After comforting Liu Bailan, Fang Yao offered to stay and help her tend the fire, but Liu Bailan firmly refused.
“You’ll have plenty of work to do at your husband’s family in the future. When you’re home, rest whenever you can. Go on now, go inside and pour some tea for your mother-in-law. Your mom’s clumsy with words, so from now on, how you get along with your mother-in-law will depend on yourself!” Liu Bailan wiped her tears with her hand.
Fang Yao nodded and reassured her, “This mother-in-law of mine is different from Wang Cuilian. You can tell she’s very tolerant toward both me and Qingzhou.”
“Just hearing her talk, I can tell she’s an educated person, not rough-handed and clumsy like us. From now on, you’ll have to be even more proper around her, so she doesn’t say our Fang family didn’t raise our daughter well!”
“Yes, I know,” Fang Yao agreed.
In her previous life, after marrying Xu Manjiang, she would steal moments to read and study. But Wang Cuilian was a coarse person herself and couldn’t stand seeing her sitting quietly there, accusing her of being lazy to avoid work. While Fang Yao was out in the fields earning work points, Wang Cuilian took all her books and burned them in the stove pit.
Later, it was Wang Hua who couldn’t bear to see it and would slip her a couple of books every now and then, telling her to read them secretly when Wang Cuilian wasn’t around.
This lifetime, with Wang Hua as her mother-in-law, Fang Yao could finally study openly and even seek guidance from her mother-in-law. Just thinking about it filled her with anticipation.
“Then I’ll head out first. If you’re tied up here, just call me anytime,” Fang Yao informed her mother before leaving the kitchen.
In the yard, Xu Qingzhou, eager to win the Fang family’s approval, was actively showing his worth by helping Fang Jianguo trim the hooves of the production team’s donkey.
His hands, slender from years of military training, were full of strength. He gripped the shovel knife, skillfully chipping away the hardened patches, then seamlessly drove in the nails with a small hammer. Fang Jianguo couldn’t hide his growing fondness for this dexterous son-in-law.
“You even know how to do this?” Fang Yao walked over, joining in the commotion.
Xu Qingzhou glanced at her with a smile, sweat beads sliding down his temples. “Do you have a handkerchief?”
“Yes.” Fang Yao instinctively took out her handkerchief. Seeing he was holding tools, she moved to wipe his sweat for him.
Suddenly, Fang Jianguo beside them gave a heavy cough. “Ahem, stand back a bit. This donkey’s stubborn—it might kick you!”
Fang Yao understood perfectly—her father was reminding her to be mindful of appearances in public. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she shoved the handkerchief into Xu Qingzhou’s hand, then turned and hurried into the house.
Inside, Wang Hua was chatting animatedly with the grandparents. The conversation spanned from her marriage to Xu Qingzhou’s father, to his father’s accident, and Xu Qingzhou’s enlistment in the army—like a long, captivating story that held the elderly couple’s rapt attention.
Fang Yao listened for a while indoors until laughter erupted in the yard. Recognizing it as her uncle and aunt’s family arriving, she stood up to go greet them.
After the family split, Fang Jianyè had built a new house at the village’s edge, moving there with Sun Yanqin and their son and daughter. They only gathered together during holidays or for important family matters.
“We heard from Fang Bin that Fang Yao’s match changed, so we rushed over to take a look! Sister-in-law, I have to say Fang Yao is blessed. Look at this new son-in-law’s height and looks—it’s like exchanging a bird gun for a cannon! We’re not losing out!”
Sun Yanqin bustled into the kitchen and immediately joked with Liu Bailan.
Liu Bailan, used to bantering with her, wasn’t offended. “Quick, give me a hand. After we finish hosting this noon meal, the helpers will come this afternoon. You and big brother will have to lead the way!”
The two sisters-in-law still presented a united front to outsiders. Hosting a banquet in the countryside involved so many tasks to arrange, and it was precisely at times like these that the family's unity needed to be showcased.
Sun Yanqin rolled up her sleeves and got straight to work. Fang Jianye also discussed with Fang Jianguo the process of catching pigs, preparing firewood, and setting up a shed with the production team. Xu Qingzhou, the newly married son-in-law, had already been counted as part of the manpower and was being put to work without any hesitation.
