Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 447 - 243 Who Is He_2

Chapter 447: Chapter 243 Who Is He_2

Even before they made it to the Moon Gate, Monkey Brother, followed by Monkey Sister, jumped from the second-floor window of the Wangjiang Building onto a tree and then leaped down from the tree, scrambling to catch up with their owner.

Qian Yixiu had no choice but to take these two little shadows with her.

The sun wasn’t very strong that day, and there was a breeze. They purposely sought out the shade of the trees to gather grass and didn’t feel too hot. This also worked out for Monkey Brother and Monkey Sister, who climbed trees while they gathered grass. As they made their way, they eventually reached the edge of the village.

The small courtyard on the far western side of the village belonged to Qian Mandua’s family. Outside the fence, about a dozen chickens roamed leisurely, pecking for food. The little chicks had grown into half-grown hens, and they should have been laying eggs by now.

As she crossed the fence, Qian Yixiu saw Ah Cao in the yard stepping on a stool to hang clothes to dry. She was as diligent as Auntie Manxia but didn’t have Auntie Manxia’s crisp laughter or her lovable cleverness.

The cleanliness of the clothes was questionable, as they were hung up wrinkled without being smoothed out. The ground in the courtyard had broom marks, indicating it had been swept, but it was not clean. The items in the yard were also disorderly placed, here and there.

Qian Mandua was already not very adept, and now, with her leaving early and returning late, she had even less time to teach Ah Cao how to do chores, perhaps she herself wasn’t doing them properly.

Qian Yixiu called out with a smile, "Ah Cao."

Upon turning her head and seeing Qian Yixiu, Ah Cao joyfully cried out, "Embroidered older sister," got down from the stool, and went to open the gate.

Qian Yixiu entered the courtyard and taught her to straighten the clothes when hanging them, so that they’d be neat once dry. She noticed a stain on the lapel of one of the garments and advised to apply more soap berries and scrub harder to get it clean. She then told her that sweeping the floor required cleaning the corners as well and that things should be put back in place to look neat...

The young girl learned earnestly but slowly, and a simple task often needed to be explained several times. After Qian Yixiu had finished instructing her, Ah Cao even went into the kitchen to fetch a bowl of water. She said with a smile, "Embroidered older sister, I’ve added sugar to this water; it’s very sweet."

Qian Yixiu saw the bowl was somewhat dirty, but to avoid hurting the young girl’s feelings, she closed her eyes and drank a few sips before handing the bowl back. She said, "Hmm, it is quite sweet."

The young girl broke into a silent smile, her eyes curving in a way that added liveliness to her ordinary face. She quickly finished the remaining sugar water, squinting sweetly from the plentiful sugar she had added.

As the two of them stepped outside, Qian Yixiu said with a smile, "You head back, make sure to lock the gate." She then pulled a few pieces of candy from her pouch and placed them in Ah Cao’s hand, "These are lotus candies from my aunt’s shop."

Just as the young girl put a candy in her mouth, she heard Lady Tang’s scolding voice, "You gluttonous wretch, all you know is to eat, eat."

Seeing her grandmother hobble over, the young girl shivered with fear.

Lady Tang approached and grabbed her ear, chiding, "Your mother and brother are busy earning money from dawn till dusk while you laze around at home. Yixiu’s household has a swarm of servants; they get waited on without lifting a finger. You don’t work and still expect your mother to come back and wait on you?"

The tone grew harsher toward the end, and the pulling brought tears to Ah Cao’s eyes, even though she dared not cry out loud.

Qian Yixiu retorted angrily, "How does Great-grandma know Ah Cao hasn’t been working? She fed the chickens, swept the yard, and even washed clothes, doing way more than you, Duo Duo. Why do you hit her for no reason?"

Seeing that Lady Tang was not letting go, she said to Bai Zhu, "Go get my Second Grandpa and Great-grandma, we need to have a fair talk."

Upon hearing this, Lady Tang finally let go with a string of curses. She originally wanted to enter the yard, but Monkey Brother blocked the gate and bared his teeth at her with monstrous screams, frightening her from entering, and she had no choice but to depart, limping away.

Qian Yixiu rubbed Ah Cao’s ear and consoled her, "Don’t cry. Next time she hits you for no reason, you tell Uncle Manhe and my great-grandparents so they can deal with her."

While she was speaking, they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves and the rumble of carriage wheels. They saw a group of about a dozen people riding horses coming from the east towards the west, with a few carriages in between.

Upon closer observation, Qian Yixiu recognized the person in the lead; it was Liang Shi.

Were they heading to her house?

Qian Yixiu called out with a laugh, "Uncle Liangshi."

Liang Shi, too, smiled and waved at her.

As it was hot, the first two carriages were open on all sides with only sunshades for cover. Looking at the people on the carriages, she recognized them as well. In the first carriage was the Old Duke of Liang, Liang Zezhong, and in the second was Prince Consort Pan, Pan Zi’an.

Qian Yixiu, delighted, quickly approached with loud greetings, "Grandpa Liang, Mr. Pan."

Qian Yixiu came to the carriages’ side, performed a curtsy to both men, and also took the opportunity to express her deep gratitude to Pan Zi’an for saving her father’s life.