The morning sun in midsummer was already scorching.

Dahe Village had been busy for a whole day and night, and many villagers were catching up on sleep.

The village was unusually quiet, while the cracked earth gaped open, thirsting for rain.

In the courtyard, Granny Zhao was cooking a pot of wild vegetable porridge.

She also made twelve buckwheat pancakes, stuffing them with dried radish and string beans.

The aroma was rich and enticing—after such a breakfast, one would have the energy to work the entire day.

“Grandma!”

A soft yet lively voice rang out at the entrance of the courtyard.

Granny Zhao looked up and saw little Zhao Sidaan holding a steaming bowl as he walked in, placing it directly into her hands.

“My mother told me to bring this over,” he said before turning to run away.

One glance, and Granny Zhao could tell it was rabbit meat.

Yesterday, the villagers had been talking about how the eldest daughter-in-law had such good luck—while everyone was busy, she had been resting yet still managed to find a plump rabbit.

Just look at this rabbit meat—so fatty! What had it been eating to grow so big?

A whole bowl of rabbit soup, with some jade bamboo shoots added in—it smelled so delicious that one could barely resist gulping it down in one go.

But Granny Zhao was never one to enjoy food alone.

She poured the rabbit soup into the pot of wild vegetable porridge, then called out to the little boy before he could run off.

“Wait a moment.”

She went inside just as her third daughter-in-law, Madam Sun, was getting up.

Granny Zhao casually said, “Third daughter-in-law, take out ten pounds of jade bamboo shoots.”

Madam Sun glanced at Zhao Sidan standing outside and immediately understood—the ten pounds of bamboo shoots were obviously meant for the eldest household.

Yesterday, while everyone was busy, the eldest daughter-in-law had been resting.

Madam Sun had thought she didn’t care for those muddy jade bamboo shoots, but now it was clear—she had just been waiting to ask the main house for food!

Grumbling to herself, Madam Sun reluctantly went to get the bamboo shoots.

Granny Zhao took the basket and handed it to Zhao Sidan.

She wanted to say a few words, but the little boy grabbed the basket and ran off like the wind.

“This child…”

Granny Zhao shook her head with a chuckle.

He seemed more lively and energetic than before—and even cleaner.

Meanwhile, Madam Sun finished sweeping the house, but her frustration kept bubbling up.

She finally muttered, “If she wanted bamboo shoots, she should have dug them up yesterday. Ten pounds of bamboo shoots could be gathered in no time, yet she just stretches her hand out to take from the main house…”

Hearing this, Granny Zhao’s brows furrowed.

This third daughter-in-law was becoming more and more unreasonable.

She hadn’t even confronted her about the Sun family secretly digging up bamboo shoots the other night, and yet she dared to accuse her mother-in-law of favoritism?

Granny Zhao was about to speak when Zhao Erwang’s excited voice rang out.

“Grandma, why does today’s vegetable porridge smell so good?”

Zhao Chunhua’s eyes widened. “Look! There’s meat in the pot!”

Granny Zhao smiled. “Your eldest sister-in-law sent it over just now.”

“Eldest sister-in-law is the best!” Zhao Dawang drooled. “This must be from that fat rabbit she found yesterday!”

“She sent us a bowl of rabbit soup, so I had Sidan bring back ten pounds of jade bamboo shoots,” Granny Zhao added, casting a glance at Madam Sun. “Dawang, do you think ten pounds is too much?”

Zhao Dawang shook his head vigorously. “If someone gave me a bite of meat, I’d give them twenty pounds of bamboo shoots in return!”

Madam Sun knew this question was aimed at her, and her face burned with embarrassment.

She wished she could crawl into a hole.

…

A steaming bowl of rabbit soup was placed on the table.

The six family members gathered around.

Drinking a bowl of rabbit soup on a summer morning replenished energy and relieved the heat.

The rabbit meat had been stewed for hours until it was tender and fell right off the bone.

The rich, savory broth lingered on the tongue, while the jade bamboo shoots were soft and flavorful—so delicious one could almost swallow their tongue.

They dipped the wild vegetable pancakes into the soup, taking a bite—the taste was pure bliss.

After finishing breakfast, the six of them leaned back in their chairs, sighing in satisfaction. Life felt so good that they wished they could just lay there forever.

“Dashan’s mother, are you home?”

A voice called out from the courtyard gate. Cheng Wanwan got up to answer.

Auntie Wang stood there, carrying a bamboo basket with two long jade bamboo shoots inside. She handed the basket to Cheng Wanwan.

“You gave us three or four pounds of chestnuts the other day—this is to return the favor.”

Cheng Wanwan pushed the basket back. “Your daughter Damie worked at our house for a whole day. She already earned those chestnuts.”

“Damie ate two meals at your place—it’s nothing for him to work a day!” Auntie Wang’s face was a little stiff. “Anyway, I’ve left the bamboo shoots here. Take them or don’t!”

She placed the bamboo shoots on the ground, grabbed her empty basket, and strode away.

Cheng Wanwan sighed and picked up the bamboo shoots.

Though Auntie Wang had kept a stern face the whole time, she had to admit—the woman was someone worth befriending.

She walked back inside and saw her four children preparing to head out.

“You worked all day yesterday. Aren’t you tired? Take a rest.”

Zhao Dashan hoisted a hoe onto his shoulder. “Mother, I’m not tired. I’m going to the fields to pull weeds.”

“The rice is almost dried up—pulling weeds won’t do much good.” Cheng Wanwan took the hoe from his shoulder. “Listen to me. Go take a nap first. We’ll talk about everything in the afternoon.”

The boys were still growing, and working all day without proper rest could hinder their development.

Hearing her words, they didn’t dare argue.

They obediently climbed onto their beds to sleep.

Meanwhile, Wu Huiniang sat under the big tree in the courtyard, sewing clothes for their six-person household.

The clothes were wearing out faster and faster—she had to patch them up almost every day.

Layers of patches covered old patches, making it impossible to tell what the original fabric looked like.

Cheng Wanwan sat in the main hall, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought about underground water sources.

She tried to recall her geography lessons, searching for ways to pinpoint water underground.

But it seemed like professional equipment was needed.

She opened the system’s shop and searched for surveying instruments—damn, those were way out of her price range.

There was no such technology in ancient times.

So how did people find water back then?

She searched through the shop for books on the subject and finally found one—a historical document on underground water extraction, priced at thirty copper coins.

Without hesitation, she bought it.

Taking the book to the secluded backyard, she read carefully.

They say books hold the key to riches and wisdom.

After studying for over an hour, she finally found a relatively simple method to try.

Of course, just because it was written in a book didn’t mean it would work—she had to test it herself.

She hid the book under the eaves and walked to the front yard.

Zhao Dashan was already awake, chopping firewood.

After splitting a log, he would glance at Wu Huiniang sitting under the tree.

Their eyes would meet briefly before they quickly looked away, the air between them brimming with sweetness.

Cheng Wanwan covered her eyes.

As an older single woman, she refused to watch these public displays of affection.

“Mother…”

Wu Huiniang saw her and blushed.

Cheng Wanwan coughed. “Dashan, come help me identify a plant.”

She picked up a stick and drew a sketch of a leaf on the ground.

Zhao Dashan took one look. “That’s Chinese mugwort. There’s plenty growing behind the house.”