Chapter 771 - 397: Go Back After Seeing the Young Master

Chapter 771: Chapter 397: Go Back After Seeing the Young Master

After the issue of Laishou’s schooling was settled, the feud between the Zheng and Sun families deepened. The two families wouldn’t even exchange greetings when they passed each other on the road.

It was a good thing Madam Yang was pregnant. Otherwise, if she had been wandering the fields and run into Liu’er’s mother, the two of them would have surely gotten into a nasty brawl.

While the women didn’t cross paths, when Zheng Changhe occasionally encountered Sun Jinshan on the field ridges, he would snort, twist his neck away, and refuse to even look at him—a classic, somewhat foolish display of a straightforward man’s anger. When Qingmu encountered the Sun father and son, he would simply put on a cold face. He’d say nothing, neither avoiding them nor making way, and just treat them like thin air. After all, he was a man of few words to begin with.

Liu’er’s mother, having lost face in the affair over Laishou’s schooling, was furious. She had heard that many of the village’s younger generation were siding with Qingmu and Huai Zi—even her own son-in-law, Li Changliang, was helping them. She was so angry she almost fainted. But she wasn’t pregnant and had a strong constitution, so she didn’t pass out so easily. She did, however, start losing sleep over it, especially after hearing that Madam Yang was pregnant, and so was Liu Yunlan.

It was truly a case of old worries lingering as new ones arrived.

If Sun Jinshan hadn’t warned her not to cause trouble, she would have stormed over to the Zhengs’ home to curse them out. Her justification would have been that her own son-in-law and daughter now looked down on her, which was surely the result of the Zheng Family’s meddling.

Juhua didn’t take this matter to heart. ’In the countryside, it’s impossible to avoid every little frustrating squabble. Even in my past life, living among so-called civilized people in the city, wasn’t it the same, with all the scheming and backstabbing?’

However, she remained on guard against the Sun Family, especially Liu’er’s mother. ’Bad people aren’t born bad,’ she thought. ’But the jealousy of a petty person, warped by ignorance, can lead to a single impulsive act with consequences no farming family can afford. I’d much rather prevent a disaster than deal with it head-on.’

Therefore, she had a serious talk with Huai Zi and Qingmu about the matter, even having them tell the hired hands to be on their guard against the Sun Family.

In the third month, peach and plum blossoms filled the air with their fragrance, and willow branches hung low. After a gentle, lingering spring rain, the mountains and fields turned several shades greener. In the sunlight, the lush green grass was a balm for the eyes and a comfort to the soul.

Juhua sat on a rock halfway up the mountain, holding little Cong in her arms. She gazed down at the large expanse of yellowish-brown earth at the mountain’s base and felt a deep sense of connection to it. ’The grass and trees have turned green, and it’s time to sow the crops. It’s a season full of hope!’

Down at the foot of the mountain, Huai Zi had Liu Heizi and the others divide the fifty mu of wasteland into several plots. Twenty mu were being prepared for peanuts—the furrows were dug and the soil was tilled. The remaining plots were for soybeans, corn, and a few sunflowers planted in between.

He watched the busy workers, nodding in satisfaction. Then he glanced toward Juhua on the distant mountainside and smiled faintly before tossing aside his hoe and walking over.

When he reached Juhua, he leaned in to take a look at little Cong, then smiled at her eagerly. "I’m going to wash my face," he said. "Daddy will be right back to hold you, little one." With that, he hurried off.

Behind Juhua was a gully several feet wide, with a stream just over a foot wide running along its bottom. The gully was lined with bluish-gray rocks—some jutting out sharply, others smooth and flat. Huai Zi found a place where he could get a foothold and carefully slid down. Crouching at the edge of the happily babbling stream, he scooped up a handful of water to wash his face.

The clear spring water felt incredibly refreshing on his face; he could almost smell its sweetness. But he didn’t dare drink it—Juhua wouldn’t let him drink unboiled water.

He washed the dirt from his face and hands, then took the cotton cloth from around his neck to dry off, letting out a long, satisfied sigh. His gaze fell upon the wild grass and vegetables sprouting from cracks in the ravine’s rock face and the kudzu vines hanging down, all lush and vibrant. ’This place is so shady and damp,’ he thought, ’it feels full of vitality!’

Returning to Juhua’s side, he took little Cong from her. He chuckled and teased, "Couldn’t stay cooped up at home anymore?"

Pu Pao, who was standing nearby, glanced at Juhua. Seeing her smile without answering the young master’s question, she chimed in, "The Young Madam says being outside clears her head. I don’t see what’s so great about this place. It’d be better to stay in our garden at home. We have peach and plum trees, and they’re all blooming. The cherry trees are even bearing fruit! The garden is clean, too, not like this mountain—it’s all uneven, there are no paths, and it’s hard to walk. What if the Young Madam falls? What would we do? Young Madam, you’ve seen the Young Master now, so can we go home in a little while?"

Juhua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’So this little girl thinks I came all the way out here because I was missing Huai Zi? Does she really see me as that frivolous?’