Farmer girl swaps husbands: buys a sickly villain and pampers him

Chapter 66 Gathering
Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni didn't have much luggage, so they just packed two sets of clothes in rags and left.

Zhang Zhaodi brought the mother and daughter to the village entrance and chose a place to sit down.

"Why don't you leave?" Zhang Pandi asked.

"Let's wait for Yaoguang to come pick us up," Zhang Zhaodi said. "Yaoguang has gone to pick up my younger sister. When she comes back and passes by here, we can go back together."

"You don't want my younger sister to work with you, do you? My younger sister has to take care of my brother-in-law. He needs someone by his side, so how can she do it?"

"She can do it." Zhang Zhaodi said, "We just lied to your mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Our work is light and won't tire her out."

"Auntie, what kind of work is this?" Jia Chunni asked. "You said it was tiring and dirty, so I thought it was washing clothes for others."

"It's not laundry. You'll know when we get back."

Zhang Zhaodi took out an oil-paper bag from her bosom, opened it, and gave a scallion pancake to Zhang Pandi and her daughter respectively.

Zhang Pandi swallowed her saliva and took it: "Sister, this is white flour, how come you eat it so well?"

"Can I really eat a whole pancake?" Jia Chunni was at a loss as she held the pancake. "I've never eaten it before. I've only seen my second uncle's younger brother eat it before. But the pancakes his younger brother ate weren't as oily, and they weren't as fragrant."

"Your aunt gave it to you. Eat it!" Zhang Pandi said to Jia Chunni, and then said to Zhang Zhaodi, "Sister, I'm not hungry. Save it for Yaoguang."

"You eat yours, Yaoguang has Yaoguang's, and everyone has something to eat." Zhang Zhaodi said as she ate her own portion.

Jia Chunni ate the scallion pancake slowly, her eyes full of tears and a look of happiness on her face.

This girl was so thin that she was just skin and bones, and her face was so yellow as if she had some disease.

Zhang Pandi was not much better.

The mother and daughter were reluctant to eat and ate very slowly. After finishing half of the pancake, they wrapped the remaining pancake in oil paper and planned to eat it when they were hungry.

Zhang Zhaodi was leaning there, drowsy, when she vaguely heard the sound of a cart being driven. She immediately opened her eyes and stood up. She jumped up and saw Su Yaoguang appear driving an ox cart.

"I'm coming."

Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni also craned their necks to look into the distance and saw Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing driving the ox cart, as well as Zhang Yingdi and Wang Xiucai sitting in the ox cart.

"Get on the cart, what are you standing there for?" Zhang Zhaodi called out to the mother and daughter and walked towards the ox cart.

"Second aunt, cousin." Su Yaoguang took the initiative to greet and introduced Jiang Jing, "This is my adopted sister Jiang Jing."

Jiang Jing also imitated Su Yaoguang and greeted Su Pandi and Jia Chunni: "Second Aunt, Cousin."

"Eh..." Zhang Pandi responded awkwardly.

Jia Chunni helped Zhang Pandi onto the ox cart and greeted Zhang Yingdi and Wang Xiucai first, then Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing: "Aunt, uncle, and two sisters."

Zhang Yingdi was only in her early thirties, beautiful, with a lingering melancholy between her brows. In fact, all three Zhang sisters shared this lingering melancholy. Wang Xiucai had been suffering from illness for years and was extremely weak. He coughed and nodded to Jia Chunni, then greeted Zhang Pandi, "Second sister."

The Zhang sisters were reunited after so many years, and everyone was deeply moved. However, this was not the place to talk, so they should take the ox cart and go home early.

Su Yaoguang drove the cart, Jiang Jing accompanied him, and the others sat in the back of the ox cart.

Zhang Pandi said, "Sister, if so many of us go to your house, can you accommodate us?"

"We've discussed it in advance. We'll clear out the woodshed, and my younger sister and brother-in-law will have to bear with it and stay for a while. Yaoguang and Jiang Jing originally lived in one room, but this time we'll add another so Chunni can squeeze in with them. You'll have to make do with it today, and I'll go find a carpenter to make a few large beds and send them home."

After hearing this, Su Yaoguang said, "Mom, since you're going to build a big bed, why not build a few cabinets as well? The things in our house are too old and should be replaced."

Zhang Zhaodi agreed immediately.

Zhang Pandi found that in such a short time, her elder sister seemed to have changed into a different person. Before, her elder sister was very frugal and would never exchange anything that was still usable.

Wasn't my elder sister bullied by that village bully a while ago and almost unable to leave? How could she have changed so much in just a short time? What happened during this time?
No matter what, Zhang Pandi smelled the long-lost scent of freedom in the air, and her body and mind felt exceptionally relaxed.

She was with her sisters, without having to worry about being beaten, scolded, or hungry, and certainly not having to worry about being locked out all night if something didn't go her way, only to have to cook, wash clothes, chop wood, and fetch water the next day while practically frozen...

At least for these twenty days she can live like a human being.

And her Chunni can also relax a little during this time.

"Little sister, how is my brother-in-law's health?" Zhang Pandi asked.

Zhang Yingdi took Wang Xiucai's hand and said softly, "We've seen many doctors, and they all said we could only take care of him. But my eldest sister's adopted daughter just now said that my husband's illness can be treated. Once it's treated, he will be no different from a normal person and won't have to lie in bed all day."

"That girl named Jiang said that? Even the doctors can't do anything about it, how dare she make such a boast?" Zhang Pandi asked Zhang Zhaodi, "Sister, you can't let the child talk nonsense like that. If I take it seriously, I won't be able to bear it in the future."

"That girl comes from a family of doctors, but because of a family tragedy, she ended up here. Others learn to read and write at the age of three, but she started studying medicine at the age of three," Zhang Zhaodi said. "Since the other doctors can't help, let her try. The worst-case scenario is just like this. Don't you dare give it a try?"

"I couldn't believe such a young girl at first, but my husband has been a doctor for a long time and has read many medical books and knows a lot about medical principles. He personally tested and taught the child, and he really has some skills. That's why my husband agreed to come with me. During this time, I will help my eldest sister with things, and my husband will stay here to recuperate."

Zhang Pandi felt relieved after hearing what Zhang Yingdi said.

Wang Xiucai was a man of great ability. Before he fell ill, he was a highly regarded student. Everyone expected him to pass the imperial examinations, but before he could even take them, he fell ill and never left his bed again. To ensure someone to care for him, the Wang family paid a large sum of money to have Zhang Yingdi marry him. The two of them lived together for many years, developing a deep bond.

The ox cart drove into the village.

When the villagers saw Zhang Zhaodi and her daughter bringing back so many people, they all speculated what they were going to do.

"I heard Aunt Li's family asked the villagers to collect flower petals today. They sorted them by flower type and made sure they were clean. They paid six cents per basket. Aunt Li wouldn't collect flower petals for no reason. She must be collecting them for Zhang Zhaodi and her daughter. They make rouge and powder, and the most urgent thing they need is flowers. Now that so many relatives have come, they must have a big order to fill."

(End of this chapter)