The villagers quickly agreed, "Yes, if we don't feed them, they'll behave after a few meals of hunger!"
"Everyone is working like dogs to survive, and they don't even dare to eat their fill for fear of running out of food. But these guys are useless; all they do is cause trouble."
Even the most kind-hearted elderly and women didn't plead for them. The mischievous kids had completely lost hope. Seeing the pitiful state of Jia'an and Jiaxi, and the dejected Jiayin, they all obediently shrank back...
After the children made such a fuss, the adults lost their motivation to work and, unusually, finished early to eat and sleep.
Although Jiayin is an adult soul, she lives in a small body, making her soul much more fragile.
The despair of being surrounded by fire during the day, with no way to escape, gave her many nightmares at night.
In the end, Tao Hongying put her daughter on her belly and held her all night.
Listening to her mother's strong heartbeat and the soft lullaby, Jiayin finally fell asleep peacefully.
But Jia An and Jia Xi were groaning in pain because of their leg injuries.
Zhao Yuru and Jia Huan also stayed with them all night, because they had applied ointment and couldn't use cold water to apply it.
The mother and sons gently fanned themselves to make the two boys more comfortable.
As dawn broke, everyone in the Li family, without exception, had dark circles under their eyes...
The village chief braved the morning mist to come and check on the Li family. Seeing their condition, he said, "Why don't you take a day off? It's just digging holes and planting trees anyway, nothing too strenuous."
Li Lao Er and his brothers all refused, ate a quick meal, and insisted on going up the mountain with the others.
Tao Hongying was originally going to go with the women to clear the riverbank today. Each family's yard was located there. They would clear it out early and plant vegetables so they wouldn't have to worry about cooking every time.
But right now, she was worried about her daughter and also concerned about her son; she felt like she wanted to tear her heart in two.
Grandma Li coaxed her granddaughter into eating half a bowl of plain porridge. Seeing that her granddaughter was still listless, she said, "Hongying, catch the mule cart and come with me to the nearby village. Let's exchange some vegetables and, better yet, buy a hen to make some chicken soup for Fu Niu to nourish her."
Tao Hongying immediately agreed and went to hitch up the mule cart.
Dongmei felt guilty for not following Jiayin last night, which had frightened her, and now she wanted to help her catch the bus.
Looking into her granddaughter's bright eyes, Grandma Li guessed a bit of what she was planning and said, "Dongmei, don't worry about it. We'll just wander around that village up ahead. You don't need to come with us. Just stay home and help Yuru out."
Dongmei glanced at Jiayin subconsciously, and seeing Jiayin nod, she stepped back.
Soon, the mule cart was harnessed.
The village chief called out, "Hongying, take some more japonica rice. It'll be easy to exchange it for whatever you want."
Old Mrs. Li refused, saying, "No need, brother. I've already taken the money. I'll just wander around the neighborhood and buy the children a chicken to nourish them."
The Li family wanted special treatment, so it was indeed inappropriate for them to take grain from the public treasury. Therefore, the village chief did not insist further.
Nowadays, when everyone eats together, there are many people but little food, so the food is naturally not very good.
Occasionally, when children have a craving or when an elder has a birthday, each family will prepare a special meal using the fine grains they have stored away.
With subsidies from Madam Cui and Young Master Ye, Old Madam Li, Jiayin, and even Uncle Zhao and his fellow patients all benefited.
No one was jealous, because every time Madam Cui, Mr. Wen, and Young Master Ye came, it was the Li family who provided the food to entertain them.
Everyone has their own sense of justice and understands everything, but no one is calculating. This is the trust and camaraderie that comes from sharing joys and sorrows and fighting for survival together.
Jiayin sat in her grandmother's lap, listening to her grandmother and mother talk, but her mind was frantically busy in her own world.
The radishes, cabbages, sorghum, and millet that had been stored away earlier finally had a chance to be taken out.
There are also the chicken, duck, and goose eggs that have been accumulated, and the rampant rabbits should be made to commit suicide as well.
The chicks hatched last year have now grown to four or five pounds. The female chicks are kept to lay eggs, while the male chicks are useless, so we caught two to contribute a big dish to the family dinner table.
