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

In the yard, there was a pile of freshly hulled grain husks and bran. As Tang Susu sorted them, she casually remarked to the person next to her, "These grain husks are very useful. After they're dried, they're the best kindling material. They're easy to ignite and burn for a long time. In winter, they're even faster than firewood for cooking and heating."

As she spoke, she pointed to the finer pieces of chaff beside her: "As for this chaff, it can usually be mixed with some wild vegetables to feed the chickens and ducks at home, saving a lot of feed. But in times of famine, when people can't even feed themselves, they can't bear to feed chickens and ducks. They will crush the chaff, mix it with wild vegetables, black flour, and a little cornmeal to make cornbread. Although it is coarse and hard to swallow, it is much better than gnawing on tree bark or digging up grass roots, and it can save a life."

Everyone listened and nodded silently, knowing that grain husks and bran, though considered worthless in good years, could be life-saving in famine.

This year's harvest was ultimately affected by the prolonged drought; the grains were sparse and shriveled, with no plump kernels at all.

Tang Susu weighed out 100 jin of new grain, carefully removed the husks, and in the end, she only got 50 jin of white rice, with a rice yield of less than half.

The family had six mu of land, which produced a total of 1,200 jin of grain. After paying 100 jin of tax, and converting that to rice, they were left with only about 500 jin of white rice.

Even so, Tang Susu's family's yield per mu was already at a relatively high level in the whole village. Other families in the village were more severely affected by the drought, and their harvests were even less than hers. Some of them could hardly afford to pay their taxes.

No one dared to waste a single grain of rice. These 500-odd kilograms of white rice were the source of all the livelihood for Tang Susu's family in the coming months—their winter food, daily necessities, and medical expenses for family members when they were sick. Every single grain was hard-earned.

For the next few days, Tang Susu spent almost every day in the yard, busy husking the grains.

She sat on a small stool, holding a winnowing basket in her hand, repeatedly tossing the brown rice, using the wind to separate the husks from the grains.

This process needs to be repeated many times to remove the husks from the grains. By the end of the day, her arms are so sore that she can't even lift them, and her fingertips are red from being rubbed. But she dares not stop, nor can she stop. She has to take advantage of the good weather to remove the husks from the grains as soon as possible, dry them, and store them to prevent them from getting moldy.

During breaks from work, Tang Susu would secretly think that it would be great if she could buy a shell-removing machine on a trading platform, which would save time and effort, and she would never have to work so hard again.

But she also knew that the machine was too big and had a strange appearance. In this remote village, it was impossible to use it openly. If the villagers saw it and questioned her, she would have no way to explain it and would have to give up and continue to rely on manpower to work little by little.

The days of hard work left her no time to think about anything else; all her thoughts were focused on hulling and drying the rice, hoping to finish processing all the grains as soon as possible.

That afternoon, Tang Susu was bending down and winnowing a winnowing basket when suddenly, a cold raindrop fell on her forehead.

She paused for a moment, then looked up and saw that the once clear sky had been filled with dark clouds. Then, dense raindrops began to pelt down, growing larger and larger.

Like rain after a long drought, Tang Susu was instantly brought back to reality by the raindrops, and a surprised smile appeared on her face.

The villagers rushed out of their houses, looking up to feel the rain, shouting "It's raining! It's raining!" while also panicking.

In the courtyard and on the threshing ground, there were still many grains from various families drying. If they got wet from the rain, they would either mold or become inedible. They were the family's life-saving food.

In an instant, the whole village was in chaos. Everyone was busy harvesting the grain. Adults shouted and children ran. Busy footsteps and shouts could be heard in every household's courtyard. It was a scene of panic but also full of joy.

"Quick! Xiaobao, Liqiang, and you boys, hurry up and bring all the grain in the yard into the house so it doesn't get wet in the rain!" Tang Susu reacted immediately, putting away the winnowing basket while calling out to the children in the yard, her tone urgent but orderly.

Upon hearing this, the children immediately put down what they were doing and rushed over, carrying sacks of grain from the yard back and forth, quickly carrying them into the house, afraid that if they were a step too slow, the grain would get wet from the rain.

The heavy rain at the end of summer came suddenly and fell hard. The large raindrops hit the thatched roof and made a "dada dada" sound, like music.

The raindrops hit the ground, instantly creating small craters. Before long, the ground was filled with rainwater, forming small puddles that reflected the gray sky.

The chickens, ducks, and geese in the yard were frightened by the sudden downpour and became restless. They circled the yard, squawking incessantly and running around in all directions, trying to find a place to take shelter from the rain.

The two wolves, Yang Dagao and Yang Dabai, and the two dogs, Yang Dahuang and Laifu, were exceptionally excited, frolicking and jumping freely in the rain, completely unconcerned about being soaked to the bone.

When they got tired from running, they would squat under the eaves, head down, licking the moisture off their bodies, and curiously watching the rain curtain in front of them.

