In a haze, Tang Chunming seemed to be back in the days when he was still dependent on his father. After his mother died, he heard the villagers say that his father wanted to find him a stepmother. He was not afraid of his father’s stick and said who did not know that when there was a stepmother then there would be a stepfather. (1) He is already a child without a mother and [if his father remarried] then he will also not have a father. So the people in the village often saw his father chasing him around with a stick.
For a while, he did not quarrel with his father, and his father had to promise him that he would not have a stepmother. Tang Chunming obediently re-entered the school and sat in the classroom. Of course, he would inevitably be beaten. Later, he learned that his father was afraid that a big man could not take care of a child, so he wanted to find another [wife]. But seeing his child objected so much, he put the thought aside.
When Tang Chunming slowly grew up, he watched his dad live alone, and tried to persuade the old man to find another wife. His father no longer had this thought, saying he would guard his son and wait for his grandson. Tang Chunming had a hard time finding the words to tell his father that he was bent and never told his father. He didn’t want his father to worry, but he ended up having liver cancer. Tang Chunming quit his job in the city and returned to the village to take care of his father during his last period of time. Before he died, he promised him that he would bring his wife and grandson with him in the coming year.
After the old man left, he stayed in the village and guarded the old house for two years. Maybe his father in his grave knew he had been cheated, so the old man got angry and didn’t use a stick, but attacked him with lightning instead.
Ha ha.
“You bastard, where’s my grandson!!!”
Tang Chunming was awakened by his aggressive father, who was holding an iron rod. He sat up on the kang for a long time before he settled. It turned out to be a dream. The room was lit by moonlight as he looked at the little ger Lin’er curled up next to him. He was amused and wiped the little ger’s face. Father, isn’t this a ready-made grandson? You always wanted to have one, if this one doesn’t work out, there is still the one in his stomach.
He was so scared by the old man that having a baby in his stomach could be happily rationalized. Only this nervous person could have such a reaction.
Touching the bed, the kang was a little cold in the middle of the night. Tang Chunming carefully went down from the kang to add some firewood to the kitchen stove. (2) To be honest, he actually liked the child, whether it was the one he saw in front of him or the one in his dreams. The well-behaved Lin’er that he saw made him love him in his heart, even if the people of the Zhao family didn’t care about this little grandchild.
He added firewood and poured himself some hot water to drink slowly. This body was bad, and the whole body is sore and aches, especially in his stomach. After drinking the medicine, it is a little better.
Seeing that Lin’er was asleep, Tang Chunming looked at his left palm under the moonlight. There was a shadow like a jade button. Fortunately, the portable space of the previous life followed, otherwise he would really not be confident that he could make the days better. It would not be easy to take care of this body and not to mention the no good Zhao family who was eyeing his possessions.
Regarding his father, alas, Tang Chunming was speechless. Even if he lied to his dying father, it was just a white lie for the sake of easing his suffering. After the first year of his passing, he took a tumble in front of his father’s grave. He had hit his head and created a large wound that healed into a large scar. At the time, he had touched his head and felt the blood on his hand, thus activating the jade button that was left by the ancestors of the Tang family. This turned out to be a portable space with land and a spring inside and really allowed him to live a happy and relaxed life.
At that time, he was often upset that this portable space didn’t come early or late but that it only appeared when the old man passed away. Otherwise, even if he couldn’t save him, he would at least make him suffer less during the days before he left. The spring water in the space is quite famous. Drinking the spring water every day, he felt that his body was much better than before.
Maybe his old man didn’t see it the first time, but when he went to the grave the following year, he fell down again. However he couldn’t get up this time and was sent directly to a strange world. Father, ah, Father, how much do you hate your son? Tang Chunming shook his head and touched his palm, and the person disappeared into the room.
Upon seeing the familiar sights, Tang Chunming almost cried. Everything in front of him was enough to prove that he was the same Tang Chunming, and he had really transmigrated into another person.
After the initial activation of the space, there was only the spring and less than one mu of black land [within]. After Tang Chunming spent one year tidying up, the space not only was expanded to nearly five mus, he even dug up a pond and set up a wooden house. It wasn’t easy doing these tasks without telling a single person in the village. Fortunately, he was the only one left in the family after the father died, and things went smoothly without any mistakes.
He remembered that when my father handed over the precious treasures of his ancestors to him, he said that the ancestors of the Tang family once had an immortal. Tang Chungming joked that if they really had an immortal as an ancestor then he could become an immortal too. He was scolded by the old man, saying that he disrespected the ancestor, can the ancestor be used to joke?
