Blue Silver Grass Strategy (Douluo Dalu Fiction)

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Year 2591 of the Douluo Calendar, Early Spring.

[Waterwood Principality], 'Wood Plant City' 160 miles east, Mountain Sea Village.

Ling Xiaoshan set out early in the morning with his hoe, heading towards the fields to the west of the village. Before he even left the village, he heard a shout from behind:

"Xiaoshan! Xiaoshan—! Come back quick! Your wife is about to give birth—!"

"What—?" Ling Xiaoshan turned around, dazed, to see his childhood friend and brother-in-law, Zhang Dahé, running towards him.

"What are you standing there for—!"

Zhang Dahé grabbed Ling Xiaoshan's arm and started running back, panting as he said, "Hurry up, your mother, my mother, and my wife are all attending to my sister. My father and your father are boiling water, and they sent me to find you..."

The short village path was covered in just a few moments, and the two arrived at Ling Xiaoshan's house.

Before they even entered, Ling Xiaoshan's father, Ling Changqing, saw them and glared, scolding, "Rascal! What did I tell you? Stay at home these few days and look after things. I can handle the fields. Are you worried about me?"

"When I was your age, you..."

"Uncle Changqing... Uncle Changqing! Xiaoshan was just worried about you..."

Zhang Dahé quickly stepped in to stop Ling Changqing, while giving Ling Xiaoshan a meaningful look. He said hurriedly, "Xiaoshan, quick, go check the fire and see if the water is boiling—"

"Oh, oh~~" Ling Xiaoshan nodded and ran towards the kitchen.

Watching his son's flustered back, Ling Changqing shook his head helplessly, "This rascal..."

"Uncle Changqing~" Zhang Dahé smiled and said, "Xiaoshan is only seventeen and a first-time father. It's normal for him to be like this. I was the same a couple of years ago—"

Nearly an hour later, with a loud cry, a new life was added to the unremarkable village.

Inside the house, built of earth and stone with a roof of wood and thatch, the newborn opened his eyes with effort. Though newborns are supposed to have poor vision, he could see everything clearly.

His gaze swept over the young man holding him awkwardly, the middle-aged woman and young woman leaning in to look, the middle-aged and young men peering from the doorway, and the pale, weak girl on the bed. He then gently clenched the small fist in his swaddling clothes, and a clear fact formed in his mind: "A new beginning?"

He closed his eyes, feeling a bit tired, and whispered to himself, 'Pleased to meet you, please take care of me~'

...

A month later, Mountain Sea Village, Ling Xiaoshan's home.

The newborn, named Ling Yi in this life, slowly woke up as the sun rose higher.

His clear, black-and-white eyes scanned the empty room. Listening carefully, he heard the rhythmic sound of water outside, and he knew his father, who was not yet eighteen, was probably working in the fields with his thirty-eight-year-old grandfather.

The sound of water outside must be his mother washing clothes.

Feeling the urge to relieve himself and a gnawing hunger, Ling Yi closed his eyes and opened his mouth. A loud cry echoed through the house.

The cry lasted only a few moments, but his mother, Zhang Xiaoyu, immediately pushed open the wooden door. She walked to the bed where Ling Yi lay, wiping her water-soaked hands on her waist.

After changing his diaper, Ling Yi lay in his mother's arms, nursing his special drink, and pondered the world he was in.

In the past month, Ling Yi had spent most of his time sleeping. When he was awake, he was either eating or changing diapers.

Through the occasional words of his parents, grandparents, and even his uncle's family, Ling Yi had determined that this was a world where 'Yanhuang Common Language' was used. However, the exact nature of the world still needed exploration.

Time for a baby is slow, as there is nothing to do but stare. But time for a baby is also fast, as they easily fall asleep. When he woke up, it was already dusk.

With the sunset, Ling Xiaoshan returned home with his hoe. He washed his hands and face, peeked into the kitchen where his young wife was busy, and then ran into the house to see his son, Ling Yi.

Their eyes met. Ling Yi looked at his father, whose face was still somewhat youthful, a bit tanned, and with rough skin. Only his white teeth and clear eyes betrayed his age.

Ling Xiaoshan, seeing his son's bright eyes, smiled widely, his teeth showing, and his eyes crinkling with joy. The fatigue from a day's work seemed to vanish.

Suddenly, Ling Yi's gaze paused, and he looked at something amusing on his father's head. More precisely, a blade of grass in his hair.

Noticing Ling Yi's attention, Ling Xiaoshan reached up and plucked a blue leaf from his head, waving it in front of Ling Yi and said happily, "Little Treasure was trying to tell Dad about this Blue Silver Grass leaf on my head, wasn't he?"

'At least it's not a green blade...'

Ling Yi rolled his eyes silently but then felt he had missed something.

Ling Xiaoshan clumsily played with Ling Yi, who cooperated by opening his mouth, turning his eyes, and smiling, making Ling Xiaoshan even happier. They both laughed until Zhang Xiaoyu called out, "Dinner is ready!" and ended their interaction.

During dinner, Ling Yi lay on the bed, closing his eyes to rest and recover the energy he had spent playing with Ling Xiaoshan.

Ling Xiaoshan and Zhang Xiaoyu, sitting at the table, enjoyed their simple meal of white rice and boiled vegetables.

In front of Zhang Xiaoyu was a small bowl of fish soup with a few oil droplets floating on top. The fish was caught by her brother, Zhang Dahé, from a river a few miles away, specifically to provide her with nutrients during her breastfeeding period.

In the past month, Ling Yi knew that Zhang Dahé had only successfully caught fish twice. The first time, he caught two small fish the size of his palm, and the second time, just one fish the size of two fingers, which Zhang Xiaoyu had stewed for three days.

Ling Yi was puzzled as to why, in an era with iron tools like hoes, catching a few fish would be so difficult.

Though his mind was a bit tired, Ling Yi's spirit was active, and he let his thoughts wander while listening to his father, Ling Xiaoshan, excitedly recount his earlier interaction with Ling Yi.

"By the way!"

Ling Xiaoshan took out a blue leaf from his pocket, waved it in front of Zhang Xiaoyu, and chuckled, "Look, Little Treasure saw this on my head and kept looking at it, trying to remind me..."

Seeing the blue leaf, Zhang Xiaoyu put down her empty fish soup bowl, pursed her lips, and said softly, "Blue Silver Grass? You... while working..."

On the bed, Ling Yi suddenly opened his eyes, squinted, and turned his head towards the dining table.

Note 1: The relationships are complex, and the characters are addressed according to their childhood habits.

Note 2: Normally, women would rest after giving birth, but in this extraordinary world, even ordinary people have better physical strength and recovery abilities than in the real world (probably, that's how it's set).

PS: I've heard from the elders that in the past, when conditions were tough, women didn't have proper rest after childbirth and had to work in the fields immediately. However, this often led to various health issues later on, which was very painful.

(End of Chapter)