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

Lu Hao fell to the ground, wincing in pain, and yelled angrily, "A-Gui! Where the hell have you been? Help me up right now!"

Upon hearing the shouts, A-Gui didn't dare to delay for a moment. He immediately dropped the flail in his hand, rushed forward, and carefully helped Lu Hao to his feet. He gently patted the dirt off Lu Hao's body and whispered soothingly, "Young Master, are you alright? It's all my fault for not being able to stay by your side."

As the sun gradually set in the west, the sky turned a vibrant orange-red, and a gentle evening breeze brought a touch of coolness to the air.

But the villagers in the fields showed no sign of stopping work. Everyone was working against the clock, bending over, cutting the grain, and bundling it up. Their movements were skilled but hurried, as they wanted to harvest as much grain as possible before it got dark and save the year's harvest.

Tang Susu wiped the sweat from her brow and shouted towards the fields, "Lifu, Liqiang, Gousheng, and Xiaobao, come home for dinner!"

Once everyone had gathered around, she said softly, "After a hard day's work, go home and fill your stomachs first, rest for a bit, and then we'll continue our work when it's completely dark, trying to finish harvesting the grain as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded, their steps faltering from exhaustion, yet their faces betrayed both weariness and a sense of accomplishment.

Back home, Miao Yulan had already set the table full of food.

The autumn harvest was so busy that there was no time to prepare any fancy food, but Miao Yulan made enough to fill everyone up—she knew that only by eating well could they have the energy to do the heavy work that followed.

Dinner was simple, but exceptionally hearty.

Each person received a large bowl of buckwheat rice, with plump grains;

A golden-brown egg and cornbread pancake, fragrant, soft, and chewy;

There was also a large plate of stir-fried wild shepherd's purse with lard. It was bright green and fragrant. Although it wasn't a gourmet dish, it perfectly satisfied the hunger pangs after a long day of work.

Just as everyone was about to sit down, Tang Susu turned around and went to the courtyard to check on Agui and Lu Hao's threshing work for the day. Her gaze swept over the grains on the scale, and she said in a low voice, "Today, the two of you threshed a total of five jin and three liang of grain. According to the rules I set, you only get to eat if you work. Only one of you can eat dinner for this amount of work. You can decide for yourselves who will eat."

Ah Gui looked at the steaming food on the table, swallowed hard, and his stomach growled. But he didn't dare to compete with Lu Hao for it, so he could only take a step back and say with his head down, "Young master, please eat first. I'm not hungry."

He secretly hoped that Lu Hao would remember his hunger and tear off a piece from the cornbread for him when they ate later, even just a small bite, to relieve his ravenous discomfort.

Lu Hao had been sleeping in the courtyard, and the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen had already whetted his appetite. He was full of anticipation for some rare delicacies, but when he saw the buckwheat rice, cornbread, and unassuming wild shepherd's purse on the table, he was immediately filled with disbelief, and his brows furrowed.

"This is it?" he shouted incredulously. "This pig swill is fit for me? I'm the son of the county magistrate, and you make me do hard labor and feed me this garbage!"

After saying that, he was furious and shouted angrily, "I won't eat!" He then turned around angrily, slammed the door, and walked out of the yard without even a moment's hesitation.

Seeing this, A-Gui quickly picked up a cornbread from the table and carefully tried to catch up with Lu Hao to give it to him to eat, but Tang Susu stopped him.

"Ignore him," Tang Susu said calmly. "Let's sit down and eat. We're all exhausted after a long day of work. We don't need to worry about his antics."

Everyone was already exhausted and starving, so upon hearing this, they didn't say anything more, sat down, picked up their bowls and chopsticks, and began to wolf down their food. In no time, they had finished all the food in their bowls, leaving not even the wild vegetables at the bottom of the plate.

After the meal, everyone immediately got back to work without a moment's rest.

Tang Susu took the initiative to wash the dishes. She worked quickly and efficiently. After washing the dishes, she immediately went to the yard and spread all the rice ears that had been harvested during the day evenly on the clean ground to make it easier to thresh and thresh the rice later.

She knew in her heart that this matter had to be finished tonight—after the children came home from school, they would have to thresh grain with her, and during the busy farming season, it was common to work through the night.

During a break from work, as the evening breeze blew by and she looked at the golden rice ears in the yard, a line of poetry quietly floated into Tang Susu's mind: "Rice ears piled high in the threshing floor, carts full of grain, a gentle breeze carrying fragrance, smoke rising from the low thatched eaves, one might mistake it for the home of a hermit in Peach Blossom Spring."

The simple verses offered some solace for her fatigue and toil over the past few days.

On the other side, Tang Chengyu did not rest either. He took Yang Gousheng, Tang Liqiang, and two other children from the village to the front courtyard of the Yang family ancestral hall to prepare for a lecture.

