Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

Looking at the sumptuous meal spread across the table, Old Lady Yang's brows furrowed, her muscles twitched, and a nameless anger rose within her, almost causing her to curse, "You spendthrift woman!"

On second thought, the chickens, rabbits, and bamboo rats were wild game brought by wolves, the wild vegetables were picked and grown by themselves, and the eggs were laid by pheasants. Only the rice and noodles cost a little money.

Then he remembered that Magistrate Lu had rewarded him with a hundred taels of silver, enough to buy a large amount of grain, so he immediately felt relieved and stopped arguing. Instead, he adopted the attitude of a host and loudly greeted him, "Village head, please take a seat, don't be shy!"

Yang Xiaobao quickly called over Grandpa Yang, the village head, Grandpa Yang, Tang Chengyu, and several children, who first sat around the dining table.

Because the table was too small for everyone to sit at, Old Mrs. Yang, Tang Susu, and Miao Yulan each took a different dish and ate their rice on the stone bench outside the kitchen.

It's not that men and women are supposed to sit separately, it's just that there are limited seats available.

The village head picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of dry-pot rabbit meat, and after chewing it, he was struck by the unique flavor. His eyes widened, and his face was full of disbelief.

He exclaimed repeatedly, "This tastes absolutely amazing! My son Zhimao often hunts wild game, but the flavor he makes is nowhere near as good as this. The Yang family's cooking skills are truly unparalleled!"

With his mouth bulging, Yang Xiaobao boasted through his slurred words, "Grandpa Village Head, Uncle Yu said this dry-pot rabbit is even better than the ones at the big restaurants in town!"

The village head tasted the braised bamboo rat meat again, and found it even more delicious, but he only ate two bites before stopping and not touching the meat again.

He knew all too well that in years of famine, every family had to tighten their belts, and he was merely helping to measure the land; he had no right to eat such precious wild game.

He then buried his head in his food, eating buckwheat rice with cornbread and vegetables.

He usually only eats about 30% full at each meal, but today he ate until he was 80% full, and his face was full of satisfaction.

After the meal, Tang Susu went back to her room and brought back twenty taels of silver, which she handed to Yang, the village head: "Village head, this is the silver for purchasing the land. Please keep it safe."

Yang Lizheng carefully tucked the money into his pocket and whispered, "Young Lady Tang, you should also keep a close eye on your own money."

I am now in charge of the village's collective property, including the sixty taels of silver that County Magistrate Lu rewarded me for bringing water, and your twenty taels. I worry about them being stolen every day.

Be extra careful at night, and watch out for thieves.

After saying that, he hurriedly went home with the silver in his pocket.

After the meal, it was Tang Chengyu's turn to clean up the dishes. He brought a large basin of warm water, carefully washed the dishes twice, carried them into the kitchen, arranged them neatly, and covered them with a bamboo basket to keep out mice.

A woman standing nearby exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, Tang Tongsheng, how can you do such rough work! You're going to take the imperial examination to become a scholar; your hands should be holding a brush and writing, not getting your hands dirty with oil!"

As she spoke, she stepped forward to grab the bowl and chopsticks. Tang Chengyu had rarely done physical labor since childhood, and he couldn't resist the woman's insistence.

Just then, Tang Susu came out of the main room, stepped forward, snatched the bowl and chopsticks and stuffed them back into Tang Chengyu's hands: "Let him wash them himself."

The woman smiled and praised, "Young Lady Tang, your brother is truly remarkable! He can write beautifully and wash dishes perfectly. He's a gift from our ancestors!"

Tang Susu replied calmly, "Auntie, you flatter me. We are not from a wealthy family, so these chores should be done by him."

Just then, Da Dou's mother walked into the yard carrying a bamboo basket. Her gaze fell on Yang Gousheng, who was carrying soil back. Seeing a lot of sand piled up by the yard wall, she smiled and asked, "Su Su's wife, are you making mud bricks to build a new house?"

Tang Susu nodded: "Yes, our house is old and dilapidated. We should build a few new rooms while we have some free time so that we can live more comfortably."

Doudou's mother quickly chimed in, "That's right! Tang Liqiang is almost sixteen and Yang Gousheng is almost fifteen. They're both of marriageable age, and the new house is just the right place for the newlyweds."

