“I’m back!”

 

Jing Yi walked into the courtyard and saw his mother preparing to soak the rice and glutinous rice. The large wooden basin filled with rice was heavy. Usually, it was Jing Yi’s father or Jing Yi himself who would move it from the kitchen to the courtyard. But with no man at home now, his mother was struggling to move it.

 

Seeing this, Jing Yi quickly went over to help, worriedly saying, “Mother, let me handle this kind of heavy work when I come back. Be careful not to strain your back. Is Father still in the field?”

 

His physique had improved significantly, and he easily carried the big basin of rice to the courtyard. After looking around, he realized there was no other strenuous work to be done in the courtyard.

 

“Your father is still in the field, and Jing An is there too.” Jing Yi’s mother looked at her eldest son, who was about to leave, and quickly said, “Xiao Yi, you’re already tired. Take a break before you go. I know I can’t persuade you not to go, so at least rest for a while before leaving.”

 

After his mother finished speaking, Jing Yi went to get a basket and filled it with the cold tea his mother had prepared. He also added five tea eggs to the basket. Without stopping, he headed out and said to his mother, “Don’t worry, Mother, I’m full of energy. I’m just going to take a look.”

 

He specifically instructed, “I bought roasted chicken, pork, and fish from the market. Have the roasted chicken for dinner, and stir-fry some garlic pork. Preserve the remaining meat and fish. We don’t need to use too much salt. We’ll have them tomorrow.”

 

When he arrived at their five-acre fertile land, the golden rice swayed like waves. Jing Yi felt a sense of gratitude towards nature and the joy of reaping the rewards of hard work. In the countryside, people truly appreciated seeing a good harvest.

 

Jing Yi’s father, who was stooping and working in the rice field, was drenched in sweat from the scorching sun. His coarse clothes clung to his body, indicating his extreme discomfort. He would occasionally use a handkerchief to wipe his forehead and neck.

 

Little Jing An, who was helping to tie the rice bundles, had lost his usual playful energy and was earnestly working. It seemed like he had gained a few shades of darkness in just one day, but he had also become stronger compared to a few months ago.

 

The scorching sun in the sky during this “Autumn Harvest” period was truly intense.

 

“Father, Xiao An, come and take a break, have some tea.”

 

When he reached the edge of the field, Jing Yi called out and took out two cups of cold tea from the basket, along with the tea eggs. Then he walked over and took the sickle from his father’s hand, telling him to rest while he continued working. Seeing this, his father took his younger son and went to rest first.

 

After drinking the cold tea and eating the tea eggs, feeling less restless in his stomach and more relaxed overall, Jing Yi joined his father in working in the field.

 

They wanted to finish harvesting this plot of land quickly and return home. Working on one plot of land a day wasn’t too demanding, otherwise, the eldest son would have to help once he returned, and they didn’t want that.

 

Jing Yi wasn’t very skilled in farming, as he didn’t have much experience in this area before. However, he was intelligent and could mimic and adapt well. Seeing his father and younger brother working in the field, he sent Jing’an back and asked his father to do some threshing work, as he was more skilled at it.

 

Another hour passed, and they finally finished working on this plot of land. Jing Yi’s father had already brought a cart from home in advance. The pile on the cart was high, so it would only take two trips to transport everything.

 

A day of hard work had finally come to an end.

 

Back at home, Jing Yi’s mother had already prepared the meal. The roasted chicken he bought didn’t need to be reheated and tasted better when eaten cold. He also plucked some garlic leaves from the backyard vegetable garden and stir-fried them with pork belly. The pork belly was cooked to a crispy and fragrant state, and with each bite, the mouth was filled with savory juices, which was extremely satisfying.

 

The two dishes were quite generous in portion, but considering the need to replenish after the autumn harvest, four more eggs were taken out, a strand of leek was plucked, and a dish of leek and egg pancake was made, which was also very fragrant. Another plate of water celery, marinated two days ago, was also a luxurious addition to the meal.

 

Sure enough, after the meal, Jing Yi’s Father’s face was filled with joy, and his eyes were shining. However, amidst the background noise of Jing An and Jing Shu’s “Wow, it smells so good!” and “I’m so hungry!” they were still trying hard to hold back their smiles, trying to appear composed, not realizing that anyone who knew them could tell how satisfied they were.

 

Coincidentally, everyone in the courtyard understood him.

 

Jing An and Jing Shu quickly pulled Jing Yi’s Father and Mother to their seats and urged their eldest brother to come quickly while they went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks. It smelled so good that they didn’t want to waste a second.

 

The meal was delicious, and everyone was satisfied. In little Jing Shu’s words, “I can taste meat even when I go to sleep at night.”

 

After finishing the meal and taking a short break, they quickly brought out the food that would be sold the next day before the sun went down. Jing’s father wasn’t involved, and Jing Yi’s Mother and Jing Yi efficiently prepared everything, speaking less due to fatigue.

 

The second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day… Finally, the autumn harvest at the Jing family’s farm came to an end.

 

This year’s harvest was different from previous years and was much more exhausting. Jing Yi’s Father and Jing Yi’s faces had turned a bit rusty, and the same went for Jing Yi’s Mother and Jing An. They had finally gained some weight, but now they had lost it again. Even little Jing Shu, though young, had been doing what he could during these past few days and now looked tired.

 

Jing Yi thought that in the future, during the busy farming season, it would be better to spend money to hire help. As long as the family had enough money, it wouldn’t be difficult to persuade Jing Yi’s Father and Mother.