But when the space was activated, he thought about what the old man said. Tang Chunming is very suspicious that Dad may be right, but it is a pity that his ancestors did not pass down any cultivation techniques. (3)
Tang Chunming first walked into the wooden house and took a cup of spring water and drank it. This body made him very uncomfortable and uneasy. In his previous life, he had a good body. He had very little headaches and rarely got sick. Now he had such a sick and weak body. After drinking a cup of water, he did not feel cool but a warmth instead. The temperature in the space was also higher than outside, and after a while, Tang Chunming’s forehead was sweating.
Taking off the cotton jacket, Tang Chunming carefully checked the crops in the space and his stockpiled materials. Since Tang Chunming always wanted to have a good life, he had never wronged himself. Maybe he could find some opportunities to use things within the space. Not to mention other things, this spring water is also extremely beneficial to the growth of crops after dilution. He has done experiments a long time ago. Not to mention the vegetables and fruits grown in the space, the vegetables grown out of the diluted spring water are better than the market. Those green vegetables could be sold at high prices and were ten times more delicious.
After discovering the existence of space, because he was only one person, he did not make full use of the space to make money. The fruits and vegetables grown in the space are used for his own food, and the ones outside are taken out to earn some living expenses. Otherwise, they were just left alone, therefore, the space was not crowded. Now because of transmigration, all the vegetables in the field withered, and there was a layer of rotten fruits and fallen leaves under the circle of fruit trees on the side. This situation was not beyond Tang Chunming’s expectations. He kept seeds in the wooden house and the fruit trees were not necrotic and could reproduce.
However, he is so tired after walking a few steps with his body now. If he wants to take up a hoe to work now, it would only be in his imagination. It is important to raise his body as soon as possible.
He took the cup and returned to the wooden house. After the wooden house was built, he found that the wooden house actually had more functions, and could store things. The things stored in the wooden house will not rot and remain fresh. Tang Chunming opened the door of a room being used as a storage room and was overjoyed. The food, fruits and vegetables originally placed here were still there, and were unlike the decayed ones outside. He immediately went over and took a red tomato and gnawed at it. A refreshing sweet and sour taste permeated his heart, it was so delicious.
After nibbling a tomato and another big red Fuji apple, Tang Chunming’s stomach was already bulging, and found his appetite was much lower than before. After not being able to eat enough, this body’s stomach must have shrunk. Tang Chunming yawned contentedly, and became sleepy when he was full.
Leaving the space and returning to the house, he found that Lin’er was sleeping extremely restlessly. Tang Chunming hurriedly got on the kang and gently patted him on the back. It seemed that he sensed the breath of mother, and Lin’er calmed down slowly, and obediently fell into his mother’s arms.
Tang Chunming watched Zhao Minglin’s little face like a happy fool before pulling up the quilt to lay down. Let’s go to bed first, all the troubles can wait until after sleeping. His brain is currently too confused.
&&&
The next day Zhang Xiu came to Tang Chunming’s house before dawn, and found that the fire in the stove hadn’t gone out. He knew that Brother Ming must have gotten up in the middle of the night and added firewood. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Brother Ming was still concerned about Lin’er and didn’t just care about his own sadness.
Dashan helped him pick a bundle of firewood and sent it over. After putting down the firewood, he left. There were still two kids in their family who needed to be taken care of. He said that he went out to get water for their house, he would send over two buckets of water.
After boiling the porridge, feeding the chickens, and sweeping the yard clean, there was no movement in the house. Zhang Xiu walked into the house and saw Brother Ming on the kang who was stunned when he saw him, and asked, “Feeling better? The medicine in the morning has been cooked on the stove for you, so just lie down and don’t move. You can drink the medicine after drinking the porridge and filling your stomach. Alas, our Lin’er also woke up. Did you sleep well at night? Let Auntie Xiu look.”
Zhang Xiu liked the little brother of Ming’s family. He was well-behaved, and looked the same as Brother Ming when he was a child. He gave birth to two naughty boys, who spent the days playing outside. There was no little ger to be sticky towards him.
Little Zhao Lin rubbed his eyes. He had cried badly yesterday and his eyes were still a little swollen. He saw a familiar person and spoke softly, “Auntie Xiu?” Zhang Xiu felt soft when he heard it.
Tang Chunming sat up halfway, took the cotton jacket and put it on him, apologizing, “I’m causing you trouble, Brother Xiu.” With the complete memory of the original owner, he adapted quickly to his new identity, and he didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with calling a man, who was not even as old as his past self, older brother. After often being served by his father’s stick, his face has become sturdy enough.
