Chapter 115
Wen Zhaoran was very concerned about the new house in the family. After finishing the work at the dye shop, she would go with Bai Qiqiu to take a look when she delivered lunch.
Because of what happened last time, Mu Jin didn't want him to go there again.
As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you. Nowadays, Mu Zhou mostly studies in town and rarely comes back. As his older brother, it's only natural that he should help take care of Hao Wen Zhaoran.
Unfortunately, Wen Zhaoran was in high spirits and couldn't be controlled at all.
However, it shouldn't be a problem for the two of them to be together in broad daylight.
Because Mu Jin had mentioned it once, and seeing that Wen Zhaoran wouldn't listen and only wanted Bai Qiqiu to go with him, she didn't stop him anymore.
The wooden house in the family home is taking shape, and every time Wen Zhaoran goes to see it, she feels excited.
On the peach tree in the yard, bright red peaches, nestled among the green leaves, looked like they were half-hidden behind a pipa, and they looked incredibly sweet.
Just like last year, Zhou Linru sent most of the peaches to the town for the Zhao family's cooling snack shop.
The rice noodle shop owner asked for some more; we'll eat some of what's left at home, give some away, and there won't be much left.
However, the Qian family said that since they had rented the house, the peach trees in the yard would also belong to them.
Because of this, there was never a shortage of peaches at home.
Zhou Lin wasn't stingy either; he would give the craftsmen who came to his house to work two peaches after lunch to quench their thirst.
When the watermelons planted by every household in the village were ripe, Wen Zhaoran and Bai Qiqiu happened to run into the old man from the village who was picking watermelons in the field when they returned with empty baskets.
The past two days have seen two consecutive days of torrential rain. The watermelons in the field are ripe, but we still need to pick them quickly, otherwise they might spoil and rot in the ground.
In Mujia Village, not many families grow watermelons. Families with little land tend to prioritize having enough to eat and rarely grow watermelons in their fields.
A few years ago, when watermelons were first introduced to Qingshui Town from the capital, a single watermelon could sell for more than one qian of silver, and at its most expensive, it could even fetch three qian of silver.
Because of that time, the villagers saved up some money by growing watermelons.
However, later everyone rushed to plant watermelons, and the village was full of watermelons. The price of watermelons plummeted, and now they cost only one cent per pound, which is not as profitable as growing grain.
Only families with a lot of land would cultivate one or two acres of land to grow watermelons.
Watermelon is the best way to cool off in the summer. Wen Zhaoran stopped and called out to the old man selling watermelons not far away, "Uncle, how much are your watermelons?"
Perhaps due to his advanced age, the old man seemed not to hear Wen Zhaoran's shouts, and continued to pat here and there, carefully selecting ripe watermelons.
Helpless, Wen Zhaoran walked into the melon patch and asked again, "Uncle, how much are your watermelons per pound?"
The old man seemed startled and looked up, saying, "Huh? What?"
Wen Zhaoran: "..."
After looking around and not seeing anyone else in his family, he raised his voice and asked again.
"Huh? Oh, watermelon. How much was it again?"
The old man touched his gray head and thought about it seriously.
Wen Zhaoran felt helpless. This family was really something. How could they let such an old man with a bad memory work alone in the melon field? Weren't they afraid he would get lost?
Bai Qiqiu put down the bamboo basket in his hand and walked to Wen Zhaoran's side.
"I'm good at picking watermelons, but I'd better not take the watermelon that this old man has worked so hard to pick out. It's too pitiful."
As they were talking, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the old man's son came over carrying a bamboo basket filled with food.
"You're from the Lin family, right?"
The man walked in, smiled at Wen Zhaoran, and asked, "Are you looking to buy a watermelon?"
He put down the bamboo basket and said, "Dad, dinner's ready."
Finally, someone who could talk came along. Following the price of one coin per pound, Bai Qiqiu searched around the melon field and picked out ten large watermelons, each weighing about five or six pounds. The man helped them take them home.
Mu Jin was sitting under the peach tree in the courtyard, enjoying the occasional breeze, as she sewed shoes for Zhou Lin.
Now, his lower abdomen is showing a little, slightly protruding, and he looks a bit chubby.
Wen Zhaoran and Bai Qiqiu carried the watermelon to the kitchen, then quickly picked one, put it in a bamboo basket, and threw it into the well to chill.
Having a well at home really saves a lot of trouble.
Wen Zhaoran watched the large watermelon floating in the well for a while, then turned to Mu Jin, who was not far away, and said, "Big brother, let's dig a well at home too."
"Our home isn't far from the river, why waste money like this?"
Although Mu Jin also felt that having a well was very convenient, she was more distressed about the money that would be spent to dig it.
Wen Zhaoran walked to Mu Jin's side, shook Mu Jin's arm, and said coquettishly, "River water is nowhere near as good as well water, big brother, please agree, it will be convenient while we're building a new house."
Mu Jin pressed the needle down with a thimble and said helplessly, "Alright, I'll have your brother-in-law invite a well-drilling master from town tomorrow."
These days, we have more than enough money to dig a well.
Wen Zhaoran's eyes curved into a smile, "I knew you were the best, big brother."
Mu Jin chuckled, "However, the money for digging this well will be paid by your elder brother's wife and me."
Wen Zhaoran didn't argue with Mu Jin, considering Mu Jin's health. The watermelon in the well wasn't cold for long before she scooped it out.
Bai Qiqiu carried it to the kitchen, and with one slice, the refreshing aroma of the watermelon wafted out; the bright red flesh clearly indicated it was ripe.
Wen Zhaoran put the watermelon on a plate and took it to the stone table under the peach tree.
