Chapter 28: A Painful Sight

Chapter 28: A Painful Sight

Tang Yuan knew she shouldn't eat snacks before bed, especially sweets. But sugar was so rare in this era that she hadn't had any since she came here—she was craving it!

Especially with Old Feng constantly insisting she take some.

The crispy rice sticks coated in sugar were a favorite snack from her childhood in her previous life.

She lost her mother at a young age, and her father, a scoundrel, quickly remarried and didn't fulfill his parental duties. She was essentially an orphan without parents.

So her grandparents doted on her, wanting to give her all the love they could.

They encouraged her to study hard while also feeling sorry for how tired she got, always trying to make delicious food for her.

Whenever they went to the market, Grandpa would buy her various snacks, as many as were available.

He wouldn't allow her to miss out on anything that was being sold.

Tang Yuan picked up two rice sticks and savored them slowly. They were sweet and crunchy, just like the ones she used to eat as a child.

The familiar taste triggered a wave of nostalgia, making her heart swell and her eyes moisten.

Old Feng watched her with a sigh, pitying the poor child who probably hadn't had snacks like these before. Old Tang's wife was truly despicable!

She handed the bowl-sized bag filled to the brim to Tang Yuan. "It's all for you. Take your time eating."

Tang Yuan hurriedly declined, knowing these were meant as a gift for the matriarch. She only wanted to try a bit, not take everything.

Old Feng had already lain down and said in a dismissive tone, "My teeth aren't good; I can't bite into these things. I told them not to buy them, but now they'll go bad if we don't eat them. Help me finish them off."

Tang Yuan retied the bag and placed it on the windowsill. She drank some water, rinsed her mouth, and blew out the lamp to sleep.

The room in the Feng household was even larger than the one in Old Tang's house, with a wider bed. The courtyard had medicinal herbs drying, filling the air with a unique herbal fragrance.

Without the smell of animal waste, Tang Yuan slept soundly, even having a pleasant dream.

Old Feng didn't sleep well. At her age, she had few hours of sleep and woke up twice during the night.

The pain in her fractured bone grew worse over time, becoming increasingly swollen and painful, especially when she couldn't sleep.

Yet her mood was surprisingly cheerful.

People often said she was difficult to get along with, stingy, and harsh, and even spread rumors about her grandson being a troublemaker, making it hard for him to find a match.

But Tang Yuan got along well with her, showing no disdain for her difficult personality and certainly not looking down on Feng Chen.

The girl was kind-hearted and efficient, offering to help heat up meals. More importantly, she was honest, unlike some girls who claimed to help but actually stole eggs and flour.

The more the other party didn't take advantage, the more she wanted to give.

She believed others misunderstood her grandson. If they spent time with him, they'd see he was a good young man and would come to like him.

Now Tang Yuan and her parents spoke highly of him. With more time together, their marriage was bound to succeed.

During her sleepless nights, she imagined moving Tang Yuan's parents into the other rooms, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen getting engaged and married, having two children within three years, with the boys named one thing and the girls another, one from each family, and taking them to visit the ancestors' graves when they were older.

The Feng household was located in the northeast corner of the village, a bit isolated from the others, so the rooster's crow wasn't too loud in the morning.

Still, Tang Yuan woke up before dawn.

In this era, there was no entertainment, and they couldn't afford to burn oil lamps for leisure activities. They usually went to bed around eight or nine when it was pitch black.

With youthful vigor, seven to eight hours of sleep was enough to fully recharge.

Just as her parents arrived to continue planting sweet potatoes, Tang Yuan saw that Old Feng was still asleep and quietly got dressed in the dark.

Old Feng had a good habit of organizing things neatly, so even in the dark, Tang Yuan didn't bump into anything.

Outside, there was no moon, but the sky was full of stars.

The mist from the mountains felt cool.

She opened the door and exchanged a few words with her parents, who were eager to fetch water for the sweet potato planting. They left the food they brought—grain, pickles, and eggs—with her and hurried away.

When Tang Yuan returned to the room, Old Feng was awake.

