121 The Lin Family is Here Again
Xiaozhi had been by Qing'er's side for a long time, and he also had the air of a scholar.
Liu Shi smiled and walked over quickly. She received the guests with the two children.
As time passed, the guests slowly arrived.
Most of them were invited, but there were also some villagers who came on their own.
Liu Shi changed from her usual introverted self and warmly invited the guests inside.
When it was almost noon, the women from the Lin family came.
Liu Shi's smiling face immediately froze when she saw Old Madam Lin and the others.
"What's with that expression? We heard that you moved into a new house, so we came to congratulate you." Second Uncle Lin's wife, Deng Shi, said to Liu Shi in a high-pitched voice.
Meeting Old Madam Lin's murderous gaze, Liu Shi subconsciously avoided it and lowered her head.
At this moment, Old Madam Lin's heart was filled with anger.
The Liu family lived in such a big house, and Liu Shi and the two little b*stards were all wearing new clothes.
She had never had such luxury even at her age.
"In that case, please state your name and gift money, and register here." Xiao Qing said in a deep voice. He had already seen through the situation.
He stood silently by Liu Shi's side and defended her against the Lin family's gaze.
He heard from Xiaozhi that they had bad relatives, and he finally got to see them.
"What? It's already a great honor for mother to attent, and you still want money?" Deng Shi raised her voice.
Xiao Qing furrowed his brow and was about to speak.
"Mother just brought everyone to see your new home and has no other intentions. It's not nice for you to stop us at the door, right?" This time, it was First Uncle Lin's wife, Jiang Shi, who spoke.
"That's right, everyone says that your house is the best in our village, so we're here to take a look. This place is so big, and your family will be lonely. We'll come and visit more often and stay in the house for a few days to help you warm up the house." This was Lin Lanhua, the youngest aunt of the Lin family.
There were already people in the courtyard who had noticed the situation at the entrance. Many people were looking over.
"Since you're not here to give gifts or eat, please leave." Xiao Qing took another step forward, his eyes filled with disgust.
"What are you?" Jiang Shi immediately looked at Xiao Qing.
"You're just a slave, not even a human. Do you have the right to speak?!"
Although Xiao Qing acted maturely, he was still a twelve-year-old child. He was no match for the fierce Jiang Shi.
Seeing Jiang Shi raise her hand and was about to hit him, he almost forgot to react.
"How dare you!" At this moment, a furious voice stopped Jiang Shi's action.
Jiang Shi trembled. She looked back and saw Lin Xiaoyue with Li Xiao, followed by Lin Xiaozhi, rushing over quickly.
Then, before Jiang Shi could speak, Lin Xiaoyue kicked her in the lower abdomen and sent her flying.
"Second sister-in-law!" Lin Lanhua was the first to react, and she quickly went to help her.
"You! Lin Xiaoyue, what are you doing?!" Deng Shi pointed at Lin Xiaoyue with a sharp voice.
At the same time, she looked left and right in fear, ready to run away.
"I'm dealing with a mad dog, what else? Can you not see?" Lin Xiaoyue looked at Deng Shi in disgust and dusted her hands.
122 I'm Going to Kick You to Death
"Lin Xiaoyue! You disobedient and unfilial little bastard…" Jiang Shi was in pain and scared, but when she saw more and more people coming over, she simply pushed Lin Lanhua, who was helping her, away and sat on the ground, not getting up.
How could Lin Xiaoyue not notice what she's doing? A cruel smile appeared on her lips and she walked towards Jiang Shi.
A trace of fear flashed in her eyes. "You…what do you want to do?"
"I'm going to kick you to death." Lin Xiaoyue smiled coldly and kicked her again.
Once again, Jiang Shi screamed.
Everyone present was stunned.
It wasn't until Lin Xiaoyue kicked her for the third time that someone reacted.
"Stop! You disobedient, unfilial, little whore!" Old Madam Lin walked in the direction of Lin Xiaoyue with her cane.
She did not believe that this little bastard would dare to lay a hand on her.
At this moment, Lin Xiaoyue suddenly let go of Jiang Shi, who was rolling and crawling to avoid her, and looked back at Old Madam Lin.
His eyes were cold and filled with killing intent.
Old Madam Lin's expression changed. The aura from earlier disappeared in an instant, and she couldn't help but retreat.
Then, she staggered backwards.
If Lin Lanhua had not supported her, she would have fallen.
"Lin Xiaoyue, what are you trying to do? Wasn't it enough that you threw your fourth uncle to the back of the mountain to feed the wolves? You even kicked your second aunt. Now, you want to hit your grandmother?"
Everyone was surprised.
What? Was it Yue'er who caused the incident?
Fourth Uncle Lin was quite sick after the incident. He had been in bed for half a month and only went out to work in the fields these two days.
Yue'er was quite vicious!
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes turned and she looked at Lin Lanhua coldly.
The last time she cut off ties with the Lin family, this aunt of hers did not appear. This time, she did.
"You…why are you looking at me like that? There are so many people here, do you want to hit me as well?"
Lin Lanhua emboldened herself in her heart. At the same time, she reminded Lin Xiaoyue that everyone was watching.
Ling Xiaoyue's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Aunt, you're really good at slandering people. Lin Jiang Shi bullied us, so I taught her a lesson. But what does fourth uncle's encounter with a ghost have to do with me?"
Lin Lanhua's eyes changed slightly.
She wouldn't admit it? Could it be that fourth brother had encountered a ghost? No, it must be this wretched girl's doing!
Yes, it was just her guess. She wanted to take the opportunity to blow up Lin Xiaoyue.
Once Lin Xiaoyue admitted to it, it would be considered as attempted murder. If the matter was blown up, she would be sent to jail.
However, she did not expect her to deny it.
Hmph, so what if she denied it? She had kicked her aunt in public. There were so many people watching, she wanted to see how she could escape from this.
"When did she bully your family?" Lin Lanhua put on an innocent look.
"If you're talking about him, if I remember correctly, he's just a slave you bought, right?" When she looked at Xiao Qing, there was no contempt in Lin Lanhua's eyes, and she only spoke as if she was just stating the facts.
It was precisely because of this that people might be convinced.
The people who were watching the show discussed animatedly.
Although the Lin family had been acting all high and mighty as soon as they entered the house, and Lin Jiang Shi had almost laid a hand on the kid, he was indeed just a slave.
123 Who Said They were Slaves
It was indeed unreasonable for Lin Xiaoyue to attack an elder for a servant.
Xiao Qing's face turned pale, and he slowly lowered his head.
That's right. Even though the Liu family treated him and his uncle like family, they were still slaves.
A slave was only the property of the owner.
Li Xiao's expression also changed slightly, and he looked at Lin Lanhua with a dangerous look.
Lin Lanhua felt the threat almost instantly, but she still straightened her body and looked at Lin Xiaoyue. It was as if she was standing on the high ground of reason.
"Hmph, who said Qing'er is a slave?" Lin Xiaoyue laughed coldly.
"Right! Xiao Qing and Li Xiao are already registered under the Liu family." Suddenly, the village chief's voice came from outside the gate.
Then, everyone saw the village chief, his wife and Li Huaiyu over.
"Chief…" Everyone looked at the village chief, waiting for him to resolve the issue.
Lin Xiaoyue and Li Xiao rushed forward.
"I've made a fool of myself in front of the village chief." Li Xiao bowed and cupped his fists to the village chief.
The crowd discussed spiritedly, as if they had understood something.
If Li Xiao came forward to speak to the village chief, he must be part of the Liu family.
Also, when the Liu family was building the house, Li Xiao was also the person in charge.
Similarly, Li Xiao was in charge of greeting the guests at the moment.
How could a slave have such a right? Could it be that he was really exempted from slavery and officially entered the Liu family?
Was what the village chief said true?
If it was true, then the Liu family was really good to them!
One had to know that most people who bought slaves would never register them as part of the household, even if they were supposed to marry their children. After all, it would be easier to control them if they keep their contracts.
Although the villagers did not treat these people as slaves, they still looked down on them.
"Hehe, it's my fault for the delay and not completing the household registration earlier, causing you to suffer such humiliation." The village chief said with a smile.
Then, he took out the new household registration.
"This is your new household registration. You and Xiao Qing have been added."
As soon as this was said, everyone started to chatter.
It was clear at that moment. Li Xiao and his nephew Xiao Qing were truly exempted from slavery and were registered as part of the Liu family. They were now real members of the Liu family!
Xiao Qing looked at the village head in disbelief, then at Li Xiao and Lin Xiaoyue.
