In modern times, there are all kinds of organic fertilizers available for purchase if you want fertile land, but this was in ancient times.

Yan Xia frantically racked her brains trying to figure out how to increase the land's yield.

After thinking for a long time, she finally remembered that when she was seven or eight years old, her maternal grandparents were still alive. At that time, her parents went to the city to work in order to earn money to support her younger brother, leaving her to be raised by her maternal grandparents.

My maternal grandparents were genuine farmers who toiled in the fields their whole lives. Compared to my parents' preference for sons over daughters, my maternal grandparents treated her very well.

When she was a child, Yan Xia would always run to the fields to bring them water and food after school.

I also clearly remember my grandmother telling me to mix straw, fallen leaves and withered branches together and burn them into wood ash, then mix them with manure that has been fermenting for a month and let it ferment for three days, then add water in a 1:1 ratio and sprinkle it evenly on the plowed land.

Turn the soil over again two days later, and then you can start planting.

Crops grown this way will at least double in yield.

"Mom, we can't plant there. I heard that wild animals often roam around the area outside the mountains. Er Ya told me that she saw a grizzly bear when she went mushroom picking once. It's too dangerous. Why don't we go and clear land along the riverbank further away?"

Lamei's face turned pale with fright.

“How can we plant along the riverbank? You silly girl, if it rains, the water level will rise and all our crops will be flooded—” Jin Fu was speechless. He had been working in the fields since he could remember.

They understand nature better than winter plum blossoms.

“Your older brother is right. You can’t farm along the riverbank. Just farm under the mountains. It’s fine. If wild animals came down from the mountains, Baihua Village would have been wiped out long ago. How could it be so peaceful?”

Yan Xia wasn't afraid.

Helpless, since her own mother had spoken, Lamei had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

Upon arriving at their destination, the family worked tirelessly until midday. It was already June, and the weather was getting hot. Under the blazing sun, they were all sweating profusely. With each stroke of their hoes, they turned over the mud overgrown with weeds. The brown soil covered the green grass, and the roots of the weeds were exposed to the sun. At most, they would die in a day.

After an incense stick had burned for a while, the group finally finished plowing the last plot of land.

"Let's go home and cook, it's so hot."

Yan Xia hadn't done farm work for many years, and her body was very thin, which really exhausted her.

"Jinlu, take my hoe, I'm going to the river to fetch some water." Jinfu handed the farm tools to his younger brother and walked towards the river. He had brought a wooden basin with him, as he would need water to wash rice, cook porridge, and wash vegetables later.

That's very thoughtful.

Yan Xia nodded in satisfaction.

She was very glad that she had come at the right time. Fortunately, her children had grown up. If she had traveled back to when the original owner had just married into the family, she would have suffered a lot.

Back at the temple.

Guihua and Lamei volunteered to cook, so Yanxia only needed to rest on the bed.

When her eldest son returned, he thoughtfully poured her a bowl of water.

At this point, Yan Xia didn't care whether the water was tap water or not, and drank it all in one gulp.

She was so thirsty.

"Mom, how about we have vegetable and brown rice porridge for lunch? If that's not enough, we can have a few cornbread buns too," Guihua asked her.

“This has no flavor either. How can we do farm work for so long without salt? I have two pieces of cured meat here. You can take them and cook them together. That will make it more flavorful. I just don’t have a knife. Otherwise, it would definitely taste better if I cut it into cubes.”

She rolled over and stood up from the bed, repeating her old trick, taking out two pieces of cured meat from her bundle and handing them to Guihua.

"Mom, there are only a few pieces of cured meat in the kitchen, and you brought them all! Haha, if that old woman sees this when she wakes up, she'll probably be furious. I really want to see her reaction." Lamei laughed heartily, clutching her stomach.

"Alright, stop joking around and focus on your fire. There's no stove here, so be careful. If this dilapidated temple catches fire, we'll be sleeping on the streets." Jin Fu gently patted La Mei's head.

"Mom, just burn one piece. We can save this one for a couple of days." These two pieces of cured meat were the smallest, only half the size of a palm. They probably wouldn't be enough for five people, but the family didn't have much food, so Guihua thought it was better to save some.

"Whatever, you can decide for yourself."

Yan Xia went back to bed and lay there with her legs crossed, looking like she couldn't be bothered to do anything.

Seeing the stark difference in their mother, the four children didn't suspect much. They preferred their mother now to the timid and submissive one they knew before.

They assumed that Yan Xia had changed drastically because she had been bullied badly.

After Guihua and Lamei finished cooking, the five of them gathered around the table and ate heartily.

There are no tables or benches here; the place is practically bare.

But this meal tasted exceptionally delicious.

The whole pot of cured meat, green vegetables, and brown rice porridge was eaten clean, not a single grain of rice was left.

After the meal, the four of them took the clay pot, bowls, and chopsticks to the river to wash them.

Yan Xia took a nap in bed.

The family on this side was quiet and cozy, while the Chen family on the other side was in an uproar.

It turned out that Chen Li had regained consciousness. She was furious when she learned that Yan Xia had taken four grandchildren with her after the divorce. She was so angry that she cursed him and fainted again due to her strong emotions.

Chen Jinshou remained quietly inside his room, making him an easy target.

If you ask him why he didn't go with his mother...

That's because his grandmother had promised him that she would use a portion of his father's pension to help him get married and have children, as long as he told his grandmother the secrets his mother and younger siblings had shared.

He did indeed succeed, so the original owner never imagined, despite being beaten so many times, that she would give birth to a son who would betray her.

Moreover, Chen Jinshou didn't want to live in the dilapidated temple. He had fallen in love with a girl named Shi Xiaohe, who lived at the end of the village.

Shi Xiaohe lost both her parents and has lived with her grandfather since she was a child. She has reached marriageable age and is currently looking for a husband.

I heard the bride price is as high as three taels of silver.

Shi Xiaohe was beautiful. Her wheat-colored skin did not detract from her delicate features. Every smile and frown was exceptionally alluring. She was slightly plump, and her buttocks looked like they were capable of bearing sons. In particular, she was an excellent cook and had taught herself embroidery. She could sell a handkerchief she embroidered for eight copper coins. If she embroidered five handkerchiefs a month, that would be a full forty copper coins.

There are twelve months in a year. If you earn forty coins a month, that's four strings of cash and eighty copper coins a year, which is almost half a tael of silver.

For an average farming family, saving two taels of silver a year is considered quite good.

With this extra income, the family can live a better life. In addition, Shi Xiaohe's grandfather is already old and it is estimated that he will pass away in the next two years. There is no need to worry about her helping her family in the future.

Every eligible man in the village had his eye on her.

If he and his mother went to live in the dilapidated temple, he probably would never be able to marry Shi Xiaohe in his lifetime.

Chen Jinshou clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together.

"Mother... don't blame your son. You also want your son to get married, right? Your son will take back everything that belongs to Father."

He muttered to himself in the air.

It's as if this makes me feel a little better.