liu looked at Old Hu with wide eyes. “Oh! It’s the Hu Village that my girl captured.”
“Yes, sigh!” Old Hu was ashamed and conflicted.
Old Madam Liu looked at Old Hu and said mysteriously, “Brother, let me give you a piece of advice. Control your clansmen well. Otherwise, they’ll suffer retribution. High Scholar Ye in town is much more glorious than you! But look, he’s done too many bad things, and retribution came. Someone knocked on his door all night and even shaved High Scholar Ye’s hair and eyebrows. In my opinion, that ghost didn’t want to harm him. He just wanted to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, his head wouldn’t even be here!”
Old Hu and the man were dumbfounded. Did retribution come too quickly? Could there really be ghosts?
After Li Yu washed up, she came out of the house and heard Old Madam Liu talking to someone at the door. She said to Old Madam Liu, “Old Madam Liu, who’s at the door? Why don’t you invite him in to sit for a while?”
Old Hu hurriedly rushed to the door and cupped his hands at Li Yu. “Miss Li, we’re here to pick you up!”
Seeing that it was Old Hu, Li Yu nodded. “Alright, wait a moment. I’ll get someone to bring a ride.”
“Okay, okay, go ahead.” Seeing that Li Yu didn’t make things difficult for him at all, Old Hu thought to himself, This girl is really kind. No wonder she was able to buy so many fields and lives in such a beautiful house.
Li Yu took the water bag and went to the backyard to install the mule cart. She led the mule out of the back door. Uncle Zhou came with Er Ya with a food box and said to Li Yu, “Miss, let Er Ya accompany you.”
Er Ya looked at Li Yu. “Miss, take me there! I know how to drive.”
“Fine! I’ll take you.”
Er Ya took the reins and climbed into the mule cart. “Get in, Miss!”
Li Yu got into the car and drove out of the village with Old Hu.
After leaving the village, Old Hu glanced at Er Ya. “Miss, you’re not familiar with the road. Can you pass the cart to Hu Gui?”
Er Ya looked back at Li Yu, who was sitting in the carriage. Seeing that Li Yu nodded in agreement, she moved to the carriage and handed the reins in her hand to Hu Gui. “Alright, you can hurry!”
“Thank you, Miss!” Hu Gui took the reins and drove the mule to the left, following the mountain path towards Hu Village.
Li Yu saw many small hills along the way. The road was also rugged. After an hour, they arrived at the river.
Old Hu pointed at the river bank in front of him and said to Erya, “The river bank in front was washed away by the flood ten years ago. It turned out that it was called Xujiaping. A village with more than a hundred families disappeared overnight. Our village houses were all built on the slope. That night, a flash flood washed away several families and the fields and crops.” Old Hu rubbed his face with lingering fear. “That’s what’s called tragic. Everyone searched for a long time but couldn’t find those families. Sigh! I don’t know where they were washed away to.”
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