“It’s okay,” Zhang Xiu said while dressing Zhao Lin, “This is still the first month of the year. This is when everyone is most idle. Just put your heart in your stomach. Take care of your body first.”
Knowing that Zhang Xiu is a warm-hearted person, Tang Chunming was not polite anymore, saying too much was suspicious, so he just sat on the kang and watched Zhang Xiuduan give hot water to his son. He also took a warm wet cloth and wiped his face and hands.
Zhang Xiu took the water and poured it out, and then brought the freshly cooked grain porridge to wait on the two young people.
After Tang Chunming ate breakfast and drank the medicine, the two boys from Zhang Xiu’s family also ran over. These two boys are as rare as their mother. They tossed their bowls aside and ran over, Knowing that their mother was in Tang Chunming’s house, Li Dashan had nothing to worry about.
The two young men, one named Li Chengzhu, was eight years old, the other was Li Chengliang, and was five years old. They are usually barking and playing. In Zhang Xiu’s words, the two boys were like cats and dogs. At their age, they would go around the house and expose the tiles. (4) His husband was a real man, who was hardworking. He didn’t know who these two little men took after.
“Lin’er, we will take you outside to catch birds. Yesterday I caught a few of them with my brother. Look, this is what I and my brother saved to bring you to eat.” Er Mao (5) rushed forward, clutching in his hands a small black mass.
Zhang Xiu laughed when he saw it, and said to Tang Chunming, “I didn’t know where these two boys still hid such a thing. I’m guessing their father doesn’t even know where they hide it.” He continued to say, “Alright, go outside and play, but don’t run to far from the yard, Lin’er is not in good health and can’t be naughty like you guys, he can’t stand the cold for too long.”
Zhao Lin was hugged by Da Mao, and holding onto Da Mao’s hand turned towards Tang Chunming. “Mother, I want to go out to play with Da Mao and Er Mao?” He said, still a little worried, and blinked at his mother.
“Follow Da Mao and Er Mao and don’t leave the yard.” Tang Chunming stated. At this time, he needs to guard against the Zhao family. Their family members were really capable of robbing people.
“I know Mom. Auntie Xiu, I’m going out to play.” Zhao Lin greeted Zhang Xiu nicely before going out with the two boys. After a while, laughter came from the yard. Zhang Xiu sighed, looking straight at him and said, “Look, your little ger, so good and sensible. When will our two boys be as sensible, they only grow bigger and look good but don’t take anything to heart.”
“I think they are both pretty good, just wait for them to honor you when they are older.” Thinking about when he was a kid, he was several times skinnier than the two brothers. Those were the days when he would often be chased by his father and his stick.
The weather in the first month was still very cold, and the kang was burning hot. Zhang Xiu took the sewing basket and sat on the kang. While doing needlework, he talked with Tang Chunming and kept his ears attentive to the movements outside.
Tang Chunming listened to Zhang Xiu’s words absent-mindedly, thinking about how to feed himself and his son. The season is not good for planting. The only food in the family is the sorghum rice that was smashed in autumn. The rice grown in the paddy fields were used to exchange for money to pay taxes. As for crops such as corn, yams, and potatoes that were often seen in the countryside in his past life, there is none in the original’s memory. As a rural person, Tang Chunming knows very well that miscellaneous grains are okay to eat occasionally, but will not be able to handle the taste if eaten everyday. Although he has changed his body, Tang Chunming does not think he can bear not eating three full meals a day.
There is food accumulated in the space, but without a source, how can he dare to take it out in an open manner, even if he wants to eat it, he can only eat it secretly behind others backs.
It’s really sad, this is because he doesn’t have money in his hand, otherwise it will be easier to cover up by asking someone to bring some white flour from the market town. The original body was an honest child, and the father of the dead boy knew this. So, when he handed over all the dowry left by his biological mother, he told him that these dowries must be held onto and not handed over to the husband’s family, for fear of the child being coaxed out of his fortune. He can only stand tall if he had some money in his hands. Therefore, no matter how Zhao Grandma and Zhao Dahu persuaded Tang Chunming, they could not get their hands on the dowry jewelry.
After being kicked out of Zhao’s house, other than the two mu of land, Tang Chunming could not let his family eat the wind. He wanted to be strong and took out most of the hidden dowry jewelry. Even if the family was divided, he wanted to live well and not be looked down upon. So he took out more than twenty tales of silver to build the big three roomed house.
The past few years have also been difficult. Tang Chunming struggled to save a little money as her husband paid filial piety towards Grandma Zhao. However, a funeral emptied his family’s coffers. Tang Chunming remembered very clearly that there were now less than a hundred copper plates left in the pot where he saved money.