Chapter 117:
Luo Zhi’er took Miaomiao around the town first, and the mother and daughter were both a bit distracted.
They found a roadside stall selling food, sat down, and each ordered a large bowl of wonton to eat, to fill their stomachs a bit.
They bought some daily necessities, wandered around to see if there were any new business opportunities!
They went into a shop selling writing supplies and bought Miaomiao ink and paper, a stack of paper, and a small abacus. She wanted to teach her to recognize some characters first.
At home, they valued boys over girls, and it was unknown when she could go to school to study.
They only returned to the village when it was dark. Without Zhou Shi nagging and urging them like a grim reaper, it was quite relaxing.
But walking such a long distance, blisters on their feet were common.
Fortunately, based on their morning experience, she bought herself and Miaomiao each a pair of comfortable soft-soled cloth shoes, and also two sun hats.
The rice flour and oil at home were all controlled by Zhou Shi, and the door was locked. She didn’t have the habit of picking locks!
These past few days, ignoring the village gossip, she still shuttled through the mountain forest to gather mushrooms.
In her spare time, she went to remote mountain hollows to catch some frogs. At night, she took pliers, carried a bamboo basket on her back, and went to the fields and gullies to catch eels.
During the day, the front door at home was tightly closed. Occasionally, long-tongued women who inquired about her family’s affairs, seeing that the Old Li Family hadn’t returned, wanted to vent on her as a punching bag.
Seeing her house with the front door tightly closed early in the morning, they gossiped on the road, saying that the Old Li Family was dragging down the reputation of Zhao Li Village, and said more idle talk, cursing Li Lei.
They were met by Li Zhengxin, Zhao Zuzu, Li Zuzu, and others, who scolded them a few words.
The matter wasn’t settled yet, so they told them not to talk nonsense, not to stir up trouble, lest they anger the official master and really drag down Zhao Li Village. Whoever spread rumors again would be caught and locked in the ancestral hall to sit on the chun deng, and they reluctantly went back.
Speaking of which, his Old Li Family could be considered a shit-stirrer in this village. A few days ago, Old Li Tou caused the whole village to be on alert. Of course, basically only he knew the reason, and Li Ergouzi was another example.
They had to station people day and night to guard, fearing bad people would come to make trouble and attack villagers.
This matter hadn’t passed yet, and now the whole family was squatting in prison!
If not because they were native to Zhao Li Village, and their ancestors and Old Li Tou were good people—when the village had a famine in his childhood, Old Li Tou had given him Li Zhengxin a bowl of rice to eat—and this generation was protective of their own, they really wanted to drive them out!
At Luo Zhi’er’s house, someone even threw cow dung and rotten vegetable leaves at her house, wrote “prison” “prisoner!” “fraudster!” on the door and walls. Coming back in the dark, she even stepped on cow dung barefoot, fell, and smelled stinky all over.
After running around all day, this was still the treatment. She was angry inside and secretly cursed Li Lei’s ancestors for eighteen generations.
Miaomiao quickly helped up the disheveled, limping her, her eyes full of heartache and unease.
“Mother”
She comforted her with a few words!
“No harm!”
“Miaomiao, don’t be afraid. Grandparents, father, they’ll be back in a few days. The villagers don’t know the situation, that’s why they’re like this. It won’t be like this once your father comes back!”
“But… they all say Second Uncle is a swindler selling fake goods and deceiving people! So, so they hate us and throw dirty things at us, right?”
“Miaomiao, this is your Second Uncle’s mistake. He’s that old and committed a wrong, he has to bear it himself. It’s not Miaomiao’s fault, not your parents’. You don’t need to feel inferior because of this!”
“Father, mother, Miaomiao, we all stand tall as people!”
This girl had obviously been a bit self-abased these past two days. She didn’t dare look up when seeing villagers, and except when talking to her, she always hid alone!
“Alright!” Confidence returned a little in her eyes. “Father, he…”
“Enough, what a silly girl! Mother knows you’re worried about your father. Believe mother, father is absolutely fine! Look, weren’t Miaomiao and mother released after figuring things out?”
