CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 75: YOU WANT TO TEACH ME HOW TO DO THINGS?

For several nights in a row, Qin Yao couldn’t stand eating porridge anymore and said to Liu Ji, "I want to eat white rice today."

Liu Ji thought to himself: This spendthrift woman!

He agreed on the surface and swiftly started the fire, washed the rice, and began cooking.

She came back late today, probably around eight-thirty at night. Those in the village who eat early are already asleep and dreaming.

The father and his four sons had already had dinner earlier, but now Qin Yao brought back meat buns, and their stomachs growled in unison, waiting for Liu Ji to heat the buns and share them equally.

The mother and her four children sat around the dining table in the main room, and Qin Yao took out a bag of broad beans from her pocket, making the siblings’ eyes light up.

Si Niang looked at Qin Yao with surprise and said softly, "Mother, you’re better than Bodhisattva."

Qin Yao beckoned with her hand, and the little girl immediately snuggled up, tugging at the collar of her shirt with small hands, her big eyes full of happiness.

"Is Mother better than Bodhisattva?" Qin Yao asked with a smile.

Si Niang nodded emphatically, "Yes, yes!"

Qin Yao laughed and deliberately pointed to her cheek. Si Niang first showed confusion, then understood and shyly stood on tiptoe, leaned in close, and kissed her.

Qin Yao’s heart melted, and she hugged Si Niang on her lap and returned two big kisses, making Si Niang giggle, and the mother-daughter duo started to play.

Da Lang, Second Lang, and Sanlang, the three boys, peeled all the broad beans and put them in bowls, then pushed them in front of Qin Yao, waiting for the distribution.

With her around, the four siblings never worried about missing out on good food.

Second Lang felt that his younger siblings wouldn’t mind if he sucked on the broad bean skins first. During the distribution process, he picked up the flavored bean skins and held them in his mouth until the taste was gone, then replaced them with another small bunch.

Last time, he wanted to suck on chicken bones, and this time, it’s broad bean skins. Qin Yao couldn’t bear to look.

Liu Erlang, you brat, your preference is quite special!

But the expert said not to interfere with children’s preferences and let them develop freely, so she let him be.

As long as he doesn’t act like this in front of guests.

The peeled broad beans were just a small plate. ’Qin. Water Distribution Master. Yao’ divided the beans equally among the four siblings according to the number.

As for Liu Ji, there’s no need to worry. Just casually coax one child and he won’t miss eating.

Qin Yao realized that the four children at home are quite savvy outside and wouldn’t easily be tricked into giving away their food.

But once the target becomes Liu Ji, even Second Lang falls for it.

Perhaps this is natural bloodline suppression?

Qin Yao shook her head, unable to understand and reluctant to figure it out. She focused on eating instead.

Liu Ji specifically cooked three bowls of rice. The squash planted in the front yard grew out but wasn’t ready to eat yet, so Qin Yao’s family was still short of vegetables, served with the pickled vegetables Liu Ji bought from Liu Huolang’s place.

However, Liu Ji knew Qin Yao liked to eat well, and if she ate well, she’d feel good, and if she felt good, his days would be easier.

So he also used an egg to make her a bowl of soup.

With white rice, side dish, and soup, Qin Yao was quite satisfied with her meal.

She didn’t eat the four meat buns; after eating them continuously for several days, she wasn’t craving them anymore.

Even the children at home didn’t long for the appearance of meat buns like they used to.

At this moment, Liu Ji divided one meat bun each to Da Lang, Second Lang, and Sanlang, and shared one with himself and little Si Niang as a midnight snack, accompanying Qin Yao to finish dinner.

According to the countryside lifestyle rhythm, nine o’clock at night was already late. The six-member family couldn’t sleep due to having eaten too much.

Qin Yao originally intended to mention tomorrow that she would be going to the Ding Mansion as a bodyguard, but since they couldn’t sleep now, she decided to say it.

The happiest was undoubtedly Liu Ji, two taels of silver!

It’s the money that the water mill earns in a year, but she would earn it in just a month. If Qin Yao refused, he would curse her to death.

Fortunately, this wicked woman had some sense and agreed.

Moreover, with her not at home, his breathing was free, and he only needed to check the water in the fields three times a day; there was no major work.

The vegetables in the fields only needed some weeding. Then, after sunset, he could open up the wasteland by the back door and plant some vegetables; the rest were easy chores that could be done at hand.

Plus, there were Da Lang and the four free helpers who were sensible and obedient and very useful.

Qin Yao glanced sideways and saw Liu Ji’s ecstatic expression, which she found intolerable, and couldn’t help but kick him.

Liu Ji yelled "Ouch" tragically, immediately restrained his expression and sat upright.

The four children were not surprised by this; they knew she would be away for a month and looked at her reluctantly.

But they also understood she left to earn money to support the family, thoughtfully expressing they would watch over their dad and not let him cause trouble.

In the next few days, the four children stuck to Qin Yao, almost inseparable.

Although Liu Ji held back a lot, his eager steps still revealed his anticipation for a month of free living.

In the village, there was no idle time; during this period, silkworms spun silk, and the sound of looms working could be heard from every household.

Compared to other families, Qin Yao’s life was considered leisurely.

For these few days at home, besides morning martial training and going out to fetch water, Qin Yao hardly stepped outside the courtyard.

The work in the fields could be handled by Liu Ji alone, while she took advantage of this free time to teach the children several new poems.

She also started a martial arts course for Da Lang, teaching him some basic deadly moves, so he’d have something to practice in the month to strengthen his foundation.

Liu Ji secretly watched the mother and son practice martial arts and found it increasingly strange.

Qin Yao taught Da Lang those moves, and they seemed quite menacing.

It was either teaching him to kick at the legs or to break hand bones, or else teaching Da Lang how to poke kidneys with a stick. Watching it, all seemed to be teaching a kid how to kill an adult. Is this legitimate martial arts training?

In the evening, when preparing dinner, Qin Yao happened to bring split firewood into the kitchen, and Liu Ji pondered, then finally asked her what exactly she was teaching Da Lang.

Qin Yao replied naturally, "Just some self-defense moves."

Liu Ji was stunned, "That’s obviously deadly moves, calling them self-defense moves; won’t your conscience hurt?"

Conscience? Qin Yao mocked and laughed, "Can conscience save lives?"

"What if during my absence, bandits come to loot the village again? Do you plan to take them along to die?"

Liu Ji retorted, "The government is already suppressing bandits, bandits won’t come again."

But when he said that, he himself lacked confidence. It’s been over four months since New Year’s Eve; if truly suppressing bandits, they should’ve cleared them out by now.

However, recently, people returning from trips said occasionally bandits would appear on the government road west of Kaiyang County to raid caravans, only more restrained than before.

Liu Ji grumbled, "Anyhow, teaching children like this is not good."

"You want to teach me how to do things?" Qin Yao squinted her eyes dangerously.

Liu Ji hurriedly waved his hands, "Don’t dare, don’t dare..."

Qin Yao snorted disdainfully at him and looked around the stove, "What’s for dinner tonight?"

"Egg and wild vegetable noodle dumplings, there’s a lot of flour at home. Eat flour first, then millet, use less refined rice, and still need to save it for later." Liu Ji calculated.

Qin Yao nodded and went into the storage room at the back to check the remaining grain.