Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 50: Right and Wrong

The only tavern in Su Family Village was less of a tavern and more just the main room of Limping Wang's house at the east end of the village.

Two greasy square tables, a few long benches, and a wine jar half a person tall in the corner, emitting the distinctive sour smell of cheap, watered-down wine.

In the past, this place only saw a bit of life during the slack farming seasons or festival times.

But these past few days, as soon as dusk fell, Limping Wang's main room was packed.

"Limping Wang, another bowl!" A man with a flushed face slammed his coarse porcelain bowl heavily on the table.

"Coming right up!" Limping Wang's legs weren't agile, but his face was beaming with joy, his movements scooping the wine noticeably more deft than usual.

The man was Zhao Eryong, someone who usually would sniff a bowl of rice soup for ages before drinking it. Yet these past few days, he'd had wine with every meal, a barely containable smugness radiating from the corners of his eyes and brows.

Sitting opposite him was Su Yang.

Su Yang wasn't drinking. A small plate of stir-fried peanuts sat before him. He picked them up one by one, chewing them slowly and carefully, listening to the commotion around him.

"Brother Eryong, what exactly are you guys tinkering with in that workshop?" A man thin as a monkey sidled up, a smile plastered on his face. "Look at you, glowing with health, struck it rich, huh?"Zhao Eryong let out a boozy belch, glancing at him sideways. "The Village Chief said, don't ask what you shouldn't."

"Hey, we're just curious," the monkey-thin man rubbed his hands together. "We're all from the same village. If there's good fortune, bring your brothers along too."

"Right, right. We see you guys leaving before dawn and coming back after dark every day, all secretive-like," someone immediately chimed in from the side.

"Look at Su Yang, and Zhao Dazhuang's family, and a few others. They've been seeing meat in their pots every meal these days. My wife has been grumbling about it for days."

Sour remarks, mixed with undisguised jealousy, spread through the small main room.

a peanut into his mouth, chewing it with a loud crunch, remaining silent the whole

"Second Brother, keep your mouth shut and your mind steady. The more

Eryong, buoyed by the crowd's flattery, was just about to brag a little when he suddenly caught sight of Su Yang's calm face. The words on the tip of

the warning, "Anyone who leaks a single word gets thrown straight into the river." A cold sweat instantly broke out on his

wine!" Zhao Eryong shoved his bowl away, roaring gruffly. "If you want to make money, farm

the probing and unwillingness in their eyes only

in the shadows, almost merging with the

was the village loafer,

he eating peanuts. A pair of shifty eyes were fixed intently on Zhao Eryong and Su Yang, taking in every word of

were caked with black grime. His eyes flickered, and a sneer no

...

Su Ming returned from town, he happened to run into Zhao Rui at the village

was still wearing that half-new, half-old scholar's robe, holding a scroll of books. Seeing Su Ming, his gaze was somewhat complex—a trace of familiarity born

his tone somewhat milder

the newly purchased writing materials in his

not the mockery of before. The experience in the broken temple that night was like an invisible thread that

Ming stopped walking, looking at him calmly. "The Village Chief thinks highly of me, letting me help with the

pursed his lips, seeming to want to say something, but in the end only said, "My father is a man of many rules. You... be

Ming gave a slight nod. "Thanks for the

have completed some sort of task, letting out a relieved sigh. He couldn't help but lower his voice and ask,

gaze swept over Zhao Rui's curious face, his tone still flat. "We just do as the Village Chief instructs. The rest is not

abnormal calm that night, that indescribable feeling rose in Zhao Rui's heart again.

back for a moment, then hugged his

subtly improved, downgraded from 'actively picking fights' to 'probing inquiries,' consistent with interpersonal changes after shared traumatic

earned himself, Su Ming bought a bag of fine rice for the family, a new tobacco pipe for his father, two feet of cotton cloth for his mother to make