Chapter 454: Cousin He Yan
“Did they abuse you?”
Seeing her expression, Lu Sheng quickly held her hand and asked.
“Not really.”
At least, they did not confiscate her food and drink. It was just that she did all the ch.o.r.es at home.
As her mother-in-law disliked her, the other sisters-in-law led a more relaxed life than her.
Lu Sheng frowned. “What about Brother-in-law? Uncle helped their family so much. How can he bear to treat you like this?”
If she remembered correctly, He Zhang would send some money to He Yan every other day.
Logically speaking, with that money, He Yan should not have led such a difficult life.
“Sigh—”
He Yan pulled her to the bench and sighed softly.
“I can only blame my weak stomach. I’ve been married for a year, but nothing happened.”
“That’s not a reason for them to mistreat you.”
Lu Sheng said in a deep voice, “When have you suffered like this in the He family? Where’s Brother-in-law? I’ll talk reason to him.”
He Yan shook her head. “He… didn’t come.”
She had already received news of He Qin’s marriage half a month ago. She had mentioned it to Zhao Xian a few times, but he always brushed it off impatiently.
Before they set off, she even mentioned to him again. However, he was unwilling to come over because they did not have money at home.
She had been married for a year. Her father had given her more than ten taels, but Zhao Xian had given them all to her mother-in-law, Mdm Mao.
Mdm Mao was a person who loved money dearly. Most of the time, the money would enter her pockets but not leave.
Unless her family had reached the point where they could not open the pot, she could not even bear to fork out the copper coins to buy an egg.
She had once tried to reason with Mdm Mao, but what she received in the end was Mdm Mao’s intensified suppression of her.
The other sisters-in-law could not bear to see her doing well. When they saw her being suppressed, they gloated and added fuel to the fire, saying all kinds of bad things about her.
Now, the mother-in-law and daughters-in-law had banded together to ostracize her.
She was the person who did the least talking in the family, yet she became the ‘enemy’ of the Zhao family.
When she first got married, her father had tried his best to stop her. Unfortunately, she was mesmerized by Zhao Xian’s sweet words and married him without a care.
It was too late for regrets now.
“Why do you still follow such a person? You can just divorce him.”
With the He family’s current condition, would they still be afraid that no one would marry her?
He Yan suddenly faced her and sized her up for a while. Then, she suddenly smiled.
“Lu Sheng, you’ve changed a lot.”
The girl who used to blush when she saw her had become a lady who was neither humble nor pushy.
Lu Sheng smiled faintly. “People change.”
Her smile disappeared. She held He Yan’s hand and said softly, “Sister Yaner, I’m serious. You’re still young. Zhao Xian isn’t someone you should entrust your life to. You’ve only married him for a year, but he treats you like this. I’m afraid it’ll be even more difficult for you in the future.”
He Yan hurriedly looked out the door. Seeing that everyone was drinking and no one was paying attention to them, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“It’s easy to say. How can divorce be so easily done?”
Her face darkened. “Even if your brother-in-law agrees to the divorce, my mother-in-law will not agree.”
Especially during this period of time, the He family had given them a few times more money than before. How would Mdm Mao give up such a good deal so easily?
In the past, it was five hundred coins a month. Now, it was three taels a month. To the Zhao family, who relied on the heavens for food, this was simply like a rich man had descended from the sky.
“You’re stupid too. How can you give them the money Uncle gave you?”
He Yan married into a village where it would take three days to reach An Mu Village. It was inconvenient to travel there and back.
Since Zhao Xian allowed her to come back alone, he probably did not care about her anymore.
“I have to.”
He Yan’s eyes reddened. “That money can’t even reach me.”
Lu Sheng persuaded her in a low voice. “Don’t go back first when you’re back this time. Let’s see how the Zhao family is doing first.”
“However, if I stay here for a long time, I’m afraid I’ll arouse Father’s, Grandfather’s, and Grandmother’s suspicions. Lu Sheng… This is the path I chose. I’ll accept it no matter how bitter it is.”
As He Yan spoke, she could not help but cry.
Lu Sheng’s head hurt when she heard that. She did not expect He Yan to be so stubborn.
She rubbed her temples and said disappointedly, “Sister Yaner, that family has already treated you like this. Doesn’t your heart feel cold?”
“Of course. How can my heart not feel cold?”
He Yan smiled bitterly and said, “But the Zhao family is not easy to get along with. If we push them too far, we might implicate the He family.”
Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Sister Yan, you… only arrived today, right?”
