"Dong Hua saw delicious food and couldn't resist wanting to show off at her maternal uncle's house. Who would have thought it would cause such a commotion?" Madam Sun explained to everyone, then lowered her head and scolded, "Dare to open your mouth and spread nonsense everywhere again, and I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Dong Hua was so scared she didn't dare to breathe.
Clearly, her mother had told her to go to Guihua Village to deliver the news, so why was she scolding her for spreading nonsense?
But her mother's expression was truly terrifying, and she didn't even dare to cry.
Her grandmother said that when she was still in her mother's womb, her mother thought she was a boy, but when she was born, she was a girl, and her mother didn't like her.
She hugged her pinched arm, silently following closely behind the crowd.
The villagers were a little angry. If a few more words were said, Dong Hua would probably be beaten. Cheng Loanloan, among the crowd, shook her head.
It was understandable to favor one's maiden family, but angering everyone was inevitable. If it were her, she might not necessarily handle it appropriately either.
But she wouldn't make a small child bear the responsibility.
All in all, it was because they were too poor and had encountered a year of natural disasters. Everyone wanted to eat their fill, and everyone had their own selfish motives.
After walking for nearly half an hour, they finally reached their destination.
Three or four mu of land didn't look large, but beneath layers of mud were bamboo shoots. With one shovel, quite a few could be dug out.
However, the soil here was very hard. It took the time of a small cup of tea to dig out one bamboo shoot. If they wanted to dig them out from the mud, it would take even more time.
Cheng Loanloan and her four children went down and found a shaded spot. She instructed, "Take as much as you can, don't overexert yourselves, and be extremely careful not to injure your hands."
Zhao Sanniu patted his chest, "Mother, don't worry, I have thick skin."
He grabbed a shovel and began to work with great enthusiasm. Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou were not to be outdone, moving very quickly. Zhao Sidan squatted on the ground, brushing the mud off the bamboo shoots. After cleaning them, he put them into the basket.
How could Cheng Loanloan, an adult, be shameless and sit idly? She resigned herself to her fate and sat down to work with them.
In just a short while, her palms felt a burning pain. After a little longer, three large blisters appeared on her palms.
Zhao Dashan spoke up, "Mother, you should go rest for a bit. We can do the digging."
Cheng Loanloan frowned, "All four of you, show me your hands."
The sturdy boys were completely fine.
Cheng Loanloan felt a bit self-deprecating.
The original owner was too lazy. Having not labored for a long time, her skin was even more delicate than that of a ten-year-old girl.
She stood up and went to the side to rest.
This was something the original owner often did, and the villagers didn't find anything unusual about it. It was good to have many sons. All four sons were grown, and each was an excellent laborer. Madam Zhao deserved to enjoy her blessings.
Other people's sons would forget their mothers as soon as they got married, but Madam Zhao's sons were good children. Look at how Zhao Dashan's wife was pressured after marrying in. Later, the wives of the second, third, and fourth sons would surely have to be obedient and follow the rules, dutifully filial to their mother-in-law.
Many women in the village looked on with envious red eyes.
Especially Madam Sun. She couldn't give birth to sons and was most jealous of those in the village with many sons. She glanced at her two daughters beside her, growing more annoyed the more she looked, and her face instantly darkened.
The two sisters, Chun Hua and Dong Hua, beside her were so scared they dared not utter a word. They worked in silence, blisters forming on their palms. When the blisters burst and bled, neither sister dared to make a sound.
Cheng Luanluan sat in the shade, resting for a moment, preparing to continue working.
She stood up, just about to go help, when a sound rang out in her mind:
[Ding! A century-old wild ginseng has been detected!]