She lit the kerosene lamp and said to Tang Yuan, "Don't worry about the oil. It's not worth risking a fall in the dark."

Tang Yuan first asked about Old Feng's foot. She naturally downplayed the pain and told Tang Yuan where the grains were, letting her decide what to cook.

To save time and firewood, and because there weren't many ingredients, they cooked everything in one pot.

Coarse grain porridge and coarse grain steamed buns, plus Tang Yuan made a steamed egg with pickles using two of their own eggs and a plain steamed egg for Old Feng.

The elderly woman needed extra nutrition due to her fracture.

While the food was simmering, Tang Yuan helped Old Feng use the toilet.

By the time they returned, the sky had brightened, and they prepared to eat.

Old Feng said, "Since we're close by, have your parents come over to eat instead of bringing food out."

Tang Yuan didn't refuse and went to call her parents.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang felt a bit embarrassed, thinking they could work longer if they ate in the field.

Tang Yuan was pulled over directly.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang discovered that Old Lady Feng was truly very kind, speaking politely without any harshness, praising their daughter for being diligent and good-hearted in every word.

Mother Tang, with something on her mind, observed secretly and felt that the old lady wasn't lying; it seemed she genuinely liked their daughter.

Mother Tang was also pleased that Old Lady Feng liked their daughter, ensuring that if they became in-laws, their daughter wouldn't suffer any grievances.

With this thought in mind, Mother Tang paid even more attention to her own behavior and that of her husband, preferring to speak less but correctly, while also observing Old Lady Feng's subtle attitude towards their daughter.

During the meal, Old Lady Feng said, "Yuan Yuan, there are a few fish in the jar under the eaves. Cook two of them for lunch; make them sweet and sour, they're delicious!"

Yesterday, when Tang Yuan brought the fish, she mentioned that they only had simple braising at home since they lacked sugar and vinegar. She sounded quite regretful about it.

Sweet and sour?

She had some!

Tang Yuan thought that since Old Lady Feng had a fractured bone, spicy food wasn't suitable, so sweet and sour would be fine.

As long as they had it at home, she would try to satisfy whatever the patient wanted.

She looked at the fish in the jar. Uncle Feng and Grandma Feng were really nice, giving her the bigger fish, while these were much smaller.

She asked her parents to bring all the fish from the livestock yard over in the evening, so everyone could eat together.

After the meal, Dad Tang filled up the water jar first.

The FENG family had a well with abundant and sweet-tasting water. Many people used to take a detour to fetch water from it, but after Old Lady Feng fell out with the villagers, she locked the gate and stopped letting people come.

Mother Tang whispered to her daughter, "Leave the clothes for me to wash when I come back at noon."

If she didn't have to cook and only worked, she had plenty of time.

The sweet potatoes in the private plot were almost planted, leaving a small area for her daughter to plant yams.

Tang Yuan needed to process the yam pieces and didn't refuse Mother Tang's offer to wash the clothes.

The yam pieces at home were almost ready; the remaining ones, unsuitable as seeds, would be kept for eating.

Feng Chen still had many yam pieces, so she sorted them out, keeping the best ones as seeds and storing the rest that could be preserved, quickly consuming those that couldn't last long.

Despite her injured foot, Old Lady Feng couldn't stay idle. She sat on a high stool, propping herself up with a stick, helping Tang Yuan with minor tasks.

No matter how Tang Yuan tried to dissuade her, Old Lady Feng insisted, so Tang Yuan assigned her some light work.

Old Lady Feng proudly said, "Yuan Yuan, don't look down on me just because I'm old. My hands and feet are nimble, and I won't be a burden to you."

Tang Yuan found it a bit odd, thinking that the old lady might be competitive and didn't want to lose to the young.

While working, Old Lady Feng not only assured that she wouldn't be a burden to her grandson but also took every opportunity to praise him, mentioning his hunting and farming skills, which Tang Yuan could see for herself, but also things she couldn't see.

