As the sun neared its setting, three large wooden tables were prepared beneath the sand embankment, each accompanied by four long benches.
Indeed, these were the fruits of Huang Gousheng's labor during this period. The tables were nearing perfect squares, and the four legs of the benches were finally even. Overall, Gousheng had made great progress.
Children from Hongliu Village and Caomiao Village gazed at the chicken soup, rabbit meat, and a large basin of vegetable pancakes on the tables from afar. They were so hungry they felt like crying, but they couldn't be so brazen all the time. They had agreed to work for free and shouldn't always take advantage of the host.
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou didn't have such strong self-esteem. The two of them dawdled, not leaving until all the food was prepared in the kitchen. Instead, they diligently worked overtime, their eyes constantly darting towards the dining tables, their mouths watering uncontrollably.
However, Bai Sheng had intended to treat everyone to dinner tonight. Although there were no extra tables or chairs, there were plenty of stones, and any one of them could serve as a table or bench.
When the free laborers held bowls of chicken and rabbit meat in their left hands and pancakes in their right, they could hardly believe they were in the human realm.
The girl named Sun Zhaodi secretly poured more than half of the meat from her bowl into a cloth bag, and also hid half of the pancake.
None of this escaped Bai Sheng's notice. Seeing how thin she was, reduced to a mere skeleton, Bai Sheng thought for a moment and then secretly gave her another half pancake, whispering a reminder that she must eat it herself.
Sun Zhaodi secretly wiped away a tear and obediently ate the extra half pancake given by Bai Sheng.
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou wolfed down the meat in their bowls. As enthusiastic spies for Huangjia Village, their resolve was weakening.
Although they didn't know how Lu Ye's family had become wealthy, the fact was that they had indeed prospered. They were about to have a new house like a palace and a water well one hundred meters deep, which was far better than Zhang Jiawang's home.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that Lu Ye's dark-skinned wife was truly a generous person. The benefits they received from following her were far greater than from following Zhang Jiawang.
That night, the two returned to Huangsha Village and, as usual, went to Zhang Jiawang's house to report.
Halfway there, Li Qiang hesitated and whispered to Lu Fengshou, "Fengshou, from now on... let's not tell Zhang Jiawang everything. Let's... pick and choose what to say, what do you think?"
Li Qiang nodded vigorously, "Brother Qiang is absolutely right. In fact, I... I also had this idea. We have to... leave ourselves a fallback."
As they walked shoulder-to-shoulder, murmuring quietly, a dark shadow suddenly appeared before them.
"Who?!" The two were startled.
"Brother Qiang, Brother Fengshou, it's me, Lanlan," Zhang Lanlan's sweet voice rang out.
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, it's Miss Lanlan. So late, what do you need us for?"
Zhang Lanlan smiled, "I heard you've all been at Hongshu Slope helping Brother Xiao Ye's family with work recently. I... I just wanted to inquire about Brother Xiao Ye's situation."
"Oh, inquiring about his situation? We were just about to report to your father," Li Qiang said with a smile.
Lu Fengshou also added, "Why don't we go listen together, Miss Lanlan?"
In the darkness, Zhang Lanlan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly, "What I'm asking... is different from what Father asks."
"What do you want to ask?" Li Qiang asked knowingly. It was already known in the village that Zhang Lanlan liked Lu Ye. What she wanted to ask was precisely how Lu Ye was doing, and if he thought of her.
Zhang Lanlan bit her lip and whispered, "Is Brother Xiao Ye... is he doing alright?"
"Yes, he's doing very well. Lu Ye's family has become very wealthy. He has new clothes one after another, plenty of food to eat and water to drink, and he's becoming more and more handsome," Li Qiang said.
"That's right, that's right. Lu Ye doesn't look any worse than those young noblemen in the city now," Lu Fengshou immediately chimed in. Zhang Lanlan liked to hear this, so he would say as much as he could.
Zhang Lanlan's cheeks flushed, and her heart pounded. She knew that Brother Xiao Ye was no ordinary peasant.
Several years ago, when they were a few half-grown children hunting in the desert, they encountered desert wolves. Brother Xiao Ye single-handedly killed several wolves.
Now, Brother Xiao Ye's family had a big house, was digging a well, and had reportedly bought a camel cart. He was becoming more and more compatible with her. As for that lowly slave girl assigned by the prefecture, she, Zhang Lanlan, had never taken her seriously.
