40 Chapter 40
◎Holding back bad thoughts◎
Before the price was even discussed, Zhao Dezi's two sons and four grandsons arrived.
They did not agree to mortgage the land. Would they throw away the livelihood of their entire family in exchange for the recovery of a nearly 50-year-old man?
"Can you please take care of it? God will do what He wants. Grandma, you can't let us all starve!"
"Who made you starve? You have hands and feet, you can go out and work to support your family. Your father is dying, and you're still thinking about his land?"
The two brothers dared not resist the pressure of filial piety. "Madam Cheng, my grandmother is confused. The whole family depends on this piece of land for food and survival. Please don't take it. We brothers will take turns to go out and work, and the money will be used for my father's medical treatment."
Zhao Dezi's mother spat, "Wait for you to work and get the money back. Can your father wait?"
None of them could convince the other, and they all pulled Cheng Mu to side with them.
"Since everyone's leaving me in charge, why not listen to me?" Cheng Mu was able to help, so she wouldn't stand idly by. But she also wouldn't help out unilaterally. She always remembered the saying, "A little bit of kindness is worth a ton of resentment." "Today, any family that's suffered losses should come to me to borrow seeds. Yours is no different. I don't want your land. You should plant your own crops. I'll keep track of how much seeds you need, and you can return them after the harvest."
When Zhao Dezi's two sons heard that their land would not be taken away, they immediately became energetic and said, "Madam Cheng, we want to borrow two dou of corn seeds."
Zhao Dezi's mother thought there was no hope and was about to cry, but Cheng Mu grabbed her hand and said, "Grandma, we are all mothers. Our children are our dearest treasures. There is no reason not to save them."
"We only have that little land. How can we save the country if we don't sell it?"
"My mother included a ginseng in my dowry to help me with my energy during childbirth. My mother is kind-hearted, so it's perfect for this purpose. I don't need it yet, so I can lend it to your family. You can return it to me with a ginseng of the same quality and weight someday."
Cheng Mu pretended to go to her room and fetched a ginseng. She didn't take a particularly good one, fearing they wouldn't be able to afford it. "This is from Renxintang, a sixth-grade ginseng, weighing five taels and two cents. You can take it to save Master Dezi first."
The matter was resolved happily, and Zhao Dezi's mother asked the four youngest generations to kowtow to Madam Cheng.
It takes a whole day to walk to Puyang City, but if you ride a horse, you can go back and forth in a whole day.
Mu Yun wants to go riding.
But he was worried about Cheng Mu and Qi Song riding alone.
There is only one horse at home. If two people ride together, one more person can go.
Qi Song wanted to go, but one of Qi Song and Mu Yun had to take care of Sao Hu and the others, so Cheng Mu chose Sao Hu to go.
"Uncle Qi, the issue with the horse farm hasn't been resolved yet. If something goes wrong again, at least you're here to take charge."
Cheng Xi always felt a little uneasy.
Mu Yun also noticed that Cheng Mu was very worried about this matter, so he assured her, "I'll be back soon."
After breakfast, Cheng Mu washed the hands and faces of Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi and played with them for a while.
Yu was digging potatoes in the greenhouse when Cheng Mu asked, "Where's Gui'er?"
Yu: "Isn't she in the yard?"
"I finished taking care of Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi, and she's nowhere to be seen."
Yu said angrily, "Where has she gone off to again? I'll go find her."
No one was home, so Cheng Mu felt uneasy as she took Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi with her. She went to look for Zhao Datian next door, but Zhao Datian and his apprentice were not home today. She then remembered that they had gone to the fields to replant corn.
The village was quiet. Mr. Zhao and the others from yesterday went to see the village head, Zheng, to ask for an explanation from the horse farm. The people from the other families went to the fields to prepare for replanting, turning over the hardened soil and preparing the seeds.
Gui'er went to the hill behind to challenge Li Yu to a fight, but before the fight even started, Yu grabbed her ear and took her back.
"Why are you giving me so much worry as I grow older?"
Two or three years ago, the mother and daughter had only one goal. The Guier then and the Guier now were like two different people.
"You promised to protect Madam Cheng forever, but now that Mu Yun is gone, you're just giving up?"
When she talked about Mu Yun, her heart ached. "Mom, I went to the back mountain to improve myself. Mu Yun has improved so fast in the past two years that I can't even beat him!"
