The old lady's face started darkening, the rest of the daughter-in-laws also started appearing from all sides, all looking at me as a criminal to be hanged and thus the court began. “Oh, if sister Fang noticed this, then why didn’t you do it. When I was working under the hard sun in a vegetable garden, I noticed you were sleeping. Tomorrow onwards I will let sister Fang handle all the cleaning.” Now I chose to blame sister Fang was not because she accused me, it is because she is the weakest member in the family after me. Her husband Ye Xiu (fourth child) doesn't have any special favour from his parents. Other than working on the farm, the family also doesn't value him. Sister Fang’s maternal family is so poor, that even one of her sisters starved to death during a harsh winter. The only reason why she was married to the clan patriarch’s family is because she looks beautiful. There was gossip in the village that Ye Fang had seduced Ye Xiu, hence making him stubborn about wanting to marry her. The first child she gave birth to was also a girl of Roulan’s age, but for the second time she gave birth to a boy two years back. The other reason is, Ye Fang is younger than me in seniority and age.

The old lady was truly angry seeing me command, she was about to argue back at me. The men came back from the field and so she left me alone. The fifth son Ye Zian also arrived with them and he seems to smell booze. Mother Ye also noticed this. “Ye Zian, did you drink again, how many times have I told you don’t come home drunk. Where did you get money to drink. Did you go again to town? Don’t you know it’s gonna affect your younger brother’s reputation as you drink in town.”

Ye Zian had a stomach full of scolding from father as he accidentally met him on the road, now it was his mother’s turn. He resisted back, “No mother, I didn't enter town, I went to Nati island to drink.” Nati island is not actually an island, it is a small piece of land less than half acre in the middle of Nati river that flows in the village. Because of confusion between the villages who are sharing the Nati river, for generations the talk of which village deserves Nati island had not been concluded. To reach Nati island from the village it would take only 20 minutes to swim, and on a raft even lesser. Few years back, a few thugs came and setuped a beverage shop. Men from all the neighbouring villages come here to drink.

Mother Ye was a little bit relieved in hearing this. She changed her target this time to Clan leader Ye “How many times have I told you to discuss this matter with the village chief and find a way to drive these criminals away. Those are simply ruining my Ye Zian.” Madam Ye has a special soft corner for Ye Zian and she was originally wanting him to attend school. Ye Zian was born with a sweet tongue and would always butter them up. Another reason was that unlike her elder sons he wanted to do business and be rich faster. He would come up with some ideas and convince her into it.

“I had discussed this matter with the village head, but I don’t think anything can be done, because those criminals do have some connections with officers” Father Ye sighed. If it was just a few thugs, he could have called men from his clan to destroy the shop but if they have connection with officers it is hard.

Ye Zian knew that if he stayed here he would only get scolded so he went back to the courtyard to change clothes. Yes, it is so easy for him to change clothes, it’s me who is doing the washing. After everyone came, the dinner started. After the elder moved the chopsticks everyone started eating. There were two vegetable dishes with little oil and pickles along with rice porridge. Actually this food is particularly good when considering most of the other families in the village. Many families usually eat corn soup or millet. There are mainly three types of fields: high grade (25% of field), medium grade (50% of fields) and low grade(25% of fields) based on fertility and availability of water. Only in high grade and medium grade fields can the rice be grown, so nearly 30% of the village do grow crops such as wheat, corn, potato and such. Rice is the most costly. Even if farmers do grow rice they would sell or exchange a portion of rice for corn or wheat. And the produce in fields is very less compared to other fields. And still Yejia village is considered to be moderate considering other villages.

After the dinner I left back to my courtyard. Today was a full moon day, and even though it was night there is still bright moonlight, if the window is opened. This is the first day in my life, I worked hard like this without a full stomach. But to live my future comfortably in this world I should work harder than the rest.

