"Hmm, then you must protect your sister-in-law well and make her stay here happily."

    "Yes, Huan’er will do that.”

    "I will too, Sister-in-law has been really kind to us. I was a bit scared of the sister-in-law on the first night when you all were talking, but I soon realized she is not unreasonable. But today, she has been very kind and cooks very well.”

    Xiao Long spoke happily, even though he had been scolded for eavesdropping the night before, it was still a day filled with much joy for them.

    “Don’t bother her too much or annoy her,” Mu Heng looked towards the direction of the new family member who was waiting, his eyes only warm.

    After all, this was his marriage, his first and only wife.

    If anyone was most excited, it would undeniably be him. Previously, even though he was excited, he had to maintain his composure to somewhat intimidate her, having heard that she was incredibly selfish to an extreme. If he neglected her, she might harm his siblings.

    Of course, deep down, no one would want a wife like that. But he chose her, even if it was for financial reasons. He was prepared and intended to find a way to live together, which now seemed much better than he had initially thought.

    The two children and one adult brought food to the new member, who was waiting in the room. In front of her was a light but sturdy wooden table. The beautiful woman waited politely in front of the small table.

    After seeing the children approaching, she gestured for them to place the food on this table. The children just realized that it was a very suitable table for them. Although it was a bit high for their small stature, it would be perfect once they grew a bit taller.

    Once the food was arranged on the table, it looked even more luxurious. The bowls made from dried coconut shells were not used today because the sister-in-law provided them with ceramic plates and bowls instead. She threw away those bowls they had been using, then replaced them with these beautiful ceramic ones.

    In truth, they liked it very much....

    "Let's eat, the sun is already rising," Yueqian knew that people in this era had to wake up early for work, especially in the countryside where they woke even earlier than city folks.

    She knew this because she had a meeting at the Art Institute early in the morning to sell goods. During that time, the young lords and ladies were still asleep, and no one passing by would notice that she was the famed Lady Qin.

    "Yes, ma'am," the two children readily agreed, their mouths watering. Yueqian felt an indescribable fondness for their innocence.

    Amidst the rules and the struggle to be the favored one of the Qin Manor, she would never have encountered such children. Ah, she meant children who were genuinely youthful in both body and spirit. Because in the past... she had only met children whose bodies were young but whose minds were dark and full of schemes.

    "Eat slowly, it's still hot. And have these too; they will keep your mouth from getting too hot," she couldn't help but offer a bit more advice.

    The salted eggs, fish balls, and roasted peanuts are delicious in their own right. If it weren't for the abundance of food, she would have brought out crispy baked fish for them to enjoy as well.

    "Go ahead and eat," Mu Heng gently urged the woman in front of him, who was watching the children eat. Yueqian glanced at him briefly before nodding.

    The four of them sat down to eat heartily, especially the two children, who were incredibly excited about this meal. They were almost moved to tears, having never tasted food that seemed so heavenly.

    "What time do you usually wake up, and when do you start your work?" Yueqian asked as she ate her hot rice porridge.

    "I wake up during the Yin period (3:00-4:59 A.M.) and go to fetch water. Usually, after fetching water, I check the traps I've set. On a good day, I might catch something to eat or sell.

    By the Mao period (5:00-6:59 A.M.), I return once, the children will have prepared food. After eating, I work from then on as the sun isn’t too strong.

    I tend to the fields in the morning. Our family owns 7 mu of land, all planted with potatoes, but during the winter like now, there's nothing to plant. I just prune the trees to prepare for planting after winter."

    "In the meantime, the children might play or clean around the house. We have about 1 mu here, and there’s a stream not far behind where I fetch water in the morning.

    The rest of the land used to house chickens, but unfortunately, my parents passed away before they could see it thrive. The money for buying livestock went to medical expenses as well, so it's been left empty. I'm thinking of planting some small crops or maybe saving to buy some egg chickens as my father had wished."

    "During the Wu period (11:00-12:59 P.M.), I come back home once to eat and check on the children. Then I go back out to gather forest goods and hunt with other hunters, making sure to return before the You period (5:00-6:59 P.M.)."

    Yueqian listened intently to her husband's detailed schedule, surprised that her simple question elicited such an extensive response. It seemed like he was eager to share more about himself.

