Chapter 198: Chapter 197: Liu Erlang, You Little Rascal

In the early spring mountains, it was still quite chilly, so Qin Yao hitched the carriage.

As the sky barely showed a hint of light, she set off with her four children and Liu Jinbao.

There wasn’t time to make breakfast, so they ate rice balls made the night before, mixed with pork cracklings, which were fragrant and, when cold, even chewier.

There was no lunch at the school either, so they had to bring their own meals, also rice balls.

At least for now, because that’s the only convenient meal Qin Yao could make.

Later, she thought of learning to make pancakes or something else to diversify the options.

Da Lang Brothers and Sisters didn’t hold any hope for this, and Da Lang even mentioned they would prepare breakfast and lunch themselves by then.

Qin Yao didn’t mind, since she’d still give them pocket money, and if they ever didn’t have enough to eat, they could get an extra meal in town.

At the junction leading to other villages, she picked up two more kids, charging each one cent, making a small bit of road toll money.

After half an hour, they arrived at Lower River Village.

The coachman was waiting at the entrance of Shangguan Road and was a bit surprised to see Qin Yao’s carriage disgorge seven children.

“Mister Coachman, your carriage board might need to be widened. In the future, so many children will need your carriage to go to the town’s school,” Qin Yao joked.

She called Da Lang Brothers and Sisters aside, pointed to each of them, and sternly warned, “Remember, if any of you dare to hit other kids, I’ll deal with you when you get back!”

“Also, if you get bullied by other kids, you’ll get straight to kneeling on the washboard when you get back!”

The four Da Lang kids were stunned for a moment, shocked by the warning. So that’s the kind of stepmother you are.

However, the siblings earnestly promised that they would neither bully others nor be bullied and have to kneel on a washboard.

Only then did Qin Yao relax, patting their backs, “Go on!”

“Goodbye, Mother.” Si Niang waved her hand excitedly and eagerly climbed onto the coachman’s ox cart.

Watching them disappear into the distance, Qin Yao finally turned the carriage around and returned home.

Back home, walking into the quiet courtyard, Qin Yao felt very unaccustomed. She decided to close the door and go work at the watermill.

The kids’ first day of going to school made her inexplicably anxious.

She worried that they would be placed at the back by the teacher and not hear the lessons clearly, and then worried their home-brought rice balls would get laughed at by other kids, leading to disputes.

Liu the carpenter noticed Qin Yao’s restless manner, fearing she might break the grindstone, and suggested she take a break.

Amused, he teased, “I didn’t expect you, so calm usually, to have such an anxious moment.”

Lunch was brought by Liu the carpenter’s wife, knowing Qin Yao was there, she packed two portions, but it was a normal person’s portion, and Qin Yao ate as if she hadn’t eaten at all.

However, she wasn’t hungry at all today, repeatedly poking at a bowlful of rice and yet not finishing it.

Hearing Liu the carpenter’s tease, Qin Yao sighed deeply, “Ah~, could I have separation anxiety?”

But they weren’t her biological children, can stepchildren also cause separation anxiety?

Liu the carpenter, seeing Qin Yao not responding, felt disinterested, finished his lunch, then took out the wooden board he used for recording and sketched out the design for the Divine Power Book Box. Once the design was ready, he’d work on his Yellow Flower Pear wood piece.

Qin Yao put down the empty bowl and stood up to take a peek, suddenly thought of something, and patted Liu the carpenter’s shoulder.

“Do you think we should prepare more wood material?”

Liu the carpenter looked at the deserted workshop, “Is it necessary? There aren’t many orders anyway.”

Qin Yao pointed to his wooden board with the clean end of her chopstick, “Make this. I just realized, now that more children are going to school, maybe there’s a market for it.”

Liu the carpenter’s heart was stirred, “Right! How come I didn’t think of that!”

Qin Yao lifted her chin at him, “Go gather wood in the afternoon, hold off on your Yellow Flower Pear material for now.”

Having worked with Qin Yao for so long, Liu the carpenter knew that in order to get things done, you have to prepare early to gain the upper hand.

He collected his board right away, grabbed his empty bowl, and they locked the door and headed to the village, dropping by his home to leave the bowl.

After the new year, every household chopped some wood and left it outside for air-drying, while the bark and twigs were scraped off for firewood.

The two of them walked around for half the afternoon, collecting over a dozen logs, the prices being one or two coins cheaper than outside; it was worth it even if they didn’t make the Divine Power Book Box, just to stock up.

Qin Yao carried the purchased materials back, while Liu the carpenter mainly handled haggling, and they worked seamlessly together.

Seeing that the time for the children’s dismissal was nearing, Qin Yao instructed Liu the carpenter to continue visiting a few more households to see and purchase wood, telling him to wait for her to come back and carry it if he bought more, then left.

She hurried home to wash her hands, then led the ox cart out, dragging the cart to Lower River Village to pick up the children from school.

She arrived early, waiting for a quarter of an hour before she saw the coachman returning with a full load of kids.

Since every child also brought a book box or a bamboo basket, the overloaded ox cart moved slowly.

Fortunately, Da Lang Brothers and Sisters’ book boxes could be stacked flat, with Si Niang sitting on top, guarded by her three brothers, making others envious.

Before she got close, Qin Yao could already hear the excited calls of the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, “Mother!”

Qin Yao led the ox cart a few more steps forward, transferring the family’s four children and Jinbao to her cart. While moving the book boxes, she found one was missing.

Second Lang grinned at her ingratiatingly.

Qin Yao frowned, “Where’s your book box?”

Liu Erlang, don’t you get yourself scolded—who loses their school bag on the first day of school?

Second Lang quickly explained, “I sold it!”

He pointed at Da Lang’s book box, saying his books were inside his brother’s, not lost.

Before Qin Yao could lose her temper, he quickly stuffed the silver hidden in his bosom into her hand and eagerly jumped onto the cart board, “Mother, I have some great news you’ll surely love, but I’ll tell you when we get home.”

Qin Yao was perplexed, weighing the five maces of silver in her hand. She temporarily suppressed her curiosity and pointed at Second Lang’s forehead, intending to deal with him when they got home.

Second Lang wasn’t worried at all, touching his chest, feeling the thick stack of papers in his clothes, that was his confidence.

Eager to unravel the situation, Qin Yao drove the ox cart swiftly, Jinbao, caught off guard, swayed back and forth on the cart board, nearly vomiting by the time they reached the house.

Seeing her nephew’s pale face, Qin Yao finally realized and apologized with some guilt, “You little one, why didn’t you say you were unwell?”

Jinbao, white-faced and aggrieved, said, “I wanted to, but when I opened my mouth, it was full of sand, so I quickly shut it.”

Feeling sorry, Qin Yao patted his shoulder, “Sorry, I’ll drive slower tomorrow. It’s getting late, go home.”

Jinbao managed to squeeze out a forgiving smile for his aunt, picked up his bamboo basket, and turned to head indoors.

Qin Yao apologized once more, then led her own children back into their house.

Having just tidied the ox cart, Qin Yao didn’t even wash her hands before she went into the central room, slapped those five maces of silver onto the table with a “smack,” “Liu Erlang, explain yourself honestly!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep