Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12072

Yang Ruoqing said, "The mourning hall has been set up. We have invited monks to come and perform a ritual for the deceased the day after tomorrow, and the funeral will be held the morning after that."

"You invited a monk? Why not a Taoist priest?" Sun asked, puzzled.

In the minds of the local people in Wanghai County, although there are far more temples where monks reside than Taoist temples where Taoist priests reside, and people usually burn incense and worship Buddha at temples where monks reside, they would only choose to burn incense at the large Taoist temples at the foot of the mountain behind Changping Village.

They all seem to be devout Buddhists, but when someone dies, they all tacitly invite a Taoist troupe to perform various rituals to guide the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.

However, very few people actually invite monks to chant sutras for the deceased.

Yang Ruoqing said, "I don't know why my cousin Zhou Wang and his family invited monks instead of Taoist priests. They must have their own reasons. It's not convenient for me to ask too much."

Madam Sun expressed her understanding, "Yes, it was right not to ask. Come, let's go inside. I heard from Aunt Rong that you traveled all night last night. Ah, you must be exhausted from working non-stop like this?"

"I'm alright, it's mainly Tang Yazi and Jinling who suffered. My daughter and I slept in the carriage the whole way!"

Yang Ruoqing did not plan to tell Sun about the nightmare, because Sun was timid and prone to worrying.

I didn't tell her, and she lived a happy and simple life every day.

If I tell her, she might get carried away and cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

After everyone entered the main room of the Luo family and sat down, Old Sun and Yang Huazhong inquired about the Zhou family's situation from Luo Fengtang.

After listening for a while, Madam Sun took Yang Ruoqing's hand and quietly inquired about the affairs of Zuo Family Village.

Yang Ruoqing then quietly shared with Madam Sun what she had seen and heard in Zuo Family Village, as well as the health condition of Old Madam Zuo.

Wang Cuilian soon joined in as well.

Immediately, the conversation in the main room split into two camps, with the atmosphere on the men's side becoming somewhat solemn and dignified.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed on the women's side.

Yang Ruoqing didn't say much about Zuojiazhuang, because the most urgent matter at hand was sending wreaths to Zhoujiacun.

At this moment, in the men's chat group...

Yang Huazhong and his team had finished their inquiries and learned that Luo Fengtang was back to prepare for sending wreaths. Luo the blacksmith had given them detailed instructions on what to send and how much to send, which put Yang Huazhong and his team at ease.

Yang Huazhong said, "Your uncle has explained everything about these items. I'll go and call some people for you. We'll all go over there together the day after tomorrow morning, knocking and banging on them!"

Because there are many items, we need to mobilize the efforts of many people.

And often, these people have to be found among the clan members.

Unfortunately, the Luo family is unique in Changping Village. The village is a large village with one or two hundred households and a population of over a thousand, but the Luo family is the only one with this surname!
The reason is that Luo the blacksmith's father fled famine from another place to Changping Village and later settled there.

But it doesn't matter. The fact that the Luo family is the only one won't cause any problems. There's still the Yang family and the Sun family, right?

Yang Huazhong turned around and called out, and a bunch of relatives, friends, and even enthusiastic villagers scrambled to help.

"Then thank you very much for your trouble, father-in-law." Luo Fengtang raised his hand and cupped his hands in gratitude.

Yang Huazhong waved his hand dismissively, saying, "We don't need to say those polite things between father-in-law and son-in-law."

Old Sun, who had been silent for a while, also took out his pipe and coughed twice.

"Tang Yazi, Qing'er, you two shouldn't just focus on arranging the funeral. You'd better keep an eye on your uncle too, or I'm afraid he might get carried away!"

After Old Sun finished speaking, the main room fell silent instantly.

In those years, Old Sun suffered the blow of his wife's death, and he became withdrawn for a long time.

She even felt hopeless about life and had no expectations for living. Because she couldn't bear the loneliness, she became extremely thin and often got sick.

If it weren't for the meticulous care and companionship of his family, with his two daughters, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter by his side, and everyone coming and going to take care of and accompany him every day, Old Sun would never have been able to emerge from the shadow of that time and face life with a normal mind again.

Therefore, Old Sun's words are essentially a firsthand account, making them more convincing.

"Don't worry, Uncle Ga, I will stay by my side and won't let him lose heart!" Luo Fengtang said in a deep voice.

accompany?

