Chapter 1: Time Travel to the 60s

Chapter 1: Time Travel to the 60s

In 1968, the members of Linjia Village were working feverishly on the harvest under the leadership of their team leader.

A year of hard work had finally paid off, and for the sake of their families' sustenance, everyone was giving their all.

Even Lin Laosi, the laziest in the village, put in half his usual effort.

Normally, he wouldn't even spare a fraction of his effort.

Usually, his daily work points couldn't even match those of a ten-year-old child.

Lin Laosi, sweating profusely, muttered a curse to himself and glanced around. He saw his wife, Li Chunxing, working not far away, also looking worn out. With just one look, they understood each other's thoughts.

Suddenly, Li Chunxing cried out, attracting the attention of those nearby.

Lin Laosi surreptitiously stuffed a handful of peanuts into his pocket.

"What's wrong, Chunxing?" someone asked.

"Nothing, nothing. A big green bug landed on my foot and bit me, but I squashed it," Li Chunxing replied with a smile.

Hearing this, the others didn't think much of it. Bugs were a common nuisance in the fields, nothing worth making a fuss over.

Speaking of the Lin family, they were all hardworking and capable, except for Lin Laosi, who was notoriously lazy. His only saving grace was his good looks—fair-skinned and delicate-featured. But in those times, good looks were useless; they couldn't feed the family. A man who couldn't shoulder the responsibility of providing for his family was of no use, no matter how handsome.

Lin Laosi had married a woman just like him, both lazy and always full of excuses. Fortunately, they were paired together; otherwise, they would have been a disaster in any other household.

Finally, when the workday was over, Lin Laosi sprang back to life, grabbing Li Chunxing's tools and bolting off. The women working nearby only saw his retreating figure.

Even though he was a man, Lin Laosi's daily work output didn't even match that of a woman, so he often found himself working among the women.

"Hey, Chunxing, your Laosi really knows how to take care of his wife, helping you carry the hoe," one of the women teased Li Chunxing as they all put down their tools and stretched their stiff bodies after the long, repetitive labor.

Li Chunxing naturally knew her husband's good points. Although he was usually unreliable, he cared for his wife and children, which she appreciated.

She thought this but kept it to herself. She knew her husband's virtues and that was enough. "Jealous? Then get your man to help you too," she retorted.

"I wouldn't dare. My Shuanzhu earns full work points and is exhausted. Oh, I must hurry home to cook," said Wang Huahua, the woman who had spoken earlier. Her husband was Lin Shuanzhu.

Li Chunxing smirked. Earning full work points wasn't anything to brag about!

Wang Huahua felt her husband was infinitely better than the lazy Lin Laosi.

The women's competitive instincts kicked in. Carrying a hoe wasn't a big deal; who didn't have a thoughtful husband? Her husband would do the same.

Just as Lin Shuanzhu was finishing work, he slowed down. When he approached, Wang Huahua said, "Shuanzhu, carry the hoe for me."

Lin Shuanzhu was walking with a group of men. He had seen his wife but hadn't planned to speak. When she asked him to carry the hoe, the men around him teased and mocked, making him uncomfortable. He grumbled, "What's wrong with your hand? You're holding it fine. Why should I carry it?"

Wang Huahua was left speechless, glaring at him.

Embarrassed and afraid that Li Chunxing would overhear and see her lose face, Wang Huahua quickly left without another word.

Li Chunxing didn't notice any of this, deliberately taking her time on the way home. When she arrived, Old Lady Lin and the other three daughters-in-law had already prepared the meal. Cooking was a serious matter, overseen by Old Lady Lin herself.

Qin Qiaolian, the eldest daughter-in-law, saw Li Chunxing sauntering in and said, "Fourth sister-in-law, where were you assigned today? I didn't see you. Second sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, and I were picking corn, and our faces and hands are burning." The subtext was that they, who had done heavier work, still managed to come home early to cook.

Zhao Xiuxiang, the second daughter-in-law, immediately exploded, "Mother, fourth sister-in-law just comes home to eat. We're all daughters-in-law, but we do heavier work and are exhausted. You can't favor her, Mother."

Sun Sipan, the wife of Lin Laosi, felt invisible at home after giving birth to two daughters, with no say in anything, and she quietly kept her head down and worked when she heard things.

Old Lady Lin knew exactly what her youngest daughter-in-law was thinking and gave her a stern look without any mercy, "Eat, eat, all you do is eat, and you still expect this old bone to serve the whole family. Li Chunxing, after dinner, you wash the pots and dishes, and then go to the river to wash the clothes."

Li Chunxing was not annoyed, "Understood, Mother. There's no easy work during the harvest season, I'm almost exhausted too. Since you've spoken, I'll do it no matter how tired I am. Eldest sister-in-law, are you not satisfied with the team leader's work assignments? Why don’t you talk to the team leader tomorrow and get assigned to work with me?"

Qin Qiaolian, the eldest sister-in-law, couldn’t be bothered to respond to the fourth sister-in-law who was as slippery as an eel, since she had already gotten what she wanted—no need to wash pots and dishes or clothes, and she could rest after eating.

Li Chunxing took advantage of Old Lady Lin's inattention, sneaked a piece of cured meat, and put it in her mouth. Oh, it was so tasty.

She didn’t mind the pile of chores waiting for her, as there was plenty of work in the kitchen, especially with so many people in the family and clothes for the whole family, young and old.

No worries, her third sister-in-law would help her out! Li Chunxing made up her mind and sauntered out of the kitchen, immediately catching her daughter’s eye.

She felt a twinge of guilt about her earlier act of eating alone.

But it was an exception, the cured meat smelled so good, and with so many people in the yard, there was no way to hide it, so keeping it in her mouth was the safest bet.

In the yard, Lin Xixi, her messy yellow hair tousled by the wind, held the fresh peanuts her father had secretly given her, just dug out of the soil, and stared at her mother in disbelief. Her parents in this life were truly... unique?

Before Lin Xixi could get into the mood, Old Lady Lin announced dinner, and she was suddenly swept off her feet and carried to the dining table by Li Chunxing.

The food at home was also distributed by Old Lady Lin.

The strong workers got two cornbreads each.

Women got one cornbread each, and children got half a cornbread each.

Anyone still hungry could have boiled sweet potatoes.

In the middle of the table were two dishes, one of which was greens with cured meat.

Cured meat was usually not available, but it was the busy harvest season, and the work was heavy. Without some fat, the body couldn't handle it, so Old Lady Lin specially brought it out to nourish everyone.

As soon as Old Lady Lin finished distributing the food, almost simultaneously, chopsticks darted toward the cured meat, and in an instant, the meat in the dish was gone.

Lin Laosi and Li Chunxing managed to grab four pieces, with the eldest son, second son, and youngest daughter sharing two pieces, which were gone almost before they could taste them.

The couple each had one piece, loving their children but not neglecting themselves.