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

In the south, there has never been a way to keep warm in winter, and villagers have to tough it out, often getting frostbite on their hands and feet.

In her previous life, Tang Susu was extremely afraid of the cold. Now that she has finally settled down in this life, she just wants to live more comfortably. So she thought of promoting the use of earthen beds, so that not only her own home would be warm, but also the villagers would suffer less from the cold.

It's only early autumn, and the weather isn't too cold yet. Ordinary villagers don't find the winter too harsh and don't care much about the earthen beds, just thinking that Tang Susu is particular about them.

However, several pregnant women in the village were particularly concerned—they were most afraid of catching a cold during their postpartum period and developing chronic backaches and leg pains. They all gathered around, asking about the construction method of the earthen kang (heated brick bed), intending to have the men in their families build one as well.

That day, Hunter Yang hurriedly found Tang Susu with a smile on his face: "Miss Susu, I have good news for you. There is a pregnant sheep in Liupo Village that was not killed. You can go and take a look. It will be just in time to meet your need for milking sheep."

Upon hearing this, Tang Susu readily agreed and asked Tang Lifu to accompany her.

She knew in her heart that she was a widow and Yang the hunter was a widower. If the two of them traveled alone, they would inevitably be gossiped about by the villagers. With Tang Lifu around, she could avoid suspicion and have someone to look after her.

After the two set off, the villagers started talking about it.

"Miss Su is doing this for Miss Yulan, right? Yulan is about to give birth, and she's worried about not having enough breast milk after giving birth, so she's preparing goat milk in advance."

"That's right, Miss Su is really good to her sister-in-law, she thinks of her in everything." Some people also said in a biased tone: "Going to so much trouble to buy pregnant sheep is just hoping that Yulan will give birth to a boy, otherwise why bother with all this effort? Only by giving birth to a boy can this sacrifice be worthwhile."

Liupo Village is not far from Yangqu Village, but the mountain road is rugged and it is particularly difficult to walk.

This pregnant sheep was caught by Hunter Yang earlier. He originally intended to kill it and sell it for meat, but when he discovered that it was pregnant, he couldn't bear to do it, so he kept it for the time being. Now it has been pregnant for more than a month and will give birth soon.

On the way, Tang Lifu told Tang Susu about the current meat market prices: "Beef is the most precious now. The imperial court prohibits private slaughter, so beef is almost nowhere to be seen on the market. Even if it is, it is extremely expensive and only high-ranking officials and nobles can afford it. Mutton is also not cheap, about forty wen per catty, and only wealthy families can afford it. Pork is the cheapest, twenty wen per catty, and if the harvest is good, it can be even cheaper."

Upon arriving at Liupo Village and seeing the pregnant sheep, Tang Susu couldn't help but frown—the sheep was thin and bony, with little flesh on its body, and its hind legs had been injured by an animal trap, causing it to walk with a limp. Whether it could successfully give birth was still unknown.

Hunter Liu rubbed his hands together and quoted a price: "Miss Su Su, this sheep is pregnant. It will give birth and produce milk later. I'll give you a discount, four taels of silver, how about that?"

"Four ounces is too expensive," Tang Susu shook her head. "This sheep is so thin and injured, it's hard to say whether it will survive. It'll be worth at most three ounces."

Liu the hunter looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered the price again: "How about three and a half taels? I can't go any lower. I've raised them for so long and put a lot of effort into it."

"Two ounces at most," Tang Susu said firmly. "At a rate of 100 catties, that's 20 coins per catty, exactly two ounces. I won't buy it for even a penny more. You know, this sheep has an injured hind leg. If it dies in childbirth, my two ounces of silver will be wasted, and you won't benefit either."

Hunter Liu had his doubts. He was worried that the sheep would have a difficult birth and he wouldn't get a single penny. After thinking it over, he finally agreed: "Okay, two taels it is. We'll settle the payment. After that, what happens to the sheep is none of my business."

Tang Susu immediately paid the money and, together with Tang Lifu, carefully led the pregnant sheep back to the village.

Few people in Yangqu Village raise sheep. As soon as this pregnant sheep entered the village, it attracted a large number of villagers who gathered around and discussed it amongst themselves.

Aunt Liu squeezed to the front, looked at the emaciated pregnant sheep, and said worriedly, "Su Su, this sheep looks so weak and is injured. If it dies in childbirth, your two taels of silver will be wasted."

Just then, the village head's wife stepped forward and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Miss Su Su. I've helped deliver pigs and chickens before, so I know how to help with animal births. When this sheep is about to give birth, I'll come and help. I guarantee that both mother and child will be safe."

As she spoke, she looked at Miao Yulan beside her, her tone carrying a hint of admonition: "Yulan, you have to be strong and make sure you have a son. The Tang family is counting on you to carry on the family line. We can't let Su Su's efforts go to waste."

Upon hearing this, Miao Yulan's face turned pale instantly, and she felt immense pressure.

These days, people in the village keep nagging her that she must give birth to a boy. She often has nightmares at night, dreaming that she gave birth to a daughter, was mistreated and despised, and had no place to stand. She is filled with fear.

Tang Susu saw all of this and immediately spoke up in front of everyone, her tone firm: "Everyone, please stop talking about having a boy. We already have enough boys in our family. I'm even hoping that Yulan can give birth to a well-behaved niece so we can have both a son and a daughter."

She walked over to Miao Yulan, gently patted her shoulder, and continued, "Yulan, remember, whether you give birth to a boy or a girl, they will both be precious to the Tang family. I will love them both equally. Our family does not have any rules that favor boys over girls, so you don't need to feel any pressure. Just focus on your pregnancy."

As Miao Yulan listened to Tang Susu's words, her eyes welled up with tears. The huge weight that had been pressing on her heart finally lifted, her knot was completely untied, and her heart was at peace. She was no longer oppressed by the thought that she "must have a son."

Back home, Tang Lifu found a clean spot and built a temporary shelter for the pregnant sheep, feeding it tender grass every day and taking meticulous care of it.

Tang Susu then approached Yang Feicheng and asked him to build another sheep pen and rabbit hutch in the backyard, which further expanded the already large yard.

Nearly fifty workers worked day and night, and the construction speed was extremely fast. In just three or four days, the new house was completely transformed. The walls were all built, and it was just waiting for the beams to be put up and the tiles to be laid. It would be completed in no time.

The raising of the roof beam is a major event in house construction. The horizontal beam symbolizes the main pillar of the family, and the requirements for the wood are extremely high: it is best to use cedar wood, which must be straight, have lush branches and leaves, cannot be a single tree, and must be of uniform thickness.

If we could find sandalwood or nanmu, that would be even better, but these kinds of woods are extremely rare and ordinary people simply cannot find them.

Grandpa Yang took the initiative to find timber for the roof beams. He spent nearly ten days in the mountains, crossing several peaks, and finally found a high-quality cedar tree that perfectly met his requirements.

Following the village custom, he carefully felled the cedar tree, making sure it felled southwards and did not damage the surrounding saplings.

Afterwards, Grandpa Yang asked several strong villagers to help carry the roof beams back to the new house.

As soon as I reached the door of the new house, I saw Granny Zheng standing there with a smug look on her face, talking to several villagers, her tone full of boasting.