The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor(71-75) (Patreon)

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 Chapter 71: Mo Niushi Gets Beaten Up (Part 1)

The original host had lived with Old Mr. Mo's family for so many years, so how could she not know the character of Mo Yonglu and Mo Yongshou?

Mo Yonglu had great physical strength and could intimidate people with his arrogance, but he wasn't very bright. Mo Yongshou had read some books and was more agile in the mind, but he had never dealt with business before, so his accounting skills were really not up to par compared to experienced people like Lin Da.

Sure enough, a simple question like "Fifteen wen for one jin of Chinese cabbage, eighteen wen for one jin of spinach, twenty wen for one jin of tomatoes, each with two jin, how much money in total?" stumped Mo Yonglu, and successfully shut the mouths of Old Mo, Mo Hongshi, and the others.

Mo Yongshou was a bit better, but only slightly. He was stumped by the fourth question, which was a bit more complicated. In the following four questions, not only did he fail to answer faster than Lin Da and the others, but he also didn't give the correct results.

And this was the result without Mo Yan intentionally making the questions difficult for them!

"Second Grandpa, Second Grandma, you also saw it. It's not that Yan'er is shifting blame, but it's really not feasible to let the two uncles handle the accounts!" Mo Yan spread her hands helplessly.

Old Mo was once again embarrassed, feeling suffocated in his heart but having nowhere to vent. He could only force a smile and say, "It's because your uncles are useless, not your fault, not your fault!"

Even Hong Shi, who was accustomed to being domineering, couldn't find any words of complaint. She just had a long face, looking as if someone owed her a large sum of money.

Niu Shi turned her eyes and muttered unwillingly, "If my husband isn't allowed to handle the accounts, he can still sell vegetables!"

These words suddenly reminded Hong Shi. This time, she didn't ask her son to handle the accounts. Instead, she directly ordered Mo Yan, "Yes, let your uncles sell vegetables, and let your uncle deliver vegetables."

Mo Yan's smiling face slowly sank, and she stared expressionlessly at Mo Hongshi and her daughter-in-law. Staring at them made them feel uncomfortable, so she continued, "My family doesn't lack people to sell vegetables, and we can't afford to pay five taels of silver per month for selling vegetables."

Mo Yan's sudden change of attitude made the overbearing Hong Shi retreat. She didn't dare to actl arrogantly with her. She could only smile awkwardly and say, "Yan'er, our family is really so poor that we can't make ends meet. You like San Ni'er and Shitou, so just pity them. Let your uncles help sell vegetables, and you can decide how to pay them!"

As she spoke, she quickly pulled San Ni'er and Shi Tou from Wu Shi's arms. "Look, look, these two children have finally gained a bit of flesh in your house. They've only been back for a few days, and they've become so thin. We're really poor at home!"

At this point, Mo Hongshi even wiped the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes.

Mo Yan didn't buy her excuse of using the children to garner sympathy, but she really loved San Ni'er and Shitou. She pinched their little cheeks and indeed found them to be thinner. When she noticed that they weren't wearing the new cotton clothes she had made for them, she couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you wearing the new cotton clothes I made for you?"

San Ni'er's eyes flickered without answering, but unconsciously looked at Goudan, who was still eating pastry.

"Sister Yan'er, Second Aunt said that San Jie and Shi Tou are older than the Goudan brothers, so they should let the Goudan wear them. Second Aunt took the cotton clothes and gave them to San Ge and Hutou to wear."

Shi Tou 's tender voice was pleasant to the ears, but the words he said made the atmosphere in the room become strange.

This completely angered Mo Yan. She immediately turned her gaze to Goudan, who was covered in pastry crumbs. As expected, she saw a familiar pink piece of fabric from his collar, and the lower hem of Hutou, who was being held by Niu Shi, also revealed a blue piece of cloth.

Facing her gloomy gaze, Niu Shi couldn't help but tightly hug her youngest son and take two steps back. However, she still tried to justify herself, "It's natural for the older ones to give in to the younger ones. San Ni'er and Shi Tou are indeed older than the Goudan. What's wrong with giving them the cotton clothes?"

 Chapter 72: Mo Niushi Gets Beaten Up (Part 2)

These two cotton jackets were new and warm. Why should the two brats from the main room take advantage of them? Her Goudan and Hutou were also boys, much more precious than them.

