Chapter 6 I Am Not Your Woman

Finally, Gu Yezhou asked: "Earlier, I heard that my injury was due to the matter of fetching water. I also heard from Uncle Mo that all the wells in the village have dried up, and only the well at the village entrance still has water. So, is it not true that we are experiencing a severe drought here?"

As they spoke, the iron pot was bubbling with steam, and the porridge was ready.

Indeed, my home is not far behind yours. You are my landlord, and I cultivate the fields of your estate. Do you remember this

Ning Sanmei nodded solemnly: "Indeed, sir, your parents passed away from illness when you were fifteen, leaving you all alone in the family"

Ning Sanmei's smile immediately froze on her face, as it seemed that Mr. Gu had not recovered. She quickly put on another smile and said, "You are called Gu Yezhou"

Gu Yezhou asked: "Am I the teacher of the village school?"

Ning Sanmei quickly placed the corn cake in her hand on the nearby stool, then knelt beside Gu Yezhou. Her petite figure leaned over Gu Yezhou's legs; one hand supported her while the other adjusted the quilt for him. The slender waist, which was originally only slightly rounded, transformed into two graceful curves due to this posture, resembling two small white melons that had just begun to grow.

Gu Yezhou was filled with confidence; no matter which dynasty he had traversed to, relying on his extensive knowledge from modern society, earning a living should not be too difficult. Coupled with his decent historical knowledge, if things went well, he might even change history and become a prominent figure.

Gu Ye Zhou did not respond and asked, "You have given me all the porridge, so what will you eat?"

Although Zhuang Hui felt a severe headache, at this moment, he was more concerned about the kind of world he had entered. He looked at Ning Sanmei as she came in and asked, "I really can't remember many things, can you tell me?"

Gu Ye Zhou Dao: "How long will the grain that Mo Shu and the others compensated us last?"

Gu Yezhou smiled confidently and said, "Don't worry, trust me, I will find a way to make money. We won't have to eat rice bran or wild vegetables!"

If even the maid behaves this way, then it is even more appropriate for you not to be a maid. I should provide you with food! From now on, it will be like this; you can add another bowl of rice, and we will cook porridge together. Since you are here to take care of me, we should share both joys and hardships! Moreover, once I recover, you can continue to eat at my home and stay here without needing to return.

No need, isn't there still some rice bran cake in the kitchen cupboard? I can just eat that!" After saying this, he opened the cabinet, and sure enough, there were a few rice bran cakes inside. He took one out and put it in his mouth, chewing it with difficulty.

Gu Yezhou found it somewhat strange: "How did you know there were rice cakes in the cupboard?"

Then hurry up and cook the porridge

Gu Yezhou was quite disappointed. However, this is not surprising; a peasant woman from a mountain village would not concern herself with who became emperor, as long as she could manage her own small plot of land. It seems that it is impossible to gather any information about the times from him.

Ning Sanmei smiled gently and said, "You are the most capable, of course I believe you"

I am not your maid!" Ning Sanmei chuckled lightly, her pretty face full of a rosy smile.

However... the sparkle in Ning Sanmei's eyes gradually faded, "Your food was already insufficient, and with me added to the mix, it will be even more inadequate."

"Why is there none?" Gu Ye Zhou retorted, "The maidservants all eat what their masters provide; how could there be maidservants who bring their own meals?"

Did you previously say that your family is a tenant of my family

Gu Yezhou inquired about various matters in the village, and Ning Sanmei answered each one in detail

Ning Sanmei joyfully said: "Yes! Do you still remember this? That's great!"

Do you remember any ancient dynasties or emperors? Or any famous ministers?" Gu Yezhou asked the question that concerned him the most. As long as Ning Sanmei mentioned the name of an ancient celebrity she knew, he could infer roughly what era he had arrived in.

Of course it is true, from now on you will eat and live with me

How much rice rent do you owe me

(For the sake of narrative convenience, the name of Zhuang Hui before his time travel will no longer be used; instead, he will be referred to by the name of the scholar "Gu Ye Zhou" that he borrowed in ancient times.)

She did not notice that Gu Yezhou was looking at her; she quickly tidied up the quilt, knelt up straight, her rounded hips resting on her calves, turned sideways to look at Gu Yezhou, and saw him holding the corn cake in his hand, having already bitten off half of it, and was chewing it with difficulty in his mouth

Zhuang Hui asked again: "Are there any other people in your family? You are here to take care of me, what about your family?"

When this issue is mentioned, Ning Sanmei's expression becomes clouded: "Indeed, since last year, it has hardly rained, and this has continued into this year. Last year, there were a few light showers occasionally, but this year, not a single drop of rain has fallen. The entire winter has been dry and cold without any snow. The harvest last year was poor, yielding less than 200 jin per mu, and this year, I fear we may not even harvest 100 jin! Alas!"

Your fields are all excellent paddy fields, and in normal years, they can yield about 3 shih (360 jin) of rice per mu. After the severe drought, the yield has decreased. This year, it is estimated that one mu of land can only produce a little over 1 shih of rice, which means 5 mu would yield about 5 shih, and after processing into rice, it would amount to about 3 shih of white rice

Then I can thank you on behalf of my husband!" Ning Sanmei replied with a smile, and she accompanied Doctor Gong all the way to the foot of the stilted building's stairs before returning.

