22 Chapter The Landlord's Family Has No Spare Grain

Ye Xinyan truly understood what it was like to see a large family of three generations all living together when she looked at all the members of the family, both old and young. This was even without the Great Uncle's second daughter returning; if she and her family of seven or eight were to come back, it would be even livelier, and Ye Xinyan would feel even more overwhelmed.

Among the grandchildren, only Qi Cheng was a year older than Ye Xinyan; all the other grandchildren were younger than her.

After Qi Younian introduced Ye Xinyan to everyone and they had all met her, the look in the eyes of the Qi family members became somewhat playful.

According to Qi Younian's introduction, Ye Xinyan was an orphan with no one to rely on, unable to get along in her husband's family, and consequently divorced. With no one in her natal family, she was left with no choice but to be taken in as his granddaughter.

Following this introduction, the Qi family members, who had been initially warm to Ye Xinyan, now observed her with indifferent expressions.

In this era, whether one was divorced or abandoned, neither carried a good reputation nor promised a good future. A woman returning from her husband's family to be an idler at home was unwelcome even in her own natal family.

Lady Wang and the two daughters-in-law felt somewhat resentful towards the Second Uncle for bringing back the burdens. It didn't matter that they should take care of him out of familial affection because they were blood relatives. But as for the two individuals he brought back, why should the Qi family be obliged to provide for them without cause? They and the Third Uncle's family were also poor and could hardly support three extra mouths to feed.

Looking at the adopted granddaughter, who even came with a Nanny, it was clear she was not one to work. Even though Second Uncle claimed to have the skills of a mason, given his advancing years, he was unlikely to be able to engage in masonry work anymore.

Together with the Third Uncle's household, they only had a little bit of land; surely they weren't expected to support the Second Uncle and feed two outsiders on top of that, were they?

The matter of Ye Xinyan's identity had been seriously discussed by Ye Xinyan and Qi Younian. Initially, they considered having her pose directly as Qi Younian's biological granddaughter. But how could they fabricate a consistent story about her son, daughter-in-law, and Ye Xinyan's husband's family?

After much deliberation, they decided it was simpler to acknowledge that she was adopted. As long as they behaved like close grandparents and grandchildren, what others thought of them was ultimately not very important, as there was already a degree of separation in the relationship.

Qi Younian had been worried that due to his old age and the hardship of travel, he might not even make it home safely. But surprisingly, throughout the journey, Ye Zi took good care of calculating the travel distance and managing their diet. Later on, they even had a donkey cart, which meant that after a month's journey, not only did Qi Younian not deplete his strength, but he seemed even more spirited.

Throughout the trip, Qi Younian had displayed a spirited character and a sense of responsibility, while Ye Xinyan had genuinely cared for him as if he were her own grandfather, caring for him with meticulous attention. Qi Younian truly regarded Ye Xinyan as his own granddaughter.

Since he was still in good health, it was time to plan for the future. Qi Younian had no intention of depending on his brothers to provide for him. As long as he was capable of working, he would not eat idle food at home and would be able to earn a dowry for his granddaughter. He hoped to provide her with a reliable dowry before he died, ensuring she found a decent family to marry into.

As for the little property the Qi family owned, Ye Xinyan had no intentions of claiming any of it, nor did he plan on coveting it himself.

The dissatisfaction from his sister-in-law and two nieces-in-law was particularly evident, which was distressing to Qi Younian. He wasn't concerned for himself, but he was worried that his dear Ye Zi would be wronged.

Therefore, the eldest niece-in-law hesitantly sought guidance from her mother-in-law, Lady Wang, "Mother, it's getting late. The Second Uncle has just returned home after decades, and we can't skimp on today's lunch. Should I go borrow some grain from the landlord's house?"

Qi Younian, upon hearing the underlying meaning in his niece-in-law's words, was about to interject.

Before Qi Younian could speak, Qi Yougui burst out, "What are you talking about? Is feeding my brother a single meal going to bankrupt you? Do we really need to borrow grain? Go slaughter three chickens and fry some eggs; today, we'll steam cornbread to eat."

