Chapter 481: The Generous Ms. Yan
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan finally understood why the Yan Family wished to marry their daughter to Shao Silang, when she was already 20 years old.
The Yan Family was slightly wealthy and loved the daughter. So, they were quite particular when it came to son-in-laws.
But Ms. Yan looked really ordinary, and the Yan Family were not incomparably rich. Since the Yan Family was particular about their son-in-law, she was not married until 20 years old.
That was when the Yan Family got so anxious.
The Yan Family would never have wanted to marry their daughter to people like the second section of the family. But things were different. Seeing that the second section of the family was offering 15 liang as a wedding gift, the Yan Family approved of the marriage.
Otherwise their daughter would become an old spinster.
Shao Silang was just lucky.
Ms. Yan served the senior people in the family tea, whilst Qiao Xuan, Qi and Taotao were waiting for her to address them differently after seeing the presents.
What surprised them most of all was that Ms. Yan had prepared presents for Qi, Taotao, Shao Junyan and Shao Qing. Taotao and Shao Qing were given a pair of pink silk flowers whilst Qi and Shao Junyan were given a purse of sapphire colored flowers each.
The whole first section of the family got shocked. Their eyes were widened.
The second section of the family was so stingy that they had never received presents from them. Ms. Yan's actions shocked them all.
Even Ms. Xu tried to turn down the present, but thanked Ms. Yan for her kindness.
Taotao and Qi kept pushing the presents away. "No, no, thanks…"
Ms. Niu looked surprised too.
Apparently, that was Ms. Yan's own idea, which had not been shared with Ms. Niu.
Ms. Niu took the opportunity and smiled. "Ms. Yan, they don't lack any of these things, just take them back!"
"Mom, these are my wishes for them. I am not taking them back!" Ms. Yan smiled. She sounded gentle but had a very firm attitude. "Cousin, Taotao and Qi, accept them! Are you all looking down at my presents?" They all hesitated and turned to Ms. Fang for help.
Ms. Fang smiled. "Just accept the kindness from Ms. Yan!"
So they did.
Ms. Niu was not very pleased. But she could not teach her newly-wedded daughter-in-law a lesson in front of others. So she had to drop it.
After they left, Qi and Ms. Xu opened the purses and found that there were eight pennies inside each of them.
They were even more surprised.
"Is she a little too generous?"
Although the first section of the family did not think that eight pennies was a lot, yet for villagers, that was already a huge amount!
Ms. Fang smiled. "Just accept it. Ms. Yan seems nice."
Ms. Yan must have heard of the relationship between the three sections of the family, but she still did so. It also seemed that Ms. Niu had no idea about this. Apparently, Ms. Yan had the intention of befriending the first section of the family.
Ms. Fang did not think that it was something bad.
As long as Ms. Yan did not do anything against them.
If she did, she would teach her a lesson too…
Honestly, if Ms. Yan dared to be calculative towards the first section of the family, she would end up in a bad situation.
Back home, Ms. Niu wasn't that pleased. But she still avoided Ms. Zhang and said to the newly-weds, "Ms.. Yan, why did you offer them so many presents?
Such a waste!"
Ms. Yan smiled. "Mom, they are our relatives, the Eldest Uncle's family. It is always better to have a good relationship than hold a grudge, right? That wasn't too much for me. Also, Silang approved of it, too."
Ms. Yan did not tell Ms. Niu about this, but she discussed it with her husband.
Shao Silang had not wanted to do so. But Ms. Yan intentionally whispered something sweet and warm to Shao Silang, who turned totally dumb and nodded in the end.
Ms. Niu glared at Shao Silang, while her anger towards Ms. Yan disappeared.
"Well…" Shao Silang scratched his head. "I… I…"
He did not know how to explain it to his mother.
Ms. Yan smiled. "Mom, my husband expects to have a good relationship between the two families too, right? Everything is fine. Let's just drop it."
Ms. Niu snorted and warned Shao Silang. "Watch out in the future. We can drop it for now!"
What else could they do, since the presents were already given away.
Ms. Yan smiled and started another topic. She was now officially a member of the Shao Family.
Ms. Yan and Shao Sanlang returned to her mother's home after three days of the wedding. Ms. Niu was stingy and did not offer much as return presents. She only gave her two chickens, two rolls of cheap tea, which almost killed her!
Ms. Yan was very displeased inside her head, but said nothing.
Instead, she and Shao Silang went into the town and bought two jars of wine, three kgs of noodles, one kg of pastry and three kgs of pork belly.
Then, Ms. Yan said in a wrongful tone to her husband, "Mom has given us so little. It is such a humiliation for us. You are the son-in-law, what would my family think of you? I am helping you keep up the reputation. We are a couple, right? I am earning your reputation for your sake!"
Shao Silang felt both guilty and moved, without knowing what to say. He was now totally on Ms. Yan's side.
Ms. Yan added a few more sentences so he felt even more inclined towards her.
Ms. Yan was satisfied and smiled. "Since we have added things on our own to the return presents, don't tell parents about this. Otherwise Mom will blame me again!"
Shao Silang shook his head. "Yeah, we must keep it a secret. Don't worry, I won't tell!"
He knew clearly what his mother was like.
That made Ms. Yan feel even more happy.
She was not trying to start a war with her mother-in-law, but she really could not respect her mother-in-law.
She was married to Shao Silang, and expected to live a peaceful life.
She did not care about what others thought, but Shao Silang had to take her side and obey her words.
She was quite surprised about the terrible relationship between the second section of the family and the first section of the family, which she found out recently.
Luckily, Shao Silang had not offended the first section of the family like his parents. So, she could come up with some solutions to improve the relationship.
She really thought that the second section of the family and third section of the family were stupid.
They could take advantage of the first section of the family in the past, but henceforth, they needed to stay humble and try to have a good relationship with the first section of the family.
They needed to be capable enough to counter them but they had no abilities.
They did not want to admit their foolishness, either. Instead, they kept causing trouble for themselves. So horrible…
She did not care about the third section of the family, and she did not care what the second section of the family wanted.
But they should not stop her from doing whatever she wanted to do. Otherwise, she would separate herself from the family.. She was from a capable family like the Yan Family, who should not be offended easily…
The Yan Family had finally married off their daughter. When she visited her family, the Yan Family looked forward to seeing her again.
Her mother swept her into her arms, crying and touching her face. "You have lost weight!"
Ms. Yan's father, however, got really pleased seeing them come home with so many presents.
He patted Shao Silang's shoulders, smiling. "You are just too polite. We are a family and you don't have to give us so many presents. But I am still glad that you have many gifts with you today. It means that you think my daughter is important. What matters above all is that you live a great life! You don't have to bring so many presents next time, remember?"
The two sons of the Yan Family all nodded in agreement, smiling brightly.
Shao Silang smiled back, wiping the sweat drops on his forehead.
It was all because his wife fixed it for him. She bought the presents with her own money so that he would not be humiliated or scolded by his father-in-law and brothers -in-law.
Shao Silang now was completely subdued by his wife. His wife treated him so well…
The three men of the Yan Family were talking with Shao Silang whilst Ms. Yan and her mother exchanged a few private words.
Hearing that Ms. Yan was living a good life at the Shao Family, everyone smiled. The family had prepared a delicious lunch for them, including stewed chicken, stewed mutton, and pork belly with tofu. They even bought some braised fish from the restaurant and opened a jar of vintage wine just to receive their son-in-law.
