Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Wang Youcai's face turned red after being scolded by his father, but he still defiantly said, "Why can Third Younger Brother do it, but we can't? We're all born from the same parents, so what makes me and Elder Brother any different?"

Afraid of getting scolded, Wang Youliang quickly distanced himself from the situation, saying, "If you want to go, say you're going, but don't drag me into it." He knew he didn't have the ability. Just managing to farm his own land was already hard enough. In recent years, he had also learned the craft of treating livestock from the old man, so he didn't plan on going to Prefecture City.

Mother Wang could no longer stand by and watch. "If you have the ability, go by yourself. No one's stopping you. Don't spend all your time thinking about mooching off your brothers. They've come back after a long journey; as their elder brother, shouldn't you ask if they're tired instead of just thinking about what you can get from them? You're really getting more and more backward!"

Wang Youcai was so embarrassed that he put down his chopsticks and left the room.

"What a disgrace!"

"Alright, Father, don't be angry."

"Yes, yes, Third Brother has come back after a long time. Let's eat." Wang Youliang, having grown older in recent years, was no longer as hot-tempered. Besides, he had missed Third Brother a little, so he started chatting with him about family matters.

Next door, Lu Yun brought the children back to the house he used to live in. The house had been regularly cleaned by the old lady, but there were still many cobwebs, and dust had settled on the kang and the cabinets.

Lu Yun had the two children play at the door while he took a broom and started cleaning.

Jinz, accompanied by his younger brother, gazed around the yard with curiosity. He had some recollections of the place, but not many, for he had departed when he was very young.

After playing in the yard for a while, they heard quarreling and a child crying from the room next door.

"If you have anger, vent it on them, why hit the child?"

"How did I end up with such a disgraceful bunch!"

Li wailed loudly, "I gave birth to disgraceful children, so go find someone less noticeable. See if they'll want you!"

"Shut up! If you hadn't given that stupid advice to ask Third Brother if he's making money in Prefecture City, we wouldn't have been scolded by our parents!"

"Who am I doing it for? Myself? No, it's for these kids so they can eat well, dress well, and live a rich life."

"Spare me that. Am I starving you, or are you walking around naked?"

Li was furious and, not daring to vent her anger at her husband, turned to take it out on Lu Yun and Wang Youcai.

Cursing, she said, "We're all born from the same mother. How can you be so heartless? You're living a good life but won't even give your own brother a sip of soup! No wonder you can't have sons; you'll die without descendants!"

As luck would have it, Guo, with her two daughters, had just returned home that day and heard the remark as soon as she entered the yard.

Having no sons had always been Guo's sore point, and hearing her sister-in-law curse like that set her off.

"You lowlife, who are you calling disgraceful?" Guo, being loud and quick-tempered, misunderstood and thought the insult was directed at her. She grabbed a hoe from beside the house and started hitting it towards the second room.

"Big, Big Sis, what are you doing!" Wang Youcai reached out to stop her.

"Pah! You two shameless ones, who are you calling childless? I think you're the ones who'll die without descendants, and your eldest son will end up dead outside!"

Li, hearing this, also exploded, rushing over to tear at her hair, and the two fought fiercely.

Lu Yun quickly pulled the two children into the house. When they lived together before, they had suffered enough from these two families' drama, and he had no intention of getting involved again.

Others who heard the commotion came over to break up the fight. Li, being pregnant, went into labor from all the commotion and her water broke...

Old Man Wang, furious, slapped both Wang Youcai and Wang Youliang. Mother Wang covered her face and cried, "What a sin!"

Everyone quickly carried her into the house. Wang Youcai ran to the village to call for the midwife.

Li gave birth very quickly to her fourth son. The midwife hadn't arrived yet, and it was Mother Wang who cut the umbilical cord.

Guo was so angry she lay down on the kang and refused to get up.

Wang Youcai, seeing his two silent brothers, had a real headache. He hadn't expected the two to have grown so distant over the years.

*

Lu Yun and his wife only stayed for one night before heading to Lujia Village the next day. They really couldn't stay; just listening to the daily quarrels in the yard gave them a headache.

Along the way, Lu Yun held Yinz's hand and said, "Do you know why they fought yesterday?"

"I don't."

"Your second sister-in-law was originally cursing us for being childless, but your first sister-in-law overheard and thought she was being insulted, which is why they fought."

Wang Youcai's face darkened. "Don't listen to her nonsense. What does 'childless' mean? I have Jinz-zi and Yinz-zi. The children they have in the future will all be my grandchildren."

"That's true, but she was still too harsh. Haven't we had a hard time outside these years? Yet with just a few words, we're accused of not helping our brothers. How can there be such people?"

