Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Thin wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys.

Jiang Mianmian had her diaper changed, her little bottom snug and dry as she nestled in her mother's embrace, hands cradling her mother's ample bosom as she eagerly suckled.

It didn't seem like a figment of her imagination. Since she nursed from her mother, the milk seemed sweeter this morning, thicker than usual, and instead of the usual two sucks and it's gone, it flowed continuously, satisfying her until she burped contentedly, signaling the end of her meal.

After more than a month, finally having a full meal of breast milk, Jiang Mianmian felt alive again.

Just hoping that next time, she'd start crying before soaking her diaper...

After finishing her milk, she reached out to play with the spring water, watching it gush from the source, always just a small bowl's worth, or maybe a cup, with a thin layer at the bottom that would slowly refill after she drank it dry.

Drinking the spring water, she felt her sense of smell sharpen a bit.

She could smell the fresh scent of her own poop and milk...

Qin Luoxia watched her little girl flail her arms, unable to suppress a smile.

She stood up, surprisingly steady on her feet, feeling as though she had regained her agility from before childbirth.

Well, country women aren't delicate; she had rested for a month already.

She was naturally hardworking, having tidied up the house early in the morning, cleaning every nook and cranny, and even chopping all the firewood in the yard in one go.

After chopping the firewood, she found herself staring at the pile, feeling a bit stunned.

She seemed to have gained some strength, not even out of breath. Perhaps she had rested too well.

After finishing her chores, Qin Luoxia made some soup in the morning and ate a piece of dry bread, then tied a cloth around herself, securing her daughter to her chest, and headed out.

It was Jiang Mianmian's first time leaving the house, and she was a bit excited. She took a deep breath and caught a whiff of various poop and pee fermenting smells...

Well, there was no time to hold her breath. Jiang Mianmian could only bury her head in her mother's embrace.

After walking for a while, they finally encountered people. It seemed their home was quite remote, not in the center of the village.

Her mother greeted people along the way, hearing them call her "Qin Shi," "Xiao Qin," "Luoxia Sister-in-law," "Jiang Family Sister-in-law," and "Maple's Mother," feeling that her mother had quite a good reputation.

In the crowded areas, the smell of poop lessened a bit, and Jiang Mianmian curiously looked around, her big eyes darting around.

An old lady reached out and touched her leg, grabbing hold of her little thigh.

Jiang Mianmian was startled, the old lady's face deeply lined with wrinkles, looking a bit scary, but her eyes were kind.

Jiang Mianmian didn't kick back as the dry fingers gripped her leg, just curiously staring at the other person.

The old lady gently pinched Jiang Mianmian's leg and said, "Strong and lively, a blessed child."

In a daze, she felt her mother walking. It was like taking the bus to school, swaying gently until she fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up again, she found herself on her mother's back.

Mama Mian tied a piece of cloth to her back, looking more impressive than carrying a baby, steady and sure.

Her movements were a bit vigorous at this moment, waking her up.

Mama Mian's body undulated as if she were digging a hole.

And suddenly, the little cotton on her back sensed a poop sensation and started wailing.

Her cry startled Mama Mian.

Qin Luoxia quickly put the child down, seeing her face turning red, arching her back, knowing she needed to poop.

This child was really easy to handle. Qin Luoxia lifted her legs apart and started soothing her to poop.

"Hush, hush, little darling, poop away, hush, hush..."

Jiang Mianmian felt relieved after pooping and became more awake. She was then carried back on Mama Mian's back, continuing to sway.

She thought Mama Mian was going home, but was she actually farming?

So diligent.

Watching Mama Mian dig was quite stress-relieving, and Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but accompany with her babbling: "Digging in the small garden... dig, dig..."

Listening to her daughter's babbling, Qin Luoxia dug even faster.

Seeing Mama Mian dig a big, deep hole?

Really deep, was she planning to plant... people at this depth??

Then she saw Mama Mian spread rotten grass and various ashes on top, making it look like flat ground, indistinguishable from the surroundings in a while.

Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but look around, but her head's movement and vision were limited.

And with this turn, if she hadn't smelled the poop she just made, she wouldn't remember where Mama Mian had just dug the hole.

After digging the hole, Mama Mian carried her back.

There were trees and the sunset along the way.

Listening to Mama Mian humming: "Yellow earth, green grass grows, my chubby little one at home, chubby and round..."

Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but babble and want to sing:

"If there's another life, I want to dig a hole on the road you must pass..."