I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 365 Wheat Harvest Competition

Every time he cut a handful of wheat, he would carefully and neatly place it aside, and smooth the ears of wheat with his hands, as if he were tidying up a beloved treasure.

Despite his back being soaked with sweat, he didn't care and continued to repeat the movements at a leisurely pace.

Behind him were rows of neatly arranged wheat stalks, like well-trained soldiers, arranged in an orderly fashion.

Yinbao and Laifu followed behind him, bundling the wheat together, and the two took turns carrying it to the edge of the field.

"Hehe, these kids are good," Helian Jingyun said with a smile, staring at the group of boys in the field who looked eager to try.

“This winter wheat is indeed better than spring wheat,” Dongfang Yuan said, rubbing a green wheat grain, blowing off the husk, and handing it to Helian Jingyun. “Try it. I learned how to make it from the aunties over there. They said it’s delicious, so I tried it. It’s sweet and slightly bitter.”

"This is really delicious."

Dongfang Jin sat lazily at the edge of the field, holding an ear of wheat in her hand, peeling the husk and eating it while watching the busy scene around her.

May your harvest be as you wish, [each grain plump and golden, rice and wheat abundant in reserves. Poverty and remoteness are a thing of the past; diligent efforts will bring even greater prosperity.]

Dongfang Jin, not to be outdone, retorted: "The ripe wheat fields are fragrant and bountiful, a joyous harvest fills the air. The wheat yield surpasses that of the year before, and hearty laughter echoes throughout."

【Excellent! Keep going. A thousand waves of rice paddies ripple in the breeze, heroes everywhere bathed in the evening glow…】

Dongfang Jin pouted, "No way!"

Ruyi was puzzled. "Why?"

You can show off all you want.

【you……】

Failed again!

……

In the distance, several old oxen pulled carts loaded with wheat, mooing as they walked steadily toward the threshing ground in the front yard.

Under the big tree by the field, there were several buckets of water mixed with Five Elements Spring water and mung bean soup.

People who are tired from work can rest here, have a drink of water and mung bean soup.

Enjoy that moment of coolness and comfort to avoid heatstroke, and then get back to harvesting with renewed energy.

Gu Jingye's pageboys, Jinbao, Yinbao, Zhaocai, Jinbao, Shengcai, Cuncai, Laicai, Laifu, Laibao, and Laixiang, were not to be outdone.

They followed behind, tying the bundles together while shouting "Go for it!"

Helian Jingyun pointed over here: "Cousin, how much reward did you promise them to make them work so hard?"

Dongfang Jin munched on a grain of wheat: "First place, ten taels of gold ingot; second place, five taels of gold ingot; third place, ten taels of silver ingot."

Helian Jingyun was surprised, not expecting her cousin to be so generous: "No wonder, if it were me, I would go too."

"Hmph, I'm determined to take first place today!" Sun Qingzhuang gripped his sickle tightly, his face full of confidence.

He had worked in the fields with his father since he was a child, but he also had a stubborn streak.

"You?" Gu Jingye raised an eyebrow, a carefree smile playing on his lips. "Don't fall too far behind me later, or you'll be crying."

With a loud "Start!", the crowd surged forward across the field like wild horses.

Gu Jingye moved nimbly, his hands swinging the sickle rapidly. The wheat stalks fell one after another under his attack. As he cut, he shouted, "Watch my 'Autumn Wind Sweeps Away Fallen Leaves,' no one can catch me!"

Sun Laibao bent over, his movements steady and unhurried as he cut the wheat, not forgetting to joke, "You guys just go all out, I'm taking a steady and methodical approach. In the end, we don't even know who the champion will be!"

Sun Qingdong was not to be outdone; his face flushed red, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He swung the sickle with all his might, muttering, "I can't lose! I have to show everyone how powerful I am!"

While cutting, Gu Yong glanced at the others, secretly competing with them: "I have to work harder, I can't let them outdo me."

Cun Cai, who was with Shen Qijun, had just finished cutting a handful of wheat and stood up when he accidentally tripped over a wheat stalk and fell face-first into the mud, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, Cuncai, what's wrong with you?" Laicai shouted with a loud laugh.

