Yang Yufen burst into laughter at those words.
“My only regret is that I never had a little daughter. A son grows up and belongs to someone else anyway. Luckily, he found me such a gentle, clever, and generous daughter-in-law. Of course I’m going to cherish her like my own daughter and make up for that regret.”
After saying that, Yang Yufen walked smilingly toward the front courtyard. Qin Nian was already waiting by the gate. She had been looking at the grapes, but as soon as she saw Yang Yufen, she walked over.
“Hello, Aunt Wang. Mom, did I interrupt your conversation with Aunt Wang?”
“Not at all. Come on, let’s go home. We have grapes at home. These ones aren’t ripe yet. Once we finish ours, I’ll come ask Aunt Wang for more.”
Yang Yufen said it without the slightest politeness.
“That’s right, that’s right. If you want some, just have your mother come pick them. I can’t finish them all myself anyway.”
Aunt Wang beamed.
She really couldn’t finish them. Her children and grandchildren weren’t around, and she didn’t care about the little money she could earn selling them. As for the shameless people in the neighborhood, she neither got along with them nor wanted to share with them. Some people were willing to trade things for grapes, but very few were truly generous.
But she especially liked Yang Yufen. She never took advantage of others, was capable and decisive, and got along well with her. Naturally, Aunt Wang was happy to share.
“I’m taking my daughter-in-law home now. Get some rest early. Nian Nian, say goodbye to Aunt Wang.”
Like all elderly relatives, whenever they brought younger family members around, they always added an extra reminder, as though afraid the younger generation wouldn’t remember people.
“Aunt Wang, my mom and I are heading home.”
Qin Nian obediently said her farewell.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned home. After entering the house, Qin Nian finally spoke.
“Mom, why did you slaughter the laying hen? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep it for eggs?”
The moment she finished speaking, Qin Nian felt she had phrased it wrong. That wasn’t really what she had wanted to say.
“We raise chickens to eat them. That hen was old and barely laying anymore. Once the chicks grow up, we’ll slaughter them too.”
Yang Yufen replied casually.
Seeing that her mother-in-law had no intention of bringing up the afternoon’s events, Qin Nian thought about it and decided not to mention them either.
“Mom, you bought so many things for the house. You must have spent almost all your money. My salary was paid today, so please take it. If the house needs anything else, just buy it. I spend all day in the laboratory and hardly have anywhere to spend money.”
Qin Nian took out her entire salary—one hundred and twenty-six yuan—along with several ration coupons and stuffed them into Yang Yufen’s hands.
“I don’t need that much. I’ll take twenty yuan, and I’ll keep the coupons. You save the rest yourself.”
Yang Yufen didn’t refuse outright.
“You don’t need to spend your own money supporting me, Mom. Xianjun and I both earn salaries, and our daily expenses aren’t high.”
After thinking for a moment, Qin Nian pulled out three more ten-yuan bills and pressed them into Yang Yufen’s hands, making it an even fifty yuan.
Seeing this, Yang Yufen stopped refusing.
“I’ll go collect Xianjun’s allowance in a few days when I’m less busy and bring it back to you. Um… Mom, get some rest early. I’ll go to bed too.”
Qin Nian didn’t know what else to say. She had never liked troubling others and was used to taking care of herself.
“Alright.”
Yang Yufen answered simply.
Qin Nian let out a sigh of relief.
Wonderful. Her mother-in-law wasn’t angry.
That night, Qin Nian slept exceptionally well. Perhaps because she had also napped the previous afternoon, she woke up very early the next morning.
Yet even though she had risen so early, Yang Yufen was already up before her.
Chicken noodle soup sat on the table.
One bowl had chopped scallions; the other did not.
Qin Nian ate quietly.
So her mother-in-law didn’t like scallions.
At the bottom of her bowl was another chicken drumstick.
A chicken only had two legs.
Qin Nian picked it up, intending to give it to Yang Yufen.
Yang Yufen lifted her bowl and drank her soup.
“I’m full. I promised Aunt Wang something last night, so I need to get there early.”
