Fang Rou also came to fetch water, standing in line next to Xiao Yunying. Being straightforward, she asked without thinking:
"Yun Ying, why don't you use a carrying pole? You could carry two buckets at once."
Xiao Yunying really didn't know what to say.
It wasn't that she didn't want to use the carrying pole, but her body was truly useless.
The carrying pole hurt her shoulders terribly. She had only managed to walk a dozen steps while forcibly carrying the iron pot, and it left a bluish-purple bruise on her shoulder.
I don't know if it's because her posture is wrong or her weight distribution is not right, or if her skin is just that delicate.
She never expected herself to be so fragile. If she hadn't felt fine elsewhere, she would have thought she had some serious illness.
The road from the well to her house was so far that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to carry it all the way home and would have to carry it back herself, so she would have to take an extra carrying pole.
Fang Rou stared at her with her big eyes, her gaze revealing a determination to get an answer.
Xiao Yunying couldn't lie in front of the children; they had seen how she looked with the carrying pole last time. She could only lower her voice and admit her incompetence: "I can't carry it..."
Luo Yang interrupted her, saying, "We don't know where we put the carrying pole at home. It looks like it's going to rain soon, so my stepmother said we shouldn't look for it yet, but instead take a few buckets of water home before it rains."
Xiao Yunying glanced at Luo Yang, who was also looking at her with a smile.
Is he trying to save face?
Good lad, you've got potential!
Fang Rou generously said, "One more load of water from my house will be enough. You can borrow the carrying pole."
"No need, no need, two buckets are enough for us. The water in the kitchen vat is empty, but there are still water in the vat in the yard."
"Okay, if you can't find it, just come to my house and tell me, and my husband Tianfu will make one for you."
"It's at home, it won't get lost. I didn't look carefully. Thank you."
Fang Rou lowered her voice as well: "Thank you for what? You even helped my family with our washboard business."
Soon it was Xiao Yunying's turn. Luo Chen was in charge of fetching water, and she carried a bucket back first.
She hadn't gone far when an annoying figure blocked her way.
When Xiao Yunying looked up, she saw Liu Ge with a swollen bump on his forehead. She really didn't want to talk to him, so she took two steps to the left to avoid him.
"Miss Xiao, Miss Xiao."
As Liu Ge called to her, he reached out and tried to take her bucket: "This bucket is very heavy, let me help Miss Xiao carry it."
"Let go. Didn't that wake you up at noon?"
I don't know what's gotten into this guy, why is he always bothering her?
Liu Ge gripped the handle of the wooden bucket, revealing a greasy smile: "Miss Xiao, please don't be angry. It was my fault at noon that I blocked your way. Now there are rumors in the village, which have damaged your reputation. I have come here specifically to apologize to you."
Xiao Yunying was completely confused: "Rumors? What rumors?"
Looking back at the villagers pointing and whispering about the two of them, she knew it wasn't anything nice.
As Luo Chen and Luo Yang filled their buckets and headed back, they discovered someone blocking their stepmother's way. Hearing the absurd things people were saying around them, they didn't care about the buckets anymore, put them down on the ground, and stood in front of her.
Luo Chen said warily, "What do you want to do? Stay away from my stepmother!"
Liu Ge didn't take the two children seriously at all, and said to Xiao Yunying, "I really didn't mean any harm, I just wanted to help you carry water as an apology."
The two were secretly competing with each other, putting in a lot of effort to keep the wooden bucket from slipping from their hands. Xiao Yunying said, "Okay, then you can help me carry it."
Then I decisively let go.
Having released his strength, Liu Ge was pulled back a few steps by the reaction force of the wooden bucket, and sat down on the ground with a thud. The bucket also tipped over, splashing water all over him.
The feigned kindness vanished instantly, and his face turned as black as ink.
Xiao Yunying crossed her arms, coldly observing the other person's disheveled appearance, taking in his expression:
"You can't even lift a bucket of water, yet you said you'd help me carry water as an apology. I don't dare use it. It's okay if you break it, but how can I break my wooden bucket?"
A burst of laughter erupted from the surrounding area, and an older woman teased:
"Scholar Liu, your health is not good."
"It's not good to stay at home all the time studying. You can't even lift a bucket of water. You're not even as good as the Luo family's half-grown children."
"There's a saying, 'So weak you can't even kill a chicken,' does that describe someone like you?"
"Liu Xiucai, you keep saying you're apologizing, but what did you do to offend Yunying?"
Liu Ge got up from the ground, his lower body was soaked, and mud dripped from the hem of his clothes. Without saying a word, he left with a dark face.
Xiao Yunying scooped some water from the bucket Luo Chen was carrying and rinsed off the dirt stuck to the outside: "You guys go back first, I'll go get another bucket."
Luo Chen said, "I'll go."
"No need, I'll go. It'll be a good opportunity to practice how to fetch water."
"But he..."
"Do you think I'm afraid of him? Don't worry, he's no match for me."
"Oh well."
The two brothers carried the buckets and walked quickly. Xiao Yunying returned to the well and lined up again. When it was her turn, she had to shake the rope several times before the bucket in the well could be filled with a little water.
The people nearby couldn't wait any longer, so they helped her draw water from the well and poured it into a wooden bucket.
Xiao Yunying thanked her and carried the bucket home.
Thinking back to the feeling of splashing water, it wasn't too difficult. I should be able to learn it after a few more practices. There were too many people today, so I'll practice again next time when there are fewer people.
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