Chapter 34: Cleaning

◎It seems the old lady has double standards.◎

Aside from the empty house by the river, Second Uncle mentioned that there was another deserted home next to Widow Zhao's place in the village. It had belonged to a widowed elder, but after his passing, no one had lived there. Although people had considered occupying it due to the village's poverty – many families of ten or more squeezed into tiny homes – no one dared to move in after a neighbor tried and faced trouble with Widow Zhao. Eventually, they moved out, and since then, no one else had ventured to live there.

The village chief's old residence was also vacant, but they were not on good terms, so renting that place was out of the question.

Yu Lian said, "From what we've discussed, we don't have much choice. We can only consider the riverside house. Who does it belong to? Should we go take a look while there's still daylight?"

The old lady was hesitant. She wasn't afraid of conflicts but worried about safety, especially with three young children, three defenseless women, a sick son, and herself to protect. "It sounds good, but those wild boars… I'm unsure if it's true. If there really are wild boars coming down the mountain, it might not be safe…"

Upon hearing his mother's concerns, Hua Zhan reassured her, "When I led troops in the wilderness years ago, I encountered wild boars. Although they can cause some damage, it's manageable. We can set up wooden stakes as a fence and place straw dummies around it to deter them."

"If they do attack, you don't need to be afraid. Even though I'm ill, I can protect all of you. If that wild boar dares to come, I'll catch it for a feast."

Hua Zhan rarely displayed such determination lately. His demeanor seemed livelier, and Yu Lian realized that giving her father-in-law something to do would indeed help. With a task at hand, he wouldn't dwell on his worries, and his mental state would improve naturally.

Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, the family decided to rush over and inspect the house. If it was inhabitable, they would clean it and move in immediately to avoid bothering Second Uncle's family.

Uncle Two repeatedly insisted it wouldn't be a bother, but in the end, he led the way. He took his grandson to guide the family, and they found that there weren't many houses by the river; they were rather sparsely distributed. Compared to the dwellings in the village, only a few houses were scattered along the riverbank, each with a considerable distance between them. Yu Lian counted only five houses in total.

Pointing to one of them, Uncle Two explained, "The other houses have owners, but this one is unoccupied. It was initially built for the village schoolmaster. After the wild boar incidents, no one dared to live here anymore, so the place has been empty."

"According to custom, this house belongs to the village. However, the funds for its construction came from the village school. Where did the village school's money come from? When your ancestor, Uncle Bajin, prospered, he purchased ten acres of land, with all its produce dedicated to the village school. That's how the school has been sustained for a hundred years. Since you are direct descendants of Uncle Bajin, there's no need for you to pay for the house. I'll just inform the village chief about this. If you're not afraid of the wild boar, feel free to move in. I'll take care of the rest."

From a distance, the house seemed small, but upon closer inspection, it was fully equipped, albeit compact. It had a decent-sized courtyard that concealed a pigsty, and next to it were two small plots of land suitable for growing vegetables. The fence surrounding the yard was already in place, albeit somewhat dilapidated and unstable.

The main gate of the courtyard was sturdy, but when Uncle Two slapped it, quite a bit of wood debris fell off. He said, "This door has been around for a long time. The wooden planks have been damaged by insects. It needs to be replaced."

The family proceeded inward, entering a spacious reception hall. On the left side of the hall stood a larger main chamber, while on the right were two smaller bedrooms. All were uniformly covered in dust, with spider webs intricately woven across walls, eaves, and door frames. Remarkably, the beds were already in place; after giving them a firm press, the matriarch deemed them sturdy enough not to require replacement. The furniture was scarce, consisting solely of a wooden dining table and chairs in the reception hall, clearly crafted by local villagers, evidenced by the marks of wood smoothing. They were plain, unornamented, yet carried an authentic and antiquated charm.

"Replace the main gate, tidy up the interior, and retouch the window paper. If possible, use excess fabric to create curtains for protection against the wind."

The elderly matron seemed quite content, her face showing no sign of disdain. Only Mrs. Chen and Aunt Mei stood at a distance, neither daring to step inside. The room was small, dimly lit, filled with dust and cobwebs everywhere. For them, it was a psychological hurdle that they couldn't easily overcome; accustomed as they were to the opulence of their days in the Marquis's residence, even though their journey had been bumpy and tumultuous, they had never entered such a dilapidated abode.

After Second Master finished speaking, the matriarch reassured everyone, "We have many hands. If we help each other clean up, we'll be able to settle in tonight."

Second Uncle exclaimed, "Stay here today? There's no need to be in such a hurry. Why the rush? You can stay at my place tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have my daughter-in-law bring her two daughters-in-law to help with the cleaning. We must check if the roof leaks; I'll also have my two grandsons take a look. The doors and windows will need some repair before it's suitable for living. Have you ever lived in a house like this in the capital? You wouldn't know how to do these tasks, so there's no need to rush into moving in."

