Sunlight moved across the courtyard. Lu Xiaosi woke up from his afternoon nap and cried out for his mother. Granny Guo wiped her hands and picked up the child. "Your mother went to dig bamboo shoots. We'll go find her now."
Wang Lan smiled and waved, "Don't spoil him. He looks for his mother as soon as he wakes up. Your mother is busy. Come here, Grandma will peel some roasted chestnuts for you. Your mother has been gone for a while, she should be back soon."
Qin Xiaozhou was starving and was looking forward to eating bamboo shoot stewed chicken. "Why isn't my mother-in-law back yet? If she doesn't come back soon, the chicken will fall off the bone."
Just as Granny Guo was about to head to the backyard, Zhao Fang returned with her head down, put down her bamboo basket, and hurriedly went to the kitchen. "There aren't many bamboo shoots yet. I've been looking for quite a while. I'll go cook now."
Granny Guo took out bamboo shoots to peel. "These look like winter bamboo shoots, but they're chewier than spring bamboo shoots. They're best for stewing with chicken."
The bamboo shoots were quickly peeled, and Granny Guo deftly chopped the chicken, putting them all into a clay pot to stew. She then noticed Zhao Fang had just lit the stove fire and smiled, "Little sister, go and rest. I've been working at your house for so long, let's see if my skills have improved today."
When Granny Guo came last year, she was a capable worker, but her cooking skills were questionable. She laughed and said that her family was poor and didn't have good food, so she didn't know how to cook. After watching the Lu family for so long, she roughly knew how to cook things well.
Zhao Fang lowered her head and replied perfunctorily, "Okay, you do it. I think I've gotten my period, and I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. I need to go rest."
As the sun set, Wangjia Village quieted down. Wang Dahe locked up the chickens, ducks, and geese, and as he came out of Qingzhugou, he saw a person lurking suspiciously at the foot of Xishan Mountain. "Shugen, what are you doing here?"
Wang Shugen picked up a bundle of firewood from the side. "Dahe, you're done working? I was chopping firewood on the north side of West Mountain today. I was really going to go back now and wanted to cut some branches that had broken off under the weight of the winter snow, but I didn't expect that they had all been picked up."
Wang Dahe nodded casually and left. This Wang Shugen is just lazy. He lies in bed all day and doesn't go out for ten days or half a month. I heard that half a month ago he even used his son Gouzi to extort money from the Lu family. He has no conscience at all.
Wang Shugen hurriedly followed, "I heard the Lu family is recruiting tomorrow, Dahe, can you give me a spot? I'll treat you to a drink then."
The Lu family pays thirty coins for a day's work, which is much better than chopping firewood and selling it. He works himself to death chopping firewood all day and carries it all the way to the county town, only to earn seven or eight coins.
Wang Dahe quickened his pace, "The Lu family has a lot of work to do, and they need someone quick and efficient. You're not suitable."
"Oh, why not? It's just loosening the soil, fertilizing, and pruning the branches in the orchard. I can do that." Wang Shugen secretly made his own calculations. Anyway, there were many people, so it wouldn't matter if he slacked off. He had been watching closely these past few days. Lu Yunfeng rarely came home, and Qin Xiaozhou and Wang Lan's leg injuries were still intact. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to take advantage of Zhao Fang being alone to flirt with her today.
Thinking of the woman's alluring figure, Wang Shugen's mind began to wander. It was a pity that he could only barely touch her before she escaped. If he could have hugged her waist and kissed her, his life would have been worthwhile.
If he could seduce Zhao Fang, that widow, then the Lu family would become his money bag.
Judging from the fact that Zhao Fang was wearing a bracelet when she went to dig bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest today, she must have a lot of money saved up.
Seeing that Wang Dahe ignored him, Wang Shugen could only approach him and say, "Dahe, why are you so stubborn? You're the one who decides this job. Just let me do the work, and nothing will happen. I promise I'll do my job well and not hold anyone back. I just really want to change things. Look at me, I've been going out to chop firewood every day these past few days. I just want to live a good life. We're all from the same village, you can't just dismiss me like that. Give me a chance."
He was secretly planning that if he managed to hook up with Zhao Fang, he would take over Wang Dahe's job. Then he would be in charge of all the chickens, ducks, and geese in the Lu family's backyard, and no one would notice if he ate a chicken every few days.
Wang Dahe frowned. "Let me think about this."
He had just returned home and finished eating when Wang Shugen's wife arrived, carrying a basket with five or six eggs inside. "Brother Dahe," she said, "my husband wants to work for the Lu family. Could you please help him out?"
Wang Dahe's face darkened. He was furious about bribery. "How could you do this? I choose people who are physically strong and capable. How am I supposed to explain this to you later?"
Wang Dahe's mother also advised Wang Shugen's wife, "How could you do this, niece-in-law? This is bringing shame to our Dahe. What if the Lu family finds out and they don't want our Dahe to work anymore? You should take these eggs back. Dahe can't do this."
Wang Shugen's wife wiped away her tears, "Auntie, please have pity on me. On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Gouzi ran off to the county town and abandoned his old mother. I have to take care of my whole family, and I'm going to have no way to survive. Besides, my husband has been changing these past few days. He goes out every day to chop firewood on the north side of Xishan Mountain. He wants to live a good life. Please give me a way to survive."
Wang Dahe hesitated for a long time before saying, "Okay, go to Lu's orchard first thing tomorrow morning. We should arrive when the sun is shining on the top of Xishan Mountain. If he's not there by then, don't let him do it. As for these eggs, you can take them back; I don't want them."
The woman is right. He should be given a chance. He was so poor back then, and the Lu family gave him a chance so he could live a good life. Now, he just hopes that Wang Shugen has really improved. If he finds him slacking off tomorrow, he will kick him out.
Dog's mother was overjoyed, and after thinking about it, she decided to bring the eggs home as well.
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