Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 1

It is early autumn, and a slight chill already fills the morning air. Lu Baobao tightens her collar and shuffles her little feet toward the stove. The strong flames make her sigh in comfort.

Lu Miao, her grandmother, glances sideways at her second son’s daughter, who is snuggling up to the warmth, but says nothing to chase her away.

“Clang-clang-clang-clang—”

The sound of a wooden spoon hitting the bottom of the iron pot fills the air. Lu Baobao flares her nostrils, inhaling the rich aroma of the porridge stirred by the spoon. It makes her mouth water, and she can’t help but swallow faster.

She never imagined that the person who once never worried about food, even skipping meals to diet, would one day be drooling over a pot of mixed grain porridge.

“Grandma, your porridge smells so good! Even Auntie’s porridge doesn’t taste as good as yours.”

Lu Baobao licks her lips, tilts her round little head, and flashes her cutest, most innocent look at the old lady who always wears a stern face. As she sweet-talks her grandmother, she bats her eyes, trying to make them look as wide and innocent as possible.

“It’s just porridge. It’s not like it smells like meat,” Lu Miao scoffs, her expression growing even more mean.

Any of the other Lu children would have been scared off by now, but Lu Baobao, being no ordinary child, has nerves of steel. After spending time with the family, she has already figured out her elders’ true personalities. There is no way she’ll be scared off by a few cold words.

“It’s definitely different! Grandma, your porridge is extra soft and sticky. Every kernel you cook pops open, and it goes down so smoothly—unlike Auntie’s porridge, where the rice is still hard because she doesn’t cook it long enough.” Lu Baobao clenches her little fists, looking utterly convinced by her own words. “I just love Grandma’s porridge the most! You get up so early every day to make it perfect, and I never forget it!”

“Hmph.”

Even Lu Miao, who is usually stone-faced around the younger generation, can’t help but crack a smile.

“You’re just like your parents—you can fool people with your mouth. Other than that sharp tongue of yours, there’s nothing else about you worth looking at.”

The wooden spoon continues stirring the porridge, but Lu Miao’s gaze has already shifted to her second granddaughter.

“Who says so? Baobao is also quite good-looking.” Lu Baobao tilts her head, resting her little hands under her chin, forming the shape of a flower, and shamelessly acts cute.

“Hah!”

The old lady squints at the little girl, once again amused. She can’t help but think that, for once, the little girl isn’t bluffing. Looking around, she truly doesn’t see a prettier girl than her granddaughter.

The Lu family has Qiang ancestry. Even though their ancestors later migrate to the Central Plains and marry locals for generations, the tall and sturdy physique is passed down. Additionally, the Lu family has been hereditary butchers, and perhaps due to all the bloodshed, their family members naturally look fierce. Whether male or female, they all have tough, intimidating faces. It is really not easy to see beautiful faces in the Lu family.

The current head of the Lu family, known as Old Butcher Lu, has an untraceable original name. After inheriting the butcher’s trade from his father at the age of thirty-eight, he also inherited the title “Old Butcher.” One day, when Old Butcher Lu can no longer continue his work, the butcher’s title and the name “Old Butcher” will pass down to his eldest son.

Old Butcher Lu is a burly man. Based on Lu Baobao’s observations, in a time when the average height for men is barely over 1.6 meters, Old Butcher Lu stands a solid 1.8 meters tall. Thanks to years of slaughtering pigs and sheep, his muscles are well-defined and firm. Even in his old age, he still stands tall and walks with an imposing, tiger-like presence.

As the wife of a butcher, Lu Miao naturally outshines most women around her. She had been chosen by the Lu family precisely because of her tall stature when she was still a maiden. After marrying into the butcher family, her physique also surpasses most women due to their better food standards. Coupled with the fierce temperament she has developed after marrying into the Lu family, she becomes a well-known, tough woman in the area, feared and respected by many.

