The weather is hot.
The sunlight is scorching.
Thick clouds drift across the sky, blocking the sun.
But it doesn't get any cooler, it's like a steamer with the lid on, even more stifling.
Qin Luoxia looks up at the sky and feels like it's going to rain.
She prepares to collect the herbs she has dried, lest they get wet and go to waste.
There are more ants on the ground, probably sensing the moisture in the air.
It's going to rain.
A group of worker ants busily come out to find food.
Their diet is varied.
They love to eat insects, as well as some leaves, fungi, and honeydew.
There are also sweet-loving and savory-loving ants in the ant colony.
The sweet-loving ants cannot resist honeydew completely, and if presented with both honeydew and insect carcasses, they will only choose the honeydew.
The savory-loving ants are meat-eaters by nature, so they will definitely choose insects first.
And Little Black, let's call it Little Black for now, is a standard sweet-loving ant, obsessed with honeydew.
It doesn't know why a liquid that is a hundred times more fragrant than honeydew suddenly falls from the sky, covering it completely. After drinking it, it suddenly has a bit of contemplation.
It is stepped on by a giant foot, and if it were before, it would either die or be half-maimed, but this time it only bends its antennae, and surprisingly, nothing happens to it.
It feels like its whole body has become hard.
There is a strong attraction that makes it circle around the huge, mountain-like wooden basin.
Then it encounters another ant.
Little Black is frightened and takes two steps back because it senses that its scent has changed and is afraid of being discovered by its companions.
But when it tries to retreat, it bumps into another ant of the same kind.
In its little brain, it somehow knows that if its scent is different and it mixes in, it will be torn apart and treated as food.
Little Black cleverly tries to run away, but finds that more and more ants of the same kind are gathering around it.
It's not that they are going to attack it, but they are following it.
Little Black finds a corner and deliberately meets a lone ant companion. At this moment, it has a thought that if it touches antennae with the other ant and the other party finds out that it's different, it will strike first, feeling that it can easily tear the other one apart.
"Touch!"
A gentle collision, exchanging pheromones at the same time.
There is no attack, and the ant that collided with it shows a friendly and even affectionate attitude towards it. After a while, the ant companion that collided with it actually brings it a piece of insect meat.
Little Black is surprised and delighted.
Its first reaction is to drag the meat back to the nest for the queen to eat.
After dragging a few steps, it suddenly stops, a question mark appearing in its mind. Why?
Why should it work so hard to find food for the queen until it dies of exhaustion? Why? Who is it? Why is it alive? What is it doing?
Little Black's ant brain sends out similar soul-searching questions to itself.
The questions are too complicated and fleeting, and it is once again dominated by another strong desire, to drink honeydew, to drink honeydew, to drink honeydew...
...
A baby's sleep time is always very sufficient.
After drinking milk, it's like being hit with a sleep point.
Jiang Mianmian easily forgot about the little ant, sinking into her mother's embrace and falling asleep.
She was awakened by a knock on the door.
Startled, her heart pounded in her chest.
Opening her eyes, she realized it was still daytime.
Her vision was still a bit blurry.
Finding herself still in her mother's arms, she calmed her racing heart.
Adjusting to a comfortable waking posture.
The door was pushed open.
Doors in the village were usually left unlocked during the day.
Entering was a sturdy woman.
Jiang Mianmian thought her mother was already a tall woman, but the woman who entered was even stronger, making her mother seem slender in comparison.
The sturdy woman entered first, followed by a particularly dignified old lady.
Although she had wrinkles, you would still find her quite beautiful.
Her features were delicate, and her skin was fair.
Jiang Mianmian was curious about the newcomers, but then heard her mother call out, "Mother."
Wait, this was her mother's mother? Her grandmother? No, that's not right...
Her eyesight was exceptionally good now.
Although the old lady was dressed plainly, her clothes seemed to have had patterns on them before. Having patterns on clothes was quite rare these days, and having colors was even rarer, let alone patterns.
At least she was well-off.
The old lady had a lotus-like face, dressed in a way that didn't fit in with the village, and even had servants.
Her gaze held not only pride but also a sense of innocence.
Her father, Jiang Changtian, also had exceptional looks, quite different from the uncles and grandfathers in the village.
If not for their family background, she would have thought her father was at least a scholar, if not an official. She didn't expect him to be just a farmer, and a landless one at that.
So this woman, should she be her father's mother?
So this was her grandmother?
