They, mother and daughter-in-law, were aware of the hidden dealings, but Fan Zhang was ignorant of his grandson's good deeds. He went to the village chief's house, and before he could utter a few words, Wang Qian chased him out with a large broom.
Standing at the crossroads, she cursed Fan Zhang, "You shameless old fool... the rotten beam makes the house crooked. Fan Fu taking a concubine, your grandson is no good either. All of them are rotten to the core."
Passersby, unaware of the situation, saw this commotion and assumed Fan Shurong was going to take a concubine. This guy, whose father took a concubine less than two months ago, and his son hadn't even married yet, was already planning to take one. Truly, it's a waste of youth not to be a bit flamboyant.
A gust of wind spread the news throughout the entire village!
Fan Zhang, who was being rejected everywhere, was so angered that he fell ill in bed for a long time.
In private, the village chief had given Fan Fu a lot of trouble, making him work for free or run errands. This made him feel that the village chief was doing it on purpose, yet he also felt it shouldn't be the case, as he hadn't offended the village chief.
As for the village chief, he did not make a public issue of his daughter being harassed by Fan Shurong.
Words could be spoken, but they were unpleasant to hear, and besides, he was afraid of gossip and ruining his daughter's reputation.
Just half a month later, the ten mu of wasteland had been cleared and fertilized. The land was not very fertile, but it would certainly not result in a complete crop failure.
Another half month passed in the blink of an eye. The new house was completely built and redecorated.
For this month, it was almost all profit from the restaurant and expenses here. No money went in, no money came out, and the silver in their purses remained untouched.
In early November, the weather began to get colder. They were also busy installing heated walls in the fields, a task that was again assigned to Cheng Yongchao.
Their new house had heated walls, heated kang beds, and underfloor heating. No matter how cold it was in winter, with the heated walls and underfloor heating combined, they were confident the house would be warm!
"Fan family's wife, your mind is truly sharp. I tried the heated walls and underfloor heating after they were built that day, and it's true, the room was very warm. Especially the heated kang bed, sleeping on it made my whole body and feet warm. When I get back, I'll do the same, and we won't be afraid of the cold this winter!"
She was so praised that she felt shy. This wasn't her idea at all; she wasn't that smart.
She smiled, "I just said it casually. The credit really goes to Uncle Cheng for building it. If anyone is smart, it's Uncle Cheng!"
With a little chat, the two of them became quite familiar.
"My wife is from the south and is skilled at making preserved fruits. I'll bring some over this afternoon for you to try!"
"Then I won't be polite. Thank you in advance, Uncle and Aunt."
She had a very good impression of Cheng Yongchao. He didn't talk much, but once they got acquainted, she found him to be a genuine and honest person.
That afternoon, Aunt Cheng sent over a small, square box of preserved fruits. It contained dried apricot, dried apple, and some that she had never seen before. They were sweet and sour, and very delicious!
"Aunt's craftsmanship is truly excellent. I ate one and wanted another," Zhao Jiaqi genuinely loved eating them. She ate three or four pieces consecutively, only putting them down reluctantly.
Ma Ling, praised, lowered her head with a blush. When she smiled, two dimples appeared, "If you like them, I'll bring you more. I have plenty at home; they are not valuable things."
Indeed, she was from the south, speaking softly and gently, neither rushed nor impatient. Even though she was in her thirties and a mother of two, she spoke shyly, making Zhao Jiaqi feel a desire to protect her.
In contrast, Wang Zhaodi, a true northerner, was like talking to a buddy when you were with her. She spoke loudly and argued loudly, a typical cheerful and warm-hearted person.
They chatted for a while longer before Ma Ling got up to go home.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't try to keep her. It was getting dark outside, and this was the time when people would be cooking dinner.
She walked her to the door and packed a full plate of braised meat and braised vegetables for Ma Ling.
"Aunt, you try my braised dishes too. If they're good, let me know, and I'll send you more later. These are things we make at home; they don't cost much."
When Ma Ling saw so much meat, she knew that this meat was sold to the restaurant in town. Ma Ling became embarrassed.
"This really won't do. Such a large plate would be worth quite a bit of money sold to the restaurant. It really won't do, it won't do!" Ma Ling refused.
It wasn't that she didn't want it, nor that she looked down on it, but she felt it would be taking too much advantage of them. She couldn't bring herself to do such a thing.
"Aunt, if you don't accept it, then I dare not accept your preserved fruits either. Come to my house often in the future to sit and chat. I don't have many friends in the village. It's rare that you don't dislike me and still refuse this small token of my appreciation. I'll be heartbroken."
Zhao Jiaqi's faint sadness made Ma Ling a bit flustered, "Don't be like that, I'll take it, alright? We won't do this next time. Earning money isn't easy, and we need to save more to support ourselves."
Ma Ling spoke from the heart, and Zhao Jiaqi understood her meaning.
Not having children was ultimately her shortcoming, and Aunt Cheng was subtly pointing this out to her with good intentions.
"Aunt, I understand. Don't worry, we have the skills!" One sentence completely dispelled Ma Ling's worries.
It was truly not easy to make a close friend, and she was also fortunate not to have encountered any "white lotus" or manipulative women.
She stood at the courtyard gate and watched Ma Ling leave, then looked towards the village entrance. It was already dark. What had Fan Zehao been busy with over the past month, leaving early and returning late?
She had to ask him properly when he got home.
Thinking of Aunt Cheng's hint, Zhao Jiaqi's heart skipped a beat. Could this fool have gone to town for some romantic escapades?
If he dared to bring back a concubine, she swore she would cripple his third leg.
She would disable him, and then find a hundred or so charming and beautiful women to constantly flaunt themselves in front of him.
With seeds of suspicion sown, the rice was undercooked, the tofu was too salty, and even the water was heated to a lukewarm temperature.
When Fan Zehao returned home, he washed his hands and went straight into the kitchen. He picked up his bowl and started eating. Despite the food, he didn't complain at all.
Zhao Jiaqi sat on a small stool watching his performance. But the man only glanced at her, quickly finished a bowl of rice, and only when he was serving a second bowl did he notice his wife hadn't touched her food.
"Wife, eat. I can't get full by watching you."
Zhao Jiaqi pointed at the rice, "The rice isn't cooked!"
"I know, it doesn't affect eating a full meal!"
Zhao Jiaqi: "...The vegetables are too salty, they're extremely salty!"
"Ah, it's just right to eat with the rice!"
Fan Zehao was confused. If the vegetables weren't salty, then wouldn't eating the vegetables as a staple be enough? Why eat rice?
After taking a couple of bites of rice, he saw that his wife still hadn't eaten and finally realized something was wrong.
He quickly put down his chopsticks and asked, "You're not happy. Who upset you today? Tell me, your husband will get justice for you!"
He said it with a serious expression, veins bulging on his forehead, and a subtle sharpness in his eyes, as he gazed at Zhao Jiaqi.
The latter sighed. Facing this man, she decided to be direct. "You've been leaving early and returning late for the past month, and you don't help with any chores at home. What have you been doing?"