Lu Miao and Old Butcher Lu have three sons. The eldest, Lu Jiafeng, and the youngest, Lu Jiahou, are practically carbon copies of Old Butcher Lu. By the time they are eleven or twelve, they already have the strength of grown laborers. The only exception in the Lu family is the second son, Lu Jiafu. Lu Miao gave birth to him prematurely, resulting in a frail constitution. Though he inherits the family’s height, he is all show and no substance. Despite his large frame, he is weaker than even the delicate scholars.

When it comes time for the sons to marry, the wives of the eldest and youngest sons are chosen according to the usual Lu family standards—sturdy, hard working women. But when it comes to the second son, Lu Jiafu, an unexpected choice is made: he marries the youngest daughter of the Xu family from Shilipu, a neighboring village.

This youngest daughter is a precious gem, born after the Xu family has seven sons. She is pampered from a young age and, aside from her pretty face, has no other notable qualities. Lu Miao is dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law, but her second son has taken a liking to her. Since Lu Jiafu has always been coddled due to his weak constitution, Lu Miao and Old Butcher Lu have spoiled him from childhood. Even in this matter of marriage, they eventually relent, allowing him to fulfill his wish.

This Xu Jiaoniang is indeed just as her reputation suggested back in her maiden days: she eats plenty but is useless at everything else. In the eight years since she married into the Lu family, she has only given birth to Lu Baobao, a single daughter. Even Lu Miao’s third daughter-in-law, Liu Lanhua, who marries two years later, has already surpassed her by giving birth to both a son and a daughter. This makes Lu Miao dislike her second daughter-in-law even more.

What particularly irks Lu Miao is how her most beloved son always stands up for his wife. That only deepens the bitterness in her heart.

But even so, Lu Miao has to admit that the granddaughter born from her most disliked daughter-in-law isn’t just the prettiest girl in the Lu family in generations but also the most outstanding child in the entire village.

Lu Baobao has fully inherited Xu’s beauty while selectively inheriting the Lu family’s distinctive deep-set eyes and high nose bridge. Her eyebrows are delicate, her nose perky, and her small cherry mouth has shallow dimples on each side. Even the divine child attendants under the Guanyin Bodhisattva can’t compare to her elegance and liveliness.

The most amazing thing is her fair and rosy skin. In rural families, even if a girl is cherished, she still has to do some chores, which often leads to a tanned complexion. Lu Miao’s eldest granddaughter has the typical honey-colored skin, while her youngest, five-year-old granddaughter from the third family, Lu Cao, has already developed a slight yellowish tint despite not doing much work yet.

But Lu Baobao seems to be favored by the heavens. Her snow-white skin remains unaffected by the sun, no matter how much time she spends outdoors. Even if her skin turns bright red from working all day, by the next morning, it is back to its flawless, rosy, snow-white appearance, making even the pampered young ladies of noble families envious.

When no one is around, Lu Miao often marvels at how this second granddaughter is so beautiful she hardly seems like a child of the Lu family. In fact, this might be the only comforting thing that comes from marrying the lazy woman of the Xu family.

Especially in the past two years, as Lu Baobao grows older, she becomes even more lively and charming. Her sweet words are no less pleasing than her father’s, who is known for making the elders happy. As a result, Lu Miao finds herself growing fonder of her granddaughter.

People naturally love beautiful things, and it’s impossible to resist a child who is both pretty and sweet, especially when that child is your own blood.

“Here, taste this for me.”

Lu Miao picks up a clean wooden spoon, scoops some porridge, blows on it to cool it down, and brings it to Lu Baobao’s mouth.

This is a special privilege. In this house, aside from the shameless second son, Lu Jiafu, only Lu Baobao receives such special treatment from the famously strict and impartial Lu Miao.

Lu Baobao’s large eyes instantly brighten even more. She eagerly bites down on the spoon and takes a mouthful of the soft and sticky corn porridge, then happily closes her eyes in contentment.

“It’s so delicious! Grandma, Baobao loves you the most! Baobao is the happiest child in the whole world!”