Shao Silang felt so glad. He had never been treated so well by anyone before. He almost cheered loud in happiness, when he realized that the dishes were prepared for him only!
During lunchtime, the Yan Family kept telling him to treat Ms. Yan well. Shao Silang clapped his chest, making many promises.
His wife treated him so well, and he was definitely going to treat her well, too!
On their way home, the Yan Family gave them abundant presents as well, including two ducks, four pieces of smoked meat, four strings of smoked sausage, two bags of peanut candies, sesame candies, as well as two roasted chicken from the town. Ms. Yan loved roasted chickens and they had been bought especially for her.
Since they were into the tofu business, they had prepared two stacks of tofu for them to take home as well.
It was tender and snow-white tofu with gauze on the top, carefully placed in each grid, easy for them to carry home.
The Yan Family used the best beans to make the tofu and they had a reputation in the territory. Many tofu stores and restaurants ordered their tofu from them.
The Yan Family saw the couple off at the entrance of the village. Ms. Yan's mother almost cried seeing her daughter leaving, which also drove Ms. Yan to shed tears as well. They were not separated until a long while later.
Shao Silang felt so stressed. He wiped his sweat and said, "Mother-in-law treats you so well!"
Ms. Yan smiled. "They all treat me well. I feel very unhappy to leave them…'
Shao Silang smiled. "But we don't live so far apart. You can come back whenever you want, to visit them."
Ms. Yan smiled and said nothing back.
She would not be able to come back whenever she wanted, since she was already married.
Ms. Niu was really glad to see so many things brought back. She kept asking Ms. Yan. "Are you tired? Why don't you take a break?" Then, she asked Shao Meiling to pour tea for her..
Her daughter-in-law was not as good as Ms. Qiao, but much better than most of the daughters-in-law in the village.
The Yan Family was very wealthy. Look what they had sent back…
Ms. Zhang felt sour, annoyed and jealous seeing Ms. Niu smiling at Ms. Yan so gently.
She was rich, so what? But for the money, no one would want to marry someone with looks like hers!
What was she so proud about? Her mother-in-law didn't like her, she liked her money!
Ms. Zhang felt that the world was unfair, especially when both Ms. Yan and Ms. Qiao were favored because of their money!
Ms. Yan soon cut a few slices of fresh tofu. Along with a roast chicken, she delivered them to the first section of the family.
"Eldest Aunt, I brought these back from my mother's home. Please, have a taste. Don't look down at them!"
"Oh well! You can save them for yourself. I accept your kindness, haha!" Ms. Fang was startled. Ms. Yan was being too generous.
Ms. Niu and the family would cause a scene when they learned about this.
Ms. Fang did not want any trouble.
After all, her family did not lack any food for the time being.
Ms. Yan put down the stuff and smiled. "Please, Eldest Aunt, you are making me feel really guilty. Before I got married, I heard that you are kind, affable and straightforward. So, I respect you a lot. I am just showing my admiration towards you."
Having said that, Ms. Yan left.
Ms. Fang commented lightly. "Silang's wife isn't simple in mind!"
She smiled and sighed, saying nothing more.
She understood what Ms. Yan meant. She had learned something about the relationship between the first section of the family and the second section of the family before she got married. But even if that was the case, she still respected the first section of the family.
Ms. Fang was in a good mood. But she could not help but feel curious. What would the second section of the family do if they learned the truth?
Ms. Fang put away the stuff and made up her mind. If Ms. Niu came to ask them back, she was going to return them intact.
If Ms. Niu did not show up, then it meant that Ms. Yan had convinced her, which made Ms. Yan seem even more capable.
Ms. Fang did not think Ms. Yan would be able to conceal it from Ms. Niu. They were living together, and they would not be able to hide a secret like this.
Tofu was small. But Ms. Niu could not have skipped the roasted chicken.
Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan were both surprised when they found out about this.
Yang Xiaoni's eyes were widened. "Fourth Sister-in-law knows how to maintain relations with people. But will the Second Aunt forgive her for this?"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Well, the Yan Family is rich and she is loved by her family. I guess she has her support."
Ms. Fang glanced at them and said, "What do you think of her?"
Yang Xiaoni immediately reacted. "She is very generous!"
Qiao Xuan understood what her mother-in-law meant. How should they keep the relationship with her?
She thought for a while and smiled. "Mom, we can wait and see. Time will tell if she is pretending or is really so generous. You can't hide your true nature forever. If she is worth associating with, then we can definitely maintain relations with her. Otherwise, we don't need to care about it."
Ms. Fang clapped her hands. "Exactly what I am thinking!"
Yang Xiaoni.
What were they talking about? She did not get it.
Ms. Niu noticed the missing roasted chicken and asked her about it. Ms. Yan never thought about concealing her actions from Ms. Niu..
Sure enough. The questioning came faster than she expected.
Ms. Yan was asked immediately when she returned. "Ms. Yan, where is the roasted chicken? Why is it missing?"
Ms. Yan smiled and replied calmly. "Oh, I just visited Eldest Aunt and gave her some tofu and roasted chicken. I also gave the Third Aunt some tofu and meat." "What?" Ms. Niu screamed. "You gave them one whole roasted chicken, and meat?"
Ms. Yan really hated her when she behaved like this. But she put on a calm look and smiled. "Yes. Eldest Aunt helped us before and I am just paying them back. We are relatives. We should interact with each other sincerely. Isn't that right, Second Sister-in-law?"
Ms. Zhang sneered. Hearing that Ms. Yan was seeking confirmation from her, she thought that Ms. Yan was dragging her down so they could bear the vented anger from their mother-in-law together. She was not going to do that!
Ms. Zhang defended herself instantly. "Fourth Sister-in-law, you are wrong! The first section of the family is stingy and treats us badly. They don't share their money with us. We are not cordial with each other any longer. But you delivered food to them? That is a big mistake!"
Ms. Niu nodded and was about to say something, when Ms. Yan interrupted. "You are wrong, Second Sister-in-law. Eldest Aunt and Uncle helped us a lot in the past, which was seen by the whole village. How can you say such things about them?"
Ms. Zhang sneered. "You also know that it was in the past!"
Ms. Yan. "Favor is a favor. The first section of the family has their life to spend, and we are also a family where everyone is healthy. We can do everything ourselves too. If they want to offer some help, that is kind of them. If they don't want to, that is totally alright as well. After all, they don't owe us anything, right?"
"We are cousins with the same grandparents, isn't it good to be together? If you keep relying on them for help and want them to work for us for free, nobody would offer the help constantly. Honestly, Second Sister-in-law, do you want to work for the first section of the family without payment?"
Ms. Zhang felt that Ms. Yan was mocking her. She snapped. "You know nothing as a newly-wedded bride. I was giving you some insights, but now you are trying to teach me a lesson? You should know what our family is like, else you can ask Mom about it!"
Ms. Yan said, "Mom talks sensibly and logically. I may not know about our family, but this is a principle that doesn't change irrespective of the people."
Ms. Zhang sneered. "Speak with Mom about this then!"
Ms. Niii. .
Ms. Niu opened her mouth but felt a little bit too embarrassed to say anything.
"Ms. Yan, you don't know anything about family affairs. Anyways, let's just drop it this time. Ask me next time before you act, okay? When your grandparents-in-law passed away, your Eldest Uncle promised to help us. He can't just ignore the promise!"
"That is their fault if they break the promise. Look at the house they have now, how wonderful! They ignore us when they have money. That won't work!"
Ms. Yan.