What was going on? When did Liu Shi and Lin Xiaoyue get the village chief to register them? Did his uncle know about this?
"Impossible! How could a slave be registered? Chief, don't try to protect this girl!" Lin Lanhua said, her tone carrying a hint of panic.
Before she came, she was the one who told her eldest and second sister-in-law to target the slave. It was to anger the Liu family and make them make mistakes.
In the end, their strategy was a success. The wretched girl had laid her hands on her second sister-in-law, and they had a hold on her.
However, who knew that the slaves were not slaves anymore. This girl actually registered them.
The village chief frowned.
"A slave can redeem himself and become a free man. Li Xiao married Yue'er, and is the son-in-law of the Liu family. Why can't he be registered as a member of the Liu family?" He said in a deep voice.
The moment these words came out, everyone once again burst into discussion.
When did this happen? Yue'er is married to Li Xiao?!
However, it was not unusual to buy a son-in-law.
124 Reasonable and Fair
It was their business to hold a wedding banquet or not. If Liu Shi agreed to their marriage, they would officially be husband and wife.
No wonder Li Xiao was in charge of the construction. He was already the son-in-law of the Liu family.
"I saw everything. The Liu family didn't invite you. You came uninvited with ill intentions and even bullied the hosts. I think it's reasonable for Yue'er to teach you a lesson!" The village chief emphasized the last words.
He was the one who helped the Liu family sever ties with the Lin family, and he had already warned the Lin family back then. He didn't expect them to cause trouble again so quickly.
Just like the last time, a group of women came to make trouble.
Did the men of the Lin family ask them to, or were they really unable to control their wives?
The village chief's words made the Lin family both angry and panicked.
Especially Jiang Shi. She was kicked twice by Lin Xiaoyue and it hurt a lot. Originally, she thought that she could scheme against Lin Xiaoyue and get some benefits to make herself feel better.
But now, after listening to the village chief's words saying that it was "reasonable" for her to be beaten by Lin Xiaoyue. How could she accept this?
"Village chief, what are you saying? She's a junior, but she kicked me, her elder, in front of so many people. I'm about to be beaten to death by her…." Jiang Shi got up from the ground while crying and looked at the village chief with an aggrieved expression.
She didn't dare to argue with the village chief, so she could only pretend to be wronged to gain sympathy.
She really didn't expect the village chief to be so biased, saying that it was reasonable for that wretched girl to hit her.
The Chen family had told her that this wretched girl was sucking up to the village chief's family during the construction of the house, causing them to look at her in a different light, but she didn't believe it. Now, it seemed that it was definitely true.
It was too unfair. She couldn't suffer such a big loss for nothing.
"Hmph, who are you to me? We already signed an agreement with Old Master Lin. The Liu family has nothing to do with the Lin family anymore."
"I'll still address you as my second aunt out of politeness. Otherwise, you're just a stanger."
"Today is a day of great joy for the Liu family. You came to our door to look for trouble and even want to beat up one of your family members. Do you think we are easy to bully?!" Lin Xiaoyue looked at Jiang Shi with a dangerous look.
Jiang Shi's body couldn't help but tremble.
"You came into private land and hurt people. Yue'er only kicked you twice. That's considered easy on you." Suddenly, Li Xiao interjected.
The Lin family's faces changed.
The crowd that was watching the show also came to their senses.
That's right, who were them to the Lin family when they had already broken off their relationship? Weren't they just trespassing private property?
Although they didn't hurt anyone, they were indeed prepared to attack. It was right to say that she was violent.
Those who previously felt that Lin Xiaoyue was ruthless and had gone a little too far changed their minds.
They had already cut off ties, but they came to make trouble on a joyful day for the Lin family. If they didn't fight back, they would only make others feel that they were easy to bully.
If this kind of thing happened to them, they would probably not be any better off.
They heard that the Lin family was so outrageous that the Liu family was willing to cut ties with them even if they had to take a smaller share of inheritance. Now, they finally knew what the Lin family was like.
"You…you're talking nonsense. We heard they are having a party and came to take a look. How is that considered trespassing?" Lin Lanhua finally said after mustering up her courage.
125 Providing for Two Scholars
She didn't dare to look at Li Xiao and quickly looked away.
This man was too scary. He looked like a malicious ghost. She was afraid that she would have nightmares at night.
Only Lin Xiaoyue, that b * tch, would fancy such a person.
Although she was scared, she still had to say it.
There were so many people here today. If they were really charged with trespassing and injuring others, her reputation would be ruined when the news got out.
She was already 16 years old. Normally, girls of this age would have been engaged or even married. Her mother was bent on finding a good husband for her, so she hadn't married.
The matchmaker had introduced the Wu family in town, but there was the incident of the Liu and Lin family cutting ties.
Their family had spent a lot of effort to persuade the Wu family to go through with the engagement, but this happened again today.
If today's matter was heard by the Wu family, the wedding would be canceled.
If she had known this would be the result, she would have stopped her mother.
It's all her second sister-in-law's fault for being so short-sighted. She couldn't bear to see the Liu family doing well and forced her mother to come over.
She couldn't stop her, and in the end, she was even convinced that she could ask the Liu family for dowry, so she came as well.
She was really regretting it now!
She should have known after what happened last time. The wretched girl and Liu Shi had both changed. They were not as easy to manipulate as before.
From the looks of it now, not only was she difficult to control, she was also extremely difficult to deal with!
Not only had they failed to get anything out of this, they even made a loss. They probably wouldn't be able to find trouble with the Liu family and the wretched girl, so they had to handle this matter carefully.
"You didn't give me any gifts, but you're here to stir up trouble?" Suddenly, Xiao Qing, who had his head lowered, also came forward.
The young man's attitude was calm, and he looked at Lin Lanhua with an imposing manner.
After that, he turned around and gave the village chief a scholar's bow.
"Hello, chief."
The village chief and Li Huaiyu were a little surprised.
This young man was a scholar?
Indeed, Li Xiao didn't look like an ordinary person.
This young man, who had not shown his face much, was so gentle and refined that his temperament was not inferior to the young masters from scholarly families.
"Mm." The village chief nodded in satisfaction.
"I heard from Yue'er that you used to study?" He asked Xiao Qing.
"I have learned a little from my master." Xiao Qing replied.
The village chief and Li Huaiyu were stunned again.
Did he learn it from a master? An ordinary family wouldn't be able to afford to hire a master.
The village chief wanted to ask about the details, but he stopped.
"Yue'er removed your slave status and even asked me about sending you and Xiaozhi to study at the Qingyun Academy after the autumn harvest."
Xiao Qing was shocked. He looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
The surrounding people were also shocked.
It was already kind of the Liu family to allow Li Xiao and Xiao Qing to enter the household officially, but they wanted to send their son-in-law's nephew to the academy?
The cost of studies was not low. Was the Liu family preparing to support two scholars?
Some people understood at that moment.
No wonder the village chief had taken a fancy to the Liu family.
There might be scholars in the Lin family in the future. If any one of them was successful, he would be different from the village bumpkins.
Why was the Lin family so unruly in the village, yet everyone still gave in to them? It wasn't just because there were many men in their family, but also because one of their family members almost passed the scholar exam last year.
After all, scholars were different. They had more experience and a wide network. Everyone lived in the same village, and there was no telling when they would need to ask for help from others.
Lin Xiaoyue smiled at Xiao Qing and nodded.
126 How Can They Not be Jealous?
According to her observation, Qing'er learned very quickly.
When she was free, she would teach Qing'er addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and he learned them very quickly.
His ability to draw inferences was even stronger than Liang Chengcai's. He was a typical top student.
For such a top student, he would learn other things very quickly. It was perfect to send him to the academy.
In addition, Qing'er was still young, and he should be studying at this age.
"To enter Qingyun Academy, you have to be tested by the headmaster. Huaiyu is on leave today. You and Xiaozhi can ask him for advice later." The village chief smiled.
Everyone was surprised.
It was said that Li Huaiyu of the village chief's family was also highly regarded by the teachers in Qingyun Academy, and he would also take the exam next year.
Many went to Li Huaiyu, hoping to get some advice, but they always refused.
But this time, the village chief actually agreed to let Li Huaiyu guide the two scholars of the Liu family.
The Liu family had really caught the village chief's attention.
For a moment, everyone's opinion of the Liu family improved.
They didn't expect that after leaving the Lin family, they would actually get better.
The Lin family was shocked and angry, especially Jiang Shi and Deng Shi.
After the Liu family cut ties with the Lin family, they fought about Lin Yuanshan's expenses.
