216 Old Liu Is Here
The closer it was to the harvest season, the easier it was to encounter a thunderstorm. Therefore, they had to harvest the crop before the thunderstorm.
Third Aunt Hu’s family was also busy.
“What are you all still dawdling for? If you wait a little longer, the sky will be bright! All of you only know how to eat and don’t know how to cook. If you can’t beat the heavens and harvest the crop in the ground, I’ll drag all of you into the ground too!” Third Aunt Hu cursed as she urged her family.
This was real farm work. Not to mention the adults in the family, even the children who had just matured had to help.
The children did very little, but they also followed behind the adults to pick up the grains that had dropped into the mud.
Third Aunt Hu turned her head and saw Madam Feng carrying a basket of grains. Bean-sized sweat dripped down from her forehead.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, your family is quite fast. Why did they send you to do the harvesting? Why didn’t your husband do it?” Third Aunt Hu frowned. She remembered that Madam Feng had sprained her waist two days ago and could not even walk steadily.
Madam Feng forced a smile with great effort and panted slightly as she said, “I only did half of it. Husband is still busy in the fields. It’s fine.”
“I say, you’re really something. You can just invite two more people to help your family collect these. Why do you have to do it yourself!” Third Aunt Hu complained and had already gone forward to take over the burden on Madam Feng’s shoulders.
Madam Feng was a little touched. “Third Aunt, there’s no need. I can do it on my own.”
“Do you think I’ll keep helping you? This is the only time. In any case, there’s only a bit left. I’ll leave a good reputation for myself. Wait here. I’ll bring you the empty basket!”
How could Madam Feng compare to Third Aunt Hu? She could only watch helplessly as she harvested the crop, poured it on the dam, and brought over an empty basket.
The sky had just started to turn bright, but they could barely see the road.
Hu San wanted to ask why the others from the Wang Family had not returned, but he felt that it was not good to talk to a wedded woman before dawn, so he simply urged his family to go to his own land.
They did not only need to harvest their own land, but also the Wang Family’s land.
There was commotion everywhere in the village. Everyone was talking and laughing. Although it was hard on them, they were especially happy.
This year, the entire Hu Family Village had a great harvest. The Wang Family was kind and collected very little rent. In addition, the Imperial Court had waived their taxes for the past few months.
This year was obviously a prosperous year. How could they not be happy that their family could really eat their fill?
At this moment, the two young people patrolling the village entrance saw someone walking over from afar and immediately became vigilant.
In the past few months, they had been guarding strictly and did not trust any strangers from the outside.
Under the insistence of Village Chief Hu and Old Master Hu, they had never taken in an outsider.
Even those who came to visit their relatives were rarely brought to the fields. They only saw the crops in the fields from afar.
In any case, they could not let the people outside notice too much.
Now was the time for a good harvest. Who would come?
The two youths ran forward and realized that it was three adult men with three children beside them.
The man was holding something in his hand.
Could he be here to visit his relatives in Hu Family Village?
But every family was busy at this time. How could they come to other families to visit their relatives?
Were they here to take advantage of the situation?
“Stop, where are you from? Who are you looking for?” A young man raised the wooden stick in his hand and stopped them from moving forward.
Old Liu was walking with his head lowered when he suddenly heard this roar. He was so frightened that he almost fainted.
When he looked up, he realized that it was two young people.
“What are you doing? You want to rob someone in front of the village?!”
Old Liu frowned. He raised the basket in his hand and took out a brick.
He looked at the two young people with very unfriendly gazes.
“You could be whatever you want, but you chose to be a robber!” Old Liu shouted at them again. “You two wooden melon seeds! The other party is already standing in front of us and robbing us. What are you waiting for!”
The two youths: ???
Seeing that those people were about to rush over, the two youths hurriedly waved their hands. “No, no, no. We’re patrolling Hu Family Village!”
“Is there something wrong with you? Does your village have a mountain of gold and silver? Why are you still patrolling!” After Old Liu asked, his eyes filled with disdain.
Everyone knew that the Hu Family Village was the poorest village. Even mosquitoes were probably too lazy to come over to suck blood.
They actually arranged for people to patrol? Were they afraid that someone would steal the soil in their village?
It was really hilarious.
It was no wonder that Old Liu thought this way. After what happened in Shanyang Village, Hu Family Village was unprecedentedly united, and they knew better than to reveal their wealth.
Including the matter of the increase in food production in their village, they collectively kept their mouths shut.
As the saying went, it was not a matter of scarcity but of inequality. When their village became rich, they could slowly bring other villages along in the future, provided that those villages did not cause trouble.
However, it was impossible for them to help the other villages directly now. Although they were poor, they were not stupid.
Later on, Zhou Chuchu learned from their village that the Wang Family had a shop in the village and they’d even bought a house.
Old Madam Wang even specially asked Wang Chuangui to go to the village and cry. She told him to say that the villagers had told outsiders about their family, making their business difficult. It was even harder to repay the money they originally owed.
Wang Chuangui was a scholar to begin with. His tears were precious, and his words were reasonable. He did not even blame them at all. He kept saying that their family was too pitiful.
Elder Ma and Village Chief Hu’s faces turned hot from his crying. They quickly restrained their subordinates and did not dare to talk about the villagers anymore. The main thing was that they could not tell anyone else.
It was precisely because of this that Old Liu did not receive the news.
He had been thinking about his daughter’s family for a long time. In the past, he did not like Wang Chuanman, but on account of Wang Chuanman’s face, he accepted it. At least his daughter gave birth to an obedient and witty little girl like Ah Yu.
Therefore, Old Liu rushed over and busied himself with his family’s farm first. Then, he stopped his sons from helping the other villagers and brought them out. They started walking in the middle of the night before reaching Hu Family Village at dawn.
However, they were stopped at the entrance of the village. The youths did not know Old Liu. Even if Old Liu said Wang Chuanman’s name, they did not dare to let them in.
The youths first ran to Village Chief Hu’s house. Village Chief Hu yawned as he put on his clothes. When he heard this, he woke up.
He said to the young man, “Don’t be in a hurry. Go to Old man Wang’s house and call Uncle Fu over.”
The young man responded and ran towards Old man Wang’s house. After thinking for a moment, he ran to Old man Wang’s farm.
As expected, he found Wang Chuanfu, who was snorting and chewing on straw.
“Uncle Chuanfu, someone is looking for you at the village entrance!”
Wang Chuanfu looked up, his head still a little dazed. “Who is it?”
“I don’t know him. He said he’s Uncle Man’s father-in-law.”
Wang Chuanfu hurriedly threw the work in his hands to Wang Dalang and rushed to the village entrance.
Village Chief Hu had already arrived. When he saw Wang Chuanfu, he hurriedly called him over.
He still looked a little embarrassed.
Village Chief Hu said, “Chuanfu, your in-law said that he wants to help your family with your harvest, but I don’t recognize him. Take a look. Is he your father-in-law?”
Wang Chuanfu: “Alright!”
With that, he walked forward and looked at Old Liu carefully for a long time.
At this moment, the sky was a little brighter, and their faces could be seen clearly.
In order to make it easier for Wang Chuanfu to see, Old Liu specially relaxed his frown.
After looking at him for a long time, Wang Chuanfu’s eyes were filled with confusion. “Village Chief, this… I’ve never seen Fourth Brother’s father-in-law either!”
Village Chief Hu: “…”
Old Liu: “…”
Liu Dashi and Liu Ershi: “…”