Chapter 371: Moving the Graves
Chapter 371: Chapter 371: Moving the Graves
Dong Sanhua’s face was pale. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and forced a smile. "He’s probably out on an errand. It’s my own fault, really. I was being careless and didn’t see the rock on the ground."
As she spoke, she prepared to pick up the buckets herself.
But Sister-in-law Liu saw she was having trouble even walking and waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, you stay put. I’ll get them for you."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law," Dong Sanhua said, full of gratitude.
Sister-in-law Liu picked up the two buckets and walked back quickly.
She told Dong Sanhua to wait at the door while she went to fill the buckets for her.
Sister-in-law Liu entered her own yard and moved with swift efficiency. She first drew some water to give the wooden buckets a quick rinse, then filled both of them to the brim with clean water.
Uncle Liu came down after drying corn on the roof and saw Dong Sanhua standing at the gate.
He asked Sister-in-law Liu, "Why don’t you invite her in for a cup of tea?"
Sister-in-law Liu shot him a stern look over her shoulder. "You’ve got too much time on your hands, don’t you?"
After filling the buckets, she turned back to Dong Sanhua, her expression changing to a cheerful smile. "Come on, come on. I’ll help you carry these back."
Dong Sanhua was a little embarrassed. "It’s so much trouble for you. Thank you, Sister-in-law."
Once inside Dong Sanhua’s home, Sister-in-law Liu’s eyes swept around, taking everything in.
’She couldn’t help but feel a little envious.’
Dong Sanhua was Grandma Qin’s relative, so Shen Ningning also took good care of her.
The neatly stacked wood in the yard had all been chopped for Dong Sanhua by Uncle Deng.
There was also still a little clean water left in the two water vats, which she heard Shen Ningning had brought down from the mountain for her.
’This is genuine mountain spring water,’ Sister-in-law Liu thought, comparing it to the well water her own family drank.
Stepping further inside, she saw that the house was also large, and Dong Sanhua kept it spotlessly clean.
On the windowsill sat a porcelain vase with a round mouth, a blue glaze, and an embroidered design of yellow pear blossoms. Inside was a bunch of yellow wildflowers with grassy edges.
Its colors were vibrant and rich, clearly a high-quality item that stood in stark contrast to the simple furnishings around it.
Sister-in-law Liu let out a little grunt, pointing at the vase. "Ningning gave you this, didn’t she? I asked her for a round ceramic flowerpot a while back, and she told me she didn’t have any!"
Dong Sanhua, who was brewing tea for her, heard this and smiled. "My aunt gave this to me."
Sister-in-law Liu secretly pouted. ’If Grandma Qin gave it to her, it’s still Shen Ningning’s property.’
As a Commandery Princess, the little one had received countless rewards from the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
Sister-in-law Liu suppressed her feelings of unfairness. Taking the tea from Dong Sanhua, she got down to business.
"Sanhua, carrying water like this all the time isn’t a solution. You need to get Brother Deng to finish digging that well for you. That’s what’s important."
Dong Sanhua gave a slight smile. "I spoke to Brother Deng about it last time, but he seems to be a bit busy lately, so he hasn’t had the time."
Sister-in-law Liu tutted. "See, that’s just inconsiderate of him. How can he let you go thirsty? You need to have a word with him about it later."
The two of them exchanged a knowing smile.
Sister-in-law Liu said, "I have two younger brothers. They used to work as laborers at the docks, and now they’re idle with nothing to do."
"How about I call them over to finish digging the well for you?"
Dong Sanhua’s eyes lit up. "Really? That would be troubling you, Sister-in-law!"
"We’re neighbors, don’t be so formal," Sister-in-law Liu said with a wave of her hand, cradling one arm with the other as she smiled. "It’s not even hard work. You just need to give them twenty taels each."
’Twenty taels each?’
Dong Sanhua’s smile froze.
That was forty taels for two people.
A while ago, thanks to her connection with Shen Ningning, she had planted a batch of sweet potatoes, and the Emperor had even rewarded her with 300 taels.
But she had used a portion of that silver to first buy back her own indenture contract.
With what was left, she had renovated this courtyard and planted a small vegetable garden.
Now, all she had to her name was less than fifty taels.
"Sister-in-law, that’s so expensive... Can you make it a little cheaper?" Dong Sanhua asked sheepishly.
