Chapter 55: Chapter 55 - 55 Trepidation

55 Trepidation

Since they were on this topic, Liu Liangcai started sharing more information. Liu Liangcai added, “In addition to these, we also have to pay a ‘contribution fee’. Each person will pay 63 copper coins a year.”

Zhou Xiaoli was shocked. “Ah, what kind of tax is this?”

Liu Liangcai explained, “It’s the money given to the Son of Heaven to thank him for his hard work in managing the country.”

Zhou Xiaoli frowned. “Isn’t this a disguised way of exploiting the commoners? What a fatuous ruler!”

!!

As soon as these words left her mouth, all of them were shocked.

Zhou Yu covered Zhou Xiaoli’s mouth. “Shh, don’t speak carelessly.”

Zhou Xiaoli realized what she had done and could not help but smile awkwardly.

This was ancient times. Commoners could not casually speak ill of the Imperial Court.

Zhang Lan patted Zhou Xiaoli’s head. “Child.”

At this time, Zhou Yu sighed and looked at Zhou Xiaoli with hesitation. “But to go fishing…”

Before he could finish speaking, a shout suddenly came from the street.

“Oh no, oh no, something happened at sea. Which family had their males out at sea today? Hurry up and go to the beach to take a look!”

A middle-aged man shouted on the street.

Immediately, the villagers who heard the shout ran out of their houses and kept asking anxiously what had happened.

The middle-aged man looked pained and said anxiously, “There’s a huge storm on the sea. Many fishermen were attacked by sharks. Go and take a look.”

“Omg my husband! Nothing can happen to you…”

Hearing this, many villagers’ faces turned pale with fear. They brought their children and ran to the seaside while crying.

Lin Xiujuan also heard the commotion. She had just run out of the courtyard when she heard this.

Zhou Xiaoli and the others had already run to the beach to see what was going on.

Seeing this, Lin Xiujuan couldn’t be bothered to ask around anymore and simply followed.

A storm was brewing.

Before they could reach the beach, wind and rain poured down as it moved from the sea to land.

There were many ships parked by the sea, and they were shaking in the wind and from the high waves.

Some of them were lucky enough to be fine. They hugged their wives and children and cried bitterly, feeling extremely afraid.

Some of them were seriously injured and were carried by their families to see the doctor.

There were also women with children by the shore, anxiously looking and shouting for their family members. They cried in despair.

The sound of the wind and rain seemed to cover their voices, but it could not cover the suppressed heaviness in the air.

How could they not know that it was very dangerous to go out to sea to fish?

Every day before they went to sea, they carried the courage that they may not be able to come back. It was all just to make a living.

Zhou Xiaoli couldn’t help but think of a saying, “Drive alone into the darkness to bring light to the family.”

Lin Xiujuan was shocked seeing all of this happen before her eyes. She was terrified as she looked at the terrible scene in front of her.

When she looked at Zhou Xiaoli again, her gaze was different.

Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai had already run to help save the injured villagers.

It was a heavy downpour that lasted for almost two hours.

It was not until evening that Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai finally returned home.

They came to know of the details of the disaster from the villagers who had returned. At this moment, they were still terrified.

“It’s all thanks to Little Li. Otherwise, Brother Zhou and I might not have been able to come back today.” Liu Liangcai’s words were filled with relief.

After sighing, he saw that Lin Xiujuan was ignoring him. He looked over and saw that she was cooking in the kitchen. He couldn’t help but be puzzled. “What are you cooking?”

Lin Xiujuan walked out of the kitchen with a bowl. “I made ginger tea and cooked two eggs for Little Li. Oh, right, ginger tea is in the kitchen for you. Hurry up and drink it. Don’t catch a cold later.”

“Yuanyuan, come with me to deliver it to the Zhou family.”

After taking the bowl, Liu Yuanyuan said with jealousy, “Mother, you’re too good to Zhou Xiaoli now. You’re cookings eggs for her like she is your own daughter.”

