Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 11929

If they are going to Changhuaizhou to pick someone up, Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang must arrange for someone to accompany them...

“Father, there’s no need to pick him up,” Yang Ruoqing said. “In previous years, we came back early because we set off early. There was nothing we could do about it. Whether it was Da’an or Feng’er, they all had to ask their superiors and teachers for leave one after another.”

“This year I returned to Changhuaizhou. It’s closer to home, and I can easily return in two days, so I don’t need to take leave.”

"Not asking for leave will not affect Feng'er's studies. He will be preparing for the imperial examination next autumn."

"Oh, that's right, that's right. We can't ask for leave, we can't delay our grandson's studies!" Yang Huazhong immediately understood.

"In addition, Da'an is now the governor of Changhuai Prefecture, which is the top official, so he can't ask for leave in advance."

"He's already taken leave, what will happen to all the official business at the government office this year?"

These words left Yang Huazhong and Madam Sun speechless once again.

Yang Huazhong couldn't help but think of his own situation. He put his hands on his thighs, let out a long breath, and gently tapped his thighs with his fingers, sighing, "Indeed, as a governor, one can't be ahead of others during the New Year."

"Take my tiny village as an example. On New Year's Eve, others can eat their New Year's Eve dinner and play cards all night, but I can't."

"They need to patrol the village entrance and exit, serve at the ancestral hall, and also stroll around the land temple in the south of the village,"

"I even have to wander around the woodsheds and haystacks of some careless people in the village, just in case a spark might ignite the firewood. That wouldn't be celebrating the New Year, it would be a hardship!"

Sun felt the same way about what Yang Huazhong said, because she was the wife of the village head.

“You’re getting on in years now. If you ask me, wouldn’t it be better to give up your position as village head and enjoy some peace and quiet?” said Madam Sun.

Yang Ruoqing also looked at Yang Huazhong, and she agreed with Sun's suggestion.

The position of village head has no salary and is not a government job.

The reason why so many people from surrounding villages are scrambling to become village head is, to put it bluntly, for power.

Never underestimate the power of the village head. As long as one has the power of the village head, it will always bring some benefits to him.

For example.

Take Li Jia, the village head of Lijia Village back then, who was also the older brother of Li Yi, Li Wei's father. During the years he served as the village head of Lijia Village, he would receive a lot of benefits every year by allocating the location for each household to gather firewood in the village.

Some hilltops are not steep and have plenty of firewood, making them fertile land. Other hilltops are steep, with piles of rocks and cliffs, and hardly any grass. Even after a whole day of searching, you can't gather more than a few dozen kilograms of firewood.

Firewood is an essential energy source for rural households.

These days, water is free, and there are no miscellaneous fees such as electricity, internet, gas, property management fees, or parking fees.

For eating, drinking, and relieving oneself, firewood is the most crucial energy source in the home, because we can't do without it. Without firewood, rice can't be cooked, water can't be boiled, we can't take a bath, and nothing works.

For example, every year in April and May, the irrigation of the fields is also a matter of concern for everyone. Whose fields should be irrigated first and whose should be irrigated later are all arranged and directed by the village head and elders, otherwise things would be chaotic.

Besides, there are the annual taxes and corvée labor, and all those other trivial matters...

The instructions were passed down from the higher levels of government to the village level, where the village head was responsible for exercising this power.

Of course, all of the above-mentioned matters cannot be handled equally; there must be a sequence of events.

This "first come, first served" doesn't refer to the literal order, but rather to the order of relationships—those who understand, understand.

So, Li Jia had been the village head of Lijia Village for so many years, and he was incredibly wealthy. Not only did his family have no worries about food and clothing, but his children could eat eggs, fish, and meat every day, and his wife could even exchange the leftovers for money at the market.

If you don't believe me, you can take a walk around the surrounding villages. After you've done that, you'll find that the conditions offered by the village head in each village are definitely top-notch in their respective villages.

Okay, let's get back to the topic. So, did Yang Huazhong become the village head for these reasons?

In Yang Ruoqing's opinion, the answer is no!
There are two reasons:
Firstly, Yang Huazhong himself is not that kind of person. He is destined to be completely unrelated to the words "greedy," "gluttonous," and "taking bribes."

He is an honest man by nature, and honest men really can't get rich because they can't even get past their own conscience.

Secondly, when Yang Huazhong took over as the head of Changping Village, the Sanfang family was already quite well-off.

