2 Chapter 2
◎Human Heart◎
"In order to arrange the burial of my parents, my eldest uncle and my younger uncle's families contributed eight taels of silver, and our family also sold five acres of good farmland. Now we only have five acres of paddy fields and three acres of dry land left."
"Uncle came over the day before yesterday and said that the rice ears in the fields have grown well, and he will come over in two days to help us apply fertilizer to the fields..."
"Brother, the money for your medical treatment was borrowed from our neighbor, Brother Xiao, the hunter who rescued you. He borrowed ten taels of silver. He hired a doctor to prescribe medicine for you, and it cost a total of seven taels and six cents. Now there are two taels and four cents left, all stored in the wooden box under the bed..."
"There's not much food left at home. We need to eat sparingly, otherwise we might not be able to eat until the new food is harvested..."
After resting for three or four days, Jiang Jingyun finally recovered. He was now sitting on a small wooden stool in the yard, listening to his second brother chattering on and on about what had happened after he fell into a coma.
Listening to his second brother counting on his fingers and muttering one thing after another, Jiang Jingyun felt like a monkey being cursed with a tight hoop, and his head started to hurt.
What? After coming here, not only am I given royal power and wealth, but I am also poor, too. Why are there still so many troubles and a mountain of debts?
fall!
Otherwise, just kill me and send me back to the modern era.
This job is really impossible to do, whoever wants to do it can do it!
Working hard may not necessarily bring happiness in the future, but just give up and you will definitely be happy in the present!
Groundhogs give up on themselves every day.
Just when Jiang Jingyun was doubting himself, life, and everything, the little sister with two buns came running over with her short legs, hugged his legs, raised her head and asked in a coquettish voice: "Brother, brother, what are we having for lunch?"
The cute little sister acted coquettishly towards him, Jiang Jingyun unconsciously slowed down his tone and asked gently: "What do you want to eat?"
"Hmm..." The little sister sucked her fingers and sipped her saliva, "Can I have that sweet thing again, like... sweet potato?"
Perhaps it was because he had just lost both parents, and then his eldest brother fell seriously ill, so even the most ignorant child felt uneasy.
Ever since Jiang Jingyun woke up, the little sister has become extra clingy. As soon as she sees him, she will run over and follow him, never leaving his side, like a little follower.
Jiang Jingyun picked her up and weighed her. The six-year-old child was so light and thin that she was just a bag of bones. He reached out and pinched the little girl's cheek, smiling as he carried her towards the kitchen: "Okay, let's have candied sweet potatoes for lunch and make some sweet potato porridge, okay?"
After waking up and eating a meal of half-cooked rice cooked by his younger brothers, Jiang Jingyun realized that the porridge he had eaten that day was made by his eldest aunt when she came to help, and the younger ones in the family didn't know how to cook at all.
Helplessly, he could only drag his crippled body and take over the work in the kitchen.
After all, life can be difficult and you can eat less, but at least it shouldn't be so unpalatable.
Jiang Jingyun had already made candied sweet potato yesterday.
I rummaged through all the drawers and cupboards at home, but could only find a small bag of maltose, and there was only oil left at the bottom of the can. I had no choice but to make a low-oil and low-sugar version: after the sweet potatoes were boiled soft, remove them and drain them, brush a layer of oil in the pan and fry the sweet potatoes until the surface is golden and slightly hard, remove them and set aside; then put sugar and a little water in the pan, stir-fry the sugar on low heat until it turns brown and small bubbles appear, pour the fried sweet potatoes in and stir well, and a bowl of sweet, soft and low-end candied sweet potatoes is ready.
"Wow, it smells so good~~~" The little girl tiptoed and sniffed hard, the little tuft of hair on her head swaying as she looked at Jiang Jingyun with sparkling eyes, "Brother, you are so nice~"
Jiang Jingyun smiled and rubbed his little sister's head, feeling both distressed and helpless.
