Chapter 13: Heavy Rain Arrives

"Auntie, stir-fry the leaves." Tong An'nian tugged on Song Yu's sleeve. Song Yu looked at her, then down at the sweet potato vines on the ground.

"These?" Song Yu asked, puzzled. Tong An'nian nodded.

Song Yu didn't know if they would taste good, but they had plenty of sweet potato vines brought back, and if they didn't eat them, they would surely go bad, which would be a waste.

Song Yu picked some sweet potato leaves and stir-fried them; the taste was actually quite good.

Everyone ate their fill that morning. The sweet potato porridge and steamed sweet potatoes were very popular, and everyone ate until they were stuffed. Even Tong An'nian had a round little belly.

After breakfast, Old Master Tong led everyone to patch the roofs of the few rooms. Tong An'nian, feeling bored, sat in the room flipping through Tong Zhengyang's old books.

Although Tong Zhengyang no longer studied, he would still look through them when he had nothing to do.

These characters were not difficult for Tong An'nian. She had once practiced calligraphy specifically to control her temper, but it would be inconceivable for a four-year-old child to suddenly know how to write.

She decided to wait until she had time and let Tong Zhengyang teach her.

As it neared dusk, the horizon was covered by dark clouds. The low-hanging, gloomy clouds caused the entire village to stir with excitement.

After the thunder and lightning, everyone calmed down. What was the use of rain now?

The crops were already on the verge of total failure.

Soon, heavy rain came pattering down from the sky; the pitch-black heavens looked as if they were about to collapse.

In no time, water began to accumulate on the ground. Bean-sized raindrops hit the earth, splashing up water that turned into little bubbles upon landing.

Everyone couldn't help but feel relieved that they had repaired the roofs; otherwise, the things inside the house might have been ruined by the rain.

Old Master Tong and Old Madam Tong exchanged glances. It was Tong An'nian who had suddenly suggested repairing the roofs. Could it be that she knew it was going to rain today?

The two looked at Tong An'nian, who was sitting on a small chair at her doorway, tilting her head to watch the rain outside, and both couldn't help but shake their heads.

Tong An'nian was just a child, after all; how could that be possible?

They pushed the thought out of their minds and looked at Tong An'nian with smiles. Tong An'nian had always been sickly and rarely had the chance to watch the rain from such a close distance.

"Ling, I remember that after autumn rains, one can go up the mountain to pick mushrooms." Tong An'nian wasn't just watching the heavy rain for fun; her mind was occupied with ways to make money.

In just a few days, Tong An'nian had realized how poor this family was. They always ate coarse grains or wild vegetables, and if there was anything slightly better, Old Madam Tong would save it for her.

Although Tong An'nian ate it every time, she felt uncomfortable eating alone every day. Yet, if she didn't eat, she feared her frail body wouldn't last long.

If they could grow mushrooms themselves and sell them, they should be able to earn some money, right?

"Yes, Master." Ling's reply made the corners of Tong An'nian's mouth curl up.

"Daddy, learn characters." Tong An'nian stood up, took a book from the table, and brought it to Tong Zhengyang.

Seeing her interest, Tong Zhengyang was happy to oblige. He held Tong An'nian, sat her at the desk, and took a copy of the *Thousand Character Classic*, teaching her one character at a time.

"Heaven and earth are dark and yellow, the universe is vast and desolate. The sun and moon wax and wane, the stars are spread out. Cold comes and summer goes, autumn harvests and winter stores..."

Tong An'nian was stunned by the content. Fortunately, she was only using it to learn the characters; if she had to memorize it, she might not be able to keep going.

He had originally intended to pass the time by teaching Tong An'nian to read, but gradually, Tong Zhengyang became shocked. His daughter was simply a genius.

She remembered the characters after being taught only two or three times, and she wrote them without a single mistake, even if the characters were crooked and not very pretty.

If Tong An'nian were a son, he would exhaust the family's wealth to send her to school.