63 Uncle Zhao's Tantrum
◎When County Magistrate Ye came to my house, I cooked big knife meat...◎
Good medicine tastes bitter. After a day of rest, Ye Yunzhao looked much more energetic.
The next morning, she was really worried about the mushroom shed, so she got up early, drank a small bowl of millet porridge, and walked towards Aunt Wang's house.
When she arrived, Aunt Wang and another woman were weaving flat bamboo baskets in the yard. When she saw her coming, Aunt Wang stood up in surprise and said:
"Ah! County Magistrate Ye, why are you here so early in the morning instead of resting in the county office?"
Ye Yunzhao smiled and said, "Thanks to Doctor Li's medicine, I feel much better today. I knew you were afraid of bothering me, so I came to see you."
The woman quickly placed a wooden stool for her and wiped it carefully, while Aunt Wang went to the kitchen to melt a bowl of hot sugar water.
The woman's name was Xia Hua. She was only in her thirties, but her husband had gone to the battlefield and had not returned for two years. Some gossipy villagers said that her husband had died in the battlefield and had urged her to come to the county government to ask for a pension.
However, Xia Hua was weak and naturally did not dare to come to the county government office to argue with the officials. Therefore, she was not taken seriously by her husband's family.
Her husband's father-in-law was also a harsh and heartless man. He even separated from her. Now Xia Hua lives with her son and daughter at the east end of Xixiang, right next to the back mountain.
Even the houses were just a few dilapidated thatched huts built by the previous county magistrate for the farmers who chiseled stones.
Therefore, when she first said she wanted to grow mushrooms, Aunt Wang and her family were very surprised.
Fortunately, Xia Hua is diligent and has made some adobe bricks in the past. Now with the help of Wang Laiwang and others, quite a few mushroom sheds have been built.
Xia Hua said embarrassedly, "County Magistrate Ye, can you come and see my mushroom shed later? I'm afraid..."
Ye Yunzhao smiled and said, "Of course I'll go and see it."
As she spoke, she looked towards the mushroom shed that had already been built at Aunt Wang's house. A thick rice mat had been hung at the small entrance. Ye Yunzhao lifted the rice mat, bent down and walked in. Once inside the mushroom shed, it was noticeably warmer. Not only was there no wind, but the sunlight filtered through the rice mat roof like broken gold.
In the middle of the mushroom shed was a pre-made wooden frame, but it only had a frame now, lacking the bamboo baskets for growing mushrooms in the future. Ye Yunzhao raised his hands and gestured in the air a few times, and seeing that the height and width were just right, he felt a little happy.
"County Magistrate Ye, how's it going?" Aunt Wang lifted the rice mat, held out the sugar water, and smiled. "It shouldn't be a big problem, right?"
Ye Yunzhao said as he walked out: "It looks good to me, but the bottom layer of the wooden frame can be raised a little higher."
Aunt Wang listened attentively. Ye Yunzhao picked up a flat bamboo basket she had woven and said, "Make sure the bottom of the bamboo basket is an inch off the ground when it is placed on the wooden rack. This way, water won't accumulate."
Aunt Wang nodded quickly and handed her the bowl: "Okay, I'll fix it later."
Xia Hua asked curiously, "What if there's water accumulation?"
"Mushrooms need water. Proper water can make mushrooms look better, which simply means they can be sold at a higher price."
As soon as Ye Yunzhao said this, the two people in front of him looked at him eagerly, revealing a bit of excitement.
She added, "If water accumulates, the mushrooms won't come out easily. While they won't spoil, the growing period will be prolonged, and the profit you make will naturally be less."
"Change it! I'll change it now!" When Aunt Wang heard that it was related to money, she immediately wanted to go into the mushroom shed.
Ye Yunzhao stopped her with a smile: "Don't worry, I think it's not easy to raise the bottom of the wooden frame. In fact, you can put adobe blocks on the four corners. But then you have to be more careful when picking mushrooms later. After all, it's not as stable as putting it directly on the ground."
