As Elder Brother went out, Li Min leaned closer to Mother, whispering, "Eldest Sister-in-law found ginseng."
Mother Li turned in surprise and covered her daughter’s mouth, "Hush! Your eldest sister-in-law told you because she trusts you. Even with me, you mustn't say it. Someone might overhear you when you speak."
"If this matter gets out, not only your eldest sister-in-law, but our whole family will be seen as taking advantage of the collective. If anyone says anything, just say it was your eldest sister-in-law who traded her good things. Understand?"
Li Min nodded repeatedly. She knew. Wasn't she just secretly telling Mother? She was already whispering in Mother's ear, who else could hear?
Mother Li then released her mouth. "The reason a secret is a secret is because few people know it. Your eldest sister-in-law told you to put your mind at ease. You were startled by how many things she bought tonight and blamed her. If she hadn't told you, would you have nagged her?"
"From now on, don't talk nonsense. What's given to you, accept it if you can't refuse. What isn't given to you, don't be envious."
"Mhm, mhm." Li Min responded repeatedly. After her eldest sister-in-law told her about finding ginseng, her burden lessened a bit.
But her belief grew stronger. This mountain village was so poor, impoverished for over ten generations. The moment her eldest sister-in-law joined the Li family, her eldest brother hunted a wild boar, and her eldest sister-in-law found ginseng.
What did this signify? It meant her eldest sister-in-law was a person of fortune. All the changes in the family these days were brought about by her eldest sister-in-law.
Suddenly, she thought of Mother's medicinal tea. "Mother, is your medicinal tea...?"
Mother Li paused and nodded. "It should be. It seems it's not just one plant. From now on, don't casually enter your eldest sister-in-law's room."
"My eldest brother also warned me. I remember." Li Min smiled cheerfully. It was great. The family's days were really about to improve, just as Sister-in-law Wang had said.
Li Zhengguo put away the miscellaneous small hardware and poured the kerosene into glass bottles. After extinguishing all the kerosene lamps, he brought water into the room. Tian Jing was already asleep, sprawled on the kang.
He wrung out a hot towel and gently wiped the face of the person sleeping soundly. Then, he carefully picked her up. Crouching down, he removed her worn-out shoes and noticed that the skin near the gap of her big toe had been abraded.
With a pang of heartache, he placed her small feet into the washbasin. Her feet shivered slightly upon touching the water, then rested softly on his thighs as she continued to sleep.
Li Zhengguo washed her feet, dried them, and placed them on the kang, tucking her in with a quilt. Then, he began to clean himself.
He brought back the thermos and teacup, then went out to lock the kitchen door. After extinguishing all the lights, he returned with a flashlight. He hadn't bought many flashlights, just one. Because this type of flashlight could easily burn out the small bulb when adjusting the light, he had bought many small bulbs and batteries.
He latched the door and stood by the kang, looking at the person sleeping soundly. After a moment of hesitation, he chose to follow his heart.
He discarded his own thin quilt, which had been used all day and was very dirty. He would wash it and mend it before using it again.
He blew out the kerosene lamp, pulled the little person into his embrace, and immediately felt a sense of fullness, the emptiness gone. With a sigh of contentment, he thought, he should learn to be a bit more shameless, shouldn't he?
At this moment, the person in his arms stirred a few times, finding a very comfortable position before beginning to snore softly.
Li Zhengguo felt his heart melt. His sweet Tian Jing was so adorable.
This night, Tian Jing slept more soundly and comfortably than she had in years. However, when she opened her eyes and saw a large face in front of her, and felt an arm that wasn't hers around her waist and another beneath her neck, her mind went blank for a moment.
When had she fallen asleep in Li Zhengguo's arms? She had no memory of it.
Her last memory was finishing organizing everything. While Li Zhengguo was boiling water in the kitchen, she had quietly gone to the east wall and planted two pumpkin seeds. She had then pulled the dagger into the ground, destroyed the pumpkin vine, and run back to the kang, rolling around to keep herself from falling asleep. Sū Dān Novel Network.
And then? She fell asleep? Fell asleep in Li Zhengguo's arms?
Li Zhengguo woke up when Tian Jing did, but he didn't dare to move, unsure of how Tian Jing would react. After a long wait, she simply stared blankly.
"No, I need to make a move," he said. "Tian Jing, you're awake? Shall we get up?"
"Get up."
Tian Jing simply decided not to rack her brain. Li Zhengguo had always been a gentleman towards the original owner. What was wrong with sleeping in the same bed?
In her previous life, after winter, although there was a new quilt, the kang would lose its warmth in the latter half of the night, making one shiver. Wasn't sleeping in the same bed with Li Zhengguo to keep warm something that would happen eventually?
Given the shortage of cotton now, making a kang quilt? Ha! They barely had enough for blankets, let alone kang quilts. With the thickness of their current quilts, come winter, she would naturally end up in Li Zhengguo's bed sooner or later.
Hearing Tian Jing's usual tone, Li Zhengguo grinned. Tian Jing didn't dislike his embrace. This meant he would have benefits every night, wouldn't he?
He reached for her clothes and handed them to Tian Jing. "Ask Mother to make you clothes first."
Tian Jing's current outfit, though new, was too old-fashioned. She had been wearing this same outfit without any other clean clothes to change into. He had noticed the clothes in the kang cabinet; they were all the original owner's tattered old clothes.
"Okay. Once I have new clothes, I'll use those old rags to make shoe soles."
Tian Jing took the clothes and continued Li Zhengguo's conversation, breaking the awkwardness.
"Mhm, I'll listen to you." Li Zhengguo's eyes held undisguised joy and doting.
Tian Jing nudged him. "Hurry up and get up."
Leaning close to her ear, speaking in a doting tone, he made her ear tingle.
"Okay."
As Li Zhengguo moved, Tian Jing quickly lifted her head, freeing her arm from under it. They cooperated with great tacit understanding.
Outside, Li Min was pacing back and forth. If Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law didn't get up, would they be eating steamed pumpkin or sweet potato again this morning?
Finally, she heard voices from inside. Li Min hesitated for a moment before raising her hand to knock. "Eldest Sister-in-law, please give me the morning grain."
Tian Jing heard this and hastily got out of bed. She had forgotten about it.
"Li Zhengguo, remind me in the future to take out the grain for the next day's breakfast beforehand. If we have to wait until I get up to get the grain every day, then breakfast will be almost the same as lunch."
"Mhm, I'll remind you."
Tian Jing quickly put on her clothes and jumped off the kang.
Li Zhengguo had already opened the door. Li Min poked her head in. "Eldest Sister-in-law, what's for breakfast?"
"Millet porridge, I guess. Make it thick, with just pickled vegetables. We'll have rice for lunch. Go to someone's house in the village and exchange for two napa cabbages. We'll have pork stew with vermicelli."
"I'm not going." Li Min refused, handing the large bowl in her hand to her eldest brother and asking him to scoop millet for her.
"Yesterday, dozens of people gathered at the entrance of the village waiting to see what you bought. If you go to trade for things today, you'll be ridiculed."