Zhou Yu and Wang Qiuyue's eyes immediately reddened, and they hurriedly shook their heads: "No, this is not your fault, and we have not been wronged."
“We are very grateful that you treat us as part of the village. Actually, we could understand if you hadn’t invited us.”
“No way! My father-in-law said that not a single person from the village can be missing! Since you are from the village, how can you not come?” Wang Guifen took their hands without allowing them to speak and led them to the table and chairs that had been set up.
"Please take your seats and wait for the banquet to begin!"
Li Dani and the others had no right to eat for free without working, since they had seen that every household in the village had sent someone to help!
“Since the village acknowledges us as part of it, we can’t just eat for free. We have to work. Sister Guifen, could you arrange some work for us too?”
Wang Guifen quickly waved her hand: "No need, there are enough women to help out. You all work hard in the herbal medicine shop, so relax today."
“Madam said there’s a village banquet today, so she’s giving us a day off. We can do some work since we have nothing else to do,” Li Erni said hurriedly.
Wang Guifen still waved her hand in disagreement: "It's a holiday because of Shui Qinghao, it's what you deserve. Just wait for the feast today!"
How could she not know that the herbal medicine shop was closed for the holidays? Her Lanlan also worked at the herbal medicine shop, but holidays are meant for rest. If people take advantage of a holiday to make them suffer, it's better not to have a holiday at all!
After finishing her sentence, Wang Guifen hurried off to get back to work.
Li Dani, Erni, and their group sat on chairs watching the busy crowd, their faces beaming with joy.
Besides them, elderly villagers also sat down at the tables and chairs that had been set up.
The elderly sat at one table, and the elderly women at another, with brewed tea laid out in front of them. They watched the busy younger generation with leisure and composure, their wrinkled faces full of satisfaction.
If Zhou Yu were that age, and encountered a flood, she wouldn't have to sell her children, her whole family would be well-fed, money would come in, and she could attend a banquet she had never attended before. She would surely be very satisfied.
I feel that I have no regrets in this life.
The young men were setting up tables and chairs, placing bowls and chopsticks, tidying up the study, and lighting a charcoal fire...
The children were exceptionally excited and joyful, running in and out of the study. They helped stack the sawn bamboo sections, lovingly stroked the calligraphy brushes on the table, and when they heard Fan Jin mention using water as ink, they diligently fetched water...
The women were chopping and stir-frying. When the large iron wok was hot, the fatty pork sizzled as it was put into the wok, and soon it emitted an enticing aroma, causing everyone to unconsciously swallow their saliva.
It smells so good!
After that, everyone was unable to concentrate fully, glancing at the large iron wok every now and then.
Then, the old village chief in front of the bookstore began to speak, immediately attracting everyone to gather around.
Even the elderly men who had been sitting down earlier stood up shakily, leaning on their canes, and walked slowly but firmly to the front of the study.
The old village chief stood in front of the school gate, watching the crowd gather, and said with unprecedented solemnity: "Today is the first day of school at Shanshui Village School, and also the first village banquet. I don't need to tell you how difficult it is for the whole village to have a meal and for all the children in the village to have books to read."
I hope everyone will work harder and more diligently, for the betterment of their own families and the village! I hope the children in our village will cherish this hard-won opportunity to learn to read, and be humble, diligent, and eager to learn!
Finally, I want to say this: you should all know in your hearts who you should be most grateful to for the good life we have today! If any of you ever repay kindness with enmity in the future, may you not be buried in the village's ancestral graveyard after you die, or I'll be the first to settle accounts with you in the afterlife!
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