Chapter 33
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Li Yu went to the vegetable garden and broke off a handful of vegetables. After returning to the house to wash them, she cut them up, cooked them with slop, and scooped them into the basin. She then mixed the rice bran and brought it to the pigpen to feed the piglets before going back to put all the food into the space.
Li Yu was relieved. Now that she had food, she still had a few thousand catties of pickled sauces in her space. Li Yu was not in a hurry to earn money. At home, she recalled the steps when she was farming at home in her previous life. She recorded them in the booklet and tidied them up before putting the booklet into her space.
An returned with the cow on his back. Li Yu picked up the cow with two bags of grass hanging on its back. She nodded in satisfaction and put the chick into the chicken coop. When she returned, she handed her salary and a pheasant to An. “Keep An’s salary well. Also, take this pheasant back and stew it for your mother.”
An hesitated, then took the wages and the pheasant. “Thank you, Sister. I’ll come back in the morning.”
Li Yu nodded and watched An leave before leading the cows to the cowshed. Seeing that An had cleaned up the cowshed, she was even more satisfied.
Li Yu returned to the house and grabbed a handful of grains to open the back door. She called for the chicks that were looking for food in the wasteland. When the chicks heard their master’s call, they spread their wings and flew back to the backyard, pecking at the grains in the courtyard.
Li Qing returned with the bamboo basket and smiled at Li Yu. “Sister, I got an excellent grade in the exam. Sir rewarded me with a set of brush and ink.”
“Alright, it’s worth a reward. I should reward you too.” Li Yu looked at the bamboo basket Li Qing was carrying and thought of a gift. “When I go to town to buy cloth, I’ll make a school bag for you.”
“Okay,” Li Qing agreed happily and went to chop wood with a machete and rope.
Li Yu cooked the meal at home. She stir-fried some cabbage and made a bowl of egg soup. After Li Qing finished his homework and the siblings ate, Li Qing fed the cow. Li Yu scooped a small bowl of beans and soaked them in the basin. After the siblings washed up, they split up to rest.
Li Yu’s family situation was reported to Zhang Depa. Zhang Depa told Zhang Defa, “Brother, that bitch is very strong. We have to find two strong ones.”
Zhang Defa thought for a while and thought of two people. He smiled sinisterly. “Don’t worry, I’ll go look for the xu brothers. These two brothers are tall and strong, and they specialize in the streets.”
Li Yu woke up early the next morning. After going to the forest to train, she went to set up the rope. She took a look at the tree and went home. After grinding the beans, Xiao An entered the courtyard with two pairs of shoes.
Xiao An handed the shoes to Li Yu. “Sister, my mother made these shoes for you and Brother Ah Qing. Try them and see if they match.”
Li Yu took it and smiled happily. “Thank you, An, and thank your mother. Ah Qing and I like them very much.”
Xiao An nodded shyly and went to the backyard to herd the cows.
Li Yu looked at the shoes in her hand that were made of green cloth. One pair was simply embroidered with a few bamboo leaves, and the other pair was embroidered with a pair of magnolia flowers. The stitching looked good.
Li Yu handed the shoe to Li Qing. “Ah Qing, Auntie Qian made this for you. See if it fits.”
“It looks really good.” Li took off his shoes and tried them on. “It’s a little loose. I can wear it no matter how big it is.”
“Alright, I’ll go cook.” Li Yu patted Li Qing and took her shoes back to the house to try them out. They were also a little loose. She secretly felt that the Auntie Qian family’s sewing skills were really good.
Li Yu cooked some bean curd rice. After the siblings ate, Li Qing went to school. Li Yu fed the pigs and let Xiao An, who was herding the cows, find his own work. She drove the ox cart with the pickled vegetables towards Shun Feng Inn. When he passed by Zhang Decai’s house, Li Yu suddenly felt a prick on her back. She turned her head slightly and glanced at the door of the house. Seeing that the door was closed, Li Yu felt that something was wrong. Without batting an eyelid, she continued to drive the ox cart to the inn and handed the goods to Shopkeeper Liu to drive the ox cart to town to buy cloth.
