stingy landlady

Chapter 47 Another Trouble

When Guizhi and her two companions arrived at Xiangmanlou, Li Caiban came out to receive the dishes. Seeing the three of them, he couldn't help but smile.

"Oh my! Just the few of you today? You've graduated? Guizhi! Your father can rest assured!"

"Uncle Li, would you lie to us?"

Li Caiban hurriedly waved his hand:

"No, no, Guizhi! You can't say that, don't let the shopkeeper find out and make your Uncle Li lose his job! Besides, I'm not the kind of person who bullies children!"

"Haha! Uncle Li! That's settled then! We'll deliver the vegetables to you! We'll also sell dumplings at the academy gate and then head home! We won't go anywhere else! At most, we'll go to our usual butcher shop to buy some meat!"

"Not going to sell bean sprouts anymore?" Li Caiban asked.

"I'm not going! Uncle Li, my family hired someone to do the chores and provide lunch. We'll use bean sprouts to make dishes and soup, so we don't have to buy them outside. Besides, we don't have that many beans to soak!"

After weighing in the kitchen, the numbers are reported:

"Fifty-five catties of green vegetables, 1,050 cash; sixty catties of bean sprouts, 300 cash; eighty catties of shepherd's purse, 400 cash; thirty catties of wild garlic, 300 cash. The total is 2,050 cash."

The purchasing agent, Li, asked, "Guihong, is it the same old thing today? Two taels of silver and fifty copper coins, shall we?"

During this period, Guihong was in charge of the money. If it was the old man's vegetables, she would remember the amount and settle the bill immediately when she got home.

Gui Hong nodded and replied, "Uncle Li! The money is easy to carry! Thank you!"

Everything was as usual. At the entrance of Xing'an Academy, the students, who were also scholars of the classics, behaved with propriety and courtesy. There was no worry about anyone causing trouble.

Before going to bed that night, Li said:

"Er Ya and San Ya, I was on tenterhooks all day. I can only relax now that you're back! Did the trip go smoothly? Did anyone bully you kids?"

As Gui Hong poured water for Da Zhu to wash his feet, she said:

"Mom, no one is bullying us! Don't worry about it! My dad and grandpa are just busy!"

Guizhi had already gotten into bed and was getting ready to sleep. She also said:

"Mom! People say that children from poor families mature early. But our children aren't spoiled!"

Dazhu also lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) and said:

"Guizhi is right! I'm exhausted! Oh! I used to be just a few years old when I started working in the fields with my parents!"

The old man and the old woman also said:

"Dazhu has been dealing with a lot lately, more than he's ever been through! He seems a bit overwhelmed, all of these are big issues. Without a helper, he could easily make a big mistake if he gets caught up in the chaos."

I have to keep an eye on things! Fourth brother, go and do some work too, learn something! You'd better be careful around here!

The old lady said, "I know! No matter how the family divides, he's still our son! I'll help if I can! It's just a matter of lending a hand, I'm not going to get involved."

"Oh? If you and Dazhu don't have time, what will happen to the business in town? Who will drive the carriage?"

"There's no other way! We can't lose business! Xiaoyun drives the cart, and Erya and Sanya follow along! They're all familiar faces, so it's fine! We can't expect an adult to accompany us all the time!" the old man muttered.

"Xiaoyun!" the old lady called softly to Lin Xiaoyun.

Lin Xiaoyun ate his meal and went to bed early.

When the old lady didn't hear Lin Xiaoyun's reply, she looked up and muttered, "He fell asleep so quickly! He's still just a child; he needs more sleep!"

The next morning, it was the old lady's turn to take Zhao and Sun to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.

The two families take turns picking; that way, it's easier to calculate the costs. Vegetables also need a longer harvesting period.

However, Guizhi suggested dividing their vegetable garden into several large sections.

Harvesting is done piece by piece, and after harvesting one piece, a mixture of pig manure, chicken manure, and wood ash is sprinkled on it as fertilizer. After turning the soil, seeds are sown.

This way, there will always be greens growing, just not in such large quantities each day. The larger greens are heavier, while the newly sprouted ones are tender and don't weigh much even in a large pile.

It was all for the long term. So that there would always be fresh vegetables to sell, one crop after another. Guizhi's family had never been willing to indulge in a large meal of fresh vegetables. Only the ones that were picked out and didn't look good were given to them.

I don't know what the old lady and Zhao were whispering about while they were working, but when they came out to put vegetables into the basket, the old lady came over to talk to Li.

“Dazhu’s wife! Let Dabao and Erya go today! I don’t know what you parents were thinking, letting two little girls do business.”

The old lady said in a way that left no room for argument.

Li didn't want Erzhu's family to get involved, and said to the old lady:

"Mom! Xiaoyun went too. Xiaoyun is a bit older and more sensible. Besides, she came back perfectly fine yesterday!"

The old lady's face fell: "What? Can't you tell the difference between inside and outside? What's Xiaoyun's surname? Dabao's surname is Wang. That's what makes us a family!"

Li said, "Mother! We've already separated our households!"

"After the family split up, Dazhu no longer bears the surname Wang? Hmm? Even after the family split up, your father and your fourth brother are still busy with you! Who said anything?"

"Your daughters aren't going to get married? I'm doing this for your own good! After they get married, you two old folks will be left behind, and won't Da Bao and Er Bao be there to take care of you?"

The old lady looked at her with disappointment and frustration.

Gui Hong stepped forward and said:

"Grandma! I don't agree to Da Bao going either! Grandma! You don't need to scold my mother! I won't get married in the future, I'll take care of my parents in their old age!"

The old lady pointed at Guihong and scolded, "You little slut, you think you can be in charge now! Who do you think you are? How dare you talk back to your grandma! Are you asking for a beating? I think you deserve it!"

Gui Hong burst into tears after being scolded.

Gui Xiang also came over to persuade him:

"Grandma! Let's talk this out! My sister just has a sharp tongue! Grandma! Why don't we wait for Grandpa and the others to come back and ask them what they think? Let's do the same thing as yesterday!"

Li also wiped away tears; not having given birth to a son was her greatest pain.

The old lady scolds everyone she sees.

"Da Ya! Grandma used to treat you so well! How come you're acting so arrogant now! Who gave you the guts to talk back to me! Li Shi, tell me! Did you teach these girls to be so ill-mannered! I said Da Bao has to go, so he has to go!"

Madam Zhou was at a loss! She gestured for Zhou Qiong to go find someone. Zhou Qiong secretly slipped out, but once outside the gate, she didn't know where to go or who to look for!

Guizhi and Lin Xiaoyun led the horses back. Since the oxcart was at the east end, the ox was also tied up there for convenience.

Guizhi, with her sharp eyes, noticed Zhou Qiong's hesitation and called out, "Xiao Qiong! Are you waiting for us?"

He then asked Lin Xiaoyun, "Did you come back late today? I didn't feel anything."

Zhou Qiong seemed to hear heavenly music and quickly went to greet her.

"Third Miss! Miss! The old lady... the old lady came to the door and scolded Madam, Eldest Miss, and Second Miss! She wants Young Master Da Bao to go to town with her!"

Zhou Qiong was nervous and scared. Her voice trembled with tears as she spoke.

"My mother sent me out to find someone, but I don't know who to look for or where to look! Miss! I... I'm so useless!"

After Zhou Qiong finished speaking, she squatted down and sobbed softly.