Having gotten a special treat, Lu Baobao showers her grandmother with compliments, one after another, just like she has learned from her father in this world. 

As for her sense of shame, she has long forgotten about that.

“Enough, it was just a taste.”

Someone is already peeking in from outside the kitchen. Lu Miao places the spoon her granddaughter used to the side, her lips pulling back down into a stern, authoritative expression.

“This is for your mother, and don’t let your father steal any.”

Lu Miao scoops up an already cooked egg from the bottom of the pot and places it into a bowl for Lu Baobao to take to her mother.

After six years, Xu has finally conceived again. Though Lu Miao doesn’t like her lazy daughter-in-law, she will never deprive her precious son’s child of anything. She fervently hopes Xu will give her a grandson as beautiful as Lu Baobao, so naturally, she doesn’t skimp on food for her daughter-in-law.

Lu Miao performs this act openly, unafraid of the prying eyes outside. Whenever any of the Lu family’s daughters-in-law are pregnant, an egg a day is a given, so this isn’t considered favoritism. Lu Miao isn’t worried about anyone thinking she is being unfair.

“Okay!”

Lu Baobao’s ears perk up, and she picks up the bowl, lowering her head as she quickly runs out of the kitchen.

“Hmph.”

Sensing that the gazes fixed on the kitchen have finally disappeared, Lu Miao snorts softly. A bunch of short-sighted fools.

******

“Sweetie, come here quickly! Mama could smell the egg all the way from here.”

Before Lu Baobao even steps over the threshold, she hears a voice calling from inside the room. It is soft and delicate, with a strange accent that makes each word sound as though it is dripping with sticky honey. Without even seeing the person, she knows it has to be her mother in this life—a pampered young lady.

The era she is in now is called the Li Dynasty, a dynasty Lu Baobao has never heard of in history. In the Li Dynasty, butchers are part of an inherited caste known as the jianji, a status even lower than that of merchants, despite butchers often earning a relatively comfortable living through their trade.

Moreover, the Li Dynasty has a very unique household registration system. National law restricts those of jianji status from participating in the imperial examination system, but there is no rule that low-class people are not allowed to take the imperial examinations for three generations.

Take the Lu family as an example: Old Butcher Lu and his wife are of jianji status, and they have three sons. Among them, only the son who inherits the family trade will continue to hold this status, while the other two can purchase their way into regular citizenship, allowing them to participate in the imperial examinations.

Old Butcher Lu never gives up hope that his descendants will one day improve their family’s status. Generations of the Lu family have shared the same ambition, but it seems the family is destined not to produce scholars. Despite their efforts over the centuries, they have not managed to raise a single tongsheng (entry-level scholar).

All three of Old Butcher Lu’s sons attended a private school as children, but the family’s tradition of having big bodies but small minds seems to persist. After one or two years of study, they gave up. Now, Old Butcher Lu’s eldest grandson, Lu Baojin, son of the eldest son, Lu Jiafeng, has also been sent to school. Judging by his performance so far, though, it seems unlikely he will fare much better than his forebears.

Old Butcher Lu is the only butcher in the three neighboring villages, and all families rely on him for castrating pigs and slaughtering sheep. Combined with the income from the family’s meat stall, their earnings are quite substantial. However, the Lu family’s standard of living is not much better than that of the local farmers. The main reason for this is the high cost of children’s education and the redemption of household registration for descendants.

But even so, because of the accumulation of generations, the old Lu family home has been expanded to be quite spacious.

Lu Baobao’s father in this life is weak and prone to illness, especially with the change of seasons. As a result, his room is the largest and most spacious in the Lu household, aside from the main room where the grandparents live.

A large kang bed takes up much of the space, and even though the weather hasn’t turned fully cold yet, Lu Miao has already lit the fire beneath the kang for her son, afraid he might catch a chill.

At this moment, Lu Jiafu and his wife, Xu Jiaoniang, are both on the kang—Lu Jiafu is sitting cross-legged while Xu Jiaoniang is still curled up in the bedding. When they see their daughter coming in with a bowl, their eyes light up as they leave the warmth of the blankets.

