"They won't let us go up the mountain?" the men asked, puzzled. "No... sir, why is that?"
The village headman didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "The mountain is dangerous. Usually, there are only some jackals and tigers, but this time, the Lin family girl said that there might be bandits on the mountain. If you go there, you might not be able to come back."
"Bandits? Damn it, those bastards! What if they come to our side...? What will we do then?" The villagers were both shocked and terrified when they heard the news.
They were all honest people working in the fields with hoes, and they couldn't help but panic when they heard that there might be ruthless bandits active in the nearby mountains.
Bandits don't care about reason when they kill. Even if they initially went up the mountain just for a bite of food, once they got used to wielding knives and killing people, they naturally lost their former cowardice and became people who solved everything by killing!
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to Lin Wanyue.
They believed the old man from the village headman's words, but they were also too afraid that the bandits would come down the mountain to cause trouble for them.
“Hmm…” Lin Wanyue thought about what the Black and White Impermanence had said, and tilted her head, “They won’t be coming for the time being.”
Thinking to himself that once he got back, he would have to send Laifu out to check things out and increase security.
The villagers were relieved.
"Oh dear, it's all thanks to Wanwan." Old Mrs. Du said with a smile, "If it weren't for her reminder, we might not have run into those damned things."
“That’s right. I was planning to go up the mountain these next couple of days to catch a few rabbits to nourish my son. He’s gotten so thin lately… But since it was Lin’s daughter who said it, I dare not go up the mountain anymore. My son’s life was saved by that little girl,” Wang Dazhu added.
Since the fright he suffered that time, Wang Hu has lost his previous arrogance and domineering attitude, and he has also become much thinner, which makes Wang Dazhu and Zhao Chunniang very distressed.
The villagers all agreed that the village headman wouldn't go up the mountain, but some couldn't help but sigh, "We were planning to have some meat, but alas, we can't even get a hide. How are we going to collect taxes after the autumn harvest?"
“Brother Zhang, don’t worry. My mother said that when she went up the mountain these past two days, she saw a patch of mushrooms growing there! If anyone has time, they can go and pick them. They can dry them and sell them in the city for some money, so you don’t have to worry about the land tax.” Du Fan was worried that his mother hadn’t returned yet, so he came over by himself, leaning on his cane.
Hearing everyone's worries, he ignored the fact that Old Lady Du was secretly pinching his flesh from the side and still told them about the mushrooms.
"You brat! I finally found such a big spot and was hoping to harvest more to save up some money for you. You just had to say something!" Old Lady Du rolled her eyes in anger.
Du Fan bought medicine to treat his leg, leaving all the household chores to his mother and wife. In less than two months, they had accumulated a lot of debt again.
Now that Grandma Du felt better, she was also looking after the family. She spent all day running around with a big basket, and she actually discovered a large mushroom patch. She planned to pick a lot of mushrooms, dry them, and sell them in the city to pay off her debts and also save some money for Du Fan.
But to everyone's surprise, Du Fan, with his big mouth, blurted it out in front of the entire village.
"?" Lin Wanyue looked at Uncle Du Fan curiously.
The other villagers looked at Du Fan just like she did.
"Cough cough..." Du Fan scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "That place is big, and mushrooms only grow for a few days. If we can't pick them all, it will be a waste. Besides, if everyone hadn't carried me down the mountain, I probably would have been eaten by a tiger long ago. I am still alive thanks to everyone."
Du Fan felt grateful, but he had no way to repay the kindness, and his heart felt heavy, like a large stone pressing down on him.
Now that he's told everyone about the mushroom farm, he feels much better.
The villagers laughed: "You're just being too polite, lad."
"Then I can have my maids go up the mountain with Aunt Du tomorrow to pick them?" The person who said this looked at Old Lady Du.
“Okay.” Old Lady Du said with a smile, “It’s on the mountain to the east, behind the old tree, there’s a lot of it, a whole big area! I’ll ask your daughter to come with me tomorrow morning, that way we’ll have more people and look out for each other.”
The mountain to the east is a low slope, and the area is close by. Lin Wanyue and her two older brothers often went there to play. Last time, they took the opportunity to release that batch of spores.
The old man who was in charge of the village was smiling and relieved.
"Life in our village is much better than elsewhere. The autumn harvest will be coming soon, so you all need to be careful. Don't let the crops grow but there be nothing to eat. Also, don't brag to others. If someone with ulterior motives takes notice, your crops might be in danger," the village headman specifically warned.
The men all laughed, promising that they would keep their mouths shut and wouldn't tell anyone.
Their village's fields are the best grown in the surrounding area!
Don't flaunt your wealth.
They understand this principle.
...
Upon hearing about the bandits, the second son, Lin Zheyun, became so eager that he begged his father to teach him martial arts.
This time, Lin Weiming did not refuse.
Lin Zheyun was a natural talent for martial arts. He was tall and sturdy, and very strong. He could do the work of an adult man.
The main reason I hadn't been willing to teach before was because my family was too poor.
It is said that the poor are scholars, and the rich are warriors.
The biggest expense in learning literature is buying a few books, which can be borrowed for reading. Practicing calligraphy is even easier; you can practice by holding two sticks and drawing on the ground, just like Lin Zihan and Lin Ziqiu.
But learning martial arts is different. If you don't eat enough, you won't have the strength. Even if you learn fancy moves, you might end up hurting your body. And if you want to improve your health, you'll have to spend money on medicine to strengthen your muscles and bones.
These are not just one-time expenses; they are expenses that must be incurred daily and monthly.
The Lin family simply couldn't afford to support the child, so they had no choice but to delay his education.
But now, ever since they adopted Lin Wanyue, the Lin family has had good fortune. They have no worries about food and drink and have even saved some money.
Whether you're herding one sheep or a flock of sheep, it's all the same.
Lin Weiming didn't intend to teach Lin Zheyun alone, but instead called all five children in the family over and had them practice horse stance.
"Dad, I don't need to, do I? I haven't finished reading my books yet, and I'm already this old." Lin Zhongyuan wanted to refuse.
"Yes, yes, yes! Dad, my sister and I are still young, you can let my second and third brothers learn from you!" Lin Ziqiu didn't want to do the horse stance either, as his legs were too tired from squatting like that.
Lin Wanyue also stared longingly at Lin Weiming.
It looks cool watching the older brothers fight, but what if I had to do it myself?
Isn't that putting too much pressure on a lady like her?
Lin Wanyue mentally reminded herself that she was indeed a lady.
"Do you still remember the Six Arts of a Gentleman?" Lin Weiming raised an eyebrow and asked his eldest son.
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