Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 13

“Mama, do you think Grandma has been acting strange lately?” Baobao looked at the old lady as she left, then approached her mother with a confused expression.

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with Grandma, but something just seemed off.

“She, tsk tsk…” Why is it that the person who knows you best is often your enemy? Xu Panhao had already noticed the changes in the old lady some time ago.

Liu Sanmei had always been particular about her appearance. She washed her thin clothes every day in the summer, and in the winter, she wouldn’t wear the same clothes for more than seven days. While older people often have a particular scent, Liu Sanmei didn’t. She always carried a faint fragrance of soapberries.

Liu Sanmei had always been fastidious, but it wasn’t to this extent before. In the past, she only used water to comb her hair, but lately, she’d been extravagant, using osmanthus-scented hair oil. 

Xu Panhao knew that the jar of hair oil was her treasure. She rarely used it except for special occasions like festivals or when visiting the graves of her late father-in-law and husband.

Recently, whenever Xu Panhao got closer to the old lady, she could smell the rich scent of osmanthus. Liu Sanmei also seemed more attentive to her appearance, carefully fixing every stray hair and even fashioning a headpiece with leftover blue cloth from making clothes, which she placed in her bun.

Xu Panhao had also noticed that the old lady only dressed up like this when her son went to Niu Laomu to learn craftsmanship. She frequently visited the Niu family, claiming she was there to care for her grandson or to pick him up.

This was as clear as Sima Zhao’s intentions—everyone could see it.

Xu Panhao retracted her meaningful gaze, hiding her thoughts. She decided not to mention her suspicions to her daughter for now. The old lady was quite old, and with the sudden fire at the old house, Xu Panhao wasn’t sure if there would be any real outcome. It seemed better not to say anything at the moment, lest it backfire and embarrass the old lady.

Little did she know, the more Xu Panhao kept her thoughts to himself, the more curious Baobao became.

“Brother Huo Jun…” Jiang Mingmiao stood near Building No. 3. When she saw Huo Jun coming down with a basketball, she suppressed her excitement and greeted him in a reserved manner.

Seeing the girl who suddenly appeared, Huo Jun frowned.

“Do you still remember me? My name is Jiang Mingmiao.”

The setback from their last encounter hadn’t discouraged Jiang Mingmiao.

Since she had learned how to get what she wanted more easily, failure was rare for her. As long as she pretended to be pitiful and sensible, people around her would bring her the things she wanted in various ways. 

Huo Jun’s difficulty in approaching only fueled her determination.

Especially after hearing about Huo Jun’s background from her uncle and aunt, she thought he would be a good match.

Huo Jun’s father was the head of the regiment. Being at such a high position at his age showed his ability and background. With his military and political career, Huo Xiongying was in his prime, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would likely be promoted to brigade commander or division commander.

Given how Huo Xiongying was raising Huo Jun, it seemed highly probable that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and join the military. With a leader for a father, Huo Jun had nothing to worry about regarding his future.

The most important factor, however, was that Huo Jun was an only child, which was rare in this era. His parents were well-off, and the subsidies they could provide would be considerable. If she married him, Jiang Mingmiao could enjoy those benefits as well.

Perhaps it was because of her deep-minded nature, or perhaps it was because her parents, Jiang Chengshi and his wife, had instilled these ideas in her from a young age, but Jiang Mingmiao didn’t see anything wrong with thinking about her future so early. On the contrary, she believed it was better to fight for benefits early on rather than regret missing opportunities later.

What she wanted now was the status of the Huo family’s daughter-in-law. As for who Huo Jun was, she didn’t really care.

“Are you okay?”

Those who knew Huo Jun understood that he was a bit selfish. Unless he liked someone, he found it hard to remain patient.

“Brother Huo Jun, are you going to play basketball? Can you take me with you?” Jiang Mingmiao answered the question without really addressing it.

When she came here today, she had specifically chosen to wear a blue and white sailor suit. Instead of a skirt, she wore a pair of sky-blue knee-length pants. On her feet, she wore fashionable white Lihui sneakers. Her long hair was tied up high, and when she tilted her head to speak, it cascaded smoothly down to her chest, giving her a youthful and cute appearance.

She had already learned that Huo Jun had the habit of playing basketball on Sunday afternoons, so she changed into this outfit and waited downstairs at Huo’s house, eagerly anticipating this moment.

“But I may be a little awkward. I’m afraid I won’t play well. Brother Huo Jun, can you teach me?” She tilted her head again, putting on her most charming expression. Jiang Mingmiao knew exactly how to show her best angle.

Unfortunately, the boy she was trying to charm wasn’t old enough to understand such gestures. Even if he were, he wasn’t interested in an eleven-year-old girl, not in that way.

However, he was intrigued by Jiang Mingmiao’s words. He vaguely remembered a shy girl who had once told him she couldn’t box, and now he had some expectations for Jiang Mingmiao.

