Traveling through time as a peasant girl to turn things around

Old Lady Li woke up after about half an hour of sleep and got up to boil some hot water for everyone. She took the kettle and bowls and went to the yard, poured the water in, and let it cool. Old Man Chai and the children also got up. The two grandsons came out, rubbing their eyes with their little hands, and called out for Grandma before they even opened their eyes. The two daughters-in-law picked them up, put them on their laps, rocked them, and gently patted their backs to wake them up. Patting and shaking at the same time, "Mom, mom, look at my younger sister, let's go." The eldest daughter-in-law held Huanhuan and the second daughter-in-law held Hengheng, and they went to the fourth daughter-in-law's room together. When they reached the door, they just raised their hands and the fourth daughter-in-law came out and opened the door. The fourth daughter-in-law shouted, "Sister-in-law and second sister-in-law, come in." Guoguo also woke up, "Huanhuan and Hengheng, come quickly and see your younger sister." Huanhuan walked fast and Hengheng walked slowly. The second daughter-in-law Zhang could only hold the baby and came to them. The little girl opened her big eyes and blinked uncomfortably. Her eyes were full of black pupils, like agate, grapes, and pearls, shining with obsidian light, and like a clear spring, deep and attractive. She was born only two days ago, unlike ordinary children. The child had no clothes yet and was wrapped in a thin quilt with cotton quilt, which was old. It seemed like she was born in the wrong family. "Oh, oh, oh, oh," Guoguo could only hum "I'm happy" and the little girl smiled. Huanhuan clapped her hands and said, "Mom, look at my little sister smiling. Hehe, calling me brother... my little sister is so pretty." The eldest and second daughters-in-law also said that the child was really pretty. Then they looked at their own children, and they were pretty too. There was no ugly child in the Chai family. The fourth daughter-in-law looked at her daughter's smile, her mouth never closing. The little girl understood her mother's feelings and whimpered, stretching her little hands out and dancing with joy. The adults laughed out loud, saying, "What a treasure of the family!"

It was time to go to the fields. The fourth son's wife, Mrs. Li, said, "Leave the eldest and second sister-in-law's children in the house. I can't go to the fields, so I'll help look after them." "Okay," said the eldest and second son's wives. The two boys gathered around the bed to look after their sister. The eldest and second son's wives walked out of the house and closed the door. He came to the stone table, picked up a bowl of water and drank a bowl, then said, "Let's go." He turned and went to the room where the farm tools were kept, picked up the sickle, picked up the basket, and strode out of the house. Old Man Chai was the last one to come, and said to Old Lady Li, "The harvest is good this year, and the millet is heavy. We have to carry it home soon, so don't take water. Just cool our yard." After that, the old man also left.

Old Lady Li sent everyone away, poured a bowl of water and served it to the fourth son's wife. Old Lady Li pushed open the door and handed it to her daughter-in-law, "Ru, drink some water first. I'll make you something to eat. After you finish drinking, leave it here and I'll get it later." She took another look at her granddaughter before leaving reluctantly. She pulled her two grandsons out as well and said, "Let's go drink some water with grandma. Come back and play with your sister later." As she said that, she went out and closed the door.

Grandma Li first poured bowls of water for her grandsons. Huanhuan could drink on his own, but Hengheng had to be fed by Grandma, who held the water and fed him small sips at a time. She couldn't pull too hard, for fear of snatching the water from her grandson. She slowly raised her hand. Huanhuan drank a few sips and said, "Grandma, I don't want to drink anymore." Grandma Li reached out and took the bowl, setting it on the table. The younger one also stopped drinking. Grandma Li said, "Go play by yourselves. Grandma will make food for Auntie, or your little sister won't have anything to eat." The two boys, neither thirsty nor hungry, bounded away. Grandma Li quickly grabbed the younger one and said, "Don't put anything in your nose or ears, little brat. Remember that?" The little one quickly said, "Grandma, Hengheng, I remember. Only eat what Grandma feeds you." "Watch your step, don't fall," the little one shouted, "Grandma, I got it." They had already run away, rolling around in the millet in the east yard. Grandma Li smiled, shook her head, and went back into the kitchen.

