The Comeback of the Charming Farmer's Wife

"Next year, we’ll try planting early-maturing sugarcane," she thought to herself, aware that in some places, sugarcane was harvested twice a year—one crop was sown in January and the other during the summer and autumn. She’d heard that the taste could be slightly affected by the season.

"Right, fetch two bundles of the sugarcane, peel them, and bring them in. Then, get your mother to make a few bowls of sugarcane juice."

At that time, there were no juicers, so to drink juice, one had to cut the food into small pieces, wrap them in cheesecloth, and then squeeze out the juice using stones or similar objects.

The two little ones at home found gnawing on sugarcane somewhat strenuous and preferred drinking its juice instead.

"Alright, I’ll just go find my mother and tell her," said Ming Liu, who now had the status of a free citizen and no longer needed to refer to herself as a servant.

Shortly afterward, Mingcui brought over a large bowl of sugarcane juice in a food container, while Ming Yu carried in the peeled sugarcane.

"Take this peeled sugarcane to Yunyun and Linyu," Yang Chuxia instructed after a glance, "and call over Lele and Yangyang. These two kids, I wonder what they’re up to; they’ve been holed up in the study all day. It’s understandable for Lele, but I’m surprised even Yangyang can sit still."

As Yang Chuxia was muttering to herself, the two brothers walked in hand in hand.

"Mother, my brother was teaching me how to read," burst in Yangyang, clinging to her legs.

"Oh, you’re actually willing to learn to read now? That’s not easy," she exclaimed with a bit of surprise. Yang Chuxia knew all too well how much her son disliked seeing those books.

"Brother said that once I learn to read, I can read books, and reading a lot of books helps you grow faster."

At first, Yang Chuxia didn’t understand, but after thinking briefly, she realized he must be referring to broadening one’s knowledge and becoming more informed.

"So how many words have you learned?"

"My name and dad’s name," Yangyang replied, then sniffed and looked around with sparkling eyes. "Is there something tasty?"

"You can’t hide being a glutton, you even smelled it out," Yang Chuxia said, patting him and lifting Lele into her arms for a kiss. "You’re such a considerate good son, teaching your brother to read, well done. Your mother had some sugarcane juice made. Have some fun with it, and then go back to practice calligraphy. Learning to read and write takes one step at a time."

"Yes, mother, I know," said Lele, then glanced at Mingcui and Ming Yu standing by. After a moment’s thought, he raised his head and whispered something into Yang Chuxia’s ear.

Yang Chuxia was a bit taken aback when she heard it, but she didn’t say much.

She then said, "Mingcui, go tell your mother to make steamed pork with rice flour tonight, Lele wants to have some."

"I want to drink duck soup," Yangyang chimed in the moment he heard his mother instructing Mingcui to place an order.

"Alright, add a duck soup to the order, and Ming Yu, go to Yunyun and Linyu, see what they’d like to have."

"Yes," "Yes,"

They responded and went their separate ways.

After they left, Lele finally said, "Mother, please don’t let Ming Yu keep going to our study."

"What happened?"

"I’ve caught her three times now, always messing up my study. She keeps saying my study is very messy." Lele was not pleased about this. Whenever he looked through a picture album, he would always return it to its original place. His study was actually quite orderly.

Instead, he would notice things he put in the first compartment being moved to the second compartment after she ’tidied up.’

"She’s been in your study?" Yang Chuxia asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, every time I bump into her, she seems to be searching for something, and she leaves my study in disarray."