It's true that wealthy people know how to enjoy life. Although the Qian family doesn't have pavilions or towers, they have placed a stone table under the peach tree, and not far from the peach tree, they have dug a pond, where the lotus flowers are now in full bloom.
In summer, sitting there drinking tea, chatting, and admiring the lotus flowers is truly a pleasure.
Mu Jin put the half-finished shoe sole into the sewing basket, picked up a piece of watermelon, and took a small bite.
Watermelon isn't very cold, but it's incredibly thirst-quenching.
A breeze blew by, and the lotus flowers swayed gently in the wind, looking very content.
Wang Li and Lin Nuo each had a slice of watermelon and sat obediently by the pond, watching the fish swimming under the lotus leaves.
Wang Li watched for a while, occasionally picking off a small piece and throwing it down to feed them.
Lin Nuo: "Do fish eat watermelon?"
Wang Li: "Eat."
Lin Nuo: "I really ate it, I ate it."
As Lin Nuo spoke, she also picked off a small piece and threw it down.
The fish in the pond swam over eagerly, and the two boys quickly threw in a few more pieces.
Sitting under the peach tree, Mu Bai took a bite of watermelon, watched the two of them playing by the pond, and sighed, "They really are just kids."
Mu Jin chuckled. "That's as if she thinks she's some big shot."
When Zhou Lin returned home, Mu Jin told him about the well-digging project. Since it would save her husband the trouble, Zhou Lin readily agreed.
At noon on the same day, Zhou Lin, along with the well-drilling master, went back to the village specifically to discuss the well-drilling project.
The well-drilling expert found the best spot for drilling the well, not far from the peach trees in the yard, and convenient for watering the vegetable garden behind it.
During this period, Zhou Lin built a new house, hired day laborers, and now even dug a well.
It's very eye-catching.
Some people have the desire to steal but lack the courage to do so.
However, with so many people in the village, and so many birds in the forest, there are bound to be some who are envious and can't stand seeing others do well.
Nothing much happened during this period, so Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi inevitably became a little lax.
Unexpectedly, the villains took advantage of the situation, and the newly opened vegetable garden at the back gate was destroyed overnight.
When Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi got up to pick vegetables in the morning, they were terrified by the mess on the ground and hurriedly ran back to the village to call Zhou Lin over.
The sun had not yet risen, and Zhou Lin did not want Mu Jin to go with him, but he could not persuade her otherwise.
Unexpectedly, the vegetable garden, which he had poured his heart and soul into, was now a mess. The vegetables had been uprooted, and the trellises for the green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes had been knocked down and were rotting all over the ground.
Even the bamboo fence that Zhou Lin had painstakingly built in his spare time was destroyed and lay askew in the vegetable garden.
Mu Jin's face turned deathly pale, and she fainted from exhaustion.
This terrified Zhou Lin. He abandoned the vegetable garden, picked up Mu Jin, and ran home, asking Mu Bai to fetch Doctor Mu.
Wen Zhaoran stood in the room, feeling uneasy. She glanced at Zhou Lin, whose face was clouded with anger, and felt both angry and anxious.
If Mulan is alright, that's fine. But if something really happened, given how worried her older brother and brother-in-law are about the baby in her belly, not to mention them, he himself would go crazy.
If we find the person who caused the trouble, we'll probably have torn them to pieces.
Lin Nuo knew that it was her elder brother's fault for not taking good care of the house, so she dared not utter a sound.
Doctor Mu stroked his beard and said to Zhou Lin, "Jin'er is fine, it's just that he was anxious. However, the pregnancy is still a bit unstable, so he still needs to take two doses of medicine. Remember, don't let him worry too much."
Zhou Lin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dr. Mu."
Mu Bai and Wen Zhaoran followed Doctor Mu out of the house to get the medicine.
Zhou Lin looked at Mu Jin, who was asleep but still had a furrowed brow, and his anger burned.
He gently stroked Mu Jin's brow, his eyes slightly darkening.
The vegetable garden can be replanted if it's destroyed. What was wrong of that person was that he almost caused Mulan to miscarry their first child because of this.
Zhou Lin got up and gently covered Mu Jin with the thin blanket.
He rushed out and said to Wen Zhaoran, who was returning with medication to prevent miscarriage, "Take good care of your older brother at home."
Wen Zhaoran nodded, watching Zhou Lin leave with a sullen face.
To be honest, he had lived at home for over a year and had never seen Zhou Lin like this before. It was like a storm was brewing, and quite frightening.
Bai Qiqiu and Mu Zhaoye lived not far from Zhou Lin's house, so they knew about the incident early on.
Mu Zhaoye helped Zhou Lin find the thief, and Bai Qiqiu, worried about Mu Jin, went to the Qian family's rented house early in the morning.
Seeing that Mu Jin was alright and his little nephew was also fine, he finally felt relieved.
When Mu Zhaoye arrived, he saw Zhou Lin with a sullen face, carrying a thick piece of wood in his hand.
Few people come here at the foot of the mountain. Fortunately, the soil is still wet from the two days of heavy rain.
Because of the mess in the vegetable garden, there were many footprints of bad guys.
Mu Zhaoye was afraid of disrupting the business of the rice noodle shops and Zhao's Restaurant in town. Seeing that Zhou Lin was enraged and only focused on catching the thief, he couldn't think of many other things.
He then turned to Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi, who looked guilty, and said, "Hurry up and pick the vegetables. There aren't enough in the yard, and the Qian family has also planted quite a lot. Pick the usual amount, drive the oxcart, and deliver it to the rice noodle shop and Zhao's restaurant in town as soon as possible. This matter cannot be delayed."
Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi nodded repeatedly and hurried to the vegetable garden in the yard to continue their work.
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