Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Volume 4 Chapter 15

“You child, how can you splash people like that!”

“Puh—puh—puh!”

The water hit Tao Lamei and the two people following her right in the face. They immediately shrieked.

“Little Cousin, run!”

Baobao grabbed Lin Yu’s hand, darting around the adults and sprinting straight toward the fields.

“This child—no manners at all!”

Drenched by a bucket of wash-water, Tao Lamei burned with humiliation and anger.

“Don’t just stand there—go catch her!”

She intended to catch Baobao first, then explain her identity. But she forgot—Baobao had just shouted that kidnappers were taking her away. 

The eastern fields were close; plenty of villagers were working there. They had heard the commotion and rushed over.

Especially Ge Shiyan—she charged at the front, hoe raised high.

What they saw: two children running for their lives, chased by unfamiliar adults. One by one, they looked like they were trying to snatch Baobao. It couldn’t be anything but a kidnapping.

In an instant, the villagers surged forward, pulled Baobao and Lin Yu behind them, and without asking a single question began beating the newcomers while shouting about dragging the traffickers to the authorities.

“Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding—aiyo—”

“I’m this child’s aunt! I’m not a kidnapper—stop hitting—aiyo—my waist—my waist—”

Their explanations were drowned out entirely by the villagers’ curses and their own yelps. Only when everyone was tired from beating them did the words start to make sense.

Baobao’s aunt?

People exchanged looks. The Tao family were outsiders; only one branch had stayed in Da’ao Village. No one else from that clan lived here anymore. When that couple died, they had left only Baobao behind.

But they also remembered—not all of the Tao clan had remained behind years ago. Some had returned home. Could these be those returned relatives?

Once fists stopped flying, Tao Lamei gritted her teeth through the pain and pulled out a stamped document from her bundle.

It was the citizenship paper—from Quzhou. Tao clan. Confirmed.

“You all came here why?” Ge Shiyan frowned. Something about their appearance felt ominous.

“Ah… it’s a long story…” Tao Lamei looked embarrassed.

Their home had suffered flooding again—not catastrophic this time, but enough to submerge a portion of farmland. Officials seeking good records hadn’t reported the disaster at all, so of course no relief was issued.

Among the victims, Tao Lamei’s own family had fared the worst. Their fields were entirely underwater. Because their last harvest had been plentiful, the family had eaten through their stored grain freely with no sense of caution. Now their fields yielded nothing, and the family was stunned.

Other relatives weren’t doing much better—barely enough to survive until the next harvest. With a dozen mouths waiting to be fed, almost no one could afford to support Tao Lamei’s family for even three days.

In the end, no one would lend them grain.

Thinking of Da’ao Village—a place she remembered as fertile, safe from floods—she recalled her second uncle’s family who had stayed behind. Surely they would shelter her family until next harvest.

Her plan had been perfect—until she learned her second uncle’s branch had died out, leaving only a five-year-old girl.

Their house was a ruined wreck, the fields had been sold off years ago to pay for Tao Larou’s medical treatment, and no inheritance remained.

But Baobao—she was the surprise. If Ma Meifang had told the truth, the girl could be her bargaining chip.

“Never expected my cousin left only this child. I’m incompetent, but I won’t allow Tao family’s blood to be raised outside. Since my cousin and cousin-in-law are both gone… fine. After I pay respects to their graves, I’ll take the child back home.” Tao Lamei sighed tearfully. “Even if I have no grain, I’ll dig tree roots and strip bark if I must. I won’t let this child starve.”

The show of affection was fake. Her eyes kept flicking toward Ge Shiyan—waiting for her reaction. And when she saw the woman’s face darken, she knew she had struck home.

It wasn’t affection—it was a threat.

As if to say: You treasure this child? Then ransom her. Otherwise I’ll take her home to starve.

But Ge Shiyan was no fool. Ever since being beaten down by her stepchildren, her intelligence had exploded upward. This woman’s little schemes were transparent.

Still—one thing bothered her. How did this outsider know so much?

“You’re Tao family? Bao’s father entrusted the child to me before he died. You don’t need to interfere.” Ge Shiyan shifted, completely shielding Baobao behind her.

This thin, sallow woman—was she truly her aunt?

Baobao already realized she’d misunderstood earlier, but she still didn’t feel warmth from this supposed relative. Instead, the woman’s eyes held calculation.

“And why can’t I take her? My cousin’s wife died saving your son! One life wasn’t enough? Now you want our Tao family’s child as your son’s child bride? You ungrateful wolf!”

Seeing Ge Shiyan refuse, Tao Lamei grew confident. She jabbed her finger accusingly.

“Baobao, come with auntie. They fooled you. You don’t know—the reason your mother died was saving their child. Your father died from grief. This woman says she took you in to repay a debt—but really she just wants a free daughter-in-law!”

Hearing this, Ge Shiyan’s face changed instantly. She shot a panicked glance toward Baobao.

She had always hidden the truth of Baobao’s parents’ deaths—not because she wanted to deceive the child, but because she feared Baobao was too young. Afraid she’d misunderstand. Afraid gossip would twist her intentions.

Three years ago, Fu Shinian fell into the deep pool. Baobao’s mother passed by and jumped in without hesitation to save him.

