The stepsister of a peasant family in a book is spoiled by the big brothers

Li Taohua still didn't understand why a big house should be built in the village.

Since we will leave sooner or later, isn’t it a waste of money to build a big house?

Qin Huiyin explained to Li Taohua how long the imperial examination would take. Even if Tang Yichen took part, it would take him a year or two to pass the exam. Furthermore, if he went to the capital, it would be impossible for the others to follow him. They would have to stay here for another two or three years.

Since I will be staying here for at least two or three years, it’s always a good idea to spend some money to make myself more comfortable.

Besides, fallen leaves return to their roots. The Tang family's genealogy is here. If they ever return home, they will return here sooner or later. Not to mention when they grow old, even if they want to come back to pay respects to their ancestors, they will have to come back. By then, wouldn't it be more convenient to have an old house where people can live?

Houses in the county town were ridiculously expensive and impractical for them. They would rather save money to buy a carriage and go out early and come back late every day, which was more cost-effective than buying a house.

"Then how much silver do you think is needed to build a big house?" Li Taohua asked.

"Hmm... more than fifty taels!" Qin Huiyin said, "I go to the city every three days, and each time I earn five taels of silver in addition to the cost, so I can earn fifty taels a month. We have expenses for our family, and we have to buy pens, ink, paper, and inkstone for my eldest brother. The big expenses were spent these two times, and there is not much left. So if I earn another month, I can consider building a house. However, the weather is getting colder, and many materials have become more expensive. It is not cost-effective to build a house in this season."

"Then we'll build it next year."

"Our house is too small and shabby. It will be very hard to live in the winter. I don't want everyone to suffer this. Although building a house in this season is a bit of a disadvantage, I would rather suffer the disadvantage than suffer. If we build a new house, we can design a heated kang in it, so we won't be cold at night. Yes, it's decided. I will earn another month to build the house."

Tang Luwu put on new clothes and went out carrying a wooden basin.

The wooden basin was filled with the family's dirty clothes.

She came to the river to wash clothes, and as soon as she appeared, the women who had finished washing clothes and were about to leave stopped immediately and took the initiative to move aside to make room for Tang Luwu.

Tang Luwu stood there awkwardly.

"Girl, what are you doing standing there like an idiot? Come here!" Wang greeted her enthusiastically.

Tang Luwu had not forgotten the fierceness of Wang and Li Taohua pulling hair, and seeing her smiling so attentively and flatteringly, she didn't want to get closer.

She originally thought that no one would be washing clothes at this time, so she came here, but she didn't expect that she was still a little early.

Now there were seven or eight women watching her. If she left like this, who knew what they would say. Besides, Yinyin had said, don't run away from things, face them head-on.

She walked over with the wooden basin in her arms, squatted down with gritted teeth, and took out the dirty clothes to soak them.

The whole family's clothes were here. However, since they had just changed out of their old clothes, Tang Dafu and Tang Yixiao didn't want the clothes that were too worn, so they only kept the ones that were wearable.

Several women looked at each other, pushed each other, and finally pushed out the most gossipy Mrs. Zhang.

"Luwu, your new clothes look quite new..."

"Look at what you said, new clothes can't be new, they can still be old?" The woman next to her teased.

"I've never seen this pattern before. It doesn't look like something Li Taohua has worn, nor has I seen Huiyin wear it. Wasn't the dress Lu Wu was wearing before Huiyin's?"

"Maybe Li Taohua bought new clothes for Lvwu as well. No matter what, Li Taohua is Lvwu's stepmother. It's impossible for her daughter to wear new clothes while her stepdaughter wears someone else's."

Wang Shi was beside her, making a sarcastic remark: "The little girl Lu Wu calls Li Taohua her mother, so it's only right that she should be bought some new clothes. Li Taohua didn't do anything, but she got a few sons and daughters for nothing."

Tang Luwu pounded her clothes, lowered her eyes and said, "Whether the clothes I wear are new or old, what does it have to do with you? I can wear new clothes, and I can wear old clothes, as long as I am happy."

"You're such a fool," Mrs. Hu said. "Your father listens to your stepmother in everything. All the money the family earns goes to your stepmother. What do you get for all your hard work?"

"By the way, Luwu, I heard your family is in the food business. What exactly do you sell? None of our fellow villagers have ever seen it!"

"What else can a food business be? It's all about food," Tang Luwu said. "If you're curious, it's five cents a portion. If you order the same thing, you can get the whole thing for a hundred cents. If you want to know, pay the money and my sister Yinyin and I will deliver the food to your house."

"One hundred coins! Why don't you just go and rob them?"

"You are curious about what we sell. I'll give you some advice. If you want to know, just buy it and study it slowly. Why do you think I should snatch it away?" Tang Luwu said.

"You've really been led astray by Li Taohua," Wang said sarcastically. "You used to be such an honest child, but now you're not polite to us elders at all."

"Aunt Wang, you live next door to us. If you have any questions, ask my mother. Why ask a junior like me? I don't know anything." Tang Luwu said, "I still have to do the laundry! You guys should go back and hang them out to dry. The riverside is not safe. Last time, Tang Mingxiu fell in, and we had to go into the water to rescue her. I can't swim, so I can't rescue her."

"Luwu girl, you've really grown up, and your temper has gotten worse too. We elders can't say anything to you anymore. I think you've been fooled by your stepmother."

"If someone just throws her a set of clothes that their daughter no longer wears, she will treat them as her own mother. If the family is short of money one day, she will be the first one to be sold, just like last time when they wanted to marry her off to get a dowry."

"That's not necessarily true. I think Sister Taohua treats Luwu very well. Such nice clothes shouldn't be cheap. It seems like they have made a lot of money recently."

"He's digging wells, buying new clothes, and eating well at home. He didn't tell us folks about his wealth. He's afraid we'll come and ask for money!"

Tang Luwu's face turned red as she listened to those people saying sour words.

She had already mustered up the courage to fight back, but one has to eat slowly and change habits slowly. She had already put in a lot of effort to fight back, and now she had to fight eight people at once, which was really difficult to cope with.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Tang Luwu slapped her clothes hard.

The clothes were stained with soap nuts, and when the wooden stick was hit on the clothes, foam splashed, and the foam splashed all over the women nearby.

"Ouch, be careful."

Tang Luwu patted them vigorously and said, "My father's clothes are too muddy. I have to work hard to wash them clean. Aunts, please chat somewhere else. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that your clothes will not get wet."

As she spoke, she slapped it a few more times, deliberately splashing more foam.

Those people had washed their clothes but hadn't hung them out to dry yet. If foam got into their laundry basins, they would have to wash them again, so they quickly carried the laundry basins away from them.