Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2 - He Is A Frank Fellow
Chapter 3 - All Daughters-In-Law Are Trouble-Makers
Chapter 4 - Baoshan Returns
Chapter 5 - Why Don'T You Want To Marry Me?
Chapter 6 - How Could I Despise You?
Chapter 7 - How Dare You Suggest Living Apart
Chapter 8 - You Can Find A Cute Guy Even In The Mountains
Chapter 9 - What’S The Point Of Chopping Firewood?
Chapter 10 - Making Some Goodies
Chapter 11 - Pig’S Offal
Chapter 12 - How Could You Eat Nice Food Alone Without Sharing?
Chapter 13 - This Is Pig’S Dung
Chapter 14 - Husband And Wife Are Of One Mind.
Chapter 15 - Rash Guy
Chapter 16 - They’Ve Done Business!
Chapter 17 - Is This The Young Bride?
Chapter 18 - You Are Inquiring About Baoshan?
Chapter 19 - Baofeng Went To Private School
Chapter 20 - A Conflict
Chapter 21 - Who Is He Caring For?
Chapter 22 - Whose Cold Jelly Is Tastier?
Chapter 23 - Little Girl In Front Of Baoshan
Chapter 24 - Was There Any Bad Guy?
Chapter 25 - Being Robbed
Chapter 26 - Fetch Some Water For Me
Chapter 27 - Windward Hall
Chapter 28 - She Has Already Been Taken
Chapter 29 - His Handwritings
Chapter 30 - Thanks To You Two
Chapter 31 - The Second Household Is Better Off?
Chapter 32 - Li Hongmei’S Fighting Capacity
Chapter 33 - New Clothes
Chapter 34 - Let’S All Put On New Clothes
Chapter 35 - Your Daughter-In-Law Must Be Really Happy.
Chapter 36 - Best-Smelling Pancakes
Chapter 37 - Like A Couple Of Early Birds
Chapter 38 - Cooking For Milady
Chapter 39 - Miss Liu
Chapter 40 - Food Therapy
Chapter 41 - Five Hundred Coins Per Day
Chapter 42 - He Came To Pick Her Up
Chapter 43 - Not A Pig’S Hair For You
Chapter 44 - Diving In The River
Chapter 45 - Stealing Pork Leg
Chapter 46 - The Taste Of Pot Cleaning Water
Chapter 47 - Haven’T You Had Your Perfect Husband
Chapter 48 - You Are Special To Me
Chapter 49 - You Have Done A Good Job Today
Chapter 50 - Thick-Skinned
Chapter 51 - Picking Him Up On A Typhoon Day
Chapter 52 - He Roared At Her
Chapter 53 - Following Her Up The Mountain
Chapter 54 - Is He Going Hunting
Chapter 55 - Collecting Hares
Chapter 56 - The Hair Tie He Bought For Her
Chapter 57 - Two Morons
Chapter 58 - What Happened In The Mountain?
Chapter 59 - What Did He Mean?
Chapter 60 - Fish Fillets In Hot Chili Oil
Chapter 61 - She Had A Crush On Him?
Chapter 62 - Devision Of Labor
Chapter 63 - A Busy Farming Season
Chapter 64 - Young Lady Liu Arrives
Chapter 65 - Little Ye Is Going With Me
Chapter 66 - Have I Got Your Heart
Chapter 67 - Everyone Wants To Get A Share
Chapter 68 - Working Hard Enough?
Chapter 69 - Soft And Silky Douhua
Chapter 70 - Are You Short Of Money?
Chapter 71 - Praying For Kids
Chapter 72 - Scholar Wong Stared At Ye Xiaoxian
Chapter 73 - Scholar Wong Inscribed The Banner
Chapter 74 - Xiao Baoshan, A Man Of Muscle
Chapter 75 - Women Fighting
Chapter 76 - Aggressors Are Coming
Chapter 77 - I’M Merely Afraid That You Can’T Take It
Chapter 78 - Boys Or Girls?
