…

Zhou Silang’s face turned green as each person they met gave him a lecture.

He didn’t reply, Wulang and Liulang also felt embarrassed, but Manbao, being young, didn’t feel the shame.

Moreover, she truly thought that the advice from these uncles and brothers was all too correct.

So she agreed all along the way, “Sixth Uncle is right, if you see my Fourth Brother sneaking into the gambling den again, you should punish him on my father’s behalf.

When he comes back, my father will surely treat you to a big meat meal.”

“Isn’t that the truth, Dazhu brother?

Next time we go to the county town, you keep an eye on my Silang.

If he doesn’t behave, just tie him up and bring him back.

My mother will surely thank you for it,” she declared.

When Silang kept a stern face without speaking, Manbao even slapped his hand, chiding, “No manners!

Don’t you see the uncles and brothers talking to you?

Are you not truly repentant?

Still thinking about gambling?”

Zhou Silang could only respond with a sobbing expression, saying thank you to anyone who scolded or lectured him.

Seeing this, the villagers privately felt that perhaps Silang truly had turned over a new leaf.

After all, he was still young and might succumb to temptation.

So those who had previously thought of proposing a match but had dismissed the idea were now reconsidering.

If Silang could reform himself, he would indeed be a fine young man—strong, good at work, with many promising brothers.

Indeed, the villagers unanimously thought highly of the three Zhou brothers who were already married; they worked hard on the farm, were industrious, and would help out at Landlord Bai’s whenever they had a chance to earn some money.

Besides, Old Zhou and Ms.

Qian were both first-class hard workers, so by that logic, Silang was not likely to be bad either.

The villagers looked at Zhou Silang with a touch more tolerance.

Zhou Silang didn’t notice this goodwill, as he was soon tasked by his mother with chopping firewood as soon as he got home.

Since the autumn harvest had ended, the family needed to prepare wood for the winter.

Usually, such tasks were managed by the three older brothers, with the heavy labor of chopping wood always being Third Brother’s job because he was strong.

The younger, unmarried ones were responsible for gathering firewood on the mountain and storing the chopped wood in the shed.

But, because Zhou Silang had lost money gambling, Ms.

Qian and Old Zhou had discussed and reassigned the firewood chopping to him as a form of punishment and as an example to the other sons and daughters-in-law.

With many children in the household and fingers of different lengths, Ms.

Qian couldn’t treat everyone equally.

But she had to maintain appearances, or else if one started to complain, the peace of the household would be disturbed.

Old Zhou sat on the threshold, frowning as he watched his fourth son fetch the axe, and only then did he hum and look away.

Seeing his little daughter, his face lit up with a smile, “Manbao, you’re back.

Did you have fun?”

Manbao nodded happily.

“It was fun, Daddy!

The mountain is really nice with lots of flowers and grass.

I want to go back in the afternoon!”

“The sun will be too strong in the afternoon.

You stay home and take a nap.

Let Silang and the others go,” Old Zhou said.

“If you like flowers, have your eldest niece pick some for you.

You can’t get sunburned, or you’ll have to take medicine.”

Thinking of the black juice her mother had to drink, Manbao scrunched up her nose, scrunching her little face as if tasting bitterness.

Old Zhou laughed heartily at the sight, feeling a bit better.

He told his daughter to sit inside the house, as breakfast would be ready shortly.

Farmers typically eat breakfast after a round of morning farm work, partaking in only two meals a day.

One meal at late morning and another at late afternoon.

After dinner, they tidy up, and once it gets dark, it’s time to sleep.

The adults followed this schedule, but not the children.

In summer and autumn, when the days are longer, the household would usually cook some porridge in the evening to ensure the children did not go to bed hungry.

Manbao entered the legitimate wife’s room where Ms.

Qian, not feeling well after the fright and anger from the previous day had left her bedridden today.

Seeing her daughter covered in bits of grass, she couldn’t help but chuckle, “You enjoyed yourself, didn’t you?”

Manbao hummed in agreement, sitting demurely at the edge of the bed.

“Mother, next time there’s a market, I want to go with Second Brother.”

“What are you going to do there?”

“I want to learn to do business,” she stated.

Ms.

Qian couldn’t help but laugh.

“You just want to go play, right?”

After some thought, considering that Manbao missed the temple fair in spring and that the autumn harvest was over, Ms.

Qian reasoned that she wouldn’t have the opportunity to go out once it got cold.

With that thought, she agreed, “Have Second Sister-in-law take you.

Datou and the others should go as well; they were all scared yesterday.

It’s good to go out and get some fresh air, calm their minds.”

As for doing business, Ms.

Qian never took such talk seriously, considering it just child’s talk.

Manbao, however, did not think it was just child’s talk.

She was quite serious.

Thus, after breakfast, she skipped school and rallied her Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, nephews, and nieces, encouraging them to think and work together.

Wulang reached out to touch his sister’s forehead.

“You don’t have a fever, so why are you talking nonsense?”

Liulang laughed, “What do we have to sell in our family?”

Manbao shook her head.

“Nothing, but there is outside.”

She pointed outdoors.

“There are so many pretty grasses and flowers out there, we could sell them.”

Everyone: “…”

Even the little ones chimed in, “That won’t sell!”

“Why not?” If the smart and mighty Keke liked these wild grasses and flowers, people outside should also find them appealing, reasoned Manbao.

Manbao, authoritative, waved her hand decisively.

“That settles it, we will go pick flowers and pull up wild grass to sell.”

As Wulang was about to dissuade her, Liulang pulled him aside and said, “Let’s do as Manbao says.”

“The little sister has lost her mind, and now you too?” he questioned.

Liulang: “I haven’t lost my mind, but if we don’t listen to her, do you think we can go to the market?”

Wulang thought about it and found it made sense.

The market was quite far from their village, a good half hour’s walk away.

The last time they went was for the spring temple fair.

Both brothers immediately signaled to Datou and Daya with knowing looks, and, comprehending the subtext, they all excitedly agreed with Manbao to bring lots of nice wild flowers and grasses to the market day.

To heck with it, best to get to the market first and worry about the rest later.