Chapter 33: Settling In

◎ Wooden Father, Wooden Father, Wooden Father! ◎

The rustic meal was far from extravagant, consisting of a thin rice porridge mixed with sweet potato chunks, half-solid and half-liquid. There was stir-fried cabbage, sliced cucumbers, and an egg dish minced with pickled mustard stems, prepared especially for the guests. Each guest was also given half a salted duck egg, causing the children from Uncle Two's family to whine in desire upon seeing them.

Grandma Two swatted them away, but eventually, her daughter-in-law, moved by her grandchildren's longing, sneaked into the kitchen to retrieve one. She pierced the salted duck egg and spoon-fed it to the children. With almost half of the nine kids still young, each took a few salty bites to satisfy their cravings.

Observing this, Yu Lian realized that life here was even poorer than she had imagined. Upon entering, she had noticed the large household of Uncle Two's family and assumed they must be getting by, only to discover that they couldn't even afford to give their children a whole salted duck egg.

Yu Lian had seen glimpses of ancient peasant life through books and TV dramas, some of which were dramatized, yet still depicted similar levels of poverty. However, she had mentally prepared for such conditions. For someone like Mrs. Chen, who was accustomed to a comfortable life in the capital, the reality before her was truly shocking.

Silent for a while, she watched the children's joy as they licked the salted duck eggs. The twins each held half an egg, finishing it in just a few bites. Finding it too salty, they then drank sweet potato porridge, downing half a bowl each. Witnessing this, the two felt a rare sense of embarrassment, lowering their heads to look at their empty hands, now holding only half an eggshell.

Hua Yan pulled out a few pieces of osmanthus candy from his pocket, but there wouldn't be enough for all the children. He asked his brother to contribute as well. Hua Xing pouted, initially reluctant, but remembering that he had first enjoyed the salted egg, he reluctantly retrieved his own candies. These sweets were initially given by Brother Li Xiang to his sister-in-law, who didn't like sugar and passed them on to the twins.

They had been saving the candies all the way, only occasionally taking one to savor in their mouths. Now, they were willing to offer them up.

Hua Yan counted and found that together they had about seven or eight pieces. He picked out five and walked over to distribute them among the little children.

As for the older ones, Hua Yan believed they were grown enough and didn't need sweets anymore. They only gave candies to those younger or around the same age as themselves. The even older children were expected to take care of the younger ones; it would be shameful if the younger ones were giving them candies.

How could these little children have tasted such fine candies before? Each piece was golden yellow, translucent, and adorned with osmanthus blossoms. They hesitated to eat them, with a little girl staring blankly and asking, "Is this candy? Why does it look so pretty?"

At most, they had only tasted malt sugar, which they could only enjoy occasionally during festive seasons. How could they have come across other varieties?

Hua Xing lifted his chin proudly. "This is from our Li Xiang brother. He brought them from the capital, so of course, you've never had them before."

"Wow...the capital...where's that?"

Hua Yan: "..."

Hua Xing: "You really lack knowledge. Let me tell you what the capital is like..."

Yu Lian tugged at the boy whose tail was wagging in triumph. "What's so great about the capital? How dare you speak like that?"

Hua Xing was held back by his sister-in-law, unable to move his small head as he howled for her to let go, "Is it wrong for me to broaden their horizons when they don't understand?"

Yu Lian: "Speak with humility. There's nothing extraordinary about the capital, and there's nothing impressive about you coming from there. Did your brother Li Xiang give you sugar? Put your tail between your legs, speak properly, and behave like a decent person."

After scolding him thoroughly, Hua Xing initially remained defiant. However, catching a glimpse of his father's stern gaze, he quickly pleaded for forgiveness and admitted his mistake. Yu Lian then released him. She suddenly realized an issue – these twins were fundamentally not bad, and even possessed innocent hearts. It was just that they had been born into wealth, with influential fathers and elder brothers. They were accustomed to a life of luxury, with the best of everything, and were often fawned upon. This had cultivated their bratty behavior.

How would they react to seeing country children of their age living such meager lives after abruptly returning from the noble residence in the capital? How should they interact with them? Would they develop a condescending attitude and look down on others out of habit?

If they didn't correct this behavior promptly, it could have a significant negative impact on the entire Huá family, as well as their future establishment here and the formation of their worldview.

She sighed. These mischievous children needed guidance.

But in her previous life, she had been single-mindedly focused on career advancement and had had a few relationships without any intention of marrying or having children. As a result, she lacked experience in parenting.

At that moment, Uncle Two spoke again, "Blockhead, since your family has just arrived, there'll be many things you need to purchase. If you run short of anything, just tell Uncle. We can lend you what we have at home..."