Huo Jun had started to believe that girls were great at pretending, just like his mother, who lied to his father every day about increasing his pocket money next month. But the next month never came.

He thought Jiang Mingmiao might actually be good at basketball.

“Okay, I’ll count you in.”

Basketball wasn’t restricted by gender. Sometimes, some of the boys would bring their sisters along to play, but after a while, the girls usually formed their own groups, complaining about the boys’ sweaty smells.

“By the way, don’t call me Brother Huo Jun. It sounds weird. Just call me Huo Jun, or Brother Jun like everyone else.” Huo Jun didn’t dislike the title, but he felt Jiang Mingmiao’s tone was odd and overly clingy, as if it were a piece of candy about to melt and be devoured.

“Okay, Brother Jun.” Jiang Mingmiao’s face lit up. She thought being asked to call him Brother Jun meant that Huo Jun considered her part of his circle.

“Pass the ball! Pass it quickly!”

“Why are you looking around? Why aren’t you catching the ball when it’s thrown to you? You’re covering your head with your hands! Why are you even playing basketball if you’re afraid of getting hit by the ball?”

“What are you doing there? Didn’t you eat before coming to play?”

“Shoot! Damn, you threw the ball three meters away! Are your arms made of noodles?”

On the court, Huo Jun was a walking storm. He didn’t care that Jiang Mingmiao was a girl. If she didn’t play well, he wasn’t hesitant to scold her.

Jiang Mingmiao was on the verge of tears. She was quite popular in the military compound—being a beautiful and well-behaved girl, many boys secretly had a crush on her. Seeing her distressed, they couldn’t help but speak up for her.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t play basketball?” Huo Jun, irritated, yelled at Jiang Mingmiao, who had red eyes. 

“I really can’t play basketball,” Jiang Mingmiao said, feeling wronged. She knew she wasn’t good at it, so why was he yelling at her?

“But don’t girls always say the opposite?” Huo Jun said with confidence, showing his typical straight-laced attitude.

“I didn’t lie. I really can’t play basketball. I’m sorry for messing up your mood, Brother Jun. I’m sorry. Maybe I should just quit,” Jiang Mingmiao said, backing down strategically. She bit her lip and tried to hold back her tears, wearing a stubborn and aggrieved look.

“Okay! Big head, hurry up and change.” Huo Jun, completely oblivious to Jiang Mingmiao’s subtle hint that she wanted him to stop her, waved excitedly at his friend on the bench, as if relieved to be rid of a burden.

“Puff——” A few girls watching from the sidelines laughed quietly, perhaps too loudly, and Jiang Mingmiao, standing in the middle of the court, overheard them.

A wave of hot embarrassment rushed to her face, and she wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl into it.

“Woo woo woo –” She was still a half-grown child after all. After such a blow, she covered her face and fled the scene, embarrassed by the humiliation she felt.

Huo Jun didn’t pay much attention to the situation. In fact, he didn’t even understand why Jiang Mingmiao was crying.

Instead, his mind was occupied with a thought. 

He wondered if the “fake doll” could play basketball. From what he knew, the girl had never been exposed to this kind of training, and her environment didn’t provide opportunities to interact with sports equipment.

Maybe one day he should bring the “fake doll” to play basketball. He was sure she wouldn’t be able to beat him.

Huo Jun imagined the “fake doll” looking at him with admiration and calling him “big brother” sincerely. The thought made him feel strangely satisfied.

“A-choo –” Baobao sneezed.

“Baobao, are you feeling alright? Did you catch a cold?” Liu Sanmei, her grandmother, hurriedly checked her granddaughter’s forehead.

“It’s okay, grandma. I heard from others that if you sneeze for no reason, it means someone is thinking about you. Someone must have been thinking about me just now.” Baobao rubbed her nose. 

Since starting to receive high-protein supplies from the army, she rarely caught colds or fevers. The sneeze was just a reaction to her nose being irritated for no reason.

“How can there be such a saying?” Liu Sanmei laughed softly. She’d never heard such a thing in her life. “Okay, okay, it’s grandma who is thinking about our baby,” she said, ruffling her granddaughter’s little head. But her thoughts were already drifting elsewhere.

Lately, she seemed to sneeze occasionally too. Was someone thinking about her? 

The old lady absentmindedly combed her hair behind her ears, her smile turning a bit more reserved.

“Uncle Niu, you’re used to living on the team these days, huh?” Zhen Shanfeng was visiting Niu Laomu’s house. There were six or seven teenagers in the yard practicing basic skills.

“Habit, habit,” Niu Laomu replied cheerfully.

“Uncle Niu…” Zhen Shanfeng’s expression grew slightly hesitant. “Aunt Shankun, Baoli’s grandmother… Is she a good person?”

He had heard that Liu Sanmei had been frequenting the Niu family recently. Every time she left, she wore a smile as if she’d gained something valuable. People in the production team began to suspect that the shrewd Liu Sanmei had ulterior motives.