"If you need anything, tell him, and he'll get it for you quietly. The white sugar, brown sugar, and kerosene we have at home are all thanks to him. Oh, and if you find good herbs, give them to him, and he can help you exchange them for money."

Tang Yuan was a bit surprised. These were all things Feng Chen did secretly, which shouldn't be easily revealed, yet Old Lady Feng told her so casually.

Was the old lady that naive?

Was this the same Old Lady Feng that the women described as stingy?

They seemed like two different people!

But Tang Yuan was delighted and readily agreed.

If she asked the elder directly, he wouldn't respond, but winning over his grandmother made everything easy!

In the original story, the protagonist always wanted to go into the mountains to collect herbs and sell them in the city. Other commune members also wanted to do this, but unfortunately, the County Hospital had a rule: they only accepted herbs collected by designated commune members, rejecting all others.

If the hospital pharmacy didn't accept them, people would only gather herbs for personal use, so the commune members didn't go into the mountains to collect herbs.

Tang Xiang knew that Uncle Feng had a way because he was the hospital accountant and could arrange a certain quota with the pharmacy procurement department.

At first, she wanted to use Feng Chen's channel but was rejected mercilessly.

Later, Song Huazhang offered an iridium pen, imported chocolates, and high-end cookies as gifts to help Tang Xiang bribe Uncle Feng, securing her a share of the herb quota.

Thanks to this, Tang Xiang made a fortune.

Since Tang Xiang needed to bribe to get a share, Old Lady Feng and Feng Chen must have received shares from Uncle Feng.

If that was the case, she would have something to do when she went into the mountains.

Of course, she wouldn't take too much of their share; she wasn't that shameless.

Throughout the morning, Tang Yuan and Old Lady Feng got along very pleasantly. Tang Yuan felt a sense of ease she hadn't experienced since crossing over.

For lunch, Tang Yuan put great effort into making the sweet and sour carp, limited by her knife skills but excelling in the sauce, which was perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, lifting everyone's spirits.

Old Lady Feng tasted it and couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, "Wow, girl, this dish is restaurant-quality, excellent!"

Dad Tang and Mother Tang had never tasted such delicacies before. Even without the sweet and sour fish, the sauce alone was enough to amaze them.

"Can fish taste this good?" Dad Tang murmured.

In the Tang family, cooking meant getting food cooked and eaten; enjoying it was out of the question.

In the past, Grandma Tang was in charge of cooking the fish distributed by the commune, but it never tasted good, often having a muddy flavor and sometimes even bitter. It certainly didn't compare to the delicious sweet and sour or even Tang Yuan's simple braised fish.

Of course, Dad Tang didn't know that such cooking was subpar and unappetizing; he thought that was just how fish tasted.

Now that he's eaten the fish his daughter made, he realizes fish can be this delicious!

Mother Tang couldn't help wiping away her tears.

Old Lady Feng began praising them again, "You two have such good fortune to have a daughter like Yuanyuan; you must cherish her."

Dad Tang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, of course."

Mother Tang gave her daughter a serving of fish meat and said tenderly, "Yuanyuan, eat more. From now on, all the good food in our house is yours."

In the past, whenever there was something delicious at Old Tang's place, Grandma Tang would always favor her grandson and Tang Xiang. Tang Yuan felt both envious and angry, wondering when it would be her turn to be favored.

At that time, Mother Tang's heart ached. She also wanted to favor her daughter and give her the best food first, but she was just a bought wife with no say in the matter.

Now that they've separated households, all the good things will go to their daughter from now on.

Tang Yuan smiled sweetly, "We'll share all the good food together."

Old Lady Feng, while enjoying the sweet and sour fish, sighed, "That brat Feng Chen has no luck; he won't get to taste such delicious fish."

Tang Yuan smiled, "It's okay. When he comes back, we'll make it again."

As long as he can get the sugar and vinegar and the fish, what's the difficulty?

Old Lady Feng was waiting for her to say that. She immediately grinned widely and enthusiastically urged Dad Tang and Mother Tang to eat more fish, "There's so much fish here. You should eat more, and get full before going to work."

