Chapter 141

Upon hearing that Wang Yuan’er was going to find Grandma Wang to settle the matter, Madam Zhang immediately deflated. Nowadays, in Grandma Wang’s eyes, she could do nothing right. If this matter were brought before her, she would surely bear the brunt of it.

She quickly finished the watermelon in her hand, smiled, and walked over to take Wang Yuan’er’s hand, saying, “You little girl, always taking things so seriously. Your second aunt was just teasing you.” She glanced at Wang Min’er and said, “Your sister Min’er hasn’t been feeling well lately and hasn’t had much appetite. Fuquan happened to see the watermelon in the well and brought it out to eat. Since you bought it, here’s the money to reimburse you.”

As she said this, she took out her purse and counted ten copper coins. “Is this enough?”

Wang Qing’er, however, wasn’t satisfied. She and her younger sister had been out in the sun all day and were looking forward to the watermelon. Now, it had all been eaten, and money wasn’t the issue.

“Ten copper coins? You’re treating us like beggars!” She threatened to leave the room. “I’ll get Grandma.”

“Wait, twenty coins, enough to buy two!” Madam Zhang gritted her teeth.

“Auntie, you know how hot it is these days, and watermelon is a popular and refreshing fruit. This watermelon cost nearly twenty copper coins!” Wang Yuan’er said with a smile. “Including my trouble, it should be at least thirty copper coins.”

“Thirty copper coins? You might as well rob us!” Wang Fuquan jumped up and shouted, “Mom, don’t give it to her. I’ll go buy one and give it back to her.”

Wang Yuan’er looked at them indifferently, her eyes saying, “Yes, I am robbing you, so what?”

“Stay out of this,” Madam Zhang glared at him and counted out another ten coins. “Thirty it is.”

Only then did Wang Yuan’er take the money. Seeing Wang Fuquan’s angry expression, she added, “Auntie, you should keep a better eye on the eldest brother. Stealing a watermelon is one thing, but if he steals something else, it won’t be just about thirty copper coins.”

“Fine, fine. Your grandma…”

“No need for more. I’m just here to collect the money for the watermelon I bought for you!” Wang Yuan’er shrugged.

Madam Zhang finally sighed in relief.

Wang Yuan’er and Wang Qing’er left while Madam Zhang’s temper flared again. “That wretched girl only cares about money.” She looked at Wang Min’er, lazily lying on the kang, and scolded, “You’re no better, encouraging your brother to take the watermelon. If you wanted to eat, why not buy one yourself? Don’t you know that girl always puts on airs?”

Wang Min’er yawned. “It’s just a watermelon. I’m tired. Wake me up when it’s time to eat.”

Madam Zhang rolled her eyes in frustration. “That girl is getting lazier by the day.”

“Why are you afraid of our eldest sister, Mom? Grandma won’t kill us. She might scold us, but we won’t die,” Wang Fuquan grumbled. “Thirty copper coins could buy so many watermelons. We could eat till we burst!”

“What do you know? Your grandma hasn’t been pleased with me lately. If I provoke her further, can I expect any good treatment?” Madam Zhang sighed and tapped his forehead. “So, when you get married, don’t go against me. Let me show my authority as a mother-in-law.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll marry a docile wife who will obey you,” Wang Fuquan said confidently.

Meanwhile, as night was approaching, Wang Yuan’er counted out ten copper coins and sent Wang Qing’er to buy another watermelon. She then told Wang Chun’er about the matter.

“I think Auntie is raising Fuquan and the others all wrong. If she doesn’t discipline them, who knows what trouble they’ll cause in the future!” Wang Yuan’er said, shaking her head.

Wang Chun’er didn’t say anything, but her eyebrows furrowed slightly as if in thought. Just then, Wang Baolai started crying, diverting her attention.

Chapter 142

Days passed by, and with all the rice harvested, the Mid-Autumn Festival in August was approaching. Changle Town only grew one rice crop a year, and wheat was to be planted in the winter. After the crops were harvested, they were busy planting winter wheat.

Wang Yuan’er received her first year’s rent, which amounted to several hundred jin of rice. She kept enough for a year’s worth of food and sold the rest to a rice shop, making a decent profit.

The river office construction had been ongoing for nearly three months and was nearing completion, but not many people had left since the river still needed to be worked on. Gradually, many merchants started coming to set up shop and do business.

This was something Wang Yuan’er was happy to see. With more people, there was more activity, which meant better business and prosperity. She wished it could always be like this!

Thinking about the future floods, Wang Yuan’er felt troubled. If she couldn’t prevent them, was there a way to minimize the damage and loss?

The most frustrating part was that she couldn’t tell anyone, so she couldn’t get the answer. But what about books?

One day, Wang Yuan’er asked Wang Qing’er and the others to watch the shop while she went to a bookstore.

The bookstore was on Central Street, and the shopkeeper knew Wang Yuan’er. Seeing her, he smiled and asked, “Are you here to send a letter or something?”

“Manager Xu, I’m looking for two books.” Wang Yuan’er replied with a smile and then asked, “Do you have any books on water management? Maybe something like the Records of the Grand Historian?”

“Why would a little girl like you want to read those books? Go check the bookshelves in the back.” Manager Xu pointed in the direction.

Following his direction, Wang Yuan’er quickly reached the shelf and ran her fingers over the yellowed books. She found a book called “Records of the Northern Dynasty” and pulled it out.

It was a very thick book and heavy. She couldn’t finish it in a short time. Flipping through it, she felt a headache. She continued searching the shelf and found a dusty book called “Records of Leshan” at the top. She pulled it down.

Sitting on the ground, she flipped through the “Records of Le Mountain,” and her eyes lit up. This book talked about Changle Mountain, though it was called Le Mountain at the time, and Changle Town was called Le Town.

The book described the origin and stories of Le Mountain, including tales of immortals. As she continued reading, Wang Yuan’er found that Changle Mountain had experienced a flood over a hundred years ago, which destroyed everything. It was rebuilt and renamed Changle, hoping for long-lasting peace and happiness.

Reading carefully, Wang Yuan’er found that the book did not describe how to prevent such natural disasters. It only mentioned that heavy rainfall quickly formed streams, causing the creek’s water level to rise, leading to mudslides and landslides. During heavy rain, one should always be cautious, and it would be better if the water level could be diverted.

Closing the book, Wang Yuan’er made up her mind. She bought the “Records of Le Mountain” from Manager Xu and took it home, planning to find a way to inform the county magistrate.

When she returned home, she saw a few people gathered at the door of her shop. Wang Chun’er looked confused, and Wang Qing’er, with sharp eyes, spotted her and shouted, “Eldest sister is back!”

The people looked over, and Wang Yuan’er quickly walked up. At the front was a man in his thirties, wearing a dark blue long robe and a jade hairpin. He looked at her and asked, “Are you the eldest daughter of the Wang family?”

“And you are?” Wang Yuan’er didn’t recognize him and looked at Manager Yu standing behind him with a questioning look.

“My surname is Song. I’m here to discuss a business matter with you, Miss Wang!” said the man who called himself Song with a smile.