Chapter 185: Stubborn One

"Bring your whole family over to live here, and sell that house and land over there!"

"Sell it? Then what will we eat and drink?"

"First stay at my place; once I teach Liu Hai a skill, I'll let your family use the shop in front, and when you earn money you can pay rent. If you don't earn, your family can stay there for now. There's a house behind the shop, which is still better than your old house."

Liu Qiaoshi lowered her head, somewhat unable to believe that Qiao Mai would say that.

She felt both moved and doubtful, "It seems our family isn't cut out for business."

"Hmph, you're really useless. With me here, what are you afraid of? You don't even have the spirit to dream of better days?"

"Yes, yes, it's just that we're afraid we can't do it and will embarrass you!"

"I'm not ashamed of doing the right thing; I'm afraid of being penniless and miserly, of not knowing how to unite without money, of wanting to bully others, especially our own family, when we're broke."

Liu Qiaoshi quickly gestured, "Our Liu family wouldn't do that."

"Then that's that; if you yourself don't want to strive, no matter how hard I push you, I can't."

"She didn't say much; she said she'll teach you a skill, and when the weather improves, the shop in Nantian will be freed up so our family can trade there, and she'll have us sell the original house and land, and we won't go back afterward."

As he spoke, he was about to drag Liu Qiaoshi to buy grain, and Liu Qiaoshi hurriedly whispered and followed him.

Liu Qiaoshi went out, and Liu Hai, still a bit embarrassed, said, "Shopkeeper?"

Indeed, in each of the recent disasters it was Liu Qiaoshi's maternal niece who provided relief; if we truly kept Liu Qiaoshi's promise, when it comes to that point we'd starve to death.

Qiao Mai finished the juice in the cup without wasting a drop, got up, returned to the house doorway, told the old women a word, and then went back.

The arrival of two wagons at Liushutun set the whole village abuzz; the Village Head, accompanied by villagers, came to his house and, watching them pack, asked.

【7】 "Don't you have silver at home?"

"Doesn't the family have silver?"

"Mother, no matter what the future holds, our family must not follow those households; we won't be White-eyed Wolves or ungrateful people."

Liu Hai went back to pack his luggage, Shopkeeper Tong settled his wages, and patted his shoulder.

The villagers, looking at the items in his house, said, "You've moved to a better life; you don't need these things anymore, right?"

Liu Qiaoshi had Liu Hai place the luggage in the East Wing Room, then each went to the stables and drove a wagon, presumably intending to haul everything over in one trip.

"Be a good person; follow your cousin and work, and days will only get better."

"Food is too expensive, several times higher than usual; mother can't bear to spend."

"Mai Mai let us pack up and go stay at her house."

Liu Qiaoshi nodded excitedly, "Hmm, from now on you won't have to travel so far to go home."

Their family moved to Jixiang Yuan overnight.

"Our village is too poor; it's not that they don't help you, and you don't help them either, right?"

"Have you told father about this?"

Helping move things, cleaning up, and a few old women brought food boxes with meals.

"Mother of the child, what is this?"

"Fine, stay here; when you go back, the wagon will have to take an extra person, so the luggage will be lighter."

"Liu Hai, your family is looking for you!"

"Mai Mai, thank you."

At the mention of this, the people of Liushutun dared not speak.

"We have no grain; I heard Tianshui Town is distributing porridge, so mother came to see."

"Hey, you're going to the town, feeling confident, and speaking so boldly?"

"Who says we won't? I'll pawn the house and land at Yahang; if even one item is missing here I'll report to the authorities."

"Exactly, we have my niece watching over us; if you dare to bully us again, believe it or not, we'll suffer another disaster, and I won't let my niece give you any grain."

"Great, cousin's house is the best in the whole town; shall I go back with you to move?"

Liu Ye stared wide‑eyed, "Mother, did cousin let you stay at her house?"

Liu Qiaoshi ate two tea eggs, felt no longer hungry, drank the remaining juice in a few sips, placed the leftover tea eggs in a bowl she brought, and rose to run toward Jingtai Restaurant.

Liu Qiaoshi hurriedly replied, so excited she didn't know what to say.

"Just now I ran into your cousin; she let you quit your job, borrow a wagon from her house, and have us go back to pack things and stay at her place."

"I'll decide the household matters; hurry, I'm waiting for you outside!"

Liu Dashan, when your family gets rich, you must still think of our village's people, okay?

Liu Qiaoshi glanced at the Village Head, "Thank you, Village Head!"

"Yes!"

Shopkeeper Tong, standing behind the counter at the doorway, saw Liu Qiaoshi and shouted inside.

Liu Qiaoshi and Liu Hai arrived at the entrance of Jixiang Yuan; the porridge in the pot was scarce, and the old women, upon seeing the two, stepped forward and said.

Liu Qiaoshi stood in the courtyard, directing the family: "Quickly pack the bedding, clothes, and all valuables together."

Liu Dashan sneered, "Of course; back then the villagers helped our family a lot."

She led them to a mansion, saying, "Inside is empty; the furniture is all there. When you move, leave the junk behind; just bring personal clothes and silver to move in."

"Drink this juice, eat a few tea eggs, go find Liu Hai; it'll get dark soon."

"Our house is fine; aside from lacking grain there's no worry. What did you tell cousin?"

Inside, the lights were on; several old women sat in the courtyard, and upon seeing the wagon at the door, they hurried out.

"Got it!"

The Village Head's smiling old face paused, realizing he was speaking sarcastically.

Liu Qiaoshi slapped him with her hand, "Stubborn one, home, home—what's the use of going back to such a poor home? The grain in the fields barely grows; your cousin let her guard down; we should be glad."

"Exactly, and you said you'd teach Hai Zi a skill; from now on we'll make a living in the town."

"It really is."

"What are you trying to do?"

Liu Qiaoshi surveyed the entire Zhai, "This place is really nice!"

"You, now that you're here, if your cousin finds out, who knows what she'll think; you wouldn't have gotten angry like this otherwise."

"Liushutun is our home?"

Liu Dashan also was a bit stunned; like the Village Head, he couldn't make sense of it.

"Go tell Liu Ye and the others, have Liu Hai quit that job, come to my house and borrow a carriage from the matron, then go home to pack things. After moving here for half a day, I'll go back and have them clear out a courtyard for us to stay there temporarily."

"Aye, aye."

"I was just thinking of saving some money, nothing else crossed my mind."

"Hmm, with a voice as loud as your mother's, I heard it; that means your cousin spoke up. You should go, following her has prospects."

Liu Hai bowed to the Shopkeeper, shouldered his luggage and came out; Liu Qiaoshi went to Xiu Zhuang and told Liu Ye to go to Jixiang Yuan to find them.

"Huh? Did she really say that?"

The Village Head hurriedly smiled and said, "Don't worry, nothing will be lost; I'll watch over your things."

"Aye, aye,"

"Come with me."

"Honestly, we really can't stay at home; everything is damp, especially the pits. Staying long will surely make us sick. The adults are okay, but her little grandson has had stomach pain these days, and a rash‑like thing has appeared on his body."

Liu Qiaoshi gritted her teeth, "We'll follow you and do it!"

"Thank you, Shopkeeper!"

Liu Hai came out from inside and asked, "Mother, why did you come?"

"I know, I know, do I still need you to say it?"

"They took a lot of things from my house without permission, and then claimed they didn't need assistance? When they come back to my house for things, my house doesn't have much, they say it's borrowing, and they never return?"

The family felt a bit uneasy; after the matron set the Meal, she left, and the entire Yuanzi was left only with their family.

Liu Qiaoshi invited them to sit, "Eat, eat, it's my niece's home, not a stranger's."

She led the way and began eating; the ten or so tea eggs they had brought back were shared on the road.

"My niece's home is still the best; everything is neat and clean. When will we have a small Yuanzi like that?"

(End of Chapter)