Divorced woman with child travels through time

The two got up early, packed lunch for the children, and took them to the school in Wangjiazhuang. Then they went to the market to buy cattle. They took a small path, and with Wang Erniu traveling with them, they didn't have to worry about safety. Wang Erniu was very happy. Looking at Chen Wenfang's little hand swaying side by side, he felt a strong urge to hold her hand.

Unaware of what was happening, Chen Wenfang was deep in thought. A new year had begun, and she needed to make some plans. So she asked, "Brother Erniu, is there anything you want to do this year? The children have all been sent to school, let's discuss it together."

When asked out of the blue, Wang Erniu chuckled and said, "Do whatever you want, I'll just go with you."

Chen Wenfang turned her head and looked at his silly look, and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"

Wang Erniu chuckled and said, "Then you definitely won't."

Chen Wenfang asked seriously, "Brother Erniu, do all those wastelands next to our house belong to our family?"

"Yes, although my father is not good at farming, he loves to buy land. He used all the extra money he earned from the game he hunted to buy land, saying he would leave it to me in the future."

"There's so much, we probably can't plant it all by ourselves. Let's hire some people, let Uncle Liu Hai bring some men to help us clear it all out. Uncle Liu Hai is very good at farming, let's plant a big crop this year," Chen Wenfang said with great confidence, clenching her fist.

"Okay, Fang'er, it's up to you to decide." Wang Erniu looked at her with deep affection. She looked so beautiful and radiant with confidence.

"What does Fang'er plan to plant?"

"Well, after we finish planting all the chili peppers, let's plant something else. We won't plant wheat anymore; we'll buy it from anyone in the village who grows wheat and stock up on it. We'll also plant some soybeans and peanuts. Next time we go to the market, I'm going to put up a sign saying we're starting to sell candy. Peddlers can come to our house to buy goods; we'll focus on wholesale. But isn't our house a bit small? Should we expand it into a warehouse? No, we need two rooms, and one as a storefront specifically for displaying and selling our goods..." Chen Wenfang kept rambling on, lost in her own thoughts.

Wang Erniu looked at her amusedly and said, "Whatever, you decide. I believe you can do it, Boss Chen."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Oh dear, we've gone off on a tangent. No rush, let's take it slow, one step at a time! Everything will gradually come together." Wang Erniu nodded with a smile.

As the two were talking, they arrived at the market where they had sold cattle last time. Many people recognized Chen Wenfang and greeted her, "Madam Chen is here! Is there anything you want to buy?"

"Madam Chen, look at my lamb, it's so tender when roasted."

"My little piglet is exceptionally good. Would Madam Chen like to buy one and raise it?"

One after another, people came to greet her, but Chen Wenfang politely declined them all.

When they arrived at the cattle section, Chen Wenfang looked around and saw quite a few cattle of all sizes. She said to Wang Erniu, "Brother, let's buy a cow that can work. We still need to raise the smaller ones."

Wang Erniu said, "It will be a bit more expensive."

"It's okay, money is meant to be spent."

The two chose an adult water buffalo. It was a bit expensive, as a regular calf would only cost five or six taels of silver. This adult buffalo cost ten taels of silver. After choosing the buffalo, they bought a few catties of fresh meat and some tofu. The two then led the buffalo slowly home along a side path.

As they walked, Chen Wenfang suddenly had a whimsical idea and asked, "Brother Erniu, can we sit on this ox?"

"Of course you can, would you like to go up and give it a try?"

"I can't get up there..."

"I'll carry you up." Wang Erniu was secretly delighted. He put one arm around her and supported her legs with the other, pulling her into a full embrace. With a gentle lift, he placed Chen Wenfang on his back.

"Hehe, I didn't expect this ox to be so stable." It was Chen Wenfang's first time riding an ox, so she didn't notice his little scheme. She looked around curiously and even patted the ox's back, saying, "Thank you for your hard work!"

Wang Erniu found Chen Wenfang adorable no matter how he looked at her. He led the ox ahead, glancing back at her every now and then. Chen Wenfang sat happily on the ox's back, and the two went home.

After returning home, Chen Wenfang cooked a meal, while Wang Erniu tidied up the firewood in the cowshed in the yard, led the cow to graze, and picked up a few children from school. Luo Xiaohei followed behind, running around happily. Wang Erniu tied the cow to a tree by the pond to let it graze, and then took the dog to Wangjiazhuang to pick up the children.

Just as they reached the bridge, they saw Chu Yi approaching with his three little ones. Luo Xiaohei's tail was practically wagging off; he kept busy, licking one after another and kissing the other. The four of them chattered away, and Xiao Ahao excitedly told Wang Erniu, "Daddy, school is so much fun! I want to come again tomorrow!"

Wang Erniu smiled and said, "What did you learn today? You all tell me, first year of junior high, what do you say?"

Chu Yi honestly replied, "Today, Teacher Wang taught us characters, specifically the Three Character Classic. Among us, only Xuanzai learned it the best."

Erniu said, "Then you all need to work harder." The children nodded in agreement, but Chen Xuanyu was looking around suspiciously, and Erniu didn't say anything to him. He then picked up the children, untied the ox, and headed home.

Chen Xuanyu, true to his mother's nature, was just like her: "Is this our cow? I want to ride it! Uncle Erniu, can you lift me up?"

Wang Erniu smiled and agreed, then picked him up. Fifteen, standing nearby, clamored, "I want to go up too!" Wang Erniu picked him up as well. Little Ahao didn't like this, saying, "Then you guys walk slowly, I'm hungry, I want to go back and eat something delicious." With that, he ran off in a flash. Much faster than the ox, Chen Xuanyu panicked when he saw this and shouted, "Uncle Erniu, carry me down, I'm hungry too!" Wang Erniu had no choice but to carry them down again, and the two children chased after Little Ahao and ran home.

Chu Yi followed Wang Erniu and the other man slowly behind. After hesitating for a moment, Chu Yi said, "Uncle Erniu, Xuanzai has made an appointment with Master Wang's son to fight tomorrow."

Wang Erniu said without changing his expression, "How many of you can take on several? Do you think you can win?"

Chu Yi said, "I wonder how many will come tomorrow? But we should be able to beat them."

Where should we meet?

"Under the stone bridge!"

"Should I go?" Wang Erniu asked jokingly.

"No need, I can handle them," Chu Yi said seriously.

“Okay, tell me if anything happens, don’t be afraid!” Wang Erniu said in a deep voice.

Back home, Chen Wenfang had already prepared a meal: braised pork, pan-fried tofu with braised pork, stir-fried cabbage, steamed cured pork, and pan-fried cured fish. Thanks to the cellar they had dug, they had stored a lot of cabbage during the winter, and they hadn't finished it all by the end of the year.

The steaming hot food was served, and it was already dark. By the light of the lamp, everyone gathered around the table and ate their meal in a lively atmosphere.