In the main courtyard, Madam Ye had been complaining non stop about Hui Juan to the old man Ye and old man Ye had started getting annoyed. “Would you just stop, is it that much of a big job to clean, just tell the 3rd daughter-in-law to do it. If you keep pushing Hui Juan and if she ends up creating a big joke, it is gonna affect Zihao’s future. Do you still remember there is only 9 months for his exam. He told me yesterday that Master Liu wants to meet me.” Madam Ye forgot all the matter when she heard this. It is her lifelong dream to be a mother of an official and receive the salute from those small officers. She hurriedly pulled the old man in the bed to face her and shouted “Why didn’t you go today itself, is it something important.” She got angry knowing that Father Ye didn't tell her such an important matter.

He understood what exactly she was thinking, “it was your son itself who said to me don’t tell you until the matter is settled, and told me to go to town to see Master Liu on the fourth day of the week. You don’t say this to anyone else, I would just go there with the eldest son.”His wives tongue has no bell or brake, if she heard some good matter she would publicize it to entire village and if it goes wrong because of wrong because of someone’s jealousy,then it would affect Zihao’s reputation.

Next day morning, according to my biological clock, I woke near to 5 oclock, and milked the goat for 1 cup of milk and boiled it for my daughter, then I stole some vegetables and awaked her made her drink half cup milk and made her ate a fresh carrot after cleaning it. Then I went to the mountains in the early morning with a basket and a long stick. I collected more wild food and pigweed than usual as there is no competition. Well early birds get the worm.I could hear some sounds of birds and animals on the mountain as the sky is not brightened yet. As I was coming back I saw a mango tree with few unripe mangoes. With the long stick I started jumping to hit off a few mangoes. Two mangoes fell down and enthusiasm increased as I started collecting more mangoes, suddenly a snake fell down from the tree, the moment I saw the snake I started running back in my max speed. After running for some 10 minutes I stopped to check whether the snake was still chasing after me. I regained my breath when confirming there was no snake, and hurried back home. From then on, I never attempted anything risky in the mountains.

I busily went to feed the pig and birds and it was around 7 am and everyone was getting up. I went back to my room and finished the other two paintings, by the time it was time for breakfast I was all set. Now the problem is how to sell this painting in the town. I have no idea about the town as the original owner has not visited town even once.

After finishing today’s entire work, no matter how hard I thought I can’t find an opportunity to visit town. So till gaining an opportunity I decided to hide the paintings.I took some clothes that are torn beyond repair and made some large pockets to fit the painting without folding and sewed the head of the pocket lightly.

About three weeks have passed, and harvesting season has started. I had stolen paper and created 10 pictures, even though it lacks artistic beauty, it is ok and some pictures have been repeated. The entire village is so enthusiastic towards the harvesting season as it is the time to gain their hard work reward. There are mainly 2 types of crop here, summer crop and winter crop. Summer crops produce the most harvest whereas winter crops only produce only half of the summer crop amount as harvest. Here from one acre, one could only harvest about 1500 pounds from one acre of medium grade field, 2000 from high grade field and 1500 low grade.

Ye family has 16 acre of land of 8 acre medium, 4 acre high and 4 acre low. So they gain about 25,000 pounds of grain. An average man eats 3 pounds of food and women eat 2 pounds of food in the village. Their family would need 14,000 pounds of processed rice for the next year. After dehusking this in the mill the grain quantity would be less than 16,000 pounds. So every year depending on the harvest the family would sell a part of rice to the traders from town. This year the harvest was particularly good and had nearly 30,000 pounds of grain. 2 silver coins were given to each two helper farmers in the family for their help throughout the summer crop farming. A tax of 5000 unshelled rice should also be paid. So from balance 25,000, this year 5,000 pounds had been sold to traders.

The other sons and daughter-in-laws may not know how much the old couple gained, but I know (since they don’t know maths) they gained. 1 pound of unprocessed rice cost 5 copper coins, so for 5000 pounds of rice they have gained 25 silver, by reducing helpers fee, the old couple would have got 21 silvers. [ 1silver coin = 1000 copper coins. 1 Gold coin = 100 silver coins. ]

But there are still other places to lose money such as processing the rice in the mill. As I was helping others for drying the rice stalks as some portion of the rice stalk will be burned to ash to use as the fertilisers. Mother Ye called me from the field to enter the main courtyard. As I entered the courtyard I can see both my in-laws were present.