The Feng family never spoiled their children. Whether grandson or granddaughter, once they reached five years old, they had to go to the foot of the mountain to cut pig feed to earn work points.
Feng Yuanling could cut a basket of pig feed a day and earn two work points.
One work point was worth three cents, so Feng Yuanling could earn six cents a day.
Grandma Feng would often have her eldest son exchange two fruit candies for one cent to sweeten the children's mouths, giving them more energy to cut pig feed.
"Grandma, you're so good! Yuanling loves Grandma! Oh, oh, oh, I have candy again!" Feng Yuanling threw down the vine and happily jumped and skipped around the yard.
Ding Xiaotao laughed and scolded, "You little glutton, all you know is candy. That's not eating candy, that's eating money."
Then she said to her mother-in-law, "Mom, don't spoil that brat. If she gets used to it, she'll ask you for it again next time."
"Then next time we'll have the eldest son get a replacement. We'll weave a few more baskets, that'll be enough," said Grandma Feng, who was weaving winnowing baskets. Her hands moved as fast and skillfully as the Feng brothers. "These baskets and winnowing baskets can't be sold for money, but we can exchange them for some candy to make the children happy. It'll also give them energy to cut pig feed."
Grandma Feng was the most reasonable mother-in-law in Fengjia Village.
She treated her three daughters-in-law better than her own mother.
But in the previous life, after the Feng family's misfortune, Feng Laosan and Ding Xiaotao were able to leave with their children and didn't even come back to see Grandma Feng when she died.
Although the original owner's wish didn't include abandoning Feng Laosan's family, Yuan Chun disliked the couple; they were too cold and heartless.
On her first day with her family, Yuan Chun spoke very little. After weaving a small basket, she went to sleep.
She shared a room with her younger sister, Feng Yuanzhen.
Both sisters, raised by Liu Qingqiu, were very clean; their blankets were frequently washed and dried, so they had no odor. Yuan Chun crawled in and slept soundly until dawn.
The next day, Yuan Chun ate a bowl of wild vegetable porridge and a wild vegetable bun, then went with the women of the Feng family to the brigade headquarters to collect farm tools.
The tools were distributed by the village chief's youngest daughter, Feng Caihua, who was Yuan Chun's best friend.
When it was Feng Yuanchun's turn, Feng Caihua took out a new hoe, grinned, and whispered, "Yuanchun, this is one I specially saved for you."
"Caihua, I got mine first. This new hoe is for me, and the old one is for Yuanchun."
Suddenly, an old hand reached out, trying to snatch the new hoe.
Feng Yuanchun was quick, taking the new hoe first, and said to the old woman, "Aunt Chen, the brigade has a rule: you keep what you're given. If everyone keeps exchanging tools like you, how can we work?"
Indeed, the person who snatched the new hoe was Granny Chen.
If it were someone else, perhaps Feng Yuanchun would kindly exchange it, but Granny Chen… well… even if she didn't use it, she wouldn't exchange it.
In her previous life, it was Granny Chen who revealed that the original owner wasn't a virgin.
If Chen Shengjun was one of the main culprits who killed her, then Granny Chen was an accomplice.
She was Yuanchun's enemy.
Yuan Chun never showed mercy to her enemies.
Granny Chen's face darkened. "You stubborn girl, why are you so inflexible? Rules are rules, but people are flexible. If you're willing to switch, who can say anything?"
"Look at me, I'm old and don't have much strength left for work. Why don't you switch with me? You're young and strong, and using the old hoe won't be a problem for you."
Granny Chen had been assigned this old hoe yesterday, and weeding was too strenuous; she hadn't weeded properly and even lost a work point—it broke her heart.