“What nonsense are you talking about? My daughter-in-law isn’t that kind of person.”Li Shulan shot her friend a glare, her feet never pausing on the sewing machine pedal.
Although her eldest son and his wife weren’t as affectionate as her second son and his wife, she had lived under the same roof with both daughters-in-law for many years in her previous life.
She knew very well what kind of people they were.
They would never do anything as shameful as having an affair.
Back then, even with how hard she treated them, neither of them ever had any crooked thoughts. Now it was even more impossible!
Seeing that her friend didn’t even react, Zhou Wanxiang grew more anxious.“Shulan, all those rumors spreading around lately—haven’t you heard any of it?”
“What rumors? You know how the brigade is—people hear a breeze and turn it into a storm. Out of ten rumors, maybe one is true.”
Zhou Wanxiang frowned. “But everyone’s talking like it’s real! And that educated youth, Yang, he was from the same hometown and school as your eldest daughter-in-law before he came down to the countryside. Aren’t you going to check?”
“No. If I go and let my daughter-in-law see me doubting her, how hurt would she be? I trust them.”
Especially after hearing that Yang educated youth was her daughter-in-law’s old classmate, she felt even more at ease.
That Yang wasn’t any good person. Her daughter-in-law was smart—no way she’d have anything to do with him!
His full name was Yang Weiming.
In her previous life, he married the brigade leader’s youngest daughter, Qin Qin. “Married” was one thing, but it was basically him marrying into their family, since he lived with them afterward.
They had two kids in three years—a girl and a boy.
But when the college entrance exam was reinstated later, Yang Weiming got accepted into university and ran off with all the family’s money and ration coupons, holding his admission letter.
Even the school he told them he applied to was a lie.
Later, Qin Qin eventually found him and managed to cling to life in the city, but she didn’t live long—she died even earlier than the old shrew Li Shulan had been back then.
Their two children were sent back to the village. Li Shulan even went to look, saying plenty of mocking things. Those two kids were so starved—big heads and thin bodies, staggering as they walked. Pitiful.
But in her previous life, she never heard any rumors about her daughter-in-law and Yang Weiming.
She would ask about it tonight.
She trusted her daughters-in-law, but rumors could hurt people. She would never allow such stains on them.
Once she talked to them, if anyone spread rumors again, she’d tear those people’s mouths apart!
“Alright, since you put it that way, I won’t say anything more. Your eldest daughter-in-law really doesn’t seem like that kind,” Zhou Wanxiang added.
Li Shulan emphasized again, “My daughters-in-law are obedient and decent. When I talk to them tonight, if anyone keeps gossiping tomorrow, watch me rip their mouths open!”
Zhou Wanxiang laughed. “Fine, fine, who could beat you at that!”
After delivering her message, she went back to the fields—there was still work time left.
Once she left, Li Shulan worked the sewing machine a bit longer, then, seeing it was about time, removed her sleeves and went to the kitchen to cook.
She picked green peas, a corn cob, and a carrot from the backyard garden and returned to the kitchen.
There were dried long beans and mushrooms soaking on the stove.
Tonight, she planned to make cured-meat rice and a cured-meat and dried-bean soup.
Thankfully, she had smoked a lot of cured meat last year. She had sent some with her sons when they went out, and plenty still remained.
But they couldn’t eat cured meat every day. She would need to buy fresh meat soon. And this year, she planned to smoke even more.
Recently she had gotten a few more meat coupons. If the town butcher had no meat, she’d go to the county and use them all at once—maybe even buy some from the black market to stock up for salted meat.
In the evening, when her two daughters-in-law returned from work, the rice and soup were just done.
But the two women still chose to bathe before eating.
During dinner, Li Shulan brought up the matter with Yang Weiming.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, this afternoon your Aunt Zhou came to tell me you and that educated youth Yang were seen sneaking into the woods. What’s that about?”
“Mom, I didn’t!” Meng Yue frowned. “There’s a small patch of wheat at the south foot of the mountain. The captain told me and Yang to harvest it together.”
“Mom, you must believe Big Sis. She’d never be involved with that pretty-boy.”Su Xiao also grew anxious, afraid their mother-in-law believed the outside gossip.
“Damn that little bastard! I knew that old hag couldn’t raise anything decent!”Li Shulan slapped the table, making both daughters-in-law jump.
Seeing their fear, she rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t talking about you two. Of course I trust my daughters-in-law. And my sons aren’t worse than those city educated youths. What’s there to worry about? But you two!”
“If your Aunt Zhou hadn’t told me today, were you planning not to say anything?”
“Do you not know how important a girl’s reputation is?”
“If you told me earlier, I would’ve torn their mouths off already! How could I let them talk nonsense!”
Hearing this, both Meng Yue and Su Xiao finally relaxed.
Meng Yue explained, “Mom, I wasn’t trying to hide it. I just barely said a few words to Yang. I thought if I ignored the rumors, they would fade…”
“You silly girl!”
Li Shulan pointed her chopsticks at her head. “You don’t know villagers. If you respond, they gossip; if you don’t respond, they say you’re guilty and gossip even harder. To deal with people like that, you must be fiercer than they are—scare them once and for all!”
“This time, forget it. But after this, no matter what happens, tell Mom immediately. Watch how I rip those gossiping mouths apart!”
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Mom will take care of it tomorrow. Eat.”
“Thank you, Mom.”Meng Yue smiled gently.
She truly felt lucky. Despite the rushed marriage, she ended up with such a good mother-in-law—one who cherished her daughters-in-law and even looked after their families. Meng Yue was genuinely grateful.
The next afternoon, after sewing for a while, Li Shulan put on a straw hat and headed to the field where her eldest daughter-in-law worked.
Unexpectedly, she arrived just in time to witness a good show.
A young man wearing a white Terelyne shirt, hair oily and slicked back, black-frame glasses on his nose, approached her daughter-in-law holding a small paper packet.
Her daughter-in-law didn’t even glance at him and simply moved away to cut wheat in another spot.
The young man didn’t give up and tried to get closer again.
Li Shulan was already sharpening her metaphorical knife, ready to charge over—
When suddenly, a girl with two thick black pigtails rushed out from the other side.
“Educated Youth Yang! Educated Youth Meng! What are you two doing?!”