Summer days drew to a close at a snail’s pace, with the sky still brightly lit at five or six in the afternoon. Her mother-in-law had gone to the hospital to see Elder Sister, and Cheng Su, with time to spare, wandered over to the fields.
In her past life, when she was a student, she busied herself with studies and working to pay tuition. After starting work, she scrambled to keep up with her job, only managing to take a long vacation abroad once a year. That was unlike this month, where she could stroll leisurely through the countryside.
It was now the time for the rice to ripen; in a few more days, the busy harvest season would begin. The rice stalks in the fields were heavy with mature grains, promising a bountiful harvest year.
As their lands lay to the north, they only grew one crop of rice a season. After the summer harvest, it would be time to plant wheat, which could be grown in two cycles, one in autumn and one in winter. Hence, many households consumed a lot of wheat.
The Qi family had saved quite a bit of old wheat flour. It was strange; despite having so much that they couldn’t finish it, resulting in its stale taste that couldn’t compare to that of fresh flour. Over time, it would even develop a musty old smell. She couldn’t fathom why they stored so much wheat flour.
Toward dusk, with the sun slanting westward and the temperature lower than at midday, there were many people working in the fields. Wearing straw or bamboo hats, with their pant legs rolled up, chatting or laughing, and with black and yellow dogs running and barking playfully in the fields, the scene was a picture of serenity.
Cheng Su picked two pieces of foxtail grass by the roadside to play with, walking along and taking in the surrounding pastoral scenery, relishing the rare peace.
"Hey, Taiguo’s wife." Two people carrying hoes approached her and stopped to greet her upon spotting Cheng Su.
Cheng Su didn’t recognize the two, only knowing they were fellow villagers. She smiled and said, "Auntie, have you finished your work in the fields?"
The woman addressed as Auntie replied, "Yes!" thinking to herself that since marrying into Taiguo, the young woman had become much more polite than before, no wonder the villagers now said she had become sensible!
Cheng Su smiled faintly, sensing a resentful gaze directed at her. She couldn’t help but look over to find a girl about seventeen or eighteen glaring at her with wide eyes.
When the girl noticed Cheng Su looking her way, she quickly lowered her head. Cheng Su raised an eyebrow and searched her mind swiftly but couldn’t find any memory of the girl’s existence.
"Why didn’t you follow Taiguo to the military base?" the Auntie asked again.
"Oh, I’ll be heading there in a few days," she replied.
"I see. Taiguo is very promising, so young and already a high-ranking officer. He’s the pride of our village," the Auntie said with a mix of sigh and envy, looking deeply at Cheng Su. "You’re lucky too, your father had high standards and foresight."
Cheng Su smiled silently, catching that her so-called cheap father had made a prudent choice by arranging her marriage early to Qi Taiguo. The Auntie’s tone clearly wasn’t devoid of envy, jealousy, or bitterness.
Seeing Cheng Su’s indifferent demeanor, the Auntie likely found it uninteresting and moved on.
As the girl passed by Cheng Su, she muttered an offensive remark, "You brazen thing, what makes you think you’re worthy of Taiguo bro? Pah!" And then she ran off quickly, as though afraid that Cheng Su might pounce and tear her apart.
Cheng Su’s eyes narrowed.
By the sound of that indignant tone, was this girl one of Taiguo’s admirers?
Indeed, Qi Taiguo was young and successful, with a bright future shining before him. Tall, handsome, and a tough military man; he drew the fancy of girls harboring dreams. Unfortunately for them, her father had swiftly claimed him for her.
Cheng Su pursed her lips and twirled the foxtail grass in her fingers, musing about her upcoming visit to Qing City. Wouldn’t he be surprised?