Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12086

Their parents fled famine and settled in Changping Village, where they had three siblings: Luo the Blacksmith, Luo the Second, and Luo Da'e, with Luo Da'e being the youngest.

His parents died early, and his younger brother and sister were raised by Luo the blacksmith. His second brother ran away to join the army when he was a teenager, leaving him and his younger sister to depend on each other for survival...

Although Da'e made some foolish mistakes later, it was because she was bewitched by Zhou Xia and was single-mindedly focused on the happiness of her children.

So the brother and sister were estranged for several years and didn't see each other.

But later, Zhou Xia died, and everything returned to normal. As they grew older, their sibling bond deepened and became even stronger.

Luo the blacksmith still remembers the last time he spoke to Luo Da'e when she was still lucid; that was the last time he ever spoke to her.

Luo Da'e held his hand tightly, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Brother, I'm afraid my illness is incurable. Zhou Wang and the others are sensible and afraid of me, so they've kept it from me. But I know perfectly well what's going on..."

“These days, I keep dreaming about Zhou Wang’s father.”

"Sometimes during the day, I could see him leaning against the door, smiling at me from afar. That morning, he called my name from under the window..."

“I’m not afraid. I know I’m not staying long. Zhou Wang’s father has come to pick me up.”

"Brother, if I die, don't be sad. You must live well. If I know anything from the afterlife, I will bless you and your family. Consider it atonement for the foolish things I did when I was young..."

As Luo the blacksmith vaguely recalled the words he had spoken to Luo Da'e during their last meeting, his eyelids gradually drooped.

Wang Cuilian quietly brought a soft wool blanket and covered him with it.

Looking at Luo the blacksmith's aged and haggard face in his sleep, Wang Cuilian sat by the rocking chair, just watching him, lost in thought for a long time.

Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang were busy in the backyard.

Yang Ruoqing was naturally planning the family trip for a few days later, including where to go, what to do, where to stay, and so on. She had made a very detailed itinerary.

Moreover, once this strategy is finalized, she will send guards to the designated location in advance to make all the necessary arrangements.

As for Luo Fengtang, he went to his study to handle official business.

A few days ago, I was preoccupied with the Zhou family's affairs and had accumulated a lot of military matters there. A few days later, I will be taking the whole family out for a spring outing again.

Therefore, Luo Fengtang wanted to take advantage of these few days in the middle to properly handle and arrange military affairs.

Around noon, Luo Fengtang arrived.

"Qing'er, you haven't gone out at all?"

When Luo Fengtang saw Yang Ruoqing sitting at her desk, holding a calligraphy brush, writing and drawing on the paper, pausing from time to time to think before continuing, Luo Fengtang couldn't help but feel curious.

Hearing the noise, Yang Ruoqing looked up and smiled at him: "Yes, I've been making travel plans. Come on, help me take a look and see if we've missed anything."

“Okay!” Luo Fengtang walked over and sat down in the large armchair behind the desk as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, he naturally pulled Yang Ruoqing onto his lap and made her sit down.

"Let's watch it together." He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear.

Yang Ruoqing was too lazy to expose this guy's little scheme. She pointed to the things she had written and drawn on the paper in front of her and began her lecture.

"This time, I don't plan to go to Qing'an County or Changhuai Prefecture. I plan to go to Jiuhua County, which is east of Qing'an County, for a visit."

"Go to Jiuhua County?" Luo Fengtang narrowed his eyes slightly, already calculating the distance between Jiuhua County and Qingshui Town in his mind, as well as the route map from the past.

Yang Ruoqing's voice continued in my ear: "There are two reasons why I plan to go to Jiuhua County."

"Firstly, Jiuhua County is not far from Qing'an County, probably about fifty or sixty li away. If we set off early that day, we can definitely arrive before dark without having to spend the night on the road."

"In addition, although the cities in Jiuhua County are not as prosperous and densely populated as our Qing'an County, there is Jiuhua Mountain on the outskirts of Jiuhua County. There are many Taoist temples and Buddhist temples on Jiuhua Mountain. Not only is the scenery pleasant, but you can also burn incense and pray. I think Uncle would like to go to those places."

Then find some old monks and Taoist priests to enlighten the old man, and pray for Luo Da'e there, saying some things to fool Luo the blacksmith, such as: "With your blessing, Luo Da'e has passed away and been reborn into a wealthy family..."

After going through all that, Luo the blacksmith might suddenly see the light and then embrace a new life with a fresh perspective.

