When Shen Qinghe got up, everyone at home had already gone to the fields. After her persuasion, Sanbao had also gone off to play with Sibao, Wubao, and Erniu.
She opened the door to the storeroom and found all kinds of seeds that Zhou Chunfeng had left—radish, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato, cucumber, and other vegetables, as well as mung beans, soybeans, red beans, sesame, and other grains.
The rice was still in the field and hadn’t been harvested yet. Here, there were only seeds for wheat, sorghum, and corn. Not wanting to attract Zhou Chunfeng’s attention, she only took a small amount of each.
After collecting the seeds, she restored the storeroom to its original state.
In her space, Shen Qinghe used her controlling thoughts to till all the black soil. After planting the seeds, she watered them one by one with the spiritual spring water.
Feeling the vibrant life within the space lifted her spirits considerably.
After breakfast, she shouldered her basket and stepped outside.
Even now, when she went out, people still gossiped about her—mostly that she had fallen into the water, was rescued by a man, and lost her purity after he saw her body.
Having lived through life once, she no longer cared about these petty remarks. Whatever others said, she simply ignored it. But if someone dared to act in front of her, they shouldn’t blame her for not holding back.
Shenjiawan had two rivers, which the villagers had named. The river at the village entrance was called the Front River, and the one at the end of the village was the Back River. The Back River area was more desolate, with fewer residents, so people generally avoided it. Most washed clothes and vegetables in the Front River, only going to the Back River at the end of the year to catch fish.
Walking along the Front River for a while, one could see a few hills covered with grasses—various kinds of fodder for pigs. Many children and elderly would come here to collect pig fodder.
Further up the hill was a mountain called Huming Mountain. It was said that tigers lived deep in the mountain; in the past, people had even heard tiger roars. As a result, people in Shenjiawan dared not venture too far. Usually, they only gathered mushrooms, dug wild vegetables, or hunted near the base. Occasionally, if many people went together, the brave ones would explore halfway up.
Of course, because so many went to the foot of the mountain, sightings of actual game were rare.
When Shen Qinghe reached the slope at the base of Huming Mountain, she saw many people bent over gathering pig fodder. Some children, tired from cutting grass, sat down on the ground, chewing on the roots of the grasses.
The roots had a sweet juice, a rare treat for children—a delightful surprise. Shen Qinghe herself used to hunt for grass roots as a child, and finding one could make her happy for a long time.
“What nonsense are you saying? Say that again if you dare!”
“Say it! Your aunt is flirtatious, entangled with other men. Brother Gu wouldn’t marry her, so the wedding got called off!”
“You’re lying! Watch me smash your mouth!”
Shen Qinghe had just reached the slope and saw Dabao and Erbao fighting with a few children. The two younger kids hadn’t gained the upper hand.
“Dabao! Erbao!”
Seeing Shen Qinghe arrive, the children froze in fear—they had just been speaking ill of her.
“Auntie!”
Erbao, a younger girl, had been teased and began to cry, feeling wronged. “Auntie, they said bad things about you…”
Shen Qinghe felt a warmth in her heart. “Auntie knows.”
Before she could say more, the children panicked and quickly protested, speaking over one another: “Xiao He, I didn’t say it!”
“Me neither!”
One little boy in grey remained silent. Dabao pointed at him: “It was Shen Yajun who said it!”
“Yes, him! We just came to gather pig fodder today, and he told us these things. That’s why we believed him…”
Shen Qinghe looked at Shen Yajun and understood. He was the grandson of Old Lady Li and the younger brother of Shen Yaqin. Shen Yaqin had long pined after Gu Linchuan, so it was natural she spoke ill of others to her brother. In her previous life, before Shen Qinghe married Gu Linchuan, Shen Yaqin had harassed him, nearly attempting suicide out of obsession.
But Gu Linchuan was resolutely indifferent to those he didn’t like, giving Shen Yaqin no hope. She eventually seemed to realize this, let go, and soon married someone else. She was said to have lived a fairly good life afterward—at least much better than Shen Qinghe’s.
Looking at it that way, Shen Yaqin had been much smarter.
“Shen Yajun, Erniu, Tiedan, Siya, I’ll tell your parents that you bullied Dabao and Erbao.”
Shen Xingqing, the head of Shenjiawan, was a figure no family dared to offend. If a child were found to bully the grandchildren of his family, a severe beating would be inevitable.
“Ah!” The children wailed. “Xiao He, we really didn’t insult you!”
“Please, don’t tell my parents, or they’ll beat me to death!”
“We really won’t bully Dabao and Erbao again!”
“Really?”
“Really! I promise!”
“All right. I won’t tell your parents, but you have to do me a favor.”
“What favor?”
Shen Qinghe smiled and leaned closer to let them hear. Shen Yajun hadn’t come over—he wasn’t afraid of her telling his parents, because they wouldn’t punish him. But seeing his friends all around Shen Qinghe while he stood alone, he felt betrayed. He kicked a stone in anger and walked away with his small basket.
After speaking with the other children, they dispersed. Only Dabao and Erbao remained, excited. Dabao held a grass root in his hand. “Auntie, do you want some grass root? Erbao and I found quite a few!”
Shen Qinghe shook her head with a smile. “You eat it. I’m going into the mountain.”
“But Granny said we’re not allowed to go into the mountain.”
“You kids can’t go, but I’m an adult. I can go. You stay here to gather pig fodder. Once done, go home—it’s too hot outside.”
“Okay!” Erbao’s eyes curved into a joyful smile. “After gathering pig fodder, we’ll also help Erniu and the others do what Auntie said earlier.”
“Erbao, you’re so good. Auntie will buy you candy later.”
Shen Qinghe smiled. She had been worrying about how to spread the news about Gu Linchuan and Lin Yingxue, and now it had come to her perfectly—these kids were useful.
Gu Linchuan—after what happened with Lin Yingxue is exposed, will you still marry her?