Mo Yan coldly smiled, disdainful to even speak. She just lowered her head, rubbed the heads of the siblings, and said loudly, "It's alright. When your Second Uncle works for your cousin here, your cousin will deduct the silver for two cotton jackets from his wages. These two cotton jackets were made with good cotton and materials. Each one costs two hundred wen at the clothing store. So, the four hundred wen deducted, your cousin will use to buy new ones for you two."

"What? What did you say? Why should you deduct money from my husband's wages?"

Niu Shi hadn't snapped out of the joy of "working" yet when she was hit by the news of being deducted four hundred wen, and couldn't help but shout at Mo Yan in panic.

"Just because these two cotton jackets were made by me, and because your husband thought of working at my house!"

Mo Yan threw down these words and ignored her, turning to Mo Yonglu and Mo Yongshou, saying, "If you really want to help, come early tomorrow morning. Thirty wen wages per day. If not, forget it."

"We'll come, definitely!"

Even before the brothers could respond, Hong Shi eagerly agreed repeatedly, afraid that Mo Yan might change her mind.

Thirty wen was better than nothing at all. Besides, Third Son was clever, and he might even earn quite a bit more! As for the deduction of money, she conveniently overlooked that matter.

"Then it's settled. I'll have my father draw up three contracts, and you three uncles can sign them. Come over tomorrow morning."

Mo Yan didn't waste any words and immediately instructed Mo Qingze to draft the contracts in the room, following closely behind. She wouldn't bother with such elaborate preparations for anyone else, but dealing with these troublesome people, how could she not be fully prepared?

If they honestly worked, she would consider them as extra hands. But if they dared to play tricks, don't blame her for turning hostile.

In the main room, except for Old Mo, everyone was happy, even Wu Shi let go of her guilt and hugged her children, expressing gratitude to Mo Yan.

Hong Shi was even more proud, pulling her sons into a corner to whisper something. Judging from their calculating expressions, it was clear that it wasn't anything good.

Xin'er and Zhen'er looked at this family, their faces full of displeasure and more confusion about their sister's actions.

Lin Da and the others stood against the wall, watching this family coldly. They couldn't interfere with the decisions of the young master, but these people didn't seem trustworthy. They had to be vigilant and ensure that they didn't disrupt the business.

Soon, three contracts were completed under Mo Yan's dictation and Mo Qingze's pen.

After carefully reviewing them twice to ensure nothing was missed, Mo Yan nodded at her father and turned to leave.

"Yan'er, if you don't want to agree, don't force yourself!"

Mo Qingze hesitated for a moment but couldn't help but speak. He knew that his children didn't like Second Uncle's family. If it weren't for his sake, Yan'er would never have agreed to this. Even if she refused, he wouldn't have anything to say.

Hearing this, Mo Yan didn't look back. "Daughter is not forcing herself. Father's happiness is all that matters."

Mo Qingze seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at the door as if he was holding a furnace in his chest, full of warmth all over, but the bitterness in his eyes was about to overflow.

Looking at the bright red fingerprints on three contracts, Mo Yan nodded satisfactorily, warning Mo Yongfu and his brothers, "Niece's words are clear. If you violate any of them, this job will not continue."

The three men nodded repeatedly, but except for Mo Yongfu, the other two didn't take the paper seriously.

Mo Yan couldn't be bothered to guess what they were thinking. After collecting the contracts, she looked at Niu Shi, who had palm prints on both sides of her face, and said meaningfully, "Remember this lesson, Aunt. Not everyone's advantage can be taken."

After saying that, she turned to San Ni'er and Shitou, "As long as it's something given to you by your cousin, if your Second Aunt or Goudan dare to take it away again, you tell your cousin. Your cousin will deduct your Second Uncle's wages and buy new ones for you."

San Ni'er and Shi Tou were extremely happy, affectionately pulling on Mo Yan's clothes corners, nodding their heads like little chickens pecking at rice.

Mo Yonglu, on the other hand, realized that he would be working for the Mo family for half a month for free. He didn't dare to be tough with Mo Yan, so he could only vent his anger on Niu Shi, the culprit.

So, he viciously slapped Niu Shi's face twice again, then kicked her once more, cursing, "You shallow-minded thing, if you dare to take advantage of my niece and nephew again, I'll beat you to death."

Hong Shi cheered on the side, "Well beaten!" This squandering woman deserved to lose four hundred wen! 

Watching Niu Shi wail, Mo Yan didn't feel an ounce of pity for her. However, knowing Niu Shi's nature of remembering the advantages and forgetting the beatings, she feared that she wouldn't give up on taking advantage. But this time, since it fell into her hands, she considered it as avenging the original owner.

