Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

It was another sunny day. Li Xiaonuan stepped out of her room, stretched, and felt that life couldn't be better.

Xiao Gang helped the sleepy Xiao Jun wash up in the yard, Xiao Yang was carrying a bucket of water back, Su was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Li's father had just entered the outhouse, and the old lady was standing under the eaves combing her hair.

Yes, how fortunate it is to be able to live such a life. But who can know how much Li Xiaonuan has sacrificed for this peaceful and stable life? At least, even now, she still cannot live for herself.

I still remember my conversation with Prince Jing in that courtyard that day. Although things were peaceful, it greatly restricted Li Xiaonuan's personal freedom. In other words, no matter when or where, she had to appear and serve him whenever Prince Jing summoned her.

And the most absurd thing is that such appointments come without any compensation or promises. But just thinking of the safety of her clan and family, Li Xiaonuan felt relieved. What could be better than ensuring her family and clan could live peacefully?

Li Xiaonuan had forgotten most of the conversation that day. But the jade pendant that Prince Jing gave her before she left left a deep impression on her. Because the mark on the pendant that Prince Jing gave her was the same as the badge on the back of the jade pendant that Wei Yu had given her before.

The only difference is that Wei Yu's pendant is always cold and can never be warmed up. The one Li Xiaonuan is wearing now, though made of excellent jade, is not as good as Wei Yu's. Wei Yu's pendant is teardrop-shaped; Li Xiaonuan's is gourd-shaped.

Li Xiaonuan touched her chest and suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. Xiao Jun, having washed his face, ran over and asked her, "Big sister, why didn't you wash your face?"

Li Xiaonuan chuckled and replied, "I finished washing up in my room. Why did Xiaojun get up so early today?"

Xiao Jun twisted his fingers a little shyly and said with his head down, "Brother Xiao Gang said last night that he would take me home to see my parents, so I got up."

Li Xiaonuan gently ruffled Xiaojun's unkempt hair and comforted him, "Our Xiaojun is going home to see his mother, that's wonderful! You should stay home for a couple of days, and then your older brother Xiaoyang will pick you up, okay?"

Xiao Jun chuckled and nodded vigorously in agreement. Li Xiaonuan felt a pang of heartache, thinking she really shouldn't have separated the mother and son. But the thought of Li Shi gave her a headache. Just two days ago, she had even sent her brother to Xinzhou Village to ask for her son back.

I really don't know how someone who is usually so shrewd and calculating could lose their composure when it comes to Xiaojun's matter. The reason the old lady kept Xiaojun in the house was simply because she didn't want him to go back and face his parents' arguments.

Fortunately, Fourth Uncle was reliable and actually got rid of the other woman. As for his problem with Li, that was their private matter. I heard that Li's family caused a scene at Fourth Uncle's house, and his two younger brothers smashed all the furniture that Fourth Uncle had worked so hard to buy.

Later, after something her fourth uncle said, Li's parents took her home directly. Moreover, Li's family compensated for all the damage caused by her two reckless brothers-in-law.

In those days, everyone in Laren Village was saying that Fourth Uncle had divorced Li Shi. In the end, it was Xiao Yan who cried and begged Fourth Uncle, and cried and went to Li's house to ask for her mother back, and only then did the couple get back together.

Of course, these were all learned from the gossipy matchmaker Jin and Zhou Rong's family. As for the truth, only the parties involved know. Since they sent word for Xiao Jun to return, they must have already resolved all the issues.

Li Xiaonuan found a comb and tied two little cow horns around Xiaojun's neck. She put a small satchel she had specially sewn for him on his back, which contained a bag of candied plums and a bag of medicinal candy that Xiaogang had brought back from the pharmacy. Xiaojun grinned, revealing his tiny white teeth.

After breakfast, Xiao Yang carried Xiao Jun on his back and set off with Xiao Gang. Xiao Gang carried a basket containing a live rabbit and a live pheasant, which the old lady had specifically asked him to take to his fourth uncle.

After breakfast, Li Xiaonuan went to the backyard as usual to check on the magnolia cuttings she had planted. Although she knew they wouldn't survive, Li Xiaonuan stubbornly wanted to give it a try. Who knew if a miracle might happen, just like hers?

Su shoveled a basket of wood ash from the kitchen and poured it into a small earthenware jar by the vegetable garden. Seeing Li Xiaonuan watering the few withered branches again, she advised her, "Don't waste your energy anymore. Today is the seventh day. If you were alive, you would have been alive long ago."

Li Xiaonuan put down the gourd ladle in her hand and asked Su Shi, "Mother, don't we have this kind of tree here? If we do, I'll have someone dig up two and plant them."

Mrs. Su patted the winnowing basket, then covered the small earthenware jar, saying, "I've never seen this tree before. If we really had one here, it would be nice to plant a couple; the flowers are beautiful and fragrant."

Even the Su family had never seen one, so this magnolia must not be from Yongzhou Prefecture. Li Xiaonuan was slightly disappointed, but she didn't persist.

Seeing Li Xiaonuan frown, Madam Su felt a pang of heartache. These past few days, Li Xiaonuan had been sleeping in late and not doing anything, which to outsiders might have seemed like laziness. But Madam Su knew that Li Xiaonuan had something on her mind, and something important at that. But since Li Xiaonuan didn't say anything, they didn't feel comfortable asking.

Li Xiaonuan knew her behavior had been somewhat unusual these past few days, but she didn't want to explain anything. She just wanted to be willful for once, to be a carefree person who didn't want to think about or do anything. Fortunately, her family all let her be, and even if they were curious, they didn't ask anything.

Distractedly following Su Shi to pick broad beans, Li Xiaonuan was mentally planning how to proceed with her manor project.

"Xiao Nuan, those beans are old and were meant to be used as seeds. Why did you pick them?" As soon as Su turned around, she saw Li Xiao Nuan picking the bean pods that she had specially saved for making beans, and she quickly stopped her.

Li Xiaonuan snapped out of her daze, looked at the six or seven plump, firm bean pods in her hand, and said apologetically, "I didn't notice for a moment and just picked them. But these beans can be shelled and stir-fried; they taste pretty good."

Looking at Li Xiaonuan's pointed chin and her thin body covered by her clothes, Su scolded, "If you want to eat fried beans, just pick some. Look how thin you are, people will think I'm not giving you any. I think we can save some seeds later, so let's pick enough for a plate to fry."

Knowing that Madam Su was worried about her, Li Xiaonuan hugged Madam Su's arm and said coquettishly, "Mother, you still love me the most."

Su deliberately put on a stern face and scolded her, "Why are you shaking it? You've shaken all the beans off. Hurry up and pick them."

Li Xiaonuan smiled brightly and continued picking beans. This time, however, she didn't touch the beans that had been deliberately left out. As she picked, Li Xiaonuan suddenly remembered something.

"Mom, where did you put that bag of peanuts that Brother Zhao brought last time?" Peanuts! Those are peanuts! We mustn't let the mice eat them.

Without looking up, Su replied nonchalantly, "Keep it safe, I'll take it out for you later."

Li Xiaonuan thought to herself: Just wait, don't admire me too much after I grow the peanuts.