Planting Fences

When Li Yu and her brother came out of the village chief’s house, the sky had already darkened. Along the way, Li Qing thought about the village chief’s attitude towards the siblings. When they reached home, he asked Li Yu, “Sister, why do I feel that the village chief is more polite to us than before? What do you think?”

“Well, maybe he thinks we’re not so bad after all!”

Li Qing fell into deep thought after hearing that. The siblings casually made some food and went to wash up and rest.

Li Yu woke up early in the morning and went to the forest to train. She realized that Li Qing was already reading outside the house. Li Yu thought to herself that this child must have been stimulated a little yesterday although it was good that he was working hard.

Li Yu did not disturb Li Qing. She quietly went to the forest to train and retrieve her prey. When she returned home, she realized that Li Qing had already cooked the meal.

Li Qing saw Li Yu carrying the pheasant and hare. “Sister, when did you go out? Why didn’t I see you?”

“I saw that you were reading it with your heart, so I didn’t call you. Ah Qing, send one of the pheasants and hares to your teacher later.”

“Okay, Sister. I’m going to school.” Li Qing put down his bowl and went to the eaves to pick up the pheasant. He left with the wild rabbit and the book basket.

After Li Yu cleaned up the kitchen, she went to the courtyard to stir the bean paste. She carried the pig food to the backyard and fed the pig before rushing over.

The moment Xiao An saw Li Yu, he asked, “Sister Li, I heard that you caught two bad guys sent by the Zhang family two nights ago?”

Li Yu smiled. “Yes! It’s fine now. Xiao An, is your mother alright?” Li Yu wanted Madam Qian to help take care of the fields at home. She could come in the autumn and go up the mountain to find some chestnuts and other mountain goods.

‘Well, she wants to go and find something to do.’

“Go back and ask your mother if she’s willing to work at my house.”

Xiao An asked happily, “Sister Li, can my mother really help you?”

Li Yu smiled and nodded. “Really. Go and ask her if she’s willing to come today.”

“Good. I’ll go after I’ve cleaned the pigsty and the cowshed.”

Li Yu nodded when she heard that. She went back and carried the hoe to the forest. She found a patch of hibiscus and a cluster of gardenias. She dug them out and carried them home. Starting from the vegetable field by the roadside, she planted the hibiscus and gardenias at intervals.

When Madam Qian heard that Li Yu was willing to hire her, she was overjoyed and followed An to Li Yu’s house. When she saw Li Yu planting flowers, she picked up a hoe and started working.

Li Yu said to her, “Auntie Qian, if you help me work, you and Xiao An can eat at my house. You can take care of the work and vegetable fields at home. I’ll give the both of you 600 copper coins a month. What do you think?”

Madam Qian bowed gratefully to Li Yu. “Miss Xiaoyu, we’re just doing some housework. How can we ask for so much money?”

Li Yu smiled. “Auntie Qian, I should pay. Besides, Xiao An is already growing older every year. You have to prepare the money for him to take a wife!”

“Xiaoyu, thank you. Don’t worry, we’ll do our best.”

“Okay, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’ll dig some more from the forest.”

Li Yu carried the hoe on his back and walked into the forest. Madam Qian carefully planted the remaining flowering trees and plucked the weeds in the vegetable field. She took the hoe to Li Yu’s courtyard. The moment she entered, she saw 20 to 30 sauce jars placed in the courtyard.

Madam Qian walked closer to the sauce jar and saw the bean paste that had turned red from the sun. She sighed. “Xiaoyu is so young, but she can already make such a good spicy sauce. She’s also good-natured and is capable. Xiao An followed the right person.”

Two days later, Madam Li came to Li Yu’s house with a face full of joy and told her, “Xiaoyu, now that Zhang Defa has moved his things away and sold the house and fields to Chen Jingshui’s family in the village, no one will come looking for trouble anymore.”

Madam Qian also applauded. “This is really a good thing, Sister Li. They’re too vicious. It’s good that they moved away.”

Madam Li looked at Madam Qian and said, “Auntie Qian, your body seems to have recovered a lot. Your Xiao An can rest assured now.”

Madam Qian smiled and said, “That’s right! I’m much better. It’s all thanks to Miss Xiaoyu taking care of us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to survive. Miss Xiaoyu is just like her parents. She’s kind and righteous.”

Madam Li looked at the honeysuckle, gardenias, roses, and hibiscus flowers piled on the ground and recalled the situation of the Li family when Li Yu’s mother was still around. “That’s right! Xiaoyu and her brother are like their parents. Her parents were so good to people back then! At that time, Xiaoyu’s mother also loved to plant flowers.” Madam Li picked up a hibiscus flower and handed it to Li Yu. “Xiaoyu, in the future, your wasteland will become the garden of the landlord.”

When Li Yu heard that, she also imagined the flower-filled courtyard walls and the flower walls around the wasteland. The scenery should be very beautiful. She also smiled. “That’s good! Come to my house to look at the flowers in the future.”

Madam Li said happily, “I’ll come every day. Don’t chase away your Aunt Li.” Everyone laughed.

Li Yu searched the forest for more than ten days and even found many 10,000-year-old trees, as well as some other species. Li Yu planted the trees at the end of the wasteland and surrounded the wasteland and the courtyard wall before stopping.

That night, when Li Yu came back from the shower, she saw that the oil lamp in Li Qing’s room was still lit. Li Yu felt that Li Qing had been studying hard ever since the incident with the Zhang family. Most of the time, he was even studying hard at night.

Li Yu went to Li Qing’s room. “Ah Qing, why aren’t you resting yet?”

Li Qing didn’t even look up. “Sister, I’ll sleep after watching for a while.”

“Ah Qing,” Li Yu called out again. Li Qing looked up at Li Yu.

Li Yu looked at him and said, “Ah Qing, I feel that studying and learning is the same as making pickled vegetables. I can’t make many of them at once. I have to accumulate them over time. I’m very gratified that you’re studying so hard, but you’re still young. It’s time for you to grow.”

Li Qing thought for a while and looked at Li Yu. “Sister, I understand. I’ll sleep now and learn tomorrow.”

Li Yu nodded in relief. “Alright, I’ll rest too.”

The days passed in an orderly manner. In the blink of an eye, it was August. The villagers went to the hill near the village in groups. Everyone looked for chestnuts, walnuts, and various wild fruits on the hill.

Li Yu used hemp rope to weave a net at home. She found a small tree to roast and bend. She tied the net to the curved tree trunk to make a scoop net. With the machete on her back, she walked towards the west alone.

Zhou Jia carried the medicine basket and walked not far behind Li Yu.

Ji Xiang saw Li Yu walking in front. “Young Master, look, that’s Miss Li.”

Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu’s strong figure and quickly walked on the mountain path. Then, he looked at himself, who was panting, and laughed at himself. “Your young master can’t walk as fast as her.”

Ji Xiang turned to look at Zhou Jia and comforted him. “Young Master, she’s a strong woman. Why are you competing with her?”

When the master and servant looked up again, they could no longer see Li Yu.

Li Yu climbed up the mountain beam and looked at the forest going down the mountain to the pool. she looked at the big fish swimming in the pool and took out the net she had prepared in advance. She held the wooden handle and reached into the pool. She scooped four big fish that weighed five or six catties in the first net. Li Yu put the fish into the back of the net and scooped a few more nets without missing. The largest fish that weighed more than ten catties shone with silver light.

Li Yu knocked the fish to death and stored it in the space. She walked towards the tea tree forest. When she arrived, she saw that the fruits were about to ripen. Li Yu turned around and walked towards the stream.

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