Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

Soon it was time for the Mu family to plant rice seedlings. Old Man Mu hired ten people, all of whom had little land at home. Every year at this time, after finishing planting their own fields, they would help others plant rice seedlings to earn some money to supplement their family income.

Although meals are not provided, some tea and water should still be prepared.

These past two days, Wang Qing'er hasn't gone to the mountains either; Mu Qin and the other girls have been picking the mint and mugwort.

She got up early to boil water and make tea. Thinking that the weather was hot, she took some dried mint, added it to the tea leaves, brewed a mint tea, and put it in the well to cool it down.

I took out mulberry jam, added brown sugar, and made a sweet drink.

Wang Qing'er wanted to send some tea to the fields, but she didn't know the way. Thinking about how long she had been married into the family, apart from the few plots of land in front of and behind the house, she didn't know where the other fields were.

Just when she was at her wit's end, Mu Qin and the others returned, and Wang Qing'er felt as if she had met a savior.

"Muqin, do you know where your older brother and the others are planting rice seedlings?"

"I know! It's right by the river in the east of the village."

"East of the village? Are the family's fields that far away?" The east of the village is actually the area at the village entrance, where there is a large river with endless paddy fields on both sides. Wang Qing'er didn't expect that the Mu family's fields were also there. Wouldn't that mean they would have to pass through the center of the village?

If you pass through the center of the village, you will run into all the village's aunts and uncles, and you will have to greet them all.

Muqin said, "Yes! Sister-in-law, all the fields in the village are over there, so our family must be there too!"

"Muqin, I've made some tea. Would you like to come with me to deliver it?"

Wang Qing'er thought to herself, "Okay, I can't just not serve tea because I don't want to go out and socialize."

Sooner or later, I'll have to go out and get to know the villagers.

"Okay, I know the way." Muqin knew that her sister-in-law had never been anywhere else in the village except to the mountains, so she definitely didn't know the way.

Wang Qing'er took two buckets of tea out of the well and covered them with a clean cotton cloth.

Take a basket, fill it with bowls according to the number of people, and take two spoons, one for mint tea and the other for sweet water infused with mulberry jam.

And so, Wang Qing'er carried two buckets of tea, and Mu Qin carried a bowl on her back, and they walked towards the east of the village.

These past few days, every household has been busy transplanting rice seedlings, and there haven't been many people on the road. Even if you do meet someone, you just exchange casual greetings.

Muqin knew everyone in the village. Whatever Muqin called out, she would just repeat after her, along with a sweet smile.

A smile is always a good idea.

Just as she was getting closer to her own field, she saw a figure that looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place his name.

The man was carrying a bucket and a basket and walked ahead. He didn't seem to see her and Muqin, so he was probably delivering water as well.

"Muqin, who is that person up ahead? Why is he walking towards our fields?"

Wang Qing'er sensed something was wrong. Was that person also there to deliver tea?

Could it be one of the wives of the people we invited today?

She felt that the woman's figure was familiar, but she couldn't remember where she was.

“Sister-in-law, that’s Xiuhe, the village chief’s eldest daughter. Hmm, why is she walking towards my field? No one from the village chief’s family is helping us plant rice seedlings.” Muqin also felt very strange.

"Uncle Mu, Brother Mu Nan, my father asked me to bring you some tea." Just as the two were wondering what was going on, they heard Xiuhe calling out to Mu Nan and the others.

"Xiuhe, no need to trouble yourself, you should go back now. It's so hot under the sun, go back quickly." Old Man Mu stood in the field and loudly declined.

Xiuhe said loudly, "Uncle Mu, it's no trouble at all. My home is nearby, it won't take much effort. Please come up and have some tea and rest for a while."

"Hey, Xiuhe, I wonder if there's any tea for us?"

"Yes, Xiuhe, it can't just be Uncle Mu and your brother Mu Nan, right?"

"Could it be that Mu Nan is the only one? Haha!"

"Ha ha……"

……

The people invited by the Mu family teased Xiuhe one after another.

Xiuhe wasn't embarrassed by the teasing from everyone. Instead, she spoke in the tone of a hostess, "We've all done our part. You've all worked hard today helping Uncle Mu's family plant rice seedlings. How could we not prepare tea for you? Please come up and rest for a while, everyone."

Without the host's permission, these people who came to plant rice would certainly not come ashore to drink the tea that Xiuhe brought.

They were just joking around, having a good laugh and then not saying anything more.

Some people were secretly cursing the village chief's daughter, saying she was no good and that he was trying to seduce someone who already had a wife.

A man whose wife had died was thinking to himself, "If that woman missed her husband so much, why didn't she come looking for him? He's useful in some ways too."

……

"Muqin, in previous years when the family was planting rice, the village chief also asked her to bring tea to your father and your older brother?" Wang Qing'er vaguely heard the people teasing Xiuhe, and when she heard Xiuhe's tone, she felt something was wrong.

Doubts began to rise in my mind.

Could this be another one of her husband's extramarital affairs? He hasn't even dealt with the one at home yet, and now another one has appeared?

It's true that she has many lovers both at home and outside, but her "red flag" (concubine) remains unbroken.

“How could this be? It’s never happened before. In previous years, we didn’t have money to hire people to transplant rice seedlings, so Mu Lin and I were responsible for pulling the seedlings, while Dad, Mom, my eldest brother, and my second brother were responsible for transplanting them. Grandma would bring tea and food. What kind of wind is blowing this year? They actually brought tea to our house.”

Mu Qin was initially confused, but then she suddenly remembered something from before and thought to herself, "This is bad."

Mu Qin suddenly shouted loudly, "Father, elder brother, my sister-in-law and I have brought you tea. Elder brother, come and greet my sister-in-law."

"Okay, you guys wait there, don't move again!" Mu Nan immediately looked up when he heard Mu Qin's voice. When he saw his wife carrying water buckets, he hurriedly walked over to them, shouting loudly as he walked, cupping his hands together like a megaphone.

"it is good"

After agreeing to her brother's request, Mu Qin quickly turned to Wang Qing'er and said, "Sister-in-law, stop and wait for my brother to come and pick us up!"

"Okay." Wang Qing'er was quite tired from carrying the bucket all the way, so she gently put it down.

"Xiuhe, you can go back now! My daughter-in-law and Muqin have brought tea. Please thank your parents for me when you get back." Old Master Mu's voice rang out again, refusing the request.

Xiuhe stood on the edge of the field, somewhat at a loss, unsure whether to stay or leave.

Just then, a man planting rice in the field next to the Mu family's house suddenly said, "Xiuhe, since the Mu family's daughter-in-law has brought tea, why don't you give us some? My sister-in-law Xiu'e is still in confinement after childbirth, and no one brings us tea."

"Okay, Yongwang, come on up and have a drink!" Xiuhe was a little reluctant, but she had no choice. She couldn't bring it back again, that would be too embarrassing!

"Muqin, is that Xiuhe unmarried? Why is she still living in the village? Did she marry someone from this village?"

Wang Qing'er was a little confused. If she was unmarried, why was she wearing a married woman's hairstyle?