Fang Qingyue nodded and thought to herself.
Although she was a careful person, she lowered her guard a little when she heard that there was a scholar in this family.
Scholars are usually well-educated and cautious in their actions, and may not get into too much trouble.
Soon, they arrived at the gate of an ancient house.
The husband of the woman in labor got out of the car first and helped his wife walk slowly towards the gate.
Although the courtyard is not big, there are several old trees swaying in the yard, which gives it a scholarly atmosphere.
As Fang Qingyue reached the door, she heard an old voice coming from the courtyard: "Are you back? How is the wife? How is the child?"
Before he finished speaking, an old man with white hair and beard hurried out of the yard, his eyes fixed in the direction of the woman in labor.
The woman in labor smiled weakly and whispered, "Dad, don't worry, I'm fine."
"Thanks to this girl, mother and child are safe."
The old scholar suddenly showed excitement and immediately turned his gaze to Fang Qingyue with a face full of gratitude.
He stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Thank you so much, young lady, for saving my life! I've heard everything that happened along the way, and I'm filled with both fear and gratitude. I don't know what to do."
"Miss, please don't despise our humble abode and come in for a chat!"
Fang Qingyue gently helped him up and said softly, "There's no need to do this, old man. I'm just doing my duty."
"Madam is still in poor health and needs to be taken care of. If I can be of any help, I will be very satisfied."
The scholar's family admired Fang Qingyue's humility and gentleness very much, and invited her in.
Cheng Qingyuan and Chi Yue were also warmly received, and the three of them entered the yard one after another.
The house is not big, but very tidy. There is a desk in front of the window of the study, and there is undried ink on the desk. It seems that the old scholar still insists on reading and writing on weekdays.
Soon, the woman in the family had set the dining table in the main room.
Fang Qingyue looked around, feeling a little surprised.
The food on the table was very simple, all vegetarian dishes, a few plates of wild vegetables and tofu, and a dish of soybeans boiled in salt water, which looked extremely light.
Although Fang Qingyue had already expected that this family was not wealthy, she did not expect that there was not even a single dish of meat.
The scholars in these towns did not have an easy life, especially in this frontier area where supplies were scarce, life was even more difficult.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Fang Qingyue felt a hint of sadness in her heart.
She asked softly, "Old man, how do people in this town make a living?"
"This place is far from the capital, and transportation is inconvenient. How do people in this town make a living?"
As soon as she asked the question, there was silence at the dinner table, and several family members looked at each other, seeming a little embarrassed.
The old scholar's face darkened slightly, and then he sighed: "Miss, you are a kind-hearted person. You saved my life and my son's life. This kindness will never be repaid by our family in our lifetime."
"But since you asked, I won't hide it from you. Our town isn't rich, so we just have to get by day by day."
Fang Qingyue frowned slightly. Although the old scholar's words were vague, it was obvious that there was another hidden story in this town.
She couldn't bear to ask any more questions, so she said softly, "Old man, there's no need to say more. After dinner, my companions and I will leave and won't bother you anymore."
The old scholar waved his hand and forced a smile, saying, "What are you talking about, young lady? No matter how simple this meal is, it is our way of expressing our feelings. Please feel free to eat it."
Seeing that he was so persistent, Fang Qingyue said no more.
Although the vegetarian dishes on the table were simple, they were light and delicious, so she picked up her chopsticks and started eating with Chi Yue and Cheng Qingyuan.
However, as she ate the food, the inexplicable bitterness in her heart became stronger.
She had read that life in the frontier was difficult, but she had never truly experienced such a difficult reality.
Unable to even prepare a table full of meat dishes, it was obvious that this family was struggling financially.
The atmosphere at the dinner table gradually became a little dull. Fang Qingyue took a few bites of the food and then put down her chopsticks.
Seeing this, Cheng Qingyuan said to her softly, "Qingyue, don't worry. The people here may be poor, but they are resilient."
Just as Fang Qingyue was thinking about how to leave, there was suddenly a burst of hurried footsteps outside the yard, followed by a heavy knock on the door.
The sound at the door broke the brief peace.
"Open the door! Rent collector! The rent should have been paid a long time ago, and now you're still dragging your feet, what's the point?!"
The voice was harsh and threatening.
The children at home were so frightened by the noise that they shrank into their mother's arms.
The old scholar's face changed, and his wife and daughter looked even more nervous.
"Dad, they are here again..." the husband of the woman in labor whispered to the old scholar, with helplessness on his face.
"I know..." The old scholar sighed, his hands holding the chair trembling slightly, and he was obviously very helpless.
Fang Qingyue looked at their expressions and felt a little uneasy.
As she listened to the noise outside, she suddenly realized that the people in the town were not just poor.
The knocks on the door became more and more urgent, mixed with curses: "Old man, don't think you can avoid paying rent by hiding from us!"
"If you can't come up with the money today, don't blame us for being rude!"
The knocks on the door became more and more urgent, with impatience in the voice.
The old scholar's family was filled with tension, and even the child was so scared that he curled up in his mother's arms.
Fang Qingyue looked at this scene and felt a sinking feeling in her heart.
The family in front of us is just a microcosm of countless ordinary families in this town.
Poverty is already unbearable suffering, but now they have to face this ruthless oppression.
Cheng Qingyuan's eyes also turned cold. He obviously couldn't stand these acts of bullying the people, and his hand subconsciously pressed to his waist.
But just as he was about to step forward, Fang Qingyue gently raised her hand to stop him.
A head-on confrontation is not the best way to solve the problem here.
"Qingyue, don't stop me. These people are going too far." Cheng Qingyuan lowered his voice with a hint of anger.
Fang Qingyue shook her head slightly and whispered, "Let's take a look at the situation first and don't act rashly."
The old scholar sighed helplessly and was about to stand up to open the door when suddenly there was a "bang" and the gate was kicked open roughly.
Three burly men swaggered in. The one leading them had a face full of flesh and fierce eyes.
He held a thick wooden stick in his hand, pointed at the old scholar, and sneered, "Old man, are you hiding from us again?"
"If you can't pay the rent today, I won't be polite!"
"I...we really can't come up with these ten taels of silver."
The old scholar stood up trembling, with fear in his voice.
When the big man heard this, he immediately flew into a rage. He brandished his stick and threatened viciously, "Say it again? Can't you make it up?"
"You promised me that! You don't want this shabby house anymore, right? If you don't give me the money, I'll tear it down today!"
When the family heard this, their faces turned pale.
The husband of the pregnant woman clenched his teeth, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, but he knew that the other party was powerful, so he could only suppress his anger and dared not say a word.
Seeing the tense situation, Fang Qingyue had already made a decision in her heart.
She slowly stood up and walked towards the men who were collecting rent.
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