At the second watch, request for pink.
＊＊＊＊＊＊
Lady Zhang ca out and saw, then glanced into the courtyard and saw Lady Zhou stepping out of the Upper Room on her tiny feet, also entering the garden.
"Nobody is crueler than you, isn’t Xiuxiu your own daughter? The sky is almost dark, and you’re still making her break off tobacco forks. Is this a job she can do?" Lady Zhou felt heartache upon seeing Lian Xiuxiu squatting there breaking off tobacco forks.
The so-called breaking off tobacco forks involves snapping off the small branches that grow on the dry tobacco, to prevent them from consuming nutrients and affecting the growth of the larger tobacco leaves. This job requires squatting between two rows of tobacco ridges, scraping against tobacco leaves on your body and face, and getting tobacco oil on your hands. The tobacco oil can stain one’s skin with a rust-like color and carries an unpleasant odor.
"It’s a job done by people, why can’t Xiuxiu handle it?" Old Master Lian retorted firmly.
Actually, Old Master Lian also had a soft spot for Lian Xiuxiu in his heart. He put Lian Xiuxiu to work, but he was even busier himself, working faster than usual. His goal was to do more himself so that Lian Xiuxiu could do less.
But that was sothing he could not say to Lady Zhou. And obviously, Lady Zhou also failed to see Old Master Lian’s painstaking intentions.
Because Lian Xiuxiu was both breaking off tobacco forks and wiping her tears, the tobacco oil on her hands had gotten into her eyes. At this mont, her eyes were red and she was uncomfortably irritated by the sll of the tobacco oil. Although she was a daughter of tenant farrs, she had never been weary or done heavy labor since she was little, thanks to having several older brothers and even nephews older than her.
Breaking off tobacco forks was a task that neither Lian Zhizhi nor Lian Manman liked, let alone Lian Xiuxiu.
Lian Xiuxiu looked at Lady Zhou with red eyes, hoping she would take her back to the room.
Lady Zhou did want to take Lian Xiuxiu back, but Old Master Lian was particularly obstinate today, and she dared not defy him too much. If soone ca to help with this job now, she could take Lian Xiuxiu back to the room.
Everyone from Shouren’s family in the Upper Room was there, but not one was soone who worked. In the East Wing Room, Shouyi, Lady He, and a few children had all gone out to visit, leaving only Erlang and Zhao Xiue at ho. Zhao Xiue certainly wouldn’t co to help, and Erlang, confined by Zhao Xiue, couldn’t co either.
Then there was the West Wing Room, where Old Three Shouli and Old Fourth Shouxin’s families were all in, yet not a single person ca out to relieve her.
"Bastards, all heartless, their consciences must have been eaten by dogs."
Lady Zhou whispered low, upset that no one ca to help and, out of concern for Lian Xiuxiu, she gritted her teeth and also made her way into the tobacco field.
"If no one does it, I will. Watch work myself to death here, and these bastards will all rejoice." Lady Zhou grumbled loudly as she broke off tobacco forks, deliberately letting the people in the rooms hear her.
"Stop your dirty mouth, cursing and blabbering. No one is making you work, go stay in your room." Old Master Lian said.
"I’m not as heartless as you, I feel for my dear daughter." Lady Zhou replied, "...I raised her through thick and thin, and not one of you show any pity for ; your black hearts and consciences must have been eaten by dogs."
...
North room of the West Wing Room
"Aren’t we going? Your grandmother is cursing more and more fiercely," Shouli hesitated to say.
"Let’s not go, we’ll stay put," Lian Yeye insisted firmly as she leaned on the windowsill, looking out.
"Then we won’t go. If we did, we’d still get an earful," Lady Zhao said.
South room of the West Wing Room
"This temper of your grandmother, it’s just unbearable. How have we even co through these years?" Lady Zhang sighed as she sat on the kang. Lady Zhou’s cursing was, in fact, a kind of brainwashing. If one got used to even abnormal things, they could beco natural or, to put it another way, numb.
And changes in the living environnt had gradually enabled Lady Zhang to see the true nature of their past life and to realign her position, reaching a point where she could no longer be as accommodating and obedient to Lady Zhou as before.
"Your grandmother’s cursing is just a habit. We mustn’t listen; if we take it to heart, then there’s no point in living," Shouxin leaned on the head of the kang and said.
"Listen to her cursing, she’s taking it out on us again, trying to get us to do Xiuxiu’s work," Lady Zhang pursed her lips, "I’m not going; haven’t I been cursed at enough?"
"None of us should go. This is my grandfather teaching my aunt, and if we go, my grandfather’s efforts will be in vain," Lian Manman said.
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