Chapter 2: and

Mother Li tried her best to suppress her temper as she laid out the situation clearly, hoping that this muddle-headed girl would finally see reason. If she didn't cherish her own life, there was nothing anyone else could do.

Today, Qin Wangshu did not disappoint her: "Thank you, Mother."

A pinch of wheat, no more than twenty or thirty grains—Qin Wangshu, who was hovering on the brink of starvation, dared not be picky.

Qin Wangshu’s docility eased Mother Li’s heart once again, and her naturally restrained personality began to show.

"What are you thanking me for? Eat quickly, don't talk, you're wasting your saliva."

Qin Wangshu:...My lips are so dry I can't even lick them moist, where would I find any saliva?

Besides, that remark should be directed at your eldest daughter-in-law. I’ve never seen her stop chattering from dawn till dusk. If it weren't for the fact that everyone around us is an acquaintance from the same village, the way she goes on—eager to tell the story of how she came to the Li family three times a day—her reputation would have rotted to the ends of the earth.

Perhaps it was for the sake of her reputation that this old woman chose to move so far away from home.

Thinking of the original owner, Qin Wangshu felt a throbbing pain in her temples.

The original owner was also named Qin Wangshu, the concubine-born daughter of Master Qin in Xiao-Kan Town. She was sixteen, and because of her delicate beauty, she had been kept from marriage by the schemes of the First Madam’s nephew, who had his eyes on her.

Three months ago, she had been framed and ended up in bed with Li Jiang, a firewood delivery man, and was subsequently kicked out of the house by Master Qin.

The original owner, a poor, pitiful girl who had spent years under the cold eyes of her stepmother and the bullying of her elder sister, with no mother to protect her, had no worldly wisdom. Her heart and eyes were filled with nothing but hatred: hatred for Master Qin for disregarding their father-daughter bond, hatred for Li Jiang for ruining her purity, and even more hatred for the unfairness of heaven—that after losing her life of luxury, she couldn't even get a full meal.

Filled with hatred for the world, the original owner had entered the Li family three months ago and spent those three months making a scene. Just a few days ago, she had literally worried herself to death, and that was when she had taken over.

Waking up again and inheriting another person's memories, Qin Wangshu had initially thought it wasn't too bad. Sixteen, the age of a flower; she thought that without the pressures of modern life or the sight of scumbags and sluts, she could squander her youth. But when the sight of the drought she saw with her own eyes matched the memories in her head, she felt like dying all over again.

What kind of situation was this? The war had just ended, and now a severe drought. It was the end of autumn and there was still no sign of rain; this was a rhythm meant to dry people to death. Did Heaven think her death by falling was too easy and wanted her to deeply experience the terror of death, or what?

And that wasn't even the most infuriating part. The most infuriating part was this broken system.

It was bullying, wasn't it? Such a high-end system only had four users. Even if it only had four users, did the ones exchanging immortal pills and space stones ever think about the existence of mortals? Mortals are poor, very poor; where would they find anything you’d look twice at?

And the one from the ancient era was even worse. You’re already in the ancient era, don't you know the importance of food? Why display so many useless rocks? Can you bite them or chew them?

The thinking of immortals is not something mortals can understand, and the thinking of savages is not something intelligent life can understand. So, the one from the interstellar era shouldn't be too far off, right? After all, compared to the ancient era and the world of immortals, the interstellar era was closer to her. But what was the meaning of these robots, spaceships, and aircraft carriers!?

Did they want her to rule a planet? Fly out of the solar system!?

"...Huu~" She would die of frustration before she died of thirst.

"Drink some." Li Jiang shoved the gourd to his young wife's lips, leaving no room for argument.

Smelling the musty water, Qin Wangshu once again followed her instincts.

She gulped down several large mouthfuls of water before coming back to her senses.

Leaning her head back, she looked with resentment at Li Jiang, who was sitting directly opposite her, his eyes sunken, his cheeks hollow, and his lips covered in blood scabs.

Li Jiang, unlucky soul number two.

Compared to the peacock-like Qin Baiqiang, Qin Wangshu appreciated him more.

He wasn't old, but he was responsible. During their short three months as husband and wife, he had spent all his savings to let the original owner have a half-full stomach. When facing the original owner's various unreasonable tantrums, he would hang his head and let her hit and scold him, and he stood up for her when his sister-in-law tried to pick a fight.

In Qin Wangshu's heart, a man doesn't have to be able to earn a lot of money, but he must be responsible and know how to distinguish between internal and external matters. That was why she had chosen Qin Baiqiang, who came from the same orphanage.

She felt that material life could be frugal, but one's character and values had to be upright to grow old together and raise healthy children. Coming from the same orphanage, she had felt that Qin Baiqiang, like her, longed for a family and loved ones, and would be a responsible husband and father.

Facing his young wife's resentful gaze, Li Jiang felt his scalp tingle. He stiffly retracted the gourd and lowered his brows.

Watching her youngest son act like a quail, Mother Li felt a pang of pain in her heart.

She had given birth to three sons and two daughters. The eldest was honest, so she had carefully selected a sharp-witted wife for him. The second was dull, so she had picked a shrewd one out of ten. The third was diligent, so she had chosen a hunter who was equally diligent.

The three children who had started families had lived prosperous and harmonious lives all these years. But when it came to her fourth son, the one she doted on the most, first the war delayed his marriage prospects, and then came the drought—people were starving to death.

In such times, when the family was nearly starving, who would think about taking a wife?

Although this wife was a bit of an eyesore, since her fourth son had accepted her and liked her very much, she, as his mother, had no objections. But ever since this young wife entered the house, her fourth son had changed.

His former shrewdness was gone, his former strength was gone, and even his former temper had vanished. Whenever his wife threw a tantrum, he would shrink his head like a quail.

Patting her chest, Mother Li looked away, feeling that if she kept watching, she would choke... She had never seen a man dote on his wife like her fourth son; he had simply thrown away all his dignity as a man.

"What's wrong, old woman?" Old Man Li looked up at the sound and saw his wife patting her chest incessantly. "Where are you uncomfortable?"

Slapping away the hand the old man reached out to steady her shoulder, Mother Li gave him a sidelong glance.

"I'm fine."

"Fine!?" If you're fine, why are you patting yourself like that? Have you gone mad?

"What are you looking at? I said I'm fine." Scanning the children who were concerned for her, Mother Li raised her hand and pressed down on her youngest daughter's head. "Keep your head down, aren't you afraid of drying out in all this sun?"

"Mother~" Li Xiaoxia looked up again, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at her mother.

"What are you crying for? I said I'm fine." Her tone was sharp, but inside, Mother Li was pleased. It was just a moment of breathlessness, and the whole family was concerned.

Living a lifetime, to receive such care in these circumstances was enough.

Amidst the concerned gazes of the Li family, the voice of the village chief, Yang Lin, interrupted them.

"Get up, get up, the destination is still far."

Hearing this, Mother Li stood up immediately. "Hurry, everyone get up and move your legs."

Qin Wangshu stood up hurriedly and patted her skirt.

"Get on." Signaling with his eyes, Li Jiang held the cart shaft, waiting for Qin Wangshu, clearly intending not to move until she got on.

Her legs had been aching for a long time, but looking at the mountain of luggage on the wooden cart and the five children hanging off it, she shook her head.

"I can walk."

"......"

Watching the young couple staring at each other again, Mother Li could only speak up.

"Fourth one's wife, just sit for a while. The fourth one is strong, he can push it."