Chapter 41 The Stormy Family is Gone

After a long day of travel, Lin Yao arrived home feeling utterly exhausted, as if her bones were about to fall apart. She longed to collapse and sleep soundly. But having walked for an hour, she was starving. Luckily, she had marinated some ribs before leaving. Lin Yao got up from her chair, about to head to the kitchen, when Lin Cheng quickly stopped her, "A Yao, you can rest. You've worked hard today. I'll cook."

Hearing Lin Cheng's words, Lin Yao smiled slightly on her tired face. "Alright, there are marinated ribs in the kitchen. Brother, you can fry them until they're done." After saying that, she sat back down in her chair. Her relaxed body felt as if every bone in her body had fallen apart. Her eyes unconsciously half-closed, and her thoughts drifted away.

Selling food by the arena today brought in a considerable sum, but the physical exhaustion was undeniable. Of the five taels deposit Xu Zhiheng had given her, three taels were spent on ingredients, leaving two taels. The food for twenty-eight people, excluding Xu Zhiheng and Jin Yu's portion, totaled three hundred and thirty-eight coins. Pork bone soup was twenty coins, bringing the total to three hundred and fifty-eight coins. After deducting these, she returned one tael, six hundred and forty-two coins to Xu Zhiheng. However, Lü Dazhi, on behalf of the Qinhu Martial Arts School, gave them a two-tael reward. Adding the money from selling food at the stall, she earned two taels, five hundred and ninety-eight coins today! Lin Yao did this mentally and suddenly felt that the hardship was nothing.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you so happy?" Garlic ribs are easy to make; Lin Cheng fried them in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. He placed the ribs on the table, indicating that Lin Yao and Lin Song could start eating. Ever since the day she became Lin Cheng's apprentice, when he moved the kitchen table to the courtyard, Lin Yao felt that eating in the courtyard was much more comfortable than staying in the kitchen, and the table had never been moved back since.

Lin Yao opened the steamer that was placed to the side and scooped out rice. "Brother, guess how much money we made today?"

"One or two?" Lin Cheng guessed.

Lin Yao didn't bother with any suspense and said directly, "It's two taels and five hundred and ninety-eight coins!" Although Lin Cheng had gradually gotten used to his sister's money-making skills over the past two months, he was still taken aback when he heard this amount and blurted out, "So much?!"

Lin Yao's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, but her smile froze after taking a bite of the garlic ribs. The ribs were overcooked, all the juices had been squeezed out, and they were dry and tough. But she didn't say anything, chewing and swallowing them with her rice. She secretly thought to herself that next time she needed A Yu's help, she'd have to bring Lin Cheng along; otherwise, she'd be stuck doing everything herself.

~

In the middle of the night, Lin Yao dreamt of a pile of copper coins on the ground. Overjoyed, she squatted down to pick them up. Suddenly, a stream of water rushed in, carrying the coins away. Panicked, she desperately reached out to grab them, but managed to catch only a few. Suddenly, she woke with a start, realizing it was all a dream.

Lin Yao sat up, only to hear the incessant patter of rain overhead. She wiped her face and looked up to see a large section of the roof missing. Outside, a fierce storm raged, tearing part of the thatched roof off the house. Most of the bedding on the bed was soaked, and shallow puddles had formed on the ground.

Lin Yao didn't have time to think, and quickly put on her clothes and went outside. Just then, Lin Cheng, wearing a raincoat, walked towards her. "Ayao, are you alright? The thatch on my roof was blown away." As he spoke, Lin Song peeked out from Lin Cheng's arms. Lin Yao reached out and touched his small hand; it was ice-cold. "My roof is leaking too. I'll tidy it up, and we'll make do in the kitchen tonight."

Looking at the mess behind Lin Yao, with rain still pouring in through the gap, Lin Cheng replied, "Okay, but I don't know if the kitchen can hold up. The rain is too heavy." A strong wind howled past, making them unsteady on their feet. Lin Song shrank back into Lin Cheng's arms in fright.

"Although the kitchen is also made of bamboo, wood, and straw, it uses a lot of bamboo, making it more sturdy than our house." After saying this, Lin Yao turned around and went back into the house. She packed up the money and clothes, stuffed them into Lin Cheng's arms, and had Lin Song hold them. She put on a raincoat, folded the wet bedding, and hid it inside the raincoat.

A damp smell filled the kitchen, and water was already seeping into the corners. Lin Yao spread the quilt on the relatively dry floor, and together with Lin Cheng, they piled the firewood in the kitchen as high as possible, afraid it would get wet. Lin Cheng started a fire in the stove; the sound of the burning firewood was drowned out by the thunder and lightning outside. The orange-red flames danced in the stove, dispelling some of the chill. Lin Yao took out the clothes she had just packed and put two layers of outerwear on Lin Song. It was early autumn, and with each autumn rain came a chill; catching a cold would be troublesome.

After settling everything in, the three sat huddled together in the corner of the kitchen for warmth. Lin Yao listened to the howling wind and rain outside, pondering their next move. Roof repairs were urgent, but purchasing materials would cost a fortune. The few taels of silver they had painstakingly saved, originally intended for expanding their business, now seemed destined for other uses. Lin Yao nudged Lin Cheng with her shoulder, "Brother, we need to fix the roof quickly, otherwise this house is uninhabitable, and we can't do business." Lin Cheng nodded, replying, "Alright, this house should have been repaired a long time ago."

