Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 59 - 59 060 Just Stuff for Feeding Pigs_1

?Chapter 59: Chapter 060 Just Stuff for Feeding Pigs_1 Chapter 59: Chapter 060 Just Stuff for Feeding Pigs_1 “Wife, I’ve brought back the wine Mrs. Du got for us,” he said.

“Ah, just set it down for now and go set up the shed outside. Clean and pluck the pheasants and hares first,” Muniang was busy in the kitchen and couldn’t break away, so she just responded.

Although the ground-breaking banquet was abundant, there had not been any liquor provided, because the laborers had to get to work right after the meal, so naturally, they couldn’t drink. But according to tradition, at the completion banquet, good liquor and meat must be prepared to let everyone feast to their heart’s content.

But since Muniang’s house didn’t have any wine, she had specifically asked Mrs. Du, who was going to the market in town, to purchase several jars for her.

Now that Qinghe had married into the Qiao family, it was inadvisable for her to visibly frequent Muniang’s house, but Mrs. Du, Xiangcai, and a few others had come to help. The kitchen was bustling, and thanks to Muniang’s preparations in advance—with the dishes all chopped and plated, ready to be stir-fried—things weren’t too busy.

The women chatted and worked on their own tasks, finding enjoyment in the merry bustle.

“If you ask me, the Qiao family is lucky to have married Qinghe, such a jewel. Not only is she clever and skilled with her hands, but her looks are top-notch as well. Not to mention our small Tupo Village, even across Chatu Town, you can’t find a second one like her. The capable ones are often hard on the eyes, while the pretty ones tend to be lazy and greedy,” Mrs. Du said, laughing as she rolled the dough into balls.

Xiangcai laughed, “That’s true. Who knows how many young men had their eyes on that girl, but marrying Qiao Yuanzhen isn’t a loss at all. Didn’t he just pass the child prodigy examination? Soon, he’ll be aiming for the scholar title! A pair made in heaven, perfect in every sense.”

However, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Du’s daughter-in-law, sighed, “But even though Yuanzhen is a good man, the rest of the Qiao family isn’t that great. If it weren’t for Old Mr. Qiao forbidding them from associating with Muniang, wouldn’t Qinghe, given her relationship with Muniang, have come to help?”

Mrs. Du shot her a look, “Why are you bringing up something irrelevant? There’s no need to speak of such upsetting matters now.” Someone who didn’t know better might think she was trying to sow discord!

Mrs. Liu realized her mistake and gave a sheepish smile towards Muniang, “I’ve always had a loose tongue. Don’t take it to heart, Muniang.”

Muniang wasn’t bothered, smiling, “Qinghe is my friend, and the Qiao family is my enemy. I’ve always distinguished between the two clearly. She discussed her marriage to the Qiao family with me beforehand, and it’s fine. As for the future, it’s not certain that we’ll have no interaction.” The Qiao family, she estimated, would likely split, but Muniang wouldn’t carelessly speak of such things. She was not a gossip like Mrs. Ji.

To Mrs. Du and everyone else, her words were puzzling—continued interaction in the future? But they did not inquire further; such matters were indeed sensitive.

Nevertheless, their curiosity wouldn’t linger for long, as the Qiao family was akin to a ticking time bomb, with an explosion being just a matter of time.

In the yard, four big round tables were set up, bustling with excitement. This time with wine to enhance the cheer, the villagers’ enthusiasm was noticeably greater than at the ground-breaking banquet.

As Muniang and her husband entertained everyone with good food and drinks, she looked up and, to her surprise, saw Niu Tieshu again! Hmph! Wasn’t this man supposed to be quite ruthless? After the commotion last time, how could he have the face to show up again?

Yet Muniang realized that she had underestimated this gentleman’s thick skin—he had not only shown up but brought his whole family as well!

Muniang looked on with a forced smile at the family of four across from her, “Nanny Zhang, have you become addicted to freeloading meals?”

Nanny Zhang rolled her eyes, “What’s it to you? My son has worked hard for half a month and got sent off with just 400 pence of silver. Can’t he bring his father and mother to enjoy a meal now? Why are you always so mean?”

Li Cheng slammed his chopsticks down onto the table, “Nanny Zhang, don’t be unreasonable! If Niu Tieshu earns such a meager wage, it’s his own doing. Look at all the men in this yard, how can you have the nerve to sit here and eat?!”

“What about a yard full of men? As if I’ve never seen a man before? You bunch of greenhorns, even if you stood naked in front of me, I wouldn’t blink an eye!” Nanny Zhang retorted in a sharp voice.

Only she could say something so shameless!

“You—”
Li Cheng was beside himself with anger but Muniang stopped him, “Let her be, don’t ruin everyone else’s mood. Anyway, I don’t care for these leftovers, they’re only fit for pigs.”

Nanny Zhang certainly knew what Muniang meant by her words, referring to the incident where she collected leftover food from every table after last time’s start-of-work meal. Nanny Zhang’s anger flared, and her eyes bulged like brass bells as she stood up with a “harrumph”, “Who are you calling a cheap wretch?!”

Muniang narrowed her eyes and looked at her, “Did I speak to you? Nanny Zhang, I respect you as an elder, but if you don’t feel ashamed and wish to dine here with a yard full of men, I won’t stop you. However, if you came here to cause trouble, then I’ll have to ask you to leave immediately.”

Niu Tieshu quickly pulled Nanny Zhang down to sit and whispered, “Mom, what are you doing? We have important business here, stop making a scene!”

Only then did Nanny Zhang remember why she was here today, and with a fierce glare at Muniang, she forcefully suppressed her rage, sat down, and stopped causing trouble.

Muniang found Nanny Zhang’s sudden change of behavior strange. Her gaze swept across the room and noticed that the Zhang family seemed to have one more person than at the last start-of-work meal. She had heard that Nanny Zhang’s family had an eighteen-year-old daughter not yet married off; she assumed this must be her.

Muniang glanced at her, a girl with single eyelids, a melon-seed shaped face, slightly dark skin, and rather ordinary features. It was said that the girl thought too highly of herself for the poor to approach, yet she wasn’t favored by the rich, which was why she remained unmarried.

Muniang didn’t pay it much mind and turned to leave, knowing that even an extra word with this family could shorten life!

Everyone quickly started to eat and drink merrily, the atmosphere becoming completely different with alcohol.

As the host family member, Erliang typically did not join the table, but this time the workers’ spirits were high, and after digging the fish pond together, Erliang had gotten to know them well. Despite Erliang being a bit simple, the villagers, being honest folks, still treated him like a brother and insisted on him joining them at the table.

Muniang initially wanted to stop him but decided against it. Always protecting him like a child could hurt his self-respect, and after all, the villagers meant no harm. Letting him mingle and get along with others wasn’t a bad idea.

“Don’t underestimate Erliang! Last time when Chengzi, Erliang, and I went hunting in the mountains, it was great following this lad Erliang, who has really sharp ears. He can always find game. Last time, we bagged twice as much as usual!” Wang Qiang laughed heartily.

“Really? Then Qiangzi, you should definitely raise a toast to Erliang!” everyone egged on.

Without delay, Wang Qiang poured a bowl full of liquor for Erliang and handed it to him, “Here! Erliang, this bowl’s for you, in honor of our future hunts, keep me in your company!”

Muniang was startled, “He doesn’t drink.”