Lady Wang said with a busy smile, "Why is the old man getting angry? We don't have any decent food in our house. Zhuzi's wife was thinking of borrowing some japonica rice and white flour for Second Uncle to eat. Second Uncle hasn't returned home for so long; surely we can't let him eat the same chaff filled pancakes mixed with wild vegetables that we eat daily, right?"

Ye Xinyan held the bowl of water in her hands and drank without looking up. Great Aunt was telling them that the Qi family was very poor and had nothing to offer them.

Seeing that his elder brother was about to scold further, Qi Younian hurriedly said, "We forgot that there are still things on the donkey cart outside. There's no need to borrow grain, nor to slaughter a chicken. Ye Zi and I have bought some food in the county town. Call over Third Uncle's family later, and let's all have a reunion meal together."

Lady Wang and the two daughters-in-law didn't budge, eyeing Second Uncle and the newly acknowledged granddaughter's attire; they didn't look like they had the luxury of spare cash. They had glanced at the items on the donkey cart—though they didn't touch them—they clearly saw only the belongings of a poor family.

After all, if there were valuable items, they wouldn't just be left out in the yard, would they?

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Ye Xinyan smiled and got off the kang, "Grandfather, it's still early for lunch. How about, while Uncle He is here, we ask about an empty house in the village, to find us a temporary residence? If we can secure a place to live sooner, Nanny Jin and I can move in and start tidying up earlier."

She turned and smilingly said to He Quantai, "We've done some small business in the past to make ends meet and plan to set up a stall in the county town for business, so we might not stay in the village for long. It would be best if we could rent two rooms."

So Second Uncle's family is planning to do business. Does that mean they won't be dividing the house and property with them? Lady Wang and the two daughters-in-law all heaved a sigh of relief, and their expressions softened.

Qi Yougui said displeased, "You child, it's not easy finding a house. Even if you find one, cleaning up takes time. Don't talk about it now. You and your grandfather have just returned; stay at Great Uncle's house for now. Renting a house isn't urgent."

Qi Younian didn't discuss whether to look for a house or not but just told Ye Xinyan to fetch the things, "Ye Zi, go get the items from the donkey cart, and help Great Aunt and your grandaunt with the preparation for lunch."

"Alright, you and Great Uncle, along with Uncle He, take your time chatting. I'll put away the things we brought in the cart." After speaking, Ye Xinyan turned to call Nanny Jin, "Nanny, come with me to get them."

Qi Younian saw that Ye Xinyan had voluntarily offered temporary accommodations, and mentioned they would be doing business in the county in the future. He knew she was trying to ease the minds of the Qi family's elders and juniors, to avoid harboring different thoughts and causing disputes.

This was good too; living separately could reduce conflicts. Having sent Ye Xinyan and others out, he patiently tried to persuade Qi Yougui and inquired about housing with He Quantai.

The gazes of Lady Wang and the three daughters-in-law intersected, and Nanny Jin took it all in. As she followed Ye Xinyan out, she couldn't help but feel sad for her own young miss. The young miss had been pampered since childhood, and now, she had come to such an impoverished and remote place, to be scorned by these people.

It was apparent that the women of the Qi family were afraid that Old Master Qi and the young miss would divide their property. Although the young miss said on the way that they would earn their own money through business and did not want the Qi family's fields and houses, the young miss had been spoiled from a young age. The knots and accessories she wore were already an unexpected surprise; where else would she find ways to make money?

With Nanny Jin's help, Ye Xinyan took down a roughly woven old basket and handed it to Lady Wang. It contained food they had prepared in the county town: about seven or eight pounds of meat, two large slabs of spare ribs, two chickens, along with some rice, flour, vegetables, and greens.

When Qi Younian was buying the goods, he had already estimated the number of people in his elder brother's and third brother's families; there was enough food here for a meal for more than twenty people.

Ye Xinyan removed a bundle from another basket. The wrapping was very old and worn, almost indiscernible in color.