Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 557 - 286 Leek Boxes_2

"Dad, do you think I did a good job with the planting?" Lian Manman asked Lian Shouxin.

Lian Shouxin stole a moment from his busyness to glance back and smiled as he nodded.

"Yes, my Manman does beautiful work," Lian Shouxin praised.

Although it wasn’t as skillful as Lady Zhang, the peanuts Lian Manman had planted were fairly even. She also followed closely behind the plow, and her speed had been increasing.

Lian Manman’s heart and face brightened when she was praised. She thought to herself, if she did well in farming, they could harvest more peanuts in the autumn. More peanuts meant more money from sales. Combined with other income, they could buy dozens more acres of land. Then she would discuss with Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin about keeping all the harvested peanuts to satisfy their occasional cravings.

While Lian Manman was wrapped up in these pleasant thoughts, suddenly she heard a sharp cry from the neighboring field. Startled, she quickly looked up and followed the sound.

In the adjacent field, Lady Gu stumbled in the furrow and collapsed to the ground. The basket of peanuts she was carrying also fell, scattering the contents all over. Lady Chiang stood not far behind Lady Gu; she went to help her but instead fell to the ground herself. Soon after, Lian Duo also ran over. Of course, she couldn’t lift them both, and the three women became tangled together, covered in dirt.

Everyone stopped their work as Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu rushed to help Lady Gu, Lady Chiang, and Lian Duo up from the ground.

Lady Gu moaned in pain, saying she had twisted her ankle, while Lady Chiang said she had twisted her waist. Lian Duo was quietly crying.

The fields had no flat roads or paths, just one furrow after another, which were narrow, deep, and very soft. Lian Manman, with her large feet, didn’t feel any different, but for those unaccustomed to farm work and with bound feet, stumbling and falling seemed inevitable.

The scene was somewhat chaotic.

"Maybe we should take my mother back first," Lian Jizu said, his tone suggesting a question for discussion.

"Right, let’s take your mother back first," Lian Shouren also said, his tone more decisive.

Despite this, both father and son looked at Old Master Lian.

"Just help her to the side to rest for a while," Old Master Lian said with an expressionless face.

Neither Lian Shouren nor Lian Jizu dared to say more; they helped Lady Gu and Lady Chiang to the side and then went back to work in the field.

"No one is allowed to leave until the work is done," Old Master Lian said, then bent down and went back to digging the earth.

Remembering the harvest last year, when Lian Jizu said he had twisted his ankle and Old Master Lian had someone take him home, Lian Manman thought that this time Old Master Lian was intent on his decision.

Lady Gu, Lady Chiang, and Lian Duo rested for a while, but whether they couldn’t bear the glances from far and near, or they couldn’t bear to watch others work, they slowly returned to the field.

"That’s how it should be. Whether you do more or less isn’t the point; everyone needs to show they are trying," Lian Shouxin said quietly, leaning on his plow.

For the tenant farmer families, during spring planting and autumn harvesting, every household member was counted, except the extremely old and very young. As Lian Shouxin said, in the end, it wasn’t about how much work was done; each person had to give it their all.

"It should have always been this way," Manman murmured quietly. If it had always been like this at home, no one would have said a thing. But with these changes over the years and Old Master only now enforcing it, while Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were good-natured and Lian Shouli and Lady Zhao were honest, she thought of Lian Shouren and Lady Gu.

They must be harboring resentment against Old Master, Manman surmised.

At midday, Lady He came with a smile on her face, bringing food with Lian Yaya right on time. The Lian Manman family also temporarily stopped work to go home for lunch, and that’s when they heard someone speaking among the group eating.

"Xiu E’s baby in her belly is moving!"

"There’s sand in the rice; it must not have been rinsed properly,"

"It’s a bit undercooked,"

"What’s with all the complaints? I think it’s quite good,"

...

In the afternoon, the Lian Manman family finished planting all the peanuts, and just as evening approached, they finished their work.

Lian Manman and Xiao Qi were still sitting on the ox cart, whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at Lady Zhang.

"What are you two whispering about?" Lady Zhang asked. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Mom, Sister Yeye said that tonight they are eating chive-filled pies, made with white flour," Xiao Qi exchanged a look with Lian Manman, then smiled and told Lady Zhang.

Lady Zhang, well aware of her youngest son’s mischief, laughed as well.

"You want to eat pies, do you? Well, we’ll eat them too," Lady Zhang said.

Farming was hard physical labor, and it was time to eat something good to replenish everyone’s strength.

"Mom, our chives aren’t ready yet," Lian Zhizhi remarked.

The chives they had planted this year had only grown about two inches tall and would need some more days to be ready to eat. In the old family’s backyard, however, the old chives were already fit for cutting and eating.

"Chunzhu’s wife was telling me yesterday that their chives are ready to be eaten. She said to just go and cut some from their place if we want," Lady Zhang said. "I’ll go cut some chives from her place later."

Tenant farming families often had their own vegetable gardens and would frequently share things like a bunch of scallions or a bundle of chives with each other.

"Then I’ll go buy some meat," Lian Manman said. "Dad, give me some money."

"I don’t have money on me, so you’re gonna deduct it from my wages again, right?" Lian Shouxin said with a wry smile. "Manman, tell me the truth, until what year and month have you deducted my wages?"

Lian Manman turned her head away, hiding her laughter, and the whole family joined in the laughter.

×××...××

I’m sending out one update, hoping for pink. I’ll strive for a second one tonight.(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it by casting your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)