Chapter 79 - What Has Little Ye Found In “Touching Autumn”Activity?
Chapter 80 - Going To The Roof With Him
Chapter 81 - The Beginning Of A Career
Chapter 82 - The Formal Opening Of The Restaurant
Chapter 83 - She Was Also A “Miss”
Chapter 84 - Why Is He Such A Fool?
Chapter 85 - Night Raid
Chapter 86 - Giving Her A Pearl Hairpin
Chapter 87 - Xiao Baoshan Felt Wronged
Chapter 88 - Investigating Into Who She Is
Chapter 89 - That Pretentious Jerk Is Coming Here Again
Chapter 90 - The Gold Ingot Could Not Be Saved
Chapter 91 - The Last Move
Chapter 92 - Tears Of Love
Chapter 93 - Did I Force You To Spend Money?
Chapter 94 - Letting Her Be My Concubine
Chapter 95 - Alone Together
Chapter 96 - My Pa Is Lord Wong
Chapter 97 - You Asked For It
Chapter 98 - Just Rounding Down The Figure
Chapter 99 - Eating For Free
Chapter 100 - Father-In-Law Has Also Come
Chapter 101 - Drink The Strongest Wine
Chapter 102 - I Fell Into The Toilet
Chapter 103 - Baoshan Bargaining
Chapter 104 - He Bought An Accessory Just For Me?
Chapter 105 - Having Hope On Him Again
Chapter 106 - Confession Of Love
Chapter 107 - Being Slow In Love
Chapter 108 - Little Ye Gets Arrested
Chapter 109 - Shall I Use My Allure?
Chapter 110 - He Is That Bastard
Chapter 111: - What A Womanizer He Is
Chapter 112 - Will You Marry The One?
Chapter 113 - You Are No Match For Little Ye
Chapter 114 - Scholar Wong Goes On A Blind Date
Chapter 115 - Baoshan Is A Freak?
Chapter 116 - What Happened Tonight?
Chapter 117 - Making Her A Hand Maid
Chapter 118 - Brother, Have You Ever Fallen In Love With Sister-In-Law?
Chapter 119 - Buying A House
Chapter 120 - Asking Chef Tan Yo Take Care Of Baozhu
Chapter 121 - Scholar Wong’S Wedding Night
Chapter 122 - The Xiaos Visit Baozhu
Chapter 123 - You Are Husband And Wife?
Chapter 124 - Regulating The Meridians
Chapter 125 - He Has Become Her Man
Chapter 126 - We’D Better Sleep Separately
Chapter 127 - Little Ye Does Not Seem To Like Me
Chapter 128 - Should I Push Him Away?
Chapter 129 - The Feeling Of Love
Chapter 130 - The One Who Steals Customers
Chapter 131 - Being Attracted To Her
Chapter 132 - The Tax Official Came Again
Chapter 133 - Treating The Xiaos To A Meal
Chapter 134 - : You Are So Hard-Working
Chapter 135 - Sister Xiang Wants To Learn The Skill
Chapter 136 - Be My Soul Mate
Chapter 137 - For Xiao Baozhu, Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
Chapter 138 - Concubine Baozhu
Chapter 139 - Solving This Problem For Me
Chapter 140 - What Kind Of Trick Is It This Time?
Chapter 141 - A New Tax Official?
Chapter 142 - Wanting To Finish Off Xiao Baoshan
Chapter 143 - Why Are You Still Here?
Chapter 144 - I Won’T Let Him Hurt You
Chapter 145 - Bald Heads Like Boiled Eggs
Chapter 146 - What If I Am Pregnant?
Chapter 147 - A Man Is The Best Judge Of Other Men
Chapter 148 - A Good First Impression
Chapter 149 - Shall We Continue To Test Him?