He Yan nodded. “Yes, I just arrived and haven’t been back for a long time. Seeing Uncle Qin lead such a good life, I’m happy for him too, but…”
She glanced outside the door again and asked Lu Sheng in a low voice, “Lu Sheng, isn’t Uncle Qin’s fiancée Zhang Xiaohua? Why is he marrying Sister Duan?”
She had been married for a year. Other than that one time when she returned home, she had not returned home for a year.
He Zhang was a quiet person. He rarely told her about the family matters, less alone this.
It was not that she was unwilling to return, but she was penniless.
Renting a horse carriage from there to An Mu Village would cost at least one tael. How would she have so much money?
She came back this time because she was more careful and asked the person who delivered the money on He Zhang’s behalf to leave her a tael of silver.
That was why she only knew today that He Qin was marrying Duan Xiang and not Zhang Xiaohua.
“The Zhang family didn’t like Uncle and said that the He family was poor, so they broke off the engagement.”
“What?”
He Yan was puzzled. “Isn’t Uncle Qin doing well?”
Such a big brick house with plants in the courtyard. It should be comparable to a rich family, right?
The Zhang family was only so-so. How did they have the cheek to despise the He family?
Lu Sheng said in a low voice, “Before the engagement broke off, Uncle hadn’t built a new house.”
“I see!”
He Yan sneered. “The Zhang family must be regretting now, right?”
Lu Sheng smiled and nodded.
Just as He Yan thought that she had successfully changed the topic, Lu Sheng changed it again.
“Sister Yaner, I think you need to tell Uncle about your situation. With me around, don’t be afraid of implicating the He family.”
He Yan sighed helplessly and nodded perfunctorily.
“Why are the two of you still sitting inside?”
Lu Sheng was about to persuade her again when Mdm Xu suddenly walked in.
“The table is already set. If you don’t eat now, the dishes will be gone. Hurry up and go out for a hot meal with everyone.”
Mdm Xu smiled at the two of them.
“Granny.”
Lu Sheng stood up and greeted her with a smile.
When He Yan saw Mdm Xu enter, she hurriedly composed herself and forced a smile. “Grandma, I’m not hungry yet.”
After acknowledging Lu Sheng, Mdm Xu looked at He Yan and frowned. “Look at you. You’ve only been away from home for a year. Why have you become so skinny? Did Zhao Xian not give you anything to eat?”
“How can that be?”
He Yan smiled. “I’m not hungry.”
“Where’s Zhao Xian?”
Mdm Xu scanned the room and said coldly, “Isn’t he eating outside? Go and bring him in. I have to say something to him today.”
Her granddaughter was so chubby when she was sent over, but she became like this when she returned. Was the water in the Zhao family made of charcoal?
“He… He had something on and did not come over.”
He Yan replied guiltily.
“Granny, it’s not that Zhao Xian didn’t come over because he had something on. He simply didn’t want to come. Furthermore, Sister Yaner came back secretly this time.”
Lu Sheng ignored the look He Yan gave her and told the truth.
He Yan initially thought that Mdm Xu would flare up on the spot. Who knew that she only took a few deep breaths.
Then, he looked at her calmly and asked, “Is what your cousin said true?”
“Well…”
He Yan opened her mouth and hesitated.
“I understand.”
Mdm Xu patted her head sympathetically and said, “Good child, go ahead. If there’s anything, eat your fill first.”
He Yan pouted aggrievedly and tears flowed down her cheeks.
She wiped her tears and nodded. “Okay.”
Lu Sheng looked at Mdm Xu and sighed softly.
If it weren’t for He Qin’s big day today, she felt that Mdm Xu would have flipped out on the spot.
“Granny, I’ll go out with Sister Yaner first.”
Mdm Xu nodded and smiled. “Go ahead. Good child, it’s been hard on you today!”
Lu Sheng had not slept since last night.
She would either pluck the chicken and duck feathers with the children or choose the vegetables with the women.
Otherwise, she would have to help the young people arrange the banquet tables. She only stopped after the guests had been served.
Mdm Xu and Mdm Zhao had tried to persuade her to rest many times. Although she agreed, her hands were busy.
After Lu Sheng and He Yan left, Mdm Xu went out and secretly told He Hu about this.
When He Hu knew about this, he tried his best to suppress his anger.
He said to Mdm Xu, “Don’t tell Ah Zhang and Ah Lai about this first. Don’t tell Xiao Dong either. We’ll talk about this after Ah Qin’s big day is over.”
“I know.”
Mdm Xu said in a low voice, “This Zhao Xian used to speak sweetly in front of us, saying that he would take good care of Yaner. Now…”
She gritted her teeth. “I’ll never let that Zhao Xian off!”
“Enough.” He Hu reminded her softly. “Keep it down. Don’t let them hear you.”
