《The Lucky Star is Sweet and Wild》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Throw her down!¡± ¡°A dirty, shameless woman like her should be cleansed.¡± ¡°Bah, this jinx should have died long ago. She did such a humiliating thing and embarrassed our entire village. If she doesn¡¯t die, no one will marry the girls in our village!¡± Gu Nian was unconscious, but her mind was filled with that scene. Because the village head¡¯s daughter¡¯s engagement was broken off, the whole village blamed the mistake on the mother and her children. ¡°Mother! don¡¯t drown my mother!¡± Gu Nian suddenly sat up from the bed. She saw the memory of the young girl, who was also called Gu Nian, jumping into the river after seeing her mother drown. She had this memory deeply embedded in her mind. Gu Nian looked at the strange scene in front of her in a daze. She lifted the quilt and wanted to get out of bed, but she saw the thin and tiny body under the quilt. Gu Nian was shocked. She raised her little hands and feet. The image of her boyfriend pushing her out to block the knife after being robbed suddenly flashed across her mind. Could it be that God saw her die so cowardly that he gave her a chance to live again? ¡°You¡¯re awake? Do you still feel uncomfortable?¡± At this moment, a middle-aged man came in from outside. He looked honest. He was holding a bowl of boiled medicine in his hand. He said with concern, ¡°You¡¯ve been running a fever for two days. Come, drink this medicine.¡± Gu Nian obediently took the bowl of medicine and raised her chin as she asked, ¡°Uncle, did you save me?¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s heart softened when he was her tender little face. He had always wanted a daughter, but he had four sons. Usually, he always envied his neighbors who had daughters. He looked at the well-behaved and sensible little girl in front of him, and his eyes became kinder. He nodded, ¡°Little kid, where are you from? How did you fall into the river?¡± Gu Nian¡¯s face turned pale as she quickly asked, ¡°Uncle, when you saved me, did you see anyone else in the river?¡± According to the memory, the original owner¡¯s mother was tied to a big stone and placed in a pig cage. Then she was thrown into the river and sank. The chances of her survival were not high. As expected, Lin Sanshui looked at her in surprise. ¡°Did someone else falls into the water with you? ¡± Gu Nian shook her head. The original owner¡¯s mother had been drowned by her clansmen because she gave birth to her and her brother before she was married. After all, they were living in ancient times when people were feudal. She could not tell strangers about this. At the thought of the original host¡¯s older brother, Gu Nian revealed a hint of worry. She held the edge of the bowl tightly and asked, ¡°Mister, is this place far from Fenglai Village?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the lower reaches of the Great Xi River, and Fenglai Village is at the upper reaches. It¡¯ll probably take a day¡¯s journey to get there. Are you from Fenglai Village? ¡± Lin Sanshui was confused. Fenglai Village was a long way from here. If Gu Nian fell into the river from there, she should have drowned already. Gu Nian nodded as the other party looked at her in disbelief. She then looked down at her six-year-old body. She could not go back on her own. She sighed in her heart and looked up with her big wet eyes. ¡°Uncle, can I trouble you to send me home?¡± Lin Sanshui looked at her expression of anticipation and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Eat well and take your medicine. Take care of your body. I¡¯ll send you home tomorrow morning, okay? ¡± Gu Nian raised her head and finished the medicine in one gulp. It was so bitter that it made her frown. She did not forget to look up at Lin Sanshui gratefully. ¡°Thank you, mister.¡± Anyone would like an obedient child, not to mention the little doll with skin as white as snow. Her voice was soft and sweet too. Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio During dinner, Gu Nian met with Mrs. Lin and the two younger sons of the Lin family. Their two older sons were apprentices in town. Sitting at the dining table, Gu Nian looked at the hot steamed egg in front of her. She could feel the kind gazes from the Lin family members. She could not help but sigh. There were indeed many good people in this world. They were not like those barbarians in Fenglai Village. Every single one in that village forced a single mother and child to their deaths. The two sons of the Lin family were called Lin Sanhu and Lin Xiaohu. Xiaohu looked to be about the same age as Gu Nian. He occasionally glanced at the egg in front of Gu Nian as he secretly swallowed his saliva. ¡°Uncle, Auntie. I¡¯m feeling much better now.¡± Gu Nian pushed the egg in front of her slightly and smiled. A small dimple appeared on her cheek, making her look adorable. ¡°I give the egg to the two brothers, so they can grow stronger.¡± Gu Nian did not really like the egg. However, she was a little reluctant to give the eggs away when she pushed them away. Perhaps it was the aftereffect of the memory fusion. In the eyes of the Lin couple, Gu Nian was exceptionally sensible. They could tell Gu Nian wanted to eat the egg, but she still gave the eggs to their sons. Gu Nian was a caring girl. Mrs. Jiang could not help but reach out to touch Gu Nian¡¯s little head. ¡°Little goody, this egg is for you. These two stinky brats are strong and healthy. But you¡¯re skinny and weak, so you need to nourish yourself.¡± Although Xiaohu wanted to eat the egg, he tried his best to hold it back. He took a deep breath and pushed the egg back to Gu Nian. ¡°Little sister, eat it! Mother is right, big brother and I are super strong. Even Xiaoniu next door can¡¯t beat us, so we don¡¯t need to nourish our bodies.¡± ¡°Waa!¡± Gu Nian could not help but laugh. ¡°Brother Xiaohu, you¡¯re so amazing.¡± Gu Nian¡¯s eyes were bright and watery. After being praised, Xiaohu grinned, showing his white teeth. He was even happier than eating candy. However, he then saw Gu Nian split the egg into three portions. One portion was for Lin Xiaohu, one for Lin Sanhu, and the last one for herself. Gu Nian smiled and replied in a soft voice, ¡°This way, we can all eat the egg.¡± Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang liked Gu Nian even more now. Lin Sanhu, who had been quiet all this while, was smiling too. Xiaohu ate a spoonful of egg custard and tilted his head to look at Gu Nian. ¡°Sister, can you stay at our house and be our younger sister?¡± Without waiting for Gu Nian to answer, Lin Sanshui said, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? She has her own home. Her family will be worried if she doesn¡¯t go back.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Xiaohu said in disappointment. He ate his egg and did not say anything else. Lin Sanshui¡¯s heart was also filled with melancholy. He wanted a cute and innocent little daughter. Unfortunately, his wife injured her body when giving birth to the fourth child, and she had never been able to conceive again. Naturally, Lin Sanshui¡¯s wish had come to naught. That night, Gu Nian did not have a fever. In her half-awake state, she seemed to have arrived at a strange place. There were rivers, mountains, large fields of fertile land, and many fruit trees. Gu Nian was still a five or six-year-old child. She swallowed her saliva with difficulty and reached out to pick a peach. She casually wiped it with her hand and took a bite. ¡°Waa waa waa¡­¡± The sudden cry made Gu Nian shiver, and she woke up in shock. It was dark. There was no peach, only Lin Xiaohu¡¯s miserable cries. Gu Nian also saw Lin Xiaohu hugging his arms. When Lin Xiaohu let go of his hand, a row of teeth marks and saliva was on his arm. Gu Nian was stunned. Mrs. Jiang ran over in her underclothes in a panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get bitten by something?¡± As Mrs. Jiang spoke, she tried to pull off Xiaohu¡¯s clothes. Lin Xiaohu sobbed and hugged Mrs. Jiang. He howled and showed Mrs. Jiang his arm. ¡°Sister bit me¡­ Sister bit me¡­¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Nian was not really a child. She blushed guiltily. ¡°I was dreaming about eating a peach, and then Brother Xiaohu cried.¡± Mrs. Jiang couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go to sleep, little sweetheart. I will take him to sleep in that room.¡± Mrs. Jiang thought Gu Nian was cute. She must be hungry. After the two of them left, Gu Nian looked at Lin Sanhu, who was lying inside the room, with envy. The loud noise didn¡¯t wake him up. It seemed he was really in a deep sleep. In the main room, Lin Sanshui opened her eyes drowsily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Xiaohu have a nightmare?¡± Mrs. Jiang laughed again. ¡°That girl is dreaming about eating. She ate your son¡¯s arm like a peach!¡± Lin Sanshui laughed as well. On the other side, Gu Nian lay on the bed and closed her eyes again. Gu Nian didn¡¯t know if it was because he had become a child, but she had also become childish. Her mind kept unconsciously replaying the scenes from her dream. The night passed peacefully. When the rooster crowed three times, the sky was slightly bright. Mrs. Jiang woke Gu Nian up. ¡°Auntie.¡± Gu Nian rubbed her eyes. She had never woken up so early in her life. Mrs. Jiang looked at her asleep third son and said softly, ¡°Hurry up and get up. It¡¯s not easy to travel at night, so you should set off early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Nian hurriedly got out of bed. Lin Sanshui was eating cornbread with pickled vegetables when Gu Nian walked out of the room. When Gu Nian was done, Lin Sanshui had already finished eating and left the room. Mrs. Jiang took some cornbreads and stuffed some salted vegetables into Gu Nian¡¯s hands. Mrs. Jiang then put two eggs in Gu Nian¡¯s pocket and said, ¡°These two eggs are for you. You can eat them when you¡¯re hungry on the road.¡± After taking care of Gu Nian for two days, Mrs. Jiang felt a little reluctant to see her leave. ¡°Auntie, thank you. You¡¯re a good person,¡± Gu Nian said as she hugged Mrs. Jiang. Gu Nian realized that she had become more emotional. She concluded that this was due to the fusion of the original owner¡¯s memories. In Fenglai, other than her mother and brother, everyone else wished they were dead. That¡¯s right, didn¡¯t they already kill her mother? Lin Sanshui borrowed a donkey from the villagers. Not long after the two left, Lin Xiaohu came out of his room barefooted. ¡°Mother, has sister left?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Mrs. Jiang sighed and walked over to rub Lin Xiaohu¡¯s messy hair. She said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Go and sleep a little more.¡± Lin Xiaohu was a little disappointed. The road was filled with potholes and was not easy to walk on. They traveled on a donkey cart from morning to afternoon. Gu Nian¡¯s butt was almost broken into two halves before they finally arrived at the edge of Fenglai Village. Lin Sanshui did not see the joy of returning home on Gu Nian¡¯s face. Instead, the closer they got, the gloomier Gu Nian¡¯s face became. ¡°Little girl, are you feeling unwell again?¡± Lin Sanshui asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Nian shook her head and suddenly pointed to the side of the road. ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go this way.¡± ¡°That way is heading out of the village.¡± Lin Sanshui looked at the path that Gu Nian was pointing. It was the path that led to the hill ahead. ¡°My home is there.¡± ¡°You live on the hill?¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Gu Nian nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± Lin Sanshui had not expected Gu Nian¡¯s house to be so old and shabby. There were two thatched cottages without even a small courtyard. The thatched cottages were in a mess, and the pots and pans inside were all thrown outside. It did not even look like a home. Upon seeing this, Gu Nian immediately ran into the house. The scene in the room was even more tragic than the outside. The table with only three legs had turned into pieces of wood. The only wooden bed had also been flipped over. It was a mess everywhere, and the house was wreckage. ¡°Girl, did your house get robbed?¡± Lin Sanshui stood at the door and asked with a frown. Ever since Gu Nian entered this place, she had integrated with the emotions of the original owner. The anger in her heart had become more and more intense. Those people were evil. They destroyed her family and sank her mother into the river! Most importantly, where was her brother? Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At that moment, Gu Nian could not control her tears at all. She did not know if it was because of the original Gu Nian. She gritted her teeth hard, trying to stable herself. With tears in her eyes, she turned to Lin Sanshui for help. ¡°Uncle, can I ask you to help me with something?¡± ¡°Girl. If you need anything, just say it. I won¡¯t refuse if I can help you. You don¡¯t have to be shy.¡± Gu Nian wanted Lin Sanshui to help her find out where her brother, Gu Bei, was. She could not hide the truth anymore. She told Lin Sanshui everything from her memory. However, Lin Sanshui fell silent after she finished. In this era, giving birth to a child before marriage was indeed contemptible behavior. The first thought that flashed through Lin Sanshui¡¯s mind was how these two children were going to live their lives in the future! ¡°Uncle, can you help me?¡± The scene of her mother drowning in the pig cage was still vivid in her mind. Those people wanted to throw her and her brother into the river together, but she and her brother hid. She did not dare to go to the village now. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Wipe your tears.¡± Looking at the pitiful girl in front of him, Lin Sanshui could not bear to see her like this. ¡°Sit here and wait. Don¡¯t run around. I will help you find your brother.¡± Lin Sanshui went down the mountain and walked around the village. He found that several families were holding funerals. It was strange to see so many families holding funerals. There must be something fishy. Lin Sanshui immediately asked a ten-year-old child secretly. Children of this age were already sensible and easy to fool. With just a few questions, Lin Sanshui had already found out everything. However, he could not accept the result. On the night that Gu Nian¡¯s mother sank into the river, her brother had gotten rat poison from somewhere. Then, he poured it all into the only well in the village before running away. A six-year-old child had taken more than ten lives. He was too ruthless. It was also because the people of Fenglai village were too cruel. If they had not forced Gu Bei¡¯s mother to sink into the river, they would not have forced him to do such a thing. After so many people had died, Lin Sanshui hurriedly went to look for Gu Nian. After explaining the situation to her, he led the donkey away. It was undeniable that Lin Sanshui was a little scared. Otherwise, his attitude would not have been so cold. He broke out in a cold sweat when he heard what had happened. Seeing Lin Sanshui¡¯s sudden change in attitude and his anxious departure, Gu Nian raised her voice and bowed. ¡°Uncle, thank you for the past two days. You and Auntie are both good people. Also, help me say sorry to Brother Xiaohu. I didn¡¯t mean to bite him last night!¡± Lin Sanshui stopped in his tracks and waved at Gu Nian before walking away without looking back. Gu Nian could not blame Lin Sanshui. After all, she should be grateful that he did not hand her over after what her brother had done. Furthermore, Lin Sanshui saved her life. Gu Nian sat by the tree, her two small hands supporting her cheeks. Her brother, Gu Bei, had escaped for two to three days. Gu Nian did not know where to go to find Gu Bei, or if she could still find him! Looking at her thin arms and legs, Gu Nian could not even protect herself. The sky gradually darkened. Gu Nian looked at the damaged house. The villagers would find her at any time, so it was not a good place to stay for long. Gu Nian touched her growling stomach with her little hand. She was so hungry that it hurt. The place she had dreamed of the night before appeared in her mind again. It would be great if that were true. At the very least, she would not starve to death. Gu Nian fantasized about that scene. This time, she reached out and successfully plucked the peach, putting it into her mouth. Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With a shiver, Gu Nian was jolted awake. Her eyes widened as she looked at the peach in her hand that she had just bitten. She could taste the sweetness of the peach in her mouth. What was going on? Wasn¡¯t she daydreaming? How did she get a peach? Gu Nian took another bite and ate it happily. Soon, she was full after eating a big peach. Gu Nian closed her eyes and used her heart to feel that place. When she saw that scene again, she was so excited that she almost screamed. The heavens had indeed treated her well. Although she was sent to this godforsaken place, they had given her a life-saving divine weapon. On the other side, the further Lin Sanshui walked, the clearer Gu Nian¡¯s voice and figure became in his mind. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, and a look of struggle flashed across his face. The child was so young. Her mother was gone, and her brother had run away. How was she going to live on her own? Gu Nian was a good child. Although she was skinny, she had good facial features. Moreover, she was obedient and sensible. But her twin brother was so vicious. He was so young, but he poisoned many people mercilessly. Lin Sanshui trembled with fear when they thought about it. However, after thinking about it carefully, it was not incomprehensible. The young kid¡¯s mother and sister had been killed. If this tragedy happened to Lin Sanshui, he would probably hate the villagers too. In the end, Lin Sanshui still could not bear to leave Gu Nian alone, so he drove the donkey cart back. From afar, Lin Sanshui could see Gu Nian sitting at the same spot where he had left her. Gu Nian¡¯s tiny body was leaning against the tree with her arms around her legs and her head resting on her knees. She looked so pitiful. ¡­ It was hard to travel at night, especially since the mountain path was full of potholes. Gu Nian¡¯s little head hit the floor of the cart, and she woke up with a cry. She opened her eyes and looked at the starry sky. She sat up suddenly and looked in front of her. ¡°Uncle?¡± Seeing that it was Lin Sanshui, Gu Nian¡¯s big eyes were filled with surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave?¡± Lin Sanshui sighed helplessly. ¡°I was afraid that you would be kidnapped by someone in the middle of the night, so I came back! In fact, it was the case. Lin Sanshui carried Gu Nian to the cart and traveled a long distance, but she could hold on until now. She was really in a deep sleep. ¡°Uncle, are you going to bring me home?¡± Gu Nian was a little nervous, but her eyes were filled with hope. Even if the interspace was real, her body was only six years old. Everyone in the village wanted to beat her up, so she did not have a place to go. Although the Lin family was not rich, the husband and wife were both kind people. If they were willing to adopt her, it would be the best for her. Lin Sanshui patted Gu Nian¡¯s head with his free hand but did not answer. Now that Lin Sanshui had brought Gu Nian back, he definitely would not abandon her away. But he still hesitated about adopting Gu Nian because of her complicated background. Gu Nian could see Lin Sanshui¡¯s struggle, so she did not pursue the matter. Lin Sanshui was her savior. Whether he decided to adopt her or not, he had already done his best to help her. Lin Sanshui was not in a hurry to return at night. When he passed a village, he found a farmer and spent five coins to stay the night. By the next afternoon, Lin Sanshui finally brought Gu Nian back to his home. Upon hearing the donkey¡¯s cry, Mrs. Jiang walked out of the door with a smile on her face. However, before she could say anything, she saw Gu Nian sitting on the donkey cart. The expression on her face froze. She could not wait to ask what was going on, but she did not dare to because Gu Nian was still there. Fortunately, the two boys immediately surrounded Gu Nian when they saw her return. Xiaohu, in particular, was extremely excited. Lin Sanshui carried Gu Nian down from the donkey cart and instructed his two sons to take her to the side to play before entering the house with Mrs. Jiang. Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Brother, why did you catch so many cicadas?¡± Gu Nian reached out and poked the cicadas in Xiaohu¡¯s hand. The quiet cicadas began to squeak, bringing a smile to her face. ¡°It¡¯s for the chicken. The chicken will lay more eggs after eating this, and we¡¯ll have eggs to eat. Do you want to play with it? I¡¯ll give you one.¡± Xiaohu took out a cicada with its wings intact and handed it to Gu Nian. ¡°I don¡¯t want it. You can give it to the chicken. I don¡¯t eat cicadas anyway.¡± Gu Nian shook her head. Xiaohu chuckled. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll feed the chickens with Third Brother first. I¡¯ll bring you to catch the cicadas that haven¡¯t shed their skins at night. We will roast them with fire and eat them. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Children¡¯s snacks in the countryside were usually sparrows and critters. Children would catch them and cook them. Gu Nian¡¯s black eyes sparkled. ¡°Brother Xiaohu is the best.¡± Xiaohu was secretly delighted, and he ran over to feed the chickens. Sanhu stood there for a while before saying, ¡°I can catch cicadas too. I can catch sparrows too. You can have them all.¡± Gu Nian burst into laughter. She then replied in a soft voice, ¡°Brother Sanhu is also the best!¡± Gu Nian was really cute. Sanhu¡¯s face turned red from Gu Nian¡¯s laughter. He scratched his head and went to look for Xiaohu. Behind him, Gu Nian¡¯s smile slowly faded as a trace of sadness appeared on her fair face. Quietly, she moved over and leaned against the door. ¡°What do we do now? Keep her in our house? Her brother killed more than ten lives! What if the villagers caught him?¡± Mrs. Jiang knew that Gu Nian¡¯s brother had poisoned the villagers. It made her scalp numb. Of course, the people of Fenglai Village did some immoral deeds too. But that did not mean Mrs. Jiang could keep a troublesome child in the house! At the door, Gu Nian did not bother hiding anymore as she pushed the door open. The couple did not expect Gu Nian to be at the door. They felt embarrassed after saying those words. ¡°Uncle, Auntie. Stop arguing. You saved me, and you have been kind to me. Although I¡¯m young, I¡¯m not someone who repays kindness with ingratitude. I can¡¯t repay your kindness now, but I will not trouble you anymore.¡± Gu Nian turned around. However, she was not as calm as she appeared on the surface. She did not know how cruel the outside world was because she was in an ancient society. Fenglai Village had set up a private court and drowned a living person in the pond, but no one was against it. If she left this place, she might not be able to meet good people like the Lin family. With her tiny and weak six-year-old body, she might not be able to survive even if she had her interspace! Although Mrs. Jiang blamed Lin Sanshui for bringing Gu Nian back, she was a little regretful. She said worriedly, ¡°This child is so young and alone. Where else can she go if she leaves our house?¡± Lin Sanshui paced back and forth irritably. If Gu Nian had any other place to go, Lin Sanshui would not have taken her home without permission. Sanhu was already eight years old. Although he was only two years older than Xiaohu, he had already begun to understand. Since Sanhu saw Gu Nian leaving the house alone, he had been paying attention to his parents. Sanhu overheard his parents¡¯ conversation, and he was shocked and sad. He jogged over and whispered a few words in Xiaohu¡¯s ear. Xiaohu widened his eyes. Then, he pouted as he ran to the door. ¡°Father, Mother. Where is little sister?¡± Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang did not know how to answer Xiaohu, and they looked at each other helplessly. Before they could say anything, they heard Xiaohu cry, ¡°You drove my sister away! Waa! I want my sister! Waa!¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s brows furrowed so tightly that they were about to form a line. He looked at Mrs. Jiang, who was also at a loss and asked, ¡°You see, Xiaohu can¡¯t bear to part with Gu Nian too. How about we take her as our daughter? We¡¯re far away from Fenglai Village, and no one knows who she is, right?¡± It seemed like he was trying to convince himself. Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Mrs. Jiang looked at her crying son and gritted her teeth. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you hurry up and chase after her? If you wait any longer, she¡¯ll be gone.¡± Lin Sanshui heaved a sigh of relief and got up to give chase after Gu Nian. Gu Nian walked dejectedly. She did not walk very fast with her short legs. In a daze, she seemed to hear someone calling her from behind. She stopped subconsciously and saw that it was Lin Sanshui. She was so touched that she wanted to cry! ¡°Uncle!¡± Gu Nian turned her head. Lin Sanshui strode over and picked her up in one swift motion. Then, he turned around and walked back. ¡°Girl, your aunt has agreed to let you stay. You have to thank her when you go back.¡± Lin Sanshui said happily, but then he suddenly reacted, ¡°No, you can¡¯t call us uncle and aunt anymore. You have to call us father and mother, understand? ¡± Lin Sanshui decided to raise Gu Nian as his daughter, so it was necessary to change how she addressed him. Gu Nian hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°I know. Thank you, Father.¡± Although she felt sorry for the original owner¡¯s mother, what she needed more now was to live on and find a place to stay. When they returned to the Lin family, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s eyes were filled with tears when Gu Nian called her mother. She had forgotten that she had been worried about her background not long ago. Suddenly, Gu Nian felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was like a huge rock had been placed on top of her chest, causing her to be unable to breathe. Mrs. Jiang saw her clutching her chest and asked her in concern, ¡°Little sweetheart, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯m tired. Can I sleep for a while?¡± Gu Nian tried her best to relax her brows. ¡°Of course, you can. You can go to your brother¡¯s room to sleep first. I will prepare a place for you later.¡± Gu Nian obediently climbed onto the bed and lay down. After Mrs. Jiang left, a pained expression appeared on Gu Nian¡¯s face. She was soon covered in sweat. In a dream-like state, she seemed to see the original owner. The little girl held back her tears. She asked Gu Nian to help look for her brother, Gu Bei. Gu Nian, who was also occupying her body, naturally agreed. Then, the original owner of the body drifted further and further away. Gu Nian suddenly opened her eyes and was completely awake. She suddenly felt much more relaxed. So, the scene in the dream just now, was it real? Gu Nian got up in a daze and went to the courtyard, only to find no one was in the house. The chickens and ducks were out of the pen. They were running around in the yard and defecated many feces on the ground. When Lin Sanshui returned with a sack and the others, the first thing he saw was Gu Nian using a heavy shovel to clean up the chicken feces in the yard. ¡°This girl is more sensible than the brats. We have four children, but I¡¯ve never seen any of them do this chore.¡± Mrs. Jiang quickly stepped forward and took the shovel from her hand. ¡°Alright, little sweetheart, hurry up and rest. You¡¯re not even as tall as the shovel. Let me handle it.¡± Indeed, Gu Nian¡¯s small hands and feet couldn¡¯t even hold things steadily, let alone do heavy work. However, Gu Nian did not want to be a freeloader. Therefore, she could only think of other ways. In addition, she needed to find Gu Bei. In this era when transportation technology was not developed, human and material resources were indispensable, but she did not have any. Gu Nian¡¯s next goal was to make money. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Gu Nian had finally settled down in Peach Flower Village. It was noon, and the sun was scorching. Xiaohu found a broken frame in the house and shouted, ¡°Third Brother, Sister, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s catch some fish. ¡°Mother said that we¡¯re not allowed to bring Sister out to play, or else she will be tanned,¡± Sanhu said. Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Meanwhile, Gu Nian¡¯s eyes lit up. She wanted to catch fish. Ever since he came to this world, she had been eating vegetarian every day, and she started to grow tired of it. It was enough to fill her stomach, but it was all fruits and vegetables. Gu Nian didn¡¯t eat a slice of meat at all. She ran out of the house and said, ¡°Yay! Third Brother, Fourth Brother, I want to catch fish too. I used to run outside often, so I won¡¯t get tanned. Gu Nian¡¯s skin was fair and had never tanned before, so she was very assured. ¡°Alright.¡± Sanhu was not as good at talking as Xiaohu, but he was very considerate. Sanhu took out a straw hat and put it on Gu Nian before holding her hand and following Xiaohu. The scenery in the ancient era was nice. There were large trees in front and behind each house, and the breeze was cool and comfortable. The stream was a branch of the Great Xi River. The water was not deep, barely reaching up to one¡¯s knees. The stream and the banks of the river were covered with rocks. Gu Nian carried a small water bucket and watched Sanhu and Xiaohu catch fish in a basket. Every now and then, they would catch a small fish the size of a palm and throw it onto the shore for her to pick up. As Gu Nian walked along the rocky shore, Gu Nian noticed that many river snails were growing on the rocks in the stream. There were also mischievous river shrimps and groups of small fish swimming. Gu Nian could see all of them because the stream was too clear. It was a pure, natural, and pollution-free world. Even the air felt comfortable. Gu Nian placed the small bucket aside and ran to pick a few parasol leaves to lay on the ground. She then placed all the river snails on the leaves. Gu Nian couldn¡¯t stop drooling as she thought about the various ways to cook the river snails. There were quite a few small crabs under the rock, but they were too small, so she threw them all into her space to keep them. As for the small shrimp and fish, they were too fast. Gu Nian could not catch them at all. There were many fishes in the river, and it didn¡¯t take long for them to catch half a bucket. When no one was looking, Gu Nian secretly took a few fish and kept them in her interspace. She wanted to add some life to her interspace. When Sanhu and Xiaohu came up, they immediately saw several piles of river snails on the shore. Gu Nian was still touching the stones. ¡°Sister, why are you touching this? It¡¯s not delicious.¡± Xiaohu asked, but Sanhu went to pick up the small bucket. ¡°Who said it¡¯s not good? It¡¯s delicious. You guys cook it the wrong way.¡± The spicy river snail was a good dish to go with wine. It would be super delicious! Sanhu pulled a few tree vines over and wrapped up the river snails, saying, ¡°Take it home first. If it¡¯s not delicious, break it and feed it to the chickens. The chickens can even lay a few more eggs.¡± Since Gu Nian had caught them, it would be a pity to throw them away. Then, Sanhu carried the heaviest bucket while Xiaohu and Gu Nian carried the river snails. Even if the stream water was clear, river snails had to be raised for a few days before they could be eaten. There were no pliers at home. Hence, Gu Nian found a pair of scissors in the sewing basket of Mrs. Jiang. She wanted to use them to cut the snail¡¯s tail. Unfortunately, she was too weak and could only give up after several attempts. When Lin Sanshui and his wife returned from the field, the three children had already washed half a bucket of small fish. They were waiting to be the fish into the pot. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t go to the deep river, right?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked. Xiaohu hurriedly shook his head, looking as if he was still in shock. ¡°No, we caught these at the other side of the stream. The water wasn¡¯t deep.¡± ¡°Third brother, why is Fourth Brother so scared?¡± Gu Nian tugged at Sanhu. Sanhu touched his nose guiltily. ¡°Some time ago, he secretly went to the pond to the west of the village to catch fish. The water there was deep. When he came back, he was caught by Father and got beaten up. ¡°What about you?¡± Gu Nian raised her eyebrows at Sanhu. ¡°Did you get beaten up?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Nope.¡± Sanhu tapped Gu Nian¡¯s nose. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and help mother start the fire. You should go and wash your hands as well. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± However, Gu Nian laughed. She did not fool by Xiaohu¡¯s noisiness and Sanhu¡¯s honest appearance. In fact, she had seen it clearly during this period. Usually, it was Sanhu who gave ideas behind the scenes, and Xiaohu was the one who took the blame when something happened. However, this did not mean that the relationship between the two brothers was not good. On the contrary, the relationship between the two was very close. One came up with ideas, and the other was stupid and bold. ¡°Why did you guys come back with so many river snails? This thing¡¯s shell is too hard. It¡¯s hard to break it and feed the chickens.¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s voice suddenly came from the courtyard. Gu Nian quickly replied, ¡°Father, I caught them. Don¡¯t give them to the chicken. I wanted to eat them myself. ¡°What¡¯s so good about this? It¡¯s fishy and doesn¡¯t have much meat!¡± Lin Sanshui picked Gu Nian up. ¡°Is our little Nian Nian hungry? Tomorrow, let your third brother and little brother take you to the forest to dig out bird eggs to eat.¡± Mrs. Jiang asked while cooking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would let the children go to the field to catch bugs tomorrow? Did you change your mind now?¡± ¡°How much work can we expect from a few little kids?¡± Lin Sanshui began to complain to Mrs. Jiang. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. I said that we should plant grains. Why did you have to plant cotton? The cotton hasn¡¯t even borne fruit yet, and the insects have almost eaten it all!¡± ¡°How dare you blame me. Our eldest son is coming of age. We should prepare the blanket before he gets married.¡± As for the dowry, it was something that only rich people had. In a poor family, it was already a luxury for the maiden¡¯s family to give two boxes for the bed and blanket as a betrothal gift. Some heartless parents accepted the betrothal gift and sent their daughters away empty-handed. Lin Sanshui couldn¡¯t win an argument against Mrs. Jiang, so he shut his mouth in embarrassment. ¡°Father, can you do me a favor and cut off the tail parts of the river snails? I can¡¯t cut them myself.¡± Gu Nian took the opportunity to pull Lin Sanshui to the bucket with the river snail and said pitifully. Lin Sanshui squatted down. ¡°Alright, but if it doesn¡¯t taste, you¡¯ll have to be responsible for picking out all the meat and feeding it to the chickens.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Father.¡± Gu Nian called out sweetly. Her eyes were big and bright as she smiled brightly. Some people¡¯s smiles had a natural healing function. Lin Sanshui instantly felt full of energy. His fatigue from working in the fields for the entire day faded. As they ate, the smile on Gu Nian¡¯s face gradually disappeared when she saw the bowl of soup and the two fish. She thought she could finally see some meat to satisfy her craving. However, she had overestimated Mrs. Jiang¡¯s cooking skills. Gu Nian¡¯s family ran a restaurant. She had been forced by her father to practice her cooking skills since she was young. Making fish soup was not as easy as it seemed. When it was done, the milky white soup looked appetizing. If it wasn¡¯t stewed well, it would be the kind of slightly turbid soup in front of him. Fortunately, they caught many fish today, and more than half of them were kept in the bucket. Gu Nian decided that she would show off her skills tomorrow and have a delicious meal. She would also let them see what real fish soup was! The confident Gu Nian forced herself to drink the fishy fish soup and eat half a cornbread. She was just about 80% full. Although Mrs. Jiang had always wanted a daughter to help with the housework, she didn¡¯t expect a child to do anything. She only wanted Gu Nian to wash the dishes. Lin Sanshui cleaned the river snails and even scrubbed them a few times. The Gu siblings squatted at the side and watched, not feeling bored at all. Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Early in the morning, Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang went to work in the fields. They weeded the fields and caught bugs for the Zhuang family. There were no pesticides at this time, so everything had to be done manually. ¡°Third Brother, Little Sister, hurry up! We must go before all the wild vegetables have been dug up!¡± Xiaohu anxiously urged Gu Nian as she was putting on her clothes. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m already putting on my clothes. Don¡¯t rush me.¡± Gu Nian hurriedly put on her clothes and shoes before walking out. When the adults were busy, the children had to be busy too. Sanhu and Xiaohu¡¯s task was to bring Gu Nian up the mountain to dig for vegetables, fish in the river, harvest the pigweed, and catch insects to feed the chickens and ducks at home. ¡°Third Brother, where are we going to dig for wild vegetables today?¡± Gu Nian asked as soon as she stepped out of the door. ¡°The vegetables on the plain land have been dug out. We¡¯ll go to the back of the mountain today.¡± Sanhu picked up the basket and carried it on his back. He held Gu Nian¡¯s hand with one hand and led the way. Xiaohu followed behind with a basket in his hand. They headed to the back of the mountain together. There were a few children on the hill, most of them girls. Some were carrying baskets on their backs and digging for wild vegetables. Others were cutting pigweed. Summer days were much better than winter. If people were diligent, they could find all kinds of wild vegetables and fruits on the mountain to supplement their family. On the other hand, they could only live with lesser food during winter. ¡°Xiaohu, you¡¯ve followed your third brother to dig wild vegetables again. It¡¯s a girl¡¯s job. How embarrassing.¡± As the boy spoke, he stuck out his tongue at Gu Nian and the other two. Xiaohu had a hot temper and wanted to push the boy, but Sanhu blocked him, so he stopped unwillingly. Gu Nian recognized this brat. He was the Xiaoniu that Xiaohu had mentioned. Xiaoniu was one year older than Xiaohu and was skinny and small. He did not even look as strong as Xiaohu. ¡°Xiaoniu, be good and don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± As soon as Xiaoniu finished speaking, his elder sister came over to pull him back. She smiled apologetically at Sanhu and said, ¡°Sanhu, Xiaohu, please forgive Xiaoniu¡¯s rudeness.