Chapter 44: A Lazy Day

The next morning, when Pear Blossom and the others arrived at the fields, Dong Yun was already there with Fubao. Dagen and Daniu greeted her briefly and bent down to start working.

Mrs. Xiong walked over to tease Fubao and said to Dong Yun, “Why bring your child out so early? We all know where your family’s field is. Besides, your mother-in-law is already here.”Young children, especially those one or two years old, are troublesome in the early morning. They cry as soon as they wake up, then there’s the dressing, toilet time, and feeding breakfast—all of it takes up so much time.

Dong Yun smiled. “It’s fine. Sometimes she behaves well and doesn’t fuss when she wakes up.”

After experiencing how her mother-in-law treated guests yesterday, Dong Yun couldn’t relax knowing the two groups were together. If everyone had already arrived at the fields to help while she stayed home tending to her child, what would that look like? It’s not every day she needs to wake up this early, and enduring it for a month or so isn’t unbearable.

As she spoke, she brought over a basket, lifted the cloth covering it, and revealed a few fragrant meat-stuffed buns. “Aunt Xiufang, have some breakfast first. Pear Blossom, take two to your father and brother. You need to eat well to have the energy to work.” Mrs. Xiong looked at the buns, smelled the enticing aroma, and playfully scolded, “You must’ve gotten up before dawn to make these. We’re not outsiders, you know. We all had porridge at home before coming.”

Dong Yun replied, “How could I let you help us harvest rice and still have to eat at home first? I didn’t wake up that early—my mother came over to help fry the buns.”

Hearing that the buns were made by Old Lady Zeng, Mrs. Xiong’s expression became a bit uneasy.

Dong Yun noticed and said softly, “My mother-in-law has had a hard life. She suffered a lot when she was younger, raising three children on her own after my father-in-law passed away. She’s always been strong-willed, which shaped her personality. She doesn’t have bad intentions, but, admittedly, she can be difficult to deal with at times. Don’t worry—these are from my kitchen.

She wouldn’t dare say anything about it now. Eat while they’re hot.” Without hesitation, Pear Blossom took a bun and handed it to her mother, then grabbed two more and ran off to give them to her father and brother. Finally, she returned, picked up her own bun, and began eating noisily.

They had porridge earlier, but who could resist a delicious meat-stuffed bun?After a good night’s sleep and the energy boost from the buns, Pear Blossom once again outpaced everyone, leaving them far behind. The others could only watch her in admiration. Mrs. Zeng, meanwhile, deeply regretted her actions from the previous day. If she had known this girl was so capable, she wouldn’t have skimped on that chicken yesterday. Instead, her frugality had given her daughter-in-law leverage over her and caused resentment within the family. It was like picking up sesame seeds and losing a watermelon.

By evening, the Zeng family’s threshing floor was piled high with harvested rice. This meant they would need to pause for two or three days to process it—threshing, winnowing, and clearing the area before they could store more rice.

That night, Dong Yun went home early to prepare dinner. Surprisingly, Mrs. Zeng brought over a piece of cured meat as long as her forearm. Without saying a word, she left it and returned to her room.

Seeing her mother-in-law’s gesture, Dong Yun felt a slight sense of relief.

Everyone was exhausted from the day’s work, so Dong Yun did her best to make a delicious meal, ensuring it was flavorful and rich, as a way to reward their hard work.

Just like the previous day, Pear Blossom stayed behind to help clean up.

Dong Yun quietly enjoyed her kindness and asked, “Are you all starting to harvest the rice tomorrow?”

Pear Blossom shook her head. “We don’t have a drying yard yet. Father said we’ll rest tomorrow while he levels the land next to the courtyard to dry the grains. We’ll start the day after.”

Dong Yun nodded and couldn’t help but marvel, “You’re all so capable. At this rate, it won’t take long to finish.”

If it was just ordinary people like the Xiong family, they could harvest about eight-tenths to one acre of land in a day without rest. Dagen could manage about one and three-tenths, and Pear Blossom, roughly two to three acres. With their family’s eight acres of paddy fields, it would take about three days of continuous work to finish. Of course, it depended on whether the drying yard could accommodate it all.