After a night of torrential rain, sunlight pierced through the thick clouds and spilled onto the ground. Lin Yao was awakened by the light and got up first, pushing open the kitchen door. A damp smell rushed out. Her and Lin Cheng's house was a mess because of the leak last night, with clutter scattered all over the floor. Fortunately, because of their poverty, they didn't have many things to begin with. Since transmigrating, she had focused on making money and hadn't had time to buy anything new, so this could be considered a form of "decluttering." Of course, it wasn't exactly lucky. Fortunately, she had kept the original owner's clothes so she could build a cenotaph for him during the Ghost Festival in a few days. Lin Yao then went to check the back of the house. The chives and wild onions planted in the backyard had also been battered by the rain and now lay wilted in the mud.

"Ayao, Cheng-ge'er!" Lin Yao and Lin Cheng were cleaning up the mess at home when Liang Shi's voice came from outside the door. Lin Yao quickly put down the broom, "Coming!"

As soon as Liang entered the house, she saw the mess in the yard and exclaimed, "My goodness! This rain has really ruined your house! How are you two siblings? Are you alright?"

Lin Yao shook her head. "Sister-in-law, we're all fine, it's just that this house can't be lived in for the time being."

As Liang walked into the house, she looked at the leaky roof and the puddles on the floor and shook her head repeatedly. "This house needs to be repaired quickly. The weather can change in an instant. If another rain comes, even a body made of iron won't be able to withstand it."

Liu Dazhuang, carrying Liu Dabao, followed behind Liang Shi. Hearing what she said, he nodded in agreement: "Yes, these little houses of yours should have been repaired a long time ago. We didn't have the money or the means before, but now that life is getting better and better, these houses need to be tidied up."

"My brother and I were planning to do this, but we don't know how much it will cost to repair the house." Lin Yao was unsure about the cost, worried that if they paid too little, the house wouldn't be sturdy enough, and another natural disaster like a torrential rain would cause it to collapse.

Liang wiped Liu Dabao's face. Dabao was at the age of teething and couldn't help but drool. As she wiped Liu Dabao's face, Liang said, "Building houses in the village is a matter of neighbors lending a hand. A meal is enough; there's no need to pay wages."

Liu Dazhuang continued, "After we've packed our things, Acheng will come with me to ask around and see who can help with the work. You'll stay at my house for the next few days. Ayao will stay with your sister-in-law, and Acheng and Song'er will stay with me."

As the group finished packing their things and were about to leave, they saw Liu Xu about to knock on the door. "Sister Ayao! Acheng! There was a heavy rain yesterday, and my mother asked me to come and check on you."

"We're all fine, but our house needs repairs. We're planning to go around asking around to see who can come and help with the repairs in the next few days." Lin Yao turned slightly so that Liu Xu could see the situation at home.

Liu Xu glanced into the yard and quickly said, "Count me in! I'll help you fix your house too!"

Liu Dazhuang and Lin Cheng were about to go and ask for help. Lin Yao had originally planned to go to town in advance to buy ingredients and some clothes and bedding. However, Lin Cheng was worried about her going alone, so she hadn't brought it up. Now that Liu Xu had arrived, Lin Yao suggested, "Brother Xu, come with me to town to buy some ingredients. We're starting work tomorrow, and I need to prepare the meals in advance."

Liu Xu readily agreed, "Okay, let's go right now." The two hitched up the donkey cart and headed towards the town.

The heavy rain had little impact on Qingquan Town, only adding a touch of humidity to the air. As soon as Lin Yao arrived in town, she went straight to the pork stall. Tomorrow was the first day of work, and she planned to cook some hearty dishes to make sure everyone was satisfied and had more energy for their work. Lin Yao bought a large piece of pork belly, two jin of pork fat, and then went to the chicken market, where she bought three chickens.

After buying groceries, I finally arrived at the purpose of my trip today: to buy clothes!

Lin Yao's most important task today was to buy new clothes and bedding. She arrived at a clothing shop; the storefront was small but impeccably clean. Several stylish garments hung on wooden racks on either side of the entrance, swaying gently in the breeze. A faint scent of camphor wood filled the shop, and rows of wooden racks were neatly arranged with various garments, from coarse linen to exquisite silks. In a corner, several brand-new quilts were folded, each with different patterns and fine embroidery. As soon as Lin Yao and Liu Xu entered, a middle-aged shopkeeper in a blue long gown greeted them warmly, "Madam, what would you like to buy? We have a wide variety of clothes, the fabrics are excellent, and our quilts are warm and comfortable."

"I'll take a look," Lin Yao said. She glanced at her patched-up coarse linen clothes; they were time to be retired. She pointed to a moon-white, cross-collar long jacket, its cuffs and hem embroidered with light pink plum blossoms, and a pale blue silk sash at the waist, giving it a fresh and elegant look, perfect for layering in autumn and winter. "Shopkeeper, could you please let me see this one?"

The shopkeeper quickly took down the clothes and presented them to Lin Yao with both hands, smiling as he introduced them: "Madam, you have excellent taste. This moon white color is the most fashionable color this autumn, and it complements your fair complexion. The plum blossom embroidery is also exquisite; every stitch was done by the best embroiderer in our shop. This long jacket is the perfect length. Wear an inner garment underneath, and then pair it with a thicker skirt; it will keep you warm in winter."

Sure enough, no matter the era, salespeople's words are always deceiving. Back in her ancestral home, the original owner suffered from hunger and toil, becoming thin and pale. After transmigrating, although she ate better, her daily street vending had tanned her to a deep tan, making it impossible for her to maintain her fair complexion. However, she could also see that the original owner had a good foundation; once she earned money and took good care of her skin, she would definitely become a stunning beauty.