"Qingzhou, wait for Fang Tong and the others to come back, then take Fang Zhen with you and go to the fields to bring back the firewood first."
"Mm," Xu Qingzhou agreed without hesitation.
At that moment, Fang Jiao, who was standing nearby, chimed in: "My new brother-in-law is wearing his military uniform. If you make him work in the fields and get it dirty, what then?"
Seeing his father-in-law's hesitant expression, Xu Qingzhou immediately spoke up: "It's fine. I have a few spare sets at home, enough to wear."
Even so, Fang Jianguo still felt it was a pity: "How about changing into something else? Can you change?"
"I can wear it over the uniform." Although the military had regulations about uniforms, special circumstances could be handled specially.
"Sis, come on, I'll go with you to Second Brother's room to find clothes for our new brother-in-law!" Without waiting for Fang Yao's reply, Fang Jiao pushed her along.
Once they entered Fang Bin's room, Fang Jiao closed the door and stood with her hands on her hips, fuming.
"Sis, I say Xu Manjiang is just too awful! After being with you for over half a year, he just swapped brides like that, casually pushing you onto our new brother-in-law. He really has no conscience!"
Fang Jiao was only a year younger than Fang Yao. Before the family split up, they played together every day, just like real sisters. Even after they grew up and couldn't stick together all the time, they were still as close as they were in childhood. Seeing her own sister treated unfairly, she felt just as indignant!
"At least this new brother-in-law is presentable. Otherwise, I'd have gone with my brothers—First, Second, and Third Brother—to smash that broken pot of his!"
Fang Yao took out a set of work clothes from Fang Bin's closet. Looking at her cousin's puffed-up, bun-like face, she couldn't resist giving it a pinch.
"You, always so quick with your words!"
Fang Yao still remembered when they were kids, once Fang Bin and Fang Zhen had a disagreement with some village kids their age. Fang Jiao, full of bravado, dragged Fang Yao along to help, only to burst into terrified wails at the sight of the kids fighting.
In the end, it was Fang Yao who called the adults to break them up. After returning home, Fang Jiao was so scared she had nightmares for three days straight, crying herself awake every night.
Having her past embarrassment exposed, Fang Jiao scratched the back of her head sheepishly, grinning as she took Fang Yao's hand.
"Sis, you could've just kept that to yourself! But really, letting Xu Manjiang off so easily—isn't that too cheap for him?"
"Of course not. I beat him up and extorted two thousand yuan from him." Fang Yao smiled like a little fox proudly showing off its prey to its companion.
Fang Jiao was even more impressed, her eyes filled with admiration besides surprise: "Extorted two thousand? Wow! Sis, you've really brought honor to our family! Xu Manjiang deserves to be punished for switching affections! I'm going to learn from you—when I marry into my husband's family, I won't take any nonsense!"
Fang Jiao vowed earnestly, but Fang Yao just smiled along with her. Her cousin wasn't as unlucky as she was. In a couple of years, she would marry a small leader at the farm and live a smooth, comfortable life.
After chatting for a while, Fang Bin and Fang Tong returned from outside, ready to head to the fields to collect firewood. They urged Fang Yao to take the clothes to Xu Qingzhou.
Xu Qingzhou directly pulled on his clothes and trousers, and the moment he sat in the carriage, he looked over at Fang Yao.
"Brother-in-law, here, have a smoke!" Fang Bin, acting as if they were already familiar, handed him a self-rolled dry tobacco.
Xu Qingzhou waved his hand, replying politely, "Thank you, Second Brother, I don't smoke."
Fang Bin grinned widely at being called "Second Brother": "Alright, then do you drink?"
"Not usually, but I'll have a little when necessary."
As the carriage passed through the gate, Fang Bin enthusiastically chatted with Xu Qingzhou.
Fang Yao had just withdrawn her gaze and was about to return to the house when her elbow was nudged by Fang Jiao: "Sis, you really hit the jackpot. Not only is your new husband handsome, but he also has a good temper—he doesn't put on any airs around our family at all! Not like Xu Manjiang, who always talks to us with his nose in the air, acting like a green-skinned bullfrog, all show and no substance! By the way, since you've brought your new husband back for the returning to the bride's family, does that mean Xu Manjiang will also take his new wife back to her family?"