 Chapter 73: Plans (Part 1)

With the matter settled, Hong Shi and the others wanted to continue lingering at the Mo household, but Mo Yan easily dismissed them with a few words.

Unable to take advantage, Niu Shi then suggested that Mo Yan pay for a covered donkey cart for their family, but it was only after Old Mo scolded them that they dropped the matter out of fear of angering Mo Yan.

"Yan'er, Aunt has caused trouble for you. I... I shouldn't have brought them here!"

Wu Shi, with her children trailing behind, apologized to Mo Yan with red eyes.

Mo Yan patted Shi Tou 's head and shook her head. How could this be blamed on Wushi? Even if it wasn't her, the Old Mr. Mo and the others would have found a way to come over anyway.

Thinking of Mo Wushi's soft nature, she couldn't help but say, "Aunt, you should stand up for yourself more. Otherwise, how could Second Aunt dare to snatch San Ni'er and Shitou's cotton jackets? Don't you feel sorry seeing your children being bullied?"

This remark was like a thorn, piercing Mo Wushi's heart, causing waves of pain and tears to flow.

Seeing this, Mo Yan sighed silently, knowing it was pointless to say more.

After the Old Mr. Mo's family left, Mo Yan briefed Lin Da and the others on tomorrow's vegetable selling matters, paid them their wages, and sent them on their way, leaving only the Mo family and Li Yan in the house, which became completely quiet.

Seeing the mess in the house and on the table, Mo Yan felt too tired to move and asked Xiner and Zhen'er to clean up, while Li Yan, who was hiding in the room, also came out to help.

Two rooms were also rummaged through, but fortunately, apart from the newly made clothes and quilts, valuable items were stored in Mo Yan's space. Even so, Mo Hongshi and the others couldn't help but envy the new clothes, thick quilts, and the pork and chicken in the kitchen. If this were in the past, they would have definitely found an excuse to take them away.

Mo Yan returned to her room to tidy up. Just as she finished folding the clothes, she saw Zhen'er standing at the door with a piece of cloth, looking perplexed. She couldn't help but smile and beckon him over.

Zhen'er pouted and walked over unhappily, his chubby face wrinkled like a bun. Mo Yan pulled him to sit on the bed and couldn't help but pinch his soft hand a few times. Feeling the softness, she pinched a few more times until Zhen'er glared at her in protest.

"Still upset about what happened earlier?"

Under the accusing gaze of his little brother, Mo Yan finally stopped and coughed, decisively changing the subject.

Zhen'er glared at her grumpily, muttering, "I already said I understood!"

This brat had quite a temper!

Mo Yan pinched his fluffy cheeks again but stopped before he got angry, "Think about it, if Sister hadn't agreed to it, what do you think Second Grandma and the others would have done?"

Zhen'er thought for a moment, his little head tilting, and finally lowered it in frustration, "Second Grabdma would definitely throw a tantrum and refuse to leave. Second Aunt would also scold and roll on the ground!'

Mo Yan's lips twitched. Wasn't throwing tantrums and refusing to leave the specialties of those mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pairs?

"If they threw tantrums, what if Sister still didn't agree?"

This time, Zhen'er took a bit longer to think, imagining what might happen. Finally, he clenched his fists in anger and said, "They would have a big fight, dragging out past events of raising Father and taking care of us, accusing us of being unfilial, ruining our reputation everywhere, and... and they would call us 'bastards born of a mother but not raised by one'!"

When it came to "bastards born of a mother but not raised by one," Zhen'er suddenly teared up, vaguely understanding why his big sister had acted this way.

"Zhen'er is right. If we didn't agree, Second Aunt and the others would make a big scene."

 Chapter 74: Plans (Part 2)

Due to his perspective, Mo Yan did not notice Zhen'er's unusual behavior and carefully explained the reasons to him, "Everyone in Liuyang Village knows that we don't get along with Second Grandpa's family, but no matter how bad the relationship is, Second Grandpa's family is still our relatives. If relatives are in trouble and we can help but if we don't, outsiders will only say we are heartless and wary of us, maybe even speaking ill of us behind our backs."

Zhen'er had never thought about this before and became fascinated by what Mo Yan was saying, forgetting his sadness for the moment.

