Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 410: Please speak up

Aunt Zhang sighed again and stepped closer to Lian Fang Zhou.
With a warm smile, she said: “Your aunt has always had this kind of temperament.
Don’t bother with her and take it to heart! Fortunately, your cousin is a reasonable person.
Whatever happens in the future, you don’t need to worry about it.”

As a bystander, it could be said that she had witnessed it all.

Where would Lian Fang Zhou still be anxious? It was just a little troublesome.

She smiled at Aunt Zhang: “Thank you, Auntie, for your concern! I’m already used to it and it’s not a problem to ignore her! Auntie, don’t worry!”

“You’re right to think so!” Aunt Zhang, still smiling.
“Then I’ll go first!”

Lian Fang Zhou saw her off and watched her walk away.

Ah Jian took two steps towards her and smiled: “Are you planning to stay or are you going back?”

She thought about it for a moment: “I won’t go back to the courtyard now.
It’s better to stay here with you and Aunt Zhang to keep an eye on things.”

He chuckled: “That’s fine, you go back first.” He paused for a moment and then said, confused: “Your cousin… do you know what he’s thinking?”

“I also thought this was weird!” Lian Fang Zhou agreed, frowning.
“His behavior today was indeed a bit strange…”

When things don’t match up, there is always a reason.
For a person like Lian Hai, his attitude obviously meant he was up to something.

“Forget it!” Lian Fang Zhou had a headache from thinking about it.
She smiled at Ah Jian: “I’m too lazy to worry, I’ll just go back!”

“Alright.” Ah Jian didn’t want to keep her.
He glanced at the many busy figured vaguely visible in the cotton field and sighed with regret.
“It’s a pity, there are too many people!”

Lian Fang Zhou pretended to be angry with him and the two of them laughed.

Seeing that she was embarrassed, Ah Jian smiled: “I don’t mean anything else, I just think you should relax and not work so hard!”

“I didn’t say anything.” Lian Fang Zhou gave him a look and then smiled.
“Let’s stop standing here.
I’ll go with Aunt Zhang and the others.
You, you go do your own work too!”

He smiled back.
There were a lot of people around and it was indeed inconvenient to stay here for too long with just the two of them, so he said goodbye.

Lian Fang Zhou did not go back until almost the end of the workday.
What she didn’t expect was that Lian Hai was still busy at the weight registration area.
When he saw her passing by, he laughed and called out “Fang Zhou!”

“Cousin? You’re still here?” Too surprised to be polite, Lian Fang Zhou blurted out these words without thinking.

A flash of unnaturalness flashed across Lian Hai’s face for a moment but soon the expression disappeared.

He smiled lightly and pretended not to understand Lian Fang Zhou’s implications.
“It’s getting dark, it seems that it’s almost time to go back!”

It was starting to get dark earlier and although the sky was darkening, it was not too late.
For this kind of work, time was very important so the workers usually finished late every day.

Lian Fang Zhou smiled politely: “I’ll go first.”

Lian Hai had originally wanted to walk back with Lian Fang Zhou but since she had said so, he didn’t want to insist on following.
Nodding, he smiled and said: “Good!”

On her way home, Lian Fang Zhou stopped at the compound to take a look and ask about their progress.

By the time she returned home to take a bath, Third Aunt had almost finished cooking and both Ah Jian and Lian Ze were home.

After a lively meal, the family sat together, chatting and laughing.
After they finished, the younger children would go study while Ah Jian and Lian Ze would go to the backyard to practice martial arts.

At this time, Lian Hai arrived.

“Fang Zhou!” Lian Hai entered the room with a smile and greeted everyone.

“Yo, Ah Hai is here! I haven’t see you for a long time!” Third Aunt laughed.

Third Aunt actually had a good impress ion of him and these words were commonplace, but to Lian Hai’s ears, the words a sense of sarcasm.

Previously, it couldn’t be said that he was a frequent visitor but he would often stop by every three or four days to say hello.
Sometimes he would even sit and chat for a while.

However, even since Lian Fang Zhou’s family started harvesting cotton, especially after hearing that Sun Ming was also helping out in the fields.
He had never been there again, except the time that he and his parents came over to ask about Master Ding and the county magistrate.

The reason for not coming was, of course, to prepare for the exam.
He had been afraid that Lian Fang Zhou and the others would ask him to help collect cotton!

So When Third Aunt saw that he had disappeared for a while and then appeared again, she was only speaking casually.

Lian Hai’s expression changed slightly.
Smiling dryly, he said: “Yeah, I’ve been busy these few days…”

Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian looked at each other quietly.
Standing up, Ah Jian took Lian Ze and Zhang Liang out to practice martial arts.

Lian Che went back to his room to study and Lian Fang Zhou, knowing Lian Hai would want to say something, asked Third Aunt to take Lian Fang Qing back to their room.

When there was no one else in the room, she looked at Lian Hai.

“I’m sorry about today’s incident.” Lian Hai said, rubbing his hands together as he apologized wryly.
“I didn’t expect my mother and father to act like that… Originally I had good intentions and wanted to help you but thinking about it, I’ve caused you trouble!”

After a small pause, he smiled and said: “Speaking of which, I should have come to help a long time ago.
I’ve been studying behind closed doors for a while and haven’t had time…”

These meaningless cliches had no effect on Lian Fang Zhou.
She actually wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to apologize because she didn’t care if he came to help or not.

“Cousin is too polite! Of course, studying is more important!” Lian Fang Zhou had no choice but to follow his words with a perfunctory smile.

Subtly, she added: “Cousin should continue to study behind closed doors at home.
I really have no shortage of manpower here! I’ve wasted my cousin’s time.
I can’t afford to cause my cousin to fail to pass the exams.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Lian Hai hurriedly smiled.
“I don’t need to work too hard in the next few days, I’ve read almost everything and its impossible for Fang Zhou to affect my work!”

Lian Fang Zhou sighed inwardly.
Would it hurt him to speak his words directly?

However, she was even more curious now.
Why did he suddenly have the urge to help?

“Cousin, even if you don’t blame me, I will feel bad!” Lian Fang Zhou said straightforwardly with a smile.
“Besides, even if you don’t blame me, uncle and aunt will! You won’t be able to save me!”

“They won’t!” Lian Hai hurriedly assured her, “They wouldn’t do something so unreasonable!”

Lian Fang Zhou lowered her eyes and smiled without saying anything.

There was no need for her to refute this, not even Lian Hai, himself, believed it, right?

As expected, Lian Hai looked a little embarrassed.
Then he vowed: “I have the final say in my own affairs! Don’t worry, I will take care of them and will never let them mess around!”