Chapter 215: Let's not beat around the bush
Qin Yao filled a basin with warm water and put the twins' hands in to wash them clean. Then the family started eating.
Sanlang was still reluctant to do so, and while eating he kept looking back at the basin of mud and water at the kitchen door, wondering if he should make the mud dumplings and buns again while his mother wasn't paying attention.
However, just as this dangerous thought came to his mind, Qin Yao's sharp eyes swept over him. Sanlang quickly turned his head and ate seriously.
Every household in the village has reduced their income a lot recently. The mixed-grain rice for two meals a day has been replaced with mixed-grain porridge. The wild vegetables growing on the ridges of the fields are cut as soon as they emerge, and the food gap is entirely filled by vegetables.
Having gone through this before, I don't think it is that difficult. After all, we are not as good as the best, but better than the worst. There are many people who are worse off than the villagers of Liujia Village.
Under this frugal atmosphere, Qin Yao's family still maintained the previous routine of eating meat every three to five days, and three meals a day were either white rice or millet porridge.
Or you can use finely ground flour to make delicious snacks such as pancakes, dumplings, and steamed buns.
No matter how bad Qin Yao's cooking skills are, after cooking them many times, she can still eat these common dishes.
As the ingredients were of the best quality, each of the four Dalang brothers and sisters had a big bowl of rice, which left a lingering taste in their mouths.
After dinner, it was the turn of the two students on duty for housework, Dalang and Si Niang, to take the initiative to clean up the dishes.
Qin Yao was touching her bloated belly and was about to lean back in a chair to help digest the food when someone came to her door.
"Grandpa Fu!"
Dalang and Si Niang, who were washing dishes in the yard, were the first to recognize the person coming and called out.
Liu Dafu responded with a sigh, smiled at the brother and sister, and looked towards the main room, "Madam Qin, have you just eaten?"
Qin Yao stood up to greet him and asked him if he had eaten.
Liu Dafu nodded and said he had eaten, then walked into the main room. Qin Yao asked him to sit down and turned to get a cup to pour him some water.
"Madam Qin, please don't be polite. I'm not thirsty. Please sit down and I want to tell you something."
Qin Yao poured the water anyway, then sat down opposite Liu Dafu and motioned for him to speak.
Liu Dafu took a sip of water and asked tentatively, "Do you still want to buy land?"
Qin Yao nodded, feeling somewhat suspicious, "Why? Do you want to sell it?"
Liu Dafu sighed and did not directly answer Qin Yao's question. He looked worried and said slowly,
"For no reason, we have been plagued by insects, which makes our lives more and more difficult. Now we can see that things are getting chaotic outside. If the provincial examination is held in May, wouldn't it be a perfect opportunity to catch up with us?"
"The scientific research is the most important thing. It affects your whole life. If something goes wrong and delays the scientific research, your whole life will be over."
At this point, Liu Dafu sighed again, with a very worried expression.
Qin Yao raised the corner of her mouth and then lowered it again. It turned out that she came to find a bodyguard for her son.
But if it's exchanged for land, this deal is really good.
I think Liu Dafu also knew that their relationship was not good enough to convince her to help just by talking.
Besides, when she wanted to buy land at the end of last year, he didn't give her the slightest bit of face to sell it to her.
Qin Yao remembered that she had asked the clan leader to act as a middleman.
But in the end, no agreement was reached.
Qin Yao locked eyes with Liu Dafu for two seconds, ignoring the expectation in his eyes, and looked away at Dalang and Si Niang who were washing dishes in the yard, and asked uncertainly, "Is there a mess outside?"
Liu Dafu nodded vigorously. "It's a mess. The spring ploughing hasn't even finished yet, and there are beggars everywhere. People from the whole village are out there."
His family didn't do any business and relied on the fruits, vegetables and grains produced from the land for their livelihood, so occasionally they would go to restaurants in the county to deliver seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The last time I came back from the county town, a family of beggars blocked my road and forced me to pay for food.
Liu Gong was the only one delivering the food, so he couldn't stand up at all.
In the end, I was able to get away by giving up a bag of snacks that I had intended to take home for my children.
When he got home and told his family, Liu Dafu immediately thought of his second son Liu Li, who had to go to the provincial capital to take part in the official examination in May.
If something happens on the way to the exam, and he, a scholar, can't stand such pestering, wouldn't he be in trouble?
These beggars are still polite now, but if they continue for a few days, I'm afraid they won't be so anymore.
How did the robbers come?
Liu Dafu had lived for most of his life, how could he not know this?
He immediately thought of finding a protective amulet for Liu Li.
It just so happened that Liu Ji also had to go to the provincial capital to take the exam. Isn't this just a coincidence?
Liu Dafu was certain that Qin Yao would accompany Liu Ji to the provincial capital, so as soon as he had time, he immediately went to find Qin Yao and asked her to take his son Liu Li along.
Anyway, there is no difference between giving one and giving two.
With her martial arts skills, it's safe!
Qin Yao thought to herself that you are quite knowledgeable about the market.
Qin Yao asked directly, "What's the price?"
Liu Dafu: "Friendship price."
Qin Yao's eyelids drooped, "How much?"
Liu Dafu reached into his bosom and took out a complete land deed, which he gently placed on the table. "Ten acres, ninety taels."
Qin Yao was delighted and reached out to take it, but Liu Dafu suddenly held the deed and added hastily:
"You have to make sure that my Liu Li enters the examination room safely and returns home safely."
"You must not be partial to one and ignore the other. You only care about your Liu Ji's life and death, but not my Liu Li's life and safety."
Qin Yao took his hand away from the land deed, raised the small deed and looked at it again and again, confirming that it was authentic, and smiled faintly, "Don't worry about me, it's safe and reliable."
After that, he returned the land deed to him and said, "I will send my child to school tomorrow. Let's go to the county town to change the household owner on the land deed."
Land transactions had to be registered with the government, so Liu Dafu readily agreed.
The two smiled at each other, both very satisfied.
After seeing Liu Dafu off, Qin Yao closed the door and turned around to see the four Dalang siblings standing in a row according to their height.
Dalang asked in disbelief: "Auntie Yao, is Grandpa Fu willing to sell the land to us?"
Erlang thought about the price he just heard, "Is it ninety taels per mu? Only nine taels per mu?"
Sanlang and Si Niang were only concerned about one thing. They frowned with identical furry brows and asked, "Aniang, are you going to be away for a long time again?"
Qin Yao answered the first two questions one by one, then smiled and shrugged, "Yes, I have to go on a long journey."
"Your father is going to the capital to take part in the final exam. The journey is long and may be dangerous, so I want to send him there."
Liu Dafu's guess was not wrong. She did intend to personally escort Liu Ji to the provincial capital.
Liu Ji was the stock she had invested in, and she had to maintain it until she recovered her investment.
The twins immediately hugged Qin Yao's arm each, saying that they didn't want her to leave for so long.
But they also knew that their father's matter was very important, and everyone got a big kiss from Qin Yao, and they were all right again.
Qin Yao picked up Si Niang with one hand and held San Lang with the other, and took them to the children's room to coax them to sleep.
The two little ones leaned on A-niang's shoulders, listening to her tell a "strange story" about a mutant tiger fighting a giant carnivorous plant at night.
When it came to the eerie and bloody parts, Dalang and Erlang, who were listening in, stiffened with their eyes wide open.
I can't sleep. I can't sleep at all!
(End of this chapter)