Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 11891

Yang Ruoqing chatted and laughed with everyone in the yard for a while. During this time, Yang Yongqing insisted on cutting a piece of meat off a lamb leg and stuffing it into Yang Ruoqing's hands in order to show off his cooking skills.

"Qing'er, go ahead and try it! Once you've tasted it, I guarantee you'll want to hire me as the head chef at your restaurant!"

"Wow, you're brimming with confidence! Okay, I'll give it a try!"

Yang Yongqing waited on the side, looking at Yang Ruoqing with anticipation, waiting to see her be conquered by his cooking skills.

As a result... Yang Ruoqing gave him a smile, showing her respect, "Not bad, not bad, you're perfectly capable of being a sous chef!"

"Oh my god! Ugh!" Yang Yongqing's face was full of disappointment.

Yang Yongzhi then joked from the side, "Don't think that just because you know how to flip a grill a few times you can become a chef. We can just eat for fun, but if you really want to make a living from this, there's a lot more to it than meets the eye!"

"Qing'er, don't listen to your third brother. Just consider me. Let me work at the restaurant?" Yang Yongqing still kept his eyes on Yang Ruoqing.

Before Yang Ruoqing could respond, Yang Yongjin happened to come over and, upon hearing this, said, "If you really have the will to learn properly, come to the restaurant, and I'll guide you step by step!"

"Once we get you out of here, you can stay at the restaurant, and I'll go home and help Uncle San manage those hundred or so acres of land, how about that?"

Yang Yongqing's eyes lit up immediately. "Second brother, are you serious? If you are, I'll remember this from today onwards!"

Yang Yongjin said, "Of course I'm serious, but this matter isn't up to me or you!"

"It depends on what Qing'er says. The restaurant belongs to Qing'er, and we're just helping her manage it!"

"Qing'er, what do you say?" Yang Yongqing looked intently at Yang Ruoqing.

Yang Ruoqing thought for a moment and said, "Young man, are you tired of taking care of the crops? Let me tell you, managing a restaurant is much more tiring than you can imagine!"

What Yang Yongqing heard from Yang Ruoqing's words was not a complete rejection, but rather a glimmer of hope.

He quickly shoved the brush in his hand into Yang Yongzhi's hand and rushed to Yang Ruoqing's side.

"Qing'er, I'm serious. Your sister-in-law and I have already discussed it. She's literate and can help me when we get to the restaurant."

"In addition, I also mentioned this to my third uncle, and he agreed. He said that now that I'm in my early thirties and have matured, it's time for me to go out and explore!"

Yang Ruoqing was still eating the piece of mutton that Yang Yongqing had 'given' to her earlier when she heard this and said with a smile, "Brother, let's not talk about those things today. Let's focus on Second Brother's family's affairs first."

"When you have some free time, you and your sister-in-law can come to my house and we can have a good chat!"

Yang Yongqing gleaned more information from Yang Ruoqing's words: as long as he went to visit her, there was hope, and a very good chance at that!
He immediately straightened his back and puffed out his chest. "Alright, let's take things one step at a time. Today, let's deal with the matter of the second wife first, and the matter of your family posting the wedding notice the day after tomorrow. My matter is a small one, no rush!"

……

Yang Ruoqing strolled into the kitchen again.

"Well, it's much more lively here than in the courtyard!"

Cao Bamei was there with her two sisters, Xiuxiu and Xiuhong, Xiao Moshi was there, Liu Jinchuan was there, and even Zhao Liuer, who was heavily pregnant, was there.

Everyone else had their own tasks, but Zhao Liuer, the pregnant woman, received special treatment and was allowed to sit by the stove and warm herself by the fire.

"Qing'er's here? It's all smoky and smelly in here, you'll get your clothes dirty. Go to the main room for tea, your third and fourth aunts are here!"

Cao Bamei was cooking with her arms outstretched when she turned to greet Yang Ruoqing with a smile.

Yang Ruoqing waved her hand: "I've been wearing this outfit all day, so the smell of fireworks doesn't matter. I'll have to change it again tomorrow anyway!"

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener; several people were sighing and lamenting.

Zhao Liuer laughed and said, "Hearing Qing'er say that, I'm too embarrassed to sit here anymore. Don't laugh at me, but I've been wearing this coat for three days now!"

Liu Jinchuan blushed and smiled, whispering, "It's been five or six days now, I can't do anything about it. I've been working non-stop, and I can't wear clean clothes."

Little Mo said to Zhao Liuer, "You're heavily pregnant, so it's best to avoid bending over to wash clothes. It's okay if it gets dirty a little; it will be fine after the baby is born."

"As for you, you are different. You travel to and from Washi every day. If you wear too fine clothes while doing rough work, it will only ruin your clothes."

