Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Chen Yongqiang, whom Ding Wanru was thinking about, was pickling vegetables in the yard. He found a large vat and cleaned it thoroughly inside and out.

The bamboo basket at my feet was filled with all kinds of vegetables harvested from the space.

I planted a few at random, but I never expected the environment in the space to be so special, and the crops grew at an astonishing speed.

These vegetables are incredibly fresh and tender, far surpassing the quality and taste of those commonly found in the market.

Harvesting too much and selling it would be a waste of resources and could easily arouse suspicion, since many of the vegetables are out-of-season and require greenhouses to grow.

"Brother Yongqiang, what are you doing!" Qin Liping, who came to visit, greeted him from afar.

"Since we have nothing to do, let's pickle some vegetables for the New Year," Chen Yongqiang replied, casually spreading a layer of coarse salt on the bottom of the cleaned jar.

"I can pickle vegetables too, do you need any help?" Qin Liping said as she leaned closer.

"No need, I can do this myself." Chen Yongqiang had already picked up the washed and dried green radishes and started arranging them in the vat.

"Let me help you sprinkle salt!" Qin Liping took the initiative to pick up the coarse salt next to her and sprinkled it evenly on the arranged radishes.

Chen Yongqiang did not refuse and continued to stuff the Japanese ginger into the gaps between the radishes. "When it's pickled, you can take some home to eat."

"Then thank you in advance, Brother Yongqiang." Qin Liping was already used to Chen Yongqiang's generosity.

Because Qin Liping frequently visited Chen Yongqiang's home, they had long since become close.

At first, Chen Yongqiang thought it was just a normal neighborly visit and didn't think anything of it.

But as they spent more time together, Qin Liping's diligence and the natural closeness he felt gradually gave rise to some different thoughts in his mind.

However, Chen Yongqiang understood that these things couldn't be rushed; they required mutual consent and a natural progression.

Chen Yongqiang continued to add carrots and cucumbers to the jar, layering vegetables with salt.

Qin Liping helped from the side; the two were close together, one handing over dishes and the other sprinkling salt, their cooperation showing a certain tacit understanding.

Perhaps his mind was a little distracted, Chen Yongqiang was a beat slow in arranging the chili peppers, just as Qin Liping leaned forward to sprinkle salt, and their foreheads accidentally touched.

"Ouch!" Qin Liping exclaimed softly, instinctively covering her forehead where she had been touched.

"Are you alright?" Chen Yongqiang quickly put down the vegetables he was holding.

"It hurts so much!" Qin Liping's hands were still covered in salt, and rubbing them only made it hurt more.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Xiulian, who was busy in the kitchen, came out and asked, "What's going on?"

"It's nothing, Sister Xiulian, I just bumped into it by accident." Qin Liping lowered her hand, a small red mark still remaining on her forehead.

"I'll take care of the rest myself, you can rest for a bit." Chen Yongqiang took the salt shaker from Qin Liping's hand.

Chen Yongqiang then added various vegetables such as cowpeas, cilantro, celery, pickled mustard greens, and scallions into the vat, filling it to the brim.

Finally, he picked up the prepared high-proof liquor, poured some on the top layer, and then took the lid to seal the mouth of the vat.

Even at night, the village still had no power.

Qin Shan would still sneak over after dinner to sit and chat at Chen Yongqiang's house for a while; it had become a habit.

By the candlelight, he saw a faint red mark on his daughter's forehead as she bent down to learn to knit.

"Xiaoping, what happened to your head?" Qin Shan asked casually.

Qin Liping's cheeks flushed slightly, and she replied vaguely, "It's nothing, Dad, I bumped into it by accident."

She couldn't very well say that she met with Chen Yongqiang during the day.

Qin Shan didn't ask any more questions, and turned to mutter, "Why hasn't the power come back on yet? It's been out for almost a week."

Just as Chen Yongqiang was about to reply, the lights in the room suddenly turned on.

"The power's back on! The power's back on!" Qin Liping was the first to cheer.

"Finally, the power's back on," Chen Yongqiang said, blowing out the flickering candle on the table.

Qin Liping couldn't wait any longer and ran to the black and white television set, turning on the switch.

The screen only showed static, with no channels displayed.

"I guess we'll have to wait a while. The call just came back through the TV station's signal tower. They probably haven't sent the signal over yet." Chen Yongqiang sat back down in his chair and continued drinking with Qin Shan.

Qin Shan took a sip of his drink, then remembered something: "The Laba Festival is just around the corner. Do you have any special customs around Shimen Village?"

His family had just moved here and weren't very familiar with these local customs.

"Nothing too special," Chen Yongqiang thought for a moment.

"It's nothing more than every household soaking some Laba garlic and cooking a big pot of Laba porridge with various grains. However, Laba is a traditional day for worship. Some older households here will also worship their ancestors, the Kitchen God, and the Granary God, praying for a bountiful harvest and peace in the coming year."

"I see. That's similar to the customs in my hometown." Qin Shan nodded.

This reminded Chen Yongqiang. Besides these common ancestral worship and deity worship, he had something important on his mind: he needed to go to the mountain god temple to worship the mountain god.

After all, it was thanks to the Mountain God's help that he was able to activate that magical system, and his life has been getting better and better every day.

He always kept this kindness in his heart.

Two days before the Laba Festival, Chen Yongqiang was carefully preparing offerings for worshipping the mountain god at home.

Just then, the village's loudspeaker blared, and Yang Dahai's voice carried throughout the entire village:

"Just letting everyone know! On Laba Festival, several villages nearby will be gathering by the Qingba Reservoir to cook Laba porridge in big pots! Everyone who wants to come is welcome—it's a fun occasion, and we'll all pray together for a smooth and peaceful year ahead!"

This notification disrupted Chen Yongqiang's plans.

The village did have such unified sacrificial activities in the past, but they had been suspended for several years. I didn’t expect them to be held again this year.

"I'm going to the village office to take a look." Chen Yongqiang put down his work, told Lin Xiulian, and then walked out.

When I arrived at the village office, a crowd of villagers had already gathered in the courtyard, asking me all sorts of questions:

"Village chief, what do we need to bring on Laba Festival?"

"Yes, should we just provide manpower, or should each family also contribute some rice and grain?"

Yang Dahai raised his hands and pressed them down: "Everyone, quiet down! Listen to me!"

"Every family should contribute some grains and cereals, not too much, just the thought is what counts!" Yang Dahai said, raising his voice.

"Also, has He Jun arrived? He Jun?"

He approached He Jun, naturally intending to have him cook the porridge. Although He Jun was usually lazy and prone to shirking his duties, he was indeed quite skilled at cooking large batches of food.

Standing in the crowd, Chen Yongqiang felt more confident.

There are many folk tales about the origin of the Laba Festival.

In their Shimen Village area, the legend passed down from generation to generation is "in commemoration of Yue Fei".

When Yue Fei's army was short of food, the local people took out their own grains and cooked "porridge from a hundred families" to help the army.

Later, to commemorate this, the custom of cooking and sharing porridge on Laba Festival arose.