Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 162 - 161: All Good Sons

Chapter 162: Chapter 161: All Good Sons
Qin Yao raised an amused eyebrow, "I’m just teasing you, sister-in-law. I’ll fry it myself later and have Da Lang bring some over to you."
He laughed in exasperation, raised her hand pretending to hit her, but as soon as her hand went up, Qin Yao easily dodged to the side.
Mrs. Qiu was eating chestnuts, and it was rare to see He being teased, so she couldn’t help but smile.
"Oh~" Mrs. Zhang shook her head helplessly, even though everyone was grown-up, they were still bickering like children.
The atmosphere in the courtyard was just right when hurried footsteps were heard, Qin Yao’s ears twitched, and she turned her head to look outside.
Second Lang and Jinbao rushed in with anxious expressions.
"Aunt Yao, they, they..." Jinbao ran too quickly and couldn’t get the words out in one breath.
Qin Yao’s expression turned cold, and she looked at Second Lang.
Second Lang took a deep breath to calm himself, and said anxiously, "They’ve returned! They’ve also brought three mats!"
"Who?" Qin Yao was confused.
Jinbao finally caught his breath and shouted, "The men from the village have all returned!"
Hearing this, everyone in the courtyard was startled.
Second Lang repeated the mention of three mats, urging Qin Yao to quickly go and check, because he didn’t see his own Liu Ji among the standing men.
Mrs. Zhang’s face changed instantly. Seeing Qin Yao still in a daze, she quickly urged, "Yao Niang, you should go take a look."
Qin Yao ate the sugared chestnut she had peeled in her palm in one go and rushed out like the wind.
Da Lang, who was nearest to her, glimpsed a fleeting smile on her face, which caused his heart to tighten inexplicably.
Second Lang hurriedly grabbed his elder brother to chase Qin Yao’s figure, but she ran too fast, and in the blink of an eye she had already reached the entrance of the village.
Most of the villagers were on their way, Second Lang and Jinbao happened to be playing in the wasteland near the water mill, so they were the first to discover the returning men.
Everyone from the water mill followed along, and they gathered in front of the three rolled-up straw mats, hesitating to approach.
At the time, there had been forty-five laborers sent, but now only thirty-five returned and three straw mats. They traveled from the border to Zijing Mansion, and then met on the road, returning home together.
Among them, some were grouped with fellow villagers, and they carried each other’s bodies back.
The female workers in the water mill hurried to find their husbands, sons, brothers, and those who found them wept with joy.
Those who didn’t find them stood in front of the three mats.
The corpses had been dead for a long time, and even though the weather was cold, changes had already occurred, emitting strange smells.
No one dared to lift the straw mats, all waiting for the clan leader and village head to arrive.
Qin Yao was the first to rush to the mats, and amidst the crowd’s exclamations, she unveiled the three straw mats with a steady expression.
Mrs. Zhang and others who arrived later were frightened and turned their backs.
Da Lang also grabbed Second Lang and the Dragon and Phoenix Twins who ran back, shielding their view with his body.
The young boy mustered up his courage and looked at the decayed faces of the three corpses one by one.
Not seeing familiar faces, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Yet Qin Yao, who had unveiled the mats, looked disappointed.
Old Liu, who had rushed over from the fields, inadvertently glanced at Qin Yao, feeling quite puzzled inside.
Wasn’t the dead person supposed to be old Liu Ji, why wasn’t she happy?
Could it be because she was worried that old Liu Ji was still left behind?
"Ah!" A voice of desperate wailing sounded, someone recognized their own man, grief-stricken, nearly fainting.
The three corpses were claimed one after another.
The village head, who didn’t even recognize the corpse, felt his heart sink.
His grandson, Liu Qi, didn’t return either. Was he delayed on the road, or had an accident, unable to return home?
He didn’t dare think too much, seeing the equally disappointed Old Liu’s family, he came to ask Qin Yao:
"Seven people haven’t returned yet, my Liu Qi hasn’t come back. I want to go to the county to find out. Do you want to come along?"
He knew a few people in the government office, if any laborers had died, the names would come through.
If Liu Qi and Liu Ji’s names weren’t on the list, it would mean they might still be on their way back.
Old Liu and Mrs. Zhang both looked at Qin Yao, Mrs. Zhang patted her shoulder, softly saying, "Go ahead. Da Lang and the four will be cared for at the old house, go for peace of mind."
Watching Old Liu Ji’s family get better, Qin Yao was capable, generous, and got along well with her sisters-in-law. Everyone truly didn’t want to see her become a widow at such a young age.
Qin Yao glanced again at the three corpses, none resembling Liu Ji, and thought, why wasn’t that useless Liu Ji among the dead here?
"I’ll go, I’ll take the horse." Qin Yao nodded, it was still better to check the list at the government office.
When Qin Yao went back home to get the horse, Da Lang led his younger siblings and they followed her, the four of them looking at her expectantly.
Si Niang rarely had worries, "Mother, why did the villagers die?"
Mother had previously said that the laborers were just going to help deliver food to the border soldiers. Once the food was delivered, they would return, maybe even in time for the New Year.
How come other people’s fathers died?
Qin Yao paused, turned back to look at the four little ones behind her, and beckoned them over, Si Niang ran a couple of steps to her, looking up at her in confusion.
Qin Yao said softly, "The road was difficult, maybe they accidentally fell or got sick."
These words were to coax kids like Si Niang, Da Lang and Second Lang lowered their eyes, feeling complicated.
After all, that person was still their biological father, they disliked him but had never thought of letting him die at the far border.
Yet none of this was anyone’s fault; it could only be blamed on their father’s own doing.
Second Lang tightened his fist, if Father really couldn’t return next year, he would buy lots of paper money and burn them for him!
It’s said the ghosts in Yama Hall treat people based on what they have, he would burn more paper money for Father to bribe Oxhead and Horseface, in the next life, to be born to a good family, not a scoundrel.
Da Lang seemed to understand his brother’s thoughts, biting his teeth whispered in Second Lang’s ear, "You’re truly honoring him."
Second Lang growled a bit angrily, "He took away all the copper coins we earned with great effort!"
He was still mindful of burning paper money for Father, already counted as fulfilling his duty to its utmost.
Sanlang looked confusedly at his two brothers, then looked at his worrying but very worried sister, feeling a bit embarrassed, he walked to the horse stable, whispering:
"Mother, I want to eat candied haws."
Da Lang was wide-eyed; another filial son indeed!
Qin Yao’s originally gloomy mood instantly turned from cloudy to clear, nodded with a smile, "Okay."
Then she asked the remaining three, "Would you like any?"
Da Lang thought of the sour-sweet candied haws, swallowing hard, "Well, better get some."
Could not let Aunt Yao enter the city for nothing.
Qin Yao instructed the four to stay at the old house waiting for her return, mounted the horse, and galloped towards the village entrance.
The village head had already gathered representatives from the other five households, one from each house, sat on the village head’s ox cart, a group feeling heavy, heading to the county.