It was said that she took advantage of Niu Laomu’s newness to the team, knowing he was soft-spoken and too shy to refuse her. She would beg him for money each time she visited.

There was a history with Liu Sanmei. After the drought, when the first good year arrived, she had gone door to door begging for food. She explained that her little granddaughter was weak and needed millet porridge and rice oil to nourish her. Since there wasn’t enough fine grain at home, she sought help from other families in the village.

Liu Sanmei’s reasoning seemed convincing. Her son had taken all the men in the village into the mountains to find meat, leaving her alone. The bear meat her son had killed half-dead had saved many villagers during the most difficult times.

Some families sympathized with her and gave her fine grains, while others, fearing trouble, refused to give her a single grain of rice. 

Liu Sanmei persisted, showing up at their doorsteps, as if she were wielding a knife to carve out what she needed.

This way, a handful of grain from this family and half a bowl of rice from another had fed Baobao, who was barely larger than a kitten when she was born.

Since Liu Sanmei’s husband had been declared a martyr, she had received a subsidy every month, which lessened her begging. However, when the team was distributing resources, she would still mention her late husband and son to claim extra benefits.

Over time, many people had started to feel that Liu Sanmei was too greedy. Even though they owed the Zhen family a favor, it had been paid back over the years. 

When they learned that Liu Sanmei was allegedly “bullying” the innocent Niu Laomu, some began to complain to Zhen Shanfeng, urging him to keep his aunt in check.

“You mean Liu Meizi?”

During these past few days, Niu Laomu had figured out the relationship between Zhen Baoli’s family and Zhen Shanfeng, the team leader.

“Sister Liu is a very kind person, virtuous and generous. Since my wife passed away, life has been tough. Thankfully, my son’s two wives and daughters are very filial. When they were in the city, they’d come by to help me with cleaning and cooking. Now that I’m back in the countryside, I’ve barely used some things for decades, and a lot of them are gathering dust. I’ve been managing on my own—lighting the fire, cooking, washing clothes… Sister Liu has been a great help, offering me lots of advice.” As Niu Laomu spoke about Liu Sanmei, he praised her warmly. He truly felt that she was a kind-hearted woman.

“Really? My aunt has had a rough time these years… I’m just worried that she has a straightforward temper, and it might cause some misunderstandings… But, it’s okay, it’s okay…” Zhen Shanfeng’s expression remained wooden. He seriously doubted they were talking about the same person.

However, since Liu Sanmei hadn’t taken advantage of Niu Laomu, he had no reason to argue. 

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhen Shanfeng took his leave.

Niu Laomu walked Zhen Shanfeng to the door and then slowly made his way back to the children practicing their basic skills.

He was particular about taking on apprentices. Those who couldn’t stay still or were too mischievous were sent home by the third day. Naturally, he didn’t keep any of the food he’d collected before. Those who remained were the ones he believed showed potential.

Of course, Zhen Baoli was the one Niu Laomu favored most.

Zhen Baoli’s slow pace, unlike his previous life, had left a positive impression on Niu Laomu. To him, it signified patience and the ability to focus.

Learning a craft required calm and composure. 

He feared that some apprentices might be too eager, rushing into things without laying a solid foundation. If the foundation wasn’t solid, no matter how beautiful the final product seemed, it would be a house of cards.

“Practice well. Once you’ve mastered the three basic skills of planing, sawing, and chiseling, I’ll give you the old tree root that you said looks like your grandmother.” Niu Laomu dangled a reward in front of his favorite apprentice. “But I’ve looked carefully, and your grandmother doesn’t really resemble that old tree root.”

Niu Laomu thought Liu Meizi was very beautiful. Few elderly women in the countryside kept themselves as clean as she did. Looking at her facial features, it was clear she must’ve been quite a pretty girl when she was younger.

In recent days, Niu Laomu had heard a lot about the Zhen family. Liu Meizi had lost her husband at a young age and, after raising her son, lost him as well. Her life hadn’t been easy. Despite all this, she had remained strong, taking good care of herself and helping her daughter-in-law raise her grandchildren, who were well-behaved and sensible. 

Niu Laomu, having gone through similar hardships, sympathized with her struggles.

Still, there were some people who spread malicious rumors about Liu Meizi. 

Niu Laomu, having spent time with Liu Sanmei, refused to believe such gossip. Instead, he felt more sympathy for her.

As expected, life was tough for a widow. Liu Meizi had truly had a hard time over the years.

With his back to the fence, Niu Laomu didn’t notice Liu Sanmei standing just outside the yard, her mouth slowly drooping.

At first glance, he had seen her as an old, kind woman; but now, from her perspective, he had called her an old tree root!

Liu Sanmei was filled with grief and indignation. All the sweet-scented osmanthus hair oil she’d used these past few days had gone to waste!