Chapter 8: Every Stitch and Thread Will Be Restored for Her

Back then, Li Sheng, in a fit of rage, got into a fight. A youth barely grown, he single-handedly felled a group of men, brandishing a hatchet with such ferocity that even the gossipy old women and idle men of the brigade were terrified. From that moment, Li Sheng gained a reputation for being ruthless and merciless. Even after he found a good job, trouble from his family continued, reinforcing his fame as the brigade’s most ill-fated man.

No one in the entire Harvest Brigade was willing to marry their daughter to him—not even those families who only cared about the bride price. The Li family was so poor they could barely afford any dowry. Though Li Sheng now held a driver’s position, he carried the weight of responsibility for all his siblings; his job alone had to support them all. Add to that a father who had caused the death of a commune member and a mother with a landlord background—who would willingly marry off their beloved daughter to such a family?

The brigade leader sighed, “In truth, Li Sheng’s parents are good people, just terribly unlucky. His mother’s been searching for a good wife for him since he was fifteen or sixteen, but no one in the brigade has ever set foot in their house. Eventually, Li Sheng himself gave up on marriage. All he cares about is giving his parents and siblings a decent life. It nearly drove his mother to despair—besides his eldest sister, already married, there are still four younger siblings.”

With the eldest brother unmarried and such a reputation pressing down on them, the remaining Li children found it hard to arrange matches for themselves. Even the eldest daughter, who was already married, was looked down upon by her in-laws for often returning home to help.

Good character, steady and reliable; responsible toward parents and siblings—wasn’t this exactly the kind of man she was searching for? Tang Xin’s large, bright eyes sparkled even more, her lips curving into a charming smile. “But none of that is his fault. How can anyone blame him?”

She paused for effect, then continued with deliberate lightness, “But perhaps, this is fate’s arrangement. Otherwise, how could it be that Brother Li has waited all these years just for me?”

So, in Tang Xin’s words, Li Sheng remained unmarried all this time because he was waiting for her?

The brigade leader knew he shouldn’t laugh, but still, a simple smile broke across his stern face. “Comrade Tang, Li Sheng is actually a good kid—honest and upright. The brigade forced this reputation on him, and coupled with his family’s burdens, he’s become quieter. Don’t be fooled by his cold and hard exterior—his heart is soft.”

The brigade leader didn’t really expect Tang Xin to marry Li Sheng. Even as he boasted, he knew these two were not a proper match. To say she would marry a stranger in front of everyone—it was no wonder Lu Liqin didn’t believe her. Even the brigade leader thought she was joking.

Actions speak louder than words, so Tang Xin didn’t argue further, only asked a few more questions related to the family. In the book she had read, the Li family appeared only briefly as the in-laws of a soon-to-die supporting character; their background was barely touched upon.

She was told that Li Sheng had left on a trip and wouldn’t return for at least three days. Tang Xin nodded, feeling somewhat reassured—three days would be enough for her to settle her affairs.

When she returned to the educated youth’s dormitory, it was still quiet; everyone was out working in the fields. Taking advantage of the solitude, Tang Xin entered her own Happy Farm.

The two varieties of radishes she’d planted last night were already ready to harvest, so she stored them in the system’s warehouse for now. The system warehouse seemed to have a preservation function—she wondered if she could one day bring things from the outside world in. Though white and carrot radishes weren’t particularly useful to her right now, at least she could occasionally use them to supplement her meals. And by today’s progress, she would soon unlock corn and potatoes.

Those crops were excellent—filling and delicious. Tang Xin wasn’t eager to labor in the real fields, but working her Happy Farm was no problem at all. Everything was done with a single click, and she could even harvest spiritual spring water as a bonus—why not make the most of it?

Lunch was cooked by another educated youth: a pot of mixed grain porridge, half water, half grain. The sweet potato dominated, with plenty of dried vegetables, beans, and wild greens, but not a single grain of rice—nor the faintest hint of oil. The taste was bland and rough going down.

Was this the life she would have to face from now on? Tang Xin was in despair.

She was not the original owner, who would spend every penny of her family’s allowance without restraint. Judging from the plot in the book, Meng Jia and her mother were growing more comfortable in Tang’s house by the day, while Tang’s mother’s life became increasingly difficult. Presumably, when the scandal broke and she was forced to marry a countryman, her father had already lost all hope in her and stopped sending support. Otherwise, life in the Li family would not have been so hard for the original owner.

The only solution now was to increase income and cut spending. Expanding and upgrading the farm was one way.

And as for what Meng Jia had taken from the original owner, Tang Xin vowed to reclaim every last bit, down to the last needle and thread.

She choked down the coarse porridge, supplementing it with plenty of fruit, but by afternoon she was already hungry again. Her body was still growing, and with nothing oily or substantial to eat, hunger came quickly. Tang Xin felt her appetite had already doubled compared to before.

As she was swallowing her saliva, a lunchbox suddenly appeared before her, filled with steaming white buns stuffed with meat.

“I was out on errands this afternoon and bought these. If you don’t want them, forget it.” Lu Liqin placed the box before her, though his expression was one of feigned annoyance. There was no hint that he had taken special time off to go buy these for her.

In these times, walking from the brigade to the commune to buy meat buns was no simple matter.

Tang Xin looked at him, not understanding why he showed his concern in such a manner. Still, her heart warmed—a sign that Lu Liqin had not, at least at first, betrayed the original owner; he still cared. Unfortunately, the original owner could no longer see it. Even if Tang Xin hadn’t come, the original owner’s fate would not have improved.

Tang Xin wasn’t particularly interested in two meat buns, but hunger was real—she swallowed involuntarily at the sight.

Just as she was about to take one, Lu Liqin added, “You went too far today. Later, return the IOU to Meng Jia and apologize to her.”

Lu Liqin had his reasons. If Meng Jia called home to complain, and Meng’s mother told Tang Xin’s father, she would only fall further out of favor with her family.