Xiao Yunying looked down and met the little girl's big, tearful eyes, then bent down to wipe away her tears.
"Mom, are you going home with Grandma and abandoning us?"
The little girl tried hard to hold back her tears, her voice filled with anxiety.
Xiao Yunying's heart softened, and she said, "No, Mother won't go back to Grandma's house."
"Really?"
"real!"
According to her memory, the original owner had two older brothers and one older sister, all of whom were already married.
The original owner's family treated her very well, but she was difficult, which caused her two sisters-in-law to have some complaints about her.
The second sister-in-law, in particular, was not one to swallow her anger; she almost got into a fight with the original owner of the body once.
Therefore, even if Xiao Yunying leaves this family, she will not return to the original owner's family home.
She doesn't want to argue with people every day.
"What are you all doing blocking the doorway? Move aside, move aside."
Mu Lianrong brought in three eggs and a large bowl of porridge and placed it on the table: "Yunyun, come and eat while it's hot. The temperature is just right now, it won't burn your mouth."
Xiao Yunying was indeed hungry. Her stomach rumbled when she smelled the aroma of the hot porridge. Without any pretense, she sat down and said, "Thank you, Mother."
"Don't be so polite with your mother, eat up, it'll help you take your medicine."
The porridge looked good; it was made with millet and white rice, and also had red dates and goji berries added.
Xiao Yunying took a sip with a wooden spoon; it was sweet, soft, and delicious.
Mu Lianrong peeled the eggshell and said, "How is it? It tastes good, right? I put brown sugar in it. Is it sweet?"
"sweet."
Mu Lianrong put the peeled eggs into Xiao Yunying's bowl:
"Your third uncle said you can't eat greasy food right now. I'll buy you meat when you're better. He also said you have poor blood circulation, so this brown sugar, red dates, and goji berries are all to help you nourish your body. The rest are in the kitchen cabinet. You can put some in when you cook porridge or make tea. Don't worry, I'll buy you more when you're done."
Xiao Yunying thought for a moment. Xiao was a common surname in this village, and most of the people with the surname Xiao in the village were related by blood or marriage.
The Third Master that Mu Lianrong mentioned was a herb gatherer when he was young. He had learned a little about medicine, but now that he is old, he can no longer go deep into the mountains. So he helps people in the village with minor ailments such as headaches and fevers.
Xiao Yunying stirred the porridge in her bowl. In this world, brown sugar and red dates are not cheap. In places where sons are generally favored over daughters, there are very few people in the surrounding villages who would be willing to spend so much money on their married daughters.
Mu Lianrong was truly good to her daughter.
Even though Xiao Yunying knew that this affection was directed at the original owner of the body rather than at her, she was still moved.
"Thank you, Mother."
This thank you was more heartfelt than the previous one, which was just a polite thank you.
"Why are you being so polite today, child?"
Mu Lianrong shifted her body slightly, unaccustomed to the change, but her smile widened as she reached for another egg.
"Mom, please stop peeling them. I can't eat this much."
"You can't eat it? Then I won't peel it. I'll save it for you to eat tomorrow morning. You drink porridge, and I'll go get your medicine."
Xiao Yunying watched Mu Lianrong leave, then turned around and saw the four children still standing at the door.
The two little ones kept sniffling and swallowing.
Oh dear, forgive her for not being mentally prepared to be a mother. She unconsciously followed the porridge and completely forgot about the children.
In her memory, the original owner was extremely strict about food. If someone ate anything from home without her permission, they would definitely get a beating.
Xiao Yunying put the spoon back in the bowl, intending to serve the children porridge.
Then she remembered that according to the original owner's behavior, she would never do such a thing; she would only tell the children to go to the kitchen to eat.
Moreover, the original owner's mother is still here, so she can't make too many changes at once.
In this superstitious ancient world, the consequences of being confirmed as not being the original owner of the body were severe.
Just as they were struggling with what to do, Mu Lianrong returned, carrying a bowl of medicine and placing it on the table. Then she took out an oil paper package from her bosom.
"Why aren't you drinking your porridge, my dear? Drink it quickly, it'll get cold soon. After you finish the porridge, take your medicine. Don't be afraid of the bitterness, Mom bought you some candied fruit to sweeten your mouth."
"Okay, Mom, won't you eat something with me?"
"Mother isn't eating anymore. Your sister-in-law should have finished cooking. Mother will go back to eat. Yunyun, this is for you."
As she spoke, Mu Lianrong took out a purse and handed it to Xiao Yunying.
"Take this five taels of silver and use it first. No matter what, you must eat well. Your health is the most important thing, you know?"
Xiao Yunying could tell that the purse contained loose silver. After thinking for a moment, she realized that the original owner didn't have much money left, so she didn't refuse out of politeness and accepted it.
"Mother, consider this money a loan, and I will pay you back later."
"I don't like hearing that. As a mother, I'm spending money on my daughter, why are you saying I have to pay it back? Alright, I'm leaving now."
In the past, she would give her daughter money but her daughter would refuse it. Today, she finally accepted it, and Mu Lianrong was only happy. She never thought about whether she would pay it back.
Xiao Yunying got up to see her off, but Mu Lianrong waved her hand and said, "Go back and have some porridge. You're not well yet. Why bother seeing me off for such a short distance?"
Upon reaching the door and seeing several children, he looked slightly uncomfortable and said to Xiao Yunying:
"By the way, Yunyun, your mother has cooked a lot of porridge. Don't be reluctant to drink it, make sure you eat your fill. If you can't finish it, give it to these little burdens so they can benefit from your food and avoid it going bad tomorrow. We country folk can't stand wasting food."
"Yes, Mother."
After seeing Mu Lianrong off, Xiao Yunying bolted the door and went to the kitchen. She lifted the pot lid, and the half-pot of steaming porridge left her stunned for a while.
The old lady was being hypocritical. If she wanted to give the children some drinks, she should have just said so. Instead, she insisted on saying that she couldn't finish them herself and was afraid of wasting them, so she gave them to the children instead.
There's so much porridge, even if there were two more, she still wouldn't be able to finish it.
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