C14 Perseverance

As soon as Ann Yan departed, Han Rui and Liuya quickly set their bowls aside and followed her out. The trio moved with a surprising synchronicity.

Han Rui couldn't help but acknowledge that, despite the stepmother's occasional naivete, she was a shield for him and his sister against the harsher elements of family life. With her around, they felt secure; even the Third and Fourth Aunts couldn't harass them at will.

Once back in her room, Ann Yan fetched a bucket of hot water from the kitchen. After a sweaty day, she longed for a thorough bath, but circumstances dictated a quick wash. She cleaned up the little ones first before taking a more abbreviated bath herself.

Nighttime in ancient times offered little in the way of entertainment, and lighting a lamp meant using precious oil. So after her bath, Ann Yan opted for an early night, knowing she needed to rise at dawn to prepare breakfast.

Awakening early, Ann Yan first exchanged the wild chicken eggs she had hidden for ten gold coins, then headed to the kitchen to start on the morning meal.

Post-breakfast, the Han family set off for the fields, while Ann Yan, armed with her hoe, made her way to the vegetable garden. She had even secured some seeds from her mother-in-law, aiming to expand her cultivation. Land was a valuable commodity, but it was all about location. The Han family's plot was a stretch of untamed land behind their home, a common practice in the village where prime fields were reserved for essential grain crops.

The wasteland was a challenging mix of barren soil and stones, making cultivation a laborious process with often disappointing yields. Only by adding substantial fertilizer could one hope for a decent harvest, but with such resources in limited supply, most families kept their gardens modest.

Adjacent to the Han family's plot lay an unused expanse of land. Ann Yan saw potential in it and decided to plant a variety of vegetables there, aiming to improve the family's diet beyond the fixed rations of grain.

As Ann Yan toiled in the garden, Han Rui and his sister didn't seek out play but instead stayed to assist. Despite their young age, they were surprisingly helpful. They couldn't manage the heavy digging, but they could collect rocks and weeds, easing Ann Yan's workload significantly.

The land, however, was desperately poor. Without fertilizer, any crops would fail to thrive. Reluctant to divert the precious manure needed for their grains and unwilling to handle the foul-smelling dung, Ann Yan finally bit the bullet and exchanged a gold coin for a bottle of organic fertilizer concentrate in the system.

The system's products were guaranteed to be top-notch. Just one bottle of this organic fertilizer concentrate could enrich an entire acre of land. It was colorless, odorless, and dissolved instantly when tossed into water—just water the soil with the solution, and you're done.

Ann Yan's actions were stealthy, eluding the notice of the two little ones. The vegetable garden, though small, demanded a fair amount of labor. It took Ann Yan and the kids two full days of toil to get it in order and sow the seeds.

Now, Ann Yan found herself in charge of feeding a large family, her schedule was packed, leaving no time for mountain excursions. Ironically, it was the Plantago Grass, considered a mere weed by the villagers and of no use, that she traded in the system for a substantial amount of gold coins—an unforeseen windfall. Since Plantago Grass wasn't an edible herb and no one else bothered to gather it, it grew abundantly around the village, sparing Ann Yan any immediate worries about fulfilling the system's exchange tasks.

Han Rui and Liuya, noticing Ann Yan's fondness for the 'weeds,' though clueless about her plans for them, would dig up heaps of the stuff daily to bring back to her, aside from the occasional help with chores.

"Brother Rui, Liuya, what are you doing with all these weeds?" Liu Chunhua inquired, her voice laced with feigned curiosity, though her mind harbored doubts. Unlike the others, she recognized these were not ordinary weeds but Plantago Grass, a Chinese medicinal herb.

"Big Sister Spring Flower, mom loves these weeds. We're digging them up for her, and it makes her happy," Liuya replied, seeing no need for secrecy with Liu Chunhua, who had been kind to them lately.

"Your mother?" Liu Chunhua frowned inwardly at Liuya's warm reference to her mother, finding the rustic term grating. Yet, she kept her composure, her gaze probing Liuya.

Liu Chunhua harbored secret desires for Han Ze. In her previous life as a white-collar worker in a major city of the 21st century, she had no worries about the essentials, despite not being wealthy. Now, transported to this small village, she found herself among coarse country folk. Only Han Ze, with his good looks and promising future, caught her eye. She had gathered quite a bit of information about him and knew that Han Ze had been married twice. His first wife was the mother of Han Rui and Liuya, while Old Madam Han had brought in his current wife, reportedly a criminal servant sold by a wealthy family.

How could such a woman ever be a match for Han Ze? Liu Chunhua felt a pang of sorrow for Han Ze; yet, that woman not only failed to appreciate her good fortune, she scorned Han Ze and was cruel to his two children.

Liu Chunhua couldn't help but feel sorry for the children, who deserved better than Han Ze. She found herself taking extra care of them, but it was clear that Han Rui and his sister had a strained relationship with their stepmother. When Liuya called her 'mother' with such warmth, could it possibly mean that Han Ze's ex-wife had returned?

"Yes, Mother is so good to my brother and me. I want to honor her and heed her advice."

"Wasn't your mother unkind to you, and didn't she run off with someone else? How come she's back now?" Liu Chunhua deliberately prodded, hoping to coax more information from Liuya.

Liuya, though young, was acutely aware of how poorly her biological mother had treated her and her brother—nothing but beatings and scoldings. She harbored both hatred and fear for her, to the point where she didn't even want to acknowledge having such a mother, especially when compared to the one she had now.

"She hasn't come back. The mother I'm talking about is the one who came after. Don't talk nonsense," Liuya said, her lips pressed tightly together.

Liu Chunhua was surprised by the dramatic change that had taken place in just a few days. It was no secret that Han Rui and his sister had a rocky relationship with their stepmother, and yet, somehow, that woman had managed to win them over.

Liu Chunhua couldn't believe that the woman had suddenly turned benevolent and worried that the children might be deceived. "Liuya, you're still young, and you may not understand that the world of adults is quite complex. Wasn't your stepmother always cold to you and your brother? If she's suddenly being nice, there might be an ulterior motive. You must be careful not to be fooled so easily."

"Mother wouldn't lie to Liuya!"

Liuya was indeed clever for her age, but at just six years old, there was only so much she could grasp. She struggled to counter Liu Chunhua's words, clinging steadfastly to her own convictions.