Chapter 55: Adding Another Capable General to the Ranks

Xiaotuo only sat down after seeing the others around her beckoning her to do so.
"You usually have to go with me to deliver goods and negotiate business, and you also help tend the family's land. This wage is not too high."
Yet, no matter how Liang Yunqing tried to persuade her, Xiaotuo refused to back down, insisting only on repaying her kindness.
Having no other choice, Liang Yunqing decided she would simply entrust someone to deliver the wages directly to Xiaotuo's mother when the time came.

Inside the main room, two figures were pressed against the wall, eavesdropping.
Through a crack in the wall, Liang Zhiyan saw how diligent and capable Xiaotuo was, and his heart filled with even greater regret.
"Mother, if I had known, I should have been a bit bolder back then, and Xiaotuo wouldn't have been hurt."
Hearing her son's incoherent and rambling words, Madam Wang pulled her face away from the wall, her tone laced with annoyance.
"My son, Xiaotuo has no intentions toward you. I regret it too; I shouldn't have let you actually divorce Li Pinghua."
If he hadn't divorced her, she at least could still be sitting at the table eating hot meals.
"Mother, how can you say that? How could Li Pinghua ever compare to Xiaotuo?"
"Son, have you lost your mind?"
Worriedly, Madam Wang placed her hand on Liang Zhiyan's forehead. It wasn't hot! So why was he still talking nonsense?
Liang Zhiyan brushed her hand aside and continued to peer through the crack at Xiaotuo outside the door. He only felt a deep sweetness blooming in his chest.

Seeing him in this dazed and addled state, Madam Wang finally let out a sigh and went back to lie down on her old, dilapidated bed.
"Son, let your mother tell you this: that Xiaotuo is not someone you can hope for."
Liang Zhiyan's expression darkened. In his heart, he had already decided that Xiaotuo and no one else would be his wife, and no matter what anyone else said, it was useless.

After the meal, everyone went to rest.
Over at the construction site, the artisans had rushed to finish building Xiaotuo's room using wooden planks and bricks.
The roof was covered with layers of straw and tiles to keep out the wind and rain. Madam Chu had also specially found some old cotton quilts to help her make up the small wooden bed.
This wooden bed was one the family had previously discarded, and it creaked a little when slept on.
Xiaotuo didn't find it shabby at all; on the contrary, she was overjoyed to have a room of her own to live in.

When the next morning arrived, Xiaotuo once again prepared the meal. She cooked some porridge and sliced up several blocks of spiced braised bean curd to go with it.
The group was once again struck dumb by her diligence. Attracted by the aroma, Liang Zhiyan pushed open his door and walked out, prompting Li Pinghua to glare at him viciously.
"What are you coming out for?"
Liang Yunqing cast a sideways glance at him. The bruises on Liang Zhiyan's face hadn't even healed yet; could he really have forgotten the beating so quickly?
"I just came out to get something to eat, and by the way, bring some inside for Mother."
He avoided Li Pinghua's gaze, his eyes fixed intently on Xiaotuo, who was currently scooping out porridge with a bowl.
Regrettably, Xiaotuo didn't spare him a single glance, treating Liang Zhiyan completely like air. Sitting nearby, Liang Mingxue put down his bowl and said, "I'll take Mother's porridge over in a moment."
"Eldest Brother, I..."
"Say no more."
Liang Mingxue seemed unwilling to listen any further. He picked up a bowl of porridge, delivered it into the room, and quickly came back out to continue eating his breakfast.

The meal passed quickly. Afterward, Liang Mingxue took Madam Chu to the fields to check on the Sichuan peppercorn trees, while Liang Youyong went up the mountain to gather firewood.
Xiaotuo stayed behind at the house with Liang Yunqing to make the master stock for the braised bean curd.
Only Li Pinghua was left without anything to do. Seeing her pacing anxiously in circles, Liang Yunqing had no choice but to arrange for her to go search for wild star anise trees.

The courtyard grew quiet once again.
By afternoon, the rich fragrance of the master stock drifted out from the kitchen. Xiaotuo was intelligent and learned quickly; Liang Yunqing practically just stood to the side giving directions without needing to lift a finger herself.
Two large pots of master stock were carried out into the courtyard to cool. Just then, Li Pinghua returned, having successfully found three or four small star anise trees.
Their branches and leaves were sparse, and the star anise hanging from the tips looked rather drooping and lifeless.
Liang Yunqing carried the small trees over to the empty space on one side of the courtyard, right next to the kitchen.
"007, help me scan these star anise trees. Let me see if they can be kept alive."
[Understood, Host. Object identifier activated.]