"Sister-in-law, your assessment is excellent. Now it's my turn, right? Come on, say a few words," Yang Ruoqing said with a smile.

Little Mo smiled gently and said, "Qing'er, you are different from us. You are more blessed than any of us."

"Don't even mention changing clothes every day. For someone as important as you, changing clothes every hour wouldn't be unusual. You have the means to do so!"

Yang Ruoqing pointed at Xiao Mo: "Sister-in-law, you have such a nice mouth. If you like it, say more. I love to hear it."

Madam Mo smiled and continued, "Qing'er, I heard from your brother that you've already made arrangements for receiving the distinguished guests the day after tomorrow."

Speaking of this, everyone in the kitchen looked at Yang Ruoqing. Except for Cao Bamei, who was familiar with this matter, the others' faces were full of excitement and curiosity.

When Yang Da'an from the Yang family passed the imperial examination with top honors, he once received a distinguished guest from the capital.

But at that time, they had not yet married into the Yang family. It was only after they married into the family that they became very excited when their husbands recalled what had happened back then, and they felt honored.

And now that Dazhi has passed the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, and when dignitaries from the capital come to deliver the congratulatory notice, they are all there and can participate in entertaining the distinguished guests. This is truly a great honor!
It's a pity that these wives, from Cao Bamei to Zhao Liuer to Xiao Moshi and Liu Jinchuan... all had bad backgrounds, no maternal family, or if they did, it was practically nonexistent.

If someone like Jiang Guiling from the fifth branch of the family has a proper family home nearby, then they'll have face when they go back to their parents' home...

“What the young man said is right. I’ve arranged everything, pretty much everything,” Yang Ruoqing said.

There's a standard reception procedure for everything, so Yang Ruoqing just had to follow it. In the end, it was nothing more than a few words: eat and drink, exchange pleasantries, then give red envelopes to the people coming down from above, ostensibly to share in the good fortune, and finally arrange for the family's guards and steward Xingwang to see the guests off. That was it!
As everyone was talking, since Yang Ruoqing wasn't in a hurry to go to the main room, Xiuxiu brought her a stool and said, "Auntie, sit down."

"okay."

As soon as she sat down, Xiu Hong went to brew another bowl of tea. After what had happened recently, especially since Yang Ruoqing had led people to the mountains to capture her, Xiu Hong presented the tea to Yang Ruoqing with both hands, lowered her head, and dared not look Yang Ruoqing in the eye. She simply said softly, "Aunt, have some tea."

Yang Ruoqing was very easygoing when joking with Xiao Mo and the others, and she was also very friendly when Xiu Xiu brought over a stool. However, when it was Xiu Hong's turn to serve tea, Yang Ruoqing only glanced at her sideways and did not immediately take the tea from her hand.

But that one glance made Xiu Hong blush and lower her head even further.

She served tea to Yang Ruoqing today partly out of respect for her being her aunt, and partly to make amends for what happened last time, since she had upset everyone...

More importantly, she knew that the reason why the Sixi family's attitude had changed so drastically and they would come to propose marriage again tomorrow was mainly because Aunt Qing'er had used some of her power to force the Sixi family to agree to their marriage!
So, filled with gratitude, Xiu Hong came over to serve tea to Yang Ruoqing. However, Yang Ruoqing only glanced at her, her smile fading slightly, and said, "I can't drink it. Take it back to the main room. I'll go drink it myself when I'm thirsty."

As soon as Yang Ruoqing said this, the atmosphere in the kitchen, which had been filled with laughter and chatter, became somewhat awkward.

Everyone exchanged glances discreetly, sensing that Yang Ruoqing's anger towards Xiuhong hadn't subsided yet...

It's not fair to blame Yang Ruoqing for not being able to calm down; they were just as angry.

The Yang family actually had a girl who eloped with someone? To be honest, when word got out, it really became the laughing stock of the surrounding villages.

Zhao Liuer and Xiao Mo both have daughters, and their daughters will be married off to other families in the future.

You know, your cousin Xiu Hong did such a disgraceful thing. How can she set an example for her younger sisters?

You did well in the other 99 things, but you made a big mistake in the last one, which will affect your younger siblings' future marriages and reputation.

However, their personalities were different from Yang Ruoqing's. Even if they were dissatisfied with Xiu Hong's behavior, they would keep it to themselves and would not show it on their faces like Yang Ruoqing did, or even refuse to drink the tea that Xiu Hong brought.

After saying these words, Yang Ruoqing turned her head back, not even bothering to look at her niece Xiuhong, who stood beside her like a wooden stake.

Xiu Hong was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Cao Bamei with pleading eyes.

