When Bai Yumei and Chen Liansheng returned, they sensed something was off about the atmosphere at home. However, upon seeing Tao Wanniang, the two of them approached her with their belongings and struck up a conversation.
"You're back, let's get to work." Tao Wanniang didn't say much and led the two of them to the backyard.
"Sister Tao, Yu Mei said that the date of your return to the capital is still undecided. May I ask if you could let me go with you and give me a ride?" Chen Liansheng asked cautiously.
“Sure, we might need to buy a carriage then. I’m making braised duck and chicken, and I need to take them all back to the capital,” Tao Wanniang said. “I just don’t know if your business will be finished by the time we leave.”
"Soon, thank you very much, Sister Tao." Chen Liansheng immediately expressed his gratitude. "Can I waive the wages today and just consider it travel expenses?"
Tao Wanniang didn't care and was happy to go along with it. Bai Yumei clearly had some ulterior motives towards Chen Liansheng, and she hoped that Bai Yumei could still find a good match. After leading the two to the dry well in the backyard, Tao Wanniang made an excuse to leave.
"Yu Mei, is this where you suffered back then?" Chen Liansheng frowned as he looked at the well.
Bai Yumei, however, had already come to terms with it and said lightly, "Yes, but thinking back, if it weren't for this incident, I wouldn't have met Sister Tao's family. That Huang Youdao is a heartless person. If I had followed him to the end, I don't know what my fate would have been."
"It's also my fault. I heard rumors of this place being haunted for those two years, and I watched the houses change hands one after another, but I never went inside to take a look," Chen Liansheng said regretfully.
“I never went out. At that time, my face was badly disfigured. After I got a new owner, I was afraid of being caught and sent to the Huang family.” Bai Yumei said, and she found it funny herself. Why didn’t she run away then? Her face was disfigured, she lost her home, she had no relatives, and in this big world, she felt that there was no place for her to go!
Chen Liansheng tied a hemp rope around his body and went downstairs with the tools for repairing the wall.
Listening to Bai Yumei's words, Chen Liansheng found the brick that could be pushed over. Thinking of the great suffering Bai Yumei had endured here, Chen Liansheng felt truly distressed.
Bai Yumei chatted casually with Chen Liansheng, and she was very open-minded, so she comforted Chen Liansheng instead.
In the kitchen, Ling Dahu and Wang Hongyu had already cleaned the chickens and ducks thoroughly. Tao Wanniang was making braised duck and braised chicken with Xiao Qiao'er, while Wang Hongyu assisted her.
Ling Dapeng stayed inside with Zhou Xiaoyun to help her catch her breath. She was pregnant, so she couldn't get angry!
"Dapeng, is Mother just trying to scare us? Does she mean she won't give her family business to you and your older brother in the future?" Zhou Xiaoyun said somewhat defiantly.
"Wife, let's not talk about this anymore. Sigh, it's my fault for being so useless." Ling Dapeng sighed. "In the village, as long as we were willing to use the land and work hard, we wouldn't starve. But in the capital, if we don't work for Mother, we can only do manual labor."
"There are so many people in the capital, how could it be my turn?" Ling Dapeng was genuinely disheartened.
"Dapeng, now that I'm pregnant, I can't take care of the children anymore. You should talk to your mother about it. If you all go out to work, I won't be able to look after three children at home. The kids are all running around and very active; what if they bump into my belly..."
Zhou Xiaoyun touched her still flat stomach, looked at Ling Dapeng, and said worriedly.
Upon hearing this, Ling Dapeng realized that it made sense. His older brother's children were almost four and two years old, and his own little one was already one year old. Wasn't that the most tiring situation?
“Normally, you guys go out, and I’m the one who does all the laundry, cooking, taking care of the kids, feeding the chickens and ducks, watering and fertilizing the vegetable garden!” Zhou Xiaoyun continued, “Dapeng, I usually take care of that, but now I’m carrying your child!”
Ling Dapeng said with heartache, "Alright, if Mother really opens a restaurant and wants me to work there, I'll tell her to hire a maid. You're pregnant, you can't overwork yourself."
Zhou Xiaoyun nodded and leaned into Ling Dapeng's arms. "Dapeng, I knew you loved me the most."
“You’re my wife, if I don’t love you, who will I love?” Ling Dapeng said immediately. Their son, who had been placed on the bed, immediately started babbling.
"Mother...mother..."
"This kid's trying to steal my wife!" Ling Dapeng chuckled. "She's my wife. You'll find one when you're older."
Tao Wanniang had no interest in what Zhou Xiaoyun thought. Back in Lingjia Village, she still got pregnant and had children. Now that life was better, she had become spoiled. Tao Wanniang didn't want to spoil her, but she didn't want to be a mean mother-in-law who made things difficult for pregnant women.
She would pay her son for his work and would never mistreat anyone. Compared to her eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Hongyu, she truly looked down on her younger daughter-in-law.
Chen Liansheng worked for two days, and Tao Wanniang's chickens and ducks were all marinated. She even bought a large jar to store them.
They bought another carriage, and considering Zhou Xiaoyun's pregnancy, Tao Wan's mother even had thick cushions laid out, which was quite thoughtful.
On the day of departure, Chen Liansheng waited at the door early. He had sold his house. Going to the capital was not only to seek refuge with relatives, but also a do-or-die situation, with no possibility of returning.
"Dapeng, you drive that carriage, and your wife and children go over there," Tao Wanniang said to Ling Dapeng.
"Mother, why? I thought that carriage was for transporting goods," Ling Dapeng said, sounding aggrieved. The carriage wasn't very big.
“Yes, put both jars of chicken and duck on that carriage,” Tao Wan’s mother said sternly. “Hurry up.”
Zhou Xiaoyun thought that her mother-in-law must be deliberately making things difficult for her. She picked up her son, didn't say anything, and climbed into the carriage.
"Hey, Xiaoyun..." Seeing this, Ling Dapeng knew his wife was angry. In front of his mother, he didn't know what to say and was a little troubled.
"Don't forget the things," Tao Wanniang instructed Ling Dapeng without further ado.
Ling Dapeng could only pack his things first before comforting his wife. However, when he lifted the carriage curtain, he saw Zhou Xiaoyun looking dazed, while his son sat there smiling happily.
“Dapeng, there are thick cushions in this carriage, so even if you fall or bump into something, it won’t matter. Mother…” Zhou Xiaoyun felt that Tao Wan’s mother was not making things difficult for her.
"Mom has a sharp tongue, honey, don't take it to heart. We're heading back to the capital!" Ling Dapeng thought for a moment and immediately cheered up. After packing his things, he happily went to drive off.
On Tao Wanniang's side, the carriage was full of women and children. Chen Liansheng couldn't go inside, so he sat outside with Ling Dahu.
“Brother Da Hu, I can also drive a carriage. If you get tired, I’ll take your place,” Chen Liansheng said politely.
Ling Dahu was easy to talk to, and as the winter chill deepened, the family set off for the capital again!
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