After all, people of this generation, especially the elderly men and women who were born and raised in the countryside, believe most in things like cause and effect.

“I think it’s a good idea!” Luo Fengtang said. “So, shall we go from Qing’an County? Or shall we take another official road from Wanghai County to Jiuhua County?”

There are more than one or two official roads and side roads leading to Jiuhua County.

Many wealthy families in Wanghai County like to drive to Jiuhua County to burn incense and pray for blessings during festivals or major holidays.

Yang Ruoqing said, "I plan to go to Wanghai County first, rest there for a day or two, and then go to Qing'an County."

We'll stay in Qing'an County for two more days before heading to Jiuhua County. After all, our main purpose for this trip isn't to rush through the journey, but rather to cheer up my uncle, so the experience is what matters most.

After arriving in Jiuhua County, he would stay for three to five days in a Taoist temple or a Buddhist monastery in the mountains. By the time he returned to Changping Village, ten to fifteen days would have passed, and Luo the blacksmith's mood would have calmed down.

At least the sadness won't be so intense.

Luo Fengtang thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll send more people to protect you."

When traveling, safety is the most important thing.

The two then discussed some details about their travel and accommodation. It must be said that although Yang Ruoqing took on the task of planning the trip, it was not enough for Luo Fengtang to handle it properly.

On the contrary, Luo Fengtang pointed out several easily overlooked, yet often very important, flaws in her travel plans.

"Tang Ya Zi, you are amazing! You truly deserve to be called a great general who can deploy troops and strategize!"

After reaching a consensus and fixing the loopholes, Yang Ruoqing looked up at him, her eyes filled with the burning gaze of a devoted fan.

Luo Fengtang, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed her adoring gaze.

His large hand on her waist tightened, and his voice became slightly hoarse, yet all the more magnetic.

"Then, shouldn't Qing'er reward me?"

What reward do you want?

"You naughty girl, you know the answer already."

Applause for love, three thousand words omitted here.

That day, neither of the two brothers from the Luo family returned for lunch; they stayed at Xiu Hong and Sixi's new home for a warm meal.

Yang Ruoqing originally planned to invite He Lian'er over for dinner, but Madam Sun beat her to it.

Fine!

No matter whose house they're in, they're all relatives, and they won't shortchange Lian'er on a meal.

After lunch, Yang Ruoqing was about to take a nap when Ronggu and Linglan returned with Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, accompanied by Liu Shi. Yang Ruoqing's gaze first fell on her two children.

The two children were beaming, their faces flushed, their round foreheads glistening with sweat, and their pockets bulging. They practically skipped and jumped as they entered the room…

Well, it seems that letting the two of them go with Xiu Hong to join in the fun at the new house today will make them very happy.

"Qing'er, I've brought your two boys back with me, and everything went smoothly!" Liu shouted in a loud voice.

Yang Ruoqing's gaze fell on Liu Shi, she smiled at her, and then returned to the two children.

"Did you have fun today?" she asked with a smile, leaning down and holding a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from their foreheads.

Then, he inserted two fingers into the backs of the two children to feel if their backs were also sweaty and their clothes were damp. If so, he would have to stuff a sweat-absorbing handkerchief inside to separate their skin from their damp undergarments.

Fortunately, it's not damp.

Ronggu said, "I wiped it before, otherwise, it would definitely be dripping wet right now."

Yang Ruoqing was relieved and was about to straighten up when Tuantuan suddenly held out her little hand to Yang Ruoqing, "Mom, look, the treasure I brought back from Cousin Xiuhong's house!"

财？
Did this child steal money from Xiu Hong's family? Or was it a red envelope given to him by Xiu Hong and her family?

But when she saw the tiny twig in Tuantuan's palm, she laughed.

"Wow, what a treasure! My precious little one is amazing!"

Yang Ruoqing picked up the branch with the red ribbon tied to it, and even with her little finger, she knew it must be a prop for Xiu Hong and the others to use when they entered the new house today.

"Yuanbao, what about you? Did you bring anything back?" Yang Ruoqing asked Yuanyuan again.

Yuanyuan stared blankly at the tree branch her brother had brought back, then suddenly turned and ran outside.

"Where are you going? Come back here!"

Yang Ruoqing pulled Yuanyuan back.

Yuanyuan was getting a little anxious. "My persimmons! I forgot to take them when I was playing with the bull!"

Playing with oxen is a game that generations of children in the Mianniu Mountain area have loved playing in their childhood.

He would stand on one foot, lift the other leg and hold it with his hand to stabilize his balance, and then bump into other guys who were in the same position.

