Chapter 7: Scorched Rice¹

Most farmers in Qingshan Village relied on the land for their livelihoods. Their income was low, so they typically ate two meals a day during the slack season and only increased it to three during the busy farming season to keep up their strength.

Usually, only the wealthy families in the village ate three meals a day year-round. In the past, when the original owner of this body worked as an accountant, his monthly salary wasn’t small, but the burden of supporting a whole family alone was heavy. He also frequently had to help Zhao Wencheng, so the Zhao family had always stuck to two meals a day.

Not to mention someone like Zhao Mengcheng starting a second meal less than an hour after finishing breakfast. Such a thing was unheard of.

It was far too extravagant!

Zhao Chun felt he had to stop this. “Dad, we don’t have much money left. We should be more careful with our spending. Two meals a day is actually enough.”

“You have to eat your fill to stay healthy, and you have to be healthy to earn money. We can’t neglect the fundamentals,” Zhao Mengcheng said. He turned and nudged his son toward the stove to start the fire.

He didn’t just want to eat; he wanted to be full. He scooped out three bowls of rice, washed them clean, and put them in the pot.

Zhao Chun watched in stunned silence. Unable to stop his father, he could only start the fire with a long face.

How could they keep going if they ate like this?

The boy made a silent vow in his heart: Dad and his second brother were both sick, and his little sister was still young. Once the rice was cooked, he would let them eat more to recover their health, while he would go without.

Zhao Chun swallowed hard, his mind made up.

The earthen stove² burned hot and cooked quickly. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of steaming rice.

The scent made Zhao Mengcheng’s mouth water, and his stomach felt incredibly empty. Poor guy, he had been here for several days and hadn’t had a proper meal of white rice yet.

In his previous life, he never would have imagined a time when he would crave plain white rice and fatty meat³ so much.

But as he looked at his eldest son obediently tending the fire and the two younger ones waiting quietly, a rare sense of peace allowed Zhao Mengcheng to relax.

He quickly stir-fried a few dishes. Unfortunately, the oil jar was empty, so he could only sauté them with a bit of salt. The result was purely natural and very green.

Seeing nothing but green dishes made Zhao Mengcheng’s eyes practically turn green with hunger. His craving for meat grew even stronger.

“Alright, it’s ready to eat.” Zhao Chun had put out the fire early; the residual heat of the earthen stove was enough to finish steaming the rice.

This had the benefit of saving firewood, which was crucial for a household like the Zhaos that lacked manual labor.

Zhao Mengcheng opened the pot. A cloud of steam billowed out, and the fresh scent of white rice made him take two deep breaths.

“Go get the bowls.”

Zhao Xin immediately scurried over, balancing four rice bowls as she ran back.

“Dad, you guys eat. I’m not hungry yet,” Zhao Chun called out, poking his head up when he saw his sister bringing four bowls.

Zhao Mengcheng ignored him and quickly filled four bowls. “We are a family. We share the good times and the bad. If there’s food, we eat together. If there’s no food, we go hungry together. How could we eat while you just watch?”

Zhao Chun’s face reddened. “But I’m really not hungry,” he mumbled. “Dad, you need to eat more so you can get better quickly. It’s the same if I wait until tonight to eat.”

Hearing this, Zhao Mao also set down his bowl. “Dad, I’m not hungry either. I’m still sick and have no appetite. You eat more.”

Zhao Xin had already been holding her bowl, her little head tilted as she nibbled on the rice. Now, she looked lost and unsure of what to do.

They were all good children, so sensible it made one’s heart ache.

Zhao Mengcheng leaned down and flicked his eldest son’s forehead. “Chun, do you think I’m useless? That I can’t provide for the three of you?”

Zhao Chun was startled and shook his head like a rattle⁴. “No! How could I think that?”

“Then why won’t you eat? Our family is in a difficult spot right now, but we aren’t so desperate that we can’t afford a single bowl of rice for you.”

