Chapter 172: Wanting to Shrink Back?
Yu Meiyao was also in disbelief. Seeing what was happening, she knelt down and began to plead as well.
Looking at the commotion caused by the three of them, Madam Chen immediately regretted suggesting her idea in front of them. It was becoming more and more frustrating.
“Stop kneeling! Lan, you too. I’m doing this so that we can get back to the capital sooner. And besides, you’re just a concubine, aren’t you? If you won’t think of yourself, at least think of your children. A concubine in a common family is something easily disposed of. The Marquis’s household has treated you well, but it’s time you made a sacrifice for the Yu family.”
Lady Lan…
Faced with Madam Chen’s heartless words, Lady Lan was at a loss for words.
Indeed, in a common family, a concubine was easily discarded, but they were the Yu family! Her husband was Yu Zhengqing!
“But Mother, aren’t we doing well now? Why must you sell me? What have I done wrong? Please tell me, I’ll change. I’ll definitely change!”
Seeing Lady Lan crying like a wilted flower, Madam Chen sneered coldly.
“Isn’t this just because you’re afraid of being sold? If you weren’t, would you be so eager to serve me?”
Lady Lan!
When Madam Chen spoke these words, even Chang Huilan, who had been trying to stay out of it, couldn’t stand it anymore.
To be honest, she had hated Lady Lan for many years. No woman would want her husband to take a concubine, but what could she do about it?
But now the situation had changed. With Madam Chen being such a troublemaker, if Lady Lan were sold off, all the hard labor in the household, serving her daughter, and dealing with this old witch, would fall on her!
And there was still Yu Meiyao…
Yes, Yu Meiyao!
Why not sell Yu Meiyao?
Chang Huilan’s gaze shifted subtly toward Yu Meiyao. Her eyes moved over Yu Meiyao’s form, and she suppressed the thoughts hiding deep inside her.
“Mother, Lady Lan has had a hard time too. She has contributed a lot to this family. Even my husband doesn’t want to do this. Why bring it up again?”
Chang Huilan spoke calmly. Lady Lan, Madam Chen, and everyone in the cave all stared at her in disbelief.
Though Chang Huilan had seemed to tolerate Lady Lan on the surface, after all, she had once been the wife of the heir, but who truly believed that Chang Huilan hadn’t held a grudge against the woman who had taken her husband?
Madam Chen narrowed her eyes, casting a sharp glance at her daughter-in-law, as though trying to figure out what she was really thinking.
“You’re just a short-sighted woman. Can’t you see the bigger picture? We’ve been here for over a month, and yet there’s still no news from the capital. The longer we wait, the worse it could get. I don’t want to do this either, but if I don’t, it will only make things harder for Yu Zhengqing.”
Madam Chen’s suggestion was filled with malice, and her face showed the pitiful expression of someone forced into it. This made Lady Lan’s resentment only grow.
As Madam Chen finished speaking, her gaze shifted back to the still-sobbing Lady Lan. Her previously harsh expression softened just a little.
“Lady Lan, don’t worry. No matter what happens, we will take good care of your children. Meiyao’s eldest sister is now the second prince’s concubine. If the second prince ascends the throne, at the very least, she will be one of the four main consorts. With such status, your children will have a good future. Remember, your sacrifice is not just for the Yu family—it’s for your children.”
Lady Lan…
“If my husband truly wants to discard me, then I have nothing else to say.”
Lady Lan clenched her teeth, not wanting to waste any more words pleading with Madam Chen.
After all these years in the Marquis’s household, how could Lady Lan not understand Madam Chen’s true nature?
Madam Chen was determined, and whatever she said was useless. Lady Lan wiped the tears from her face and stood up, resuming her work.
At the same time, Yu Luo had no time to deal with Madam Chen’s schemes. The whole family of three, except for Ye Jiamei who didn’t handle any physical work, was busy all day long.
The issue of drinking water had been resolved, but now the father and daughter were struggling with the problem of the leaking reservoir.
“Why don’t we go to Feng City? Maybe they’ll sell oil paper there. We can use it to line the bottom of the reservoir, layer it several times, and then crush some mud to pack on top. We can press it down with wooden stakes.”
Yu Luo didn’t understand construction very well, but this was the only quick solution she could think of, though it was also the most rudimentary approach.
Yu Haojie immediately shook his head. “While that might work temporarily, if we cover the oil paper with mud, once the reservoir is filled, the water will soak into it. Even if the oil paper is waterproof, eventually it will break down. Rebuilding it would be a huge effort, so it’s better to go straight to the solution. We can make lime, then mix it with fine mud and sand, and apply several layers around the base and the walls. This is the only thing we can use right now.”
Hearing her father’s advice, Yu Luo couldn’t find much to counter. Her father was much better at construction than she was.
“It’s a pity I don’t have any points left. Otherwise, I’d just open the mall and buy cement to pour directly.”
Yu Luo massaged her temples, feeling the headache coming. She knew that to make lime, they would need to set up a lime kiln.
But burning lime required a lot of fuel, and in this barren land, there was no way to get enough. The only resource she could rely on was the coal Xiao Yi had discovered.
However, using the coal would expose their location and risk someone discovering it. She didn’t want others to get there first before she could even figure out how to profit from the coal.
“Xiao Luo.”
As Yu Luo was deep in thought, Yu Haojie’s serious voice broke through her worries.
Yu Luo raised her eyes, locking gazes with her father’s serious eyes, waiting for him to continue.
“Xiao Luo, the truth is, it’s very difficult to turn this wilderness into the land we desire. Even though we have the golden finger of being transmigrators, the difficulties are far greater than we imagined.”
“Dad, are you starting to shrink back?”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Yu Luo furrowed her brows, sensing the hesitation in his tone.
Yu Haojie took a deep breath and, after a pause, nodded slightly. “Yes, I’m starting to feel like shrinking back. We’re facing not only the natural environment but also a host of unknown external difficulties.”