 

After finishing dinner that day, everyone was resting in the courtyard. Jing Yi brought a small table under the jujube tree, brewed a pot of tea, and brought it over. The tea had cooled down and had a pleasant taste, just right for drinking. He handed a cup to Jing Yi’s Father and Mother.

 

He also sent his younger brothers to the kitchen to get some honey water to drink. “As the eldest brother, it’s good enough that I make it for you. I can’t serve you by feeding you.”

 

With a cup of clear tea in his hand, savoring the slight bitterness and the lingering sweetness, Jing Yi pondered for a moment and then spoke up.

 

“Father, Mother, we don’t need to prepare food today. I informed the customers at the stall that we would take a day off due to the recent busy farming season.” He looked at their expressions and continued before they could object, “Everyone has been working too hard recently, and overexertion is dangerous. My greatest wish is not to earn more money, but for the whole family to be healthy and happy.”

 

Sure enough, as his words became more heartfelt, Jing Yi’s Father and Mother were deeply moved and no longer objected.

 

Seizing the opportunity, Jing Yi continued to communicate with them. “There’s another thing I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Our stall shouldn’t operate continuously. For the past few months, we haven’t had a break, and sometimes you, Mother, had to handle things at home, which wasn’t appropriate.”

 

“What’s inappropriate about that? Do you think I can’t handle it well?” When Jing Yi’s Mother heard Jing Yi’s words, her eyebrows immediately rose, and she asked unhappily.

 

“That’s not what I meant, Mother. I’m just worried that you’ll get tired and that you might suffer losses,” Jing Yi quickly explained, realizing that he hadn’t made himself clear and had caused a misunderstanding.

 

“In the future, let’s take one day off for every ten days of operation. It won’t disrupt our business too much, and we’ll have time to take care of things on the farm. I was thinking of seeing how much money we have at home and asking the village chief to buy a few acres of good land. What do you both think?”

 

When the couple heard their eldest son say that he wanted to buy land, they knew it was a significant matter for the family. In an instant, they felt that with land, the ten-day break plan was no longer an issue.

 

After all, the initial intention of Jing Yi’s Father and Jing Yi’s Mother when they started their business together was not to make a lot of money. Now that they can buy land, it’s simply wonderful.

 

“Alright, my eldest son, let’s take some gifts and go to the village chief’s house tomorrow to inquire. The other families haven’t finished their busy farming yet, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer. Let him keep an eye out for us in advance.” Jing Yi’s Father naturally took on the responsibility of buying the land. As an experienced farmer, he certainly knew everything about land.

 

“Okay, Father,” Jing Yi nodded in agreement.

 

He also told his mother, “Mother, you take care of the money at home and keep an eye on it for me and Father. I’m thinking that next spring, we can build a few brick houses. Don’t spend all the money, haha.”

 

“Alright, you and your father can go and take a look. Our family has enough money!” Jing Yi’s Mother, who had a clear understanding, spoke confidently.

 

Buying land was great. With money in hand, they could invest it and as long as they diligently cultivated the land, the money would keep flowing in.

 

“That’s great! Big brother, when spring comes next year, will I have my own little house?” Jing Shu propped up his cheeks with both hands, looking adorable as he asked his big brother.

 

“Hahaha, yes! When the time comes, big brother will definitely decorate little Shu’s house beautifully.” Jing Yi touched his younger brother’s two little buns and said to Jing An, who had a look of anticipation, “And you too, when it comes to decorating the house, you can do it yourself.”

 

He was silently moved in his heart, thinking, “These two children are so adorable! They must have grown up eating ‘adorable’!”

 

“Yay!” Jing An and Jing Shu exclaimed in unison. They couldn’t wait for spring next year! Having their own house and being able to decorate it themselves—many children in the village didn’t have that! They would invite their little friends to come and play when the time came!

 

In the small courtyard, the five of them discussed the land enthusiastically. They shared their ideas for decoration and house layout, teasing and bantering with each other. Although they didn’t hold back with their words, their eyes were filled with joy.

 

“Oh, there’s one more thing. After we close the stall the day after tomorrow, I plan to visit Uncle Lin’s house on behalf of Father.”

 

In the cheerful atmosphere, Jing Yi took the opportunity to speak, “Putting aside the fact that Uncle Lin and the others helped us before, even without that, if it weren’t for Uncle Lin passing the message, Father would have suffered a lot.”

 

“That’s right! How did I forget? I was so busy recently that I forgot about etiquette! We definitely have to go.” Jing Yi’s Mother slapped her forehead, full of regret. She was the kind of person who would even return two onions when borrowing a single one from someone else, yet she had forgotten such an important matter.

 

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about it. I know Uncle Lin well enough. He doesn’t care about these things,” Jing Yi’s Father said carelessly when he saw Jing Yi’s Mother’s expression.

 

He could tell from Jing Yi’s Mother’s expression that she was worried about losing etiquette and felt that they seemed ungrateful.

 

“But the Lin family is good to us, and we get along well with them. It’s indeed time to pay them a visit.” He looked at Jing Yi with a puzzled expression and said, “Your old man isn’t so old that he can’t walk. Why do we need you to represent us?”

 

Jing Yi: … Mainly because I don’t want to go together with you, a big macho man.

 

In the end, after the discussion, it was decided that the day after tomorrow, after closing the stall, Jing Yi’s Father and Jing Yi would visit the Lin family on their way back.