The Hu family—

Hu Xiuxiu and Hu Xiaosi are sweeping the chicken coop.

Xiuxiu's mother came back carrying a basin of clothes, and while hanging them up to dry, she said casually:

“Xiuxiu, I heard that Dayong’s family is going to set up some kind of workshop and they need people to work. Talk to them and ask them to let your mother go in too.”

Hu Xiuxiu paused in her broom: "That's Cai Ping's workshop, what does it have to do with Brother Guan Yong?"

“They don’t all belong to the Ye family. Oh, that’s not what we’re talking about. The workshop needs to hire people, so you should talk to Dayong and make sure to reserve a place for Mother.”

Hu Xiuxiu said calmly, "There's no need to say it specifically. You can just sign up if you want to."

"How can that be the same? Can you get selected just by applying directly? If you let Dayong pull some strings, he'll definitely get selected."

Hu Xiuxiu said, "If I tell them, and they still want Mother to sign up, how will Mother face that?"

If Xiuxiu's mother chokes, it will look even worse!

"Does Mother want my sister to be jilted?" Hu Xiaosi asked.

Xiuxiu's mother's expression changed drastically.

She had begged and pleaded to get her daughter's marriage back; if the engagement was called off, she would become the laughingstock of the whole village!

Since that incident, Xiuxiu's mother has been keeping a low profile.

Especially in the past few days, the Ye family has held several housewarming parties, but they didn't invite their future in-laws, which made Xiuxiu's mother feel increasingly uneasy and uncertain.

Xiuxiu's mother stopped registering and tried to approach others when she didn't get a spot, but they just wouldn't choose her.

Shouldn't she be even more subservient to the Ye family?

...

Ye Daquan drove the oxcart, taking Ye Caiping, Old Lady Ye, and Du and Wei to town to buy livestock.

The 20 chicks that Grandma Ye bought last year have long since grown up, and with the New Year and banquets, they've all been eaten.

The group arrived at the chicken and duck stall.

Mrs. Du picked 20, and Mrs. Wei gritted her teeth and also wanted 20.

Ye Erquan was out of money. The 2 taels and 2 qian of gift money he received for moving had been used to pay off debts, and he still owed Old Lady Ye 800 wen.

Therefore, the money for buying livestock had to come from the 3 taels that Wei had deducted.

Mrs. Wei was heartbroken, but the thought of getting paid tomorrow cheered her up a bit.

Grandma Ye picked out 30 chicks for Ye Caiping and also asked for 10 ducklings.

Chicks are still 5 coins each, and ducklings are 6 coins each, just like before.

Ye Caiping pouted: "Mom, there's too much, we can't feed them all."

"You don't need to feed them, your dad and I feed them!" Old Mrs. Ye still wasn't satisfied, "Boss, bring two more big hens that can lay eggs."

Ye Caiping silently looked up at the sky: "Didn't you catch six big hens last year, saying that we'd each have two if we split up the family property? We could have just gone to my older brother's house to get them back, so why did you buy more?"

Grandma Ye said, "Four big hens can collect four eggs a day. If you can't eat them all, you can save them. The important thing is that you shouldn't save things in your outhouse. You should raise more livestock so that you can make compost."

Is this revenge for making her use a squat toilet?

Ye Caiping was about to cry. It wasn't that she was reluctant to spend the money, but raising livestock required time and effort.

There are two cows at home!

After leaving the chicken and duck stall, the main event began: catching piglets.

Almost every household in the village raises one or two pigs, which are sold when they grow up, and this is one of the important sources of income for the family.

Du and Wei each bought two piglets, selling them by the head for 350 coins each.

Grandma Ye picked out four heads for Ye Caiping.

On the way back, Ye Caiping stared at the four piglets.

Currently, the household consists of: 2 cows, 40 chicks and ducklings, 4 adult hens, and 4 piglets.

Every day you have to feed the pigs, chickens, and ducks, and clean the cowshed, chicken coop, and pigsty...

Then comes cutting pig feed and mixing it with chicken feed.

As for the cattle, Ye Daquan and Ye Erquan would help herd them.

Ye Caiping gets a headache just thinking about these tasks.

But she had to run her workshop and didn't have time for these household chores. She had to send Jin'er and Huan'er to school, and they also had to learn how to do business from her when they had time.

The housework would fall on the shoulders of the elderly couple.

As if sensing Ye Caiping's thoughts, Old Madam Ye said:

"Don't worry, your father and I can take care of it. We've already decided that we'll never work in the fields again. We'll just grow vegetables and raise livestock for you. It won't be tiring."

Ye Caiping already had an idea, and said with a smile, "I'll find someone for you!"

"Who are you talking to?" Old Mrs. Ye was completely confused.

...

Soon, I arrived home.

When Old Man Ye saw Old Woman Ye driving a herd of livestock back, he was so happy that his eyes narrowed, and he quickly helped to put the livestock away properly.

Ye Caiping, however, went to Ye Ershu's house.

Uncle Ye was smoking a hookah at the door. When he saw her, he smiled and said, "Caiping's here."

"Have Big Sister and Xiao Yan gone back yet?"

"I'm about to go back; I'm packing my things inside."

"I'll go in and take a look."

Ye Caiping entered the main room and saw Ye Hufen and her daughter chatting with Ye Ershen and her three daughters-in-law. Their bags and other belongings were all packed and placed to the side.

"Little sister's back! I was just thinking of saying goodbye to you before I came back." Ye Hufeng quickly stepped forward and took Ye Caiping's hand.

Ye Caiping sat down next to Ye Hufen: "What does Xiaoyan usually do at home?"

Yang Xiaoyan said, "I used to do everything, now I just watch them do it."

Aunt Ye laughed.

Ye Caiping thought for a moment and said, "It's like this. I'm busy running the workshop and Jin'er and Huan'er need to study. We just bought a lot of livestock today, so the housework is a bit heavy. I was thinking that since Xiao Yan is free now, why don't she come to my house and help her great-grandparents with some housework?"

Ye Hufen and Yang Xiaoyan's eyes lit up.

Ye Hufen immediately agreed: "Of course. Little sister, just ask, and you can have her do whatever you want."

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