The result was that his monthly allowance was reduced from 6 taels to 3 taels. Then, if he couldn't pass the exam next year, it would reduce to 1 tael. Then, Dazhuang, Xiaozhuang, Dashan, and Xiaoshan would all go to the academy.
They were not completely satisfied with the result.
The 3 taels taken from Lin Yuanshan's monthly allowance could at least send two more children to the academy.
However, their mother-in-law and father-in-law refused to send two of their children to the academy on the grounds that it was unfair.
They even said that they wanted to keep the money in case Llin Yuanshan might need the money to pass the exam.
Hence, it was no different from before. However, they did not dare to make a scene.
After all, they had already given it their all for so many years, and it was going to be the last time.
If they offended Lin Yuanshan at this final moment, and if he really passed the exam next year, then all the efforts would be in vain.
With such thoughts in mind, they agreed.
They thought that it would be the last time anyway. If Lin Yuanshan did not pass, the children in the family could also go to the academy next year.
If he did, he would remember everything they had done for him.
But what's the situation at the moment?
The Liu family wanted to send Lin Xiaozhi and Xiao Qing to the academy, and it was the best one in town, Qingyun Academy.
How could they not be jealous?
They left the Lin family, but now they had a big house, good food and clothes.
Not only was Liu Shi going to send her son, but also a slave to the academy!
But what about them? Just like before, the whole family provided for Lin Yuanshan, wearing patched clothes, eating simple meals, and going to the fields every day.
Not only did their children not go to the academy, they also had to work in the fields.
Would it be better if they had been separated? They would manage their own money and send their children to the academy if they wanted to. They didn't have to live such a miserable life anymore!
That's right, if they had separated earlier, not only would they have had better food and clothing, but they might have also sent their children to the academy. Perhaps the children would have already passed the exam and become a scholar.
Thinking of what their sons had said to them, that they would definitely do better than their fifth uncle in school, Deng Shi and Jiang Shi felt even worse.
127 Caught the Village Chief's Eyes
Xiao Qing didn't know what the Lin family was thinking, so he bowed to the village chief and Li Huaiyu again.
"Thank you village chief, thank you Brother Li."
Based on seniority, he should actually call Li Huaiyu "Uncle Li". However, Li Huaiyu was only a few years older than him. If he were to call him that, not only would he feel embarrassed, but Li Huaiyu would also probably not be happy to hear it.
Sure enough, after Li Huaiyu smiled and nodded at him.
Xiao Qing's heart was at ease.
Then, he turned around and looked at Lin Xiaozhi.
Lin Xiaozhi also quickly came forward and bowed to the village chief and Li Huaiyu.
"Thank you, chief. Thank you, Brother Huaiyu!"
The way the child bowed was actually very proper, as if he was already a well-mannered scholar.
The village chief was very pleased.
Lin Lanhua was annoyed when she saw that they were still chatting as if they did not see her.
However, she could only suppress the anger in her heart and try to find a way to smooth things over.
"Ahem… about the gift, it was indeed my mother's fault. However, my mother was also thinking that since third sister-in-law's family is still our family. It's too formal for an elder to specially prepare a gift when visiting a junior." Lin Lanhua said.
When Old Madam Lin heard Lin Lanhua say that it's her fault, she was a little angry. However, when she heard the latter part of the sentence, she calmed down.
Exactly. She was the elder of the Lin family, and coming to see them was giving them face. Wasn't it too much to prepare a gift?
Lin Xiaoyue snorted.
"Hmph, it's the host who decides if that's too formal or not. Since when is it the guests' decision? According to what you've said, we should never give gifts when going to a party, in case the hosts think you're too formal, right?"
"Hahaha…" Someone in the crowd was amused and laughed.
Soon, many people laughed along.
That's right, what nonsense was that? They should just admit that they didn't want to give any gifts, why come with such an excuse?
Old Madam Lin looked at Lin Lanhua angrily.
What nonsense was this girl saying, causing an old woman like her to be embarrassed.
Lin Lanhua shuddered, and she immediately looked at Lin Xiaoyue. "Xiaoyue, don't misinterpret my words. Are we just guests to you?"
"Of course not!" Lin Xiaoyue smiled and replied.
Seeing Lin Lanhua's smile, she quickly said, "we have cut off all ties and there was so much conflict between us. Our relationship is much worse than that of a host and a guest."
The smile on Lin Lanhua's face immediately froze.
Then, under the mocking eyes of the crowd, a trace of resentment flashed across her eyes.
Damn it! When did this girl become so powerful?
"You better leave quickly. Don't make me chase you away with a broom." Lin Xiaoyue said again.
She really wasn't in the mood to continue the show, as dinner was about to start.
After this is over…
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes looked dangerous.
It was fine when they cut off all ties. At that time, it was also made clear that the two families would go their separate ways after that.
However, they came to her, so she couldn't be blamed for taking action.
Hmph, did they think that she had wasted her time in the apocalypse? If she wasn't ruthless, she would have been gnawed to the bone.
"You…" Lin Lanhua looked at Lin Xiaoyue angrily.
"Let's go," Deng Shi quickly stepped forward and pulled Lin Lanhua's sleeve.
It was obvious that there was nothing to be gained, and they would only be further humiliated if they stayed any longer.
Luckily, she didn't attack her. Otherwise, she would be at a loss too.
128 Xiao Qing's Knowledge
Old Madam Lin also wanted to leave. When the village chief came, she did not want to stay here anymore.
She had no choice. Last time, the village chief had warned her husband and threatened to drive them out of Daishi Village. Later on, Lin Dachui, that useless bastard, even slapped her twice.
If this matter were to blow up again, and the village chief got someone to call Lin Dachui over, things would probably get worse.
"Why are you still standing there? They don't welcome us, let's leave!" Old Madam Lin stomped her walking stick and let Deng Shi support her as she left.
Lin Lanhua looked at Lin Xiaoyue angrily, feeling a little indignant.
However, Old Madam Lin and Deng Shi were leaving. There was no point in her staying.
She could only snort and chase after Old Madam Lin and Deng Shi.
Jiang Shi was kicked twice by Lin Xiaoyue, and her body was in great pain.
She wanted to at least extort some money from Lin Xiaoyue.
But her "teammates" had all left, and she couldn't win against Lin Xiaoyue on her own. She could only swallow her pain and followed them.
After they left, Lin Xiaoyue turned around and let everyone take their seats, saying that they would start serving the dishes immediately.
Then, she went to the kitchen.
Li Xiao led the village chief and the rest to their seats.
Then, he asked the village chief to help host the housewarming.
The food prepared by the Liu family was very sumptuous. Meat dishes took up more than half of it, and there was even wine.
Li Xiao toasted each table, and the guests were happy.
After the meal, some women stayed behind to help the Liu family wash the dishes.
Lin Xiaoyue asked everyone to come again in the evening.
Li Xiao asked Li Huaiyu to go to the room in the front yard and then called Xiao Qing and Lin Xiaozhi over.
Then, he asked Wang Shuanzi to send the borrowed tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks back to their respective homes.
When the front yard was tidied up, Li Xiao saw Li Huaiyu, Xiao Qing, and Lin Xiaozhi coming out of the room.
To his surprise, Li Huaiyu's attitude was completely different from before. He was very polite to Xiao Qing. The two of them chatted and laughed as if they had become good friends.
Before Li Huaiyu left, he even bowed to him.
"What's going on?" Li Xiao asked his nephew.
Xiao Qing smiled.
"Brother Huaiyu admires Xiao Qing's knowledge and wants to be his friend!" Lin Xiaozhi said.
"Qing'er is really amazing. When Brother Huaiyu asked him a question just now, he answered it without much thought."
"Brother Huaiyu who said that Qing'er answered eloquently,. Even he felt ashamed."
"After that, Brother Huaiyu's attitude towards Qing'er changed. He said that he wants to be friends with him."
In the evening, there were only two tables left. They ate the leftovers from lunch and two simple dishes.
After dinner and seeing off the enthusiastic villagers, the Liu family's housewarming was finally over.
Li Xiao was a little surprised as he looked at Xiao Qing.
He knew that Xiao Qing had been taught by a famous teacher, but he was only 12 years old. Was he that good?
Xiao Qing smiled and nodded.
"Huaiyu said that I have no problem entering the academy. When I get there, I should be able to enter the special class immediately and prepare for the junior examination next year."
He had never thought of taking the scholar's examination.
But today, he found out that Lin Xiaoyue was going to send him to the academy. After thinking about it, this might be the most suitable path for him.
He couldn't help with anything else in this family anyway.
