Chapter 576: Here Come People Scrapping for Benefits
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In an ox cart in front sat three gray-haired old women. A dark, thin man in his thirties or forties drove the cart.
In the back sat two red-faced men, a thin old man, and an old man with a hunched back.
Li Yu saw the few old women pointing at the busy people in the field and discussing loudly with glowing eyes.
The ox cart walked under the banyan tree. Only when they saw Li Yu and her son did they stop. The man and the old man looked at Li Yu and her son with probing gazes.
“Ah! They’re identical children. They’re so handsome!” The old women looked at Li Yu and the twins and praised them loudly.
Li Yu was very disgusted by this fearless gaze and discussion. She held Yueyue and Xingxing’s hands and turned around to walk back.
One of the old women jumped off the ox cart and chased after Li Yu with a
smile. “Madam, are Ah Lian and the others still on the farm?”
Li Yu glanced at her. “They are busy in the field! Are you here to help work?”
The old woman made a sad expression and wiped the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes. “Madam, I thought my daughter’s family had left with the plague. Who knew that I heard news that they were harmed and left some women behind? Let me see if my daughter is still around?”
Li Yu looked at her and smiled mockingly. “It’s been hard on you. You haven’t forgotten after so many years.”
The old woman did not feel embarrassed by Li Yu’s mockery at all. She sighed and said, “I was pregnant with her for ten months and gave birth to her. I originally thought that I had found a good family for her. Who knew that something would happen in less than two years after I married her off? I cried a few times because of this. My tears were almost dry. I finally stopped thinking about it in the past two years. Who knew that there would be news again?”
Yueyue and Xingxing looked at her curiously and spoke loudly.
Li Yu glanced at her. “Which one is your daughter?”
The old woman opened her mouth to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth. “My daughter’s name is Ying Tao. Madam, my Ying Tao was very beautiful when she was a girl.”
Ying Tao! The strong woman with a disfigured face and broken legs was actually this old woman’s daughter. This surprised Li Yu.
“Ying Tao is a good woman. You should go and see her.”
The old woman thought that Li Yu was saying that Ying Tao was good -looking and said exaggeratedly, “Aiyo! At that time, everyone in the village praised my Ying Tao for being beautiful…’
At this moment, the person in front shouted at the old woman. The old woman agreed loudly and smiled at Li Yu. “Madam, I’ll leave first.”
Li Yu nodded and watched as she ran forward to meet up with those people and walk towards Ah Lian and the others.
Xingxing said to Li Yu, “Mother, that granny’s voice is so loud!”
Yueyue looked up at Li Yu. “What does ten months of pregnancy mean?”
Li Yu thought for a moment. “The baby has lived in Mother’s stomach for ten months. It’s called ten months of pregnancy.”
Yueyue and Xingxing let go of Li Yu’s hand together. They walked up to Li Yu and looked at her stomach before looking at her. They opened their mouths in surprise. “Mother’s stomach is so powerful.”
Li Yu looked at the two of them and was caught between laughter and tears. “Mother is very powerful! Alright, let’s go back and wash our faces and take a nap.”
“Mother, I can’t sleep. I don’t want to sleep.” Yueyue looked at Li Yu.
Thinking that the two of them had slept before dinner, Li Yu nodded. “Alright, you don’t have to sleep today. Let’s go back and help Nanny He put on the bamboo shoots.”
“Oh! Let’s go through the bamboo shoots!” The two children skipped forward.
After the old woman caught up to those people, the two old women in the cart also got out of the ox cart. The dark-skinned old woman looked at her and asked, “Madam Yang, what did you say to that Madam? I think she’s the very powerful Madam Xiang Xiu mentioned.”
Madam Yang nodded. “Yes! She’s quite amiable. It’s just that the way she looks at me makes me feel cold. It’s as if she can see through people and disregards them.”
“She’s the Madam of an official family. How can she not be good at judging people?” The black-faced old woman turned around and looked at Li Yu and her sons. “Do you think she’ll support those heartless girls?”
A mean-looking old woman interrupted, “Why are you afraid of her? As long as our daughters are willing to leave with us, no one will dare to say anything.”
Madam Yang glanced at her disdainfully. “Master Yang, Yang Liu is not your daughter. How long has her parents been dead? You sold her to the Liu family as a child bride. Yang Liu would be stupid to be willing to leave with you!”
Master Yang retorted, “The old crow laughs at the black pig. Ying Tao is your biological daughter. Why didn’t she sell the fields and go back to look for you?”
Madam Yang looked at her and mocked, “I can do whatever I want with my own daughter. Unlike some people, who occupied a brother’s assets and even sold his daughter, aren’t you afraid that the brother and wife will stand by your bed in the middle of the night?”
The old woman shouted sternly, “Madam Yang, do you think I’m afraid of you?”
A slightly hunched old man turned around and shouted, “You’re as noisy as a nest of sparrows. If you want to argue, go home!”
Madam Yang looked at him unhappily. “Big Yang, why are you shouting at me? If you have the ability, control your wife.”
A thick-skinned man pulled Madam Yang’s sleeve. “Mother, stop talking!” Madam Yang glared at Master Yang before stopping.
When the group arrived outside the straw hut where Ah Lian and the others lived, Madam Yang stood outside the fence and shouted, “Ying Tao, Ying Tao…”
Ying Tao and Hong Mei were each sitting on the bed with their heads facing each other, making clothes in their hands. They both looked up when they heard shouting outside.
Ying Tao’s eyes reddened at the familiar voice. She gritted her teeth but still lowered her head to sew.
Hong Mei looked at Ying Tao. “Sister Ying Tao, someone’s calling for you.” “Let her call. Ignore her,” Ying Tao replied without looking up.
Hong Mei looked at the tears falling from Ying Tao’s eyes and felt sad. “Sister Ying Tao, don’t you want to see her?”
Ying Tao looked up at Hongmei. “You think she’s really here to see me!
Xiangxiu went back yesterday. Her mother must have gone back to show off. She’s here to see my silver.”
Ah Lian and Yang Liu stood in the field and shielded their eyes from the sun as they looked at the group in front of the house.
San Qiao frowned and said, “This is troublesome. Xiangxiu and those pigs attracted so many people as soon as they went back.”
Yang Liu said indifferently, “What’s the trouble? We didn’t stop those who wanted to leave. While Madam Li is still on the farm, I’m not afraid that no one will buy those fields.”
San Qiao nodded. “Yes, what’s there to be afraid of? As long as we make up our minds not to leave, it’s useless even if the heavens come.”
Ah Lian looked at them. “Let’s go back and take a look. If anyone attacks, the sisters will attack together.
Yang Liu replied loudly, “Alright, there are so many of us. Whoever dares to bite will be bitten to death.”
The women in the field replied in unison, “Yes, bite them to death.”
Ah Lian nodded. Everyone washed their hands in the field and walked up the ridge.
Madam Yang called out a few times, but when no one answered, she pushed open the fence door and walked in. She entered the central room and stood at the door of the room to see Ying Tao sitting on the bed..