She was speechless. Whatever she said just now did not have any impact.
How should they expect the first section of the family to take care of them? They had their own grandchildren already.
Ms. Yan did not answer Ms. Niu directly but smiled. "Mom, don't worry. I only do things which I think I should do.. We should be sensible, right?"
Ms. Niu thought that she had agreed to what she instructed. So, she nodded and said, "Let's eat dinner. Ms. Zhang, what are you waiting for? Go and prepare dinner!"
Ms. Zhang was completely annoyed. Ms. Yan was the newly-wedded daughter-in-law and she should work, not her!
Ms. Zhang sneaked a glance at Ms. Yan, indicating that she should offer to make dinner.
If Ms. Yan understood the rules, she would take over now.
But Ms. Yan ignored her glance and greeted Ms. Niu before heading back to her room.
Ms. Niu scolded Ms. Zhang for not complying with her wishes.
Ms. Zhang lowered her head and left angrily. She cursed Ms. Yan inside her heart.
Ms. Yan had made up her mind to hang out with the first section of the family. When she was not that busy, she would visit the first section of the family whenever she had time.
Ms. Niu did not like it at the beginning, but Ms. Yan said that she was a newly-wedded daughter-in-law who should hang out with neighbors and relatives. She said that she could even try to see what the first section of the family was busy with. Maybe they could learn about how to make a fortune.
Ms. Niu felt that her words made sense. So, she ignored her visits after that.
Ms. Yan was good with needles and threads. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were both bad at it. So was Ms. Qiao who could not even make the soles.
Ms. Fang spoke highly of Ms. Yan's skills of needles and threads to which Ms. Yan smiled modestly, and offered that she could teach Taotao. Ms. Fang was happy about it. She accepted the offer readily.
In this way, Ms. Yan spent even more time at the first section of the family's home.
For days, Ms. Yan was having a good time with the first section of the family, and Taotao improved a lot under her guidance. She liked this patient and gentle cousin-in-law. Ms. Xu was a little defensive but she did not think this girl was up to anything bad.
Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang felt that Ms. Yan seemed to be a little different from the others in the second section of the family.
Ms. Fang sighed. Silang was an alright husband. But Ms. Niu and the second son of the family were really annoying. She wondered if Ms. Yan could tolerate living with them for long.
Though it seemed that Ms. Niu could not control her, which Ms. Fang found to be strange.
Ms. Yan taught Taotao how to work the needles and threads, so Ms. Fang asked her to stay for lunch.
had turned down the offer in the beginning, but started staying back later on.
The food served at the first section of the family was much better than that at the second section of the family. Even a single dish of cooked vegetables had a lot of taste, which made Ms. Yan feel so jealous.
Yang Xiaoni was bad at needles and threads, but the materials used by her were excellent. Taotao had many things with her, which made Ms. Yan feel even more envious.
She swore to herself that she was going to live a better life.
One day when Ms. Yan returned home, she heard her second sister-in-law whispering to her mother-in-law. She leaned forward and tried to hear the conversation.
After a while, she frowned and got really furious!
Ms. Zhang, that bitch, was trying to make her mother-in-law take away her dowry!
She knew what kind of family Ms. Zhang was from.
Ms. Yan, who grew up in a family filled with love, just did not understand how a man could be so useless that he had to be supported by his married sisters.
In her opinion, a man should be able to support the whole family, protect his parents, his wife and siblings.
Girls should not have to do anything like this.. They should just have fun!
She had felt sorry for Ms. Zhang early on and looked down upon Ms. Zhang's brother.
But after she came to this place, Ms. Zhang was very hostile towards her, so she decided not to befriend her.
Since she hated her, why must she suck up to her? She would just stay away from her.
After the senior people in the family were gone, they were going to live separately and all they needed to do was to act politely when seeing each other.
But Ms. Zhang was so terrible. She even tried to instigate mother-in-law to use her dowry!
Her dowry was not as generous as that of some nobly-born lady. But her parents and brothers adored her and had given her a lot of things.
She had two sets of silver pieces, twenty sets of garments as well as other things and 30 liang in the bottom of the box.
None of these could be moved or used easily.
Ms. Yan clenched her teeth and left quietly.
She did not go to the first section of the family. Instead, she made a big fuss sorting her dowry, intentionally drawing the attention of Ms. Zhang and Ms. Niu.
Ms. Zhang felt so sour and sneered, with a mocking smile on her face. "You have got a lot of dowry, haven't you? Very lucky!"
Then, she started to mutter inside her head, thinking that none of these would belong to her soon.
She did not like it when the dowry would reach their mother-in-law. But Ms. Zhang would still be happy that Ms. Yan would have nothing left.
These words were exactly what Ms. Yan was waiting for. As long as she mentioned the word dowry, Ms. Yan had the way to continue with the story.
Ms. Yan smiled insincerely. "My parents prepared the dowry for me. My mother said that dowry is the biggest guarantee for married girls, and that everything in a girl's dowry box should be neatly put away and not be used unless the whole family is starving. I was not very good at sorting things when I was at my parents' home. But now I have arranged it finally. My mom says that she will come to check my dowry every now and then. If she finds out that my stuff is not well sorted or kept well as she told me, she is going to discipline me."
"My mom is really fierce. I have to obey her!"
Ms. Niu suddenly turned really uncomfortable.
Ms. Zhang felt that something weird was going on. She thought that Ms. Yan was referring to her but she could not prove it.
Before she could say anything, Ms. Yan smiled at her. "Second Sister-in-law, can I ask you how to sort the dowry well? How do you keep your dowry? Should
I put things in separate boxes and move them out every now and then and check if there are bugs or anything?"
"Second Sister-in-law, tell me some good methods, so that I can learn, too!"
Ms. Zhang's face changed. "You…"
She had no dowry.
The rags she had were all delivered to the tailor and she had nothing left!
Ms. Niu looked even more uncomfortable.
Ms. Zhang had no words to say when Ms. Niu's face became ugly.
Moreover, it would be very strange if she tried to get involved with Ms. Yan's dowry discussion.
Ms. Niu knew pretty well how the Yan Family loved Ms. Yan as their daughter. She had also made the promise of adoring her, which was why the Yan Family decided to marry her to their family.
The Yan Family could not be offended easily.
Also, Ms. Yan looked like someone with ideas, too.
What if Ms. Yan's mother really checked her dowry when she came over and found that something was missing. Things would be really horrible at that time..
Ms. Yan sneered inwardly, but showed no expression on her face. She smiled apologetically and went to sort her dowry boxes.
Ms. Zhang was so angry. She snapped. "I have no dowry and I have nothing to give Mom. But you are different, Fourth Sister-in-law. You are trying to shut Mom up! You are so stingy! Look at the Fifth Sister-in-law! She offers her things to cousins and Eldest Aunt all the time!"
"Just shut up!" Ms. Niu snapped. "You also know that you have nothing to give me, right? I have never asked you to. As long as you don't move stuff to your family, I would be assured."
Ms. Niu suddenly realized that even though Ms. Yan did not offer her dowry, she would at least not take things to her own family. The Yan Family were very generous in giving out stuff, and they would benefit more in the future. She did not have to eye her daughter-in-law's dowry now. They could talk about this in the future.
Like she said, she would offer it when their family ran into problems.
Ms. Zhang, who had tried to irritate Ms. Yan, got lectured by Ms. Niu instead. She felt furious but could not counter her. So she nodded timidly.
