Although she was in a new environment, Mu Jinyue slept quite well—at least she didn’t wake up startled in the middle of the night. She slept soundly until dawn, only jerking awake abruptly when she remembered she had to prepare breakfast early.

The room was still dim. She instinctively turned her head to look around and happened to lock eyes with Jiang Yi. His eyes gleamed brightly, standing out eerily in the dark room, sending another involuntary shiver down Mu Jinyue’s spine.

Her heart was still pounding when she heard the man chuckle lightly. “Hah, you’re up. Come on, I’ll take you to make breakfast.”

“Okay,” Mu Jinyue agreed, swiftly sitting up from the bed. She threw on her outer coat and followed Jiang Yi out of the bedroom.

…

The left wall of the Jiang house faced the main entrance of the side room, forming a small, enclosed courtyard. In this courtyard was a well—the left-side well. There was another in the small courtyard formed by the right-side room and the wing room, and a third near the entrance of the inverted-house. These three wells served the entire compound. Most people used the one closest to their home, and if any issues arose with the well, the nearby households would pool money to fix it—a customary practice.

Jiang Yi first took her to see the well and explained some of these unwritten rules before leading her to the Jiang family’s kitchen. The kitchen was on the right side of the house, built as a small shed. Since the right side was already a wall, the kitchen only needed three additional walls, saving quite a bit of money.

The kitchen wasn’t large. On the left side after entering were two stoves—one big, one small—already lit and radiating warmth. Further in, a wooden board leaned against the left wall, likely used for chopping vegetables or placing items. At the far end stood a modest-sized cupboard. Jiang Yi didn’t stop there, pulling open a small door on the right and stepping inside.

Mu Jinyue, following closely behind, also saw the narrow door—just wide enough for one person—and entered after him. The space inside was dim, making it hard to see clearly.

Jiang Yi stood ahead and explained, “This is where we keep firewood and coal. The stoves here rely on coal, so we can’t run out.”

Mu Jinyue nodded to show she understood.

With the kitchen tour done, it was time to cook. The two returned to the main room. Before leaving the kitchen, Jiang Yi grabbed a small basin. Inside the house, he opened the wardrobe on the far right, scooping out some cornmeal and wheat flour before taking out a few eggs.

Before closing the wardrobe door, Jiang Yi deliberately stepped aside to let Mu Jinyue peek inside. “The household’s food stores are all here. Use what you need when cooking. I’ll replenish it monthly.”

Mu Jinyue felt this last remark was a subtle warning—don’t get any ideas. But since she had no ill intentions to begin with, she simply nodded in agreement.

Back in the kitchen, Jiang Yi placed the ingredients on the wooden board and spread his hands. “Wash up first, then figure out what to do with these. You don’t need me to teach you how to cook, right?”

Mu Jinyue shook her head. “No, I can cook.”

“Good. Then I’ll wait to eat.” With that, Jiang Yi filled a thermos with hot water and left, presumably to help Zhang Yulan freshen up.

Mu Jinyue made a mental note of this, deciding to wake up earlier tomorrow morning. These preparations should technically be her responsibility—after all, she was the one in debt. Being proactive wouldn’t hurt.

Breakfast was simple. The wheat and cornmeal weren’t much, so she made porridge. She had spotted a few steamed buns in the cupboard earlier, which could be reheated to go with the meal. For dishes, she prepared stir-fried cabbage and scrambled eggs.

She used the larger stove for the porridge and reheating the buns, reserving the smaller one for cooking. The cabbage went first, followed by the eggs, ensuring the eggs would still be warm by mealtime—tastier that way.

Just as the food was ready, Jiang Yi returned with the thermos. Seeing breakfast was done, he called everyone to eat. Each of them carried two dishes into the house.

The dining table was already set when they entered. They placed the dishes down, and the meal began. When Zhang Yulan learned Mu Jinyue had prepared breakfast, she smiled and praised the food as delicious.