Lu Jiafu is tall and thin. Since he rarely does physical labor due to his frail health, his complexion is quite pale. But with the Lu family’s signature high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, he doesn’t appear weak or scholarly.

Xu Jiaoniang, who has just crawled out from under the covers, bears a slight resemblance to Lu Baobao—three or four parts similar. While she isn’t as striking as her daughter, she is still a beautiful woman. Even though she hasn’t washed up yet and her hair is a bit disheveled, she still looks delicate and lovely.

The mother and daughter share similar almond-shaped eyes, their pupils clear and bright, giving them an innocent look. Despite being married for eight years and having a six-year-old daughter, Xu Jiaoniang still has the innocent charm of a young girl who hasn’t yet come of age.

It makes sense, after all. Before she married, she was the youngest and only girl in her family, pampered and sheltered. After marrying, she ended up with a husband who is equally smooth-talking, adored by his elders, and always protective of her, so she hasn’t made much progress.

“Did Mother make today’s porridge?” Lu Jiafu asks, though his tone is more of a statement than a question.

It is simple. Only when Lu Miao makes porridge does she remember to cook an extra egg and have it sent over by her granddaughter. If it were up to the eldest sister-in-law or the younger sister-in-law, they’d likely forget, and the egg would only be sent over after Lu Miao has finished her work.

Lu Jiafu knows his sisters-in-law’s little schemes. But he finds their pettiness quite laughable. His wife is now expecting a child, and the family rule is that a pregnant wife is entitled to one egg a day. They resent that the second branch of the family doesn’t contribute as much labor, but they dare not openly defy the elders. So, they resort to these small tricks, hoping one day their mother-in-law might get too busy and forget the egg, allowing the second branch to miss out on one.

But are Lu Jiafu and Xu Jiaoniang the type to let themselves be slighted? If there ever comes a day when even Lu Miao forgets to make an egg for Xu Jiaoniang, they will surely make a fuss about it.

“Hurry, hurry!”

At the sight of the egg, Xu Jiaoniang, who had been planning to go back to sleep, is suddenly wide awake. She pats the spot next to her, signaling for her daughter to climb up quickly. At the same time, Lu Jiafu moves the small tea table at the end of the kang to the center, between the three of them.

Lu Baobao, with her short arms and legs, is quite nimble at climbing the kang. In no time, she is up and places the bowl on the table. The three of them—six eyes in total—stare intently at the yellow-and-white egg.

Xu Jiaoniang is the first to reach out. She picks up the egg and knocks it against the edge of the bowl, quickly peeling off the shell. In a matter of seconds, the egg is free of its yellow-white shell, revealing its soft and tender “flesh.”

“The old rules, same as always: half for me, and one-quarter each for you two,” Xu Jiaoniang says.

Xu Jiaoniang splits the egg in half, keeping one part for herself. The remaining half is split again, with the slightly larger piece going to her husband and the smaller one to her daughter.

Lu Jiafu and Lu Baobao obediently take their portions of the egg, as if they are used to this method of division.

At first, Lu Baobao was reluctant. To her, this is something meant to nourish her mother, and no matter how much she or her father craves it, they shouldn’t be eating the egg. But both Xu Jiaoniang and Lu Jiafu believe that all the good things in the house should be shared, and they see nothing wrong with splitting up food meant for the pregnant mother.

In fact, Lu Baobao’s reluctance was once interpreted by her parents as a sign of foolishness. They couldn’t understand why anyone would resist the charm of an egg. This leads to heated discussions between the couple, as they start to worry whether their slow-witted daughter, who doesn’t know how to fight for good things, will be able to live a good life in the future. Can they count on her? They even think they should start saving more good things for her while they are still young, just in case.

It wasn’t until later, when Lu Baobao gave up resisting and gradually learned how to please the heads of the household, that her parents finally felt relieved and went back to their carefree ways.