Ms. Zhang went to the garden to pick vegetables, and Ms. Yan followed behind, smiling at her. "Hello, Second Sister-in-law!"
Ms. Zhang was startled. She clapped her chest to calm herself down.
She glared at Ms. Yan, and responded sarcastically. "You are here, Fourth Sister-in-law. What are you doing here? Mom gives me so much work to do, but nothing to you. Did you find that unfair, so you came to help me share the burden?"
Ms. Yan smiled. "Mom has her own reasons to arrange our work loads. You can speak with her if you are not happy about it. There is no point in talking about it with me. It is not up to you to judge whether I work or not. I don't think I am doing anything wrong."
Ms. Zhang did get much more work to do as per Ms. Niu's arrangement. But Ms. Yan was not idling around either.
The Yan Family loved their daughter but they had raised her well.
That was why the Yan Family did not marry her off earlier. They thought that she was very nice and smart.
Ms. Yan did not think that Ms. Niu was wrong in getting her to do extra work, since Ms. Zhang kept thinking about stealing stuff from her husband's home and giving them to her own home.
Ms. Zhang turned furious, and threw the basket on the floor. She said coldly, "What do you want, Yan Jiao?"
"That is my question to you, Second Sister-in-law!" 's smile faded.
Her face turned cold and she said, "I have just got married and never offended you. Why are you so hostile towards me? You even asked Mom to take control of my dowry. What is your intention, Second Sister-in-law?"
Ms. Zhang's face changed immediately. "You… You…"
"I heard your conversation." Ms. Yan sneered. "I am not giving my dowry away to anyone, so Second Sister-in-law, drop your idea. You don't have to like me and we can just go separate ways. But if you ever dare to play tricks behind my back, I will let you know what I am capable of."
Having said that, Ms. Yan threw a cold glance at her and left.
Ms. Zhang shivered with anger. "How dare she! This bitch, this arrogant bitch!"
Ms. Zhang was angry at Ms. Yan and the first section of the family, too. The first section of the family must have taught her to behave like this, since they spent so much time together..
Ms. Yan felt quite distressed, too. She came from a peaceful family and the first section of the family of the Shao Family was quite peaceful, too. But her mother-in-law was stupid, and her sister-in-law was narrow-minded and jealous of her. She was so upset.
She was thinking about spending two more years here, and then making a huge fuss to separate the families.
She would rather give money and grain to her in-laws than live with them.
It was just too stressful!
The following day, Ms. Yan visited the first section of the family again. Qiao Xuan talked about visiting the mountains the next day. She mentioned that they would be busy with a lot of things, thus won't be working with the needles and thread.
The weather was getting warmer. The flower fields needed to be loosened, the gardens needed to be tidied up, and the cultivation of tea seedlings was about to begin. After all of these were done, the shiitake mushrooms, wooden ears, and snow fungus would be picked again. Also, the tea tree seedlings in the mountains would be ready to be picked. It was time to do the transplantation. The branches of the sapling fruit would also need to be cut.
Spring plows should be prepared for the land at the Zhang Village, and they had to get ready to plant lotus and raise fish in the pond as well.
Moreover, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would need to visit the province again.
They were going to sell dried mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus this time.
When they returned, the peach and apricot flowers would have bloomed. The first patch of roses would bloom as well…
The spring would be a busy time for them.
Especially when it came to planting trees and the creeping figs as well as lipsticks. All of these were important and big projects.
They had very few people who could help. Hence, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan needed to visit the province as soon as possible so as to hire and buy some labor.
When they got some time during the intervals, they would go into the mountains to walk around.
Everyone except for Qi had not been there for a long while. They all kind of missed it.
Even Shao Yunduan had decided to follow along.
They were all used to seeing Ms. Yan at their place these days. Feeling delighted, Taotao smiled at Ms. Yan. "Cousin, do you want to join us?!"
Everyone was startled hearing that.
Although Ms. Yan went on well with Qiao Xuan and Taotao, she was from the second section of the family, and there was still estrangement between them.
Ms. Yan was aware of this point as well.
But if Taotao mentioned this, it basically meant that she was being treated as a part of them.
Even Taotao realized that she had said something wrong.
Seeing Taotao's embarrassment, Qiao Xuan smiled. "Yeah, Cousin, want to join us? We can have fun together."
Ms. Yan nodded in delight. "If you can take me, I would like to join you!"
She knew clearly what position Qiao Xuan had in the first section of the family. Even someone as troublesome as Ms. Xu was conquered, let alone others.
Actually, Qiao Xuan was speaking on behalf of the whole first section of the family.
Taotao let out a sigh of relief, smiling as she gave a grateful look to Qiao Xuan.
"It's a deal. Cousin, come early in the morning. We will be leaving early."
"Okay!"
After deciding this, they started to talk about the trip into the mountains. It was a lively conversation.
Back in the room, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. "Darling, you are well-read and see things far more clearly. What do you think of this new cousin?"
Shao Yunduan chuckled. "You like to hang out with her. That is your gut feeling, right?"
The two of them exchanged a look, and Qiao Xuan smiled. "You are too smart which makes me feel smart as well..
' Shao Yunduan smiled. "Cousin seems okay. The second section of the family is lucky to have her. She can control them."
Qiao Xuan nodded and said, "Yeah. We just need to talk sense with her and any matter can be solved!"
But Second Aunt and Second Uncle would get really annoyed because of her existence. Qiao Xuan admired her cousin deeply.
If she had been married to a family like that, she would have run away…
Early in the morning, Ms. Yan showed up.
The first section of the family had already made buns the night before and steamed them the following day. It was still cold enough to keep them from turning rancid overnight.
They made sauerkraut, winter bamboo shoots with smoked meat diced stuffing, and vermicelli egg stuffing. They also steamed a lot of flower rolls with chopped green onions, and white flour steamed buns to take along for
11
Ms. Yan shared breakfast with the rest of the family and left before dawn just broke.
They felt so happy to be in the mountains, which they had not been to in a long while.
In this cold spring, the mountains were still green. The trees had not yet grown leaves, and the dead grass had also not yet grown new leaves.
But the bare branches were already densely covered with buds with a layer of cuticle. As they gently pushed away the withered grass, they could see the tender yellow buds. After just a few days, the spring breeze would blow, and the buds would bloom overnight. That would be a sight of vitality and greenery.
Qiao Xuan's inner superpower was sensing the world outside. It was moving, accumulating power and was ready to burst out.
Everyone was talking excitedly.
There were no wild vegetables to pick. So, they picked some yams.
Qi was put on the task to do the hunting.
As always, he was very skillful. He pulled the bow and always hit the targets.
Yang Xiaoni and Taotao as well as Shao Sanlang all cheered. They went up to pick the hunted animals.
It was the first time for Ms. Yan to watch such a scene. She was startled.
Qi was so good with bows and arrows. Honestly, with him around, the first section of the family would enjoy a good life for the rest of the days.
Moreover, Shao Yunduan had become a Cultivated Talent and Qiao Xuan was from a family of officials.
Ms. Yan was in awe of Qi and found that her in-laws were totally stupid in their heads.
She was going to tell her husband not to talk ill about the first section of the family, or be calculative with them.
They harvested a lot after half a day.
They had dozens of wild roosters, rabbits, grouses and pigeons.
Qiao Xuan had seasoning spices with her, so they could eat roasted wild roosters and rabbits.
As the sun shone upon them, wind blew by. It was not so cold there. Once the fire was lit, they felt nothing but warmth.
