Chapter 11 – Infuriated

Liu Duo washed the dishes after eating her porridge and steamed buns, then took a small stool and sat it next to Ye Ling.

“Fourth brother, come sit down rest your legs. You can collect money sitting down.” she said, having seen Ye Ling do a lot of standing and squatting earlier.

While it my not hurt him to stand, Ye Ling still had a problem with his leg, and Liu Duo did not want it to worsen. Of course, the other three brothers were doing the same, standing.

The second child Ye Liu, moved to her side and said: “Xiao Duo, why not fetch second brother a stool, too?”

Listening to Ye Liu laugh in a pitiful voice, Liu Duo couldn’t help but cringe.

Liu Duo couldn’t help but ask: “Do you not know how to get one yourself? Are your hands and feet for naught but decoration?”

“Come and sit, second brother. I’m not tired,” Ye Ling said, happy to Liu Duo’s concern, but also not wanting his second brother to not have a chance to sit. He wasn’t really tired as he didn’t have as much work to do.

“You go ahead and sit, fourth brother. I’m just playing around, your second brother’s fine.”

Ye Liu didn’t want to embarrass his thin-skinned fourth brother.

The concerned villagers were relieved to see Liu Duo. Nobody wants to be forced to be a child bride, so her escape attempt wasn’t something nobody dared to talk about. But truthfully, they were more afraid they wouldn’t get a chance to see this pretty girl.

After an hour went by, those who bought meat left; leaving the boar head, ribs, and 20 pounds of extra meat.

They cleaned up the yard and began prepping for lunch, yet Ye Yang and Ye Liu haven’t even eaten breakfast.

“Fourth brother, I’ll help you cook,” Liu Duo said, following Ye Ling to the kitchen.

“I’ll trouble you, then,” Ye Ling smiled and said, knowing she was bored.

“No trouble, I can’t be fed and sheltered without helping out somehow.” Liu Duo replied, pulling up her sleeves.

“So, you do have some sense of propriety!” Ye Mo snidely remarked, carrying a bundle of firewood.

Liu Duo hadn’t said a word to him since that morning, irritating him to no end.

“Even if I was a freeloader, You can be sure I wouldn’t use anything belonging to you!”

“You…” Ye Mo was beside himself.

Liu Duo couldn’t understand him.

“What about me? Get lost, we’re busy.”

“You think I’ll leave just because you say so?” Ye Mo gnashed his teeth.

Ignoring him, Liu Duo turned to Ye Ling: “Fourth brother, what do you want for lunch? I don’t feel like porridge again.”

As for the wedge between Liu Duo and his brother, Ye Ling didn’t know how to deal with it, other than to tell them not to hurt each other’s feelings.

“What do you want?” Ye Ling asked back.

Eating rice was impossible, they simply couldn’t afford it.

“Let’s have noodles, fourth brother. Something other than porridge.” There was no rice, but flour galore.

“Well, then I will go make it.” Ye Ling was satisfied with Liu Duo’s request.

He got up and went to make noodles while Ye Mo got the wood burning.

Liu Duo took the kitchen knife, ready to cut the meat. The remaining boar meat was put into a basin.