"Táng'er," Lady Li hadn't expected Meng Yutang to volunteer for farm work.
"Grandmother, Táng'er wants to try. If I can't do it well, I won't force myself."
"Alright." Lady Li held onto a sliver of hope, as she didn't want their direct branch to have no one capable of wielding a hoe.
Seeing his grandmother agree, Meng Yutang rolled up his sleeves and, mimicking Wang Dabao, picked up the hoe.
The women of the Meng family's direct branch watched in stunned silence as Meng Yutang swung the hoe with a semblance of skill.
Meng Yutang's eyes were fixed on the soil ahead. He knew his strength was far from Wang Dabao's.
When Wang Dabao dug with his hoe, the entire head of the tool sank into the earth. But when he struck, only the tip of his hoe penetrated the ground, the rest remaining exposed.
However, even this was already impressive in the eyes of Lady Li and Liu Shi.
The admiring gazes of his older sisters threatened to drown him.
Meng Yutang felt a bit heady, and he desperately needed someone to rein him in, or he'd surely float to the heavens.
Fortunately, at a crucial moment, Qi He arrived, instantly sobering him up and effortlessly shattering his drifting heart into pieces.
On the other side of the small river, Qi He emptied a basket of pebbles onto the clearing by the riverbank and then watched Meng Yutang as if observing a novelty.
Seeing Qi He on the opposite bank, Meng Yutang greeted him with a smile, "Brother Qi."
"Hey. Meng Yutang, what are you doing? Hahaha, you're not digging, are you?" Qi He couldn't help but laugh, clutching his stomach as he saw that the pit Meng Yutang had dug was shallower than what a chick would scratch.
Secretly, he was giving Meng Yutang some face, fearing he would be embarrassed if he laughed too hard. Otherwise, all eight of his front teeth would have been exposed.
However, when he saw Meng Yutang's expression of falling from heaven, he felt a pang of sympathy. "Meng Yutang, this work really isn't something we can do. You should learn from me and help pick up stones and roots."
After saying this, Qi He felt the atmosphere across the river grow even more awkward.
Had he done something wrong?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he saw that Meng Yutang's older sisters had all reddened their eyes.
"Grandpa Meng, Grandpa Meng." Qi He ran back in a panic.
"Little He, what's wrong?"
"Grandpa Meng, hurry and go take a look. I made Meng Yutang's sisters cry." Qi He felt very guilty now.
Meng Qingping found it hard to believe, as he knew Qi He wasn't a child who would cause trouble casually.
"Grandpa Meng, please hurry and help me go take a look."
"Alright, Grandpa Meng will go now. Don't worry," Meng Qingping said, dropping his hoe and hurrying towards the riverbank with Qi He.
Fu Xinci also put down her basket and followed them.
On the other side of the river, Meng Yulian and her sisters were all looking down. They didn't want others to see their disheveled state, so they secretly wiped away tears.
When Meng Qingping arrived, he happened to see the girls' red-rimmed eyes.
After glancing at the situation in the field, he guessed why the girls were crying.
Their lives used to be filled with enjoying flowers in spring and snow in winter, sitting in their own gardens with tea, and sharing intimate conversations with sisters. That was their daily life.
Holding an embroidery needle was considered work, and making clothes or shoes for elders was a remarkable feat.
But now, the heavy hoe was difficult for them to even lift, let alone dig with.
"What should we do?" Meng Qingping felt like a useless old man. He was already struggling to manage his own affairs and had no time to help them. Moreover, even if he had the time, his body wouldn't allow it. His son and daughter-in-law had told him to take it easy when he did a little work in his own field.
Seeing that even his grandfather found the situation tricky, Fu Xinci could no longer pretend not to see. She said calmly, "Since you can't do farm work, you can do something else."
"Do something else? What can we do here? Sister Ci, can you show us a way?" Meng Yulian looked at the young girl opposite her with hopeful eyes.
Fu Xinci looked at the girls, who were as fragile as weeping willows, and shrugged lightly. "Your embroidery skills must be excellent."
"Yes, yes." The girls nodded vigorously.
"Next time Grandpa goes to town, he can help you bring some ordinary fabric, the kind used for weddings, like quilt covers, pillowcases, or everyday items like handkerchiefs, sachets, and coin purses."
Meng Yulian and her sisters exchanged glances, finding Sister Ci's suggestion feasible.
However, Fu Xinci wasn't finished. She then offered them a surefire business opportunity.
"Look at those big brothers in the garrison. They train and work every day, so their clothes must get dirty quickly, and they often get torn. You can have Cousin go tell them that you'll wash their clothes or mend them for free, and in return, they'll help you with the farm work. That way, it balances out."
...
The girls were silent for a moment. Then, Meng Yulian led the way, bowing to Fu Xinci. "Thank you, Sister Ci, for coming up with such a good idea."
Fu Xinci dared not accept their bow, smiling mischievously and dodging behind her grandfather.
Lady Li, Liu Shi, Little Lady Li, and Concubine Tao also breathed a sigh of relief. With the excellent plan that XinCi had devised, the land allocated to their family would at least not lie fallow. Moreover, they could also help with mending clothes for those young men.
Meng Qingping, after digesting his granddaughter's proposal, also nodded in agreement. "Ci'er, how did you come up with such a good idea?"
"Just now, when I was coming over, I overheard someone say his clothes got torn again."
"Really? I'll go ask now!" Meng Yutang said, dropping his hoe and running towards the other side of the river, forgetting to even take off his shoes in his haste.
Indeed, after Meng Yutang ran over, his words were as sweet as honey, calling everyone "Big Brother." He then explained his older sister's method in his own words. In the end, he actually received two torn garments.
Watching Meng Yutang happily run back with the clothes, Concubine Tao and Little Lady Li, without needing any instructions, grabbed their skirts and ran to their second uncle's shed to get their needle and thread. They were all skilled at needlework and had the two garments mended in no time.
Liu Shi, with her quick mind, immediately took the washed clothes to the river.
"Sister, let me do it."
"It's fine, who washes it doesn't matter."