After the meal, Mother Tang washed clothes, and Dad Tang went to the plot of land to dig trenches for planting yams according to Tang Yuan's instructions, then went to work.

In the evening, when Tang Zhonghe came to check on Old Lady Feng's foot, he smelled the enticing aroma of sweet and sour fish.

He couldn't help but inhale deeply.

Tang Yuan smiled and brought out half a fish she had saved for him from the cupboard.

She had specifically asked Old Lady Feng's permission to save it for him.

Of course, Old Lady Feng agreed; after all, Tang Zhonghe was treating her foot.

Tang Zhonghe was so moved that he almost shed tears. Could it be that he could still benefit from Old Lady Feng in his lifetime?

"Grandma Feng, my mother has always stood up for you whenever others spoke ill of you, but unfortunately, they were too many and too powerful."

Old Lady Feng laughed, "I'm an old woman who's lived this long. I know everyone in the village well. Don't worry, I won't wrong anyone."

When others curse her, does she not curse them back?

She didn't spare any effort in cursing those who spoke ill of her, especially those who badmouthed her grandson.

Tang Zhonghe ate a couple of bites to satisfy his craving but couldn't bear to eat more. He wanted to take some back for his mother, wife, and children to taste.

This made Old Lady Feng even happier.

Elders love filial children.

~~

~~

For several days, Tang Yuan stayed at the Feng family to keep Old Lady Feng company.

With her excellent cooking skills and Old Lady Feng's abundant ingredients, they enjoyed several good meals.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang finished planting sweet potatoes and then, following Tang Yuan's instructions, planted some yam tubers in their own plot of land, vegetable garden, and the Feng family's plot.

Limited by the land and seeds, they finished planting in two days.

Without fertilizer, Tang Yuan taught her father to bring back humus soil from the mountains.

The humus soil, along with rotten leaves, was brought back and piled into the green manure pit in the plot of land. Mixed with an appropriate amount of quicklime and covered with soil and water, it would become excellent green manure after about twenty days.

Quicklime is used for disinfection and pest control, but the amount must be controlled properly; otherwise, too much lime can burn plants, and too little won't kill the pests.

If chicken, duck, or sheep manure were mixed in for fermentation, it would be excellent nutrient-rich soil.

Unfortunately, they had no livestock manure, and the two chickens didn't produce much chicken droppings.

Even if there were mud in the pond, it belonged to the collective, and only the production team could organize people to clear the pond and dig out the mud. Individuals couldn't touch it.

Now that they had humus soil, they were content.

Seeing the couple working so hard, Old Lady Feng felt as if she saw her second son and his wife.

She raised one foot, leaned on her walking stick, and instructed Tang Yuan to find a wheelbarrow from the southern shed.

The wooden frame and wooden wheels, though not rubber, made it easier to push than carrying loads.

Dad Tang knew some basic carpentry. Seeing that the wheels were in good condition, he repaired the frame and attached two long baskets.

This way, they could use the wheelbarrow to transport humus soil from the mountains.

The couple worked very hard. Since their plot of land was far from Uncle Tang's, they didn't visit often. They started early or worked late into the night, transporting humus soil back for compost.

Thanks to their diligence, they had enough green manure for their plot.

Tang Yuan estimated that the yield would increase by at least thirty percent compared to without fertilizer!

This was quite significant.

Feeling the timing was right, Old Lady Feng discussed moving while teaching Tang Yuan how to process herbs.

"Yuanyuan, there are two empty rooms over there. Why don't you talk to your parents about moving in?"

Tang Yuan looked at her in disbelief. Move in?

At first, Tang Yuan had intended to rent the two rooms from Old Lady Feng, but Old Lady Feng had previously had an unpleasant experience with tenants and was kicked out, vowing that she would rather leave the rooms empty than rent them again. So Tang Yuan didn't bring it up.

Unexpectedly, Old Lady Feng brought it up herself.

Tang Yuan probed, "Grandma Feng, should we wait for Feng Chen to come back and discuss it?"

