Yun Daman stood in place for a while, then called the two lazy constables to get up. "Get up, get up, it's only been a few hours since you went to sleep. Go, hitch up the carriage for me..."
"County Magistrate, where are you going so late?" the young constable asked sleepily.
Yun Daman thrust the lantern in his hand at the young constable. "Back to Dashui Village..."
He really wanted to go home and see Guihua.
The young constable dared not delay, and quickly went to the backyard to hitch up the carriage, taking Yun Daman back to the village.
Meanwhile, in Dashui Village.
Old Man Yun, covered in dust and grime, walked into the house, took off his dirty clothes, and sat on a stool, panting heavily...
Seeing this, Madam Gu poured him a bowl of tea. "How is it, did you chase the wild boars away?"
Every year at this season, wild boars would come down the mountain to wreak havoc on the crops in Dashui Village...
Logically, in the middle of summer, there was no shortage of food in the mountains, but the wild boars inexplicably liked to ruin the wheat fields.
If they couldn't eat it all, they would dig it up with their snouts until the ground was bare, and trample the wheat with their hooves, leaving it in disarray.
"They ran away, but judging by their behavior, they'll be back..."
Old Man Yun took a sip of tea and sighed. "Da Qiang's family's soybeans and the village chief's corn have been ruined. These damned creatures are so hateful. If only we could kill one or two and let everyone have a taste of wild game, but those pests run faster than rabbits, and we didn't catch a single one..."
Madam Gu couldn't help but laugh. "What time is it, and you're still thinking about eating?"
"What else can I do if I don't eat? I'm craving it!"
Old Man Yun put down his tea bowl and sighed slightly. "Now that our youngest daughter isn't home, we can't even eat wild game. Old woman, do you remember last winter? Our youngest daughter brought back over a hundred wild animals in one go – roe deer, sika deer, spotted deer, oh my, we couldn't even eat it all..."
Old Man Yun smacked his lips as he recalled the taste of wild boar meat.
In fact, Dashui Village was surrounded by mountains, and there was no shortage of wild game around.
There were wild pheasants, sand chickens, wild rabbits, and sika deer everywhere...
But in recent years, the government had prohibited the public from hunting animals at will, and even hunters who made a living from hunting were subject to restrictions and regulations.
As a result, the villagers had less and less wild game to eat.
"Why are you talking about this?" Madam Gu glared at Old Man Yun and began to spread the bedding on the kang. "Our daughter brought back so many wild animals, but it was all to save up capital for Yun Gui Fang. She worries so much about this family..."
As she spoke, Madam Gu pulled off a broken thread from the bedding and picked up her needle and thread to do a simple repair. "Jiang Tun sent another letter yesterday, inviting us to stay in the capital for a few days!"
"Good heavens, I'm not going." Old Man Yun lit his pipe. "The capital may seem prosperous, but it's really stifling to live there. It's not as spacious as our countryside. Besides, if I stay in the capital, what about the land at home?"
Since Daman became a county magistrate, he certainly couldn't return to the village to farm...
Er Man had gone south to do business, and no one knew when he would return.
San Man had to manage the shops in the county town, and Si Man's whereabouts were unknown.
The only labor force left at home was Old Man Yun, and he couldn't go anywhere now...
"Old man, why don't you hire someone to help you farm?"
Madam Gu put away her needle and thread and looked up. "Look at Du Lao San's family, they hired a permanent worker. Lao San's wife, Xiang Yun, hasn't been well since the New Year and has been running to the doctor every day, but the land can't be left idle. Du Lao San spent money to hire a permanent worker from another village. I heard that three hundred wen a month is enough..."
"That's because Lao San sold his family heirloom. He's spending money on Xiang Yun's medical treatment and hiring people to work. They have no other income, and they're just borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. How will they get by in the future?"
Old Man Yun put out his pipe and went to the outer room to fetch a basin of foot-washing water. "Besides, would you trust someone else to farm your own land? I certainly wouldn't trust them..."
After speaking, Old Man Yun moved the foot basin closer to the kang. "Stop fiddling with those threads. Come and soak your feet, then go to sleep. I'll get up early tomorrow and set up some traps in the fields to see if those wild boars dare to come again?"
Madam Gu smiled helplessly. Just as she was about to put her feet into the basin, she heard a shout from outside, "Dad, Mom, I'm back..."
Old Man Yun blinked in surprise and looked at Madam Gu. "It sounds like Daman is back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Daman came in in a hurry. "Mom and Dad aren't asleep yet?"
"Daman, why are you back so late? Have you eaten?" Madam Gu asked.
Yun Daman smiled and waved his hand. "I've eaten, I've eaten. Has Guihua gone to sleep?"
Madam Gu exchanged a look with her husband, and they understood each other...
Daman was back to see his wife.
"She's probably asleep. Go and check the west wing. If you're hungry, there are steamed buns and flower rolls in the bowl rack..." Madam Gu said with a smile.
"Got it, Mom!" Yun Daman replied and hurried out.
Old Man Yun slapped his thigh. "I haven't finished telling him about this whole thing, why is he in such a hurry to leave?"
He still wanted to ask about those rumors, but the blockhead had already left...
In the west wing.
Zhao Guihua had been crying again just now, and she had finally fallen asleep. She felt someone touching her face.
"Who?"
Zhao Guihua woke up with a start, her eyes wide open. "Is it Daman?"
The room was dark without a lamp, but Zhao Guihua was familiar with Yun Daman's scent. After a moment of panic, she calmed down...
"Guihua, you've had a hard time during this period. If you're feeling bored at home, I can take you to the county town tomorrow, okay?" Yun Daman said with a smile.
Zhao Guihua turned her face away upon hearing this and didn't respond.
The thought of her husband being involved with vixen outside and entangled with them made her very unhappy.
Yun Daman was slightly taken aback. "Guihua, what's wrong? Are you still angry with me?"
This woman's moods were truly inexplicable. If she didn't get angry for three days, she would get angry within two days...
"What do you think?" Zhao Guihua glared at Yun Daman, her anger rising. "You're doing those unspeakable things outside, and you still have the nerve to come home? If I were you, I would have hanged myself from the beam long ago, hmph!"
Yun Daman: "..."
It was one thing for outsiders to spread rumors about him, to insult him, and to slander him, but why didn't Guihua understand him either?
Yun Daman's face darkened, and he snorted coldly. "If I had really done anything to betray you, I would never come back in my life. You're always thinking about these unnecessary things, aren't you tired?"
Who knew that these words were like a spark, directly igniting Zhao Guihua's anger...