Font Size:
The Fourth Sister Wan found herself in a situation where no words could explain her predicament, and she cried endlessly.
Such scenes of crying weren’t unfamiliar; even those with the highest sense of dignity had cried before. They simply ignored her and had her dragged to the backyard.
Even if she screamed her lungs out, no one would hear her.
Wan Chunmei had sold four jars of pickled vegetables, collected eight wen, and returned home happily, already having forgotten all about the troubles of the Wan family’s fourth child.
However, the group of farmwomen still had some useful gossip.
On their way back, they happened to pass by Fengping Village, where they casually mentioned how the Fourth Sister Wan had been swept away by a tornado.
The villagers listened closely and, before long, the story made its way to both the He family and the Wan family.
Both families knew in their hearts that if someone had been carried off by a tornado, they likely wouldn’t have survived. They’d probably spend the next few days searching for her body.
In the earlier years, there had indeed been a case where a tornado swept away a cow in Fengping Village, so while everyone was shocked, they didn’t find anything strange about the story.
People genuinely believed the Fourth Sister Wan was dead.
Wan Chunmei’s stepmother and the eldest of the He family cried bitterly, restless all night.
But men, after all, were fickle, and by the next morning, the He family had already begun making plans to find a new wife.
The Fourth Sister Wan had been married for several years, but had yet to bear even a single son or daughter.
So, Old Master He acted swiftly, seeking out the best matchmaker in the village to arrange a marriage for his eldest son.
Within half a month, they found a young woman from Liuyang Village who had yet to marry.
With that, the matter was settled.
Wan Chunmei’s pickled vegetables, with the praise of several farmer’s wives, began attracting customers from nearby villages, one by one.
These pickled vegetables could last for several months, so after selling for a while, Wan Chunmei earned a few hundred wen, and life settled back into a calm routine.
The family returned to their peaceful daily life.
Days passed, and with the few hundred wen they earned, the Tan family bought some saplings and expanded their house, adding an extra room. This helped reduce the crowding in the house.
As time flew by, the seasons changed from summer to winter, and raising a child was like planting vegetables—before you knew it, they had grown. Little Qiyue, who had only known how to sleep when she was a month old, had now turned into a five-month-old, babbling cutie.
She had gone from being a newborn who couldn’t lift her head or speak, to being able to roll over and sit up on her own.
One night, after returning from the fields, Old Tan stepped into the house and saw Little Qiyue sitting up. He was immediately taken aback. “Wifer, wife, the child can sit up now!”
Wan Chunmei, who had been busy in the kitchen, quickly rushed out to see. Sure enough, Little Qiyue was sitting up.
Little Qiyue was propped up against a quilt, wearing a colorful jacket, her round little face flushed a bright red.
When she saw Old Tan coming in, she stretched out her chubby little hands, wanting him to pick her up.
Old Tan was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He quickly dropped the sickle and basket in his hands, stepped forward, and lifted Little Qiyue into his arms. “Oh, our little Qiyue can sit up now! This is wonderful!”
Wan Chunmei smiled and said, “Husband, our Qiyue is already over five months old. Of course she can sit up now.”
Old Tan lowered his gaze to the plump little Tan Liujin lying on the bed. “Look at that lazy boy. He still can’t sit up. With all that fat on him, he might even struggle to turn over.”
Little Qiyue looked down at her older brother, Tan Liujin, who, aside from eating and sleeping, had no other notable talents.
At such a young age, he had already grown a chubby body. Although he was only over five months old, he looked like a seven- or eight-month-old baby.
The villagers, seeing this, couldn’t help but envy, saying that Wan Chunmei had good milk and had raised both of her children to be plump and healthy.
Of course, it wasn’t just her milk that played a part; Wan Chunmei’s hard work was essential as well.
Wan Chunmei came out of the kitchen holding a bowl of rice porridge and smiled. “Little Qiyue, it’s time to eat.”
Little Qiyue, smelling the delicious aroma, quickly reached out her hands toward Wan Chunmei.
Wan Chunmei carefully cradled her in one arm and, with the other, held the bowl of rice porridge.
Little Qiyue leaned forward to look into the bowl. It was a yellow-green porridge, likely made by Wan Chunmei, who had mashed some vegetable leaves and eggs into it.
Wan Chunmei set the bowl on the table, blew on it to cool it down, and then scooped up a little to feed to Little Qiyue.
Little Qiyue eagerly opened her mouth and gobbled it down, enjoying it thoroughly.
Old Tan washed his hands, sat down by the fire to warm himself, and said, “Dear, our chickens have grown big. They’re laying quite a few eggs every day. We might have enough eggs to last us for a long time. What do you think, should we sell some?”
Wan Chunmei, still blowing on the porridge, replied, “With the heavy winter coming, it looks like snow is about to fall. It might be hard to sell them.”
Once the snow falls, everyone in the village and even in the county will stay indoors.
Who would be out buying eggs? By then, we’d be lucky if we didn’t freeze to death ourselves, let alone sell a single egg.
“Father! Good news!”
Suddenly, a voice from outside the door called out. It was Tan Yiliang.