A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

On the edge of an endless field, Li Mu, wearing tattered trousers, sat on the ground, panting heavily.

"Third brother, here you go."

Hearing his mother's words, Li Mu turned his head, looked at the steamed bun being handed to him, and subconsciously waved his hand:

"Mom, I need to rest for a bit; I can't eat right now."

"How much work did you do to get this tired?"

Li Dajiang, who was standing to the side, blurted out something without thinking.

A farmer who had spent his entire life toiling in the fields looked at his son's thick arms beneath his tattered clothes, and a hint of disdain, unique to "men," flashed in his eyes.

What's the use of having such thick arms?

It's all dead muscle.

How much work have you done?

That won't work.

Li Mu was also speechless. Although he felt it was hard and tiring to work in the fields with his family when he was a child, his parents would usually urge him to go back to his studies after working for a while.

He really couldn't handle the intensity of farming like today, getting up at four in the morning and working all morning.

But the parents' expressions were completely calm and unhurried.

October is the season for planting winter wheat.

It's already the 24th, and all the land left in the house is what's right here.

So, Li Dajiang has to finish everything today, and he still has to spread fertilizer tomorrow.

It was almost midnight, and after six or seven hours of sowing and tilling the land like an ox, Li Mu was exhausted.

Faced with his father's "disdain," Li Mu did not argue.

After taking a large gulp of tea, he said:

"Dad, Mom, don't farm next year. Rent it out to someone else. You're both getting old, and I can earn money now, so I don't need to farm anymore."

"Will that work?"

Li Dajiang rejected his son's suggestion without hesitation:

"If we don't farm, what will we eat?"

"Buy it to eat."

"The food you bought isn't good. Besides, everyone farms; if you don't, you're being lazy and people will laugh at you."

"What's so laughable about it? How much can a few acres of land sell for?"

Li Mu tried to explain the economic value of farming and tell his parents that they didn't need to "force themselves to endure hardship."

But none of them could withstand Li Dajiang's sharp retorts and remain speechless:

"So, if all the farmers in the country went out to make money and stopped farming, wouldn't that cause problems?"

"..."

He tried to refute it, but didn't know how to say it.

He's eloquent and quick-witted outside, but when he's with his father, he seems to be just another clueless little kid.

In the end, all I could reply with was:

"In the US, farming is all fully mechanized and automated."

"That's because America is more advanced."

After uttering a statement that was practically a national consensus, Li Dajiang picked up a slice of pickled mustard greens, popped it into his mouth, and muttered:

"We'll be like this someday too. When everything is done by machines, your mother and I won't need to plant anymore. But it's not the right time yet, we have to plant!"

Just then, Li Mu's phone rang.

He took it out, looked at it, and said to the two of them:

"It's Bingbing...feeding."

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

"It's still on the ground."

"Oh? It's already noon, aren't you and your aunt and uncle going home for lunch?"

Upon hearing the address "uncle and aunt," Zhang Xiuqin, who was also squatting on the ground eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables, couldn't help but smile.

But Li Dajiang acted as if he hadn't heard anything and continued to look at the distant fields.

"They're eating. Right here in the field. We have to plant all the wheat today; I reckon we'll be busy until tonight."

"That must be so hard..."

Xiao Fan, who has never farmed before, obviously couldn't imagine just how intense this kind of work really was.

But Li Mu's tone was very "calm":

"Almost done. It's like this every year~"

It was as if he wasn't the one who had been panting and out of breath just moments before.

"Then you must do more work, and don't let your uncle and aunt get tired..."

Zhang Xiuqin's smile widened.

After chatting for a few more minutes, they hung up the phone.

After putting his phone away, Li Mu said:

"She'll probably be busy for another month or so. How about around New Year's Day? I'll bring her back..."

"In the capital."

Zhang Xiuqin spoke on behalf of her husband, expressing her own views.

As long as the son can bring the person back, that's fine.

But after saying that, he couldn't help but add:

"So you two don't even have two or three days to get something done?"

She meant the wedding ceremony.

But before Li Mu could speak, Li Dajiang, who had already finished eating a steamed bun, turned his head and said:

"Didn't the third brother say we should get the marriage certificate first? She's a celebrity, she earns millions a year! If people find out she's married, they won't like her anymore. Is money more important or the ceremony?"

"Look at you, in such a hurry. What's the use of just getting a marriage certificate? You need to get married properly..."

"What do you know? What's wrong with getting a marriage certificate? It's a certificate issued by the government. They give their third child tens of thousands of yuan a month for living expenses. What if no one likes them anymore? What if they run out of money? How will they raise the child?!"

Hearing his parents arguing, Li Mu acted as if he were deaf.

They didn't offer any opinions.

But... it's true, the blame lies with him.

When Li Mu's parents asked him how big the house was, he replied "300 square meters," leaving the couple stunned.