She was so ugly, smelly, and dirty, Brother Xiao Ye would never like her.
Although Brother Xiao Ye was also distant from her, it was because Brother Xiao Ye mistakenly believed that Li Xuanyi liked her, and Brother Xiao Ye didn't want to fight with a good brother over a woman.
Zhang Lanlan thought she understood everything clearly, and her tone couldn't help but carry a hint of arrogance as she asked, "Then, what about that lowly slave girl?"
"Lowly... lowly slave girl?" Li Qiang didn't understand for a moment.
Lu Fengshou leaned in and reminded him, "She's probably asking about... the First Wife."
"Oh, the First Wife. She's doing very well. Smart, diligent, and very capable. She's also very generous," Li Qiang said, not knowing why he wanted to disgust Zhang Lanlan. After all, he was indebted to them, and Lu Ye's wife had been quite generous to him and Lu Fengshou, so she didn't seem that unpleasant.
Zhang Lanlan was shocked, "You... you actually call her the First Wife! She's just a humble, lowly slave girl! The First Wife? Does she deserve it?!"
Seeing Zhang Lanlan angry, Lu Fengshou immediately smiled obsequiously, "We are spies sent by Master Zhang. To avoid revealing our cover, we just went along with their calling her First Wife. We can't change our habits so quickly."
Zhang Lanlan tried her best to calm herself and said in a deep voice, "From now on, in front of me, you are not allowed to call her First Wife!"
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou exchanged glances and perfunctorily nodded, "Understood, Miss Lanlan."
Zhang Lanlan paused and then asked again, "Brother Xiao Ye... what's his relationship with that lowly slave girl?"
Li Qiang sighed, "Miss Lanlan, do you want us to tell the truth, or a lie?"
Zhang Lanlan's heart skipped a beat, and the fingers clutching her handkerchief ached slightly. "Tell... the truth."
"This is what Miss Lanlan asked us to say. If we say it, please don't be angry with us," Li Qiang glanced at Zhang Lanlan's blurred face in the darkness.
Zhang Lanlan impatiently threatened, "Are you going to tell me or not? If not, I'll go back and tell my father that you've concealed a lot of things about Hongshu Slope!"
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou were startled. Had this little lady overheard their conversation just now?
However, if she wanted to complain, let her. Then they would completely break ties with Zhang Jiawang. Anyway, on Hongshu Slope, they had become semi-familiar with their shameless demeanor.
Thinking this way, Li Qiang felt relieved. Since this smelly woman wanted a shock, he would give her a good one. "Oh, Miss Lanlan, you don't know. Lu Ye treats his wife very well. He cherishes her like he's afraid of dropping her and fears melting her in his mouth. He listens to his wife about everything, and his wife makes all the decisions in the household."
Lu Fengshou understood immediately and added fuel to the fire, "Lu Ye is also very attached to his wife. Wherever his wife goes, he goes with her. He can't bear to be apart for a moment."
"Shut up! Stop talking!" Zhang Lanlan was so angry her face contorted. "You are lying! You must be lying! No, I have to ask Brother Xiao Ye myself. I want to see him!"
"Miss Lanlan, you were the one who asked us to tell the truth. We are not lying. If you don't believe us, go and see for yourself. Lu Ye dotes on his wife very much," Li Qiang said helplessly.
"Tomorrow evening, I will wait for Lu Ye at Shayanling. Tell him to come and see me!" Zhang Lanlan said in a cold voice.
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou dared not guarantee this. Up to this point, Lu Ye hadn't even glanced at them. Moreover, with his stubborn nature, he wouldn't listen to them at all.
"What if he doesn't come?" Li Qiang asked.
Zhang Lanlan snorted coldly, "Tell him that I want to see him to tell him something about the true cause of his parents' death. He must come alone."
After speaking, Zhang Lanlan left without waiting for their reply.
The true cause of his parents' death? Wasn't it thirst?
Li Qiang and Lu Fengshou were both a little stunned.
After Zhang Lanlan had gone far away, the two came back to their senses.
Li Qiang spat on the ground, "Heh, such arrogance. She really thinks she's a young lady. Hmph, when I get close to the First Wife, I won't even look at you!"