Sister-in-law Liu refused immediately. "Absolutely not. This is the cheapest price you’ll find."
"If you hired someone from outside, it would be at least thirty taels per person. The drought just ended, and people out there are charging exorbitant prices, like they’re robbing you."
"You’re lucky they’re my brothers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even get this price."
Seeing Dong Sanhua’s hesitation, Sister-in-law Liu added, "Sanhua, just agree to it. You won’t be losing out."
"Even if Brother Deng went out and found people for you, he’d have to spend this much silver too."
That single sentence was a wake-up call for Dong Sanhua.
’No wonder Deng Xiangji agreed but never took any action.’
’He probably couldn’t find affordable workers either.’
’In that case, why should I bother him any further?’
So, Dong Sanhua gritted her teeth and nodded. "Alright, Sister-in-law. I’ll go get the silver for you now."
"Excellent," Sister-in-law Liu beamed.
Dong Sanhua saw her to the door, and Sister-in-law Liu promised repeatedly.
"Don’t you worry. I’ll head to Guangyang County in a bit to find my two brothers and have them come start the work for you in a couple of days."
When she returned home in high spirits, Uncle Liu was feeding the chickens.
He saw Sister-in-law Liu clutching a pouch of silver.
"Where did that money come from?"
"Sanhua gave it to me. I promised to get my two brothers to finish her well."
With that, Sister-in-law Liu went inside and put the silver away.
Hearing this, Uncle Liu’s expression changed in alarm. He immediately dropped the basket and followed her inside.
"How could you make such a decision on your own? Didn’t I tell you? Jixiang went to the Capital City today to buy materials. He and I were going to help Dong Sanhua finish the well ourselves. Why did you take silver from her?"
Sister-in-law Liu slammed the drawer shut.
She shot him a piercing glare. "I just won’t have you doing work for free!"
"Besides, what’s the big deal about taking a little silver from her? You haven’t seen her house. The cabinet on her kang bed is made of redwood!"
"Deng Xiangji is fawning all over Dong Sanhua because he’s taken a liking to her. What, have you taken a liking to her too?"
Fury rose on Uncle Liu’s tanned face. "Don’t talk nonsense and ruin an innocent person’s reputation! Hurry up and give the silver back. I already promised Jixiang."
He reached for the silver, but Sister-in-law Liu refused to give it up.
In the end, they were both angry.
"How can you be like this? Dong Sanhua is Grandma Qin’s relative. Have you forgotten how many times Ningning and Grandma Qin have helped us?" Uncle Liu demanded furiously.
Sister-in-law Liu frowned. "Ningning is Ningning, and she is she."
"Besides, even if Ningning herself were here, she wouldn’t take advantage of us and make us work for free. What gives Dong Sanhua the right?"
As the two of them were arguing...
Their son, Liu Hu, ran in with a runny nose.
"Dad, Mom, stop fighting! Little Wolf Sister is here with the village chief and a bunch of officials!"
Sister-in-law Liu was startled, but then her face lit up with joy. "She must be here to do something good for our village again. Come on, let’s go take a look."
Before leaving, she made sure to lock the drawer.
「At that moment.」
Shen Ningning was already walking along the path in Xiangyun Village under the scorching sun, accompanied by the old village chief and several officials from the Ministry of Industry.
The little girl wore a blue jacket with sheer, gauze-like sleeves that made her round face look fair and delicate.
She pointed to the boundaries of Xiangyun Village, explaining as she walked.
"According to Grandpa Chief, many years ago, Xiangyun Village was sparsely populated. Later, many families from other villages settled here on their way to the Capital City."
"Because we all come from different places, our surnames are all different. As for our ancestors’ graves, some are buried in the fields, while others were buried on a random patch of land on the mountain."
The officials from the Ministry of Industry, dressed in their brocaded official robes, looked around and nodded one after another.
Shen Ningning’s eyes were dark and glistening. "So, I plan to move all of Xiangyun Village’s ancestral graves to one location. I’ve already chosen a plot of land for it."
"My brother sent you all here today to help me take a look and figure out how to start the work. We need to come up with a plan."
Sister-in-law Liu squeezed out from the crowd.
She asked anxiously, "Ningning, why didn’t you discuss this matter of moving the graves with us beforehand?"
"How much silver will we be compensated with?"