Chapter 1: For the Happiness of the Young Bride

Li Yue also could not clarify the origins of this small ding, only stating that it had been in the family for a long time

Zhang Yang looked around and thought, "No one else can hear."

Perhaps they have already established another family outside

Before dawn, Zhang Yang set out early to go to the market. Going to the market is an exhilarating experience; if you arrive late, those inexpensive good items will have already been picked up by the keen-eyed.

When Zhang Yang returned home, the sky had just begun to brighten. He started cooking porridge, and when the aroma of the porridge filled the air, Li Yue also woke up.

Although the grains of rice produced are not plump and there is not much edible rice on a single rice plant, it is sufficient for myself and my wife to have a meal of rice.

This is the money saved up over the course of this year

Zhang Yang sat in the courtyard and said, "What have you heard?"

The rice is served on the table, accompanied by a plate of wild vegetables and a plate of smoked meat

As long as the young wife lives well, that is all that matters

Li Yue, still half-asleep, walked out of her room and looked at Zhang Yang, saying: "Are you going out to do manual labor again today?"

Generally, only noble families are permitted to use a tripod

It was said that the father had gone far away and had not returned. Zhang Yang suspected that this man probably left because he was dissatisfied with having a daughter, who was also frail and sickly.

The wedding of the two individuals was very simple, with no matchmaker present and no guests attending

After finishing speaking, Zhang Yang walked into the backyard of his home and began to get busy

Straining to straighten his body, Zhang Yang relaxed his aching back and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he walked home

Li Yue frowned and said to him, "Have you gone out to do manual labor again?"

After the two got married, the grandmother passed away

After the grandmother passed away, only the couple remained to live in the home. Although their life was modest, they were still able to meet their basic needs.

Li Yue lowered her head to look at the cloth bag, "Ah! Rice!"

Li Yue was crying very sadly at that time

I bought some pig liver, some dates, a few eggs, and a small half chicken on the street

In this dynasty, Zhang Yang was a destitute individual, with not even an acre of land to cultivate. If he wanted to farm, he could only dig out a small plot of land himself, and it could not be too large; otherwise, the villagers would come to cause trouble.

According to the remarks of those around, since I moved into the woman's family, it is considered as being adopted into her family, and there have been some gossip from the neighbors.

In her childhood, her blood circulation was poor, which suggests that she should have been anemic.

After preparing the clay stove, Zhang Yang placed the washed rice into a clean small pot, which was of just the right size. He covered it with a lid and began to cook the rice.

These rice grains were cultivated in a plot of paddy that I dug by the riverbank myself

Li Yue extended her slender finger and poked Zhang Yang's temple, saying: "You have once again directly referred to His Majesty by name."

This small tripod is one of the most valuable items in the house

Li Yue cleaned the dishes and said to Zhang Yang while massaging his shoulders: "The Turks have been defeated by the Tang Dynasty, and Khagan Xieli has been captured alive. Those small foreign states regard our Emperor as the Heavenly Khagan."

Sweat had already soaked his clothes, and Zhang Yang looked at the pale yellow rice that had been threshed, smiling with satisfaction

Nineteen-year-old Zhang Yang was busy at the edge of a field, repeatedly grinding rice by pushing a large stone.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "There is still some smoked meat and wild vegetables at home; we will have rice for dinner."

Sitting on my own bed, I counted the money word by word, and it seemed to amount to about a thousand coins.

Li Yue sat on the chair made by Zhang Yang, holding a bowl of rice and taking a bite of the steamed rice, her eyes squinting with happiness.

Li Yue's complexion is much better now than before; she is no longer so pale.

I do not understand why she is so concerned about the events happening in the court

Zhang Yang felt a strong aversion to such outdated thinking

In this day and age, there still exists a preference for male superiority, particularly regarding the desire for sons over daughters, as many families only want boys

In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, in June

There are no proper cooking utensils at home, so this small tripod will serve as a pot

As night gradually deepened, Li Yue went to bed early

Due to the soil and water conditions, rice is rarely consumed in the Guanzhong region; the common people primarily eat millet.

The courtyard is neither too big nor too small; it was left behind by her parents.

Seeing Zhang Yang return drenched in sweat, his collar was soaked

Feeling the strength of his little wife's shoulder massage, Zhang Yang relaxed his body and said: "I suppose Li Shimin's tail is about to point to the sky now, utterly pleased with himself, isn't he?"

However, her anemia is somewhat severe, and her complexion still carries a hint of pallor, although it is better than before.

The young daughter-in-law mentioned that she had eaten rice once during her childhood. Seeing the longing in her eyes as she recounted the experience, Zhang Yang resolved to ensure that she would have the opportunity to eat it again.

After rinsing off with water from the family water tank, Zhang Yang changed into a clean outfit and went to his room to take out a money pouch

Under the auspices of the grandmother, the two have effectively entered into marriage

The young daughter-in-law was won over by Zhang Yang with the rustic love words he learned from his previous life

Previously, I heard from the young wife that her father went on a long journey and has not returned, and her mother passed away during childbirth due to complications, leaving only an elderly grandmother to take care of her

The couple is sitting across from each other while having a meal

However, Zhang Yang, who has lived two lifetimes after crossing into this era, has never considered this question

All the milled rice should be packed into a cloth bag, not wanting to leave a single grain behind, and it should weigh around 3 jin

The young daughter-in-law spoke these words, her eyes still carrying a hint of pride

Due to the absence of a grinding stone at home, Zhang Yang had no choice but to push a heavy boulder.

After dinner, Li Yue was washing the dishes and said, "Have you heard?"

She wiped the sweat from Zhang Yang's forehead with her sleeve and said: "You must have endured quite a bit of hardship, rice is precious."

The young daughter-in-law is still too young, only fourteen years old this year, and is at a crucial stage of growth; she needs to be well taken care of.

Due to being utterly impoverished, the young wife possesses her own courtyard

The customs of the Tang Dynasty were both bold and simple, often featuring scenes where housewives would fiercely beat their husbands

Due to Li Yue's poor health and young age, Zhang Yang has consistently opposed cohabitation.

Zhang Yang, carrying a cloth bag filled with rice, said: "What do you think this is?"

Li Yueqiao shot him a glare

Buy two more naan breads for breakfast

The young bride's anemia requires nutritional supplementation, and more importantly, the replenishment of blood and iron

In this year, rice is scarce. Last year, Zhang Yang purchased some rice seeds from a merchant in Lingnan. This spring, he planted them, and now they are ready for harvest.

The chair is too high, and Li Yue's feet do not touch the ground, happily swinging her legs.

The home is located within the city of Chang'an, in a courtyard at the corner of East Market Street

Zhang Yang is not the least bit interested in such matters

Surprised, Li Yue picked up a handful of rice and looked at it repeatedly, then raised her head to glance at Zhang Yang, frowning as she set the rice down

I do not know if I will be able to buy some animal entrails at the market tomorrow