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“We’re running low on rice,” Lu Xing’an thought for a moment and added, “If possible, could you bring back some salt as well, big brother? While we can still gather wild vegetables, I want to make some pickled vegetables to save for the winter.”
Lu Xinghe nodded.
“Okay.”
Yun Cuihe then pulled Chu Yue over to Lu Xinghe.
“If you’re going to town tomorrow, take Yueyue with you. The clothes on this child are so worn out. Pick out a couple of pieces of fabric she likes, and I’ll sew her a few outfits to change into later.”
Yun Cuihe, unable to do heavy work due to her poor health, had been doing fine embroidery at home. She would embroider a couple of handkerchiefs for Lu Xinghe to sell in town, or tailor a few sets of clothes for local families, which brought in some money to help with household expenses.
Upon hearing Yun Cuihe’s suggestion, Chu Yue quickly waved her hand.
“No, no, the clothes I’m wearing are still wearable, and since times are tough, it’s better to buy more grain for the winter.”
Seeing such a considerate girl, Yun Cuihe felt a pang of heartache.
If she were her daughter, she would surely cherish her dearly, but now that she was her daughter-in-law, she felt the same way.
She took Chu Yue’s hand.
“Don’t worry about that. The family still has me and Xinghe to support it. At worst, I can just embroider a few more handkerchiefs. It’s not a big deal.”
Lu Xinghe glanced at Chu Yue and recalled the set of clothes at the foot of the bed that were even more worn than what Chu Yue was wearing. He said softly, “We’ll buy grain, and clothes need to be made too. But since Mother isn’t in good health, you should help her more when the time comes. If it weren’t for your sharp eyes today, we wouldn’t have spotted that fish, and without it, we wouldn’t have attracted such a big wild boar.”
Chu Yue pressed her lips together and finally agreed with a simple “okay.”
As a scholar, Lu Xinghe wasn’t one to believe in superstitions.
But while the speaker may have been unintentional, the listener took note.
When Yun Cuihe heard that it was thanks to Chu Yue that the wild boar was brought back by Xinghe, she became even more pleased with her. She looked at Chu Yue and smiled, “It seems our Yueyue is quite lucky too.”
At that moment, an elderly woman with graying hair peeked into the courtyard.
“Oh! Xinghe brought back such a big wild boar, it looks like it must weigh over 150 pounds.”
This was Aunt Li, the mother of Sun Dazhu from next door.
Aunt Li was known for her fiery temper in Banpo Village, to the extent that Dazhu’s wife couldn’t tolerate it anymore and suggested splitting the household with her in-laws.
A few years ago, after Dazhu’s father passed away, Aunt Li seemed to lose her drive and decided to enjoy a leisurely retirement, taking turns staying at her two sons’ homes.
Seeing Aunt Li, Yun Cuihe subtly moved the wild boar behind her.
“Oh, it’s Auntie. It’s not that big of a boar, and with the current market, it probably won’t sell for much.”
Seeing the protective look on Yun Cuihe’s face, Aunt Li snorted inwardly.
Looking at that stingy expression, no wonder she lost her husband.
Considering that she hadn’t had any meat for a while, Aunt Li didn’t voice her unpleasant thoughts.
“We’re all neighbors here. My Dazhu lives close to you, and we might need to help each other out in the future. Don’t forget him when there’s something good.”
Yun Cuihe forced a smile.
“Auntie, you’re right.”
When Xinghe wasn’t home, Dazhu’s wife, Luo Shi, took good care of them.
She didn’t mind sharing benefits with the Dazhu family, but she didn’t like people coming to ask for favors so openly, especially Aunt Li.
In the past, whenever Dazhu’s wife helped her out, the old lady would openly and secretly scold her, even bringing those scoldings to her home, and even to Xinghe’s grandparents, making the whole village a laughingstock.
This situation only slightly improved after Luo Shi gave birth to two daughters and then a son.
Although Luo Shi helped her a bit, she was busy herself mending and patching for her three children, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Aunt Li pointed towards the wild boar.
“I see that the wild boar’s trotters look quite plump, they must be delicious.”
The atmosphere momentarily froze.
They had planned to take the wild boar to town to sell for money; eating it wasn’t even a consideration. Besides, the boar’s trotters were quite large, weighing at least ten pounds.”
This Aunt Li really had the nerve.
At this moment, Chu Yue, who had been silent, stepped forward and tugged on Yun Cuihe’s sleeve, looking aggrieved.
“Mother, didn’t you say that the money from selling the wild boar would be used to buy fabric for my clothes? If we give it away, won’t I have nothing to wear again? You promised me first.”
The last sentence was delivered with a noticeable tone of indignation.
Although Yun Cuihe hadn’t been with Chu Yue for long, she had a good sense of her character. She couldn’t help but praise Chu Yue inwardly for being so tactful. She took Chu Yue’s hand and gently patted it.
“Okay, we won’t give away the wild boar. We’ll sell it and use the money to make clothes for you.”
Aunt Li raised an eyebrow and looked at Yun Cuihe.
“Is this the daughter-in-law sent over by the Chu family?”
Yun Cuihe and Chu Yue exchanged a glance and slightly tugged at the corners of their mouths.
“Yes, it is.”
Aunt Li immediately looked at Chu Yue with disdain.
“If you ask me, this girl is really thoughtless. This household has you and Xinghe, so how can she have a say? Not to mention what her father did, she should be keeping a low profile, yet she still has the audacity to ask for clothes! How could she even bring it up!”
Hearing this, Yun Cuihe was not pleased.
“Aunt Li, you’re an elder, so I won’t hold it against you. My daughter-in-law neither insulted nor hit you, so why do you speak of her this way? What her father did was his fault, and she was just an unfortunate child dragged into it to take the blame. You’re at an age where you should be considering your dignity.”
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, almost causing herself to faint again.
Seeing this, Chu Yue quickly reached out to gently pat Yun Cuihe’s back.
“Mother, why bother with such a shrew? There’s no need to make yourself ill over it.”
Nonetheless, Yun Cuihe’s defense of her touched Chu Yue. At least here, unlike in Niutou Village, someone cared about her well-being, something her own parents never did.”
“Chu Yue looked coldly at Aunt Li.
“Let me warn you, if my mother falls ill because of your provocation today, don’t think you can just walk away.”
Aunt Li wasn’t one to back down.
“What nonsense are you spouting, girl? How did I provoke her? I didn’t even touch a finger of hers. If she’s feeling faint, it’s not related to me, is it?”
Hearing this, everyone in the courtyard was furious, and Lu Xinghe’s face was especially dark and intimidating. He gave a signal to his brothers, Lu Xing’an and Lu Xingping.
There were some things that he, as a man, shouldn’t do, but his younger brothers could handle without issue.
Lu Xing’an silently carried a basin of rice washing water, while Lu Xingping grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground. The brothers, as if in agreement, threw them towards Aunt Li, splattering her with the muddy water.
“Get out! Don’t come to our house again.”