Cao Bamei was also embarrassed, but what could she do? It was her daughter's fault for being so disappointing!

"Since your aunt isn't thirsty right now, just listen to her and take it to the main room. Mark it so it doesn't get mixed up with other people's." Cao Bamei forced a smile and smoothed things over, sending Xiu Hong away.

Just then, Xiuxiu heard Yongxiao calling from outside, so she went out as well.

Only Cao Bamei and her sisters-in-law, along with Yang Ruoqing, remained in the kitchen.

After Xiu Hong left the kitchen with her teacup and head down, and Xiu Xiu also left, Cao Ba Mei's smile disappeared, and she sighed as she cooked.

"Oh, what a worry! Your second brother and I are really unlucky. Neither of our daughters' marriages are easy to handle, and they're both more stubborn than the other!"

"Second sister-in-law, don't say that. Our daughter has grown up and has her own ideas." Zhao Liuer chuckled dryly, trying her best to smooth things over.

Xiao Mo said, "You and your second brother spoil them too much. You can't bear to let them suffer even the slightest hardship or grievance."

The following is what happened: So in the end, the more they were spoiled, the less disciplined they became. It was one thing for Xiu Xiu to cry, make a scene, and even threaten suicide, but Xiu Hong, who remained silent, went even further and started running away from home!
From a parent's perspective, this behavior is really hurtful!
“Sigh, I myself suffered a lot back then. My parents didn’t treat their daughter like a human being…” Cao Bamei said sadly, talking about her childhood.

“If they hadn’t treated me like a human being, I wouldn’t have run away from the mountains to seek refuge with my brother.”

The brother she mentioned was the son-in-law of the Sun family next door, who was also Yang Ruoqing's maternal uncle.

“Second sister-in-law, I understand how you feel,” Yang Ruoqing said. “Because you grew up in hardship, you don’t want your daughter to suffer like you did, so you’ve spoiled her a bit too much.”

We're all parents, and who doesn't spoil their kids? Not to mention that even poor families who can't afford to eat will prioritize their children's food and drink, while the adults will lick the bowl clean.

Even the wealthy, knowing full well that their children are born into privilege, still feel that what they give their children is far from enough; they want more, more, and more...

Ultimately, spoiling a child is like killing a child; you raise the child to be corrupted, and you end up ruining yourself in the process...

"Second sister-in-law, the matter is over, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's just do what we need to do happily!" Yang Ruoqing waved her hand, really not wanting to waste her energy on the matter of the second wife.

Because this is an unsolvable problem, just like when they dealt with Xiu Xiu and Li Wei's marriage, Yang Yongjin and Cao Bamei's lifeline and weakness were both held by these two girls.

There's no need for outsiders to say much. They can lend a hand on crucial matters, but as for the rest, they need not say anything more and should not be involved in the cause and effect.

Zhao Liuer and Xiao Mo both echoed Yang Ruoqing's words.

"Second sister-in-law, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. You and your second brother have done your best and fulfilled your responsibilities as parents. No matter how the young couple lives in the future, you will have no regrets."

"Yes, whether it's good or bad, they can't find their way to you."

"I think Xiuxiu and Wang Xiaowei are quite good, and Xiuhong's personality can handle Sixi. Who knows, after the storm comes the rainbow, so Second Sister-in-law, don't overthink it..."

What a wonderful rainbow after the storm...

Yang Ruoqing's lips curled up slightly.

Judging from what my second brother and youngest brother said today, my second brother may really be thinking about going back to the village to do farm work, and he wants to recommend my youngest brother to be the manager of a restaurant.

In fact, this matter had no impact on Yang Ruoqing at all.

To her, her second brother and her youngest brother were the same; they were both her own cousins, and she didn't mind either of them being the manager.

Yang Ruoqing is willing to do anything as long as her second brother can guide her younger brother and help him become the successor to the shopkeeper.

However, the second brother's income from helping his father manage the hundred or so acres of crops back in the village was definitely not as good as the lucrative job he would have as a shopkeeper in town.

He probably used up all the energy he had accumulated in the first half of his life on his two daughters.

When it comes to Xiao Sanzi and Yongxiao's turn in the future, there probably won't be many left.

But if it was her second brother's own choice, Yang Ruoqing wouldn't say anything.

Because not only the second brother, but also the fifth uncle may want to find a successor so that they can retire and return to their hometown.

Fifth Uncle and Second Brother have been helping Yang Ruoqing manage the restaurant for nearly 20 years. Fifth Uncle, in particular, lives in Qing'an County and can only return to the village during festivals for many years. As he gets older, he may miss his hometown even more.

However, Yang Ruoqing needs to carefully consider who should succeed her as the manager of Qing'an County. Once she has decided, she will begin to train him/her...