Pretending not to notice Qin Nian’s gesture, Yang Yufen picked up her empty bowl and left.
She hadn’t boiled eggs today. After all, such a large chicken still hadn’t been finished.
Watching her mother-in-law’s retreating figure, Qin Nian couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from rising.
Then she ate the drumstick.
Since yesterday’s matter had already been resolved, Qin Nian returned to work. Director Hu nodded at her, and soon everyone became busy.
Perhaps because she was in such a good mood, Qin Nian’s efficiency was astonishing that day. She processed data rapidly and even discovered two errors that she corrected herself.
At noon, Yang Yufen ladled reheated chicken soup and chicken meat into a container. She packed steamed rice tightly until it was firmly compressed, topped it with stir-fried greens, and headed for the research institute carrying the lunch box.
Today she had come specifically to wait outside the institute to see whether Yi Mengling would apologize.
Delivering lunch to her daughter-in-law was merely a bonus.
Yang Yufen wasn’t allowed inside, but thanks to the authorization Qin Nian had previously arranged, the lunch box was inspected and then delivered inside.
“Researcher Qin, your mother-in-law sent this meal for you. She said you can just bring the container home tonight after you finish eating.”
Because work had been progressing so well that day, Qin Nian hadn’t dared relax for even a moment. Everyone else had been equally focused.
As a result, they had completely forgotten about lunch.
Now stomachs throughout the laboratory began growling loudly.
Even Director Hu rubbed his stomach.
“Everyone, eat first.”
“Professor, I’ll keep an eye on things here.”
Qin Nian volunteered. Since her mother-in-law had sent lunch over, she wouldn’t need to go to the cafeteria.
“I’ll stay too. Bring me a meal.”
“Me too! Me too!”
There were eight people in the laboratory. Two were assigned to fetch food.
Everyone was in excellent form today and reluctant to stop working.
“You eat first.”
Director Hu gestured toward Qin Nian.
She nodded and moved aside to eat.
The moment she opened the lunch box, the rich aroma of chicken soup drifted through the laboratory.
The growling stomachs became even louder.
When Qin Nian fully opened the containers, everyone else quickly turned their heads away, trying desperately to distract themselves.
“How about everyone have some? My mother-in-law packed quite a lot. When your meals arrive, you can share a little with me in return, and everyone gets to eat.”
Qin Nian invited them.
“Professor, you should join us too.”
As she spoke, she had already portioned out a serving of chicken soup, complete with meat and broth, along with a chunk of rice.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Director Hu accepted it, taking one look and realizing there really was plenty.
The other colleagues stopped being shy as well.
Everyone brought over their own mugs, since the lunch container itself was being used.
“Nian Nian, your mother-in-law is so sincere. This rice is packed so tightly it looks like someone stomped on it.”
One of the two women in the laboratory joked.
The others immediately nodded.
There had to be nearly half a chicken in that soup. The broth was rich and golden, with shimmering droplets of chicken fat floating on top.
It was incredible.
Even biological mothers and daughters didn’t always have a relationship this good.
The only thing lacking was a little more vegetables.
Looking at the rice in the lunch box, Qin Nian suddenly realized why she always felt overly full whenever she ate with her mother-in-law.
Yang Yufen must have been packing the rice extra tightly for her every single time.
Although she had shared a large portion of the meal, Qin Nian still ate her fill and didn’t need her colleagues to share their food back. Nevertheless, everyone enthusiastically insisted that she sample their dishes.
Just as they finished eating, the institute’s loudspeaker system crackled to life.
Yi Mengling’s voice rang out.
“Read it properly. One smooth reading is better than stumbling through it three times. When I came in, the security office told me that Comrade Xiao Qin’s mother-in-law is still waiting outside the gate. If you don’t want to suffer any more, then get it over with.”
Zhao Lian’s husband, Yi Aiguo, had brought Yi Mengling to the broadcasting room.
There were two documents: an apology letter and a self-criticism report.
The apology letter was demanded by Yang Yufen.
The self-criticism report was required by the institute.
Both had to be read aloud.