Zhao Mengcheng looked at the two younger ones. “The same goes for you two. Eat and drink what you need. I’ve already thought of a way to make money.”

“Really? That’s great!” Zhao Xin believed him immediately. In her eyes, her father had always been amazing and could earn more money than anyone else’s father.

Zhao Mengcheng laughed. “Of course it’s true. Would I lie to you?”

He patted their three little heads and emphasized, “That’s why we all need to eat well. If you ruin your health by starving, you’ll just get sick and need medicine. Wouldn’t that cost even more money in the end?”

“Your mother is gone, but I am still here. I will definitely raise you all to adulthood.”

Zhao Chun’s eyes turned red. He sniffled and said, “Dad, we’ll raise my younger brother and sister together.”

“Alright,” Zhao Mengcheng smiled at the boyish remark. Zhao Chun was still just a little sprout⁵ himself, yet he was already thinking about earning money to support the family.

In the end, they all sat at the table. The three children who claimed they weren’t hungry finished every last bit of their rice, leaving not a single grain behind.

After finishing their first bowl, all three children firmly refused to have a second helping.

Zhao Mengcheng waited until he saw their bellies were round and full before finishing off the remaining food.

Only the scorched rice was left in the last pot. The golden-brown scorched rice was very chewy. He beckoned them over and gave each child a small piece.

Zhao Chun finished his in a few bites and didn’t ask for more. He took over the task of washing the dishes and scrubbing the pot, insisting that his father go back to rest.

Zhao Mao took Zhao Xin to sit by the door. The youngest held her small piece of scorched rice, nibbling slowly with her baby teeth, eating with great relish.

The rest of the scorched rice went to Zhao Mengcheng. He chewed on the last bit, the crunching sound echoing as he patted his stomach, feeling a bit worried.

Just a moment ago, he had thought that much rice could last them nearly half a year. Yet, he had finished more than half a pot in a single meal, and he was only seventy percent full.

If he were to eat until he was truly satisfied, that bit of rice wouldn’t last long at all.

But only by eating his fill could his body recover faster. Going hungry would only drag out the process.

It seemed that making money had to be prioritized. Otherwise, the little money they had left wouldn’t survive his appetite.

After a few full meals, Zhao Mengcheng’s body indeed felt much better. At the very least, he no longer wobbled when he walked.

The price for this was that the rice Uncle Wang had sent over was already gone. Zhao Mengcheng had to mill another batch. Every time Zhao Chun looked at the dwindling grain in the granary, he couldn’t help but sigh.

There were many benefits to eating their fill. Because they were well-fed, the complexions of all four family members had improved significantly. Even Zhao Mao, who had the weakest constitution, now had rosy cheeks.

Although Zhao Mao had been seriously ill, children recovered quickly. After a few full meals, he looked much better. In contrast, Zhao Mengcheng’s body was deeply depleted and had not yet fully recovered.

Originally, Zhao Mengcheng thought that since there was still rice at home, he would wait until he was fully recovered before earning money. However, on this day, the meal was ready but Zhao Chun was nowhere to be seen. Zhao Mengcheng sensed something was wrong.

“Where is your eldest brother? Why isn’t he back for dinner yet?” Zhao Mengcheng asked Zhao Mao.

Zhao Mao lowered his head, not daring to look at him. He stammered for a long while before saying, “He probably went somewhere to play and forgot the time. I’ll go call him.”

The child clearly hadn’t mastered the art of deception. His face turned bright red as he lied, and he didn’t even dare to lift his eyes.

These two children were clearly hiding something from him.

Zhao Mengcheng frowned. “I’ll go.”

Zhao Mao was anxious and fidgety, but he couldn’t stop his father from leaving.

Qingshan Village wasn’t large. Zhao Mengcheng soon found his eldest son in the fields. Drenched in sweat, the boy was helping someone pull weeds, his back bent and his cheeks flushed from the sun.

“A-Chun!” Zhao Mengcheng called out with a frown.

“Dad!” Zhao Chun scrambled to hide the weeds in his hands, but there was nowhere to tuck them away.