Her innocent eyes lit up. “Right! Father must be fine!”
“That’s right!”
“Ran all day, hungry? Mother will make something good for Miaomiao!”
“Mm.”
She nodded like a chick pecking rice! Luo Zhi’er’s eyes flickered.
Hmph! She looked at the cow dung under her. Among those throwing dirty things, there must be Li Ergou’s wife and her man Li Ergouzi’s handiwork.
Although Li Ergou’s two legs were crippled, his mind wasn’t right. Lying in bed cursing, he still had crooked thoughts and stole black bear meat, feeling guilty inside.
He thought of kicking them when they were down, to drive their family out of the village or ruin their reputation. Even if caught, no one would believe people who had been in prison!
Moreover, he himself was crippled, his psychology increasingly twisted. Perhaps he felt satisfied seeing other families down and bullying them a bit!
It was infuriating. Even when she went to the well to fetch water in the afternoon, she deliberately chose a time with fewer people. Sure enough, she met Li Ergouzi’s kid Gou Sheng playing there.
That boy saw her coming, his eyes lit up, and he shouted, “Oh no! Come quick! Luo Fatty from the Old Li Family is really here at the well to fetch water!!!”
Villagers immediately swarmed over! Mainly some long-tongued women and old women with nothing to do.
They were specially guarding this treasure land, this pure ground, absolutely not to be polluted by her family!
Seeing her carrying buckets standing by the well, they immediately started chattering to exclude her. “Luo Zhi’er, don’t you check what you are? Is the water in this well for you to drink?”
“You dare come here to fetch water to drink? No self-awareness!”
“Exactly, you’ve been in prison, ptoo ptoo ptoo! Bad luck! Standing with you, I feel like I’ll be unlucky for a hundred years! Be sensible and get lost quick!” Li Ergou’s Wife said.
Luo Zhi’er coldly glanced at her: “Auntie, since it’s bad luck, I Luo Zhi’er didn’t rush to your Li Ergou house to bring bad luck!”
“Speaking of, Er Gouzi Uncle eats, drinks, poops, and pees in bed. You don’t take care of him but come here to trouble me, what’s your motive?”
Look at her, not worried about Li Ergou at all!
“Yo! Pretty cocky, huh? Everyone look, this Luo Fatty still dares to talk tough. Let’s drive them out of the village! Save them from causing us trouble!”
“Exactly!”
“Forget it, driving them out is too harsh. Juhua Shen, spare people when you can. When your Er Gouzi had his accident, we didn’t say anything. This widow and orphan, with Old Li Tou still in prison, how are they to live?” Finally, someone soft-hearted spoke up. Luo Zhi’er looked closely—it was Li Daniu’s old lady!
Juhua’s face flushed red then pale.
A group of people chattered, the general meaning being that they absolutely shouldn’t let Old Li Family people drink water now. They wouldn’t share a well with prison-goers—inauspicious, bad luck!
It would affect future generations!
They flat-out didn’t let her fetch water. She glanced at Second Aunt Zhao Xiaomei in the crowd, who embarrassedly shrank back, her face full of resentment—because of your family, our Li Zhengsen family is also being excluded!
Suddenly, Zhao Er’s Wife shouted: “Hey, Xiaomei, why are you hiding? You’re you, she’s her. You’ve long divided the family, not one household! Debts have owners, we can still tell!”
“Exactly, Meihua Auntie, don’t overthink it.”
“Alright! Going up the line, that’s one branch, still related!”
“Hey, by that logic, in our village going up the line, we’re all related somehow!”
The group was noisy, and she slunk away!
She went to the riverside where Grandma Zhao fetched water and carried some back.
In the evening, she processed the chicken fir oil mushrooms at home, made some dinner with Miaomiao, washed up, and went to bed. Miaomiao, tired from running, soon breathed evenly.
She tossed and turned, smelling the familiar man’s scent on the clothes by the pillow, unable to sleep.
Although she worried about Li Sanmao, she currently had no good way. Besides paying silver to redeem people, if she took out silver, could Old Li Tou and Zhou Shi let it go?
