The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 118: A Battle of Wits Between Two Women

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked through the village, greeting everyone they met with a smile. When asked if they were visiting their grandson, Mrs. Wang would cheerfully reply, “Yes, we haven’t seen him for a long time and missed him dearly.”

Their voices were warm and hearty.

As they reached Mrs. Lu’s courtyard, their voices preceded them. Hearing the familiar voices, Mrs. Lu’s ears perked up.

Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law had finally arrived.

The storeroom door was locked, and Mrs. Lu adjusted her clothes and expression.

Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law entered the courtyard, warmly greeting their in-laws.

Mrs. Lu, hiding her accumulated frustration, smiled and welcomed them just as before. “Oh, the grandmother and aunt are here! Come in and have a seat.”

She led them to the main room, discreetly glancing at the basket they carried, which was covered with a cloth, revealing nothing.

Mrs. Wang was known for always bringing a basket when visiting Mrs. Lu’s home, giving the appearance of bringing something for her grandson, although the basket was always empty.

As usual, Mrs. Lu let them sit under the eaves, where the light was best. This was customary for rural neighbors dropping by for a chat.

Mrs. Lu went to the kitchen to fetch two cups of warm water and returned with a smile. “It’s the Little New Year today. Aren’t you busy at home? How did you find time to visit?”

The kitchen was only a few steps from the main room. Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law couldn’t blatantly snoop around, but they glanced around the house. Seeing Mrs. Lu return, they quickly refocused and replied, “The cleaning is done by our daughters-in-law. The Kitchen God’s festival is still early. We haven’t seen Chunniang in over two weeks and missed her, so we came to visit. Your house is so quiet. Where is everyone? I don’t see your sons or Chunniang’s sisters-in-law.”

Mrs. Lu smiled brightly. “We’re fortunate. We’ve been doing some small business in the county. Chunniang must have told you.”

Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law were taken aback.

Chunniang had indeed mentioned it, but she had also complained about how secretive Mrs. Lu was about her earnings.

Feeling awkward, Mrs. Wang laughed, unsure how much her daughter had revealed. She wanted to deny it but feared her daughter might have let something slip. So, she just smiled vaguely, “She mentioned it briefly, but didn’t go into details. What does that have to do with everyone being away?”

Mrs. Lu, still smiling, explained, “We managed to make some connections through our business. Recently, someone needed workers to build a large garden, so we sent our capable men to do the heavy work. Even Chunniang and Liuniang are helping with the lighter tasks. Although they earn less than the men, it’s still something. We’re saving up to buy more grain because it’s so expensive now.”

Then she changed the subject, “By the way, did you buy any grain?”

Mrs. Wang hadn’t bought any grain, finding the prices exorbitant. Her daughter’s family had been stocking up, so she relied on them. The thought of how much they must have accumulated made her heart race, and she wanted to peek into Mrs. Lu’s storeroom. She suppressed her curiosity and replied, “We did, but it’s expensive and they only sell a little each day. It’s not safe to travel to the county now.”

Mrs. Wang’s daughter-in-law, noticing her mother-in-law missing the point, interjected, “Auntie, what kind of work are your family doing? How much do they earn a day? Can we join them?”

Mrs. Lu shook her head, “It wasn’t easy to get those jobs through connections. They’ve been working for over ten days now, and all the positions are filled.”

She then turned to Mrs. Wang and advised earnestly, “You must buy grain. It’s urgent. Didn’t I send a message earlier? My second son said the north is in chaos, with people proclaiming themselves kings. This could lead to unrest. There are already refugees here. We need to stock up on grain. Just having enough for the year isn’t enough. What if things get worse?”

Mrs. Wang’s eyes darted around. “You’re right. So, how much grain have you stocked up, dear in-law?”

“We’ve stocked up…” Mrs. Lu began, but after just three words, she hesitated, her expression showing a bit of wariness before she quickly masked it and awkwardly said, “Not much.”

Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law: We don’t believe you at all.

However, they wisely chose not to press further and arouse Mrs. Lu’s suspicion. They were there because Wang Chunniang hadn’t visited her family in a long time, which made them uneasy. They wanted to check on things and see how much grain the Lu family had stocked up, but they couldn’t risk alarming them.

Mrs. Wang smiled and slapped her own mouth. “I shouldn’t have asked. Just forget I said anything.”

Mrs. Lu gave an awkward smile. “I acted out of fear. It was an instinctive reaction. At our age, we’ve seen how chaotic things can get. Our families are related by marriage; there’s no need for such caution. Honestly, the Lu family can’t compare to the Wang family. In our previous village, my husband’s family was almost wiped out by bandits. He’s the only one left. No brothers or uncles to rely on. If things get chaotic again… If it really happens…”

She hesitated, unsure if she should continue.