“Sweetheart, is the egg delicious?” Xu Jiaoniang asks with a smile.

“Mhm, mhm.”

With her small mouth stuffed with a quarter of the egg, Lu Baobao can only nod in response.

This is a farm-fresh egg, with a bouncy, tender white and a soft texture. Although the yolk is a little dry from being overcooked, its rich flavor more than makes up for it, making it hard to swallow in one bite.

Unfortunately, no matter how small Lu Baobao’s mouth is, a quarter of an egg doesn’t last long after a few bites.

She can’t help but smack her lips, savoring the lingering taste of the egg, and internally sighs at her lack of self-control. Who would have thought that she’d one day be drooling over an egg—something she used to eat so much during her dieting days in her past life that she got sick of it?

But perhaps it is because of this that she has become more easily satisfied in this life. Just a few bites of an egg bring her more happiness than all the fancy meals she has ever had before.

Especially since this egg has been shared with her by her pregnant mother. It isn’t just the delicious taste; it is filled with so much love.

“If you like it, remember this. When you get married in the future, don’t forget to take good care of your mother,” Xu Jiaoniang says with a smile.

Before Lu Baobao can stay touched for more than three seconds, Xu Jiaoniang shatters the moment of emotion that has just formed.

Xu Jiaoniang looks at her precious daughter with expectation. Her daughter is truly beautiful, and Xu Jiaoniang is convinced that she will marry into a wealthy family.

Perhaps the village chief’s grandson, or even the son of Zhang the Hunter, who lives at the foot of the mountain. Zhang the Hunter and his wife are generous people; every time they catch a game, they sell half and keep half. Their home is the only one in the village that is always filled with the aroma of meat all year round.

Xu Jiaoniang imagines the scene of her daughter, after getting married, bringing her a bowl of braised pork or meat soup every now and then. Even the egg in her mouth seems to taste like it has been flavored by Zhang’s cooking.

“Oh, and don’t forget your father,” Xu Jiaoniang adds, still full of expectation as she looks at her daughter. The first part is the real point, while the mention of the father is more of an afterthought, with little sincerity.

Lu Jiafu quickly devours the egg and protests his wife’s actions. While the egg is meant to nourish his wife’s body, if it weren’t for his years of diligent “work,” his wife wouldn’t be pregnant with this child in the first place. So, in his eyes, the egg that their daughter eats is partly thanks to him.

After all, those nightly “workouts” are quite exhausting.

Lu Baobao expressionlessly picks up the eggshells on the table and places them in the bowl, watching her parents as they go from bickering about who deserves more credit to lovingly holding each other, daydreaming about whether they will eat the meat first or drink the soup when they get a bowl of it in the future. Internally, Lu Baobao feels like a thousand alpacas are stampeding through her mind.

Despite her current look of disdain, she never forgets those late-night conversations when her parents think she is slow-witted and not clever enough. This pair of people, often looked down upon by their brothers and neighbors, who constantly remind her to remember filial piety in the future, have long started planning for their “dumb” daughter’s future.

Their laziness is real, their greed is real, but their love for her is even more real.

“Not good! Eldest Lu’s wife, your daughter has rolled down the slope!”

Just as Lu Baobao is about to carry the bowl outside, she hears shouting from outside the house.

The eldest branch’s family, in addition to the eldest grandson Lu Baojin who is studying in a private school, also includes a ten-year-old daughter, Lu Xiuyu, and a seven-year-old son, Lu Baoyin, who has not yet started schooling.

Farm girls take on household responsibilities early. Although Lu Xiuyu is only ten, she is already capable of handling many chores. Before Lu Baobao even gets up, Lu Xiuyu has already left early with a bamboo basket to cut pig grass on the hillside near the river.

The one who has rolled down the hillside, as people outside are shouting about, is undoubtedly Lu Baobao’s older cousin.

Lu Baobao quickly rushes outside. At this time, the area outside is in chaos. A girl with a badly injured head and blood streaming down her body is being carried over by someone.