Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 15

Autumn is the season of harvest. During this busy farming season, even the stingiest families do not skimp on food for their strong laborers, so the meat stall does good business. In addition to some pork orders from families hosting weddings, Old Butcher Lu slaughters one or two pigs every day to keep up with demand.

The prosperous business of the meat stall benefits Lu Xiuyu. During this period, she makes a lot of money selling rice and noodles. Soon, the Lu family discovers why Lu Baobao disappears every lunchtime: it turns out she sneaks over to the eldest girl’s stall to “eat for free.”

This revelation casts a gloomy atmosphere over the family after dinner.

“It’s not easy for the eldest girl to earn some pocket money. If the second girl is greedy, she could just ask the eldest girl for some food to satisfy her craving. But running over to the big girl’s place to fill her belly each time is a waste of money.”

Jiang Bai’e kicks her husband, who unfortunately shows no intention of speaking up. She thinks about the money lost to the second girl these past few days and feels anxious. After hesitating several times, she finally cannot help but speak up.

In her view, Lu Baobao is just thick-skinned and taking advantage of the family, much like her parents.

“That’s right, I hear the eldest girl’s food isn’t cheap. How much money does the second girl waste every day?” Liu Lanhua chimes in, agreeing that Lu Xiuyu is foolish for allowing the second girl to eat for free.

If she had known it would be so easy to take advantage, she would have sent her own third girl and Lu Baotie over as well.

“Sister-in-law, I don’t appreciate what you’re saying. It is the eldest girl who invites our little sweetheart. Don’t make it sound like she is taking advantage.” Lu Jiafu glares at her. “You are the eldest sister-in-law. What does the old saying go? The eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. To me, you are like a second mother. You have always been kind to us siblings. Why do you seem so unkind to the younger generation today?”

His words are both praise and veiled insults. Jiang Bai’e’s heart skips a beat. The second branch’s family truly isn’t good people; they are digging a hole for her. However, she genuinely doesn’t know that Lu Baobao was called over by her own daughter, making her feel unjustly accused.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Lu Miao raises her hand and slaps her second son’s head. What does ‘an eldest sister-in-law is like a mother’ mean? Does he want to have two mothers? Has she neglected him as his biological mother?

“I am just speaking casually,” Lu Jiafu shrugs and laughs. “Big Brother’s family has always been generous, and now even the eldest girl acts like an older sister, taking good care of her younger cousins,” Lu Jiafu praises Lu Xiuyu.

During this time, Lu Baobao follows her eldest cousin around to help with cooking, making her fatter and cuter. Although Lu Jiafu is puzzled by the eldest girl’s behavior, he is generally pleased and does not hesitate to praise her.

Meanwhile, Lu Baobao shrinks her neck, trying to minimize her presence. If everyone knows she not only eats well but also receives a salary of ten cents a day, it would probably cause an uproar.

“Lu Baobao isn’t just eating for free; she’s my most important seasoning,” Lu Xiuyu says, knowing she cannot hide the truth from her family for long. Fortunately, she has an explanation ready.

“Seasoning?” The people around her stare in shock, looking at Lu Xiuyu in horror.

The eldest girl is so cruel that she cooks and eats the second girl?

But that doesn’t make sense; the second girl hasn’t cried or caused a scene lately, and there is no sign of her missing any meat. What could it be—hair, saliva, tears?

Thinking about it is a bit disgusting.

“Everyone knows how pig offal tasted before. How could anyone believe that the pig offal I cook now tastes good? That’s why I bring Lu Baobao along. As long as she sits there and eats the food I make, she serves as a living advertisement.” Lu Xiuyu explains slowly, “Mom, you’ve been to the county town. Haven’t you noticed that the girls who entertain guests in the fabric and cosmetics shops are all prettier than average? It’s because when they wear clothes made from fabric from the shop and use the cosmetics prepared by their own store, they appear beautiful. Making buyers believe that if they buy the same things and take them home, they can look just as beautiful.”

That’s what a living advertisement is.

After Lu Xiuyu’s detailed explanation, everyone vaguely understands her intention.

