Chapter 31
Unwilling to Give Up
Li Yu went into the house to put the wheat seeds and rapeseed seeds into the space. She went to the kitchen to catch some peppercorns and cinnamon… and put them in the pot to boil before filtering out the main ingredients. She scooped out the boiled water and hung it in the empty oil bucket.
She turned around and went to the side room. She poured the moldy bean petals from the bamboo plaque into a large wooden basin and carried it to the well. She washed the moldy bean petals and poured them into the bamboo plaque to dry. She then poured them into the cold water to soak with salt and white wine.
Zhaodi put away the dried chili and handed it to Li Yu. She looked at the bean petals in the wooden bucket. “Cousin, are you going to start making bean petals?”
Li Yu nodded. “Yes! Leave it to me.”
“Good. We got a lot of peas today. We may not have enough saucepans.”
“Go make lunch first. Later, ask Ah Qing to send over the sauce jar and jar from his house.”
“Okay.” Zhaodi went to wash the vegetables and cook. Li Yu went to the eaves and stored a portion of the chili and peas in the space. She returned and started chopping the chili. She held the kitchen knife in both hands and swung it quickly from left to right. She started chopping.
At this moment, Madam Chen Shi had also arrived at the entrance of West Mountain Village. When she saw a few old men and women sitting under the tree at the entrance of the village, she walked over and smiled politely at them. “Are you uncles and aunties enjoying the shade here?”
They looked at her and nodded with a smile. An old woman saw that she looked a little like Chen Zhaodi and asked with a smile, “Sister-in-law, are you here to visit your relatives?”
Chen smiled. “No, I want to ask you about something!”
“What do you say?” said the old woman, smiling.
“I want to ask about the Li family girl who broke off the engagement with the Zhang family. I heard that she’s very fierce now.”
The old woman glanced at her. “That girl is a capable person now. In addition, she’s strong. You don’t know that she beat up Zhang and his wife the other day. Oh my! The two of them combined are no match for her alone. That girl used to be quiet, but now it seems that she’s a formidable person.”
When Madam Chen heard this, she thought to herself that Zhang Decai was strong and muscular. Mrs. Zhao was not just tall but also strong. Yet the two of them could not defeat that girl. Chun Sheng’s small body would not be able to withstand her torture. She would not dare to take such a daughter-in-law.
After Chen thought about it, she stood up and smiled dryly at the old woman. “Auntie, thank you. I still have something on at home, so I’ll go back first.”
The old woman looked at her and nodded. As she walked away, the old woman sitting beside her said, “I remember that she’s the cousin of the Chen family! Why is she asking about Xiaoyu?”
The old woman pursed her lips. “She must be up to no good. She doesn’t look like she’s coming.”
When Zhaodi came out after cooking, she saw that Li Yu had already chopped up half a jar of chili. She called everyone home to prepare for dinner.
When Li Mei returned home, she saw the peas and peppers piled up under the eaves. “Why did you collect so much today? I’m afraid there are more than ten stones in total!”
Zhaodi replied, “Seven stones for chili peppers, six or seven stones for peas, and some vegetables. Mom, several villagers have come to sell vegetables. It’s like a market.”
Li Qing looked at Li Yu’s fingers that were red from the chili. He frowned and said to Li Yu, “Sister, go to the forest in the afternoon and plow the soil with Brother Xiao An. I’ll chop chili at home.”
“How many catties of chili can you chop with your thin arms?” Li Mei smiled and pointed at Liu Changmin. “Let your uncle chop chili at home. His skin is so thick that he’s not afraid of the spiciness.”
Liu Changmin smiled honestly. “Yes! I’ll chop it at home. I’m thick-skinned and not afraid of spicy food.”
Everyone sat at the table and ate while talking. An looked at the warm scene at Li Yu’s house and thought of his cold home. He lowered his head and ate his white rice.
Li Mei placed some meat and vegetables in his bowl. “An, don’t just eat white rice. Eat some vegetables.”
An’s heart warmed. “Aunt Li, I’m eating. You eat too.”
After dinner, everyone was hard at work. Li Qing when to get jars for the sauces Lidi and Zhaodi stayed at home to pick vegetables. Liu Changmin stayed at home to chop chili. Li Yu and An went to the forest to dig for fertilizer.
Li Qing dragged the sauce jar and clay pot back to exchange for Li Yu’s money. After seeing Potter Luo out, Li Yu returned to the house to clean up the two sisters’ vegetables and wash them with peas before drying them in the bamboo board. She then went to put the pickled vegetables Shopkeeper Liu wanted in the bamboo basket and returned to the kitchen to start chopping chili again.
When Zhang Guisheng and his sister returned to Green Mountain City, Zhang Guisheng went to ask Zhang Defa, “Dad, when did Li Yu become a different person?”
Zhang Defa recalled how he had been begging for money and Zhang Guisheng’s betrothal gifts these days. He was furious. “That bitch has changed since the day your mother and sister forced her to break off the engagement. You don’t have to bother about her. Just wait for Miss Zhu to marry you!”