¡± Sanhu¡¯s face darkened as he said to Xiaohu and Gu Nian, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When they reached a place where no one was around, Xiaohu threw a tantrum unhappily. ¡°Third Brother, why did you stop me just now? If you don¡¯t stop me, I¡¯ll beat him to the ground today and let him taste my fist. Let¡¯s see if he dares to provoke me next time!¡± ¡°Sister Zhaodi is here. Aunt Liu will blame them for not watching over Xiaoniu after you beat him up.¡± According to Sanhu, Aunt Liu¡¯s family heavily favored boys over girls. In addition, they only had one precious son after giving birth to five daughters. Xiaoniu was the apple of the family¡¯s eyes. They would overreact if Xiaoniu hurt a little ¡°Then we¡¯re just going to let him go?¡± Xiaohu pouted his lips unwillingly. Sanhu laughed. Although he did not say anything, Gu Nian felt that her third brother, who had always been a good kid, was up to something bad again. Sanhu took his sickle and walked to the side where the grass was fresh and tender. He bent down and began to cut the grass slowly. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I¡¯ll cut the pigweed, and you and Sister will dig the wild vegetables. Stay nearby, and don¡¯t go far. When I¡¯m done cutting the pigweed, I¡¯ll dig with you.¡± In this era, it was a common phenomenon that a community favored men over women. In other families, the girls would do the household chores, while the boys would be idle all day. However, there was no girl in their family in the past, and Mrs. Jiang was busy with farm work all day long. Lin Dahu and his brothers had been working with adults since they were little kids. After they grew up, they looked for work to do by themselves. Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Nian thought it was a good opportunity. After taking a few steps forward, Gu Nian whispered to Xiaohu when Sanhu was not paying attention, ¡°Fourth Brother, let¡¯s go. I haven¡¯t been to the mountains yet.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Xiaohu immediately shook his head. ¡°There are wolves in the mountains. We can¡¯t go deeper.¡± Gu Nian turned around and saw that most of the grass on the hill was waist-deep. There were wolves in the mountains, but they should not have come to the outskirts of the forest. ¡°Fourth Brother, let¡¯s walk a little further. Look! There are only weeds here. There aren¡¯t many wild vegetables at all. Let¡¯s go to the forest. It¡¯s not far, and the weeds aren¡¯t high. There must be wild vegetables, or even mushrooms and wood ears. Hehe.¡± Gu Nian said as she walked forward slowly while luring Xiaohu to follow her. ¡°Aiya!¡± Gu Nian¡¯s leg was suddenly hit by something. She slipped and fell to the ground. However, a furry thing was struggling to escape under her stomach. Gu Nian was afraid. Without thinking, she put the thing she had not seen clearly into her interspace. Xiaohu quickly turned around to help her up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you fall? Are you hurt?¡± Gu Nian hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, I just tripped. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Be careful!¡± As Gu Nian listened to Xiaohu¡¯s nagging, she took the time to look into her interspace. A snow-white rabbit had suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar place and was still in a daze. It was the little thing that tripped Gu Nian and was dragged into the interspace. Gu Nian covered her mouth as she could not contain her joy. She was blessed by the Goddess of Luck. The wild rabbit hit her leg and just happened to be pressed under her body, unable to escape. God, she didn¡¯t mind having more luck like this. Just as Gu Nian had expected, there were fewer weeds around the forest area. The place where the sun could shine through the dense woods was full of fresh wild vegetables. After taking a few steps, Gu Nian found the wood ears on a dead tree. However, it had long dried up. ¡°Fourth Brother, come! There are wood ears here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Where?¡± Xiaohu ran to Gu Nian¡¯s side and looked at the rotten tree trunk. ¡°You¡¯re right. People rarely come here. There¡¯s something good here. Let¡¯s hurry and pick them.¡± As Xiaohu spoke, he immediately reached out to pick the ear woods. However, Gu Nian did not do so. ¡°Brother, you can pick the wood ears here. I¡¯ll go to the side and see if there are any other good things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go far!¡± Xiaohu hurriedly warned. Gu Nian had not gone far. After a short while, she found a sturdy wooden stick nearby and used one end to poke holes in the ground. After that, Gu Nian pulled out more than ten ripe strawberries from her space and buried them in the hole. She made the soil around her firm and covered it with a layer of withered leaves. Gu Nian then quickly plucked a bunch of peaches from her interspace and placed them on the ground. She even pulled the rabbit by its ear and shouted, ¡°Brother, come here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Xiaohu heard the call, he quickly gave up on picking the fungus. He threw away the basket and trotted over. However, when he got closer, he saw a scene he would never forget. The little Gu Nian sat on the ground and held the fat rabbit by its ear, not daring to move. More than ten large peaches piled up on the ground beside her, and a small patch of red fruits grew on its back. Gu Nian thought it was a good opportunity. Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Where did you get all this?¡± Xiaohu¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Gu Nian in disbelief. Gu Nian could explain how she got those red fruits. They were growing on the ground. However, the rabbit in her arms and the pile of peaches beside her couldn¡¯t have fallen from the sky, right? However, Gu Nian¡¯s body tensed up as she hugged the rabbit. ¡°Brother, why aren¡¯t you helping me? I can¡¯t hold on any longer!¡± The rabbit was quite lively, constantly struggling in her arms. Afraid that the rabbit would run away, Gu Nian could only hug it even tighter. However, she did not expect that the tighter she hugged it, the more the rabbit struggled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming.¡± As soon as Xiaohu heard Gu Nian could not hold on any longer, he ran over and grabbed the rabbit¡¯s ears with both hands. The little rabbit was still struggling, but Xiaohu was much stronger than Gu Nian. Sanhu worked hard to harvest the pigweed. When his basket was full, he looked up to look for Xiaohu and Gu Nian. He walked around but didn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Sanhu was very anxious. He was afraid that they would go deep into the mountains. ¡°Sister! Xiaohu! Where did you guys go?¡± Sanhu threw his basket and sickle on the ground and ran to find the man. ¡°Little Sister! Xiaohu!¡± Gu Nian could vaguely hear someone calling her name. She immediately stood there and listened carefully. After that, her eyes lit up instantly. She left Xiaohu, who was picking strawberries and ran back the way she came. ¡°Third Brother, we¡¯re over here. Come over quickly.¡± When San Hu ran over and saw Gu Nian, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Third Brother, look! There¡¯s so much good food!¡± Gu Nian quickly pulled him and pointed at the area where Xiaohu was squatting. Sanhu looked over and was stunned. ¡°Xiaohu, what are you eating? Do you know what this is? What if you¡¯re poisoned?¡± Looking at the bright red juice at the corner of Xiaohu¡¯s mouth, Sanhu¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t know how much his stinky brother had eaten, so he was worried. Gu Nian was also stunned. How could they not recognize strawberries? Xiaohu giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Brother. Sister and I have already eaten a few. They are not poisonous.¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t eat things you¡¯ve never seen before in the mountains in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Father and Mother. Father will definitely spank your butt.¡± Sanhu still had a lingering fear. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that a few years ago, someone had eaten a poisonous mushroom and died. Gu Nian walked over and tugged at Sanhu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t blame Fourth Brother. I found this thing and asked him to eat it. I used to eat it in the mountains when I had nothing to eat. I knew it wasn¡¯t poisonous, so I dared to let Fourth Brother eat it. San Hu¡¯s heart softened when he saw Gu Nian¡¯s pitiful appearance. He thought about his sister being rescued from drowning in the river. She was dressed in rags and covered in patches. He didn¡¯t know how much she had suffered in the past. His mother dressed his sister in Xiaohu¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister. I didn¡¯t mean to be stern. I was scared you would eat anything you liked and get poisoned. ¡°I know you are doing this for our good.¡± Gu Nian smiled sweetly. ¡°Third Brother, we already know that these fruits are not poisonous. Let¡¯s pick them up and bring them home. They¡¯re sweet and sour, but they¡¯re delicious. Let¡¯s bring them home for Father and Mother.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sanhu suddenly stopped walking. ¡°You two stay here and don¡¯t run around. I have to go back and get my basket and sickle.¡± When Sanhu returned, he noticed peaches and a tied-up rabbit in the basket. Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the end, they threw away more than half of the pigweed they had painstakingly harvested because there were too many things to carry. Sanhu carried the heaviest peaches, which weighed five to six catties, and a bundle of pigweed in his arms. Xiaohu carried a basket of strawberries on his back. Gu Nian and Xiaohu took turns carrying the tied-up rabbits. They walked home excitedly. Fortunately, Gu Nian had reminded them to cover their baskets with pigweed so other people would not know what they had collected. However, they could not hide the rabbit. Just as they reached the door of their house, they met Xiaoniu, who had returned with her sisters. Xiaoniu immediately noticed the rabbit in Gu Nian¡¯s arms. ¡°Hey, brat, where did your rabbit come from?¡± he asked. No one noticed that Sanhu had a sneer. He then whispered a few words to Xiaohu. Xiaohu was stunned for a moment. Although he did not understand what Sanhu meant, he still walked in front of Gu Nian and blocked her way. He snorted and said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you I¡¯m craving this rabbit. I kowtowed to the big tree for a long time. I begged it for giving me a rabbit!¡± ¡°After saying that, Xiaohu pulled Gu Nian along. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We¡¯ll ask Mother to make us braised rabbit meat tonight.¡± Behind them, Xiaoniu¡¯s eyes were wide open as he looked at their departing figures, deep in thought. Xiaoniu¡¯s two sisters were beside him, but they found it funny. Kowtowing to a tree and begging for a rabbit was nonsense. However, they didn¡¯t expect Xiaoniu, who had always been overbearing, would believe it. When they got home, Xiaohu couldn¡¯t wait to ask Sanhu, ¡°Third Brother, why did you ask me to tell Xiaoniu all that? ¡± Xiaohu felt that something was off. However, Gu Nian burst out laughing. As an adult, she naturally understood Sanhu¡¯s purpose. However, Gu Nian didn¡¯t know if Xiaoniu, who always looked down on girls, would be fooled! Gu Nian ran over to check on her river snails. The water was already muddy. She quickly changed it to clean water and made them continue to spit out sand. Sanhu poked his head out of the kitchen. ¡°You two wash your hands now. Mother left some rice for us in the pot.¡± It was pleasantly cool in the morning, so Lin Sanshui and his wife went to the fields before dawn. The couple did not see the children when they returned home. Hence, the couple left the rice in the pot for the children to eat after they came back. There was even stir-fried cucumber for breakfast, which was a flavorful meal. After Gu Nian finished eating, she placed a bench under her feet and washed the pot and dishes before leaving. It was not child abuse. Here in the countryside, the children in the village were not so carefully raised. When the children became sensible, they would go out to catch insects and feed the chickens. After they became older, they would help with the work. It was like letting the children grow freely. It was scorching in the middle of the afternoon. The three siblings squatted under the sycamore tree in the courtyard and continued to process the fish. Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang returned not long after. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, and their clothes were wet. After Mrs. Jiang washed her face, she took the fish they had killed to the kitchen. Gu Nian quickly followed after her and pulled on her sleeve. ¡°Mother, can you let me prepare lunch today?¡± Although Mrs. Jiang looked tired, she still smiled gently. She extended her index finger and gently tapped Gu Nian¡¯s forehead. ¡°You little girl, I know you want to help me with more work. However, you¡¯re still young. I¡¯ll do the cooking for you.¡± ¡°Mother, I know how to cook. Just let me do it once. I¡¯ve done it before. This time, just watch me. If I don¡¯t cook well, I won¡¯t bother you again, okay?¡± Gu Nian tugged at her sleeve and shook it from side to side. ¡°Alright, alright. I can¡¯t argue with you.¡± Mrs. Jiang had no other choice. Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After accepting the task of cooking, Gu Nian began to shout outside. ¡°Third Brother, Third Brother, come and help me start the fire. ¡°There¡¯s no need for your third brother. I will start the fire for you.¡± As Mrs. Jiang said, she sat in the back and started to light the fire. She didn¡¯t forget to remind Gu Nian, ¡°You¡¯re still young. If there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t do, just tell me. Don¡¯t force yourself, understand? ¡± It did not matter if Gu Nian did not know how to cook, but it would be bad if she was scalded. Before Gu Nian could reply, Lin Sanshui shouted from outside, ¡°Mother, come here now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mrs. Jiang put down the firewood she had not yet lit, stood up, and went outside. Just then, Sanhu came in and sat down to continue Mrs. Jiang¡¯s work. In the central room, Lin Sanshui pointed at a pile of neatly arranged peaches on the table. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡± Mrs. Jiang was dumbfounded. ¡°How would I know what happened? Didn¡¯t I come back from the fields with you? I didn¡¯t even get to enter this house.¡± After saying that, Mrs. Jiang walked to the door and peeked outside. She saw Xiaohu and called out, ¡°Xiaohu, do you know where the peaches on the table came from?¡± ¡°I know. We picked it from the mountain.¡± Xiaohu smiled proudly. ¡°Father, Mother, we also found a type of red fruit. It¡¯s sweet and sour, and it¡¯s very delicious. Little Sister says it¡¯s strawberry, but it¡¯s much bigger and tastier than a strawberry. We also caught a rabbit.¡± After Mrs. Jiang¡¯s question, Gu Nian had been listening intently to the conversation outside. Fortunately, Xiaohu had been using ¡®we¡¯ instead of ¡®she¡¯. Gu Nian heaved a sigh of relief. She would not be suspected, would she? After Xiaohu had finished, Lin Sanshui quickly went to the chicken pen to check on the rabbit they had caught. It was a fat white rabbit that weighed at least four to five catties. Only then did Mrs. Jiang notice the red fruits in the basket under the table. The red fruits didn¡¯t look like the wild strawberries growing in the mountains, but the leaves looked similar. ¡°Mrs. Jiang took one out and asked, ¡°Have you eaten? Your stomach doesn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Xiaohu shook his head violently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. Sister said that she had eaten it before. It¡¯s not poisonous.¡± Madam Jiang put it in her mouth and took a bite. It was just as Xiaohu had said, sour and sweet, delicious. Lin Sanshui came in from outside, a bright smile on his face. ¡°Haha! These kids are really lucky. They even managed to catch a rabbit weighing four to five catties. I have never been this lucky in decades.¡± Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes at him and asked Xiaohu, ¡°How did you guys catch this rabbit?¡± The four-legged little thing ran extremely fast and was not easy to catch. ¡°The little rabbit hit Little Sister¡¯s leg and fell. When Little Sister fell, she pressed the rabbit under her.¡± When they heard Xiaohu¡¯s proud tone, the Lin couple thought they had seen this scene with their own eyes. They could not help but exclaim at the luck of their children. Xiaohu hugged Lin Sanshui¡¯s leg, ¡°Dad, come with us to the mountains. There are so many good things in the mountains. We even found the wood ears, but there were too many things to take, so we didn¡¯t manage to pick them back.¡± Listening to Xiaohu¡¯s coquettish tone, Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang looked at each other and then nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to the field again this afternoon. I think I¡¯ll be able to pull out all the weeds in the field. I will accompany you up the mountain tomorrow. I¡¯d like to see how lucky you three are!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°How could you not know what kind of luck your son has had all these years? ¡± Mrs. Jiang seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°I think it¡¯s all thanks to Nian Nian¡¯s luck. Think about her origin. What good life could she have had in Fenglai Village? But her mother was able to give birth to two children safely and raise them under such circumstances. It¡¯s not an easy thing.¡± Mrs. Jiang had never felt that she was worse than anyone. But she admitted that if she were in that kind of environment, she might not have been able to survive with her child. The smile on Lin Sanshui¡¯s face disappeared. He said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things anymore. No matter who it is, they are all lucky. Since Nian Nian has come to our house, we must treat her well.¡± Luck was a good thing, but it would inevitably make people jealous. Mrs. Jiang also understood this and immediately nodded. Lin Sanshui suddenly sniffled and said, ¡°It smells so good.¡± Mrs. Jiang suddenly reacted. ¡°Aiyo, Nian Nian insisted on cooking. She better not get hurt!¡± Mrs. Jiang hurriedly ran out of the door and into the kitchen. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw Gu Nian standing on a small stool and stirring the pot with a spatula in her hand. In the pot, the milky-white fish soup emitted a fragrant smell, causing Mrs. Jiang to swallow her saliva involuntarily. Mrs. Jiang suddenly realized. It turned out that Gu Nian had always wanted to cook because Gu Nian despised her cooking skills! Mrs. Jiang¡¯s face was full of embarrassment. However, she was suddenly curious about Gu Nian¡¯s mother. Gu Nian¡¯s mother was a woman who had given birth to two children before marriage. She raised them to be outstanding children. Gu Nian was obedient and well-behaved at such a young age. She was not even as tall as a table, but she already had such cooking skills. And that Gu Bei, who she had only heard of but had never seen before, was only six years old. However, he was able to poison the villagers and escape successfully. He must not be a simple person. Mrs. Jiang looked at her six-year-old Xiaohu, who only ate and played all day. Sanhu was better. Sanhu had been well-behaved since he was young but didn¡¯t talk much. A trace of longing suddenly appeared in Mrs. Jiang¡¯s eyes when she thought of her other two sons. The two children became apprentices in town so they could have a way out in the future. They could only come back two days a month, so Mrs. Jiang always missed them. The lunch was very fragrant and delicious. If not for Gu Nian were still a child, Mrs. Jiang would have stopped cooking and handed over all the cooking to Gu Nian. However, when she saw the large piece of lard that had been dug out and the little salt left in the jar, she gave up on this idea. Gu Nian¡¯s cooking was full of oil and salt. No wonder it smelled so good. Such a meal was fine once in a while, but it would be wasteful to eat like this every day. Mrs. Jiang picked out some strawberries that could not be kept for long. She then asked Sanhu and Xiaohu to send them to her their uncles¡¯ families. Lin Sanshui was just about to add two more peaches when Mrs. Jiang glared at her and put the peaches away. Once the children were gone, Lin Sanshui mumbled, ¡°Look at how stingy you are. It¡¯s just a few peaches picked from the mountains. Do you have to be so stingy?