CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: THE JOY OF HARVEST

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

After returning to the Tang Dynasty, Lin Wanwan tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

Little Qingyu had long been sleeping sprawled out, taking up more than half of the bed despite being so small.

Yun Shang once suggested giving Little Qingyu her own room, with Yun Shang keeping watch at night, so Lin Wanwan could have more space.

But Lin Wanwan rejected this proposal. A child’s innocent and carefree years are just a few, and if they don’t sleep together now, there won’t be a chance in the future. A little squeezing is sweet and delightful for Lin Wanwan.

A beautiful day began again with Little Qingyu’s morning report on her wet bed.

Today, Lin Wanwan planned to take Kun Lun to the courtyard house in Xiao Stream Town to pick up the school uniforms.

In reality, going to Xiao Stream Town was entirely a smokescreen. The Hanfu uniforms were all in her small villa, and she could just open the Space-Time Gate to move them.

Kun Lun had gotten used to going to the courtyard house in Xiao Stream Town with Lin Wanwan to fetch things.

He was a person of strong limbs and simple mind, trained and brainwashed for a long time before being sold, believing that loyalty was the best quality of a slave. Therefore, whatever Lin Wanwan asked him to do, he would never utter a word of complaint.

Besides, Lin Wanwan treated him extraordinarily well, with meat to eat every day—and spiced with pepper to remove any off-flavor—along with vegetables and fruits. What other slave could enjoy such treatment? Even if Lin Wanwan were to ask him to kill, he would do it without a second thought.

Lin Wanwan treated him even better than his own parents did! The reason he came to the Great Tang was that he was sold by his parents when he was young.

Lin Wanwan also trusted Kun Lun greatly, partly because he was quite slow and couldn’t learn the local dialect, so there was no worry of him saying anything he shouldn’t.

Another reason was Kun Lun’s unwavering loyalty—such as when Lin Wanwan let Kun Lun guard the door while she opened the Space-Time Gate to return to the modern era. Even if it was the Lin Clan Leader outside, Kun Lun would not let them in by a single step.

Usually, Lin Wanwan would take Hua Nong with her for appearances, but whenever she needed to secretly move things from the modern era, she would only bring Kun Lun.

After all, one less person meant less risk of exposure.

They moved the school uniforms from the rented courtyard into the carriage. Then Lin Wanwan went to a bookstore in Xiao Stream Town to browse, buying some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—most of the practice paper was actually brought from the modern era by Lin Wanwan, but she also needed to buy some local Tang items to cover her tracks.

On the way back, Lin Wanwan rented another carriage specifically to carry things. She always brought her large wooden box, making it convenient to take things out whenever necessary; after all, whatever was inside was entirely up to her.

When they returned to the village, Lin Zhentian, Lin Mengbo, and others rushed over to help carry things at the courtyard gate.

The carriage driver from the stable saw such a manor hidden away in the remote wilderness and was utterly surprised, but didn’t think much of it. Throughout the entire Great Tang Dynasty, there were numerous recluses in the countryside. Lin Wanwan’s situation wasn’t too bizarre.

The Lin Clan Leader, seeing Lin Wan Wan return, was too excited to scold her again for spending money recklessly, and instead told her excitedly, "Wan Niang, the three acres of grain from your designated fields have produced a full fifty-two stones! Oh, heavens! This old man has never seen such a harvest from a field in my lifetime!"

Lin Wanwan laughed, "Uncle Clan Leader, I told you my rice seeds have a high yield, but you didn’t believe and didn’t plant along with me. Now you see that I wasn’t lying!"

The Lin Clan Leader wiped his tears and said, "You weren’t lying, you weren’t lying! Next spring, we will all plant along with you! Oh, heavens, with so much grain, if we can truly cultivate it, we will never worry about having empty bellies again! You must be the blessing sent by our ancestors to our poor branch of the clan!"

Lin Mengbo also smiled on the side; his family had been drawn in to plant autumn sweet potatoes then, and now he eagerly anticipated the yield of those sweet potatoes.

"It’s a good harvest! Clan Leader, how about I host a clan feast to celebrate?" Lin Wanwan, somewhat embarrassed by the praise, casually suggested another topic to change the subject.

The Clan Leader immediately refused, "It’s neither the festival nor new year, hosting a feast is extravagant and wasteful. Wan Niang, you shouldn’t look at the bountiful harvest and think less of providing lunch for the children out of your own pocket! Over a hundred kids, Uncle knows this isn’t a small expense; you shouldn’t have to give away extra to the clan, as it might spoil their desires."

"Alright, I’ll heed the Clan Leader’s advice." Lin Wanwan humbly accepted, "I’ve heard too many stories of small utterances leading to hate."

So, her help for the clan primarily focused on the children. She couldn’t bear to see the clan’s children looking all emaciated, skin over bones, and dressed in rags. Too pitiful. It’s the duty to benefit the world when one becomes successful, especially those of the same bloodline.

Sometimes at lunch in the academy, some children scoop food and do not eat it, instead taking it home to eat together. Lin Wanwan once caught Lin Guofu’s third daughter secretly wrapping a paper-full of eight-treasure rice while leaving the academy.

Though everyone’s life was tough, this door couldn’t be opened. Lin Wanwan couldn’t provide for the entire clan for free.

Later, Lin Wanwan imposed a rule that children must eat in school themselves and are not allowed to take food home. If caught sneaking food again, they would lose the right to lunch.

There were some greedy adults who might mutter a word or two in private, but they didn’t dare defy openly.

As for the children, they felt ashamed of stealing food, but they had an inexplicable admiration for Lin Wanwan. Whatever Lin Wanwan said was the rule—they probably wouldn’t object even if she said flatulence was fragrant.

From ancient times to the present, children’s attitudes toward teachers have always been similar.

This is why Lin Wanwan enjoys being with children; seeing the vibrant children shining like the morning sun, it’s hard for her to be in a bad mood.

This time, Lin Wanwan also bought five little lambs from Xiao Stream Town, raising them in the pen beside the kitchen.

Lin Wanwan planned to assign the task of gathering grass for the sheep to the children and give them some fruit snacks as a treat in return. Her three cows were also tended by the children.

Giving away things for free fosters laziness, but letting children exchange labor for food doesn’t lead to issues. After these five sheep grow up, they can be slaughtered to add meals for the children, truly killing multiple birds with one stone.

As for why sheep and not pigs, mainly because the people of the Great Tang disdain pork, believing it easily causes disease. They prefer beef and mutton.

Of course, the role of cows in agriculture is unquestionable, and their meat isn’t casually consumed, leaving only mutton.

On this note, Lin Wanwan didn’t want to go against the entire era’s preferences. In fact, she rarely ate stir-fried dishes; she had adapted to life in the Tang Dynasty. Steamed dishes and boiled dishes might not be as flavorful, but at least they were nutritious!