Chapter 76 Family Status
The family also has 30 kilograms of millet, 50 kilograms of soybeans, 110 kilograms of white flour, and 20 kilograms of fine rice.
She was away from home for a month, and this was enough for the five of them, father and son, to eat until she came back with some left over.
The water mill now has a stable income of 200 wen per month, so Qin Yao did not leave any money for Liu Ji.
There was no place to spend money in the countryside, and the money from the water mill was enough to cover the father and son's daily expenses.
However, the night before leaving, Qin Yao called Erlang out alone and gave him two cents of silver just in case.
"Don't tell anyone, especially your father. You are not allowed to use this money unless it's urgent. I'm giving it to you for safekeeping. Can you take good care of it?"
Qin Yao looked expectantly at the seven-year-old boy in front of her who was not even as tall as her chest.
Erlang looked at the small silver in his palm. This was the first time he had received so much money. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. He clenched the silver coin tightly with trembling but steady hands and promised Qin Yao:
"I will keep these two taels of silver carefully and return them to you when you come back."
Qin Yao patted his little shoulder, taught him where to keep the silver for safekeeping, and tested him on his arithmetic again.
Erlang had already mastered counting from one to one hundred. Among the four brothers and sisters, he was the best at arithmetic.
Addition and subtraction within one hundred are not difficult for the little guy. He also knows to divide two cents of silver into two hundred cents, so he can manage the two cents of silver well.
Qin Yao waved her hand with satisfaction, motioning him to go back to the house and call Dalang over for her.
Qin Yao gave the dagger that she had ordered from the blacksmith to Dalang, "Keep it at home for future use. Just follow the moves I've taught you over the past few days. If you don't have a chance to use it, that would be best."
As for whether she would cut herself with a knife, Qin Yao didn't care. It was useless to remind people of such things. Only when you experience it yourself will you know to be careful.
The dagger is not very sharp, so even if it hurts your hand, it's just a minor injury and not a big deal.
Liu Ji stood behind the mother and watched them complete the exchange of daggers. He couldn't help but worry that his most filial eldest son would become the second Qin Yao.
He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth he remembered that what he said didn't seem to count in this family, so he gave up.
Qin Yao was still worried, so she called the four children to the main room and told them not to go into the river or the mountains, and not to be too curious and follow the other children out of the village.
Although she has not encountered any beggars since she came to this place, it does not mean that there are no beggars here. She is just lucky and these bad-hearted people have not come yet.
Within the village, there are always people working in the fields, which makes those with bad intentions afraid and the children much safer.
In the past, there was no adult in the family, but Dalang could still live a hard life with his younger brothers and sisters. Now he actually knew everything Qin Yao had told him.
But he still listened silently, feeling warm in his heart. In front of his stepmother, he felt like a child himself. Even if the sky fell, there were tall people to support it. He just needed to do what a child could do.
"That's enough. You won't be able to remember if I tell you too much. Let's just leave it at that. Go wash up and go to bed." Qin Yao waved her hand, "Disband!"
The four siblings laughed and rushed into the shower room.
"Fourth Sister, come and take a bath with Mother later." Qin Yao called out to her younger daughter who also wanted to go in, and waved to her to come out.
It's not that there is a difference between boys and girls. What's the difference between a five-year-old baby? Before she came, the four brothers and sisters had always slept in the same bed. There was no need to be so cautious now.
Mainly to improve efficiency.
Dalang and Erlang only need to take care of Sanlang, so things will go much faster.
Si Niang didn't feel lost at all for not being able to be with her brothers, because she could be with A Niang.
Si Niang grunted as she walked back to Qin Yao's feet. She grabbed the corner of her clothes with her little hands and waited obediently for the next wave.
Liu Ji, who was almost invisible, spoke weakly, "Madam, don't you have anything to tell me?"
Qin Yao turned her head to look at him and said simply: "No."
He is an adult male, not a child, what is there to explain?
Qin Yao pulled Si Niang to sit on the threshold of the main hall, untied the messy hair tie on her head, and asked suspiciously: "Did Dalang tie your hair?"
Si Niang shook her head and raised her little hand to point into the house, "It's Dad. Every day when I get up, my eldest and second brothers are gone."
She gets up late, so her father always ties her hair.
Qin Yao immediately said, "No wonder it's so difficult to untie. It's almost a dead knot."
What else could Liu Ji say? If he didn't do it, he would be scolded. If he did it, he would be scolded again. He turned around and went to the kitchen to boil water. He was too lazy to argue.
He didn't say anything. Qin Yao was still a little uncomfortable. She tapped Si Niang's soft little face, put away the hair tie, and untied her own hair.
Her hairstyle is very simple. She just ties her hair into a ponytail and wraps it with a headscarf. It's done quickly.
The original owner's hair was very black, but dry and frizzy. In ancient times, there was no shampoo or conditioner, so Qin Yao used a piece of tea oil cake given by her second sister-in-law Qiu to wash her hair. She said that after washing for a period of time, the hair would become soft and shiny again, but she didn't know if it was true.
But it's convenient at home. I don't know what the situation will be like when I get to Ding's house. I'm afraid it won't be easy to take a bath.
Her family is the only one in the village that takes baths and washes their hair most frequently. People in the old house only take a bath once every half a month, and that's only when the weather is hot.
In winter, I won't wash it the whole winter. If I really can't help it, I'll just wipe it with a towel.
They didn't wash their hair often. They always tied their hair up and wrapped it in cloth towels. The cloths were so greasy that they looked shiny.
Everyone has a comb at home to comb out lice.
Thinking of this, Qin Yao went back to her room and packed a piece of tea cake and a bath towel into her bag.
Just then, Dalang and his two companions came out of the bath. Qin Yao brought Si Niang into the bathroom, and the two of them took a bath together.
Liu Ji, who was responsible for boiling water, was the last in line, and his status in the family was clear at a glance.
At the end of April, everything was ready. Qin Yao packed her luggage, said goodbye to her reluctant family, and walked for two and a half hours to the Ding Mansion.
It was around 11 o'clock in the morning when we arrived, and Mr. Ding and his family were having lunch.
People who are more particular about food eat both breakfast and lunch, but they are not the main meals. They usually have some side dishes, porridge or noodles. Dinner is the main meal, and it will be more sumptuous.
The housekeeper first took Qin Yao to where she would be staying for the next month, put her luggage away, and then went to the flower hall to meet Master Ding.
Qin Yao brought all her weapons with her, including a heavy sword, a bow and arrow, and a slingshot with steel balls.
When the housekeeper first saw her clothes at the gate, he was secretly surprised.
I thought she was just a peasant woman with some unusual skills, but I didn't expect her to be so professional.
Look at that big sword, it has no scabbard, it is just wrapped with a cloth belt, it looks murderous just by looking at it.
The bow on his shoulder looked very powerful, with more than 20 arrows in his quiver, and he seemed to be proficient in archery.
(End of this chapter)