¡± However, Mrs. Jiang said matter-of-factly, ¡°I am stingy, so what? Do you have an opinion? If Nian Nian didn¡¯t say that we could not keep those strawberries for long, I wouldn¡¯t even be willing to give them away.¡± Although they could pick these fruits from the mountains, such a big peach was rare. After a while, Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°Go to town tomorrow and bring your eldest son and second son back. Leave two peaches for the children and bring the rest to town to see if you can exchange them for money. There are also many eggs at home. The basket you usually weave and straw sandals¡­¡± Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As Mrs. Jiang talked about these trivial matters, Lin Sanshui didn¡¯t dare to call her stingy anymore. It was not easy to earn money especially when the children were growing up. It was the harsh truth in this ancient world. They couldn¡¯t bear to eat anything that could be exchanged for money. Xiaohu was still thinking of eating braised rabbit meat for dinner, but it was all gone. Moreover, Lin Sanshui had to postpone the promise to go to the mountain with the children. Fortunately, Sanhu and Xiaohu knew that their two brothers were coming back. Hence, they were happy and did not have any objections. At night, Gu Nian was lying in bed alone. The room she was staying in used to belong to Dahu and Erhu. However, they only came back two days a month. Hence, she could have it as her room. When the two returned, Gu Nian would make do with Sanhu and Xiaohu. There were not many rooms in the house, and this was the only way. With her hands under her head, Gu Nian closed her eyes and let her consciousness sink into the interspace. In addition to the large river, there were a few small ponds around the field. Gu Nian had placed the small fish he had secretly caught in one of the small ponds. At this moment, Gu Nian subconsciously looked in that direction and saw a big fish emerging from the water before disappearing into the water. Gu Nian was stunned. She had checked her interspace long ago. There were all kinds of plants in it, many of which she didn¡¯t know. However, there was no living thing here, including in the water. Where did the big fish in the small pond come from? The small fish she caught was not even the size of her palm. Gu Nian walked to the surface of the water. The water in the pond was so clear that she could see the bottom of it. He saw that the small pond had undergone a drastic change compared to the beginning. There was a school of fish swimming at the bottom of the pond. There were many small fishes in the water too. Gu Nian suddenly gasped as an idea formed in her mind. In order to verify her guess, Gu Nian used her telekinesis to fish out a big fish from the pond. Then, she placed it in another pond where she was sure there were no living creatures. Then, she picked an ear of ripe wheat from the field and planted the seed beside the pond. After that, Gu Nian pulled his consciousness away from the place and focused on the mountains in the distance. There were many types of plants in the mountains too. Gu Nian could not sense how big this interspace was. She could only see that at the end of the rolling mountains, there was a coast. This place was like a small world that had yet to mature. Gu Nian suddenly felt that this transmigration was worth it. She had found old ginseng in the mountain. Fortunately, she had seen a picture of it before. Otherwise, she would not have recognized it. Gu Nian retracted her consciousness from the interspace with satisfaction. She leisurely drank the coconut that appeared out of thin air in her hand with a wheat straw. People did not have a computer or cell phones in this ancient world. They did not have any advanced technology. However, life in ancient times was much more fulfilling than in modern times. Gu Nian still had to think about how she could reasonably take out the old ginseng from her interspace tomorrow when she entered the mountains. She wanted to improve her family¡¯s life without being suspected. Of course, she had to implement her plan of getting rich quickly. The host¡¯s older brother had taken so many lives. For the sake of her and the others¡¯ safety, Gu Nian definitely couldn¡¯t just go and look for him. So, the best way was to let Gu Bei know she was not dead. Then, he would come to find her. In that case, Gu Nian would need a lot of fame. Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Gu Nian woke up, the sky was already bright. She got up to put on her clothes and went out. She saw Lin Sanshui carrying a large basket on his back and a rabbit in his hand. He was about to leave. ¡°Father, where are you going? Didn¡¯t you say you go to the mountains with us?¡± Gu Nian looked at his equipment in confusion. It seemed Lin Sanshui would not be back for a short while. Lin Sanshui then remembered that he had not told the children about his trip to town today. ¡°Nian Nian, I forgot to tell you yesterday. I have to go to town today to pick up your big brother and second brother, so I can¡¯t accompany you to the mountains. Let¡¯s wait until tomorrow, okay?¡± Gu Nian¡¯s eyes lit up as she ran over to Lin Sanshui and tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve never been to town before. Can I go with you?¡± Most of the original owner¡¯s memories were about her difficult life with her mother and brother. There were not many useful memories, and she had never been to the town. Gu Nian wanted to take a look and understand the world. Only then would she know where she should start to get rich. Although the interspace was handy, she had to be wary of the sinister human heart. She did not intend to expose herself. Lin Sanshui had business to attend to in town. Bringing a child along would only bring trouble to himself! He wanted to reject Gu Nian without hesitation. However, when he lowered his head and saw Gu Nian¡¯s expectant look, he could not say no to her. Gu Nian was happy, but Lin Sanshui was stiff. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to town with Father to pick up Big Brother and Second Brother!¡± Gu Nian shouted as she rushed into the main room. ¡°Alright, be careful on the road.¡± Mrs. Jiang was still puzzled. Didn¡¯t Lin Sanshui usually hate looking after the children when he had something to do? He disliked them for walking too slowly and being in the way. Why was he willing to take Nian Nian with him this time? Furthermore, it was a long journey to town. Suddenly, Mrs. Jiang couldn¡¯t help but laugh. They had too many sons, so Lin Sanshui must have a soft spot for Gu Nian. Lin Sanshui had initially planned to go to the town alone. Now, he brought Gu Nian along. He was carrying the rabbit, so he could not carry her. The journey was not short, so Lin Sanshui changed his mind and decided to take the mule cart. The driver was Old Wang from the neighboring village. He was in his 40s or 50s and made a living by doing this. It cost one cent per person and two cents for a round trip, which was not expensive. Lin Sanshui handed over two wens and helped Gu Nian into the cart. There were already a few people in the carriage. Gu Nian could only squeeze into Lin Sanshui¡¯s lap as Lin Sanshui used one of his arms to prevent Gu Nian from falling. Since Gu Nian was reborn as a child, she had to act like one. Gu Nian could not complain about it and could only give in. However, this was only temporary. Gu Nian made up her mind as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Soon, she wouldn¡¯t buy a mule cart but an ox or donkey cart. That way, she wouldn¡¯t have to squeeze with others. ¡°Third Brother, she must be the child bride for your son, right? You¡¯re quite pretty. Why didn¡¯t you stay home and learn to do housework from your future mother-in-law? You¡¯re just a child. What are you doing in town?¡± The person who spoke was surnamed Zhang, and people called her Mrs. Zhang. She was Xiaoniu¡¯s mother and was also the village¡¯s famous big mouth. She was a chatterbox. Gu Nian glanced at Mrs. Zhang coldly and ignored her. Talking to such a person would not only lower her status but also make things more complicated. Lin Sanshui, on the other hand, was unhappy. ¡°Mrs. Zhang, it¡¯s better to be more careful with what you say. Don¡¯t be so talkative and tell others everything. We see Nian Nian as our family¡¯s biological daughter, not some child bride.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Tsk, your family is so poor that you can¡¯t guarantee your next meal. Who would believe that you¡¯re still raising someone else¡¯s daughter?¡± Mrs. Zhang mumbled to herself, but she didn¡¯t dare to go too far due to Lin Sanshui¡¯s stoic face and unyielding tone. Not long after, Mrs. Zhang¡¯s eyes turned left and right, looking enviously at the rabbit tied to Lin Sanshui¡¯s feet. She reached out to tear off their basket backpack. ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s in your basket backpack? Why are you covering it so tightly? ¡± This kind of gossiping woman was annoying. ¡°Aunty, don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t touch other people¡¯s things without their permission?¡± Gu Nian asked as she pressed on the weeds that covered the basket. ¡°Hey, you rude little girl! I just wanted to take a look. Do you think I¡¯ll break it? I¡¯m an elder. What¡¯s with your attitude? You have no manners at all!¡± Mrs. Zhang Shi was embarrassed and immediately scolded Gu Nian angrily. ¡°Am I wrong? Does that mean that I can touch other people¡¯s things without their permission in the future? ¡± Gu Nian asked as she furrowed her brows. When Lin Sanshui heard that her child had such thoughts, she quickly tried to correct her. ¡°Nian Nian, you can¡¯t think that way. You have to be polite and obedient children. Touching other people¡¯s things without their consent is something only rude people would do.¡± As Mrs. Lin spoke, Lin Sanshui looked at Mrs. Zhang with a cold face. ¡°Sister-in-law, I don¡¯t care what you do, but don¡¯t you misguide my family¡¯s child.¡± Mrs. Zhang suddenly felt she was being wronged. ¡°I¡¯m just curious about what¡¯s in your basket, but this girl keeps blocking me. Are you hiding something inside the basket? ¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Lin Sanshui said unhappily, ¡°Since you claim to be the child¡¯s elder, you should at least act like one. Look at yourself. You¡¯re a bad influence on my child.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Zhang¡¯s old face paled, and her chest trembled with anger. Lin Sanshui¡¯s words were reasonable. Nian Nian, who was a very sensible child in their family, actually thought she could touch other people¡¯s things without their consent under Mrs. Zhang¡¯s influence. Mrs. Zhang was famous for her big mouth, and it was rare to see her in such a state. The other people on the cart couldn¡¯t help but secretly laugh. They didn¡¯t expect that a person like Mrs. Zhang would be rendered speechless by a man. Gu Nian did not expect Lin Sanshui, who looked like a good person, to be so eloquent. After about two hours, the carriage finally arrived in town. Qingshan Town was prosperous. Both sides of the street were filled with small stalls. There were all kinds of food, drinks, and entertainment. Gu Nian could not help but feel dazzled when looking at the street. This ancient city was lively and much more interesting than their modern city. When they passed a candy seller, Gu Nian saw his fingers moving. Soon, a little person was formed in the candy seller¡¯s hands. She was amazed. Lin Sanshui, however, thought that Gu Nian was hungry for food. He held Gu Nian¡¯s hand and coaxed her. ¡°Nian Nian, let¡¯s find a stall and sell our things first. After we sell them, we¡¯ll come back and buy you some sugar figurines, okay?¡± Lin Sanshui couldn¡¯t help but regret not bringing enough money when he left. If he had known earlier, he would have brought more in case of emergency, and the child wouldn¡¯t have been so envious. Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, Gu Nian shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like candy. I think that it¡¯s fun watching him do that. Father, let¡¯s go and find a stall.¡± Lin Sanshui did not mind. Which child didn¡¯t like to eat candy? This child was too sensible. The more sensible she was, the more it made people¡¯s hearts ache. Lin Sanshui pulled Gu Nian out of the street and into a more crowded street. There were farm products on both sides of the street. People were selling meat, fish, and chicken here. It was already quite late. The better stall spaces had already been occupied by others. Lin Sanshui could only find a stall near the corner and place the rabbit to the side. Then, he spread the grass to cover the basket on the ground before taking out the peaches and carefully placing them on the grass. After Lin Sanshui had arranged everything, he sat there waiting for customers to arrive. The eggs and the rabbit were sold very quickly. Three out of the six boxes were sold. The customer who bought the rabbit also bought two peaches, but he bought them for a cheap price. Gu Nian felt that she had lost out. It was a peach that was produced in the interspace. Although eating it would not make one immortal, the taste was excellent. After eating it, not only would one feel comfortable all over, but even one¡¯s mind would become clear. However, they sold the two peaches for only five cents. It made Gu Nian feel that she might as well keep them for herself. Looking at the pedestrians coming and going, most were farmers and a small number of servants from large families who came out to buy things. ¡°Father, I want to look at that street over there.¡± Gu Nian pointed at the bustling street that they had just passed. Lin Sanshui looked around and said, ¡°Can you wait a while? It¡¯s still early. I¡¯ll see if I can sell the remaining baskets and straw sandals. I¡¯ll take you to play later.¡± Lin Sanshui was in a good mood. The rabbit and two peaches had been sold for seventy-two cents, which was equivalent to the income of all the other things he had brought out. As for the peaches, Lin Sanshui had never planned to sell them all. It was delicious and looked good, just like the peaches of immortality God used in the stage play. But at this time, there was no shortage of wild fruits in the mountains. Except for those who were well-off, few people would be extravagant enough to buy peaches to eat. ¡°Father, I won¡¯t go far. I¡¯ll take a few peaches and stand at the end of the street to see if any rich people want to buy them, okay?¡± Gu Nian wasn¡¯t a real six-year-old child. Although she wanted to hang around, she understood the importance of making money. Lin Sanshui was instantly touched. He had thought that Gu Nian could not sit still after staying here for a long time, but it turned out that she wanted to share his burden. ¡°Daughter, I know you¡¯re a good and sensible child, but I can do the things like making money. You only have to be a good and sensible little daughter.¡± Lin Sanshui patted Gu Nian¡¯s little head with a smile on her face. Gu Nian was a little confused. ¡°Father, I want to go. Please let me go. I promise I won¡¯t go far. It¡¯s just at the end of the street.¡± Gu Nian blinked her big eyes. She knew that Lin Sanshui could not stand her cuteness. Sure enough, Lin Sanshui lost to her coquettish in the end. Gu Nian took out all the things in the basket and placed them on the ground. She picked up four or five peaches and placed them back into the basket before dragging away the basket, which was half her height. Worried, Lin Sanshui reminded her from behind, ¡°My dear, take it slow. Remember, don¡¯t go too far. I¡¯ll find you after I sell these baskets. If you¡¯re bored, you can come back and take a walk by yourself.¡± Chapter 20 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Nian began to miss her parents as she listened to Lin Sanshui¡¯s long-winded advice. In the past, her parents were always like Lin Sanshui. They nagged her non-stop, and it made her feel very impatient. However, when she left her parents¡¯ embrace, she finally understood how difficult to survive in society. It was an uneasiness that came from the heart. Fortunately, Gu Nian was not the only child. Her brother was still at home, so her parents could depend on him. No matter how her family was in the modern world, she only hoped that her parents and brother would not be too sad because she was not around. She would work hard to make herself live well in this ancient world. As Gu Nian walked to the end of the street, she placed her basket on the side of the street and held a big peach in each hand. She was tiny, and her hands were small as well. The peaches and her hands had an obvious contrast, and the peaches seemed to be bigger. ¡°Little girl, how much are your peaches?¡± Some people saw that she was cute, while others saw that the peaches were big and looked delicious. Soon, several people came to ask for the price. Gu Nian did not sell them by weight and set the price at ten cents each. She felt that the peaches produced by the interspace were different from ordinary wild fruits and were worth the price. Not to mention the taste and effect, just the size of the peach alone was more than twice that of a wild peach. However, the few people who came to ask for the price were scared away by her. ¡°Peach! Red, big, sweet, and crisp peaches! Everyone, come and take a look! Look! Red, big, and sweet immortal peaches! A crisp and tender voice rang out from the side of the road. Not far away, a luxurious yet low-key carriage drove over. In the carriage, the black-clothed youth who had been resting with his eyes closed slowly opened his eyes. He raised his slender fingers and gently lifted the curtain of the window, looking in the direction of the sound. The little girl had two small bags on her head, and her gray clothes were slightly loose on her body, making her look even more thin and weak. She kept on hawking her peaches. When she smiled, dimples appeared on both sides of her cheeks. She looked sweet enough to make people¡¯s hearts melt. Especially that pair of big eyes. They were so bright as if there was light shining in them. ¡°Stop!¡± the young man ordered. His thin lips parted slightly, and his handsome face was unreadable. ¡°Your Highness, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The coachman suddenly stopped the carriage, and the guard who followed outside carefully asked. The lord in the carriage was not easy to serve. However, due to his status, everyone took his order seriously. ¡°The peaches over there are pretty good. Go buy some.¡± Nan Jinyu took a small piece of silver from his sleeve and threw it out, but it landed steadily in the guard¡¯s hand. The guard was silent. On this journey, the crown prince had been very picky about food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation. He had never paid for a tael of silver. However, he was willing to pay silvers for peaches! The guard nervously walked over to Gu Nian and handed her the silver. ¡°Little girl, how many peaches do you have? Put them all in here.