Seeing this, Mo Yan continued to pat his head and said, "This time, when Second Grandpa brought his family over, everyone in the village must know about it. If we had refused to help, Second Grandma and Second Grandpa would have criticized our family just like before. Moreover, they did take care of father and us siblings in the past, regardless of whether it was good or bad. In the eyes of others, it was still a great favor!"

Hearing this, Zhen'er nodded thoughtfully, his bright eyes darting quickly.

"We haven't firmly established ourselves in Liuyang Village yet. We can't let them ruin the good reputation our family has worked hard to build. If our uncles take their work seriously, they will be a few more helpers in the family, and outsiders won't find fault with us. But if they dare to cause trouble, we will have a reason to deal with them. At that time, others won't stand with Second Grabd because we are in the right. Do you understand, Zhen'er?"

Those three contracts were not signed for nothing!

"Yeah!" Zhen'er nodded heavily.

In the past, when they lived in their old home, every time Second Grandma came to steal things, if they tried to stop her, she would sit at the doorstep and curse. If they dared to talk back, she would curse even more fiercely, and even call the village chief and clan elders to judge. Despite being young, others only believed Second Grandma. Later, whenever they went out, people would gossip behind their backs, making them unable to hold their heads up and no one wanted to play with them.

Mo Yan affectionately rubbed Zhen'er's hair. The little guy was indeed clever, but she didn't mention the most important reason.

From the memories of the original owner, although Father had abandoned the idea of continuing the imperial examinations, he had never given up on studying. This showed that he still wanted to continue his education. It was just that the family was poor before and forced to give up. Now that they were not short of money, when the new house in Liuyang Village was completed next spring, there would be a good environment for studying.

If Father wanted to continue his studies and participate in the imperial examinations, with his intelligence and years of accumulation, passing the examinations wouldn't be difficult. Passing the examinations not only could improve the Mo family's status in Liuyang Village but also slightly deter some malicious people. Even if Father could not become an official, at least in this era where people were treated like grass, the family would have a bit more security.

In this case, reputation was very important for the Mo family!

However, all of this was just Mo Yan's own speculation. She hadn't found a suitable opportunity to ask Father's opinion yet, and Zhen'er was still young. She didn't want him to bear such pressure at such a young age. Everything should go with the flow.

...

Early the next morning, Mo Yongfu and his two brothers followed the vegetable delivery convoy into the city.

Mo Yan didn't trust these three brothers at all and wanted to observe them closely to see if they were really working seriously. So she asked Mo Yongfu to accompany the middle-aged man named Yu Fa, who had been hired from Liuyang Village, to deliver vegetables to the wealthy households.

"Don't worry, Young Miss, I will take good care of Young Master Yongfu."

After Yu Fa assured her, he and Mo Yongfu got on the ox cart filled with vegetables and went to deliver them to various households.

Yu Fa was one of the villagers who had helped the Mo family cut wood before and had fled with them. Later, he became familiar with Lin Yong, and Lin Yong thought he was a good person. Knowing that Mo Yan was looking for someone to deliver vegetables, he introduced him to her.

Mo Yan had deliberately observed him for a while, remembering the amount of vegetables he delivered each time. In the end, the amount of silver he handed over to her was always exactly correct. Some wealthy households would give him a little extra for delivering the vegetables promptly and with freshness, but he always honestly handed it over to Mo Yan, even though she never accepted it.

This time, she let him take Mo Yongfu to deliver the vegetables, and she wasn't worried that they would collude to steal money.

As for Mo Yonglu and Mo Yongshou, Mo Yan had never trusted them. Mo Yonglu was not very bright and easily influenced by others, while Mo Yongshou was scheming. When the two were together, who knew what might happen. She had to keep an eye on them to feel at ease.

 Chapter 75: Yan Junyu

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-December, and the entire Da Chu was about to usher in the most significant festival of the year - New Year's Eve.

Affluent households had already begun to slaughter pigs and sheep, preparing for a prosperous year to reward their hardworking family members who had toiled for most of the year. People from the villages near the capital city streamed into the city to purchase items needed for the New Year. Many shop owners had stocked up on goods a half month ago, intending to make a good profit during the festive season and return home for the New Year.

The streets were crowded with people, exuding a strong festive atmosphere. Every face was filled with contented smiles. Even if mischievous children cried and demanded to buy candy or figurine-shaped sweets, adults no longer scolded them as they usually would. Instead, they happily bought a string for the children.

At noon, the famous restaurant, Huixianju, in the capital city was bustling with guests, with every seat taken. Guests who arrived slightly late couldn't even find a secluded spot to sit and had to leave with regret.

