Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Volume 4 Chapter 8

Originally, Lin Yu had merely been dark-skinned. But after bathing, her black skin flushed red, and she looked like a freshly boiled prawn.

“I knew it—my strength isn’t heavy at all. Look how well A-Yu behaved in the bath. Only you and your brother act like it’s a battle every time. I have to chase you all over the house just to wash you.”

Ge Shiyan looked at the three layers of dirt scrubbed off Lin Yu and nodded in satisfaction. Their relationship grew much closer through this bath. She had started out calling her “Little Yu,” but now she was calling her “A-Yu” affectionately.

“Aunt’s hands were very light. It didn’t hurt at all.”

In Lin Yu’s heart, this was the gentleness only a real mother could show. How could it be painful? It was the most comfortable feeling in the world.

Baobao sucked in her Nth breath of cold air, then carefully shuffled herself a little farther away from that pair of aunt and niece who were enjoying a warm, tender bathing moment.

One was deluding herself, and the other was simply a fierce little person. Either way, neither was normal.

“Mother, the lotion.”

When she saw her mother wiping Lin Yu’s body dry with a wrung-out cotton cloth, Baobao produced a jar of skin cream like a magic trick.

The local climate was dry. Especially in winter, exposed skin cracked easily, and hands and feet developed chilblains—itchy and painful. 

Adults were used to rough labor; their skin was tough, calloused, and even cracked areas could be soothed with a bit of plant ash. But children’s skin was far more delicate. They developed chilblains every winter. When unsupervised, they could scratch themselves bloody. Parents who cherished their children would buy a small jar of lotion and apply it during the cold season. This greatly reduced cracking and chilblains.

The cheapest lotion on the market still costs twenty or so wen a jar—expensive for ordinary families. But because one jar, used sparingly, could last a long time, most households gritted their teeth and bought one for their children.

The jar Baobao brought out was of higher quality. The worst lotions were made of castor oil and white wax. This one, gifted by Ge Feiyan, used beeswax in place of part of the white wax and included tea oil, giving it a light tea fragrance.

Lotion-making was one of the Wang landlord family’s main businesses. Most of the mid-to-low-end lotion in the nearby villages and towns came from them. 

Because it was her sister’s business, Wang Fugui allowed his favored concubine to occasionally support her natal family. Every year, Ge Feiyan sent four or five jars to her elder sister—enough for two children to apply after every bath.

As for the eldest branch? What a joke. This was her own sister’s support for their poor household. It was her private property. Why should she let those people freeload off it? Anything given to them would never return—might as well throw it to the dogs.

Ge Shiyan hadn’t expected Baobao to bring out this jar. But her mood was good after such a smooth bath session, and since it was already out, asking Baobao to put it back would look bad. So she only gave her daughter a fierce glare from where Lin Yu couldn’t see, then opened the jar. She scooped out a lump of solidified lotion and let the warmth of her palms melt it before spreading it wide and applying it to Lin Yu with broad, firm strokes.

For someone like Lin Yu, who hadn’t had a proper bath in years and had just scrubbed off decades’ worth of dirt, her skin was in very poor condition. Earlier she had been too happy to feel pain, but once she lay down at night, she would feel the burning sting across her skin.

The lotion came at the perfect time. Though greasy by modern standards, the balm soothed the damaged skin, sealing in moisture. With the tea fragrance rising from her skin and the warmth of her aunt’s palms enveloping her, Lin Yu felt like she was drifting into the clouds.

She wasn’t knowledgeable, but she knew this jar was absolutely precious. In her past life, she had never even used the cheapest white-wax lotion, let alone something this good.

Now Baobao was generously sharing such a precious item with her—proof that Baobao did not reject this newcomer at all. She was a sweet, open-hearted little girl.

Lin Yu felt both happy and sad.

Happy because in this life she finally met these warm-hearted relatives. Sad because in her past life, this adorable little sister had died, and her aunt had ended up divorcing her uncle and cutting ties with the family.

They were all such good people. How could such good people have ended up suffering so terribly?

In her heart, Lin Yu silently swore that this time, she would protect her aunt and Baobao. Good people deserved a good ending.

After bathing and applying the fragrant lotion, Ge Shiyan took a few of Baobao’s old clothes from the wardrobe. 

Lin Yu, being thinner, made Baobao’s formerly well-fitting clothes look loose on her. Her limbs were longer too, so her wrists and ankles poked out.

But that was no real issue. Ge Shiyan compared the clothes against Lin Yu and planned to take apart some of the old man’s clothes the next day to extend the sleeves and pants.

Baobao’s old clothes weren’t made of the finest fabric, but at least they were all soft cotton. Meanwhile, Lin Yu’s previous clothes had been made of the roughest hemp, the fibers scraping the skin. 

Normally people lined the collar and armpit areas with softer cloth, but hers had none. No wonder her skin—barely seven years old—was already as rough as an adult’s.

Wrapped in soft cloth, scented with lotion, and feeling as if she were walking on clouds, Lin Yu was overwhelmed. If not for Baobao holding her hand, she might have floated away.

