Chapter 51 - Impudent Scoundrel ◇

◎Uncle Log is truly terrifying◎

The moment the Hua family's gate opened the next day, they found Sanshu already squatting there, his entire being covered in dew. Aunt Mei was startled and took a few steps back, asking what he was doing here?

Feeling a bit bashful, he scratched his head and said, "My wife told me that Miss Lian'er asked me to come and haul goods. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep half the night, so I hurried over early."

Aunt Mei glanced at the courtyard outside, spotless without a single weed. Then she saw a pile of freshly pulled grass with soil still clinging to their roots. Her lips twitched. "You pulled these too?"

Sanshu grew even more embarrassed. "I came early and did it on a whim."

Summer days naturally dawned earlier. Aunt Mei had to rise early to cook, but when she looked up, it wasn't even fully daylight yet. She could only imagine how early this fellow must have arrived; perhaps he had come in the middle of the night.

Opening the door to let him in, she said, "Lian'er hasn't woken up yet. These days, she's been busy until very late. The Old Lady doesn't allow us to disturb her, saying she needs more rest. You'll have quite a wait."

Sanshu maintained a cheerful smile, assuring her that it was no problem.

"I'll go help them with something for a while. I can wait patiently; there's no rush."

Arriving in the middle of the night, he wasn't being impatient at all.

Aunt Mei secretly chuckled to herself but decided against exposing this naive country bumpkin.

In the family, only she and Little Guo'er were responsible for the kitchen duties. However, she woke up early, while Guo'er, being a child, slept more. Thus, at that moment, no one else was awake. She turned and walked towards the kitchen, while Sanshu rolled up his sleeves, strolled around the courtyard, and took care of feeding the chickens and pigs for them.

By the time he finished these tasks, Aunt Mei had cooked the meal, and the family began to rise one by one.

First, Hua Zhan got up and practiced with a wooden sword in the yard to loosen his muscles. Then, Mrs. Chen helped the elderly matriarch out.

Upon Hua Zhan's appearance, Sanshu heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't dare engage in much conversation with Uncle Mu's concubine, but with Uncle Mu, he felt more at ease, given their shared history of horse-drawn carriage rides. Thus, he sat on the steps beneath the eaves, watching him practice swordplay. When Uncle Mu finally paused, Sanshu approached to strike up a conversation.

"Uncle Wood, your sword dance is exquisite. What technique is that?"

A mere mention of the word "dance" caused Hua Zhan to frown. He murmured softly, "A move that kills."

Sanshu was startled, instinctively taking a half-step back. Though Uncle Wood's tone was calm and his voice didn't rise, Sanshu felt an inexplicable fear in that moment. A chill ran down his spine, prickling the hair on his arms. He rubbed his arm and chuckled, "Uncle Wood, you're really something..."

He then recollected that Uncle Wooden, once an imperially high-ranking and power-wielding marquis, was rumored to have seen battlefields himself. The skills in his hands were genuine, lethal techniques capable of taking lives.

"Sword dancing is for entertainment, while sword practice is for killing. A day without practice makes the hand rusty."

Hua Zhan's latter remark only served to intimidate the young man to the point of weakness. If not for the task entrusted by Yu Lian, he would have fled on the spot.

Uncle Wooden was terrifying, truly terrifying!

After casually correcting himself, Hua Zhan walked to the well, drew some water, and freshened up before returning to his room for breakfast. He called out to Sanshu as he did.

Sanshu leaned against the doorframe, too scared to enter. He whispered, "What's going on?"

"Whatever Uncle Wooden asks me to do, I'll do it. Just don't kill me," Sanshu pleaded.

Hua Zhan responded, "...Have you had breakfast yet?"

At that moment, Aunt Mei entered from behind, carrying a basket of steamed buns and giggling silently. "He came to our house before dawn; he mustn't have eaten yet."

So, Hua Zhan invited him to join them for breakfast.

"Looking for my daughter-in-law?"

Sanshu still stood by the door, too timid to enter, yet foolishly nodded in agreement.

Hua Zhan didn't start eating upon sitting down; she would wait until the entire family was seated before picking up her chopsticks – it was a matter of etiquette.

Turning back, she invited Sanshu into the room, "Have a seat and let's talk."

With a pained expression, Sanshu tiptoed into the room. Seeing only two long benches by the table, he understood that there was only enough space for his family. He didn't dare to take a seat directly, occupying the host's place out of politeness, and more importantly, Uncle Wood was still sitting there!

He fetched a small wooden stool from outside and sat down, placing his hands obediently on his knees. With his head bowed and motionless, he was more well-behaved than when he was a child attending the village school, fearful of being punished by the teacher's ruler.

When the matriarch and Mrs. Chen finished their ablutions and joined them, they saw the young man sitting there meekly, exuding a hint of vulnerability. They suspected that Hua Zhan might have upset him, and both shot concerned glances in her direction.

Hua Zhan: "..."

The family sat down, but no one reached for their chopsticks. Aunt Mei brought over a large pot of porridge and served each person a small bowl. As she was about to serve Yu Lian, the matriarch glanced at her granddaughter-in-law's room and stopped her, "Lian'er has been exhausted lately. Let's wait for her; there's no rush to serve."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the door opened, and Yu Lian emerged, calling out to her grandmother and parents. Noticing that she had risen early, a rarity for her, the elderly matriarch's heart ached as she exclaimed, "Why didn't you sleep more? Lian'er, you should rest longer; your father is keeping an eye on those matters for you."

