The Story of a Destitute Noblewoman Farming

When Lu Linlang and the others arrived, the Dahua sisters had already picked up a basket of pebbles and were walking back panting.

Lu Linlang picked up the backpack with one hand and said to Dahua, "These stones are too heavy. Dahua, why don't you help pick up pebbles by the river and we'll carry them back. That way you won't be too tired."

Dahua looked at the backpack that she had struggled to carry, and saw it floating so lightly in her cousin's hands. She was filled with admiration and nodded in agreement.

Finally, the Dahua sisters, Lu Zhan, and Yun Can picked up pebbles by the river, while the others were responsible for carrying them.

After Lu Linlang left, the children in the village dared to gather around them. They had known Lu Zhan for a few days, so they asked them what they were doing.

"We are picking up pebbles and filling our yard with them so that when it rains, our feet won't get covered in mud." Lu Zhan answered the children.

These people were preparing to go up the mountain to cut grass. After hearing this, they thought of the conversation their family had with their new sister's family. They said that they were from the capital and their family was very particular, so it was no wonder that they used stones to pave the road.

A few people greeted each other and said they would come to help after finishing their housework, and then ran away with their backpacks on their backs.

There were several girls watching on the side. They also saw the Dahua sisters walking very close to the new family, and there was some envy in their eyes.

"I heard that there's always the smell of meat coming from their house. I guess they have meat to eat all the time. If I go to help, will I get to eat meat too?"

"Then you should also learn to flatter others and do all the work. Look at those two sisters, they hooked up with a cousin like that. I heard they helped out all afternoon yesterday and didn't even have a meal. They're so pretentious."

A girl said disdainfully that her family always compared her with Dahua, saying that she was not as sensible as Dahua. Every time she heard such words, she felt very impatient.

"Xiao Lan, why do you say that? Dahua and her family are poor and have no elders. They finally meet a relative, so there's nothing wrong with wanting to get close to him, right?" Another girl spoke up for Dahua.

"I'm not wrong. Just because you know your family has rich relatives, you try to get close to them. But don't they have nothing except a bowl of leftovers?" The girl named Xiaolan snorted and walked away with the backpack on her back.

When they came back at noon, they saw the Dahua sisters still picking up stones, and Lu Zhan had taken off his shoes out of curiosity to go fishing in the river. Xiaolan walked over to them.

"What good will it do you to rush over to help so eagerly? You are just a village girl, and you think others will take you seriously."

"That's not the case. Sister Linlang even gave us candy." Erhua retorted in a low voice after hearing her say that.

"We are not as petty as you, only thinking about getting something in return." Dahua rolled her eyes at her.

"I'm just reminding you out of kindness. How could you be so uneducated?"

"Xiaolan, you're going too far. You are well-mannered. How could you say such things in front of us? Get out of here." Dahua was really angry when she heard such words. She was already very inferior about this matter, but Xiaolan deliberately poked her sore spot.

"I, I didn't say anything. I, I'm leaving." Xiaolan saw Dahua looking at her angrily, and she panicked and ran away with the basket on her back.

Lu Zhan only saw a girl talking to Dahua, and then she left in a hurry. Dahua also pulled Erhua away. He thought she was going back to eat first. Her sister had just called them to eat, but Dahua said they would go after they were busy for a while, so he didn't care.

When Lu Zhan returned home, he didn't see the Dahua sisters. After hearing what he said, Lu Linlang asked Man Jin and the others to eat first, asked for the direction of Dahua's house, and went to find the two of them.

The Dahua sisters had indeed returned home. Lu Linlang looked at the dilapidated thatched house, which was surrounded by wooden stakes. Vegetables were planted in front of and behind the house. Dahua was washing vegetables with her back to her.

The two of them didn't see her, Erhua followed and said, "Sister, are we really not going to my cousin's house for dinner? My cousin said she had stewed meat, and I'm already hungry."

"Erhua, we are here to help our cousin voluntarily. They just came to the village and don't know many people. We are her sisters. If we do more work, our cousin can do less. I think our cousin doesn't even know how to farm. If we don't help, what will happen to her family in the future?

What if we go out to eat and eat our cousin's family out of money? I don't think those brothers are good at farm work. We have vegetables to eat at home. I'll put this vegetable in the bowl of chicken soup that my cousin gave us. It's very delicious. You forgot you just ate it last night. Everyone said it tasted better than meat."

"That's right, my cousin has to support so many brothers. They are clumsy and can't even sow seeds. They are not as good as me. Sister Xiaolan is so annoying. Sister, what do you mean by uneducated?"

"Don't pay attention to her, she's just jealous that we can go to help my cousin's house." After saying that, Dahua picked up the vegetables in the basin and walked in with Erhua.

"Dahua, Erhua, why are you back home? Why don't you go to eat?" Lu Linlang called out to them, and only then did they see her standing outside the fence.

"Cousin, why are you here? We haven't finished our meal at home yet, so we won't go out to eat. You should go back and eat. We will come over to help after we finish eating." Dahua didn't know when she came. She was afraid that her cousin would hear Erhua's words and think that they wanted to eat for free.

"What? You don't welcome me in?" Lu Linlang didn't force the two to pass directly, but prepared to go in.

"Welcome, of course you're welcome. Cousin, please come in. Erhua, go put the dishes away."

Dahua quickly invited her in. Lu Linlang walked in and followed Dahua into the main room. The main room also had an uneven mud floor, but it had been stepped on and compacted. Although the room looked messy, it was clean. There was only a table with a broken leg supported by stones, and a few dilapidated stools in the main room. There was no decoration in the house, and the roof was leaking. If it rained, rain would definitely come in.

Dahua stood there awkwardly, not saying anything.

"Dahua, do you mind if I take a look at where you live?" Lu Linlang squatted down and asked her.

"Cousin, you, look, there's nothing in this room, it's just a little messy." Seeing that there was no disgust in her cousin's eyes, Dahua breathed a sigh of relief.

Following her introduction, Lu Linlang looked at the room where the two sisters usually lived. It was right next to the main hall and was empty except for a quilt on the bed they slept on. There was also a cabinet next to it that could no longer be closed and contained another quilt that Grandma Dahua used to cover herself with.

The other room was where Grandma Dahua used to live. Now the two of them have tidied up the bed and piled up things there, and there is also a lot of firewood placed next to it.

There was a kitchen on the other side. Erhua put the dishes down in the kitchen but did not rush to light the fire. She was looking forward to going to her cousin's house for dinner with her. She was still young and had no resistance to food. When she saw her cousin calling her, she wanted to go, but she was embarrassed to tell her cousin for fear of being scolded by her sister.

After reading it, Lu Linlang took Dahua and Erhua's hands, squatted down and continued, "Dahua, Erhua, you are my sisters too. As your elder sister, I can't let you work hard and then go home hungry to cook. Don't worry about eating me out. I'm not that miserable. You are very good, and I like you very much. If anyone says anything nonsense, just tell me in the future and I will seek justice for you."

When Dahua heard this, she immediately burst into tears. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to them like this and supported them.