They chose to start the fire close to the water source. They removed the skin and fur of the animals and soon put the wild rooster and wild rabbit into the bamboo and placed them over the fire.
They had good control of the heat, and put salt, homemade five-spice powder on top of them. They spread honey twice in the middle, and finally sprinkled chili powder on the skin. It looked like the skin was crispy and the meat was tender, especially delicious.
Ms. Yan was not a foodie. But she could not help feeling attracted to the food.
Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang could not wait to have a bite.
The texture was crispy and it smelled fragrant. The roasting was well done and people just could not stop wanting to devour all of it..
Shao Sanlang could not help but speak up. "We have harvested a lot today. Fifth
Sister-in-law, what about doing a grill in our backyard tonight?"
They had been making different kinds of dishes during the New Year, and they tried grilling once, which left a good impression on everyone.
Now they had a spacious place, much easier to grill.
Everyone nodded, as they heard Shao Sanlang's suggestion.
Grilling was a lot of fun and delicious. It appealed to everyone's taste buds. No one could turn it down.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Ok, let's go down now. Or we will have no time to marinate the meat!"
"Sure!"
"Let's go home now!"
Seeing that everyone was laughing and cheering together, Ms. Yan smiled but felt jealous. She did not think that her own family could be as close as them.
Qiao Xuan smiled at her and offered. "Join us!"
Ms. Yan did want to join them, but she shook her head and smiled. "Next time. It is getting cold and it won't be ok to leave home at night."
It was not a good thing for her to go to the first section of the family alone at night.
She could hide it from everyone else, except for her husband.
But the first section of the family did not invite her husband, and she could not possibly mention it to them herself.
But it was not the first section of the family's fault. The second section of the family was too annoying and unfriendly to them before. She was already quite happy that Taotao and Qiao Xuan accepted her so fast.
She could take it slow to mend the relationship.
Obviously, Qiao Xuan and her family had thought about this as well. So they did not insist.
On the way home, they dug up some fresh yams, winter bamboo and went home with the harvest.
Qiao Xuan felt a bit sad about the lack of fresh vegetables.
It was not time to eat different kinds of wild vegetables. When spring came, they could eat ferns, spring bamboo shoots, mushrooms, dandelion seedlings, shepherd's purse, Chinese toons, wild onions, wild leeks, cress etc.
Back at home, Ms. Fang smiled. "You are back early today. Oh, you got so many things!"
Shao Sanlang smiled. "We came home early to grill!"
Ms. Fang laughed. "No wonder you are home early. You are greedy for delicious food! It must have been your idea!"
Everyone laughed.
It was always Shao Sanlang who came up with the idea about food.
Ms. Fang picked three winter bamboos, one wild rooster and one wild rabbit to let Ms. Yan take back home.
Ms. Yan turned her down, but Ms. Fang smiled. "You can't go home empty handed, right? We have many things, just take them!"
Ms. Yan thanked her and left.
When Ms. Yan was gone, they started to do a series of labor work including boiling water to remove hair, picking vegetables from the garden, preparing charcoal fire and wire, as well as lighting up the stove.
Ms. Xu's belly had not yet stuck out. This baby did not stir up a lot of trouble in her stomach, so she was fine and could eat all kinds of things.
Qiao Xuan and Qi started to prepare the grill, which attracted Ms. Xu's attention, who helped with preparations as well.
They had 13 wild roosters, eight wild rabbits, roosters and pigeons and five other big wild birds.
They gave away two to Ms. Yan but still had many left. They could not finish them in one go. So, Qiao Xuan decided to salt them and hang them up to turn them into smoked food.
Only when they were smoked could they be kept for a longer time..
They used two roosters, and a rabbit and cut them into different slices. The meat was marinated with seasoning for the grill.
They even marinated wings, chickens' stomachs and feet, so everyone was able to have a portion each.
They picked several three-finger wide crucian carps for marination as well.
There were a few quibs as well added in.
Apart from the meat dishes, they also prepared a few vegetables, including fresh shiitake mushrooms, leeks, winter bamboo shoot slices, winter melon slices, pumpkin slices, yam slices, Chinese cabbages, etc.
To avoid the grill getting too oily, they chopped the roosters and pigeons into four big dices and marinated them with ginger and cooked wine for porridge.
Qiao Xuan made the seasoning. In the evening, they started the fire for the grill.
The two stoves were covered with wire, and pieces of marinated meat were roasted on them. Soon, the meat started to sizzle and smelled great. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were walking around, eagerly waiting to eat. They could hear laughter in the backyard.
Ms. Niu was very happy to see Ms. Yan bringing wild roosters and rabbits as well as bamboo home.
Ms. Yan said that she bought them from Eldest Aunt, who sold them at a very low price. She even gave her the winter bamboos.
Hearing that some money was spent, Ms. Niu felt heart-broken. She complained in an annoyed voice. "Your Eldest Aunt is bullying you! She even asked you for money!"
Ms. Yan was speechless. She forced a smile and said, "Mom, Eldest Aunt did not want it, but I insisted. We can't always take free things from them, right? I would not give away things for free if they ask me all the time as well. Also, it is really cheap! Let's cook the rooster with winter bamboo and leave the rabbit for tomorrow night!"
Ms. Niii. .
She did not like what Ms. Yan said, but she did not counter her.
But when she thought that she did not pay herself and Ms. Yan did it for her sake, so she decided not to continue discussing it.
She still added. "Don't be so silly next time. Qi can hunt, and he can share stuff with us easily. We don't need to pay them!"
Ms. Yan smiled. "I am going to cook now…"
Ms. Yan found the whole concept so strange. How could someone take things without paying and still find it reasonable?
But she could not say anything against her mother-in-law, though she disapproved of her behavior.
But she could say something to her husband…
The next day, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went to the Zhang Village.
They visited Ding Erzhu and his wife as well as a few tenants, discussing plowing when spring arrived.
Then, they met the Land Officer at the Zhang Village, informing him that the creeping figs and tea trees would be ready for cutting. This was the right time.
It was neither cold nor hot, and the cuttings and transplanting would not lose water. After the first spring rain, they could quickly revive, take root and germinate.
Also, Qiao Xuan was surely going to take care of those plants with her superpower. They would survive and grow well.
The villagers were willing to make some money for the early spring plow.
Qiao Xuan asked the villagers to apply at Ding Erzhu's place. There were ten vacancies maximum, one from each family, until the positions were filled.
The villagers would do the cutting, whilst the tenants would do transplanting.
When the arrangement was done, they went into the mountains to dig tea tree seedlings and cut the creeping figs.
They asked only their own people to do the work, rather than anyone outside the family..
Shao Yunduan had become very confident after learning from Master Yun for so many days. He was a smart person to begin with and he could pick up things fast.
During this period, Shao Yunduan went to help with the digging of tea tree seedlings as well.
Eventually, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Shao Sanlang and his wife, Shao Dalang and Qi as well as Taotao were all there.
Ms. Xu would have joined them as well if she was not pregnant.
She really wished to make money but she was pregnant so she dropped the idea.
Eldest Uncle did not know what Qiao Xuan was up to. But seeing that they were out going out, he said, "If you need any help, get Erlang and Silang to help you. Meiling could be helpful too, if Taotao is with you." Shao Sanlang could not help but roll his eyes.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "We are not short of laborers, thanks!"
Eldest Uncle. ' .
He suspected that Qiao Xuan was doing that on purpose but he had no evidence for that.