Chapter 150 - Meeting Baozhu
Chapter 151 - Bad News
Chapter 152 - The Jia Family Turn Down The Marriage
Chapter 153 - Being A Heavenly Matchmaker
Chapter 154 - Avalokiteśvara
Chapter 155 - Meeting At The Lake
Chapter 156 - You Are Fine
Chapter 157 - Hiding Deep Among The Lotus Flowers
Chapter 158 - What Do You Want Me To Do?
Chapter 159 - Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Chapter 160 - Imprisonment
Chapter 161 - Stamping Out The Source Of Trouble
Chapter 162 - Tasting The Poison For Himself
Chapter 163 - Lai Er Was The Poisoner
Chapter 164 - As Long As You Beg Me
Chapter 165 - Beg You? Impossible!
Chapter 166 - A Court Appeal
Chapter 167 - Come With Me, Away From Here
Chapter 168 - Baoshan Is Leaving
Chapter 169 - Let Him Be A Fleeing Rabbit
Chapter 170 - He'S Gone
Chapter 171 - He Had Nothing To Do With Her
Chapter 172 - Snack Stall
Chapter 173 - I'D Rather Believe He Is Dead
Chapter 174 - He'S Looking At You
Chapter 175 - Do You Think I'M Handsome?
Chapter 176 - I Knew Your Aim The First Time I Met You
Chapter 177 - Wedding Banquet I
Chapter 178 - Wedding Banquet Ii
Chapter 179 - Letter Of Divorce I
Chapter 180 - Letter Of Divorce Ii
Chapter 181 - Xiao Baoshan Appears
Chapter 182 - Baoshan'S Past
Chapter 183 - It'S Mrs. Ye!
Chapter 184 - Fleeing The Country Ii
Chapter 185 - Pre-Escape Meeting
Chapter 186 - It'S Mrs. Ye! I
Chapter 187 - It’S Mrs. Ye Ii
Chapter 188 - Give Them Some Porridge
Chapter 189 - Robbers
Chapter 190 - Meeting Squire Liu Again
Chapter 191 - Doomed In The Wilderness?
Chapter 192 - Rmy From Baoning City
Chapter 193 - They Don'T Know Who You Are!
Chapter 194 - He Savior Was Xiao Baoshan
Chapter 195 - You Must Be Unhappy, Right?
Chapter 196 - Accompanying Her To Answer The Call Of Nature
Chapter 197 - Xiao Baozhu Was Alive
Chapter 198 - Goodbye To Scholar Wong
Chapter 199 - Venturing Alone Into The Enemy Camp
Chapter 200 - Longmen Inn
Chapter 201 - Her Mouth-Watering Roast Lambs
Chapter 202 - Aren'T You Tired?
Chapter 203 - Will You Come Here Again?
Chapter 204 - The Qian Family
Chapter 205 - Xiao Baoshan Helps Out The Qians
Chapter 206 - An Affair With The Empress Dowager
Chapter 207 - The Xiao Family Reunion
Chapter 208 - Brothers
Chapter 209 - Come Back If You'Re Not A Coward!
Chapter 210 - Fight To The End
Chapter 211 - Xiao Baoshan Is Dead?
Chapter 212 - Xiao Baoshan Is Dead? Ii
Chapter 213 - Tianshan Mountains
Chapter 214 - A Game Of Wits
Chapter 215 - Potatoes And Trees
Chapter 216 - The Injured Man
Chapter 217 - Dati And Guri
Chapter 218 - Language Class
Chapter 219 - A Local Young Man
Chapter 220 - Tarico'S Story
Chapter 221 - Li Chengru'S Visit
Chapter 222 - Missing The Food She Made
Chapter 223 - They'Re Close To Each Other
Chapter 224 - Bidding For A Beauty
Chapter 225 - Releasing Wolf King
Chapter 226 - An Interesting Man
Chapter 227 - Much Like My Mother
Chapter 228 - A Free Goat
Chapter 229 - Guri'S Affection For Tarico
Chapter 230 - Dancing At The Festival Of Sacrifice
Chapter 231 - Guri’S Affection For Tarico
Chapter 232 - Dancing At The Festival Of Sacrifice
Chapter 233 - Counterattack!
