Chapter 8: Egg Custard, Red Dates, Harvesting Rice

“Little sister, you should sit down and eat with us too. This is already really good. At the He family, I couldn’t even get black bread buns, let alone such a fragrant egg custard. Let’s share it together.”

Wen Yunhe certainly didn’t mind. Her heart warmed by the kindness of her siblings. At this moment, she would be willing to eat tree bark or grass roots, as long as it meant being with them.

This family was full of kind-hearted people, and she would protect them with all her might. She couldn’t let the tragic fate from the book repeat itself.

Sadly, the book focused mainly on the love story of the male and female protagonists, so the details of their escape were only briefly mentioned.

The book simply stated that Wen’s mother and little sister were captured by bandits, and Wen Yunqing left the main escape group alone to save them. In the end, the whole family was cruelly killed by the bandits. There was no way to understand more about the details—she could only take it one step at a time.

Right now, eating was the most important thing. She stood up and divided the egg custard in front of her into four portions, placing them in each person’s bowl.

“Older sister, this one is just for you…”

“Older sister, you need to rest and recover. We’re fine, really…”

The siblings felt a deep pang in their hearts. They knew that life in the He family must have been even harder than at home for Wen Yunhe. Seeing her divide the egg custard, they hurriedly stretched out their hands to stop her.

Indeed, life at the He family had been miserable for the original Wen Yunhe. She intentionally spoke about it so her mother would gradually accept the idea of her returning home after the divorce.

While Wen’s mother shed tears, she reached out and pushed her own bowl away. “Yue’er, you should eat more. I’m not hungry yet.”

“If I eat alone, how can I swallow it? We all should eat together,” Wen Yunhe insisted.

After dividing the egg custard, she immediately picked up her own bowl and began eating.

“Little sister’s egg custard has really improved. It’s delicious. Everyone, give it a try.”

The taste might not compare to the meals in later times, but the effort and thought from her little sister made it taste more delicious than anything else.

No one insisted on giving their portion back, and they began eating.

Wen’s mother could not see clearly, but she could still manage eating on her own. She just needed the children to help her with picking up dishes.

Though they lived in the same village, Wen Yunhe had rushed back every time she visited in the past two years, without ever having the chance to sit down and share a proper meal like this. The whole family cherished this rare, warm moment.

Even simple food tasted especially sweet when shared together.

After the meal, Wen Yunwei brought over a bowl of medicinal soup that she had been boiling on the stove. This was something Wen Yunqing had specifically prepared and told her to remember to give to her sister after she came back.

“Older sister, this is your medicine. Drink it while it’s still hot. It will be bitter if it cools.”

Wen Yunhe’s face immediately dropped. She hated taking medicine in this life, especially bitter traditional Chinese medicine.

But seeing the concerned faces of her family, she could only steel herself and gulp it down in a few big swallows.

It was so bitter it almost made her lose consciousness.

At that moment, a red date was placed into her hand.

“Older sister, eat some red dates to sweeten your mouth. These are from our own jujube tree in the yard. They’re really sweet.” Wen Yunwei could clearly tell how uncomfortable she was.

This year, the jujube tree had produced a basketful of dates, most of which were traded for living essentials, leaving only a small bag for their own use, to entertain guests.

The young girl was thoughtful.

“So sweet.”

Wen Yunhe took a bite and pretended to enjoy it. Indeed, it was sweet. These were wild jujubes, small in size but full of flavor.

“This jujube tree is sweet by nature. It was planted by your father, along with you two siblings, back when you were little. Now the tree is still here, but your father…”

Speaking of the red dates, Wen’s mother recalled Wen’s father and started crying again.

Wen Yunhe helplessly rubbed her forehead. How could her mother be so tearful? She cried eight hundred times a day, and it gave her a headache.

“Big brother, we still have to go to the fields this afternoon to harvest rice. It’s getting late, let’s hurry and go. It’ll be more reassuring if we bring the harvest back early.” Wen Yunwei immediately signaled to her siblings.

Wen Yunqing nodded repeatedly. “Yes, Mother, I need to go and harvest rice. This morning, I cut half an acre of rice. The crops are still in the field, and I’ve asked Ah Niu to keep an eye on them. We must carry them back today.”

Harvesting rice was a significant matter, as it determined the family’s livelihood for the whole year. They also had taxes to pay, so it couldn’t be taken lightly.

Wen’s father had left behind four acres of good farmland, but now there was only one young and able-bodied laborer in the family. Over the next few days, he would have to stay in the fields from dawn till dusk to finish the harvest.

“Then you two hurry and go! It’s my fault. I can’t help you…” Wen’s mother lamented, wiping away more tears.

Wen Yunhe had started to understand the origin of the original Wen Yunhe’s character. It seemed tied to her mother, who cried over everything. Crying so much only tangled one up in their own problems.

Fortunately, neither of her younger siblings had her mother’s temperament.

Although the original Wen Yunhe had been passive and endured hardships, she wasn’t the type to cry constantly. Instead, she was strong, a trait no doubt influenced by Wen’s father.

“You two hurry up. Leave the house to me. I’ll look after it just fine,” Wen Yunhe said. Since she had returned home due to her injuries, it wasn’t convenient for her to join them in the field; she could only stay at home.

“Older sister, you’re injured. Don’t worry about it. I’ll make dinner a bit earlier today, and I’ve got everything else planned out. We have plenty of time,” Wen Yunqing said with concern.

“Yes, older sister, rest in bed. You’ve just come back, and I’m so happy! We can sleep on the same bed again and keep each other company,” Wen Yunwei also chimed in. She hoped for her sister to stay home and rest.

Wen Yunhe could tell that her younger sister had overheard some of the conversation outside. Their mother’s words weren’t easy to hear, and she was afraid her sister might think their family didn’t want her back.

Wen Yunhe felt a warmth rise in her heart.

“I know, don’t worry. Go on to the fields. The work there is heavy, and the sun is hot. Be sure to cover yourselves, don’t let the sun burn you.”

She adored this cute, lively younger sister and spoke with warmth and care in her voice.

Wen Yunhe watched them leave, closing the gate behind them.

She first comforted her mother into resting and then returned to her younger sister’s room.

The room belonged to Wen Yunwei but had also been the room Wen Yunhe stayed in before she was married. It was simple, but much better than her time at the He family. The room had been decorated neatly and had everything it needed.

There was a wooden bed by the window, a large cabinet for storing things, two small stools, and an embroidery stand.

When the cabinet doors were closed, it could serve as a desk. The cabinet was multifunctional, and on top of it, there was a small dustpan filled with scrap cloth and sewing materials. This must have been used by Wen Yunwei for her embroidery work.

It was truly admirable. A 14-year-old girl had to manage household chores, do embroidery to help support the family, and also take care of the farmwork.

Wen Yunhe picked up a small copper mirror from the table and examined herself closely. The bruise on her neck still looked horrific but had become less painful.

The bruise might have been caused by a subconjunctival hemorrhage or blood circulation issues. With time, it would likely heal on its own, so she wasn’t too worried about it.

But the healing seemed to be happening too quickly…

It had been excruciatingly painful just a short while ago.

Suddenly, she thought of something.

She immediately locked the door to the room, intending to verify it in her space.