“Still, it doesn’t have to be the second girl. Eldest girl, weren’t you closest to the third girl before? In the future, you should also think about your other younger cousins in situations like this,” Liu Lanhua says pointedly.

The second girl has been following the eldest girl for so many days, and so many good things have gone into her belly—why should it be her alone? 

The eldest girl is also treacherous. She and the third girl used to be very close, but what good does that do? The first person she thinks of to help is the money-loser from the second branch. She senses that the two elders favor the second branch more and figures it would be better to treat that lazy girl well to please them.

Cunning, treacherous, and mean—this is the new image of Lu Xiuyu in Liu Lanhua’s mind

“Yes, it doesn’t have to be your second cousin.” Jiang Bai’e feels a bit dissatisfied with her daughter. How can she forget her own brother for such a good opportunity?

“It’s really not that I’m biased… Forget it, you can see for yourself.” Lu Xiuyu sighs, wanting to explain but unable to articulate her thoughts clearly, so she simply points to the group of little ones at home, letting them observe for themselves.

The adults’ conversation does nothing to diminish the children’s appetite. While they talked, the Lu family’s children eagerly filled their bowls from the dishes on the table, anxious not to miss out on any food.

“Slurp, slurp—”

“Baji, baji—”

The only sounds are of rice and soup being gulped down and food being chewed.

Lu Baoyin eats like a hungry wolf, and because he is eating too fast, he chokes, his eyes nearly popping out. In a panic, he quickly grabs his water bowl and gulps it down, shouting as he does. After swallowing the food that has lodged in his throat, he resumes devouring his meal.

The way he eats is more ferocious than a hungry sow at home, even though he certainly isn’t starving

Lu Baotie is only three years old, but he is no smaller than any four- or five-year-olds in the village. He has already started to eat by himself, though his chopstick skills aren’t quite there yet. After finally managing to pick up a piece of meat, it falls straight onto the table. In a hurry, he simply uses his hands, finishing his meal and licking his fingers, then wiping his almost running nose with those fingers.

The scene is quite disgusting.

Although Lu Xiuxin is a girl, her eating style is not any better than the boys’. She knows her mother favors her brothers and only serves them meat, so she has to fend for herself, resorting to grabbing food with them with fierce determination.

Jiang Bai’e reflects on herself and the group of men in her family, she realizes they all share similar eating habits. She hasn’t considered it a problem before. After all, it doesn’t feel right to drink porridge without slurping or eat vegetables without making some noise; it seems like the food wouldn’t taste good otherwise.

But then, what about that girl from the second branch?

Lu Baobao’s eating movements are not slow either. Although she is small, her speed in picking up food matches that of her cousins. However, it is precisely this slightly rough motion that makes her appear clever and cute.

Even though they both have a mouthful of rice, her son is like a fat pig snatching food, while Lu Baobao satisfies the appetites of those around her.

People really can’t compare one to another. Even Jiang Bai’e cannot honestly say that her youngest son is more qualified for the job than the girl from the second branch.

“Baojin, these days when Tang Xiucai has been ill, you haven’t been attending classes. Why have we seldom seen you during the day?”

Old Butcher Lu coughs and glances at his eldest grandson, who has been silent all along. Everyone’s attention then shifts to Lu Baojin.

“Grandpa, I’ve been fetching water and chopping wood for the teacher’s family,” Lu Baojin says, putting down his bowl and looking very well-behaved and honest.

The eldest son of the first branch is very similar to his father in stature—tall and strong, like a calf. He has the standard square face of a Lu family man, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. The only difference is his nose, which is big, round, and fleshy like his mother’s. Because of this round nose, he appears more honest than his father.

Lu Baojin is indeed the most honest among the younger generation in the family, true to his appearance. Although he is the eldest brother, he has no authority at all; his younger siblings often climb all over him and bully him.

“Is Master Tang really not well?” Liu Lanhua asks curiously.

When she went to the riverside to wash clothes lately, everyone was talking about it. It was said that Master Xiucai’s wife hadn’t been seen for a long time, and the Tang family’s yard had been cooking medicinal soup for days, with piles of medicine residue stacked up to the calf.

