Chapter Eleven Sweet Girl

  When Lian Man'er opened her eyes, the sky was already bright. She didn't know if it was because of the bowl of medicine she drank last night, but Lian Man'er felt very spirited and her body wasn't as weak as yesterday.

  "Has Man Er woken up?"

  Lian Wan'er nodded and got up from the kang. The whole family had gotten up, she was the last one.

  Lian Zhi'er immediately came over to help Lian Man'r put on her clothes, and quickly folded the bedding and put it away in the cabinet against the wall at the head of the kang.

  "Wait a minute, Man Er, I'll bring you some water to wash your face." Lian Zhi Er said as he went out. After a while, he brought in a basin of clear water and a small box of green salt.

  The family's hygiene habits are quite good. Lian Man thought to herself, then brushed her teeth and washed her face. Lian Zhi took out a comb and undid Lian Man's braids.

  "Man Er, the wound on your head is not fully healed yet, you can't get it wet, you'll have to wait a few more days before washing your hair." Lian Zhi gave Lian Man Er a gentle combing, being careful not to touch the injured spot on her head, then braided two pigtails for her.

  "What's Dad and Mom doing, and what about Brother and Little Seven?" asked Lian Man'er to Lian Zhi'er.

  "Father accompanied Eldest Uncle to Lao Jin's house to exchange silver, Mother is outside making medicine for you, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi went out early and didn't say what they were doing." said Lian Zhier.

  The two sisters were talking when Zhang's wife came in from outside with a bowl of medicine she had just cooked.

  "Meng'er, drink your medicine first, and then we'll have a good meal later."

  Lian Man'er looked at the dark medicine soup and felt bitter in her mouth, hesitating to take the medicine bowl.

  Zhang saw through Lian Miao's thoughts and felt a pang in her heart. She went upstairs early to ask Lian for an egg and some sugar, but was scolded by Zhou, who said she spoiled the child too much and didn't respect the elderly.

  "I'm fine now, I don't need to take medicine anymore." Lian Man'er said softly.

  "Lian'er, this medicine isn't bitter, I just tasted it myself. You're so easily... Just bear with it for a moment and swallow it in one gulp." Zhang Shi could only coax Lian'er.

  The medicine seems to have some effect after all. If you want to live a good life in the future, you must first take care of your body. Lian Man thought so and took over the medicine bowl.

  At this time, Lian Wu Lang brought Xiao Qi in from outside the door.

  "Man Er, for your sweet girl." Lian Wu Lang poured out a large handful of small green fruits from the hem of his garment.

  Lian Man'er put down the medicine bowl and picked up a small fruit to look at it. The sweet girl's outer layer was a layer of hemp-like skin, which had already turned yellow and dry. When this layer of skin was torn open, inside was the plump and slightly yellowed sweet girl fruit. She had eaten it when she was very young, it was very sweet, and you could even dig out the pulp to chew on for fun.

  "Try some, Mian'er, it's sweet." Lian Wulang also tore open one and handed it to Lian Mian'er.

  Lian Man'er plucked a fruit and put it in her mouth, chewing it, then nodded, it was sweet.

  "Second sister, after taking the medicine, just eat this and your mouth won't be bitter anymore." Little Seven said with her face upturned.

  Lian Man'er couldn't help but laugh. Zhang Shi, Lian Zhier, Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi looked at Lian Man'er laughing and also laughed.

  Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi went out early in the morning to pick some sweet girls for her, fearing that she would find the medicine too bitter. However, were these sweet girls wild?

  "So many sweet girls, where did you get them from?" Zhang asked before Lian Man'er could even ask.

  "From Er Ya's home." Xiao Qi replied quickly.

  "Who picked it for you? Does his family know about it?"

  "Don't worry, mother. I and Xiao Qi caught a few frogs early in the morning, which we exchanged with Er Ya's brother. Er Ya's mother also knows about it." said Lian Wu Lang.

  Zhang's heart was finally at ease.

  It wasn't wild, Lian Man thought to herself. This girl was actually talking about the sweet and sour plum fruit, which has two varieties. One is sweet, and it's already very sweet when it's green. The other one is bitter, but after it's fully ripe and turns red, it becomes sweet and sour, delicious to eat, and also has medicinal value. It's particularly effective for sore throats, and can also treat colds, dysentery, menstrual cramps, and gynecological inflammation.

  "Are there only sweet girls and no bitter girls?" Lian Man'er muttered to herself.

  "Does Miss Suffering have a daughter?" Xia Qi heard and hastily said, "Miss Suffering does have a daughter, but Sister Xiu doesn't let us touch her."

  "Bitter girls can't be as sweet as sweet girls. If you want to eat, you'll have to wait two more days. Man'er, if you want to eat, I'll take you to the mountain to pick some when the time comes, there's a big patch of them." Lian Wulang said.

  It turns out that there are also wild ones. Lian Man'er thought, the bitter girl who uses medicine doesn't have to wait until it's fully ripe, maybe she can pick some and exchange them for some pocket money.

  "When the time comes, pick more and sell them for money." said Lian Man Er.

  In this place, sweet girls are rarely seen, but bitter girls are very common. Almost every household has a few, and people rarely eat them, mostly the girls in the family chew on them for fun. The mountain is where he found it, basically no one goes to pick it. Can this thing be exchanged for money? Even Wu Lang doesn't believe it, but in order to coax his sister, he also nodded along.

  "Go on, when the time comes, I'll pick some for you."

  "Man Er, drink your medicine quickly, it will be cold soon." said Zhang Shi.

