Traveling through time as a peasant girl to turn things around

The next day, just after dawn, all the chickens in the village crowed, one after another, as if they would not stop until someone woke them up. The grandmother gave her granddaughter the nickname Guoguo, and the family unanimously agreed that the clan leader should choose the full name. The clan leader was a scholar, well-educated, capable and knowledgeable.

After breakfast, the eldest son and his wife, the second son and his wife, and the third son were not at home, so the fourth son and Old Man Chai, a family of six, took their sickles, carried their baskets and went to the fields. It was the busy farming season in autumn, and they were happy to have a family and were happily harvesting the harvest. A neighbor on the way asked with a smile, "Old Man Chai, was the fourth son's wife giving birth to a boy or a girl?" Old Man Chai shouted, "Girl, girl, let's all have a drink to celebrate the full moon." Old Mrs. Li was at home looking after her two grandsons, who were too young to be left alone. She also had to take care of the fourth son's wife and watch over her granddaughter.

Old Lady Li had been beaming since she opened her eyes, her mouth never closing. Just after the hour of Si (which was now nine o'clock), she had prepared food for the fourth daughter-in-law and walked in, calling out, "Ru, come and eat!" Li Ru, seeing her mother-in-law's smile, felt less reserved. She hurriedly called out to her mother and rose to get off the kang. Old Lady Li quickly stepped forward, supported her daughter-in-law, and said, "Just sit on the bed." She pulled the quilt up and covered her. "For us women, it's okay to be tired from work or endure hardships. But during the confinement period, you must rest and recuperate properly. Failure to do so can lead to underlying illnesses. Don't worry about this momentary thing. Just eat well, rest, and tell me if you need anything." Li Ru took the bowl and chopsticks and ate slowly, tears welling in her eyes. For the first time in eighteen years, she felt such attentive care, such warmth and thoughtfulness. She secretly resolved to live a good life, honor her mother-in-law, and be a good person to her family. Old Lady Li checked her granddaughter's diaper again, finding it dry. She then wrapped the child up and covered her with the blanket. Guoguo didn't wake up yet, her little face flushed, and she suddenly smiled, as if she had a good dream. She sucked and blew bubbles, sound asleep. When Li Ru finished, Old Lady Li took the bowl and said, "Lie down and rest." She covered her daughter-in-law with the blanket and said, "Don't think about anything. We're just eating and sleeping. No one can say anything to you. While the child is asleep, you should close your eyes and rest." After that, Old Lady Li took the bowl and left, closing the door tightly behind her. She walked back to the kitchen, scooped the remaining food from the pot into two small bowls, and took them out. She called over her two grandsons, "Huanhuan, Hengheng, come sit down." She placed a cotton mat on the stone bench for her grandsons to sit on. Old Lady Li also grabbed one and sat down. She picked up a smaller portion and fed her second grandson, who was still young, so she had to feed him. After the two children finished eating, she said, "Just play in our yard. Don't go out." The two grandsons said in unison, "Got it, Grandma," and ran off with a laugh. Old Lady Li picked up her bowls and spoons and returned to the kitchen. It was time to prepare lunch.

