Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 74 - 42: Grandparent and Grandchild_2

Chapter 74: Chapter 42: Grandparent and Grandchild_2
In the fields, Old Master Lian asked Lian Jizu to take the scythe and cut the sorghum next to him. Because of Lian Zhizhi’s odd behavior, Lian Manman paid attention to Lian Jizu as she worked. Lian Jizu swung the scythe and actually kept pace with Old Master Lian. On closer inspection, she realized what was happening: Old Master Lian had cut the sorghum in the row ahead of Lian Jizu, and Lian Shouxin, on Lian Jizu’s other side, had also cut quite a lot.
"This is... quite a performance." Lian Manman was somewhat speechless.
"Father just wants to show everyone, it used to be Uncle who did it, and then when Jizu brother grew up a bit, Uncle wouldn’t even agree to do that, always sending Jizu brother instead," Lian Zhizhi whispered.
While the sisters were whispering, they heard Lian Jizu cry out in pain.
"Jizu, what’s wrong, Jizu?" Lian Shouxin quickly dropped his work and rushed to Lian Jizu’s side.
Lian Jizu stood on one leg, his face twisted in pain.
"Fourth Uncle, I’ve twisted my ankle."
"How bad is it, is the twist severe?" Old Master Lian also put down his work and came over to ask.
"No worries, grandfather, I can still work," Lian Jizu bravely put the twisted foot back on the ground but immediately cried out again as his body staggered.
Everyone was close by, of course they wouldn’t let him fall.
"How can you work with a twisted foot, Dad, let Jizu go and rest," Lian Shouxin suggested.
Old Master Lian did not answer immediately.
"Yeah, Jizu is a scholar, Dad, which scholar can do fieldwork?" Lian Shouyi said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, let Jizu go back," Lian Shouli said.
Lian Jizu refused to go, saying he wanted to continue helping Old Master Lian with the work, but his brothers Lian Shouxin and the others tried to persuade him. They said Lian Jizu’s injury was not light, and he must go back to rest.
"Dad, just let Jizu go back," everyone pleaded.
"Alright, Jizu, you can go back then, get some good rest. Erlang, you help your Jizu brother back," Old Master Lian finally said.
Thus, Lian Jizu limped back, leaning on Lian Erlang.
That afternoon, Lian Manman was embarrassingly bemused, occasionally letting out a chuckle, and for that continuous disdain from Lian Zhizhi, Lady Zhang, and Lian Shouxin, she received rolled eyes.
The next day after breakfast, it was time to go back to the fields. Since Lian Jizu had twisted his ankle, naturally he could not go. Lady He said that Lian Yaya had just re-wrapped her feet for the second time and that she needed to stay at home to take care of Lian Yaya.
"Let Xiuxiu take care of her. With so many women in the house, can’t they take care of Yaya?" Old Master Lian rebutted without even lifting his head.
That day, they went to the northern fields again to harvest millet. The millet stalks were thinner and longer than the sorghum stalks, and their heads were also longer than those of the sorghum, being loose heads.
"This year’s millet has grown well," Lady Zhang said happily as she touched a millet grain.
The rice from the millet that has been hulled is commonly referred to as "big yellow rice" here, distinguishing it from the "small yellow rice" that comes from hulled millet. Big yellow rice is sticky, and it’s typically saved for the winter. During that time, the big yellow rice is finely ground into flour. Then, it is mixed with sorghum flour and small yellow rice flour in certain proportions to make a dough for the skin, which is filled with red bean paste to make sticky red bean buns, colloquially known as baba. These sticky baba can serve as the staple food for the rural families here throughout the winter.
Lian Manman remembered that the nutritional value of this big yellow rice was quite substantial, and the best way to consume it was with legumes, which provided a comprehensive nutrient intake. It was excellent for the stomach, helped strengthen the body, and was particularly good for children during their growth and development.
What a great thing, Lian Manman thought to herself.
Even the millet heads left after the grains had been removed had their use; they were materials for making brooms. The brooms they commonly used for sweeping the floor and bed were made from these. The Lian Family also had a big broom made from bamboo branches, which wasn’t a local product and was considered a rare item.
"Sister-in-law eats like a fairy, just a little bit every meal," Lian Zhizhi chatted with Lian Manman as they worked together. This time they were talking about Lady Chiang.
"Sister Huahua and my aunt from the big family branch, they also eat very little," said Lian Manman. "They’re probably not used to coarse grains."
"I saw Duoduo sneaking some snacks behind everyone’s back," Xiao Qi chimed in.
It seemed to Lian Manman that, given Old Master Lian’s intentions, he wanted the big family branch to stay in the village permanently. They were unaccustomed to the coarse grains, and while they might manage for a day or two by eating snacks, she wasn’t sure they could hold out for much longer.
When it was time for a break, Lian Manman went to fetch the water jar. She expected it to require some effort, but to her surprise, she picked it up easily. The jar was light. Lian Manman shook the water jar and then opened the lid, only to find that there was no water inside.
"Who took the water jar this morning and forgot to fill it up?" Lian Manman asked.
"This morning, it was the aunt from the second branch who filled the water jar," Wu Lang said.
"How come she didn’t fill it? It couldn’t have spilled on the way," Lady He remarked casually.
"Aunt from the second branch, this jar is dry both inside and out," Lian Manman pointed out. If the jar had been filled with water in the morning, it wouldn’t be like this.
Lady He laughed it off and came over to take the water jar from Lian Manman’s hands.
"I’ll go home and fill it up with water," Lady He said, taking the jar and heading back.
"Hold on, second daughter-in-law," Old Master Lian called Lady He to a stop. "Let Manman and Wu Lang go. We will wait for the water to be brought back before we rest."
Lady He was reluctant but didn’t dare to argue with Old Master Lian.
One of the rules of the Lian Family was that no one could leave the fields without Old Master Lian’s permission. Lian Manman understood that Old Master Lian knew about Lady He’s laziness, fearing that if she went, there was no telling when she would return, which is why he had her and Wu Lang go instead.
"Go quickly and come back quickly, and be careful on the way," Lady Zhang instructed.
Lian Manman and Wu Lang then carried the water jar and walked towards home.
As soon as they entered the Lian Family’s gate, Lian Manman smelled an enticing scent of oil.
"They’re cooking meals already? It’s a bit early, isn’t it? And what are they making to use so much oil?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)