They really couldn't believe it... how could a house be so big!

And what puzzled him even more was how his third son could afford it.

So, Li Mu, driven by his instinct to be a con artist, immediately crafted a perfect story.

The prize money from the award + the bonus from the company + Fan Bingbing's "sugar daddy" arrangement.

He had to be cautious because...

A few days ago, when he returned home, the neighbor, whom Li Mude called "Third Uncle," was visiting at his house.

When Li Mu returned, his relatives were very welcoming. They exchanged pleasantries for a while, praised Li Mu for his success, and asked him how his career was going.

Li Mu didn't take it seriously at first, thinking it was just a relative asking, so he gave a half-truthful answer.

But after his relatives left, he asked his uncle what they were doing there, and when he heard from his parents that "your brother Xinfeng wants to build a house, but his family doesn't have enough money, so they came to borrow some..." his instinctive wariness immediately kicked in.

So he continued to push all financial matters onto his fiancée.

For two farmers who have hardly ever traveled far from home and have dedicated their entire lives to the land at the entrance of the village, it becomes reasonable that a daughter-in-law who earns several million a year contributed a large portion of the money, and a son who receives three or four hundred thousand in bonuses contributed a smaller portion, together they bought a 300-square-meter house.

The couple successfully shifted their attention from "money" to "why you two are so wasteful, buying such a big house."

That's how they managed to get away with it.

But no matter what, their third son is capable.

He married a woman who earns so much money every year, and most importantly, she's willing to spend money on his third son.

That's it.

However, these past few days, Li Mu's ears have often heard the phrase, "Be nice to her, and if she gets angry, you should give in to her."

It's as if he's some kind of live-in son-in-law.

Li Mu did not argue.

I just wanted to take advantage of these few days to get up early and work late to help my parents finish planting this batch of winter wheat.

He left after the wheat was planted.

I've been here for a week now.

……

Li Dajiang quickly finished two steamed buns, glanced at his son who hadn't eaten a bite, and said:

"Hurry up and eat."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked with a slightly hunched posture toward the unsown field in the distance.

Without further delay, Li Mu picked up a steamed bun and took a big bite while drinking the half-pot of tea.

Feeling a bit choked, I took a slice of mustard greens from the plastic bag.

He sighed as he ate.

Ugh……

That's far too sloppy.

They give you two several thousand yuan a month, do you even know how to spend it?

With such strenuous work, what's the point of just eating carbohydrates? Can't we get some protein?

You two are really something, eating only pickled vegetables and steamed buns for lunch... You could at least have some meat with you.

He wanted to complain because he really felt that his parents were forcing themselves to suffer.

But I also understand that some things can't be changed just by talking about them.

So while eating, he dialed the phone number of his second sister, Li Qing:

"Hey, second sister, is the shop busy?"

"Wow, I'm really busy! What's up?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow or the day after. Could you book a restaurant in the county town and have your brother-in-law pick me up later? Let's not cook at home. We can finish all the land work today. How about we have a meal at a restaurant in the county town?"

"Booking a restaurant is no problem, but your brother-in-law might not have time to come to our house. It's the busy season for farming, which is also the busiest time for the shop. Why don't you and our parents come by tricycle?"

"...Alright then."

Li Mu agreed, hung up the phone, and quickened his pace of eating the steamed bun.

He quickly finished one steamed bun and didn't eat a second one.

It's too salty; I can't eat it.

He quickly got up and walked towards his parents.

moment……

"Why go to a restaurant? Why spend that money? Do you have too much money to burn?"

"..."

Faced with his father's questioning, Li Mu was truly helpless.

It's one thing to force yourself to endure hardship, but how come you're so strong even when you're just eating a normal meal?

But... as it turns out, talk is cheap.

After working until almost four o'clock in the afternoon, Li Dajiang finally finished planting wheat on all the land in his yard, and rode his tricycle with Li Mu straight to the county town.

Sitting in the tipper of the tricycle, Li Mu, exhausted from a day's work, sat close to his mother, whose face was also tanned and red, and stared blankly at the setting sun.

The tricycle was very bumpy, and the various loose parts clattered and rattled along with the single-cylinder engine, creating an incredibly noisy symphony.

Walking along the country lanes, Li Mu felt as if he had returned to his familiar childhood.

He couldn't help but turn his head and glance at his mother, who was dozing off beside him.

My mother is getting old.

She was very tired after a day of work.

But when he rested his head on his mother's body, he still received that familiar embrace.

And gentle patting.

Just like before.

"mom."

"What's wrong?"

"Let's rent out the land. I don't want you two to work so hard."

"Silly child."

Zhang Xiuqin smiled and shook her head:

"If we don't farm, what will we eat?"

"From now on, I'll transfer five thousand to both of you every month!"

"No need, you can keep it yourself."

She patted her son's arm, facing the setting sun, and closed her eyes again.