If he could pass the imperial examination and gain some fame, he would be able to protect this family.
"Hmm." Li Xiao responded. Surprisingly, he didn't look happy. Instead, he frowned.
129 Xiao Qing's Thoughts
Seeing this, Xiao Qing also knew what his uncle was thinking.
"I know it's not that easy. After I go to the academy, I'll try to take the exam next year. If I pass, then I'll sign up for the scholar's exam. "
"After becoming a scholar, our family can be exempted from grain tax. Even if we don't farm, we can help other families and earn some money. In addition, we don't have to worry about being recruited as soldiers."
"When I have the scholarly honor, ordinary people won't dare to come and bully us."
Li Xiao paused. Then, he nodded.
This child was more thoughtful than him.
Just as he was about to say something, Lin Xiaoyue came out.
"What's going on? Brother Huaiyu left?" She walked over to them with a smile.
"Sister!" Lin Xiaozhi smiled and ran towards Lin Xiaoyue.
Then, he eagerly told Lin Xiaoyue about Xiao Qing's performance.
"You're a top student indeed! Qing'er, I have high hopes for you!" Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
Li Huaiyu entered the academy no later than Lin Yuanshan. Qing'er must be extraordinary to be able to get a compliment from him!
This kid was not ordinary, just like his uncle. She hoped that it was not a wrong decision to send him to the academy.
Xiao Qing's face turned red.
He wondered what a "top student" meant.
"Yes. I will definitely work hard and not let everyone down." Xiao Qing quickly stood up straight and bowed to Lin Xiaoyue.
Previously, he thought that he was a good-for-nothing who could not work for the family. Now, he had found his direction.
"Xiaozhi too! I'll definitely work hard!" Seeing this, he also learned from Xiao Qing and bowed to Lin Xiaoyue and Li Xiao.
The three of them laughed.
"Alright, it's not that easy. I don't expect you to be an official or something. Go and learn some knowledge so that you can be a cultured person in the future!" Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
In ancient times, education was not as easily obtained as in the 21st century. It would take at least several generations for the poor to change their family's fate by taking the imperial examination.
Aptitude was one factor, but the other was the lack of teachers and teaching materials.
The children of poor families had limited access to good teachers and books.
In rich families, children were taught by famous teachers, and they had a large number of books to read at home. Their starting point and vision were on completely different levels.
In fact, not only in ancient times, even in the 21st century, education was not completely fair.
In her previous life, she had been admitted to the county's top middle school as the top student in a small village.
After that, no matter how hard she studied, she could only get into the top 100.
After that, she spent a lot of effort to get into a good niversity.
As for her roommates, some of them were from middle-class families in the county, and some of them were from high-income families.
Children from middle-class families had extracurricular lessons since elementary school.
On the other hand, children from high-income families were not only given one-on-one tutoring, they also attended foreign language classes, etiquette classes, and so on. Before they graduated from university, they were already preparing to study abroad.
That was the modern era with a developed economy. In ancient times, it was even more difficult to make a name for yourself.
She only hoped that the two children would work hard and not give themselves too much pressure.
"Yes!" The two children nodded. Their hearts were filled with happiness.
"Alright, go and play." Lin Xiaoyue smiled and looked at the two children.
"Yes." Xiao Qing bowed again.
Then, he left with Lin Xiaozhi.
130 Changing the Way He Addresses Them
After the two children left, Lin Xiaoyue then looked at Li Xiao.
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
After a while, Lin Xiaoyue said to Li Xiao, "don't you have anything to say to me?"
She was the one who persuaded her mother to add them to their household registration.
She had originally wanted to get it done before they moved in to give the two of them a surprise. She didn't expect it to be delayed.
Fortunately, it was not too late. The new household registration helped them at the critical moment.
Li Xiao stopped smiling.
"Thank you," he said seriously.
It was a heartfelt gratitude. He was grateful that she had given him and Qing'er a home and completely accepted them.
He actually knew in advance that Lin Xiaoyue would help them get registered.
Although they were whispering, he still heard them clearly.
At that time, other than being surprised, his heart was filled with emotions.
Previously, he had not taken her teasing to heart. After all, they had only known each other for a short time, and he was a slave she bought.
He only thought that she said those words to him because she needed him to help support the Liu family.
But now, he believed that this girl was sincere, and she really wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
And he would definitely not let her down.
Lin Xiaoyue's face quickly turned red as Li Xiao stared at her without blinking.
"You don't have to thank me, we are family," she said.
She thought to herself, "hehe, he's moved just like that? I didn't expect he would fall for me so easily."
Li Xiao smiled.
The scar on his face was pulled away, and his face softened.
Lin Xiaoyue's heart beat faster as she looked at him.
"Yes. However, shouldn't you change the way you address Qing'er in the future?"
Lin Xiaoyue paused.
Then, she recalled that Xiao Qing called her "aunt" just now.
In that case, she would be Li Xiao's aunt…
Looking at Li Xiao's mischievous expression, Lin Xiaoyue's face turned redder.
"What's the hurry? Mom will decide on this matter." After that, she turned around and left without looking at Li Xiao.
Not bad, he had become less dull…
In the evening, the Liu family made two more dishes and ate them with the leftovers from lunch.
After everyone finished eating, they helped to wash the dishes and cleaned up before they left.
The Liu family could finally rest after a busy day.
They washed up early and gathered in the living room with two oil lamps.
"We've finally moved in." Liu Shi sighed and couldn't help but wipe her tears.
"Mom, this is a good thing, why are you crying?" Lin Xiaoyue smiled and comforted her.
Lin Xiaozhi also stepped forward and leaned into Liu Shi's arms.
"Mom, don't cry."
"Okay…" Liu Shi said with a smile, but she shed more happy tears.
Knowing that these were tears of joy, Lin Xiaoyue did not say anything more. She smiled and stroked Liu Shi's back.
After a long while, Liu Shi finally calmed down.
"You've all worked hard during this period of time," she said to Li Xiao and Lin Xiaoyue.
"Not at all," Lin Xiaoyue immediately said.
"It's just a small matter. Don't worry, Aunt Liu." Li Xiao added.
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Li Xiao.
Didn't he ask her to change the way she addressed Qing'er? Why didn't he change the way he addressed her mother?
"Don't call me 'Aunt Liu' anymore. You and Yue'er are already husband and wife according to the household register, so you can call me 'mom'," Liu Shi said.
131 Wedding
Ever since he joined the family, she had been watching his behavior.
She could also tell that her daughter really liked him.
Qing'er was also teaching Xiaozhi with sincerity.
Although she was still a little hesitant when her daughter came to her and asked her to exempt them from slavery, she agreed after some thought.
Since they were a family, there was no need for them to feel that they were lower than the rest of the family, which might cause the villagers to look down on them.
"Yes, mom!" Li Xiao's face lit up with joy and he readily accepted.
Liu Shi was shocked by Li Xiao's smile.
He didn't even try to hide his emotions.
Xiao Qing was also a little surprised.
His uncle had always been a reserved person. After his face was injured, he had become even more serious. Now, he was actually smiling so happily?
"As for your wedding…" Liu Shi continued.
She thought that since the status had already been set, the wedding should also be held.
"There's no hurry for the wedding," Lin Xiaoyue quickly said.
She was only 15 years old.
Although she liked Li Xiao, for the sake of her body, she did not plan to marry him so early.
Almost immediately, Lin Xiaoyue noticed that Li Xiao was looking at her.
His eyes didn't look happy.
Liu Shi also looked at Lin Xiaoyue in confusion.
"Didn't you ask me to register you as husband and wife?" .
"Ahem, I…I just think that my body is…" Lin Xiaoyue's face was a little red as she looked down at her slender figure.
There were two children there, so how was she supposed to say it?
Besides, she was too thin. She could not be compared to her 15-year-old self in her previous life.
Tsk, it's also the Lin family's fault for not giving them good food and treating them so badly. She had been recuperating for a month, but her body had not recovered.
Fortunately, she had special abilities. Sooner or later, she would be able to recover, making up for the loss in the past 15 years.
Besides, Xiaozhi was also malnourished. It was a good thing that Xiaozhi was still young. He would recover quickly after eating better food from now on.
Her mother was already an adult. Although she had suffered in the Lin family over the years, she could slowly become stronger.
Liu Shi was a little confused.
What did the wedding have to do with her body?
Suddenly, she saw Li Xiao's expression and she seemed to understand.
"I'm only asking you to get married first. Later on, I will arrange…" Liu Shi was about to mention the consummation.
However, when she saw Xiao Qing and Lin Xiaozhi looking at her curiously, she was too embarrassed to say it.
