Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 199 - 104: Abduction_1

Chapter 199: Chapter 104: Abduction_1
Lian Manman carried a basket of peanuts in her hands; she gave Lian Duoduo a somewhat surprised glance. Lian Duoduo’s expression was a bit stiff, as she rarely initiated conversation with Lian Manman.
"Lian Manman, I have something I need to talk to you about," said Lian Duoduo.
If Lian Duoduo was looking for her, it was probably because she needed help with something. To ask for her help with such an attitude, who did Lian Duoduo think she was? This is what Lian Manman thought as she ignored Lian Duoduo and stepped towards the house. She didn’t like Lian Duoduo in the first place and didn’t want to bother with her.
"Lian Manman..." Seeing that Lian Manman was ignoring her, Lian Duoduo became anxious and reached out a hand to grab Lian Manman’s arm.
Lian Manman stopped in her tracks and turned her head to glance sidelong at Lian Duoduo.
"Who are you calling?"
"Sister, Sister Manman," Lian Duoduo weakly responded, reluctantly and somewhat timidly calling her sister in the face of Lian Manman’s intimidating demeanor.
Lian Manman was of the same age as Lian Duoduo but a few months older, so Lian Duoduo should rightfully call her sister. However, Lian Duoduo used to hold her nose so high in the air, looking down on this country girl in her eyes. She could count the number of times she had called Lian Manman sister on one hand.
"Sister Manman." Lian Duoduo called out once more.
"What is it, Duoduo? If you need something, you’ve finally learned to lower your voice and ask me nicely," said Lian Manman with an inward smile of contempt, before asking.
"Sister Manman, can you, can you help me with something?"
"That depends on what it is," replied Lian Manman. She was indeed a little curious as to what kind of favor Lian Duoduo needed.
Lian Duoduo didn’t answer immediately; instead, she looked around cautiously.
"Sister Manman, let’s go to the backyard to talk."
With many mouths in the Lian Family, to speak without others overhearing, they could only go to the backyard. It was large, and generally, no one came there without reason.
"What’s so secret that you can’t talk about it here?" Lian Manman asked, puzzled.
"Sister Manman, I beseech you..." Lian Duoduo said urgently, glancing anxiously toward the West Room of the Upper Room, seemingly afraid of being seen by Lady Gu and the others.
Daughters of the same mother, Lian Duoduo and Lian Huahua had different temperaments. According to the country’s colloquialism, Lian Duoduo had a bit of a hard mouth, unlike the sweet-talking Lady Gu and Lian Huahua, who could flatter you to the skies if they wished. Lian Duoduo wasn’t good with words to please people; saying the word "please" was extremely difficult for her.
"Go ahead first; I’ll send the peanuts inside, and then I’ll come find you," Lian Manman said.
"Then Sister Manman, you must come," Lian Duoduo pleaded again.
"For something so trivial, you’re worried I’d trick you?" said Lian Manman.
Only then did Lian Duoduo turn around and slowly made her way to the backyard with small steps.
Lian Manman walked into the house and set down the basket of peanuts.
Lady Zhang was sitting on the kang, sewing clothes under the window.
"Manman, come try this on to see if it fits. If it doesn’t fit, I can alter it," Lady Zhang called out as soon as she saw Lian Manman come in.
In Lady Zhang’s hands was an autumn fragrance-colored shankirt, almost fully sewn.
Lian Manman quickly washed her hands, removed her shoes and climbed onto the kang. She took off her outer shirt and, with Lady Zhang’s help, put on the newly sewn shankirt. Lady Zhang was skilled with the needle, and the shankirt fit nicely, except for the skirt and shirt being a tad long.
"Big sister looks so pretty in the new clothes," Xiao Qi clapped and said as she came in from outside.
Lady Zhang examined it closely, marking the areas that needed adjustments with thread and needle before having Lian Manman take the outfit off.
"Take in a bit more from this side, and next year when you’ve grown taller, let it out, and you can still wear it," Lady Zhang said.
For tenant farmer families, making a new set of clothes wasn’t easy, especially as children grew quickly. If clothes were made exactly to size, they would be too small and tight within a year and no longer wearable. Therefore, tenant farmer families, like Lady Zhang, usually sewed clothes with extra material tucked in, which could be let out as children grew taller, allowing for an additional year or two of wear.
"Earlier outside, was that Duoduo who had come looking for you?" Lady Zhang resumed her sewing and then thought to ask.
It was only then that Lian Manman remembered her promise to Lian Duoduo to meet her in the backyard. Being a girl, who didn’t like pretty new clothes? Lian Manman had initially not taken Lian Duoduo’s request seriously and, preoccupied with trying on the new clothes, she had forgotten about Lian Duoduo.
"Yes, she said she needed my help," Lian Manman told Lady Zhang.
"What would Duoduo need your help for?" Lady Zhang found this strange.
"I can’t figure it out," Lian Manman shook her head. "She seems to be afraid of someone finding out. I’ll go listen and see what it is."