With Zhou Shi’s character, they would definitely question the source of the silver. Thinking left and right, Li Sanmao would inevitably suffer some flesh wounds. She could only wait and see, act according to the situation!
Two more days passed, and the next day was the agreed delivery date.
The weather didn’t cooperate, probably the plum rain season. Suddenly heavy rain poured, nonstop, for most of the day!
She didn’t go to the mountain, planning to deliver to the town tomorrow. Looking at the gully in front of the door full of water and the muddy road!
She worried the muddy road would be hard to walk!
Before dark, she cleaned the messy writing on the walls, swept the dirty things in the yard, and did a big cleanup inside and out!
After dinner, while processing the remaining mushrooms from yesterday in the backyard, a rough inquiring voice came from the front yard doorway: “Excuse me, is Luo Niangzi home?”
Soon, Luo Zhi’er heard Miaomiao’s pattering little footsteps running over from the main hall: “Mother, come out quick, there’s an uncle outside looking for you!”
“Oh? Uncle?”
“Yes, Miaomiao doesn’t know him. Come see!”
Luo Zhi’er wiped her hands on her waist, nimbly ran out, and saw a horse carriage stopped by the roadside outside the yard. A middle-aged man in his forties with a mustache, wearing fine cloth, stood nearby.
Not far away, some villagers pointed and watched curiously with varied expressions!
The middle-aged man cupped his hands to her: “Luo Niangzi, this lowly one is surnamed Yao, coachman of Yumian Tower. Shopkeeper Zhu saw the pouring rain today and feared you’d have trouble delivering to the city tomorrow, so he specially sent me to pick up the goods! If disturbing, please forgive!”
“Where, where. Poor hospitality, Uncle Yao, please come in!”
“Hey!”
Uncle Yao’s face showed a slight smile as he followed her into the yard. She hurriedly poured water, but there were no tea leaves at home. Uncle Yao saw her embarrassment and said mildly: “Luo Niangzi, no need to be polite. This is my first time here, I can wander casually. You go prepare the things. Once the ingredients are packed, this lowly one must hurry back to the restaurant!”
“Alright!”
Luo Niangzi knew the restaurant was busy. She found Uncle Yao somewhat familiar, indeed having met him once at the restaurant, so she said no more. Miaomiao quickly helped her pack the frogs, eels, and previous oak nuts together and load them onto the carriage.
She nimbly packed all the goods to deliver, checked and confirmed no issues. “The ingredient quality report, I’ll bring it tomorrow!”
With that, he drove the carriage away.
Luo Zhi’er was a bit touched. This Shopkeeper Zhu was really nice and considerate, knowing it was raining, she was fat, and specially sent a carriage to pick up!
Though mainly to avoid delaying the restaurant’s business, she was still very grateful! For her large figure, this was a big help!
She clapped her hands, pulled Miaomiao to turn back to the house, when suddenly Zhao Er’s Wife called her: “San Mao’s Wife, who was that just now?”
“Yeah, yeah! How come I saw him carrying quite a lot from your house?”
Juhua Shen quickly came over, tone suspicious!
“Juhua Shen, you’re really idle, your shadow everywhere. Is Er Gouzi Uncle okay lying in bed? All day concerning yourself with Old Li Family’s affairs!”
Luo Zhi’er said indifferently.
“Hmph! That’s none of your business!” Juhua flushed red, neck thick, stubborn. She actually feared her saying she didn’t care for Li Ergou. Her man paralyzed, and she still gossiped outside!
Everyone knew that would poke her spine.
“Nephew’s wife, with your in-laws not home, you didn’t sell off the family belongings, did you?”
Zhao Xiaomei hesitated, looking her up and down. “This idea of yours won’t do. Your father-in-law is still in prison!”
She thought she would sell the Old Li Family’s belongings and run away! Not impossible!
“Heh, Second Aunt is joking. How could that be? I have things to do, excuse me everyone!”
“You!”
Seeing her not engaging their words, the few had varied expressions in their eyes.
“No way, how could she Luo Zhi’er know such a figure?”
