The chickens and ducks chirped and quacked all the way, and by the time we reached Houshui Village, it was already evening.
The women and children in the village were sitting at the village entrance, chatting and picking chives. When they heard this sound, they all looked over.
The combined noise of hundreds of chickens and ducks was so loud that it was impossible not to notice!
Aunt Zhou leaned over for a look and exclaimed happily, "Oh my, this sound is so lovely, all quacking and chirping! If I could raise so many chickens and ducks, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"
Cheng Yue: Are you serious?
Yang Jin, the third son of Aunt Zhou's family, also built chicken and duck coops, so he knew about Cheng Yue's livestock farming business.
Hearing this, Aunt Li nudged him with her elbow and laughed, "What are you saying? Who would find that voice annoying! These are all gold nuggets!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
"They've already separated their households, and they still don't know how to live a proper life. They're just doing all this useless stuff. If they spoil them, how much money will they waste?"
"What kind of woman doesn't take good care of her husband and children, and is always running around outside? What kind of behavior is that!"
Just as everyone was laughing happily, a discordant, sarcastic voice suddenly rang out, and everyone's faces immediately fell.
Who is it that has such a foul mouth?
Cheng Yue looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin, old woman with deep nasolabial folds on her cheeks and a droopy mouth, just like Zhao Shi.
Hmm... my memory is a bit hazy, which scallion is this?
Chen An gestured in a low voice, "Grandma Sun, Xiangxiu's mother-in-law."
Oh, another wicked old woman from Houshui Village is here too?
Cheng Yue wasn't about to be lenient and raised her voice, "Oh, it's Aunt Sun! Have you eaten too much salt?"
Granny Sun was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Her family doesn't have enough money to buy much salt, so what's the big deal about eating more or less!
Aunt Li rolled her eyes. "You've had too much salt in your diet, you're just bored! Sister-in-law Sun, why are you so meddlesome? What other people buy and how much money they spend is none of your business."
This old woman Sun is even more despicable than Zhao Shi. Right after Liu Dazhuang passed away, she separated Zhao Xiangxiu's family and watched her own grandson suffer from hunger and cold. How could anyone be so heartless!
Granny Sun felt utterly humiliated after being tricked by Cheng Yue and mocked by Aunt Li.
She could only retort, "I am, after all, an elder. We live in the same village, so giving them some advice is for their own good!"
She just couldn't stand seeing the family that had been separated from their original one living better and better, especially Cheng Yue's family, who were close to Zhao Xiangxiu.
If Cheng Yue becomes successful someday, given their relationship, wouldn't she help Zhao Xiangxiu out?
The division of the family property caused a stir in the village, with villagers saying they were heartless and would be punished.
If Zhao Xiangxiu, a widow, is doing better than them with her child, wouldn't they be laughed at to death?
The last time she switched to sweet potato noodles, Zhao Xiangxiu's smug attitude had already spurred her on. Now, seeing Cheng Yue's life getting better and better, she felt as if she could see Zhao Xiangxiu's future.
Indeed, moral blackmail is something that can be done without a teacher.
Cheng Yue deliberately put on a sincere expression and suggested, "Aunt Sun, please don't worry about us."
"But your daughter-in-law and grandchildren, whom you've separated from their family, desperately need your guidance. You're an elder, after all; shouldn't you hurry and send some food and money to check on them?"
Granny Sun choked. This Cheng Yue used to be less assertive than her daughter-in-law, but now she's so sharp-tongued. She said "give advice," but is that the kind of advice she meant?
The crowd couldn't help but chuckle, and they all chimed in, "Yes, Granny Sun, what are you babbling about? Why don't you bring some food and check on your grandchildren!"
"Your two grandsons are both in a hurry to find spouses, so as their mother, you should really give them some money to help them out!"
"And don't forget Dazhuang's wife, she raised your grandson after all. While you're at it, bring some fabric and make him a new outfit!"
Granny Sun was furious at the constant reminders and criticisms. Just as she was about to start cursing, she happened to see her old man standing not far away glaring at her, so she could only shrink back and slink away.
After being criticized by the villagers for dividing the family property, the old man became even more of a coward, not only hiding his head himself, but also making her, her son, and her grandson hide their heads as well.
They said that if he got into another argument with the villagers, no one would be willing to carry his coffin when he died.
She couldn't do anything about it, because the old man really dared to hit her!
She couldn't withstand the combination of being subservient to outsiders and ruthless to her own people.
Seeing Granny Sun like this, everyone laughed even harder. Serves her right!
Cheng Yue chatted with everyone for a few minutes, then went home. The chickens and ducks weren't comfortable in their cages, so she quickly let them out to relax.
As soon as the chickens and ducks were put back in their coop, Zhao Xiangxiu and Cuicui came up to them. "Cheng Yue! I apologize to you on behalf of the child's grandmother. I'm sorry you had to suffer."
Zhao Xiangxiu and Cuicui had just returned from herding ducks by the river and were thinking of getting used to it in advance.
She had just returned when she heard Aunt Zhou and the others saying that her mother-in-law was making things difficult for Cheng Yue, so she quickly brought Cuicui upstairs.
Who knows what's wrong with her mother-in-law? Why is she making things difficult for Cheng Yue for no reason!
“Aunt Cheng Yue, my grandmother…” Cui Cui bit her lip, but held back. She was a junior and couldn’t gossip about her elders. What if Aunt Cheng Yue thought she was unfilial?
Cheng Yue casually stuffed a piece of candy into Cuicui's hand, and then said to Zhao Xiangxiu in a carefree manner:
“You are you, and she is she. Why are you apologizing for her? Besides, I didn’t suffer any loss at her hands. On the contrary, she ran away with her tail between her legs.”
Zhao Xiangxiu then realized that Cheng Yue was not the same person she used to be. She had rushed up without asking clearly, fearing that Cheng Yue would be upset because of her.
Judging from Cheng Yue's current demeanor, it seems she really didn't suffer any losses; in fact, she seemed quite happy.
"That's good. Her mouth is just as sharp as your mother-in-law's. I was afraid you wouldn't dare to say anything to her because of me."
Cheng Yue smiled and said, "I'll scold whoever provokes me, don't worry."
He then changed the subject, saying, "I was planning to come over tonight, but it's perfect that you're here. We've already bought the chickens and ducks, so you'll be officially on duty tomorrow."
Zhao Xiangxiu and Cuicui arrived in such a hurry that they didn't notice the sounds coming from the chicken and duck coop. Suddenly hearing that they would be working tomorrow, their hearts skipped a beat.
She murmured, "So fast? I was hoping to prepare for a few more days..."
Cheng Yue said cheerfully, "Don't be nervous. Just raise these the same way you raise chickens and ducks at home. You'll get used to them as you go. Let me show you around first."
After taking a few glances, Cuicui's eyes lit up. "Aunt Cheng Yue, this nest is so clean! You even separated the chickens and ducks!"
Although the nests were built together, they were separated by a wall, with only a small door that allowed people to pass through.
Seeing Cuicui's happy expression, Cheng Yue smiled and said, "Chickens and ducks have different living habits, so they naturally have to be raised separately."
I'll buy a dozen or so large wooden basins, fill them with water when the ducks get a bit bigger, and let them splash around. The chicken coop will just need to be kept clean and tidy.
Chickens and ducks are still small, so it's best not to let them get wet to avoid them getting sick.
Zhao Xiangxiu nodded and said, "You've thought things through very well."
Thinking about what happened today, Cui Cui's mind raced. She raised her bright black eyes, blinked, and said, "Aunt Cheng Yue, I have an idea. I wonder if it's feasible?"
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