    "My older brother once caught a deer; he made almost 700 brass coins that day. We were so excited. Eldest Brother is the most talented." Xiao Long was so excited, upon hearing his brother talked about hunting with other hunters, he could not help but to brag about his brother.

    "That day, we traded it for many eggs and got a lot of rice too." Huan'er was equally excited. Unlike her elder brother Long, she did not think her brother was so brave and talented that he could hunt animals, she just loved that moment because they would have plenty of food.

    "You guys are exaggerating. I was just lucky that day," Mu Heng blushed slightly, scratching his cheek modestly but clearly, he is proud of his skills.

    "You are truly skilled. Luck is also a talent, after all. However, venturing into the woods is risky, so be cautious. This household relies on you as its main strength. If there’s danger, it’s better to escape first," Yueqian complimented him for once, then cautioned him, aligning with her nature as someone who never hunts to support herself.

    Her primary concern was to support him in raising livestock so that in the future, he wouldn't have to risk dangerous hunts. Though raising pigs and cows was not an option since it requires official permissions, chickens and ducks could be considered meats, they even lays eggs for them to consume.

    Although living chickens and ducks are not available from department stores, their food is easy to find. If you want to increase the size of the eggs, you need to know how to nourish them. If you want the chickens to lay eggs every day, you must know which feed to give them. She can easily pull these items from another dimension.

    "Um, I surely will be careful. You don't need to worry," Mu Heng said, looking at the young woman with a serious gaze as if making a promise.

    Yueqian paused slightly but didn't say anything more, just silently continued eating her food.

    The food gradually diminished until nothing was left. Originally, the children were reluctant to eat much, saying they would save it for another day, but Yueqian said it wasn’t necessary. If it was leftover today, it would just be thrown out as fish food. With that … they who could not stand the thought of throwing them away ate it in till they were full.

    Moreover, Mu Heng, the man of robust figure, also ate heartily, although he did not touch the side dishes much, finishing all the rice porridge in the pot.

    By this time, Mu Heng would normally have gone out to his fields, but because he was so full and there wasn’t much to do on the farm, as he had done a lot of woodcuttings the day before and the snow has been knee-high, making walking difficult, he didn't go out, which wasn't a big deal.

    The two children, although full, helped each other take the dishes to wash. They particularly liked these ceramic dishes, so they carefully washed them, making sure they did not leave any residue. Thus, only Mu Heng and Yueqian were left in the room, one unable to move due to fullness, the other prevented from helping the children with the dishes.

    "Yueqian," after a brief pause, the silence that had settled between them did not cause any discomfort. Yet, Mu Heng shattered that quiet by directly calling his wife's name. This was the first time he had addressed her by her name, after having referred to each other as "you" and "I" all along.

    "Hmm?" Although surprised, Yueqian did not mind the direct call and turned to him who was looking at her, her beautiful eyebrows raised in query of the reason he called.

    "You might find it hard here, but I will try to make you happy," Mu Heng said, somewhat embarrassed by his own words, knowing he hardly had the right to say such a thing when he couldn’t even fully support himself, let alone her.

    Compared to the wealth she brought with her, he felt insignificant. However… Mu Heng spoke sincerely, wanting to take care of Yueqian as a husband should, hoping to make her happy with his family.

    If possible, he would like to have two or three children with her...

    "Ah, um," Yueqian was momentarily taken aback by his earnest words. Since she was born, no, throughout her previous and current life, which was decades, she had never heard anyone speak to her this way.

    In the past, she had only watched dramas and fantasized about such moments when the male lead takes good care of the heroine. Never thought she would be experiencing her own such moment.

    Her face flushed a lovely shade of red, a charming sight for any husband. His large hand moved slowly forward, seemingly aiming for her delicate hand that was reddened from holding the hot dishes, as if to offer comfort and draw closer.

    However, their happiness was not to last long.

    Before their hands could touch, a piercing sound interrupted them. Mu Heng's expression changed slightly, from one of warmth to one considerably colder, not at all like the expression he wore when with Yueqian and the children.

    His lips tightened, and his eyebrows knitted together in displeasure. The two children placed down the dishes and ran to join each other as if they had seen a monstrous creature, leaving only Yueqian sitting calmly with an unfazed expression.

    ...Just as she had anticipated...

    In-laws indeed proved to be a disaster for a new wife like her!