Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

4. Another unexpected guest
Translated by Maggie Edited by Pete Proofread by Simple

Lian Ze raised his chin and harrumphed: “My sister already said it very clearly. Why aren’t you leaving? Your parents have hoped for this day for so long. Quickly, scram!”
Lian Fang Qing also ran up, held her sister’s hand and said to Yang Huai Shan: “Bad person, villain! Not allowed to bully my sister!”
Lian Fang Zhou rubbed her head and thought that this young girl in the past, must have bore a lot of her ex-future parent-in-law’s anger.
“As you wish!” Yang Huai Shan smiled coldly: “From now on, you and I have no ties!”
He finished speaking while grinding his teeth. Then, without turning his head back, he left.
“Alright, let’s go back and start dinner!” Lian Fang Zhou sighed in relief.
“I’ll get the bowls!” Lian Fang Qing cheered loudly.
“I’ll get the stools!” Lian Che followed her.
These two little guys are really mature!
Lian Fang Zhou’s heart warmed; and without knowing it, she smiled softly.
She believed that, with her mastery of modern agriculture and the sibling’s unity, in the future, their days would get better and better.
Difficulties would be only temporary.
“Sister, are you really alright?” Lian Ze looked at her. The worry on his frowning brow didn’t match his age.
“Do I look like I am not?” Lian Fang Zhou smiled and replied softly: “Don’t think too much!”
Lian Ze finally cheered up and said: “It’s great that sister is fine. In the future, sister will definitely find someone a thousand times better than the Yang family’s son.”
“Puh… Haha” Lian Fang Zhou burst out in loud laughter. Smiling, she said: “Leave future matters to be discussed in the future, come, it’s dinner time!”
“Ah,” Lian Ze’s forehead smoothed, his mood finally really relaxed. Then he suddenly frowned a bit and asked: “Breaking off the engagement is fine, but sister, why do you want their money?”
His words and attitude suggested he didn’t agree with that.
Lian Fang Zhou then asked him: “How much money does our family still have?”