Zhang Guisheng heard from his father that Li Yu became like this because of the engagement. For some reason, he was secretly delighted. “Father, I understand. I’ll go read.”
Zhang Defa looked at his son with relief. “Go!”
Chen Zhaodi looked at the sobbing Zhang Guixiang and comforted her gently, “Good girl, bear with it for a few more days. Your father will get someone to teach her a lesson.”
Zhang Guixiang jumped from the bed into Chen Zhaodi’s arms. “Mother, remember to help me vent my anger when the time comes.” Chen Zhaodi nodded and gently patted her vest.
Li Yu didn’t know that the Zhang family was still thinking about revenge. She gritted her teeth and chopped the chili. Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu happily. “Xiaoyu! You’ve almost chopped through the chopping board. There’s not much left. Go play for a while!”
Li Yu blushed. “Uncle, I’m fine. Look, there’s still a pile there that you can’t finish chopping alone until dawn.”
“You’re just too stubborn.” Liu Changmin sped up. The two of them persisted until evening, when there were still two baskets of chili left. Li Yu swung her sore and swollen hands around the courtyard.
Li Mei and the others returned and saw more than a dozen jars of chopped chili in the courtyard, as well as peas and shredded vegetables filled with bamboo racks. They smiled and praised them. “You guys are too efficient! You did so much in one afternoon.”
Zhaodi came out with a low table. “Mom, didn’t you see that my cousin almost chopped through the chopping board?”
Li Yu smiled. “It’s not just me! The shredded vegetables were cut by Zhaodi and Cousin Laidi.”
Li Qing looked at them and smiled. “Sister, Cousin, you’ve worked hard.”
Li Mei stroked Ah Qing’s head. “Ah Qing and Xiao An also worked hard. The two of them dug up all the fertile soil in that forest and piled up several piles of the soil beside the wasteland!”
“Everyone has worked hard. Cousin asked me to make chicken soup.” Zhaodi placed the chicken soup on the table and turned to look at Li Yu. “Hey! Cousin, I wanted to ask you just now. Where did you get this pheasant?”
“Didn’t I go out for a walk just now? I caught in the forest back then.” Li Yu made things up. After the few of them had a lively meal, Liu Changmin and Li Mei sent Xiao An to his door before returning home.
Qian was relieved to see An’s cheerful expression.
When Li Mei returned home, Li Yu took out 30 taels of silver and handed it to her. “Aunt, take this silver and repair the house.”
Li Mei took the silver and hugged it in her arms. She looked at Li Yu gratefully. “Yu’er, I’ll slowly save up money to repay you.”
“Aunt, if you continue to say that, it means that you don’t treat us as your family. Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to pluck those goji berries on the mountain without your and my two cousins’ help. Also, you guys helped to make all these pickled vegetables at home!”
Li Mei and Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu. Liu Changmin’s eyes turned red. “Yu’er, Uncle will always remember your help.”
Li Yu smiled. “Uncle, you’re being too polite!” Liu Changmin scratched his head and laughed.
Li Mei made arrangements. “Before the rainy season comes, your uncle and I will go back and buy the foundation from the village chief tomorrow. We’ll hire the craftsmen to build the shed. At that time, Zhaodi and Laidi will come back to help.”
“Alright, we’ll do as you say,” Liu Changmin said happily.
“Then let’s get to work.” Li Mei pulled Liu Changmin to help Li Yu chop up all the chili. Li Yu and the others washed the peas and vegetables and dried them under the eaves before dragging their sore bodies back to the house to sleep.
The next morning, Li Mei and her husband returned to East Mountain Village. Li Qing also had to go to school. Li Yu took two jars and handed them to Li Qing. “Ah Qing, this is for your teacher to thank him for helping us write.”
Li Qing took the bamboo basket. “Okay. Sister, don’t tire yourself out at home. I’ll come back to help after school.”
“Got it. Go quickly or you’ll be late.” Li Yu went to the wasteland. Chen Yaohui and a few villagers who were working were already starting to plow the land. An came back with a full load of grass on his back and poured it by the wasteland to feed the cows.
Chen Yaohui asked Li Yu loudly, “Xiaoyu, what do you plan to plant in these lands?”
Li Yu said loudly, “Uncle Chen, I plan to plant winter wheat and rapeseed.”
“Rapeseed?” Chen Yaohui asked curiously. “What are you planting that for?” Li Yu said, “To yield edible oil! Haven’t you planted it before? The vegetable oil sold in town costs 30 copper coins a catty!”
Chen Yaohui shook his head. “I’ve never planted it before. That vegetable oil is all eaten by vegetarian cultivators. There’s also a strange smell when using it to cook.”
“Oh.” Li Yu finally understood why everyone stopped growing rapeseed. Li Yu asked An to continue digging the fertile soil and went home.