Times were chaotic, and the farming folk were truly poor.
But Shige Village was a large village, at least.
While they couldn't afford fine white flour like city dwellers,
they could at least manage to eat mixed-grain flour every few days. Even if they didn't have that, cornmeal would do.
But gnawing on a rotten sweet potato? What was that about?
That was the kind of thing villagers used to feed pigs and dogs.
Su Liyan froze for a moment, then quickly waved her hands.
"No, no, my husband is very good to me. He told me to eat the meat, but I was afraid this other food would go bad. It'd be a waste, so I decided to eat it first."
Su Liyan rushed to explain on her husband's behalf, but Aunt Li didn't quite believe her.
After all, who doesn't like meat?
Even so, was there any reason not to see even a scrap of it?
Besides, Aunt Li had been right there watching yesterday when those ox carts arrived and started unloading things into the courtyard.
Good heavens, that was half a pig.
Aunt Li thought it over and couldn't help but purse her lips.
TSK.
'That Lu Yuan is a real scoundrel!'
'Even if she's a Snake Woman, you can't mistreat her like this!'
'Keeping all the good food for himself and giving his woman *this* to eat?'
'And he calls himself a scholar.'
'So calculating!'
"Aunt Li, is something the matter?"
Seeing Aunt Li looking glum and silent, Su Liyan, who had no idea what she was thinking, asked again.
Aunt Li started, then came back to her senses and waved her hand.
"It's nothing, nothing. Go on, eat up."
"I just came by to say hello. Since we're neighbors, I thought I'd get to know you."
"Don't mind me, you go on and eat."
Su Liyan nodded. Normally, it would be rude to keep eating with a guest present.
But...
Su Liyan was truly hungry right now.
Last night her husband had been in a hurry, and besides, she had eaten so many plates of meat with him at noon.
So she hadn't eaten dinner.
After they blew out the candle, they were busy for a long time. Though it was mostly her husband who did all the work,
once her emotions were stirred, Su Liyan had been quite active for a while herself.
She'd woken up this morning and given the house a thorough cleaning, so now she was absolutely famished.
Su Liyan acknowledged her and sat back down to continue her meal.
Aunt Li sat beside her, looking around the tidy room, and couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how capable Su Liyan was.
Aunt Li had been in this house before. Although it was bare,
it had been a complete mess, covered in dust.
Now, everything was spotless and bright.
The courtyard was also full of clothes hanging to dry. It went without saying that Su Liyan must have been up since dawn, working until now.
Watching Su Liyan gnaw on her sweet potato and cornmeal pancake, taking sips of hot water when she choked, Aunt Li couldn't help but sigh.
"Aunt Li, could you show me where our family's land is?
I've finished all the chores at home, and I want to go take a look at the fields."
Su Liyan suddenly remembered something and looked over at Aunt Li.
Hearing this, Aunt Li was a bit dumbfounded.
"You've been busy all morning. Why are you going to the fields? You can go tomorrow."
But Su Liyan just smiled and shook her head.
"It's fine. I've nothing else to do at home. I'll go take a look and learn the way."
Listening to Su Liyan, Aunt Li was speechless.
'This silly girl... How can all the chores possibly be done in a single day?'
In the end, Aunt Li said:
"Alright. I'll take you when you're done eating. I have to go out there anyway."
Su Liyan nodded and began to eat faster.
Before long, Su Liyan was full.
The cornmeal pancake and sweet potato were so dry. She drank a lot of water and quickly became full from that alone.
There were still two pancakes and one rotten sweet potato left.
Su Liyan packed them up to take with her.
Her husband wasn't coming back for lunch today anyway, so she might as well take her food and eat at the edge of the field. That way, she wouldn't waste any time working.
Seeing this, Aunt Li couldn't help but sigh again.
The two of them grabbed their tools and left together.
Once they were out of the village, Aunt Li pointed in a certain direction.
"That overgrown, fallow patch over there, that's your family's."
Su Liyan stared at the fields stretching as far as the eye could see, filled with nearly ripe corn, then at her own family's empty, barren plot. She was completely bewildered.
"Our family didn't plant anything this year?"
Su Liyan asked, confused.
Aunt Li rolled her eyes.
"Plant anything?
That Lu Yuan doesn't know the first thing about farming! All he does is read those useless books all day. He'll never amount to anything."
Hearing Aunt Li badmouth her husband made Su Liyan a little upset. She quickly defended him.
"That was before. My husband is wonderful now."
Hearing this, Aunt Li pursed her lips, not bothering to argue.
'This silly girl. She's been sold and is still helping to count the money.'
When they reached the fields, Aunt Li went to her own plot. Su Liyan looked at her land, overgrown with weeds, and without hesitation, picked up a hoe and started working.
It was too late to plant anything this year. She would clear the weeds and prepare the land.
Then, in the fall, after everyone else had finished their harvest and was burning the corn stalks, she could burn her own field to enrich the soil.
That way, she wouldn't fall behind for next year's planting.
And so, Su Liyan worked silently, GRUNTING AND PUFFING, for the entire morning.
When noon approached, Su Liyan wasn't hungry since she'd eaten late, so she didn't stop to eat and just kept working.
Meanwhile, a number of people had gathered at the edges of the fields to eat their lunch.
During the busy farming season, almost nobody went home to eat.
Instead, they prepared their meals in the morning, brought them to the fields, and ate at midday. After a short rest, they'd get back to work.
It was more efficient that way.
"I mean... with that tiny waist and those slender legs, how can she work like an ox? She's so capable...
She's cleared almost two *mu* of land by herself this morning."
one person remarked while eating their stew, gazing at Su Liyan, who was still GRUNTING AND PUFFING as she hoed in the distance.
"Isn't she going to wear a hat or something?
Under this hot sun, won't she get tanned in two days?
How is she so fair-skinned?"
another person asked curiously.
After they spoke, someone in the know explained:
"They're different from us humans. They're born that way. They don't tan no matter how much sun they get."
"I also heard they don't show their age, and their skin is amazing.
Look at us, after a few years of rough work, our hands are as coarse as can be. But they can work until they're old, and their hands will still be soft enough to squeeze water from."
Hearing this, some of the women eating nearby looked on with envy.
"Really?
Is that a thing?"
Of course, there was also a jealous person who, upon hearing this, raised their voice and shouted snidely in Su Liyan's direction:
"Hey~
A body of cheap flesh, made specially to serve men. No wonder it stays soft no matter how you work it~"
The person's voice was so loud, and out here in the open fields, Su Liyan naturally heard every word clearly.
Her hands paused for a moment, but then she lowered her head and resumed her work.
She heard it but pretended she didn't. Su Liyan had learned to let it go.
She'd been hearing such nasty words since she was a child. It didn't matter anymore. As long as her husband cherished her, that was all that mattered.
Just as that person finished their snide shout, Aunt Li, who was walking over from another direction, pursed her lips.
"Alright, alright, that's enough! She's married into the village now and will be spending her life here. Why are you still pulling this crap!
It's not easy for her, stop bullying her all the time."
The moment Aunt Li finished, someone clicked their tongue in displeasure.
"Tsk, what's it to you!
Has that little vixen bewitched you on her very first day here?
Whose side are you on!"
Aunt Li sat down, took out her lunchbox, and recounted what she had seen that morning.
After Aunt Li finished speaking,
everyone was stunned.
Huh?
Was that for real???
If that was the case... then that Lu Yuan was a real piece of work!!