Traveling through time as a peasant girl to turn things around

Another half month passed, and in the county, the Chai family's house was completed, made of blue bricks and tiles, with large windows and a grand entrance. Facing the street, it was a two-story building with large windows facing south and north, just waiting for glass windows and doors to be installed. That day, the entire Chai family came to celebrate with a big pot of food. The yamen runners also arrived, and Li Biaotou and his brothers arrived to tidy up the yard. Five huge pots, large iron shovels and chopping boards were used for cutting vegetables and steaming steamed buns. A specially hired chef prepared the meals. There wasn't much fish or meat, but the big pot of food delighted everyone.

Everyone came to congratulate him, and they all went inside to see the new house. There were porcelain pipes and a sewer. A pool was built next to the well for easy access. A windlass was placed on the wellhead to stir the water. Anyone with a discerning eye wanted to make one themselves; it was so useful! Better than pulling water up bucket by bucket!

At noon, everyone had a hearty meal. It was delicious, with plenty of meat. The steamed buns and rice were plenty filling. Little Milk Bag pulled out firecrackers, and Jiale lit two to add to the festive atmosphere.

The shop was finished, waiting for the doors and windows to be installed. When people saw the whitewashed walls today, someone started thinking about it. Chai Zhen simply said, "We'll sell it in the county. Whoever wants it will decide later."

The lively day passed quickly. The family returned to Taohua Village, and Chai Zhen asked Jia He to hurry up.

Make window fans and doors.

Jiale and Xue Zhize led the veterans to the north courtyard to build a house. The carpentry department assigned ten more veterans to help. Other veterans cleared wasteland, and two waterwheels were set up in the village. Water flowed down to the homes, and vegetables were ready for consumption. Sweet potatoes and potatoes were already being planted, and the cotton was being weeded twice. It was said that after weeding eight times, the cotton bloomed white and strong, the crops grew lush, and the land became increasingly fertile. More and more wasteland was cleared, and every household raised cattle, making plowing and farming easier, greatly accelerating the pace of labor.

Whenever Sun Gui had free time, he'd wander the fields, gazing westward at the river, thinking about building another farm. He'd raise pigs, chickens, ducks, and sheep. The stalks had grown considerably taller, and Sun Gui smiled as he watched. This was his village's source of wealth, a treasure trove everywhere. The woods to the west offered an inexhaustible supply, and it had been the primary support for the village's survival for so many years. There was water, trees, and fertile land. After the disaster, this was one of the reasons why people remained resolute and fought on. ...

Summer arrived, and the Chai family finally built a house. With the rainy season approaching, the North Courtyard stepped up its efforts, finally completing the first building, capable of housing over a thousand people. Doors and windows were installed, and on the first day of June, the veterans, banging wooden buckets, moved back in. "We've moved back again! We have a house to live in, a home!" One soldier even shed tears. The building looked just like the old one. They found their own quarters, still in their old rooms, complete with a bathroom and shower. The washroom was even better, larger, with a table and stools, perfect for sitting down and taking short rest breaks. Three severely disabled veterans still kept the fire and water here. Water was brought here again, making the toilets, washing hands, and flushing convenient. The walls were white, the windows were bright, and the training ground was leveled. Most of the remaining space was unused, so the veterans used their free time to pave the paths with bricks and plant a lawn. Little Milk Bag took out some flower seeds and sowed them. Trees were transplanted outside the house, and a large plot of land was planted with vegetables, including a cornfield. The yard was enormous, covering over a hundred acres. Fruit trees were planted outside the south wall, and stone tables and benches stood beneath them. To the east, neatly arranged horse posts, a water trough, and so on, were also present. Jiale, thinking of building a house in the fall, led everyone to clear wasteland, repair the yard, and build the walls. And, well, they still had to build a kitchen and a dining hall. Jiale planned for Li Dafa to start cooking his own meals from today. Old Mrs. Li arrived at noon with her family to warm up the house. The horse-drawn carriage was loaded with a whole pig, vegetables, rice, and flour, filling the entire house—enough food to last them three months. Zhang Qing, Sun Gui, and even Zhang Qingshan arrived, too. The village elders came to congratulate the veterans on finding a new home, and the day was filled with activity.

The spring corn was ready to eat. Little Naibao brought her brothers, broke off some, and brought them to the veterans to cook. The aroma wafted far away, and someone asked, "Is it ready to eat now?" Little Naibao replied, "Soldiers, you can eat it. It's delicious." She picked up a piece and handed it to the veteran. "Mm-hmm, it's delicious," the soldier said. Little Naibao gave all the corn to the veterans and then went to the fields to break off more, but it was too much to carry. The children looked at each other, "Oh, we've broken off too much!" Chai Ye came up with an idea, saying, "Let's take as many as we can and make two more trips." Huanhuan said, "Okay." The children each picked up a few, and since they ran quickly, they finished their trips and asked the fireman to cook...

Half an hour later, all the veterans had their first boiled corn. It was fragrant and sweet. Little Milk Bag said boldly, "We'll cook it again tomorrow! Until we can eat it all." "It won't make you feel tired. It's delicious and won't hurt you." "It always makes you want to eat it." ...