Suppressing the awkwardness in her heart, Liu Shi looked at her daughter with some annoyance.
What was this girl thinking? A wedding didn't mean that they had to consummate the marriage immediately.
Of course she wanted to protect her daughter. Who didn't know that it was better for a woman to consummate her marriage later? It would be easier for them to have children in the future.
Lin Xiaoyue's face was as red as a tomato.
Ahem…alright, so she had misunderstood.
She stole a glance at Li Xiao. The man's displeasure was gone, and he looked at her with the same mischievous gaze he had in the afternoon.
Lin Xiaoyue quickly looked away.
That was so embarrassing!
"Then I will leave it to you," Lin Xiaoyue said.
So what if it's embarrassing? She should focus on making him hers first.
Now that they were husband and wife, he would be hers.
Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh, including Li Xiao.
"Li Xiao, what do you think?" Liu Shi smiled and glanced at Lin Xiaoyue, who was unwilling to raise her head, and then looked at Li Xiao.
132 Two Years
"It's your decision, mom." Li Xiao smiled and bowed to Liu Shi.
Liu Shi was all smiles.
"Alright! Then I'll ask someone to look at the date tomorrow!" She said happily.
The entire family was overjoyed.
"Congratulations, uncle and aunt!" Xiao Qing hurried forward to offer his congratulations.
His uncle was finally getting married. Although he had married into the family, Grandma Liu and Aunt Liu were really good people. His mother and grandparents could finally rest in peace.
"Congratulations, sister and brother-in-law!" Lin Xiaozhi also followed.
Li Xiao didn't hide the joy on his face and touched Lin Xiaozhi's head with his big hand.
Lin Xiaoyue blushed and accepted the two children's congratulations.
"Alright, that's all for today. It's been a long day, so everyone should go and rest." Liu Shi stood up.
"Mom, I'll send you back to your room." Lin Xiaoyue quickly said.
"No need. You guys have a chat. Xiaozhi, come with me. " As Liu Shi spoke, she looked at Li Xiao with a smile.
"Okay!" Lin Xiaozhi quickly followed Liu Shi.
Xiao Qing glanced at his uncle and aunt and suddenly realized something.
"Grandma, Xiaozhi, wait for me! I'm going back to the backyard too!" After saying that, he quickly chased after the two of them.
Lin Xiaoyue was amused by Xiao Qing's actions.
Then, she turned around and saw Li Xiao looking at her with a smile.
Liu Shi took an oil lamp with her. There was only one oil left in the living room, and the light was much weaker.
At this moment, under the dim light, Li Xiao's facial features looked much gentler because of his smile. Lin Xiaoyue's heart beat a little harder when she looked at him.
"Come here." Suddenly, he beckoned at Lin Xiaoyue.
Lin Xiaoyue subconsciously moved towards him, and then she was pulled by Li Xiao, and she fell into his broad chest.
In an instant, Lin Xiaoyue felt that the air was filled with the smell of testosterone, and her heart was beating even faster.
Were they progressing so quickly?
She didn't know how long she was in Li Xiao's embrace, but suddenly, she heard his hoarse voice.
"Two years."
Lin Xiaoyue paused.
"What do you mean by two years?" She stuttered.
"I'll wait for you for two years." Li Xiao lowered his voice.
Lin Xiaoyue's ears turned red.
"I don't understand. I… I'm going back to my room now…" Lin Xiaoyue said and quickly got out of Li Xiao's arms, then ran to the backyard.
Fortunately, the moonlight was bright and the house was paved with bluestone slabs, so she was not afraid of falling.
Li Xiao stood on the spot and looked at Lin Xiaoyue's back with a smile on his face.
His dainty little wife was both bold and shy.
After standing there for a while, Li Xiao extinguished the oil lamp and went out.
Lin Xiaoyue returned to her room.
She didn't even turn on the lights. She pulled the blanket over her and fell asleep thinking about what just happened.
She didn't know when she fell asleep and didn't even care when Li Xiao went back to his room.
The next day.
When Lin Xiaoyue woke up, Liu Shi was already busy in the kitchen.
She didn't actually want to sleep in, but she had a sweet dream last night and couldn't bear to wake up in the morning, so she accidentally overslept.
So, she woke up late.
"There's hot water in the small pot. Quickly wash up and get ready for breakfast." Liu Shi said to Lin Xiaoyue.
"Yes, mom. Where are Li Xiao and Xiaozhi?" Lin Xiaoyue asked as she took the water.
133 Preparing to Plant Chillies
Xiao Qing was in front of the stove. Lin Xiaoyue didn't see Li Xiao and Xiaozhi.
"They went to Uncle Sun's house. He finished some furniture and asked Xiao'er to collect it. Your little brother went with him." Liu Shi said.
"Oh." Lin Xiaoyue responded.
"All the furniture we ordered should be almost done, right?"
"Yes. Uncle Sun said that there are two more pieces left and that they will be completed tomorrow. After breakfast, ask Li Xiao to go to Stonemason Yan's house to bring the grinding stone back. This way, we can prepare to sell the cold glutinous cakes." Liu Shi said.
The cold glutinous cakes could only be sold on hot days. When the weather cooled down, not many would buy them.
After the autumn harvest, they would be sending the two children to the academy. They heard that it would cost a total of eight or nine taels of silver.
They also had to prepare some money to buy the two children a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone each.
Additionally, they had to prepare for the winter.
There would be a lot of expenses.
Liu Shi thought that she had to ask Lin Xiaoyue how much money she had left.
"Alright, soak the rice after lunch and we'll start cooking in the afternoon. We'll bring them to town tomorrow morning to try selling them." After washing her face, Lin Xiaoyue hung the face towel.
Then, she brushed her teeth and helped Liu Shi bring the congee she made to the living room.
Before the dishes were served, Li Xiao came back with the furniture.
Lin Xiaoyue asked them to eat.
After a while, the family sat down at the table and had breakfast.
"Mom wants you to go to Uncle Yan's house later and bring back the grinding stone. In the afternoon, we will grind the rice to make cold glutinous cakes." Lin Xiaoyue said to Li Xiao as she ate.
"Alright."
"In addition, the chili seedlings I got previously should be almost ready. We haven't finished cleaning up the field, so it's your job now" Lin Xiaoyue added.
The four pieces of land that she took from the Lin family were actually quite big. Her family had used less than half of it to build their house, and there was still a lot of land left.
She planned to use some of the land to make a vegetable plot, and the rest to plant chilies.
Although the weather was hot during this season, the seedlings could still survive if they were watered a few times.
After planting the seedlings, they could be harvested in two months. By then, it would be the end of October and the beginning of November.
After collecting the chilis, the red ones would be dried and made into chili oil. The green ones could also be made into pickled peppers, which were excellent seasonings.
When winter came, she couldn't sell cold cakes anymore.
Then, she would be counting on these chilies to continue her food business.
How cool would it be to have some mala broth in the middle of winter?
"Okay." Li Xiao replied.
Seeing her daughter assigning chores for her son-in-law, and he responded obediently, Liu Shi began to feel sorry for him.
"We don't have much land. Let's go and do it together. We'll get it done very quickly." Liu Shi said.
She even looked at Lin Xiaoyue in annoyance.
"Mom, you still have to make cold cakes with me." Lin Xiaoyue said.
Liu Shi paused as she remembered that.
"Oh, then you'll have to do it alone," she said to Li Xiao.
"Yes." Li Xiao replied.
After thinking for a while, Liu Shi said, "go when the sun isn't too bright. We don't have much land, there's no rush."
"Yes, mom," Li Xiao smiled and replied.
How fortunate was he to have met such a caring mother-in-law?
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Li Xiao and Liu Shi and continued to eat.
After the meal, Li Xiao went to transport more furniture and retrieve the grinding stone.
134 Give Her Mother Some Confidence
Xiao Qing brought Lin Xiaozhi to his room to study. He wanted to teach Xiaozhi the basics so that he could pass the test.
Lin Xiaoyue and Liu Shi went to wash the dishes.
Without anyone else around, Liu Shi finally had a chance to ask her daughter.
"How much money do you have left?
"Why? What do you want to buy?" She didn't answer her immediately.
"No." Liu Shi looked at Lin Xiaoyue. "I just want to check with you."
"Qing'er and Xiaozhi need a lot of money to go to the academy, and we have to buy some things for the house from time to time. Tell me so that I know how to prepare." Liu Shi stopped washing the dishes and looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
During the construction period, she didn't have much time to do embroidery.
When her daughter's business of selling cold glutinous cakes was settled, she had to start working.