Tang Susu stood under the eaves, watching the children busily carrying grain, and then looked up at the fields outside the village.

In the past, the rice paddies, which had been parched and cracked due to prolonged drought, were now being gradually filled with rainwater, and the dry, cracked land was slowly becoming moist and soft.

The second crop of rice in the fields is at a critical stage where it needs water. We had been worried about digging irrigation ditches, but this heavy rain has completely solved the problem. Before long, the rice fields will regain their vitality and sprout lush green rice seedlings.

Just as everyone was busy gathering grain and remarking on the rain, Lu Hao's startled cry suddenly came from inside the house: "It's leaking! How can it be leaking?!"

Everyone rushed into the house and saw that it was leaking in many places. Rainwater dripped from the gaps in the thatched roof and fell to the ground. In some places, it even formed small streams and puddles, making the ground wet and muddy.

Lu Hao stood to the side, his hair and clothes covered in water droplets, looking disheveled, his tone full of dissatisfaction—a drop of rain had landed right on his head.

Tang Chengyu stood on the other side, where the rain was also leaking. Raindrops fell on his books, and he quickly moved the books away, his brows furrowed tightly.

If the rain continues like this, the roof will leak more and more, and he, Lu Hao, and A Gui will probably have nowhere to sleep at night, and even their books will get soaked.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault." Tang Lifu said with a face full of guilt, slapping his thigh. "At the beginning of spring, I found a few leaks in the roof. I was thinking of taking some time to repair them, but then I got busy with spring plowing, summer planting, and autumn harvest. I completely forgot about it. If I had repaired them earlier, this situation wouldn't have happened."

As he spoke, he quickly assured her, "Susu, don't worry, as soon as the rain stops, I'll go and repair the roof. I'll make sure to patch up all the leaks tightly so that it won't leak again."

Tang Susu looked at the wet mud on the ground and the leaky roof, gently shook her head, and said in a calm but firm tone: "Repairing it is not enough. This thatched roof is not sturdy enough to withstand the wind and rain. After the rain stops, we will repair the roof to deal with the immediate situation. Afterwards, we will save money and prepare materials as soon as possible to build a new house. That way, we will not have to worry about leaks when it rains in the future, and the whole family can live in peace."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, hoping to move into their sturdy new house as soon as possible.

Just then, there was a knock on the gate, accompanied by Old Lady Yang's voice: "Susu, are you home? It's Old Lady Yang."

Tang Susu quickly stepped forward, opened the courtyard gate, and saw Old Lady Yang braving the heavy rain, holding an old oil-paper umbrella in her hand. Her clothes were already mostly soaked by the rain, but she had a smile on her face as she walked in quickly.

"Aunt Yang, why are you here in such heavy rain? Come in and take shelter from the rain, or you'll catch a cold." Tang Susu quickly stepped aside to let Old Lady Yang into the house, and brought her a dry cloth to wipe the rain off her body.

Old Mrs. Yang wiped the rain off her face and said with a smile, "It's alright, it's alright. I have something important to discuss with you."

After sitting down and recovering, Old Mrs. Yang slowly said, "I was thinking that when the rain stops tomorrow, we should take some grain to town to sell. I plan to sell two hundred catties of new rice, keep some money for emergencies, and use the rest to exchange for millet, buckwheat noodles, cornmeal, and dark flour, and also buy some old rice. These coarse grains are cheap, so we can exchange for more, enough for both of our families to last for more than half a year."

Upon hearing this, Tang Susu nodded: "Okay, Auntie, that's what I was thinking too. Let's go together tomorrow. I also want to sell some rice and exchange it for some coarse grains, oil, and salt."

Lu Hao, who was standing to the side, was inexplicably touched as he listened to their conversation.

He grew up in the county government, living a life of luxury, always eating fresh rice and refined flour. He never thought that the farmers worked so hard to grow the fresh rice, but he couldn't bear to eat it and had to exchange it for cheap coarse grains, just so he could survive until the next spring harvest and live a little longer.

At that moment, he truly understood the hardships farmers endured in growing grain, and realized that behind the exchange of coarse grains lay the helplessness of life.

As she spoke, Old Mrs. Yang took out a small apron from her bosom and handed it to Tang Susu, a relieved smile on her face: "Susu, look, this is a small apron that Lanxia embroidered from scraps of cloth at home. The stitches are fine and the embroidery is beautiful. It's for Li Fu's wife's unborn child. After the child is born, she can wear it around her neck to keep out the wind and look good."

Tang Susu took the small apron and examined it carefully. She saw that the apron was embroidered with small flowers, the stitches were even, and the embroidery was very fine. It was impossible to tell that it came from Lan Xia's hands, which were covered with calluses from years of hard work.

She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Did Lan Xia really embroider this? I never imagined Lan Xia had such excellent embroidery skills, she's truly amazing!"

