Chapter 166 Buying Fertile Land
After saying goodbye to Granny Xiao and Hongliu, before leaving, a maidservant carried a large food box, saying it was sent by Granny Yu from the kitchen.
"That girl Lin is quite likable; that old man has his eye on her too."
Granny Xiao smiled, took the food box, and found that it was quite heavy.
Yes, it was her oversight. During the Spring Festival, after leaving Hanmen Pass, there were hardly any people around for dozens of miles. If she hadn't brought enough food, she would have had to eat dry, hard flatbread.
The carriage that came to pick up Lin Yuesha stopped at the back gate, and the driver was her stepbrother Xiao Qi.
"Big brother!"
Lin Yuesha shouted excitedly. Although she had many grievances against this kind old man, she felt a strong sense of belonging when she met him.
"Little sister!"
Xiao Qi got off the carriage, took the things, and politely thanked Granny Xiao and Hongtao.
At the same time, the carriage doors opened, and Xiao Chenggui and Madam Chen got out of the carriage. The two exchanged many polite words.
"It's cold, and the snow is going to continue. You'd better hurry on your way so as not to be delayed."
Granny Xiao placed the things on the carriage, gave Lin Yuesha a few more instructions, and finally pushed her onto the carriage. She then stood silently in place, waving goodbye as she watched the carriage disappear into the distance.
Lin Yuesha kept waving until she could no longer see anyone, then she sat down with peace of mind and rubbed her eyes.
"Father, Mother, what brings you here?"
The timing was perfect; if it weren't for this critical juncture, Granny Xiao might not have let her go back so soon.
"Little girl, are you doing well at home?"
Ms. Chen, unaware of the truth, assumed that her daughter had been chosen to help in the kitchen because of her culinary skills.
Receiving a wink from her father, Xiao Chenggui, Lin Yuesha tugged at Chen Shi's arm and said coquettishly, "Mother, I'm doing so well, I've even gained weight."
Lin Yuesha came empty-handed, but returned with several packages.
She opened the large package and found it contained many things.
The platform sheepskin boots, the fur vest, and the several kinds of good medicine for injuries—these were clearly prepared by Granny Xiao.
The embroidery patterns, embroidery threads, exquisite purses, handkerchiefs, and sachets were all gifts from Hongliu to her.
The package containing the red peach was much simpler: rouge, face powder, and a few pretty hairpins.
Lin Yuesha had seen these hairpins before; they were Hongtao's favorites. She had heard they were a reward from the Prince's mansion, and she rarely wore them.
"Since it's a gift for you, just accept it for now. When we're able to, don't forget to give us a gift in return."
Madam Chen was an open-minded person. Seeing the things she saw, she genuinely believed that her daughter was doing quite well in the household. In the past, the people of Chenjia Village always gossiped behind her back, giving Lin Yuesha a nickname: the laziest person in Chenjia Village. But even if her daughter was a bit lazy, she was still lovable!
As a result, Ms. Chen straightened her back and was very proud of herself.
The food box that Granny Yu gave us contained cured meat, roast chicken, chicken soup, and a large bowl of dumplings.
When traveling, eating dumplings is the most convenient thing. In the carriage, you can boil water on a small red clay stove, soak the dumplings in it, and eat them piping hot, just like they came out of the pot.
Lin Yuesha kept the kindness of these people in her heart.
"Mother, why did you decide to come see me today?"
Before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, we should not travel far. Besides, on the second day of the first lunar month, Mother Chen went back to her parents' home.
“Your father, your elder brother, and I came out before dawn.”
As luck would have it, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the family returned to Chenjia Village and unexpectedly ran into Jiang Huai.
During the year, carriage rental shops are closed, making it difficult to rent a carriage, and even more difficult to rent one for a long journey.
"Master Jiang's family has no shortage of horse-drawn carriages that can travel long distances. He travels to and from Hanmen Pass to deliver goods. These horses are all bought from the barbarians, and they can still run a hundred kilometers or so even in snowy weather."
When Jiang Huai learned that the family wanted to visit Lin Yuesha, he lent her a carriage without hesitation.
"Oh, I see."
Lin Yuesha found the carriage somewhat familiar; she had ridden in it before, and for this long journey, it had been padded with more furs and rearranged.
"Mom, how's everything at home? How's our house?"
The mother and daughter were separated for more than half a month, but it felt like a long time had passed. Lin Yuesha even had a feeling of being in another world.
During this period, she experienced too much, rather than becoming a stranger to her family.
"On the second day of the Lunar New Year, your mother went back home. Your maternal grandparents are feeling better, thanks to you."
When Chen returned to her parents' home, she was in high spirits. The villagers, who didn't know where they got the news, learned that Lin Yuesha had come up with a prescription and made a lot of money. They inquired about her openly and secretly.
Of course, there were also those who spoke ill of her behind her back, such as the Wang family, but Chen didn't bother with them.
The news that the family had renovated their large courtyard and was making money couldn't be kept secret any longer, so they decided to prepare them mentally.
Before the Lunar New Year, the Chen family was busy making money, which eased their grief over Chen Dahua's death.
The villagers were all hibernating during the winter. The Chen family worked from dawn till dusk, making roasted peanuts. They didn't have enough firewood at home, so they had to go to the mountains to collect firewood. They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow at night, and didn't have time to think about sad things.
“Your aunt came back on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Now that she’s made money, she’s got some nerve at her parents’ house. She stayed for two days before leaving.”
Chen chatted on and on about everyday things. The biggest change in the family was that she had bought ten acres of land from the clan chief. It was all top-quality, fertile black soil.
Twenty-five taels of silver per mu of land, and two hundred and fifty taels were gone in an instant.
Although she felt the pinch of spending money, land was the foundation of a farming family, and the thought of having food to eat and income every year made Chen happy.
"Mom, our family owns land now, so no one will say you're living off your mother's family anymore."
Lin Yuesha's words immediately brought tears to Chen's eyes. Over the years, she had relied on her maternal family. Although her parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law had never objected, the villagers gossiped and said unpleasant things.
She was a woman with a child, and she didn't want to burden her family, but she had nowhere to go.
Fortunately, the days to come are destined to be different.
"Yue Sha, how have you been at the manor?"
Seeing that Chen was about to cry again, Xiao Chenggui promptly changed the subject.
At this moment, Mrs. Chen immediately looked over; she hadn't even asked her daughter in detail yet.
"I eat well, drink well, sleep well, and live a good life. I also have people in my household to take care of me."
Lin Yuesha only reported good news and not bad. She took out her sewing kit and showed Chen Shi her progress.
"Little girl, you've suffered so much."
Instead of being happy, Madam Chen wiped away tears. She knew her daughter well; she couldn't sit still at all, and making Lin Yuesha practice needlework was like a death sentence to her.
The stitches are now so fine; he must have endured a lot of hardship to sew them up so well.
Lin Yuesha twitched her lips, completely unable to handle her mother, who was simply made of water.
If her mother, Chen, knew that she had almost died, she would be worried for a long time. It was right to keep it a secret.
"Mother, I'm not tired. Women have to learn needlework sooner or later, otherwise they won't be able to get married in the future."
These words were spoken by Chen, and Lin Yuesha is borrowing them.
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