The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 128 - 117: Settled (Additional update for 55000 recommendation tickets from Yunqi)

Chapter 128: Chapter 117: Settled (Additional update for 55000 recommendation tickets from Yunqi)

Zhou SiLang bowed his head, and Third Uncle Qian also lowered his head.

Eldest Uncle Qian swept a glance at the two of them, snorted coldly, then said, "Let’s leave it at that for today. We’ll head back first, and if there’s anything, have Wulang come to call us."

Old Zhou agreed promptly and hurriedly saw the three uncle brothers out.

In the evening, Zhou Xi and her mother and sister shared a bed. Ms.Qian touched her hand and said, "It is a bit cold; a girl’s hand shouldn’t be cold. Feel Manbao’s; it’s so warm."

Manbao, already sleepy and yawning, perked up at the words and stuffed her plump little hand into her elder sister’s, cheerfully saying, "Warm or not, I’ll warm your hand."

Zhou Xi smiled as she touched her hand, "Manbao is really well taken care of now. I remember when she was little, her hands and feet were always cold. No matter how many clothes she wore, it was no use. Sometimes she would sweat from her back being so hot, yet her hands would still be cool."

Ms.Qian, having long been ill, became informed about medicine and said, "That’s because of a lack of yang energy. You’re the same right now. It’s mostly likely a problem with ’palace cold.’ Your second uncle is not wrong; once we get the money from the Liu family, you should go to the county town to see a doctor first."

Zhou Xi smiled wryly, "Mother, if you ask me, there’s no need to spend that money. I’ve seen a doctor before. He only said I was physically weak and told me to take good care of myself. He didn’t give any clear advice. I’ve also taken a lot of medicine, but it was of no use. Why bother spending the money again?"

Ms.Qian sighed, "The best doctor in the county is at Jishi Hall. I don’t know who is familiar with him. We need a definitive answer, whether it can be cured and how to go about treating it."

Manbao raised her little hand, "Me, me, I’m familiar with the doctor."

Before Zhou Xi could speak, Ms.Qian tapped her little forehead and said, "You’ve only met him once, familiar what?"

"Not just that, I also borrowed a book from him and I returned it—though it was Fifth Brother who returned it. But we’ve corresponded," Manbao insisted: "We’re friends."

Since they were friends, the questions asked would certainly be answered seriously.

Manbao said, "Elder sister, when you go to see the doctor, I’ll go with you."

Zhou Xi looked at Ms.Qian, and Ms.Qian nodded slightly, "That’s fine, let your sister go with you."

Time passed rather quickly and the next day, Old Zhou took his sons to clear out the space next to the firewood room. They mixed straw with mud to make adobe bricks, then took out the lumber prepared for building and started construction beside the firewood room.

A thatched hut would have been faster to build, but it was still winter, and with the weather being very cold, Old Zhou was afraid it might wear down his sons’ health, so he decided to do it properly.

However, it wasn’t much better. Once the adobe bricks were dried, they simply stacked them up. Without needing anyone’s help, the family finished in just two days.

That was one of the advantages of having many sons.

On the third day, the Zhou family invited the three Qian uncles again, and went to fetch the village chief before heading to Liu village.

This time, Zhou Xi went along as well.

Separation didn’t necessarily require her presence; usually, both families could handle it. But Zhou Xi still wanted to see it for herself.

Children couldn’t possibly go to such an event, so Manbao stayed behind to practice writing and reading. Just after lunchtime, they had returned.

And they brought back quite a few items.

Two new quilts and two sets of new clothes were the most visibly substantial. The smaller items were personally carried by Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi kept one set of new clothes for herself and wanted to give the other set to her mother. Ms.Qian pushed it back and said, "No need for you to give me anything. This year Manbao bought me a set, and Wulang and Liulang together bought another. I don’t lack for clothes to wear."

Zhou Xi felt surprised, "Where did Manbao get the money?"

Ms.Qian chuckled, "Don’t underestimate her; she earned quite a bit of money this year, if only she had saved any of it."

That evening, Manbao took out the remaining seventy or so coins she had left, Ms.Qian took all of them, feeling that it was foolish not to accept the money when her little girl was willingly offering it.

So now Manbao had not a single coin to her name again.

Zhou Xi no longer insisted, and then gave both new quilts to Silang and the others because the new house had been heated for a day, and they could move in that evening. Zhou Xi would move into the room where they had been staying.

Their new room was colder, but the new quilts were warmer.

Ms.Qian didn’t stop her, and they counted the remaining items together.

A pair of silver earrings, a pair of silver bracelets, and two strings of cash.

Ms.Qian packed them up for her and whispered a reminder, "Keep these things safe for yourself. Whether you remarry or not, they are your assets. Having them is better than nothing."

Zhou Xi responded softly.

Zhou Xi’s return to the family had a moderate impact on the Zhou household, neither too large nor too small. Junior Ms.Qian and her sisters-in-law adapted after a couple of days.

Zhou Xi felt somewhat guilty at first, so she tried to take on all the household chores, but Ms.Qian prevented her, and she distributed the chores equally among the four of them. Many tasks rotated between them.

After adjusting for a couple of days, Junior Ms.Qian and the others settled into the new routine, which wasn’t much different from before except the daily household work was a little less, and it was just a matter of one more person taking turns, essentially equivalent to having an additional sister-in-law.

Ms.Qian didn’t show favoritism publically. Apart from giving special care to Manbao during meals, she treated Zhou Xi the same as the three daughters-in-law, so it didn’t take long for them to accept Zhou Xi.

After several days of initial anxiety, Zhou Xi gradually calmed down. Now that there was money, Ms.Qian was decisive, summoning Zhou ErLang and saying, "Tomorrow you bring your sister and Manbao to the county town again to see the doctor at Jishi Hall. Find out exactly what illness your sister has and whether it can be cured."

Zhou ErLang agreed.

Manbao requested, "Let Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother go with us."

It would also be an opportunity to sell sugar. The Lunar New Year’s Eve was only a few days away, and there would definitely be a lot of people buying snacks on the street.

Manbao was out of money again, and she couldn’t even afford to buy meat.

Ms.Qian glanced at Manbao and nodded, "Alright."

Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang were overjoyed, while Zhou SiLang watched Manbao with a wistful look.

After holding her gaze with him for a while, Manbao dashed back into the house and said to Ms.Qian, "Mother, let Silang go too."

Ms.Qian asked, "What would he do there? Aren’t Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother enough to run errands for you?"

"Just let him go to see the excitement. I think Silang got into gambling because he was too inexperienced. Let him broaden his horizons so he won’t make such foolish mistakes again," Manbao continued.

Manbao’s voice wasn’t low, and the brothers outside all heard her.

Zhou SiLang: ...

Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang covered their mouths, trying to contain their laughter.

Ms.Qian gave it some thought and found her daughter’s suggestion reasonable, so she agreed, "Then keep a close eye on him, and don’t let him near the gambling dens."

Manbao assured there would be no problem. After she left, Zhou SiLang couldn’t resist muttering in her ear, "I already said I wouldn’t gamble, and I don’t have a single coin on me now. How could I gamble?"

"If not having money meant you wouldn’t gamble, how did you manage to get into debt before?" Manbao said. "This shows you can gamble even without money."

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