But he didn't want to wear it.
This fancy thing looked like something women used.
Yet it was made of soft cotton cloth. Too hot to hold, but it felt like a waste to throw away.
For a moment, Zhang Youcai didn't know what to do.
"ZhangYoucai. What are you doing there?"
Seeing him standing there cluelessly, Yu Xiaofang walked over and asked.
When he saw his wife, Zhang Youcai's eyes lit up. He quickly handed her the item. "Wife, the mask that Aunt Zhao gave me… you wear it on your face, like a veil. Try it."
With that, he darted off, claiming he had to help Zhang Ruoan pack.
"Veil?"
Xiaofang looked at the mask in her hand, puzzled at first.
She remembered that in the past, young ladies from accomplished families often wore their faces half-covered.
The masks she held looked quite nice. Made of soft cotton, it should protect against the wind when worn. Thinking this, Yu Xiaofang smiled. She picked two masks, one for herself, one for her son Zhang Chuan and carefully put the rest away.
The muddy road had become especially treacherous after the heavy rain.
On the bumpy path, villagers struggled to carry packages of all sizes, pushing carts forward with difficulty.
After walking for a while, it was only natural to stop and rest.
Because Zhao Chunhua's family had the wheelbarrow, they saved a great deal of effort compared to the others.
Seeing this, the villagers couldn't help but take notice.
During the break, someone approached Zhao Chunhua.
"Sister-in-law Zhao, we see the wheelbarrow at your family, it's really useful. How did you make it? Could you teach us? This road is so difficult to walk on. We'd like to have a couple too, so it'll be easier to carry things."
As they spoke, their expressions betrayed a hint of unease. After all, Zhao Chunhua wasn't an easy person to approach. She was well-known in the village for her domineering temper.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Zhao Chunhua agreed immediately.
"Of course," she said. "The method for making this wheelbarrow is actually quite simple."
After hearing this, everyone brightened and quickly gathered around to learn how to make it.
Soon, Zhao Chunhua was surrounded by a circle of eager villagers.
Seeing the scene, Zhu Fangfang got an idea of her own. She glanced at her bulky flatbed cart with disdain.
It took two people to push, which was exhausting and troublesome. Sometimes the wheels got stuck in the mud, causing endless headaches.
In contrast, Zhao Chunhua's wheelbarrow could be pushed easily by one person, and the wheels didn't get trapped in the mud.
Thinking of this, she grabbed Zhang and squeezed through the crowd.
"Old man, let's go take a look too."
Nearby, someone muttered, "Look at how spineless third family is. Always trying to please that woman. Have you forgotten how she treated us before? I don't believe she'll really teach us!"
Zhang Defu felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight, but he couldn't bring himself to intervene.
When he noticed his third brother shamelessly pushing forward, he muttered a few words of discontent under his breath.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Fangfang and Zhang Laosan managed to squeeze into the front row.
Zhao Chunhua glanced at them, said nothing, and didn't chase them away.
After a while, she led everyone to borrow a saw from the village chief. Excited, they all climbed the mountain together to chop wood and begin making wheelbarrows.
Zhang Defu scowled in anger. "Humph! What a piece of junk! I don't even want it!"
Bai Xiaowei reluctantly retraced her steps and quickly agreed with her husband. "Yes, it's just an ordinary wheelbarrow. Not as good as our cart, we wouldn't want it even if it were free."
But as the other villagers started using the wheelbarrows and moved faster and more easily, jealousy gnawed at the couple.
No matter how hard they argued, they had to admit it that the wheelbarrow was far more practical.
With it, everyone saved energy and walked with ease.
Only Zhang Defu and Bai Xiaowei were left behind, struggling to push their heavy flatbed cart forward through the mud.
From time to time, the wheels of Zhang Defu's flatbed cart got stuck in the mud, requiring a tremendous effort to free them. All the while, he complained and swore incessantly.
As darkness fell, everyone finally found a cave to rest.
After their last run-in with bandits, everyone remained on high alert and arranged several young villagers to take turns keeping watch through the night.
People from the first and third rooms barged in and claimed the largest space inside the cave.
Seeing this, many villagers couldn't help but tease them. "Hey, didn't you say it was cold in the cave? Isn't the entrance comfortable? Why did you rush in first today?"
Their faces flushed red and pale as they struggled to respond. "We can live wherever we like. Do you really need to worry about us?"
The scene made everyone laugh.
The cave was damp and cold, leaving everyone feeling a bit overwhelmed.
The Zhao family's children shivered in the chill.
Zhao Chunhua instructed them to go outside and gather some firewood so they could make a fire before darkness fell.
Then, she handed her only thick quilt to the pregnant Xie Lanqin.
Taken aback, Xie Lanqin said softly, "Thank you, mother."
"Mom, wasn't that quilt for me? Why are you giving it to her?"
Zhang Baozhu pouted in dissatisfaction, glaring at the quilt cradled in Xie Lanqin's arms.
"Let your sister-in-law use it first. I'll get you a new one later."
Zhao Chunhua busied herself with cooking while softly comforting her.
Zhang Baozhu pouted, snorted twice, turned her head away, and said nothing.
In the past, whenever she was upset, her mother would coax her, and everything in the house seemed to belong to her.
Who would have imagined that this time, even after being angry for a long while, Zhao Chunhua paid her no mind at all?
Zhang Baozhu felt even worse.
While everyone else ate, she sat there in anger, refusing her meal.
Zhao Chunhua didn't indulge her. She gave Zhang Baozhu's portion directly to others.
This only made Zhang Baozhu angrier. Tears welled in her eyes, and she wiped them away with a look of grievance. "Mom, you don't love me anymore!"
Zhao Chunhua, exasperated by the noise, slapped the edge of the bowl. "Shut up! If you keep making such a fuss, I'll really ignore you. Your sister-in-law is pregnant, and you're not a child anymore—can't you be sensible?"
Seeing the fierce look on Zhao Chunhua's face, Zhang Baozhu finally stopped crying.
"Have your meal!"
Zhao Chunhua glared at her and scooped half a bowl of rice, handing it to her.
She knew her daughter had been spoiled by the original owner and always wanted to claim all the good things for herself which is very selfish.
Thinking of how each of the Zhang family's children had their own quirks and shortcomings, Zhao Chunhua felt a headache coming on. Managing them all would truly be a long-term task.
The family had just finished their meal and were preparing for bed when they saw the third house approaching.
Zhu Fangfang forced a smile and immediately took Zhao Chunhua's arm, calling her warmly, "Second sister-in-law."
Zhao Chunhua felt a wave of disgust and quickly pulled her hand back.
"Are we familiar with each other?" she asked coldly.
For a moment, the smile on Zhu Fangfang's face froze but just as quickly, it returned, even more practiced than before.
"What are you talking about, sister-in-law? We're family! Even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected."
Zhao Chunhua smiled faintly but didn't chase her away. She simply crossed her arms and studied her.
Let's see what Zhu Fangfang is really up to, she thought. She's been acting so nice and attentive all day…
Zhu Fangfang, somewhat thrown off by Zhao Chunhua's calm, could only force an awkward smile and hurriedly try to make amends.
"A while ago… it was indeed our fault. We've already apologized to the second sister-in-law. We're all family, please don't be angry with us."
After listening to her endless chatter, Zhao Chunhua's patience finally snapped.
"Just say what you want to say—don't beat around the bush."
"Alright, then I'll say it straight," Zhu Fangfang replied.