"Sister-in-law, I'm so hungry..."
A barely audible murmur roused Jiangshan from his numbness.
She raised her head and glanced once more at the small, dark, and damp room before her, her gaze settling blankly on the old man and the child in front of her.
She wasn't really old; a woman in her forties would still be a vibrant rose in modern times. But the woman in front of me looked like a withered jujube flower, devoid of moisture.
Although he is only six years old, he is indeed quite young, but he is Jiang Shan's nominal future brother-in-law.
One is her future mother-in-law and adoptive mother who is mentally challenged, the other is her sickly uncle and brother, and there are two houses that can only provide shelter from the wind and rain. This is the background and support of the Jiangshan after the time travel.
No, that's not all!
I almost forgot that her life had just been saved from the hands of ignorant villagers!
Just now, she was nearly drowned by villagers trying to put her in a pond!
They said she was unchaste and shameless, that she had slept with a wild man and ruined Jiao Erlang's reputation, and that they wanted to drown her in a pig cage!
Jiang Shan truly felt that she was even more wronged than Dou E!
She was live-streaming a food show on a giant reef by the sea when a huge wave slammed her into the ocean. When she opened her eyes, she was being pulled out of a bamboo cage from the river and became the ruler of this world.
If she hadn't overheard the young man who saved her arguing with the villagers, she would never have known that the original owner of this body was a lazy and simple-minded idiot!
The fatal flaw is that she didn't inherit any of the original owner's memories.
Aside from the old woman, the child, and the dilapidated house in front of her, she was also a shameless harlot who was condemned and despised by all the villagers of Huaigu Village!
The young man who rescued her used violence to drive away the villagers who were determined to drown her in a pig cage. He also used his invincible aura to drive away the foul-mouthed and aggressive village women before leaving the village.
Jiao's mother helped her change her clothes, and the three of them just stared at each other in silence.
Even now, Jiang Shan is still completely bewildered.
She is open to all kinds of clothing and is willing to start from the bottom, even if she is poor.
However, she really can't accept this situation in the short term!
"Sister-in-law...I'm so hungry..." The boy's slightly pleading voice was accompanied by a rumbling stomach, and the little boy lowered his head shyly.
Jiang Shan swallowed hard, got up, and dragged his heavy legs around the room.
They only found about half a bowl of coarse flour dregs.
Food is her lifelong pursuit, and she spent five years becoming a globally renowned food blogger. Whether it's making or enjoying food, it's her true love, no matter how her world changes.
She used only half a bowl of coarse flour, picked a large handful of wild vegetables from the backyard, added a little salt, and made three bowls of vegetable dumpling soup.
The child, who barely reached her waist, stared wide-eyed, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, when she brought out several bowls of steaming noodle soup.
"No rice, no oil, no meat, please make do with this!"
Jiang Shan picked at a few vegetable leaves and ate them, but then put down his chopsticks because he had no appetite.
In ancient times, resources were scarce, and seasonings were limited. In addition, she was not in the mood to cook anything decent.
But the little child's eyes lit up as he hugged the bowl and licked the soup clean.
They must be starving.
Jiang Shan touched the child's thin face, which was so thin that only his two big eyes remained, with a touch of heartache, and said, "Jiao... Sanlang, right? I didn't touch this bowl of noodle soup much. If you don't mind, you can drink it all."
Jiao Sanlang licked his lips, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and shook his head sensibly. "Sister-in-law, you eat. We're almost out of food! I'll go up the mountain with you tomorrow morning to dig up kudzu roots, and we'll sell them to Doctor Zhou from town when he comes."
Is a six-year-old child this sensible and capable? It seems he's done quite a bit of this work.
Jiang Shan asked with some skepticism, "You know Ge Gen?"
Jiao Sanlang proudly puffed out his little chest, "My brother used to take me up the mountain often. He taught me to recognize the medicinal herbs in the mountains, but I wasn't very good at digging them up, and I always broke them..."
The child slowly lowered his head, his expression turning dejected, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Jiang Shan then remembered that the child's older brother was her nominal future husband, who had been missing for three years!
She was called her future husband because Jiang Shan was taken in and raised by Jiao's mother when he was eight years old, and was betrothed to her son Jiao Yan when he was twelve.
All the betrothal documents were prepared, and they were just waiting for Jiangshan to turn fifteen and marry Jiao Erlang.
Not long after the engagement was arranged, Jiao Erlang went to the provincial capital to participate in the imperial examination, but never returned and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Jiao's mother suffered greatly from fear and anxiety, and gradually became mentally unstable.
He was just a fiancé; she didn't care about Jiang Shan at all. What she cared about was the kindness of the man who raised her.
This family is on the verge of falling apart. The old and the young are all causing trouble. No matter what, she has to keep this family going and make sure they all live well until Jiao Erlang comes back!
Jiang Shan thought to himself that he should share the noodle soup with the old man and the child, who were already severely malnourished.
To everyone's surprise, Jiao's mother held the soup tightly, murmuring, "This is for Erlang, Shan'er. Erlang will be back soon. Don't let him go hungry."
Jiang Shan coaxed patiently, "Erlang doesn't like noodle soup. I'll make him steamed egg custard when he gets back! The noodle soup is getting cold, so you and Sanlang can share it while it's hot!"
"Nonsense! Erlang loves my noodle soup the most! Sanlang, put the noodle soup on the stove and save it for your brother. Remember to cover it well so the mice don't steal it." Jiao's mother beckoned to Jiao Sanlang, not even sparing Jiangshan a glance.
Jiao Sanlang stepped forward to help his mother up, and said with difficulty, "Mother, my sister-in-law hasn't eaten yet. Let's give the noodle soup to her! When my brother comes back, I'll go up the mountain to catch a pheasant for him to eat."
Jiao's mother hesitated, but her hands did not relax.
"But Erlang also likes to drink noodle soup! Erlang's favorite food is the noodle soup I make, plum blossom shortbread, and wosi candy. When he comes back, I'll fry some skewers for him..."
Seeing that the noodle soup was getting cold, Jiang Shan stepped forward, snatched the soup, poured it into two bowls, and said with a blank face, "Mother, you and Sanlang eat quickly, I still have to go out after you finish eating!"
Jiao's mother's expression changed. She called out "Erlang" twice, then glanced at Jiang Shan's tense face and said aggrievedly, "When are you going to find Erlang? I dreamed about Erlang again last night. He couldn't find his way home..."
Jiang Shan's face had turned completely dark.
Jiao Sanlang instinctively felt that it was best not to provoke his sister-in-law at this time; she seemed different from before.
So, with great foresight, he sat down, grabbed the bowl, and started slurping down the noodle soup.
Jiang Shan picked up the bowl and handed it to Jiao's mother, gritting his teeth as he asked, "Are you going to eat or not? If you don't, when Jiao Erlang comes back, I'll make sure he goes hungry every day!"
Everything that followed couldn't have gone more smoothly.
(This book is an alternate history. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is purely coincidental. Please refrain from criticism.)
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