Chapter 234 - Investment
Chapter 235 - 500 Silver Taels
Chapter 236 - She Is A Widow!
Chapter 237 - To The Desert
Chapter 238 - Beihui City
Chapter 239 - Returning Fruitfully
Chapter 240 - A Potential Agreement
Chapter 241 - Jerky Reprocessing
Chapter 242 - Sandstorm
Chapter 243 - Ji’S Second Murder
Chapter 244 - Slander Against Tarico
Chapter 245 - It'S My Business If I Like You
Chapter 246 - Compliments
Chapter 247 - Is This Your New Way Of Eating?
Chapter 248 - Accomplices
Chapter 249 - The Woman From His Dreams
Chapter 250 - Am I Really A Traitor?
Chapter 251 - Poison.
Chapter 252 - Begging
Chapter 253 - I Can Marry Guri To You
Chapter 254 - New Year'S Eve
Chapter 255 - New Tribal Leader
Chapter 256 - Picking A Wife
Chapter 257 - Meeting
Chapter 258 - Is That Xiao Baoshan?
Chapter 259 - Wedding
Chapter 260 - I Thought You Were Dead
Chapter 261 - Go With Her
Chapter 262 - Go And Ask Him
Chapter 263 - . Impeachment
Chapter 264 - Princess'S Suicide
Chapter 265 - Xiao Baoshan And The Camel Team
Chapter 266 - Hairpin, Gift, Woman?
Chapter 267 - Bandits
Chapter 268 - He Got Shot By Arrows Twice
Chapter 269 - Little Ye Took Care Of Him
Chapter 270 - What Do You Recall?
Chapter 271 - An Old And A Young
Chapter 272 - Saving Lives
Chapter 273 - Did The Seventh King Know This Woman?
Chapter 274 - Keen Insight
Chapter 275 - Why Would The Imperial Court Want A Child?
Chapter 276 - Are You Afraid Of That Uncle?
Chapter 277 - No One
Chapter 278 - Watch The Stars
Chapter 279 - I Won'T Beat A Woman
Chapter 280 - Don'T Be Too Stubborn
Chapter 281 - Plain Relationship
Chapter 282 - The Lost Child
Chapter 283 - Yan Ziyan
Chapter 284 - Training Soldiers
Chapter 285 - I Don'T Like Little Boys
Chapter 286 - Be Nice To Him.
Chapter 287 - Invite Her To Eat Noodles
Chapter 288 - Getting Stuffed
Chapter 289 - Stay Together
Chapter 290 - Anyway, I Feel Comfortable Myself
Chapter 291 - The Anger Is Mostly Gone
Chapter 292 - Wait For You To Marry Me
Chapter 293 - Will You Still Keep Me?
Chapter 294 - Old Geezer Xiao Is Dying
Chapter 295 - I Can'T Sleep
Chapter 296
Chapter 297 - The Bandits
Chapter 298 - Recruit The Enemy
Chapter 299 - Salesman The Spy
Chapter 300 - Conspiracy
Chapter 301 - Separate Interrogation
Chapter 302 - They Should All Be Executed
Chapter 303 - Officers And Soldiers Are Here
Chapter 304 - Baoshan Rushed Over
Chapter 305 - Little Ye Was Kidnapped
Chapter 306 - Being Kidnapped
Chapter 307 - The State Preceptor'S Residence
Chapter 308 - How To Eat An Abalone
Chapter 309 - Why Are You Here?
Chapter 310 - She Can Be So Beautiful.