When they arrived at the cloth shop, Li Yu bought a bolt of dark coarse cloth and some cotton. She also bought a thin cotton white cloth and a few thin pieces of cloth. She planned to give two to Chen Yaohui’s family to thank them for taking care of her family.
After leaving the cloth shop, Li Yu went to the place where she had bought paper money last time. She bought 20 catties of straw paper and went to the grocery store to buy a can of cooked tung oil and two brushes. She drove the ox cart back.
Along the way, Li Yu kept feeling that someone was secretly spying on her. Li Yu pretended to be attracted by the hawking sound by the roadside and turned around. She saw a tall man pretending to look at the stall in front of him.
Li Yu became even more guarded. There was no movement from that person even after she left the town. When she returned home, Li Yu was still thinking that it was definitely not that simple. As she thought about it, she moved her things into the house and placed them in the ox cart. Then, she led the ox to the ox shed and tied it up before returning to the kitchen to cook.
After cooking, Li Yu went to the forest to find Xiao An and asked him to look after the house. She went to East Mountain Village School alone and saw that the school gate was still closed. She stood at the door and waited for a while.
Li Yu stood there for more than ten breaths when she heard the courtyard door open. She turned around and saw Ji Xiang.
When Ji Xiang saw Li Yu, he smiled and greeted her. “Miss, are you looking for me?”
Li Yu smiled and shook her head. “No, I passed by and came to pick my brother up for dinner.”
Ji Xiang pointed at the school. “Who’s your brother? My name is Ji Xiang. I’m the school teacher’s assistant. Do you want me to call him for you?”
Li Yu thought that she had run into a chatterbox. She turned around and saw Li Qing running out of the school. “Ah Qing.” Li Yu hurriedly called out to Li Qing.
Li Qing turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see Li Yu. He went up to her. “Sister, why are you here?”
“It’s almost time for school to end, so I wanted to pick you up.” Li Yu pulled Li Qing and waved at Ji Xiang before leaving without looking back.
“So she’s Li Qing’s sister! She’s good-looking and agile. She even knows how to make pickled vegetables. Li Qing is really lucky.” Ji Xiang muttered to himself as she watched the siblings walk away.
Ruyi stood behind him and patted him. “What are you muttering about? You don’t even know that I’m behind you. Tell me, what delicious food are you hiding?”
Ji Xiang smiled cheekily and held Ruyi. “What am I mumbling about? I’m muttering about how Li Qing is lucky to have a good-looking sister.” Ji Xiang and Ruyi returned to the courtyard. “Ruyi, let me tell you. That day, when Young Master and I went to town and saw Sister Li Qing on the way, in the blink of an eye, she threw a woman who attacked her from behind to the ground. I saw that her skills were not what a farm girl should have. I was still worried. Later, I found out that she was the strong girl that the clerk mentioned.”
Ruyi patted Ji Xiang’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Young Master promised that witch to quit the Zhou family and stop fighting with her son for the position of the family head. She’s living in seclusion in the old residence. It’s time for her to stop.”
Li Qing followed Li Yu home and saw that the food was ready. He happily brought the food to the table with Xiao An and placed a piece of pork ribs in Li Yu’s bowl. “Sister, eat more.”
Xiao An looked at Li Qing enviously. Li Qing thought that An wanted to take another piece and put it in his bowl. “Brother An, it’s been hard on you.”
Xiao An smiled and glanced at Li Qing. “It’s not hard on me. Sister Li is the one who has been suffering.”
Li Yu knocked on the vegetable bowl. “Hurry up and eat. It’ll get cold if you don’t.”
After the three of them ate, Li Qing and Xiao An went to the forest. They carried the fertile soil to the edge of the wasteland and poured it into the manure pit that Li Yu had dug.