Lin Xiaoyue understood what she meant.
"After settling the bill for the furniture and the stone mill, I'm left with 28 taels. But don't worry mom, once I start the cold glutinous cake business, there will be income soon."
Seeing that Liu Shi was still worried, Lin Xiaoyue thought about it and took out 20 taels of silver to give to her.
"Keep this. After the autumn harvest, give them to Xiaozhi and Qing'er for for school."
She could already tell that her mother had a soft personality and no confidence.
However, as long as she was confident, her mother was actually quite smart.
Wasn't that the case before this?
Her mother supported her unconditionally when she thought about cutting ties with the Lin family.
Even though she managed to convince the village chief by making himself look miserable, that's the most she could do.
Therefore, she could not underestimate her mother.
What she had to do was to give her mother a sense of security, so that her heart could be at ease.
"When I earn more money in the future, I'll give you an allowance," Lin Xiaoyue continued.
She couldn't give all of it to her because it would be difficult to get her to spend the money afterwards.
But she couldn't not give it to her. Anyway, she would have to wait and see when the time came.
Liu Shi glanced at her daughter and put the money into her interspatial ring.
"Sure."
It wasn't that she had to hold onto her daughter's money, but her daughter was wasting too much money.
If she saved some of it, her family could at least have some savings in case of emergency.
In any case, she had the interspatial ring, so no one could touch the money.
After washing the dishes, Lin Xiaoyue went to take care of the chili seedlings.
Then, she carried a basket, and prepared to enter the mountain.
She had previously found a few black locusts in the mountains. Since she had time today, she was going to use them to make shampoo.
There was not much of the shampoo she brought from her world left since everyone in the family had long hair.
When Liu Shi saw Lin Xiaoyue carrying a basket, she quickly asked her what she was going to do.
"Don't worry, mom. I'm not going into the mountains to hunt, but to get some black locusts."
When Liu Shi asked and learned the uses of black locusts, she immediately gave up the idea of embroidering a purse. She also took a basket and wanted to go with Lin Xiaoyue.
Lin Xiaoyue had no choice but to let her mother follow.
Soon, the mother and daughter ran into Aunt Wang and Erya again.
The mother and daughter of the Wang family were preparing to go up the mountain to harvest wild vegetables. When they saw Liu Shi and Lin Xiaoyue, they quickly greeted them and asked them to go together.
Aunt Wang was a little surprised.
She never saw them going into the mountains to pick vegetables, why now?
135 Harvesting Locusts
Only after asking did they realize that they were going to get some black locusts.
After learning black locusts could be used to make shampoo, they were also very interested.
"There are a few black locust trees on the mountainside. Aunt Wang, if you're interested, we can do it together. After we make the shampoo, we'll share some with you." Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
"Sure!" Aunt Wang immediately agreed.
Then, they stopped looking for wild vegetables and followed Lin Xiaoyue and Liu Shi.
When they got there, Aunt Wang finally knew what tree Lin Xiaoyue was talking about.
"So this thing is black locust. It looks edible, but it's not. In the past, everyone thought that these trees were useless," Aunt Wang said.
"Hehe, it's not edible, but it has other uses. It can be used to wash hair and clothes. The spine is also a medicinal herb."
"Are you talking about these spines?" Aunt Wang looked at the spines on the locust tree in disbelief.
"These things are very painful and poisonous. When Shuanzi came to the mountain when he was young, he was pricked and the swelling only subsided after a few days."
Liu Shi and Wang Erya were also suspicious.
But they didn't stop. While harvesting the black locusts, they also picked up some spines that fell on the ground.
"Yes, it's poisonous, but it's also a medicinal herb," Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
"It can be used to treat ulcers, swelling, rashes and other diseases. It can be used topically and orally."
"It's that powerful?" Aunt Wang was surprised.
"Yes. It's just too hard to harvest. Otherwise, I would take some with me and sell them at the pharmacy in town."
Aunt Wang's eyes instantly lit up.
They can be sold?
"Okay! I'll take some back later and go to the pharmacy in town!" She immediately said.
Liu Shi looked at the spines in a different light.
There were many black locust trees in the mountain.
If this thing could really be exchanged for money, they could have extra income from selling these.
Lin Xiaoyue smiled at Aunt Wang's words.
"Don't get your hopes up. The pharmacy usually only accepts processed medicinal herbs. If you don't know how to process them, they might not take them. Even if they do, it's hard to estimate the price." Lin Xiaoyue continued, "and this thing is not easy to deal with. If you're not careful, you might be pricked."
It was true that the pharmacy rarely bought unprocessed medicinal materials, but the processing of black locust spines was quite simple. If the quantity was large, they might buy them.
However, it wasn't easy to harvest them, so it was not easy money.
After hearing Lin Xiaoyue's words, Liu Shi lost her interest.
However, Aunt Wang's eyes were still burning as she looked at the locust spines.
"Tsk, what's there to be afraid of? The important thing is that we can exchange them for money," Aunt Wang said.
Their family didn't have much more land than the Liu family. Usually, they relied on Shuanzi's father to work at the town's dock to support the family.
She and Erya did not have any talent in embroidery, so they could not earn money to support the family like Liu Shi.
Seeing that Shuanzi was at the age when he should be getting married, she, as his mother, was anxious.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't pay much attention to Aunt Wang's words. She put down the basket, turned it over, and stood on it so that she could get the locust that was high up.
"Aiya, be careful!" When Liu Shi saw this, she quickly went over to help her.
"Hehe, it's fine, mom!"
"The tree is too tall. I'll go make a hook later!" Lin Xiaoyue said as she removed a locust.
136 Making Shampoo
After she harvested all the locusts she could reach, she took the sickle and left.
There were many trees on the mountain. After a while, Lin Xiaoyue found a small tree that could be made into a hook.
She cut it with the sickle, leaving a thicker branch as a hook, and the trunk as a long handle.
Then, with this tool, she would be able to reach the locusts that were higher up.
Since no one harvested the locusts in the mountains, the four of them were able to fill up their baskets quickly.
"It's almost done. I'll take these back and try it out." Lin Xiaoyue said.
"There are still a lot here!" Aunt Wang said.
"We can't harvest everything today. Let's try these first. If it works, we can come and get more."
Looking at the tree that was full of locusts, Lin Xiaoyue was also tempted
She would prepare some tools and store some of the locusts she harvested. When needed, she could make shampoo at any time.
"That's true. Let's go then." Aunt Wang said, but she was somewhat reluctant.
It was still early.
"I'll go with Yue'er. When we are done, I'll send some over to you. It's still early, you can still go and harvest some wild vegetables," Liu Shi said.
The Wang family just got two pigs a few days ago, so they needed a lot of vegetation and leaves.
"How can this be? Wouldn't I be taking from you for free?" Aunt Wang immediately said.
"What do you mean free? You and Erya harvested at least half of the locusts in the basket," Lin Xiaoyue laughed.
"This is my first time trying, so it's hard to say if I'll succeed. Mom and I don't have anything to do in the morning, so we'll go home and try making it first."
"Yes, go ahead and do what you need to do!" Liu Shi said.
"Alright, then I'll be thick-skinned and take advantage of you," Aunt Wang finally said.
"What are you saying! You took such good care of us!" Liu Shi immediately said.
Seeing that the two of them were about to exchange pleasantries again, Lin Xiaoyue quickly interrupted.
"Aiya, that's it, aunty, you and Erya go ahead, we'll leave now." After she finished speaking, she carried the basket and was about to leave.
Liu Shi and Aunt Wang both laughed before they separated.
When they got home, Lin Xiaoyue began to prepare for the shampoo-making process.
Considering that the pot at home could not hold too many locusts, Lin Xiaoyue only took out a small portion of the locusts in the basket to try first.
The first step was to clean them.
After washing them in the stream, Lin Xiaoyue returned to the kitchen and found a hard object to grind the locusts.
Then, she soaked the crushed locusts in water.
After about half an hour, she poured the mixture into the pot.
"Mom, you can start the fire now," Lin Xiaoyue smiled and looked at Liu Shi.
"Alright," Liu Shi retracted her curious gaze and started to light the fire.
"When the water boils, stir it. I'm going to the mill to see if it's ready," Lin Xiaoyue said to Liu Shi when she heard movement in the courtyard.
"Go on."
Lin Xiaoyue smiled and left.
In the courtyard, she saw someone carrying a grinding stone in with Li Xiao.
Lin Xiaoyue quickly went to help.
Only when the grinding stone was put down did Lin Xiaoyue relax and return to the kitchen.