Yang Ruoqing couldn't help but glance at him again. If she remembered correctly, Luo Fengtang had mentioned before that he would be heading back to the military camp right after the first month of the lunar calendar.

There are still many things that need him back at the military camp, and the last time he left for two months to go home for the Chinese New Year was already an exception.

Now that Luo the blacksmith is in this state, will Tang Yazi have to extend his leave? Won't that affect his duties in the army?

After chatting for a while, Yang Huazhong and the others realized that Yang Ruoqing and the others had returned hungry when Linglan came over to remind them that lunch was ready.

"What? When you went to pay your respects, the Zhou family didn't provide a meal?" Yang Huazhong asked.

Yang Ruoqing hurriedly shook her head: "They provide meals. Cousin Zhou Wang and Sister-in-law Xiao Huan are very insistent on having us eat there, but I can't eat in that atmosphere."

Mrs. Sun naturally understood her daughter; she always felt that the food served at funerals tasted a bit strange.

Every dish exuded an indescribable chill, and because of the somber atmosphere, the atmosphere for eating was also very oppressive. It was indeed unpleasant to eat there; it would have been better to eat at home.

"Then you should eat first, and take a good nap this afternoon. You must be exhausted from traveling last night," Sun said, holding Yang Ruoqing's hand.

"Come to our place for dinner tonight. I'll cook and have your dad come and call you."

"Sister-in-law Cuilian, let's go together!"

"well!"

Wang Cuilian and Yang Ruoqing got up together to see them off.

After lunch, Yang Ruoqing felt dizzy again. She was about to go back to her dormitory to take a nap, but she saw that Luo Fengtang didn't seem to want to catch up on his sleep.

"Tang Yazi, go get some sleep. You didn't sleep a wink last night. Take a rest."

Luo Fengtang glanced at Yang Ruoqing's eyes, which had faint dark circles. Although he really wanted to take a nap with her and drift off to sleep holding his sweet and soft wife...

However, he had a lot of things to prepare right now, and those things would be needed to deliver the wreaths the day after tomorrow, so he couldn't sleep. "Qing'er, be good, go to sleep by yourself, I'll go and do some work for a while. I'll just go to bed earlier tonight."

Yang Ruoqing knew he had made up his mind, so she didn't try to persuade him any further.

"By the way, you told my uncle that you would stay to keep him company. What about your situation at the military camp? Will postponing your return cause any problems?"

“It’s not a big problem,” Luo Fengtang said in a deep voice. “Compared to the military camp, what I’m most worried about right now is my uncle’s condition.”

Some pain isn't most intense in the instant it occurs; for a moment, you might be numb. But as time passes, the lingering pain gradually rises, and that's when it feels like being slowly cut by a knife...

Therefore, Luo Fengtang's biggest worry was not Luo the blacksmith in the next few days, but when Luo Da'e's funeral was over and everything was settled.

After the Zhou family burned all of Luo Da'e's clothes and belongings for her, they even emptied out the house where Luo Da'e had lived...

For Luo the blacksmith, this was the beginning of the real test.

He would find that it was already March, spring had arrived, everything was reviving, and everyone around him had started their own lives, going to work in the fields, setting up stalls to earn money, working from sunrise to sunset, eating three meals a day, and revolving around the stove and the children...

It seems that nothing has changed, and nothing is missing.

You have so much to say, so many feelings swirling in your chest—good, bad, exhilarating, melancholic… But when you turn around, wanting to share them with the person you often confide in, you find that person is no longer there…

He/She lay quietly on the hillside behind the village, a small mound of yellow earth, without a sound...

At this moment, your pain will be like invisible water in a damp corner, seeping in from all directions, from the cracks in the wall, gradually engulfing you, until your vision is blurred with tears, until you can't even cry out loud...

“Tang Yazi, if you trust me, then entrust your uncle to me. You can focus on your own affairs, and I will stay with him,” Yang Ruoqing said softly, throwing herself into Luo Fengtang’s arms and clutching his clothes.

"At worst, I'll do nothing for the next six months and just stay with my uncle. If he stays in the village, it will only remind him of his painful memories, so I'll take him on a trip to clear his head... Don't worry, and don't neglect your own affairs! I can help you out!"

Luo Fengtang hugged Yang Ruoqing tightly around the waist, "Good Qing'er, I knew you would share my burdens."

"However, I have my own plans, so you don't need to worry about me."

