Chapter Thirty-Eight: Pots and Pans

  Chapter 12 of The Analects of Confucius

  Second update, seeking subscription and pink candy.

  ……………

  Lian Shouren and Gu Shi both quieted down to listen to Lian Hua'er.

  "Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt always say that a life is a life, but this thing has been going on for so long, and Mian'er is fine, living more spirited than anyone. Can't they just drop it and not ruin Father's future? If they were really as sensible as Grandfather said, considering the bigger picture, treating us like family, they wouldn't bring it up again. But instead, they even laid hands on Father and Mother... They don't put us in their eyes at all..." Lianhua'er said softly.

  "Hua'er is right, you still treat them as friends and think about pulling them up after becoming an official. But they already consider you an enemy," said Gu Shi.

  Lian Shouren is not here.

  "I followed you, but I haven't had a single good day. As soon as I entered the door, I, a big girl, had to take care of your children and serve the old and young. In the end, I still have to bear your beatings. You are a man, after all, and will go on to become an official in the future...your face will shine with glory..." Gu Shi muttered to herself.

  "Do you think I'm easy to bully? Even Lian Shouren is fed up with being spoken to like that."

  "You, you're still making me angry." Gu saw that Lian Shouren was annoyed and immediately changed his attitude from just now, and started crying softly again, "Who made my life so bitter? If I had the power, I wouldn't be able to bear such humiliation either."

  "Isn't your ancestor?" Lian Shouren said.

  Gu can't make it.

  "Mother, you haven't, and there's also your daughter. Mother, rest assured, I'll avenge this for you." Lian Hua'er said.

  "Flower, do you have a way?" Gu's eyes lit up immediately.

  "Stop it, or else you'll get into more trouble and Grandfather will be unable to smooth things over." Lian Shouren said.

  "If something happens again and it has nothing to do with us, can't they blame it on us?" Lian Hua'er said with a smile.

  "Hua Er, have you thought of a good idea?" Gu Shi leaned in close to Hua Er and said in a low voice.

  "We don't need to take action, someone will avenge us and make them swallow their pride." Lian Hua pointed with her finger in the direction of the west wing. Chapter 38 of "Lianhua"

  "You're saying..."

  Lian Hua'er nodded, borrowing a knife to kill someone has always been a good plan.

  Gu and Lianhua leaned their heads together, whispering softly.

  ………

  The next day at breakfast, Zhang saw Gu and felt a little awkward, but Gu was as usual, even smiling more than usual. Lian Hua was also very gentle, although she still only got along with Lian Xiu'er, when her eyes fell on the other sisters, there was even a hint of a smile on her face. Only Lian Duo'er pouted, and when she saw Lian Man'er looking at her, she immediately glared.

  Lotus root and rice bowl.

  "This is the belly silk from County Town Gu's restaurant, fragrant but not greasy, and good for digestion. Mian'er, eat some more." Gu placed a chopstick of belly silk into Lian Mian'er's bowl.

  Lian Man'er raised her head and saw Gu Shi's face smiling like a flower, then picked up another chopstick to give to Zhang Shi, "Fourth brother's wife, you have some too."

  Lian Wan'er was slightly startled. Gu's family had only made an effort on Zhou Shi and Lian Xiu'er, and were always lukewarm towards them. Today, this was... showing them favor.

  Did Gu Shi feel guilty about what she did? If she was really only ten years old, maybe she would think that way. Just looking at Gu Shi's smile directed at the whole house, it seemed like Gu Shi was doing it for everyone to see.

  "Eldest aunt, today's mantou is delicious. It was my mother who got up early this morning and spent half a day kneading the dough before steaming it out. You were still sleeping at that time, eldest aunt. Try some, it's not worse than the white mantou you eat in town." said Lian Man Er.

  Gu's pretending to be generous, trying to show off her magnanimity and not holding grudges, but she can't even do what Zhang is doing. Today's breakfast was made by Zhang and Zhao, whereas according to the rules, it should have been Gu's turn to cook. Compared to Gu's superficial kindness, Zhang is obviously more broad-minded and genuinely magnanimous.

  "It's your turn to cook again today, don't be late for lunch." said Zhou to Gu.

  Mr. Gu could only smile and agree.

  "Great Aunt, this is a new dish that Mother pickled this year." Lian Mian immediately picked up a large chopstick of salty vegetable threads and put it in Gu Shi's bowl.

  This pickled vegetable strip is used to go with rice, in Xiaogui's words, it's salty and savory.

  Lian Man'er smiled and looked at Gu Shi, "This is a good craftsmanship of the milk, which can't be found in the town or county, Auntie, you should eat more."

  The smile on Gu's face stiffened slightly.

  "Hua'er sister, Duo'er, you guys eat too. I see none of you are moving your chopsticks..." Lian Man'er was about to pick up some salted vegetables for Lian Hua'er and Lian Duo'er again.

  They both hastily picked up their bowls and dodged Lian Mian'er.

  "Man Er, we're family, no need for formalities. I want to eat jiazi," said Lian Hua Er.

  Just now when Gu Shi was having a meal, why didn't you say it was fake?

  "Oh, so this is just a formality. We don't usually do this at home. I saw Auntie doing it and thought it was good manners, so I learned from her." Lian Man'er deliberately let out a sigh of relief, then added, "I said if it's good manners, Mother should teach us too."

  Lian Man'er's words not only praised Zhou Shi, but also indirectly belittled Gu Shi and Lian Hua'er. Zhou Shi couldn't help feeling pleased in her heart, thinking that Lian Man'er was unusually pleasant today. Gu Shi and Lian Hua'er didn't dare to refute Lian Man'er, so they could only swallow their anger and suffer in silence.

