Divorced woman with child travels through time

As darkness fell, the sweet potatoes were almost done roasting.

Uncle Liu Hai was wearing thick gloves specially made by Chen Fang. He took out a sweet potato from inside each person's hand. Chen Xuanyu and Shiwu took two small ones, which cooked the fastest, and they started eating them first. After that, when they were all cooked, everyone had a sweet potato and started eating.

The yard was filled with the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes; who could resist that?

"It smells so good, Mom, I want another one." Chen Xuanyu took the smallest one, and after finishing it, he wanted another.

Fifteen was quite well-behaved and too shy to ask for more; she just watched everyone else eat with longing.

"Don't eat too much, and go to bed early tonight to avoid indigestion. If you want more, I'll roast some more for you later." Chen Wenfang didn't take out many to roast. Mainly because it was her first time roasting, and she was afraid of ruining them. She didn't expect Uncle Liu Hai to not only know how to farm, but also to be such a skilled sweet potato roaster.

"Okay," Chen Xuanyu replied obediently, disappointed. Uncle Liu then took out his sweet potato, broke it in half, and handed it to him, saying, "I have some here, you can have it."

Taking advantage of Chen Wenfang's inattention, Chen Xuanyu quickly grabbed it and went to the kitchen to eat it.

Chen Wenfang didn't even realize what was happening; this kid was really something.

After the sweet potatoes were roasted, Uncle Liu Hai took out the last two and asked, "Who wants these?"

Stone and Chen Xuanyu, who was running over, shouted in unison, "I want it! I want it!"

On the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, Da Zhuang watched silently without saying a word. His eyes revealed longing.

Chen Wenfang stuffed the half-eaten sweet potato in her hand into Chen Xuanyu's hand and said, "Eat it, you can have mine."

Chen Xuanyu didn't mind at all, and took it to his mouth and started eating, his little mouth full of dark red sweet potato pulp.

Then he broke the remaining two sweet potatoes in half and gave them to the two brothers, Chu Yi and Da Zhuang, so that everyone would have some to eat.

Chu Yi and Da Zhuang are both the well-behaved, quiet type, but you can tell they are very touched.

Aunt Liu and her husband looked at each other and smiled. Fang'er really treated them all like family. She treated everyone so equally.

After distributing the sweet potatoes, Chen Wenfang asked Aunt Liu, "Auntie, when is the market day this time?"

Aunt Liu said, "It's winter now and the weather is quite cold. I heard there will be a big market on the fifteenth of the lunar month. It's almost the end of the year, and everyone needs to prepare some New Year's goods."

"But it's only early November, there are still almost two months until the Lunar New Year. Are you already starting to prepare for the holiday?"

"That's about it. We need to hibernate in winter. It's almost snowing."

"Will there be market days again after this one?" Chen Wenfang asked.

"Yes, the market will be open every day from the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month onwards," Uncle Liu Hai interjected. "Fang'er, are you going to sell something?"

“Yes, everyone needs to buy New Year's goods at the end of the year. I'm taking advantage of this time to make a batch of candy to sell at the end of the year. I want to earn some money for the New Year,” Chen Wenfang said with a smile. “Uncle Liu, candy at the end of the year probably isn't cheap, is it?”

"It's really not cheap, about forty-odd coins a pound, and it doesn't even taste good," Uncle Liu Hai said. "Many families can't afford sugar."

"Then you can sell roasted sweet potatoes at the market this time. There will be a lot of people at the market, and you should be able to sell all of those 100-plus jin (50-odd kilograms) except for the seeds."

Uncle Liu Hai nodded and said, "I want to save seeds for next year. The sweet potatoes will only weigh about 100 jin (50 kg). How much charcoal will I need to bring?"

Chen Wenfang pondered, "Bringing twenty or thirty catties should be enough. Maybe I won't even need that much. I won't go then. I'll stay home for the next twenty days to prepare candies and bring them all to sell at the next market and make a good profit."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Wenfang said, "Auntie, could you please go back to Wangjiazhuang and tell Aunt Chuntao for me? Anyone in our village who has syrup can send it to me. I'll collect the syrup. Also, how many pounds of peanuts do you have left? Sell me all the rest, except for the ones you're saving for seed?"

Aunt Liu said, "That's easy. How do you plan to buy the syrup? By the can?"

“Yes, just tell them to buy by the jar, and also check how well the syrup is made and how clean it is. Good syrup will cost 32 coins, slightly worse syrup will cost 20 to 25 coins, and really bad syrup will not be accepted. A jar of syrup only costs 35 coins at the market outside. Buying it at home now should be an acceptable price. What do you think, Uncle Liu?” Chen Wenfang asked.