Ye Yunzhao hit the nail on the head, and Aunt Wang was a little hesitant. According to the current speed, the mushroom shed will be completely built by tomorrow night at the latest. If she works quickly, she will be able to plant woven mushrooms early the day after tomorrow morning!
If we dismantle the wooden frame and rebuild it, I'm afraid we'll have to waste another day, and mushroom planting will naturally be postponed.
Putting a brick under the wooden frame would not waste time, but it would not allow any mistakes in the future. If you were not careful and knocked it over... Aunt Wang could not imagine the consequences.
Just as she was hesitating, Xia Hua said, "What if we turn the wooden frame upside down? Upside down, bottom up?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunzhao's eyes lit up and he immediately praised, "Great! What a great idea! It saves time and helps us understand the water accumulation problem! Xia Hua, you are truly very smart!"
Aunt Wang was delighted to have her troubles solved. She said, "Oh! Xiahua, don't worry. If your family doesn't have enough rice mats, you can take all the extra ones I made!"
The three of them happily entered the mushroom shed. Fortunately, when the mushroom shed was first built, Aunt Wang asked Wang Laiwang to keep a piece of wood on the top. She originally thought it was used to hold the bamboo basket, but she never thought that it would have a better use now.
Because there was not much space inside the mushroom shed, the three of them had to lift the wooden frame out of the shed first. Aunt Wang removed the rice mat, and the three of them moved the wooden frame out little by little and slowly laid it down in the yard. Ye Yunzhao shook it hard, and after making sure it was stable, he moved it back little by little.
Half an hour later, Xia Hua led Ye Yunzhao home.
Xia Hua's thatched cottage sat on the hillside behind the village. From a distance, the roof was visible, broken in several places. It was some distance from Xixiang's house. Though shabby, it was not small, with three rooms and a low wooden shed in the yard. Inside, a large clay stove with a broken pot on top served as the kitchen.
It is called a courtyard wall, but in fact it is just a fence made of wood, which looks like it can only protect against gentlemen but not villains.
The mushroom shed being built in the yard is out of tune with the other houses. Wang Laiwang, Lu Dayuan and others are busy finishing the work on the mushroom shed.
Ye Yunzhao's eyes twitched, and he pointed at the "yard wall" and asked worriedly, "Are you sure... you can stop them?"
Xia Hua was a little overwhelmed: "We rarely have people come to our house."
Ye Yunzhao held his forehead slightly and reminded them in a low voice: "I asked you to grow the weaving mushroom, which is quite expensive. If it grows well in the future, won't someone come and steal it?"
She spoke frankly, and Xia Hua naturally understood. She had originally thought it was just an ordinary mushroom, but she had never imagined it was a braided mushroom. She stared at her own "yard wall" with great concern and made up her mind:
"Okay! County Magistrate Ye, don't worry. I will definitely think of a solution in the next few days!"
Ye Yunzhao was not as optimistic as her. With such a small courtyard with nothing but bare walls, could he afford to build a wall?
But this was not the time to hit her, so Ye Yunzhao forced a smile and said, "I thought your mushroom shed would take a few days to be completed, but I never thought it would be almost done."
"I have to thank Aunt Wang for all this. Aunt Wang is a kind person. She couldn't bear to see me working alone, so she asked Brother Lai Wang to help. The village head also helped me find a few people..." Xia Hua paused and smiled at the people who were busy building the mushroom shed. "When I make money from growing mushrooms in the future, I will definitely treat everyone to a good meal!"
Wang Laiwang wiped the sweat off his face and said with a smile, "Okay, Sister Xia Hua, Da Yuan and I are waiting to eat!"
Helping each other, being simple and kind, it was truly a joyful scene. But at this moment, an untimely voice sounded behind Ye Yunzhao, breaking such a peaceful atmosphere.