¡± Gu Nian¡¯s eyes brightened when she heard this. When she looked at the silver, she found herself in a difficult position. ¡°Mister, I can¡¯t change your silver. Do you have any spare copper coins?¡± The guard was afraid that the crown prince would be dissatisfied if he delayed any longer, so he said generously, ¡°Keep the change. This is a gift from our young master. Hurry up and pack the peach. Don¡¯t let my master wait too long.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Gu Nian happily placed the peaches in her hands into the basket on her back. Using her body as a cover, she quickly took out more than ten peaches from her interspace and placed them in the basket. Chapter 21 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Nian would be an idiot if she didn¡¯t try to make more money, especially from a rich man. Of course, she had to grab the opportunity! However, she still tried her best to pack more peaches for the guard. ¡°Mister, I¡¯ll give you this basket as well. It¡¯ll be hard for you to carry all the peaches.¡± The basket was woven by Lin Sanshui. The guard had paid her silvers, so it was reasonable to give him a basket. The guard picked up the basket and returned. In the carriage, Nan Jinyu, who had been watching them, could not help but smile when she saw Gu Nian¡¯s happy smile when she sold the peaches. However, in just a moment, Nan Jinyu noticed the change in his mood. Nan Jinyu quickly put down the curtain and no longer paid attention to the outside world. His face returned to being as cold as ice. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve bought the peaches.¡± The guard stood by the carriage, waiting for instructions. After a while, a nonchalant voice came from inside. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Gu Nian returned to Lin Sanshui¡¯s side, she found that Lin Sanshui had sold the basket and was packing up. ¡°Father, look at this!¡± As Gu Nian stood in front of Lin Sanshui, she was afraid of being seen by the people around her. Gu Nian turned her body slightly to cover herself before taking out the silver in her hand. Lin Sanshui was instantly stunned. He quickly held Gu Nian¡¯s hands together and asked her in a panic, ¡°My dear, where did you get this?¡± Gu Nian lowered her voice as she smiled. ¡°A well-dressed big brother came to buy peaches just now.¡± ¡°Ten taels of silver. Why are these peaches so valuable?¡± Lin Sanshui looked down at the three peaches left on the ground and felt for the few copper coins in his pocket. Gu Nian had taken almost the same number of peaches, but the selling price was a world of difference. At that moment, Lin Sanshui genuinely believed that the girl¡¯s luck was heaven-defying. ¡°Quickly put away the money. You can¡¯t take it out. There are so many people on the street. It¡¯ll be a waste if it¡¯s stolen.¡± It turned out that it was ten taels of silver! With a flip of her hand, Gu Nian placed the silver in Lin San Shui¡¯s hand. ¡°You should eat it. Let¡¯s go buy some meat, okay?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll save it for you. I¡¯ll keep it as your dowry when you grow up.¡± Lin Sanshui was so excited that his hands were trembling. Today was the richest day he had ever lived. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll make a lot of money in the future. Keep the silvers to supplement the family.¡± Gu Nian squatted down and looked at the things on the ground. There were only three peaches left. ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you eat these peaches instead? You don¡¯t have to bring them home even though it¡¯s such a long journey. I¡¯ll leave the other two for Big Brother and Second Brother.¡± Gu Nian handed one to Lin Sanshui. Lin Sanshui glanced at it, ¡°You can have it. I don¡¯t want it.¡± Before he could finish, Gu Nian stuffed the peach into his hand. ¡°Father, eat it. I don¡¯t want to eat peaches anymore. I want to eat meat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Sanshui laughed and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll buy you some meat and bring your two brothers over.¡± The meat seller was not far away from them. Lin Sanshui and Gu Nian stood in front of the meat stall. The owner of the meat stall said, ¡°Today¡¯s pork is fresh and cheap. There¡¯s more fat than meat. Mister, which piece do you want?¡± There were two plates of pork hanging on the rack with ribs. Gu Nian looked around and found that pork had more fatty meat than lean meat. The pigs in ancient times were not like the fast-growing pigs in modern times. They were fed with pigweed and pig feed, so the meat must be very fragrant. ¡°Boss, how much is the pork?¡± As Gu Nian stared at the row of pork ribs, images of sweet and sour pork ribs and red-braised pork ribs appeared in her mind. Chapter 22 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The meat stall owner¡¯s attention had been on Lin Sanshui the entire time. When he heard Gu Nian¡¯s words, he turned around and saw the young girl staring at his pork with sparkling eyes. She looked as if she wanted to take a bite of it. Children, especially adorable children, would inevitably make people like them. The meat stall owner laughed heartily and said, ¡°This fatty meat is 16 cents per catty, and the lean meat is 12 cents per catty. Your little girl is so cute. If you buy more than two catties, I will give you a tube-shaped bone. What do you think?¡± ¡°Alright, since you say so, we have to buy it!¡± Lin Sanshui grinned and pointed at a piece of fatty meat. ¡°Cut one catty of this piece for me, and then give me one catty of lard.¡± Gu Nian¡¯s face fell when she saw that. How could they eat such fat meat? Gu Nian pulled Lin Sanshui¡¯s finger up and pointed at the streaky pork with her other pinky finger. ¡°Father, we want the one here.¡± Lin Sanshui took a look and shook her head. ¡°That one only has lean meat here. You can¡¯t even get the oil from it. If you buy it, your mother will nag you again.¡± ¡°Father, buy this piece. I¡¯ll make you some braised pork. It¡¯s delicious. Let¡¯s buy this piece, please.¡± Gu Nian did not want to give up. Lin Sanshui cleared his throat. With the money in his hands, he was emboldened. He clenched his teeth and stomped his feet, making a decision. ¡°Alright. Give me one more bone, and I¡¯ll buy one more catty.¡± The owner of the meat stall was also straightforward. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll be generous for once since your daughter is so pretty.¡± As the meat stall owner said that, he cut the meat deftly. When it came to chopping pork, the meat stall owner¡¯s hands were more accurate than a scale. He quickly cut the meat, and every piece was the same size. Before they left, Gu Nian¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw a pork¡¯s large intestine on the shelf. ¡°Boss, how much does this pig intestine cost?¡± This thing was a test of culinary skills. If the pig intestine was cooked well, it would be much more fragrant than meat. If it wasn¡¯t cooked well, it would too be nasty to swallow. However, it was a piece of cake for Gu Nian, who had inherited her family¡¯s cooking skills. As soon as Gu Nian finished asking, Lin Sanshui said, ¡°Dear, we¡¯ve bought enough meat today. It¡¯s bad if we can¡¯t finish it. Don¡¯t get the pig intestine!¡± Only the poor would eat the pig¡¯s offal. The rich would feel that it was an insult just by looking at it, so it was often not sold. The meat sellers would either eat it themselves or throw it away. Sometimes, they would pair it with meat and give it to customers who wanted to buy meat. The poor people would not mind it. After all, it was hard to fill their stomachs. Seeing Lin Sanshui¡¯s disdainful look, the meat stall owner sighed and said, ¡°Five cents. If you want it, you can take it all.¡± The owner of the meat stall knew every part of the pig. He knew that if the pig¡¯s intestine were processed well, it would taste good. However, it was troublesome to wash, and ordinary people would not do it. Gu Nian looked at the bucket that was filled to the brim. Not only were the large intestines, but there were also pig hearts and lungs in it. It was only five cents. It was worth it! ¡°Father, it¡¯s only five cents.¡± Lin Sanshui immediately understood what Gu Nian meant when she saw the sparkle in her eyes. Lin Sanshui looked helplessly at the bucket of pigs and said, ¡°Boss, you have to lend me your bucket. I¡¯ll return it to you the next time I come to town. Otherwise, I can¡¯t take it with me.¡± The owner of the meat stall looked at the peach in Gu Nian¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Big brother, I often see you selling straw sandals on this street. Even if we don¡¯t know each other, we¡¯re familiar with each other. How about this, don¡¯t you still have two peaches? You can exchange them for my bucket. It¡¯s just nice for my child to try the peaches.¡± Chapter 23 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Sanshui took the peach from Gu Nian and placed it on a clean spot in the stall. After that, he handed five cents to the stall owner. He took the bucket of meat and let Gu Nian tug the corner of his shirt. ¡°You little girl, you¡¯re a spendthrift. Your mother will nag us when we get back!¡± Lin Sanshui grumbled. ¡°Father, why are you so afraid of Mother?¡± Gu Nian chuckled. ¡°Nonsense. I am the head of the family. Why would he be afraid of an old woman?¡± Lin Sanshui immediately glared at Gu Nian and puffed out his chest. Feeling a little guilty, he began to find excuses for his fear of his wife. ¡°I respect your mother. I¡¯m not very capable. After all these years, your mother has not had a good life after she married me. Your grandfather¡¯s family values men over women and can¡¯t wait to sell their daughter to support their son. Tell me, how miserable will your mother¡¯s life be if I don¡¯t treat her better?¡± ¡°You are a good man, father. I¡¯ve decided. When I grow up and get married, I¡¯ll find someone like you!¡± Gu Nian nodded as it was her first time hearing about Mrs. Jiang¡¯s family. Whether a man¡¯s capability was another matter, but he needed to dote on his wife. Gu Nian had modern education philosophy, so she thought Lin Sanshui was a decent man. However, Lin Sanshui was so shocked that he almost choked himself after he heard what Gu Nian said. ¡°What are you talking about, you little brat? Marriage is a matter of great importance. Parents are the ones who decide on the marriage. Parents will take care of children¡¯s marriage in the future. You can¡¯t just do whatever you want, understand?¡± Lin Sanshui thought about the matter of Gu Nian¡¯s mother. He did not have much to say about a woman he did not know. However, he did not wish for the child he had raised to end up like this in the future. Getting pregnant before marriage was ultimately not on good terms with etiquette. Gu Nian also realized that she had said something wrong and immediately kept quiet. In the original owner¡¯s memory, her mother was not an unrestrained person. On the contrary, she was extremely timid. Fortunately, she had good embroidery skills. She could support the original owner and her brother all these years. As for her pregnancy before marriage, it might not be entirely her fault. Maybe it was forced by some bastard man? Seeing that Gu Nian was not saying anything, Lin Sanshui lowered his head to look at her. However, he saw that Gu Nian¡¯s face was darkened. Lin Sanshui realized that he might have overreacted. After all, Gu Nian was still a child. What could she know? ¡°Nian Nian, you¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand many things. I¡¯m just teaching you, not teaching you a lesson.¡± ¡°I know. You and Mother treat me well. Without you taking me in, I would still be homeless. You are my father. Your words are for my own good, so I¡¯m not angry. I just think that your words are very reasonable.¡± Gu Nian¡¯s smile returned. Lin Sanshui heaved a sigh of relief. In order to make Gu Nian happy, he even spent a few coins on a packet of malt candy. Gu Nian did not like candy, but when she felt Lin Sanshui¡¯s care. She happily accepted it and thanked Lin Sanshui sweetly. Lin Sanshui did not want to walk around with a bucket of pigs in his hands, so he brought Gu Nian to the place where Lin Dahu was studying. Lin Dahu had been an apprentice of the chef at Qinglin Restaurant for more than a year. He had spent a lot of money and effort to find a way out for his two sons. Lin Sanshui stopped some distance away from the restaurant. He placed the bucket on the side and ordered, ¡°Nian Nian, this restaurant has many rules. It¡¯s not good for us to go in. You wait here for a while. I¡¯ll go to the back door and call your big brother out.¡± Chapter 24 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Gu Nian, who wanted to look at the dishes, was disappointed. However, Lin Sanshui did not notice. He had already walked forward. Gu Nian was standing at the entrance of a grocery store. She wanted to go in and take a look. However, when she thought of the bucket of meat on the ground, she was afraid that someone would steal it when she was not around. Lin Sanshui returned not long after. There was a young man beside her. He had a delicate face, which was somewhat similar to Lin Sanshui. ¡°This must be my little sister.¡± Lin Dahu had just heard from his father that he had adopted a daughter. Initially, Lin Dahu thought it would be awkward to have a stranger in the house. However, when he saw Gu Nian, he was instantly won over by her adorable face. Lin Dahu smiled as he squatted down in front of Gu Nian. ¡°Little Sister, I¡¯m your big brother. Let me hear you call me Big Brother.¡± Dahu was in a period of voice changing, so his voice was not pleasant to hear. It was a typical duck¡¯s voice. However, the kindness in his eyes and his every move made Gu Nian feel close to him. She stepped forward and gave him a big hug. ¡°Hello, Big Brother. I¡¯m your new sister, Gu Nian. You have to love me and not bully me in the future.¡± Gu Nian? Dahu raised his head and looked at Lin Sanshui in confusion. Lin Sanshui mouthed to him, ¡°I haven¡¯t changed her surname yet.¡± The couple only called Gu Nian ¡°Nian Nian¡± or ¡°dear¡±. The two sons called her ¡°sister¡±. Therefore, no one had ever mentioned changing Gu Nian¡¯s surname. Dahu could also guess, but it didn¡¯t matter what her name was. What was important was that he liked this sister. Dahu picked Gu Nian up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and pick up Erhu.¡± Lin Erhu was an apprentice of a carpenter, and the apprenticeship was even harder than Dahu. Initially, Lin Sanshui wanted to get both of his sons to work in the same restaurant. At the very least, they would not have to worry about food and drink in the restaurant. However, Qinglin Restaurant did not need so many people, so they could only settle for second best. They found Erhu a carpenter¡¯s job. If he learned it, it would be a great skill. When they arrived at the door of the carpenter¡¯s shop, the sound of wood being thrown could be heard. Lin Sanshui stepped forward with an ingratiating smile and asked, ¡°Master Li, are you busy? I¡¯m here to bring Erhu back. Where is he?¡± Carpenter Li didn¡¯t seem to be easy to get along with. He put down his work with a cold face. Then, he stood up and said impatiently, ¡°He¡¯s lying in the backyard. Hurry up and get him out of here. He doesn¡¯t need to come here anymore!¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s smiling face could not help but stiffen, ¡°Master Li, how can you say that? Did Erhu do something wrong? Please tell me. I¡¯ll definitely teach him a lesson when I get back.¡± One must know that Lin Sanshui had spent a full tael of silvers to send his son to be an apprentice. Furthermore, Erhu had been here for a year but did not get a single cent of his salary. Of course, as an apprentice, it was up to the master to decide whether he would pay or not. Lin Sanshui did not mind this, but the carpenter had to give him a reason, right? Master Li snorted coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a stupid person. He¡¯s learned for a year, but he still even made a mistake in the size, causing our shop to lose a big deal. I only asked him to leave, but I didn¡¯t ask him to pay for it. He should be content. If you know what¡¯s good for him, get him out of here and stop being an eyesore!¡± Chapter 25 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lin Sanshui heard that his child had done something wrong. He had even affected the business of the shop. A trace of shame flashed across Lin Sanshui¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. However, the self-righteous Master Li had a brief look of guilt in his eyes when he spoke. Gu Nian saw it and seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Erhu, what¡¯s wrong with you? How did it end up like this? Who did it?¡± Lin Sanshui¡¯s frightened voice could be heard from behind. When Gu Nian realized what was going on, Dahu had already run past him. Gu Nian quickly followed behind him. In a room in the backyard, Erhu was lying on a wooden bed with his body covered in injuries. His numb expression immediately burst into tears when he saw Lin Sanshui. ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t get the size wrong. I didn¡¯t do it. They¡¯re accusing me¡­¡± The twelve-year-old child cried so hard that he vented out all the injustice he had suffered in the past few days. Lin Sanshui¡¯s heart ached. At the same time, his expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°Erhu, do you still remember what I taught you?¡± ¡°Father!¡± Erhu not daring to cry anymore. He looked at Lin Sanshui in a daze. Lin Sanshui sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve taught you that a man must be brave enough to bear his mistakes and never shirk his responsibility. Although I¡¯m heartbroken that your master beat you up, it was your mistake. It¡¯s normal to be beaten up after making a mistake. This way, you will remember your lesson and avoid making mistakes again!¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t me! It was Shen Yang who set me up!¡± Erhu said. ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Sanshui thought Erhu was trying to quibble and was so angry that he wanted to beat Erhu up. After all, Erhu had been working in Master Li¡¯s carpenter shop for more than a year. Even though Master Li was stingy and never gave Erhu a single copper coin, they didn¡¯t have any conflicts. If Erhu didn¡¯t do anything wrong, why did they have to wrong him? Gu Nian had already felt something was wrong when she saw Master Li. When she saw Lin Sanshui raise her hand, she quickly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°Father, let¡¯s let Second Brother finish what he was saying. Maybe there¡¯s a secret behind this?¡± Only then did Erhu notice Gu Nian¡¯s presence. Then, there was a sudden noise at the door. Master Li¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, hurry up and take him back. I still need to do business. You¡¯re not here to cry and make a fuss.¡± Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, Master Li¡¯s anxious look of driving them away made him seem too impatient. ¡°We were listening to my second brother explain what exactly happened. This way, we can find out more and see if there¡¯s any way to remedy it. But why are you in such a hurry to chase us away? Could it be that what my second brother said was true? Was Shen Yang who framed my second brother?¡± Gu Nian¡¯s seemingly innocent question reminded Lin Sanshui. ¡°Erhu, your master is here. Tell me what happened.¡± Lin Sanshui said in a low voice. Dahu also comforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Second Brother. Father and I are here. Tell us the truth. If it¡¯s your fault, you will bear it. If it¡¯s not your fault, you can¡¯t take responsibility.