“This price is acceptable. It’s winter now, and you’ve shared the recipe for making syrup. Almost every household knows how to make it, and people with nothing else to do will definitely be willing to sell it. Going to town would cost money,” Uncle Liu Hai said.

“Okay, I’ll go to the village tomorrow and let them know,” Aunt Liu replied.

Uncle Liu Hai said, "There are about twenty or thirty catties of peanuts left. Fang'er, do you want them all?"

"Okay, I'll take them all. Then please peel them and bring them over later. Just tell me how much it will cost."

Uncle Liu Hai nodded.

Chen Wenfang continued, "Auntie, do you have time to help us shell sunflower seeds? Anyone in our village who shells sunflower seeds is fine too. I'll also buy the kernels. Sunflower seeds are about seven coins a pound, and if I buy the kernels, well, including the empty shells, it's fifteen coins a pound." Chen Wenfang added, "You can't shell them with your mouth. Maybe we should forget it, no one would know if someone else did it with their mouth. Haha." Chen Wenfang thought about it and then decided against it, deciding to buy some sesame seeds later.

“That’s true. Hehe,” Aunt Liu chimed in.

Chen Wenfang made both herself and Aunt Liu laugh.

Aunt Liu smiled and said, "Fang'er, are you making something new to eat again?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "That's right. We should have a good New Year. If we can't sell them all, we can eat them ourselves. Uncle Liu, please roast some sweet potatoes and send a few to the Ouyang family as a token of my appreciation."

Uncle Liu Hai said, "Okay."

Aunt Liu went inside and took out a large bag of shoes, saying, "Come here, Fang'er, take a look at these shoes, I've finished making them."

Aunt Liu guessed that there must be shoes belonging to her own family among them, and she already had a idea in mind while making them. She knew her family's shoe sizes. However, she definitely couldn't leave them out; she knew Chen Wenfang's personality, so she would make her another pair of embroidered shoes later.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw the bag of new shoes. They couldn't hide their excitement; would they ever get one themselves?

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Everyone has one."

"Oh, oh!" Stone and Chen Xuanyu cheered together and rushed over.

"Don't come any closer, I'll divide it." Chen Wenfang successfully stopped the two restless little ones.

Chen Wenfang opened the bundle; inside were pairs of cotton shoes, each embroidered with a different pattern. She took out two pairs embroidered with monkeys and handed them to Chen Xuanyu, saying, "These are yours." Chen Xuanyu happily tried them on right then and there.

The shoes embroidered with stones were clearly made of stones, while the ones embroidered with a river were for Dazhuang, and the shoes for the first and fifteenth of the lunar month were for the first and fifteenth. One shoe had leaves embroidered on it, and the other had bamboo. Chen Wenfang handed them out one by one. Chen Wenfang saw the shoes embroidered with peach blossoms; they were exceptionally exquisite. Indeed, they were her shoes, better made than the others.

There were also one or two pairs of men's shoes for adults. Chen Wenfang didn't say anything, but Aunt Liu guessed that these were definitely for Uncle Liu Hai. Aunt Liu had also embroidered a small green flower on her own shoes, which looked very pretty. Chen Wenfang also shared the shoes with them.

Everyone started trying on the shoes. It was a bit early to wear cotton shoes in early winter, but they weren't too hot anymore.

Chen Xuanyu proudly stretched out his foot for Shi Tou to see, "Isn't my little monkey cute!"

Stone carefully tried on the new shoes, then took them off and put on his old ones, saying, "They look good. These shoes are so soft and comfortable. I'll wear them again next time."

Seeing this, Dazhuang changed back into his old shoes and hugged the new shoes to his chest.

Chen Wenfang said with a smile, "It's not too cold now, but you should put them on when it gets cold. Shoes are not as important as your health. Aunt Liu worked so hard and embroidered them so beautifully, they're not for you to just hold and look at."

Aunt Liu laughed and said, "I'm not tired at all. Fang'er has already given each of us two pairs of shoes. That must have cost a lot of money. You, you shouldn't spend money so extravagantly."

Uncle Liu Hai said embarrassedly, "Your aunt is right, you should be more frugal. We feel unworthy of your help."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Isn't the purpose of making money to make life better for ourselves and the people around us? Look at you all, taking good care of me. You can't say things like that, we're family."

Aunt Liu said, touched, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore. It's too late, Fang'er, you should get some rest, let's go back first."

Chen Wenfang watched the family leave and then closed the courtyard gate.