Chapter 2: The Labor-Centric Sixties (Part 2)

Gu Yu looked at her seriously and said, “Qing, thank you for taking care of my mother these past few days.”

“It’s what I should do. You should clean up first; is your leg injury serious?” Knowing that Gu Yu had stayed in the cave to recuperate for seven days, Lin Muqing was boiling water for him to bathe in another pot.

“It’s nothing. Just let me finish cooking the chicken soup,” Gu Yu explained, “The injuries aren’t too serious; it’s just that I can’t walk yet. Since there are no people around here, I was waiting for my injuries to heal a bit before returning. You’ve put up with a lot because of me these past few days, and I’m really sorry about that.”

Hearing his explanation, Lin Muqing’s eyes curved slightly as she nodded.

She watched as he efficiently prepared the chicken soup, covered it, and then headed outside to fetch water for his bath.

Lin Muqing couldn’t help but notice the strength in his arms as he carried the buckets of water. Compared to other village men who would cause a ruckus during fights, he was like a sturdy boulder, while the man named Liu was like a thin chicken, begging for mercy in the face of Gu Yu’s power.

She sat on a brand-new bamboo stool, bending down to arrange the firewood as the aroma of the chicken wafted through the window.

In this era, marriage was a matter of family arrangements and suitability before a couple officially married.

The original host of this body was the sixth daughter in a family led by a domineering father, with five elder sisters already married off.

She had a ten-year-old brother whom she cherished dearly, the last hope of the family.

One day, while buying supplies at the supply and marketing cooperative, the original host happened to help Gu Yu’s parents and, during their conversation, learned that Gu Yu, the son of a former soldier, was looking for a wife.

Though she originally hesitated to marry a widower from the neighboring village, she learned that this man was a young man and casually mentioned she could help find someone suitable.

Gu Yu’s parents, appreciating the kind-heartedness of the original host, began to inquire about her family background and personality.

Gu Yu had often faced harsh treatment due to the oppressive environment, and initially, his proposal was not readily accepted. However, it didn’t take long for him to formally propose.

He offered twenty yuan as a betrothal gift, along with two baskets of rice, four food coupons, and sugar coupons.

The original host had no reason not to agree.

She was grateful to Gu Yu for helping her escape her suffering and had been diligently taking care of the elders in the family while she awaited his return.

But Lin Muqing knew that the original host was too naïve and innocent, especially since this village was rife with insincerity.

The village head’s son, who had been a bully for a long time, was the true ruler here.

This village was far from the town, and the village head commanded everything, with the production team leader being his puppet, who took advantage of others’ misfortunes without any regard.

Currently, Lin Muqing focused on nurturing her body.

Once the chicken soup boiled, she ladled a bowl for herself, knowing she needed the nourishment. Her belly felt quite empty, and she had barely eaten since earlier in the morning when the village head’s son harassed her as she collected firewood.

Returning with the chicken soup had provided her some sustenance, but it hadn’t been enough.

“What was the original host’s wish?”

[Host has sensed that this body is extremely weak, likely due to malnourishment and lacking warmth. The original host hoped to become a healthy and lively person, to raise several healthy children to alleviate the burdens of her family and ensure Gu Yu would not feel lonely in his old age.]

“How can I nurture this body? Gu Yu has some money, but in this era, buying a can of milk powder is considered a luxury item too expensive for the average person,” Lin Muqing mused.

[The system has controls you can access. You can join the nurturing fund subsidy group we have, where there are discounted links for goods in this world.]

Lin Muqing clicked on the system interface and found a group labeled “Nurturing Fund Subsidy Group.”

After a quick click, numerous links appeared.

1. Interstellar Restoration Potion – Subsidy price: 1 egg. Effect: 2 mL will restore damaged cells, returning one’s body to optimal conditions.

2. Quality Infant Formula- Subsidy price: 0.01 yuan. Effect: Provides nourishment for babies up to six months old.

3. Interstellar Ultrasound – Subsidy price: 1 cabbage. Effect: Played during pregnancy, promotes exceptional brain development in fetuses, resulting in high intelligence.

4. Anti-Nausea Fruit – Subsidy price: 1 maltose stick. Effect: A spiritual fruit in the cultivation realm that alleviates morning sickness.

5. God-Level Fostering Pill – Subsidy price: 1 roast chicken. Effect: For selecting the best quality rice grains for conception, optimizing embryos, resulting in intelligent offspring.

6. Advanced Weapons – Subsidy price: 5 yuan. Effect: Comes with ten rounds of ammunition, essential for long-range shooting.

Lin Muqing’s eyes brightened at this list, thinking about how such items could prevent her from going through countless hardships in estranging motherhood; perhaps her future children could even be born safely.

“We have an expansive range of offerings!”

[We have many outstanding hosts; each world accommodates different hosts. This group only offers particularly great deals, and hosts are encouraged to purchase from it.]

After drinking the chicken soup, Lin Muqing felt warmth spreading through her stomach as she headed to the chicken coop to check for eggs. Her legs felt lighter, reminiscent of her usual strength from months prior.

In the chicken coop, there were two hens clucking loudly, and in the far corner, she miraculously found an egg.

“Qing, do you want an egg? I can boil it for you,” Gu Yu called out as he prepared to bathe.

On her way back with the egg, she spotted Gu Yu, having just finished his bath, looking refreshed. His hair was still damp, and he had a white cloth draped over his shoulders, walking towards her with a water bucket in hand.

“I… I was just out gathering firewood.” Lin Muqing’s heart raced at the sight of his toned physique, and she hurriedly looked away, rushing into the kitchen.

After their wedding exam showed no issues with pregnancy, though Xu Zhe didn’t mind, they both agreed to try for test-tube babies, which was quite different from her reality of deceit.

Unlike the ordinary slaughtered chicken, Gu Yu’s masculinity was undeniable.

Perhaps she just needed to get used to it; her heart raced at the thought. This moment felt like a countdown to her impending collapse, breaking her equilibrium with these intrusive thoughts.

She snapped back to her senses when returning to her memories of graduation during that sudden shock and inadvertently found herself in a whirlwind of emotions.

The system quickly relayed its observations: [Host’s state remains reminiscent of a naïve girl???]

“I’m not!” Lin Muqing shot back, flustered.

She hastily approached the kitchen, washed the egg, and accepted it from Gu Yu.

With a brief mental calculation, she exchanged the egg for a restoration potion.

Upon confirmation of the purchase, the tangible egg vanished, replaced with a ten-milliliter vial of the potion.

After drinking two milliliters, Lin Muqing noticed a warm, enveloping sensation before losing consciousness.

In her haze, she felt strong arms wrap around her.

“Qing, what’s wrong?”

“Wake up!”

A firm, warm hand rested on her forehead, instantly comforting as she felt a soothing warmth enveloping her.

“What on earth happened…”

“It’s nothing serious…”

Voices buzzed in her ears, unclear but familiar.

As she tried to regain full consciousness, accumulated warmth began to relax her body. The chill in her extremities melted away as her weakness dissipated, her earlier heaviness replaced with newfound clarity and lightness in her head.

After what felt like a long time, she gradually opened her eyes and pushed herself upright.

Gu Yu assisted her up and helped her lean against him, drawing her closer.

“Glad you’re awake. Drink some egg water; Dad said he didn’t get breakfast earlier.”

Lin Muqing felt her face flush. She pushed him away gently and explained, “I had gone to the village entrance to collect firewood, and I encountered Liu… He stopped me…”