Chapter 2, Life is primarily about being able to have enough to eat (Part 1)

Tang Que opened his eyes a narrow slit, shielded by the dim light in the room. Before him stood a wrinkled peasant woman, dressed in a patched garment. What endeared her to Tang was that despite the numerous patches on her clothing, it was washed very clean, and he could faintly smell the scent of soap pods.

Having fully accepted reality, Tang Que no longer lay in bed and began his physical rehabilitation training every day. The inexplicable high fever of this body completely subsided the next day. After about ten days, Tang Que had regained the ability to walk freely, returning to the state of a seventeen-year-old.

Looking at the expressions of surprise on the faces of the two people in front of him, Tang Que suddenly felt a wave of emotion wash over him. "I have awakened, you... you must not sell the land, and even more so, you must not sell people." The words turned in his mouth, but in the end, Tang Que could not bring himself to utter the words "father" and "mother".

This chicken soup has been reheated who knows how many times? Tonight, the woman is still serving rice soaked in chicken soup. The soup has become quite thick due to being heated so many times, and as for the rice, it lacks the fragrant aroma of the northeastern fragrant rice that people will eat in the future; instead, it is loose and resembles the lowest quality yellow brown rice.

If I am to buy two taels as Dr. Zhang suggested, I am still short by one hundred thirty-one wen. However, I inquired at the market today, and the neighboring Hongzhu ginseng is somewhat cheaper, which could save me about twenty wen

Understanding this made him very fortunate, as the Tang Dynasty was transitioning from the flourishing Zhenguan era to the peak of the Kaiyuan era. In other words, he was fortunate to have traversed to the most vibrant and prosperous period of the Great Tang Dynasty.

How is Cheng Er today? The man's voice also sounded aged, carrying a heavy weariness.

"You have awakened," the peasant woman said, tears streaming down her face as she spoke. The plain-looking man behind her also wore a face of surprise, his words caught in his throat, unable to escape as his wife spoke first, leaving him only to move his lips silently.

"Can Baocheng really have money? Aren't you putting your daughter Lanhua in a difficult position?" With a creaking sound, the seated farmer's wife fell into silence, and this silence made the atmosphere inside and outside the house very heavy, even Tang Que inside felt the oppressive weight.

Since he was already awake, Tang Que, in order to reassure them, simply forced himself to get out of bed. His body had been lying in bed for quite a long time, so it was inevitable that his legs felt weak when he walked. Although the couple was also concerned about their son's health, seeing him able to get out of bed and move around, their emotions gradually calmed down, and they finally revealed genuine smiles.

After a long time, the peasant woman resolutely said in a low voice: "Head of the household, you should go and invite Liu Lizheng from mhetushucom.com, and ask him to bring paper and pen. Also, please invite Zhang Hua from the village, who can read, to act as an intermediary. Liu Lizheng's wife has praised my cooking several times and mentioned that they are still in need of a cook. A few days ago, I overheard from Liu San'er’s family that a good cook in the city can sell for eight taels of silver. If we have a good intermediary to negotiate, we might even sell for an additional one or one and a half taels. Let’s base it on eight taels, so remember this price, head of the household."

At this moment, Tang Que increasingly felt that the peasant woman resembled Xianglin's Wife, not only because of her earlier expression but also due to her hands, which were covered in calluses

Tang Que looked at such a smile, feeling a warm and somewhat suffocating sensation in his heart.

"What are you selling?" The old man's voice was tinged with a deeper, muffled tone, "Don't we still have an acre of rice field by the riverbank?"

Tang Que noticed that although the farmer woman's eyes were fixed on him, they were actually unfocused and drifting. Indeed, she was in a daze. As he observed her most genuine expression and demeanor in that moment of distraction, Tang Que inexplicably thought of the character Xianglin Sao from Lu Xun's "Blessing".

