When Mother Fang saw He Shi’s forehead, she spoke plainly.
“Chun Xiu, all our current assets were acquired by your brother-in-law. Your father and I are old, and our children are still young. Our family will have many expenses in the future, so we cannot afford to help others with extra money.”
“Mother, I understand.”
He Shi felt bitter. Having such parents meant she could never hold her head high.
After the small courtyard for the Qi family and the small courtyard for the Fang family were successively built, the Fang family moved out first.
Grandpa Meng personally sealed a hundred taels of silver and had his son and daughter-in-law deliver it, reminding them not to let anyone see it.
Consort Fang was grateful for her father-in-law’s thoughtfulness. With this money, her parents would no longer have to worry about their livelihood.
When the Qi family’s small courtyard was completed, there were many people who came to drink.
Qi Yuanshan had originally planned to set up a few tables, just a meal for a group of rough men.
However, someone actually suggested bringing their wives from home. Qi Yuanshan refused on the spot.
“Our young He is not yet married, and there is currently no mistress in the household, so we will not be entertaining your female guests.”
“That’s fine, let them entertain themselves.”
“That won’t do either.” Qi Yuanshan thought of the incident with the glass. Those women were too terrifying. He waved his hands repeatedly, adamantly refusing.
This caused some people with intentions to give up, only able to stomp their feet at home with no recourse.
Fu Xin Ci was different. Qi He had sent over a set of keys to the house early on. From the main gate of the central courtyard to the corner gate of the back courtyard, not a single one was missing.
Consort Fang was even happier than her daughter upon seeing this and confided in Fu Yu, “This shows the respect the Qi father and son have for our daughter.”
“Mm.” Fu Yu thought a little more than Consort Fang. “Young He is doing the right thing. As for that courtyard, he and his father only sleep there; they don’t cook meals.”
“They don’t need to cook meals now. Young He still eats at our house. That saves a lot of trouble.”
“Mm.”
…
After the last spring rain, summer officially made its grand entrance.
Standing in the fields, the green carpet underfoot stretched towards the horizon with the warm breeze.
Fu Xin Ci, dressed in an lotus-root-colored summer outfit, listlessly led her two young maids along the small path through the fields towards her maternal grandparents’ land.
“Miss, the wheat seedlings in the field are growing so neatly.” Li Xia, who had only recently learned to recognize wheat seedlings, followed behind her mistress, chattering incessantly.
Fu Xin Ci looked at the wheat seedlings stretching their limbs in the field and nodded with a good mood.
Li Chun walked at the very back. Seeing Li Xia skipping along behind her mistress, she also followed.
The Fang family’s fields were the closest to the Meng family’s fields. Because of this, the He family had been sour for several days. Foreman Song did not indulge them; no matter what they said, he did not change his mind.
At this time of year, weeds grew most easily in the fields.
In the Fang family’s fields, everyone was squatting down, weeding. Even Qing Mei sat on the edge of the field, acting the part of watching her younger sister to prevent her from causing trouble and adding to her mother’s burden.
When He Erlang, out of breath, ran over, he saw his sister and brother-in-law working in the field. He said with great reluctance, “Sister, brother-in-law, why are you still working?”
“If we don’t work, what else would we do?” Fang Xiao Tao now found the He family particularly disagreeable. If it weren't for his wife, he wouldn't bother dealing with that oblivious family.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done in our fields. Brother-in-law, you should help us with our work first.”
Fang Xiao Tao was about to say, “Did your head get kicked by a donkey?”
Just then, he heard his niece’s voice from not far away, “Why should we help you with your work? Do you not have hands or feet? You’re young and can be considered good labor. But you only know how to be lazy and shirk responsibility. By the time you run over to find my uncle, the work would already be finished.”
He Erlang had not expected that, by asking his sister and brother-in-law to help with their work, he would run into Fu Xin Ci. He was immediately so ashamed he couldn’t face anyone.
He Shi also couldn’t lift her head.
Fu Xin Ci did not stop talking. She continued, “Your family has many more people than my maternal grandparents’ family. You don’t even want to work your own fields, and you expect my uncle to help you? Aren’t you afraid of tiring my uncle to death? Can you afford to compensate him?”
He Erlang had not expected that his attempt to be lazy would be so thoroughly criticized by a young girl that he would be too ashamed to show his face. He glared at his sister and turned to run back.
Mother Fang, who had not spoken at all, saw He Erlang run away and then said with a smile, “Xin Ci’s little mouth is like a small knife. It stabs directly into people’s hearts, one cut after another.”
“Heh heh.” Father Fang chuckled. He didn’t say that it was good this way, so that no one would always try to take advantage of their good nature.
In the He family’s field, only two daughters-in-law were kneeling, pulling weeds.
Father He, Mother He, and He Laoda, along with several children, were all sitting on the edge of the field resting.
Hearing footsteps and seeing that He Erlang had returned alone, Mother He anxiously asked, “Why didn’t your sister and brother-in-law come?”
“Why would they come? I hadn’t even finished speaking when that girl from the Meng family shut me down.”
“You asked your sister and brother-in-law to help us with work; what does it have to do with her? That bothersome girl.”
“Old woman, don’t talk nonsense.” Father He had some sense. “Qingxi Town is their territory. If word of someone trying to flatter and curry favor with the Meng family gets out, it won’t sound good.”
“I didn’t say anything wrong.” Mother He always listened to Father He. Now that her husband had reminded her, she immediately dared not speak further.
However, she still felt very unwilling in her heart. “We were just asking our daughter and son-in-law to help with a little work; that’s not a wicked deed.”
“Mother, please don’t say any more. That little girl said that our family has more people than her maternal grandparents’ family. Why would we still ask her uncle to work? If he gets tired, we can’t afford to compensate him.”
“…” Father He looked at his family. Their faces were a bit unsightly. He berated them, “Alright, everyone, get up and work. You’ve rested enough.”
“Father.” He Erlang wanted to say that he hadn’t rested yet, but seeing his father’s displeased expression, he held back the rest of his words.
In the Fang family’s fields, there was laughter and chatter.
Especially the elderly couple, who kept trying to stop their granddaughter from helping them weed.
“Ci’er, this is not work for you. Put it down quickly.”
“Grandma, I’m very fast at pulling weeds. Don’t believe me? Watch.” After Fu Xin Ci finished speaking, she had already moved past Mother Fang and was in the lead.
Mother Fang hadn’t paid much attention at first. Her granddaughter could pull a few weeds; as long as she didn’t pull up the wheat seedlings, it would be fine.
Li Chun and Li Xia saw their mistress helping the elder lady of the in-laws’ family and also wanted to lend a hand. This frightened Father Fang terribly. He quickly winked at his granddaughter.
Fu Xin Ci hadn’t seen it at first. It wasn’t until she heard her grandfather’s “cough, cough” fake coughs that she turned around and saw Li Chun and Li Xia rolling up their sleeves, ready to help. She then called out, “Stop.”