Song Zhenping's group is going to repair the official road in Yunyang County, fifty miles away, and they will set off from the village at dawn tomorrow.
The news spread and the people of Xiaoshi Village were overjoyed.
Everyone says that getting a good job means being close to home, making it easy to come back whenever you want, instead of having to travel hundreds of miles to an unfamiliar place to repair the border wall.
Those who paid the processing fee are filled with regret. It's only autumn now, and it's only a bit cold in the mornings and evenings. Even if they keep working for a month, it won't snow yet. This money is a complete waste.
Song Lao Er and Granny Gu also received the news. Granny Gu gritted her teeth and said angrily, "That ungrateful wretch really got off easy. Since it's so close, let him take that jinx with him. He cries every day. I don't even want to open my eyes if he's left at home."
Madam Gu nodded vigorously. The jinx couldn't be separated from the cripple for even a moment, so they definitely had to bring him along.
As for the dangers of construction sites and whether it's safe to bring a child with mental issues along, that wasn't within her consideration.
Anyway, accidents are bound to happen on construction sites. It would be best if both of them died, so their families could receive a few more taels of silver in compensation.
Song Lao Er was also a little depressed. This trip was indeed a bad one. If he had gone to repair the city wall, he could have sneaked away to see the seductive and alluring women in the county town's brothels.
At this time, everyone in the village began to prepare their belongings, as they were going out to work, not to visit relatives.
I'll be living and eating away from home for a month. Although I don't need to bring food, I still need to bring my bedding, clothes, and bowls.
Song Zhangping also needs to prepare.
However, before he even entered the Song family compound, one of them had already returned.
Upon receiving a message from home, Song Shuirong returned from her maternal grandparents' home in Guzhuang. As soon as she entered the house, she went straight to the main room.
She had already heard on her way back that her family had received a huge gift box, and she still couldn't quite believe it.
She knew that her cousin, who worked as a maid, was going to marry an old man.
Also, because the process of "marrying" is somewhat shady, she intentionally avoided it, not wanting to be offended. But there was no mention of any gifts or dowry that the seller would give.
This is giving that lowly servant girl face!
The door to the side room was opened from the outside. Hearing the noise, Song Liyun, who was sitting cross-legged on the kang, turned her face.
A beautiful young girl with her hair in a bun, wearing a pink cotton-padded jacket with floral patterns and an embroidered pleated skirt, appeared before me.
Her long face, which bore a resemblance to Granny Gu, was half-covered by neat bangs.
Being young is great; with a change in hairstyle, a sharp, slender chin that's exposed makes one look delicate and charming.
With her fair skin and silver earrings dangling beside her powdered cheeks, she was a rare beauty in the countryside. Her arrival illuminated the dimly lit side room.
"Cousin!" Song Liyun greeted her with a smile.
Song Shuirong didn't go inside. She just stood at the door with a wrinkled nose and a cold face. Her gaze quickly swept over Song Liyun's rough hands, carefully examining her face and figure, and making a quick comparison.
Her face was too thin, her eyebrows too thin, her nose too high, her mouth not small enough, her lips not thin enough, and her figure not full enough.
Yeah! They're inferior to me in every way, except for those "dog eyes" that always look so quiet and innocent, which are really annoying.
Having obtained this information, Song Shuirong was in a great mood. She unconsciously raised her chin and responded to Song Liyun's overtures with only a snort.
From the age of twelve, she would compare every young woman she met.
When Song Liyun left Xiaoshi Village, Song Shuixiang was only five years old and had no memory of her cousin. She only knew that whenever her family talked about her cousin, her grandmother and mother would call her "cheap slut," saying that she was a lowly servant.
She was furious. She already had a cripple and a fool in her family, and now she had an extra lowly maid.
Just now, I wanted those silver bracelets, but my father scolded me, saying that I, a lowly servant, wanted to wear them to the Xue family.
She should stop being so short-sighted and get closer to this lowly maid. Why should she be allowed to dress up for herself just because she has a silver bracelet?
Song Shuirong's changing expression did not escape Song Liyun's notice, and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: This cousin is not ugly, but why does she look so stupid? The moment we met, she seemed so disgusted that she wanted to jump into the river.
Since they didn't see eye to eye, Song Liyun lost interest in trying to get closer to him and turned to her work.
The tattered clothes had long been thrown into the stove hole, and she was trying to fluff up the quilts that the two brothers had clumped together.
Seeing that she was ignoring her, Song Shuirong's face darkened and she said sarcastically, "I heard that my cousin is going to the Xue family to be a mother tomorrow night. Why don't you wash your hands and face now? If you stick your hands out there, don't scratch their new satin quilt."
This is mocking her for becoming a stepmother, and also mocking her for having rough hands and a calloused face.
Song Liyun looked at her with amusement and said lightly, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, cousin."
She really disdained arguing with a little girl and didn't even bother to put her heart into her reply.
Once again ignored, Song Shuirong's face flushed with anger. She turned around, slammed the door shut, tied herself up, and went to complain to her grandmother.
Naturally, Song Liyun heard another round of insults, but it was all her own fault.
Through the eavesdropping device, Song Liyun could clearly hear the conversation between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the kitchen.
"Mother, yesterday my cousin wore a bracelet and deliberately showed it off in front of me!" This was Song Shuirong's voice.
"That shameless woman still has the nerve to come back? Don't be angry. You look better in those bracelets from the madam's gift box than hers. You can take them in a bit." Granny Gu was very generous to her granddaughter.
"Mother, that was sent by Master Xue. If Shui Rong wears it, people might think that her family withheld her dowry and treat Li Yun badly," said Madam Gu, feigning concern.
"What dowry? This lowly slut was sold off, she has no family of her own. Once she leaves home, she belongs to another family. What does her well-being have to do with my Song family? I'd be happy to beat her to death." Granny Gu banged on the chopping board, speaking angrily.
"The second son wants Shui Rong to talk to Li Yun more, so that Master Xue can take better care of our family in the future, and maybe Shui Rong can find a good marriage in town."
"Nonsense, what good marriage would that slut offer Rong'er? Didn't you see that Shui Rong went to see her specifically, and she even acted all high and mighty, making my granddaughter angry?"
Then came a torrent of curses from those short-lived, cursed, and despicable wretches.
Song Liyun raised an eyebrow: She had said that she would take care of the Song family after "marrying" into the Xue family, but it seemed that the Song family did not take it to heart at all and even hoped that she would be beaten to death.
What a family of vicious people!
Song Zhangping was going to perform corvée labor, so of course he had to bring his bedding and utensils. It was not easy for him to go back to the Song family to get his things.
Faced with Granny Gu's shouting and cursing, Song Shuirong's cold sarcasm, and Little Gu's pretentious persuasion, Song Zhangping gritted his teeth and insisted on entering the courtyard despite being surrounded by three women.
Besides needing bedding, he also wanted to see Song Liyun.
He couldn't bear to be apart from Yun'er for even a day without checking on her safety.
When Song Zhangping saw the door latch secured with a rope, his eyes turned red. He reached out to untie the knot and let her out: "Yun'er, I won't go to do corvée labor. Even if I'm beaten to death, I won't let you be sent there to be defiled."
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