Pastoral Bamboo Fragrance

Chapter 23
After Li Zhu returned home, he lived the same life as before.If she was the original Li Zhu, maybe she would endure it forever.But she is not after all, and she will not be patient.She goes out early and returns late every day, carrying a scythe and salt, and sometimes scraping off some lard.On the mountain or by the lake or grilled chicken or fish.Later, she transported a broken earthen pot from home to use as a pot, and left a piece of bamboo as chopsticks.This time it is more convenient, and you can also cook wild vegetables.She eats every day to fill her stomach.Her malnourished body also improved, with flesh growing on her face and body.The whole person has a lot of spirit.

The aunt in the middle asked someone to bring her an old cousin's clothes and a pair of cloth shoes, probably in case the second and third sisters would steal them away, so the clothes were changed to fit her very well.

After some more days, Li Zhu began to think about selling prey.

In order to avoid being discovered by her family, she used wild grass juice and flower juice from the mountains to paint her face in a yellowish yellow, combed her hair into a boy's style, and went to the town to sell fish and pheasants under the pseudonym Yang Facai.

In addition, she found a base in the mountains, a very hidden cave, where all the rags were stored.It was not safe to keep the money on her body, and it was even more unsafe at home, so she found a place to bury it.When she saves enough money, she will disguise herself as a man, go to a place that no one knows, put some money into Li Zheng and settle in a household, and then she can live alone.

The mountains behind Lijia Village are neither high nor deep, and there are few large wild animals, only some animals like rabbits and pheasants.Because there is a big river passing by, there are many fish.

In the middle, Li Zhu took time to visit the aunt's house again, and added some spring water to the water tank in her house.At the same time, she also specially bought a bottle of ointment for traumatic injuries, added Lingquan in it, and got a porcelain bottle of Lingquan, saying that she prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva, which can be used to clean the wound.Yang Mo readily accepted.The aunt wanted to keep her for a few more days, but Li Zhu refused this time.She has to make money quickly and get ready.

Li Ji came back from an outing with his classmates, and all one tael of money was spent.Li Dafu was furious, and Xiao and Liu persuaded him to make peace while feeling distressed.

Li Zhu also deeply realized that it was too expensive to support a scholar in ancient times.Books are precious things.Pen, ink, paper and inkstone are also expensive.In addition, Li Ji, a poor man, doesn't know how to feel sorry for his parents and sisters. In the name of studying, he wants to eat, drink and wear well.The financial pressure on the Li family is increasing.Li Dafu's frown became tighter and tighter, and Xiao Shi and Liu Shi's tempers became worse and worse.

Li Shi had an ominous premonition in her heart.I don't know if they are poor and will sell their daughter.

Facts have proved that her worries are not superfluous at all.

The second sister, Li Lan, is 16 years old and has been talking about marriage for the past two years.But Xiao Shi and Li Dafu were picky and picky, and they asked for a lot of gifts, but they never got it.

That night, when Mrs. Xiao came back from the east of the village, she rarely looked happy.Even Li Zhu gave him a good look.

Li Zhu has always been an invisible person at home. She eats and works silently, and sneaks back to her small shack after eating.She never went to join in the fun at the moment of family reunion after dinner, lest she accidentally get angry.Because of these, she had no knowledge of the symposium that night.However, she could tell from the red and swollen eyes of the second sister that the result must be bad.

(End of this chapter)