The sky gradually darkened.
The moonlight had long since begun to gleam in the sky, its clear light shining into the courtyard.
Cheng Luanluan sat on the main seat, speaking indifferently: "Er Gou, San Niu, do you two still have anything to say?"
Zhao Er Gou lowered his head: "We shouldn't have come to Cheng Family Village..."
Although he said that, he didn't regret it one bit. His mother had completely severed ties with the Cheng family for his sake and San Niu's.
From now on, no matter what good things they had at home, his mother wouldn't have to give them to the Cheng family anymore, and the Cheng family wouldn't be able to bully his mother again.
Zhao San Niu also lowered his head: "Mother, I was wrong..."
"You truly did wrong," Cheng Luanluan said slowly.
"If you're not well-prepared, if you don't have a good chance of winning, then you shouldn't act so rashly! Er Gou, you're sixteen this year, you're grown up. I know you're clever, but it's only petty cleverness. If your elder brother and I hadn't gone there today, you and San Niu would have been tied up in the courtyard all night, and without food or water, you would have lost half your lives."
"And San Niu, you have a lot of strength, but you don't use your brain when you do things," she said angrily.
"No matter how strong you are, you're only fourteen. Even ten of you wouldn't be a match for your maternal uncle. Don't be so reckless again in the future."
Zhao Er Gou and Zhao San Niu were a little stunned.
But their mother wasn't blaming them for going to the Cheng family to cause trouble; she was blaming them for going without being prepared.
Was their mother... truly giving up hope on the Cheng family?
Cheng Luanluan continued: "If you do something wrong, you must be punished. I'm punishing each of you to carry two buckets of water back here."
Zhao Er Gou looked up, his eyes shining with surprise. In the past, when their mother punished them, it was either kneeling for a night or going without food for a day. Carrying water was something they were supposed to do anyway; could that even be called a punishment?
Zhao San Niu stood up, picking up two buckets: "Then we'll go carry water now."
The two of them went out, one after the other.
Cheng Luanluan stood up and went into the kitchen, telling Wu Hui Niang to boil water: "Everyone is tired today. No matter who it is, they must take a bath."
She searched through the original owner's memories, but couldn't recall the last time she had bathed. Every day, she only casually washed her hands and face. Her body was constantly drenched in sweat, and standing close, one could smell the stench. She knew water was scarce right now, but she couldn't tolerate her own body and her family smelling foul.
In the evening, Da He Village gradually quieted down.
The farming households, after a day's work, were preparing to rest. The wellhead, where people usually lined up to draw water, was now empty. Zhao Er Gou and Zhao San Niu each carried two buckets of water back.
There was a very large wooden tub in the house that had been left unused. Cheng Luanluan took out the wooden tub, poured in warm water, added a little cold water, and then called Zhao Si Dan over: "Hurry and take a bath, or are you waiting for me to bathe you?"
Zhao Si Dan's face turned red: "I, I'll bathe myself..."
In his memory, his mother never let him bathe. No, rather, he had never undressed to bathe at home. Before the drought, he always undressed and bathed in the river.
The child's body was so dirty that even scrubbing hard, mud came off, and it still couldn't be cleaned completely.
Cheng Luanluan searched around town for a while, finally spending three copper coins to buy a regular bar of soap. She took out the soap and said, "This is what I just got from your maternal uncle's house. This soap is very good; after bathing, you're guaranteed to smell wonderful."
The Zhao family had never seen soap before, nor had they ever heard of it. Zhao Sidan held the small bar of soap, cherishing it too much to use.
Cheng Luanluan taught him how to use it. Soon, his whole body was covered in foam, and he very happily bathed in the courtyard.
Zhao Ergou angrily said, "Could you hurry up and bathe?!"
Zhao Sidan blinked innocently and said, "Mother said I have to bathe, otherwise I can't go to bed."
Zhao Ergou beckoned with his finger, "San Niu, let's both help him bathe."
"Second Brother, Third Brother, no need... Eldest Brother, quickly come save me!" Zhao Sidan hurriedly dodged away.
"Hahaha, don't tickle my feet, it's too itchy... I'm done bathing, stop washing, stop washing!"
Hearing the joyful laughter coming from the courtyard, Cheng Luanluan also smiled.