The first watch, asking for pink votes.

**********

Lian Shouxin wanted to give Erlang rice, but Erlang stopped him, saying he’d rather be like everyone else, working, eating, and earning wages.

"Erlang, did you talk to your grandfather about coming here?" Lian Shouxin asked Erlang.

"I talked to him and my grandfather agreed for me to come." Erlang replied.

Erlang wouldn’t lie, so if he said so, then Old Master Lian really agreed for him to work here. Lian Shouxin was aware of the situation at the old mansion. At home, it was Lady Zhou who arranged tasks for the family. Additionally, although Old Master Lian was still taking medicine, he was already able to get up and work. Old Master Lian would take some sons and grandsons out every day to collect firewood.

Whenever people in the village met him, they would advise Old Master Lian not to work anymore and just stay home to enjoy the blessings from his descendants. After all, everyone knew that with the arrangements made by Lian Shouxin’s group, neither Old Master Lian nor Lady Zhou lacked for anything.

Old Master Lian would always smile and say he was just going out for a stroll and watching his sons and grandsons work.

When Old Master Lian said this, everyone would fall silent. It was well-known that at the Lian Family Old Mansion, while Lian Shouyi’s group’s work was alright because they were used to farm work, Lian Shouren’s group had never done such work. It was understandable that Old Master Lian wanted to lead and oversee them.

In the team from the old mansion that went out to collect firewood every day were Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, Lian Jizu, Lady He, Si Lang, and Liulang. Even the women with bound feet like Lady Gu, Lady Chiang, Lian Duoduo, and Lian Yaya each had to bring home a basket of firewood every day.

The Lian Manman family knew about this, but they didn’t say anything. In their hearts, they agreed with Old Master Lian’s actions. As Lady Zhang put it, Old Master Lian was someone who "knew how to live and had foresight." In the winter at Thirty Mile Camp, everything else could be lacking, but not firewood. If they didn’t hurry to collect enough firewood now, then Lian Shouren’s and Lian Shouyi’s families would suffer in the winter.

Lian Shouxin arranged for Erlang to dig the fish pond, then went home and told his family about it.

"...I did as we discussed, first saying he didn’t have to work and offered him grains. Erlang didn’t agree and still went to work." Lian Shouxin said, "I also talked to Da Li, told him to keep an eye on how Erlang works, and report back to me."

Regarding the people at the old mansion, even after arranging for the fields and rents, the Lian Manman family did not think that everything was settled.

Lady He wanted to come work, but the Lian Manman family definitely didn’t want that. However, Erlang coming meant giving him a chance.

If they gave Erlang grains and he accepted without mentioning working again, then that grain was a one-time thing; asking for more later wouldn’t be possible.

Erlang refused the grains and insisted on working, which showed he still had a sense of shame and understood self-reliance, rather than being accustomed to receiving without effort.

They would let Erlang work and have someone secretly watch. If Erlang remained as honest and hardworking as before, without becoming cunning and insincere after his experience in Taicang, then they decided to help Erlang.

At the old mansion, Old Master Lian was aged and not as spirited as before. A large family relying on Old Master Lian to maintain the household, how long could such a life last? If Erlang could support the family, that would naturally be good. Even if he couldn’t, having one more person in the Upper Room who walked the right path and could be self-reliant would benefit everyone.

"If Erlang is still the same as before, then we’ll lend him a hand," Lady Zhang nodded and then sighed, "Some of the people in the Upper Room, a few aren’t really pitiful. But some are... that Er Niuniu, the last time I saw her was when I was weaning. Now, she still seems so small. Thin as a kitten, it made my heart ache the last time I saw her."

"There’s no news from Sister-in-law Xiu E at all," Lian Zhizhi said.

"On Old Master’s side, has there been any decision about Erlang and his wife?" Lady Zhang asked Lian Shouxin.

"The Old Master hasn’t made any definite decision," Lian Shouxin shook his head.

"This matter is a tangled mess. We can help, but we should avoid getting involved with opinions on this matter," Lian Manman said.

The matter between Erlang and Zhao Xiue wasn’t decided upon when it should have been, so later it became entangled and unclear.

"At the end of the day, they still are family," Lady Zhang said.