With the support of the couple, Duan Que walked out of the cracked house and into the uneven courtyard. He first looked at the houses surrounding the village, then gazed at the continuous mountains encircling the village, and softly said to himself: "From now on, I will begin a new life here"

Tang Que remained with his eyes closed, just as he had two days ago. Two days ago, he pretended to be in a coma because he had not yet come to terms with his situation, always believing he was dreaming. Now, he still kept his eyes shut because he did not know how to face this woman, who was, in name, his mother

... ... more than 60% ... ... so how much do we still lack ... ... how much is the difference?

He felt a slight warmth and saltiness at the corners of his mouth. Tang Que slowly awakened, knowing that it was that patched-up woman again, coming to feed her son. She had no idea that just three days ago, her son had actually been replaced.

"The head of the household is back!" Through a cracked earthen wall, the voice from outside came in clearly, filled with hope. "How is it? Did you bring back the red ginseng?"

Lost in thought, silently shedding tears, after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the peasant woman suddenly awakened as she heard the creaking sound of the door opening from outside. After hastily wiping her tears, she reached out to feel Tang Que's forehead, then turned and left the room holding the bowl.

It was during this period that Tang Que came to understand the broader historical context and the specific geographical environment he was in. Although the original owner of this body could not distinguish between the reign titles and only knew that the Prince of Luling, who originally lived in a neighboring state, had returned to the capital to become emperor again, Tang Que, based on this memory, realized that he was in the era of Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty, shortly after the end of Empress Wu Zetian's reign.

Furthermore, from the beginning until now, Tang Que, who understands the reasons behind the events, is indeed moved by this pair of impoverished parents. It is truly a sin to witness such parents continue to suffer.

No. After a hard thud, there was a long silence. The shop assistant said that this red ginseng comes from Silla across the sea, and its price is more than sixty percent higher than the white ginseng that Cheng Er had a few days ago. I do not have enough money on me

One hundred thirty-one wen ... ... Heaven's grandfather, is there such a big difference? Our house ... ...

The rice field cannot be sold ... ... " accompanied by the excited voice of the farmer woman was a crisp sound of 'bang', clearly indicating that the coarse pottery bowl had fallen to the ground and shattered, " our family only has this one acre of rice field left ... ... "

"Please, doctor, prepare the medicine, and also the white ginseng I bought earlier to save Cheng'er. The money from selling the old house has almost been spent. " The elderly man's voice fell silent for a long time after saying this, "After a day of travel, my legs are indeed weak. Let me rest for a while before I go to Baocheng to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Tang Que could no longer remain silent. He finally understood why the house he was currently living in was so dilapidated, and why the chicken soup he ate was reheated time and again. If the earlier sale of the house was merely this family's effort to fund their son's medical treatment and had little to do with him, then now, if he did not awaken, they would soon be selling people and land. The money from selling people and land would indeed be spent on him.

The fever has subsided quite a bit, but I still haven't regained consciousness. Has the red ginseng been purchased?

Ah! As Tang Que let out a soft call, the voices outside immediately ceased. Following that, there were two loud clattering sounds, and the door curtain of the room was suddenly lifted by a gust of wind, as the farmer couple rushed in.

Tang Que finished his meal in sync with the woman's movements, but unlike the previous two days, the woman did not hurriedly leave after feeding him. After placing the coarse black earthenware bowl on the wooden table by the bed, which was missing a leg, she simply stared blankly at Tang Que.

However, this peasant woman did not murmur anything; she simply stood in a daze, allowing her tears to slowly slide down her cheeks. It must be said that such a scene indeed has a profound emotional impact, to the extent that Tang Que found it increasingly difficult to maintain the indifference of an observer.

"We won't sell, we won't sell anything. We still need to keep that acre of rice field for you to marry a wife." Perhaps the prolonged frustration during this period had built up too much, and the sudden awakening of her son caused the farmer's wife to lose control. As she spoke, she wiped her eyes with the corner of her garment, and the more she wiped, the more tears flowed. Eventually, she burst into joyful sobs. The farmer, too, had red eyes, unconsciously repeating, "We won't sell, we won't sell," over and over again.