Chapter 2: Vest appears

After devouring a pork floss bread, Jin'er was instantly cured. She casually placed the pork floss packet on the shelf and then headed to the colossal refrigerator door in the room, where her coveted fruits awaited.

Open... and then froze again.

Jin'er's round eyes stared directly at where the light in the refrigerator emanated from.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that there was indeed electricity in the room.

Seeing the fridge crammed full of various items, as if she suddenly remembered something, the "snap" of the fridge door closed, she rushed towards the kitchen.

Electricity, could it mean there was water too?

She reached out for the faucet, turned it on in one swift motion, and as the "whooshing" sound of water flowed, Jin'er was at a loss for words to describe her feelings at the moment.

What kind of divine compensation is this! There's actually water and electricity; fate really did smile upon me.

Although Jin'er loves making money, she is, after all, a young person who likes to binge-watch dramas and movies during her free time. She would also read some novels when in a good mood.

She's somewhat familiar with the themes that young people are into these days.

And knows about those portable space systems and such.

Thus, almost instinctively, she thought about those portable spaces, but this space had turned into the house she longed for.

Surprise, such a delightful surprise!

But before she could think further, footsteps from the backyard reached her ears, prompting Jin'er to think about how to get out.

Then she reappeared on the stones under the eaves.

The timing was just right. As she sat down, her mother, Madam Qi, came out from the backyard with a basin of laundry, and upon seeing her daughter under the eaves, her face broke into a smile.

"Jin'er, it's windy outside, don't sit too long, be careful of your head wound." Madam Qi called out to her daughter gently.

"Yes, mother, I know. Mother, I'll help you with the laundry." Unconsciously rubbing the scabbed wound on the back of her head, Jin'er nodded.

Over these days, feeling Madam Qi's genuine affection for her, Jin'er had gotten used to calling her mother effortlessly.

Having lacked parental love during her youth, she deeply longed for familial affection. When she encountered this family that loved her so much, even though it was for the original owner's sake, now that the original owner was her, she felt this intense love, which is why Jin'er accepted them wholeheartedly so quickly.

"No need," Madam Qi promptly refused, "There aren't many left for you to do, take a rest and go inside, alright?"

"Mm-hmm," Jin'er nodded, seeing the concern in her mother's eyes, she sat down again, resting her chin on her hands, watching her mother hang clothes. As for the matter of the space house, she would explore it more in the evening.

On the other side, Madam Qi, while hanging clothes, saw her obedient daughter and smiled tenderly, simultaneously speeding up her actions.

Her in-laws, husband, and Xiao Si had gone to the fields early in the morning and were likely returning soon. Breakfast hadn't been cleared yet.

"Jin'er, I'm going to cook, it's cold in the morning, head inside."

Upon hearing her mother was going to cook, Jin'er hurriedly stood up from the rock, "Mother, I'm alright now; I will help you with the fire." Saying this, she followed her mother's footsteps to the kitchen.

This time, Madam Qi didn't refuse, mainly because making a fire didn't exhaust much energy. It was already early autumn, and the mornings were chilly, so sitting by the stove could keep them warm for a bit, she nodded.

Farmers are always quick at their work. Madam Qi swiftly scooped a ladle of coarse flour from the jar and quickly kneaded it into a dough, simultaneously grabbing a handful of coarse rice, washing it, and putting it in the pot to make porridge.

Then she brought out a small earthenware pot, placing it on the smaller stove of the kitchen, carefully scooping a small half bowl of fine rice mixed with millet, adding water for slow cooking, not forgetting to throw two washed eggs into the porridge, considering her daughter needed proper nourishment after her ordeal.

Watching her daughter sitting by the stove, though she couldn't help but be haunted by the scene of that day whenever she thought of it.

Luckily, the child had a big life and blessings, otherwise, as said by the doctor, she might have not pulled through. However, losing that much blood meant it would take a long time to replenish it.

The thought of how her fine daughter would fall from the hill always bothered Madam Qi like a thorn in her heart.

The child's condition had been too frail before, so she dared not ask. But seeing how spirited the child looked today, Madam Qi couldn't hold it back any longer.

Meanwhile, Jin'er had already lit the fire in the stove. Although a bit rusty, she still had some memories of this young girl to keep things running smoothly.

The red firelight cast a slight flush on Jin'er's small face, even though the slight baby fat she once had was completely gone, leaving her with a pointed face, making her eyes look larger and rounder.

Seeing this brought tears to Madam Qi's eyes again. This child really suffered greatly.

"Jin'er, Mother asks, how did you fall down the hill that day, was it an accident?"

It wasn't that she thought too ill of people, but her awareness of some village girls being jealous of Jin'er's familial favor.

She hoped she was overthinking it, for if not, she absolutely would not let it go.

Madam Qi's inquiry stunned Jin'er. She had never thought much of the young girl's injury, assuming it was just an accident. But her mother's implication made her start seriously searching through the few scarce memories she had, her brow furrowing unconsciously.

"What's wrong? Is your head hurting again?" Seeing her daughter frown, Madam Qi couldn't help worrying as she moved closer to carefully observe the back of Jin'er's head.

"No, Mother, it doesn't hurt; my mind's just a bit foggy. I don't really remember how I fell. I need to think carefully."

Jin'er quickly gave her mother a soft smile, holding her mother's rough hand tightly. Indeed, it was a bit confounding, likely requiring a trigger to recall properly.

Feeling the marks of time in her mother's hands, although not yet thirty, they were much rougher than those of women of the same age in modern times. However, due to her good looks and happy life, she didn't appear old.

Because of her, her mother had to stay home to care for her, though she wasn't going to the fields with her father and grandparents, household chores were still many.

The family was small, with two brothers attending school in town, leaving early and returning late each day, so aside from busy farming seasons, the family couldn't rely on them.

After all, it came down to poverty; if the landlord had surplus grain, how could the master have to work in the fields?

But such is the way with farming families, with no other solutions available to Jin'er at present. Her injuries were still not fully healed, making even stepping outside her own yard a luxury. Take it slow.

Her daughter's gaze softened Madam Qi's heart, putting her mind at ease somewhat, relieved there wasn't any pain.

"Take your time remembering, it doesn't matter if you can't recall, don't rush, okay?"

How could a mother not notice the small differences in her daughter since her injury?

The doctor did say that head injuries might result in some aftereffects, such as memory confusion or forgetfulness.

"Mm," Jin'er nodded lightly.

"Good girl," with the porridge boiling, Madam Qi focused back on it, quickly shaping the kneaded dough into pancakes and sticking them around the pot's edge. One large pot was just enough for the family to eat for two meals.

She then took some vegetables picked earlier from her family garden, washing and preparing them to be stir-fried. Well, 'stir-fried' was more like wiping the pot with an oil-dipped cloth for some grease, tossing in some salt and quickly flipping it.

That's how their family fared better than others in the village; otherwise, Madam Qi wouldn't have had the heart to use oil.

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