Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 410 - 407: Some Rejoice, Some Grieve

Listening to the harsh sound of the wind outside, little Qingyu asked Lin Wanwan in confusion, "Mother, what does ’wandering homeless’ mean?"

Lin Wanwan was busy discussing with Xiao Xianghua and didn’t respond to the little one, who, in urgency, reached out her tiny hand to turn Lin Wanwan’s face toward her: "Mother, Mother! What does ’wandering homeless’ mean?"

Only then did Lin Wanwan look at her and, after pondering for a moment, said, "Wandering homeless means having no house to live in and nothing to eat."

"Why do they have no house to live in and nothing to eat?"

"Because their houses were blown down by the wind, and their fields were flooded."

"Oh, how pitiful! What do they do then? Do their children also have no house to live in and nothing to eat? Will they go hungry?"

"They will work hard to farm, and when they grow their crops, they can eat and also sell them to build houses."

"Oh, then mother, let’s farm too. We want to grow lots and lots of crops!"

"Alright! Just as little Qingyu says!" Lin Wanwan smiled and kissed little Qingyu’s face.

Xiao Yixun, who had been silently watching beside them, suddenly darkened her face upon seeing this and turned her head away, upset, while Xiao Xianghua teased them about their affectionate mother-daughter duo.

Outside, the sky was gloomy, the wind howled, and the rain poured like thunder.

In the attic, the four of them sitting on the mat, after a moment of reflection, continued to enjoy their little pleasures, unaffected by the raging storm outside.

After the oppressive heat of the autumn tiger was driven away by the storm, even the ticking of the raindrops seemed to align musically, making one relax.

A few warm yellow glass palace lamps illuminated the entire attic with serenity, providing a fulfilling feeling even without doing anything.

If one were to lazily lean on a side table, reading a book, occasionally chatting a bit with the sisters around, and not far away, a child who had played themselves to exhaustion slept, that would be the picture of peaceful times.

After reading for quite a while from the vertical-planked local books of the Great Tang, Lin Wanwan became sleepy. She put down the book and gazed through the glass window at the distant coastline, refreshing her mind with the sight of the sea.

Just then, a few moving figures caught her eye, and she pulled on Xiao Xianghua in shock, "Xianghua, look, are there people by the sea over there?"

Xiao Xianghua put down the embroidery in her hands and looked where Lin Wanwan pointed, exclaiming in surprise, "There really are people! Who are they, so bold, going to the sea when everyone else is hiding at home due to the typhoon? Wanwan cousin, are they from your family?"

Lin Wanwan, unsure, said, "I don’t know. They’re wearing rain cloaks, so I can’t make out their figures. But it is low tide now, and it seems someone is gathering at the sea. I did hear brother Mengjin and the others mentioning a few days ago that during a typhoon, there might be many good things at the sea."

"Really? But no amount of sea goods is worth risking one’s life." Xiao Xianghua was shocked by what she saw. How could anyone be so willing to risk their lives for money?

Lin Wanwan also found it difficult to understand. Going sea picking before the storm would be reasonable, but how could anyone brave the strong wind and rain?

If only she had a telescope, Lin Wanwan thought, then she could see clearly who those people by the sea were.

As it was, with the grey, densely raining skies, no matter how much she strained her eyes, she couldn’t make it out, so she simply withdrew her gaze.

Let them be, after all, they are adults and know what they are doing.

After spending another hour or so in the attic, little Qingyu, who had been napping, fluttered her eyelashes and opened her eyes, immediately seeking Lin Wanwan upon waking: "Mother~"

"Yes, mother is here." Lin Wanwan picked up the still-drowsy little girl and, along with Xiao Xianghua and Xiao Yixun, went downstairs.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the four of them had spent the entire afternoon in the attic, and it was starting to get dark.

The servants at home couldn’t be as leisurely as their masters; they couldn’t go out during the typhoon, so the maids found things to do. Including the female musician Heng Wu, everyone was busy with a thorough cleaning.

This main house was where Lin Wanwan spent most of her time, and every room needed cleaning from front to back, top to bottom, which was quite a chore in a large estate.

According to the usual rules of noble households, maids like Yun Shang and Hong Yan, who served closely, and entertainment musicians like Heng Wu, didn’t have to do rough work, not to mention having extra maids to serve them.

But it was different in Lin Wanwan’s household. With such a large estate, only Hua Nong, Yun Shang, Hong Yan, and Rongrong served closely, Sun Shi and the old woman Sun served in the courtyards, Mo Xiang and Ran Xiang managed poultry and livestock, Ah Jing helped little Qingyu with her animals, and the newly bought Wu Po was for cooking for the servants, leaving Heng Wu as the female teacher.

Even adding Xiao Xianghua’s and Xiao Yixun’s maids, there were only thirteen maids in total, who else would do these chores if not them!

It couldn’t possibly be the ten little urchins, serving as companions for Qingyu but actually being groomed as backup, doing these chores, could it?

Let alone the young masters, even the little maid Rongrong was only made to wipe tables and mats by Yun Shang and others, as the masters couldn’t bear to see children doing rough work.

As for Kun Lun, Sun Chuyao, He Ada (the son of the Embroidery Workshop stewardess He), and the newly recruited male servants, they were tasked with work in the outer court and the fields of the manor.

At times like this, they wouldn’t come into the main house. One would be guarding the front gatehouse, another the west court gate, while the others were probably in the side room drinking and gambling.

During the typhoon, with the masters’ provision for food and shelter, and having a place to avoid the wind and rain, they were worry-free and quite happily.

When Lin Wanwan and the others came downstairs, today’s major cleaning had already reached its final stages.

Hua Nong had long finished her part and, along with Wu Po, donned rain cloaks and went through the corridors to the kitchen to prepare dinner for everyone; Mo Xiang, Ran Xiang, and the mute girl Ah Jing went to feed the cattle, horses, sheep, and poultry they were looking after; Sun Shi and Sun Chuyao’s elderly mother Sun had returned to their servants’ rooms.

Only Yun Shang, Hong Yan, and the other close maids could linger around Lin Wanwan, Xiao Yixun, and their circle.

Yun Shang put down the cloth in her hands and looked up with a smile at Lin Wanwan, "Mistress, Hua Nong has gone to prepare dinner. Would you like some fruit to stave off hunger first?"

Lin Wanwan replied, "Alright, a bit of fruit before dinner, but not too much."

"Understood!"

Xiao Xianghua looked at the brightly polished, almost reflective wooden floor of the hall and said with a smile, "They’ve done quite a bit this afternoon. Wanwan cousin, your maids are well trained."

Lin Wanwan put down little Qingyu, letting her go play with Rongrong, and casually replied, "Oh, they had no special training, just letting things take their natural course."