Wang Youcai sighed, "Sigh... there's a lot I don't care about, but I still respect Elder Brother and Second Brother. They took good care of me when I was young. I've been carried on Elder Brother's back since I could remember... Who would have thought it would come to this?"

Lu Yun comforted him, "Don't feel too bad. If other people in the village can get by, why can't they? It's just jealousy because we're living a better life, and they're not comfortable with it."

Wang Youcai had completely given up on the idea of bringing both families to Prefecture City. With those troublesome sisters-in-law, who knows what kind of mess they'd cause in the city.

When they returned to the Lu family's home, they happened to be repairing the roof. Wang Youcai quickly stopped the cart to help.

Lu Lin and Zhao Beichuan climbed onto the roof to replace the rotten thatch with new grass.

The rainy season was approaching in June, and if they didn't replace the thatch, the house would definitely leak.

Lu Yun took the children inside first and went to the kitchen with Third Brother and his wife to knead dough for meat buns at noon.

Lu Yao washed his hands and prepared to chop the bun filling.

The filling was pure meat with some chopped scallions and leeks. The pig they had slaughtered needed to be eaten quickly before it spoiled in the hot weather.

Hu Chunrong asked, "How was your trip back? Are Wang's parents in good health?"

"They're fine, but the old lady's hearing isn't as good as it used to be, and sometimes she can't hear what's being said."

This is just how it is when you get older.

Hu Chunrong added, "Didn't your brother and sister-in-law in Prefecture City ask how you're doing?"

Bringing up the topic, Lu Yun recounted what had happened the previous day to his third brother and sister-in-law, leaving the two stunned.

"In the early years, those two bullied me together, but now that I'm gone, they have no one to bully and end up fighting like dogs!" Lu Yun felt a sense of revenge.

Lu Yao frowned and said, "With this commotion, there's a chance your old man and lady might not be able to leave."

Parents are like that; no matter how bad it gets, they are still their own children. They can't just watch their own brothers become enemies.

Lu Yun was also worried about this. They wanted to bring the elders to Prefecture City for their old age, but the elders still couldn't let go of their other sons, and there was no solution for now.

Lu Yao said, "Don't worry about this for now. When I have time in the next few days, I'll accompany you back."

"Good!" Lu Yun immediately felt reassured. Third Brother was so capable; listening to him would surely be the right choice.

After lunch, Ge Changbao was going to settle the soldiers in town. These men had slept on mats on the ground yesterday and hadn't rested well, so they were placed in the post station in town to rest for a few days.

Zhao Beichuan was familiar with the post station in town, so he went with him.

The two of them drove the carriage to the post station where they used to deliver tofu. Just as they arrived, Xu Zhan was there. He actually recognized Zhao Beichuan, "Hey, isn't this the tofu seller? I heard your family moved to Prefecture City. How are you doing now?"

Zhao Beichuan said, "We're doing well, thank you for your concern, Mr. Xu."

"Has your husband returned?"

"Yes, the old lady at home was homesick, so we came back for a visit."

"Are you still selling tofu in Prefecture City?"

"No, we've opened a restaurant." Zhao Beichuan didn't want to show off, but his demeanor was different from the past. Standing there, he looked dignified and clearly like someone who had been raised in wealth.

After settling the soldiers, Zhao Beichuan and Ge Changbao left. Mr. Xu watched as the two boarded the large carriage at the door and couldn't help but sigh, "People cannot be judged by their appearance, and the sea cannot be measured with a bushel. That poor boy has become a rich man in the blink of an eye!"

The two strolled around the town. Qiushui Town was so small that there wasn't much to see, and the food sold there wasn't appealing, with goods being scarce.

Zhao Beichuan said, "I didn't think it was bad when I lived here, but now that I've seen the prosperity of Prefecture City, this place feels shabby."

Ge Changbao laughed, "You think this is bad? When we were on rotation in Ying Prefecture, that was a truly harsh place. The cloth sold there was coarse, and wearing it would chafe your thighs. Meat was scarce too, and when we occasionally came across a household selling pigs or sheep, the officers would fight over it, wanting to buy it to nourish their soldiers."

"In that case, Qiushui Town is quite nice."

"It really is. There are no wars here, and the people live in peace. When I get old, maybe I'll bring Lu Miao back here to retire."

Zhao Beichuan was tempted by his words, "Then when that time comes, Lu Yao and I will come back too, build a house next to you, and we can farm and hunt. That wouldn't be bad."

The more they talked, the more amused they became, and they couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Mentioning hunting, Zhao Beichuan couldn't help but boast about the 200-jin wild boar he hunted on the mountain, "That boar was so big, its tusks were as long as my forearm, and it could shake a tree that two people hugged!"

"How did you catch it?"

