After returning to the village, everyone got off the bus and went home.
Without prior arrangement, no matter who inquired about the hot pot restaurant, Xiao Hu and Xiao Ma remained tight-lipped, only smiling and changing the subject.
Even when their family members inquire, they won't say a word, not revealing a single syllable.
Not to mention relatives, villagers, and strangers.
They know who feeds them and who pays them wages!
Friendships are not meant to be squandered; they kept their mouths shut!
When the two brothers, Qingshan and Qingsong, returned home, they were greeted with hot soup and the care of their family, and the fatigue of the day vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Mom, guess how much money we've made in the last two weeks?"
Qingsong held the box mysteriously, took out the ledger recording the accounts, and kept it a secret beforehand.
"I don't know, but judging from your appearance, it must be at least a hundred taels."
Jiang Yue brought over a plate of warm persimmons and sat down. To be honest, the persimmons were a bright yellow and looked very appealing.
"Mom, you're amazing! You can guess pretty accurately with just a few words."
Flattery will get you everywhere.
After complimenting his mother, Qingsong handed her the account book, then stood up and went behind her to massage her shoulders and back, being extremely attentive.
"A little to the left, a little to the right, yes, yes, yes~"
Jiang Yue was very happy to have such a filial son.
She casually flipped through a few pages of the ledger and said jokingly:
"Your handwriting has improved a little bit."
"It's all thanks to my third brother's excellent teaching!"
Qingshan felt ashamed, understanding his mother's "praise".
"Ahem, you're joking, brother. It's all thanks to your own hard work."
Qingyun glanced at the ledger, then picked up a persimmon and quietly squatted in the corner to eat it.
"Qingsong, sit down. These are persimmons sent by your sister-in-law's family. Try them; they're sweet."
Jiang Yue smiled and shook her head, not saying anything more, and began to carefully peruse the book.
Then, after tapping the abacus, he came to the conclusion:
"This month, we spent 58 taels of silver. After deducting the wages of Da Shi, Xiao Shi, Xiao Hu, and Xiao Ma, the total expenditure was 62 taels. We have 158 taels of silver in the account. After deducting the expenses, the gross profit is about 96 taels of silver."
The public coffers collected forty-eight taels; the remaining forty-eight is halved, so each of you brothers receives twenty-four taels. Now count the money in the box and see if it matches.”
"good."
Except for Yao Yao, who went out with Da Xue to dig for wild vegetables, everyone else stayed at home.
After the family ate the persimmons, they started counting their money.
It took half an hour to count, and after checking twice, there was still an extra tael of silver.
Jiang Yue didn't investigate further, guessing it was extra money from customer tips that was confiscated.
"Next month will be better. Keep up the good work, brothers. Whether Mom can rest now depends on you."
"Mom, what does 'lying flat' mean?"
"It means you don't have to worry about anything, everything is done for you, you don't have to worry about money or household matters, you can buy whatever you want, in short, you're very free~"
"Mother, don't worry, that day will come soon!"
"Mom, I will work hard too. I will definitely pass the provincial examination after spring!"
"Hahaha, your mother believes in you three brothers. Remember, brothers united—"
"Its sharpness can break metal!"
The three brothers echoed each other in unison, then looked at each other and smiled.
On the hill behind, Da Xue and her sister-in-law had dug two baskets of wild vegetables and were heading home when they saw a young woman sitting on the ground. Da Xue went over to check on her, and upon closer inspection, she realized the woman looked familiar…
"Sister Daxue? Is that you?"
The girl asked, then cried out in pain.
"Who are you?"
Da Xue couldn't remember where he had seen this girl before, so he reached out to help her up.
"I am Li'er, Xinghua's cousin. I came to the village when I was little, and we even dug for wild vegetables together back then."
Zhang Li'er said weakly, as if she could not stand steadily and was in great pain.
"I don't quite remember, but what's wrong with you?"
Da Xue shook her head. When she heard Xinghua's name, she thought of Aunt Zhang and couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. I was visiting relatives with my mother and staying for a few days, but they didn't have any vegetables, so I thought I'd come to the back mountain to dig up some wild vegetables to take home and eat. I didn't expect to sprain my ankle, and it hurts so much."
Zhang Li'er blatantly lied and fabricated stories.
Someone else might not have thought much of it, but Da Xue felt that this girl was a bit strange and suspicious.
Although Qingyao was young, her mother often taught her to recognize and discern people. She quietly tugged at her sister-in-law's sleeve, signaling her not to meddle in other people's business.
"Then I'll help you sit on the rock. Which family do you belong to? I'll tell them to come pick you up when I pass by."
Da Xue gave her sister-in-law a reassuring look, then found an excuse to leave.
"Sister Daxue, I don't know anyone in this village. I'm scared to be here all alone. Why don't you help me to your house first, and then call my relatives to come and pick me up?"
Seeing that the other person was about to leave, Zhang Li'er quickly grabbed their wrist, and as she did so, she felt something prick her wrist.
Following the line of sight, a pair of silver bracelets came into view...
Jealousy, greed, and a determination to possess surged in her eyes, ultimately transforming into a pitiful expression.
Qingyao, standing to the side, could see clearly that this unfamiliar older sister was hostile towards her sister-in-law!
"Sister-in-law, we should go home now."
Qingyao reminded her, then helped her sister-in-law shake off the other person's hand, saying innocently:
"Sister, you're hurting my sister-in-law!"
"I'm sorry."
Zhang Li'er lowered her eyes, as if she knew she had made a mistake.
Da Xue felt a strange sensation in her heart, and under her sister-in-law's urging, she said:
"I'm sorry, I have to go home to cook. There are some aunties coming down from the mountain. You can ask one of the other aunties to take you home later."
After all, they weren't acquaintances, and she was a young woman; how could I just take her home like that!
Da Xue resolutely refused, then turned and left without looking back, taking her sister-in-law's hand.
"Sister-in-law, I want to eat stir-fried eggs with chili peppers."
"Okay, I'll make it for you tonight."
"I also want to steam some eggs~"
"Then sister-in-law, steam a bowl for Yao Yao too, so she can grow tall."
"My sister-in-law is so kind~"
As the two women walked away, Zhang Li'er's eyes flashed with resentment.
Scrambled eggs, steamed eggs... Ugh, you brat, you ruined my plans!
Once I successfully marry into the Wu family and become your second sister-in-law, you good-for-nothing will no longer be able to eat these good things!
......
Once home, the goose stretched its neck, honked once, and then remained motionless.
Little White wagged its tail to welcome its little master home, then sniffed around its little master's feet, making unhappy noises—
"Woof woof woof~"
Qingyao squatted down, stroked Xiaobai's head, and said affectionately:
"Alright, alright, I'll definitely take you with me next time I go out~"
"Waaaaah~"
Little White sticks out its tongue, squints its eyes, and lets its little master pet it...
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