The places where golden sprouts and lavenders grew had many tea tree seedlings. So, they dug them out, tied them up and transported them on the donkey carts to the Zhang Village and passed them onto the tenants.
The days were not yet warm, and Qiao Xuan decided to wait a little longer for the seedlings to be planted.
They did not have many tea tree seedlings. Hence, they spent four days digging everything that could be dug away.
They had five mu of golden sprouts and three mu of lavender at the Zhang Village.
These tea seedlings could be picked this autumn, and Qiao Xuan thought that the effort was worth it. It was a test for the tea processors to train themselves, so the whole process could be smooth henceforth.
It will soon rise to a certain scale next year.
With her superpower as the assistant, they would definitely have a lot of tea leaves next year.
They had just finished digging when Shao Dalang was summoned to the meeting. They were going to fix the main canal, and that's why Land Officer Ding gathered everyone for the meeting. As a result, Shao Dalang did not join them to dig the creeping figs.
There were three main canals in the village. All the water for irrigation of paddy fields was brought through these three main canals. The largest and longest main canal had not been repaired for many years, and it was high time. When the Land Officer mentioned it, no one objected.
Therefore, all the households involved in the irrigation of the main canal would provide labor and take turns to repair it. The first section of the Shao Family also had a field to draw water from the canal, so Shao Dalang had to repair it too. It would take three days.
Qiao Xuan and the others continued to go into the mountains to cut the creeping figs, whilst Shao Dalang went to fix the canal.
This work was much easier, and faster than digging seedlings. They cut a certain amount, sent it to the Zhang Village in one day and had it cut into pieces of more than 20 centimeters. The amount of cuttings in a day was enough to cover ten mu.
At this rate, they would only need five days to finish the work.
Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan to stop during the last three days. "There is only a little work left, and we have enough help. You should stay at home and study! "
Shao Yunduan could help when they were very busy, but not all the time.
He was about to have lessons with Master Yun, thus he agreed. "Then, you should take it slow. We have enough time to complete this."
Qiao Xuan smiled and agreed.
But not long after they returned home, someone rushed to them and said, "Dalang passed out because a stone hit his legs!"
Everyone's face changed. Ms. Xu almost passed out, but was supported by Yang Xiaoni at the last minute.
Qiao Xuan asked in a calm manner. "Just the legs, right? Nothing else? It is fine, we can hire a doctor if he suffers from pain. Don't worry, Elder Sister-in-law!"
"Yes, yes!" Ms. Fang nodded, as she saw the messenger. "My son is okay otherwise, isn't he?"
That man felt a little scared seeing Ms. Xu getting frightened.
After all, it was a pregnant woman. If something happened to the baby, the first section of the family would kill him for bringing that message.
He said, "No, nothing else. Just the stone that hit his legs…"
Qiao Xuan thanked him swiftly and said, "Mom, let Third Brother and Qi get him home now. I will go with Taotao into the town to fetch a doctor. Just console Elder Sister-in-law and tell her he will be fine.
Shao Yunduan had taken the donkey cart when he went to Master Yun's place.
Shao Sanlang was always the one driving, but he was helping Qiao Xuan with the creeping fig this time around, and hence did not follow him into the town.
Ms. Fang calmed herself down. "Okay, okay, you should head off now. Third and Qi, hurry up! Ms. Xu, don't worry, he just hurt his legs, nothing else. We are villagers who would inevitably get wounded sometimes."
Qiao Xuan and Taotao left in a hurry.
Ms. Xu let out a sigh of relief, forcing a smile. "You are right, Mom. I am fine…
Soon, Ms. Yan hurried in. "Elder Aunt, anything I can do to help? Don't worry, he is a lucky guy, and he should be fine. Also, stones used for the canals would not be too big and he would not be so badly-injured."
Although that might not be the truth, yet Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu felt assured hearing some reassuring words.
They nodded and threw a grateful look at Ms. Yan.
Ms. Fang asked Ms. Yan to keep Ms. Xu company along with taking care of Shao Junyan and Shao Dalang, whilst she went into the kitchen to boil water. She was waiting for Shao Dalang to return and tried hard to press down the anxiety.
Soon, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma as well as Ms. Zhang came over. Everyone expressed their concerns.
"Dalang's leg should be fine, right?"
"He should have been more careful!"
"Is he badly injured? He may not be able to do the spring plow if he is injured!"
"He passed out in pain! Not sure if that is true."
"Don't worry. He is alive, right? He just needs some treatment."
"And even if he is handicapped, you can still survive without him, right?"
Ms. Fang got so annoyed that she wanted to drive them out. "Just stop showing your concern and go make your food. I am too busy to receive you here!"
Did they have any idea what they were talking about? They might as well shut
She was not in a mood to argue with them but she got very angry hearing what they said.
Ms. Yan was speechless. She knew that her brainless mother-in-law would say something stupid. So, she had asked her mother-in-law not to come along with her, and she could just pass on the message.
But… she still came.
Sure enough, she talked nonsense.
Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma did not dare to irritate Ms. Fang anymore at the moment..
If Ms. Fang got annoyed and drove them away, they would suffer.
Seeing Ms. Yan keep Ms. Xu company, Ms. Zhang felt very uncomfortable, but she still smiled. "Let me stay with my cousin as well!"
Ms. Fang threw a glance at her and said, "Ms. Yan is enough. You can leave."
Ms. Zhang felt so annoyed inside her heart.
She was looking down at her…
She forced a smile. "Eldest Aunt, let me stay and free up Fourth Sister-in-law's hands. She is still too young to understand anything. I can keep my cousin company."
"Ms. Yan knows her well!" Ms. Fang turned impatient. "I have no time to argue with you. Just leave!"
Ms. Yan added in a calm tone. "Second Sister-in-law, just go home to make food for mom. I can take care of my cousin. Don't worry."
Ms. Yan was trying to help Ms. Zhang get rid of the embarrassment. But Ms. Zhang did not appreciate it. She felt that Ms. Yan was mocking and sneering at her, and showing off in front of her.
She threw a glare at Ms. Yan and left quietly.
She was filled with anger inside her heart. She felt jealous and annoyed. She was mistreated so badly. In her opinion it was because Ms. Yan was richer than her. Ms. Yan was treated well by both her mother-in-law and the first section of the family. They just knew how to take advantage of others!
All These people should suffer one day! They were the bad ones…
Qiao Xuan and Taotao managed to rent a bull cart to travel into the town. They kept urging the uncle to drive faster. The driver also understood that they were in need of a doctor at the moment.
But the bull cart could not go too fast.
As they reached the town, Qiao Xuan spoke with Manager Qin from Mingren Tang, who packed up his stuff and went out with the pageboys, even though it was closing time.
Taotao and Qiao Xuan as well as the doctor and pageboy went in the wagon, whilst the uncle drove the bull cart alone and slowly.
When they arrived home, it was bustling in the room. Everyone was present, talking about things.
Shao Yunduan and Qi were waiting for them at the gate and finally saw them return.
"Fifth Brother! How is Elder Brother?!"
Taotao almost shed tears.
Shao Yunduan said gently, "Elder Brother has woken up. He is alright. Doctor Qin, please, this way!"
They heard the arrival of the doctor and spared the way for him.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a glance and reminded Ms. Fang, seeing so many people around.
Ms. Fang brought herself back and thanked everyone present, driving them away.
Shao Yunduan asked the crowd to go out and Shao Sanlang helped to drive them away as well.
They left seeing that the doctor was here and it was getting late in the day. It also seemed that the Shao Family did not need much help. They did not want to be in the way at this time.