She washed a handful of cabbage leaves, then took two eggs and a scallion. She cracked the eggs into a bowl and stirred them with a little salt. She added oil to the pan and scrambled the eggs. She added the cabbage leaves, stirred them a few times, and added water. When the water boiled, she added the noodles. At noon, she rolled a few more noodles, and a pot of noodles was ready. She chopped the scallions and added them. Old Lady Li poured the noodles into a bowl, added more soup, and brought them to the fourth room in the west. She said, "Ru, come and eat." Li Ru sat up, took Old Lady Li's bowl, and said, "Mother, eating so much every day will make you fat, and it will also make you tired. It's a busy day, and I can't go to work, and you'll have to work hard." Old Lady Li said anxiously, "Silly child, what nonsense! Childbirth is like this. Childbirth is like a journey through the underworld for women. All your bones open up. If you don't take good care of your body, you'll develop underlying health problems. I don't even know if I can take good care of you. Eat." Li Ru ate, unsure what to do. She did whatever her mother-in-law said. As Li Ru ate, Grandma Li unwrapped her granddaughter's bundle and changed her into a dry diaper. The little girl, even in her wet diaper, didn't cry. She stared at her lap happily, scratching herself with her hands, grinning, her rosy face a constant smile. Grandma Li said to Li Ru, "Guoguo has only cried a few times since she was born. She was so happy to be born. She cried tears of joy. Look, she hasn't cried since then. Her eyes are so charming. She'll be a bright and clear-minded person in the future, like no other." "Little adult!" Grandma Li muttered softly, her smile suggesting a good development. Grandma Li held her granddaughter, reluctant to let go. She lifted her up and kissed her. Grandma's dirty kisses didn't make her feel good anymore. The silly girl giggled, then whimpered, staring at her with wide eyes. She's gradually becoming able to keep others company. She's so bright and clear-minded. Grandma Li thought that after this period, she'd have a family meeting to discuss her granddaughter and how to protect her. Li Ru also finished eating.

Grandma Li put the child down and covered him with a quilt, and asked Li Ru to lie down, cover herself with a quilt, close her eyes and rest. Grandma Li picked up the bowl, walked out, and closed the door. Grandma Li was worried about her two grandsons, so she put the bowl on the stone table in the yard and went to the east of the yard to find the two little guys. The old lady was laughing. The two little guys piled up a big pile of millet, climbed up and slid, and rolled around in the millet pile. The millet hit them, "Does it hurt?" "Grandma, it doesn't hurt, it's fun." "Yeah, remember what grandma said, don't put anything in your eyes or nose." "I know, grandma," the two grandsons said loudly. The two naughty boys were just playing around and didn't say they were hungry. Grandma Li walked away. Pick up the bowls in the yard and go to the kitchen to wash them, boil water, pick up the kettle, take the bowls and put them on the stone table to dry. Go to the back of the house and pull up two big

I picked some radishes and some vegetable leaves and went back to cook dinner.

Cook some millet porridge, wash a few cabbage leaves, and simmer over low heat. Old Mrs. Li chopped up some large cabbage leaves, added some husks, and mixed them together to feed the chickens—the eight hens and two roosters. No pigs this year, but the fourth son occasionally hunted pheasants or rabbits, which provided some meat. They barely made ends meet. She was thinking of killing a rooster tomorrow for the fourth son's wife to nourish her. She needed something good to feed her during her confinement.

As he spoke, the old man returned carrying a load of millet. The old woman followed him to unload the baskets, still keeping an eye on her grandson. The old man went to drink some water. Old Mrs. Li was also busy at home. After unloading, Old Man Chai picked up the empty baskets and left again, both very happy about the good harvest. Then the eldest and second sons returned carrying large baskets full of millet. The second son shouted as he entered the door, "Mom, I'm back. Look, big golden ears of corn. We won't starve this year. Put more rice in it, and it'll be thick and delicious just thinking about it." Haha, the second son grinned widely.

The fourth son cut the rice, and the eldest and second sons' wives were also busy cutting. They were tired, but they couldn't just work on the ground, or they wouldn't be done by dark. No one in the family was slow, and they ended up going to the opposite house. Old Lady Li laughed heartily, her mouth never closing, her hands never idle. The yard was bustling with activity, with people calling out "uncle," "aunt," and "mother," making Old Lady Li laugh to death. She checked the sky and mixed some millet flour to make steamed rice cakes. After putting them in the pot, she took a large bowl, scooped half a bowl of white flour, beat two eggs, chopped scallions, and salt, stirring until it was thin and bubbly. After a while, she took the pot and made pancakes for the fourth son's wife and two grandchildren. Old Lady Li then washed the large white radish, cut it into small pieces, sprinkled it with salt, and marinated it with chopped scallions.