The bath hut was beside the west wing, made of wooden planks. When the three came out, the eldest branch’s door was already closed. Seeing this, the corner of Ge Shiyan’s lips lifted in satisfaction.

It seemed the eldest branch was truly riled today. They had shut themselves in early—who knew if they could even sleep.

“Baobao!”

Fu Shinian had been squatting in the courtyard, drawing random lines in the dirt with a twig, looking bored. As soon as he saw Baobao, he perked up and ran over.

His eyes were bright. But when he got closer and saw the loofah and lard soap in his mother’s hands, he froze. Clutching his twig, he stepped back in alarm.

“Relax, it’s not your bath day yet.” Seeing her son’s ghost-struck expression, Ge Shiyan rolled her eyes.

Did he think heating water and burning fuel cost nothing? Plenty of children wanted a bath and couldn’t get one. She truly didn’t understand—she always prepared warm water and scrubbed with reasonable strength, yet every time she bathed the kids, they wailed like pigs about to be slaughtered.

Hearing his mother, Fu Shinian let out a long sigh of relief. Then he remembered her teachings—men should be courageous. His reaction just now was hardly manly.

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Straightening his chest, he strode toward Baobao as if nothing had happened. The one who froze up earlier absolutely wasn’t him.

“Baobao, sleep with me tonight.”

The two children had grown up together. At this age, they didn’t understand gender boundaries.

Fu Shinian cast a wary glance at Lin Yu. He didn’t understand why Baobao needed to sleep with this girl when he was clearly her closest companion.

“Oh my, our Dabao is jealous of his cousin.”

Ge Shiyan laughed. Her son was so clever—already wanting to protect his little child bride. 

But the children were still too young. For Baobao’s reputation, she couldn’t let them sleep together.

“Baobao can’t sleep with you. She’s a girl, you’re a boy. Only your future wife can sleep in the same bed with you.” She rubbed his head. “Once you study in school, you’ll learn these things. Alright, play a bit more and then go sleep.”

She took the laundry to the well.

Once she turned around, Fu Shinian secretly glared at Lin Yu. But with his harmless looks, the “glare” held no power whatsoever.

Lin Yu had never seen such a Fu Shinian.

In her past life, she’d seen him only a handful of times.

Once at age ten, when she and her uncle went to the market. They bumped into Fu Shinian and his mother. He already had a refined face by then, carrying a basket for his mother. But before they were seen, her uncle had dragged her behind a stall to hide.

The second time was when he passed the xiucai exam at age seventeen. A xiucai that young was rare in the countryside, so he was praised as a fallen star of literature. People said he was brilliant and bound to pass the provincial exam next.

That time, his face was cold and serious. People claimed that such solemnity was befitting a scholar.

Her uncle visited secretly, only to return despairing, saying Fu Shinian had changed and that it was retribution for his own past wrongs.

The last time was at her uncle’s funeral.

Ge Shiyan did not appear. But Fu Shinian had to attend as the son. 

He was dressed in mourning, his face expressionless. Lin Yu noticed the deepening nasolabial lines—he was merely twenty-three.

After that… she died.

She only knew that her aunt and cousin lived comfortably after. Since he had achieved scholarly status and earned respect, it was said her aunt wanted him to marry into an official family.

Lin Yu glanced at Baobao’s adorable face. She wondered what kind of wife he married in the previous life.

The cousin before her was nothing like the one in her memories. Who could imagine that the stern, rigid young man from her past life had once been a little boy afraid of bathing, glaring uselessly at people, and acting spoiled around a girl smaller than him?

She finally understood why her uncle had returned devastated that day.

This version of her cousin was much happier than before. She preferred him like this. Though… he could stop glaring at her.

Lin Yu felt helpless. Everything after her rebirth delighted her—except this slightly petty cousin.

“Baobao, you must be the very best with me.” Fu Shinian grabbed Baobao’s sleeve and shot Lin Yu another “intimidating” look. In his mind, it was his brave, manly warning gaze telling her to back off. “You, you just wait. Wait until I grow up.” He patted his chest again. 

Mother said once he grew up, he could sleep with his wife. He didn’t know why only a wife could sleep with him and Baobao couldn’t, but everyone said Baobao was his little child bride and would marry him when he grew up.

That meant that once he grew up, Baobao could sleep with him.

Fu Shinian pressed his lips together, looking contemplative.

Two years ago, he could only finish half a bowl of wonton noodles. Today he could finish most of a bowl. Once he could finish a whole bowl, he would be a grown-up.

He looked at his belly with determination. For the sake of being the best with Baobao, he would keep working hard.

Right now, he was still a soft little boy with rosy lips and baby fat. Seeing him trying to act like an adult only made him more adorable.

Baobao couldn’t resist such a brother. The two held hands and exchanged whispers. Whatever promise Baobao gave him clearly worked, because by the time the children were urged to go to bed, Fu Shinian’s attitude toward Lin Yu was no longer so hostile.

“Little Cousin, let’s go back to our room!”