As for Dong Yun herself, along with Zeng Guangjin and his mother, she estimated each of them could only manage about five-tenths of an acre per day, at most.

Luckily, Pear Blossom’s family was helping. In just two days, they had harvested half the fields, saving considerable effort. Now, even if they worked a little each day, they could finish soon without the usual rush of past years.

This thought brought Dong Yun great joy. As she tidied the tools in the corner, she turned to Pear Blossom and asked, “Did you apply the medicine I gave you yesterday?”

Pear Blossom nodded. “I did.”

She liked how Dong Yun looked at her then, tilting her head with a smile at her lips, a stray lock of hair falling beside her ear. Even her usually distant gaze had softened.

Pear Blossom couldn’t read or craft words, so she didn’t know how to describe Dong Yun’s beauty or her own feelings. She only knew that just looking at her made her heart flutter.Truthfully, Pear Blossom didn’t want to use too much of the medicine. She applied only a little, afraid it would run out too quickly.

Dong Yun seemed to read her thoughts and said, “Don’t skimp. If you run out, I have more.”

Pear Blossom nodded happily. She helped sweep the floor, fetched hot water to bathe Fubao, and only then prepared to leave.

Seeing how tired Dong Yun looked, Pear Blossom wanted to help massage her shoulders, but just thinking about how her heart still raced from touching Dong Yun’s shoulder yesterday made her hesitate. After a day of hard work, she smelled of sweat, and Dong Yun liked cleanliness. She didn’t dare approach.

Even though she said she was leaving, her feet lingered at the threshold. Dong Yun probably realized the girl wasn’t eager to leave. She didn’t quite understand why a young girl like Pear Blossom clung to her so much.

Was it because of her looks? Dong Yun knew she was attractive, which was why she kept a low profile in the village, dressing plainly to avoid trouble. She rarely left her house.

But Pear Blossom, just past her coming-of-age birthday and old enough to consider marriage, seemed inexplicably attached to her.

Dong Yun certainly didn’t think Pear Blossom had those kinds of feelings for her. After all, the villagers held very traditional views. Ideas like same-sex affection were seen as urban frivolities that only wealthy city folk indulged in. Villagers dismissed such notions and never even encountered them.

Months ago, Pear Blossom had never even been to the city. How could she know such things, let alone harbor such feelings? Perhaps the girl simply admired beauty. Dong Yun sighed lightly, dismissing her thoughts.

She enjoyed Pear Blossom’s company. Her personality was simple yet stubborn, a little foolish yet sincere. When she cared for someone, it was with a warmth that could sear the heart.Dong Yun couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed this girl’s warmth, even as she worried about what it might lead to or what she could give in return.

“Still not leaving? Want to sleep at my house?” Dong Yun teased, smiling to mask her inner conflict.

Pear Blossom, caught off guard, smiled awkwardly. “I’m leaving now.”

Reluctantly, she turned and walked away, her tall figure disappearing into the distance. Dong Yun stood at the doorway, watching her leave, momentarily lost in thought.

After two days of hard work, Pear Blossom finally had a chance to relax and sleep in. When she opened her eyes again, sunlight was slanting through the gaps in the eaves, scattering patterns of light across the floor.In the courtyard, her mother and Xinghua’s voices mingled with the clucking of chickens.

Xinghua said cheerfully, “The old hen laid another egg! We’ve got so many eggs now. When will Big Sister take them to sell in the city?”

Mrs. Xiong replied, “We’ve been too busy lately. Running back and forth is exhausting. Let’s keep the eggs for ourselves. Today, we’ll have wild onion scrambled eggs with extra lard. It’ll go great with rice.”

Pear Blossom shuffled out of her room, barefoot. Mrs. Xiong, sitting with Xinghua and mending shoes, heard her and turned around. “You’re up? Still tired?” Pear Blossom shook her head. Her shoulders were a bit sore, but otherwise, she felt fine. “Mother, I was thinking of checking the traps we set on the mountain earlier. If there’s prey, I’ll take it to the city to sell. If not, I’ll come back.”