"You filthy bastard! Are you still a member of our Zhao family? How dare you let a stranger into the yard in broad daylight! Ouch! I won't live anymore! Son! This heartless woman you insisted on marrying is going to piss me off to death! Son! You died miserably! My son!"
Xia Hua looked at the person cursing outside the courtyard gate, then looked sheepishly at County Magistrate Ye, who had his back to the gate. She said in a deep voice, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
The person who cursed was none other than Xia Hua's husband's father-in-law - the rather annoying father-in-law, Uncle Zhao.
Uncle Zhao was shouting and making a fuss, and since this place was close to the fields, it unsurprisingly attracted quite a few onlookers. In an age without cell phones, watching the fun was the best way to relieve boredom. Xixiang didn't usually see any major incidents, just someone losing two eggs or a young son stealing a few vegetables.
With such a big scene to watch and weeding not being a pressing matter, people had no desire to work anymore and gathered around from near and far.
Seeing this scene, Uncle Zhao was so angry that he cried out to the sky, "My ancestors of the Zhao family! I'm so sorry! I let my son marry such a slut! My son has only been dead for a year, and she! How dare... how dare...
My son died for his country! My son was a hero! You weren't at home to keep vigil for him! How could you show up in public and do such a shameful thing?
Xia Hua stepped forward: "You! You! You're talking nonsense!"
"I'm talking nonsense? Then what's going on with them!" Uncle Zhao's eyes flashed and he pointed at Wang Laiwang and others who were working in the mushroom shed.
Wang Laiwang immediately said, "Uncle Zhao, what nonsense are you talking about! My family and Sister Xia Hua are both learning to grow mushrooms from County Magistrate Ye. It would take a lot of time for Sister Xia Hua to build the wall alone. We came here with good intentions to help, so why are you so careless?"
Wang Laiwang was an honest man, and he and Fangniang were very affectionate. His accusations left the onlookers speechless:
"Uncle Zhao, what nonsense are you talking about? Xia Hua is such a good person. She gave birth to many children for your family and is so capable. But you not only kicked her out, but also slandered her. I can't believe that there are talents like you in Xixiang!"
Uncle Zhao snorted coldly: "Could it be that this bitch stole you?"
The man said, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
"Since it's not you, what are you yelling about?" Uncle Zhao glared at Xia Hua. "There's really nothing wrong. Why would someone come to your house to help out for no reason, even without asking for payment? And you still dare to claim innocence?"
Xia Hua took a few steps forward and said with determination, "I call you Dad, but I want to ask you, do you really want to kick me out of the house?"
Uncle Zhao was startled by her sudden questioning and forced himself to remain calm: "I'm not driving you away. My Zhao family can't tolerate a woman like you. I'm divorcing you!"
Everyone was shocked. The eldest son of the Zhao family died in the battlefield, and Xia Hua worked diligently at home. Even if she had no credit, she had worked hard. The unreasonable Uncle Zhao actually wanted to divorce Xia Hua for his deceased son!
Xia Hua forced a sarcastic smile onto her face, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. After saying "OK" three times, she said firmly, "Since I'm not a member of your Zhao family, what qualifications do you have to act wildly in front of my door!"
As he said this, he picked up the broom at the gate and hit Uncle Zhao.
Uncle Zhao was old, and his reaction was not as quick as Xia Hua's. He took several hits before escaping from under the broom.
It was only then that Ye Yunzhao turned around and walked towards the courtyard gate. Many people had seen her when she was busy working in the fields before. Now, some people naturally recognized her and whispered to each other:
"The person in Sister Xia Hua's courtyard turned out to be County Magistrate Ye."
"What is County Magistrate Ye doing here? Could it be that he's really doing what Wang Laiwang said? Learning how to build a mushroom shed?"
"You're really out of touch. A few days ago, County Magistrate Ye was at Aunt Wang's house asking if anyone wanted to grow mushrooms with him."
"Grow mushrooms? What kind of mushrooms?"
"Well, I don't know that. Why are you asking so much about it? Do you want to grow mushrooms too?"