Second Uncle and Third Uncle were still waiting for the diagnosis.
Doctor Qin checked Shao Dalang's wounds and his heart skipped a beat.
He was experienced and did not reveal his inner thoughts easily.
Third Uncle could not wait and asked. "How is it, Doctor Qin, can my nephew keep his leg? Many people say that it is a severe injury!"
Ms. Fang shouted furiously. "Just shut up!"
Third Uncle said unhappily, "Eldest Sister-in-law, you can't vent anger on us. I am simply telling the truth. We can't ignore the facts!"
"Just get out of here! Now!"
Ms. Fang turned furious, pushing Third Uncle out of the room despite other guests being present there.
Third Uncle snapped. "What are you doing? I am concerned about my nephew! I can't change the truth no matter what I say, you are just so confused!"
"Get out of here!"
"Eldest Brother, look at this!"
"Please leave." Shao Yunduan said coldly, "Don't disturb Doctor Qin while treating my elder brother. Otherwise, we will not spare you."
"Yes! You are simply talking nonsense, why should we be nice to you? We don't need your care!" Shao Sanlang and the brothers went up and glared at Third Uncle.
Eldest Uncle stopped Shao Sanlang and Shao Yunduan, sighing. "Please, leave now. We can take care of Dalang here and we will keep you updated. Your Eldest Sister-in-law is just very anxious, please don't hold a grudge against her."
Ms. Fang sneered and spat at them.
Shao Sanlang and his brothers pushed them out.
Third Uncle and Second Uncle got annoyed, cursing that the family was heartless in the face of their concern. They finally left in anger.
Seeing the scene, Ms. Yan got up and waved them goodbye automatically.
Ms. Fang nodded and said gently, "Thanks for your help today!"
"You are welcome. My pleasure."
When the outsiders were gone, everyone turned nervous as they turned to Manager Qin.
Qiao Xuan had already told Manager Qin about Ms. Xu's pregnancy. She said that if the situation was bad, he should share the truth privately.
Manager Qin examined Shao Dalang's calf which was in a terrible situation. It might have been broken to a serious degree, and he might be limping from this day on.
His right leg would not be strong enough to stand any heavy work. Also, during the change of seasons, it might hurt every time.
Manager Qin sighed emotionally.
But he felt that the Shao Family had a good status and Shao Yunduan was a Cultivated Talent whilst Qiao Xuan could make a lot of money. So, one limping laborer might not cause any problems for the family's livelihood.
But he was going to be handicapped henceforth. That was a hurtful thing for
all.
"He should be fine soon. Just take a good rest and wait for the injury to recover…"
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look. Their hearts sank.
Manager Qin was making a vague statement. They understood what he meant.
Ms. Fang and the others did not notice the slight difference. They looked cheerful and smiled in relief. "For real? That is great!"
"I know he will be fine!"
"Elder Brother, don't worry. Just take a good rest. I am sure you will get better soon!"
"Yeah, Elder Sister-in-law, don't worry!"
Shao Dalang let out a sigh of relief and turned to Ms. Xu who had a pale face, smiling and nodding. "Thank you all for looking after me…"
"Elder Brother, you are being too polite!"
"That is true!"
Ms. Xu smiled too. Her eyes were wet, and she felt grateful and moved. They were lucky to have escaped.
Manager Qin put an ointment and re-bandaged Shao Dalang's wound. He wrote some prescriptions and medical herbs for Shao Dalang to eat and put on his legs.
He had many medicines with him for leg treatment..
In a few days, they needed to go into the town to fetch another portion of medicine.
Otherwise, Manager Qin could come to check on him after five days. They could just use the medicine they had right now till then.
Ms. Fang insisted that Manager Qin should come and check him again. The Shao Family would gladly pay for the medical bills and fare.
Manager Qin nodded.
He needed to go back to the town, and waved goodbye to the first section of the family.
The gate of the town was closed at this hour. But he was the doctor, so he had the special right to be allowed inside. All he needed to do was to show the patrol soldiers his identity card and to write down on the register what he had done and where he had been to.
The first section of the family thanked him gratefully. Ms. Qiao told Ms. Fang that she had already paid him. "Just rest well, Mom."
Ms. Fang nodded and sighed. "Good child. You have had a long day too. I will give the money to you later."
Qiao Xuan nodded and walked out with Shao Yunduan, Manager Qin and his pageboys.
"Manager Qin…
Manager Qin sighed slightly, knowing that these two had already understood what he meant.
He said in a small voice, "I am sorry, but Dalang is in a bad condition. His legs might not… be well again."
Shao Yunduan's heart sank. "Manager Qin, please. Tell me what we can do to make Elder Brother recover. We are willing to try everything."
"Don't worry." Manager Qin smiled bitterly. "I am a doctor. I am not going to hide anything from you since you trust me. The bones of his calf and leg are seriously damaged, and the tendons are injured. Even the orthopedic master who is best at bone-setting can't guarantee that he can recover fully. I'm afraid…
"Well, he should be able to walk, except… except that it will not be as convenient as before, and he won't be able to do any heavy work."
Shao Yunduan's face sank. "No other solution?"
Manager Qin shook his head slightly. "Almost impossible."
Qiao Xuan said, "Almost impossible, but there is a small possibility of recovering, right?"
Manager Qin did not know what to say. "It can be taken as that."
But full recovery was almost impossible.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "That is good. Elder Brother has always been healthy and maybe he can recover fast. He should eat well and rest well, so he can get better, right?"
Manager Qin. "…Well… makes sense."
Shao Yunduan greeted him. "Thanks, Manager Qin. Take care on the way!"
"I am off now."
Manager Qin greeted back and left with his pageboys.
"Darling, Elder Brother will recover."
Shao Yunduan felt his heart warm. He nodded slightly. "Yes. He will."
"I am thinking about visiting the province and asking Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie for help, to see if any expert doctors can come and take a look at him."
Qiao Xuan was startled. She had thought about showing her abilities. After all, she managed to heal the Old Master of the Yuezheng Family.
But Shao Yunduan's words made sense.
Manager Qin told them what might happen. But they would not give up unless they tried everything.
"Okay, then. You can go tomorrow, and I will take care of the family. Don't worry!"
Ms. Fang was in a panic mode and she might not be capable of handling things currently. No one but Qiao Xuan could bear the responsibilities of managing the house as of now..
Shao Yunduan felt much calmer.
They returned to the room and heard laughter.
Everyone in there believed that Shao Dalang would be able to recover completely, thus feeling relaxed.
Seeing the scene, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt even worse.
They just could not imagine what the family would be like if Elder Brother's leg never healed.
Especially Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu…
Shao Yunduan put on a relatively cheerful face and said, "Elder Brother, what on earth happened today? Do you still remember?"
Everyone fell silent and turned to Shao Dalang.
Ms. Fang asked with her teeth clenched. "Yes, tell me. What happened? Such a thing should not have occurred! "
The part of the canal that Shao Dalang was working on, was not on a high place. How could a stone hit him so badly?
Shao Dalang smiled bitterly. "I wasn't paying attention. Ding Jinfa and Ding Jincai were carrying a huge rock as they passed by the hill and got tripped. Then, the rock rolled down along the hill and I failed to dodge it."
Ms. Fang felt so annoyed. "That is all?"
"Yeah. That's it."
"Damn it!" Ms. Fang clenched her teeth. "They hurt you and they have said nothing to us? This is not done!"
Ms. Xu agreed.
