Qu Xiaodie immediately retorted after hearing this.
"Aunt Tian is so kind-hearted, why don't you take them and your children into your home and raise them?"
Let them help your daughter-in-law with more chores, so she can have some free time!
Aunt Tian choked with anger and pouted.
"My family isn't as rich as Xiao Yi's, is it? If we had the spare money to buy a donkey or a cart, I'd help!"
"Tch! He's just making sarcastic remarks!"
Aunt Tian's attempt to start went awry, so she gave up and focused on watching the commotion. Widow Liu, sensing something was wrong, immediately pulled the three children aside.
"Quickly kowtow to your Uncle Xiao and beg him to help us, or you'll all starve to death!"
The children, of course, knew which family was doing well, and immediately knelt down on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly!
After all that, Xiao Yi couldn't really say whether he would use it or not, so he said...
"Then you'll come and do chores every day: laundry, cooking, cleaning, feeding the chickens, ducks, and geese, and feeding you four!" He added at the end, asking Xie Yushu...
"Do you think this is okay?"
Before Xie Yushu could speak, Widow Liu quickly pulled the children together and kowtowed to express her gratitude.
Xie Yushu watched as the smug widow's eyes darted around, revealing her ambitious nature, and she began to formulate a plan.
Considering the nature of Old Madam Xiao and Xie Yujiao, how could they possibly just stand by and watch her be waited on and live a comfortable life!
Those guys are quite compatible with Widow Liu's personality. Sooner or later they'll cause trouble, so why not just give them a Widow Liu in return!
But he couldn't say it directly, so he spoke to Xiao Yi.
"I disagree!"
Upon hearing this, Widow Liu immediately burst into tears and begged Xie Yushu.
"Sister Xie, please have mercy and give us four a way to survive!"
Aunt Tian leaned over the wall again to chime in.
"That's right, Xie family, how could you be so heartless!"
You're living the high life while others starve to death! Your husband has spoken, what are you still complaining about!
Someone like you, in our family, would have been divorced long ago!
Xie Yushu looked at Aunt Tian without any politeness and retorted.
"What a pity! I'm not your daughter-in-law, so it's none of your business if you don't like me!"
And speaking of Sister-in-law Liu, didn't the imperial court provide your family with relief grain?
Did I still not send you the seeds?
Why is it that everyone else survives but you four starved to death?
Is this a sign of dissatisfaction with the imperial court?
What does it have to do with you that my family has it? My family has it, and it's what Xiao Yi earned by risking his life in the midst of sword fights!
I enjoy the finest food and drink, and wear gold and silver—all earned by risking my life in the mountains under the scorching sun of over forty degrees Celsius. Why should I have to support others?
Xie Yushu asked several questions in a row, which made Widow Liu turn pale and remain silent out of guilt!
Aunt Tian said angrily.
"Who told you to support someone else? Isn't it difficult for Liu Shi, a widow, to raise three children alone!"
Xie Yushu sneered
"She has it tough? Right now, not just in our village, but in the entire Tai'an Prefecture, which family isn't tightening their belts to make ends meet?"
But widow Liu and her four children starved to death after leaving our home.
If that's the case, then every family will be starving, and I'll have to feed anyone who cries out!
Then I'll go to your house and cry a few times. Does that mean my whole family can move in with you and live there?
Our whole family came over then! We weren't afraid of hardship; we didn't complain at all when you cooked cornmeal and vegetable porridge for us!
"You, you're a complete shrew, a vicious woman, a bunch of unreasonable troublemakers!"
Aunt Tian was really afraid that Xie Yushu would stick to their family regardless of the situation, so she stopped watching the excitement and immediately slid down the wall to hide!
The group of people working nearby had initially moved Widow Liu to tears, and some even considered helping to persuade Xie Yushu!
Xie Yushu's words were like a blow to the head, immediately sobering them up!
That's absolutely right!
Although the relief grain issued by the imperial court did not guarantee that everyone would be full, it was still equivalent to two ounces of grain per person per day!
It can cook two large bowls of thick porridge. It's certain that it won't fill up a grown man, but it definitely won't starve anyone!
Besides, she was a widow with three children around ten years old!
If they all ate like the mother and her four children, the kids would be so full they'd throw up, but they still wouldn't stop eating! Let alone in this drought year, even in a good year, there wouldn't be enough for them to eat like that!
Thinking about it that way, I lost the will to help her and just stood there quietly watching the show.
Widow Liu hated Xie Yushu to the core. If it weren't for her objection, Xiao Yi would have agreed!
With just the four of them, they wouldn't have to worry about food or drink. If they had the chance to win over Xiao Yi, they might be able to turn their lives around completely!
Who knew Xie Yushu would interfere and cut off her path to happiness! Widow Liu was somewhat desperate!
But unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better; Xie Yushu changed her mind. In her despair, the widow Liu heard Xie Yushu's clear, crisp voice...
"I disagree with the four of you eating here because over time, some things might become unclear!"
But it's different with Gu Gong. If you want to do some sweeping and cleaning work, I can pay you wages, two hundred copper coins a month.
Your job includes washing clothes, sweeping the yard, and I'll sell some of the chicks, ducklings, and goslings. You can feed whichever is left over.
There are also donkeys. Besides cutting grass to feed them, you also have to clean up their dung. These jobs aren't strenuous, but I won't hire someone if they can't do them well!
Come at 6 AM and leave at 5 PM, with a half-hour break at noon! Think about it yourself, do you want to do it?
After Xie Yushu finished speaking, Widow Liu immediately nodded in agreement.
"I'll do it, I'll do it. I'm sure I can do these jobs well! You promised, two hundred copper coins a month?"
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