The woman was not someone to be trifled with; she was not intimidated at all and spoke clearly and logically.
“Lord City Lord, you are wise. You have not neglected any of the duties that we sisters-in-law were supposed to do. We are unfortunate to have been bought by Brother Wangcai to be his wives. We have no say in this matter.”
"Before Wangcai died, they served him faithfully. Now that their deeds have been exposed, they're blaming us two unfortunate souls. It's truly outrageous!"
As they spoke, both sisters-in-law's eyes reddened.
Marrying Wangcai's brother, although she could eat her fill and stay warm.
In the past, relying on their brotherhood as bandits, the two brothers never treated them as human beings. At best, they would yell at them; at worst, they would punch and kick them.
Upon learning of their murder yesterday, the two women were not distressed; instead, they breathed a sigh of relief.
The three men, united in their hatred, bullied the two weak women, and Lin Yinan felt a tightness in her chest.
Although one cannot always trust what women say, one can still see their thin bodies and the crisscrossing bruises on their rolled-up sleeves.
"You two come up here. Go back and help dig wild vegetables and cook for the next three days."
"Who will pull the plow in the field?" The woman, covered in mud, protested loudly.
Lin Yinan said coldly, "Naturally, it will be done by the three of you."
The woman wanted to argue further, but her husband wiped the mud off his face and then covered her mouth with his hand.
"We'll do it! We'll do it!" the man said with a forced smile.
Only he knew how much force that lump of mud had exerted; his entire face was burning.
The woman carrying the child was helped ashore by her sister-in-law. She knelt down as if to kowtow to Lin Yinan to express her gratitude.
The Chika sisters quickly helped him up, saying, "No need for formalities, just do what my lady asked you to do."
The woman picked up the basket from the ridge of the field, and the two headed toward the verdant hillside.
At the same time, Zhao Mang, realizing that something was wrong, rushed over.
Yunming happened to be leading a patrol in this area as well.
Qianwu quickly and directly explained the whole story to the two of them.
"Village Chief, you will personally lead the patrols in the fields these next few days. This kind of behavior must be strictly prohibited to prevent bullying from happening. Anyone who is too domineering and unreasonable must be severely punished!" Lin Yinan said.
Plant the seedlings first, then deal with the subsequent troubles.
"Don't worry, Third Sister-in-law, I will definitely help the village chief keep a close eye on the people!" Yunming patted his chest and assured him.
Lin Yinan said, "Third sister-in-law believes in you."
"Madam, let's go back." Qianwu noticed that Lin Yinan's cheeks were flushed red from the sun; the sun was too harsh.
Lin Yinan nodded and left with the others.
The two sisters-in-law were already carrying baskets and searching around for edible wild vegetables.
On the hillside, Wu Song was explaining the key points of tilling the land to Hong Mu and the others.
When Hong Mutou saw Lin Yinan approaching, a bright smile spread across his face, and he asked her in broken Mandarin.
"Do you know how to farm?"
Lin Yinan paused, looked up at him, and said without thinking, "No! You should learn from him."
"Thank you so much for teaching us," Hong Mu said sincerely.
"How much you learn depends on yourselves. I have other things to do, so I'll head back now."
After she finished speaking, she left with the Chika sisters and the titmouse.
Watching her departing figure, Wu Song said to Hong Mu, "Our city lord is very knowledgeable. The method of high-yield rice transplanting was something she learned from a book and taught us."
Upon hearing this, Hong Mu and the others were filled with admiration.
In the courtyard, the doctor who had gone out to collect herbs had already returned and was now sitting on the veranda picking out medicinal herbs.
Lin Yinan went into the room to check on Lin Shuo and found that he was still unconscious, but his fever had subsided, his complexion was not as sallow and pale, and his health was much better than yesterday.
After leaving the room, Lin Yinan moved a chair and sat down next to the doctor.
Before she could ask, the doctor said, "Don't worry, the medicine has already been prepared. After taking the medicine today and having another acupuncture session, he should wake up as early as tonight."
"Thank you, doctor!" The doctor smiled but didn't say anything.
It was a clear day, and a cool breeze blew across the mountain, chasing away the restlessness and making one feel quite comfortable and refreshed, while also clearing one's mind of drowsiness.
Lin Yinan looked at the doctor who was skillfully sorting medicinal herbs and asked him in a low voice.
"I still don't know how to address the doctor?"
"My surname is Guo, and my given name is Xun," Guo Xun said without looking up.
She bent down and, imitating Guo Xun, picked through the items. "I wonder when Doctor Guo came to Shuidong County?"
"I came at the end of last year."
"Doctor Guo doesn't seem to be from the same clan as Hong Mu and the others?" Lin Yinan asked casually.
Guo Xun felt there was nothing to hide, so he told the truth, "That's right, I was able to reach Shuidong County safely thanks to the protection and assistance of their clan chief on my way south."
"I wonder what the situation is like in the north now?"
"The ethnic conflicts in the north are escalating, and it will take time for them to subside," Guo Xun sighed helplessly.
Just as she had guessed, Hongmu and his people all came from the north.
Lin Yinan said, "Although the South is mountainous, with lush forests and miasma, it is rich in resources and can be considered a paradise on earth."
"The South is a good place to escape strife and stay away from the battlefield. Lord Lin and I are essentially on the same page. I just wonder if Lord Lin only wants to live in peace in this corner, or if he is seeking an opportunity to contend for supremacy?"
Lin Yinan raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a cool voice, "Dr. Guo overestimates me. We were forced to leave our hometown and just wanted to have a full meal."
"Lord Lin's construction of farmland irrigation projects is too brutal and will affect population growth."
During the half-day that Dr. Guo spent collecting herbs on the mountain, he had already heard about what had happened the day before.
"Dr. Guo is absolutely right. Although there are many things in this world that cannot be solved by violence and authority, this is the most suitable approach at present."
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