Ugly girl only wants to farm

I got up early today, and now the house is warm and cozy, with the water in the pot bubbling and steaming.

Xu Chaoyan's eyes began to droop, and she looked at them little by little, like a chick pecking at rice.

Meng's father took the two children out to set off firecrackers. Li San Niang had disappeared, leaving only Meng Jiu and Xu Chaoyan in the house.

Meng Jiu looked up and saw that her head was nodding again, almost collapsing. He quickly reached out and gently supported her head.

Meng Jiuhe heard her even breathing and saw her tired face. He was touched. She had been busy since early morning, going up the mountain and arguing with her second aunt's family. She must have been very tired.

He sat there stiffly, supporting Xu Chaoyan's head with one hand.

Li San Niang happened to bring out some sunflower seeds. Seeing that the two were unusually close, she smiled with satisfaction, gently put down the small winnowing basket, and was about to turn around and leave.

Hearing the noise, Meng Jiuhe turned around and whispered, "Mother, where are you going?"

Li San Niang pointed outside and said in a low voice, "Your little brother and his friends are having a good time outside. I hope they don't start sneezing and sneezing again. I'll go over and give them some clothes so your wife can rest. She's exhausted from today."

Meng Jiu nodded and moved his body slightly, feeling a bit sore all over.

Li San Niang took a few steps, then suddenly came back and gently leaned Xu Chaoyan against her son's shoulder: "Aren't your arms sore from this? They're sore just looking at them, and Yan'er isn't sleeping comfortably either. Staying up all night is just a family gathering together. If you two aren't sleepy anymore, why don't you go back inside and rest? We're here to help."

Xu Chaoyan had already woken up. She vaguely remembered hearing someone talking, and now she saw herself leaning on Meng Jiuhe's shoulder.

She vaguely heard Li San Niang saying something, and she quickly wiped her mouth, afraid that her saliva would get on it. She quickly distanced herself from the two of them, afraid that this awkward person would annoy her again.

Seeing that she had woken up, Li Sanniang looked annoyed: "It's all my fault. I made too much noise and woke you up. Why don't you two go back to your room and rest for a while? We can take care of staying up all night. Mother, we're looking forward to holding our grandson next year. You two should go and rest now."

After saying that, he handed over a red envelope: "This is your first year marrying into our family. This red envelope is for your good luck."

She then handed one to her son, saying, "May this bring you good fortune, and may you benefit from Yan'er's good luck."

Meng Jiu accepted it with both hands and thanked him.

"I'll go and call your dad to help carry you back inside. I'll bring you some hot water to soak your feet later, and I'll put a few extra hot water bottles on the bed so your feet don't get cold."

After saying that, she gave Xu Chaoyan a meaningful look: "Don't think your mother is too talkative. It's the perfect time to get pregnant now. It won't be too hot when you're in confinement, so you'll have a more comfortable confinement period. Unlike when I gave birth to Xia'er, it was so hot that I broke out in rashes all over my body. That was a bit unbearable."

Xu Chaoyan never expected that her mother-in-law would bring this up on New Year's Eve. She could only bite the bullet and casually reply, "Yes, Mother, I know."

She then glanced at Meng Jiuhe, only to see his handsome face flushed red, his ears blushing as if they were dripping blood.

He spoke somewhat awkwardly, "Mother, didn't you say you were going to watch my younger brother and the others set off firecrackers? Aren't you going to go and see them?"

Li Sanniang smiled and said, "You think your mother is too nagging? Fine, I'll go find your father now. You two should get some rest too."

The sounds of children's laughter and firecrackers coming from outside the courtyard finally made Xu Chaoyan feel the spirit of the New Year.

Meng Jiuhe had never felt this joyful atmosphere in big cities before, and he saw her craning her neck to look outside.

He said softly, "Do you want to play with them too? Why don't you go out and play for a while? Remember to put on another coat when you go back inside, it's very cold outside."

Xu Chaoyan held her hands over the fire to warm them, then said, "Let's forget it. I'm most afraid of the cold. Let them go play by themselves. I'll sit here warming myself by the fire and eat a roasted sweet potato. I'll feel warm all over and I'll be quite satisfied."

The firewood crackled and popped incessantly, and the water in the pot began to gurgle and bubble again.

Xu Chaoyan quickly went to get the basin: "I'll wash your hands and face first. You should lie down on the bed later, be careful not to freeze your feet. I'll massage your legs again later, so that the muscles don't atrophy, otherwise all this effort will have been wasted."

As the man lay on the bed, Xu Chaoyan lifted his trouser leg and gently massaged him, chatting casually with him as she did so: "After the New Year and spring, when the weather gradually improves, I will help you slowly do rehabilitation. There is still a possibility that your leg will heal."

Meng Jiuhe stared at the tent ceiling for a long time without saying a word. After a while, he finally said, "Is there really any chance that I can stand up again?"

While massaging him, Xu Chaoyan comforted him, saying, "Why is it impossible? Didn't that doctor give you acupuncture last time? He said that as long as you train hard, just like a child learning to walk, as long as you get through that hurdle, you will have a chance to stand up. Don't give up on yourself. We are all behind you supporting you."

Meng Jiuhe looked up at Xu Chaoyan and saw her earnestly massaging his calves. He said gently, "It's getting late. You don't need to bother with all this. Hurry up and warm your hands, they're all red from the cold."

Xu Chaoyan smiled brightly: "You care about me?"

Meng Jiuhe turned his face away: "Go to sleep."

The sound of firecrackers at midnight echoed throughout the village. Xu Chaoyan was sleeping soundly, wrapped in her quilt. Meng Jiuhe was awakened by the noise. He glanced at the woman beside him in the dim light, pulled the quilt over her, and tucked her exposed hand under the covers.

The next day, Xu Chaoyan was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. She rubbed her eyes, still a little groggy, and asked, "What time is it?"

Meng Jiuhe also woke up at this time, looked up and glanced outside: "I estimate it's around 3 AM."

The candles were kept burning all night, leaving a thick layer of wax on the table. The village has a tradition of not turning off the lights on New Year's Eve, and they indulged in this extravagance last night.

You can't sleep in on the first day of the Lunar New Year, otherwise you'll be sleeping in all year round. Li San Niang got up early and cooked a pot of glutinous rice balls, symbolizing family reunion.

Xu Chaoyan was carrying a basin of water and was about to spill it when Meng Jiuxia stopped her: "Morning Flower, don't spill it. This is the rule that no water in the house can be spilled today, and we can't sweep the floor later either. Don't you know that?"

Xu Chaoyan looked bewildered: "I didn't know that was the case. Why is that?"

Meng Jiuxia quickly snatched the basin from her hand: "Didn't your family tell you? You've spilled your good fortune. Our family's fortune wasn't great to begin with."

Xu Chaoyan chuckled a few times: "Then I'll go fetch some water and bring back good fortune."

Li San Niang chuckled: "This child, there's no such saying, he's just talking nonsense. It's not surprising that you don't know."

Xu Chaoyan: "Mother, please tell me everything else, otherwise I'll make a mistake again."

Meng Jiudong then spoke up, "Sister-in-law, remember we can't use needles and thread, not even during the entire first month of the lunar year."

Xu Chaoyan felt ashamed, as she was indeed unaware of many of the rules.

The Meng family only rested for a few days before Meng's father got busy again.