After coaxing her little brother-figure, Baobao skipped over to Lin Yu and warmly took her hand.

Lin Yu followed Baobao back inside. Just before entering the room, she glanced back.

Sure enough—Fu Shinian stood at his doorway, staring at their intertwined hands with an expression like a heartbroken abandoned husband.

Lin Yu couldn’t help laughing. Her long-shrouded heart flickered with liveliness.

At the doorway, she suddenly pulled Baobao into a hug, and the two little girls rolled into the room together.

What a pity—she couldn’t see her cousin’s expression now.

That night, Lin Yu slept soundly.

The next morning, when Baobao woke up, her cousin was no longer beside her. She yawned and wriggled around in the blanket before touching Lin Yu’s side of the bed.

The mattress and blanket were cold, showing she had gotten up long ago.

Baobao stretched lazily.

Lin Yu had awakened at dawn. It was the soundest sleep she’d ever had, but decades of habits in her previous life and her current life pushed her body awake early to work.

Lin Yu had a clear sense of her position. Her aunt and uncle were good people for taking her in, but she could not let herself believe she deserved their kindness without giving anything in return. Helping with chores eased her heart.

So after waking, she had quietly put on her clothes and slipped out.

By the time Baobao got dressed and went out, Lin Yu had already helped Ge Shiyan prepare breakfast and was about to call them.

Compared to her hardworking little cousin, even thick-skinned Baobao felt faint embarrassment.

Fortunately, someone made her look better—the dragon-phoenix twins woke even later. Sitting at the table, they remained motionless, as if waiting for Lin Yu to serve them.

Whatever Fu Shichun and Ma Meifang told them last night, the twins didn’t treat Lin Yu as a cousin of senior generation—they saw her as a little maid.

Ge Shiyan did not indulge them. She stopped Lin Yu from serving, picked up the ladle, and scooped five bowls of thick sweet-potato porridge herself.

Every scoop was from the bottom, full of sweet potato and rice grains. After filling five bowls, she set the ladle down and urged the old man to eat.

“You still need to go to the fields. Eat quickly. But I won’t go today—I need to alter A-Yu’s clothes. Her arms and legs are longer than Baobao’s.”

Fu Dayan ate without noticing details.

The pot held a limited amount of porridge. He and Ge Shiyan used large bowls—one full bowl plus two steamed buns was enough to fill them. Baobao, Fu Shinian, and Lin Yu had small bowls—one thick bowl and half a bun were enough.

Ge Shiyan filled their portions generously. What was left for the eldest branch amounted to watery porridge.

“My husband and I are going to the fields. This won’t fill us.” Ma Meifang scooped two spoonfuls of watery porridge and forced out the complaint.

“Ah, I forgot—we have an extra child now. The old amount isn’t enough. My fault, my memory’s getting bad.” Ge Shiyan tapped her head in mock realization.

“How is that your fault?” Fu Dayan spoke, even shooting a dissatisfied glance at his eldest daughter-in-law. “Your mother got up early to cook. Where was my daughter-in-law then? I never noticed before—the housework inside and out is all left to your mother.”

Ge Shiyan had always been hardworking, and because she needed to secretly save private money, she handled most household tasks and worked in the fields. She truly lived like a beast of burden. 

For more than ten years, Fu Dayan had gotten used to it. Only now did he realize they already had a daughter-in-law, yet his wife’s workload had not eased.

“She’s not young anymore. From now on, she’ll stay home and handle household chores. Eldest daughter-in-law, you take over her work in the fields.” He decided he had to correct this selfish daughter-in-law.

“…Yes.” Ma Meifang squeezed the word out through clenched teeth.

“It’s only half a day. And the porridge looks plenty. If you’re not full, drink more broth.”

At this hour, cooking again was impossible. Fu Dayan thought the leftover amount wasn’t too little. Back when his parents managed the house, eating to 70–80% full was already good.

He felt fine. But Fu Shichun and Ma Meifang were miserable. Especially Fu Shichun—never in his life had he eaten a meal without feeling full.

Ma Meifang scraped the pot over and over, giving the thickest portion to her husband, then a somewhat thick bowl to her son. She and her daughter got watery broth in which their reflections could nearly be seen.

Because she still had to work in the fields, she only gave her daughter a small half-bun, while soaking her own bun in broth to barely reach sixty percent fullness.

Unbeknownst to her, her favoritism planted the first seed of jealousy in her daughter’s heart toward her twin brother.

The meal left the eldest branch unfed—but thoroughly angered.

The first step of “starving the eldest branch to raise A-Yu” was a success.

Ge Shiyan was ready for round two.

After breakfast, Fu Dayan took his son and daughter-in-law to the fields. 

With the head of household’s decision, Ge Shiyan no longer needed to work outside—only handle small chores at home.

Humming a little tune, she washed the dishes. She did not refuse Lin Yu’s help.

As for Baobao, she was working on something big—she had stealthily taken the family’s sharpening stone from the kitchen, the one used for knives and tools, and was slowly grinding her piece of jade rough.