As she was busy in the yard, several children from the village ran over. They looked at Lin Yue curiously, their eyes full of childlike innocence. "Auntie, what are you doing?" a little boy asked.
Lin Yue replied with a smile, "I'm tidying up the yard. Why aren't you all at school?"
The children answered all at once. "We have a day off today!" "We can only play after we finish helping with the chores at home."
Listening to their words, Lin Yue felt a pang of emotion. In this era, children may not have as many toys and entertainment as modern children, but they experience a different kind of joy and responsibility.
She chatted with the children for a while, and the children were full of curiosity about her, their aunt from the city. They asked Lin Yue what the city was like, and whether there were many delicious foods and fun things to do. Lin Yue told them some stories about the city, which the children listened to with great interest, their eyes filled with longing.
After chatting with the children, Lin Yue continued tidying up the yard. She cleared out a corner to plant some flowers and plants. She felt the yard needed some life and color. She dug some soil from outside the yard and planted the flower seeds she had found by the river. Although she didn't know if the flowers would grow, she was still full of anticipation.
In the evening, Chen Yu returned home and saw the newly renovated yard, a pleasant smile spreading across his face. "You've made the yard so beautiful," he said.
Lin Yue said with a smile, "I want to make our home more cozy."
That evening, the two sat in the courtyard, gazing at the stars. Lin Yue leaned on Chen Yu's shoulder, her heart filled with emotion. The day's chores had given her a profound understanding of the hardships of this era, but at the same time, she had also found some joy in these ordinary, mundane tasks. She knew that she was gradually becoming a part of this family, and a part of this era.
"How was your day?" Chen Yu asked softly.
"It's tiring, but also very fulfilling. I feel I have a deeper affection for this family," Lin Yue replied.
“We can do these tasks together from now on, so you don’t have to work so hard all by yourself,” Chen Yu said.
Lin Yue felt a warmth in her heart. She knew that in this unfamiliar era, she had found someone she could rely on. They gazed at the starry sky together, enjoying this moment of tranquility. Although their lives were difficult in this special era, their love quietly blossomed in these ordinary days, like the flower seeds Lin Yue had planted, full of hope, waiting for the day they would bloom.
The next day, Lin Yue got up early to continue her housework. She found that after yesterday's ordeal, she had become more familiar with the chores, and although they were still somewhat difficult, she wasn't as flustered as she had been the day before.
She first went to check on the flower seeds she had planted yesterday and found that some had already sprouted. The tender green shoots were pushing their way out of the soil, which excited her greatly. She carefully watered them, hoping they would grow strong and healthy.
Next, she began preparing breakfast. With yesterday's experience, starting the fire and cooking went much more smoothly today. She also tried making some new dishes with wild vegetables and cornmeal; although the taste was still a bit strange, it was much better than yesterday.
After finishing breakfast, Lin Yue took out the quilts from home to air them out. She hung the quilts on the line in the yard and gently patted them with a stick, the dust that rose up dancing in the sunlight. Just then, Aunt Liu passed by, saw Lin Yue airing the quilts, and walked over with a smile.
"Chen family daughter-in-law, you are such a diligent person. These quilts need to be aired out often; quilts that have been aired out are warmer to sleep under," Aunt Liu said.
Lin Yue replied with a smile, "Aunt Liu, I'm just learning how to do it, and there are still many things I don't understand."
Aunt Liu patted her on the shoulder, "Take your time, you've done very well. By the way, if you don't understand anything, just come and ask me."
After chatting with Aunt Liu for a while, Lin Yue continued with her housework. She tidied up the clothes and found that some were badly torn and needed repair. She found a needle and thread and began to try mending the clothes. But sewing wasn't easy; she pricked her fingers several times, wincing in pain. However, she persevered, mending the clothes stitch by stitch.
While mending the clothes, she thought of her life in modern times. Back then, if clothes were torn, you could just buy new ones; there was no need to mend them yourself. But here, every piece of clothing was hard-won and needed to be cherished. Looking at the clothes in her hands, she felt a greater respect for the people of this era.
At noon, Chen Yu returned home and saw the needle marks on Lin Yue's hands. He said with some concern, "If you're tired, take a rest. There's no need to rush to finish these tasks."
Lin Yue smiled and said, "It's okay, I want to take better care of this house. Besides, I think these housework chores are quite interesting, and I can learn a lot from them."
Chen Yu looked at her, his eyes filled with love. He knew that Lin Yue was a strong and optimistic person, and she was trying her best to adapt to this family and this era.
In the afternoon, Lin Yue decided to go to the river to find some more soapberries for washing clothes. She took her basket and headed to the riverbank. Several women were washing clothes there; they greeted Lin Yue with smiles. Lin Yue chatted with them for a few minutes, then began searching for soapberries.
Lin Yue found quite a few soapberries in the grass by the river. She picked them and put them in her basket. Then, she noticed some strange stones by the riverbank, stones of various shapes and colors. She thought to herself, perhaps she could collect these stones and use them as decorations in the yard.
She picked up some stones, put them in her basket, and then returned home with a full load. Once home, she laid the soapberries out to dry in the yard, then washed the stones and arranged them in a corner. The stones immediately added a touch of color to the yard.
In the evening, Lin Yue and Chen Yu prepared dinner together. They busied themselves in the kitchen, chatting and laughing. Lin Yue realized that this simple and ordinary life, though lacking modern glitz and glamour, possessed a special kind of warmth. They cooked together, just like a real couple, striving for a living.
After dinner, Lin Yue and Chen Yu sat in the courtyard, observing the changes. The newly planted seedlings, the drying soapberries, and the arranged stones all made the courtyard more welcoming. Although their lives were tough, they were creating their own happiness with their own hands. In this special era, their love continued to grow, and their home was getting better and better through their efforts.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
