Chapter 112 - 113: Each With Their Own Thoughts

Chapter 112: Chapter 113: Each With Their Own Thoughts

Gaoling Village

"Mother, Seventh and his wife have been gone for so many days. You don’t think something’s happened, do you?" After finishing his work in the fields, Gu Yuanjin took a stroll to the village entrance. Seeing the house still bolted shut, he anxiously went to find Li Cuicui.

"What could happen to them?" Li Cuicui spread the freshly washed wild vegetables on a winnowing basket. "Seventh has his own business to attend to. You don’t need to worry for nothing."

"Mother, how is this worrying for nothing? Don’t you know the village is already full of gossip? They left a perfectly good field unplanted. What are they going to eat in the future?" Gu Yuanjin grew anxious thinking about how Seventh and his wife had only sown the seeds in their field before leaving it unattended.

Li Cuicui put down her work. "They know what they’re doing. But you, don’t be so naive about everything. Your wife has been listless for days. What is she trying to pull?

Le Tian and the Le Family are just temporarily unable to find their way home. Besides, didn’t we leave a message for them in the Prefecture City? She can’t just dump all the household chores on you, can she?

Speaking of gossip, I’ve heard plenty about your household lately. You and Le Di shouldn’t keep coddling her."

Gu Yuanjin replied, "I know, Mother. It’s just that the children’s mother is worried about our two kids. She can’t eat or sleep well, and with her health so poor, we don’t dare let her work in the fields."

Li Cuicui shook her head. "If you ask me, her life has been too easy these past few years. She’s just finding excuses to be lazy.

Haven’t you noticed winter is coming? The firewood for the house needs to be prepared. Go discuss it with your brothers and figure out when you’ll chop the firewood for your father and me. Don’t make me come knocking on your door when it starts snowing."

Gu Yuanjin said, "Mother, I’ve been thinking about that too. Once I’m done with the work in the fields, I’ll go to the back mountain and chop some."

Although the trees the villagers had cut down earlier were dried and stored, it was far from enough to face a truly harsh winter.

After Gu Yuanjin left, a flicker of worry finally crossed Li Cuicui’s eyes. ’Seventh and his wife have been in the city for so many days. They haven’t really run into trouble, have they?’

"Eldest Brother, did you find anything out? Why isn’t Seventh back yet?" Gu Yuanhuo, who lived not far from Gu Yuanjin, saw him coming and hurried over to block his path.

"Mother doesn’t know either. If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back." Gu Yuanjin, with his hands behind his back, tried to walk around him but was blocked again.

"Eldest Brother, what do you think Seventh and his wife are up to? How did they suddenly get so wealthy?"

Gu Yuanjin glanced up at him. "Hasn’t it been said? Seventh Sister-in-law’s ancestors left her something. And aren’t you the one who’s been hiding your wealth? You managed to build a house so quietly."

’It would be a lie to say Gu Yuanjin didn’t feel a sting of resentment, knowing that among all the brothers, his own house was the worst built.’

’Now, seeing his third brother trying to use him as a pawn again, Gu Yuanjin could only take a deep breath and suppress his frustration.’

Gu Yuanhuo rubbed his hands together. "That’s just because Mrs. Li is diligent and frugal. We saved up bit by bit.

But we only managed to build two tile-roofed rooms. It’s nothing like Seventh’s six-room tile-roofed house. That’s one of a kind in this village."

Speaking of this, Gu Yuanhuo felt even more resentful.

’How could Seventh, who used to be so much worse off than him, suddenly leap so far ahead?’

"You should be content. Your sister-in-law and I had to scrimp and save just to build one room. If there’s nothing else, I need to get back." Gu Yuanjin didn’t want to listen to these sour remarks. ’I’m the eldest brother, yet I’m worse off than any of them. Who can I even complain to?’

’Besides, he was their eldest brother. Did they really think he couldn’t see through their little schemes?’

Ancient Wen Heng had just completed the formal student acceptance ceremony when the headmaster, who cherished talent, told him to stay behind immediately.

He looked at Jin Qianqian guiltily. "Qianqian, will you be okay going back by yourself?"

Jin Qianqian took the Little Donkey’s rope from his hand. "Why wouldn’t I be? Don’t forget, this stubborn donkey listens to me more. If it refuses to walk, I’ll just dangle a carrot in front of it, close enough to see but not to eat.

Besides, it’s not that far from here. You go on in and don’t worry. When does your class end? Do you need me to come pick you up?"

Ancient Wen Heng was still worried about Jin Qianqian. Although they had managed to drive the donkey cart together, stumbling along the way, he couldn’t feel at ease letting her do it all by herself.

"Wait for me. I’ll go ask the master for a leave of absence and take you home first."

He turned to go back inside but was pulled to a stop by Jin Qianqian. "If you’re so worried, I’ll just lead the donkey back on foot. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Besides, we’ve walked this long road together before. A short trip of a few miles isn’t going to be too much for me to handle."

Without waiting for Ancient Wen Heng to reply, she tugged the Little Donkey along. "Let’s go! Come back with me, and there’ll be plenty of carrots for you."

Ancient Wen Heng was speechless.

Leading the Little Donkey with one hand, Jin Qianqian admired the pastoral scenery. The rice paddies, planted in the fall, were already beginning to blossom.

’Thinking of the vegetable seeds she had hastily watered and planted at home, Jin Qianqian felt a little guilty. They had been away for so many days. With the nourishment from that spring, they shouldn’t have dried up and died, right?’

’Now that her husband was in the academy, their return would be delayed even further. It seemed she would have to ask someone else to look after their land from now on.’

She silently mulled over potential candidates, not noticing that a half-grown child was following her from a distance.

"Miss Gu, you’re back." Just as she reached the corner, she ran into her new neighbor, Aunt Xiao. "Didn’t you leave with your husband?"

Jin Qianqian didn’t mind the other woman’s gossipy nature and said with a smile, "I just dropped my husband off at the academy. He has to stay there to study with his master. I saw it was still early, so I came back on my own."

Aunt Xiao looked surprised. She had assumed they were just ordinary folk, but it turned out he was a man of letters. "Your husband is a scholar?"

"My husband has already passed the exam to become a child student, and he’s preparing to work even harder."

"Oh! So you’re a future Scholar and a Scholar’s wife! I never thought this old woman would one day be neighbors with a Scholar." Aunt Xiao’s face immediately broke into a wide smile. "To tell you the truth, we’re also preparing to send our little grandson to the academy."

Jin Qianqian nodded. "That’s wonderful. I saw your boy before. He’s such a sturdy and clever little fellow. He’ll definitely have a bright future. You’re going to have a blessed life."

Hearing her beloved grandson praised, Aunt Xiao’s eyes crinkled into thin lines. "I’ll take that as a blessing! As it happens, I just harvested a few heads of cabbage. Take a couple back with you. They’d be perfect for stewing with meat."

Jin Qianqian held up her hands to refuse. "Oh, I couldn’t possibly. I bought a lot of vegetables this morning. It would be a shame if we can’t finish them."

Aunt Xiao put the cabbage back. "Are you sure you don’t want them?"

Jin Qianqian shook her head. "It’s just my husband and me at home right now. If we can’t finish the food, it’ll go to waste."

"Alright then. In the future, if you want some, just come to my backyard and pick them. I’ve planted quite a lot..."