Unlike the noisy atmosphere on the first and second floors, the third floor was very quiet, unaffected by the hustle and bustle below. This entire floor only had six luxurious and different styled VIP rooms, accessible only to the privileged.

At this moment, in one of the VIP rooms facing the street, the door was tightly closed, while the window was wide open. A young man with clear eyes and extraordinary demeanor lazily leaned on the luxurious couch by the window, playing with a jade folding fan. His slender phoenix eyes seemed to be smiling as he looked at the middle-aged man sweating profusely before him, resembling a sly fox.

Under immense pressure, just as the middle-aged man was on the verge of fainting, the young man finally spoke with great mercy, "Xiao Qiang, tell me how you think I should punish you, hmm?"

The rising tone at the end made his already enchanting voice even more bewitching. The middle-aged man, known as "Xiao Qiang," trembled, his face turning pale. He had to put on a smiling face and beg for mercy, "Master, as long as you let me continue to manage Huixianju, I'm willing to accept any punishment, whether it's physical, verbal, or a fine!"

"Tch!" The young man sneered coldly, not surprised to see Xiao Qiang's trembling face. Instead, he seemed amused by the situation. He couldn't help but say with a touch of wickedness, "I am a gentleman and don't engage in physical punishment or verbal abuse. I'm not short of a few silver coins either. You'd better tidy up and leave for Mang Prefecture!"

At the mention of "Mang Prefecture," Xiao Qiang trembled even more violently. He knelt down on the ground, his knees soft. Fortunately, he managed to fall onto the young man's knee. He hugged the man's knee, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded, "Master, please, spare me. I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child to support. With my old bones, I'm afraid I won't even make it to the borders of Mang Prefecture. Please, give me a few more days. I will definitely get things done. Please spare me this time!"

Mang Prefecture, a place known for being poor and chaotic, filled with bandits and rogues. It was a place where even officials would rather die than go. With his old bones, he might be torn apart by those savages before even reaching Mang Prefecture!

The man disdainfully kicked him, prompting him to let go. Opening the jade folding fan, he swept away the nonexistent dust on his knee. He scrutinized Xiao Qiang from head to toe, his face filled with expectation, "You're still able to father a three-year-old child at your age. Do you have some kind of secret method?"

Hearing the absurd words from his master, Xiao Qiang's face twitched even more severely. He replied through gritted teeth, "Master, that's my grandson. He's the son of my eldest son."

Upon hearing this, the man's disappointment was palpable. "You even made me hope that the old man could have another child to play with. Now, that hope is dashed."

Xiao Qiang's face twitched involuntarily. He thought to himself, If the child were really born, would you dare to play with him? But considering the master's unpredictable behavior, maybe he really did think that way.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qiang felt a headache. He even felt relieved that the child didn't exist.

The man lost interest in teasing him and waved his hand impatiently, "You have three days. If you still can't obtain the secret method of growing vegetables from that household within three days, I won't allow you to stay in the capital city for the New Year!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiang first felt a glimmer of hope, but then his face turned bitter again. He wanted to plead for more time, but seeing that his master had turned away, he didn't dare to speak again, afraid of angering him further. He could only leave the room with drooping shoulders, wearing a troubled expression on his face.

"Shopkeeper Xing, how did Young Master say?" Outside the door, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy hurriedly approached Xing, also known as Xing Qiang.

Xing Qiang looked despondent, saying sorrowfully, "Xiao Zhu, we're done for. If we can't obtain the secret method within three days, we'll have to go to Mangzhou."

Mangzhou? The Mangzhou where everyone drank blood and ate raw meat?

Xiao Zhu was scared out of his wits, almost wetting his pants. "Shopkeeper Xing, what should we do? I have an eighty-year-old grandmother and a three-year-old brother relying on me. What should I do? Sob, I haven't even married yet!"

As he spoke, Xiao Zhu burst into tears, his sobbing echoing down the corridor.

"Shut up!" Xing Qiang snapped, his forehead throbbing. Seeing Xiao Zhu about to cry again, he quickly dragged him to the resting room downstairs, afraid of disturbing the people in the room.

Behind the door, Yan Junyu listened attentively to the conversation between the two, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Tapping his palm lightly with the jade folding fan, he thought of the secret method of growing vegetables that hadn't been obtained for half a month. A glint of interest flashed in his slender eyes. Perhaps he should personally intervene. Challenges made things more interesting, didn't they?