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墨書 Inktalez
This summer is particularly hot. Even the most diligent Farmer tries to work only in the early morning or near evening when the sun isn't as harsh. During noon, they either hide at home or find a shady tree to rest under, avoiding sun exposure that could harm their health, which would lead to longer recovery times and possibly even medication—far more serious than just skipping some weeding.
By the riverside, a few men are sitting under a willow tree chatting when another person approaches.
"Brother Zhang, resting here? In previous years, you would always be out in the fields at this time, making my Parents scold me for being afraid of hard work. This year, since you're taking it easy, I can avoid some scolding too," a young man said with a grin as he casually sat down next to one of the men.
The man surnamed Zhang smiled and replied, "You can't blame me for this. You know my family is poor, relying on those few acres of land to grow enough food just to get by. I have to work hard! But this year is different; we raised three pigs and a litter of rabbits at home. Those pigs and rabbits will sell for money, which is worth much more than what we could harvest. I'm not worried this year! No need to work so hard anymore. I need to live well; if my health fails, even eating meat won't taste good!"
His words were full of spirit, with joy evident in his eyes.
Another man chimed in, "That's right! You have to take care of your health; next year we’ll be raising fish too! That means more work for the Paddy Field; we can't lose big money just for a few weeds!"
The others perked up at the mention of raising fish, discussing how big and good Xie Youshun's fish had become. They all regretted not joining in on raising fish earlier; otherwise, they could have made money too. Now they could only watch the silver fish swimming in his Paddy Field with envy.
The young man said, "Xie Fourth Brother is really capable; look at how well he's living now."
"Xie Fourth Son is indeed capable, but he wasn't always like this," the man who mentioned raising fish said with a smacking sound. "He’s lucky to have married a good wife; she’s the real capable one. It’s like Heaven opened its eyes—once a woman everyone laughed at in ten villages has turned into someone so virtuous and capable. Why can't my wife change like that? Then our family would be rolling in wealth."
The others laughed at him, saying he didn't have that kind of luck.
Brother Zhang said, "You should stop saying such things. That wife of his was also wronged before and suffered a lot; that's why she didn't live well back then. Now that she's doing well and has shared her ways of making money with us and even helped build bridges for the Village, she's truly a good person. We should be grateful and keep our mouths in check!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. This was indeed true; if it weren't for Xiao Lihua's generosity in sharing her methods for raising pigs, rabbits, and fish, they wouldn't be here chatting leisurely. They would be busy working those few acres of land to grow more food to fill their stomachs. Besides, who knows what other money-making ideas that couple might have in the future? They couldn't afford to offend them; angering the God of Wealth would be disastrous!
As they chatted happily, they saw a man wearing a straw hat approaching with a hoe on his shoulder, looking like he was heading out to work. They quickly greeted him and suggested he sit down until it got cooler before going out. However, he shook his head and sighed about how this year's Wheat had been burned and that he needed to tend to the remaining fields to try and harvest more food; otherwise, it would be tough for them. After saying this, he left.
The men resting under the tree were all fortunate enough that their food hadn't been burned. They looked at the departing man with mixed feelings of relief and sympathy while cursing the arsonist.
"It's been almost a month now; the Government still hasn't found anyone," the young man said through gritted teeth. "Xie Fourth Brother and others put up a reward of forty taels of silver together but haven't heard anything back. It seems like they'll never find him; it's really infuriating! If only I knew who that thief was—I wouldn't even want the reward money; I just want to punch him a few times."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Although forty taels was tempting, it was meant as compensation from Xie Youshun and his friends for everyone’s sake—no one felt right taking it for themselves. They just wanted to catch the arsonist to protect their Village from harm and gain favor with Xie Youshun; that would be enough. Those families close with Xie Youshun were already benefiting from his generosity—each must have saved over forty taels by now given how generously they offered Silver as rewards.
With plenty to talk about, everyone engaged in lively conversation.
Three women walked over, they were Xiao Lihua, a member of the Zi Clan, and Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law. Both Xiao Lihua and the Zi Clan were carrying baskets, with clothes sticking out, indicating they were there to do laundry. Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law also had a basket in her hand, which contained a small clay pot.
Everyone immediately greeted Xiao Lihua and the Zi Clan, but they were less inclined to acknowledge Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law. This was because Xie Qingfeng had suffered greatly due to his biased mother and the couple of Xie Qing Shou; this family of three had a bad reputation, so naturally, no one wanted to engage with them.
Xiao Lihua and the Zi Clan responded with smiles and continued on their way.
However, Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law felt a surge of anger inside her. She thought about these snobbish people who were just trying to curry favor with Xiao Lihua. She looked up at the sky as if speaking to the air: "People need to be diligent; if they aren't, they'll starve. Do they really think they can sit under a tree and boast their way into wealth? It's fine if they starve themselves, but what about their poor wives and children? Luckily, I married a hardworking man; otherwise, I wouldn't know where to cry!"
