Lian Manman ca to a conclusion about Lian Shouxin: whether a person values spirit or material things does not necessarily correlate with how much they have been educated.
"Jiaxing will be seventeen after the New Year, right?" After eating and drinking for a while, Lian Shouxin asked again.
"Jiaxing’s birthday is late in the year, he was born in the winter. He’ll be seventeen after the New Year," Wu Yugui answered.
"Jiaxing is seventeen, so he’s born in the year of the Rat, isn’t he?" Lady Zhang asked.
"Right, he was born in the year of the Rat," Wu Jiaxing hurriedly responded.
"What day of the winter month was it?" Lady Zhang inquired further.
"The twentieth of the winter month," Wu Jiaxing answered honestly.
"Ah, here, this soup has cooled down. Drink this instead; it’s nice and hot," Lady Zhang said as she replaced the cooled soup with a big bowl of hot soup.
The al, filled with chatter and laughter, continued until it got dark, and that’s when they finally finished.
...
After several days of hard work, Lian Manman slept especially soundly that night, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain outside her window. When she woke up the next morning, the weather had cleared up.
"Oh my, what ti is it?" Lian Manman sat up on the kang and saw the daylight outside, realizing that it was definitely not early.
"Awake? Wash up and co to eat, we’ve saved so food for you," Lian Zhizhi said as she walked in, noticing that Lian Manman was awake.
"Sis, why didn’t you wake up? Our mother and the others must have gone to the shop early, right?" Lian Manman complained while getting dressed and washing up.
"You were sleeping so soundly, mother told us not to wake you," Lian Zhizhi replied, "There’s no need to go to the fields today, there are enough hands at the shop. Mother said you could sleep in and just head over after lunch to help with the accounts."
By the ti Lian Manman had washed up, Lian Zhizhi had already tidied up her bedding and set the table for her.
Lian Manman’s breakfast consisted of stead buns, along with so leftovers from last night’s dinner, which Lian Zhizhi had just reheated in a big pot before serving it to her.
"Sis, have you eaten yet? Want to eat so more?" Lian Manman asked as she took a bite. The stead buns were leftovers from last night, and the reheated dishes had nearly turned crispy with oil and had beco even more flavorful after being fried again.
"I’ve eaten already; you go ahead, Manman," Lian Zhizhi responded.
"Mm," Lian Manman answered, "Sis, you rest later, and I’ll help feed the pigs and chickens."
"By the ti you help feed them, the chickens and pigs would be crying out in hunger," Lian Zhizhi laughed, "I’ve already fed them. Just focus on eating."
"Sis, are the n not going to the fields today?" Lian Manman heard voices and footsteps in the courtyard and lowered her voice to ask Lian Zhizhi.
"Early this morning, our father took people out to the fields, but the ground was too soft to work on, so they all ca back. They said they’d check again after lunch," Lian Zhizhi explained.
After having breakfast, Lian Manman had just finished tidying up when Lady Chiang ca over to borrow so thread from Lian Zhizhi.
Lian Zhizhi took out her Needle and Thread Basket and offered it to Lady Chiang to choose from.
"This white cotton thread will do," Lady Chiang picked a roll of thread, "Working in the fields wears out shoes so quickly, in just these past few days, both Jizu and I have already ruined two pairs each. I need to hurry and weave new soles to make two more pairs."
Lady Chiang was a woman who loved cleanliness and looked beautiful, always dressing herself, Lian Jizu, and Niuniu neatly and smartly. Hard-working and fastidious housewives from tenant farrs’ families were usually like this. Lady Zhou liked her, and this trait of hers was a big reason. However, Lady Chiang was different from the usual housewives of tenant farrs. She couldn’t stand patches.
There were never patches on the clothes or shoes of Lady Chiang, Lian Jizu, or Niuniu. Among tenant farrs’ families, this was a rare feat to accomplish.
"Eldest sister-in-law, if it’s shoes for working in the fields, cotton thread might not be strong enough for the soles. You should use hemp thread," Lian Zhizhi spoke up.
At Lian Manman’s family, the shoes worn indoors had soles woven from cotton thread, but shoes for traveling long distances or working in the fields had soles woven from coarse hemp thread.
Lady Chiang had never done any rough work before and had no idea about this. Hearing what Lian Zhizhi said, she paused for a mont.
"Big brother, big sister-in-law is only going to be working in the fields for a few days, there’s no need to specially use hemp. It’s just our dad; for so reason, he’s particularly hard on shoes, and only for him does mom use hemp to weave the soles. No one else in other families does," Lian Manman hurriedly said with a smile.
"Then, then just lend so more hemp thread. In the future, ah, we will have many more days of working in the fields," Lady Chiang smiled and said.
Lian Zhizhi picked out a hank of twisted hemp thread for Lady Chiang.
Lady Chiang gratefully accepted it but didn’t hurry to leave.
"My foot just isn’t very convenient. When you go to the market, please let know. I’ll give you the money, and I’ll have to ask you to buy so extra thread for to repay you later..."
"Eldest sister-in-law, look at what you’re saying, just a few strands of thread and you talk about repaying. If you need anything while I’m out at the market, just tell ," Lian Manman said.
"Ah, that’s good," Lady Chiang promptly replied with a smile.
"Eldest sister-in-law, did you also work in the fields this morning?" Lian Zhizhi asked. She just went out and saw that Lady Chiang’s shoes had been washed and were drying outside.
"Indeed, I went... Everyone says the fields are all mud, and we shouldn’t go in them. Our Old Master wouldn’t believe it and insisted on trying it out for himself. Getting covered in mud wasn’t enough, and only when he saw that it was indeed impossible to plant, did we all co back," said Lady Chiang, her voice a bit lower. Not only did Old Master Lian himself walk into the fields, but he also made each of them enter and try to plant; only when it was truly impossible did he bring them back. The two pairs of shoes Lady Chiang ntioned being ruined included that pair from today.
Lian Manman glanced at Lady Chiang, thinking that she was complaining about Old Master like this because she was feeling too frustrated and couldn’t hold back any longer.
"Our Old Master just detests idleness," Lian Zhizhi said.
"Isn’t that the truth? Despite his age, our Old Master is more diligent than any of us," Lady Chiang said.
"Eldest sister-in-law, is your foot alright?" Lian Manman asked Lady Chiang.
A bitter smile appeared on Lady Chiang’s face.
××...××
Here’s one more update. On the last day of the month, I ask for your pink support. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to co to Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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