Nowadays, not only has this little slave's face been healed, but her body is also very clean. She has gained a little weight, appearing fair and tender, with an air of nobility about her. She looks far more beautiful than Zhang Lanlan.
Moreover, this little slave seems to bring good fortune to men. In just over a month with Lu Ye, he has prospered.
A deep regret flashed in Aunt Hu's eyes. This was a free wife who brought prosperity without a bride price, yet she had fallen to Lu Ye.
"Little Ye, I heard your family is living in a new house, and it's quite large, isn't it?" Aunt Hu smiled kindly, as if the previous estrangement and animosity had vanished.
Lu Ye didn't want to chat with her, only giving a "Mm," and continued to chop branches.
"Has your well started producing water?" Aunt Hu, as if not seeing Lu Ye's cold demeanor, continued to smile and ask.
Bai Sheng smiled and said, "Auntie, we're still digging, and we can't be sure yet."
"Oh," Aunt Hu nodded and said to Lu Ye, "Little Ye, come visit us when you have time. Xuan Yi will be back in a few days."
Lu Ye smiled faintly, "I'll see when I have time."
He remembered that after his parents were driven out of the mine and forbidden to use the village's well water, Aunt Hu had spitefully warned him not to bother her son, saying he wasn't worthy of being her son's friend.
Now, she was inviting him over. Did she treat him like a shuttlecock, something to be kicked around?
Aunt Hu left, looking back three times.
A few more people tried to strike up a conversation with Lu Ye, asking about his new house and the well. Lu Ye completely ignored them.
Although they didn't erupt in front of him, they cursed Lu Ye's family viciously after they left.
The news that Lu Ye's slave wife had suddenly become beautiful spread instantly throughout Huangsha Village.
Many people who hadn't seen it with their own eyes expressed disbelief.
Some even said that Lu Ye must have hooked up with another woman and, to cover up his debauchery, deliberately claimed his wife's face was healed. Perhaps the slave wife had been hidden away somewhere. After all, how could those two large dark spots just disappear?
A very small minority, the bolder ones, even said that Lu Ye's wife was much prettier than Zhang Lanlan.
The people of Huangsha Village had overly rich imaginations, and the rumors about Lu Ye's wife were varied and strange.
These rumors soon reached Zhang Lanlan's ears.
The humiliation she suffered at Shayan Ridge was like a knife, constantly sawing at her heart. Now, with the villagers comparing her to that lowly slave, she, Zhang Lanlan, absolutely could not swallow this insult.
Lu Ye's family's sudden prosperity must have a reason, and she was determined to find it out.
She had secretly overheard her father talking to Zhang Youliang last time. Lu Ye's family possessed a very valuable purple jade pendant and had also gone to town to sell a strange stone.
There had to be something peculiar going on.
Zhang Lanlan called for Lu Dagang from the village.
Lu Dagang wasn't really big at all, and even less so "gang" (strong). His skin was dark, and he was thin and small, resembling a water monkey that had come ashore.
His parents had died of starvation long ago. He was nearly twenty and hadn't married. From who knew when, he had become infatuated with Zhang Lanlan, believing she was the most beautiful young maiden in the village. He was utterly obedient to Zhang Lanlan.
Zhang Lanlan never gave him a kind look, yet she could use him like a dog.
A very loyal dog, at that.
Lu Dagang's house was in the northernmost part of the village, offering a clear view of the path leading to town. For the people of Hongshu Slope, the road to town was a necessary route.
Zhang Lanlan told him to keep a close eye on Lu Ye's family and to absolutely figure out what they relied on for their prosperity and what secrets they were hiding.
In fact, it wasn't just Zhang Lanlan and her father who were curious; the entire Huangsha Village was wondering how Lu Ye's family had become rich overnight.
Especially after seeing them move into a house as grand as a palace, their curiosity could no longer be suppressed.
Every day, some villagers from Huangsha Village would pretend to pass by Hongshu Slope and then furtively gaze towards Lu Ye's house.
Or they would find various excuses to approach the people of Hongshu Slope.
Influenced by Huangsha Village, people from Hongliu Village and Caomiao Village also visited from time to time. They weren't there to sell manure, but purely to spy on Lu Ye's family's life.
However, after their reconnaissance, no one could say what thoughts would arise in their hearts.
The people of Hongshu Slope felt a sense of insecurity.
Lu Ye decided to establish a guard team for Hongshu Slope, with all the men as members, divided into five small teams:
Team One Captain Zhao Dazhuang, member Qingfeng.
Team Two Captain Hu Daniu, member Yang Ming.
Team Three Captain Ma San, member Huang Gousheng.
Team Four Captain Feng Pingyuan, member Du Min.
Team Five Captain Lu Ye, members Lu Yun and Tian Dou.
Each small team would take turns on night duty daily, and the team on duty would rest the following day.
To incentivize them, the guard team would receive a certain monthly salary: 200 wen for captains and 150 wen for members.
Everyone felt they were household servants and didn't need to receive a salary. However, Master and Mistress insisted on paying them, saying that even as servants, they had their own families, and having some money would make things much more convenient.
Only then did they stop insisting.
However, each household began to harbor more beautiful hopes, feeling that life ahead was becoming more promising.
Tian Dou felt he was also someone who could receive a salary and was extremely excited. He immediately ran to his mother, Tian Guihua, and boasted, "Mom, I'll buy you lots of good food and pretty clothes from now on!"
Tian Guihua: Oh my, my son has become successful!
As the dung general, Lu Yun was already the wealthiest among the children. His excitement wasn't about money, but about being able to participate in combat like a man!
Tie Zhu envied Tian Dou and Lu Yun. He measured his height every day, and the first thing he did upon waking was to ask his grandmother, Grandma Zhong, if he had grown.
As for Lu Yu, besides eating, there didn't seem to be anything else that registered in his mind…
One day, after lunch, Bai Sheng was leisurely stroking Baoyu under the thatched pavilion.
Old Man Ye from the well-digging team approached with a solemn expression.
He sighed and said to Bai Sheng, "Mistress Dongjia, this well has been dug for a hundred meters, and there's still no sign of water. The soil at the bottom isn't even damp. I'm afraid this well is—" about to be dug in vain.
Bai Sheng put down the half-grown Baoyu and looked towards the well, saying, "Uncle Ye, don't worry, let's go take a look first."
With that, Bai Sheng walked towards the well.
All the well diggers stood to the side, staring blankly at the well. Seeing Bai Sheng arrive, they looked at her with blank expressions.
"Mistress Dongjia, I, Old Ye, have dug water wells my whole life. The deepest was no more than 90-odd meters. We're already at 100 meters and still haven't seen damp soil. It seems this place likely has no groundwater."
Bai Sheng looked down into the well. It was a dark, bottomless hole, and she instantly felt a sense of dizziness. She quickly took a few steps back.
She then touched the soil brought up from the bottom. It indeed had no moisture.
"Uncle Ye, what's the deepest well in our Great Xia Kingdom?"
Old Ye rolled his eyes and thought, "That would be the Shicha Ancient Well in the capital, about 150-odd meters."
Bai Sheng clapped the dirt and sand off her hands, stood up, and smiled, "Then that settles it. We're only at 100 meters. We can keep digging!"
Old Ye looked troubled, "But there's no end in sight, and the meager payment I'm receiving feels like a loss."