Chapter 13 Chicken Butt_1

Lian Manman knew she had touched Lady Zhang's sore spot. But if it didn't hurt, Lady Zhang wouldn't wake up to reality.

Lady Zhang sat in a daze for a while before finally drying her tears.

"Your aunt looks like she can't do anything, the whole family is waiting to eat. Mother still has to go help," Lady Zhang discussed with Lian Manman, "Your father and we also need to eat. Manman, mother remembers everything you said, I will be more measured this time."

Lian Manman felt helpless; Lady Zhang was truly virtuous and always took the bigger picture into account. To be honest, if she had to get along with someone, she hoped it would be someone like Lady Zhang.

To expect Lady Zhang to change wasn't something that could be done overnight. Now that Lady Zhang was willing to listen to her advice, it was already a good change. Just like what Lady Zhang said, doing more work wouldn't kill anyone. Thinking of this, Lian Manman no longer stopped Lady Zhang.

"Then I will go with mother, I can help with the work too," Lian Manman said. Lady Gu was so shrewd, and Lady Zhang was honest and straightforward, she was afraid Lady Zhang would suffer a loss.

When Lady Zhang went to help with cooking, Lady Zhao also came over to help.

Lady Gu was trying to start a fire under the stove, filling the room with smoke without getting the fire lit, and was there, bent over, coughing. She thought that because of Lian Manman's matter, Lady Zhang bore a grudge against her and refused to help, and that her earlier response was just an excuse. She was feeling both angry and resentful when she saw Lady Zhang and Lady Zhao come to help, and her expression immediately brightened with a smile.

As soon as Lady Zhao entered, she took over the work from Lady Gu's hands.

"...The firewood is a bit damp... I don't know where anything is, sister-in-law, look..." Lady Gu said to Lady Zhang with a smile.

Lady Zhang looked at Lian Manman, and Lian Manman nodded slightly at Lady Zhang.

"Elder sister-in-law, the firewood has just been dried by Wu Lang yesterday, it's not damp at all. It's just that elder sister-in-law hasn't done these chores for years and is out of practice," Lady Zhang said to Lady Gu.

"Yes, you're right, sister-in-law, I'm out of practice. Wu Lang is a good kid," Lady Gu hurriedly said.

Lady Zhang then looked to Lian Manman, who nodded at her encouragingly. That's how it should be. Against some people, you can't always be the good guy; showing some toughness is the only way to gain respect.

Lady Zhang's heart stirred slightly. If it were any other day, she would definitely have gone along with whatever Lady Gu said, at the very least not contradicting her, even though what Lady Gu said was not right. Today, her slight change was that Lady Gu was accommodating her words, even acknowledging Wu Lang's hard work.

What Manman said was indeed correct, Lady Zhang thought. Her previous complete compliance was truly inappropriate in these times.

"Elder sister-in-law, it seems Mother wants elder sister-in-law to take turns cooking meals for the family too. Elder sister-in-law will surely do it better than us, it's just that it's her first time and she's a little out of practice. Elder sister-in-law is smart, she can watch and learn, and will quickly get the hang of it," Lady Zhang said, while pointing out everything in the room to Lady Gu and even guiding her hand by hand. These were all things Lian Manman had taught her, saying it's important not to "outshine the host."

Lady Gu smiled outwardly, but inwardly she felt bitter. She knew that Lady Zhang was the soft-hearted and easiest to talk to, planning to sweet-talk Lady Zhang into doing all the work for her. Now it seemed, Lady Zhang had no such intention.

Being pampered for so long, Lady Gu, even with Lady Zhang's guidance, struggled with the tasks. Lady Zhang, used to being industrious and efficient, couldn't stand watching and ended up doing most of the work, though Lady Gu got covered in soot as well.

"Elder sister-in-law learns so fast, next time she'll be able to cook by herself," Lian Manman deliberately said.

Lady Gu's mouth twitched, next time, she wouldn't allow a next time, she was about to go back to town with Lian Shouren.

Just as the meal was ready, Old Master Lian and the brothers Lian Shouren arrived one after another from outside. The brothers laid out the exchanged silver on the kang, around ten bundles of silvers, shining half across the bed. Old Master Lian, Lian Shouxin, and Lian Shouli all furrowed their brows, while only Lian Shouren and Lian Shouyi were inexplicably excited. It turned out Lian Shouren had borrowed six hundred taels from Old Jin, and the amount exchanged was exactly five hundred and forty taels.

"With Huahua's matter too, the family needs money, better to borrow more to be more comfortable," Lian Shouren said.

Since his son had already borrowed the money, Old Master Lian had nothing more to say.

"Let's eat first," Old Master Lian said. "After the meal, you go to town, debts to others should be repaid early."

While setting up dishes and bowls, Lady Gu took the opportunity to call Lian Shouren outside to wash his hands, whispering together with her husband for a while before returning to the table.

The family quickly finished breakfast, and Lady Gu was clearing the bowls when she surreptitiously gave Lian Shouren a urging look.

"Father, Mother, I'm going to town to repay the debts," Lian Shouren said to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, "I also need to prepare Huahua's dowry, I need Huahua's mother to handle it. She and her sisters should come back with me."

