Seeing that small courtyard, Xu Lanyin's heart was still filled with warmth. This was where she would live in this life. Although she didn't have a father, she had a mother and two younger brothers... Oh, and a fiancé. The three words "Gu Wangchen" appeared in her chaotic mind.
Two shifting figures appeared before her eyes. One was a boy of eleven or twelve, with a bright, clear smile. The other was a young man of eighteen or nineteen. Though his face was a little blurry, he was handsome and elegant. Xu Lanyin knew that these two were Gu Wangchen's son and daughter.
Xu Lanyin's heart warmed even more, so much so that her body trembled slightly. This must be the emotion left by the original owner. Besides, isn't it the cold that makes people tremble? It can only be said that the warmth was extreme.
That feeling persisted even until death speaks volumes about how deeply the original owner loved her fiancé. However, the image of Gu Wangchen in her memory was practically unattainable in ancient rural areas, and even in her previous life. At least, the twenty-two men Xu Lanyin had met in her previous life, or rather, the men she had come into contact with, rarely possessed such talent and bearing. For a village girl struggling to find such a brilliant fiancé, it's no wonder she couldn't let go until her death. Xu Lanyin felt like the original owner had won the jackpot.
Now that Xu Lanyin has transmigrated into this body, she must accept the original owner's life and family completely. As for that fiancé... she still needs to wait and see, it seems too unreal.
The sun had already set, and large patches of fiery clouds were rolling in the western sky. Farmers in ancient costumes were walking on the path home, carrying hoes or baskets on their backs. There were also a few shepherd boys riding cows, and wisps of green smoke were rising from the roofs of many houses.
It was truly a beautiful countryside picture, but it was a pity that Xu Lan was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery at that moment.
Xu Lanyin walked down the mountain, crossed a field of weeds, and arrived at the door of her home at the entrance of the village.
The door was ajar, and before she even entered, she heard a series of dog barkings, and the word "Hanako" popped into her mind. Hanako was the family's watchdog, and she had given him the name.
A large brown dog with black spots rushed out of the yard and barked excitedly around Xu Lanyin.
Xu Lanyin smiled, patted its back, and pushed the door open to see a young man chopping wood in the yard. The boy had good features and was tall, but he was too thin, as thin and long as a bean sprout, wearing patched gray shorts. He gave Xu Lanyin a look of disgust, snorted, and then lowered his head to continue chopping wood.
He is the original owner's elder brother Xu Lanzhou, a really rude and naughty kid.
Xu Lanyin curled her lips, put the basket under the eaves, skillfully went into the kitchen to scoop out half a basin of water, washed her hands with soap nuts, and even cleaned the gaps between her nails.
At that moment, a little boy walked out of the main room. He was Xu Lanting, the little boy. He was very fair and beautiful, but not in a healthy way. He was also very thin, and his clothes were often patched. It was obvious that the two children were malnourished, the younger one more so.
He glanced at Xu Lanyin coldly and ignored her. Instead, he walked up to his eldest brother and asked, "Brother, what are we having for dinner?"
Xu Lanzhou smiled and whispered, "I'll cook after I finish chopping wood. Make a pot of thick sweet potato and corn porridge tonight. I've lost weight again. And make some steamed egg custard for me to nourish my body." He then whispered, "Don't take it even if I give it to you. And tell grandma that you ate all the eggs."
He was at his wit's end. Mother was in very poor health, and the doctor said she needed to eat something healthy. But Grandma had brought the eggs and said they were for my younger brother. Although my younger brother wasn't in good health either, he was better than my mother; at least he could walk and jump.
The little boy blushed, twisted his fingers and stammered, "Well, even if Mommy gave it to me as much as she could, I wouldn't take it. I even told Grandma that I was the only one eating the eggs." Then he asked worriedly, "The rice is too thick. What will we do if we run out of food?"
Xu Lanzhou glared at Xu Lanyin and said, "If you run out of food, just use the money to buy more, so that others won't always be concerned about your little money. If anyone steals money to support a man again, I will beat him up, and you are not allowed to stop me."
Xu Lanyin shrank her neck, a dull pain in her body. She secretly wondered, "Could it be that the original owner stole the family's money to give to other men?" This was too shocking. No wonder her two younger brothers ignored her... Oh, herself.
Having just arrived, she still wanted to establish good relations with them. She took out a few dates from the bamboo basket and said to Xu Lanting with a smile, "Little brother, I picked these dates on the mountain. I washed them and you and mother can share them."
The two brothers looked at Xu Lanyin in disbelief, as if she were a monster.
Xu Lanting asked in surprise, "Aren't you going to save some for your brother-in-law to eat when he comes back?"
Xu Lanyin laughed dryly and said, "It's just a few dates, why leave them for him?"
Xu Lanzhou looked disdainful. "Gu Wangchen would be eager to take our rag home, not to mention these dates. How could he be disgusted by it?"
Xu Lanyin blinked her eyes. How could the jade-like young master, who seemed to be breathing immortal air, be so down-to-earth?
Xu Lanting added another stab, "Well, let alone rags, even lumps of dirt in our yard would be picked up and taken home by Brother-in-law Gu."
Listening to their conversation, Gu Wangchen was completely different from the original owner's impression of him. He was unkind, greedy, and a particular nuisance to his two younger brothers... Wait, why does this name sound so familiar? Xu Lanyin suddenly felt as if she had heard this name somewhere before, not in the original owner's memory, but in a previous life.
She walked over and put the dates in her hand into the little boy's hand, then walked into the main room.
The main house had three rooms, the middle one was the main hall, the east room was occupied by Qin, the west room by Xu Lanyin, and the east wing by Xu Lanzhou and Xu Lanting. Qin had been ill for two years and had not recovered, spending most of the day in bed recuperating.
Xu Lanyin glanced at the east room door, but instead of greeting Qin, she went straight into the west room, took off her shoes, and lay down on the kang. She calmed herself for a moment, thinking deeply, and slowly, the original owner's memories came back clearly.
This dynasty is called the Daming Dynasty. Unlike the previous Ming Dynasty, it is a fictitious dynasty. The emperor's surname is not Zhu, but Liu. This year is the 17th year of Xiping.
The reason why the original owner, who grew up in the countryside, knew all this was thanks to her father who often went out to work and her mother who could read and write.
Xiaozao Village is located in Nanping County, Hebei Province, and belongs to Sanshi Town. It is not far from the capital, about 200 miles away. The river outside the village is called Baisha River.
The original owner's father, Xu Qingyan, left home at the age of twelve to venture forth into the world, his particular occupation unknown even to his own parents. Four years later, he returned with forty taels of silver, allowing his impoverished family to build a new tiled house and purchase an acre of land. He then departed a month later, and there was no further news of him since.
Two years later, eighteen-year-old Xu Qingyan returned, bringing with him a beautiful young wife, whom he described as his new bride. He separated from his family, built a yard for his new wife, bought two plots of land, and then left again. He returned every two years, staying for a month at a time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