¡± Erhu wiped his tears and said, ¡°Master Liu¡¯s daughter is getting married. He came over a while ago and ordered a carved wooden bed and cabinet made of the best pear wood. I¡¯m usually more careful, so my master asked me to take the size, but the size of the wooden bed was wrong. A few days ago, Master Liu¡¯s family sent the dowry. However, the wooden bed did not fit in the house. Master Liu made a fool of himself and got people to beat me.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Master Li snorted coldly. ¡°You know how big of a mistake you¡¯ve made. This business deal was worth more than ten taels of silver, but it¡¯s ruined because of your carelessness. I haven¡¯t even asked you to compensate me, and you say wronged you?¡± When there was a marriage in a rich family, they had to measure the space in the male¡¯s house. Then, they would make the female¡¯s dowry furniture and others with the correct sizes. Knowing that it was his child¡¯s mistake and he had caused Master Li to lose so much silver, Lin Sanshui felt guilty. However, before he could apologize to Master Li, Erhu snapped, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. The size I took was correct. Shen Yang was jealous that I worked better than him and could go out with you, so he deliberately changed my measurements to set me up. The paper I used to record my measurements was clean without any black bumps. However, several black bumps were painted on the paper when I checked again. It even had the wrong measurements. Because Shen Yang is the nephew of master¡¯s wife, you deliberately let me take the blame for Shen Yang and let Master Liu beat me up!¡± The situation took a turn. Lin Sanshui raised his head in surprise. His eyes fixed on Master Li as he walked towards him viciously. Master Li swallowed his saliva with difficulty. ¡°What are you trying to do? I¡¯m telling you. You¡¯ll go to jail for beating me up!¡± Lin Sanshui went up and grabbed Master Li¡¯s lapels. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one thing. Is what my son said true?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. It was your son¡¯s mistake. He wants someone else to take the blame.¡± Master Li was feeling guilty after being frightened by Lin San Shui. Bang! Lin Sanshui punched Master Li in the face. ¡°F*ck you. I¡¯ve been tolerating you for a long time. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I wanted my son to learn some skills, I would¡¯ve beaten you up a long time ago. Pfft, you shameless dog. Do you know how old my son is? He had endured a lot to learn from you. Yet, you accused him and let someone beat him up?¡± Master Li was a craftsman. He was a little fat due to his family¡¯s wealthy conditions. Lin Sanshui, on the other hand, was tall and strong. He had been working in the field all year round. With his strength, hitting Master Li was barely a warming-up. Not long after, Master Li¡¯s face was bruised and swollen. He kept begging for mercy, ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong. I¡¯ll return the apprenticeship fee you gave me. I will also give you some compensation. Stop hitting me.¡± Gu Nian was secretly happy to see this. However, they would be in trouble if Lin San. Therefore, she quickly tugged at da Hu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s enough. Hurry up and stop Father. If he keeps beating Master Li up, I¡¯m afraid we will be in trouble.¡± Only then did Lin Dahu step forward. ¡°Father, calm down. Don¡¯t bother with this kind of person. It¡¯s not worth it!¡± After all, they were in the town. If the bailiffs came here, it would be difficult to escape. Lin Sanshui finally stopped and kicked Master Li again. ¡°I don¡¯t want the money for the apprenticeship. Keep it to buy your coffin.¡± One tael of silver was not a small amount, but Lin Sanshui was not concerned about the money for his son¡¯s apprenticeship. Lin Sanshui beat Master Li because he felt sorry for his son¡¯s suffering, not because of the money. After that, Lin Sanshui walked over and carried Erhu on his back with Dahu¡¯s help. Dahu followed him out as well. Gu Nian was slightly slower. When she passed by Master Li, she suddenly stopped. Master Li was still lying on the ground while Gu Nian looked down at him in a condescending posture. Chapter 27 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Master Li, you must hate my father now, right? Are you planning to report to the authorities immediately after we leave?¡± Gu Nian sneered. ¡°However, I¡¯d advise you not to. My second brother¡¯s injuries are much more serious than yours. Besides, you were the ones at fault in this matter. Even if you were to go to the authorities, it¡¯s not certain who would be punished. My father is the pillar of our family. If the pillar is gone, the house will collapse. As for how many people will die if the house collapses, they can only blame their bad luck, don¡¯t you think?¡± Undeniably, that was what Master Li had been thinking. However, after hearing Gu Nian¡¯s words, he suddenly shivered in the hot weather. He looked at the girl in front of him. She was young and had a tender face, but her words were like ice knives. Each sentence was like a stab to death. Master Li suddenly remembered a tragedy he had heard about a few days ago. He heard that a village had drowned a woman who had committed adultery and given birth to a child. The woman had a son who was only a few years old. At night, he poured several bags of rat poison into the only well in the village, killing more than ten villagers. The rumor said the child who killed the villagers was wanted for many days. He has yet to be caught. Were children nowadays all so devilish? Master Li¡¯s desire for revenge was gone in an instant. It disappeared without a trace. Dahu had already walked out of the door, but when he turned around, he did not see Gu Nian following him. He called out, ¡°Sister, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming. Big Brother, wait for me.¡± Gu Nian¡¯s gloomy expression was replaced by a bright smile as she stood up. Master Li looked at the little girl who changed her face as fast as turning a page in a book. He was even sure that Gu Nian was a little demon in his heart. As Dahu saw Gu Nian coming out, he quickly picked up the bucket with the pig¡¯s offal. ¡°Little Sister, why are you taking so long behind?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I was trying to reason with that uncle. I told him not to accuse anyone else in the future.¡± Gu Nian picked up the piece of meat that was tied up by the hemp rope and ran after Lin Sanshui. Dahu could not help but laugh. He thought Gu Nian was a child, and her mind was simple. How could a selfish person like Master Li be persuaded by a few words? People have a lot of troubles when they grow up. In this world, there are schemes everywhere, and Dahu was no different when working in the restaurant. After spending money to please the chef, he became an apprentice. However, his master was on guard against Dahu for fear that Dahu would steal his skills. Therefore, he only allowed Dahu to do some simple work. The others also had their precautions. If Dahu did something wrong, he would be scolded. If Dahu performed outstandingly, he would be ostracized. Dahu shook its head to shake away these worrying thoughts. He could only fully relax when he was at home. He did not have to please others and worry about offending others. ¡°Father, it¡¯s still a long way to go home. Why don¡¯t we rent an ox cart?¡± Gu Nian asked as she walked up to Lin Sanshui. Renting an ox cart would cost more than a dozen large sums of money. However, today¡¯s situation was special. Lin Sanshui had earned some money. In addition, his son was injured, so he stood in place and waited for Dahu to catch up. ¡°Dahu, I will take Erhu to the clinic to see a doctor. Go and rent an ox cart. We will wait for you at the door of the clinic.¡± Lin Sanshui couldn¡¯t take out any silver while carrying Erhu, so he told Dahu to take it. Chapter 28 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Other than the ten taels of silver, Lin Sanshui had also earned quite a bit from selling things today. Dahu took the money for the money of ox cart and left. Erhu¡¯s body was covered in wounds. Most of the injuries were on his back. It looked serious. Fortunately, his internal organs were not injured. In the clinic, the doctor prescribed some medicine for external wounds for Erhu. Lin Sanshui asked the doctor to apply ointment for Erhu. After that, they waited at the entrance of the clinic. Lin Sanshui suddenly remembered that Mrs. Jiang had instructed him to buy salt. He had almost forgotten about it. Lin Sanshui looked at Erhu and Gu Nian, who were sitting in a row and said, ¡°I have to go buy some salt. You two wait here first. If your big brother comes here, you can wait together for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Nian nodded. Yunyao nation¡¯s salt was not allowed to be sold in private. They had to bring their household registration to a place designated by the government to purchase it. It was troublesome. Lin Sanshui took a few copper coins and handed them to Gu Nian. ¡°Dear, I was planning to bring your two brothers around for a good stroll. However, your second brother is so severely injured that we can¡¯t shop around anymore. Take these copper coins and buy whatever you want to eat. It¡¯s just around the corner. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Gu Nian called out sweetly as she looked at Zhang¡¯s Grocery Store not far away. It was even larger than the one next to the Qinglin Restaurant. Rolling her eyes, Gu Nian tried to please Lin Sanshui. ¡°Father, can you give me a few more copper coins? I want to go to the grocery store to buy sugar and soy sauce to make red braised pork.¡± Gu Nian had already seen the ingredients used to cook at home. The only ingredient used was salt. Even a clever housewife cannot cook without proper ingredients. Even if Gu Nian¡¯s cooking skills were good, she needed to have the ingredients! Usually, Lin Sanshui was not willing to do that. But Gu Nian helped him make a lot of money, so he was generous for once. Lin Sanshui then took out his remaining 40 copper coins and handed them to Gu Nian. ¡°Go, buy whatever you need. Keep the rest for yourself. You can use it to buy candy in the future.¡± There were often peddlers in the village who carried loads to sell things, such as candy, needles, thread, and hair ropes. Lin Sanshui was not the kind of person who would mistreat children. Usually, he would give his children one or two copper coins to satisfy their cravings for candies. ¡°Thank you, Father. Second Brother, be good and wait for us here. I¡¯ll go buy some candy.¡± Gu Nian laughed happily as she held the copper coins in her hand. Erhu¡¯s mood was lifted when he saw the little girl running away. ¡°Father, where did you find such a cute little sister?¡± Lin Sanshui had already taken the time to talk to him about the family adopting Gu Nian. However, he had not mentioned anything about Gu Nian¡¯s background. Lin Sanshui laughed as well. ¡°Her family did not value her, so she was abandoned by them. I pitied her, so I brought her back and took her as your little sister. When she¡¯s two years older, she¡¯ll be able to help your mother with the house chores.¡± After all, they must not let other people know about Gu Nian¡¯s true identity. Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang had already discussed this beforehand. They wouldn¡¯t even tell their sons. Sanhu and Xiaohu were just little kids at the age where they loved to eat and play. They wouldn¡¯t think about other things with Gu Nian around. It was better to have money in hand, as there were no restrictions on what she could buy. In her previous life, Gu Nian¡¯s family was considered wealthy. She had never been worried about money before. She had never thought that a few dozen copper coins, which were equivalent to a few dozen yuan in her previous life, could make her so happy. As soon as she walked into Zhang¡¯s Grocery Store, a young man came to her. ¡°Young lady, what do you want to buy?¡± Chapter 29 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°How much are the sugar and soy sauce?¡± Gu Nian asked in a baby voice. ¡°Sugar is eight copper coins per catty, and soy sauce is 16 copper coins per liter. How much do you want, little girl?¡± Gu Nian was shocked when she heard the price. No wonder there was only salt in the kitchen. Other seasonings were not something that ordinary people could afford to eat. ¡°Then I want to buy a catty of white sugar and a liter of soy sauce.¡± Lin Sanshui had given her 43 copper coins, and more than half of them were gone instantly. ¡°Okay, little girl. You didn¡¯t bring a can. Do you want to buy a can to hold the soy sauce? It¡¯s two copper coins each,¡± the young man asked politely with a smile. ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Nian clenched the copper coin in her hand and nodded stiffly. Out of the 43 copper coins, there were only 17 left. ¡°Mister, do you have any other ingredients in your store? Can you let me take a look?¡± Gu Nian asked as she looked at the young man who was busy weighing the sugar and preparing the soy sauce for her. ¡°There¡¯s also white vinegar and yellow rice wine. Do you want some?¡± The young man asked. ¡°Is there nothing else?¡± Gu Nian asked as she shook her head. She wanted to buy some white vinegar and yellow rice wine, but she did not have enough copper coins. ¡°Little girl don¡¯t buy things that the adults in your family didn¡¯t ask you to buy. Don¡¯t get spanked when you go back later! Most of the ingredients used in the restaurants in this town are from my house. I¡¯ve never heard of any other ingredients!¡± The young man laughed. He suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°However, I heard those good chefs have their secret sauce recipes. We outsiders won¡¯t know about it.¡± As she spoke, the soy sauce was ready. It was just enough to fill a can of one liter. The white sugar was wrapped in oil paper and handed to Gu Nian. As Gu Nian took the container, she almost dropped it because it was too heavy. Fortunately, the young man held on tightly. ¡°You have to be careful. If you knock it over, you¡¯ll lose everything. And what¡¯s wrong with your family? How could they let a young child like you come out to buy soy sauce?¡± ¡°Thank you. My brother is waiting for me outside. I can carry it.¡± This time, Gu Nian held it firmly. Although it was still a little heavy, she could still hold on. When she was about to reach the door, she saw the peas in the sack beside her. Gu Nian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How much are the peas?¡± ¡°Five copper coins per catty.¡± ¡°Then I want to buy three catties. Mister, help me weigh it first. I¡¯ll come back to get it later.¡± Gu Nian made two trips back and forth before she managed to bring all the items to Erhu. On the last trip, Dahu also returned with the ox cart he rented. Dahu looked at the things on the ground, and his eyes widened. ¡°Why did you buy these things? Does father know?¡± ¡°Yes. I bought it with the copper coins father gave me.¡± Gu Nian replied. Erhu turned to look at Gu Nian in surprise. This little sister looked tiny, but she was not timid at all. Her father did give her money, but he didn¡¯t let her spend it all at once! He had already asked earlier. Before his father left, he had given his little sister 43 copper coins and told her to save them up and spend them slowly. Now, there were only two left. Dahu¡¯s heart still ached when he heard Gu Nian say that his father had asked him to buy it. White sugar and soy sauce were not cheap. They definitely cost a lot of money. As for these peas, they were not much to eat except for making porridge. They were delicious but difficult to cook and required a lot of firewood. How could they survive in the future if Gu Nian liked to spend money? Not long after, Lin Sanshui returned. After getting on the ox cart, Lin Sanshui¡¯s heart ached when he saw the items that Gu Nian had bought and heard that she only had two copper coins left. Chapter 30 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio This prodigal daughter! Lin Sanshui opened his mouth to scold Gu Nian. Then, he saw Gu Nian¡¯s sparkling eyes and the constant mention of what delicious food she would make when they returned. Lin Sanshui suddenly could not bring himself to say anything. ¡°Forget it, forget it. The money was gone, and this child has good intentions.¡± Lin Sanshui thought. Furthermore, Lin Sanshui found the red braised meat Gu Nian talked about to be very alluring. It was like the smell of meat had already surrounded the tip of his nose. It caused him to salivate uncontrollably. Among them, the one who was most tempted was none other than Dahu. Dahu had been learning in the kitchen of Qinglin Restaurant for more than a year. However, there was a saying from ancient times, ¡°The master will starve to death if the disciple is taught well¡±. Hence, the chef guarded against Dahu. He only let Dahu cut some vegetables, light the fire, and make some simple dishes. Dahu naturally was not willing to be an errand boy for the rest of his life, but there was a limit to how much he could learn. At this moment, he could not help but be mesmerized by Gu Nian¡¯s explanation of cooking. The Zheng family of Qingyun Town was respectable. Although the Zheng family was not a government official, they were a famous royal merchant in Yunyao. The wife of the family head was the younger sister of King Nan¡¯an. If the two families worked together, they would have money and power. Nan Jinyu had come to Qingshan Town this time to find a nice place to recuperate. Because her aunt¡¯s family was also here, it was convenient to stay around. After paying his respects to his aunt and uncle, Nan Jinyu was arranged to stay in the Zheng family¡¯s best courtyard. It was next to the Zheng family¡¯s second young master¡¯s courtyard. The Zheng family made this arrangement because of their selfishness. Madam of the Zheng family was the great-aunt of King Nan¡¯an. When the prince ascended the throne, there would be a layer of separation between aunt and nephew. Therefore, they wanted to use this opportunity to let the two cousins cultivate their relationship. When Nan Jinyu inherited the crown in the future, he would take care of the Zheng family. Nan Jinyu sat in front of the window, looking at the beautiful scenery. His slightly tender face revealed a cold expression. Looking again, Nan Jinyu was not sitting on a stool, but in a wheelchair. Nan Jinyu was not only the son of King Nan¡¯an but also the son of Princess Xueluo. Unfortunately, his mother died while giving birth to him. After a year, King Nan¡¯an married his cousin, Mrs. Yao. Nan Jinyu had been weak since he was a child, which made King Nan¡¯an worry. King Nan¡¯an did not hesitate to pay a high price to invite the sacred doctor to help Nan Jinyu recuperate. Nan Jinyu was fine, but a few months ago, he was poisoned with an incurable poison. Although Nan Jinyu managed to survive, they had no choice but to suppress the poison to his legs, which led to his current situation. At this moment, the accompanying guard brought the washed peaches over and placed them on the table. ¡°Your Highness, these are the peaches that Your Highness ordered me to buy. They have been washed.¡± According to tradition, the prince should have a servant girl by his side to take care of him. But ever since that incident, the prince did not like to be close to people, especially women. Even the people who served him had all been replaced by manservants. ¡°You may leave.¡± Nan Jinyu indifferently replied. ¡°Yes.¡± After the guard left, two people appeared out of thin air in the room. One of them was tall and strong, with a big knife at his waist. The other was thin and weak, with orchid fingers, looking enchanting. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty already knows what happened to you and has specially sent two of us to serve you. His Majesty has also found two good chefs from the capital. They are already on their way. They will probably only arrive in a few days.