Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 4

The Lu family’s breakfast is quite simple: a pot of sweet potato porridge, two baskets of mixed grain buns, and some pickled vegetables to accompany the porridge and buns.

In the prosperous era of the Li Dynasty, combined with favorable weather in recent years, rural life is generally good. Although they aren’t wealthy, most people have enough to eat and wear. The Lu family has been butchers for generations. Despite their low social status, their income is far higher than that of local farmers. However, this breakfast isn’t much better than that of an ordinary household. The porridge is just a bit thicker, and the buns have a bit more white flour.

From these small details, it is evident that the Lu family lives quite frugally. Lu Xiuyu has observed for a few days. Except for the time when the old lady ruthlessly killed a chicken while she was injured, there has been no meat on the table lately. It is hard to believe that a butcher’s family could go without meat.

“Grandma, I want to learn how to cook. Could you let me start helping in the kitchen from now on?”

Amid the clatter of people eating their porridge, Lu Xiuyu’s voice is quite jarring, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Daughter!”

Jiang Bai’e is so startled that her face turns pale. She hadn’t expected her daughter to become so bold after her illness and make such a request to the old lady.

In the Lu family, Lu Miao is the most influential person after Old Butcher Lu. Old Butcher Lu is a typical ancient man, adhering to traditional gender roles, with women handling the household affairs. For the women in the house, Lu Miao is even more authoritative than Old Butcher Lu.

The kitchen has always been Lu Miao’s domain. She is responsible for planning the family’s meals, deciding what to eat, and how to distribute the food. Now, Lu Xiuyu’s request to help in the kitchen sounds like an attempt to challenge her authority.

Some might think that Jiang Bai’e is behind this request. Otherwise, why would a young child have such an idea?

Liu Lanhua’s face also changes. She thinks that the eldest sister-in-law seems honest on the surface but is actually very scheming. She regrets that her daughter is only five years old, or she would have encouraged her to help in the kitchen.

As for Xu Jiaoniang, she remains completely unaffected. Instead, she looks at the eldest niece with a bemused expression, unable to understand why anyone would want to take on extra work. It seems so tiring. Fortunately, her own clever and pretty daughter always avoids hard work.

Thinking of her own smart and beautiful daughter, Xu Jiaoniang puffs out her chest proudly, feeling she can afford to eat a bit more.

“You want to cook?”

Lu Miao puts down her bowl, her eyes fixed intently on her recently recovered granddaughter. Lu Xiuyu meets her gaze steadily, her expression both shy and determined, which causes Lu Miao to regard her with renewed respect.

The old lady is aware that she has a fierce appearance. In the past, other grandchildren, apart from the clever second granddaughter, would avoid her. However, after the eldest granddaughter’s illness, she has made significant progress and now shows some maturity.

“Now, stand behind me and watch. Later, I’ll let you try your hand at it,” Lu Miao says lightly.

Is it really that simple to achieve?

Jiang Bai’e and Liu Lanhua exchange glances. They have been married into the Lu family for many years and frequently handle tasks like cleaning the kitchen and stoking the fire, but they rarely have the opportunity to cook, unless the old lady really can’t spare the time.

In recent years, the old lady has assigned breakfast duties to them, but the large cupboard in the kitchen, with its lock, remains under her control. She manages the amount of rice and oil used in cooking.

“Thank you, Grandma. I will definitely learn well,” Lu Xiuyu replies happily. She is already about 80% confident before she even speaks.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships are known to be antagonistic, especially in ancient times. Although her mother and third aunt have been married into the Lu family for many years and have borne children for the family, to the old lady, they are still outsiders and potential rivals for the head of the household’s authority. It is unlikely that the old lady would allow them to touch the core of her authority.

She is different. She is a direct granddaughter of the old lady, a Lu family child. In fact, even if she hadn’t spoken up, the old lady would likely have proposed that she help in the kitchen in a year or two. Cooking is a necessary skill for a married daughter. Regardless of whether her future in-laws will require her to cook, she needs to know how to make simple meals. Otherwise, others might question the Lu family’s ability to raise their children.

By moving up the timeline for learning, Lu Xiuyu knows the old lady will naturally accept it.

Breakfast ends with everyone having different thoughts.

******

“Are you here to help or just to be a pest?”

After breakfast, the men go out to work while the women stay in the yard to wash dishes and clothes. Lu Miao finishes assigning the household tasks and heads to the kitchen to put the sweet potatoes, freshly harvested from the fields that morning, into the cellar. She is startled to see her second daughter-in-law, who is supposed to be cleaning the kitchen, happily munching on a sweet potato.

The old lady is both angry and amused.

“Wife, you are too much!” Lu Jiafu, who had just gone out to work with the men and then sneaked back, stands behind the old lady, pointing at his wife with righteous indignation.

Seeing her son scolding his wife on her behalf, Lu Miao feels somewhat relieved, and her anger subsides a bit.

“How can you eat sweet potatoes by yourself and not even give me a share?”

The last remark causes the old lady’s smile to freeze, and she nearly stumbles over the threshold. 

Indeed, she shouldn’t have had any expectations of this son.