Old Lady Li went to see her grandson while she worked. She placed bundles of millet on her lap, cut the ears, and laid them aside to dry. She bundled the stalks into bundles and set them aside. Old Lady Li worked and cut the millet, watching her grandson. The two sons and the old man worked for most of the day, working a quarter of the field. The yard was almost half full, and the millet piled up like a mountain. People were returning home along the village roads, chatting and laughing about the bountiful harvest. Everyone had returned. Behind the fire, there was a small warming pot, always filled with hot water. The second son's wife took a wooden basin, scooped warm water from the yard's jar, mixed it, and brought it to her father. She then fetched another wooden basin, scooped warm water, mixed it, and brought it to the second son, Jiaxing. The eldest son's wife also took a wooden basin, scooped hot water with a little cold water, and brought it to the eldest son, Dahe. These two daughters-in-law knew how to care for their men, knowing that men work harder than women. To put it bluntly, they loved their men. The eldest daughter-in-law washed her hands and served her mother rice. The second daughter-in-law helped her mother add wood to the fire while her mother started making pancakes. The eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Min, had already set a table of porridge in the yard. She scooped up another bowl and called out, "Fourth son, come and take the rice to your wife." The fourth son took the bowl and chopsticks with a laugh, added a few pickles, and carried it into the house. Before he arrived, his voice had arrived first, "Ah Ru, eat. My dear daughter, daddy is back." Li Ru in the house was so embarrassed that she quickly called out to the fourth son, "Keep your voice down! You don't know everyone is in the yard. Aren't you embarrassed?" Li Ru blushed. The fourth son said, "Who cares about your own wife? That's what I say. Ah Ru, ah Ru, get up and eat. You're my family's hero." With that, Li Ru took the bowl. The fourth son stretched his neck to look at his daughter. The little girl was asleep, sound asleep, her lips moving as if she were eating something. He could tell in just two days that she would be a great beauty in the future, fair and rosy.

The yard was awash in yellow. Looking back, I saw a small white ball on the kang in the house. The fourth child, overjoyed, walked out, calling out to her mother. "Mom, mom, go see your granddaughter! She's so pretty! How did you give birth to her?!"

"Ahhh, hahahaha" ... "Come and eat, I'm so happy that I don't even need to eat." Old Man Chai called out to the fourth child.

Old Mrs. Li kept three pancakes and took the other six to the west room to give to the fourth son's wife. "Come, Ru, eat. Only after you have eaten well will our Guoguo have a meal." After saying that, Old Mrs. Li went out.

Grandma Li went to the kitchen, filled two more bowls of porridge and brought them out. She then returned to get two soft and fragrant pancakes. "Huanhuan, Hengheng, come eat with grandma. Your mother is tired, come and feed me." She first asked Huanhuan to sit down, gave him a small spoon, and took the pancake in one hand. "Eat." Then she brought a stool for her grandson, put a cotton pad on it, and asked Hengheng to sit down. Grandma Li tore off a piece of pancake and gave it to Hengheng. "Eat it yourself." She fed her grandson porridge. When the grandson was full, she touched his belly and said, "Yes, indeed, you are full. Sit down. Grandma is going to eat, dear." Hengheng said, "Hengheng, don't run away. Grandma will eat." "My grandson is so good." Grandma Li filled a bowl of porridge, took a pancake, and sat on the threshold of the kitchen door to eat. The eldest daughter-in-law called out, "Mom, come and eat at the table." Grandma Li said, "

"It's all the same here." Old Mrs. Li's meal tasted more and more delicious. The whole yard was golden, and with her children and grandchildren all around, everything she ate tasted delicious. After dinner, the man went to the east side of the yard, resting a bundle of millet on his lap. He then cut the ears of millet and tied the stalks into bundles and set them aside. Tonight, he would cut the ears of millet and set them aside to dry. While the weather was good, he would grind the millet so it could be stored. The moon rose, bright and shining, illuminating the house and the fields, and the scenery was pleasant everywhere.