During a collision, you can only use the raised knee to strike the other person's knee; you cannot use your hands to help. Doing so will be considered a violation and will result in disqualification.

After a round of collisions, whoever's raised foot touches the ground first loses.

This game is enjoyed by both boys and girls, but Yuanyuan has a significant advantage in it.

According to him, he was a master at pretending to be a bull, often getting so engrossed in the game that he forgot everything else.

"No need to go get it. Brother took firewood, which means good fortune. Now tell Mother, what does it mean that you took persimmons?" Yang Ruoqing deliberately tested him.

Yuanyuan said, "Persimmons, may everything go smoothly. That's what Grandma taught us to say when we entered the house."

"Good boy, so smart! Great job!"

Yang Ruoqing stroked the round head and gave Tuantuan beside her another look.

"You were all great today. Okay, go inside and have some water, then wash your faces and take a nap," Yang Ruoqing instructed.

“But I can’t sleep, and I still want to go out and play,” Yuanyuan said.

"You've just eaten, don't play yet. Go wash your faces and lie down in bed. Mom will come over later to tell you a bedtime story and keep you company, okay?"

"it is good!"

"Mother, you must hurry."

"Absolutely, go ahead."

After seeing the two children off, Yang Ruoqing turned around and found Liu standing beside her with a smile.

"Qing'er, your two boys are quite amusing. Today, when they were moving into the new house at Xiu Hong's place, they were imitating the adults, carrying firewood and holding persimmons. They did whatever they were told, and they were so obedient! Everyone praised them!"

Liu's words may have contained a hint of flattery.

However, as long as Yang Ruoqing felt comfortable listening to it, that was all that mattered.

"That's how kids are; they're always better behaved outside than at home," Yang Ruoqing said with a smile.

"Qing'er, guess who cooked the meal at Xiu Hong's new house today?" Liu asked, leaning closer with a mysterious look on her face.

"Wasn't it your second sister-in-law and Xiuxiu who helped?" Yang Ruoqing asked.

"No, those two are from the bride's family visiting today to deliver housewarming gifts, how could we possibly expect them to work in the kitchen? Guess again!"

“If that’s the case, then it’s definitely not likely to be Aunt Jin,” Yang Ruoqing said.

Aunt Jin is the grandmother of Xiu Hongniang's family, so she must be a guest. If Aunt Jin goes today...

Liu said, "Oh dear, I'm so anxious because you can't guess. I'll just tell you directly."

She moved around to the other side of Yang Ruoqing and walked into the main room with her, revealing the answer at the same time: "It's Sixi's eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law!"

"Da Xi's wife is in charge of cooking, and San happy's wife is in charge of the stove. The two sisters-in-law are extremely polite. I must say, this is the first time I've eaten Da Xi's wife's cooking, and it tastes really good. Si Xi's mother knows how to train her daughter-in-law!"

Liu spoke with great enthusiasm, while Yang Ruoqing listened with some surprise.

"Didn't Xiuhong unlock their locks last night? What? They both came over early this morning to help cook? Are you two sisters-in-law so forgiving?"

"Haha, all I can say is that Xiu Hong and her family have established their authority this time. Seeing that the instigator, their mother-in-law, has been divorced, the brothers and sisters-in-law no longer dare to oppose Xiu Hong and are all rushing to curry favor with her!" Liu Shi added fuel to the fire from the side.

"However, that Sanxi's wife probably isn't it. Sanxi's wife has been at her parents' house for the past few days. It's said that Sixi went to Sanxi's in-laws' house yesterday afternoon to tell them that they were moving into the new house today, so they rushed back early this morning to help."

When talking about Sixi's family, Liu talked animatedly, as if she knew everything about them.

"Sixi and Sanxi have been close since they were young. Sanxi's wife and Xiuhong should also have no conflicts. I've observed that the two sisters-in-law always speak to each other in a friendly manner."

"That's great." Yang Ruoqing nodded. "Did Sixi's father and Erxi go?"

"You absolutely have to go. Sisi's dad and your dad, your fourth uncle and the others are at one table, they're toasting and being incredibly polite. Erxi is there too, at one table with your second and third brothers, they're practically family."

"Oh, right, Erxi even explained to everyone why his wife couldn't come to help—she's still in her postpartum period. Tsk tsk, locked up for a few days, and suddenly everyone in Sixi's family, except for Sixi's mother who was divorced, has learned to say nice things and do nice things. Suddenly they've all learned to be worldly-wise. Tsk tsk..."