The morning sunlight streamed through the window covered with old newspapers, dappling Lin Yue's face. She groggily opened her eyes, and for a moment thought she was just having a bizarre dream, but the simple surroundings ruthlessly shattered her illusion. She sighed and slowly sat up.

Chen Yu was no longer in the room. A set of neatly folded clothes lay beside the bed, presumably prepared for Lin Yue. Lin Yue picked up the clothes; the rough fabric rubbed against her palms, making her feel a little uncomfortable. But she quickly changed into them anyway, after all, in these difficult times, one couldn't be too fussy.

Stepping out of the house, a light mist filled the courtyard, mingling with the unique scent of earth and firewood in the early morning. Lin Yue saw Chen Yu busy in the yard, skillfully chopping wood, the sound of the axe echoing in the quiet space. Each strike was powerful, sending wood chips flying, his taut muscles faintly visible beneath his thin clothes. Lin Yue couldn't help but blush; she hadn't expected to be observing her nominal husband under such circumstances.

Hearing the noise, Chen Yu turned around and saw Lin Yue. He paused slightly. "You're awake? I'll take you for a walk around the village today so you can get to know it better." His tone was still a little reserved, but much better than yesterday.

Lin Yue nodded and followed Chen Yu out of the courtyard. The village roads were still narrow and rugged, with glistening dewdrops clinging to the roadside weeds. Every now and then, villagers carrying farm tools would pass by, greeting Lin Yue and Chen Yu with smiles, but their eyes held a hint of curiosity and inquiry.

"This is Old Zhao's house. His eldest son works in the city and often sends money home. They're doing pretty well," Chen Yu said, pointing to a courtyard by the roadside. Several chickens were pacing around for food in the courtyard, and a large yellow dog lay at the door, only lazily raising its eyelids when it saw someone passing by.

Lin Yue looked around curiously, trying to find some interest in these ordinary scenes that differed from modern life, but she felt more uneasy about this unfamiliar environment. They continued walking and came to the center of the village, where there was an old well, and several women were drawing water around it.

"Hey, Chen family lad, is this your wife? She's really pretty." A plump woman said with a smile, sizing up Lin Yue as she turned the waterwheel.

Chen Yu smiled and said, "Yes, Auntie."

Lin Yue nodded somewhat embarrassedly to the women. She noticed that the women were very skilled at drawing water, but the heavy buckets didn't seem easy to handle. She couldn't help but think that if it were her, she probably wouldn't even have a chance to lift the buckets.

Leaving the well, they passed the village warehouse. The warehouse door was wide open, and it was filled with grain and farm tools. Several educated youths were tidying up things at the door, and they waved warmly to Chen Yu and Lin Yue when they saw them.

"Chen Yu, is this your wife? Come over and let us meet her." A bespectacled, well-mannered-looking educated youth said.

Chen Yu led Lin Yue over and introduced her, "This is our classmate from the educated youth settlement. His name is Li Ming. He's a cultured person here and has read all kinds of books."

Li Ming smiled and pushed up his glasses. "Hello, sister-in-law. If you have any questions in the future, you can come and ask me."

Lin Yue smiled and said, "Hello, I hope to take care of you in the future."

After chatting with the educated youth for a while, Chen Yu led Lin Yue on a continued tour of the village. Lin Yue discovered that although the village was small, everyone had their own rhythm of life; although life was tough, it was also full of vitality. However, she still couldn't fully integrate into it; her modern mindset kept popping up unintentionally, leaving her confused about some of the traditional customs and beliefs.

For example, she saw several little girls playing with simple homemade toys by the roadside instead of going to school. She couldn't help but ask Chen Yu, "Why don't these children go to school?"

Chen Yu looked at the children and said helplessly, "The village school has poor conditions and few teachers. Moreover, the children need to help with chores at home, so many children don't have the opportunity to study."

Lin Yue frowned. She thought of the widespread education in her time, where children could study in spacious and bright classrooms. This contrast made her feel a little sad.

As they walked, they came to the edge of the village, where there was a large expanse of farmland. Many villagers were already working in the fields, bending over and diligently cultivating the land. Chen Yu pointed to the farmland and said to Lin Yue, "This is where we work every day. Farming is hard work, but only by cultivating the land well can everyone have food to eat."

Looking at the vast farmland, Lin Yue felt a mix of emotions. She had never done farm work before and didn't know if she could handle it. Just then, a villager came over and handed Chen Yu a hoe. "Little Chen, you'd better work hard today. The weather's been good these past few days; you need to till the land properly."

Chen Yu took the hoe and said to Lin Yue, "You watch from the side, I'll get to work first." With that, he walked towards the field and began skillfully turning the soil. Lin Yue stood on the ridge, watching Chen Yu's back; his movements were powerful and steady, each strike of the hoe bringing up a clod of earth.

Suddenly, Lin Yue heard several women whispering nearby.

"Why is that Chen family daughter-in-law just standing there watching? Is she afraid of hardship?"

“She’s from the city, she’s never done this kind of work before. I think she’s just a pampered young lady.”

Hearing these words, Lin Yue felt a little wronged. It wasn't that she was afraid of hardship, she just didn't know where to start. She bit her lip and decided to walk down the ridge to try and help. But the moment she picked up the hoe, she realized that this seemingly simple farming tool was so heavy in her hands. She almost lost her balance and fell into the field after just one swing.

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