Even though it was the busy farming season and everyone was exhausted, he insisted on continuing his studies. The villagers of Yangqu Village all knew that Tang Chengyu was very knowledgeable and would leave Yangqu Village sooner or later to go to the county town to prepare for the exam. They just wanted to take advantage of the fact that Tang Chengyu was still in the village so that they could learn more knowledge and learn a few words, and be less likely to be deceived in the future.

The children also felt that sitting and listening to the lesson was much more comfortable than bending over to harvest grain in the fields. They were all very interested and sat upright on the ground, listening attentively.

As night deepened, the voices of Tang Chengyu lecturing and teaching, along with the children's clear reading voices, gradually rose in the front courtyard of the ancestral hall, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet village.

As for Lu Hao and A Gui, after leaving the Tang family, they wandered aimlessly along the village road of Yangqu Village.

Lu Hao, who was originally wearing an exquisite and beautiful violet silk robe, was now tattered and covered with dust and dirt. The bright violet color had become dull and lifeless, and his hair was also messy. He could only hold a large leaf in his hand and use it to fan himself and cool down.

He looked no different from any other ordinary villager. As he walked along, he encountered several villagers returning home late, but no one recognized him as the son of the high-ranking county magistrate.

Hungry, A-Gui went forward and asked the villagers along the way. After a long and winding journey, he finally found the village head's house.

Standing at the gate of the village head's house, Lu Hao secretly pondered: The village head was his father's subordinate. Although he did not have a formal government position, he was still under his father's jurisdiction. If the village head dared to disobey him and not provide him with food, he would go back and tell his father to replace this ungrateful village head.

He was certain that the village head would be wary of his status and would obediently bring out delicious food to serve him.

When the village head heard the knocking, he opened the gate and was stunned to see Lu Hao's appearance. His eyes widened in disbelief. In just a few hours, the once illustrious and pampered young master of the county magistrate had become so disheveled and unrecognizable.

Before the village head could speak, Lu Hao launched his attack, his tone cold and arrogant: "Village head, quickly bring some food. I'm starving! I want the best dishes and the best rice!"

Li Zheng looked troubled, his face full of difficulty. He kept in mind Tang Susu's instructions from earlier that day: Magistrate Lu had specially sent Young Master Lu to the village to temper his character. Anyone who dared to secretly give Young Master Lu money or food would be going against Magistrate Lu, and he would never dare to disobey.

But the man before him was, after all, the son of the county magistrate. If he were to starve, and the county magistrate were to hold him accountable, he would be in a difficult position, standing there helplessly.

Just then, the village head's wife came out of the main room, carrying a bowl of steaming hot, porridge-like food. With a kind smile on her face, she walked up to Lu Hao and said softly, "Young Master Lu, I'm so sorry, our family's conditions are limited, and we don't have anything good. This is for my child. It's made by mixing black flour and cornmeal with wild vegetables. It's very thick and filling. Please make do with this to fill your stomach."

Lu Hao looked down at the bowl of dark, sticky food, which looked extremely unappetizing. His face immediately filled with disgust and resistance. His stomach churned, and he lost all appetite. He couldn't help but frown and angrily question, "Village head! As the village head of Yangqu Village, how can you eat this pig swill? Are you deliberately trying to slight me?"

The village head, his face full of shame, lowered his head and explained helplessly, "Young Master Lu, I am ashamed to say that apart from the small amount of copper coins that Magistrate Lu gives me each month, I have no other income. I can only make a living by farming. It is already good enough if I can eat my fill. I really have nothing good to offer you."

Seeing this, the village head's wife felt very uneasy and quickly said, "Young Master Lu, if you don't like this, I'll go pound rice and make you some white rice. Please wait a little longer, it will be ready soon."

But Lu Hao was extremely arrogant. He abruptly flicked his sleeve and coldly refused, "No need! I won't eat a single bite of this lousy stuff! I want spiced braised chicken, four-happiness meatballs, and braised pork. This garbage doesn't even deserve my attention!"

After saying that, he stopped looking at the village head and his wife, turned around angrily and left, his face full of impatience and disdain.

Ah Gui quickly caught up with Lu Hao, took out the cornbread he hadn't dared to eat earlier from his pocket. The bread was a little cold, but it still gave off a faint aroma. He carefully handed it to Lu Hao and whispered, "Young master, please eat some to fill your stomach, otherwise you'll be even hungrier later."

But Lu Hao was extremely arrogant, swatting away A Gui's hand and saying haughtily, "Take it away! I don't care for this kind of coarse food. I'd rather starve to death than eat this garbage!"

Having said that, he stiffened his neck and strode forward, refusing to lower his head even slightly.

Helpless, A-Gui could only silently follow behind him, carefully picking up the cornbread that had fallen to the ground and nibbling on it little by little to satisfy his hunger and thirst, without daring to utter a single complaint.