What if the big shot doesn't agree?

Old Lady Feng, however, said proudly, "In our family, the women are in charge. Now I make the decisions, and in the future, his wife will."

He is an only child, his parents are gone, and his wife is also an only child. How could her parents not treat him like their own son and support him?

Isn't it right for him to help take care of his wife's parents?

Heh heh.

Tang Yuan thought about it: they could rent the place for a while, and once their house was built, they could move out without delaying the big shot's marriage.

But then again, the big shot isn't interested in women, so he might never get married.

Thinking this, she looked at Old Lady Feng with some sympathy.

The old lady was hoping for her grandson to get married, but...

Old Lady Feng met Tang Yuan's seemingly meaningful gaze. What, don't believe me?

She slapped her thigh, "I'll talk to your parents at noon."

Tang Yuan felt a bit unreal, "Grandma Feng, about the rent..."

Old Lady Feng replied, "I've always said that I'd rather leave these rooms empty than rent them to outsiders. You're not an outsider. I won't rent them to you; I'll lend them to you. Living here, you'll be helping me a lot, won't you?" She counted on her fingers, "When Feng Chen is not home, you can help me fetch water, chop firewood, cook meals. If I have a headache or fever, someone can help me. Otherwise, if I get sick, no one would take care of me, right?"

Thinking about it this way, trading labor for rent wasn't unreasonable.

Tang Yuan smiled, "Thank you, Grandma Feng."

At noon, when Dad Tang and Mother Tang came over for lunch, Tang Yuan discussed it with them.

Of course, it was good news!

It was completely unexpected for both of them.

Who would want to live in the animal shed with seven or eight animals making it stink?

Dad Tang, a rough man, didn't mind, but he didn't want his wife and daughter to suffer.

Mother Tang was naturally even happier, not just because the Fengs' place was cleaner than the animal shed, but also because it was farther from the Old Tangs' place. Old Lady Feng and Grandma Tang didn't get along, and the eldest sister-in-law wouldn't dare come over casually.

However, Dad Tang and Mother Tang didn't want to stay for free. They believed that helping Old Lady Feng with chores was natural, but they still wanted to pay rent.

If they had no money, they could pay with labor points or food.

Not paying wasn't an option.

Old Lady Feng knew they didn't want to take advantage of anyone. If she didn't accept rent, they might not feel comfortable living there, so she agreed.

She asked for one labor point per day, plus help fetching water, chopping firewood, and sweeping the yard when Feng Chen was away.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang insisted on giving two labor points and doing the same chores.

Old Lady Feng thought about it: whether they gave one or two labor points, it would all end up as food rations.

Since they weren't taking advantage of her, she wouldn't let them lose out either and would subsidize their food rations.

She smiled, "Alright, have Zhonghe come over tonight as a witness."

Not because she feared Dad Tang and Mother Tang would renege, but to avoid gossip from others.

Tang Zhonghe was surprised when she heard that Old Lady Feng was lending the rooms to Dad Tang.

Was Old Lady Feng being so generous?

But upon reflection, it wasn't surprising.

She could see that Old Lady Feng liked Tang Yuan very much and probably wanted to matchmake between Tang Yuan and Feng Chen.

If Feng Chen were still the idle young man who wandered around the city, Tang Zhonghe would have advised Dad Tang and Mother Tang against it, thinking he wasn't good enough for Tang Yuan. But now that Feng Chen hunted and gathered herbs in the mountains instead of wandering around the city, she thought it was fine.

She agreed to be a witness and took the opportunity to enjoy another meal cooked by Tang Yuan—yam carp soup and wild chives scrambled eggs.

Before leaving, she happily took half a box of carp soup with her.

The next day, when Dad Tang told Tang Bingde and the Rich Peasant about borrowing the Fengs' place, they were also very surprised.

After all, Tang Bingde had previously tried to rent the rooms from Old Lady Feng for the new arrivals, but she refused without any consideration.

The Rich Peasant was surprised by Old Lady Feng's generosity but was more reluctant to let Dad Tang's family go.