He was so happy just by eating a sweet potato with sugar, which shows what he had eaten before.
But even a good cook cannot cook without rice. Even if he wanted to make something delicious for his younger brothers and sisters, there was not much food left at home. When he was putting the oil and sugar for the candied sweet potatoes, his second brother who was helping to light the fire felt so distressed that he was worried.
Alas, no matter what, it’s all because of poverty.
Looking at the three skinny siblings, Jiang Jingyun sighed secretly: He still has to find a way to make money. After lunch, he will go to his uncle's house first.
After lunch, Jiang Jingyun left the two younger ones to look after the house, brought a bowl of specially reserved sweet potato shreds as a souvenir, and walked slowly towards his uncle's house with his second younger brother Jiang Jinglin.
On the way, he chatted about this and that, trying to get some information from his second brother.
Jiang Jinglin is only thirteen years old now, at the age of innocence and romance. He is not on guard against his elder brother and answers every question he asks. Based on the original body's memory and the information provided by his second brother, Jiang Jingyun quickly understood the situation of his uncle's family.
Boss Jiang lived in the old house, taking care of his parents, and had two sons and two daughters with Li.
Now both elders have passed away. Jiang Lao Da’s eldest son, Jiang Jingxuan, is only 19 years old and just married Ms. Hu from the next village last year. The eldest daughter, Daya, is seventeen years old and has married into the Zhang family in another village and has a daughter. The second son, Jiang Jinghao, is sixteen years old, one year older than Jiang Jingyun. He has a youngest sister, Xiaoya, who is only ten years old this year.
After the three brothers of the Jiang family separated, they each built a house at the end of the village, not far away, and the two arrived there in a short while.
The old house was a mud-brick house that looked a little shabby. The courtyard wall, which was one meter high, was mottled and uneven. The wooden door was covered with tiny cracks and was half-open. Looking inside through the door, one could see that it was a house only the size of one entrance. It was not spacious, but it was quite tidy.
As soon as they walked to the door, they met their aunt who was feeding chickens at the gate of the yard.
"Aunt, are you busy? Is uncle home?" Jiang Jingyun stood on tiptoe outside the wall and looked inside, holding up the candied sweet potato in his hand. "This is a new delicacy I made, candied sweet potato. Bring it over for you to try. It's so sweet."
"Oh, nephew, you're here. Why are you bringing something? You shouldn't be so polite to your aunt. Don't do that next time." Li spoke with a refreshing spirit. After opening the door and letting the two brothers in, she wiped her hands on her apron before taking the bowl, muttering, "Come in, come in. The sun is so strong today. You've just recovered. Don't get sunburned again."
When you walk into the yard, you will see compacted mud ground, which is flat and smooth, and you can walk on it without getting stuck in the mud.
There was a large water tank outside the kitchen, with bundles of firewood neatly stacked in the corner. Although there is a corner surrounded by a fence to raise chickens and ducks, the feces is cleaned up and there is no odor, which shows that the people living there are usually very frugal and clean.
The two followed Li inside, saying as they walked, "I'm feeling much better now. I stayed at home for too long the other day, so now I'm out walking around, just in time to stretch my muscles."
The yard was quiet. Apart from their voices, the only sound was the crowing of chickens in the fence. The second brother who was walking next to Jiang Jingyun looked around and asked in confusion: "Aunt, aren't my cousins at home?"
"They all went to the fields. It has rained several times in a row recently, and the weeds in the fields are growing taller and taller. We have to pull them out quickly to avoid ruining the crops."
Li brought the two brothers Jiang Jingyun to the main room and gave each of them a handful of dried peanuts as a snack. She turned around and called inside, "Uncle, Jingyun and the others are here, hurry out!"
After a while, a voice came from the backyard: "Hey, it's coming——"
Following the sound, I saw a farmer with a simple and honest face.
After years of hard work in the fields, the old man's skin was dark and rough, his body was slightly plump and hunched, his protruding forehead and eyes were full of wrinkles, and his serious face was covered with messy beard, making him look a little serious, but when he spoke he was a kind person.