  Lian Man'er was eating porridge with a bellyful of silk, watching Gu Shi pretend to be happy while eating that salty dish, secretly pleased in her heart.

  After finishing breakfast, the bowls and chopsticks were all taken down and put into a large wooden basin. Zhang's habit was to scoop water into the large wooden basin, but when she turned her head, she saw Lian Man'er staring at her.

  "Sister-in-law, you wash the dishes, I've already scooped out water for you." Zhang called out to Gu who was just about to head towards the west room.

  Gu's face twisted into a faint smile.

  "Here you go, Fourth Brother and Sister, thanks for your trouble."

  "Fourth brother, it's not a big deal, just wash the bowl with your hands, what's the point of calling me sister-in-law?" He Shi came out of the house and said. Yesterday, the first wife and the fourth wife fought together, she and Lian Shouyi were afraid of getting involved, so they hid outside, but they had a good view of the excitement. The two of them thought about it for a night and felt that Lian's way of handling things was still in favor of the first wife's future prospects.

  "It seems we still have to rely on Big Brother after all." This was the conclusion they came up with.

  Gu's wife was unwilling to do such rough work, she just said a few words on the side and could win people over with her kindness. It was only because of this kind of thinking that He's wife spoke out like this.

  Zhang was taken aback for a moment.

  "Second Aunt is going to help Eldest Aunt with the dishes, let's not get in the way. And those shoes, Grandma is still waiting to wear them." Lian Man'er said immediately.

  Zhang understood and immediately handed the water scoop in his hand to He, and then Lian Menger came out of the upper house.

  He took a water scoop, Gu was unwilling to work hard, would she be willing? Although it's necessary to curry favor with Gu, but if she really had to do the chores for Gu, she wouldn't be happy about it.

  "I have something too, sister-in-law, you take care of your own business." He Shi chuckled twice, threw down the water scoop and turned to leave.

  "Mother, bear with it for a moment, let's see what happens." Lian Hua'er gently tapped Gu Shi's arm.

  Yes, she also had something to ask of Mrs. Zhou. Gu couldn't help it, and could only pinch her nose, sit down by the large wooden basin, and start washing dishes.

  It's almost time to harvest, and Lao Yezi had finished breakfast and brought several people to check the crops. Lian Shouren was beaten and his face was still swollen, so he didn't want to go out. After eating, he went back to the west room and lay on the kang.

  Gu washed the dishes and came back to change her clothes. She had no choice, she was not used to doing these chores, and she got her clothes dirty again. She was used to being clean, and there couldn't be a single water spot on her clothes.

  "Brother," Gu said, changing his clothes and discussing with Lian Shouren, "I'm going to the county town to get my teeth capped, you come too, help me persuade Mother."

  "Don't go near that nail, Father said yesterday that we have to stay at home until the official is elected."

  "Then I won't get this tooth capped, how can I go out and see people?" Gu Shi thought to herself with some annoyance.

  "There is also inlaid teeth in the town." Lian Shouren said.

  "What's that compared to the county town?" Gu Shi thought that although he lived in a town, it was only slightly better than the countryside and couldn't compare to the county town.

  Lian Shouren sat up from the kang, and he thought of another important matter.

  "Don't bother anymore. I won't be able to go out for a few days, you go to town and bring back Jizong and the others."

  "Will the ancestors be able to hear me?" Gu said, "Are they willing to do that"

  "Nothing can be done about it," Lian Shouren said, "Let them have their way. The houses in the town will also need to be dealt with. We won't go back to live in the town again."

  "Why?"

  "This time, Father has made up his mind." Lian Shouren rubbed his face, yesterday Lian Lao Ye and he had a long talk, the meaning of which was that he thought he did such things because he lacked restraint outside and associated with bad people. Therefore, before he went out to select officials, he would be restrained at home.

  Gu took the severity of the problem seriously and sat down on the edge of the kang as well.

  "Never mind, in the future when you become an official, we won't need that house in town either." Gu Shi's eyes rolled around and she had a plan, "Let's go to town today and call over Ji Zu and them."

  In the western wing room, Zhang Shi and Lian Zhi'er were doing needlework, while Lian Man'er was following them with one hand on the needlework and the other on a piece of cloth.

  Xiao Qi ran in from outside.

  "What's with all the huffing and puffing?" asked Lian Man'er.

  "Sister, Eldest Paternal Aunt has already drunk two buckets of water early this morning."

  Lian Man'er and Xiao Qi couldn't help but burst out laughing together.

  Zhang's wife gave Lianmeng a stern look, but didn't say anything.

  "Old Aunt said she wanted to go to town and asked Big Brother to find a car," Little Seven added.

  "It's already late for the fair today. If we go now, it will be too late. Others have already finished their shopping at the fair by this time." said Zhang.

  "Second sister," said Little Seven, sitting down beside Lian Mian'er, "Hua'er's sister took Old Aunt to the back garden and they're secretly talking next to the bean trellis. I want to listen in, let Old Aunt chase me away."

  "You little eavesdropper." Zhang scolded with a smile.

  Xiao Qi smiled mischievously.

  "Lian Huaer isn't hiding something bad, is she?" Lian Man'er asked.

  "Whoever it is, as long as they're good to his aunt, she'll listen to whatever they say." Lian Zhier said.

  "There was a time when she came to make trouble and got Old Auntie to hit me." Little Qi said with a pout.

  Just as they were talking, someone outside shouted.

  "Is Lianhua at home?"

  Update Description:

  Basically updated once a day, twenty pink added one chapter, seeking pink ing. Not yet twenty pink, but still sent additional updates. Weak color coding third update, everyone gives some encouragement.

  Is it true?