Just past seven in the evening, the hardworking laborers of Stone Bridge Village were still passionately toiling in the fields, seemingly impervious to the scorching summer heat that could grill a person like barbeque.
Jiang Mianmian, resting her feet in the river, was unbearably hot and deeply wished to strip off her clothes and spend the entire summer submerged in the water.
At times like these, she especially missed the air conditioning of modern society.
But in this era, let alone air conditioning, even indulging in a popsicle was considered a luxury.
Suddenly, a person leapt out from behind the bushes with a hoarse voice, demanding, "Let's see which girl from which family is slacking off again?!"
But Jiang Mianmian wasn't scared at all; her previously listless face instantly lit up with radiance, "Dad, have you finished work?"
Of course, it was also possible that her dad found an excuse to slip away early.
Sure enough, Jiang Changhai waved nonchalantly, "Not yet. I came back to use the outhouse, but it'll be over soon."
After resting at home for about ten minutes and noticing that his daughter still hadn't returned, he went out to find her so they wouldn't miss the mealtime.
After all, in those times, there were only three meals a day with nothing extra; missing one meant enduring hunger all night long.
"Time to go home for dinner!"
Jiang Mianmian immediately jumped up, grabbed her shoes, and ran toward home, her little dusty silhouette exuding liveliness and agility.
Just two meters into her dash, she heard her dad behind her say helplessly, "Girl, have you forgotten your basket?"
Right, she had gone out to cut pigweed.
Jiang Mianmian skidded to a stop, and in that moment of pause, her dad's long legs passed her, "Your mom hid some tomatoes today; whoever gets home first gets the bigger one!"
"Dad, that's not fair!" She hurriedly took off running after him.
The father and daughter raced each other home and encountered other family members returning from work at the entrance.
Jiang Mianmian, slightly out of breath, greeted them warmly, her fair and tender cheeks blushing adorably.
The old lady Zhang Guihua, however, did not show a hint of pleasure, thinking it was a complete waste to raise such a well-kept girl barely contributing anything!
Jiang Mianmian didn't care, having loving parents in this life was enough for her.
A lean woman with a shrewd appearance was equally discontented, and so she intentionally asked loudly, pointing at the basket, "San Ya, is this the pigweed you cut all afternoon?"
Following her gaze, old lady Zhang Guihua's face darkened instantly, "Why have you cut only so little pigweed again?!"
With such a small basket, the pigweed inside barely covered the bottom!
Hearing her shrill questioning voice, Er Ya, who was standing by looking pale and emaciated, shivered instinctively and accidentally dropped the sickle from her hand.
"Good-for-nothing girl, what use is keeping you if you can't even hold a sickle!" Zhang Guihua raised her hand and aimed a blow at her head, her face twisted with viciousness and spite.
Er Ya, pained but not daring to make a sound, merely bent over silently to pick up the sickle.
Everyone knew that the old lady was actually venting her frustration on someone else, with no one daring to easily rebuke the Old Jiang Family's precious daughter.
Therefore, Jiang Changhai consoled her half-heartedly, "Mom, Mianmian's finger that was cut a few days ago hasn't healed properly yet; she'll be able to cut more when it's better."
"Mm-hmm." Jiang Mianmian nodded in agreement, looking very obedient and docile.
Zhang Guihua's face turned even darker, "Such a tiny cut and still needs to recover, what nonsense! Our Old Jiang Family doesn't raise such delicate folks!"
Just like her lazy father, completely cut from the same cloth, only ever thinking about slacking off, you could make multiple trips to the outhouse after half a day's work in the field.