Lin Xiujuan tapped her forehead. “Don’t be petty. I left you eggs in the pot as well.”

“It’s all thanks to Little Li this time. She saved your father and our entire family. In the future, when you’re outside, you can’t criticize her with others.”

Finally, she looked at Zhou Yuanyuan and emphasized her words. “Did you hear me?”

“Ah, ah, I know, I know. Mother, you’re so long-winded.”

With that, the two of them carried the bowls and went to the Zhou family.

At this moment, in the Zhou family.

They had just changed out of their wet clothes and were wiping their wet hair with a cloth.

“Achoo!”

Zhou Xiaoli was so cold that she started to sneeze.

Zhang Lan started a fire in the kitchen and prepared to use the water in the alternate space to boil ginger tea. “Li’er, quickly sit on the bed and cover yourself with a blanket. Seriously, why were you running around with your father in the rain?”

In the end, she glared at Zhou Yu. “You too. As a father, don’t you feel sorry for your daughter at all?”

Zhou Yu went to the kitchen and apologized profusely. “Wife, I was wrong. I was wrong. You know very well that your daughter is a stubborn girl with her own opinion. She doesn’t listen to me at all and hence, you have to be in charge of this family. You have to discipline her yourself.”

Zhang Lan blushed and said angrily, “You’re the only one with a glib tongue.”

...

Zhou Xiaoli expressed that she was sad at being forced to endure their sweet-talking.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

Zhang Lan hurriedly went out to open the door and saw Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan standing at the door with bowls.

Lin Xiujuan said, “Sister Yu, I made ginger tea to ward off the cold and even cooked two eggs for Little Li. Didn’t she have a weak constitution? She needs more nourishment.”

This time, Zhou Xiaoli could clearly sense Lin Xiujuan’s sincerity from her attitude.

It was not the same deliberate flattery as before which was obvious that it was intentional.

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but laugh. “Aiya, you’re all done cooking just like that. No wonder everyone says that Sister-in-law is capable. I had just started the fire.”

Lin Xiujuan said, “You went to help. I came back early, so I started a fire in advance to cook. Drink this first. You shouldn’t wait for you to cook for the family. Otherwise, the chills will enter your bodies.”

Zhang Lan thought about it and agreed. She did not refuse and thanked her repeatedly.

After sending Lin Xiujuan and her daughter off, Zhang Lan closed the door and hurriedly called out to her family. “Come quickly. Drink some hot ginger tea to warm your bodies up.”

As she spoke, she poured the ginger tea into a few bowls for the entire family to drink.

...

Even Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhou Junjun, who remained indoors, drank some.

Although they had drunk the ginger tea, Zhang Lan cooked more of it. After all, she was using the spring water from the alternate space which could strengthen their bodies.

After this incident, peace returned to the village not long after.

For the sake of their livelihood, even if it was dangerous, fishermen still went into the sea to catch fish.

However, Liu Liangcai and Zhou Yu always returned with a full load, which attracted the jealousy of many fishermen.

There were several times where someone deliberately followed their boat and noted down their fishing positions.

Thinking that they were either from the same village or from the neighboring village, Zhou Yu and Liu Liangcai ignored them.

It was another good day. After they were ready, they were ready to set off to catch fish.

However, when they reached the river, they realized that their fishing boat had disappeared.

“Strange, why is the fishing boat gone?” Liu Liangcai looked around and was very puzzled.

Zhou Yu said, “Did someone shift it away? Let’s look again.”

At this moment, there were still many boats parked by the river. The three of them started searching for his boat.

At this moment, a villager saw them and shouted, “Hey, you’re looking for your boat, right? There’s no need for you to look. Your boat isn’t here.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli walked over and asked, “Uncle Niu, did you see our boat?”

The old man nodded. “You guys should hurry to the beach to take a look. When I came today, I saw the two brats, Sun Er and Wang Gou, driving your boat away.”