Upon hearing the nickname "Blockhead," Yu Lian looked at her father-in-law. He was the twins' father, and perhaps letting him take on the responsibility of educating the twins would keep him occupied and prevent him from dwelling too much on his eldest son and family matters, which might lead to his spirits plummeting.

The old matriarch had privately confided in her, expressing concern that her son might have been holding on by a thread to protect them during their journey. Once they were truly settled, she feared he might sink into despair once more.

After the meal, the family informed Uncle Two of their intentions and gathered for a brief family meeting.

The main topic was their future life in every aspect.

Hua Zhan looked at his family and said, "We've been through so much on our journey from the capital, and it hasn't been easy. I appreciate your efforts, especially Mother, who, despite her age, endured the hardships with me. As your son, I have failed to ensure you a peaceful and comfortable life in your old age."

The elder lady waved her hand. "Our family being together and alive is the greatest happiness. At my age, life or death doesn't matter as long as I see you all living safely. In my opinion, our Yu Lian has suffered the most. She's a delicate lady, pampered since birth, yet she never complained about the journey, nor did she neglect her duties in caring for me. Mrs. Chen was busy attending to you, and Yu Lian also had to help look after the three children. She couldn't eat or sleep properly. Who has it harder than her?"

Hua Zhan sighed and looked at Yu Lian. "My dear wife, you have indeed been hardworking. Losing the luggage and managing our expenses along the way were your responsibilities. Father has been useless."

Yu Lian shook her head. "Grandmother, Father and Mother, I've already promised my husband to take care of you all. Please don't say such things again. Our priority now is to plan how we will live here. From what I observe, although the village chief lacks understanding, Uncle Two is reasonable. He holds a high status, and even the chief listens to him. We should seek his assistance in the future."

"Moreover, since we plan to settle here, Yu Lian wishes to build a larger house. This way, we won't need to renovate later. It won't be completed within ten days or two weeks. Staying in Uncle Two's house indefinitely, even if he has no objections, might affect others. Perhaps we could ask Uncle Two if there are any empty houses in the village that we can rent temporarily until our new house is ready."

Her suggestion made the elder lady and Hua Zhan ponder.

After a moment, the elder lady nodded. "You're right. Yu Lian, you've thought this through. It wouldn't be appropriate to trouble others for too long, especially since they cleared a room specifically for us. Staying longer could lead to conflicts over food, drink, or shelter. It would be more comfortable for us to live on our own, and we wouldn't owe them this favor, avoiding putting Uncle Two in an awkward position."

While it was gracious of them to offer, it was another matter to impose on them. Uncle Two was undoubtedly a good man, but with four generations under one roof, how could everyone remain completely unbothered?

Hua Zhan nodded. "In that case, I'll go and ask Second Uncle later to rent the house first, then discuss building a new one. How much silver can we afford for construction, daughter-in-law?"

Yu Lian was straightforward. "I had some savings for emergencies which I still have. After our journey, there's over five hundred taels left. We should keep at least three hundred for daily expenses. If possible, I think we should buy fertile fields in the village or start some sort of business so we don't exhaust our resources."

The old lady nodded repeatedly. "We're not familiar with the prices here. Building a house, buying bricks and mud, and hiring villagers for labor – all of these require money. We need to clarify these details before deciding. Lian'er is right, we should save some silver for future livelihood. Our family has just come from the capital; none of us have experience in rural life. Who knows how to farm? Our future livelihood is a major concern. Having silver might seem secure, but it could be riskier than having no silver but knowing how to farm."

After saying this, she looked at her son. "Is it really true that the emperor won't send anyone else? Can we truly settle down peacefully?"

Hua Zhan pondered for a moment before answering, "Although Third Prince pretends to be benevolent, he values his reputation. Since he's already reneged once and made three promises, there's no reason or motive for him to send more people. Otherwise, the court officials would criticize him harshly if word got out."

The old lady patted her chest in relief. "That's good." She suddenly teased her son, "Well, wooden head, hurry up and ask your Second Uncle about these matters."

The twins clapped their hands and chanted, "Wooden head dad, wooden head dad, wooden head dad!"

Hua Zhan: "…"

When Hua Zhan shared the family's plans with Second Uncle, the latter waved his hands, insisting he didn't mind the trouble. "It's only a matter of staying for a while. Just stay comfortably!"

Hua Zhan explained that the boys were energetic, and his daughter-in-law was a young lady, raised as a pampered noblewoman. He worried she wouldn't be accustomed to living with others. "After my eldest son, Hua Ji, encountered trouble, she married into our family. She has shown great kindness and affection towards Hua'er and has been loyal to the Hua family. As her father-in-law, how can I bear to make her uncomfortable?"

Uncle Two let out a sigh. "If that's your wish, then let it be. There's an empty cottage by the river on the eastern edge of the village. It used to have problems with wild boars, so hardly anyone dares to live there."