In addition, there are still plenty of fresh green vegetables, a lot of meat left in the refrigerator, and the small fish in the fishpond have all grown to the size of a palm.
Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for these...
Don't be greedy, don't be greedy!
Jiayin kept reassuring herself, and the mule cart slowly entered the nearby village.
This village is called Big Banyan Tree, and it has more than 40 households, totaling more than 200 people.
The village roads are all dirt roads, but they are kept very clean, and the fences around each house's yard are all tidy.
It's clear that the village has a good atmosphere; at least the people there are honest, hardworking, and law-abiding.
Jiayin stood in her grandmother's arms, craning her neck to look around.
As a result, the more she looked at it, the more satisfied she became.
There are actually families in this village raising geese. I won't have to worry about my goose eggs getting conspicuous anymore.
She happily pointed to the yard of the goose farmer and excitedly exclaimed, "Goose, Grandma has geese!"
The old lady thought her granddaughter wanted to eat goose meat, so she immediately called to her daughter-in-law, "Hongying, go and ask if this place can sell us a goose. We'll stew goose for Fu Niu for lunch!"
“Okay, Mother.” Tao Hongying immediately stopped the mule cart, knocked on the door, and went in to talk to the woman in the house.
This village is closest to the gravel beach. Someone in the village had witnessed the magistrate's son being humiliated, and the story spread throughout the village.
Almost everyone in the village knew that those people from the gravel beach were not to be trifled with.
Now that Tao Hongying had come in wanting to buy geese and offered a decent price, how could the woman dare to refuse?
She not only picked the biggest goose in the flock, but also gave her two goose eggs.
Tao Hongying gave him a piece of silver weighing seven or eight qian, feeling that she had not treated him unfairly, so she grabbed the goose by the neck, took the goose eggs, and delivered them to the mule cart.
Jiayin clapped her hands happily. While her mother led the mule and her grandmother tied up the goose, she quickly put the goose eggs into the basket and then put the lid on.
The old lady turned around and saw it, instinctively raised her hand to lift it up to take a look, but immediately closed it again.
The basket was full of white-shelled goose eggs, green-shelled duck eggs, and red-shelled chicken eggs...
Jiayin hugged her grandmother's neck with a grin, "Grandma, let's go home and have steamed egg custard!"
The old lady looked around and, seeing that no one was around, pinched her granddaughter's cheek and asked softly, "Fu Niu, what else would you like to eat?"
Jiayin understood and whispered in her grandmother's ear, "Grandma, there are also radishes, cabbages, sorghum, and millet. And... a big fish?"
The old lady took a deep breath, then steeled herself and instructed her daughter-in-law, "Let's go, wander around the village a little longer, and then go to another village."
Tao Hongying didn't know what her mother and daughter were discussing, but she was happy that her daughter was so cheerful.
Thinking back to last night, when her daughter nestled against her chest like a kitten, she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
For a mother, nothing is more important than her child's health and happiness.
"Alright, Mom, hold on tight."
She cracked her whip and led the mule around the village.
Every time they reached a corner or behind a woodpile, out of sight, Jiayin would take something out.
Sometimes it's a bag of sorghum, sometimes it's dozens of cabbages, sometimes it's two baskets of radishes...
Occasionally, when she encounters some of the more talkative women in the village, Old Lady Li will take the initiative to say a few words, "We fled here because of famine. We don't have much to eat, so we wander around and exchange for some coarse grains and vegetables."
The women guessed that the things in the car had been traded in other villages, and they regretted their decision.
They had more radishes and greens than they could eat, and the fresh wild vegetables and garden greens were almost ready to be harvested. If they could take them out and exchange them for some copper coins, that would be wonderful.
So they all asked when the Li family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would come again, and they were much more enthusiastic than before.
Jiayin sat happily in the middle of the basket, like a little landlady, cheerful and adorable.
You should take Grandma out for walks more often in the future!
Bonus chapter for 1000 book reviews! Four chapters today! For a while, I'll be temporarily returning to three chapters a day to rest and organize my thoughts. Don't overfeed me, my darlings! I still need your daily support and interaction! Please urge me to update, leave reviews, five-star ratings, and more!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com