She had been born for over a month, and her grandmother hadn't come to visit, which was a bit strange.
The sturdy woman came in, looked around, found a seat, and diligently cleaned it. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and spread it out before letting the old lady sit down.
This old lady had servants, so their family should be wealthy.
Others referred to her father as Second Jiang, so she speculated that her father had at least an older brother, Oldest Jiang, but people in the village rarely mentioned him.
Even her own family didn't talk about it, which seemed a bit odd.
Jiang Mianmian's infant brain was spinning rapidly, feeling a bit dizzy.
After the old lady sat down, her back remained straight, with a very graceful demeanor.
Her neck had wrinkles, but it was slender.
A swan-like neck, with a high collar that looked very elegant.
Her gaze fell on Jiang Mianmian, naturally exuding a kind of compassionate love, making Jiang Mianmian feel uneasy.
She buried her head in her mother's arms and stuck out her bottom.
Normally, with this movement, her mother would have already lifted her clothes to breastfeed her.
But at this moment, Qin Luoxia remained solemn, gently patting her daughter's back without doing anything else.
This mother-in-law was quite terrifying.
She seemed kind and gentle on the surface, but could make someone feel like they would rather be dead.
When she had just entered, Jiang Mianmian thought her mother-in-law was a good person.
Qin Luoxia had to endure her mother-in-law's kind and gentle words, allowing her husband to bear the disgraceful reputation of being unfilial, cutting off his path to the imperial examination and condemning him to a lifetime of struggling in the countryside.
"Mother, is there something you need?" Qin Luoxia stood on guard.
The old lady's gaze fell on Jiang Mianmian, wearing a look of pity.
But she remained silent.
It was the robust woman who spoke first, "Giving birth to a son who becomes a wanderer, and a daughter who serves as a maid in others' homes, why bother bringing another one into a life of suffering and shame?"
The old lady seemed to disapprove of her tone, furrowing her brow slightly. She sighed in a gentle tone, "A Yao, don't speak like that. After all, it's a life."
The old lady's voice was pleasant, crisp, and if you closed your eyes, you might mistake her for a young girl. The tone was even and measured, like the standard Mandarin of this world.
Jiang Mianmian couldn't make sense of the situation - was this a mockery, or genuine compassion?
Qin Luoxia was equally puzzled by her mother-in-law's thoughts. She was always seen as a virtuous figure, like a female Bodhisattva who had never harmed even an ant.
Blaming others for misdeeds was her specialty.
Qin Luoxia held the baby closer, asking, "Mother, are you here to help us because you think we can't make it?"
The old lady's gaze turned even more sympathetic, and with a Buddha-like demeanor, she said, "You, your actions are not appropriate."
Though criticizing, her tone was soft and somewhat endearing.
The robust woman continued with a stern face, "For the sake of being a maid, Yao sister spreads rumors and tarnishes others' reputations. As a mother, you should reap what you sow. Spreading rumors, causing harm to others, bringing shame to the ancestors. If you still consider yourself part of the Jiang family, you should enforce family discipline."
Jiang Mianmian was taken aback - how did this old lady seem to know everything?
She was truly intimidating.
And what family discipline?
The old lady sighed again, "I can't bear the title of 'mother.' The Jiang family has held the position of village head for generations, with no descendants serving as maids. Don't be greedy and ruin Elder Sister Yu's life."
Qin Luoxia's expression darkened, feeling anger within. During Jiang Mianmian's difficult childbirth, when she went to request some grain, they actually beat her and chased her away.
Even strangers in the village would offer assistance during such times.
Jiang Mianmian could sense her mother's emotional turmoil. The round chin trembled.
If it were someone else, Qin Luoxia would have kicked them out. But when it came to opposing the old lady, she always ended up on the losing side.
That old woman surprisingly had more strength than her; she couldn't win in a fight.
Qin Luoxia looked at the baby in her arms, suppressing the flames in her chest.
Having been in the Jiang family for so long and bearing three children, even as the head pig, she had learned a thing or two.
Although she had a broad face and a sturdy figure, at this moment, she imitated the old lady's compassionate look, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, speaking in a calm tone:
"Mrs. Jiang's admonition is that my elder sister Yu is coarse and uncouth, even vying to be a servant. Unlike your family's Elder Sister Wan, who has been literate and renowned since childhood, with graceful manners and a kind heart. She must be favored by the heavens, presumably not needing to serve as a maid but could directly become a concubine, don't you think?"
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