Mrs. Xiong frowned. “You worked so hard the past few days, and now you want to go to the mountain? Tomorrow we start harvesting. Besides, we’re not that short of money.” They were, of course, short of money. But Mrs. Xiong cared more about her daughter’s well-being.Pear Blossom smiled. “I’m not tired. Staying in bed makes my back ache. I’d rather move around.”

Mrs. Xiong shook her head in exasperation. “You’re as stubborn as your father.”

Pear Blossom couldn’t help but laugh. “Is Father leveling the drying yard outside the courtyard?”

“Exactly. He got up before dawn, and now Daniu is helping him.”

“He hasn’t been home for so many years. Of course, he should work a bit more.”

When Mrs. Xiong heard this, she nodded in agreement. “Alright, but be careful. Don’t go too deep into the mountains. Our family isn’t so poor that we can’t afford to eat without risking our lives for it.”

“I know.” Pear Blossom replied while chewing on a willow twig and rinsing her mouth. She washed her face with water, and after some thought, turned back into the house. Carefully, she took out a small porcelain bottle from the cabinet by her bed. It was the one Dong Yun had given her. Bringing it close, she took a greedy sniff before scooping a small amount and gently applying it to her face.

When she walked out of the house again, she was neatly dressed in a light blue coarse cloth outfit, newly sewn by her mother. Though simple, it had no patches, and the coarse fabric suited her well.

Her figure had become tall and slender, and she no longer looked rustic in her clean and fresh appearance. Coupled with her large, expressive eyes, she looked like a bright and charming young girl, aside from her slightly darker skin tone.

Xinghua remarked, “Elder Sister, you look so pretty dressed like that.” Mrs. Xiong, seeing this, couldn’t hide her satisfaction. In the past, villagers used to say she had given birth to a foolish daughter who would never find a husband.

If only they could see her now! Her daughter was neither foolish nor unattractive—a diligent, thoughtful girl who would surely marry into a good family one day.

Pear Blossom had never cared about her appearance before. She didn’t even have a concept of beauty or ugliness—except for Dong Yun. If the world could be divided into beauty and ugliness, Dong Yun would undoubtedly be the beauty, while everyone else would be the ugly ones.

But ever since Dong Yun gave her that bottle of cream, telling her it could prevent her face from getting darker, she’d started caring a little more. Now, hearing Xinghua’s compliment, she couldn’t resist walking over to the water jar to look at her reflection.

Mrs. Xiong teased her with a laugh, “You’re just going up the mountain to hunt. Why are you acting so vain? Hurry up and eat breakfast so you can leave. Don’t wait until the sun is high in the sky—you’ll be sunburned to a crisp.” Only then did Pear Blossom turn toward the kitchen.

Breakfast was still plain porridge, but compared to the watery gruel they used to have, it was worlds apart. Today’s side dish wasn’t pickled vegetables but stir-fried radish, with two eggs as well.

Pear Blossom peeled the eggs and buried them in her bowl, then covered the remaining radish shreds over the porridge. She sat on a small stool by the kitchen door, eating and chatting idly with Mrs. Xiong.

“Mother, where did the radishes come from?”

“Dabao brought three over yesterday. He said your Aunt Qin sent them for us, enough to last a few days.”Pear Blossom hummed in acknowledgment. “Next time I catch a pheasant, I’ll take one over to Aunt Qin’s house.”

Their vegetable patch had only recently been planted and was just starting to sprout. These days, the midday sun was so strong they had to cover the seedlings with straw, removing it only after sunset to water them and prevent them from getting scorched.

The Qin family often sent vegetables their way, and Pear Blossom felt it wasn’t right to keep accepting without giving anything in return. Mrs. Xiong didn’t oppose her plan. “Do as you see fit.”

Pear Blossom slowly finished her porridge, washed her bowl, and went back to the courtyard. She tied the machete, still in its sheath, to her waist, picked up her straw hat, and put it on her head. “Mother, I’m off to the mountains.”

“Go on. If you only catch one or two, don’t bother going to town. It’s tiring to run that far.”

“Got it,” Pear Blossom replied as she headed out.