"......"
"It's okay, go ahead and eat." Seeing his wife looking at him, Gu Jinchen smiled and said.
Uncle Sheng's family's quarrels were no longer a rarity in the village; people were used to seeing them.
Upon hearing this, Luo Ge nodded slightly. The mapo tofu was difficult to pick up with chopsticks, so she scooped some into bowls for the two little ones.
"Eat more meat to grow taller," she reminded them as she also picked up some meat for them.
"Mmm."
"You should eat more too. You don't seem to be putting on any weight." She had been caring for her little wife for over a month now, yet there was no sign of her gaining weight, which was worrying.
"Mmm, I know." Although she verbally agreed, she didn't eat much, as she felt just the right amount was enough. She didn't want to gain weight; she was fine just the way she was.
Although it was warmer outside than at home, sitting under the tree like this to eat was quite cool, giving a sense of having a picnic.
"Mom, the food is so good today, and there's even meat!" Gu Dayong exclaimed happily from the side.
"Hmph, your mother was afraid you'd work yourselves to death. Eat up quickly, there's only a few pieces of meat for each person, not much."
Indeed, there wasn't much meat stewed with the potatoes, perhaps three or four pieces per person, but there was plenty of vegetable pancakes.
This was still much better than the meals of some other families.
"Some people shouldn't spend all day dwelling on their own petty thoughts. There are so many men in this family, and I know full well who does more work."
Her husband and sons were quick workers. Although she had asked her second daughter-in-law to work in the fields and called her eldest daughter-in-law back to help cook, it was indeed tiring for her.
But this was only temporary, and she wouldn't get too tired from it.
Hadn't she, the old lady, lived like this before?
Moreover, she had already said that she would let the two daughters-in-law switch places tomorrow, hadn't she?
Yet Li Zhaodi was still throwing a tantrum. How unbearable.
Upon hearing this, everyone knew who she was referring to, and they all remained tactfully silent.
Li Zhaodi bit into the pancake forcefully, not saying a word, but feeling rather aggrieved. They were both daughters-in-law, yet her mother-in-law only called her elder sister-in-law back to cook and left her to work in the fields.
Now she was even saying such things in front of the whole family, leaving her no dignity at all.
And then there was that Luo Ge...
Thinking of her, Li Zhaodi cast a resentful glance in Luo Ge's direction.
They were both women, yet why was Luo Ge's life so blessed?
She hadn't seen Luo Ge come out to work that entire morning. Such a lazy woman could still make a meal that earned everyone's praise!
Sensing her gaze, Luo Ge turned her head slightly, meeting Li Zhaodi's eyes.
Recognizing Li Zhaodi, her brow furrowed slightly.
Li Zhaodi was startled and quickly averted her gaze.
"What's wrong?" Seeing her frown, Gu Jinchen became somewhat worried.
"Nothing, let's just eat. I'll rest for a bit, then join you in the fields this afternoon."
All the family's work was being placed solely on his shoulders. If he were to become too exhausted, she wouldn't be able to bear it.
"No..." He was about to refuse, but upon seeing his little wife's expression, he obediently swallowed his words.
"Then I'll go back with you for a bit this afternoon before coming back here."
"Okay."
When they set out that afternoon, Gu Jinchen fully equipped Luo Ge with a sun hat, long sleeves, and even foot coverings.
"There might be leeches and snails in the water, so be careful, okay?" he cautioned her before heading to the fields.
Luo Ge nodded repeatedly, "Mmm, don't worry."
"Older Baby, Second Baby, don't wander too far, understand?" Gu Jinchen reminded them, and Luo Ge then passed on the reminder to the little ones.
It was quite amusing, really.
Women couldn't expose their arms and legs outside, or else their pure reputations would be tarnished if someone were to see.
Moreover, there were a few grown men working nearby, so she was wrapped up tightly from head to toe.
Gu Jinchen, on the other hand, simply rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs before getting into the water.
The foot coverings served a similar purpose to water shoes, providing protection from leeches even though they didn't keep the water out.
Luo Ge had experience with farming before, but this was her first time planting rice. However, it wasn't difficult; after a simple demonstration from Gu Jinchen, she got the hang of it.
She even had a bit of obsessive-compulsive tendencies, planting the seedlings in a neat and orderly fashion.
At first, the two little ones stayed on the side, but after a while, they came running into the fields as well, following closely behind their parents and each holding a small bundle of seedlings to plant.
Fortunately, the water wasn't deep, reaching only about knee-high on the children, so with their parents keeping an eye on them, it wasn't a problem.
The whole family worked together in a lively manner, not feeling the slightest bit of fatigue.
"That Gu Jinchen's wife is really efficient. She plants the seedlings even neater than me. But seeing her in the dirty fields, I can't help but feel it's an unfamiliar sight."
After finishing her meal, Gu Dayong's wife came down to the fields with Uncle Sheng's Mother and couldn't help but comment upon seeing Luo Ge.
Hearing this, Uncle Sheng's Mother looked over in their direction.
"Mmm, it is an unfamiliar sight. She's so petite and fair, like a little fairy. It's strange to see her soiled by the mud in the fields."
"Tsk, this Gu Jinchen doesn't know how to spare people." Thinking about it, she couldn't help but add.
Indeed, Luo Ge's delicate and tender appearance seemed unsuitable for this kind of farm work.
Overhearing this, Li Zhaodi froze in her movements, her expression darkening further.
The good mood she had felt earlier upon seeing Luo Ge having to work in the fields instantly disappeared.
Gu Jinchen, whose hearing was exceptionally keen, also paused in his actions and turned to look at his wife with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
"Wife, why don't you go rest for a bit?" he said after considering it.
The others were saying he didn't know how to spare his wife.
"Huh? Why? I'm not tired yet, maybe later." They had just started working in the fields, after all. With that, she bent down and resumed her work.
Perhaps due to the effects of the space's well water on her body, she truly didn't feel fatigued, feeling energetic instead.
Even the two little ones didn't seem out of breath after working so busily for half a day.
Gu Jinchen: "......"
He didn't say anything further, simply continuing to work diligently, as if trying to take on Luo Ge's share of the work as well.
As a result, the work that was supposed to take an entire afternoon was somehow completed within a little over an hour.
"We worked so quickly. At this rate, we probably won't need two full days. If we work for a bit tomorrow morning, we should be able to finish."
Luo Ge was quite surprised at their pace, unaware of the men's competitive efforts.
"Mmm, let's go to another field." Gu Jinchen said quietly, glancing over at the few people from the neighboring fields who had been occasionally looking their way.
"Okay."
"That young couple really knows how to work hard." After Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen left, Uncle Sheng sincerely remarked upon seeing the neat and orderly field they had tended to.
The fields of the two families were about the same size. Although Uncle Sheng's family started a bit later than Gu Jinchen, they didn't lag too far behind.
But now, Gu Jinchen's family had already finished, while they still had a little left to do.
"Indeed." Gu Dayong and Gu Dawei, the two brothers, nodded in agreement.
Earlier, they had observed Gu Jinchen's work method and pace... it was something they couldn't match.
He was truly hardworking.
