Chapter 8: One's Own Land

It must be said, with their own thoughts in mind, the two of them got along quite happily.

After the meal, Mei Xue told Grandma to go inside and take a nap before heading to the fields in the afternoon.

The fields had just been tidied up yesterday, but today they still needed to weed and pick some of the ripe vegetables.

Grandma had mentioned a few things about this last night, and Mei Xue had kept it all in her heart.

This home had not let her go hungry, and Grandma He had given her a sense of family affection she had never known before; Mei Xue cherished it deeply.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Xiao Xue. After you finish cleaning up, you go get some sleep too. Put the meat in the well out back and cover it with a basin so the cats don't snatch it away."

Grandma He looked happy. She was finally enjoying some comfort; even if it was just her granddaughter-in-law, this comfort had reached her, so how could she not be happy?

"Alright, Grandma, I'll go right now." She had just been thinking that the meat would spoil if it wasn't cooked, and unexpectedly, Grandma had already taught her how to store it.

"Mm, remember to rub some salt on the meat." Oh, she was getting old; she’d wait until she woke up to render the lard.

Mei Xue noted down what Grandma said, cleared the table, and went to store the meat properly.

She then went to the well in the courtyard to wash the clothes the two of them had been soaking.

When she arrived at the well, she discovered that the clothes she had soaked there in the morning were gone.

And not far ahead, weren't those her clothes hanging on the fence?

Mei Xue walked over quickly to take a look; they were clean and even carried a fragrance.

She knew it was the scent of soap.

"It's so good to have a grandma." Touching her clothes, Mei Xue stood in the sun, smiling very happily.

Since the clothes were already dried, she went back to rest for a while. This day had truly made her excited and happy.

Returning to her room, Mei Xue seized the time to close her eyes and rest.

In the afternoon, Grandma He took Mei Xue to the fields to look around first. After seeing that the rice in the fields was growing promisingly, they turned back, stopping by the vegetable garden she had cultivated.

What met the eye in the vegetable garden were rows of tall wooden stakes standing there, all covered in climbing vegetable vines.

Mei Xue walked closer to look; she recognized many of them, but she had never eaten them.

"Grandma, are these long beans?" Long beans, also known as cowpeas, hung one by one from the wooden stakes. They were green, and as she got closer, the fragrance of the cowpeas reached Mei Xue's nose.

She discovered that since arriving here, her five senses had become much sharper. No matter what it was, she could smell it; she was comparable to a dog.

"You, you're just a glutton. If you like them, we'll pick some to take back later. But they're still a bit tender to eat now; in a few days, the cowpea soup will be even more fragrant."

The old lady was very happy that her hard work was being affirmed.

Seeing Xiao Xue's greedy look, she was even happier. "Whatever we can't finish at home, we can take to the street to sell. When the time comes, I'll buy some candy for Xiao Xue, how about that?" the old lady teased.

Mei Xue wouldn't be polite. "What kind of candy, Grandma?"

Seeing Xiao Xue tempted by the candy, the old lady laughed even more heartily. "Haha, all kinds of candy."

The old lady had opened up several plots of land; she was diligent and capable. Usually, when she was home alone, she had to farm and could still manage such a large vegetable garden—it was truly not simple.

"Grandma is so good." Mei Xue hugged Grandma He's arm and acted spoiled.

She almost shook the old lady dizzy. "Let go, let go. Let's go see if the corn is ready. If the corn is ready, we'll boil some to eat tonight."

Mei Xue was naturally happy. In the two days since she arrived here, she had eaten things she had never tasted before, and the flavor was truly delicious.

Upon hearing there was corn, Mei Xue immediately stopped fussing and became as obedient as a child who had just received candy.

Looking at the various vegetables in the field, the stomach Mei Xue had filled at noon began to stir again.

Fortunately, not far away, Grandma He picked a vegetable from a wooden stake.

Mei Xue didn't recognize it, but that didn't stop her from knowing it was edible.

"Xiao Xue, come try this. The cucumber is a bit tender right now, but it can be eaten." After saying that, she wiped the prickles off on her clothes and handed it to Mei Xue.

Hearing it was a cucumber, Mei Xue didn't stand on ceremony at all; she put it in her mouth and took a bite.

It must be said, it was truly delicious, fragrant, crisp, and tasty.

"Grandma, it's delicious." With a mouthful of cucumber, Mei Xue broke the cucumber in her hand and held the other piece she hadn't touched out to Grandma's mouth. "Grandma, you eat."

The grandmother and granddaughter ate a single cucumber with pink bubbles of joy around them; they were truly a close pair.

"Haha, it's delicious." How could the villagers pick cucumbers so early? They usually waited until the cucumbers were thornless before picking them, so that one cucumber could make a large bowl of food, enough for a whole family to eat a meal.

Grandma He wasn't a very generous person, but she could be like this with Mei Xue because she truly regarded her as her own family.

Otherwise, let alone eating her vegetables, anyone walking near her garden would be scolded away.

It was as if she feared others would steal her vegetables.

Eating as they went, they walked toward the cornfield. Corn didn't have high requirements for soil, and Grandma He was a good planner, so she planted the corn in the innermost part.

Walking along the way, Mei Xue discovered several other types of vegetables.

Of course, there were also chili peppers; she recognized those.

However, they were still a bit tender. They could be eaten now, but they had a raw, green taste.

Grandma He finished the cucumber in a few bites and, upon reaching the cornfield, immediately snapped one off.

She peeled back the silk to see if the kernels inside were ripe.

"Mm, the corn is ready to eat. When we go to the market in two days, we'll take some to sell, and then I'll buy some candy for Xiao Xue," Grandma He laughed.

Her vegetables had grown well this year, and since she had planted so many, she could sell them for a good price.

"I'll go sell the vegetables with Grandma." Mei Xue looked forward to it.

"Alright, I'll take you." Grandma He laughed happily. "Quick, we'll eat corn tonight. Let's just snap ten ears." Ten ears—five for each of them; Grandma He felt that was enough.

With such good things, how could it be enough for Mei Xue? "Grandma, can we snap a few more?" She really wanted to eat them.

Only then did Grandma He realize that her granddaughter-in-law was likely a foodie.

"Fine, if you like them, snap a few more, but you have to finish them." These corn cobs weren't very big, and five wouldn't be enough; it seemed Xiao Xue was truly starving.

Seeing her like this, Grandma He became worried again. "Xiao Xue, you have to eat slowly. Be careful not to overstuff your stomach; if you do, you won't even have a place to cry."

In those years, she had seen many people who ate ravenously and ended up rupturing their stomachs.

Fortunately, life was better now, and every household could afford to eat.

Mei Xue was a bit confused. "Grandma, I'm not overstuffed." She could eat even more; she had to know that her strength was slowly recovering, and her consumption was definitely much greater than the original owner's.

This was also why Mei Xue was so agitated when she heard the original owner's father had passed away.

She was afraid of exposing herself.

Grandma He couldn't say anything more, but in the end, she only picked ten ears of corn.

After such a turn around the fields and the garden, time passed quickly. After the sun set, the temperature in the mountains became cooler and cooler, which was quite comfortable.

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(End of chapter)