Smoke and Fire on the Fields (Farming)

Because she craved the two jars of preserved fruit from Mingxiang Garden, Xing Niang chose a husband and married him.

Her parents doted on her and gave her a generous dowry. Her husband was skilled in bricklaying, carpentry, and other crafts, so he earned a good wage. With money in hand and living in comfort, Xing Niang enjoyed several good years, spending freely and with little care for the future.

Then an unexpected misfortune struck. She went into business with her sister-in-law, losing her capital and ending up deep in debt. Creditors crowded the house. Her sister- and brother-in-law, who had been on good terms with her for more than a decade, started demanding to split the family. Her in-laws turned a deaf ear. Only then did Xing Niang, who had been seething with anger, finally come to her senses. She wished she could slap her younger, foolish self across the face.

But it was too late. Only a thin layer of copper coins remained at the bottom of the box where she kept her valuables.

She would not give up without a fight. With her husband making a living far away and her children still young, Xing Niang gritted her teeth and became a street vendor.

Under the blazing summer sun, Xing Niang clutched the sweat-soaked copper coins in her palm and reflected with a sigh: It's easy to spend money and hard to earn it! These aren't cast from bronze at all; they're forged from my sweat!

Adults had their worries, too. Little Qingye had loved eating mulberries ever since she was small. Standing beneath a tree, she rose onto her toes and stretched her arm up, straining to reach. The mulberries, ripe to a deep purple, swayed among the leaves. The lowest black one brushed past her fingertips, swaying away.

Qingye's round little face flushed red. Holding her breath, she stretched onto her tiptoes and reached even higher!

In a waterside village, mud dredged from a silted river was piled into a long ridge. Children cried, spring swallows built their nests, and some households rejoiced while others grieved. The families living along the ridge all lived their own lives.

PS: The cozy everyday life of a rural family in ancient times. There will be plenty of chaos and bickering, but also laughter and joy.

Coming soon: A Shamaness's Flight from Famine and War. Please add it to your reading list.

Everyone knows the world is a huge rickety stage, but is this family's troupe not a little too shabby?

The three ox carts at the front are just about respectable, at least they don't need to be pulled by people. But the people pushing handcarts and carrying baskets in the middle have bulging veins on their foreheads, sweat-soaked clothes, and dust-covered faces. How is this supposed to look like a respectable escort company?

And then there is the mule cart at the back. The escort banner beside it is visibly patched, like some down-and-out martial arts master fallen on hard times.

From front to back, top to bottom, this whole procession gives off an air of poverty.

How could her father be so sure that this shabby, makeshift troupe could intimidate those vicious bandits and highwaymen?

In the eyes of those villains, was this convoy really a mighty escort company that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard of it?

It looked more like a little lamb putting on a brave face!

Maiya was highly skeptical and deeply worried. She had no idea whether her golden fingers would be any use.

Theme: The everyday life of ordinary people, living in the present.