"I sharpened a spear and hid in a tree, watching the boar fight with several wolves. The wolves injured it, and I took the chance to stab its neck. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to provoke it."

Ge Changbao said, "That's nothing. There was a kid in our camp who shot a tiger with a bow. It was a real spotted tiger, weighing over 500 jin! He shot one arrow into the tiger's neck and another into its eye, and the tiger roared for three days before it died. Its roars were terrifying."

The tiger's hide was later presented to the palace in Shang Jing by the Northern Pacification King. Ge Changbao had seen it once; the fur was glossy, thick, and heavy, over ten feet long!

The two of them bragged all the way home, where several children were playing a game of leapfrog in the yard. One child bent over, and another jumped over them. The older children jumped well, while the younger ones could only watch enviously from the side.

Ge Dandan was anxiously pacing around. Ge Changbao walked up and lifted his son over his shoulder, and the little one was finally happy, "Dad, ride the big horse, ride the big horse!"

In the afternoon, Zhao Beichuan and Ge Changbao, along with a group of children, went to the river to catch fish and shrimp.

The water was only as deep as an adult's knees, so there was no danger of drowning, and the weather was warm enough that wet clothes didn't feel cold.

Lu Lin and Wang Youtian stayed home to repair the fallen fence.

Sitting on the steps sunbathing, Lu's mother watched her son and son-in-law work and said, "Why bother fixing it? If it's fallen, let it be."

Lu Lin wiped his sweat, "We have time, so we might as well fix it. It'll save us from thieves."

The old lady chuckled, "What can thieves steal? There's nothing valuable left in the house."

"Several sickles and an iron shovel are missing from the barn."

The old lady was philosophical, "Let them be gone. We're not farming anymore."

Lu Lin smiled without saying anything. In truth, he just wanted to keep some memories. This house had been his home since childhood and held too many memories.

He remembered the time when his older brother led him and Lu Yao to climb a tree to pick fruits, only to fall and break his leg. He remembered farming and fertilizing with his father and the day Chunrong, veiled in red, walked into their courtyard as his bride.

He didn't want this house to fall into disrepair.

The two worked for the entire afternoon, finally repairing all the fences and reinforcing even the undamaged parts.

As dusk approached, Ge Changbao carried his son on his back, and Zhao Beichuan carried Xiao Yinzi, leading the other children back. They brought with them half a bucket of fish and shrimp.

Lu Yao took a look and said, "Well, since it's this fresh, let's not waste it. We'll fry some fish and shrimp cakes for you all tonight."

They coated the small fish and shrimp with flour, added a bit of salt, and fried them in oil. The cakes were fragrant and crispy, and the children loved them.

After dinner, everyone sat in the yard to digest and chat. Xiaonian led the children in catching fireflies, placing them in cloth bags where they flickered beautifully.

The sound of crickets and the croaking of frogs in the fields harmonized together. The evening breeze was gentle, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars. Tomorrow should be a nice day again.

At night, when it was time to sleep, it was still Lu Yao, his two younger brothers, and their mother who slept in the main room, while Zhao Beichuan, Ge Changbao, Lu Lin, and Wang Youtian slept on the large kang in the east room with Xiaochun.

Hu Chunrong and Xiaonian led the four children to sleep in the west room.

Grandma Lu fell asleep early again, and the three brothers whispered softly.

Lu Yun said, "This trip reminds me of when Third Brother came back. Back then, the fifth one wasn't married yet, and we hadn't gone to Prefecture City."

"Yes, it's been six years in the blink of an eye." Time is really not to be trifled with. In the blink of an eye, I've been in this strange era for nine years.

Lu Miao muttered in a low voice, "Mother's snoring is still as loud as ever."

Lu Yao and Lu Yun couldn't help but laugh. Although they could meet every month in Prefecture City, they had limited time together as they were all busy with their own businesses, so they rarely had the chance to chat.

"Third Brother, aren't you and your husband considering having children? I saw how precious he held that silver today."

Mentioning this, Lu Yao was also a bit helpless. "We're not against it. Last year, I saw a doctor who checked my pulse and said there was nothing seriously wrong with my body. Da Chuan is also fine, but for some reason, there's been no sign."

Lu Yun turned over and lay on his pillow. "How about trying a folk remedy or finding a Taoist priest who can tell fortunes? I've heard that if the date and time of the wedding are not right, or if there's some kind of conflict, it can affect having children."

Lu Yao didn't believe in these things, but he suddenly remembered something. He reached out and pulled out the copper coin from around his neck. It had been hanging there for almost five years. The Taoist priest had told him to return it after five years and to help renovate the Taoist temple. When he goes back this time, he really should go to the temple and take care of that.