Chapter Thirty-Seven: Distraught

  Liu Jian had actually wanted to tell Lan Niang about this for a long time, but he didn't want to see her unhappy about it every day, so he kept putting it off. It wasn't until he saw her again and she brought up the old topic that he reluctantly spoke up in a low voice.

  Liu Jian had no choice but to force himself to say:

  "Let's just forget it, Lan Niang. It's not hard to find people to work the land, but what if there's a disaster like in previous years? Heaven doesn't always favor us. What if they come asking for more money later on? Why bother with something that's so much trouble and no gain?"

  Liu Jian even if annoyed by Lan Niang still wants to say, it's better to dispel Lan Niang's mind. He has lived in this village for many years and has long understood the thoughts of the people here. They can't stand others having something good, but he actually thinks that living on the mountain is more carefree, no need to face those people every day, how nice it is to be quiet and peaceful.

  "If that's the case, then the disaster in our land is heaven-sent, and my family can't do anything about it. It's not just us either. What's there to say about this kind of thing?" Lan Niang was getting angry, "Then what should we do? We'll have to move back to the mountain, won't we? Living on a mountain like this is useless."

  "Come on, Mother, stop it! What's the point of making a fuss? If we have to move down the mountain, so be it. Hmph, I don't believe it. I'll just let him stay and see what he can do to me."

  Look at these two adults worrying about this for her, is there any use in worrying? It's come to this point now, who's afraid of whom?

  He gritted his teeth and said in a cold voice, "Do they think that by driving me to this mountain I will become one of them? The annual poll tax still has to be paid by me. Mother, you are too softhearted, as soon as the village suggested removing my name from the register, you panicked, what can be done by removing my name, I will also let him live in the mountains..."

  "They don't talk reasonably, why do you need to talk reasonably? Insisting on buying something and moving back down the mountain, what's the point of all this fuss? They come at us in a certain way, we'll go at them in the same way, no need to talk about reason..."

  "What can they do to me even if I go back? My name is still remembered in the village, isn't it? What's there to be afraid of? Even if I'm put on trial, I'll argue my case. Is it unjust or not? I don't believe they dare to be tough with me..."

  "Wasn't it just a glance at that fake scholar? What does it matter if he's a real or fake scholar, with so many people in the village, I've seen plenty of them, are they all dead now and only a group of zombies living there? Are they ghosts?"

  "Hehe......" Erni and Mutian were both listening on the side, and they couldn't help but laugh at this knowledgeable and sharp-tongued speech.

  Lan Niang also stood up straight, and with a loud shout, she seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Lan Niang thought to herself that it wasn't because of this reason.

  It's getting hot in my heart, who cares about their nonsense, all those village rumors are just idle chatter. They can't do anything to me, I'll still live in the mountains, and I'm not afraid of them. After all these years, this group of gossipy women has never left me alone, but now I won't give them any more face.

  Make trouble for her, make enough trouble!

  She hid in the mountains, originally thinking that she could escape from those people's constant nagging about trivial matters, but now she thoroughly understands that such people cannot be tolerated.

  He'll give you an inch and take a mile, never-ending annoyance.

  It's really suffocating to live in such a difficult day, now it's fine, my daughter has already said so, who cares about him, just give her revenge back to this group of people.

  It seems that I was too weak in the past, only thinking about getting revenge on Liu Gui for losing money by buying land in front of him. Forget it, let's just make a big fuss and get rid of all these years of resentment.

  If not, she would just take a shortcut, change her location and leave. Now it's not like ten years ago when that person had eyes everywhere, what was there to be afraid of? In the past, it was all about avoiding that guy, suffocating in this ditch, but after so long, she didn't even seem like herself anymore.

  Liu Jian looked at Lan Niang, and the bright excitement in her eyes made him feel overwhelmed, with a sense of fear, really, if you're not from the same family, you won't enter the same door.

  These two are quite alike, now let him say that Zhi Xiao is Qian Jing Rong's daughter, even he himself doesn't believe it, this kind of Zhi Xiao is more formidable than Lan Niang.

  Liu Jian was getting a headache, looking at these two people with fiery personalities, his head was really big, but he still wanted to strike down Lan Niang's passionate emotions, he was having a hard time opening his mouth...

  "Xu Nang..." Liu Jian hesitated.

  "What's wrong!" Lanniang rolled her eyes, she hadn't blamed him for what just happened, he'd better not come and make trouble for himself. Lanniang was delighted to look at her daughter again, it was good that her daughter was on her side, thanks to herself for not having spoiled her in vain before, no, for always not having spoiled her in vain.

  Daughter is good, Lan Niang was very happy and lovingly patted on Zhi Xiao's head.

  "Lan Niang... I was thinking of saying that too, no need to rush and make a big fuss about going down the mountain..."

  Liu Jian swallowed hard and didn't dare say more, shrinking his head down under the gaze of Lan Niang that was as sharp as a knife.

  "What did you say, Liu Jian? Are you...?"

  Lan Niang filtered out the dirty words that were about to come out, but this mood was thoroughly irritated by Liu Jian, who looked honest and dull, but actually wasn't, making herself feel unwell.

  "All right, Liu Jian, what am I doing wrong now that you're opposing me too?" Lan Niang said in a huff.

  He knows that this father always says something hurtful at critical moments, which is really unpleasant. Now being scolded is also deserved, self-inflicted, and she won't go to help him.

  The spoiled brat doesn't care, let her mother unleash her lion's roar. People like this always like to pour a basin of cold water on others' enthusiasm, no one will be happy about it. Hmph...

  Erni and Mutian frowned at each other, what's going on here? They were just a happy family earlier, now they're quarreling.

  "Old lady, listen to what Uncle Liu has to say..." Erni felt a bit of sympathy for this Uncle Liu.

  Liu Jian raised his head: "Lan Niang, my family is still growing so many sweet potatoes on the mountain! After going down the mountain, we will come back and forth every day. Won't that arouse their suspicion?"

  Lan Niang is now infatuated with this pumpkin, loving it to the point of madness. Such a profitable good thing, a great deal, she would never do something so foolish as to share the news with those villagers who dislike her family, not even a hint would be leaked from her mouth.

  Knowing that Lan Niang has softened and come down, but she is unwilling to do so. If she goes down the mountain again, won't she be in trouble again? Isn't this girl going to be tightly controlled by her every day and not allowed to go down the mountain?

  But based on my observation of her just now, shouldn't she stop opposing me going to the village and causing trouble? Shouldn't she be able to go down the mountain every day and take a stroll, get some fresh air and tease those villagers, so that I can find some fun in staying on this mountain all day?

  "We now have these pumpkin seedlings, what's to be afraid of? The days will eventually get better. I think that after next year, we'll first harvest the pumpkins in the field and then go back home, no one will know about it. By then, buying this entire mountain land won't be a problem at all. You don't have to rush for now, just enjoy this moment of satisfaction, otherwise you might end up losing out in the long run and it wouldn't be worth it." Liu Jian saw that Lian Niang was somewhat moved, so he continued with even more effort.

  "Hmm, this is also right, but...". Lan Niang was still somewhat disappointed, and her resentment couldn't be expressed.

  "That's it, then. It won't work out this year, but next year we can use this method to leave more seedlings and plant even more on the mountain." Lan Niang was somewhat disappointed, having talked for half a day without really saying anything.

  Knowing one side listened and inserted a sentence: "Dad, is this mountain owned by someone? If it's owned, I'm afraid when the time comes..."