Chapter 11: He Mingyu Delivers the Message, Wen Yunhe Loses Her Temper

“I set a trap in the mountains this afternoon, and lucky me, I caught two wild chickens. We’ll stew one tonight to satisfy our cravings, and we’ll have the other one tomorrow.” 

“Big sister, didn’t I tell you to rest? Why did you go to the mountains?” Wen Yunqing didn’t seem to approve. 

“Big sister, how did you catch the wild chickens? They’re too smart! I’ve never caught anything with my traps.” Wen Yunwei was amazed. 

Wen Yunhe naturally didn’t dare tell them that she used some of their precious food to bait the chickens. 

She simply replied, “Just got lucky.” 

As the three of them spoke, they moved the bamboo mat used for drying the crops over to the yard and spread it out. 

They began pouring the rice they’d carried back into the mat to spread it out and dry. 

Since the food was already ready, Wen Yunwei didn’t stay behind to help cook but instead continued carrying rice with Wen Yunqing. 

Thinking about the chicken soup waiting for them made them feel more energetic. 

Wen Yunhe and Wen’s mother worked together to spread out the wet rice. It couldn’t be piled up or it would rot. The only thing they had to watch out for was the rain soaking the rice, which could cause mold. 

They made three trips to carry all the rice home. 

After a long day of work, they had harvested only one acre of rice. Looking at the three or four hundred pounds of rice, they knew that once dried, it would amount to just a bit over three stone (roughly 180-200 pounds), and that wasn’t even all theirs—it had to be taxed. 

Rice farming back then was hard, and the yield was low compared to modern times. 

No matter the era, farming was tough work. 

By the time they were done, the sun had already set. 

Once Wen Yunqing and Wen Yunwei had washed up, the family gathered around the stone table under the big date tree to eat dinner. 

Each person had a big bowl of fragrant chicken soup noodles. The noodles weren’t a lot, but the bowl was full of chicken meat, various mushrooms, a few spinach leaves, and a piece of corn for garnish. 

“Eat up, there’s more in the pot if it’s not enough. Make sure you’re full so you’ll have the energy to work tomorrow.” Harvest season was no joke; even the strongest person would feel exhausted. 

“It smells so good!” 

Wen Yunwei leaned in to take a sip of soup, and immediately felt the fatigue of the whole day lift off her shoulders. She had a satisfied look on her face. 

After that, only the sound of slurping filled the air. 

The family enjoyed a hearty meal, eating until they couldn’t take another bite. Even the last drop of soup was finished off by Wen Yunqing. 

He was still growing, and after all the physical labor he had done over the past two years, he was always hungry and never seemed to get full. 

Today’s meal gave everyone a real sense of his appetite: two large bowls of noodles, with plenty of vegetables and meat in the soup. 

“Big sister, after this meal, I feel like I could go out and harvest another acre of rice,” Wen Yunwei laughed. 

“I feel the same! I’m not tired anymore. It really seems like eating well helps restore energy,” Wen Yunqing agreed. 

“Yeah, I don’t feel as weak either,” Wen’s mother added with a smile. 

Wen Yunhe couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. The chicken soup made with spiritual spring water really did work wonders for restoring their strength. 

What surprised her, though, was that no one mentioned how much food they’d used for this meal. She had even prepared an explanation, but it wasn’t necessary after all. 

They were such considerate and gentle people. 

“Yunqing… Yunwei…” A knock came from the door. 

Wen Yunhe hurriedly hid inside to avoid being seen, as she didn’t want to complicate matters further. 

“It’s Aunt Hua. What’s the matter?” 

“Aunt Hua, what is it?” 

“Yunqing, the village head invited several elders from the clan today to discuss your brother-in-law Mingzhang’s affairs. The clan will provide the silver and has decided to bury him in three days. The funeral will be a formal one, with a ceremonial burial in proper attire.” 

“I thought the Wang family wouldn’t inform you, so I’ve come to tell you in private,” Aunt Hua continued, her tone full of sympathy. “Your sister and Mingzhang were so deeply in love, it’s really such a shame.” 

Aunt Hua was trying to be kind, worrying that Wen Yunhe might feel too upset about not being able to send her loved one off properly. 

“Thank you for letting us know, Aunt Hua. Yunqing is very grateful,” Wen Yunqing replied politely, bowing. 

Aunt Hua had come to them twice today to inform them, which was a rare kindness. 

“Don’t mention it, child. Your father used to help us orphans and widows often. It’s only natural that our families help each other out now.” 

Aunt Hua was also a woman who had suffered—her husband passed away early, and she raised her son alone, bearing the stigma of being a widow. This year, her son had finally married, and things were beginning to look up. 

Wen Yunhe was truly unwilling to hear anything more about the He family or He Mingzhang. She had to suppress her feelings and pretend to be quietly sorrowful. 

The family sat together in silence, all of them avoiding bringing up any topics that would further upset Wen Yunhe. Though the He family had shown their true colors, Wen Yunhe and He Mingzhang’s relationship had once been real and full of love. 

After Aunt Hua left, not long after, a dark figure appeared at the door, peeking inside. 

Wen Yunwei, annoyed, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside. “He Mingyu, what are you spying on at our door?” 

“I don’t care about your house! My mother said that you need to help our family harvest the rice in the next two days, or else she’ll have your sister divorced!” He Mingyu snarled. 

Wang Shi’s plan was so cunning sending He Mingyu, a child, to do the dirty work. The adults in their family were too proud to argue with a child. 

Despite her bravado, He Mingyu was also frightened, but she had come because of the promise of two eggs from her mother, so she gathered her courage. 

The He family had no one capable of work, except for He Father. Wang Shi, wanting to shirk her own labor and unwilling to pay for help, had come up with this underhanded scheme. 

Seeing the siblings remain silent with serious faces, He Mingyu grew bolder. 

“My second brother will be a government official in the future. If you’re smart, you’ll help us with the work. Otherwise, you’ll regret it!” 

Wen Yunwei, enraged, was about to hit her. Such venom from a child was truly infuriating. 

Wen Yunqing grabbed her arm to stop her. 

“Little sister, don’t lower yourself to the level of this brat.” 

With that, He Mingyu took the chance to run off. 

“Brother, look at the He family! They have no shame!” Wen Yunwei stomped her feet in frustration. 

Wen Yunqing gave her a warning glance and then looked back inside. 

Wen Yunwei, feeling embarrassed, stopped talking. 

Both of them didn’t want to make things harder for their sister. 

But Wen Yunhe wasn’t unaware. 

How dare the He family and Wang Shi treat her family this way, thinking they could boss around her younger siblings? Fine, if they didn’t want to do the work themselves, she’d make them regret it. 

Suppressing her anger, Wen Yunhe calmly started heating a pot of water. After the family had finished washing up, they went to bed early, as tomorrow promised to be another busy day. 

Though the siblings claimed they weren’t tired, in reality, their spirits had reached a breaking point. 

Wen Yunwei had barely spoken a few words before falling asleep, snoring lightly. 

Wen Yunhe couldn’t sleep. The effect of the spiritual spring water from earlier was still too strong, and she was now in an unusually excited state. 

After making sure her little sister was fast asleep, Wen Yunhe made her way to the space.