As the days went by, the laughter in Fuan Village grew louder. Everyone knew it wasn't easy for Erniang to give birth to twins and that she was still in confinement, so nearly every day there were people helping Jiang Hu with chores.
Some helped with weeding, or they turned over the wasteland beside their yard, making it easier to plant vegetables in the future and whatnot.
There were even those who voluntarily helped the Jiang family, renovating the other two drafty rooms.
And all of this came about because Jiang Hu went to the river two or three times a day, on time, to wash diapers for Xiao Mi and Tie Dan, then dumped the diaper water on that wasteland by the river.
Even though people didn't know why, the diaper water attracted bugs, the weeds grew faster, and these bugs and weeds were even more appealing to wild chickens and rabbits!
Almost every day, thanks to these bugs, someone would catch wild chickens or rabbits in the mountains. Even if it wasn't a lot, it was still thrilling and exciting.
As a result, the rumor that Xiao Mi and Tie Dan were reincarnations of the Little Lucky Star slowly spread throughout Fu'an Village, with some even quietly saying that they could bless the entire village to become more prosperous!
When Xiao Mi first heard such remarks, she proudly blew a bubble. Of course!
Once she could go out, she would definitely make sure this Little Lucky Star title was well-deserved!
After all, being the reincarnation of a Little Lucky Star sounds much better than being a demon reincarnation. Even if something inexplicable happened in the future, there's still the reincarnation of the Little Lucky Star to cover it up!
Again, a thumbs up for her father. Dad is really smart! Awesome~
And because of all this, the originally thirty-day confinement period was extended to forty days by Jiang Hu!
Even so, no one complained. Even the gossiping women laughed and said that Erniang, who gave birth to two Little Lucky Stars, couldn't be treated like regular people. She needed a good rest!
Finally, under Xiao Mi's anticipation, the day came when she was out of confinement!
"Xiao Mi dear, today we're going to give you and your brother a bath. After that, you can go out with Mommy this afternoon."
Tie Dan had just had his milk and was sound asleep, while Xiao Mi had also eaten, but she was too excited to sleep.
Great, finally about to take a bath. Even though they wiped her down every day, she still felt dirty!
"Mommy, Xiao Mi loves being all clean too." Erni sat beside her younger siblings, resting her chin on her hands, watching them happily.
Even though Erni was still young, she'd learned a lot during this time. Because of her younger siblings, things at home had improved, and meals weren't just veggie porridge anymore.
Erniang was tidying up clean clothes nearby. Besides giving Xiao Mi and Tie Dan a bath today, she also needed a good wash herself.
Luckily, it wasn't too hot yet, and she hadn't worked outside, so she hadn't sweated much; otherwise, she'd probably have lice by now.
"When Daddy gets back, we'll give your brother and sister a bath. Erni, go check on your brother."
After packing things up into a bundle and setting it aside, she sat beside the kids.
"Okay, Mama." Erni ran outside, while Erniang checked the two kids' bottoms.
Da Wa was heating water, a big pot that, once boiled and mixed with cold water, was enough for the three of them to use.
Jiang Hu had found last year's wormwood in the mountains yesterday. Although it had wilted, the medicinal properties remained. Boiling a pot of hot water with it for them all would drive away the cold and make them healthy.
However, when he went up the mountain yesterday, he set a few traps but didn't stay to watch them because he wanted to get home, so he planned to check on them early today.
Jiang Hu had quietly caught game several times but hadn't sold it; instead, he secretly shared it with his family. Last time, he caught two rabbits and a pheasant, which finally allowed him to openly buy half a pound of meat.
The fatty meat bought earlier was only brought out to render into oil after everyone was home one night, and then they used it to cook fish soup with scraps, which was delicious!
And there was green bean cake, one piece per family member. Everyone ate like it was a delicacy, carefully and contentedly.
However, Jiang Hu specifically instructed Da Wa and Erni not to speak about it.
But now, there's no need to worry about these things as long as their income wasn't too much higher than others; nobody would have bad thoughts.
One can't blame Jiang Hu for being so cautious; after all, he was the only laborer in the family. The others were women and children, including two newborns with no fighting ability whatsoever.
If anyone had a malicious intent, he would be defenseless.
So, caution was still called for; he wasn't going to be the tall tree that draws the wind.
After a round on the mountain, most of the traps Jiang Hu set last night had been destroyed. The bait was gone, likely eaten, and the game had escaped.
Fortunately, he did catch a wild rabbit, so at least he wasn't empty-handed.
With this in mind, he thought if he climbed the mountain in the future, he'd better stay and watch the traps, then hastily descended the mountain.
"Erniang, Da Wa, Erni, I'm back." Before even entering the house, his voice came through.
Erniang hurriedly came out of the house with Xiao Mi in her arms, "Tiger Brother."
Following behind was Da Wa, holding Tie Dan, "Dad, I've boiled the water. Mama said to wait for you before giving Xiao Mi and Tie Dan a bath."
Jiang Hu casually stuffed the rabbit he tied into a basket under the eaves and covered it.
"I'll go start a fire. It's getting cooler today, so we'll have a fire to warm up Mi Mi and Tie Dan during their bath to avoid a chill."
"Tiger Brother, you just came down from the mountain. Why don't you rest a bit first?" Erniang followed him towards the kitchen.
Sitting indoors from childbirth to going out, she'd stayed inside for a full forty days, from January to March.
Today, she could finally go out, and she was overwhelmed with excitement.
"No worries, it's just making a fire, no big deal. Once the kids are bathed, I'll slaughter the rabbit. We'll have a good meal at noon!"
He was lucky today; the rabbit weighed five to six pounds, even after skinning and gutting, it would be three or four pounds, enough for the whole family to eat to their heart's content!
Since it was a thatched house, the kitchen was even bigger than their sleeping room. They coated it with yellow mud, mainly to prevent sparks from cooking from setting the house on fire.
There were still burning coals in the stove, which they promptly poked out for kindling. Erniang put Xiao Mi on a small bed nearby, took a large wooden basin, and scooped water for mixing.
Tie Dan was also placed on the small bed by Da Wa. He was curious about the unfamiliar surroundings, not aware of what was about to happen.
Xiao Mi, however, was excited, talking non-stop, but of course, no one understood her.
Erni brought the siblings' clothes over and set them beside, then played with Xiao Mi after noticing her excitement.