Dad Tang helped feed the animals morning and night, greatly reducing his burden.

Tang Yuan occasionally made delicious meals and remembered to save some for him.

Sigh, no more of those good times.

Tang Bingde said, "Alright, you can borrow the Fengs' place for now. If we build a house for you next year, it still counts."

Dad Tang was happy and grateful. In the past, he would have just rubbed his hands in excitement.

Now, after being coached by his daughter, he managed to say, "Thank you, Seventh Uncle."

Tang Bingde shuddered at the flattery and scolded, "Why are you talking in such formalities within the family?"

Dad Tang sheepishly shut his mouth.

The Rich Peasant said, "Fulin, come visit often even after moving away."

Dad Tang immediately replied, "Brother, rest assured. I'll help feed the livestock and chop hay whenever I have time."

Dad Tang loved tending to the livestock, and they were closer to him than to the Rich Peasant.

Especially the big black cow with her calf; she usually had a temper but was particularly fond of him. Every time he fed her grass and water, she would nuzzle him affectionately.

In recent days, he had been leading the team to deeply plow the fields, and the big black cow had been working alongside them.

She didn't listen as well to others, but when Dad Tang called out, she cooperated readily.

The Rich Peasant said that livestock had their own spirit, and Dad Tang was a natural caretaker, which is why they were so close to him.

Though this praise might have been partly to encourage Dad Tang to work more, it wasn't entirely untrue.

With limited time at noon, Dad Tang and Mother Tang packed up their belongings to move in the evening after finishing work.

The Rich Peasant helped too.

They didn't have much stuff, and most of their rations were already consumed.

The fish Feng Chen had given them had also been eaten by the Feng family over the past few days, leaving only two chickens.

Dad Tang dug up a small fragrant tree sapling as his daughter had requested, one that was easy to grow, and left the rest behind.

The Rich Peasant used the wooden cart from the livestock yard to haul all their belongings to the Feng residence.

Such a big move, even at dusk, attracted the attention of villagers.

Those who saw couldn't help but ask what was happening.

When they heard that Old Lady Feng was lending them a house to live in, everyone's mouths dropped open in disbelief.

"Borrowing a house from the Fengs? Would Old Lady Feng really lend it?"

"Don't kid us. How much did you give Old Lady Feng?"

"No money? That can't be possible. How could she be so generous?"

"Ah, are you going to become in-laws?"

It must be that. If not becoming in-laws, how could Old Lady Feng be so generous?

She had been desperately trying to arrange a marriage for her grandson, but no family wanted to marry their daughter to the idle Feng Chen, and she was getting desperate.

She was desperate!

She was using the house to persuade Tang Yuan's parents to marry their daughter to her grandson!

Poor girl...

Wait, wasn't Tang Yuan... crazy? Even if she wasn't completely crazy, she was still not fully recovered.

Didn't she attack her aunt that day in the private plot?

And she kept shouting about returning to heaven.

Was Old Lady Feng willing to overlook a crazy girl just to get a wife for her grandson?

Poor...

Forget it, what's there to pity about that idle scoundrel Feng Chen?

Marrying a crazy girl is better than being alone, and besides, she's not always crazy, just occasionally.

Some people were curious to see the spectacle, wondering how the stingy and mean Old Lady Feng could pretend to be generous by lending a house to Tang Yuan's family.

How could they believe it?

Old Lady Feng wanted Tang Yuan as her granddaughter-in-law.

Tang Yuan's parents wanted to live in the Feng house.

They wanted to see when the two families would turn on each other and fight!

How exciting!

Especially the aunt, her eyes were red with anger.

When she learned that Dad Tang and Mother Tang were moving to the Feng residence, she immediately wanted to confront them but was held back by Uncle Tang.

Uncle Tang was upset that his second brother had distanced himself, but remembering how Tang Yuan had acted crazily that day, he could understand.

After all, they were brothers, and he wished his brother well.

