Jiang's mother was overjoyed. Her daughter was so sensible. She must have done so many good deeds in her past life to have such a sweet and considerate daughter in this life.

She stepped forward and hugged Er Ya tightly. "You are such a good daughter of your mother. You can help your mother with chores now. But let me tell you, you are still too young. You can only help with simple tasks. Let me do the cooking."

Er Ya hugged Jiang's mother tightly, feeling warm inside. For the first time, she felt a sense of dependence on this place. Although it wasn't as developed as modern times, having such a good mother made up for everything. She would definitely work hard to give her mother a good life.

Just then, the workers returned. The aroma of the mushroom and dumpling soup immediately whetted their appetites. What kind of food is this? It smells so good! They quickly put down their tools, washed their hands, and hurried off to eat.

Jiang's mother said that the food was made from mushrooms picked by Er Ya. Grandma Shen also showed a rare kindness to Er Ya and served her a big bowl of dumpling soup. Daya was extremely jealous when she saw this. Why was Grandma treating Er Ya better and better?

Drinking the dumpling soup, I still felt a little dissatisfied with the taste. If it were made with wheat flour and some eggs were added, it would taste even better.

Unfortunately, Old Mrs. Shen was extremely protective of precious items like eggs and flour. Every morning, as soon as the chickens crowed, she would run to collect the eggs, carefully check them, put them in the cupboard, and lock them away.

The atmosphere at home was more harmonious than ever before. Everyone was chatting about when the weeds in the field would be finished, and once the composted fertilizer from the yard was put into the field, this busy period would be over.

After quickly finishing their meal, everyone went about their own business. Old Mrs. Shen instructed Jiang's mother, "Now that you're pregnant, just stay home and take care of things in the yard. Just prepare dinner tonight and don't go out to work for now."

Jiang's mother hurriedly responded, and Niu's face contorted with jealousy. She glared fiercely at Jiang's mother. Usually when Jiang was around, her mother-in-law always disliked her and was busy finding fault with her, so she didn't have time to pay attention to her. Now that Jiang wasn't going to the fields and was leaving her alone, she was sure to be scolded by her mother-in-law.

No matter how resentful she felt, Niu Shi still had to obediently go to the fields. Old Mrs. Shen was the absolute leader of the family, and if she didn't do as she pleased, she would be the one to suffer.

Jiang's mother called Er Ya to go outside and play for a while. She could do these things herself; they were all chores she was used to doing. They were tedious but not too tiring. Compared to working in the fields, this was much easier. Didn't you see how hurried Niu Shi's steps were when she left?

Er Ya saw that Jiang's mother wouldn't let her stay to help with the work no matter what she said, so she let it go. She also thought about going up the mountain again to see if there would be any new discoveries. Jiang's mother needed to replenish her nutrition right now, so finding more things for her to eat would be good for her health. She was too weak, having worked hard for many years and not getting enough to eat.

She carried her basket up the mountain and greeted the villagers she met, saying, "Grandma Wang, have you eaten yet? You look even more energetic these past few days!" Her sweet voice was very comforting and made people feel more energetic to work later.

Madam Lin quickly replied, "I've eaten. Is Er Ya going up the mountain?"

Oh my, what's wrong with Old Lin's little granddaughter today? Usually, she'd run away from everyone, but today she's so enthusiastic, you can't help but like her at first glance. "Come visit Grandma Lin sometime and play with your sister. Grandma Lin will cook you something delicious then."

"Okay, Grandma Lin, I'm off now!" After saying that, Er Ya skipped and hopped up the mountain.

The trees on the mountain haven't sprouted yet, and it looks bare, but there are plenty of wild vegetables on the ground, such as shepherd's purse and bracken, which are everywhere. Now is the time to eat these, because if we don't eat them now, they won't be available in a while.

I squatted on the ground and dug up some bracken fern. Bracken fern has the effect of moisturizing the intestines and relieving constipation, and it also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. However, it must be blanched in hot water before eating, otherwise it will be poisonous.

Er Ya, who was diligently digging for ferns, heard a "whooshing" sound. At first, she thought she had misheard, but after listening carefully, she could still hear the "whooshing" sound. She stopped digging and went to see what was making the sound.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an adorable little black dog. How could there be a little dog here? It was whimpering softly and acting cute. Er Ya looked down and saw that its leg was caught in a hunter's trap, and it couldn't escape.

The poor little dog was heartbroken. Er Ya couldn't bear to see it being taken away by the hunter, so she gently helped it free its leg from the trap. Seeing that its leg was still bleeding, she found some common hemostatic medicine nearby, crushed it by hand, and applied it to its leg.

Find a large leaf, wrap it around the leg, and then find a sturdy piece of grass like a rope and tie it tightly around the puppy's leg.

"Okay, little puppy, I've tied your leg up for you. Don't move it for the next few days, and you'll be fine in a few days."

The little dog in front of her seemed to understand what Er Ya was saying, and rolled gently around her feet again, showing its joy.

"Alright, you should hide now, but be careful not to get spotted by the hunter. I have to go now, I'll come see you again when I have time."

Er Ya waved to the puppy. She had spent a lot of time and couldn't go any further. She had only found some bracken after being out for so long, so she had to hurry up and cut some pig feed to go home. If she stayed out too long, her mother would worry.

Carrying the basket, I slowly walked down the mountain, and by the time I got home, the sun was almost setting.

When Jiang arrived home, her mother was preparing dinner. She steamed a pot of cornbread, chopped up some pickled cabbage, stir-fried it with some chili peppers—the cornbread alone was delicious. She also cooked a pot of cornmeal porridge, and a simple meal was ready.

Er Ya handed the bracken to Jiang's mother, "Mother, here you go, these are wild vegetables I dug up today. Is there anything I can help you with?"

While busy cooking, Jiang's mother said to Er Ya, "Er Ya is so good! Go wash up and get ready for dinner! Mom doesn't need you anymore." Her daughter was only four years old, but her understanding was heartbreaking.

Just then, a furtive person secretly placed something at the kitchen door and ran away quickly. Seeing that Jiang's mother wouldn't let her help, Er Ya prepared to go out and see what other chores were left in the yard, so that Old Lady Shen wouldn't come back and get angry if she saw that things weren't done properly.

Just as she stepped out the door, she didn't watch her step and fell to the ground with a thud. What happened? How did a piece of wood as thick as an arm suddenly appear? Jiang's mother went over to help Er Ya up, looking bewildered. Could it be that she hadn't noticed when she dropped the wood while carrying it?

To be continued!