“Mother, it’s not that I’m greedy. At first, I was really serious about cleaning the stove, but when I saw the sweet potatoes, the baby in my belly kept kicking me, saying, ‘Mom, I want a sweet potato!’

Xu Jiaoniang swallows the sweet potato in her mouth and gives a pleasing smile to the old lady.

“You’re talking nonsense. You’ve already had two big bowls of porridge this morning. Do you think you’re a bottomless pit? And now you’re saying you’re hungry?” The old lady doesn’t believe her. She isn’t hungry; she is just greedy.

“And you, weren’t you supposed to be working in the fields? How come you’re back already? If you don’t work properly in the fields today, you can skip lunch. We can’t afford to keep a bunch of idle people at home.”

After scolding her daughter-in-law, Lu Miao turns her ire on her beloved son.

Jiang Bai’e and Liu Lanhua snicker on the side. Although they understand that the old lady’s criticism of the second branch is more show than substance, and despite her fierce words, she is still most fond of her second son.

“Mother, I’m sorry.”

Xu Jiaoniang feels that her mother-in-law is particularly fierce today and decides not to challenge her limits. She can only meekly admit her mistake and hope that, since she has already eaten the sweet potato, the old lady will let her finish the half she is holding.

“Give it to me.”

Lu Miao isn’t going to indulge her. She angrily snatches the half-eaten sweet potato from Xu Jiaoniang’s hand and points to the messy stove. “Hurry up and clean this up. Don’t think that just because you’re pregnant you can get away with not working.”

Although the old lady shows favoritism towards the second branch, she still doesn’t allow them to shirk all responsibilities. If she did, even the obedient eldest and third branches might cause trouble.

“Here, dear, you can have this half of the sweet potato.”

The old lady glares at her daughter-in-law once more before handing the half-eaten sweet potato to her youngest granddaughter, who is watching and hoping for it.

She does this for her own reasons. First, since the sweet potato has already been bitten, it isn’t suitable to give to anyone else. Second, after scolding the second branch, she doesn’t want her young granddaughter to feel upset. The half-eaten sweet potato is a way to comfort the child.

Jiang Bai’e and Liu Lanhua don’t think about the old lady’s intentions and are filled with resentment. Despite the scolding, it is clear that the old lady still favors the second branch.

Everyone likes the freshly dug sweet potatoes, which are crisp and sweet, but the old lady is so stingy that she won’t let anyone have more. At most, she occasionally takes one out to cut and give the children a treat.

Now that the second daughter-in-law has already eaten half, and she gives the remaining half to the children of the second branch, it seems like she doesn’t care at all about the children of the first and third branches.

“Thank you, Grandma.” Lu Baobao is delighted. She hadn’t expected such good fortune to come her way.

“Go, go, go. Get back to the fields.”

Seeing her son’s longing gaze at the half sweet potato in their daughter’s hand, the old lady, pained by the sight, waves her hand to shoo him away.

Looking at her parents’ resentful expressions, Lu Baobao feels the sweet potato in her mouth is even sweeter. She savors it slowly, her eyes turning into two small crescent moons.

Lu Xiuyu watches this scene with a serious expression.

Jiang Bai’e notices her daughter’s change in mood and feels gratified. It seems her daughter understands just how biased her grandmother is. Since she will be learning to cook from the old lady, she hopes Lu Xiuyu will help their branch get some recognition.

Little does she know, Lu Xiuyu’s thoughts are far from that.

As the saying goes, spoiling a child is like killing them. While the old lady makes sure her son and daughter-in-law understand that laziness and expecting rewards without effort are wrong, she ends up giving the sweet potato to the obedient granddaughter without explaining why.

If she continues this way, won’t it just encourage Lu Baobao to become like the second uncle?

Clearly, the old lady doesn’t know how to properly teach a child. Educating Lu Baobao is something that needs to be done by her.

******

“Grandma, I want to learn how to cook from you. For other things, I guess I’ll have to let my second and third cousins learn. How about today, I take them with me to cut pigweed?” Lu Xiuyu says, carrying a bamboo basket and pointing at her two younger cousins in the yard.

Lu Baobao is six years old this year. In the countryside, she should start learning to help adults with some chores. Although the third girl, Lu Xiuxin, is half a year younger than Lu Baobao, she is already half a head taller than her.

All the children in the Lu family, except for Lu Baobao, have inherited the Lu family’s tall gene, making them taller and sturdier than their peers. So, even though Lu Xiuxin is only five, she can help with some work around the house.

Jiang Bai’e silently gives her daughter a thumbs up for the suggestion. Although Liu Lanhua is not thrilled about her young daughter having to work, she feels better knowing that the lazy daughter-in-law from the second branch will also do the work.

“Alright, you’re the eldest sister, so you should take care of your younger sisters.” Lu Miao agrees without hesitation.

Lu Baobao has just finished her sweet potato and is still enjoying her good fortune when she hears this unfortunate news.

Cutting pigweed? The kind you have to get up before dawn to do, and then again after breakfast and dinner?

Oh no, she had only comforted herself this morning by saying she’d wake up early tomorrow. Isn’t that just her usual self-comforting line? How come she really does have to wake up early tomorrow?

It’s hard to be a good person, and being a lazy child is even harder.