Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12114

"Forget about Fourth Aunt. It's her skill to get rabbit meat; if she can't, it's her own fault for being upset," Yang Ruoqing said. "Mom, I'm full. Let me help you with some chores. I won't eat and drink for free."

Mrs. Sun was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

"You silly child, what do you mean by eating and drinking for free? If you were here with your own mother, you could just say the word if you wanted something to eat."

After saying this, Madam Sun realized that Xiao Hua and He Lian'er were also nearby, so she turned around and said to them affectionately, "You two are the same. Just tell your mother what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you."

Xiao Hua glanced at He Lian'er and her belly, her eyes full of friendliness. "I'm not pregnant, so I'll eat whatever's available. The main thing is Lian'er; she's going through so much hardship carrying the baby, she can't go hungry."

He Lian'er touched her slightly protruding belly and smiled gently: "Sister-in-law, please don't say that. Mother said that we are all her children, and she treats us all the same."

Madam Sun nodded repeatedly, "Lian'er is right. To your father and mother, you are all equally important!"

Yang Ruoqing smiled as she looked at the loving mother and filial son.

In the hearts of parents, no matter how old their children are, they are still their children, and deep down they hope that even after their children have their own families, they can continue to live together harmoniously as they did when they were children.

In reality, this is simply a dream.

When children are sensible and considerate of their elders' feelings, they may try to maintain a facade of harmony, but in private, everyone has selfish desires.

But when you encounter children driven by selfishness, things really get chaotic.

Of course, the character of children largely depends on their parents.

Whether parents' character and their methods of raising children are fair and just enough to earn the children's trust is crucial. If they openly favor one child, then in time, the other children will be disappointed and heartbroken.

Therefore, parents of the same character as Sun and Yang Huazhong are very rare, so it's no wonder that Xiaohua and He Lian'er, these two sisters-in-law, take good care of each other on the surface and work together to maintain a harmonious atmosphere in the family.

"Mom, I'm getting sleepy after eating too much sweet potato porridge. Can you give me something to do to keep me occupied?" Yang Ruoqing yawned again and said.

“If you’re sleepy, go back to sleep. Why suffer like this?” Sun asked.

Yang Ruoqing shook her head: "If I sleep now, I'll miss my midday nap. Mom, can you give me something to do? I can chat with you all while I'm doing something."

"Alright, then... what should I ask you to do?" Mrs. Sun was pondering.

He Lian'er and Xiao Hua, who were standing nearby, were also pondering this when suddenly Xiao Hua said, "Mom, didn't you say before that you were going to pickle a batch of salted leeks and make sour lettuce today?"

Madam Sun remembered and took Yang Ruoqing's hand: "Qing'er, then help your mother go to the vegetable garden in the backyard to cut chives and chop lettuce!"

"okay!"

"I'll go clean up the dishes first, and then I'll come find you in the backyard," Xiaohua said.

Sun said, "After you finish cleaning up the dishes, go take care of the baby. You don't need to help. There's not much work to do."

He Lian'er said, "How about this, I'll clean up the dishes, and you can take care of the kids, sister-in-law. Jun'er and Niu Niu have been wanting to go out and play, and I've been keeping them in the yard the whole time."

He Lian'er was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to walk, run, bend over, or stoop continuously behind the children.

In comparison, washing pots and dishes in the kitchen is more suitable for her, and it can also help with household chores.

"No, no, you're pregnant, how can I ask you to wash the dishes and pots!" Madam Sun immediately rejected He Lian'er's suggestion.

What a joke! She had finally convinced Xiao An to let He Lian'er stay at home, just to do her best as a mother-in-law and take good care of her pregnant daughter-in-law.

"Mom, there's nothing wrong with it. Washing pots and pans isn't tiring."

"That won't work either. Standing there bending over and fiddling with the stove, the edge of the stove is uneven. What if it gets stuck in your stomach?"

“Yes, sister-in-law, just listen to your mother and sit quietly. You don’t need to take care of the children anymore. Taking care of children is more tiring than washing pots and pans.” Xiao Hua stepped forward and said, “The maid and I will go with them.”

Sun said, "Yes, Hua'er, go take care of the children. Lian'er, rest. I'll wash the pots and pans in the kitchen. After that, I'll go and get the lettuce and the rest of the dishes!"

As Yang Ruoqing watched the three women—mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—as they assigned tasks, she couldn't think of anything else but the thought of her family returning together several years later, with all four sons and daughters-in-law.

