Chapter 28

As soon as Zhuzi’s father left, Peach Blossom quickly ran out of the house.

After hurrying to wash up, she went with Qin Feng to the village head’s house.

On the way, the little wife asked her husband, “Brother Qin, what is Lingxun?”

“Lingxun happens when the river freezes over in winter, and then when the weather warms up in spring, the ice cracks and accumulates on the river’s surface, blocking the flow of water.

When the water can’t flow, it spreads to the banks, and if there’s a lot of water, flooding occurs.”

“Oh,” Peach Blossom nodded. “So that’s what it is. It’s still cold in spring, and if people living by the river get flooded, how can they survive? Wouldn’t they freeze to death?”

“Yes,” Qin Feng frowned slightly. “In past years, when Lingxun was severe, many villages were flooded, and a lot of people froze to death.”

“Sigh!” Peach Blossom sighed, but she quickly looked up at Qin Feng, her eyes sparkling. “Brother Qin, how do you know so much? Can I ask, what did you do before?”

“What I did before?” Qin Feng’s brow suddenly furrowed, and after a pause, he said, “I didn’t do much. When I was young, I had high aspirations and always wanted to see the world. Over the years, I’ve just wandered around, traveling south and north. When I got tired, I came back.”

“Oh, I see,” Peach Blossom thought his answer was practically the same as not answering. So, what exactly had he done in the past? She still didn’t know!

Feeling a bit disappointed that he hadn’t told her the truth, Peach Blossom’s disappointment was only as small as a fingernail, though. What really filled her heart was satisfaction.

No matter what he had done in the past, fate had already brought them together, and now he was her husband!

When the couple arrived at the village head’s house, the courtyard was already crowded with people.

Most of the people there were men, with Peach Blossom being the only young wife in the group.

Peach Blossom felt out of place and uncomfortable standing among the crowd.

She had originally planned to stay with her husband and listen to what the village head had to discuss, but now she felt embarrassed to stay.

She quietly tugged on Qin Feng’s sleeve, her voice soft and delicate, “Brother Qin, I’ll go find Xiao Lan. You can just call me when you’re ready to leave.”

Peach Blossom was quite a beauty, and as soon as she stood among the men, many eyes immediately turned her way.

Qin Feng disliked this attention. He stood in front of Peach Blossom, blocking the gazes coming from all directions, while watching his little wife walk into the village head’s house.

“Xiao Lan, you’re doing embroidery. Your mother sent me to look for you.”

Sun Xiaolan, who had been focused on her embroidery, looked up and immediately put down her needle and thread when she saw Peach Blossom.

“Ah, what a rare guest! What brings you here today? Aren’t you supposed to be busy being affectionate with your Qin Big Brother? Come, come, come, sit down!”

Peach Blossom sat down beside Sun Xiaolan and said, “I came with him today. You must have heard about what’s going on in the village, right?”

“You mean about my grandfather gathering everyone together? I know! They say the county magistrate has ordered us nearby villages to dig the riverbank.

This big river flows through the entire county, right? There’s a sharp bend from our village to the neighboring one. We’re a little better off here, but that bend in the other village is dangerous. I’ve heard that every year, someone drowns there.

They say the flooding happens because the bend is too narrow, and the water flows too quickly. So, the county magistrate’s idea is to have people widen the narrow parts of the riverbank. That way, when the ice breaks and accumulates, it won’t cause flooding.”

Peach Blossom nodded, understanding the situation.

But she also worried, “But when there’s no flooding, people still drown in that bend. Now they want the men to dig the riverbank, and it’s the middle of winter. Isn’t that even more dangerous?”

“It’ll be fine! The people who drowned were careless. When they go to dig the riverbank, there will be more than twenty people from our Baiyun village alone. Not to mention there will be people from other villages, too. With so many people, there’s no way anything will happen. Also…”

At this point, Sun Xiaolan’s tone became mysteriously lower, “Do you believe that soon everyone will be scrambling to go?”

“Why?” Peach Blossom asked, surprised. “Is there some kind of reward for going to dig the riverbank?”

“Of course there is!” Sun Xiaolan said, raising two fingers in front of Peach Blossom. “Ten wen a day! Do you know how much the people from our village earn when they go to the county town to build houses?”

Peach Blossom shook her head, “No, how much?”

Sun Xiaolan raised two fingers and gestured, “Only eight wen a day. And that doesn’t include food or lodging. If meals are included, then it’s just six wen a day, and they have to travel all the way to the county. If it’s in the town, the pay is even less.

But now, right at home, ten wen a day, and they even provide lunch. Don’t you think that’s a good deal? But the county officials have said that only one person per household is allowed to go.”