Mu Jinyue merely smiled without acknowledging the compliment. She knew her own cooking skills. Even in her past life, with modern ingredients and seasonings, her dishes had been passable at best. Now, with only basic seasonings available, her skills were even less impressive. Still, it couldn’t be too bad—after all, Jiang Yi, sitting across from her, was eating heartily…

The morning had taken longer than expected. By the time they finished eating, it was almost time for Jiang Yi to leave for work. He called Mu Jinyue, who was about to wash the dishes, into their room and handed her fifteen yuan.

“With a patient at home, we eat three meals a day. Mom’s appetite isn’t great, so vary the dishes. Buy meat and eggs regularly, and maybe a piece of fruit or two. You’ll eat the same.”

Hearing that she could share the food, Mu Jinyue’s impression of the man improved. Stern as he seemed, he was probably a decent person, she concluded inwardly.

“Okay, I understand.”

“This money should last until the end of the month. Let me know if it’s not enough. I’ll be back for dinner tonight.”

“Got it. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Mom. Do you have paper and pen at home? I’d like to keep track of expenses.” Mu Jinyue felt it was best to be meticulous about money matters.

This time, it was Jiang Yi’s turn to be surprised. “You went to school?” Given how the Mu family had treated her, he wouldn’t have guessed they’d send her to school.

Mu Jinyue nodded. “Yes, I attended the village elementary school for a few years when I was little.” In truth, it had only been a month before Grandma Mu pulled her out, claiming the farm work was too much, and never let her return.

Jiang Yi didn’t comment. He got up, rummaged in the wardrobe, and soon produced paper and a pen, placing them on the small square table by the bed.

Mu Jinyue’s gaze followed his movements, lingering on the wardrobe. It was like Doraemon’s magic pocket—seemingly containing everything. Even after Jiang Yi had retrieved the items, she remained momentarily dazed.

Noticing her wide-eyed fascination, Jiang Yi smirked. “Make sure you lock this room when you go out. This wardrobe is full of treasures.” Without waiting for her reaction, he strode out of the room and off to work.

It wasn’t until Jiang Yi had left that Mu Jinyue snapped out of her daze. Her gaze lingered on the wardrobe for a few more seconds before she got up to work—the kitchenware still needed cleaning. She headed straight out, and as she closed the door, she remembered Jiang Yi’s words. Without hesitation, she used the padlock hanging on the door to lock the bedroom before turning to wash the dishes.

The stove in the kitchen was still burning. Mu Jinyue scooped water from the kitchen’s water vat, mixed in some hot water from the kettle, and once the temperature felt right, she began washing the dishes. After cleaning and putting them away in the cupboard, she wiped down the entire kitchen.

But she wasn’t done yet—she still had to put out the stove. Coal wasn’t cheap these days, and keeping the stove burning all day wasn’t economical. Before extinguishing it, she filled the hot water bottle Jiang Yi had given her earlier, then tidied up and left the kitchen, locking its door as well. Might as well lock everything—less hassle, more peace of mind.

Mu Jinyue entered the house and stopped at Zhang Yulan’s door, instinctively knocking. “Mom, may I come in?”

Zhang Yulan hadn’t expected her rural daughter-in-law to knock first. Though surprised, she was pleased. “Come in,” she replied warmly.

The layout of the two rooms was similar—both beds were placed by the window. Mu Jinyue entered to see Zhang Yulan reclining near the window. She walked over and handed her the freshly filled hot water bottle. “Mom, this is for you to warm your hands.”

Zhang Yulan took it, her smile softening. “Good, good. You’ve worked hard all morning—you should rest.”

“It’s fine. If I go back, I’ll just be sitting alone. I’d rather stay here and chat with you.” As she spoke, she pulled a stool over and sat by the bed.

“Mom, let me massage your legs. I used to do this for my mother at home—I’m quite good at it.”

Zhang Yulan figured her son must have instructed her beforehand. But being told to do something and actually wanting to do it were two different things.

