She Only Cares About Cultivation

Li Qiuxia and Liu Caixia have already decided to settle in a household. After all, they are daughters and have no obligation to carry on the family line; they will call each other sisters in the future and have each other to rely on.

Regarding this decision, An Yi (Yishui) agreed. Upon knowing which household it was, she was quite happy because the distance between them in the future would be less than a hundred meters. She didn’t plan to live with anyone, as it would be inconvenient and disruptive to her, so from the beginning she did not intend to take them in; offering help was fine, but nothing more.

"So... will the village allocate land?"

The two shook their heads simultaneously: "The village chief said as for the land, wait until next spring. We’ve helped out so much, we didn’t feel comfortable asking further."

They had no money, left their homes with nothing, without even basic necessities. It’s seven or eight months until next spring; how will they endure this period?

"Have you checked out the house?"

The sisters nodded: "Yes, we’ve chosen a place that is relatively better preserved, but the roof still needs some repair, otherwise it will leak wind and water in the winter."

"There are still some clothes and blankets from the previous owner in the house. We’re not sure if we can use them...."

"As long as you don’t mind, why couldn’t you use them? The owners have passed away; if you offer more paper money during Qingming, pull some weeds around the grave, and light incense during holidays, they will surely welcome you."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiuxia gave a self-deprecating chuckle: "Exactly, if they didn’t mind our dirty bodies, on what grounds do we have to be superstitious about their belongings? There’s actually not much left. Back then, the villagers helped with the burial, and anything usable was taken home, what’s left are just some ragged clothes. To make it livable will be quite a task."

"No worries, if you’re lacking anything, I’ve got it here. In a bit, I’ll come help you tidy up. Don’t worry about having a hard time in the future. Since I made the suggestion, and you’ve stepped out for real, here’s the thing: whatever vegetables you want from my garden, just come over and pick some. Don’t stand on ceremony with me. You can also plant some now; whatever you harvest will help. Even if the cabbage doesn’t form heads or the radishes don’t grow, the seedlings can still be pickled and stored for winter. Life is lived gradually, step by step, don’t worry, we’ll get through it together."

With An Yi’s encouragement, the sisters seemed to find a backbone, from initial anxiety and panic to gradually becoming calm now. The evident psychological shift could be seen.

"Sister An, your cooking is really good." The sisters ate the sour cucumbers An Yi prepared, munched on sweet potato leaf buns, and drank the soup with contentment on their faces.

"When we were at home, we always got the first bowl, but could only eat one mantou, yet had endless work. Our parents wouldn’t allow us to eat more. If we did, sister-in-law would glare at us. She kept talking about how dirty I was, but when it came to asking me to clean for them, she never mentioned it. Those days, I never want to recall for the rest of my life. I don’t even know how I endured all these years. Perhaps it was because I truly didn’t know where else to go?"

Liu Caixia sighed, and it was the same on Li Caixia’s side. Before her brother got married, life was manageable; after that, she became an outsider.

Whenever there was anything unsatisfactory at home, if her mother and sister-in-law fought, she was always the one to blame, told to get out countless times.

"Had I known it would be like this, it would’ve been better to disappear like other sisters, never returning!"

Back then, there were a dozen or so girls in the village, and no one knew if they were alive or dead; anyway, in the end, only the two of them returned.

Honestly, looking back on those days, sometimes it seems it would have been better to die elsewhere, sparing oneself from being treated like this by so-called family.

"My mother called me an ingrate, said never to come back for life, to not even call her mom, claiming she never gave birth to me."

Liu Caixia gave a self-mocking smile: "I fought with my sister-in-law. She accused me of biting the hand that feeds, bringing shame to them. Even my nephews and nieces scolded me."

Perhaps because An Yi, as a stranger, offered them so much warmth, especially seeing such good food, they ate while shedding tears, their appearance somewhat... bittersweet.

After the meal, they fought to scrub pots and dishes. She didn’t stand on formality with them and said.

"If you want to eat my cooking in the future, you’ll need to work more. I can cook, but the rest of the chores need to be divided between you two. Here’s the deal: You’ll have your meals at my place until spring, but once you finish eating, you’ll need to go back to your own home. I enjoy tranquility, deal?"