Good heavens, being a mother-in-law requires navigating the complexities of relationships with four women of different surnames while maintaining impartiality. It truly tests one's abilities!

However, Yang Ruoqing was not flustered.

Only incompetent mothers-in-law would try to please their daughters-in-law.

Which truly capable mother-in-law isn't fawned over and fawned over by her son and daughter-in-law?
This was true in this era, and it will remain true in future generations.

Many elderly people who lack retirement security and suffer from various illnesses face a bleak old age.

Whether one can have a peaceful old age depends entirely on luck and the conscience of one's children.

As for those who receive retirement pensions exceeding ten thousand yuan, their younger generations provide them with good food and drink, and as long as the elders live to be a hundred, the family's life will be quite comfortable!

Look, although the stark contrast in reality makes it seem ugly, it is the cruel truth!
Therefore, Yang Ruoqing is not worried at all about navigating between her sons and daughters-in-law in the future, and she is even too lazy to put in the effort to do so.

There's a saying, isn't there?

As long as you have money and power, plenty of people will be willing to be your children.

"Mom, I won't eat for nothing. Come on, I'll help you wash the pots and pans!" With that, Yang Ruoqing came over, pulled off the apron from Xiaohua's waist, and tied it around her own.

"Sis~"

"Stop it, don't bother with the formalities with me, I don't like hearing them."

Xiaohua smiled, swallowing back the polite words that followed.

And so, Yang Ruoqing accompanied Madam Sun to the kitchen in the backyard.

Xiao Hua and He Lian'er also took their places, some to spend time with the children, and others to go back to their rooms to rest.

The kitchen in the backyard was quiet. Yang Ruoqing was about to wash the pots and dishes when Sun pushed her away.

"Just help me put some firewood in the fire, heat up the water, I'll wash, you can talk to me."

"Fine!"

Yang Ruoqing knew that her mother was always doting on her daughter-in-law and then on her daughter. Sigh, she was always on the path of doting on others, and never got to dote on herself.

"Mother, is there something you want to tell me?" Yang Ruoqing observed Sun Shi's expression. The way Sun Shi hesitated to speak and kept glancing towards the kitchen door made Yang Ruoqing realize at a glance that Sun Shi had something on her mind.

Madam Sun sighed and lowered her voice, saying, "Da'an has sent a letter."

"Oh? What did he say?" Yang Ruoqing asked. In the past, letters from Da'an were delivered directly to the Luo family, and then Yang Ruoqing would hand them over to Yang Huazhong and the others.

I didn't expect them to change their approach now.

Was it because of what happened with Ruan Xiaowei last time that caused a rift between the siblings?
Let things be born; nothing in this world is perfect or eternal.

Even if she could do it all over again, even at the risk of causing discord between the siblings, Yang Ruoqing would do everything she should say and everything she should stop. She would never stand by and watch Da'an, under the guise of repaying his teacher's kindness, be seduced by beauty and do something to harm Xiaohua and the three children.

“Your brother Da’an thought to himself that he wouldn’t be coming back for the Qingming Festival, but he would send someone back to pick up Xiaohua and her two children and take them to Changhuaizhou,” Sun continued.

"In addition, Da'an said that if Xiao'an can come back to pick up Lian'er and return to Qing'an County during the Qingming Festival, that would be perfect. Xiao'an can also escort Xiao Hua and the others along the way."

"Oh, I see." Yang Ruoqing nodded, then looked at Madam Sun: "Mother, it's normal for Da'an to miss Xiaohua and her children and want to take them over so the family can reunite. Why do you look so worried?"

In the past, there had been instances of such pick-up and drop-off, and Sun Shi, aside from feeling reluctant to part, had never been so preoccupied with worries as she was now.

I reckon it's still related to Da'an's romantic escapades.

“Your father told me in private that he had been secretly observing Da’an before, and he always felt that Da’an was becoming more and more cunning, and there might be some things that he hadn’t completely cut off.”

Upon hearing Sun's words, Yang Ruoqing's eyes twitched slightly.

It's surprising that the honest Yang Huazhong has such a sensitive side.

You know what, a son is a son. Congratulations, old man, his premonition was right. His good son is as slippery as a mink. He's used all his cunning and shrewdness to fill the emotional gaps in his heart.

"Mother, you and Father, don't overthink it." Yang Ruoqing considered it for a moment and decided not to tell them the truth.

The truth is that Ruan Xiaowei was never sent to Shu, and she can't be found in Changhuaizhou either. However, in Changhuaizhou, Da'an has secretly prepared a small courtyard for Ruan Xiaowei...

