Chapter 139: Pouring Out One’s Worries
Zhao Zhitong and Wei Shulan, two close little friends, worked together. Zhitong was responsible for asking questions, while Shulan took notes.
Wei Shulan’s handwriting was smaller and more delicate than Zhao Zhitong’s. Qiao Muchen, with the charming excuse that her ’small and delicate’ script would save paper, effectively thwarted Zhao Zhitong’s eagerness to be the one taking notes.
Zhao Zhitong held Wei Shulan’s small hand, and together, they ran towards the farmers. Zhao Cheng, seeing that Zhao Zhitong could not be dissuaded, had no choice but to follow closely behind her.
At first, the busy farmers paid little attention to the children, impatiently telling them to play elsewhere and not disturb their work. However, Zhao Zhitong was sweet-tongued and adorable. After her persistent efforts, one or two farmers finally spoke a few words to them.
"Where did you kids come from? What are you doing here?"
"Uncle, we’re from a nearby village," Zhao Zhitong replied in her childish voice. "We’re just out playing."
Then, looking around, she feigned curiosity and asked, "Uncle, how much do you earn in a day for working here?"
At this, several other farmers nearby overheard and spoke up, "Wages? What wages? Getting two full meals a day is already good enough."
The farmer who had first spoken to Zhao Zhitong quickly hushed the others. "SHUSH! Are you tired of living? What nonsense are you spouting here?"
Those farmers, perhaps wanting to vent their frustration now that the overseer wasn’t in their area, grumbled a few complaints. "I’m not talking nonsense. If we worked as porters at the docks, we’d earn more than a dozen coins a day. Here, we work ourselves to the bone for nothing."