Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 552 - 284 Unworried_1

Old Master Lian erupted, and no one dared make a sound; they all stopped eating and turned their gazes toward Lady Gu and Lady Chiang.

Lady Gu and Lady Chiang, both feeling embarrassed and awkward, exchanged glances before Lady Gu, as the elder mother-in-law, broke the silence.

"Father, it’s, on the road, the, the children accidentally took a fall, and the food, the food just spilled..." That was all she could say before she lowered her head again.

The mud prints on Lian Yeye’s and Lian Duoduo’s bodies indeed looked like they had taken a tumble.

"You, you lot, the only thing you were asked to do was bring back the meal, and now tell me, what can you do!" Old Master Lian was so angry his chest heaved, as he pointed at Lady Gu and Lady Chiang with his finger.

Lady Gu and Lady Chiang leaned on each other, both lowering their heads as they wiped away tears.

In the end, Old Master Lian didn’t say anything more, just dejectedly let his arms fall. People from the village, both near and far, were out in the fields working. Not to mention that he never scolded his daughters-in-law or granddaughters-in-law; even if he scolded them, it wouldn’t be right to do so in such a public setting. After all, one should not air one’s dirty linen in public; he couldn’t afford to lose face.

That was why he never forced Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu to work in the fields, why he never forced Lady Gu and other daughters-in-law with bound feet to do farm work. It wasn’t that he played favorites; he knew that these people simply weren’t cut out for such work. Forcing them to do these tasks would only cause more trouble.

Take today, for example. The ridge that Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu had planted would all need to be redone. And by asking Lady Gu and Lady Chiang to deliver meals, it meant they would go hungry for half a day, and Lian Shouren, Lian Jizu, Lady Gu, and Lady Chiang all ended up in a sorry state.

In the past, he assigned tasks based on his children and grandchildren’s capabilities, and no one complained about unfairness. Those who could work did so without complaint, and those who couldn’t didn’t get in the way—everything ran so smoothly then.

But now, Old Master Lian closed his eyes for a moment.

Zhao Xiue making a fuss was not just her own doing. Lian Shouyi, Lady He, and others didn’t speak up, but their stance was clear—they supported Zhao Xiue. With the second branch having more than half of the Lian Family’s strong labor force, he couldn’t ignore their opinions and attitude.

He had no choice but to concede to their so-called fairness. And now, the result was this: wasted time, and nobody was better off.

Old Master Lian looked up to see not far away Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang working hard with their four children. Wu Lang and Lian Zhizhi were indeed working efficiently, and even little Lian Manman and Xiao Qi were serious about their tasks, smiling as if the work they were doing wasn’t dirty or hard at all.

Old Master Lian sighed deeply and handed his bowl to Lian Yeye.

"Yeye, eat this bowl. Grandfather won’t eat anymore," said Old Master Lian as he stood up, "Everyone, hurry up and eat. After you’re done, get back to work. Tonight at home, I’ll ask your mother to make extra food and add a dish."

"Grandfather, you should eat some," Lian Yeye urged.

"No, you eat," Old Master Lian said, then got up and walked away.

Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, Lian Shouli, and the others exchanged glances before bowing their heads and scarfing down their food voraciously. They were all very hungry, and if they didn’t eat, they wouldn’t have the energy to work in the afternoon.

Old Master Lian had already walked into the fields, hands on his knees, starting to work. Those eating hurriedly sped up; they chewed quickly and swallowed their food down quickly. In no time, they finished and all stood up, busy following Old Master Lian back into work. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lady Gu and Lady Chiang, along with Lian Duoduo and Lian Yeye, packed the bowls and dishes into the basket, lowering their heads and wobbling back on their bound feet.

Tenant farmers really do rise early and go to bed late, not a bit untrue. As the sun was about to set, Old Master Lian straightened his back and called it a day. He had not eaten at noon, and the others weren’t full either; they wouldn’t be able to continue much longer.

"Old Fourth, we might as well call it a day," Old Master Lian said when he saw Lian Shouxin’s family not yet leaving.

"Father, we’re going to wrap up here too," Lian Shouxin replied.

"Don’t stay out too late; the children must be hungry," Old Master Lian added, then led the whole family back home.

As soon as Old Master Lian and the others had left, Lian Shouxin and his family finished planting the ridge they had mentioned. They hurried to pack up, hitch the cart, and started heading home.

At the village entrance, Lian Shouxin drove the cart towards the breakfast shop to unload, while Lady Zhang, with Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman, headed to the old house. Generally, they ate their evening meal there.