stingy landlady

Chapter 147 Newcomers Arrive in Huanghua Village (2)

"Yes! Yes! Boss! Everyone says that although you are young, you are very responsible. All the brothers you took in before admire you!"

"Boss! Don't kick us out! It's freezing cold, we only made it this far because of this breath! Even if you kick me out, I won't leave!"

Guizhi looked at their backpacks, none of them were very big, and asked:

"Your backpacks don't look very big, and your bedding is all inside? How can you pack them so tightly!"

At this moment, the person who heard the question silently opened their backpack, revealing a change of clothes, which they had been wearing for who knows how long! A thin blanket covered their entire body, serving as bedding!

As soon as the backpacks were opened, Guizhi looked through each one, her heart churning with emotions! But her face remained expressionless as she sternly addressed Xu Hong:

"Uncle Xu Hong! I sincerely call you uncle! I am also a junior! I admire them for protecting our country, but this is what they call luggage and bedding in the army! I'm speechless!"

Guizhi shook her head as she spoke:

"Uncle Xu Hong! My abilities are limited! Who in the world doesn't love money? Forget it! Uncle Xu Hong, take back the money you've earned and spend it! Can that thin layer even be called a bedding?"

"Uncle Xu Hong, take this money. Buy coarse cloth and cotton! Give everyone a proper quilt! Uncle Xu Hong! Just pretend we never earned this money!"

As Guizhi spoke, she tenderly returned the silver notes, which she had just held in her bosom and were still warm, to Xu Hong.

"Uncle Xu Hong, please take me home! I'll make my room available for the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled to live in first!"

Let me think of a way to deal with these people! Uncle Xu Hong! If I don't return, have someone make sure their bedding is ready as soon as possible!

Guizhi sighed:

"Sigh! I can't escape now! That Lin Xiaoyun! He's heartless too! He lets his father bully me!"

When Guizhi returned home, she didn't know how to bring it up, and she was afraid of upsetting her parents. So she decided to avoid it altogether!

But Guizhi herself tossed and turned, not knowing what to do!

With so many people and no income, just sitting around doing nothing is bound to cause trouble! When people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lust! Only a few households in the village have women; there are too many wolves and not enough meat! Are they all going to rush up the mountain to cut down trees?

Huh? Logging timber! Why can't we go? Winter is the perfect time for logging!

Guizhi was constantly finding ways to keep everyone busy. Zhao, however, was practically bursting with pent-up frustration! She'd finally achieved some success! But the old man had warned her time and again to keep a low profile!

Why? Da Bao is getting engaged! If we don't make a big announcement, who would want to marry a poor boy? Where would they find a better match? Although the old man has repeatedly warned against it, there's an old saying:

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Zhao Shi always says, all talk and no action! The only downside is that Gui Xiang from Da Zhu's family isn't engaged yet, which is getting in the way!

Whenever someone in the Zhao family showed interest, people would ask, "Is Guixiang engaged yet?"

Zhao was so angry that she gritted her teeth!

Zhao had her own methods and her own confidence! She went to find the old lady.

"Mother! Da Bao needs to find a good wife while Fifth Brother passes the imperial examination! Mother! But people are quite satisfied with Da Bao, there's just one obstacle in front of him!"

The old lady was puzzled.

"No way! Our eldest grandson is the eldest grandson!"

Zhao looked at the old lady with a pitiful expression:

"Mother! Everyone says Guixiang isn't engaged, so it's not Dabao's turn! What kind of logic is that? Big brother has already been separated, okay? It has nothing to do with Dabao!"

"Mother! But they don't think that way. They say even broken bones are still connected by tendons! Mother! Tell Guixiang to get engaged quickly! Do you want to take advantage of Fifth Brother's status?"

"Your fifth brother is all alone? You're so stupid! Who does your fifth brother eat and use? You're home every day, don't you know anything about it?"

Even if they benefit from your connections, that's your elder brother and sister-in-law's ability, what does it have to do with you? If they don't want to be related to you by marriage, but are constrained by your status as a fifth-ranking scholar, they'll always find a suitable reason! If not osmanthus, then peach branches!

Don't be picky and unrealistic. Find someone who truly appreciates our precious child; that's what a proper life together is all about!

Zhao was incredulous, but her words were honeyed while her heart was dagger!

"Mother! Guixiang is of marriageable age! Shall we help her find a match?"

The old lady wasn't that senile; she scolded:

"If you're going to court death, don't drag me into it! Who was it that got beaten up by a few kids last time, crying for their parents? And who was thrown into a corner by a guard and didn't dare to utter a sound?"

Your third brother's wife is such a formidable person. Even after being divorced, she still knelt down and begged to write a guarantee that she would never dare to mess with Dazhu's family again, or with Guixiang and her sisters!

"If you're not afraid of being dumped, go ahead! Don't drag me into it! I haven't had enough of my good life yet! Get lost! Don't get in my way!"

When Zhao first heard about Qian's situation, she remembered seeing her with a bruised and swollen face, and when asked, she would stammer and refuse to say anything. She assumed it was just a fight between the couple! Was there more to the story? Zhao became quite gossipy!

The old lady didn't try to cover for Qian Shi's shortcomings, and told Zhao Shi everything she knew, turning around and saying:

"Don't wash your dirty linen in public! Don't go talking about it outside! I'm telling you this to warn you! Don't think your sister-in-law is honest and kind; those girls are no pushovers!"

When Zhao heard this big news, she couldn't listen to anything else. It spread like wildfire through the village, and the story got distorted as it was passed around. By the time it reached Li's ears, it was completely different from what she had heard before.

"Sister-in-law! I heard that the third son's wife came to your door and tried to seize your shop? That's inhuman!"

I heard they even made the officials take off her pants and beat her with a cane? A woman had her pants pulled down in public? And she was beaten with a cane? How could she possibly go out in public like that?

In my opinion, what's the point of living if you've lost your reputation?

Li's expression froze for a moment, then she understood! What was the point of explaining to Qian? The villagers only believed what they wanted to believe. From then on, the villagers looked at Qian with a strange gaze, something Qian herself couldn't explain. Pity? It seemed to be mixed with amusement! No one gossiped with her, otherwise they would have been furious!

When Guizhi returned to Huanghua Village, she saw that the shacks had already been built, and the later residents were living a life where they had shacks to live in and hot meals to eat!

Upon seeing the osmanthus branches, they all greeted them warmly:

"Master!"

"My boss is back!"

"Master, the new bedding is so warm and soft! It feels like hugging a woman! Hehe!"

"Nonsense! The master is still a child! The master should pretend he didn't hear it, just ignore it!"

"Heh heh! You still swear all the time! Boss! Ignore them! They can't even say nice things properly! They just twist the meaning in their mouths!"

"Hahaha! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth! Hahaha!"

"Master! Your room has been emptied out! Master, we've cleaned it all up!"

"Master! I'll go heat the kang (heated brick bed) for you!"

Guizhi looked into those sincere eyes and smiled!