Mdm Xu snorted coldly and wandered off to entertain the guests.
He Zhang and He Qin were entertaining Lu Zhou and Chu Sihan.
Those people wanted to toast He Qin, but they were afraid of Fu Xianyun’s ident.i.ty, so they could only hesitate on the spot.
He Qin was a sensible person. After speaking to Chu Sihan and the rest, he personally gave a toast to the villagers.
Although the He family had money now, they were still as amiable as before. This warmed everyone’s hearts.
The banquet lasted until nighttime.
As Lu Sheng still had matters to attend to at home, she left An Mu Village with Chu Sihan and the rest that night.
Before she left, she even specially spoke to He Yan. It was unknown if she listened in the end.
Of course, this was not important. What was important was that since Mdm Xu knew about this, she would definitely not allow He Yan to return to the Zhao family.
“Tired?”
Ever since she boarded the carriage, Lu Sheng had been yawning.
When she came, Lu Sheng and the Lu family rode a carriage. When she returned, she rode with Chu Sihan.
After hearing Chu Sihan’s question, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Then sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”
Chu Sihan hugged her and patted her arm lightly.
Lu Sheng answered vaguely. After a while, she started snoring softly.
Chu Sihan smiled lightly and extinguished the candle in the carriage.
When she returned to Liu Yue Village, it was just past midnight.
After sending the Lu family’s siblings back to the Lu family, they returned to town.
As Lu Ran still had to go to school tomorrow morning, he followed Lu Zhou and the rest back to town.
When Lu Sheng woke up, it was already the next morning.
She hurriedly stood up and busied herself after cooking breakfast.
Chili seeds, watermelon seeds, potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes.
After taking out all the items from the s.p.a.ce Bracelet, she started to grow the seedlings.
The breeding ground was in the courtyard. Coincidentally, Aunt Yu and Mdm Fang came over to talk to her. With two more helpers, her efficiency increased a lot.
“Girl, you actually got these strange things.”
Mdm Fang looked at the two baskets of sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes with a curious expression.
“These are sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes. Like potatoes, they can be used as staple food. However, they’re better than potatoes.”
At least, compared to potatoes, Lu Sheng preferred sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes.
“Really?”
Mdm Fang joked, “When they grow out, remember to leave some for me.”
When Aunt Yu heard that, she smiled and said, “Remember to leave some for this aunt too.”
Lu Sheng smiled and nodded. “Definitely!”
“How do I plant this?”
Mdm Fang weighed the sweet potato in her hand and asked suspiciously.
“It’s simple. Just bury them in the ground.”
Lu Sheng put down the hoe and demonstrated to the duo.
After seeing it, the duo nodded in understanding.
When Xiao Yuan Zi, Lu Jiang, and Lu Xin saw this, they also ran over to help.
After planting the sweet potatoes, they planted potatoes.
Lu Sheng planted the chilli seeds and tomatoes alone. She carved out a small piece of land and sprinkled the seeds on it. Then, she spread the remaining rice stalks on top.
When she was done, it was already afternoon.
Lu Sheng made tea and some food for the two aunts.
“Lu Sheng, aren’t you going to plant the bag of seeds on the table?”
Aunt Yu pointed at the sack of watermelon seeds on the table.
“Well, there’s no hurry.”
Lu Sheng smiled and said, “I’ll plant them later.”
“What’s that?” Mdm Fang asked.
Lu Sheng shook her head. “I don’t know either. I’ll know after they grow.”
Watermelons did not exist in this era, so she could not be bothered to explain.
After sending Mdm Fang and Aunt Yu off, Lu Sheng took her sickle and bamboo basket and prepared to go up the mountain.
Lu Jiang and Lu Xin wanted to follow her, but were rejected by Lu Sheng. The two of them were not angry and went out to find their companions to play.
“Lu Sheng, where are you going?”
Lu Sheng had just left when she b.u.mped into Li Zheng, who had just returned from someone’s house.
“Uncle, I want to go up the mountain.”
“What for?”
The Lu family did not lack food now. Did Lu Sheng miss the taste of those wild vegetables?
“Chop some bamboo.”
Lu Sheng suddenly remembered that she had been in this world for a long time, but she had gone to the back mountain less than ten times.
“Chop bamboo?”
Li Zheng chuckled and said, “There’s no need to go up the mountain to chop bamboo. There’s a huge plot of land at Qingshui River. They’re all Uncle’s. You can chop as many bamboo as you want. You can also dig some bamboo shoots if you want to eat them.”
“How can I?”
Lu Sheng thought for a while and said with a smile, “Uncle, why don’t you offer a price? I’ll feel more at ease after chopping them.”