Also, Ruan Xiaowei is carrying twins...

The child was never aborted, that's what Da'an said. He originally went to persuade her to abort the fetus, but when he found out it was twins, Da'an softened.

Yang Ruoqing didn't want to tell her parents the truth, because once she did, it would definitely cause a huge uproar between them, and then it wouldn't be able to be kept from Xiaohua either.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"Mother, sister, come quick! My sister-in-law has fainted..."

Suddenly, He Lian'er's terrified scream came from the main room in the front yard.

Yang Ruoqing and Madam Sun exchanged a glance. Yang Ruoqing immediately stood up, rushed out of the kitchen like a gust of wind, and headed straight for the front yard.

When Yang Ruoqing arrived at the front courtyard, she saw Xiaohua lying stiffly on the ground next to the table, clutching a rag in her hand.

He Lian'er stayed by her side, trying her best to pull Xiao Hua up, but she wasn't strong enough, so she could only sit on the ground and hold Xiao Hua's head in her arms.

Xiao Hua's maid was holding Jun'er in her arms, with Niu Niu and Fuwa standing beside her. The children were all frightened.

Jun'er burst into tears, calling out, "Mother, Mother."

Fuwa realized what was happening and ran to Xiaohua's side, squatted down, and shook Xiaohua's arm while crying, shouting, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Mom, get up! Grandma, Aunt, come quick..."

"What's the matter?"

Yang Ruoqing rushed into the main room, saw the chaos before her, and headed straight for Xiaohua, who had collapsed and fainted.

"Sister, I was about to go back to my room when my sister-in-law was wiping the table. I had only taken two steps when I heard a loud bang behind me."

"I turned my head and saw my sister-in-law lying on the ground. No matter how I called her, I couldn't wake her up. Waaah..."

He Lian'er cried as she spoke, her face turning white.

At this moment, Mrs. Sun staggered over from the backyard. When she saw Xiaohua lying stiffly on the ground, her feet turned outwards and one shoe slipping off her toe, Mrs. Sun was terrified. She pounded her thighs with her hands, her back bent low, and her throat felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. Her face turned purple as she managed to squeeze out a few words: "My...my...my son..."

"Mother, take Niu Niu and Jun'er aside, don't scare them."

"Lian'er, move aside, don't touch your stomach."

"Fuwa, could you run to the neighbor's house for your aunt and ask your uncle to come over?"

As Yang Ruoqing took Xiaohua's head from He Lian'er's arms, she issued three commands.

Fuwa was the first to move. The little girl stood up, not even bothering to wipe away her tears, and rushed out of the yard to go to the Luo family next door to get help.

Madam Sun also came to her senses, took the wailing Jun'er from the maid's arms, the maid led Niu Niu, and everyone stepped aside and quietly comforted the children.

He Lian'er did not leave, but continued to stay by Yang Ruoqing and Xiaohua's side, ready to lend a hand at any time.

Yang Ruoqing first placed her hand under Xiaohua's nostrils to check; she could still feel her breath, so she had indeed fainted, rather than simply passing out. She breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Next, Yang Ruoqing did not rush to pinch Xiaohua's philtrum to forcibly wake her from unconsciousness. Instead, she picked Xiaohua up and placed her on the rocking chair next to her.

The rocking chair is where He Lian'er often lies these days; it's at a great angle, and there's even a blanket on it.

After Yang Ruoqing placed Xiaohua on the rocking chair, He Lian'er immediately took another blanket and covered Xiaohua with it.

Yang Ruoqing continued to observe Xiaohua, checking her body for any injuries caused by the sudden fall.

After looking at it, I found nothing. There was no bump on the back of his head, only a little redness and swelling on his wrist.

Presumably, at the moment of falling, he instinctively braced himself with his hand on the ground, thus dissipating some of the force.

"Sister, what's wrong with my sister-in-law? Is she alright?" He Lian'er asked worriedly.

Yang Ruoqing shook her head: "It shouldn't be a big problem, but we'll have to wait for the doctor to arrive to find out the specifics."

Soon, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the main room, and the footsteps stopped more than once.

Immediately, Luo Fengtang appeared at the entrance of the main room, his face full of anxiety, carrying a heavy medicine box in his hand.

"Dr. Gu, please come in."

Luo Fengtang saw the situation in the main room at a glance, but instead of coming forward directly, he stepped aside to let Doctor Gu, who was walking slowly and panting a bit, enter first.

Yes, Yang Ruoqing didn't send anyone to invite Wangsheng over today.