"Those were bought by the mute woman, how many there are has nothing to do with you! If you still think you're right, go outside and sober up, come back when you've figured things out! Get out!"

Qin quickly came over and took Mo Laoda's arm, patting him on the back and saying softly, "Relax, relax. It's not worth getting angry! Even if you get angry, it doesn't mean you'll change. Come on, have some water and rest for a while!"

Qin's voice calmed Old Master Mo down a bit, and he regained his composure, walking to the side with his wife.

Mo Yunmei thought the matter was over, but then her second brother came over.

Her second brother is a man of few words but kind-hearted; he should help her, right?

As she waited expectantly, Mo Lao Er spoke up, “Damaged items should be compensated! Since you’ve damaged a recliner, you should pay the original price, after all, you only bought it a day ago. I’ve already calculated it for you; the extra work you do each day, like feeding the chickens and pigs and watering the vegetables, is worth one copper coin. Rounding it up, it will take you half a year to pay it off. If you have other ways to earn money, then it won’t take that long.”

Upon hearing that she would have to work for six months, Mo Yunmei refused. "That recliner isn't worth that much money! Wouldn't I be exhausted if I did that much work every day? I'm not doing it! I'm her sister-in-law, she should give me one. She has no manners at all!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Lao Er also felt that the man was beyond saving, so he didn't want to say anything more, left after saying a few words.

"If you don't work, you don't eat!"

Mo Yunmei didn't take it seriously, thinking that her family still cared about her and wouldn't really stop feeding her forever.

Su Nanxi, who was watching from the side, had no intention of expecting Mo Yunmei to repent and start anew, so she wasn't disappointed at all.

Mo Yunmei felt that she had already hit and scolded him, and that the matter was over, just like before.

She ran to Grandma Mo and, like a child, whined, "Mom! I'm so hungry! I want to eat the noodles you're eating, with two eggs! My hands hurt, can you make them and bring them to me?"

A little girl's coquettishness is cute and endearing, but Mo Yunmei, who is over ten years old, looks very out of place with her bruised face and swollen nose, making it an eyesore.

Grandma Mo also got goosebumps, pointed to the kitchen, and said, "The food is all there, go ahead!"

Mo Yunmei thought it was left for her, just kept warm in the kitchen, and she was overjoyed. She thought to herself, "See, Mother still loves me very much!"

I rushed into the kitchen excitedly, but found nothing; the pots and pans were all washed and drying.

Mo Yunmei realized that she was being told to do it herself! But she really didn't know how. When she went back to find Old Lady Mo, she found that all the doors in the house were closed.

Mo Yunmei finally realized that if she didn't work, she really wouldn't have anything to eat!

Her mother didn't give her anything, so even if she knew how to cook, she couldn't make it!

In the end, she didn't have the courage to knock on the door, because if she did, her older brother would definitely hear it, and if she disturbed him, she might get thrown out.

He moved the door back into his room, but dared not repair it, so he leaned it against the door to cover it up, then tightened his belt and went to bed.

In the afternoon, Zhao went back to her parents' home, which was not far away, only two or three villages away.

Grandma Mo prepared things for her to take back, just like before. Before, she had nothing but a bunch of greens and a few eggs, but now she gave her rice noodles and dried pork jerky.

Similar to Qin Shi, but Qin Shi went back in the morning and left some steamed buns and steamed cakes to take with her, while Zhao Shi came home suddenly and the breakfast was sold out, so she didn't bring as many things.

She didn't mind at all; this was the first time she'd brought so many things back to her parents' home! She'd definitely bring even more in the future!

Zhao went back alone, without her child. She only went back to talk to her family about making rice noodles, and once they had discussed it, she returned.

She was thinking about going back early to make steamed rice cakes; she wasn't very good at it yet and needed to practice more.

Upon returning to the village entrance, she heard the old men chatting under the trees. She greeted them and hurried back.

“Sister-in-law, I just heard some old people at the village entrance saying that the weather this year is abnormal, it’s too hot, and the water levels of the streams and rivers have dropped. They guess that there may be a severe drought.”

As soon as Zhao returned, she put down her basket and ran into the kitchen.

Qin nodded, "I also felt something was wrong. The children said the fields were very dry and the water was running low, so they had to go to a farther place to fetch water."

Zhao sighed, "We've only just started to see some improvement. If there's a severe drought and the crops in the fields die, we'll have no harvest, and more than a dozen of us will have no food to eat. That would be a huge problem!"

Qin Shi was optimistic, "There shouldn't be a severe drought. Didn't the village chief discuss it with the clan elders? It's probably just that summer is approaching and the weather is getting hot! Don't worry too much, let's see how the village reacts first."

Zhao was still worried, but she agreed, "Well, let's take another look. If there's a severe drought, we need to find ways to prepare in advance."

However, Zhao also knew that even if she knew, there was nothing she could do. She was at the mercy of fate, which was beyond her control.

Su Nanxi wasn't home; she had taken Mo Qinghe and a bunch of children out.

Mo Qinghe really enjoyed being outside. He felt that the sky was high and the land was wide, making it much easier to breathe and improving his mood.

There was a group of chattering children, but he didn't find it noisy at all. He felt that life should be like this, lively, interesting, and fun!

Su Nanxi keenly noticed that the weather had gotten much hotter and the ground was much drier.

The irrigation ditches in the fields were almost dry, and villagers had to bend over to fetch even half a bucket of water.

"Wife, something seems off about the weather." Mo Qinghe also sensed it.

That's right! There might be a severe drought coming!

Mo Qinghe's expression instantly turned serious. He knew very well what a severe drought would be like. He had experienced it when he was a child. At that time, the crops failed completely, and his whole family searched for food everywhere. They almost starved to death! He felt scared just thinking about it!

If another severe drought occurs, he doesn't want to sit idly by and wait to die; he has to find a solution, otherwise he might not be so lucky, as it's quite normal for someone to starve to death in a disaster year.

"Wife, the weather is so dry, and the water level has dropped. Is there any way to bring the water up from the river?"

Su Nanxi was also thinking about this. The river water could be pumped up using a waterwheel and flow into the irrigation canal.

Mo Qinghe didn't understand. "Waterwheel? What is that? Is it a cart used to carry water and bring it back one cartload at a time?"

Well!

Literally speaking, it seems to make perfect sense!

A waterwheel is just a vehicle used to carry water, isn't it?

That's true, but this car is quite different from the kind of cars we usually see, yet there are similarities.

This completely baffled Mo Qinghe. What was it that looked like something but didn't?

Sigh! You wouldn't understand even if I explained! You've never seen it before!

Mo Qinghe was a little sullen. He had been cooped up at home for too long, not going out at all. Suddenly coming out, he felt like the world had changed a lot! He couldn't keep up with what his wife was saying.

"Wife, are you telling the truth?"