As the sun gradually set, Daling Village fell into silence.
Liang Shuyan felt exceptionally good today. Although there was a minor hiccup because of Dahei, it was eventually resolved. Thinking about how much ground Beibei had grabbed, her heart was pounding like a little rabbit!
Just as she was about to close the door and properly praise her beloved grandson, she heard some bad news that made her legs tremble instantly.
"Old Luo was starved to death by his son. I heard that Old Luo worked hard all his life, but in his old age, his son and daughter-in-law wouldn't give him any food, and he starved to death!" Liu Shi came over, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
"I know Old Luo's second wife. She was never a good girl back in her parents' home. Her mother always stirred things up. I guess she starved to death because they had just fled here from famine and there was probably nothing to eat at home!"
Jin Erniu glanced at Liu Shi with disdain: "What do you know? That old Luo knew there was only a little food left at home. He didn't want to eat it himself and wanted to save it for his grandson. What nonsense are you making up here?"
Jin Dashan was chopping firewood in the yard when he heard people talking about Old Luo. He waved his hand and said, "Mother, this Old Luo always quarrels with his wife. His son and daughter-in-law both side with Old Luo. I heard that his daughter-in-law found a knife he had hidden in his pillow and that's why she scolded him. This Old Luo has been wanting to die for a long time. This time, it seems that he really got his wish."
Liang Shuyan felt as if something sharp had ripped into her heart, leaving it bleeding.
Even if there are conflicts at home, you can't just starve yourself to death by not eating. There must be some hidden story we don't know about. Who would let themselves starve to death?
When Liang Shuyan first arrived at Daling Village and saw the stone tower that Wang Daikui pointed out, she felt a little uneasy. She wondered if the whole village had moved away because of the ominous nature of the stone tower.
Now, she thought that at least being hardworking would prevent her from starving, but little did she know that this tragic reality would unfold.
Liang Shuyan's beautiful dream was completely shattered before it even began.
Li Lanfang comforted them, "Forget it. We've even eaten locusts along the way. Some families had absolutely no food at home and starved to death, didn't they? Alright, don't be upset. Go back to your room and get some sleep!"
"Yes, we agreed to go planting tomorrow morning, so we still need to do some preparations," Liang Shuyan said, pulling her thoughts back from Old Luo.
"Dashan, Erniu, Sanwang, get up early tomorrow morning. Dashan will chop firewood, Erniu will carry water, and Sanwang will feed Dahei and the kitten. After the house is tidied up, we'll go up the mountain to plant seeds. Lizheng's brothers will plant seeds for our family, and Lizheng will also help out, so none of you can slack off. Eldest brother, stay home and take care of the house and cook. Second brother's wife, as soon as the sun comes up, go up the mountain to bring us food!"
The children all nodded. Niu Niu licked her lips and said with some envy, "Mom, Niu Niu wants to go too. Niu Niu wants to go to the mountain to catch butterflies!"
"You stay home and behave yourself. There are no butterflies on the mountain this early in the morning."
After arranging the affairs for tomorrow morning, Liang Shuyan went into her room, with Li Lanfang following behind her.
Under the dim light, Liang Shuyan breathed a sigh of relief: "Mother, Old Luo is really pitiful. I'm afraid he won't have money to be buried even after he dies. Although our family doesn't have much money, I still want to give them some money for his burial."
Li Lanfang shook her head, grabbed Liang Shuyan's hand and said, "Shuyan, we still don't know what's going on with the Luo family's child. Isn't Lizheng coming to help us with the planting tomorrow morning? Why don't we ask Lizheng what he thinks before we decide?"
Liang Shuyan pulled back the covers and sniffed: "Thank goodness, there's no bad smell. Mother, go to sleep early!"
Li Lanfang didn't say anything, but blew out the oil lamp with a puff. Although she didn't show any sympathy for Old Luo, she knew that people often starved to death in this era. Now, it wasn't enough for her precious daughter to support such a large family. She had to do something.
Originally, she just wanted to open a clinic, but now it seems that the clinic requires too much money. Her family lives in Daling Village, so how could Liang Shuyan feel at ease letting her go to town alone to open a clinic? After thinking for a while, Li Lanfang decided to make some embroidery first, and then take it to the market to sell. Maybe she could earn some money that way.
Outside the window, there was a swishing sound of sweeping the yard. Liang Shuyan jumped up, pulled back the curtains and peeked into the yard. Dashan was sweeping the yard with a broom.
She carefully got up, put on her clothes, and was about to go out when Li Lanfang opened her eyes and grabbed Liang Shuyan's hands: "Shuyan, it's cold in the morning, wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold. Make sure the children wear some clothes too!"
This old lady really takes such good care of her daughter! Liang Shuyan couldn't help but look at Li Lanfang with heartache and said, "Mother, don't worry, I'm already so old, you should go back to sleep!"
In the kitchen, Zhang was wearing an apron and cooking with a clanging sound, while Liu was wearing a jacket with half of her arms exposed. She was holding a bamboo basket in a basin and washing it by hand.
“This bamboo cage hasn’t been used in a long time. We used it once or twice when we were passing through the mountain village. I’ll wash it so that Li Zheng won’t laugh at us when he sees it.”
Liang Shuyan heard everything clearly at the door. This second daughter-in-law still cared about the Jin family's reputation when it mattered most, but she just couldn't change her gossipy nature.
"Second son, what are you wearing? It's so early in the morning, and it's still chilly. Hurry up and change into something warmer!"
While stirring the wrinkles in the pot with a spoon, Zhang said with a smile, "Mother, it won't be too cold when the sun comes out, so you'll be fine at home."
"Women are most susceptible to cold, and you are no exception. You should dress warmly even at home. As women get older, all their bones will ache, and no amount of medicine will help then. And you're still arguing with me like this!"
Rice porridge was simmering in the pot, and steamed buns were steaming in the steamer on top. As Zhang Shi took out the hot buns, she said, "Mother, your daughter-in-law knows that you are doing this for our own good!"
In the courtyard, Jin Erniu returned with water, and the water vat was full. He stood the carrying pole upright and placed it in the corner of the wall.
Da Shan chopped the firewood, put away his axe, and neatly packed away the wooden stumps in the yard.
Sanwang fed Dahei, then carried over a wooden bucket and slammed it onto the platform.
"Sanwang, can we just put this thing wherever we want?"
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