"Why are you here, nephew? Are you feeling better? If there's anything urgent, just call Lin'er over and tell him. You've been in poor health this time, so you need to rest well."
Here it comes again. From the moment he entered the door until now, all Jiang Jingyun heard were words of concern, and every word made him feel itchy inside.
He used to be an orphan. He grew up on his own and had never felt the care and love of his family.
I came here today just to find out about the situation so that I can think about my next plan.
Although he had thought of the worst-case scenario, such as being urged to pay back the debt by his uncles and aunts, or being treated coldly, or simply closing the door and ignoring him... he had never expected that after he came here, the elders would not mention a word about the money. Between the lines, there was only concern for him, which moved him, a man who had never received care.
Jiang Jingyun was a little uncomfortable facing his family's earnest concern for the first time. He nodded and replied hesitantly, "It's fine now. I'll trouble my uncles and aunts to take care of me during this period. I'm afraid it will affect my farm work, so I came here today to ask about the topdressing of the fields..."
"What's the trouble? We are all family." Uncle Jiang waved his hand nonchalantly, interrupting him, "I have prepared the soil and fertilizer. In a few days, let the eldest and second sons carry them to the fields and spread them."
"Thank you, uncle. You have been taking care of me during this period of time." Jiang Jingyun expressed his sincere gratitude.
"These things are not a big deal, but..." With three strong laborers in the family, this little farm work can be done in half a day. Uncle Jiang mentioned another matter, "It's about your studies. When your father was alive, he hoped that you would have a bright future, but now that this has happened, uncle wants to ask you, what are your plans for the future?"
Fearing that Jiang Jingyun might misunderstand, he added, "Of course, I'm just saying this casually now. We can slowly see how it works out."
"If you want to continue studying," the uncle paused as if he was hesitating about something. After a long pause, he made up his mind and said, "I'll think of a way for you..."
When the aunt who was listening in heard him say this, she opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but when she saw the two skinny nephews sitting with their heads down, she finally closed her mouth and did not speak.
Oh, forget it, they are all poor children. At worst, you can just tighten your belt at home and you will get through it.
Jiang Jingyun knew very well that his uncle was not rich, and his family was even as poor as his own. But for his sake, his uncle still took on this important task.
Hearing this, his eyes welled up: No one has ever been so selfless and kind to him.
However, he was not an ungrateful person. His uncle's family was not easy either. There was really no need to add his own burden to their situation and crush an already precarious poor family.
So even though he was very touched, Jiang Jingyun still refused.
"I appreciate your kindness."
"I plan to put my studies aside for now. First, my parents have passed away, and I have to observe mourning for three years and cannot take the imperial examination. Second, an elder brother is like a father. Now that my parents are gone, I, as the eldest son, should take on the most important responsibility and support this family."
After listening to her nephew's sensible words, the aunt couldn't help but take out a handkerchief and wipe away the tears from her eyes: "Oh, poor nephew, I hate God for letting my unfortunate second uncle and his wife die so early, and these children suffered..."
"Why are you saying all this? You're making my nephews sad for no reason." Uncle Jiang glared at his aunt, but his eyes were red too.
Jiang Jingyun hurriedly stood up to comfort the two elders. After some strenuous persuasion, the two elders were slightly relieved.
After chatting with my uncle for a while and agreeing on a time to go to the fields to apply fertilizer, the two of them got up and said goodbye.
"Good boy, if you have any problems in the future, just come and tell me. Although I don't have much ability, as long as I am here, you will have something to eat." Uncle Jiang handed the basket of eggs to Jiang Jingyun, and patted his shoulder with his rough big hand: "Take these eggs back to replenish your body, don't be sad, we will see what will happen later."
A full basket of eggs, I don’t know how long it will take to save them.
Jiang Jingyun couldn't help it and his eyes turned red again.
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