Shao Yunduan said, "Let's wait until tomorrow to see what they will do."
It was an accident. But Shao Dalang was unlucky enough to have run into the
accluC11L.
They all became less cheerful than before.
Yang Xiaoni and Taotao made dinner and they found the day had turned dark and everyone was starving.
"Let's eat first." Ms. Fang smiled. "Sanlang, take the food to your Elder Brother first and you can eat later."
"Okay, Mom!"
Ms. Xu smiled. "Mom, let me do that! I am capable of such small things."
Qiao Xuan smiled too. "Yeah, Mom. Let the Elder Sister-in-law eat with the
Elder Brother. They can keep each other company."
"That sounds great!" Ms. Xu added.
Ms. Fang did not oppose it. She smiled and nodded in agreement.
Shao Sanlang was a foodie. But he could take the food to his Elder Brother before he himself ate. Qiao Xuan admired their brotherhood.
There was no news overnight. The next day, Shao Yunduan left before the dawn broke.
He was going to ask about doctors in the province.
Shao Yunduan did not tell Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle about this until this morning. It was Qiao Xuan who mentioned it.
They all cheered. "That is great. Dalang will be healed soon!"
Ms. Xu was so moved as she turned to Qiao Xuan. "Fifth Sister-in-law, thank you all!"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Don't mention it, Elder Sister-in-law. We are a family!"
Due to what happened to Shao Dalang, they did not go into the mountains to cut the creeping fig. Shao Sanlang and Shao Xiaoqi were busy taking care of Shao Dalang.
Qiao Xuan asked Taotao to keep her company to drive to the Zhang Village and to deliver the creeping figs which they had cut the day before, so Ding Erzhu and the others could plant them after a few days.
Second Uncle and Third Uncle came to check on the situation early the next day.
Seeing Ms. Fang in a good mood, they heard Ms. Fang telling them that Shao Dalang would recover after a few days. They all nodded cheerfully and showed some care before leaving..
The news that Shao Dalang would not limp was spread across the whole village. Only then did Ding Jincai and his brother, together with their parents, came to the Shao Family to apologize, with lowered heads.
Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu and Ms. Qiao were really displeased, especially Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu. They should have come to apologize the day before. But they simply rushed home after causing the accident, and Shao Dalang was not even carried back by them.
They came to apologize only after they heard that Dalang was getting better.
Ms. Fang sneered. "What a rare thing that you remember to drop by today! I thought you chose to forget about it."
Ms. Xu was always quiet. But she added ironically this time. "I thought they would have been here yesterday!"
The two brothers of the Ding Family and their parents looked very embarrassed.
Ding Jincai's mother forced a smile. "Apologies, they were too scared to face the matter. Both of us were furious with them. We scolded and beat them yesterday. But it was too late to visit you, so we come this morning. It is their fault, but please, don't be mad…"
Ms. Fang found the behavior to be disgusting. But she snorted coldly, without saying anything more.
Eldest Uncle coughed. "It was an accident. No one wanted it to happen. Dalang is doing well and you have already apologized to us, so…"
Ms. Fang cut in. "So that is it? Luckily, my son is fortunate and strong. But when are you going to pay us the medical fees?"
Ding Jincai and his brother, as well as parents, were startled.
"Medical fees?"
"Yeah." Ms. Fang said, "My son can't just both suffer physically and spend money too! "
Ding Jincai mumbled. "But we have no money. And you are so rich…"
His parents were silent but they showed the same expression.
Ms. Fang got annoyed and snapped. "You made a mistake, and you don't even pay for the medical fees? It doesn't matter if we are rich or not."
"They did not do that on purpose!"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Then, if someone does not do that on purpose, they can also just offer an apology and leave?"
"Yeah, how can that be so easy and simple?"
Ms. Fang threw a look at them. "You pay half, okay?"
The Ding Family exchanged a look between themselves, at a loss of words.
They did not do it deliberately. But Shao Dalang did get injured because of them.
The Shao Family was already kind enough to let them pay half of the medical fees. There was nothing they could do, if they forced them to pay the full bill.
"Okay… then…" Jincai's father sighed, smiling bitterly. "My sons made a
mistake, and we will cover the fees.'
Ms. Fang looked less annoyed and added. "You can pay us two liang first. I am not over charging you. Those are real costs. Else, you can ask Manager Qin at
Mingren Tang in the town about it."
They believed what she said but they could not accept it.
Jincai's parents tried to look poor and pleaded with Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle about cutting the fees, which was turned down by Ms. Fang.
She did not care about the exact amount. She just did not like how it happened..
Her son met an unexpected accident and she was already so annoyed and concerned. She spared some part of the fees for them and they still tried to bargain?
Finally, it was Ding Jincai who agreed suddenly.
His parents were so anxious. But he nodded too fast and Ms. Fang accepted it quickly enough for his parents to be unable to turn the table. So, they had no choice but to go and fetch the money.
Land Officer Ding came to visit them too. He even asked Shao Dalang to get well and not worry about having to work for the repair of the canal any more.
That made Ms. Fang and the whole family annoyed.
Shao Dalang got injured because of the canal repair work. Although they did need the canal themselves, it was a project organized by the whole village.
The village should pay some respect for Shao Dalang's injuries. Land Officer Ding did not even show up earlier. He just asked his wife to come and check it out, showing a little concern and saying that they did not need to get involved with the labor for the canal repair any longer as if the Shao Family was taking advantage of him.
He was the Land Officer, and he was not related to the project directly. Ms. Fang and the family could not do anything about it. So, they dropped it.
Qiao Xuan still decided to do something about it.
"I know some acupuncture. Mom, Elder Brother and Elder Sister-in-law, if you trust me, I can do something so that you can be relieved from pain."
Shao Dalang's wound was hurting terribly and he could not stand the pain as he groaned. That was when Qiao Xuan mentioned this.
The external wounds were causing him so much pain, despite the anti-inflammatory drugs.
Shao Dalang had never felt so much nain before. His head was turning dizzy and his eyes were blurry. He felt that even breathing was agony for him.
Hearing Qiao Xuan's words, he replied quickly. "Please, Fifth Sister-in-law, thank you! "
Shao Dalang sounded very determined, and both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were startled.
Ms. Fang glanced at Qiao Xuan, nodding. "Ms. Qiao, do it."
Ms. Xu was worried that Qiao Xuan was just putting on a show. She wanted to intervene but then stopped herself.
The Fifth Sister-in-law was just being kind. Moreover, she could not object when her mother-in-law and husband both approved of the suggestion.
"Fifth Sister-in-law, just be careful. Don't force yourself. You are not a doctor and if you fail… it is okay."
What she meant was that if she could not do anything to make her husband feel better, she could just drop it directly.
Qiao Xuan knew that Ms. Xu was worried about her husband, so even though she didn't speak nice words, Qiao Xuan did not say anything about it but smiled.
Qiao Xuan had bought three silver needles from the province after the last incident. So, she managed to put on a proper show this time with them.
Acupuncture was just an act. She was actually injecting superpower into Shao Dalang's body, and was trying to heal his wound from inside.
Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu knew nothing. They were easily fooled.
But she could not make Shao Dalang recover instantly. After all, he was injured very badly.
Hence, Qiao Xuan concentrated her superpower on the broken bones.
Gradually, he would turn better and others would link it to using good medicine and resting well, rather than suspect the strangeness of his recovery. As the superpower went into his body and caressed the pain, Shao Dalang suddenly felt relief. He became far more relaxed..