CH 84

Entering the last month of the lunar calendar, the intermittent snow had never stopped. Although there was no snow disaster, the roads were always blocked. The third son and the fourth son didn’t have to go to the private school anymore, and the private school was completely closed.

In ancient times, winter was indeed very cold. Zhulan would easily stay indoors and curl up on the kang. Most of the time, she would learn needlework from Zhao, and sometimes she would read and practice recognizing characters. Yes, it was about recognizing characters since modern people accustomed to simplified Chinese characters would struggle with traditional characters. She could only guess the meaning of unfamiliar characters, and her writing was like an illiterate. It was like having a missing limb, never getting the writing right.

Zhulan felt extremely frustrated. Even in modern times, she was an excellent student, but her handwriting in ancient times was as messy as a dog’s crawl. She often made spelling mistakes and was frequently mocked by her eldest grandson. Zhulan was starting to feel tired of studying.

Although the cold wind in ancient times was like a knife, it still couldn’t stop the enthusiasm for gossip. The family of Fourth Wang occupied first place in the gossip list. Since Zhulan pushed Zheng shi to the list, she didn’t have to listen to bitter words at all, and she didn’t attract attention anymore. Well, the rest of the Zhou family also had self-knowledge. They ate well and dressed warmly and then gained weight, and they didn’t want to spread hatred. The Zhou family kept a low profile, just like the background board in the village.

On the other hand, Fourth Wang bought a house first, then bought a cow and a cart, and then cooperated with Master Shi, and made a lot of money. Then Fourth Wang bought land impulsively.

Unfortunately, the land was primarily owned by rural households, and unless they were in dire circumstances, they won’t sell it. As for some large estates, don’t even think about it. Even if you buy one, you won’t be able to hold onto it. Those who buy estates usually have connections, many of them being officials or having government backgrounds. If an ordinary person buys one, the estate was likely to be forcefully occupied, and you won’t have anywhere to seek justice. With limited resources and no influential background, it was best to be cautious and not risk your life.

Zhulan also inquired about it with Zhou Shuren when she wanted to buy it. After inquiring about it, the couple completely gave this thought up.

A family cultivated scholars to protect their surname. Life in ancient times was really difficult, especially for the people at the bottom.

So, Fourth Wang worked hard for half a month before he bought two acres of land, which was still barren.

The liveliest thing in the Fourth Wang’s family was that Wang Zhang shi came to the door every day. The paperwork for the separation of the family was no longer a deterrent. Fortunately, Wang Ru can handle it and had earned a reputation for being tough. Even Wang Ru’s two sisters had changed. There have been many suitors coming to propose marriage, and there was never a dull moment in the Wang family.

As for Wang Ru wanting to plot, at first, Zhulan didn’t give her a chance; but later, Wang Ru didn’t have the time to pay attention to Zhou’s family because of Wang Zhang shi’s pestering.

Zhulan enjoyed watching the drama unfold and didn’t find Wang Zhang Shi annoying anymore. That old lady seemed to be getting healthier and stronger as she got more involved in family matters!

Speaking of which, Zhulan used to enjoy reading novels about farming and enduring the extreme antagonism among characters. However, after experiencing it firsthand, she felt exhausted by the never-ending cycle of face-slapping. Now, she felt grateful for being at the top of the food chain and living a comfortable life.

The biggest snowfall since the beginning of winter happened during the mid of the last lunar month. Zhulan was worried when she got up in the morning. Counting the days, Zhou Shuren was on the way back, and she didn’t know whether it was local heavy snow or a large area.

At noon, the heavy snowfall continued, and Zhulan lost her appetite. She couldn’t focus on eating pine nuts or drinking sweet soup as her mind was filled with concerns for Zhou Shuren’s safety.

“Mother, mother, I made sausages that are more delicious than Wang Ru’s.”

Zhulan patted her chest, already upset and feeling even worse, “Why are you shouting? I am not deaf.”

Zhao Shi was truly frightened. She pricked her hand and felt a cramping pain in her stomach. “Mother, mother, my stomach hurts,” she exclaimed.

Upon seeing Zhao Shi’s wet trousers, Zhulan’s scalp went numb. Although she had never given birth herself, she had the memories and experiences of her original body. She immediately raised her voice and said, “Second son, quickly go and fetch the midwife!”

Zhou’s second child lost his broom and ran into the house when he heard the sound. He had experience as a father once, and he was very stable, “Mother, I’ll take Qiuniang back to the house first.”

Zhulan hurriedly went down to the ground, “Yes, yes, we need to prepare everything. You stay at home and take care of Qiuniang.”

She called her Eldest, “Boss, you go call the midwife.”