In the fields, Old Man Chai, his son and his wife, were too busy to talk. The family cultivated twenty mu of land and had to pay the public tax. After paying, they had ten mu of grain left over. With so many people, it wasn't enough to eat, but they wouldn't starve. That was good. The clan leader was kind, letting the hardworking members of the clan cultivate the wasteland, so they didn't have to pay the public tax. These days, with so much land and so few people, as long as they weren't lazy, every family wouldn't starve. They could even find some wild vegetables to supplement their family's food needs. Every household planted vegetables behind their house, mostly cabbage and white radish. There weren't many varieties of vegetables, but the crops included wheat, millet, sorghum, and cowpeas. Some places also grew sugarcane, but not much, to make syrup and mix it with wheat flour to sell. A few miles west of the village lay a river. Further west were mountains, and over two hills, a forest. Few villagers ventured there, rumored to harbor ferocious animals like wolves. They hunted pheasants, rabbits, and other small animals nearby to improve their lives.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Old Man Chai shouted, "Stop harvesting and put the crops in baskets. The eldest, second, and fourth sons are taking them home. The eldest and second sons' wives are harvesting crops in the fields." The whole field was planted with millet, and the ears of corn bent their backs. The old man also picked up the basket and took it home. When someone else came, he would load it up and go back. It was not far from home, close to the edge of the village. Lao Chai's house was at the northernmost end of the village, and the land was also on the north side. Going south up a slow slope and then walking a short distance, you would reach the back of the house. Passing by the vegetable garden was the back wall of the house. Follow the west wall and walk south for more than 20 meters. Turn left and you would reach the gate. The main gate was more than 20 meters away. There were no houses to the east. Lao Li's family was in the northeast corner of the village. There were many people in the family, so the house was big. To the east, they built a yard several times larger than other people's houses. The yard and vegetable garden covered an area of ​​eight or nine acres. Every household had a large yard, all for drying grain. This was a village close to the mountain, with plenty of land and few people. There were only about fifty households, living scattered around. Old man Chai and his three sons arrived home one after another and unloaded the millet in the east yard which had been prepared in advance. They rolled the millet more than ten times with the roller. The ground was hard and there was water drying on the stone table in the yard. They drank a big bowl of it each, picked up the baskets and went out again. They carried the millet for five times in a row. Old lady Li said, "We will eat when you come back next time. Come back." After saying that, old lady Li went into the kitchen and cooked a bowl of wide and narrow hand-rolled noodles for the fourth son's wife. There were cabbage and radish, and two eggs on the stewed meat. It was a big bowl full. When she pushed the door open, she saw the fourth son's wife holding the child and feeding her. The little girl's face was flushed and there was sweat on her forehead. It must have taken a lot of effort to feed. The wife also smiled. "Look at this child, how hungry she is, I feel tired for her." Old lady Li said, "Children are like this. Otherwise, how can I say it? She even uses all her strength to feed. I saw the child burping, her little mouth flattening and spitting bubbles. She is full and is looking with her eyes open.

"My little granddaughter is a blessing."

Li Ru said, "I see this child has his father's big eyes, my oval face, and dimples." Old Lady Li said, "This combines the best of both of you. You eat while I cook for the other two boys and let them eat too." Mother went out and called me after she finished her soup. Li Ru said, "Thank you for all your hard work, mother. I'm sorry for all the trouble." Old Lady Li said, "It's only right. You're in confinement, and it's my responsibility to take care of you. I'm going out now."

Grandma Li strode into the kitchen and cooked another handful of noodles. She stirred them for two minutes, then removed them from the heat and placed them in two bowls. She scooped the noodles into each bowl, adding an egg. Holding a bowl in each hand, she walked into the courtyard and called out, "Huanhuan, Heng'er, come and eat. Sit down. This is for Huanhuan. Hengheng, come here. Open your mouth. Grandma will feed you." Just like that, she opened her mouth wide to eat. Hengheng shook his little head and said, "Grandma, these noodles are delicious." Grandma Li said, "Well, Grandma's Heng'er, eat more. Grow taller and stronger." Grandma Li fed her little grandson mouthful by mouthful. After he finished the noodles and the soup, she asked, "Hengheng, are you full?" Hengheng replied, "I'm full, I'm full."

"My dear grandson, play by yourself. Grandma will go check at the door." She patted her grandson's head and went to the door. She saw his family coming back from a distance. She turned around and walked back, first carrying a few bowls of water and drying them on the stone table in the courtyard. She saw the eldest son walk in the courtyard, go to the east side of the yard, unload the baskets, spread them out, dry them, and put the baskets in the farmhouse. Then the second and third sons came in. The eldest son quickened his pace and went out to meet his father. Although his father was only in his early forties, he was no match for the young eldest son. Seeing his father going up the slope, the eldest son ran and shouted: "Dad, put it down, I'll carry it." The eldest son ran up and took over the burden from his father. Old Man Chai walked leisurely behind. A villager in the distance called out, "Brother Chai, you're so blessed! You have so many children and grandchildren!" Old Man Chai smiled and said, "I'm happy to be working. This year's harvest is great! Look, I haven't finished harvesting my half of the field all morning, and there's still a lot of fallen crops left. This year's harvest is going to be great." With that, he waved goodbye to the villagers and headed home, walking steadily.