After saying that, he took her hand and said, "Come on, I'll take you back to rest. I'll go back to my work later."

Yang Ruoqing fell asleep as soon as she lay down in bed. What she didn't know was that after she fell asleep, Luo Fengtang did not leave immediately, but stayed by her bedside and observed her for a long time.

Only after confirming that she was breathing evenly and had not fallen into a nightmare did he quietly leave.

Furthermore, after he left, Rong Gu quickly received his instructions and quietly came to the small hall outside the bedroom to wait.

The general said that the lady has been having trouble sleeping these past two days and is prone to nightmares.

If I hear anything unusual about Madam's breathing or if she starts talking nonsense, I need to rush in and wake her up immediately, so that she doesn't suffer from the nightmare for too long or too deeply...

……

When Yang Ruoqing woke up, it was already two hours later.

Two shichen, or four hours, and she felt as if she had been reborn, with incredibly good energy.

"Hmm~ I'm probably going to have trouble sleeping tonight! I've completely messed up my biological clock." Yang Ruoqing had just sat on the bed and stretched when Rong Gu's voice came from behind the curtain: "Is Madam awake? Would you like some tea?"

"Aunt Rong? What are you doing here?" Yang Ruoqing asked in surprise.

Although there are people to take care of her at home, most of the work involves cooking, washing, cleaning, and taking care of the children.

Yang Ruoqing never needed to be pampered like other ladies when she slept, nor did she need someone to watch over her and serve her at all times.

"It's the general. He was worried about you, so he asked me to stay here with you." Rong Gu carried a bowl of freshly brewed tea, lifted the curtain, and entered the bedroom. She did not hide the reason from Yang Ruoqing.

Yang Ruoqing felt a warm glow in her heart. How fortunate she was to marry such a kind and considerate man who seemed cold on the outside but was warm on the inside.

"Find me some clothes, I need to get up and wash up."

"it is good."

Rong Gu knew that Madam had gone to Zhoujia Village in the morning, so she would definitely have to change out of that set of clothes. Therefore, Rong Gu found a clean set of clothes for Yang Ruoqing and placed it by the bed.

Then she came over to help Yang Ruoqing comb her hair, and the two chatted. As they chatted, they started talking about their trip to Huguang County.

“Ronggu, if everything goes smoothly, Wuyou will get married in two years. I want you to go with her,” Yang Ruoqing said, staring at Ronggu in the bronze mirror.

“But I need to ask what you think. If you don’t want to go and want to stay here, I won’t force you, but I will make arrangements in advance. Do you understand what I mean?” she asked again.

As Rong Gu gently combed Yang Ruoqing's hair that reached her waist, a satisfied smile curved her lips.

“Madam, although I don’t want to move here and would like to stay in the Luo family to retire, I am more worried about Miss Wuyou than about my own comfort.”

"So, I've been preparing for my dowry two years from now, and I'm gradually entrusting the affairs of the inner courtyard of the house to Linglan and Shaoyao."

"Although I know that one of them will be going with them, that doesn't stop me from teaching them. They'll need it sooner or later anyway."

"Okay!" Yang Ruoqing smiled with relief. "I'm relieved to hear you say that."

“Although the matriarch of the Zuo family dotes on our Wuyou, she is going to manage the vast Zuo family business after she marries into the family,” Yang Ruoqing continued.

“This girl grew up by my side since she was little, and she was raised according to the standards of a boy. As for the knitting girls in the inner courtyard, let alone being proficient, she has probably only just begun to learn.”

"So she needs you, and also Lily of the Valley and Peony to assist her. The two of you are her confidants."

The Zuo family also had a large number of maids and servants in their inner courtyard, some of whom were trusted by the old lady and had respectable housekeepers.

Those housekeepers married the stewards of the Zuo family, and their children continued to work hard for the Zuo family. This also involved some of the Zuo family's relatives and friends... So the interpersonal relationships and interests were also very complicated.

So when Luo Wuyou officially married into the family, she entered a world of intertwined interests and a world full of human relationships and social dynamics.

Although she was the young mistress of the Zuo family, doted on by her husband and cherished by her father-in-law, and supported by her powerful maternal family, Luo Wuyou held absolute power of life and death.

However, as the mistress of the inner court, she relied not only on the power of life and death, but also on her management skills, decisiveness and methods in handling affairs, rather than fighting and killing.

Therefore, having a capable and loyal person by your side is extremely valuable.