Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 779 - 398: Sisters_2
Lian Shouxin glanced at the moon overhead and suddenly remembered something.
"Didn’t Mr. Loo say he would be back tonight? It’s getting late; we should go to the road and meet him," Lian Shouxin said.
Today was the fifteenth of August, and even the mountain had taken a day off. Mr. Loo had received a letter a few days prior and had gone to Jinyang County Town today, claiming he was visiting a friend. The Lian Family had originally planned to send Wu Lang to accompany him, but Mr. Loo had not agreed. Later, Lian Manman’s family had hired a horse carriage for him, paid the expenses in full, and instructed the coachman to follow Mr. Loo’s orders. If the money given was in excess, it was to be considered a tip for the coachman; if it was not enough, the Lian Family would double it upon his return.
Lian Manman had even taken out a few pieces of broken silver, put them in a pouch, and given it to Wu Lang for Mr. Loo to spend.
"At this hour, he’s probably staying in the county town for the night," Lady Zhang suggested.
Mr. Loo was on his own; it was rare for him to gather with friends, and with the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was only human to linger a little longer.
Despite this, Lian Shouxin still took Wu Lang to the village entrance and went up the official road toward the town to meet him for a while. When they failed to find Mr. Loo, they returned home.
It wasn’t until the next morning that Mr. Loo returned from the county town, explaining that he had drunk a bit too much the night before and stayed in the county town. Only then did everyone feel at ease.
After the fifteenth of August, the tenant farmers became busy again. At the two threshing grounds of Thirty Mile Camp, there was a continuous flow of people every day. This year, Lian Manman’s family had their own threshing ground, equipped with a large stone roller, a small stone roller, and they had added three new wooden shovels. They also hired three temporary workers, led by Lian Shouxin, to work at the threshing ground.
With the threshing ground work, Lady Zhang and the children were uninvolved.
However, none of them were idle.
Lian Manman was particularly busy. She had to tally the daily accounts of the store, check the deliveries of the custom-made furniture, and settle the payment with the craftsmen.
After the work at the threshing ground was finished, Lian Shouxin gathered people to continue the construction of the new house. All the silver coins needed were withdrawn from Lian Manman. As it was the final and most crucial stage, money truly flowed like water from Lian Manman’s hands every day.
Fortunately, her family had ample savings and the store’s daily income was substantial. Despite money flowing like water, they did not feel any hardship.
In addition to these chores, whenever Lian Manman had some free time, she would take Lian Yeye to dig up peanuts and pick millet ears. Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, after school, would occasionally join them.
That day, after having breakfast, Lian Shouxin withdrew a sum for the stained glass windows and left. Only then did Lian Manman have some free time.
"Xiao Qi," Lian Manman called out to Xiao Qi on the day the private school was off. "Come, let’s go to Er Ya’s house, and bring the cat back."
Xiao Qi, hearing what they were about to do, ran over joyfully. Lian Manman then picked up a basket, took Xiao Qi by the hand, and the siblings casually made their way to Er Ya’s house. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
Er Ya’s house was located one street behind the Lian Family Old Mansion, within a large courtyard of five rooms.
As Lian Manman and Xiao Qi entered the outer room, they saw Er Ya carrying a bowl, ready to scoop some rice to feed the cat. Seeing them arrive, Er Ya hurriedly invited them inside.
"Auntie," Lian Manman and Xiao Qi entered the room and greeted the elderly lady seated on the kang bed.
"Manman and Xiao Qi are here; come and take a seat on the kang," Er Ya’s grandma greeted them with a smile.
Er Ya’s Grandma and Lady Zhou were cousins. Both women had fair complexions. Lady Zhou had a slightly broader face whereas Er Ya’s Grandma had a narrower one, but there was a resemblance in their eyes and brows.
Lian Manman and Xiao Qi took a seat on the edge of the kang. Manman took out a paper packet from the basket and handed it to Er Ya.
"I bought some dried shrimps the other day; you can mix it with the cat’s food," she said.
"Sure," Er Ya took the paper packet, opened it, poured some dried shrimps into the bowl, then mixed them well with the rice using chopsticks, and brought it to the cat perched at the end of the kang.
In farmstead families, if someone’s cat or dog had puppies or kittens, and they couldn’t keep all, they would give them away, or anyone interested could ask for them without any charge. Lian Manman’s family and Er Ya’s family, being relatives, got along well. The dried shrimps were a sudden thought Manman had when she was out, to repay Er Ya’s family’s bigger cat for feeding the kittens extra milk these days. It was a gesture to improve the diet of the big cat.
Er Ya’s big cat, nestled at the end of the kang with a kitten beside it, was the one meant for Lian Manman’s family. Xiao Qi had glued his eyes to the kitten from the moment he entered the room, unable to look away. When Er Ya went to feed the cat, Xiao Qi followed.
Lian Manman also wanted to go over, as her eyes were somewhat fixed on the little kitten, but Er Ya’s grandma started a conversation with her.
"Manman, it’s been a couple of months since your granddad and grandma left. Have they sent any word back?" she inquired.
"They’ve sent word back," Manman replied.
Old Master Lian, Lian Shouren, and their group left Thirty Mile Camp, first staying two days in the county town before setting out for Taicang County. Once settled in Taicang County, Old Master Lian wrote a letter back to Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli.
"Are they all right? Are they getting used to living there?" Er Ya’s grandma continued to ask.
"They are all fine, saying it’s hotter than here. They live inside the Yamen in the county town, so they’ve become city folk now, which is much better than living in the village. What’s not to get used to?" Manman answered.
In his letter, Old Master Lian expressed that everything was fine, but the undercurrent conveyed a message. Lian Shouyi and the others didn’t bring much luggage; old blankets and mats were simply left behind, as they would have to buy many things once they arrived—with expenses to be made everywhere.
Furthermore, the residence prepared by the Yamen for the County Magistrate was not large, and with so many older folks moving in at once, it became a bit... cramped.
So many people, once crowded together, create friction...
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Posting the second update, seeking pink hearts.
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Recommended complete book by Ruoyan: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a light house fight farmland tale, with domestic issues and entanglements within a large family.
Book number: 1771214
A direct link is available below; click to go straight there. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendations, monthly tickets, and support, which are my greatest motivations.)