Seeing Zhao Mengcheng, Liu Fengshou, who had hired Zhao Chun, laughed loudly. “Mengcheng, your eldest son is quite capable. For a half-grown kid, he works no worse than an adult.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s expression was unreadable. “Uncle Fengshou, I’m taking him home to eat first.”

Zhao Chun keenly sensed that his father was unhappy and hurried up the path.

Liu Fengshou noticed something was off and asked, “What’s the matter? Did the boy not tell you he was coming out to work?”

“Look at this mess. A few days ago, the boy came and asked if I needed help. You know my family has a lot of land and few people, so I let him stay. Two sheng⁶ of beans a day.”

He had seen that the Zhao family’s situation was poor and that Zhao Mengcheng was still sick, so he had intended to be helpful by hiring Zhao Chun.

Otherwise, a child of this age would never be able to find work.

He hadn’t realized the child hadn’t told his father. Now it felt as if he were bullying the boy.

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “Uncle, I know you were looking out for him. I want to say thank you. However, my health is better now, so he won’t need to come to work anymore.”

After saying that, he led the child away.

Behind them, Liu Fengshou smiled. “Look at how much Mengcheng dotes on his children. It’s a pity his health is so poor.”

“What’s the use of doting? With a body like his, what can he do? He stopped him today, but the child will still have to work the fields in the future. Just you wait and see, the hard days for his family are still ahead.”

Following behind his father, Zhao Chun felt a bit apprehensive. “Dad, don’t be angry.”

Zhao Mengcheng looked back at him. “Why would I be angry?”

“I hid it from you that I was working,” Zhao Chun bit his lip.

Zhao Mengcheng sighed and patted his head. “A-Chun, I know you’re worried about our family’s situation, which is why you looked for work. But you have to trust me. When I say I have a way to make money, I really do.”

“You’re still young and growing. I won’t stop you from working, but don’t do anything too bitter⁷ or exhausting. Otherwise, you’ll end up with permanent health problems.”

Zhao Chun was both moved and guilty for making his father worry. He nodded vigorously. “Dad, I’ll remember.”

Zhao Mengcheng looked down at the child’s hands. “Do they hurt?”

Because of several days of weeding, Zhao Chun’s palms were rubbed raw. Right now, they were still sticky with mud and grass juice, looking quite pitiful.

Zhao Chun was only eight years old by the traditional count⁸. He was still a child himself, but due to the family’s misfortunes, he possessed a maturity far beyond his years.

In the original owner’s memory, the eldest son had a strong constitution and was exceptionally lively. He never stayed still, spending his days playing in the mountains or by the river. He was a carefree child, a far cry from the boy now who was actually worrying about their livelihood.

Zhao Mengcheng felt a pang of guilt. Previously, the original owner could earn money, and the couple doted on their children. Since the family only had three acres of land, they never let the children do heavy farm work. Even when they went to the fields, it was only for light tasks.

“It doesn’t hurt. I learned it as soon as I was shown, and I didn’t mistake the weeds for rice seedlings even once,” Zhao Chun said, sounding quite pleased with himself.

He continued with a hint of excitement, “Dad, I earned a lot of beans. We can add some to the pot when we cook rice, so the food will last much longer.”

Fearing his father might disagree, Zhao Chun looked at him cautiously.

Zhao Mengcheng felt helpless. He suddenly asked, “Where are the beans you earned? I didn’t see them.”

Zhao Chun gave an embarrassed smile. “I had my younger brother hide them in the house. I was afraid you’d be angry if you saw them.”

It turned out the boy was well aware that he might be angry.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out and tapped Zhao Chun’s forehead. “I originally wanted to wait a bit longer, but since you’ve earned some beans, our family can start making money right now.”

Zhao Chun’s eyes widened in surprise. “But beans aren’t worth anything.”

“Beans might not be worth much, but your father can turn stone into gold,” Zhao Mengcheng said, keeping the boy in suspense.

Translator’s Notes