Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity
Chapter 19 - 16: Able to See

Chapter 19: Chapter 16: Able to See

The next morning, Gu Chengyu was awakened by the noise outside. It turned out that today was Gu Chengyu’s third-day washing ceremony. According to Mr. Gu, preparations had already been made yesterday, and as soon as everyone arrived, the ceremony could start at 7 AM.

Seeing that Gu Chengyu was awake, no one came to carry him out. He looked out the window; it was somewhat bright, but not fully lit, suggesting it wasn’t yet the appointed hour.

Hmm? Gu Chengyu was a bit surprised. How could he see so clearly? He could see things now. Previously, everything was blurry, but now he could see normally. Oh, wait? There were no lights on in the room last night, yet he could see clearly. Could it be that he now had night vision? This was truly a pleasant surprise.

Upon careful thought, Gu Chengyu realized it must be the work of the Spiritual Spring. Initially, he had no reaction after drinking it, presumably because a newborn’s body doesn’t absorb much, so there was no discharge. Yet now it seemed beneficial, and Gu Chengyu thought the Spiritual Spring must have other uses waiting to be discovered. It likely related to his infant body, which absorbs quickly and efficiently.

Since he could now see, he wouldn’t just sit idle; naturally, he first examined the room’s furnishings. The room was an inner chamber, and he was probably lying on a kang bed against a wall. Above him was the roof, with visible wooden and hefty beams, but the roof was covered with straw. Although it seemed thick enough, he worried about possible leaks on rainy days. Gu Chengyu gained a new understanding of the Gu Family’s poverty. The walls appeared to be made of mud bricks, and the floor was dirt. On the left of the kang was a lattice wooden window likely covered with burlap paper—thick and coarse, barely letting light through—so when it wasn’t raining, the window was usually open during the day.

Beside the kang bed was a cabinet, slightly large and unpainted. Though not crafted with precision or adorned with any patterns, its surface was smoothed through effort, a notable task in the lack of modern tools in ancient times. It might store clothes or valuables, as it had a lock on it.

Gu Chengyu recalled hearing the unlocking sound when Mrs. Lv retrieved the copper coin last night; he suspected it was stored inside the cabinet.

Having observed the room’s furnishings, he turned his attention to the people. Gu Chengyu tilted his head to look at two women engaged in conversation. The one previously lying beside him and now leaning against the pillows must be his mother, Mrs. Lv. As he discerned her features, he was a bit taken aback. Mrs. Lv appeared to be around thirty, wearing a yellowing cross-collared undershirt. Possibly still recovering from childbirth, her complexion seemed pale. But what astonished Gu Chengyu was not this; even in these rural surroundings, Mrs. Lv was strikingly beautiful, unlike a typical peasant woman. Having seen many modern beauties, Gu Chengyu had to admit that Mrs. Lv was a natural beauty whose radiance couldn’t be concealed even without makeup.

Her jet-black long hair was casually bundled into a bun, adorned with a simple wooden hairpin, lacking carvings or decorations. The loosely tied bun was somewhat messy, likely due to bed rest. Her petite, melon-seed face featured exquisitely shaped willow eyebrows above bright peach blossom eyes, a small, high nose, and a dainty rhomboid mouth. These beautiful features combined made her extraordinarily attractive. Unfortunately, possibly due to poor diet and constant labor, her face appeared somewhat sallow, with rough skin and a few conspicuous fine lines at the corner of her eyes, detracting slightly from her beauty.

Women in ancient times married young, and a thirty-year-old was often considered a grandmotherly age. Moreover, poor nutrition and labor-intensive living accelerated aging. Farmer women rarely spent Silver Coin on cosmetics.

Finished with his observations, Gu Chengyu felt some sympathy for the hardships women faced, turning his sight to the woman speaking opposite Mrs. Lv.

"Eldest daughter-in-law, keep a close watch on the second family’s child today during the washing ceremony. There’s a lot of people here, and if she causes trouble, report to me. See if I won’t give her a good thrashing. She’s been sneaking food while I was away, lazing around too. When I’m out of confinement, I’ll deal with her properly." Mrs. Lv expressed her concern.

"Yes, Mother, everything’s ready. Nothing will go wrong." Mrs. Fang nodded repeatedly, somewhat shrinking in posture, nervously wiping her hands on her blue coarse cloth apron, evidence she had just come from the kitchen.

Gu Chengyu understood this was his elder sister-in-law, Mrs. Fang. In contrast to Mrs. Lv, Mrs. Gu Fang was a typical rural peasant woman. Her neatly tied, round bun bore no ornaments nor a simple wooden hairpin. Her hair was somewhat dry and yellowish, face long and complexion quite dark, likely from fieldwork and prolonged sun exposure. Her face bore evident wrinkles, and her features were rather ordinary. She wore a blue coarse cloth cross-collared shirt with matching trousers instead of a skirt, fixed with an apron. Her shirt bore a small patch and folds of the same color, suggesting it was reserved for occasions requiring formality. Evidently, even such worn clothes weren’t often worn. Seeing the fabrics and clothes stored in his space, Gu Chengyu felt some regret they couldn’t be used, feeling like sitting on a mountain of gold and Silver Coin, merely watching. Observing her standing posture suggested her height wasn’t short, but she was so thin that a gust of wind might blow her away.

Gu Chengyu then pondered a question: how did Mrs. Fang, apparently Mother Gu’s daughter-in-law, seem older than her mother-in-law? Mrs. Fang seemed to be in her twenties or older, though naturally, that made no sense. Could it be his mother’s inherently youthful looks, or perhaps her lack of field labor? Alternatively, another possibility existed, which he intended to observe and verify over time.

"When you head out, bring the second daughter-in-law in here. I won’t be at ease without giving her a good scolding. And then bring in breakfast." Mrs. Lv pondered before instructing further. Mrs. Fang accepted the instructions and left.

Turning around, Mrs. Lv noticed her young son was awake, quickly lifting him for a cuddle while fussing about changing him into some fresh, bright clothes. Just then, Gu Wan bounded in, "Mom, I want to see my brother."

"Be careful now; don’t scare your brother with your loud voice." Holding her son, Mrs. Lv watched as Gu Wan burst in wildly, dashing to the kang, tiptoeing for a glimpse of the baby in her arms. She placed Gu Chengyu gently onto the kang, while Gu Wan pouted unhappily.

"Mom doesn’t love me anymore, only likes brother." Saying this, she leaned in closer to look, then exclaimed in surprise, "Brother is so cute, Mom! How did he become so fair? He’s really handsome."

Gu Chengyu looked at the little girl before him, roughly four or five years old, her hair styled in dangling spirals. Her large, round eyes were black and white, looking nothing like Mrs. Gu, appearing delicate and lovable. She wore a new, pink cross-collared narrow-sleeved top made of fine cotton fabric, and a pair of bean-green pleated skirts. The collar and skirt edges were embroidered with a few butterflies and flowers, adding to Gu Wan’s refined liveliness.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.