He didn't need to use his position as village head to skim some money for himself. For someone who had no other source of income or hope, that little bit of money was a lifesaver, a timely help in their time of need.

However, for Yang Huazhong, none of this mattered. His daughter was wealthy, his son-in-law was a general, his son had passed the imperial examination with top honors, and his youngest son had joined the army...

So another question arises: why was Yang Huazhong willing to become the village head?
The reason is that he's the kind of person who can't sit still!

She has a warm-hearted personality!

Because of Yang Ruoqing and Da'an's tough stance, they took away the land belonging to the third branch of the family and did not allow Yang Huazhong and Sun Shi to manage it themselves. Instead, they hired farmhands, and later handed it over to Yang Yongqing and his group to manage.

So Yang Huazhong had some free time, but he wasn't willing to enjoy a life of leisure, so he could only become the village head and do things for the villagers, which he was happy to do.

Because doing these things allows him to find emotional value and a sense of self-identity, especially when the villagers he has helped call him "village head" all the time, he feels sweeter than if he had drunk honey!
At this moment, when Madam Sun suggested that Yang Huazhong resign from his position as village head and enjoy a comfortable retirement at home, Yang Ruoqing agreed with Madam Sun's suggestion and hoped that Yang Huazhong would enjoy an even more comfortable retirement.

However, she would not verbally agree with Sun's words, nor would she actively persuade Yang Huazhong not to become the village head.

Because she knew that Yang Huazhong, at his current age, with his physical condition and energy level, was still willing to continue serving as the village head.

Sure enough, the next moment, Yang Huazhong's answer confirmed Yang Ruoqing's guess.

"I'll serve for a few more years. Right now, I can still handle the job of village head, hehe..." Yang Huazhong smiled a little embarrassedly, his old face still a bit red.

Sun glared at him helplessly: "You're just destined to be a workaholic. I can't be bothered to talk to you anymore."

"You still have to speak up. Don't be lazy. You're my wife. If there's anything I've done wrong that the children are too embarrassed to say, you have to tell them so I can change!"

Yang Ruoqing discovered that her parents' interactions were simple and warm. Sun was gentle and virtuous, and Yang Huazhong was honest and upright. Both of them were hardworking and willing to make sacrifices for each other and for the family, which is why the overall fortune of the third branch of the family was getting better and better.

Moreover, the good ideas and habits of parents respecting and caring for each other will also have an invisible influence on their children.

"Qing'er, Tang Yazi probably won't be coming back tonight. Should we let your mother stay here to keep you company?" Yang Huazhong glanced at the inky black night outside the window and then asked Yang Ruoqing.

Madam Sun nodded without hesitation: "I'll stay, okay?"

Yang Ruoqing saw the same care in her parents' eyes, and her heart warmed. This was the beauty of her biological parents. When Yang Huazhong made his suggestion, he didn't need to think twice about whether it would put Sun Shi in a difficult position or cause her to refuse.

Yang Huazhong believed that Sun Shi would not refuse, as she would certainly be happy to keep her daughter company.

As for Madam Sun, when Yang Huazhong made that suggestion, it was as if her own thoughts had suddenly found a voice to express them. She immediately nodded and even seemed eager to stay.

However, Yang Ruoqing smiled and declined her parents' offer of help.

The reason is simple: "With those two brothers around, how could I possibly feel lonely?"

They'll chatter away, and I might have to keep them telling me stories until very late.

Sun and Yang Huazhong smiled. By this time, the two little ones had finished soaking their feet. Yang Huazhong quickly went over, picked up a handkerchief from the side, and helped them wipe their little feet. Then he carried them to bed one by one and tucked them into the quilt.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Sun had already stood up to leave. Before leaving, as a mother, she couldn't help but give Yang Ruoqing a few words of advice.

"Make sure to close the doors and windows at night. It's winter now, and things aren't safe outside. I've heard that there have been thieves in several villages."

"Don't worry, Mother, the Luo family is heavily guarded and has secret guards."

Even the most notorious thieves dared not come near the Luo family's house; they would all die if they did.

"Then your father and I will head back first."

"Alright, Father and Mother, get some rest too. Don't worry about Da'an. When it's around the middle of the twelfth lunar month, the academy in Changhuaizhou will be on holiday for the New Year. Even if Da'an can't leave for the time being, he will send someone to bring Xiaohua and her children back ahead of time."

"Yes, we're not in a hurry. They can arrange it themselves."

"Yes, they have their own plans. Dad and Mom are at home making preparations for the New Year. Once they all come back, we can just set up the table and chairs and start celebrating the New Year right away!"

