Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12093

Not only was Wang Cuilian filled with horror, but Yang Ruoqing's face was also filled with disbelief.

"Auntie, is it really that bad? Uncle is a traditional man, he wouldn't do anything... that breaks the rules, would he?"

Well, after racking her brains for a long time, Yang Ruoqing could only barely find the words 'breaking the rules' to describe it.

Although there is no definitive information to confirm whether the world of the soul truly exists, humanity has multiplied on this land, and generation after generation has passed down numerous rules and customs.

One of these traditions is that on the night of the seventh day after death, the deceased will have the opportunity to return home to visit their loved ones in the living world one last time before departing in peace.

Many films and television dramas in later generations have also depicted this theme. On this night, the family would prepare the deceased's favorite dishes in the main room and light candles.

Then the others dispersed, returned to their own rooms, and closed their doors and windows.

For the rest of the night, no matter what noises came from outside, no one was allowed to peek until the rooster crowed at dawn the next day, at which point they could get up and move around...

“Logically speaking, your uncle wouldn’t be so absurd and confused!” Wang Cuilian clutched her chest for a while before saying this with some uncertainty.

"But it's hard to say. He's become obsessed with this, constantly hoping to see his sister again," Wang Cuilian added.

"Qing'er, what should we do? Your uncle... sigh, if all else fails, should we ask Tang Yazi to take a few more men and forcibly bring him back?"

Yang Ruoqing was startled by Wang Cuilian's suggestion. If they could forcibly bring him back, Luo Fengtang would have already taken action...

Whom are you going to tie up?
A deep, magnetic voice sounded from behind the two of them.

Yang Ruoqing and Wang Cuilian turned around at the same time and saw Luo Fengtang, who had changed into a black robe with cloud patterns after taking a bath, walking towards them.

He was tall and had long legs, and he arrived in a few steps. His gentle gaze fell on Yang Ruoqing. "What are you talking about? Does the old lady want me to forcibly kidnap someone back?"

Wang Cuilian was a little embarrassed; she had only said those words in a moment of panic without thinking.

Thinking about it now, that's impossible. No matter what, the blacksmith is Tang Yazi's uncle, the elder who raised him.

No matter what absurd things this old man has done, even if people break his back, if Tang Yazi really forcibly ties him up, all the blame might fall on the younger generation. Wouldn't that be putting Tang Yazi in a bad position?
“Auntie is joking,” Yang Ruoqing immediately understood. She took Luo Fengtang’s hand and led him to a table. “You just came out of the shower, have some hot tea to calm down first.”

It's clear that Luo Fengtang not only took a bath but also washed his hair; his hair looked dried, but his pores were all open, so drinking some hot tea would be best.

On the other side, seeing this, Wang Cuilian also said, "I'll go to the backyard to check on how dinner is going. Call me if you need anything."

Yang Ruoqing nodded and watched Wang Cuilian leave.

Luo Fengtang also turned his gaze away from Wang Cuilian's hurried departure.

"Qing'er, now that the old lady is gone, can you tell me what happened?" he asked again.

Yang Ruoqing paused slightly in her teacup. Hearing this, she could only smile helplessly and say, "You really can't hide anything from me!"

"Okay, here's the thing..."

She sat down next to him and told Luo Fengtang everything that Wang Cuilian had guessed about why Luo the blacksmith insisted on staying in the Zhou family.

"...The aunt isn't worried about anything else, except that the Zhou family is having a raw food feast tonight, and the uncle might not be able to resist running out to disturb them..."

Luo Fengtang was clearly aware of these rules, or rather, customs.

While there is no conclusive evidence to prove that these rules or customs actually exist, there is also no conclusive evidence to say that they are necessarily unfounded.

The world is full of wonders. Heaven and earth give rise to yin and yang, and yin and yang are in order. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.

If it were truly just a rumor, then why has his footsteps covered the entire country over the years, and why has this custom persisted even in the southern barbarians?

“No wonder the old lady was so desperate that she wanted me to go and tie up my uncle and bring him back. Now I understand,” Luo Fengtang said in a deep voice.

Yang Ruoqing could only manage a wry smile at this.

If he were really tied up, and word got out, Luo Fengtang would be labeled a 'rebellious' person by the people in the surrounding villages.