The water in the pot was already boiling, and it was obvious that it had been stirred many times.
Lin Xiaoyue saw that the color of the mixture had turned somewhat yellow. She nodded in satisfaction.
137 Made Soap
"It's almost done. Help me hold the cloth, I'll scoop up the soap water." She said to Liu Shi.
As she spoke, she went to take a bucket and filter cloth.
Liu Shi came over quickly.
Then, according to Lin Xiaoyue's instructions, she stretched the filter cloth over the bucket.
Lin Xiaoyue then used a water ladle to scoop up the soap water.
She filtered the boiling soap solution into the wooden bucket.
The mother and daughter worked hard to get all the soap water out of the pot.
After removing the sediments, they finally got a half a small pot of liquid soap.
"You can store them after they cool down." Lin Xiaoyue said happily as she carried the bucket to a cupboard.
"I want to wash my hair. Mom, do you want to try it too?" Seeing that Liu Shi was curious, Lin Xiaoyue smiled at Liu Shi.
"There's water in the pot. I'll watch you do it first." Liu Shi said.
"Hehe, okay!"
Ten minutes later, when Liu Shi saw that Lin Xiaoyue had made bubbles with soap, and the bubbles were not much less than the shampoo they used before, her eyes lit up.
"It's really useful!" Liu Shi exclaimed.
She had gotten used to using her daughter's shampoo for the past month. Seeing that the shampoo was about to run out, she was a little worried, but she didn't have to worry anymore.
"Of course, it's all natural!" Smelling the fragrance of the soap and remembering that she made it herself, Lin Xiaoyue's heart was filled with joy.
"It can be used to wash clothes. Mom, you can add some of this when you soak the clothes. It'll be easier to remove the stains."
Anyway, there were plenty of black locusts on the mountain. She could get more in the coming days.
"Sure, I'll try it tonight!" Liu Shi's face was filled with excitement.
Then, she went to wash the pots and clean the kitchen.
After Lin Xiaoyue finished washing her hair, she dried her hair until it was half dry. Then, she busied herself in the courtyard for a while, and her damp hair dried completely.
She went back to the backyard and tied her hair up. Then, she went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
"Don't make too many dishes. There are still some leftovers from yesterday's party. If we don't finish them, they won't be edible anymore." Liu Shi said to Lin Xiaoyue while cooking.
"Yes, I know. There's not much left, I'll make scrambled eggs with chives and cucumbers!"
She actually wanted to eat meat, but there was no refrigerator in ancient times, so meat was cooked on the same day it was bought. She didn't go to town today, so she couldn't have it even if she wanted to.
Well, maybe she shouldn't have sold the 100 catties of wild boar meat last time. It would be nice to make cured meat.
And sausages!
Sigh, she couldn't help but drool at the thought of it.
It wasn't easy for her to escape from the apocalypse, so of course she had to eat and sleep well!
She must eat more meat!
She quickly made a mental note that she was going to buy meat from town tomorrow to make cured meat and sausages.
It was just two simple dishes, one of which was a cold dish. Lin Xiaoyue did not spend much effort making the dishes.
After lunch, Lin Xiaoyue soaked another 6 catties of rice to make cold glutinous cakes later.
By this time, the soap had already cooled down. Lin Xiaoyue took out ceramic jars.
After cleaning the jars, she poured the soap into them.
She put a long wooden spoon in one of the jars and took it to the bathroom at the back.
Then, she carried the other jar and went out.
When Liu Shi learned that Lin Xiaoyue was going to the Wang family to deliver soap, she did not stop her. She even asked Lin Xiaoyue to invite Aunt Wang and Wang Erya to come over when they were free.
Lin Xiaoyue agreed and went out.
138 The Lively Atmosphere at the Liu Family House
When she arrived at aunt Wang's house, she learned that Lin Xiaoyue was here to deliver soap, and aunt Wa
When she arrived at Aunt Wang's house, they were grateful to receive the soap solution.
"You and your mother are going to make cold cakes, so we won't disturb you today," Aunt Wang said.
She and Erya also had to prepare pig feed. In addition, they would go to the mountain later to get some black locust spines.
Lin Xiaoyue looked at Wang Erya, who was making a fire in front of the stove.
The little girl obviously wanted to go, but she didn't say anything.
This girl, like Aunt Wang, had no talent in embroidery.
She was learning from Liu Shi before Jiang Xiaohua, and she had spent more time with her during the construction of the house, but she hadn't learned as well as Jiang Xiaohua.
Now, even Aunt Wang didn't have much hope for her, but she still refused to give up.
"Alright, then. When the cold cakes are ready, I'll send some over to you." Lin Xiaoyue smiled.
Wang Erya's eyes lit up.
"No, you're going to sell it!" Aunt Wang immediately refused.
Lin Xiaoyue noticed that Wang Erya's eyes immediately dimmed.
"No worries, I'll make a lot and have some for ourselves!" She hurriedly said.
Aunt Wang also noticed Wang Erya's expression, and she sighed.
"Alright, just this once. Thank you!"
"You're treating me as an outsider by saying this. We should be like a family," Lin Xiaoyue said.
She was going to say something else, but she stopped.
She had the intention to get Aunt Wang and Erya into the cold cake business. However, she hadn't started yet, and the plan was still not solid, so she didn't say anything.
After saying a few more words, Aunt Wang sent Lin Xiaoyue out.
When she got home, Lin Xiaoyue saw that Aunt Jiang and Jiang Xiaohua had already arrived.
At this time, the mother and daughter were sitting with Liu Shi under a big tree in the courtyard. They were sitting on the chairs that Uncle Sun made.
"Yue'er is back!" Aunt Jiang was the first to see Lin Xiaoyue and called out to her.
Liu Shi also looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"Where's Aunt Wang?" She asked Lin Xiaoyue.
"Aunt Wang and Erya are preparing pig feed. They said they won't be coming over today," Lin Xiaoyue responded.
She walked towards the three of them with a smile. "Aunt Jiang, Xiaohua, when did you arrive? "
"Just a moment ago," Aunt Jiang arrived.
"Your mother said that you asked Carpenter Sun to make these chairs for you. They look really good!"
Before the Liu family built the house, they had to sit on a stone under the big tree. After a long time, it was a little uncomfortable.
Now that they had a chair to sit on, it was much more comfortable than before.
They were so envious of their courtyard.
She didn't know when she would be able to build a house. Even if they couldn't build such a big house with bricks and tiles, a small mud house would do.
"Hehe, I just wanted you to come over and be comfortable."
Then, there was a voice coming from the front door.
"Liu Shi!"
Aunt Sun was here.
Liu Shi and JAunt Jiang quickly greeted Aunt Sun at the door.
"I heard your voices from outside!" Aunt Sun entered the door and walked over with a smile, holding a needle and thread.
"Hehe, how could it be as lively without you?" Aunt Jiang said with a smile.
"I was just talking about the chairs that your husband made. They look really good!"
When Aunt Sun heard this, the smile on her face immediately became wider.
"I'm not trying to boast, but there are only a few people in the surrounding villages who have better skills than my husband!"
"But Yue'er thought of the design. It's really unique!"
ng was extremely grateful.
"You and your mother are going to make cold cakes, so we won't disturb you today." Madam Wang said.
She and ER ya also had to prepare pig feed. In addition, they would go to the mountain later to get some black soap thorns back.
Lin Xiaoyue looked at Wang Erya, who was burning the fire in front of the stove.
The little girl obviously wanted to go, but she didn't say anything.
This girl, like aunt Wang, had no talent in embroidery.
She had learned from her mother before Jiang Xiaohua, and she had spent more time with her mother during the construction of the house, but she hadn't learned as well as Jiang Xiaohua.
Now, even Madam Wang didn't have much hope for her, but she still refused to give up.
"Alright, then. When the cold cakes are ready, I'll send some over to you." Lin Xiaoyue laughed.
Wang Erya's eyes lit up.
"How can this be? You're going to use it to do business and sell it!" Madam Wang immediately refused.
Lin Xiaoyue noticed that Wang Erya's eyes immediately dimmed.
don't be afraid. Make a lot and leave some for yourself! He hurriedly said.
Madam Wang also noticed Wang Erya's expression, and a sigh flashed in her eyes.
"Alright, just this once. Thank you, Auntie!" Then, he said to Lin Xiaoyue.
"Juan Zi, you're treating me as an outsider by saying this. Our two families have different feelings." Lin Xiaoyue said.
She wanted to say something but gave up in the end.
That's right, she had the intention to pull aunt Wang and ER ya into the cold cake business. However, she hadn't started yet, and the situation was still unclear, so she didn't tell Auntie Wang.
