Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 73 - 42 Grandparent-Grandchild_1

Chapter 73: Chapter 42 Grandparent-Grandchild_1
At the second watch, request for pink.
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The Lian Family’s eldest grandson had returned, and it was harvest time, so naturally, this lunch was much more abundant than usual. Lady Zhang, Lady Zhao, and Lady He were all busy in the kitchen, and Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, and Lian Yeye also lent a hand, picking green beans, peeling potatoes, and tending the fire. Lady Zhou personally supervised and directed, with Lady Zhang being the busiest, as her knife skills were the best, responsible for chopping vegetables, and she also had to stir-fry.
The front and back doors of the Upper Room were wide open; the smoke and aroma from the stir-frying drifted far away, and almost every face wore a smile.
The last dishes to be served on the table were a cold dish of dried cucumber shreds mixed with tofu shreds, and three hot dishes: one with green pepper and potato shreds, one with dried tofu stir-fried with hot peppers, and one with pork belly stewed with potatoes and eggplant. There was also a soup made with meat skin and rice noodles, all served in bowls. This was an exceedingly lavish meal for an ordinary farmstead household. The staple food had also changed; it wasn’t all coarse grain anymore, as the steamed buns now included white flour, making them fluffier and more delicious.
As always, men and women ate at separate tables. Only after all the dishes were served did Lady Gu and Lady Chiang, along with Lian Huahua and Lian Duoduo, come from the west room to eat.
There were already many people eating, and with Lady Chiang added, it was even more crowded. Lian Manman bit into a bun and was about to reach for some vegetables when suddenly, she smelled a rancid odor.
Lian Manman turned her head and glanced at Xiao Qi next to her; Xiao Qi wrinkled her nose, indicating that she too had smelled it. Following the odor, they both looked down only to see that Lian Yaya, sitting directly opposite them, had stretched her two little feet from under the table.
Lian Manman wanted to tell Lian Yaya to retract her feet, as everyone sitting on the kang to eat was cross-legged, and it was not polite to stretch one’s feet directly in front of someone else. However, seeing that Lady He was unreasonable, she decided not to be polite either.
When no one was paying attention, Lian Manman grabbed her chopsticks and jabbed Lian Yaya’s foot hard.
Lian Yaya shrieked loudly, nearly overturning the dining table.
"What’s wrong, what’s wrong?"
"My foot, who jabbed my foot?" Lian Yaya cried in pain and withdrew her foot.
Lady Zhou glanced down and saw it immediately, reprimanding, "Yaya, how are you sitting like that; you’re getting less and less disciplined." As she spoke, Lady Zhou frowned and snorted, glancing at Lian Yaya’s feet, then scolded Lady He, "Yaya’s feet must be cured by now; you should double her socks, look at them now."
Lady He said nothing.
Lian Manman quietly put down her chopsticks and continued eating with only her soup spoon.
"We should call Grandma Li Si, to bind Yaya’s feet for the second time," Lady Zhou continued.
"Just bind her. Yaya’s feet have indeed gotten smaller and have suffered," Lady He quickly grabbed a piece of fatty meat for Lian Yaya, and another piece for herself.
Lady Chiang sat next to Lady Gu; she was Lady Gu’s niece, with a melon-seed-shaped face, large eyes, and finely-drawn, curved eyebrows. Right now, she was silently feeding Niuniu, who was eating a separate pot of boiled rice porridge. While feeding Niuniu, Lady Chiang took her time eating, bite by bite.
After the meal was quickly finished, everyone got busy cleaning up the table and washing dishes.
Lian Huahua was still sitting on the kang, discussing with Lian Xiu, "Older cousin, I and Duoduo will come to keep you company tonight."
"Of course, I’ve told you to come and sleep over," Lian Xiuxiu replied happily, "Now that Jizu and the others are back, there’s no way so many people can fit in your room."
After a midday rest, the family still had to go down to the fields to work. Lady He said she would bind Lian Yaya’s feet and thus wouldn’t go to the fields that afternoon. Lady Zhou nodded and also asked Old Master Lian.
Old Master Lian didn’t say much, just called over Lian Jizu.
"Jizu, you go down to the fields with your grandpa."
Lian Jizu glanced at Lian Shouren, quickly nodded, and agreed.
In the afternoon work crowd, there was one less person, Lady He, and one more person, Lian Jizu. When it was time to work in the fields, it wasn’t practical to wear formal attire. So, Lian Jizu removed his formal jacket, and Lady Chiang opened the wardrobe, taking out a set of semi-new fine cloth pants and top for Lian Jizu to change into, clearly prepared in advance.
"Jizu, work hard in the fields for your father," Lian Shouren advised Lian Jizu before leaving.
On the way to the fields, they encountered many fellow villagers also heading out to work, greeting each other with similar conversations.
"Oh, Jizu is back."
"Even the scholar works in the fields; Uncle Lian/Big Brother Lian is indeed a fortunate man."
Old Master Lian just laughed heartily, visibly delighted.
"Does Brother Jizu know how to work?" Lian Manman asked Lian Zhizhi quietly while walking behind.
"You’ll see soon enough," Lian Zhizhi refused to say, just covering her mouth with a giggle.