Chapter 25 - Transmigration: The Farm Life of a “Fool”

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

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The New Home

 

 

After lunch, Liu Tong pulled Xu Ran aside. He hadn't expected Ah Ran to go off to the mountain on his own so soon after recovering. The mountain was home to many wild animals—if Ah Ran had encountered one, would he have survived?

 

Just the thought of it filled Liu Tong with dread.

 

Xu Ran, noticing Liu Tong's worry, followed along quietly. Once they were alone, he began to comfort him.

 

"Tongtong, you don't need to worry. I know my limits. Wu Mei and his family have helped us so much—they've provided food and shelter. I have to contribute something in return. I didn't go deep into the mountain, just stayed at the edge. Don't worry, I still have you and the children to take care of. I won't let anything happen to myself."

 

Xu Ran's words nearly brought tears to Liu Tong's eyes. He hugged Xu Ran tightly. "Ah Ran, it's my fault. I'm useless."

 

Xu Ran patted him on the back. "What are you talking about? I'm the head of the family—it's my responsibility to provide. Be good. I won't go to the mountain alone anymore. Next time, I'll bring you along, alright?"

 

"Yes," Liu Tong nodded firmly. "Bring me with you. My father taught me how to hunt, and I know the mountain well."

 

"Alright, we'll go together," Xu Ran replied, holding him tightly, hoping to reassure him.

 

Meanwhile, back at the house, Wu Mei had finished cleaning up the kitchen and discovered that there was still half a basket of potatoes left by the door. He called out to Xu An, "Xu An, come over here. I found another half-basket of potatoes. Xu Ran must've dug up quite a few today. He really worked hard."

 

Xu An looked at the basket, knowing Xu Ran had likely gone to the mountain out of a sense of obligation, not wanting to freeload. After a moment of thought, he said, "We should eat the potatoes. If we don't, Xu Ran will feel uneasy."

 

"Alright," Wu Mei agreed cheerfully. With Xu An's approval, he had no objections.

 

The bamboo work was finished quickly, and the next step was to lay the foundation and build the house. During these days, Xu Ran continued preparing various potato dishes. The potatoes were so versatile and delicious that they quickly became more popular than the coarse rice.

 

Because the groundwork had been carefully prepared in advance, the house went up quickly. No mud or heavy timber was needed—the bamboo was light and clean. With seven people working efficiently, the house took shape within just four or five days.

 

Though hastily built, the house was sturdy and solid, and it looked quite nice as well.

 

The next task was to fetch tiles for the roof. Wu Mei had helped find them from a kiln in the village, but they weren't cheap—each tile cost two coins. All of Liu Tong's remaining silver was spent on the tiles.

 

Ten more days passed, and Xu Ran had now been in this world for about twenty days. The house was finally complete, and they just needed to furnish it before moving in.

 

The bed was made of bamboo, with Xu An's help, and most of the furniture in the house was also crafted from bamboo.

 

Xu Ran hadn't built a proper stove either. Instead, he used four stones to form a fire pit. When he was a child, his family had cooked using a fire pit—it was convenient for warmth in the winter, and everyone could sit around it. The only downside was that the cooking pot had to hang from a hook, and the lid had to have a handle.

 

It wasn't that Xu Ran didn't want to build a stove, but money was tight, and he had to save where he could.

 

Other than the pot, all their cookware was made of wood. Xu An had good craftsmanship and had made some nice wooden bowls.

 

In August, Liu Tong consulted an elder in the village who was skilled in choosing auspicious dates. They selected a day to move into their new home.

 

On the day of the move, aside from Wu Mei's family, Xu Ran also invited the village chief's family and the elder who had chosen the auspicious date—a man from the Xu family clan, known in the village as the Third Uncle.

 

Xu Ran prepared all the food that day, but he didn't serve any potatoes. Instead, the meal featured Zhe'ergen and other wild vegetables.

 

He didn't want to reveal the potatoes just yet. If the village chief found out, soon everyone in the village would know.

 

Right now, the potatoes were Xu Ran's way of supporting his family, and he wasn't ready to let go of that advantage.

 

That day, Xu Zhen went to town and bought meat and wine, and Xu Ran's front door was adorned with two large red Xi* characters.

 

[T/N: The "two big red '喜' characters" refer to the traditional Chinese symbol "双喜" (Double Happiness), often used during celebrations, especially weddings, to represent joy and good fortune.]

 

It was also on that day that Xu Ran, who had been a fool for seven years, finally recovered his senses.

 

And with that, rumors about Xu Houcai's family, which had died down for a time, started circulating in the village again.

 

Xu Ran stood at the entrance of his new home, looking at his husband, who was taller than him, and at their two adorable children. After being here for a month, he finally felt a sense of belonging.

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