Cun Cai, his face flushed, quickly got up, dusted himself off, and said defiantly, "It was just an accident. I'll catch up with you in a bit!"

Lai Xiang was panting heavily from cutting, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted: "I will not give up, I must strive for a good ranking!"

Lai Fu encouraged him from the side, "Come on, Lai Xiang! We can't fall behind!"

Cun Cai had only cut halfway when he suddenly straightened up, wiped his sweat, and said, "This sun is really scorching, but I'll give it my all to win!"

The competition reached a fever pitch, with Jinbao and Yinbao neck and neck, chasing each other and refusing to give an inch.

Jinbao shouted, "Yinbao, just wait until I surpass you!"

Yinbao retorted, "If you've got the guts, bring it on! Let's see how I leave you in the dust!"

Finally, Jinbao was the first to finish cutting his assigned area. He excitedly waved his sickle and shouted, "I won! I won!"

As soon as he finished shouting, Gu Jingye and Sun Qingzhuang shouted at the same time, "I won!"

People gathered around, some offering congratulations, others expressing their dissatisfaction and vowing to try again next time. The wheat field was filled with laughter and joy.

"Alright, everyone go to the edge of the field to drink some water and rest for a bit."

Gu Jingye and Sun Qingzhuang both gave a tally mark. Anyone else wanting to continue the competition, come register with me!

Xia Lan was holding a small notebook filled with the names of these children.

The record meticulously documented each child's wheat-harvesting process.

Sun Qingzhuang shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xia Lan, if you get first place again, will your aunt give you a big gold ingot too?"

Xia Lan looked at him and said, "Yes, Madam said that everyone who wins first place in each round will be rewarded with a big gold ingot."

"Yay, I'm going to take a break. I still need to get first place later."

The other children, upon hearing his words, also shouted that they needed to rest for a while before continuing the fight.

Helian Jingyun looked at the children and stroked her belly: "Cousin, you should have a baby too."

Dongfang Jin was so frightened that she jumped up from her chair: "No, no, no, sister-in-law, it would be better if you had more children for my cousin."

Helian Jingyun was puzzled by her actions: "Does my cousin not want to have children?"

Dongfang Jin composed herself after her outburst: "I won't have children."

"Why?" Did you have a falling out with Chenglin?

"pain."

"It hurts?" Helian Jingyun was stunned. What kind of reason was that?

Childbirth is always painful, isn't it? She looked at Dongfang Jin with a strange expression. Why was she acting this way?

"Yes, I'm afraid of pain and don't want to have children. Gu Chenglin already has a son and a daughter, so he doesn't need me to have any more."

Gu Chenglin and Cang Nanxi were standing not far behind her and overheard these words.

Cang Nanxi also looked puzzled and turned to Gu Chenglin: "Is this why Xiao Jin doesn't want to have children?"

Gu Chenglin clenched his fists, pursed his lips, and nodded: "If she's afraid of pain, then so be it."

Cang Nanxi looked at Gu Chenglin strangely: "Don't you want to have a child with my daughter?"

Or is it that he simply doesn't want his daughter to have his children?

Are they afraid that their daughter's children will fight with his children for the inheritance?

If he has this idea, then Gu Chenglin would be better off divorcing Xiao Jin'er.

"No, it's because Xiao Jin is afraid of pain. I've tried to persuade her about this myself, but it didn't work."

Her fourth aunt and third sister-in-law also advised her to have a child of her own.

Xiao Jin still didn't agree, and she seemed very resistant," Gu Chenglin said with a look of helplessness and disappointment.

He dreams of his wife having children for him, lots and lots of children.

He used to think that his wife was unfamiliar with him or that she minded that he had two children.

It wasn't until the day she gave him a contraceptive pill that he truly understood that his wife really didn't want to have a child with him and was genuinely afraid of the pain.

"You...you're just afraid of pain? Nothing else?" Cang Nanxi was puzzled. How could a woman not experience pain during childbirth?

Is his daughter...?