Chapter 3: Family

With the addition of their homemade pickled vegetables, these meals for a farming family were actually quite decent.

At least the porridge was semi-thick, they could still eat coarse bread, and occasionally fry an egg. During the busy farming seasons or festivals, they could even have meat and fine grains.

That's why their household's days could be considered among the better ones in the village.

Some farming families couldn't even bear to eat meat during busy farming times, after all, the money spent on those expensive items could buy ten or more jin of coarse grains, enough for the family to eat for a few days.

In order not to go hungry, every country person was meticulous with calculations, trying to break even a copper coin into halves to use.

That's why they say the days of country people who rely on the whims of nature are the hardest.

Hua Jinjiao watched her mother wiping the pot repeatedly with an oil-dipped cloth, and sighed heavily in her heart.

No wonder the dishes these days didn't taste oily, it turns out no oil was used at all. It's no wonder they didn't taste good; what was called "stir-frying" was actually just boiling dishes with a few scattered oil spots floating on top.

Upon seeing the large grains of salt still present after pounding, Hua Jinjiao's expression changed. The yellow-black salt grains clearly hadn't been purified thoroughly and were visibly laden with excessive minerals. Eating this long term would surely burden the body, causing discomfort in the intestines or even elsewhere, potentially life-threatening in severe cases.

... No wonder ancient people on average didn't live long, maybe salt had a part to play in it.

"Mom," Hua Jinjiao couldn't help but speak up.

Mrs. Qi paused in her salting motion and looked at her daughter, confusedly asking, "What's wrong?"

"Mom, don't we have any other salt?"

Mrs. Qi smiled, knowing her daughter was again complaining about the dirty color of the salt. It was a mystery which family's young lady this child was in her past life. Clearly born in a farmer's family, yet so particularly clean.

"We don't, Jin'er. Refining salt is too expensive. Once mom saves enough, I'll buy some for you to try, but bear with it for now!" Mrs. Qi lovingly looked at her daughter.

"Mom, is refined salt really expensive?" Hua Jinjiao's eyes showed a sparkle of interest, her big eyes glistening brightly as she looked at her mom.

"Very expensive." Looking at the coarse salt in her hand, Mrs. Qi thought it was about time to educate her daughter a bit; after all, the child was no longer so little.

"Let's put it this way: a jin of this coarse salt costs thirty copper coins. I've heard that even ten jin of coarse salt might not yield a jin of refined salt. Jin'er, would you say it's expensive?"

Hua Jinjiao opened her mouth wide, exclaiming internally, "Goodness gracious."

If so, wouldn't a jin of refined salt here cost three hundred copper coins?

Hua Jinjiao calculated that a single copper coin here was at least equivalent to a dollar in her original world, meaning even coarse salt here was akin to thirty dollars.

If it were in her world, such prices for salt would likely incite a riot.

Expensive doesn't begin to cover it, it's outrageously expensive.

But this was an ancient world with lagging technology, where knowledge was solely in the hands of a very few elites, combined with the natural scarcity of salt. In her few memories, she vaguely recalled her grandmother's words: some families couldn't even afford coarse salt and used vinegar cloth as a substitute daily.

Hua Jinjiao closed her mouth, ultimately it boiled down to scarcity.

Though the girl with her mouth agape looked adorable, Mrs. Qi couldn't engage further. She quickly sprinkled a few grains of coarse salt and finished frying the dish.

As soon as she finished and before the dish left the pot, they heard a voice calling for mom, followed by a chubby little boy's head poking out at the kitchen door.

"Mom, is the meal ready? Xiaosi is hungry to the point of pain."

The boy then stood in the doorway but dared not enter, mainly because from working in the field his clothes were muddy. If he accidentally got it on the food, his mom wouldn't fail to scold him.

Then he saw his sister behind the stove, his eyes brightened instantly.

"Sis, you're here too?" Happily, he almost rushed into the kitchen, but fortunately halted just in time, remembering his sister's fussiness.

"Yes, sister's almost done, aren't you happy, Xiaosi?" Hua Jinjiao grinned at her brother, without stopping her hands, tucking kindling into the ashes beneath the stove.

"Happy," Xiaosi nodded heavily.

That day, seeing his sister brought home in a bloody state by their father frightened him to tears.

Now being able to see his sister smile at him and even tease him, Xiaosi felt willing to endure any scolding from her.

"Even if you're happy, you've got to wash your little face and hands, or no food for you." Hua Jinjiao mischievously raised an eyebrow at her brother, speaking naturally from her original body's instincts.

She felt no desire to resist the instincts of this body. After all, the Hua family truly were very good.

"Right, your sister's right. I sent you to the field, not to roll around in the dirt. Look at you, you're a mess!"

Mrs. Qi looked at her youngest son disapprovingly, yet considered sending him to school for enlightenment. His mischievous and active nature needed some constraints.

But once sent to school, the family's days might get tougher, as just the tuition for a few children each month wasn't a small sum, not to mention the costs of stationery.

She tried not to think about it, as it would only give her a headache.

But she couldn't be unfair to any of her three sons. As parents, they had to treat them equally. Regardless of their talents, the children should know a few words.

As for the family's eldest, and second son teaching the youngest, Mrs. Qi held no hope.

Primarily because Xiaosi was too mischievous and restless. If the eldest and second were willing to beat him harshly, they might be able to control him, but the three brothers had such strong bonds they couldn't bear to use harsh methods, and how could Xiaosi settle down to study?

Thinking about it, in the end, it would be best to hand him over to a teacher for proper guidance.

Xiaosi didn't even consider his sister and mother's threats, making a face and running off to the backyard.

He would certainly wash up. While playing, he didn't feel the dirt, but after stopping, he disliked his unkempt appearance himself.

Moreover, filthy hands meant spoiling the food, no?

This was something Hua Xiaosi wouldn't possibly do.

By the time he finished washing in the backyard, his father, grandfather, and grandmother had already washed up and left.

Upon reaching the main room, his father had already helped bring the meal from the kitchen, so he hurriedly went to the kitchen to help his grandmother bring the bowls and utensils, sitting next to his sister.

"Jin'er, does your head still hurt?"

With these words from Old Hua, the whole family couldn't help but look at Hua Jinjiao's injury, even Mrs. Qi, who knew the situation, couldn't help but glance over.

Their eyes were full of distress. Not only was Mrs. Liu — Hua Jinjiao's grandmother, also known as Old Lady Hua — hurting, but so was Hua Chengtian.

Especially Hua Chengtian, who doted on his only daughter even more. Seeing her suffer such an ordeal was akin to having his heart dug out, it was unbearable. Fortunately, she had mostly recovered; otherwise, it would have been an immense blow for him.

"Grandfather, it's nothing, it doesn't hurt." Hua Jinjiao smiled charmingly. This was a question they'd ask once or twice every day, yet the deep care in their words touched Hua Jinjiao profoundly each time.

"Good, good." Old Hua smiled, then turned to his daughter-in-law, "Yun Ao's mom, make sure to prepare Jin'er's food separately, can't be careless."

"Rest assured, father, I've got it covered," Mrs. Qi quickly stood up.

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