Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress-Chapter 1985 - 1993: A Fateful Reunion Across a Thousand Miles (3)

With these wild chicken eggs, Mother treated us to several feasts, and even now, I can still recall the enticing aroma of those eggs...

In autumn, we carried baskets to the fields that had been harvested by others, picking up the corn, sweet potatoes, grain ears, and soybeans they had missed, bringing them home to eat when there was no food. In winter, my older sisters and I carried wicker baskets to collect firewood and cut dry grass, keeping them for cooking or warmth...

Although many years have passed, those childhood memories have never faded with the passage of time, but instead often vividly appear in my mind, giving me the urge to go back and take a look.

These years, I’ve been in the Capital, both busy practicing martial arts and studying, so this desire has always been buried deep in my heart. Now I can finally act freely. On the day I left the Capital, I rode north, heading towards Bianzhou Prefecture.

During the journey, I did not bring little boys or servants, just rode a fast horse, prepared enough traveling expenses, and traveled alone.

In less than a month, I arrived at Mu Family Village in Bianzhou Prefecture.

Returning to my hometown, the changes in Mu Family Village over these ten or so years have been rapid. I remember when we left, only the clan leader’s family lived in brick houses, but now every household lives in brick houses, and the previously uneven, bumpy village roads have been paved smoothly, covered with green bricks and stone slabs.

It seems that in these more than ten years since we left the village, our fellow villagers have been living well. Compared to the past, life here is a world apart, with many not only building brick houses but also constructing brick courtyards and brick horse sheds, with one or two horses tied inside, quite magnificent.

I remember in the past, only the clan leader and my uncle’s family had horses. Now almost every household has a horse carriage, though the number of horses varies.

Entering the village, no one recognizes me anymore. The villagers sitting at the entrance enjoying the cool breeze are fanning themselves, all curiously watching me. Relying on childhood memories, I found our home located at the west end of the village, not far from the ancestral hall, and pushed the door open to enter.

Our home and Jiujin’s house are adjacent. I remember back then, Jiujin insisted on marrying my older sister, and it seemed Dad and Mom intended to betroth her to him. Who would’ve thought that the once pale, thin, weak, and helpless older sister would be a golden phoenix in a chicken coop, soaring high to marry the most powerful man in the Great Jin Nation, becoming the Empress Dowager?

Brother Jiujin certainly didn’t expect the one he had secretly admired for years to become the future Empress Dowager. I wonder what his feelings would be upon hearing the news!

As I pondered, I found my way back to our home. Returning home, the low, dim three-room thatched cottage of ours had transformed into a house built with green bricks, though it retained the original layout, size, and style, identical to before, with all the furniture inside intact. Although they are not high-end items, in the countryside, these things are quite good.

Moreover, the windows of our home surprisingly have a piece of glass installed. For the farmers, glass is absolutely a remarkable luxury item. A piece of glass costs ten taels of silver, and the glass on our window counts as the only piece in the entire village!

Wandering around the old house, my thoughts surged. Scenes from my childhood occasionally flickered in my mind: climbing trees to steal bird nests, going down the river to catch mud snails. Those recollections are so vivid and interesting that they make one laugh while cherishing them dearly...

After staying inside for a while, I stepped out of the family door, intending to visit Third Uncle Mu’s house.