Chapter 29, Selling Myself to Bury My Father
Mrs. Li took Yan Zhiqiang to meet the tenants on the farm and learn about the situation of the farm. Then the group set off back to the county town.
After this, the management of this manor was handed over to Yan Zhiqiang.
In the carriage, Daohua sat next to Old Lady Yan and said, "Grandma, the farm is so big, Third Uncle will definitely not be able to handle it all by himself. Let's come and help him during the spring planting next year."
"I think you want to go out and play!" Old Madam Yan tapped Daohua's forehead and glanced at Madam Li with a smile. "Now that your parents are here with you, I won't be in charge of your affairs in the future. Ask your mother if you can come out."
Daohua immediately looked at Mrs. Li.
Looking at her daughter's sparkling eyes, Mrs. Li smiled. After spending these days together, she knew that her daughter was a little bit naughty, but this was not Yanjia Village, and she couldn't let her temper run wild.
Although their family is not a wealthy family, the women do not need to strictly abide by the rule of not leaving the main door or the back door, but they are not allowed to go out at will.
These days, because she just arrived in the county town, she was especially indulged in running around. But later, the rules that should be followed must be established, otherwise other people in the family will have objections.
Madam Li thought for a moment and smiled, "Your father places great importance on academics. Your third sister is now studying the Analects. As the eldest sister, you must not be left behind."
Rice Flower immediately said, "I've read the Analects, too."
Madam Li was stunned, with a look of surprise on her face: "Is Daohua also starting to study the Analects?"
At this time, Old Lady Yan smiled and interrupted, "You have a good memory, girl. Third Uncle has often lamented to me that it would be great if Daohua were a boy. That way, maybe our family could have another Jinshi."
Madam Li was genuinely shocked: "Is Third Uncle so optimistic about Rice Flower?"
Old Lady Yan said with pride, "That's the clan leader's grandson, remember him? He's several years older than Daohua, and his academic progress can't even keep up with our Daohua."
Looking at the proud look on Old Lady Yan's face, Daohua felt a little ashamed.
The reason why she reads fast is not because she is smart. She has the soul of an adult, so she is naturally calmer and can sit still longer than a child. Besides, there is nine years of compulsory education after all, so how can she be worse than the children in ancient times?
However, in this life, her memory was indeed quite good. It wasn't like she had a photographic memory, but she could remember 80 to 90 percent of many things after just three or four times.
She thought that this was probably because he ate the high-quality food produced in the space.
The food grown in the space is of good quality and rich in nutrients. After eating it, your body will develop better.
The Yan family, whether it is Old Lady Yan, Yan Wentao, or Yan Wenhui, after eating more of the things in the space, their health is much better than that of ordinary people.
Just like Third Aunt Wu, who had been exposed to the wind and sun in her hometown, she should have looked more vicissitudes of life when standing next to Madam Li and Madam Sun. However, because she ate the food in the space, her skin and figure were not inferior to those of these two pampered ladies.
Sun had privately asked Wu several times how she maintained her beauty. Unfortunately, Wu herself didn't know and only said that she had never done anything to maintain her beauty.
Sun was completely incredulous about this. It was not like she had never seen village women before. She just felt that Wu was just like them in the countryside and didn't do any farm work at all.
All along the way, Old Lady Yan kept bragging about how smart Daohua was, praising her to the skies. If it weren't for her gender, she would have almost said that she was the God of Literature who had descended to earth. Daohua blushed when she heard that.
However, Mrs. Li did not feel anything was wrong at all. She listened with a smile on her face and occasionally agreed with a few words.
It’s true that one dares to speak and the other dares to listen.
Half an hour later, Daohua was covering her head in a daze when she suddenly heard her uncle say that they had arrived at the city gate.
For this, Daohua breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, she arrived. If she continued to listen, she would feel that the person that Old Lady Yan and her mother-in-law were talking about was not her.
However, when the carriage reached the city gate, it stopped.
"Hey, why aren't you leaving?"
Daohua lifted the curtain of the car and found that a lot of people had gathered around the city gate, blocking the road a little.
After waiting for a while, the carriage still hadn't left, and Daohua couldn't help but want to lift the curtain again. Unexpectedly, Yan Wentao came from outside and lifted the curtain first.
"Third brother, what's wrong?"
