Chapter 27.1

Translated by Aviana

Looking at his wife wiping sweat for him, Yang Tiezhu’s smile became very brilliant. After a while, upon seeing that she was done with wiping, he hurriedly took the water jug and took it to her mouth, letting her take a sip.

Yao-shi sitting at the side, enviously looked at them.

Yang Tiegen, seeing his wife as such, also hurriedly handed her a water jug.

“Wife, you also take a sip.”

Yao-shi face heated up as she glared at him, flustered. Her usual pale and timid complexion was enveloped with rarely seen bashfulness.

After Yang Tieshuan helped her drink water, she completely collapsed on the ground.

“Father, how about stop it for today, and resume tomorrow.”

Yang laoye sat on the ground and looked at the sky, “Tomorrow? Can the harvesting of the crops be delayed till tomorrow? The sky is pretty clear. It’s better to advantage of it and finish the harvesting.”

老爷子 (lǎoyézi): polite appealation used for elderly male / one’s father

Recalling that he hadn’t seen Wang-shi, “Where is your wife? Where did she run off to? Lao’er’s wife’s body is weak, yet she persisted till now. But in a blink of an eye, there is not even shadow of your wife.” As for Dalang and Erlang, Yang laoye directly overlooked them. In the end, both of them were still kids, them coming here to help them a bit in this busy time, itself was a great thing.

Yang Tieshuan listlessly replied, “How would I know where she went? Wasn’t I with you harvesting at the front?” The words uttered were quite faint without strength.

Yang Tiezhu’s brows pursed. He looked at the flushed face of his wife and said to Yang laoye, “Father, later let my wife and dimei, go back. Eldest sao and all of us can do the remaining work. Anyway, not having two women won’t make much difference.”

After thinking for a while, Yang laoye said, “Okay. In the afternoon, let Lin-shi and Yao-shi go back to take a rest. In the evening, they can come back again to help load the wheat in the ox cart.”

Just as they were speaking, someone for Yang jia came to deliver the lunch. The ones who came were Yang Ermei and Wang-shi.

Wang-shi looked embarrassed. He-shi must have scolded her for goofing off and was once again sent back.

Upon hearing Yang laoye’s words, Wang-shi spoke out from still five-six meters away.

“Father, then I also don’t have to come, right?” The moment Yang laoye saw Wang-shi, his anger swelled up. This husband and wife, both of them, try to evade work stealthily every time. He also didn’t care about it in normal times, but Yang laoye detested people trying to act slippery and evading work especially during harvest time. At this time, his temper was also unusual and irritable.

“Not you. You stay here for me this afternoon.”

Wang-shi’s felt wronged, “When those both can go back, for what reason do I have to stay? Dad, you can’t be partial.”

“For what reason? You are asking me for what reason? You yourself ran away to goof off, and yet you are asking me for what reason?”

Wang-shi immediately stopped speaking. Usually Yang laoye doesn’t say much, but if he says something, he won’t leave any leeway for bargaining. At the least in front of his sons and daughters-in-law.

Wang-shi begrudgingly glared at Lin Qingwan and Yao-shi angrily. Both of them didn’t pay any heed to her, but a trace of smile engaged in their eyes.

Yang Ermei put the basket in her hand on the ground before leaving. Wang-shi also angrily put the basket in her hands down.

Yang Tiezhu walked over, opened the basket, and picked two bowls of meals before walking back to Lin Qingwan’s side. Yang laoye and Yang Tieshuan were also very hungry. As such, one after the other, they too took the food.

All the food was divided properly by He-shi at an earlier time back at home. Everyone gets the same share. But as the work was more tiring, the quantity was also comparatively more.

Yang Tiezhu and Lin Qingwan took a bowl each and started eating after sitting down.

Yang Tiezhu was also extremely hungry, as such he gobbled up quickly. Lin Qingwan had no appetite; for one, it was too hot, and second, the ground under her was too hot, scalding her and making it difficult to bear. Previously, she was feeling a bit dizzy, so she didn’t feel much, but now that the dizziness was gone, the uneasy feeling was too distinct.

But at this moment, she also didn’t have the strength to stand up. As such, she could only sit there on the hot ground and let herself get roasted.

Seeing that Yang Tiezhu had quickly bottomed up his bowl, Lin Qingwan moved her bowl closer to his and added more than half of the rice into his.

“Wife, you are not feeling hungry?” Yang Tiezhu asked before reaching out his hand to her forehead, “Are you still feeling dizzy?”

Lin Qingwan weakly shook her head. “You eat quickly, I don’t have any appetite.”

“After you are done eating, you and third dimei quickly go back. The sun is so bright now. Take a nap for a while.” Not feeling at ease, Yang Tiezhu added.

“I know.”

Lin Qingwan seeing his brows beaded with sweat* as he was eating, hurriedly wiped it.

满头大汗 (mǎn tóu dà hàn): sweating profusely.

Looking at his extremely hungry appearance and then again looking at the bowl of meal without oil and water, Lin Qingwan was truly dumbfounded in her heart.

Lin Qingwan was really speechless by He-shi. In the usual times, it was fine, but in this period of time, they would need more stamina, yet still have to eat this kind of food every day. They are women, so it was okay, but how would these several men who have to do a lot of physical labor be able to endure?

Lin Qingwan was distressed to death in her heart and couldn’t eat any rice. So, she simply emptied out her bowl into Yang Tiezhu’s. Yang Tiezhu wanted to say something, but looking at his wife’s sickly appearance, he knew that she didn’t have much appetite to eat. Thinking of those pastries at home he had bought for her, which she can eat if she was hungry, he felt rest assured.

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