The Wang family were sharp, especially the eldest daughter-in-law, who quickly said, “Auntie, don’t worry. If things really go bad, we won’t abandon you. Our families are connected, after all.”

Mrs. Lu looked at them hesitantly. “I trust you, but your family is large. Would they take in outsiders like us?”

Mrs. Wang reassured her, “How can you call yourselves outsiders? Everyone has extended family to rely on in times of trouble. But do you really think things will get that bad here?”

She was still skeptical.

Seeing her doubt, Mrs. Lu sighed. “Don’t dismiss it. There are too many rebels now. We haven’t mentioned this outside our village and close relatives, but word is spreading in the county.”

The Wang family exchanged glances and couldn’t help but inquire further about the situation up north.

Mrs. Lu spoke openly, sharing everything she knew. This left the Wang family pale-faced, even though they were initially there just to gauge how much grain the Lu family had.

Despite their shock, they were still fixated on the Lu family’s grain. Mrs. Wang patted Mrs. Lu’s hand. “Rest assured, if chaos breaks out, come to our place. My husband is well-respected among his brothers, and we won’t leave you behind.”

Mrs. Lu hesitated but eventually asked, “When I told you to stock up on grain, did you inform your clan? Have they bought grain too?”

This implied her concern about the safety of their own grain stores if they joined the Wang family.

The Wang family had indeed notified their clan, mostly to ensure Lu Erlang’s safe return and secondarily to pass on the message. By the time Lu Erlang returned, grain prices had skyrocketed, and many couldn’t afford it. Some even thought the unrest might not affect the south and hesitated to spend their savings on expensive grain.

Mrs. Wang, however, said, “Yes, we did. As soon as Erlang gave us the message, we informed the entire clan. The next day, Chunniang’s uncles went to buy grain. Even if grain was too costly, they stocked up on beans.”

In reality, only a few families had done so, but she made it seem like everyone did.

Mrs. Lu seemed to believe her, visibly relaxing. “That’s good, that’s good.”

“Let’s hope things don’t get chaotic. If they do, we’ll come to you. We’d need your help.”

She hesitated again. “Actually, the Feng family is also an option. They care about Liu Niang as well, though they have fewer sons and fewer clan members than you.”

Mrs. Wang realized there was a competitor. Thankfully, their larger family size was an advantage. She laughed, “In times like these, having more people is better. Your children are so young. How could they manage alone? My five grandchildren need to be close to me for my peace of mind.”

Mrs. Lu thought about it and seemed convinced. “You’re right. You should also stock up on grain daily. If chaos breaks out, even money won’t be able to buy any.”

Her earnestness made the Wang family inwardly scoff. They knew she wanted to benefit from their resources without risking her own.

Outwardly, they agreed in unison, “You’re right. We didn’t realize the situation up north was this serious. Erlang didn’t explain it this clearly. It’s good we came today. We’ll inform the clan right away to stock up more grain.”

This was sincere, as a well-stocked clan benefitted everyone, including them.

Mrs. Lu gave her warmest smile since the Wang family arrived.

The Wang family felt their trip was worth it. They weren’t just borrowing grain anymore; they could potentially move the Lu family’s grain to their own home.

Their family wasn’t short on grain yet, but if chaos did ensue, it would be a perfect arrangement. The Lu family was working hard to stock up grain, which eased their fears despite the grim news from the north.

With the village abuzz with rumors from the county about the unrest, they had already heard from Lu Erlang and the villagers. The initial panic had passed, but securing more grain was their main concern. Now, with the Lu family as a backup, they felt more secure.

Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law were very satisfied! They only needed to check exactly how much grain the Lu family had stocked up to feel completely at ease.

After more than ten years as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the two women were truly in sync. Mrs. Wang clutched her stomach, furrowed her brows, and with a couple of groans, bent over. “Oh no, I must have eaten something bad.”

She seemed to be about to collapse and grabbed Mrs. Lu’s hand. “Oh, I can’t hold it, dear in-law, where’s the toilet? Help me get to the toilet.”

Mrs. Lu wanted to spit in her face. After more than ten years as in-laws, even if they didn’t visit often, how could she not know where their toilet was?

But if Mrs. Wang wanted to act, Mrs. Lu was happy to play along. She feigned concern, asking what was wrong, and helped her towards the toilet.

Mrs. Wang’s eldest daughter-in-law followed them a few steps, stopping at the courtyard gate.

Mrs. Lu helped Mrs. Wang a few more steps, discreetly glancing towards the courtyard gate to ensure the daughter-in-law had returned inside.

Satisfied that they had checked and could go back to Wangjiagou without bothering her further, she sighed with relief.