Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

At noon, we just ate at home, enjoying the family favorite dishes. The kids' most beloved prawns.

The couple ate their own portions, and if the kids wanted to eat, they had to peel them themselves.

The first prawn the kids peeled would always go to Su Yuanyuan, the second to Tan Shaoting.

"Yuanyuan, in the kids' eyes, you're number one."

"Of course, because we're always together."

During the three-day holiday, Tan Shaoting would only take the three kids out for exercise at night.

As for Zhao Qingxiang and their two families, they didn't get off the train at the county until the eighth day of the lunar new year.

The two brothers looked at their hometown with red eyes.

Sun Yun and Xuemei looked at their husbands, feeling a bit lost.

They didn't bring much with them. So, they headed straight to the supply and sales cooperative, with the men carrying all the luggage and the women holding the kids. The two older children walked alongside their mothers.

At the cooperative, using the national food tickets given by their brothers-in-law, each family bought two jins of snacks. Then they went to the grain station and bought fifty jins of cornmeal.

They had to; unsure about the situation at home, they feared there wouldn't be enough food.

On the way back, even Zhao Qingjie, who usually didn't talk much, had a lot to say today.

The two older kids got tired. So, the brothers would carry them for a while.

From nine in the morning, it was not until noon when they finally reached home.

It was the early days of the new year, and there wasn't much happening. Usually, people napped at this time, so they didn't see anyone in the village.

The brothers quickened their pace on the familiar path home.

Today, Zhao Tian and his wife had just finished eating their meal. While other families were bustling, it was just the two of them, coming and going. Frankly, they were tired of living like this.

Hearing the knocking, they were both a little surprised. Their elder brother no longer talked to them. The two families had fallen out, so no one would come by.

"Dear, I'll get the door."

Zhao Tian, lying on the kang, grunted. Now, whenever he wasn't working, he just lay there.

Han Lixia opened the door to see their two sons standing outside, and tears immediately fell.

The Zhao Brothers saw their much older mother and knelt together on the ground.

"Mom, we're back."

"It's good you're back, it's good."

Sun Yun and Xuemei also got their kids to kneel and called out, "Mom."

Han Lixia cried and laughed, bypassing her sons to hold the hands of her daughters-in-law. "Good, very good."

Zhao Tian, lying on the kang, heard the commotion outside, couldn't understand fully, but heard the cries for "Mom."

Overjoyed, he got off the kang, shuffled on his shoes, and ran out. Seeing his two sons kneeling at the door, tears welled up too.

"Why kneel outside? Come inside quickly, don't let the children get cold."

By now, Han Lixia had realized too. She helped her daughters-in-law to their feet.

Seeing their slightly hunched father, the brothers cried even more.

Even though he wasn't a competent father, not backing them up when they were young, he was still their father—a relation bound by blood.

"Dad."

Wiping his tears, Zhao Tian said, "It's good you're back. Come in quickly. Wife, quickly make something for the kids."

Zhao Tian came over, looking at his sons who were now fathers themselves, feeling a rush of emotions. They were finally back. Over the years they were gone, he had lived with deep guilt.

He felt inadequate, unable to provide the protection a father should. Facing starvation, he finally recognized the true nature of his elder brother and felt even guiltier for the five kids.

Han Lixia took the little girl from Sun Yun, smiling.

"Xiao Le, call Grandma."

Before the little one could speak, the two older ones called Grandma.

Han Lixia responded again and again, smiling through tears.

Xiao Le reached out to wipe her tears, "Grandma, don't cry. Don't cry. Be good."

Han Lixia's tears fell even more, but she said, "Okay, Grandma will be good, won't cry, won't cry."

By now, the Zhao Brothers had gotten up. The family all gathered into the house.

It was still that familiar home. Despite being a bit rundown, it was still so familiar.

"Don't just stand there, come in quickly."

Saying this, Zhao Tian grabbed the hands of the two older children.

Both kids called out to their grandpa. Zhao Tian, overwhelmed, dropped a tear.

The family went inside.

"You guys get up on the kang, you must've walked from the county, right? Rest up, your mom and I will make you something to eat."

The daughters-in-law were indeed exhausted, but being the first time meeting, they dared not sit on the kang, so they placed the two little kids up there.

"Dad, we can cook with Mom."

Zhao Tian nodded with a smile; this was the happiest day since the kids had left.

Han Lixia was genuinely joyful, bringing out some meat they had saved, "Let's have pickled cabbage stew with meat and stick buns."

The daughters-in-law, of course, had no objections. Han Lixia watched them work swiftly, feeling even more satisfied. She quite liked both of them.

Their father and the two brothers got up on the kang. The kids sat there too, honestly, they were really tired.

Zhao Tian looked at the four children, with a kindly smile on his face.

"Dad, this time we've come back to say that we want you and Mom to come with us. Life over there is actually quite manageable."

Zhao Tian paused for a moment. He had thought about this before. The couple had talked about it lying on the kang, and had even considered going to find the kids.

"Okay, we'll go with you."

Now he had made up his mind. After the kids left, he realized that being together with them was true happiness.

"Dad, after the fifteenth, we'll head to the county and register. You and mom can be between us brothers, so our family is together."

"Alright, I'll listen to you. What about Xiao Ping and the others?"

"Xiao Ping's kids are still young. Xiao Li has just given birth. Xiao Jing is at home taking care of things. We all have livestock, we can't always trouble others."

"Good, good, as long as everyone has a family of their own."

Zhao Qingxiang didn't expect to persuade his parents so smoothly.

But this was for the best. His parents were getting on in years, living together was the most important thing.

The four kids gathered around Zhao Tian, sitting close. He looked at each of them, feeling pleased with all of them.

Zhao Qingjie got down to set the table; the kids were starving. On the way, they had eaten some snacks in the wind. So he poured half a bowl of hot water for each child, telling them that they'd eat soon.

The four kids, obediently enough, even when hungry, didn't fuss. They dutifully drank the water when told.