"He's a man, it's normal that you can't beat him."
"Those guys on the hill behind are all boys, but they are no match for me."
Yu had never been this kind of person before. She knocked Gui'er's wooden head and said, "You still have the nerve!"
They were passing by Widow Xu's house.
Gui'er hugged her head and asked, "Mother, look, is that Widow Xu's cousin?"
Yu raised her head and saw a man sneaking into Widow Xu's door.
"What are you doing sneaking around? Go and take a look."
Everyone said that Widow Xu was not serious, so what could she do secretly? Yu grabbed Gui'er and said, "What are you going to do? You are not allowed to go!"
"Isn't his cousin from the horse farm? What if he wants to harm Widow Xu?"
"That's none of your business. Her cousin has been here all these years, and he's never hurt her. He must be here to help with the work. Don't waste time outside. Madam Cheng is home alone with two children. Go quickly."
Yu dragged Gui'er home.
Widow Xu's cousin is called Wang San, who works at the horse farm. Because of the matter between the horse farm and Zhaojia Village, he was hiding when he came here today, for fear that he would meet the young and strong men from Zhaojia Village and be beaten up.
Fortunately, no one discovered him along the way.
Widow Xu was also digging potatoes in the greenhouse.
"Xiuying."
"Third brother? What are you doing here?" Widow Xu put down the small shovel and pulled the potato vines to knock off the mud. If it couldn't be knocked clean, she rubbed it with her hands.
"Let me take a look."
"What are you looking at? Your horse ranch went to our Zhaojia Village and ran wild yesterday. The lawsuit hasn't been settled yet. Aren't you afraid of being caught?"
"They went again today, and we didn't meet anyone along the way. These potatoes are really tender."
Rubbing mud with your hands would break your skin. Wang San squatted down in front of Widow Xu with a playful smile on his face.
"Freshly dug yams are delicious. When you come, bring a basket back. I won't need your help today. I'll break off a few corn cobs for you."
"Not today. It's not suitable. You can cook a meal for Third Brother."
"Why don't you leave quickly? Why do you still want to eat here?"
"I'm here because I need your help with something. Anyway, no one saw me when I came, and I won't bump into anyone if I leave at night." Wang San licked his lips and thought about how to speak.
Widow Xu asked, "How can I help you?"
"Your shed, corn, and taro, weren't they all helped by someone?"
"Well, Madam Cheng, you also lent me wheat seeds. I only planted three acres and harvested four dan. A few days ago, you also taught me how to make a windmill to draw water. Next year I will be able to grow rice too."
"Can you let Third Brother meet her?"
Widow Xu looked at him warily, "She's a godlike figure. Why do you want to see her? Don't harbor any bad intentions."
Yu dragged Guier back home and asked her to help dig taro.
Cheng Mu taught Xiaoliu how to use the abacus and recite the formulas. Xiaoliu learned quickly, "Six on top of six, six minus four plus one, six on top of one minus five plus one..." Her words were clear and her little hands could follow the formulas to move the beads.
Xiao Qi just watched from the side. He still couldn't speak. No matter what he did, he could only give instructions with "ah" and "ah".
Mrs. Yu always said that "noble people speak slowly", and that Xiaoqi would be extremely noble in the future. But she also said that Xiaoliu was smart and clever, and could use an abacus at the age of two, and would be great in the future.
Yu cut the bacon and stewed fresh potatoes on the stove.
Cheng Mu made mashed potatoes for Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi. She picked a piece of cooked bacon, cut it into small cubes, and mixed it into the mashed potatoes.
"It smells so good! What delicious food are you making?"
Widow Xu came in from the back door.
Yu remembered that she saw her cousin come to see her today, and she had planned to tell Madam Cheng about it when she came back, but Madam Cheng was teaching Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi, so she said two words and then forgot them.
Widow Xu had a bad reputation, and some women in the village often gathered together to say bad things about her. Yu Shi had heard this several times and actually disliked her. However, Madam Cheng took good care of her. Whenever Yu Shi thought about the time when she and Gui'er were in trouble in Puyang City, she would try not to be prejudiced against Widow Xu.
"Xiuying is here." Yu tried to look more relaxed. "I'm cooking. We have two children at home, and they need to eat several meals a day."
