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Zhao Old Man is also an outsider. His son went out to do business, and it just so happens that he is near their old home. Now he wants to bring them back, which can be considered returning to one's roots, so naturally, he does not want to stay here anymore and plans to sell the house.
The Zhao Family's house is not big, with one bright room and one dark room on each side. There is one room on the east and one on the west, a small front yard, but a fairly large backyard. It has a toilet and a chicken coop, and they have planted quite a few vegetables, which are now lush and green. The best part is that there are two trees planted: one osmanthus tree and one jujube tree, both of which have grown quite tall and are pleasingly green at this time.
Xiao Lihua immediately fell in love with these two trees. She thought about how in August, the osmanthus would bloom and fill the yard with fragrance. Not only could she admire it, but she could also make many things like osmanthus cake, osmanthus tea, and osmanthus wine. The sweet red jujubes are both beautiful and delicious.
Mu Tou and Shi Tou stood obediently next to Parents, eagerly looking at the yard. Their gaze finally landed on the jujube tree, which every autumn would be laden with fruit, attracting many children who would drool over it, including themselves.
“Uncle Zhao, how much do you plan to sell this yard for?”
Seeing that Xiao Lihua and the two sons seemed to really like this place, Xie Youshun felt even more satisfied with it. Although the house was old, it was livable right away. His mother was angry about their separation of families and forced him to move out; building a new house would take time. He felt guilty about letting his wife and children live in a thatched hut. So buying this house was the most cost-effective option; later on, when he had Silver, he could add on next door.
Zhao Old Man smiled and said, “I originally planned to sell it for fifteen taels, but if you’re buying it, I’ll let it go for twelve taels. If it weren’t for wanting to reunite with my son and thinking I wouldn’t need to come back here in the future, I really wouldn’t want to sell this house. Selling it to you makes me feel at ease. Besides, I’ve heard about your family’s situation.”
“Thank you very much, Uncle Zhao.”
Upon hearing this price, Xie Youshun didn’t try to negotiate further; this price was quite fair. Although the house was old and small, it was made of bricks and tiles. Building a new house of similar quality would cost several times more than this price.
After confirming the purchase of the house, Xie Youshun borrowed some Silver, paid for it, wrote up a contract, and also informed the village chief that he wanted to acquire the adjacent land as well. He planned to fence it off first and build a new house later when he had more Silver. Xie Youtai also asked the village chief for the land in front.
Once the house was bought, it was time to move. Although they had separated families, for the sake of appearances, family members still helped with the move. The Li Family, watching Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua moving in a lively manner, felt very jealous. She also liked Zhao Family's house but felt that Fourth Son had taken advantage of them. Moreover, they could move out to live their own lives; their income would no longer go into public funds. They could eat whatever they wanted and rest whenever they wished—how wonderful! But she still had to wait a while longer.
“Fourth Brother, I heard that all of Zhao Family's furniture will be left for you guys. Are you really interested in those broken tables and cabinets? Just leave them for us!”
The Li Family couldn’t stand not taking advantage of something; seizing the opportunity while Xiao Lihua wasn’t around, she said this to Xie Youshun. In the past, whenever she made requests, Xie Youshun usually didn’t mind much. But that was in the past; now things were different. Xie Youshun glanced at Li Family, said nothing, and turned to leave.
At that moment, Xiao Lihua spoke from behind her: “Sister-in-law, a broken home can be worth thousands. You shouldn’t be so careless with your life. However, if your family has any broken boxes or shabby cabinets that you really have no place for, you can give them to me; I won’t mind.”
"My family's things are all useful!"
The Li Family felt they were being taken advantage of without gaining anything, and Xiao Lihua glared at them, only receiving a mocking smile and the sight of their backs as they turned away. She stomped her feet in frustration, feeling helpless.
The Fang Family watched this unfold, thinking how foolish the third family was to be easily dismissed with just a few words. However, she also decided to refrain from making any sarcastic comments.
The whole family worked together, demonstrating unity. Then Xie Shengcai shared some profound insights about separating property but not hearts with his brothers at Xie Youshun's home before leading everyone away, leaving Xie Youshun and his family of four behind.
"Mom, is this going to be our home from now on?"
Shitou looked up and asked, still somewhat in disbelief.
Xiao Lihua bent down to pat his head and said, "Yes, this will be our home from now on. Remember to come back through this door when you go out to play."
Shitou nodded repeatedly and began running around the front and back yards with Little Wood, their laughter echoing joyfully.
Xiao Lihua turned to Xie Youshun and asked, "Where did you borrow that Silver from? Second Sister told me it wasn't from them."
"I borrowed it from Copper Coin Dad. There's no need to rush; he said I could pay him back slowly. I'm planning to go into the mountains to see if I can catch more game. By then, I might be able to sell some for money. I still have some cash on hand; maybe I can pay it all back this year."
"You still have money?"
Xiao Lihua was surprised; this man actually had some savings!
Xie Youshun opened a box and pulled out a small cloth pouch, handing it to Xiao Lihua.
Xiao Lihua opened it and saw a piece of Silver inside, along with a string of Copper Coins. She counted the Copper Coins and found exactly one hundred. As for the piece of Silver, she had no idea how much it was worth.
