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Chapter 125 of 178

Chapter 64.2

6 min read1,398 words

Translated by Aviana

Post supper, Yang-shi arranged a room for the two children to settle down. After doing so, she walked back to the main room and sat in front of the kang, intending to listen to her son explain the ins and outs of the matter.

Glancing at Yang-shi’s appearance, Xia Dacheng understood that he wouldn’t be able to keep her in the dark anymore. It was impossible to hide it from the outset. Thus, he began retelling the recent happenings in detail without omitting anything.

‘Pei!’ While listening, Yang-shi couldn’t help but curse at the malicious owner. Nevertheless, Yang-shi was clearly aware that in this matter, the best they could do was just curse him to relieve their anger; revenge wasn’t something they could afford. They were all peasants; the other person could have them killed with just a flick of his finger.

Once she was done listening to the entirety of the matter, Yang-shi revitalized herself before comforting Xia Dacheng. She then tidied up the room and let the husband and wife have a good sleep.

Yang-shi’s house was a roof-tiled three-bay house. Usually, Yang-shi used the kang in the main room. The east-side room was used by the Xia Dacheng couple whenever they came back, while the west-side room was used by Xia Hongzhi. And Xia Lanju used to sleep with her. But today, Xia Dacheng and his family came back unexpectedly in advance. Yang-shi hadn’t lit the kang in the other two rooms. Thus, for tonight, Yang-shi arranged for the Xia Dacheng couple to use the main room’s kang. For Xia Hongzhi, she placed him in the west room while she carried Xia Lanju to sleep in the east room along with her.

It was already late into the night, yet not a single person in the Yang-shi’s home could fall asleep.

Initially, Xia Dacheng had thought his entire family returning would become a burden to Yang-shi quite a lot, making the days in the future challenging.

But to his astonishment, Yang-shi mentioned that he doesn’t have to worry about trivialities and just properly recuperate, for there was still sufficient silver at home.

Xia Dacheng had a hard time believing it. He wasn’t quite clear of how much silver his mother had. Every year he does provides her annual support. However, even though she has considerable savings, how long could it last to feed such a big family. Especially now that the family’s fields were being cultivated by some tenants. Yang-shi’s income source consisted of the little bit grains that tenant farmers hand her over, a few embroideries that she does in her leisure time, and the annual support he sends her as filial piety.

In order to convince her son, Yang-shi could only mention to him that she and Tiezhu’s wife were doing a small business jointly and were able to make quite a bit of silver every day.

Piqued by curiosity, when Xia Dacheng further questioned her about what small business they were doing, Yang-shi detailed the entire situation. Hearing that his old mother was earning quite a bit of silver every day made Xia Dacheng feel relaxed in his heart, which has been on tenterhooks all along the journey. Although the money wasn’t high, so long as they ate a bit frugally, it wouldn’t be very problematic.

Once the worries in his heart eased, sleepiness overtook him. Although Xia Dacheng’s injuries weren’t fatal, they were nevertheless quite serious. It takes a hundred days for the fractured bones to knit and injured tendons to heal. Thus, he required at least a few months of bed rest.

Before leaving the county, Zhang-shi had his injuries examined at the medical center. The doctor there had prescribed him a wound-healing medicine and a few traditional Chinese medicines. Thus, Xia Dacheng doesn’t have to go to the medical center again. It would be alright as long as he properly recuperated at home and regularly changed his bandages.

Yang-shi was a resilient one. Even though she had lost her husband at a tender age, she was able to raise her son to an adult. Thus, even in the current situation, she didn’t crumble a bit in the face of difficulties. After bolstering herself up, she comforted her still perturbed daughter-in-law and grandkids.

After all, they had returned to their home. And at the very least, they wouldn’t have to fear sleeping outside, shelterless without food and clothing. Besides, Xia Dacheng was merely injured and didn’t threaten his life. Having such an outcome in and of itself was a fortunate matter for Zhou-shi. The entire family’s hearts, which were beset with anxiety upon their arrival, finally calmed down as they began to prepare themselves for their future life here.

The Yang Tiegen couple had been coming over to Yang-shi’s place almost every day as of recently. Thus, they got to know Xia Dacheng and his family’s arrival this day. Glancing at the bed-ridden Xia Dacheng, baffled, they asked Yang-shi about the situation.

Yang-shi narrated to them the entirety of the matter without concealing anything.

Upon hearing Yang-shi’s words, the Yang Tiegen couple was startled and quickly went back to let Yang Tiezhu and his wife know about it.

When Yang Tiezhu and Lin Qingwan heard the situation, they too were shocked beyond words and quickly set off to Yang-shi’s house.

Ever since he had been afflicted with injuries, this was the first time he had stepped out of the courtyard gates. Lin Qingwan helped Yang Tiezhu dress thickly before stepping out. Garbed in a thick cotton-padded jacket, Yang Tiezhu didn’t seem to be injured from outside. But he still couldn’t move his shoulder, and his bandaged arm was tied in a sling over his chest.

During the last visit to the medical center for medication, the doctor had bandaged Yang Tiezhu’s arm and shoulder, a little similar to the slings worn by patients with fractured arms in the modern era. It’s just that there were no bandages in ancient times, so the doctor used a clean white cloth to fix Yang Tiezhu’s fractured shoulder and then draped a cloth around his neck, letting his arm hang over his chest, to prevent any major actions from affecting the bone injury.

Lin Qingwan also dressed warmly. Yang-shi took her arm and supported her while walking, fearing that snow on the road might cause her to accidentally slip and fall down.

A group of people grandiosity marched to Yang-shi’s place, attracting He-shi and Wang-shi’s attention.

However, no one paid any heed to her. Even the honest Yang Tiegen also stopped talking to them whenever he saw them unless He-shi took the initiative to speak. But now, He-shi also didn’t have anything to say to him. Ever since she got the hold of elderly support she needed, He-shi had reverted back to her former treatment of indifference and contempt.

Even Yang laoyezi wouldn’t take the initiative to exchange a few words with them during the few instances they run across. Perhaps, he wasn’t sure what to say to them, or maybe he simply felt too awkward.

At the Yang-shi’s house, no sooner than she saw the two arriving, Yang-shi quickly arranged the seats for Yang Tiezhu and Lin Qingwan, the two vulnerable people, on the kang.

As there wasn’t enough space on the kang to sit, Yang Tiegen and Yao-shi sat below.

Yang-shi then introduced Lin Qingwan to Xia Dacheng and his wife, Zhou-shi. Xia Dacheng was reclining on the kang. His wife, Zhou-shi, seeing them come in, greeted them along with Yang-shi, before sitting back on the edge of the kang beside Xia Dacheng.

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Chapter 64 PART 3 (TEASER)

Yang-shi then called out Xia Dacheng and introduced Lin Qingwan to them as biao shen. Yang Tiezhu, Yang Tiegen, and yao-shi had all met the two children long ago, only Lin Qingwan, who had only married this year, didn’t have the chance to meet the two.

The two kids were brought up in the county, thus had a soft and tender skin, unlike the kids in the countryside. Nevertheless, the main point was that the two were very good-looking, beguiling Lin Qingwan to fall in love with little shota and little lolita.

Taking out the small red envelope she had prepared earlier, Lin Qingwan handed them to the two kids.

— (Bonus) on 5th Feb

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