stingy landlady

Chapter 28 Fighting

Although there was an extra person working in the field, the oxcart still moved at a steady pace. After spreading a load of cow dung, they would return to Erdaogou to load more.

"Dad! You've had a long day, go back and rest! Xiao Zhou and I will be fine!" Da Zhu looked at the old man's aged face and felt a pang of heartache.

"Alright, alright! You go do your work, I'll take a free ride around." The old man joked with a smile.

There weren't many seats on the oxcart, but Zhou Mingzhi didn't mind the smell. He stood in the cart, propped himself up with tree branches, put his hoe handle on top, and sat down.

Dazhu walked slowly beside the old man, talking to him as he went.

"I've asked Uncle Li to help me find two skilled farmers. They'll bring their oxen over tomorrow to plow your land. The ox manure has been piling up all winter, so now we'll spread it on the ground and do a deep plowing. Then we'll harrow it with the oxen, and I reckon the land will be quite fertile. The seeds will arrive without delay. Take good care of it, and look forward to a bountiful harvest."

The old man was single-mindedly focused on cultivating the land well. Although it belonged to his eldest son, he also considered it part of his family's land and felt obligated to help manage it.

Dazhu listened and nodded, "Dad! I'll listen to you! We'll rent oxen and hire people to do the work, just like you say!"

"Dad's in a rush, planting is crucial! Oh! By the way, I checked the river, it's all thawed, but the flow isn't strong right now, but it should be enough for irrigation. Besides, we're the only family in the village planting wheat this year! We'll have to use this water as much as we can."

The old man was very happy. The two of them were close together and spoke softly.

They arrived at the field in no time, and Dazhu called for his father to go home and rest. He said, "Dad, you go home! Xiao Zhou and I will go. Xiao Zhou is familiar with the place today, so tomorrow it'll just be the two of us. You can drive the cart to town for me, and you won't have to worry about anything! Those girls can handle it!"

Then he said to Old Li, the driver of the cart, "Uncle Li! When we get to your village, please help me contact people and get oxen. You'll need to help me plow and harrow the fields, plant the seeds, and water them before the work is finished."

If you agree, you can come to work first thing tomorrow morning. Lunch will be provided. We can settle accounts daily, or pay you all at once after the work is done. What do you think?

After Dazhu finished speaking, he looked at Old Man Li.

The old man spoke up: "Brother! This is my eldest son, and the oxcart following behind are my second and fourth sons. This whole area belongs to my eldest son. He runs a small business and doesn't have much time, so I help out."

Old Li laughed and said, "Brother Wang! You're lucky! You can tell from your sons that they're very filial to you! Alright, I'll find you some people when we get back! You don't need to find outsiders, my two sons can do the work for you! We also have oxen, so don't worry! You can pay me however you want!"

The old man is relieved now! In Erdaogou Village, many people graze livestock, but not many farm.

Old Li's family is quite well-off; they own over a dozen cows and two horses. When they're not busy, his son herds the cattle and horses. If they're taken good care of, the calves and horses can be raised and sold; herding cattle and horses requires no initial investment.

They didn't have much land, and during the busy farming season, they could easily cultivate all of it. He and his son would drive the oxen to help plow the fields and earn money by helping others farm. The women and children in the family could also tend the other oxen and horses that weren't in use.

The cow dung is cleaned up daily in the pen, so there's no need to collect it specifically. In previous years, few people bought it; most gave it to their own land. Occasionally, someone would buy it, but that was usually someone who had just earned a little money to buy fertilizer for their land.

When conditions improve and more land is leased out, people are less willing to spend money on this unnecessary expense. Families with little land are struggling to make ends meet, let alone afford to buy cow dung.

When the old man found Old Li, Old Li was overjoyed. He could make money again and no longer had to worry about where to pile up the cow dung.

The old man didn't go to Erdaogou with Dazhu and the others, but he didn't go home either. Instead, he went to the village chief's house. He wanted to rent the village chief's two cows and ask the village chief's family to provide two people to plow, harrow, and plant the land.