After saying a few more words, aunt Wang sent Lin Xiaoyue out.
When she got home, Lin Xiaoyue saw that Jiang changzi and Jiang Xiaohua had already arrived.
At this time, the mother and daughter were sitting with her mother under a big tree in the courtyard. They were sitting on the row of chairs that she had asked Uncle Sun to make.
"Yue 'er is back!" Jiang kuangzi was the first to see Lin Xiaoyue and shouted at her.
Liu Shi also followed Jiang bingzi's voice and looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"Where's Madam Wang?" He asked Lin Xiaoyue.
"Aunt Wang and ER ya are cooking pig feed. They said they won't be coming over today." Lin Xiaoyue responded.
He walked towards the three of them with a smile. Jiang Zhenzi, little flower, when did you arrive? "
"I just arrived." Jiang Kuai Zi replied.
"Your mother said that you asked Carpenter sun to make these chairs for you. They look really good!" When Lin Xiaoyue came closer, she praised.
Before the Liu family built the house, they came over and sat directly on the stone under the big tree. After a long time, it was still a little uncomfortable.
Now that he had a chair to sit on, it was much more comfortable than before.
The Liu family's courtyard was really enviable.
He didn't know when his family would be able to build a house. Even if they couldn't build such a big house with green bricks and tiles, a small mud house would do.
"Hehe, I just wanted you to come over and have a good seat."
Lin Xiaoyue had just responded when a voice came from the front door of the courtyard.
"Liu family's little sister!" Sun Juan Zi came.
Madam Liu and Jiang zhezi quickly greeted sun zhengzi at the door.
"I heard the commotion here from outside!" Auntie sun entered the door and walked over with a smile, holding a needle and thread.
"Hehe, without you, how could it be lively?" Jiang Kuai Zi said with a smile.
"I was just talking about the chair that your Carpenter sun made. It looks really good!"
When sun pin heard this, the smile on her face immediately became wider.
that's right. I'm not trying to boast, but there are only a few people in the surrounding villages who have better skills than my husband! Sun yaozi looked at the bench.
"But this style was thought of by Yue 'er, so it's really unique!"
139 The Lin family is Haunted Again
"He's going to make a few of them for our own use," Aunt Sun smiled.
Her husband said that the Yue'er was no ordinary girl. A lot of the furniture was designed by her.
For example, the long bench, the foldable table and chair, and a wardrobe in which clothes could be hung.
When she saw the finished product, she was tempted to ask her husband to change the furniture in the house.
However, they didn't do that. Her husband only planned to make a few simple ones and put them in the yard which he would then recommend to other customers.
In addition, he could also sell them to the furniture shop in town.
This time, it was all thanks to Yue'er that they could make more money.
"That's great. When I build a house in the future, I'll get your husband to make two of them and put them in the yard!" Aunt Jiang said.
Aunt Sun smiled, "sure, I'll ask my husband to give you a cheaper price!"
However, she had a different thought.
The Jiang family only relied on Uncle Jiang for money and they had three daughters to support. How could it be so easy for them to build a house? Did she think that she was Liu Shi, having such a capable daughter?
"Aunt Sun, have a seat. I'll get you some water," Lin Xiaoyue said.
Her mother was getting more and more popular. Aunt Wang, Aunt Jiang, Aunt Sun, and Aunt Li from the village chief's family would occasionally come to see her.
These women were very lively when they came together.
Lin Xiaoyue left after she finished speaking.
When she came with the large teapot, she happened to hear Aunt Sun gossiping about the Lin family.
"This morning, First Uncle Lin and Second Uncle Lin sent Old Madam Lin and Lin Lanhua to town. I heard that she fell quite badly and lay in front of the toilet for most of the night. She was only discovered when it was almost dawn," Aunt Sun said animatedly.
"Some people say it involves the supernatural."
Aunt Sun looked at Liu Shi, "maybe it's your husband. Otherwise, why would something happen after they came to make trouble yesterday?"
Liu Shi's expression changed slightly, and her face turned pale.
Aunt Jiang's expression also changed.
"That's impossible, right?" She carefully glanced at Liu Shi.
How could she say that in front of Liu Shi and upset her?
"Aiya, how is it impossible? Otherwise, why didn't she wake up at all?" Aunt Sun didn't notice the hint in Aunt Jiang's eyes and continued.
Then, she looked at Liu Shi, "don't think too much. It's a good thing that your late husband stood up for you, so that those women from the Lin family will not dare to come looking for trouble again!"
Liu Shi did not speak.
"However, now that your house is built, you should burn some incense and paper money for him, so that he doesn't need to worry about you guys anymore, and it's only right for him to quickly reincarnate."
Although did not come to the Liu family, what if he missed his wife and children? Humans and ghosts were separated, and it was not good for them to have contact.
Now that the Liu family had a house, both Yue'er, Li Xiao and even Liu Shi, who could earn money through embroidery, were capable, they would definitely have a good life in the future.
"Yes, you're right," Liu Shi glanced at her daughter as she responded.
Her late husband had helped the family a lot, and he should not continue to worry about them.
140 Protective and Cunning
"Tomorrow, we'll buy some paper money and burn it for your father," Liu Shi said to Lin Xiaoyue.
It was indeed time to let him go.
Lin Xiaoyue was a little confused.
"Alright, mom!"
Of course she did not believe that it was her father's spirit who had sought revenge on Old Madam Lin and Lin Lanhua. However, after she had transmigrated, she had been using her father's name to do things.
If burning paper money for her father could make her mother feel at ease, then she would do it.
However, there's something strange about this matter.
Looking in the direction of the mill, Lin Xiaoyue suddenly had some ideas.
Then, she went to look for Li Xiao.
In the mill, Li Xiao was still packing up some things.
Seeing that Lin Xiaoyue had arrived, a smile appeared on his face.
"The stone mill is ready to be used. Has the rice been soaked?"
"Yes, but it hasn't gone soft yet. We'll have to wait a little longer."
Did he do this?
After she returned to her room last night, she didn't check on his whereabouts. It was likely that he'd done something.
Old Madam Lin and Lin Lanhua were unconscious in front of the toilet for the entire night…that sounded familiar.
Didn't Fourth Uncle Lin spend the night in the mountains? If it wasn't for the storm, he might not have woken up until dawn.
"I'll grind it later," Li Xiao said.
He noticed that Lin Xiaoyue was looking at him strangely, and the corners of his mouth rose again.
"What's wrong?"
"Did you go out last night?" Lin Xiaoyue lowered her voice and asked.
There couldn't be ghosts. It was definitely this man's doing.
Li Xiao paused.
"You're the one behind the Lin family's incident?" Lin Xiaoyue could tell.
"Yes." Looking at Lin Xiaoyue's eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything, Li Xiao admitted it.
Lin Xiaoyue heaved a sigh of relief and then smiled.
Li Xiao was a little confused.
Was she angry or happy?
"Don't do this next time," Lin Xiaoyue said, holding back her laughter.
Li Xiao was still confused.
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Li Xiao, "Aunt Sun said that there are rumors that the Lin family house is haunted, and that It was dad who stood up for us."
"Mom just told me to buy some paper money to burn for dad tomorrow."
Li Xiao looked awkward.
Was he causing his father-in-law to take the blame?
"Hmm, I won't use this method again!" He said.
Lin Xiaoyue was amused by Li Xiao's expression.
Together with Li Xiao, they started to work in the mill.
He was making her like him more and more. He was protective and cunning, just like her.
Lin Xiaoyue only returned to the kitchen when it was almost time.
She sent the soaked rice to the mill.
Then, the two of them ground the rice into rice milk.
Then, Xiao Qing, who came out of the backyard, started the fire with Lin Xiaozhi, and Lin Xiaoyue started to make the cold cakes.
When Liu Shi saw the smoke coming from the kitchen, she stopped chatting with Aunt Jiang and the others and went to the kitchen to help.
In the end, they all came along.
They only discovered Lin Xiaoyue's skills after hearing about the cold glutinous cake she made during the construction of the house.
The men of the Jiang and Sun family told them when they went back home, so Aunt Jiang, Jiang Xiaohua, and Aunt Sun were so curious about the cold cakes.
In a short while, Lin Xiaoyue had made five trays of cold cakes.
Then, everyone took some and sent them to the pond to cool down.
Lin Xiaoyue said that she would give some to the Jiang and Sun family. The three of them said that they were embarrassed to accept it, but they took them anyway.
When they heard that they were going to sell them in town, the three of them agreed that they could give it a try.