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She disliked owing anyone favors. Since it was Xinghe’s uncle, it felt safer to have a family member help. By paying wages, people might be more motivated to do their best.
As soon as Yun Cuihe finished speaking, Lu Shoucheng raised his hand to make a vow:
“Don’t worry, sister-in-law. Starting today, I’ll sleep at the foundation until your new house is complete. Not a single brick will be missing!”
Jiang Xiuqin laughed, covering her mouth.
“Fine, if you’re going to sleep at the foundation, I’ll have Yufang and Xiaowei take turns bringing you meals every day.”
Wang Xuelan wiped her hands on her apron.
“Third daughter-in-law, are you planning for Xinghe to retake the imperial exams?”
Yun Cuihe nodded.
“Actually, this was also Yueyue’s idea. Since Xinghe himself wants to pursue this path, we decided to support him.”
“Third Sister-in-law, your family has truly turned their fortunes around,” Jiang Xiuqin said with a smile.
Yun Cuihe sighed.
“Not that much better, really. It’s just a bit stronger than those days when we went hungry. Once the house is built, we’ll probably struggle to make ends meet again.”
Wang Xuelan quickly comforted her.
“At least you’ll have a proper house. The family can live comfortably, and money can always be earned later. Things won’t go back to being as bad as they were.”
Yun Cuihe nodded repeatedly.
“Mother, you’re absolutely right.”
Lunch was ready in no time: coarse rice porridge, a small plate of wild vegetables, and a dish of salted pickles.
“The mountains have been stripped bare recently, and there’s not much food at home. Third Sister-in-law, just make do,” Jiang Xiuqin said.
Yun Cuihe waved her hand dismissively.
“We’re all family—no need to be so polite.”
At the village chief’s house, Lu Jianqi’s youngest daughter was throwing a tantrum.
Lu Shanshan had always admired Lu Xinghe for his good looks and scholarly talent. Among the nearby villages, there was no one of his age with better qualifications.
But after Xinghe’s father passed, his family fell into decline. Her father worried she would suffer hardship with him, so after she came of age, he arranged a marriage with another family.
At the time, seeing how poor Xinghe’s family was, she agreed, not wanting to endure hardship. After all, the family she was betrothed to was a wealthy one in Yaojia Gou, owning over 30 acres of land.
Who would have thought that just over a month after Xinghe got married, his family would be building a brick house?
This left Lu Shanshan, who had always been prideful, feeling suffocated.
“Father, I don’t care! Call off the engagement with the Yao family! I can’t stand the sight of Yao Shangshu anymore!”
Lu Jianqi frowned deeply.
“Goodness, my dear girl, calling off a marriage isn’t as simple as playing house!”
The village chief’s eldest and second sons were boys, and Lu Shanshan was the only daughter, spoiled since childhood.
Lu Shanshan, frustrated and angry, replied, “Can’t we just return the betrothal gifts?”
Her mother, Chen Shufen, stepped in, holding Lu Shanshan’s soft hand.
“My sweet girl, the betrothal gifts from the Yao family have been with you all along. Your father and I haven’t taken a single penny. Didn’t you use them to buy hairpins and bracelets recently? Do you think we can scrape together enough to repay them? Our family isn’t as wealthy as the Yao family. Your father and I certainly can’t cover your losses.”
As she spoke, she exchanged a meaningful glance with Lu Jianqi.
Lu Jianqi quickly added,
“Your mother is right. The Yao family has over 30 acres of land, and their house is made of brick. They’re far better off than Lu Xinghe, who, by the way, is already married. I hear the Yun family is very protective of their new daughter-in-law. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Hearing this made Lu Shanshan even more upset, as if someone had stolen the good life that was supposed to be hers.
“She’s just a little girl who hasn’t even grown up yet. No matter how protective Aunt Yun is, she can’t bear children for Xinghe now. She’s probably just trying to spite me!”
Lu Jianqi became annoyed at her words.
“As a young lady, how can you speak so shamelessly? What happened to the morals and manners we taught you?”
Reprimanded by her father, Lu Shanshan stormed back to her room with a sullen face.
Chen Shufen looked at Lu Jianqi with a worried expression.
“Husband, what are we going to do about her?”
Lu Jianqi sighed heavily.
“Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything foolish to ruin this marriage. In two months, she’ll be married into the Yao family, and everything will settle down.”
Chen Shufen spat in frustration.
“That Lu Xinghe is too much. Of all the times to build a house, he had to pick now, as if he’s afraid others wouldn’t know he struck it lucky. And his grandfather Tiesheng even came to borrow our dog to guard bricks. I think he’s doing it on purpose.”
Lu Jianqi rubbed his temples.
“What can we do? We’re in the wrong here to begin with. We can’t begrudge them a bit of celebration after their change in fortune.”
Chen Shufen huffed,
“Wrong? What’s wrong about not marrying our daughter into a poor family? Back then, it was just verbal talk—no tokens or written agreements. How does that make us guilty?”
Lu Jianqi wanted to argue but eventually sighed, leaving the room.
At the Lu family’s old house, after lunch, Lu Shoucheng carried a bundle of rice straw to the hillside foundation to sleep.
Yun Cuihe pulled Wang Xuelan and Jiang Xiuqin aside to speak quietly.
“Mother, Fourth Sister-in-law, Xinghe asked me to remind you: this year’s harvest isn’t good, and grain prices might rise by the end of the year. It’s best to stock up on food now to avoid spending more later. Our family just bought 100 pounds of coarse rice, and we’re not even sure it’ll last until next year.”
Hearing that it was Xinghe’s suggestion, the two women took it seriously.
“That boy Xinghe doesn’t talk much, but he’s always reliable. We’d better stock up too.”
Wang Xuelan said, glancing at Jiang Xiuqin,
“Fourth daughter-in-law, go to your eldest and second brothers-in-law’s new house and let your two sisters-in-law know about this. Also, remind them to keep their mouths shut and not spread the word around.”
This matter was just speculation and not a certainty. If it was just their family buying grain, it wouldn’t matter much—they had enough people to consume it anyway.
But if others got wind of it and followed suit, and if grain prices really did rise at the end of the year, no one would thank Xinghe for it.
And if prices didn’t rise, people might even blame Xinghe for spreading false rumors. Wang Xuelan had no intention of letting her family be the scapegoat.
Jiang Xiuqin nodded in agreement and quickly left.
As soon as Jiang Xiuqin was out of sight, Wang Xuelan hurried to the kitchen. She retrieved three eggs from a beam and stuffed them into Yun Cuihe’s hands.
“Xinghe needs to eat well while he studies. There’s not much here, but take these three eggs for your family.”
Yun Cuihe immediately waved her hands in refusal.
“Mother, the two hens we divided last time are laying eggs too. You and Father are getting on in years and need to take care of yourselves. I can’t accept these eggs—you should keep them for yourselves.”