Transmigrated Family C03

Chapter 3: Harvesting Wheat

This year, a severe drought has left the land scorched for miles.

Their village barely managed to gather some grain, but after paying the grain tax, there was hardly anything left.

With no hope for a summer planting, they had no choice but to leave their homes in search of another way to survive.

On the road to escape famine, the two families were separated. After that, it was a permanent parting—never to meet again.

Countless times, in the dead of night, he woke up filled with regret.

For a mere twenty taels, why did he insist on splitting the family estate with his younger brother? Their parents had repeatedly urged him to take care of his immature younger brother before they passed away.

If he had known his brother was immature, why did he still let his anger get the best of him? He was truly unfilial!

It was because he separated from his younger brother’s family that those damned bastards found an opportunity—to take advantage of his daughter.

Everything started from the moment he drove his younger brother’s family away.

These past few days, his younger brother had been looking after him with great care. He kept reflecting—what had he missed?

Back then, when he was bedridden with a high fever, barely conscious, had his younger brother cared for him in the same way, with such attentiveness?

He had been sick for days, leaving the household without a leader. His immature younger brother had no choice but to grow up, forced to take responsibility for the family’s livelihood.

He always knew his sister-in-law was strong-willed.

Their days were tough, and she managed the household with such frugality that she practically split every copper coin in half before spending it.

In previous years, he had hired workers to tend the fields. But with him bedridden and labor costs rising, his sister-in-law couldn’t bear the expense. So she and his younger brother decided to harvest the wheat themselves.

They had it hard.

He sighed in his heart but kept his expression unchanged as he completed one of life’s great events.

He let his younger brother lay him back down again and busied himself with other tasks.

The eldest brother was like a father—what was there to feel uncomfortable about? He felt completely at ease!

—

As soon as Father Yan stepped outside, he saw his daughter squatting at the kitchen door, watching her eldest niece tend the stove.

Ordinary folks only had two meals a day, but they had grown accustomed to eating three. While their bodies could endure, their minds constantly craved food.

Even he couldn’t help swallowing his saliva.

“Our eggs taste so good. The hens may not lay often, but they’re all-natural and pollution-free—so healthy.”

Slurp!

“Old hens taste even better. Wonder when I’ll get lucky enough for that meal?”

His older brother was weak—shouldn’t they slaughter a chicken to nourish him?

Meanwhile, Er Ya was observing how to start a fire, using her eyes instead of her hands.

Her eyes said: I’ve learned it.

Her hands said: No, I haven’t.

She picked up a particularly nice-looking piece of firewood and hesitantly tried to feed it into the stove.

Her elder sister quickly stopped her and, in an exceedingly gentle voice, said, “Er Ya, go play somewhere else. Be careful not to burn yourself.”

Taking the firewood from her hands, she casually explained, “You have to leave space when placing wood in the stove. It can’t be too full, or it won’t burn properly.”

Got it. Another new lesson learned.

Er Ya nodded solemnly. She turned around and saw her father staring at the hens, swallowing his saliva.

Her little legs moved swiftly as she dashed over.

“Dad, are you craving chicken?” she whispered.

“Huh? No, of course not!” Father Yan denied it outright.

“Don’t forget, you still owe twenty taels in gambling debt!” Er Ya glared at him. A gambler had no right to eat meat.

“How can you say it’s my debt? Isn’t it Yan Lao’er’s debt?” Father Yan felt unjustly accused.

“You are Yan Lao’er. Yan Lao’er is you.”

“Sweetheart, don’t joke around. I’m already worried sick! If this era had blood banks, I’d go sell my blood!”

“Selling blood wouldn’t cover twenty taels, Dad. That’s twenty taels!”

“Stop emphasizing it, will you? My head hurts. And didn’t we agree? Call me ‘Father,’ not ‘Dad.’”

“Alright, Father.” Er Ya immediately complied, then added, “Then can you stop calling me Er Ya? I do have a real name.”

“Can we even use that name? What if it exposes us? People might think you’re a demon and burn you at the stake! Your uncle calls me Tianyou—I used to think Yan Lao’er’s real name was Yan Tianyou, but now I realize that’s just a courtesy name. To this day, I still don’t know his actual name.”

Father Yan sighed helplessly. In the village, everyone called him Yan Lao’er, but his real name? Even he wasn’t sure.

“Dad, you’re so uneducated. ‘Tianyou’ is his courtesy name. Scholars in ancient times all had courtesy names. Close acquaintances would use the surname plus the courtesy name, or just the courtesy name.”

Er Ya was a little academic prodigy. Too bad her expertise was completely useless in their current situation. Would you like to learn a minor language?

She was only better than her parents because she loved watching dramas and reading novels…

“Wait, that’s not right. Didn’t you say you saw the IOU? There should be a name on it.”

Father Yan looked miserable. He sighed as if he had exhausted a lifetime’s worth of exasperation.

“Yan Lao’er’s signature was all over the place—full of flourishes and in traditional characters. I honestly couldn’t make out a single word.”

Er Ya: …

“Forget it, Father. We’ll figure it out someday.” She comforted her dear father.

“Your sister’s done cooking. I need to hurry back to the fields—your mother’s exhausted.” He took the meal his eldest niece had prepared, a well-packed lunch basket, and rushed out.

During the busy farming season, they had lunch—but it didn’t make him happy. Harvesting wheat was grueling work. Holding the stalks with one hand and cutting with the other—his back felt like it was about to snap. His wife was suffering!

—

At the Yan Family’s Fields

Li Xuemei stumbled and fell to her knees.

The pain in her knees was temporary, but the constant ache and numbness in her back tormented her. The scorching sun overhead made her dizzy.

She was exhausted!

“Wife! Wife! Where are you?” Yan Lao’er couldn’t see her from a distance and panicked, shouting loudly.

“Here!” Li Xuemei tried to answer loudly, but she was too drained. Every muscle in her body ached, and her voice was weak.

“Oh no! Wife, what happened? Where are you hurt? Let me see!” Yan Lao’er ran over at full speed. Seeing his wife kneeling on the ground, supporting herself with one hand while gripping a sickle wrapped in cloth with the other, he felt a pang of guilt.

Damn it, what kind of life was this?

“I’m fine…” Li Xuemei took several deep breaths. “Help me up—slowly.”

Yan Lao’er instantly understood.

No matter if it was the former Li Xuemei or the current Lady Li, neither had ever done such heavy labor. Her body simply wasn’t used to it.

He wiped his face, stepped forward, and adjusted her posture while speaking, “Don’t get up yet. Lie down for a bit—I’ll give you a massage to loosen up.”

His firm yet gentle fingers pressed into her sore back.

Li Xuemei groaned in pain. “Ow, ow, ow…”

“Bear with it. Keep quiet—we’re in the middle of the field. Don’t let people get the wrong idea.” Yan Lao’er always had a way with words.

Li Xuemei was so annoyed she wanted to smack him. “Shut up! Forget the massage—just help me up!”

…