Lian Ze froze; suddenly feeling somewhat ashamed, he said quietly: “Less than eight hundred wen……”
“Don’t you see!” Lian Fang Zhu patted his shoulder. In a matter-of-fact tone, she said, “Sister knows that you are an upright person, but don’t be too pedantic. This matter was originally their family wronging our family, letting them cough out some blood is natural! And it is nearly winter, we need this money to survive through it, right? Don’t Qing’er and Che’er need to have some winter clothes sewn? Doesn’t this house need repairs, especially the roof and the windows? How else will we last through winter?”
Lian Ze was speechless, although, inwardly he admitted that Lian Fang Zhou’s way was correct, his heart still couldn’t agree.
Lian Fang Zhou could see that, but didn’t say it out loud. She could only think to herself: “This brat! In the future, I’ll have to definitely change his way of thinking…”
The siblings finished dinner, cleaned up and quickly went to bed.
The house was narrow. Originally their parents lived in one room, Lian Ze slept on a loft bed on the ground floor, and the other room was partitioned for the three siblings to live in.
Now that mom and dad weren’t here, the brothers moved to that room.
Lian Fang Qing was always sleeping in one bed with her sister. Once she entered the room, she took off her shoes, crawled up the bed, lifted the patched, worn out quilt and drill into it. She called out to Lian Fang Zhou: “Sister, quickly, let’s go to sleep!”
Actually, Lian Fang Zhou wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else, but when called by Lian Fang Qing’s charming, soft voice, she did not hesitate anymore. She smiled and promised that she would come soon.
Suddenly, she stopped her footsteps with a quiet “Ah!” She started to search every corner of the room.
Lian Fang Qing blinked for a moment in confusion. She rolled over to raise her head, and asked: “Sister, what are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for the marriage certificate, I don’t remember where it was placed!” Lian Fang Zhou answered in a straightforward manner, without a hint of depression.
If the Yang family came tomorrow and she couldn’t bring out the marriage certificate, then that wouldn’t be good, would it?
“Marriage certificate?” Lian Fang Qing froze. She patted the pillow beside her and looking puzzled, asked: “Sister, wasn’t it sewn into the pillow? You told me not to tell anyone; I didn’t even tell second brother and third brother!”
She watched Lian Fang Zhou, her face saying, “Compliment me! I’m a good girl!”
“That’s right! See what kind of memory sister has, Qing’er is the best!” Lian Fang Zhou did as her little sister wished. Her heart was simply elated.
Lian Fang Qing raised her chin proudly and giggled quietly with curved eyebrows.
A night with no words.
The next day Lian Fang Zhou got up early. She tidied up the house, inside and outside. Everything was cleaned, wiped, and sorted out. She brought out all of their bedding to air in the sun.
Lian Che and Lian Qing helped; while Lian Ze was sent to make breakfast.
After tidying up properly, their little group looked at the newly shining house and unknowingly felt happier in their hearts.
After breakfast, Lian Ze said: “Sister, you, Qing’er and Che’er stay at home. I’ll go to the Sixth Water field and collect our taro!”
Lian Fang Zhou thought about it and said: “Today we’ll tidy up our vegetable plot, tomorrow I’ll go with you to the collect taro!” Just perfect; now she would get to know about the family’s land.
Lian Ze didn’t decline and promised to do so.
Leaving the two children to watch the house, the siblings took the hoes and went to the garden.
Lian Fang Zhou led Lian Ze to those dying beans and cucumbers. They pulled them out completely and piled the plants in one corner.
Then she told Lian Ze to go and dilute the manure with some water, using a small hoe. While they used the mixture to loosen the soil, she said:
“Tomorrow we’ll dig up the vegetables first and sort them. At this section, we can plant some carrots and sprinkle some rapeseed around!”
Lian Ze hearing her plans, without any particular reason, felt peace of mind. He nodded and said smiling: “I will obey sister. What sister tells us to do, we will do!”
The two siblings smiled at each other.
Busy until the afternoon, the two of them became tired and out of breath.
Lian Fang Zhou ended up like this; probably because she hadn’t worked for a long time now. While Lian Ze got tired, since after all, he was still a child!
Lian Fang Zhou looked at him and suddenly felt a little pain in her heart; so she said: “The time isn’t early. Let’s return, have lunch and rest a bit. This work won’t be finished in an hour and a half.”
Lian Ze originally didn’t want to return, but he saw the insistence on her face. He knew that if he didn’t return, she would also not go; so he nodded his head with an “alright.” The two siblings returned together.
Last night was sweet potato porridge. This morning was also the same porridge. Lian Fang Zhou lost her appetite.
Her brows frowned slightly, but when she wanted to ask how much grain does the house have since harvest was not long ago, she heard the door creak as someone pushed it open.
The siblings were startled!
Lian Fang Zhou opened her mouth to ask the visitor, why did she come; but before she could say anything, in a flash the brown clothed silhouette rushed into her room like a gust of wind.
Lian Fang Zhou was stunned!
“Aunt, what are you doing?!” The first to recover her senses was Lian Fang Qing.
The wife of father’s elder brother? Judging by this behavior, this was definitely a shameless relative!
Lian Ze rushed to follow the aunt into the room. Lian Fang Zhou heard him ask: “Aunt, what are you doing?!”
“Sister,” said Lian Fang Qing to Lian Fang Zhou quietly: “Aunt definitely came for the marriage contract again!”
Again……
Lian Fang Zhou flashed a faint, cold smile and told the twins softly: “You two be good and eat.” Then she entered the room her aunt went into.
Lian Fang Qing wanted to follow, but was held back by Lian Che: “Listen to sister. Don’t go.”
Lian Fang Qing not being able to do anything about it, pouted unhappily, but still obediently sat down.
In the other room, Lian Fang Zhou watched her aunt screech menacingly and demand: “The marriage contract? Where is it!”