"That's perfect, I'll give you another dish." She glanced into the pot and said happily, "I also dug some new yams today, and I wanted to give them to Madam Cheng to have something new. What a coincidence."
There were large pieces of bacon in the other person's pot, but hers was too plain and a bit embarrassing.
Cheng Mu came over and saw it, and took her bowl. "Thank you." She poured the contents of the bowl into the pot and said, "Let's dip it in the cured meat."
"Mrs. Cheng, you don't have to wash it. I'll do it." Widow Xu snatched the bowl from her.
Cheng Mu asked her if she had eaten and if she wanted to eat together, but she said she had guests at home.
Cheng Mu thought she was about to leave, and Widow Xu was also planning to leave. After thinking about it, she turned back and said, "Madam Cheng, why can't I close the water windmill in my field? Can you help me take a look?"
Yu asked, "Have your guests left yet, Madam Cheng? This kind of thing should be left to Mu Yun."
Cheng Mu: "Mu Yun is not here now, so if we keep it open, we'll pump out too much water and let it soak overnight, which will damage the roots of the seedlings." Mu Yun would be back in the evening, and it would be inconvenient to check at night. For the sake of the crops, Cheng Mu said, "Guier and I will go check later."
"Then I'll go back first, you guys eat slowly."
After Widow Xu left, Yu whispered, "Madam Cheng knows who her guest is. Gui'er and I saw him when we came back. It was the cousin who works at the horse farm. He used to help her with her work. Today, he saw someone acting suspiciously."
"He's the only one? I understand why he's being sneaky. Our village is still dealing with the horse farm, and he's trying to avoid being discovered by the villagers." Cheng Mu said, "Didn't she say she dug up taro today? She's here to help, too. Gui'er and I will go together later."
After dinner, Yu cleaned up. Cheng Mu and Gui'er each coaxed a child, putting Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi to sleep. They said goodbye to Yu, and the two of them went out the back door to Widow Xu's house.
Gui'er yawned, "Madam Cheng, the new sweet potato is so delicious. I'm so full. I feel like taking a nap."
"You're dizzy."
"What's the meaning?"
"They say you get sleepy when you're full." Cheng Mu laughed, "We should stir-fry some loofah. I'm a little full too."
"It's because of the extra bowl from Widow Xu's house. Why did she think of bringing a bowl for us today?"
"She meant well, but she didn't know we were digging today too."
When they arrived at Widow Xu's house, Gui'er called out twice and Widow Xu came out to greet them happily.
“I almost squinted.”
Gui Er listened carefully to Yu's words and asked, "Have your guests left?"
"He left to try the new yam. He ate it and left when I came back from your house."
Guier went in first and looked around the house and the greenhouse, and sure enough, there was no one else there.
Widow Xu took Cheng Mu to see the water-drawing windmill. The ground was full of water. "Madam Cheng, please wait." Widow Xu specially brought two small stools and placed them steadily in the mud and water.
"Just walk along. You step on one and I'll move it. Don't get your shoes and socks wet."
Widow Xu took off her shoes and socks and stepped barefoot in the mud to protect her. Cheng Mu felt a little sorry, "I am just like you..."
"How can Madam Cheng be like me? You shouldn't get involved in this muddy water."
When Cheng Mu was a student, she had to roll up her trouser legs and walk on the ground, and she had to wade through mud and water. How could she be so precious?
Widow Xu has always been openly disdainful towards other people. She doesn't care about other people's opinions. What others say about her is true, but she never defends herself or proves herself. However, when facing Cheng Mu, she has always been very respectful. When they are alone together, they always touch each other's feet and hands.
Cheng Mu admired her calmness, her gratitude, and her self-reliance. Women should help women, especially in such a dynasty. So she lent her seeds and taught her how to farm and fetch water.
Cheng Wei checked and found that there was a problem with the drive shaft.
After finishing, the clothes were inevitably stained with mud and water.
"Please sit down first. I'll find a clean towel to wipe it."
Cheng Mu sat on a low chair, her eyelids were already drooping. She almost fell asleep in the mud.
In the distance, Gui'er was dozing off.
After Widow Xu entered the house, she could no longer hold on and fell headfirst onto the kang, falling asleep.
A quarter of an hour later, Wang San, who was supposed to leave, came back and walked around the house.
Wow, three women fell down.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