  Lian Wan'er obediently picked up the medicine bowl and had just taken a sip when she heard Zhou Shi's loud scolding from upstairs.

  "...black-hearted, lazy and greedy, sleeping until the sun shines on their butt and still not knowing to come to work, wanting us old folks to starve to death..."

  Zhang's family hurriedly stood up and was about to go upstairs.

  "Mother," Lian Man hurriedly called out to Zhang Shi. She knew that the several daughters-in-law of the Lian family took turns cooking, yesterday was Zhang Shi's turn, today no matter who it was, it had nothing to do with Zhang Shi. Zhou Shi was also an unreasonable person, if Zhang Shi went over now, she would only be scolded and have to take the blame for someone else.

  "It must be that your second aunt forgot to cook, and I have to go help. Otherwise, this family won't know when they can eat, your eldest uncle, second uncle, and father still have to go to the town." Zhou Shi said to Lian Man Er, still wanting to go out.

  Lian Man'er secretly rubbed her forehead, really bursting with a sense of responsibility, unfortunately it was not timely.

  "Mother, I don't want to take medicine, mother, you feed me." Lian Man'er stared at Zhang Shi with wide eyes. Directly not letting Zhang Shi go was definitely not possible, so she could only act spoiled.

  As expected, Zhang looked at his own little daughter with a cloth wrapped around her head, her big eyes shining expectantly at him, and his heart softened. He withdrew the leg that had stepped out and sat down on the kang, really picking up the bowl to feed Lian Man'er medicine.

  "Mother, I want to drink it mouthful by mouthful, drink a mouthful, and eat a sweet little girl." Lian Man'er said on purpose.

  "Go." Zhang Shi hastily went upstairs again and saw her daughter like this, she could only calm down.

  Lian Wan'er was drinking the medicine fed to her by Zhang Shi while eating the sweet potatoes peeled by Lian Zhier and Xiao Qi. Upstairs, Zhou Shi had already cursed at the patterns on the bed once, but no one responded, and eventually there was silence.

  "Fourth sister, mother is calling you." Lian Xiuer came in with a dark face, threw out a sentence, and turned around to leave, then went to call Zhao Shi and He Shi.

  Zhou's family is going to teach a lesson to their daughters-in-law, and Lian Man secretly stuck out her tongue.

  There was no reason to stop Zhang Shi anymore, so Lian Er followed Zhang Shi up to the upper house.

  Even Lao Yezi was not in the room, and Old Lady Zhou straightened her waist and sat on the kang, staring fiercely at several of her daughters-in-law standing on the ground.

  "Whose turn is it to cook today?" asked Mrs. Zhou.

  He wiped the corner of his eye with his hand, flicking a piece of dirt onto the ground, and remained silent. Zhao shrank her body, lowered her head, and didn't dare to speak. Gu didn't come, reportedly because she wasn't feeling well.

  Zhang wanted to speak up.

  Lian Man'er hastily pulled Zhang Shi's sleeve. Zhou Shi obviously didn't know whose turn it was to cook today, so she asked, which was clearly a trap.

  Zhang saw Lian Miao's anxious eyes and knew she shouldn't speak. Thinking of her little daughter being obedient, sensible and filial, she involuntarily closed her mouth.

  The elder daughter-in-law said she was not feeling well and didn't come, the second daughter-in-law had a rogue appearance, even Zhang Shi, who was usually the most honest and kind-hearted, refused to talk to her, making Zhou Shi even more angry.

  "What's wrong with you all? Didn't you hear me asking you questions?" Madam Zhou shouted.

  Lian Man'er tightly grasped Zhang Shi, not letting her speak.

  Zhou saw that no one was responding, so she could only hold back her anger and glance at a few of the daughters-in-law before finally pointing at Zhang.

  "Fourth sister-in-law, who's turn is it to cook today?"

  What is this, picking up soft persimmons or specifically choosing loud drums?

  "Mother, today..." Zhang Shi hastily said.

  "Mother, yesterday was our family's turn to cook." Lian Man'er hastily interrupted Zhang Shi's words, "Whose turn is it today?"

  Mrs. Zhang had to save face for her daughter and so she agreed with a "yes".

  Zhou's move was a feint, but Zhang didn't take the bait, so she could only turn to He.

  "Yesterday was Eldest Brother's wife's turn on duty, today shouldn't be your turn, how come you're just getting up now, trying to starve me and your dad?"

  He had been prepared for this.

  "Mother, you also said that yesterday was the turn of the fourth family to take care of things, and today it's my turn. My husband is the second son." He Shi said, "When the eldest sister-in-law was in town, she didn't say anything. Now that she has finally come home, isn't she still the daughter-in-law of father and mother? She should be cooking for her parents to eat."

  "You!" Madame Zhou pointed at Madame He, this daughter-in-law was usually lazy and a bit sloppy, and didn't take her words to heart. But today, what Madame He said made sense. Madame Gu had been following the eldest son in town for many years, rarely serving her. Now that she's back, shouldn't she be serving her?

  Now she can say that her body is uncomfortable and ask her not to come, what about later? Madame Zhou's heart sank, then relaxed again. Even if Gu Shi became the wife of an official in the future, she would still be her daughter-in-law. She was an old lady, the mother of Lianjia's eldest son.

  It's really necessary to establish rules now, otherwise Gu Shi will look down on her even more in the future.

  With this in mind, Zhou made up his mind.

  "Go and call your sister-in-law over." Zhou Shi instructed.