The mornings at Suijintan are busy and lively, with hens from each household clucking and begging for food.
The old yellow dog guarding the door would wag its tail and rub against its owner, hoping to get half a pancake to soak in vegetable soup, which would be a rare treat for it.
The women busied themselves making breakfast, and the men ate their fill and then quickly left.
The fruit trees on the mountain need to be wrapped with grass, and the path by the archway needs to be cleared of snow.
Li Yong's new courtyard is also nearing completion. We need to help tidy it up quickly and make sure it's warm before he moves in.
The Li family is even busier than other families, as they have to prepare breakfast for nearly twenty people.
Fortunately, there were plenty of people to do the work.
In the Cui family courtyard, Granny He and Shui Ling got up early. Shui Ling went back next door to help with cooking, while Granny He placed two medicine pots on the fire pit under the eaves and slowly simmered the medicinal soup.
Soon, Shui Ling returned with the food box and called Granny He to come inside for a meal.
The girl had already sat up, enduring the pain, and braided two braids for herself. She tore two pieces of cloth from her petticoat to make hair ties, trying her best to look neat and tidy.
She tried to get up to wash, but was stopped by Granny He and Shui Ling.
The two men helped her bring water to wash up. She first wet a cloth and then helped her younger brother wipe his face and hands clean.
Both Granny He and Shui Ling nodded in agreement.
Regardless of their backgrounds, at least this older sister is doing a very good job.
Tao Hongying didn't need to go to the restaurant these past two days, and someone else had taken over the place in the valley. She finally had some peace and quiet, so she got up early to cook different delicious dishes for her family.
This morning I cooked golden millet porridge, served it with steamed dumplings with pork and pickled cabbage, and red bean buns that I didn't have time to steam last night. I also stir-fried a dish of shepherd's purse and shredded pork with pickled vegetables, a refreshing dish of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and a dish of scallion and egg stir-fry.
Considering the two patients, Tao Hongying added brown sugar and dates to the porridge she brought to the Cui family.
The child didn't have a fever last night and slept soundly. When he woke up and saw the food, he ate it ravenously.
The girl wanted to stop them, but in the end she didn't say anything. She just pushed the last two steamed dumplings toward Granny He and Shui Ling with a slight apology.
Granny He smiled and divided the steamed dumplings among the siblings, saying, "You don't need to be shy, eat as many as you want."
“Our master’s family is very kind. We servants eat just as well as our master, so we don’t go hungry.”
Shuiling bit into the sweet red bean bun and nodded vigorously.
"Granny is right, you'll see once you've lived here for a while. Our Fourth Madam's cooking is the best, her braised pork is absolutely amazing! Give me a piece of pork and I can eat a whole bowl of rice with it!"
Granny He glared at her with a smile, "You're such a glutton. Coming to our family is like falling into a trap."
"Hehe, my mother always says I'm a fool with a fool's luck." Shui Ling chuckled, finished her red bean bun in a few bites, and said, "Granny, clear the table. I'll go see if the masters have finished eating. The old lady might want to come over for a visit."
"Alright, go ahead." After the siblings finished eating, Granny He quickly cleared the table. Just as she finished cleaning up, the old lady led Jiayin over, followed by Tao Hongying and Dongmei.
The girl struggled and insisted on kneeling on the kang (a heated brick bed) to kowtow to the old lady and others, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Madam."
The child, unable to move due to a leg injury, bowed his head while half-supporting himself.
The old lady helped the girl sit down, patted the child, and then sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
Granny He brought in the medicinal soup, which the girl drank in one gulp. However, the child struggled to drink it and looked longingly at the chubby Jiayin.
Jiayin blinked, then squeezed her purse.
The children drank much more happily, until their eyes and noses were all squinting from the bitterness.
Jiayin then stepped forward with a smile, took out a piece of sesame candy from her purse, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The child smacked their lips twice, looking somewhat disappointed; it didn't seem as sweet as yesterday's candy...
Jiayin pretended not to know and took a piece of sesame candy herself, slowly licking it.
Tao Hongying took out a handkerchief and wiped her daughter's drool.
The old woman asked, "Young lady, our second son couldn't bear to see you being beaten yesterday, so he rescued you. But we still don't know your names or where you live. Should we send someone to deliver a message to your family?"
The girl's face paled slightly. She took a deep breath before saying, "In response to the old lady, my brother and I live in Qingmu Town, Yongze County, west of Xindu. Our family name is Gong. My name is Gong Yunshu, and my brother's name is Gong Yu."
My grandfather was a Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and my father was a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest imperial examinations). They were quite well-known in our Qingmu Town. More than a dozen family members came to live with us and stayed for twenty years. It was a very lively place.
“But five or six years ago, my father was beaten to death and robbed of his money while he was out sightseeing and enjoying the flowers. My mother… soon followed him!”
The girl choked up, forcing back her tears, and said, "My grandfather only had my father by himself. He always valued him highly, but he couldn't bear the blow and passed away after being bedridden for half a year. Only my grandmother was left to take care of my siblings and me."
“Life was fine before, but the clansmen became greedy and kept coming to borrow money and seize our land. Half a month ago, my grandmother also passed away. Just after the seventh day after her death, the clansmen drove us out of the courtyard and seized our family property.”
“My brother and I lived in a dilapidated thatched hut at the entrance of the village. Our uncle said he would send us to the capital to find work, but in reality, he wanted to sell us into a brothel. My brother and I managed to escape, but we were eventually caught in the street…”
Everyone listened with bated breath, and some were so angry they gritted their teeth.
Tao Hongying said, "This is outrageous! It's clearly murder for money and robbery of family property!"
The old lady sighed, "You don't have any relatives or friends who can stand up for you."
Miss Yun Shu shook her head and replied with a bitter smile, "People forget you when you're gone. My grandfather and father have both passed away, and my maternal grandparents' family lives too far away, so we don't have much contact with them. Even if I help the Gong family, there's no reward in return, so who would want to get involved?"
"Furthermore, my uncle took fifty acres of land and gold and silver from my family and smoothed things over with the town and county government. My siblings and I wanted to resist, but we had no way to appeal."
"There's absolutely no law!" Tao Hongying shook her head. "This area around Xindu is right under the emperor's nose, and yet people still dare to be so arrogant!"
“There’s never a shortage of bad people in this world, otherwise those siblings wouldn’t have been beaten half to death on the street. Luckily, it was the second brother who ran into them, otherwise he would have really lost his life.” The old lady looked at Yun Shu and comforted her, “You two should take good care of your injuries first, and then we’ll think of a solution once you’re healed.”
Yun Shu quickly bowed and thanked her, but this aggravated the injury on her back, causing her to groan in pain.
The old lady quickly got up. "You and your brother should rest well. If you need anything, please ask Granny He for help. We'll come to see you again when we have time!"
After saying that, she waved her hand and led everyone away in a flurry, leaving only Granny He to take care of things.
Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er were both waiting for news. After hearing from the old lady where the siblings had come from, Li Zhensheng went to the city.
That year, although he frequently traveled to Quanzhou, he managed to find most of the shopkeepers and employees he had previously relied on.
While it's not as convenient as the Marquis's residence, it's sufficient for getting things done.
This time, however, he didn't intend to use those shopkeepers and employees; instead, he hired Wang Fu'er and his wife.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com