stingy landlady

Chapter 76: Wild vegetables from the mountains

Old Zhou hurriedly and modestly said:

"Sir, you flatter me! I haven't done anything wrong, but I've caused the young ladies a lot of worry!"

The third young lady, in particular, is very thoughtful! She arranged for Zhou Xing to harvest green wheat and grind it into flour. She comes over every day to check on things, and she also discusses the collection of wild mountain vegetables with the old man.

Now, some villagers finish planting early and go up the mountain to gather wild vegetables; our family harvests quite a bit every day.

Old Zhou really liked Guizhi, and he would praise her whenever he had the chance.

"The third young lady was busy every day. The wild vegetables sent to the town were supplied every day, and some were kept at home, either pickled or dried, to be preserved for winter."

Last night we even received some rare prickly ash shoots! The Third Miss set the price at three copper coins per pound. We bought over ten pounds, and the man happily said he'd go look for more today!

Old Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said:

"This mountain is quite dangerous! The old master, the fourth master, and young master Da Bao have also gone up the mountain these past few days!"

Yesterday I heard that a young man in the village surnamed An was bitten by a snake! Luckily, it wasn't venomous; his leg just swelled up. If he had been bitten by a venomous snake, he would have lost his life!

The master is back. He's reminding the old master to be very careful going up the mountain!

Dazhu nodded and said:

"You guys can discuss and manage these household businesses yourselves! I'm at ease with that!"

I'll talk to my dad when I get back. He's so old, and he's taking care of a young boy. He needs to be extra careful!

I didn't see Mingzhi and the others in the field just now. Where did they go or what were they doing?

Old Zhou quickly explained:

“We just finished planting yesterday, and Mingzhi said last night that it will be time to plant rice in Xiwadi soon. Let’s take advantage of the few days when we’re not busy and go there to build the shacks! Those farmhands can move in then.”

"Oh! Is that so? Okay! I'll go take a look! Uncle Zhou, you go ahead with your work!"

After Dazhu finished speaking, he turned and left. Guizhi followed closely behind.

Old Zhou hesitated, wondering if the second wife had been coming over to inquire about something these past few days. He wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

When Dazhu and Guizhi arrived at Xiwadi, they didn't see anyone. They walked along the road until they reached the bend, where they finally saw several figures busy in the distance.

They walked all the way to the very edge of their own land before they saw Zhou Mingzhi and his group.

"To demonstrate one's resolve!"

"Big Pillar shouted."

Zhou Mingzhi and the others stopped moving the stones.

"Master is back! Miss San is here too!"

"Yes! I just got home. I heard from Uncle Zhou that you were building a shack here, so I came to check it out."

"Sir! This place is on higher ground! We've discussed it and decided that this is on the edge of our land! We'll just stay here as a lookout!"

As Zhou Mingzhi spoke, he led Dazhu and Guizhi to inspect the land.

"Sir, look, we're building shacks here! This area isn't suitable for paddy fields, so we've turned it into vegetable gardens. We're growing cucumbers and green beans now, and since the vegetable garden at the east end is closing up, this place will be a perfect replacement! We'll always have vegetables to eat!"

Guizhi asked Zhou Mingzhi,

"Uncle Zhou! How big is this shack? Is it sturdy? Is it one room per person?"

Zhou Mingzhi smiled.

"Miss! This shack isn't a private room for each person. It's a large kang (heated brick bed), and everyone lives together. It's just a small thatched hut! It's definitely sturdy, and you won't be afraid of rain or snow."

The house is inhabited and regularly maintained, so it can last for many years!

Then, Zhou Mingzhi sighed:

"The master and mistress are kind-hearted and considerate of us servants. Having an oxcart makes it much more convenient to work."

Unlike other landlords who relied entirely on their farmhands to work the land and extort money from them, these landlords were much more generous. They practically lived off their laborers, never eating or sleeping.

We farmhands all said it was the best we'd ever seen a boss. We were well-fed and warmly dressed. They even bought oxen for us to work with! We didn't feel tired at all while working!

They all remember the kindness of their employer and the young ladies!

Dazhu responded after hearing this:

"We've all come from hard times! Besides, we're all from the same village, how can you be so harsh on us!"

As long as we can make ends meet, and they're not lazy or dishonest, I care about them, and they're willing to watch over the fields more to prevent theft. It's a win-win situation. Why not?

Zhou Mingzhi praised:

"The master is indeed insightful!"

My father also warned me, saying that people need to be disciplined regularly! Otherwise, some ignorant kids might think that their master is kind and easy to bully!

"I will keep a close eye on them, and if they do anything wrong, I will not tolerate it!"

Dazhu nodded.

"With Uncle Zhou and you helping me keep an eye on things, I feel at ease!"

You guys get back to work! I'm going to wander around a bit!

Da Zhu, carrying Gui Zhi, looked around again before heading back.

As the two passed by their house, Guizhi said:

"Dad! Around this time every day, the people who gather wild vegetables are almost back! I want to go and see Grandpa Zhou harvesting wild vegetables!"

Dazhu thought for a moment and said:

"Let's go! Let's go together!"

It was quite lively when we got to Old Man Zhou's place.

"Have you heard? In Erhe Village over there, an old woman took her granddaughter up the mountain to pick wild vegetables. They couldn't find their way back and froze to death!"

They found it on the mountain here! I don't know how they got there; they crossed a mountain but couldn't get down. I heard many people from their village went up the mountain to search, but they couldn't find it!

It was Zhao Laosan and his gang from our village who found it. The grandmother and grandson were embracing each other, and some wild vegetables were lying there—it was truly a tragic sight!

"Alas! That's why they say fortune favors the bold! Of all those who go up the mountain every year to find the club to offer as a sacrifice to the mountain god, how many actually come back? The number of those who actually find the club is very small!"

"We're just looking for wild vegetables, there's no need to go deep into the mountains! It's easy to go in but hard to get out!"

"That's true! Everyone's searched every inch of the area right in front of us, so where would we find large patches of wild mountain vegetables?!"

"That's it!"

As Dazhu and Guizhi went in, many people greeted them!

"Dazhu's back! I heard your mother-in-law passed away. Is everything alright at home?"

Dazhu replied with a smile:

"Yes! I just got back today! Everything's fine at home!"

"This person has reached a certain age; if God wants to take him away, there's nothing that can be done! Please accept my condolences."

"Okay! Thank you!"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, and Dazhu responded to each one.

Old Zhou was inspecting the vegetables, picking out any that were too old.

The different types of vegetables should be separated by the vendors themselves!

Hearing that Dazhu had arrived, he was about to go to greet him when Guizhi quickly stepped forward, indicating that he did not need to go over to pay his respects.

The main reason is to avoid unnecessary complications.

Just then, the old man returned with his fourth son and eldest son, each carrying a basket on their back. It was unclear what they had gathered or how much they had collected.

Dazhu was looking at what dishes were available and would also help pick and choose some.

"Dazhu! Your father is back!"

Dazhu looked up and hurried forward to take the old man's basket.

"Dad! It's so dangerous up in the mountains, why are you going up?"