A blue light swept across the trees, followed by a sound in her mind resembling the clicking of keyboard keys.
[Identification successful. This object is a star anise tree in its growth phase. Survival rate is 62.7%. Estimated time to maturity is 39 days. Non-toxic and can enhance fragrance.]
[Object identifier has been used. The next available time is 72 hours from now.]

Hearing that the survival rate was decent, Liang Yunqing immediately transformed the small patch of empty ground in front of her into fertile black soil.
"Miss, do you need my help?"
As soon as she finished her chores in the kitchen, Xiaotuo walked right out. Together with Liang Yunqing, she planted the three trees.
Because the area transformed this time was small, it took only five seconds to complete. The moment Xiaotuo stepped out, she noticed a patch of much darker soil right before her.
She clearly remembered it hadn't been there just a moment ago.
"Miss, why does this soil look so good?"
"This is where our family usually pours the water from washing the pots and pans. It might have gotten a bit fertile."
Liang Yunqing almost forgot that Xiaotuo was still around and hastily cobbled together an excuse out of fright.
"Is that so..."

Xiaotuo still glanced at the patch of black soil with a hint of puzzlement, but she was sensible enough not to ask any further.
The two of them deftly planted the trees, and the master stock had also completely cooled, so they poured it into an empty wooden bucket.
"Xiaotuo, come with me to Aunt Ma's place, and then we'll go deliver goods to the county town."
She mapped out the itinerary in one breath, and Xiaotuo smiled and agreed. The two first headed to Aunt Ma's house. After the commotion of the past few days, the villagers naturally paid a bit more attention to the members of the Liang family.
Seeing Liang Yunqing walking alongside Xiaotuo with an air of great intimacy, a few passing men and matrons began to murmur among themselves.
Liang Yunqing paid no heed to their discussion, simply leading Xiaotuo to knock on Aunt Ma's courtyard gate.

The person who opened the door was Third Aunt. She had already returned from delivering the shumai, her flushed, smiling face looking extremely amiable—until her eyes fell upon Xiaotuo standing behind.
"Yunqing, she... why is she here?"
Third Aunt's expression turned somewhat stern, and she tried to pull Liang Yunqing behind her.
"Third Aunt, it's a long story. Let me go inside and explain it to you and Aunt Ma."
Hearing Liang Yunqing say this, Third Aunt had no choice but to clear a path and let the two enter. In the small courtyard, Aunt Ma was scrubbing a steamer, while Daniu was playing with a child.
Seeing Liang Yunqing, Aunt Ma immediately put down her work and began to chat with her.

"Yunqing, let me tell you, your shumai business is doing really well right now. Today I went to deliver goods to Granny Miao's place, and it was packed shoulder to shoulder—oh?"
Mid-sentence, Aunt Ma caught sight of Xiaotuo following behind.
"Yunqing, why is she here?"
"Aunt Ma, let's go inside to talk."
Liang Yunqing hurriedly pulled her and Third Aunt into the room, where the group recounted everything that had happened over the past two days.
Only after listening to all these events did Aunt Ma's expression soften considerably, though both women still sighed with mixed emotions upon learning that Li Pinghua had been divorced.

Leaving Aunt Ma's house, the two returned home and carried the wooden bucket to the village entrance.
Liang Yunqing was panting heavily from exhaustion, but fortunately, Xiaotuo was strong, bearing the brunt of the heavy lifting the entire way.
Uncle Ma had been waiting for a long time. The moment he saw the two of them, he immediately came over to help load the wooden bucket onto the cart, where a single tub of master stock took up precisely half the space of the cart.
Xiaotuo and Liang Yunqing could only sit on one side. Uncle Ma skillfully drove the carriage, and taking advantage of the leisure time, Liang Yunqing filled Xiaotuo in on the general situation of her family.

Just as they finished chatting, the carriage slowly came to a halt.
Liang Yunqing put a stop to the conversation, and together with Xiaotuo, they carried the wooden bucket in through the side door of the Welcoming Guest Restaurant.