Tang Susu knew perfectly well that Da Dou Niang was arranging a marriage for her fourteen-year-old second sister, Ju Hua, with Yang Gou Sheng.

Although Chrysanthemum is hardworking, she has a robust and rugged appearance, which is not Yang Gousheng's type.

She smiled and politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie, but they are still young and their minds are on work. There's no rush for them to get married."

Soybean's mother was so anxious she was jumping up and down: "How can I not be anxious! Even the village's idiot Ersha and Shiwu are married. My Juhua is quick and efficient, good at everything from washing clothes and cooking to working in the fields. Let her try with Gousheng!"

Yang Gousheng bent down to pile up sand, not even looking up: "Doudou's mother, I don't want to get married so soon. Let's talk about it after this year."

Doudou's mother was anxious. She knew that if Tang Chengyu passed the imperial examination after the New Year, the threshold for the Yang family would only be higher, and Juhua's remarriage would be a step up for her.

Seeing Yang Gousheng and Tang Susu's indifferent attitude, he had no choice but to leave awkwardly.

After Doudou's mother left, Tang Susu pulled Tang Liqiang and Yang Gousheng aside and said in a gentle tone, "If you are thinking about getting married, or if you have taken a fancy to a girl, just tell me. I will help you arrange it and make the selection. You don't need to hide it."

The two boys blushed and nodded in agreement, "Understood, Sister Su."

As night fell and the children went to sleep, Tang Susu passed by Tang Chengyu's house and saw a faint light shining inside.

Pushing open the door, I saw Tang Chengyu engrossed in reading. He took out half a candle from the wooden box, lit it, and studied by the dim light. After reading for a while, he turned off the light and recited in the dark. After memorizing it, he lit the candle again to check it repeatedly.

Tang Susu saw it all and felt deeply pained.

She knew that lighting was difficult in ancient times. Candles cost more than one tael of silver each, and only wealthy families and students could afford to use them. Oil lamps required lard, and in years of famine, every household lacked oil. Even if they had oil, they would save it for cooking. They would sew by feel in the dark.

When Tang Chengyu saw her come in, she quickly put down her book: "Big sister, did I disturb you?"

Tang Susu shook her head and said in a low voice, "I boiled some animal oil during the day to make an oil lamp for you. It will be brighter for reading at night and it's cheaper than candles."

After saying that, she went into the kitchen, took a clean porcelain bowl, bought some animal oil from the trading platform, poured a little water into the bowl, then put in the oil, and then twisted cotton thread into a wick and put it into the oil. A simple oil lamp was thus made.

This oil lamp uses animal oil, which produces smoke, has an unpleasant smell, and the light is unstable. The wick also needs to be adjusted frequently, making it far less convenient than a kerosene lamp. However, due to the limitations of the times, this was the only option.

Tang Chengyu looked at the oil lamp, her eyes lighting up with joy as they reflected the flickering flame. "Thank you so much, elder sister! This oil lamp makes reading at night so much easier!"

Tang Susu reminded her, "Don't stay up too late, make sure you get some rest, and don't overwork yourself."

After saying that, she gently closed the door and went back to her room.

Tang Susu returned to the house and saw that Gousheng and Bao'er were sleeping soundly, so she opened the locked wooden box.

The box contained nearly three hundred taels of silver, including the money from finding the ginseng, the money earned from going up the mountain, the money from selling cold noodles, and the reward money from Magistrate Lu. It was all piled up together and was dazzling even in the middle of the night.

Although she now had a legitimate income, she was filled with worries, fearing that the money would be targeted by robbers—the village had been robbed before, and the money earned from the trading platform couldn't be used openly, leaving her feeling very conflicted.

I can't help but sigh, hoping that the trading platform can provide space for storing valuables, making it convenient to hide silver and books.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, I heard a notification from the trading platform, informing me that the space function was now available and that I could unlock storage access for only 999 taels of silver.

Tang Susu's eyes widened instantly. She checked the LCD screen and found a small, square compartment. It wasn't big, but it was big enough to hold valuables.

However, the unlocking fee of 999 taels of silver posed a problem for her—she had only earned 50 taels from selling cold noodles until she was exhausted and on the verge of collapse, a huge difference that put her under immense pressure.

Before going to sleep, her mind was full of thoughts about "making money," and she was thinking about all sorts of ways to earn money. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly heard Yang Dabai's whimpering cries outside, breaking the tranquility of the night.