"Come quick, everyone! Ever since that family came to our village, they've been going up the mountain behind our village to hunt wild game and gather wild produce all day long. I think they're trying to hollow out this mountain so that none of us will have anything to gather!"
Liu Tiezhu's wife is named Su Niang, but her personality is anything but "simple".
Right now, he's standing under the big tree with his hands on his hips, inciting the villagers, who are surrounding Zhao Yuru and spitting at her.
Zhao Yuru was so angry that her face turned red. She had only gone to the village entrance to greet Fu Niu'er because she was thinking of her, but she was entangled by this shrew.
Tao Hongying had a fiery temper and got along best with her sister-in-law Zhao Yuru, so she jumped off the bus and squeezed in.
"Who's spouting nonsense in broad daylight? The back mountain is right there, and there's no rule about whose it belongs to. Why is it that only your Liu family can go there, but our Li family can't?"
Tao Hongying shielded her sister-in-law behind her and retorted without hesitation.
Su Niang was taken aback, her eyes bulging like a frog's. After thinking for a while, she said sternly.
"Who said we couldn't go? But there's only so much stuff on the mountain. If you all take it all, what are we supposed to take? In previous years, every family had piles and piles of stuff, but this year we haven't taken anything! If you hadn't come and competed with us, things wouldn't be like this!"
The villagers were already envious of the pheasants, rabbits, and salted fish hanging in the Li family's yard, as well as the various mountain products drying in the sun.
Now, Su Niang had also persuaded him, and he looked at Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru with some hostility.
Before Tao Hongying could speak, Old Lady Li stepped forward with Jiayin in her arms and said...
“We just arrived, and we haven’t harvested any grain in the fields. If we don’t gather more mountain produce, we’re afraid we’ll go hungry this winter. But we can only gather for a few more days, since the autumn harvest is just around the corner.”
She smiled and said again.
"I have many sons, and I was thinking of helping everyone out. After all, we're all farmers, and nothing is more important than harvesting the grain. Who would have thought that someone would see our good intentions of helping each other and come here to stir up trouble, using us all as pawns!"
Upon hearing this, the villagers looked at each other, and some of them seemed to come to their senses. Some of them blushed and responded.
“The old lady is right. We all live in the same village, so we should lend a helping hand.”
"Yes, ma'am, your woodpile is a bit small. After the autumn harvest, we'll help you chop more firewood."
“Sure,” Old Lady Li said with a smile, pointing to the two sickles in Old Man Li’s hand.
"The fourth brother was worried that everyone didn't have enough sickles, so he just asked a friend in the city to buy two. Anyone who wants one can come and get one."
Jiayin nestled in the old lady's arms, and upon hearing these words, she wanted nothing more than to clap and cheer for her grandmother.
Putting everything else aside, the old lady is really good with words and a master at winning people over.
Sure enough, when everyone saw the two gleaming sickles, they became even more convinced that Old Lady Li wasn't just saying nice things to deceive them, and Su Niang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
The Li family, such a good family, almost had their lives broken apart because of her instigation.
Su Niang gritted her teeth in hatred, not daring to say anything more, and ran away with the excuse that she had to cook at home.
The crowd laughed, exchanged a few words, and then dispersed.
When the Li family arrived at their doorstep, Old Lady Li called out to Li Lao Er.
"When returning the donkey cart, tell the village chief that our family is new here and we want to have a feast at two tables to celebrate with the villagers."
Li Lao Er's eyes lit up and he immediately replied, "Mother, I understand. I'll go and talk to the village chief right away."
Tao Hongying quickly filled a basket with a few apples and pears, along with a handful of red dates, and handed it to Li Lao Er.
"I heard that the village chief's wife is not in good health. Second brother, please take these with you."
Li Lao Er accepted it with a smile, but sighed inwardly. Actually, it would have been best if he had brought his wife with him at this time.
He told the village chief that it was because his wife was visiting him in the hospital that they could quickly become close.
But considering Wu Cuihua's character, if I let her go, she'd probably eat all the fruit on the way.
If they don't learn their lesson, they might not only fail to get close, but could even become enemies...
The village chief was having dinner at home when he saw Li Lao Er coming over, so he quickly helped unload the donkey cart.
Upon seeing the fruit given by Li Lao Er, the village chief's smile widened even more.
When Li Lao Er mentioned that his family was going to host a banquet, he immediately agreed.
Even if the Li family hadn't said anything, he would still remind the villagers to visit the Li family often and avoid bullying them.
The Li family is large and prosperous, and their members are literate and capable of arithmetic. Their settlement in the village is only beneficial to the village and will not cause any harm.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, the village chief and the villagers arrived at the Li family's house one after another.
Among them were elderly men with crippled hands and feet, as well as heads of various households, but not a member of the Liu family.
The villagers noticed it too, but no one asked, it was an unspoken understanding.
The Li family's courtyard was spacious, with a kitchen in the southwest corner containing two stoves, each with an iron pot on it.
Tao Hongying was in charge of cooking, while Zhao Yuru and Jia Huan assisted her.
Wu Cuihua made a lot of noise and seemed to be helping, but in reality, she did more bark than bite.
To be honest, she didn't do any real work.
"Pheasant stew with mushrooms, braised rabbit, and sweet and sour carp are the main dishes. We'll also add stir-fried mushrooms with meat, scallions and eggs, and a refreshing wild vegetable salad."
Tao Hongying prepared a total of six dishes, not many, but it was already the Li family's greatest gesture.
Grandma Li held Jiayin in her arms as she greeted the villagers at the door. Jiayin's little face was rosy, and her big, dark eyes shone like jewels.
With such an adorable appearance, everyone who sees her wants to give her a kiss.
If it weren't for Jiaxi and Jia'an protecting her, Jiayin's face would probably have been pinched red.
When the sun was at its zenith, the two tables in the Li family's courtyard were already full of villagers.
Li Lao Er, accompanied by his two younger brothers, chatted with the group and drank tea.
Li Lao Er was quite knowledgeable and educated, and his speech and actions were much more tactful than those of ordinary villagers, making everyone laugh.
Some village women came to join in the fun, and seeing the busy kitchen, they rolled up their sleeves and helped pick vegetables.
Tao Hongying thanked them happily, and they chatted idly, making it a lively occasion.
With more people, things get done, and soon a rich aroma of meat wafted out of the kitchen.
The village's mischievous boys, unable to resist their cravings, peeked out from the doorway, swallowing hard.
When Tao Hongying saw this, she called out to Jiaxi and Jia'an, took some sesame candy from home, and shared it with the children.
So Jia'an and Jiaxi quickly became familiar with the children and became good friends.
"Come on! Try the wine I brought. It's a fine wine that I dug up from under the tree this morning and buried for three years!"
The village chief brought two jars of wine himself, probably because he didn't want the Li family to spend too much money.
"Oh my, it's rare for the village chief to be so generous, we should drink a few more bowls."
Before the food was even ready, the men at the table were already drinking and making a lively scene.
Their hearty laughter lingered in the air above the Li family's courtyard for a long time.
When all the food was served, the guests were all surprised.
No one expected the Li family to be so generous, with such a lavish feast of fish and meat that no family could possibly eat during the New Year!
But considering that the Li family could afford such a large courtyard, they must be quite wealthy.
Moreover, Li Lao Er was literate, Lao San was a bricklayer, and Lao Si was a hunter; it was normal for them to live a good life, and it was truly enviable.
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