Two sentences immediately brought a smile to everyone's face, because they contained a lot of information, such as: grinding tofu for the New Year, cleaning up the dust for the New Year, making maltose and peanut brittle for the New Year, washing and drying every room and every bed, and also, slaughtering the New Year pig, buying pork to make all kinds of pork dishes for the New Year, and curing meats...

Sun's mind was now filled with all sorts of things, and she suddenly felt very fulfilled.

After watching the two elders leave the courtyard, they firmly refused to let Yang Ruoqing see them out of the house, because the two children were still inside, and Yang Ruoqing had to hurry back to be with them.

"Your father and I will come again tomorrow. You should go back to your room and be with the children. Make sure the doors and windows are closed." Madam Sun waved to Yang Ruoqing and then disappeared into the night.

Yang Ruoqing stood at the door for a while, looking in the direction of Wanghai County. After Zhou Quan came to report the news tonight, Yang Ruoqing sent her secret guards to Wanghai County to find Luo Fengtang.

Judging by the time, the guards should have met Luo Fengtang and are on their way back.

Wait a little longer, no rush.

Yang Ruoqing turned back into the house, closed the doors and windows, and went to her bedroom.

I lifted the curtain... and my mother's blood pressure skyrocketed.

The two little ones actually started fighting on the bed!

Tuantuan was no match for Yuanyuan and had already been pinned down by Yuanyuan, who was riding on top of Tuantuan.

Tuantuan's face turned red, and she struggled with gritted teeth, trying to overturn Yuanyuan.

But with Yuanyuan's weight, broad back and thick waist, strong arms and legs, and fierce energy, Tuantuan really couldn't push her.

"I'll count to three, Yuanyuan, you get off your brother, then each of you take one of them. If anyone dares to move, I'll drag him to the door!"

With a shout from Yang Ruoqing, Yuanyuan was so frightened that she quickly rolled off Tuantuan's body.

Tuantuan also got up.

Yuanyuan didn't dare to cross Yang Ruoqing's line. Instead, she ran to the left side of the bed and stood on Luo Fengtang's pillow.

After Tuantuan got up, she didn't listen to Yang Ruoqing and go to the right side of the bed. Instead, her face turned red, she glared at Yuanyuan with hateful eyes, clenched her little fists and shouted, "I'll fight you!"

Good heavens! Yang Ruoqing was truly shocked by her brother's actions!

Although he couldn't beat his younger brother, his fierce determination, his unwillingness to give up, and his spirit of charging forward despite knowing he was outmatched impressed Yang Ruoqing upon his return to the team.

……

After a series of complicated refereeing efforts, Yang Ruoqing finally managed to resolve the conflict between the two estranged children.

The cause of the incident... was really just a trivial matter, but the two boys got into a fight. Perhaps this is due to the nature of boys; their gender makes their genes have a stronger aggressive component.

As adults, we learn to control our emotions and impulses because we have studied, become more sensible, and experienced the ways of the world.

Of course, all of this is based on normal people; for supermales, it's all out of the question.

Yang Ruoqing sat in the middle of the bed, with a child lying on each side of the blankets on either side.

Both children were holding onto one of her arms, their little faces pressed tightly against her arms.

Yang Ruoqing looked left and then right, carefully tracing the features of the two children with her gaze. The room was quiet and warm; the thick, sturdy walls and doors kept the cold wind out. Outside, the north wind howled and wailed, and Yang Ruoqing's thoughts drifted far, far away...

In the county town, on a freezing night, at the entrance of the clinic's ward, Luo the blacksmith squatted on the steps, his hands cupping his face, and sobbing softly.

Luo Fengtang squatted down beside him and draped his cloak over Luo the blacksmith.

Although Luo the blacksmith was also wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, Luo Fengtang still covered the old man with his cloak.

"Uncle, come inside. It's too cold outside. You can't afford to get chilled."

However, the blacksmith Luo was so immersed in grief that he didn't hear Luo Fengtang's words at all.

Luo Fengtang was also helpless and could only squat down and guard him. The results given by the joint diagnosis of the several doctors still echoed in his ears...

Although Aunt Da'e's illness is very similar to that of Grandma Qing'er back then, it is not the same.

Although they are not the same disease, it is still a very cruel one, causing great physical and mental damage to patients in the later stages... and there is no cure!
Because there was no cure, my uncle completely broke down and sat on the steps by the door crying...