The old man, however, indirectly told the village chief that they were just planting it for a year as a trial. If the harvest was good, they would inform the village chief and then the rest of the village. If the harvest was bad, they would consider it a waste of time and energy leading their children and grandchildren astray!

In winter, villagers hibernate. In the freezing cold, few people go out for leisurely strolls. If you go out, you have to wear a cotton-padded coat. The roads are all icy and slippery. If you accidentally fall, you'll either break an arm or hurt a leg.

There was a time when an elderly person living alone died in their house, and no one knew for a long time.

No one paid attention to Dazhu's family affairs. The village chief knew a little about it—that Dazhu had made some money—because he had to go through the village chief to buy land and houses.

Dazhu's family doesn't own much land in the village; several families own only one or two mu (a unit of land measurement, approximately 0.5-0.5 acres). For families with large households, even one or two mu isn't enough to feed them all.

The old man originally planned to rent the village chief's cow. Since other villages had already rented cows and people, skipping the village chief's would be an unnecessary offense! Besides, the village chief's two sons were big and strong, and capable of doing the work.

The old man had arranged everything he needed to, and a weight was lifted from his heart. He went over it again in his mind, and it seemed nothing had been missed. He was indeed tired, so he leisurely put his hands behind his back, humming a little tune, and went home.

The three sisters, Daya and her sister, went back to the east end of the village to pick beans, soak them, and sprout them.

Upon seeing Guizhi and the others, Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong greeted them, "Eldest Miss, Second Miss, Third Miss!"

After the others agreed, the two followed behind Gui Gui and listened to her instructions.

Guizhi first ran to the vegetable garden and saw that Zhou Xing had already watered it. Then she went to check the pigsty and saw that some of the supports were slightly crooked. She tightened them again, and it should be able to keep the piglets in place.

I went into the outer room to check on the chicks first, fed them some millet, and they were quite lively. I also checked the water trough and saw that it contained minced garlic, which Zhou Qiong must have put there when she came back. Both children were very diligent in their work.

By the way, the kitchen countertop is very clean, and the floor is swept spotless, which shows that Madam Zhou is a clean person.

Entering the inner room, they saw Madam Zhou picking beans with her two older sisters, while Old Man Zhou also sat up, smiling as he watched them chat and pick beans.

"Grandpa Zhou! How are you feeling today? Did you take your medicine on time?" Guizhi asked.

"The Third Miss is back! Thank you for your concern! Thanks to the young ladies, the old man is much better today! The children have taken great care of him."

"Aunt Zhou, Grandpa Zhou's medicine is all gone, isn't it? Let's go to the town clinic for another check-up tomorrow." Guizhi calculated that they had only gotten three days' worth of medicine.

"Reporting to Third Miss, there won't be any left after tomorrow morning's meal," Madam Zhou replied respectfully, though she was somewhat afraid of Guizhi.

Guizhi always spoke with a smile, and she never hit or scolded anyone. Zhou Niangzi was also puzzled as to why she was afraid of a young girl.

"Yes, Madam Zhou is taking good care of Grandpa Zhou. Zhou Qiong, let's pick some beans together. Zhou Xing, go and bring the ox over. When you get to the door, call out and we'll go herd the ox together."

"Hey! I'm going now!" Zhou Xing dashed off in a flash. Letting him pick beans would test his stamina; he'd better go herd cattle!

When the cattle were being herded, Zhou Qiong followed along; children prefer the outdoors. Especially with her older brother and the third young lady by her side, it was much better than staying cooped up indoors!

"Zhou Qiong! Have you learned to make clothes from your mother?" Guizhi asked.

"Third Miss, my mother taught me how to make a quilt! My mother said that since it's a quilt for our own family, no one will look at it closely. The stitches don't have to be too thick or too thin. It's a good opportunity to practice. I'll try to sew it as finely as possible." Zhou Qiong was a little happy to have the opportunity to make a quilt by hand without having to worry about being scolded for her poor needlework.

"That's good! Your mother's cooking is excellent. Keep learning, and you'll master it someday. These next few days, remember to change the chicks' water every day, making sure it's clean. Don't forget to chop some garlic and put it in. Feeding the chickens and giving them water is your job!" Guizhi, the little adult, patted Zhou Qiong on the shoulder.

