stingy landlady

Chapter 155 Growing Bean Sprouts Together (1)

The girls worked quickly, picking and soaking the beans. They kneaded the dough, rolled it out, and then placed the noodles on a bamboo mat in the yard to freeze—a natural freezer!

It was just past noon when they finished. Taking advantage of the warmth, Guihong and Guizhi had a horse-drawn carriage driven home!

After arriving home, I first went to see Li Shi and Gui Ling! I saw several wooden basins at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), and the basins contained soil. There was a wooden board under the wooden box.

"Mother! What are you planting?" Gui Hong asked.

Li said proudly:

"Mom had nothing better to do, so she planted some garlic sprouts to earn some pocket money!"

He then turned to Guizhi and asked:

"Guizhi! Why do you always lock the door when you're a young girl? What are you afraid of losing? This is still at home, and it's just the same few people coming and going! Why lock the door!"

Guizhi, quick-witted, found an excuse and said:

"Mom! I don't like people coming into my room and making a mess of it, then I have to clean it up when I get back! You know me, I don't usually like touching other people's things. But I don't like other people touching my things either!"

Li chuckled softly:

"Heh! How unusual! I only put them on your kang (heated brick bed) so I could plant more garlic sprouts!"

Upon hearing this, Gui Hong turned and ran back to her room, returning shortly afterward with a gloomy face.

Guizhi found it amusing, but fearing she might anger Guihong, she suppressed her laughter and deliberately teased Guiling!

Gui Hong said angrily:

"Mom! How could you take over the kang (heated brick bed) without our permission! How are we supposed to sleep with that little bit of space left? And the kang is all dirty and muddy!"

Li said nonchalantly:

"What's wrong! You all think you're all grown up now? Want to argue with your mother? Back in the old house, the whole family squeezed into one room, and we never complained about it being too cramped! Now that you're sleeping in a room by yourself, you complain about it being too cramped!"

Your dad, Guiling, and I are all crammed into one kang (heated brick bed)! Look! There are garlic sprouts on the kang too!

I might not have been careful when watering the plants today, and I've made the kang (heated brick bed) dirty! Clean it up yourself when you get back! I'll be more careful next time! I didn't expect you to be back!

Helpless, Gui Hong turned and walked out as she spoke:

"Then I'll go wipe the kang (heated brick bed)!"

Li called out from behind:

"Just make sure the kang (heated brick bed) is warm enough, not too cold! But don't burn too much, or you'll ruin my garlic sprouts, and all my hard work will have been for nothing!"

Upon hearing this, Gui Hong ran even faster!

Guizhi wasn't in a hurry, and slowly asked:

"Mom! Why did you decide to plant garlic sprouts?"

"Sigh! I just wanted to eat dumplings made with garlic sprouts! And then I remembered how much money you made selling garlic sprouts last year! Now that you're all gone, my daughter and I are just sitting here all day with nothing to do!"

"It's so cold, everyone's staying home to hibernate, who'd bother coming to chat with me? I don't even earn anything!"

Guizhi tentatively asked:

"Mom! Fourth Aunt is taking care of the kids at home too! Aren't you going to go play?"

"Your mother is quite fond of your fourth aunt, but she just doesn't like seeing your second aunt's family!"

"Mom! My fourth uncle and aunt just had a baby, they must be struggling to make ends meet!"

"Of course! You know your grandma's personality; she won't part with a single copper coin she gets! She has to pay your fifth uncle's tuition and prepare money for his wedding."

Anyway, your fourth aunt is shy and wouldn't dare ask your grandma for help. Your fourth uncle goes up the mountain to collect firewood every day now! It's not easy to sell, and he's taking Da Bao with him!

Da Bao now knows how to work, and he knows that he'll have to earn the money to get married in the future!

"Is money so easy to earn? There are so many people selling firewood. Last year we were able to help them out, but this year we have so many people going up the mountain to collect firewood! They'll have to search everywhere, hoping to find a big spender who'll take several cartloads at once!"

Guizhi also sighed:

"Mom! Let Fourth Aunt sprout beans with you! Just leave them at our old house! It's still empty there, isn't it?"

Li Shidao:

"Hmph! What do you think! Your second uncle and aunt have been eyeing that house for a long time! They said they would use it for Da Bao's wedding! Your grandfather didn't agree! Your grandmother was even thinking that if we didn't let your fifth uncle live there, would he still have a house of his own?"

"Sure! That room's just sitting there anyway, let's use it to sprout beans!"

Just after Li finished speaking her bold words, she whispered to Guizhi:

"Guizhi! Can we sell all these bean sprouts?"

Guizhi looked at the belatedly aware Li Shi and said:

"Sure! I'll find someone to take them to the county town to sell! The county town is so big, our little bit of bean sprouts is nothing! I'm just worried it's too little, not worth the trip to the county town!"

Upon hearing that it was too little, Li quickly said:

"It's good to have more to sell! Who would complain about money being hard to come by? Your grandma's north-facing kang (heated brick bed) is still empty! And your fourth uncle's room also has a kang!"

"Mom! This is good! We'll still have to go back to the old house for meals during holidays. That way, they'll have to fawn over you when they need your help! Otherwise, we won't help them earn money!"

Li couldn't help but think of the old lady's smiling face, and then of Zhao's submissive manner. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hmph! They finally have a day when they need my help! Come on! Guizhi! Let's go talk to your grandma right now! They haven't separated the family yet, so your grandma has to make the decision!"

Guizhi asked in confusion:

"Mom! If we tell my grandma, won't my fourth aunt still not get the money?"

"It's alright! Your grandma earns a lot of money, but she still needs your fourth aunt to work! So she can still make a little money! Especially since your fourth aunt gave birth to a boy!"

"Sigh! Why can't I have a son?"

Ugh! We're back to this unpleasant topic again.

Guizhi changed the subject, got out of bed to put on her shoes, and handed Li's shoes to the dazed Li. She said:

"Let's hurry while it's still warm! Mom! Let's go to Grandma's house now! Is Guiling coming too? It's so cold, should she stay home?"

Guiling immediately climbed onto Li's body.

"Mom! I'm going too! I'm wearing lots of layers, I won't be cold!"

The group was bundled up in thick cotton-padded coats, and they were carrying Guiling, who was dressed like a little bear. Li hugged Guiling briefly, then put her down and said:

"Guiling can go! But you have to walk by yourself! You're wearing so many layers, I can't carry you!"

Guiling immediately took Li Shi and Guizhi's hands,

"I don't need Mom to carry me! Mom can walk by herself, and I'll walk by myself too!"

Once outside the gate and on the road, Guiling began calling out:

"Mother! Third Sister! Get out of the slippery spot!"

After saying that, she put her feet together and had the two men pull her along as they slid! The group chatted and laughed as they noisily entered the old lady's house!

The old man sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly out the window. The old woman, doing needlework, saw Li Shi, glanced at her, and then said in a sarcastic tone:

"Did the sun rise in the west today? Why did you bring the kids here to play?"

The old man greeted us warmly:

"Guizhi! Guiling! Get on the kang (heated brick bed) quickly! Old woman, get some melon seeds for the children!"

Li awkwardly said:

"Dad! No need! No need for the melon seeds, save them for Da Bao and Er Bao!"

The old lady reached into the cabinet next to her and grabbed two handfuls of melon seeds, placing them on the kang (a heated brick bed).