Chapter 6

Mrs. Sun's eyes were wide open, staring intently at Yang Ruqing's face, afraid that the beautiful dream would shatter if she blinked.

Her lips curved involuntarily, clearly smiling, but tears streamed down her cheeks.

She had had such beautiful dreams many times over the years, but this one felt the most real. Every time she spoke, she would wake up.

So, Mrs. Sun bit her hand tightly, not allowing herself to make even the slightest sound.

Seeing her stepmother's expression, Yang Ruqing was a bit surprised.

But after some thought, she could understand.

When her daughter was almost abandoned by the village's old Chinese doctor, the nearby village's shaman, and the entire old Yang family, the despair was unimaginable.

It was understandable that she couldn't accept it right away; a mother's love is truly touching!

Sighing inwardly, just as Yang Ruqing was about to speak again, her stomach suddenly growled loudly, finally pulling Mrs. Sun out of her shock.

"Qing'er! My dear daughter!" Mrs. Sun suddenly pulled her hand away, let out a cry, and hugged Yang Ruqing tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yang Ruqing didn't move, allowing Mrs. Sun to hold her, letting this poor mother vent her emotions.

At that moment, the broken wooden door of the west wing was pounded from the outside, followed by Mrs. Tan's scolding: "In the middle of the day, what are you wailing for? Your father just lay down, and they still have to work in the fields this afternoon!"

"Mother, my Qing'er, she..."

Mrs. Sun's heart was filled with joy at Yang Qiuyu's awakening, and she didn't care about fearing Mrs. Tan. She lifted her head from Yang Ruqing's broad, sturdy shoulder, turned around, and was eager to share this good news with Mrs. Tan.

However, before she could finish her sentence, Mrs. Tan cut her off harshly.

"Dead? Good, the sooner she dies, the sooner she can be reborn, and everyone will be at peace, and she can find her own release! When the third son comes back, think about sending her away, don't use the main gate, it's inauspicious!"

Leaving these harsh words, Mrs. Tan spat and turned to leave, her steps quick, as if afraid of being tainted by the bad luck in the room.

From a distance, her muttering could still be heard: "... dying during the autumn harvest, truly inauspicious!"

Inside the west wing, Mrs. Sun sat there in a daze, her face pale and then red, her teeth biting her lip, her thin body trembling slightly.

Yang Ruqing knew that Mrs. Sun was angry at Mrs. Tan. Not fainting or spitting blood, Mrs. Sun was indeed a well-tested bun.

Wasn't she angry too?

She even doubted whether the Mrs. Tan outside was really her biological grandmother; her words were so vicious!

No, this wasn't just verbal viciousness; it was cold-blooded, devoid of any familial affection!

In her previous life, she was an orphan and had never tasted the sweetness of family. Although she was used to being alone, the deep-seated longing for family was something only she understood.

Reborn and transported to this ancient farming family, though impoverished, the care and attention from her stepmother warmed her cold, numb heart. She also developed some hope for the old Yang family.

When Mrs. Sun wanted to tell Mrs. Tan the good news about her awakening, she didn't stop her.

But now, she realized she was wrong, and terribly so.

Family affection is something one can only hope for, not demand. Mrs. Sun and her husband treated her with all their heart because she was their biological daughter.

But the others in the old Yang family might not.

Yang Ruqing shifted her heavy body, moving closer to Mrs. Sun, who was sitting by the bed, wiping away her tears, and consoled her: "Mother, don't be angry, that's just how my grandmother is..."

Before she could finish, Mrs. Sun covered her mouth with her palm.

Mrs. Sun's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice, saying to Yang Ruqing: "You silly child, are you being foolish again? There are gods above us, she is your grandmother, no matter what she says about us, we must endure it. Speaking ill of your elders behind their back will bring down the wrath of heaven..."

Yang Ruqing's lips twitched involuntarily. What kind of logic was this?

Blind filial piety!

Character determines thinking, and thinking determines fate. Mrs. Sun's mindset needed a good wash, but not now.

Yang Ruqing knew a fundamental truth: it takes more than a day to thaw three feet of ice. To change Mrs. Sun's mindset, it couldn't be rushed; it had to be a gradual process.

So, Yang Ruqing changed the subject, holding her rumbling stomach and looking at Mrs. Sun with a pained expression: "Mother, I'm so hungry, my stomach is sticking to my back. Is there anything to eat?"

Mrs. Sun suddenly remembered her purpose for coming to the room.

Slapping her thigh, she lamented: "Look at my memory, how could I forget completely? I've kept you waiting so long, I hope it hasn't gone cold..." and hurriedly went to the table.

Yang Ruqing's gaze followed Mrs. Sun's back. On the table was a chipped earthenware bowl, with another bowl inverted on top, perhaps to keep it warm.

This was the first time she had seen food since being transported to this ancient farming family.

She wondered what the rural people of this era ate! Sitting up straight, she rubbed her hands together, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the large bowl Mrs. Sun brought over.

Mrs. Sun lifted the inverted bowl and placed it aside, and the sweet scent of sweet potatoes wafted up. Yang Ruqing's eyes widened as she carefully examined the food in the bowl.

The mixed grain rice with sweet potatoes was piled high, topped with a few cabbage leaves, half a pickled cucumber, and a spoonful of fried soybeans.

The cabbage leaves were a bit blackened, and the stems were soft, clearly boiled rather than stir-fried. The cucumber was dark and wrinkled, with a faint foul smell that instantly killed most of her appetite. Only the fried soybeans looked decent, a golden yellow.

Seeing Yang Ruqing's expression, Mrs. Sun was inwardly surprised.

Her daughter had just been complaining about being hungry, so why wasn't she eating now?

"Why aren't you eating while it's hot? The soybeans are cooked by me, didn't you always love the soybeans I cooked?" Mrs. Sun couldn't help but ask.

Yang Ruqing snapped back to reality. The best-looking dish in the bowl was made by Mrs. Sun, no wonder.

The other two dishes, without a doubt, were made by her aunt.

"Oh, I was just spacing out, I'll eat now." Yang Ruqing smiled at Mrs. Sun, took the chopsticks from her, and was about to start eating when she suddenly paused.

"What's wrong again?"