"Uncle Song, Uncle Yong, are you going to the river to wash your feathers again? Let me help you!"
Lu Xiaoyang was helping build a house not far away when he saw Zhang Song and the others preparing to carry sacks filled with feathers to the river to wash them. Without saying a word, he came over, leaning on his crutch.
"Just focus on your own work, we don't need your help here!"
Zhang Song knew that the Lu family disliked Lu Xiaoyang, so their attitude towards him wasn't very good either.
Lu Xiaoyang, however, seemed completely oblivious to the refusal in Zhang Song's words, and shamelessly stepped forward to help carry the sacks.
Can't you hear what I'm saying?
Zhang Song was furious. How could such a young man act like a scoundrel?
Lu Xiaoyang grinned and said, "Hehehe, I just wanted to help! There are several sacks of these!"
As she spoke, she reached for the sack in Zhang Song's hand again. Zhang Song dodged, and just as he was about to speak, he saw Sun Shi come out of the thatched shed and yell at the top of her lungs, "Lu Xiaoyang! You little brat, if you can't work properly, then get out of here!"
Lu Xiaoyang was indeed startled and hurriedly withdrew his hand, but considering his current situation, he still shamelessly walked towards Sun.
"Third Grandma, I just wanted to help!"
"Hmph, help?" Madam Sun sneered. "Have you finished your own business? If I find you cheating again, don't blame the Lu family for not tolerating you!"
"Grandma, don't be angry. I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that my legs aren't quite right yet, are they? Building houses, carrying bricks, and lifting trees are too tiring. I really can't take it anymore. Could you arrange some easy work for me? I know Uncle Song and Uncle Yong are going to wash feathers. I can help with that. I promise I'll wash them clean!"
Lu Xiaoyang smiled with his eyes narrowed, as if he wouldn't get angry no matter what Sun said.
Mrs. Sun glared at him angrily: "Do it or don't, it's up to you! If you don't want to do it, then get out! If you don't finish your work today, don't even think about eating!"
Lu Xiaoyang's meals were provided by the Lu family, but he received no wages. He only got six steamed buns a day, nothing else, and he could never sit down with the Lu family to eat and drink well.
Six steamed buns only cost three coins, which was nothing compared to the fifteen coins others earned a day.
After a few days, Lu Xiaoyang was already quite dissatisfied, so she thought about finding herself some easy work to do.
"I'll say it one more time: if you're going to do it, do it properly; if you don't want to, then get out. The Lu family doesn't owe you anything!"
Sun became increasingly angry as she spoke, and even pushed him.
Lu Xiaoyang has difficulty walking, but luckily he has a cane, otherwise he would have really fallen.
"Third Grandma, I meant well, please don't hit me! Hey hey hey!"
Lu Xiaoyang struggled to avoid Sun Shi. If he weren't still relying on the Lu family to get through the winter, he would have quit. But now he really had nowhere to go.
He Jiuniang and her group also came out to see what was happening. When they saw Sun attacking Lu Xiaoyang, none of them stepped forward to stop her.
The Lu family took him in out of kindness, not obligation, and certainly not as a license for him to cause trouble.
After Sun vented her anger by hitting him a few times, He Jiuniang stepped forward and said, "I made it very clear to you before that all we need at home is for you to help build the house, and we'll give you six steamed buns every day. You can leave anytime if you don't want to, but what are you doing here making trouble now?"
After spending some time with her, Lu Xiaoyang realized that He Jiuniang held considerable influence in the Lu family. So, she straightened her attitude and said to her, "Third Aunt, I didn't mean to slack off. I just thought that my legs were not very strong and I couldn't do those heavy jobs. So I wanted to help with other things at home. I really didn't come here to cause trouble."
Did your family break your leg?
He Jiuniang suddenly asked a question that seemed to come out of nowhere, and Lu Xiaoyang shook his head in confusion.
"Since that's not the case, why should we consider these things for you? My family doesn't mind that you're not very mobile, we give you opportunities to work, and we don't let you go hungry. You should be grateful, not here haggling."
Lu Xiaoyang was speechless. When did this woman start to become so sharp-tongued?
"But……"
"No buts. If you don't want to, then leave. We won't stop you. Anyway, we don't lack labor here. If you leave, our family can save six steamed buns a day."
After saying that, He Jiuniang turned around and took Sun's hand, putting on a kind smile to comfort her: "Mother, don't get upset over unrelated people."
Lu Xiaoyang was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he couldn't do anything to He Jiuniang.
He Jiuniang wanted him to see the current situation clearly: it was he who couldn't live without the Lu family, not the other way around. If he continued to act recklessly, he would be kicked out of the Lu family at any time.
You see, the only reason he can live with those guys now is because he saves two steamed buns for them every day. They only take him in because of the steamed buns. Once the Lu family doesn't want him anymore, those guys won't take him in either.
After thinking things through, Lu Xiaoyang still went back to work, looking dejected. She thought that once her legs were fully recovered, she would definitely go to town to see if there were any other jobs available, otherwise she would never have a chance to make a living in this life.
"Pooh!"
Sun spat and went back with He Jiuniang and the others. Zhang Song and his brother also went to wash feathers, taking advantage of the time before dinner to wash as many as possible.
Over the next few days, the women in the family made clothes in the thatched shed. Sun's and Old Man Lu's clothes were the first to be finished. Since they were winter clothes, they were made of two layers of fabric and stuffed with thick feathers, making them incredibly warm.
"I must say, these clothes are really comfortable to wear!"
Sun and Old Man Lu immediately tried them on, their smiles impossible to hide.
"These clothes are so light and warm, they're really nice!"
"The key is that it doesn't smell bad at all; in fact, it has a pleasant fragrance!"
The elderly couple praised him, one sentence at a time, making Lu Laoda and the others a little envious.
They were also eager to try out how comfortable the clothes were, but unfortunately theirs wasn't finished yet.
"Speaking of this taste, it's all thanks to my third sister-in-law!"
Mrs. Yu said with a smile, "No matter how many times you wash them, they always have a smell, but she bought some scented powder and sprinkled it on the dried feathers. It not only eliminates the odor but also adds fragrance! It's really a wonderful thing!"
He Jiuniang immediately said triumphantly, "Of course, this incense powder is not easy to obtain, and the dosage is small. I only came across it by chance. I made an agreement with the person who sells this incense powder that he will only sell it to me from now on. No one else can buy it!"
"Such a good thing!" Mrs. Sun's eyes lit up. "But this thing must be expensive, right?"
He Jiuniang nodded: "There is a little, but we'll use it on these clothes and still make a profit when we sell them, don't worry!"
"Alright, then I'll leave the matter of this perfume powder to you. Since it's a rare opportunity, try to keep it to a minimum, the fewer people who know, the better."
Sun Shi directly covered for He Jiu Niang, and no one had any objections.
He Jiuniang smiled so much that her eyes narrowed. How could Ms. Sun be so kind?
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