Old Master Lian was about to nod, but Lady Zhou coughed. Whenever it came to matters of the daughters-in-law, Old Master Lian always deferred to Lady Zhou's decisions, so he did not speak, waiting to hear what Lady Zhou would say.

"You and your two brothers go repay the money. The three of their mothers will stay at home. I've thought through Huahua's dowry. Her maternal aunt's shop is thriving, what doesn't it have? Even if there's something temporarily lacking, getting it from them would be cheaper than us buying. We'll just prepare the things to sell at home and send them to her maternal aunt along with the silver. It's much more convenient."

To have Lady Zhou take the lead, Lady Gu hurriedly signaled Lian Shouren with her eyes, urging him not to agree.

"Mother, the Sun Family are not ordinary folks, Huahua's dowry..." Lian Shouren hadn't expected Lady Zhou to make such arrangements and was looking for an excuse to refuse.

"You've only lived in the town for a few years," Lady Zhou interrupted Lian Shouren, casting a cold glance at Lady Gu. "Lanlan has lived in the county for many years, and her shop is booming, dealing with many prominent families. She knows much more about buying these things than you do. This marriage for Huahua, it was largely thanks to her maternal aunt. Otherwise, where would you know any young master from the Sun family? Leaving the dowry matters to her maternal aunt is the most reliable."

Unable to counter Lady Zhou's words, Lian Shouren fell silent, and Lady Gu, not daring to confront Lady Zhou at this time, became anxious on the side.

"Besides, Huahua is getting married, and I, as her grandmother, have to teach her some rules so that when she goes to the Sun Family as a daughter-in-law she won't lack manners and disgrace our Lian Family," Lady Zhou added.

"Do I, as a mother, not know how to teach better than you?" Lady Gu was annoyed in her heart, but she could only swallow her anger without daring to speak out.

"Let's do as your mother says. Huahua has always lived in the town and scarcely stayed in the old house. It will become even harder to return once she leaves. She should stay at home for these few months," Old Master Lian said. "The house in the town is rented, not like our own home, and Huahua also needs to be at home for her marriage."

"Yes, Huahua, come and live with me, and we can finally have a good chat," Lian Xiuxiu added happily.

With Old Master Lian having spoken, Lady Gu and her daughters, though unwilling, could only temporarily agree. The frustration in their hearts was simply indescribable.

"The harvest season is nearly here, call Jizu and the others back home too," Old Master Lian instructed Lian Shouren before he left for the town.

Lian Shouren agreed and then he, Lian Shouyi, and Lian Shouxin, set off for the town.

......

Farm households are rarely idle throughout the seasons, and from a young age, country children must help their elders with chores they can manage.

Right after the meal, Lady Zhou moved a stool under the eaves of the main room and called over children like Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman.

"Open the chicken coop and catch chickens."

To catch chickens for what, are we going to slaughter a chicken to eat today? Lian Manman turned her head to look at Lian Zhizhi.

"Let the chickens out so they can forage for food. Grandma also wants to check how many eggs there are today. We don't need to bother with the roosters, just catch all the hens, and let Grandma check them one by one," Lian Zhizhi explained to Lian Manman, who seemed a little dazed, guessing it was because she had hit her head and couldn't remember many things.

"Oh," Lian Manman nodded and followed Lian Zhizhi and Xiao Qi into the chicken coop. The Lian Family had about a dozen chickens, only three of which were roosters and the rest laying hens.

To the children, this task was almost like a game. With two sisters present, Xiao Qi became playful and chased a nimble little hen around in circles inside the coop, causing it to squawk incessantly.

Lady Zhou didn't bother with him and only instructed Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi to catch chickens.

The children fed the chickens, so the birds were not afraid of them. Lian Manman quickly caught a speckled hen and handed it to Lady Zhou.

Lady Zhou took the hen and held it in her arms, pressing it down with one hand while the other reached towards the hen's rear.

Lian Manman watched awkwardly as Lady Zhou's fingers delved into the chicken's backside. What was Lady Zhou doing?

Lady Zhou quickly withdrew her finger and released the hen.

"This one doesn't have any eggs today."

As she spoke, Lady Zhou took another hen from Lian Zhizhi and repeated the procedure.

"This one has an egg... today, there are a total of five eggs," Lady Zhou finally declared.

"Grandma's method is always accurate, she has never been wrong," whispered Lian Zhizhi.

So this was the method to check if the hens would lay eggs today—very... direct.

"Grandma really is skilled," Lian Manman thought to herself, regarding the technique as something quite extraordinary.

"Keep an eye on them," Lady Zhou called out loudly to Lady He, who was coming out of the side room. "If even one egg goes missing, you'll have to answer to me."

"How the chickens lay their eggs is none of my business," retorted Lady He, turning her face away and storming back inside after slamming the curtain.

"With this trick, no one can sneak off with the eggs," Lian Zhizhi said to Lian Manman with a laugh.

"Does Second Aunt often steal eggs?" Lian Manman responded quickly.

Lian Zhizhi pursed her lips and laughed.

So it turned out Lady Zhou wasn't touching chicken rumps every day just to anticipate the number of eggs, but also to prevent her daughters-in-law from stealing them.

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Quite rustic, huh, hehe.

There might be another chapter tonight, please recommend and bookmark.