A few men sitting under the tree frowned upon hearing this. They weren't foolish; they understood she was calling them lazy!
"Hey! Xie Qing Shou's wife! Who are you talking to? Talking to yourself like that means you've got something wrong with your head! I knew your mother-in-law was stingy; she probably won't even buy you medicine!" A young man couldn't hold back his anger and retorted without caring for the woman.
Others around them laughed heartily instead of intervening.
Although Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law wore a straw hat, it was still hot, and her face turned red as she snapped back: "I wasn't talking about you! Why are you butting in? You're the one with something wrong in your head! I wonder which unfortunate woman will end up marrying you! Lazy and sharp-tongued—what a disaster!"
The young man was furious and was about to say more when someone pulled him back. They advised him that arguing with a woman wasn't worth it, especially since Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law was quite sharp-tongued, and her husband and mother-in-law were even more disliked. It was better not to provoke her. The young man couldn't let it go though; he said he wouldn't argue with her but raised his voice:
"I'm lazy but at least I'm here resting before going out to work. Your hardworking man hasn't even shown up yet! Are you planning to take that clay pot to him? Let me kindly tell you not to bother; your husband is probably lying to you and is somewhere sleeping comfortably! Being deceived yet feeling proud—no wonder your head is in the clouds!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law suddenly turned around, glaring: "What? My husband isn't working in the fields? How long have you been sitting here? How do you know?"
Brother Zhang replied, "We sat here after finishing our meal; no matter how hardworking your husband is, he wouldn't go out right after eating."
Someone nearby laughed: "Who is that hardworking? Unless he's going to meet someone special!"
Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law glared angrily: "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
After saying that, she hurriedly walked away, cursing Xie Qing Shou in her heart. She thought about how this useless man picked up a hoe saying he was going to work just after they had a little argument. She felt sorry for him and intended to bring him water, only to find out he hadn't even gone out, making her the subject of ridicule. This good-for-nothing would see how she would settle accounts with him!
When Brother Zhang and the others saw Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law leave, they shook their heads or made faces. Even those who were dissatisfied with their own wives found this woman preferable by comparison.
Xiao Lihua and the Zi Clan hadn't gone far when they heard the exchange between the men and Xie Qing Shou's daughter-in-law. Zi Clan remarked: "Just wait and see; there's going to be trouble at Xie Qing Shou's house again. Ever since the Qingfeng Brothers severed ties with them, this family has been arguing every few days. With no one around to benefit from them, they'll just fight among themselves—let's see how well they manage."
Xiao Lihua smiled and said, "As long as they don't disturb Yumiang, let them make a fuss. I hope Yumiang can safely give birth to the child; they've been looking forward to this baby for a long time."
Zi Clan said, "I think Yumiang's belly looks like it's carrying a boy."
"Sister Lianxiang and Sister Yang said the same. Although a girl would be nice too, if she could really have a boy, Yumiang wouldn't have to worry about not being able to conceive a second one later. Ah!" Just as Xiao Lihua was speaking, Zi Clan tugged at her. Someone rushed past her, and when she looked, it was Zhang Shuitao. If it weren't for Zi Clan pulling her, she would have been bumped into by Zhang Shuitao.
Zi Clan said unhappily, "Zhang Shuitao, do you have no eyes or ears? Didn't you see us coming? You almost bumped into my sister-in-law!"
Zhang Shuitao pursed her lips, gathered her hair that had scattered around her ears, and said, "Did I not avoid the collision? Why are you making such a fuss? I can't be bothered with you! Let's see how long you can be so pleased with yourselves!" After saying that, she turned and walked away quickly, almost running.
Zi Clan frowned and said, "What's wrong with Zhang Shuitao? Usually, when she sees you, her eyes nearly pop out. She can't go two sentences without arguing; what's gotten into her today? Seems like she's in a hurry."
Xiao Lihua also found Zhang Shuitao's behavior strange. However, seeing that Zhang Shuitao had already disappeared from sight, she didn't think much more of it and walked with Zi Clan towards the clean stone platform by the river, planning to wash their clothes quickly and head home. Just as they hadn't finished washing the clothes, Zhang Lianxiang came running over to tell them some big news.
"That Song Sanniang is dead! She fell on the threshold and bled quite a bit. Dog Egg found her when he came home; that kid was so scared he was stunned. It's really pitiful. Right now Yang Cao is trying to comfort everyone, but it's total chaos," Zhang Lianxiang sighed. Although Song Sanniang was quite looked down upon, her death was still something that made women reflect.
Xiao Lihua and Zi Clan exchanged shocked glances. They never expected that such a peaceful summer afternoon would witness such a tragic event; life is truly unpredictable.
Suddenly, Xiao Lihua thought of Zhang Shuitao's panicked expression earlier and wondered if this incident had anything to do with her. After all, she had a deep grudge against Song Sanniang; she had seemed like she was fleeing for her life just now.
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