Zhou Qiong nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. "I remember everything, Third Miss."

“Zhou Xing! Water the vegetable garden every day! If it’s cold at night, put a brazier under the chicken coop like you did last night.”

Oh, right, the ashes we dug out were piled up together. You two go back and tell your mother that wood ash is great for growing vegetables. Guizhi took out a few pieces of candy from her pocket and shared them with the two children as they chatted while herding the cattle.

Erzhu and Lao Si hauled cow dung to the fields, leaving the task of watering the garden to Zhao and Sun.

The two of them rarely did any heavy work, but carrying water and watering the entire vegetable garden left them both drenched in sweat, their legs aching, and panting heavily.

As soon as Zhao sat down, she began to mutter, "Father is really something, he listens to his eldest brother in everything! His eldest brother has already divided the family property and is living his own life, yet he still meddles in so many things."

They're planting vegetables and wheat! It's all hard labor!

"They're all daughters-in-law, and we're exhausted like we're the grandchildren. Look at my sister-in-law, she's always sheltered from the wind and rain. How lucky she is!"

Sun didn't know what to say. They were all her sisters-in-law, and she didn't want to offend any of them.

After resting for a while, Sun went to her second sister-in-law's outer room. As she walked, she said, "Second sister-in-law, sit down and rest for a while. I'll go fetch some water first. I'll fill the water tank so we can cook later."

After sitting for a while, Zhao remembered something and went to the outer room. She found the basin and plates that Da Ya and the others had brought the night before.

"Fourth sister-in-law, I'm going to deliver a basin and plates to my eldest sister-in-law. I also want to check on her; she never leaves the house, what's she always busy with?" Zhao said as she walked out. Sun agreed and gently shook her head behind her.

The eldest sister-in-law, Li, kept the door locked at home every day to keep her second sister-in-law away, but this Zhao woman just couldn't resist getting closer.

When Zhao came to return the plates and basins, Li hadn't locked the door. After unloading the things from the oxcart, she thought that her two eldest daughters would be back soon, and she was making clothes for her fifth son, so she would have to run back and forth to open the door. Finding it too troublesome, she hadn't locked it.

Zhao hadn't expected the door to open so easily with a gentle pull; she thought she'd have to call for ages and might still not be able to get in.

After opening the door, Zhao did not make a sound. She placed the basin and plates on the stove and then pushed open the door to the inner room.

"Da Ya and Er Ya are back! So early today!" Li Shi asked casually when she heard the door open, without looking up.

Sensing something was wrong, I looked up and was startled: "Second sister-in-law!"

When Zhao entered the room and saw the brand-new fabric, she was stunned! Li called out to her, and she snapped out of her daze, saying, "Sister-in-law! It's only been a few days since the New Year, and you're already making new clothes! Don't you care about your livelihood? Making new clothes at home every day!"

In her panic, Li wanted to cover it with something, but for the sake of convenience while working, the kang (heated brick bed) was clean except for the clothes she was making.

Reaching out but finding nothing, Siya walked over from under the kang (heated brick bed). Zhao's voice was so shrill it startled Siya. "Mother! Second Aunt!"

Hearing her daughter's soft voice, Li composed herself. She put the clothes she was holding into the wardrobe and closed the door. She picked up Siya and said, "Siya, be good! Mother is alright!"

Then he said, "Second sister-in-law, is there something you need?"

Zhao realized that she had been too loud, but this was unbelievable!

"Sister-in-law, I've come to return the basin and plates. I put them on the stove." Zhao thought for a moment, but was still unwilling to give up.

"Sister-in-law, how come you're so lucky after you separated from the family? You don't have to do anything! Look at me, I'm still sweating! I've never had to water the garden before!"

Upon hearing this, Li thought to herself, "You didn't do it; it was all me, Da Ya, and Er Ya who did it!"

"Sister-in-law, you're just going to live extravagantly since you don't have sons! Aren't you leaving yourselves a way out? What will you do when you get old? If you ask your nephews for help, you have to leave them some money, right?"

Li, holding Siya, got up and stood up.