Lu Ye didn't know what to say. He looked at Bai Sheng, "What does my wife think?"
Bai Sheng was jolted by the address "my wife." She calmed herself and cleared her throat, "Husband, agree to them. If one day Sister Du and Brother Feng want their freedom back, we can return it to them then."
Bai Sheng had many ventures planned in her mind and indeed needed loyal and capable people. Brother Feng and Sister Du seemed sharp, capable, and not bad people, making them quite suitable.
"Alright, my wife decides," Lu Ye chuckled.
Bai Sheng shivered again. What was this guy playing at today?
Du Min and Feng Pingyuan exchanged excited glances and kowtowed together, "Thank you, Master and Mistress!"
"Sister Du, please don't call us master and mistress. Call us Xiao Ye and Xiao Sheng instead. It sounds more intimate," Bai Sheng smiled.
"That won't do!" Du Min immediately refused, "Master is master. Not to mention respect, but we must establish authority."
"Exactly! From now on, we will call Brother Lu 'Master' and Miss Bai 'Mistress'. Lu Hua will be 'Young Lady', Lu Yun 'Second Master', and Lu Yu 'Young Master'," Feng Pingyuan said with utmost respect.
Lu Hua and the other two exchanged shy glances. Their family was dirt poor; they had never imagined having servants.
"Fine... call us whatever you like," Bai Sheng was too lazy to argue further. The feudalistic sense of hierarchy held by these ancients was not something she, a modern person, could correct. She would just go with the flow. Kuaishuge.
However, she always felt that Brother Feng and Sister Du's demeanor was not that of ordinary farmers. Although their clothes were ragged and they were emaciated, their spirit and bearing were very different from the other common folk here.
Never mind, she had thought too far. Whatever their past was, it was in the past. Right now, they were struggling to survive. Bai Sheng shook her head.
"Brother Feng, Sister Du, please get up," Lu Ye bent over and offered them a hand.
"Thank you, Master," Feng Pingyuan then helped Du Min to stand up.
Lu Ye felt a little awkward being called "Master." Bai Sheng, seeing his unaccustomed expression, grinned.
Feng Pingyuan and Du Min had eaten the four flatbreads Bai Sheng had given them the previous night and had regained some strength. Seeing Lu Ye turn to lay down stones, they immediately stepped forward to help.
Both worked diligently, but their bodies were too frail, and they struggled.
While no one was watching, Bai Sheng filled their wooden bucket with water and put the lid on. All the waterskins were refilled as well.
With two more mouths to feed, water consumption had increased. She had to make sure the Du couple believed the water was bought from town yesterday, and the children had already "seen through it but not said anything."
During a break, Feng Pingyuan asked Lu Ye what kind of house he wanted to build. Lu Ye described the house Bai Sheng had envisioned.
After listening, Feng Pingyuan actually drew a lifelike diagram in the sand and offered many technical suggestions.
Lu Ye and Bai Sheng were astonished. Sister Du was too modest; Feng Pingyuan was not just good with his hands but a true construction expert!
Bai Sheng was secretly delighted; they had struck gold!
The weather was hot, and working under the scorching sun could easily lead to heatstroke. Bai Sheng told Lu Ye and the others to finish early and continue in the cooler afternoon. Building a house was not something that could be done overnight anyway.
Under the blazing sun, the makeshift "home" on the sandy ground had no shade, and everyone was close to melting.
Yesterday, they should have used water to replace the straw roof. Bai Sheng regretted not thinking of it then.
Du Min and Feng Pingyuan dismantled their straw shelter and moved the grass mats from the roof. Propped up by sandstone, they provided some much-needed shade.
Everyone sat under the grass mats to rest.
Bai Sheng glanced at the red-fruited trees. She remembered passing them during her morning run and thought they looked like red chili peppers. But she got busy and forgot about it.
She jumped up with a jolt and told everyone, "I'm going to check out those red fruits!"
With that, she ran over excitedly.
"Bai Sheng!" Lu Ye immediately followed.
Lu Yun and Lu Yu were about to follow, but Lu Hua pulled them back. Their elder brother and sister-in-law finally had some private time; they shouldn't disturb them, or who knew when they would have nieces and nephews.
Du Min and Feng Pingyuan looked at the three children and couldn't help but exchange glances and smile.
If only their own children were still alive.
Under the bright sunlight, Bai Sheng ran to the red-fruited trees in one breath. Looking at the red fruits hanging densely on the branches like red fingers, she gasped for air, bent double with laughter.
Tree peppers! They really were chili peppers!
Images of chili chicken, spicy ribs, mala xiang guo, spicy tripe, and spicy crayfish flashed through Bai Sheng's mind...
Oh my, her mouth watered uncontrollably.
"Bai Sheng! Didn't I tell you these red fruits are poisonous! You mustn't touch them!" Lu Ye ran over, his expression worried.
Bai Sheng swallowed hard and turned back, smiling, "Lu Ye, these are tree peppers. Apart from being extremely spicy, they are not poisonous at all."
"Tree peppers? What... what are they?" Lu Ye didn't believe her. He had heard from the villagers since he was young that they were highly toxic, and even a slight touch would cause discomfort. That's why these trees had been here for so many years, and no one dared to touch them.
Bai Sheng couldn't hide her excitement, "A very important seasoning. With it, many ingredients can be made into delicious dishes!"
Lu Ye still seemed uneasy, "Are... are you sure?"
"Extremely sure and positive!" Bai Sheng looked into Lu Ye's eyes, completely serious, "When it cools down this afternoon, I'll bring Hua and the others to pick them."
Lu Ye hesitated for a long time before saying, "Later, I'll help you pick them."
The sun was too intense, so the two didn't stay long and returned to the grass shelter together.
At noon, Bai Sheng gave everyone a flatbread and refilled Du Min's waterskins.
The couple ate the delicious flatbreads silently, and suddenly realized tears were welling up in their eyes again. Their hands, holding the flatbreads, trembled slightly.
After lunch, everyone lay under the grass shelter for a midday nap.
Lu Yun and Lu Yu couldn't sleep and sat aside playing in the sand.