She was a good swimmer, but the deep pool was choked with underwater vines. She managed to push the boy up toward rescuers, but she herself was trapped. By the time people cut the vines and dragged her up, she was already gone.

That same day, Baobao’s father—gravely ill and penniless after selling their fields for medicine—spat blood upon learning his wife had died. He did not last the night.

His last thought was his two-year-old daughter. With no relatives in the village, he had entrusted her to the mother of the boy his wife saved—Ge Shiyan.

All the villagers had witnessed it.

Afterward, Ge Shiyan conducted their funeral and brought Baobao home. 

For three years, she had raised her wholeheartedly—better even than her own son.

Ge Shiyan breathed in deeply. Her heart clenched.

Would Baobao hate her now?

No—not that. Anything but that.

She had watched the shy toddler grow into a glued-to-her-child who clung to her morning to night. She could not bear the thought of Baobao resenting her.

Yet she knew someday the truth would come out. She had foolishly hoped that “someday” would be very far away—or never.

Perhaps the Tao family’s arrival was not entirely bad. At least she wouldn’t need to hide anymore.

“You won’t be taking her. Even if neighbors hadn’t witnessed her father entrusting her to me, Baobao’s household registration is already under mine. You’re only a distant cousin—married out of the Tao family at that. On what authority will you take her?”

After her parents died, the Tao household was erased from village records. Ge Shiyan transferred Baobao’s registration under her name. By law and custom, she was Baobao’s mother.

Even at the county office, she would win.

“You people came for one thing—benefits. And why should I give you anything?” Her voice was cold.

“Baobao’s mother gave me a debt I must repay. And I will repay it—to Baobao alone. She is the only one who deserves it. Why should your distant branch get anything? Thick skin?”

A debt repaid to one child was reasonable. But to repay every stray Tao relative that crawled out of the woodwork?

Ridiculous.

“I warn you—this is not Tao family land. Don’t set foot near my child again. If I see you step inside Da’ao Village, this hoe will show no mercy.”

She slammed the hoe’s metal head into the ground—hard enough to crack the stone.

Tao Lamei and her people stumbled backward, paling.

This woman was terrifying. And nothing like they expected.

Tao Lamei wanted to retort, but Baobao clung behind Ge Shiyan, refusing to look at her. The villagers all stepped up protectively.

She dared not continue.

They had no food left, yet retreating home meant starvation. So under the villagers’ watchful eyes, they reluctantly shuffled away—then lingered just outside the village, lingering like beggars.

Villagers couldn’t forbid people from standing on public land. So they stayed… hovering… waiting.

“Baobao.”

After chasing away the Tao family, Ge Shiyan took several deep breaths and smiled gently.

“Mother… I splashed them and made my clothes dirty. They were bad. They scared Baobao.”

She pointed at the muddy garment she had dropped and shrank her neck, trying to shift blame like a guilty little rascal.

“Mhm. Baobao did nothing wrong. They were the bad ones. Leave the clothes—Mother will wash them.”

Mud-soaked clothes were hard to clean, but she followed Baobao’s lead and changed the topic. As she crouched to pick up the dirty clothes, a thought hit her—Did Baobao understand what was just said?

Her cowardly instinct to avoid the truth flared again.

“Mother… if I fell into the water, would you save me?” Baobao wrapped her arms around her neck and whispered in her ear.

She had guessed the truth already. No surprise. Nothing is free—Ge Shiyan’s love had reasons behind it once.

But she didn’t blame them. Her original parents were good people. They had sacrificed themselves for others. Their deaths were tragic—but not caused by malice.

And Ge Shiyan had raised her with full sincerity.

“Save you? I would. I would give my life to save you.” Her voice trembled.

She owed this child—not just her son’s life, but her own.

Baobao’s question loosened the heavy fear in her chest. Whether Baobao truly understood or not, she didn’t blame her. That was enough.

Lin Yu, standing nearby, let out a breath of relief too.

The Tao family lingered at the village entrance for two days. Their six mouths shared two sweet potatoes and drank boiled wild grass broth. Their faces turned from yellow to greenish.

Starvation loomed. They tried asking for work, but no one trusted disaster refugees.

“You want food? Then work for it.” On the second night, Ge Shiyan appeared before them.

She still disliked these people—but she had eight mu to harvest, and workers were scarce.

And these were free laborers—only needing meals.

The Tao family agreed instantly.

Ma Meifang waited several days, expecting glorious chaos. But she heard nothing. She hadn’t noticed her usual gossip partners had begun avoiding her.

Restless, she sneaked to the village entrance to see for herself.

But instead of seeing Tao relatives skinning Ge Shiyan alive, she saw—

Ge Shiyan lounging on a recliner in the field, drinking chilled tea…

While Tao Lamei and her people swung hoes and sickles, sweating buckets under the sun.

Ge Shiyan occasionally barked at them not to slack.

!!!

Ma Meifang rubbed her eyes.

What was this?!

Shouldn’t Ge Shiyan’s life be in shambles by now?

How had the Tao family ended up as her farmhands!?

Stunned, she turned around and walked home like a wooden doll, not knowing how her feet carried her back.