…
But among the many people who had seen Ye Yunzhao, Uncle Zhao happened not to be there.
He was lying on the ground wailing, covered in dirt from dodging the broom just now. He looked at Ye Yunzhao with a dusty face and said sarcastically, "I don't know where this filthy fellow comes from..."
He pointed at Xia Hua, spit flying everywhere, "Anyone who gets close to this little bitch is no good!"
Hearing this, everyone gasped. This Mr. Zhao was too outrageous! He actually dared to scold the imperial officials!
Xia Hua immediately rushed forward and slapped Uncle Zhao in the face, leaving half of his face red and swollen. "This is the magistrate of Lingnan County! How dare you speak so rudely!"
Ye Yunzhao was originally a little unhappy because he was scolded for no reason. Fortunately, Xia Hua stood up for her. She stared coldly at Mr. Zhao lying on the ground and said condescendingly:
"Do you know what the crime is for publicly insulting an official of the imperial court?"
At this point, Uncle Zhao finally understood. He quickly got up from the ground and knelt down to beg for mercy:
"Sir... Sir... I am blind... I don't know Taishan. My son served our country and died on the battlefield... I hope you will spare... spare me for the sake of my tragically deceased son!"
Ye Yunzhao asked, "Is Xia Hua the daughter-in-law of the Zhao family?"
Seeing that she didn't hold him responsible for his rude words, Mr. Zhao immediately said, "Of course."
Ye Yunzhao looked at the man in front of him, who was completely different from the one who had just thrown a tantrum, sneered, and asked, "Really? I just heard you say that Xia Hua has been divorced. Are you deliberately deceiving me?"
Her voice suddenly rose, and Uncle Zhao trembled like a sieve: "I didn't explain it clearly. This bitch... Xia Hua was originally my daughter-in-law, but she was divorced last month. Now she is no longer counted."
"If that doesn't count, then what were you doing here just now?" Ye Yunzhao raised his eyebrows and said deliberately, "Could it be that you knew I was here and were deliberately making indirect accusations?"
Uncle Zhao quickly waved his hands: "I dare not, I dare not, just now... just now I was confused, I will never dare to do it again."
Ye Yunzhao didn't say anything else. Uncle Zhao quickly crawled to Xia Hua's side and said humbly, "Xia Hua, I won't dare to do that again. Please say something for me!"
Ye Yunzhao looked at the people around him and shouted, "I hope all the elders and villagers will bear witness. If he dares to harass or insult Xia Hua again, please tie him up and send him to the county government office!"
"Good!" someone in the crowd shouted.
Everyone could see that Uncle Zhao was taking advantage of his seniority and deliberately acting like a rogue, but they were fellow villagers after all, so it was not right to say anything, nor was it right to remain silent. Now that County Magistrate Ye had said this, they had a way to punish him in the future.
Xia Hua looked at her gratefully, not knowing what to do.
A moment later, Ye Yunzhao threw another earth-shattering piece of good news to the crowd:
"I guess everyone has heard that I want everyone to grow mushrooms. I hadn't decided on the species yet. Now I've decided to grow the shimeji mushroom. Anyone interested can go to the village head and sign up..."
Previously, she was not sure whether the mycelium could grow into good-quality tricholoma. After two experiments, Ye Yunzhao was basically certain that according to the method she had researched, at least 80% of the mushrooms produced would be tricholoma.
For fear of disappointing everyone, she waited until it was confirmed before announcing it publicly. Although it is too late to harvest the first crop of mushrooms by setting up the mushroom shed now, mushrooms are a crop that grows as time goes by. I am afraid that at least three to five crops can be produced!
As soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers really became excited. They surrounded Ye Yunzhao, asking questions and making a fuss, wishing they could drag her directly to their home.
"County Magistrate Ye, my family is making pork bone soup for lunch. Come over! And by the way, take a look at where my mushroom shed is..."
"Come to my house! Come to my house! I cook big knife meat..."
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