As she spoke, her eyes lit up, and she suggested, "Auntie, Lanxia has such good skills, why don't we go to town tomorrow and ask the cloth shop if they accept this kind of hand embroidery? If they do, let Lanxia make more in the future. This will not only supplement the family income, but also put her skills to use and earn her more money."

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Yang's face immediately lit up with joy, and she nodded hurriedly, "Okay! Okay! I'll listen to you, Su Su. You're quick-witted and thoughtful. With you saying that, I'm relieved. If Lan Xia knew that her embroidery could earn money, she would definitely be very happy."

She always trusted Tang Susu, and she readily agreed with and was willing to try anything Tang Susu suggested.

As evening approached, the rain gradually subsided, and all the grain in the yard was moved back inside. After a busy day, everyone was finally able to rest.

Before dinner, Tang Susu walked to the center of the courtyard, looked at Tang Lifu, Miao Yulan, Tang Chengyu, Lu Hao, Agui and others beside her, and slowly spoke, her tone calm but clear: "Everyone, thank you for your hard work during this period. The busy farming season is completely over. Today, I will settle your wages for this period of time."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned, their faces showing disbelief.

For a moment, no one spoke—they worked for Tang Susu and never thought they would get paid; they only thought about having food to eat and being able to help their families by sharing some of the burden.

Lu Hao reacted the fastest, instantly overjoyed, his eyes sparkling and his face full of anticipation.

He secretly planned that once he received his wages, he would carefully save them and show them to his father when he returned to town, to prove that he was not just a spoiled brat who only knew how to cause trouble and enjoy himself, but that he could also earn money with his own hands.

Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Tang Susu smiled and continued, "Don't be surprised, everyone. You've all worked hard during this time and deserve your due compensation. Next, I'll go over the details of your wages."

"During this period, we sold jelly for more than a month. During this time, each person was paid fifteen copper coins per day, which adds up to six hundred copper coins per person."

"Later, the harvest season lasted twelve days. Farming was more tiring and arduous than selling cold noodles. So, during this period, each person was paid thirty-five copper coins per day, which amounted to four hundred and twenty copper coins per person."

"The wages for the two periods totaled 1,020 copper coins. After deducting the 10 copper coins per person per day for food during that period, each person was finally paid 560 copper coins."

After saying that, Tang Susu took out a cloth bag from the house, opened it, and found a bag full of copper coins. She first picked up 560 copper coins and handed them to Tang Lifu, saying with a smile, "Lifu, this is your wages, 560 copper coins. Please keep it."

Tang Lifu reached out and took the copper coin. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he gripped the coin tightly, afraid that he might drop it and lose it. His face was full of embarrassment, and his voice was somewhat stammering: "Susu, this, this is too much. I, I can't take so much. I work with you, I don't need to take so much money."

"Take it, Lifu." Tang Susu gently pressed his hand, her voice gentle yet firm. "This is what you deserve. You've worked the hardest these past few days, taking on all the work in the fields and at home. This money is earned with your sweat and deserves to be yours. Use this money to buy some nice fabric for Yulan, make her some new clothes, and some jewelry. Yulan is pregnant, so she should take good care of herself and nourish herself properly."

Miao Yulan stood aside, listening to Tang Susu's words. She quickly stepped forward, gently tugged at Tang Lifu's sleeve, and softly declined, "Big sister, no need. We can't accept this money. We should keep it. It's more useful for buying grain and medical treatment at home. We don't need to buy cloth or jewelry. It's good enough that we have food to eat."

Tang Susu turned to look at Miao Yulan, her eyes firm, and gently shook her head, signaling her not to refuse anymore: "Yulan, listen to me, you must accept this money. You are pregnant and need nutrition, so you can't be too frugal. Besides, this money is earned by your own labor, so don't feel embarrassed."

Looking into Tang Susu's determined eyes, Miao Yulan knew that Tang Susu genuinely cared for her. Refusing again would be too distant, so she could only silently lower her head, no longer arguing, and let Tang Lifu carefully put the coins away.

Immediately afterwards, Tang Susu picked up 560 copper coins and handed them to Miao Yulan, saying with a smile, "Yulan, this is your wages, also 560 copper coins. Please keep it."

Miao Yulan was stunned. She quickly waved her hand and said in a panic, "Big sister, no, no, I can't accept it. I'm pregnant, and I haven't been able to work as much as everyone else. How can I take the same wages as everyone else? I can't accept it."

"Silly girl, why can't you accept it?" Tang Susu smiled and placed the coins into Miao Yulan's hand, her tone gentle and patient. "You're pregnant, which is already difficult enough. You've done your best during this time, helping with some light work, which is already very good. Keep these wages safe. After the baby is born, you'll need to buy some fabric, swaddling clothes, and nutritional supplements. You can keep this money for yourself, so you can be more independent with your expenses and won't have to ask for help for everything or be too frugal."