The aunt cursed and beat the chickens at home, feeling very unhappy. At dinner, she couldn't help but sneer, "What a joke! They won't exchange brides within the family but are willing to marry off their daughter to an abusive scoundrel. When she gets beaten up by Feng Chen, don't expect her brothers to stand up for her."

Uncle Tang grumbled, "Enough, let's eat."

But the aunt was still upset, "Enough for what? What kind of reputation does Old Lady Feng have in the village? Our mother has never gotten along with her. What does it mean for the second family to move into her house? Isn't this slapping our mother in the face?"

Grandma Tang didn't respond. Though she was also unhappy, having the second family living in the smelly livestock shed wasn't ideal. It was fine for them to stay in the Feng residence rent-free.

But she wasn't pleased with Old Lady Feng's scheme to marry Tang Yuan off to Feng Chen either, hoping deep down that Tang Yuan would go crazy at the Feng household and preferably tear it apart.

The person she disliked most right now was her eldest daughter-in-law, who pursed her lips and huffed, "Let's eat. Why do you keep nagging about others?"

Now that they had been separated for quite some time, the men and children were all on her side, making her posture even more assertive.

She didn't stop talking but instead looked around the table in surprise, "Where's Wu'er? Why isn't he back for dinner?"

Tang Xiang wasn't home either; she had eaten a bit in the evening before heading out to find Song Huazhang, saying she wanted to learn from the educated youth and become a teacher.

Tang Wen, who had been silent all this while, said, "He said he had something to do and wouldn't be coming back for dinner when we finished work."

Mother Elder Sister was puzzled, "What could he have to do? Did he go to work on our own plot of land?"

Tang Wen replied, "He finished working on our own plot."

Eldest Sister-in-Law, feeding her child while looking down, sneered, "Work on our own plot is never done, but Tang Wu knows how to slack off, leaving everything for his elder brother."

At the Feng household, things were bustling.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang had moved everything over, and Tang Yuan had tidied up the house earlier in the day.

She wrapped her head and swept the roof, cleaned every corner, and wiped everything clean with a cloth.

Old Lady Feng then lit mugwort to fumigate both inside and out.

When they moved in that evening, the place was fresh and comfortable.

There was a complete, sturdy fire pit, with a half-new but intact straw mat laid over thick, dry wheat straw underneath.

Lying on it felt soft and very comfortable.

Old Lady Feng smiled kindly, "Fulin and your wife can sleep in this room. Can Yuan Yuan still stay with me?"

Dad Tang and Mother Tang naturally agreed, as long as the old lady didn't mind the trouble.

Their daughter was growing up; it wasn't appropriate for her to share a bed with her parents anymore.

Old Lady Feng added, "You're familiar with the house now. Feel free to eat if you're hungry, drink if you're thirsty, or use the toilet whenever you need to. Don't feel awkward."

Tang Yuan's family didn't have a pot, so they pooled their food with Old Lady Feng to cook together and ate together.

Old Lady Feng used to be particular, but Dad Tang and Mother Tang weren't. In the past few days, Old Lady Feng had become less particular and always encouraged them to eat more.

Living here made it easier for Dad Tang and Mother Tang to tend to their own plot of land, which was just outside.

After spring planting, the main tasks were weeding and loosening the soil. Sweet potatoes required even less maintenance, needing only to be turned during the rainy season to prevent tangled roots.

The couple continued to bring back composted soil to make fertilizer.

They didn't know about this before, but now that they did, they were determined to accumulate more. Who among the farmers would complain about having too much fertilizer?

Tang Yuan got along well with Old Lady Feng, occasionally venturing into the mountains to dig up medicinal herbs and storing them. Away from the Tang family, she lived quite comfortably.

However, she didn't expect to frequently run into Tang Xiang and Song Huazhang, who were dating, acting like they had activated some cheesy romance skill, making even passing dogs roll their eyes.

Encountering them was one thing, but seeing Tang Wu and Tong Xue in the grass was like a curse!

If she had sinned, let her go back in time, why did she have to see them getting intimate while digging herbs?

Aren't you two moving a bit too fast!