Mu Jinyue didn’t wait for a refusal and started right away. She was skilled at massage—in her past life, with the internet at her fingertips, she’d learned plenty from online tutorials, even acupressure techniques. She’d often massaged her parents, and they’d always praised her.

For now, she stuck to basic techniques, kneading Zhang Yulan’s legs while subtly channeling a small amount of her energy into them. Her reserves were limited—she needed to make them last for two daily sessions—so she had to be precise, carefully controlling how much she used.

This was Mu Jinyue’s first time using her abilities with such precision, and she was entirely focused, her expression tense and silent throughout. Only when she felt her energy was nearly depleted did she stop, her face finally relaxing.

Now in a better mood, she asked, “Mom, how do you feel?”

“Much better, much better. My legs don’t ache as much as usual. You must be exhausted, Yueyue—go rest. I’ll call if I need anything.”

Though Zhang Yulan said she felt better, Mu Jinyue didn’t fully believe it. She knew how little energy she’d used—real improvement would take time. But she accepted the kindness. “Alright, Mom, rest well.” She got up to leave but, noticing the nice weather outside, opened half the window and draped a thin blanket over Zhang Yulan’s legs before returning to her room.

Back in her room, she took off her coat and lay down to rest. The massage had drained over half of her energy, and she was genuinely tired—too tired to move.

But though exhausted, she couldn’t sleep. With someone in the house still needing care, she didn’t dare nap. After a moment’s thought, she sat up, grabbed the paper and pen she’d prepared earlier, and started recording expenses. Today’s income: 15 yuan—write that first. For now, that was the only entry, but she’d note grocery costs later.

After accounting, she began planning her next steps. I still owe them money, so my priority is taking care of Mom Jiang. After that, I need to think about myself.

Back in the village, survival had been a daily struggle—food and clothing were constant worries, leaving no room for long-term plans. Now, with shelter and meals secured, she had to plan carefully. Money is everything, no matter the era. To earn, I need a job. But it’s 1968—jobs are scarce. And soon, things will get even messier…

With no immediate solutions, she set the thought aside. Glancing outside, she saw it was nearly noon—time to start lunch.

Going to the supply co-op now would take too long. She remembered there were still cabbage and radishes left in the kitchen from breakfast, enough for lunch. I’ll go shopping this afternoon. From now on, I’ll buy groceries in the morning—fresher that way.

Decision made, she got up to work. Again, she took wheat and cornmeal, but this time, she skipped porridge—noodles for lunch. She added an extra scoop of wheat flour for better texture, using cabbage and eggs for the broth and pickling radish as a side. That would do for the meal.

Kneading dough was more labor-intensive, and Mu Jinyue was meticulous with cooking, so it took longer. Still, she managed to finish by mealtime.

Like in the morning, she carried the noodles back in a lidded pot, then made a second trip for bowls, chopsticks, and the pickled radish before serving.

Zhang Yulan looked at the generous portion of eggs in her bowl and picked some up with her chopsticks, placing them into Mu Jinyue’s bowl. “Eat more.”

“Mm.”

…

At noon, when the sun was brightest, the courtyard grew warm. Two aunties, having finished lunch, sat under a tree to chat—naturally, about yesterday’s newlyweds.

“Did you see? The Du family’s new daughter-in-law was all dressed up this morning, carrying a little green bag to work—so sharp! If only my son could marry someone like that. Ah, the Dus are lucky.”

The short-haired auntie sighed, then suddenly asked, “Where’s the Jiang family’s bride? I haven’t seen her all morning.”

The plump auntie beside her immediately perked up. “I saw her! Up at dawn, trailing behind Jiang Yi to help cook. Spent the whole morning shuffling between the house and kitchen. What else do you expect from a country girl? Besides, the Jiangs aren’t the wealthy family they used to be—now they’ve got a sickly burden at home. Honestly, those two are a perfect match.”

The other burst into laughter. “Ain’t that the truth!”