Chapter 311 - The Left Envoy Of The West General
Chapter 312 - Roast Lamb
Chapter 313 - Snatching For Food
Chapter 314 - He Found A Savior
Chapter 315 - Becoming The Head Chef
Chapter 316 - They All Stared At Little Ye
Chapter 317 - The Empress Met Little Ye
Chapter 318 - Childhood Sweethearts
Chapter 319
Chapter 320 - She Is A Good Woman
Chapter 321
Chapter 322 - The Old Story Of Apricot Cake
Chapter 323
Chapter 324 - They Look The Same
Chapter 325 - The Lost Daughter
Categories Genre: All, Comedy, Historical, Josei, Ongoing, Romance Status: Ongoing Alternative names: 农家一品食神妻, ______
Total Chapters in book: 325
Estimated words: 501493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2507(@200wpm)___ 2006(@250wpm)___ 1672(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 501493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2507(@200wpm)___ 2006(@250wpm)___ 1672(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 325 Page No. 324 Page No. 323 Page No. 322 Page No. 321 Page No. 320 Page No. 319 Page No. 318 Page No. 317 Page No. 316 Page No. 315 Chapter 62 - Devision Of Labor
Chapter 62: Devision of Labor
Translator: Fan Translation Studio
Proofread by Claire.KK
Ye Xiaoxian did not anticipate that she would see Scholar Wong today as they just mentioned him last night.
They happened to see him in town.
When Scholar Wong saw Ye Xiaoxian he asked her in a tentative way, “Aren’t you Baoshan’s sister-in-law? We have met before.”
“Oh, Mr. Wong!” It took Ye Xiaoxian sometime to recall who this was.
“I am coming to town to purchase some stationery and I happen to meet you here!” Scholar Wong looked at Ye Xiaoxian and said.
“Right…how do you do!” Ye Xiaoxian imitated Scholar Wong’s tone.
Scholar Wong then turned to Li Hongmei. “Who is this…”
“This is Baofeng’s mother. Ma, this is Scholar Wong, Baofeng’s teacher!” Ye Xiaoxian introduced them to each other.
Li Hongmei had very hearty characteristics and as soon as she heard that he was her son’s teacher, she hurriedly asked Scholar Wong to sit down. Scholar Wong had not had a chance to speak while Li Hongmei had already placed a bowl of cold jelly in front of him.
This era valued knowledge and featured paying respect to teachers. Li Hongmei felt an urge of giving a free bowl of cold jelly to Scholar Wong or she would consider herself disrespectful to the teacher and failing Baofeng.
Scholar Wong was a man of letters and he was somewhat self-contained so he would not accept this bowl of cold jelly that easily.
“Sir, please drink it, drink it!” Li Hongmei was almost tempted to feed him herself.
Scholar Wong could not resist her hospitality and drank it at last.
Naturally, he was trying to pay for it but Li Hongmei resist to his request determinedly; furthermore, she said that as long as he would teach Baofeng well, this bowl of cold jelly was nothing.
This was probably the very reason that Scholar Wong was not willing to drink the cold jelly.
Ye Xiaoxian who was beside them found it so amused.
Scholar Wong glanced at Ye Xiaoxian when he took his leave. “Well then…I’ll buy some of your cold jelly next time around.”
Ye Xiaoxian only smiled. She stopped to get busy again as someone came to buy her cold jelly.
Scholar Wong started at Ye Xiaoxian for a while and a verse occurred to him: Thou eyes fair; thy graceful flowers blooming.
Simply put, it meant that beneath Ye Xiaoxian’s coarse clothes, there was an interesting soul hidden there.
…
“Working as a cook for your family?”
At noon, after Ye Xiaoxian cooked lunch Housekeeper Liu began to talk with her about Lord Liu’s plan.
“Yes. Our master said that if you’re willing to work as a cook for us, we can offer you three taels of silver per month, or…even five taels.”
Ye Xiaoxian was steaming sweet-scented osmanthus cakes and taro cakes when Housekeeper Liu mentioned this to her and she just smiled.
Housekeeper Liu said again. “Actually five taels a month is a lot of money given the average payment in Qinghe, which is several taels more than attendants in government office earn. Actually the reason I’m here to talk with you about this is because my master really admires your cookery; moreover, you don’t have to open up shop to sell cold jelly day by day. How long can you depend on selling cold jelly? You may not have much business once autumn is coming.”
