CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 76: FAMILY STATUS

There are still thirty catties of millet, fifty catties of soybeans, one hundred and ten catties of white flour, and twenty catties of fine rice at home.

She wouldn’t be home for a month, and this would be enough for the five father and sons to eat until she returns, with some left over.

The water mill now has a stable monthly income of two hundred cents, so Qin Yao didn’t leave any money for Liu Ji.

There are no places to spend money in the countryside, the water mill’s income is enough for the father’s daily expenses.

However, on the night before leaving, Qin Yao called Second Lang out alone and gave him two maces of silver just in case.

"Don’t tell anyone, especially your father, this money is not to be used unless there’s an emergency; you’re to keep it safe for now. Can you manage that?"

Qin Yao looked expectantly at the seven-year-old boy in front of her, who was not yet as tall as her chest.

Second Lang looked at the small coin in his palm; it was the first time he held so much money, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. His little hands trembled but firmly held onto the silver coins, promising Qin Yao:

"I will take good care of these two maces of silver, and return it to you when Auntie comes back."

Qin Yao patted his little shoulder, taught him where to keep the silver safely, and tested his arithmetic once more.

From one to a hundred, Second Lang could count smoothly a long time ago, among the four siblings, he was the best at mathematics.

Additions and subtractions within a hundred were not a problem for the little guy; he even knew how to divide the two maces of silver into two hundred cents to better manage them.

Qin Yao waved her hand contentedly, signalling him to go back indoors, and asked him to bring Da Lang over.

The dagger made at the blacksmith beforehand, Qin Yao gave it to Da Lang, "Keep it at home for emergencies. Follow the moves I taught you in the past few days; if there’s no opportunity to use it, that would be best."

As for whether holding the knife might lead to self-harm, Qin Yao didn’t mind. Warnings were useless in such matters; only experiencing it personally would teach caution.

The dagger wasn’t sharp; even if it hurt hands, it would only be a minor injury, nothing significant.

Liu Ji stood behind the mother and son, watching them complete the dagger exchange, worried that his most dutiful eldest son might become another Qin Yao.

He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he remembered that what he said barely counted in this household, so he gave up.

Qin Yao was still uneasy; she gathered all four children in the main hall to remind them not to go to the river or into the mountains, nor to get too curious and follow other children out of the village boundaries.

Though she had been in this place for a long time without encountering any child kidnappers, that didn’t mean they weren’t here, it was just good luck that they hadn’t come yet.

Within the village boundaries, there would always be people working in the fields, intimidating those with bad intentions, making it safer for the children.

There used to be no adults at home, and Da Lang could still lead his siblings to survive with difficulty, so he actually knew everything Qin Yao had instructed.

But he still listened silently, feeling warmth in his heart. In front of his stepmother, he felt like he was also just a little child, knowing that when the sky falls, there would be taller people to hold it up; he just needed to do what a child could do.

"Alright, saying too much you might not remember, let’s leave it at that, wash up and go to sleep." Qin Yao waved her hand, "Dismissed!"

The four siblings giggled and rushed into the shower room.

"Si Niang will wash with Mother later." Qin Yao called out to her little daughter who wanted to go in too, waving her over.

It wasn’t about gender difference; a five-year-old little child had none; before her arrival, the four siblings slept in the same bed, and there was no need for such precautions now.

The main reason was to improve efficiency.

Da Lang and Second Lang only needed to take care of Sanlang, making it much faster.

Not being able to join her brothers, Si Niang wasn’t disappointed because she could be with Mother.

Si Niang huffed and puffed as she walked back to Qin Yao’s side, holding a small piece of her clothing, waiting obediently for the next wave.

The nearly invisible Liu Ji spoke up weakly, "Wife, is there nothing you want to tell me?"

Qin Yao turned her head to glance at him, replying straightforwardly, "No."

An adult male, not a child, what was there to instruct?

Qin Yao sat on the threshold with Si Niang, untying her messy hair ribbons, suspiciously asking, "Is that hair tied by Da Lang?"

Si Niang shook her head, raised her little hand and pointed inside, "It’s Ah Dad, every morning when I wake up, eldest and second brother are gone."

She woke up late, so Dad always tied her hair.

Qin Yao immediately said, "No wonder it’s so hard to untie, it’s almost like it’s knotted to death."

What could Liu Ji say, criticized for doing and for not doing, he turned to the kitchen to boil water, too lazy to argue.

He was silent, Qin Yao wasn’t used to it, she tapped Si Niang’s soft little face, placed the untied hair ribbons properly, and started to untie her own hair.

Her hairstyle was simple, tying a ponytail and then wrapping it in a scarf to finish; untangling it was also quick.

The original owner’s hair was very black but dry and frizzy; in ancient times, there were no shampoos or conditioners, so Qin Yao used a tea oil cake given by her second sister-in-law Mrs. Qiu to wash her hair, saying that after some time, it would restore softness and shine, though it was hard to say if it was true.

It was convenient at home; once at Ding Mansion, it was uncertain what the circumstances would be, even bathing might not be easy.

Her family was the only one in the village to bathe frequently; the old houses over there washed every half month at most, and only when it’s hot.

During winter, they wouldn’t bathe all season, when it couldn’t be borne, they’d just wipe themselves with a cloth.

Hair washing wasn’t frequent either; He and Mrs. Qiu kept their hair tied up year-round, wrapped in fabric, which was already shiny with oil.

Everyone kept a lice comb at home, to comb lice out.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao returned to her room, packed a tea cake and a cloth for bathing in her bundle.

Just then, the three boys finished bathing, so Qin Yao took Si Niang to the bathroom, and the mother and daughter bathed together.

Liu Ji, tasked with boiling water, took the last turn, his family status was evident.

At the end of April, every arrangement was in place, Qin Yao took her packed luggage, said goodbye to the reluctant family, and walked two and a half hours to Ding Mansion.

When she arrived, it was around eleven in the morning, and Mr. Ding’s family was having lunch.

Meticulous families had breakfast and lunch, though not main meals, usually consisting of some snacks, rice porridge, and pastries, with dinner being the main meal, made more lavishly.

The steward first took Qin Yao to her temporary residence for the month to put down her luggage, then to the flower hall to meet Mr. Ding.

Qin Yao brought her own weapons, a heavy knife, a set of bow and arrows, and her slingshot with steel balls.

When the steward first saw her equipment at the gate, he was secretly surprised.

He thought she was just a farm woman with some peculiar skills, but didn’t expect her to be so professional.

Looking at the big knife, without a sheath, just wrapped with cloth straps, even just a glance felt ominous.

The bow on her shoulder also looked formidable, with twenty arrows in the arrow tube, she seemed adept in archery.