OFTLHFRO C7

Chapter 7 – They’re Family, After All

After settling the matter of the burial plot, Luo Mingchen went to check on the five mu* of empty land, planning to grow some vegetables to sell.

[*Note: “mu” (亩) is a traditional Chinese unit of area; 1 mu ≈ 666.7 square meters.]

The entire five mu were barren and overgrown with weeds, requiring both weeding and plowing.

Unlike the land inside his spatial storage — where crops sprouted and ripened within days — this land required pest control and fertilization.

From the junk room at home, Luo Mingchen dug out a hoe and a sickle. Whether it would work or not, he decided to plow one mu first as a trial.

Everyone here knew how to farm; even those who didn’t could learn. As long as he was willing to put in the effort — plus with the seedlings he had stored in his space — he was bound to get something to grow.

This dynasty was unlike any Luo Mingchen knew, so when he saw chili peppers — a crop that had been introduced much later in history — he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Under a large tree, Luo Mingchen handed Huo Yuhui a basket of fruit and a big jug of water.

“You three stay here and play. Don’t wander off. I’m going to plow the field. When it’s close to mealtime, call me. Other than going to the latrine, don’t go back on your own. If you need the latrine, tell me first, understood?”

These instructions were directed at Huo Yuhui. Huo Xiang was a bit slow-witted, and Huo Xinyue didn’t even speak clearly yet.

Huo Yuhui nodded. “Little Dad, I understand.”

Hearing his response, Luo Mingchen smiled, rubbing the boy’s head. “Good.”

Seeing Huo Xiang and Huo Xinyue staring at him eagerly, Luo Mingchen helplessly ruffled their hair too before shouldering his hoe and heading to the field.

The plot wasn’t far from their house. According to Huo Yuhui, it had been deliberately exchanged with someone. In the past, when Huo Yan was away, Lin Tianlei’s family had farmed it without permission.

Huo Yan hadn’t said anything at the time, but when harvest came, he simply reclaimed the land for himself.

The incident caused a huge stir in the village, but no one stood up for Lin Tianlei’s family.

After such a bitter loss, how could Lin Tianlei and his wife not resent it?

What they didn’t know was that the six mu of premium farmland had quietly been exchanged by Huo Yan, who traded it for five mu of equally good land right in front of his house. Out of spite, they had deliberately uprooted someone else’s rice shoots and vegetable seedlings, losing a large sum in compensation, and only then did they behave.

Of course, another reason was that the land lay right at Huo Yan’s doorstep and was left fallow — no one dared lease it. Each year, they still had to pay a tax to the county yamen, but since no crops were grown, things remained peaceful for four or five years.

Even so, Luo Mingchen couldn’t help but wonder why Huo Yan hadn’t sold the land instead of handing over money to the county yamen in vain.

But Huo Yuhui didn’t know either, and Luo Mingchen couldn’t ask a dead man, so he kept his doubts to himself.

By noon, he had plowed one mu. After lunch and a nap, he sowed seeds and took the cow out to graze.

The chili and white radish seeds he planted had been chosen from his spatial storage. They had already sprouted, though he wasn’t sure how they’d fare in the outside soil. He had heard from researchers that they were mutant strains — hardy and easy to raise.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Luo Mingchen slung the hoe over his shoulder, led the cow, and called to the three children under the tree, “Let’s go. Time to head home.”

“Okay.” Huo Yuhui quickly tossed aside the twig in his hand.

Luo Mingchen noticed a few crooked words scratched into the dirt.

Looks like he’d have to inquire at the school — he couldn’t let Huo Yuhui waste his youth just babysitting at home.

On the way back, Luo Mingchen glanced at Huo Yuhui carrying his little sister on his back and holding his little brother’s hand. “Is there a school in the village?”

“No. You have to go to the town. Not many people here are willing to send their kids to study.”

Huo Yuhui sounded a bit dejected as he said this.

Back when he was with the main family, he could sneak into the clan school to listen in. But after moving here, he had nothing.

His adoptive father had wanted to send him to school, but there was no one to care for his siblings. Even the brushes, ink, paper, and books bought for him had been snatched away by those people. This time, he himself had given up on asking for books, saying they’d wait until Little Dad arrived — with an adult around, they wouldn’t have to fear theft anymore.

And so he had waited a month… only to find the person had changed entirely.

“Then we’ll go ask tomorrow. If they take students, you and Huo Xiang can start studying in a few days.”

Hearing this, Huo Yuhui stopped in his tracks, staring at Luo Mingchen in disbelief. After a moment’s hesitation, he whispered, “Little Dad… studying costs a lot of money.”

“Money’s meant to be spent. You two aren’t little anymore — you need to learn something. I don’t expect you to pass the imperial exams, but at least don’t stay illiterate. At the very least, you should know how to count money. That way, when people insult you, you’ll understand what they’re saying instead of standing there grinning like fools.”

Huo Yuhui couldn’t help laughing. “Okay.”

Huo Xiang giggled along with him.

Seeing his brothers laugh, little Huo Xinyue joined in too. “Dodo! Hungry.”

Luo Mingchen perked up. “Then let’s hurry — we’ll eat when we get home.”

He quickened his pace, leading the cow ahead.

The three siblings scurried after him.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the path.

Though they shared no blood ties, from now on they were family who would rely on each other.

After a full day of labor, Luo Mingchen was undeniably tired. But compared to battling zombies and risking his life hunting for supplies, this exhaustion was nothing.

Summer heat was brutal. Luo Mingchen figured, since his clothes were already soaked with sweat and would only get sweaty again, he might as well bathe after eating to save the trouble.

“Little Dad… um… actually, Xiao Xiang and I can bathe ourselves.”

Huo Yuhui looked a little embarrassed. As the eldest, he had been scrubbed down by Luo Mingchen just like his younger siblings earlier.

“Really?”

Luo Mingchen’s skeptical gaze swept over them. The two older boys were just as lice-ridden as little Huo Xinyue, with layers of grime rubbed off during washing.

After scrubbing the three children clean, Luo Mingchen finally discovered their true skin tone — fair, practically glowing.

“We can do it. Before, there wasn’t much water, so we had to save it.”

Water had to be drawn from the village well, and they relied on a nearby uncle to help with that.

The home’s own well had been sealed with a large stone by the absent Huo Yan, to prevent accidents — especially since Huo Xinyue was so small.

Luo Mingchen pushed the stone aside; with the water jar full every day, there was no need to worry about drinking water anymore.

Hearing this, Luo Mingchen thought it made sense. They were old enough — whether they could or not, they had to learn to wash themselves. He couldn’t bathe them forever. “Alright. I’ll wash Xinyue, and you two wash yourselves.”

“Okay.”

Luo Mingchen even checked on them afterward; seeing that the two boys could indeed manage, he sighed in relief.

When all three had finished, he sent them to bed first.

A white candle flickered in the summer breeze, its light wavering.

Luo Mingchen squeezed some shampoo onto his head. The water, like living tentacles, massaged his scalp, scrubbing his hair before rinsing away the foam — freeing his hands so he could bathe at the same time. It saved quite a bit of effort.

In the middle of washing, Luo Mingchen suddenly heard a thud. Turning around, he saw a tall man dressed entirely in black.

The man had vaulted over the wall, and upon seeing Luo Mingchen bathing in the courtyard, he too froze — especially at the sight of the water tentacles swirling above his head, which looked anything but normal.