After walking for a while, Lu Hao's stomach growled loudly with hunger, causing him to wince in pain, but he still refused to give in and said coldly, "Let's go to the street! There are taverns and restaurants there, and everyone there knows me. I'll go get some on credit and have a good meal!"

He planned in his mind to first go to the tavern on the street, order a table full of delicious food, have a hearty meal, and then quietly return to Yangqu Village. His father was busy with government affairs all day long and would certainly not know that he had secretly gone to the street, much less that he had violated Tang Susu's rules.

But both he and Agui were visiting Yangqu Village for the first time and knew nothing about the roads in the village, so they had no idea how to get to the town.

Relying on their senses, the two wandered aimlessly forward. Before they could even walk for half an incense stick's time, they were completely lost. Before them lay unfamiliar fields and villages, and they couldn't even find the way they had come.

Lu Hao's previous plans all fell through. He stood there, trembling with anger, but there was nothing he could do but let his stomach growl loudly.

Night fell like a thick black silk, quietly enveloping the entire earth. The moonlight was hazy, and the starlight was dim, but Yangqu Village was far from peaceful.

The sound of flails threshing grain echoed from every household's courtyard, creating a lively atmosphere. The villagers were worried that the rice piled in their yards wouldn't be safe at night, fearing it might be stolen or get wet in rainy weather. Therefore, they took advantage of the night to thresh the grain, planning to move it outside to winnow, dry, and store it when the weather cleared up and the wind picked up.

The moonlight, like water, gently illuminated the earth. In Tang Susu's courtyard, the lights were still on, and everyone was doing their jobs and cooperating tacitly.

There was only one flail in the house. Tang Lifu, Tang Liqiang, Yang Gousheng, and Tang Chengyu took turns wielding it, while the others used wooden basins to forcefully thresh the rice ears, making the threshing process quite efficient.

Tang Susu was still busy. She was almost completely drained of her strength, so tired that she felt like she was about to fall apart. Her hands were covered in blisters, and her shoulders were still sore, but she did not stop what she was doing and persevered through gritted teeth.

Before we knew it, it was midnight. The night was deep, and the evening breeze had turned chilly.

Tang Susu couldn't hold on any longer, so she stopped what she was doing, leaned against the wall, and rested for a while. It was then that she suddenly remembered that Lu Hao and A Gui hadn't returned since they went out in the evening until late at night.

She originally thought that Lu Hao was just being petty and had run away in a fit of pique. She thought that he would come back on his own when he got too hungry. But she didn't expect that the two of them would disappear without a trace as soon as they went out, without even a sound.

Tang Susu's expression instantly turned serious, and a sense of unease arose in her heart.

She knew that to the east of Yangqu Village were continuous mountains, steep and overgrown with weeds. The road to the town had to pass through a narrow gap between two mountains. The road was narrow, rugged and difficult to walk. If one went the wrong way, it was easy to get lost, or even encounter wild animals and be in danger.

"Oh no, they've probably gotten lost," Tang Susu said in a low voice, her tone tinged with anxiety.

Yang Gousheng stopped wielding the flail and frowned, saying, "Sister Su, I bet Young Master Lu has gone to town. A son of an official like him can't possibly endure the hardships of Yangqu Village. It's already quite good if he can stay for a few hours. Maybe he's enjoying some good food in a tavern right now."

The others nodded in agreement, agreeing with Yang Gousheng's assessment. They believed that Lu Hao, being so arrogant, must have lost his temper and gone out to enjoy himself.

But Tang Susu shook her head and insisted, "No, even if he went to the street, we still have to go find him and make sure he's safe. If he really got lost or encountered danger, we won't be able to explain it to Magistrate Lu."

After saying that, she leaned against the wall, got up, and prepared to go out to look for the person.

But she had been working day and night for days and was already exhausted. As soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy, her legs went weak, her head spun, and she almost fell to the ground again.

"Big sister, slow down!" Tang Lifu reacted quickly and stepped forward to support Tang Susu. He urged her urgently, "Big sister, you're exhausted. Go back to your room and rest. Leave the search to us. We'll split up and search. We're sure we can find Young Master Lu and Agui."

Tang Liqiang, Yang Gousheng, and others also stepped forward to persuade Tang Susu to go back to her room to rest while they went to look for her.

Just as everyone was discussing how to split up and search for the person, the light of torches suddenly came from the courtyard gate, along with the voices of two people gradually approaching.

Everyone looked up and saw two men holding torches standing at the gate of the courtyard. Behind these two men stood two people – Lu Hao and A Gui, who were disheveled and looked haggard.

The two were covered in mud, their hair was disheveled, their eyes were tired, and their stomachs were growling with hunger. Gone was their former arrogance and haughtiness.