The elderly lady agreed, "Second Master has thought it through. However, we can still assist with the cleaning. We've all come to the countryside; there's no reason to maintain the airs of the capital."

Although she didn't name names, Mrs. Chen and Aunt Mei, standing by the entrance, stiffened as they realized the comment was directed at them. They exchanged glances, raised their feet, but ultimately retreated without entering.

There might be spiders and insects in there!

Observing this, the elderly lady sighed inwardly. "Please, Second Master, help us arrange for the repairs on the doors and windows."

To save time, the family decided to stay and clean together. Second Master instructed his grandson to return home and ask his wife and daughter-in-law to bring cleaning tools, such as mops, brooms, and buckets. "Ask your brother to come help with the window sealing. The main door is tricky... Tomorrow, go cut some wooden planks and nail them temporarily. They just need to hold up for a while."

Soon, Second Master's grandson arrived with a group of people. His wife and daughter-in-law carried two buckets, filled with old rags, while a few villagers joined them. One carried a hoe, another held a broom, and two others came empty-handed.

Second Master seemed pleased, praising, "At least they have some sense of responsibility. Come, help with the cleaning. Oh, and who can fetch the village chief? I need to speak with him."

A quick-witted child who had accompanied the adults offered, "I'll go call Uncle Village Chief."

Familiar with hard work, the country women swiftly divided tasks among themselves. For instance, Second Master's two daughters-in-law cleaned the house, while their mothers-in-law and other aunts took care of weeding the courtyard. Initially, they wanted to take on the task of wiping tables and chairs as well, but the elderly lady promptly intervened, insisting that they should let others contribute too. How awkward would it be to just stand and watch others work for them? It wasn't like they were their former servants.

The granddaughters-in-law from Second Master's family fetched two buckets of water. Since there was no well in the yard, they had to retrieve it from the river, which fortunately wasn't far away, making the task manageable.

The matriarch herself took up a cloth and, bending down, moistened it with water to wipe the table. Not only did she personally undertake this task, but she also tossed two more cloths to Mrs. Chen and Aunt Mei, instructing them, "Both of you should lend a hand as well; don't just stand idle."

"In the countryside, one must adopt a rural lifestyle, be diligent, and cast aside any airs. Only then can life flourish. Standing idly by, how can you expect others to shoulder your responsibilities for a lifetime? If you don't tend to the crops in the field, how will they grow?"

Mrs. Chen felt deeply embarrassed by the old lady's words, her face flushing with embarrassment.

But how could it be right for a mother-in-law to toil while others stand by? The matriarch, having enjoyed a lifetime of comfort and prestige as the dowager of a marquisate, now finds herself in a dilapidated rural house, compelled to undertake manual labor herself. In light of this, what else could they possibly find fault with or disdain?

Bearing her discomfort, Mrs. Chen entered the room with a rag in hand. As she bowed her head to dip it into the water, she noticed its dark, soiled state. With great effort and awkward, unfamiliar gestures, she began to wipe the table.

What could Concubine Mei do? The matriarch and the head wife had already taken action; could she just stand by idly? Mrs. Chen could still afford to be pretentious, but as a concubine herself, she was little more than half a servant, with no right to such behavior. She had no choice but to hold her nose and join in the cleaning.

Yu Lian observed all this. She also took a cloth and prepared to help wipe. Mrs. Chen and Concubine Mei were too slow and clumsy; they couldn't even clean a table properly after a long while. It made Yu Lian's obsessive-compulsive disorder flare up, so she decided to assist them. If they were left to their own devices, it would take them a month to clean just one room.

As soon as Yu Lian touched the water, the matriarch exclaimed, stopping her from getting wet. "With your delicate skin and tender flesh, you shouldn't be doing this. Just stand aside... No, don't stand here. Go outside to the courtyard where the air is fresh and there's less dust."

Mrs. Chen and Concubine Mei heard this and thought, "...So the matriarch has double standards." To them, she said they were countryside folk who needed to put aside their airs and work, but to her granddaughter-in-law, she treated her like a delicate flower that shouldn't be roughed up and complained about the dust indoors, urging her to go outside for fresh air?

Concubine Mei had originally had no objections to Hua Ji's wife. Moreover, she had contributed significantly to their safe journey, helping to arrange everything with loyalty, affection, and capability. She seemed like an excellent person. However, the matriarch's blatant favoritism made her unable to resist whispering into Mrs. Chen's ear, "The matriarch truly dotes on her, even surpassing you, her mother-in-law, in her affection."

With her head bowed, Mrs. Chen wiped the table, her movements pausing for a moment before she dismissed the matter. "Fen'er is such a kind-hearted girl; it's only right for me, her mother, to dote on her."

Feeling embarrassed by her own curiosity, Aunt Mei regretted her intrusion and decided to remain silent.

With the assistance of the villagers, the dilapidated house and courtyard were soon cleaned and renovated in the span of an afternoon. The village chief arrived rather tardily at this point.