If this matter were to be passed on to higher authorities by someone with ulterior motives, and further manipulated by his political enemies in the court, it could very well escalate into a weapon used against him.

Although there were reasons for it, and he was not afraid of those things, it still damaged his image.

“What we can think of, Uncle can probably think of too. Besides, he was the one who taught me these traditional customs back then.” Luo Fengtang’s slender fingers stroked the pattern on the teacup as he pondered, “I believe Uncle won’t do anything to worry us. The reason he stayed there is probably related to his return after the seventh day after her death. He wants to be able to feel Aunt Da’e’s presence up close.”

"Let's just let him be!"

……

Old Yang's house, east room.

Unlike the Luo family at the village entrance who were worried about Luo the blacksmith tonight, Old Yang and Tan were lying on the bed fully clothed, with a sewing basket on their laps.

The other sat at the octagonal table next to him, a pipe dangling from his mouth, his feet in a basin being washed.

Old Yang took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, chuckled contentedly, and said to Madam Tan, "It's really efficient to have family members do the house building work."

"When we finished work today, the Li brothers told me that we'd done this for now and that everything that needed to be done had been done properly."

"Next, we just need to let it dry. After another ten days or half a month, when the stove is completely dry, we can start a fire."

Previously, Tan had been sewing shoe soles by the oil lamp on her bedside table, making single shoes for the children, specifically for Mei'er's three children.

Hearing Old Yang mention the two rooms next door and the latest developments at the stove, Tan Shi temporarily stopped what she was doing, looked up at Old Yang with anticipation, and waited for him to continue.

Old Yang continued, "I've thought it over. In another ten days or so, we'll ask the third brother and the others to help us get all the necessities for daily life, like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea."

"You, make up the bed for Mei'er and the others. This bed is big enough for all four of them. I also had the Li brothers set up a makeshift bed next to it, which can sleep two people too." "That way, if Mei'er wants to take the children back to her parents' home in the future, it'll only take a word. We won't have to worry about their food, drink, or lodging anymore."

Madam Tan nodded repeatedly, her one-eyed eyes shining brightly. "I won't wait that long. In a couple of days, I'll ask Qing'er's mother to keep an eye out for cotton in our village. I'll buy some and make two brand-new quilts for my Mei'er!"

Old Yang nodded with a smile: "Okay, whatever, you can handle these things."

"Speaking of which, Mei'er and Xu Yuanming came back to pay their respects on the sixth day of the first lunar month for Qing'er's birthday, but they haven't come back since. It's been almost a month now, and I wonder how their business is doing these days," Old Yang said.

Speaking of this, Mrs. Tan also looked in the direction of the door, "I think, based on my experience of living and eating with them for the past year, their business must be doing quite well, and they must be too busy to leave."

"If you really want something plain and simple, then you have to be able to come back when you have time. If you can't come back, then you must be busy."

For the past year, Ms. Tan has been helping to take care of the child in the house rented by Yang Huamei and her family in the town.

As time went on, the old lady figured out some patterns. Often, if they finished work late, or if neither of them had time to come back for lunch, or if the person who came back for lunch was a little later than usual, then it must have been a busy time for business. The previous customer had just left, and the next customer had arrived.

Sometimes they would finish work and go home early, or come back at noon to pick up their lunch (to take away and eat at the shop), which meant that business that day was so-so.

If you go home early from your crafting trip, don't ask why; it means you've spent the whole day sitting in the shop.

"Hey, you old hag, you've been in town for a year and you've really got some connections," Old Yang teased with a laugh.

As a result, he received a disdainful look from Ms. Tan.

“I’m telling the truth, it’s probably true. Besides, Xu Yuanming, although I looked down on him back then, when it comes to supporting his family, he’s much better than that deadbeat Wang Shuanzi!” Madam Tan added.

"Putting everything else aside, just take the roast duck. The roast duck he makes is not fishy or dry at all. Even an old woman like me can eat more than half of it!"

Old Yang shook his head and said, "Don't praise one person and put down another. No matter what, Shuanzi was our son-in-law. He's been gone for more than three years. Don't talk badly about him anymore."

Mrs. Tan pursed her lips. She wasn't making things up; she was just stating the facts. Wang Shuanzi's health was such that he could collapse in a gust of wind. What could he possibly do?