Calculating the time, the school has been closed for nine days. They have just paid the tuition for six months. If something happens to Master Tang, would the tuition be refunded?

Liu Lanhua is deep in thought. Her son is only three years old this year, and she hasn’t yet considered where he will study in the future if the only scholar running a school in the village is gone.

“Teacher…” Lu Baojin opens his mouth but can’t find the words to continue. “The teacher’s wife wants to take him to the county for medical treatment. It seems that she had sold the last two acres of land the family has. Yuan Ge’er stopped studying and stayed by the teacher’s bedside every day. I can’t help much, so I just fetch some water and chop more firewood. Now that the weather is getting colder, the teacher’s wife and Yuan Ge’er can’t manage to stockpile dry firewood for winter. After a few months of heavy snow, there won’t be any firewood left to collect, and they could freeze to death,” Lu Baojin explains seriously. “But I make sure to fetch enough water for the family first, so I’m not neglecting my chores at home.””

The Lu family doesn’t allow idle hands (except those who are particularly thick-skinned), so Lu Baojin has to help the family with work when he is not in school.

He mentions this because he fears his family might misunderstand and think he is neglecting his responsibilities.

But he really has no choice. The Tang family doesn’t have anyone strong to help. Although Tang Xiucai is in his prime, he has always been in poor health. In the past, when he was teaching, the parents of the students would take turns helping the Tang family with water and firewood. Now that the school is closed, everyone might not realize that the Tang family faces a shortage of both.

“Well, Dalang is doing well. You’ve taught him well,” Lu Lao Tu says, nodding, his expression softening. Although the eldest daughter-in-law has some small thoughts, the children of the eldest family are well-raised. In this household, the ones they worry about the least are from the first branch. “There are plenty of people to do the housework. These days, you can help the Tang family gather more firewood.” 

The old man’s decision is final, and no one dares to object.

Lu Baobao is lost in thought. 

Yuan Ge’er? Is he the boy with bright eyes she saw on the riverbank that day? Is his father sick?

******

A few days later, the Lu family is awakened from their sleep by wailing.

Tang Xiucai has passed away.

The elders of the Lu family instruct the children to stay home while they rush to the Tang family’s house that night.

Before dawn the next day, louder cries come again from the direction of the Tang family.

Lu Baobao hasn’t fallen asleep since her parents left. She keeps her eyes open, watching from dusk till dawn. When the wailing continues, she simply puts on her coat, moves a small stool, and stands guard in the yard.

The first to return are the eldest aunt and her mother. Both look unhappy, especially her mother, who seems to have almost suffered a miscarriage. They have come back for this reason.

Xu Jiaoniang holds her daughter’s hand tightly. Lu Baobao feels a bit of pain but dares not say a word when she senses her mother slightly trembling.

Tang Xiucai has passed away. The village elders rush to the scene as quickly as they can. The scholar’s wife cried until she fainted and had to be helped back to the bedroom, leaving a group of elders to discuss Tang Xiucai’s funeral arrangements.

As dawn approached, one woman realized that the scholar’s wife might not have eaten all day, so she went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of rice porridge for her. However, it seemed that the Tang family’s kitchen had been raided by mice, with only a few grains of rice left in the jar. The rice and eggs used for the porridge were brought back by this woman from her own home.

When the kind-hearted woman knocked on the door with the porridge, the scholar’s wife didn’t answer. Assuming she hadn’t woken up yet, the woman pushed the door open and went inside. To her horror, she found the woman who should have been lying in bed hanging from the beam, her body already cold.

The sight terrified the women present, and Xu Jiaoniang nearly suffered a miscarriage from the shock.

“She still has a child. What on earth… what was she thinking?” Xu Jiaoniang grasps her daughter’s hand, repeating this sentence over and over.

Has the scholar’s wife committed suicide out of despair? Lu Baobao learns from her aunt and mother that the boy has lost both parents overnight…

Lu Baobao can’t imagine how devastated she would be if her parents died. The boy must be in immense pain right now.