Still, Ye Xiaoxian did not answer.
Housekeeper Liu then asked again, “Ms. Ye, are you afraid that your family may not agree to it? Do you want to discuss it with Mr. Xiao back home to see if he agrees or not?”
Ye Xiaoxian replied, “The busy farming season is coming and I don’t know if I’ll be needed to help with work back home. Let’s talk about this later. By the way, if I’m busy during the farming season, I might not be able to cook here. I’ll cook some more snacks which last longer so you can let Miss Qianqian have some time by time.”
“Right, I see!” Housekeeper Liu looked somewhat disappointed.
…
That day, Ye Xiaoxian came out of Lord Liu’s a little bit late.
When she just stepped out of the gate she saw Xiao Baoshan again. With a large and tall figure he was standing at the gate quietly once more.
“Why are you here again?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.
“Ma just came to find me saying you hadn’t gone back, and let me to come and check.”
“Oh, I’m fine. Just it took a bit longer this time to make the pastries. I had to wait for the dough to be ready and then steam them. Kneading the pastries in shape also took time.”
“Is it that complicated to make pastries?”
“The young lady of the Liu’s is kind of picky. She won’t eat if her food is not elaborated.” Ye Xiaoxian smiled bitterly. “Ladies are all like this, different from us poor village girls. We got no one to spoil ourselves.”
Xiao Baoshan moved his lips but did not speak aloud and only walked next to Ye Xiaoxian.
Ye Xiaoxian then asked him, “Are you off from work? Do you need to go back to the government office later?”
“I’m not going to the government office. I’ll just walk back home with you,” said Xiao Baoshan.
Ye Xiaoxian felt a bit surprised and she did not oppose.
It was the first time only the two of them went back home together. It was more than ten li (a traditional Chinese distance unit) which took nearly an hour by walking.
Ye Xiaoxian felt a bit self-conscious at the beginning because he did not speak anything but when they reached the center of the town, Xiao Baoshan spotted a Tanghulu (a traditional Northern Chinese snack of candied hawthorn) stall and he asked Ye Xiaoxian, “Little Ye, do you want some Tanghulu?”
Ye Xiaoxian nodded. “Sure, one for me.”
Xiao Baoshan then went over and bought two of them.
They walked while eating Tanghulu which resembled modern girls who went shopping with bubble tea in their hands. She felt more relaxed in this way.
“Do you like it?” Xiao Baoshan actually spoke to Ye Xiaoxian.
“Not bad.” Ye Xiaoxian ate while answering.
Xiao Baoshan seemed relived.
Ye Xiaoxian then smiled. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid that I don’t like it?”
“Because what you usually cook are delicious and I’m worried that you may find this Tanghulu bland.”
“Are you kidding? Tanghulu taste the best in this era. They are sugary and sour with fruity fragrance and sweetness,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
“This era?” Xiao Baoshan did not understand.
Ye Xiaoxian then changed the topic. “Well, Lord Liu’s housekeeper today asked me if I want to work for them as a cook. They’ll pay me five taels a month but I haven’t confirmed yet.”
Five taels a month in Qinghe County was considered a very fine payment yet Ye Xiaoxian did not say yes.
Still, Xiao Baoshan replied, “You must have your own plan.”
Ye Xiaoxian smiled and asked, “What kind of plan do you think I have?”
Xiao Baoshan then looked at her with a light smile. He spoke up after a while, “Though I’m not sure yet, I know you’re a very profound girl. Just do whatever you think is right.”
He then added, “I will support you.”
“Thank you! Well…” Ye Xiaoxian asked. “Do you do this for the sake of Ma or me your wife?”
Xiao Baoshan was just chewing a bead of Tanghulu so he did not speak until swallowed it and then he looked at Ye Xiaoxian, “Both.”
“…” The two of them chatted while walking and they soon reached home.
…
As Ye Xiaoxian expected, Old Mr. Xiao asked all the three households to gather up that night.