How much money do they spend on medical treatment and medicine throughout the year? If a family has such a patient for a long time, they won't be able to save any money, and their luck will be worn down as well.

Now that Mei'er is with Xu Yuanming, and the old lady Tan has been living with them for a year, watching them every day, she feels more and more that Xu Yuanming is indeed worthy of being older; he is steady in his actions and also knows how to care for people.

Tan Shi almost never criticized Xu Yuanming.

"Old man, how about we pack up and go to town to visit Mei'er?" Tan suggested again. "To be honest, I miss my Mei'er. I keep dreaming about her these past two nights."

Old Yang thought for a moment and didn't refuse. "Alright, firstly, I'll go see how their business is going, and secondly, hey, I really do miss my little grandsons."

When the three siblings, Wu Jin, Si Jin, and San Jin, were mentioned, Tan's expression softened considerably.

“Those little rascals are adorable, that’s for sure, but they’re a real pain to their mother!” said Madam Tan.

Old Yang nodded in agreement: "They'll be even better when they grow up a bit more. Two boys, they'll be able to support each other in the future, and a girl, she'll be close to Mei'er. Mei'er and the others will have a lot of good fortune ahead of them!"

“Then, since we two old folks are going there, our old arms and legs won’t be able to walk. Should we ask the third brother and the others to take us?” Madam Tan asked again.

Old Yang hesitated for a moment, "Let's not ask the third brother to take us. He has his own things to do. We'll get up early and wait for Kang and the others at the village entrance, and then we'll ride in their wooden cart."

“That works too,” said Mrs. Tan.

"What are you talking about? Kang's wooden cart is full of vegetables and fruits, basket after basket, and he's worried they'll get crushed. Where would you two find a place to sit? Forget about it!"

Liu's voice suddenly rang out from outside the window of the east room, her voice filled with dissatisfaction.

In the east room, Old Yang and Madam Tan stared at each other in astonishment. Both of them saw the same shock in each other's eyes, and after the shock came anger.

Old Yang frowned and coughed heavily, while Tan grabbed the scissors from the basket and threw them towards the window.

"You worthless piece of trash, eavesdropping, are you trying to get yourself killed!" Tan's curses followed behind the scissors.

The footsteps outside clearly retreated several steps, and by the time Liu's voice came again, she must have already retreated to the middle of the courtyard.

"Who cares about eavesdropping on you? You're not some newlywed couple, you're just two old hags, nobody cares about listening to you!"

When Liu's voice reached the east room again, Tan's face turned green.

These words... instantly maxed out her humiliation level.

The old lady immediately pushed the basket on her lap heavily into the bed, lifted the quilt, and was about to put on her shoes and go outside to beat Liu.

Old Yang quickly got up and went to the door of the east room to block it: "Don't bother with her, she's a never-ending thing, you'll only get yourself worked up."

Seeing that she couldn't push Old Yang away, Tan had no choice but to go to the window, open it, and start cursing at the middle of the yard: "You crazy, deranged woman, what are you doing under my eaves? You petty thief, you plague, you jinx..."

Not to be outdone, Liu stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips and started arguing with Tan.

The commotion alerted Yang Huaming, who had gone to the outhouse in the backyard after dinner. He hurriedly returned, pulling up his trousers, and found Liu and Tan arguing. He stomped his foot and scolded Liu, "Did you eat too much tonight? I told you to go back to your room, wash your feet, and go to sleep. Why are you arguing with your mother here?"

Liu looked aggrieved and said, "I didn't talk back. I came to the yard to collect the handkerchiefs used for washing feet, and I just happened to hear your parents talking about Kang's name inside the house."

"I couldn't resist my curiosity, so I listened under the window of the east room. It turned out that the old couple were scheming to get our young Kang to take them to town to see Mei'er tomorrow morning!"

After listening to Liu's story, Yang Huaming frowned. "Then let Kang boy pull her up. They're their grandparents, what's wrong with pulling them up? Is it worth arguing about?"

At that moment, Old Yang heard that Yang Huaming had also returned, so he opened the door of the east room and came out.

"Fourth brother..." Old Yang had just opened his mouth when Tan ran out from behind him and headed straight for Liu.

As they approached Liu, she saw Tan rushing towards them, seemingly ready to fight.

(End of this chapter)