¡± The tall man was called Zhao Qi. He was from the Dragon Protection Squad. The Emperor and Princess Xue Luo were siblings. Princess Xue Luo had died long ago, so the emperor gave all his love to his nephew, Nan Jinyu. Chapter 31 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The skinny one was called Zhao Shijiu, and he was also a member of the secret guards. Although he looked weak, he was an expert in assassination and medicine. It was the main reason why Emperor had sent him here. Nan Jinyu wanted to refuse. However, his words of rejection were stuck in his mouth after hearing the chef was good. In the end, he nodded. Zhao Shijiu was very observant. After seeing the peaches on the table, he immediately took them. After checking it, he handed it to Nan Jinyu. ¡°This peach is not bad. Master, I have checked it, and it is not poisonous. Do you want to try one?¡± Nan Jinyu glanced at him with a look of disdain. He turned his wheelchair around him and moved to the table. He raised his hand to take an untouched peach. The moment he touched the peach, the image of the thin and small little girl appeared in his mind again. Although the girl was poorly dressed, she had good looks at such a young age. Her smile was so sweet that it made people forget their worries. Their mood became better too. The most important thing was that he didn¡¯t hate it. Nan Jinyu took a bite of the peach. The crisp sound accompanied the peach as it entered his mouth. Then, the sweet juice filled his taste buds, bringing joy to his body and mind. Kacha, kacha, a peach quickly entered his stomach. There were still a few peaches left on the plate. Nan Jinyu wanted to eat them, but they were too big. One was enough to fill his stomach. Nan Jinyu, who had always had good self-control, suddenly felt that he had lost his composure and turned his eyes away. The sound of someone swallowing their saliva could be heard. Nan Jinyu turned around and saw Zhao Shijiu staring at him and the peach in his hand. Nan Jinyu turned her gaze away in disgust and frowned. ¡°What? Did the Emperor starve you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Master.¡± Zhao Shijiu licked the corner of his lips and acted pitifully. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a proper meal for a few days since we arrived here from the capital. Moreover, I have long heard that you have a lot of experience enjoying delicious food. I think that something that you feel delicious must not be an ordinary thing.¡± ¡°Alright, if you want to eat, take it yourself. You guys stay in the dark for the time being. Without my orders, you¡¯re not allowed to show your faces. ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Shijiu was overjoyed. He took a bite, and his eyes narrowed at the delicious taste. He took another one from the table and handed it to Zhao Qi. ¡°Brother Qi, try it. This fruit is really good.¡± As Zhao Shijiu finished, he couldn¡¯t help but take another bite. Zhao Qi looked at him disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m not as bold as you to take Master¡¯s things. Don¡¯t forget, Emperor sent us here to protect Master, not to let you come and steal things.¡± Zhao Shijiu laughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve been starving on the road for a while. Besides, Master despised me for touching it. I promise I won¡¯t do it again.¡± The two of them were talking in low voices. Zhao Qi turned around and saw that Nan Jinyu was holding the armrest tightly. His brows were furrowed as if he was trying to hide something. ¡°Master, do you feel any discomfort?¡± Zhao Qi quickly stepped forward and asked. Zhao Shijiu didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. He anxiously went to check on Nan Jinyu. ¡°Master, Shijiu is well-versed in medical knowledge. Let him take a look at you.¡± After Zhao Qi finished speaking, Zhao Shijiu took Nan Jinyu¡¯s pulse and checked his legs. ¡°How is it? Is Master in any serious condition?¡± Zhao Qi quickly asked. ¡°It¡¯s both a good and a bad thing.¡± Zhao Shijiu¡¯s face was serious. ¡°Master is feeling unwell because of the poison in his leg. However, I don¡¯t know what caused it. I¡¯ll apply acupuncture and suppress the poison again.¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Then why did you say it¡¯s a benefit?¡± Zhao Qi suddenly felt that his colleague was not very reliable. ¡°There must be a cause of the poison in Master¡¯s legs,¡± Zhao Shijiu replied. ¡°If we find the cause, we might be able to detoxify Master¡¯s poison. By then, Master¡¯s legs will recover. Isn¡¯t that a good thing? ¡± Zhao Qi¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, and he gathered his courage to ask Nan Jinyu if he had found anything unusual in the past two days. Nan Jinyu carefully recalled what had happened in the past few days. The only unusual thing was that he had pitied a little girl and bought all her peaches with silver. Yes, the peach! Nan Jinyu turned to look at the fruit plate on the table, deep in thought. However, Zhao Shijiu had already experienced it and knew something unusual about the peaches. ¡°Bring me another peach.¡± Nan Jinyu suddenly spoke. Zhao Shijiu had a premonition and quickly walked over to take the peach. This time, his expression was serious, and he got rid of his carefree attitude. Nan Jinyu endured the feeling of satiety and ate another peach. He then closed her eyes and began to adjust his internal energy. This time, he could feel that while his stomach was digesting the peach, a gentle stream of air flowed through his blood vessels and traveled to his legs. When it came into contact with the poison in his legs, he began to feel uncomfortable again. However, this kind of discomfort made him happy instead of worried. This peach could cure his poison! However, the energy contained in the peach was too low to remove the poison. It was why Nan Jinyu felt uncomfortable. The poison in his body was something that even the top-tier doctor could not cure. Nan Jinyu had thought his legs would remain like this for the rest of his life, but he had never expected to see hope again. ¡°You guys go out first.¡± Nan Jinyu suppressed the joy in his heart and ordered. ¡°Master, should I reapply the acupuncture to suppress the poison?¡± ¡°No need, go down.¡± Before Zhao Shijiu could finish, he was interrupted by Nan Jinyu. After the two of them left, Nan Jinyu called for another person. After instructing him to look into Gu Nian¡¯s whereabouts, Nan Jinyu also reminded him to buy everything that Gu Nian was selling in the future. After that, Nan Jinyu heaved a sigh of relief. Zhao Qi and Zhao Shijiu were capable. However, they were still the emperor¡¯s men. They could protect him, but Nan Jinyu could not guarantee they wouldn¡¯t rat on him. And he didn¡¯t want to hurt the little girl he met on the street. No matter what secret she had, or if it was just a coincidence, he thought it was better not to expose her. On the other hand, Gu Nian was sitting on the ox cart and enjoying the scenery. She had no idea that she was being watched. Most of the land in ancient times had not been developed. There were only a few villages on the road from the town to Taohua Village. The rests were vast forests and wild grass. From time to time, they could see rabbits running away from the surrounding forest, but they could not catch them. Last time, a rabbit hit Gu Nian¡¯s legs and got caught. It was a once-in-a-lifetime incident. It probably would not happen again. By the time the ox cart arrived home, Gu Nian had already fallen asleep. ¡°Son, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s shrill cry scared Gu Nian so much that she shivered. All the sleepiness flew away, and she woke up immediately. Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang had already carried Erhu into the house. Dahu quickly took the things off the cart while Gu Nian jumped off the cart herself to take the small things home. Erhu was brought to the main room. After Mrs. Jiang found out what happened, she cursed Master Li and his ancestors. Chapter 33 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lin Sanshui had already calmed down after such a long time. He tried to calm Mrs. Jiang from time to time. Seeing that Mrs. Jiang could not stop crying, Lin Sanshui took out some silvers and handed them to Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I had beaten up that bastard. I have taken revenge for our son. Quickly put the silver away. I¡¯ve bought lard, pork, and a bucket full of pig offal, all waiting for you to clean up!¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s crying stopped abruptly. She looked at the silver in her hand in a daze. She didn¡¯t even care about her son and asked hurriedly, ¡°Where did you get these silvers? Did you do anything bad?¡± However, before Mrs. Jiang could finish, Lin Sanshui interrupted her in a bad mood. ¡°I earned it. Where do you think I got it? I am not stupid. Do you think I would do something illegal?¡± As he spoke, Lin Sanshui was a little proud. Although he did not earn the silver, it was still earned by his daughter. After rounding it up, it was equivalent to him earning it. ¡°How did you earn it?¡± Mrs. Lin placed the silver in her mouth and bit it. After confirming that it was real, she asked with a smile. Mrs. Jiang looked a little funny with her smile and tears around her eyes. Erhu didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw this scene. When his mother was crying, he didn¡¯t feel good either. However, when he saw his mother forget about him after seeing the silver, he suddenly felt that he was also picked up from the streets like her sister! In the yard, the brothers and sister moved everything from the ox cart. It was almost afternoon. They walked into the kitchen and opened the lid of the pot. There was still some food in it. After eating a little, Gu Nian wanted to organize the things she had bought. Unfortunately, she was small and had little strength. She couldn¡¯t lift the bucket and cut the meat well. Dahu saw this and laughed silently. He walked over and said, ¡°Nian Nian, what should we do? Tell me. I will be your coolie today and do whatever you want, alright?¡± Dahu thought he had worked in the restaurant¡¯s kitchen for more than a year. Although he was not good enough to be a chef, he could still make home-cooked meals. Gu Nian said she could cook well, but she was still young. Hence, Dahu wanted to watch over her so she would not ruin the ingredients. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and wash these things first!¡± Gu Nian nodded hurriedly. It would be best if she had someone to help her. The water in the house was from the well in the village. It was not easy to wash pig¡¯s offal at home, and it also consumed water. So, when there were many things to wash at home, they would go to the small river. Fortunately, the mountains and rivers here were beautiful, and there were rivers and streams everywhere in the fields. There were also several ponds in the village. The Lin family lived at the very front of the village. As soon as the gate opened, there was a forest in front of them. It was about a hundred steps to a pond. It was where they usually did their laundry and vegetables. As Dahu carried the pig offal into the water, Gu Nian took out a shovel of plant ash from under the pot and found a sack to put it in. Then, she followed Dahu. It took half the afternoon to clean up everything. Fortunately, Gu Nian only needed to move her mouth. Otherwise, she would not be able to finish it herself. When they got home, they saw that it was almost time. At this moment, Mrs. Jiang came over and said, ¡°You two must be exhausted from working for half the afternoon, right? Quickly go and rest. I will handle the rest.¡± If it were any other time, Mrs. Jiang would give Lin Sanshui a good scolding for buying so much meat. However, it was different today. With money in hand, Mrs. Jiang did not get angry. With a huge sum of ten taels of silver and a few catties of meat, she did not feel like it was wasteful. Chapter 34 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°There¡¯s no need, Mother. You work hard at home all day, and I can¡¯t share your burden. Let me cook today¡¯s meal. You can go and have a good rest. Let yourself enjoy your son¡¯s meal.¡± Dahu said. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mother. Big Brother is right. You should go and rest. I¡¯ll cook for you with Brother,¡± Gu Nian chimed in. Gu Nian had already discussed it with her brother. She gave the instruction out, and he would do it. The two of them would work together. If Mrs. Jiang were to cook, they were afraid she would ruin the meat and would not do it according to their method. Mrs. Jiang originally wanted to ask, ¡°What kind of food you two kids can cook?¡± After thinking about it, her eldest son had been in Qinglin Restaurant for more than a year. Dahu became a professional, so maybe he could show her a few skills. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll let you two can do it. I will also enjoy the help of my children today.¡± Madam Jiang went out with a smile. Gu Nian turned around immediately. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯ll put the large intestine in the pot and wash it with hot water. I¡¯ll start the fire. Then, you can cut the streaky pork into two finger-wide cubes. Let me know when you¡¯re done. You must do it according to my instructions!¡± ¡°I know. Hurry up and start the fire,¡± Dahu responded with a smile. Gu Nian had already learned how to start a fire during this time. It was not easy to use flint, so it took a lot of effort to light the fire. After washing the large intestine with water, Gu Nian instructed Dahu to stir-fry it with white sugar until it was a sweet brown color. She added more water and placed the large intestine back in. Then, she took out the chili, star anise, cinnamon, and fragrant leaves she had prepared earlier from the interspace. Next, she added salt and soy sauce before covering the pot and cooking it vigorously. Dahu was stunned when he saw this. ¡°Little Sister, why did you put the herbs in the pot?¡± ¡°What herbs?¡± Gu Nian did not react for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s the one you put in, the barks, leaves, and fruits of the cinnamon tree. The medicine shop in the town sometimes sells them.¡± The Lin family had sold it before. But the demand was not high, and they did not earn much, so they stopped selling it. Gu Nian finally understood that Dahu was referring to star anise, cinnamon, and fragrant leaves. The grocery store did not sell these spices. Gu Nian suddenly thought, ¡°No one in this world has used these spices for cooking?¡± Gu Nian lowered her eyes to hide her thoughts. ¡°Big Brother, I used to cook these things with meat and found that the cooked meat was very fragrant. When I entered the mountain a few days ago, I happened to see some and brought them back. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not poisonous.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Dahu didn¡¯t doubt it. The doctor in the clinic said that these things could dispel colds, relieve pain, and regulate the body. Thus, Gu Nian managed to fool Dahu. After the pork was cut, Dahu followed Gu Nian¡¯s instructions and put it into the pot. There were two woks in the Lin family¡¯s kitchen, and they were smoking. The aroma wafted out from the woks, making one salivate. Sanhu and Xiaohu came back from playing outside. As soon as they entered the yard, they smelled the fragrance. ¡°Wow, it smells so good!¡± Xiaohu¡¯s eyes lit up, and he ran over to hug Ms. Jiang. ¡°Mother, I smell meat. Are we eating meat?¡± Mrs. Jiang smiled and poked his nose with her index finger. ¡°What a dog¡¯s nose. I can¡¯t hide any food at home with you around!¡± ¡°I was right.¡± Xiaohu immediately jumped up. ¡°Third Brother, we can eat meat today!¡± Xiaohu had been thinking about that rabbit. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t get to eat it because his father sold it. He was bummed about it. However, he suddenly came back to life when he thought of eating meat. Chapter 35 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Meanwhile, Sanhu calmly walked into the kitchen. When he saw Gu Nian starting the fire and Dahu busy cooking, he quickly walked over to Gu Nian. ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you go and rest for a while? I¡¯ll help Big Brother start the fire.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Third Brother.¡± Gu Nian had put the meat and seasoning into the pot. As long as it didn¡¯t burn, it would be fine. Gu Nian was done here. As for the rest, Dahu could handle it. Gu Nian went outside to get a basin of water to wash her face and hands. Only then did she feel more comfortable. As Xiaohu pulled Gu Nian over, he began to talk about what he and Sanhu had done today. Gu Nian listened quietly. Occasionally, she would look surprised and would praise him. She was a good listener. In the Lin family¡¯s courtyard, everyone was smiling other than the injured Erhu. The atmosphere was warm. Lin Sanshui was talking to Mrs. Jiang. The weather was too hot. They were afraid the meat they bought would go bad if they couldn¡¯t finish it. Hence, they wanted to invite their two brothers¡¯ families for a gathering. The last time they had a gathering was during the new year, and the brothers hadn¡¯t had a drink together for a long time. Mrs. Jiang deliberately glared at him, complaining that he had bought so much meat. It was probably his plan from the beginning. Mrs. Jiang had wronged Lin Sanshui. He didn¡¯t think so much when he bought it. Moreover, the reason why Lin Sanshui bought so many was all because of Gu Nian. At most, he couldn¡¯t stand his daughter¡¯s coquettishness. Just as Mrs. Jiang nodded in agreement, a loud voice suddenly came from outside. ¡°Mrs. Jiang, come out! Your family must give me an explanation today, or I¡¯ll not leave your house today!¡± The voice arrived before the person arrived. Mrs. Jiang was very familiar with that voice. Wasn¡¯t it the village¡¯s big mouth, Mrs. Zhang? The two families were related. It was said that the great-grandfathers of the two families were brothers. Mrs. Zhang liked to gossip about others. However, she didn¡¯t want the Lin family to know her family¡¯s issues, so she rarely interacted with the Lin family. However, Mrs. Zhang came to their house and spoke in a harsh tone. Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t like trouble, but she was not afraid of it. Looking at Mrs. Zhang and her son, who had already walked in, Mrs. Jiang asked with a cold face, ¡°Sister-in-law, no one in our family has offended you, right? What kind of explanation do you want from me?¡± Lin Sanshui was also extremely angry. The good mood just now was disturbed and disappeared with a bang. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister-in-law. Even though we did argue a little in the car today, it was your fault. You don¡¯t have to come to my house to ask for an explanation.¡± Mrs. Jiang looked at Lin Sanshui in surprise. He hadn¡¯t had time to tell her about his quarrel with Mrs. Zhang. Mrs. Zhang¡¯s eyes were wide open. With a strong pull, she pulled Xiaoniu in front of the people. Because of the excessive strength, Xiaoniu almost fell to the ground. Pointing at Xiaoniu¡¯s forehead, Mrs. Zhang shouted angrily, ¡°This is outrageous. You have no conscience. Everyone, come and take a look. This family has bullied us. They¡¯re not giving us a way out.¡± With all the commotion, the Lin family¡¯s gate was instantly filled with people. Some even entered the courtyard directly. The man with the hoe happened to pass by and saw the crowd in front of the door. He worriedly squeezed in, put down the hoe, and walked to Lin Sanshui. ¡°Third Uncle, what¡¯s going on?¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The man was Lin Sanshui¡¯s eldest nephew, the eldest son of the first branch of the Lin family, Lin Dashan. Lin Sanshui still did not know what had happened. Looking at Mrs. Zhang, who was jumping around in the courtyard, Lin Sanshui said with a headache, ¡°Xiaoniu¡¯s mother, don¡¯t cry and make a fuss here. There are many people in our village here. How did we bully you? You have to say it so that everyone can judge. Look at you kept moving around. You can¡¯t even speak clearly. We don¡¯t know what happened either. How can we solve the problem?¡± The villagers did not know who was in the right and who was in the wrong. However, they were biased toward Lin Sanhu because of how Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Zhang interacted. Mrs. Zhang immediately stopped her thunderous crying and pointed at Xiaoniu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Lin Sanshui, do you see my son¡¯s forehead? Do you dare to say that this isn¡¯t Xiaohu¡¯s fault? You have to compensate us today, or else I won¡¯t let this go!¡± As she spoke, Mrs. Zhang suddenly sniffed and looked at the kitchen. Her eyes flashed with unconcealed greed. When she heard that this matter was related to Xiaohu, Mrs. Jiang hurriedly waved at him. ¡°Xiaohu, come here. I want to ask you, did you cause the wound on Xiaoniu¡¯s forehead?¡± Xiaohu was already scared out of his wits. He shook his head and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I went out with Third Brother to find pigweed today. I didn¡¯t see Xiaoniu.¡± Mrs. Jiang heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. She turned around and said, ¡°See. Xiaohu said he didn¡¯t see Xiaoniu today, let alone hit him. ¡°So what if he didn¡¯t do anything? He lied to Xiaoniu. Otherwise, our Xiaoniu wouldn¡¯t have been so honest and kowtowed his head. I don¡¯t care. Xiaohu caused my son to injure himself, so you have to take responsibility!¡± Mrs. Zhang was pestering Lin Sanshui. She didn¡¯t care if she had drawn attention. Lin Sanshui was enraged as well. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be bothered by a woman like you. If you want justice, go back and get your man here! With that, Lin Sanshui looked at Lin Dashan and said, ¡°Dashan, go home and call your parents, as well as your second uncle and second aunt. We will have dinner tonight.¡± Lin Sanshui and Mrs. Jiang had already discussed the matter of eating, but Mrs. Zhang didn¡¯t know about it. When he said this, Mrs. Zhang was suddenly startled and said in shock, ¡°What are you guys doing? Do you still want to fight?¡± Not only did Mrs. Zhang think this way, but most spectators also thought this way. Lin Sanshui did not explain but urged Lin Dashan. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Hurry up!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Lin Dashan was shocked as well. His eyes flickered as he looked at Lin Sanshui with uncertainty. His third uncle had always been an honest man, and he rarely looked for trouble. Why did he make a big deal out of it today? Although the Zhang family was despicable, Lin Sanshui seemed a bit overreacted. Lin Dashan left with a heavy heart. When Mrs. Zhang brought Xiaoniu out, she didn¡¯t tell her family. When Mrs. Zhang saw the situation turned south, she immediately pulled Xiaoniu and ran. She cursed, ¡°Lin Sanshui, don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one with a large family. Our family isn¡¯t to be trifled with. If you dare to order people to beat us up, don¡¯t even think about ending this matter peacefully!¡± So what if Lin Sanshui called reinforcement? She also had a few brothers in her family. Mrs. Zhang gave birth to many daughters in a row. Yet, she could still stand firm in her husband¡¯s house because of the strong background of her maternal family. Chapter 37 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Seeing that Mrs. Zhang had been scared away, Lin Sanshui called for everyone to disperse. The show ended, so what was the point of staying here? Gu Nian rolled her eyes and shouted, ¡°I know why Xiaoniu was injured!¡± The people that were about to go home suddenly stopped in their tracks. ¡°Girl, you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Someone interested in the show asked. Gu Nian widened her eyes and nodded. ¡°I tripped on the mountain yesterday and happened to lie in front of a big tree. I even hit a rabbit. When we brought the rabbit back, we met Xiaoniu. Xiaoniu was fierce and insisted that we tell him how we got the rabbit. My brother was stupid and thought the rabbit was a gift from a giant tree after I kowtowed to it. So, he told Xiaoniu that he must kowtow to the giant tree to get the rabbit.¡± Gu Nian used an innocent tone to speak clearly. It made people feel that this girl was cute, but they could not help but sigh at Mrs. Zhang¡¯s rudeness. Although some people would have a lucky encounter, even a regular person would know it was a prank. Besides, Mrs. Zhang¡¯s son got himself injured because he was too greedy, so she could not blame the Lin family. However, Gu Nian could hit a rabbit when she fell. Some people exclaimed that she was lucky, but some people couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. However, they were just jealous and said some sarcastic words. They would not do anything that would harm people. There was the smell of meat from the Lin family today. Those who didn¡¯t know all attributed it to the rabbit. They saw Dahu bringing Gu Nian to wash the pig offal. These things were also for poor people to eat. There was nothing special about them. At Xiaoniu¡¯s house, Mrs. Zhang suddenly pushed her husband. ¡°Lin Man, you¡¯re just a coward and only know how to be picky in your own house. Your wife and child are being bullied! If you¡¯re a man, then go fight Lin Sanshui!¡± Lin Man squatted on the ground and held her head in her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you it¡¯s not their fault. We didn¡¯t take good care of the child, and you insisted on making a scene. What can I do now that you¡¯ve made a fool of yourself? It¡¯s already difficult for us to have children. My father and mother didn¡¯t leave me any brothers. If I go to their house alone, wouldn¡¯t I be looking for a beating?¡± Although Mrs. Zhang Shi had caused trouble for the Lin family, Lin Sanshui smiled like a flower when he saw that his eldest and second brothers¡¯ families had come. Lin Shui and Lin Ershui came over with two women carrying hoes. As soon as they entered the door, Lin Ershui asked, ¡°Third Brother, didn¡¯t you say that Lin Man is here to cause trouble? Where is he?¡± They had heard Dashan¡¯s words and came to help, but they did not see Lin Man. Instead, the courtyard was filled with the smell of meat, which made people hungry. ¡°It¡¯s not Uncle Man. It¡¯s his wife who brought Xiaoniu to cause trouble. Third Uncle asked me to call you over.¡± Lin Dashan hurried over to explain. Lin Shui raised his hand and smacked Lin Dashan¡¯s head. ¡°Is your third uncle stupid, or are you stupid? Why did you call us over for an annoying woman? Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing?¡± Lin Sanshui said, ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, Sister-in-law, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t call you here to fight. We bought some meat today. I thought that since the three of us did not have a gathering in a long time. Why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to have a drink or two? It¡¯ll satisfy our cravings.¡± Chapter 38 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lin Shui and Lin Ershui finally understood. Lin Shui looked at Lin Sanshui disapprovingly, ¡°Sanshui, why are you so extravagant? Why didn¡¯t you let the children eat the meat? Why did you call us over? We¡¯re not craving for the meats.¡± Lin Sanshui had bought too many on an impulse, and the weather was hot. The meats might go bad tomorrow if they did not finish them! However, Lin Sanshui did not dare to say such honest words. He smiled and said, ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, we¡¯ve already bought it. It¡¯s not any good meat, so don¡¯t mind it. We three brothers need to have a delicious meal together. Since Mother passed away, we¡¯ve only been able to have a drink or two together during the new year and other festivals.¡± As he spoke, Lin Sanshui sighed. Lin Sanshui was the youngest in the family. When the two elders were still alive, they had always been biased toward him. Lin Sanshui also knew his two brothers were not happy about this. However, Lin Sanshui¡¯s family was in a tough time back then, and he had four sons to raise. He had to rely on the support of his parents. Therefore, Lin Shui always felt regretful for his two brothers. Hearing Lin Sanshui¡¯s words, Lin Shui and Lin Ershui also felt rather emotional. ¡°Big Brother, since Sanshui has already prepared it, let¡¯s have a good drink today. I already cooked the cucumbers and vegetables I grew at home.¡± As he said this, Lin Ershui told his wife, ¡°Xiangdong¡¯s mother, go back and pick some vegetables.¡± The Lin family¡¯s eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Wang, saw the opportunity and hurriedly spoke up. She asked her husband, ¡°Since Third Brother¡¯s family has meat and Second Brother¡¯s family has dishes, we should provide some wine. Aren¡¯t there still two wines left under our bed? Why don¡¯t we let Jing¡¯er go back and bring it over? We¡¯ll let you three brothers drink to your heart¡¯s content today!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± What else could Lin Shui say? It should be so. Lin Shui¡¯s family had two sons and two daughters. His eldest son was already married, and his grandson was a year old. Lin Ershui also had two sons and a daughter. The three families had almost 20 people. It was not appropriate for them to eat Lin Sanshui¡¯s food. They were all brothers, so no matter how much it was, each family would offer something. It was also a kind gesture. Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Zhu were also hardworking people. When they saw that only Dahu and Sanhu were busy in the kitchen, they wanted to go over and help. However, Mrs. Jiang stopped them. ¡°Dahu has already said that today¡¯s meal will be on him. We¡¯ll help wash the vegetables and chat. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s words received praise from her two sisters-in-law. The children were not around, so Mrs. Wang asked Mrs. Jiang, ¡°Third Sister-in-law, what are you and Third Brother planning? Are you going to adopt that girl?¡± In the first two days, Lin Shui and Lin Ershui had already discreetly advised Lin Sanshui not to adopt Gu Nian. His family was not rich, and they already had a few children. In such a situation, why should he adopt someone else¡¯s child? Lin Sanshui was determined. They had started their own families. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be good for the two elder brothers to interfere too much in their younger brother¡¯s family matters. It was much more convenient for women to inquire about things when their families were together. Mrs. Wang wanted to ask Mrs. Jiang¡¯s opinion. Mrs. Zhu was also very curious about this matter, so she perked up her ears, wanting to hear what she had to say. ¡°Both of you have daughters at home, but you don¡¯t know the hardships of not having a daughter. When I¡¯m busy, I need to work in the fields during the day, and at night, I have to come back to wash their clothes and cook for them. In addition, there are chickens, ducks, and two pigs in the yard. I can¡¯t finish all the job even if I have two bodies!¡± Mrs. Jiang sighed and said, ¡°Nian Nian is a poor child. I do not mind having a daughter in my house. Her family only wants to send her away, so I thought I could bring her back. She¡¯s already so big, and I don¡¯t have to worry about her food. She¡¯ll slowly help me take care of the house. I won¡¯t lose out no matter what, right? ¡± Chapter 39 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was also what Mrs. Jiang and Lin Sanshui had discussed long ago. Mrs. Zhu understood Mrs. Jiang. Although she also had a daughter, she was only seven years old. Mrs. Zhu was not willing to order her daughter around. Her two sons were not as sensible as Mrs. Jiang¡¯s sons, so she was usually more tired. Mrs. Wang nodded. ¡°As long as you have a plan in mind, it¡¯s fine. Your elder brother has been talking about this recently. After all, this child is already sensible. I¡¯m just afraid that in the end, you¡¯ll be wasting your time and effort raising someone else¡¯s daughter.¡± It would be fine if this child would repay kindness, but what if the child ran back to his biological parents after she grew up? Wouldn¡¯t the couple¡¯s efforts be in vain? Mrs. Jiang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nian Nian is a very obedient child. Don¡¯t look at how small Gu Nian is. She knows who treats her well. She is also willing to do work. She helps with house chores without me telling her to. Upon hearing Mrs. Jiang¡¯s words, Mrs. Zhu, whose daughter was a year older than Gu Nian, was jealous. They were both children, but why was there such a huge difference? Mrs. Zhu did not know that Gu Nian was too small and could not do many things even though she wanted to help. On the other side, the three families were together. The children were also chattering in the kitchen. One by one, they talked while smelling the meat. It was so harmonious. When the sky was almost dark, Lin Xiaohu¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. ¡°Mother, Big Brother said that the food is ready. He asked you to pull the table out to clean up and serve the dishes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mrs. Jiang replied, and the crowd in the main room instantly dispersed to make way for her. Lin Shui helped Lin Sanshui carry out the square table and clean up the junk on it. They pulled the small square table under the big table and placed it at the door. Three mothers had already gone to the kitchen to bring the dishes over. There were shrimps with garlic, fried pig intestines with green pepper, steamed pig heart, a plate of braised pork with soy sauce, cold cucumber salad, fried eggplant, and peanuts. Finally, a large pot of pig bone soup was in the middle of the table. The small square table at the door was full of food. The smell of meat wafted into their noses, making them swallow their saliva. ¡°Sanshui, you¡¯re rich now?¡± Lin Shui looked at the dishes on the table and couldn¡¯t take his eyes off them. Lin Sanshui laughed honestly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m rich. Just yesterday, a few kids went up the mountain and caught a rabbit. That thing didn¡¯t have any fat, so they took it to town and sold it for some more fat. ¡°One rabbit isn¡¯t enough to exchange these meats, right?¡± Lin Ershui was no better than Lin Shui, and his eyes almost fell out of their sockets. ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± Lin Sanshui kept them in suspense with a smile, ¡°These children are quite lucky. They even picked a few peaches yesterday. They looked so good, just like the immortal peaches in the plays. They sold the peaches to a rich family in town. Good fellow, they are so generous.¡± Of course, Lin Sanshui was not stupid enough to tell him the exact amount. No matter which family it was, ten taels of silver was a huge sum of money. Even if they were brothers, they couldn¡¯t reveal their family¡¯s assets. Lin Ershui asked a few more questions enviously and even blamed Lin Sanshui for not selling the red fruit in town. Although he had given a lot to his family, it was such a good thing that it was better to exchange it for money. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste for his family to eat it? ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s eat.¡± Lin Shui quickly urged. Chapter 40 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lin Shui could also tell that Lin Sanshui was a little awkward about the question. In short, if there was something to eat, then eat. There was no need to say so much about other things. They were blood-related brothers. No matter which family was living a good life, the others would benefit from it. The children had been waiting impatiently for a long time. Once an adult spoke, they quickly gathered around the small table. Fortunately, the children had been taught by the adults to be well-behaved. No one dared to touch their chopsticks without the adults¡¯ permission. ¡°Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, Second brother, Second sister-in-law, let¡¯s eat while there¡¯s still some light. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to see anything when it gets dark.¡± Lin Sanshui said. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s sit down.¡± The two tables were full, especially the small table. There were already many children, so it was even more crowded. Lin Shui took a look and said with emotion, ¡°The children have all grown up in the blink of an eye. Dashan has become a father, and Dahu and Xiangdong are about to propose marriage. You two, come and sit here. Don¡¯t fight with your younger brothers and sisters for food.¡± Only when they married could they be considered adults, and children were not allowed to eat at the table. The Lin family was different. Because their father died early, their mother raised the three brothers alone. In the absence of outsiders, there was no rule that women were not allowed to eat at the table. As for the reason the meal was split into two tables, Gu Nian played a huge part in it. Gu Nian had already inquired about the family¡¯s eating rules. She didn¡¯t want to eat the leftovers of the adults after being busy for a whole day. She also did not want to grab a small bowl and sit with a group of children to eat. Therefore, she asked Dahu to split all the dishes into two so the children could have a table. Lin Shui and Lin Ershui did not know about this. They thought that this arrangement was Lin Sanshui¡¯s instructions. Lin Sanshui thought that his two sons had just returned today, and the food was so good. If they did not have a good meal, it would be too much of a loss for the children. Hence, he was satisfied with this arrangement. Lin Sanshui was the host. Mrs. Jiang poured wine for them from the side. He took the lead and picked up his chopsticks, adding a piece of the large intestine of pork. ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± Then, the others all raised their chopsticks. The children¡¯s side was even more lively. Although they didn¡¯t fight for food, their eating speed was not slow at all. One catty of red braised pork was divided into two portions. The small pieces were not enough for each person. Gu Nian picked up her chopsticks and was about to pick one up. However, the bowl was empty. Gu Nian was dumbfounded. Lin Sanhu held the bowl in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. There was a piece of red braised meat on his chopsticks. Seeing that Gu Nian had failed to grab it, he placed the red braised meat into her bowl. ¡°Sister, hurry up. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to eat anything!¡± Lin Sanhu ignored his parents¡¯ rule of not snatching food from others as he hurriedly picked up a few pieces of good meat and a large bone for Gu Nian. Only then did he hurry to eat his meal. Gu Nian gulped. Whether it was in her memory or the original owner¡¯s memory, there had never been such a situation where eating was like fighting a war. Gu Nian did not think about anything else and quickly ate the meat to satisfy her craving. All of a sudden, there was only the sound of eating. No one said a word. Erhu was still lying on the bed in the inner room, smelling the fragrance of the meat and listening to other people¡¯s voices. He looked at the vegetarian banquet in his bowl and the cornbread in his hand. He instantly lost his desire to eat.