Zhao was obviously a little bit unconvinced. Although the old woman used to be nagging and unforgiving, she had never done anything too harmful to the world.
Little Bell could only shake her head helplessly, "Sometimes it's not that she's not bad, but she's just not good enough. I don't know exactly what happened, but I can probably tell that the woman's husband and two children, a son and a daughter, died of starvation on the road because she stole the food.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived. There are three lives at stake here, so this is just atonement, not an injustice."
At this point, Zhao had to believe it even if she didn't want to. She sighed helplessly and didn't interfere in the end.
Xiao Lingling pulled her onto the carriage and continued to head towards Heshu Village.
The road was not easy to walk on, it was full of potholes and very bumpy, so we had to change to riding horses, and only changed to a horse carriage when we were almost at the village entrance.
However, Heshu Village today has changed a lot compared to three years ago.
Although Heshu Village was poor in the past, it looked very prosperous because everyone was willing to work and diligently cultivated the fields.
Nowadays, there are almost no people living in the entire Heshu Village. Many people have settled in other places. Only a few families who fled not far away at the time but were lucky enough to avoid the drought.
The whole village was very quiet, not even the crowing of chickens or barking of dogs could be heard.
Xiao Lingling helped Zhao arrive at the door of her former home with ease. The door was dilapidated and the lock had long been broken.
It was obvious that it had been kicked open violently.
The yard was filled with fallen leaves and dust, looking extremely desolate.
Without anyone living and repairing the houses, the window paper in all the rooms is torn and tattered.
All the doors were wide open, but most of the people who had come in at the time had to go home disappointed.
After all, because of the space for the little bell, the grandfather and grandson put everything they could lift in the yard into it.
There was nothing left in the entire yard except the house.
So no matter how many doors they kicked open, it was useless.
Looking at the dilapidated courtyard, Zhao couldn't help crying for a moment, and touched the familiar yet unfamiliar door and wall with trembling hands.
"Dad, did you see that? We're back! We're home.
Look, this house is still in good condition. Although it is a little dirty and broken, it is still in good condition.
We built this with our own hands! Even though we were tired, we were also very happy.
My mind and eyes are full of thoughts about how to decorate the house after it is built. Nowadays, there are more and more living spaces at home, which are getting bigger and more luxurious.
But it seems that I no longer have that feeling.
Oh, this person is so hard to understand. But no matter where they are, as long as the children are there and are doing well, I will be content.
I came back to see it today, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore. I’m down to earth!”
When Lin Changshu was around, he often told her that he missed home. Although the old couple had always planned to come back to visit after their children settled down, they never set off.
After all, I am really worried about the children.
As a result, this has been delayed until now. It would be a lie to say that I don’t feel regretful, but Zhao’s return can be regarded as helping the old man fulfill his wish.
Zhao walked around every room, as if recalling the scenes of her previous life here.
Originally, Xiao Lingdang planned to leave after just taking a look. After all, this place had not been inhabited for a long time and was no longer suitable for living. But seeing how reluctant she was to leave, Xiao Lingdang made a decisive decision!
She let out two maids, "Come on, come on, everyone, help clean up the yard. We'll stay here for two days! Here, the brooms and rags are all here. Come and get whatever you need!"
As she spoke, Xiao Lingling took out a bunch of cleaning supplies.
Zhao was a little surprised, but also a little delighted. "My dear, you? You want to live here?"
"Yes, grandma, you don't know, I used to live in a military camp, and the camp bed was just a hard bed board, and I was so tired that I died sleeping on it.
We don't have anything to do right now, so we can just stay here for a few days. Everything is ready, so it won't affect anything."
In order to prove her words, her little hands never stopped, and she put out a pile of tables, chairs, benches, quilts, blankets, pots, pans, and utensils.
"Come, grandma, sit down first. If you're hungry, eat some fruit first. We'll cook after they clean the kitchen."
Zhao stood up and rolled up her sleeves. "I'm not hungry! I'm full of energy now. Come on, give me a broom and a rag. I'll go help too. There's strength in numbers. This yard isn't big anyway, so it'll be ready soon!"
Xiao Lingling didn't stop them and went to help. Five or six people cleaned up very quickly. Deng Zhuo was not idle either. He found something to patch up the torn window paper. Although it blocked some light and made the room a little dark, it was better than before because it was drafty.
However, after just half an hour, the yard had completely changed its appearance, and it was clean and spotless everywhere.
The big iron pot is also in place in the kitchen. Although some odds and ends are missing, it will definitely be enough for at least three to five days of living.
Soon, smoke began to rise from the kitchen and the aroma of food began to spread.
Everyone was busy when suddenly a voice came from the door.
"Hey? Why does this house seem a little strange? Wow! The yard is clean? Could there be a thief?"
"Hey, are you crazy? This yard has been abandoned for years. How could there be thieves? Someone must have moved in. Let's go in and see who it is."
"That's right, could it be that the old Lin family has returned?"
"How is that possible?! Didn't I hear that she's rich and settled down in Chen'an Mansion? I heard that her little granddaughter has the emperor as her godfather. How could she possibly come back to this shabby yard?"
"That's not necessarily true. Let's go in and take a look!"
......
As they were talking, two women came in tiptoeing together and bumped into Xiao Lingling who was carrying some fruits to the kitchen.
People on both sides looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Xiao Lingdang didn't know them and they didn't know Xiao Lingdang either. The atmosphere was extremely awkward.
Little Bell was more lively. It was obvious that they were not bad people. She smiled and said, "Are the two aunts here to look for someone? Grandma, please stop being so busy and come out to see. There are two aunts in our house. I don't remember them."
Zhao was busy in the kitchen. When she heard the sound, she stuck her head out and looked at the two women. She was stunned for a moment before she realized that they were villagers from Heshu Village.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