These past days, how has Granddaughter-in-law managed to carry on alone with all these matters, the old matriarch has been watching closely. While she is astonished by her granddaughter-in-law's capability, she feels even more pained for her.

For a young maiden to be burdened with so many responsibilities, how could she not feel weary?

One could only wonder how the couple from the Wei Duke's residence, Yu Sanlang and his wife, had raised their daughter to possess such qualities. Perhaps in the bustling capital, her character might have been indistinguishable, but here in the countryside, amidst challenging conditions, it became evident what kind of granddaughter-in-law they had.

She innately possessed the ability to handle any situation with ease.

Be it constructing houses or taming wilderness, even if she was previously clueless, she could now manage these tasks efficiently, grasping the overall direction. Even at her youthful age, she wouldn't have dared to claim that she could have managed similarly back then.

When Yu Lian returned from her ablutions in the courtyard, she noticed the grandmother's gaze filled with affectionate tenderness, and she instructed Aunt Mei to serve a bowl of steamed egg custard.

"I've asked Aunt Mei to prepare one for you every day, Lian'er. Eat well and take care not to exhaust yourself."

The twins watched eagerly from across the room. Little Guo'er, understanding her sister-in-law's hard work, refrained from showing any envious expressions and echoed, "Eat up, Sister, it will strengthen your body."

If Yu Lian were aware of the grandmother's thoughts, she might have smiled wryly. How could this workload compare to her past? When she worked for the capitalists, without connections or background, she, as a fresh graduate, had to strive relentlessly just to make a name for herself, all for the sake of promotion and salary increments. That was true hardship – enduring humiliation during the day and studying late into the night to gather information for the company's benefit. She had researched company policies, scouted talents discreetly, and made countless efforts behind the scenes. Compared to those days, her current situation was mere child's play.

Now, she was effectively the boss and employer, with the villagers working for her. She merely oversaw and directed the general course of things; it couldn't be considered exhausting. Moreover, knowing that she was creating a comfortable environment and home for her future, she found joy in the process. How could she complain about being tired?

As the family gathered for dinner, the grandmother called for Aunt Mei to serve a portion to the young man sitting nearby, encouraging him to enjoy his steamed buns slowly.

Sanshu truly broadened his horizons; he learned that in Uncle Wood's family, they only began eating when everyone was present, unlike in his own home or any other in the village, where meals were consumed as soon as hunger struck, like ravenous wolves pouncing on their prey. Who would waste time? Upon seeing the white rice porridge, steamed buns, and even a serving of steamed eggs on the table, who wouldn't devour them eagerly?

Seeing Aunt Mei offering him two large white steamed buns, he hastily waved his hands, declining.

"I'm not hungry, I've already eaten." Steamed buns made from refined flour were precious. Even those sold for a coin at the village bakery were smaller than these by half. How could he have the heart to consume them?

Yu Lian then noticed Sanshu's presence. "Eat first, we'll talk later after you finish."

Yu Lian hadn't expected Sanshu to arrive so promptly. Originally, she had anticipated Hua Sanduo's return within a day or two.

After the meal, she spoke with Sanshu, asking him to drive the carriage into town to find Hua Sanduo, sparing him the need to make another trip back.

Sanshu immediately agreed, "Miss Lian'er, don't worry, I'll do my best."

Driving the carriage was Sanshu's favorite task. Fondly patting the horse's head, he ignored its snort and cheerfully drove the carriage out of the Hua family courtyard, at a time when the villagers were all busy working.

Upon seeing Sanshu driving the carriage, they cast envious and curious glances his way. Those nearby asked what he was up to.

"Did Lian'er give you some task to do?"

Sanshu grinned widely with delight. "Yes, I went to town to run errands for Miss Lian and help her transport goods."

This job was excellent. Driving the carriage only required him to sit on top while the horses did the work, as long as they behaved. Besides, with such a grand carriage, he drew many envious gazes along the way.

Dashu's wife was also surprised. Her sister-in-law hadn't found employment, yet she had somehow arranged a job for her husband?

In Town —

After circling around for quite a while, Sanshu finally found Hua Sanduo. At that moment, he was sprawled across a table at a roadside tavern, snoring loudly. The waiter's brows were knitted in distress. Seeing Sanshu looking for someone, his eyes lit up. "Is this your brother? Take him away, take him away! He came here to drink with a bunch of people yesterday. Everyone left, but he refused to go, falling asleep right here! Isn't he causing trouble for us?"

Sanshu's eyebrows furrowed in anger. Miss Lian trusted Hua Sanduo so much that she had given him such an important task, yet this was how he repaid her?

He had taken Miss Lian's money to drink and not only delayed the business but also wasted silver. It was utterly outrageous!

With a sour expression, he walked over and shook the drunken Hua Sanduo awake. "If you don't get up now, I'll drag you straight to see Miss Lian! How could you do this? Have you finished the tasks Miss Lian entrusted you with? How could you get drunk here all night?"

Half-asleep, Hua Sanduo recognized Sanshu from their same village. He burped, releasing a stench of alcohol that wrinkled Sanshu's face in disgust.

"Hua Sanduo?" he slurred. "Why are you here?"