Really? Ning Sanmei was filled with surprise and joy, her beautiful eyes sparkling with brilliance

Zhuang Hui asked again: "Is my surname Gu?"

Gu Ye Zhou nodded slightly: "Hmm... my feet are a bit cold, it seems the quilt is not properly covered, please help me adjust the quilt."

Ning Sanmei recalled the words of Doctor Gong from earlier. Although her heart felt heavy, a radiant smile appeared on her face, like a flower bud just blooming. She turned around, sat on the stool beside him, tilted her face, and gently looked at him: "If there is anything you cannot remember, you can ask me, and I will tell you."

I never expected that I would have land to rent out to others, collecting rent; wouldn't that make me a landlord? However, five acres of land hardly qualifies one as a landlord; at most, I would be considered a smallholder.

Rice bran cake is very astringent, causing a choking sensation when eaten, making it extremely difficult to swallow. It is something that Gu Yezhou had never eaten before his journey, and it is quite unpalatable

What is my name

How much grain do you estimate can be harvested from the field

In my family, there are my parents and two older brothers, and I am the third child, so I am called the third sister. With two older brothers taking care of me, there is no need to worry. That is why I have the time to take care of your daily needs. However, it is not without compensation. Hehehe

Ning Sanmei blinked her big eyes and looked at him: "I serve you, cook for you, and do your laundry. How could I not know?"

Ning Sanmei smiled, her large eyes with long fluttering eyelashes curving into a crescent shape: "Nonsense! I have always eaten at home. After your parents passed away, my family rented your land to farm, and it was agreed at that time that I would come to cook, do laundry, and clean for you. I take care of your daily needs. You reduce our rent by one hundred jin of rice each year. Don't you remember? You have already exempted us from one hundred jin of rent, and I still eat here. Where in the world can you find such a cheap deal!"

Deducting the rent you reduced for me as your servant, I will pay you 2 stones and 7 dou (320 jin) each year, which is enough for your sustenance. However, after the drought, it will not be sufficient. Last year's harvest was less than 2 stones per mu, as you mentioned, the yield was halved, and thus the rent was also halved. Therefore, last year, I only paid half of the rent, which amounted to 1 stone and 5 dou (180 jin) of white rice. Consequently, this year, your food supply is insufficient, and eventually, you can only eat cakes made from husked grains. Do you remember?

Indeed, you are the only scholar in our village, and the only private school in the village is taught by you. It is precisely because you are teaching that you have no time to farm, and you scholars do not know how to farm, so you have rented out the five acres of land to my family for cultivation, paying rent to your family every year. There are more than ten children in the private school. The granddaughter of the village head, Lan Cao, is also there. She is the only girl. Uncle Mo said that for girls, it is good to read a little and recognize some characters, so as not to be completely ignorant, but unfortunately, I do not have this fortune.

However, Ning Sanmei shook her head in confusion and said, "You have never told me. I do not know"

"Sir, how did you end up eating the rice husk cake? Give it to me!" Ning Sanmei reached out to snatch it, but Gu Yezhou held the rice husk cake close to his chest and looked at her: "Is this the rice husk cake made from rice husks? Is this what you all eat?"

"No need to be polite, sir, I am leaving!" Dr. Gong stood up from the fire pit and was about to go out. At the door, Ning Sanmei smiled apologetically and asked, "Dr. Gong, how much is the medicine?" "It's not necessary!" Dr. Gong felt a sense of satisfaction in bestowing kindness, waving his hand with a smile, "Mr. Gu is the only scholar in our village and also the mentor of my little grandson. He rarely comes to see me for treatment throughout the year. Now that he got injured while trying to mediate a dispute, I am just giving him a bit of medicine as a token of goodwill. After all, it was all gathered from the mountains. It’s not worth much!" "Mr. Gu is the only scholar in our village and also the mentor of my little grandson. He rarely comes to see me for treatment throughout the year. Now that he got injured while trying to mediate a dispute, I am just giving him a bit of medicine as a token of goodwill. After all, it was all gathered from the mountains. It’s not worth much!"

Are my parents no longer around? There is no one else in the house besides the two of them, which is easy to deduce

Ning Sanmei got up and went over to the cupboard, took a blue-edged earthen bowl and placed it beside the fire pit. Using a bamboo woven heat-resistant pad to grip it on both sides, she lifted the iron pot and poured all the porridge into the earthen bowl. She then took a small jar from the cupboard and added some pickled cabbage into the bowl, holding it out and handing it to Gu Yezhou

"It should be enough for you to eat for a long time!" Ning Sanmei said with a smile, "Sister Huai Xiang and I will only take care of you until you can get out of bed and go downstairs. After that, you will have to take care of yourself. The food you have now, if you only eat rice without mixing it with anything else, is enough for four months."

Gu Yezhou bitterly smiled to himself: how did he end up in a village suffering from severe drought? It seemed that even finding enough to eat would be a problem

Ning Sanmei chuckled, "I am not so fortunate. Our family eats the cakes made from shepherd's purse picked from the mountains, which cannot compare to your rice bran! It's not that our two families have run out of food; nearly everyone in the village, except for a few big households like Uncle Mo's, has run out of supplies. This year's harvest holds little hope, and it is already good enough to have shepherd's purse to eat. I fear that next year, we might even exhaust the shepherd's purse."