Yan Wentao: "There's someone selling themselves to bury my father up ahead, and they're blocking the road. Dad asked me to come over and tell my grandmother and aunt that we might have to wait a while before we can get into town."
Upon hearing this, Daohua's eyes suddenly lit up with astonishing light: "Selling oneself to bury one's father!!!" This kind of plot has been seen many times in novels and on TV, but she didn't expect to see a live version today.
Daohua looked at Old Lady Yan and Madam Li eagerly: "Grandma, Mother, I want to go down and take a look."
Mrs. Li wanted to refuse, but seeing her daughter's expectant look, she found it difficult to speak, so she looked at Mrs. Yan.
Old Lady Yan knew Daohua's temperament well. She knew that if they didn't let her get off the bus today, she would probably keep pestering them for a long time. So she said, "Don't cause any trouble. Just stay outside and watch."
Daohua immediately assured: "Don't worry, I will never cause trouble." After that, she got out of the car quickly.
Seeing this, Old Lady Yan shook her head: "I wonder who this girl's personality resembles?"
Mrs. Li is quiet and dignified, and the eldest son is also reserved and steady. How could they give birth to such a lively girl?
Madam Li laughed and said, "Master said that Daohua's temperament is very much like mother's when she was young."
Old Madam Yan thought back to her youth and suddenly laughed: "You know what, that girl really looks like me."
Outside the carriage, Daohua and Yan Wentao had already squeezed into the crowd.
"There's more than one person selling themselves to bury their father?"
At this moment, there were three corpses lying on the side of the road outside the city gate, and the corpses were simply covered with straw.
Three little girls about fifteen or sixteen years old were kneeling in front of the corpse.
Daohua looked carefully at the three little girls and found that one of them was very pretty, with a pair of big watery eyes. She was holding back tears because of the death of a relative, and looked particularly pitiful.
The other two had very ordinary looks, and one of them was so hungry that he was almost skin and bones, looking a little scary.
Among the people watching around, some expressed sympathy for him, some were there to watch the fun, and very few came forward to buy people.
Life is not easy for everyone these days. Unless you are from a wealthy family, who would buy someone at this time?
Daohua glanced at the people around her and found that many men were looking at the good-looking girl. Some young men even came forward to comfort the girl.
Not long after, a young man dressed as a scholar came forward and gave the girl a dime: "Girl, go and bury your father."
The girl looked up at the scholar and did not take the silver.
Seeing this, the scholar immediately said, "I don't want you to sell yourself, just take the money."
The girl shook her head, bit her lip and said nothing.
That stubborn look made the men around her feel distressed.
Yan Wentao was worried about her: "Why doesn't she accept the money?"
Daohua smiled and said, "Maybe the scholar is not the girl's target." The scholar's dress does not look like that of a rich man, so the girl may not like him.
"Ah?" Yan Wentao didn't quite understand and was about to ask when a young man in brocade clothes came over surrounded by people.
As soon as the young man in brocade clothes stood still, the girl who refused to accept the scholar's money suddenly raised her head with tears in her eyes and looked at the young man in brocade clothes pitifully.
Seeing the girl's face clearly, a flash of surprise flashed in the eyes of the young man in brocade clothes, and then he smiled gently and said, "I will help you bury your father."
Hearing this, the girl shed tears of gratitude: "Thank you very much, sir. I have nothing to offer in return, but I will repay you with my own body."
Hearing this, Daohua showed an expression that said, "As expected."
"So the girl is attracted to the rich young man!"
Yan Wentao also reacted at this time.
Not only him, but everyone else around him also looked enlightened.
Looking at the girl walking away with the young man in brocade clothes, the scholar stood there in a daze, feeling embarrassed and angry.
At this time, another girl spoke.
"Please be kind, sir. I can cook, chop wood, farm, and do anything. I'm willing to work like a slave to repay you."
The scholar glanced at the girl, threw down the silver, turned around and left the crowd.
The girl picked up the silver, kowtowed three times in succession, and said loudly: "Bury my father well, I will be there to serve you right away." After that, she asked the refugees she knew around to carry her father to bury him.
The only one left at the scene was the skinny girl.
"They are all poor people!"
Daohua sighed. The road was much smoother because two people who sold themselves to bury their father had left. The Yan family's carriage came and Yan Zhiqiang asked the two to get in.
Just as Daohua turned around, the girl suddenly raised her head, as if mustering great courage, and said in a hoarse voice: "Please buy me, girl."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com