Wen Songtao's words really hit the nail on the head, and Wen Xueyi herself had to admit that she was right.
“Brother, after all these years, you still see things clearly. You hit the nail on the head. Actually, I know what’s going on, but those poor people have nowhere to go, so I have to take them in. Just consider them as keeping me company.”
Wen Songtao sighed, "Your place is quiet, but right now, it's really not a good place."
Once you get back, make arrangements for those people as quickly as possible. Honestly, I'm not saying you can't protect that place on your own, and you'll only suffer along with them.
I suggest you introduce them to large temples and monasteries, so they can feel safer and at least not have to live in constant fear.
Those who don't want to leave can stay for now, just consider it looking after the nunnery. We have land, so we won't lack food or drink. You, on the other hand, would be better off finding somewhere else to recuperate; your health isn't even as good as ours as it used to be.”
Zhou Yaru glanced at Wen Xueyi's long hair. "Little sister, listen to your brother. Let's take good care of ourselves. You're not the kind of person who likes to worry, and you're always working so hard for the people in the nunnery. I'm worried about your health. Why don't you come over after you've made the arrangements? The three of us can keep each other company."
You said that when you were young, you didn't want to stay at home. We're all old now, what's there to be unwilling about? How many more years can we live? You said your brother only has you as his sister, and he can't see or touch you usually, so we have no way of knowing.
Think about all these years, your brother must have felt terrible too. He misses you, his little sister, but he can't visit you. You should be able to understand that feeling.
It's not that I don't want you to observe a vegetarian diet and chant Buddhist scriptures, but we can do it at home. Besides, if you have Buddha in your heart, you don't care about the formalities, don't you think?"
Wen Xueyi sighed, "Sister-in-law, I know you mean well, but this matter can't be resolved in a short time. Give me some time—"
Before Wen Xueyi could say anything else, the invited people had already entered the courtyard in twos and threes.
"Hey, Lao Jiang, it smells so good! Who cooked this? It looks like your granddaughter, doesn't it? Haha, we old folks are in for a treat. To be honest, your granddaughter's cooking is top-notch. It's been years since we've tasted her cooking. We still remember that meal from back then so vividly."
Wen Xueyi was taken aback, wondering who these people were talking to. However, Zhou Yaru quietly reminded her, "It's your brother's pseudonym."
Wen Xueyi nodded knowingly. "I understand—"
Wen Songtao quickly stood up and invited everyone to sit down. "Come, come, let me introduce you. This is my sister. Please get to know her. I haven't seen her for many years. I finally managed to get in touch with my granddaughter, so she came to see me."
Wen Xueyi greeted everyone with a smile. Since they were all men, it wouldn't be appropriate for the two women to just sit there idly, so they went into the kitchen to help Jiang Qiao serve the dishes.
"Wow, you're really quick! You've made so much so fast!"
Wen Xueyi admired her. Even now, she wasn't very good at cooking. She used to have a wet nurse to take care of her, and now her apprentices take care of her. She really had no interest in cooking and had no opportunity to do kitchen work.
Jiang Qiao wiped her sweat. "It's nothing. My grandma prepared it in advance. I just need to stir it in the pot for a bit. Aunt, I will prepare your food separately. The three of us will eat together. We won't eat with them. People who drink are always nagging."
Zhou Yaru had a deep understanding of this. "That's so true. Once they start drinking, they can't finish eating in a short time. Let's eat our own food. Girl, make some soup for your great-aunt. She's still weak, so it's good for her to have some nourishment."
Jiang Qiao nodded. "Don't worry, I've already made the soup. Aunt, you should take it inside and drink it first. Grandma, you should drink some too, it's good for your health. I've put in the medicinal herbs. I'll take care of things outside."
To be honest, Wen Xueyi really envies her granddaughter who is good with both her mouth and hands. She excels at everything the child does, something Wen Xueyi can't possibly learn.
"Oh dear, why are you copying her? The girl's childhood experiences were different from yours. She had to take care of her foster grandmother, so it was just the two of them living together. She did most of the work, so the old lady did it. She's a filial child, so over time, she learned everything. That's what makes it so heartbreaking."
Our Qiao'er is a filial child, it's just a pity she didn't marry into a good family.
Wen Xueyi nodded in agreement, "If the child were in my hands, I definitely wouldn't do what that old lady did."
That person is either not smart, or too smart, calculating to the core. So what if there's no blood relation? After raising them for so many years, how could they not have any feelings for them?
Sigh, what a terrible thing to do, forcing a child to start planning for themselves at such a young age.
"Now's the best time. Otherwise, try it before, and I doubt even my brother would have been able to handle it."
Zhou Yaru snorted, "Don't even mention your brother, I can't let my daughter's daughter be treated like this. What did my child do to them?"
Although she raised our Qiao'er, that old lady didn't lose out. The things the child had were enough to support her. That old woman is too greedy. If she had treated Jiang Qiao well, not only your brother, but I would have had to repay and be grateful to her.”
Wen Xueyi thought about their family's assets and couldn't help but laugh, "That's right, man proposes, God disposes—"
Jiang Qiao walked in with a smile, carrying the food. "What do you mean, 'Man proposes, God disposes'?"
As Zhou Yaru helped serve the dishes, she said, "It's nothing, just a sigh."
Jiang Qiao sat down to eat with the old ladies. "Grandma, no one is bullying you here, is it?"
Zhou Yaru smiled and shook her head. "There are only a dozen or so households. There's no such thing as bullying. Everyone works together and helps each other, which is good. It's just that young people don't like to stay in these mountains. They all find it troublesome, and those who can leave have already left."
"Sigh, that's true. There's not much land here; if there are too many people, there won't be enough to eat."
Jiang Qiao sighed, "If this continues, there will be fewer and fewer people here, and only old men and women will be left. If it really doesn't work out, we'll move out."
Zhou Yaru shook her head. "We're not moving. This place is great, with beautiful mountains and clear waters. Where else can you find such a quiet place?"
Besides, the population here is small, the neighbors are nice, and we look out for each other. Your grandfather and I are still in good health for now, but if the day comes that we can't move anymore, you won't be able to escape.”
Zhou Yaru doesn't want to leave? That's impossible. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, this place is so remote that it's almost isolated from the world. No matter how good it is, she won't stay.
However, given the current situation, she has no choice. If she goes out, she will only cause trouble for her children. She knows what kind of situation people like them are in.
Even her sister-in-law couldn't avoid it, so she shouldn't take the risk. With food and drink to her name, she can live a carefree life.
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