It was mainly about the busy farming season.
As usual, men were sitting in the front and women were standing behind.
Old Mr. Xiao said, “Although you’ve been living apart, during the harvest season the tax you pay by grain is on me, so all of you must take part in this busy farming season including the second household although you’ve separated from us.”
Li Hongmei said immediately, “Pa, you didn’t give us any farming land when we decided to live apart. Haven’t we agreed that we pay money instead when we’re required to pay tax by grain.”
Old Mr. Xiao stared at Li Hongmei with a look of deep disappointment. “Is your family Xiao or not? Are you one of the Xiao’s?”
…
Li Hongmei murmured silently. ‘My family is not Xiao already.’
Old Mr. Xiao patted his hips once more. “Your man has long gone but you still live in our Xiao’s house and your identities are still classified as farmers. Don’t tell me you want to be changed into commercial tenant, which is a disgraceful.”
“I…” Li Hongmei still tried to argue but Ye Xiaoxian patted her thighs to give her a hint of being quiet.
Instead, Ye Xiaoxian began to speak. “Grandpa, we will help with the busy farming season for sure but as you can see, my ma, I and Baozhu did most of the work in the rice field before like loosening land and transplanting. Now that the rice is ripe, it’s no problem for us to participate in it, but we have a request. When we are required to pay the tax by grain, our quota should be included in the total bill of the Xiao’s.”
Wong Mudan spoke up, “Are you sure? Your second household has five people so it’s five dou (ancient Chinese weight unit, about 15kg) in total for all of you. If you insist that we pay the tax for you, we can only pay three dou and you pay the rest by money.”
“You damn…” Li Hongmei posed, rolling up her sleeves and tried to start a fight.
Still, she was stopped by Ye Xiaoxian. Ye Xiaoxian said decisively, “If you don’t pay our tax fully, we won’t help with the farming work then; besides, it’s not acceptable for you to divide the work per capita.”
Wong Mudan, “In which way do you want to divide the labor then? Just like before, you second household harvest the rice, the first household thresh the rice and the third household dry them.
Every farmer knew that harvesting was the most exhausting work than the rest procedures. If the second household was responsible for harvesting all the rice, they would not finish the work by working three days day-and-night in a roll.
In this era, the yield of rice was not very high. It would already be impressive if they could gain five dou of rice per mu (Chinese area unit, about 666 squaremeters). One dou equals to thirty jin, and the Xiao family had three mu of land.
Ye Xiaoxian said, “Since this year our household can only pay the tax by grain but gain no share of rice, we can only be responsible for half of the land including harvesting, threshing and drying the rice. And as for the rest, it should be your work.”
“Urgh, half of the land? You have no sense of shame. We might as well do it all by ourselves then,” said Wong Mudan.
The rest of them protested as well including Xiao Tongshu and Xiao Tieshu.
Men in the Xiao’s always agreed that women should do all the domestic work since it was enough for men working outside to make money. During the busy farming season, the government office gave them a three-day break and both of the two brothers would just lie down in their rooms because they felt they worked so hard in the office day by day, and during the rare break they had to take a very good rest.
Not only did the women in the Xiao’s have to do farming work but were obliged to take care of the two “lords” as well as the old one and the little ones. They were so worn out that their waists almost broke out.
Old Mr. Xiao was listening to Ye Xiaoxian and Wong Mudan’s back-and-forth conversation and his stare at Ye Xiaoxian contained increasingly more disdain.
Since all the family members had expressed themselves, Old Mr. Xiao then sneered and looked at Ye Xiaoxian. “Since when women are allowed to be so talkative? You do what the men in your family tell you to. How dare you bargain with me? Hasn’t Baoshan taught you how to be a wife?”
Total Chapters in book: 325
Estimated words: 501493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2507(@200wpm)___ 2006(@250wpm)___ 1672(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 501493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2507(@200wpm)___ 2006(@250wpm)___ 1672(@300wpm)
______