Xie Youshun said, "This is about three taels of Silver. If the harvest is good in autumn, I can earn some more. I'll work a bit more and hunt some game; I should be able to pay back at least half of it. By next year, I’ll definitely have it all paid off. Life will be easier then."
Xiao Lihua didn’t ask Xie Youshun how he came to hide the Silver. Knowing that this man wasn’t foolish enough to hand over all his earnings made her feel somewhat relieved; if he had given everything away, she would have truly worried.
"From now on, you are not allowed to hide any private money. I’ll give you money to spend, but you can’t keep any for yourself, and I won’t either."
Xiao Lihua said this without any experience in hiding private funds. After her previous marriage, she understood that sometimes having private money could be a good thing. However, seeing Xie Youshun now handing over his private money made her think that he was being honest with her, so there was no need for her to do the same; she just wanted to remind him.
Xie Youshun looked at her and said, "If you had been reliable before, I wouldn’t have had to worry about this."
Xiao Lihua pursed her lips, recalling that the former Xiao Lihua indeed wasn’t trustworthy, but she was not that person anymore.
"Then from now on, just tell me when you need money. I will make sure the household funds are managed properly. Let’s aim to pay off our debts as soon as possible. Once we’ve earned enough money, we can build a house for the First Wife and send our son to school."
"It’s good that you have this intention," Xie Youshun said as he looked at Xiao Lihua and noticed how her eyes sparkled when she spoke these words. She seemed particularly spirited, almost like a different person; if it weren’t for her familiar face, he might have thought she was someone else entirely. However, he was very satisfied with his current wife and felt like he was dreaming.
Xiao Lihua touched the Copper Coins in her hand and said, "Not only do I have that intention, but I can also put in the effort. I want to earn a lot of money so our son can go to school. If he doesn’t want to take the imperial examination, he can do business or become a landlord."
After a while without hearing Xie Youshun speak, Xiao Lihua looked up and saw him staring at her. She touched her own face and asked, "Do you think I’m talking nonsense? I’m not talking nonsense; just watch and see."
Xie Youshun said, "Are you particularly eager to live a good life? Do you want to become a lady?"
"Ah?" Xiao Lihua felt somewhat confused but suddenly realized that the original Xiao Lihua had actively sought out being a servant in order to live well and had even tried to attract attention from young masters and lords before ultimately being driven away. This wasn’t a secret; everyone knew she wanted to climb the social ladder and become a lady. Xie Youshun's question implied that he thought she hadn’t let go of those thoughts yet. She couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated at how troublesome the mess left by the original Xiao Lihua was.
Xiao Lihua wanted to improve her image in this man's heart for a better life in the future. She held Xie Youshun's hand and said, "Youshun, I know what others say about me, but let me tell you, it's all a misunderstanding. As for the chaos I've caused over the years, I feel wronged. My parents didn't listen to my explanations and just married me off, so I've been holding back my feelings."
Xiao Lihua looked at Xie Youshun's expression and continued speaking.
"After getting hurt this time, I realized that one must live for oneself, be at peace with oneself, and treat oneself well. I want our family to live a good life, and I want our son to study hard and become an official or a landowner. This is my wish, and it must be your wish too, right? It's the wish of all parents. And even if I still want to be a lady, we can work hard together to become wealthy. There's nothing wrong with that wish, right? When that time comes, I'll be the lady, and you'll be the master."
Xie Youshun looked into Xiao Lihua's eyes and felt that she seemed to be speaking the truth. Could it be that the rumors about her were truly misunderstandings? Regardless of whether they were or not, as long as she remained as she was now, it would be fine. Xie Youshun felt the warmth of her hand holding his and thought that life finally had some hope.
"Then let's work hard together for a good life in the future. I will take good care of you and the children."
"Yes, I believe you. You have been great these years; it's my fault. I will treat you and the children well from now on."
Xiao Lihua said with a smile, thinking that she had finally rewritten her previous bad history. Fortunately, in her memories, Xiao Lihua hadn't done anything irreparable; otherwise, it would have been troublesome.
The couple talked for a while before starting to tidy up the house. Although it was quite clean, knowing that others had lived there made them clean it again—sweeping and wiping everything down. By the time they finished tidying up, it was already noon.
Xiao Lihua cooked; this was her first meal since arriving in this world. She looked around, made some flatbreads, then picked some bok choy from the backyard along with a piece of tofu she bought during the move. She prepared a small pot of bok choy stew with tofu, which was steaming hot when served on the table. Just then, two chickens laid eggs; she also made an egg soup. Although it was the simplest meal, she put her heart into it, and it looked very appetizing.
Xie Youshun and the children enjoyed their meal very much. The two kids kept saying how delicious it was. Hearing this made Xiao Lihua very happy; she told them she would make even better food in the future. She also asked Xie Youshun what he thought of her cooking. Deep down, she knew he wouldn't say much; he could eat poorly made meals from the Li Family without complaint, so her cooking was certainly a hundred times better than that. However, seeing Xie Youshun nodding and saying it was delicious still made her quite happy; having similar tastes would be important for their family!
After finishing their meal, Mu Tou and Shi Tou were coaxed into taking a nap. Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua also rested; Xiao Lihua closed her eyes and felt the warm sunlight streaming in. Her heart felt warm too; she wished things could stay like this forever.
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