“This place is quite nice. We can even grow some vegetables here and keep raising chickens. The only problem is that there aren’t enough rooms. From now on, I’ll sleep in the main room, and you can continue using the inner room.”
Yang Yufen immediately began making arrangements.
Qin Nian didn’t dare object.
“Um, Mom, you’ve had a tiring journey. I’ll go to the cafeteria and bring back some food. Here’s the key to the house.”
Qin Nian spoke up.
“No need. I’m not tired. You should rest. If you have work to do, go ahead. There’s still some time before dinner. I’ll take care of it.”
Setting down her shoulder pole, Yang Yufen took the three hens out of the basket, gave them some water and vegetable leaves, then picked up a basket of eggs and headed outside.
Qin Nian watched her leave and, after a moment’s thought, decided to follow.
Yang Yufen knocked on a neighbor’s door. A woman around her age came out.
“Hello, sister. I’m Yang Yufen, Niannian’s mother-in-law. My son is away on a mission, so I’ve come to look after my daughter-in-law. I’m not used to sleeping right next to someone, and there isn’t an extra bed at home, so I was wondering if I could borrow a couple of benches for a few days. These are eggs from my own chickens.”
“So you’re Researcher Qin’s family! A few benches are nothing. I’ll go get them right away. We happen to have some spare ones.”
The families in the research institute’s residential area were generally quite decent.
At least Qin Nian’s two neighboring households were.
When Yang Yufen knocked and asked to borrow things, people readily agreed.
Qin Nian rarely interacted with others beyond exchanging greetings. Seeing her mother-in-law arrive and immediately strike up warm conversations and borrow items from neighbors made her feel that Yang Yufen was quite different from the image her husband had described.
“Mom, why don’t I sleep on the benches instead?”
Qin Nian looked at the makeshift bed Yang Yufen had quickly assembled from several long benches and covered with bedding.
Her mother-in-law was much taller than she was. The benches were clearly too short. Even stretching her legs fully would leave her feet hanging off the end.
“I’ll make do for two days. Tomorrow I’ll buy some wooden boards and put together a proper bed. Then we’ll hang up a curtain, and that’ll solve the problem. By the way, do you eat spicy food?”
Yang Yufen smoothly changed the subject.
“I don’t eat spicy food.”
Qin Nian answered instinctively.
Then she watched as Yang Yufen turned and headed straight for the kitchen.
“Let’s keep dinner simple today.”
As she spoke, she lit the stove and washed the wok. Within moments, oil was heating in the pan and two eggs were sizzling inside.
Qin Nian looked at the large bowl of egg noodles in front of her.
The noodles were just dried noodles, but the eggs smelled wonderful. They had been fried in lard, and Yang Yufen had even traded with the neighbors for some greens and scallions to add to the soup.
Qin Nian did her best to eat.
Unfortunately, she had never had much of an appetite, and there were still noodles left in her bowl.
“You only eat this little?”
Yang Yufen frowned unconsciously as she looked at the leftovers.
No wonder the girl was so thin.
“Mom, I don’t get much physical exercise, so I don’t eat very much. I’ll finish the rest later.”
Qin Nian felt embarrassed.
Her mother-in-law had come for the first time. Not only had she failed to prepare anything, but the older woman was sleeping on borrowed benches and cooking for her. Yet she still couldn’t finish the meal.
“Finish this egg. Noodles don’t taste good once they’ve sat too long. If you’re hungry later, we can cook more.”
After saying that, Yang Yufen poured the leftover noodles from Qin Nian’s bowl into her own and transferred the untouched egg from her own bowl into Qin Nian’s.
Then she lowered her head and began eating.
Qin Nian stared at the egg in her bowl.
Yang Yufen had only cracked two eggs in total.
Qin Nian had already eaten one.
“Hurry up and eat. It’s getting late. Get some rest early. Don’t you have work tomorrow? Remember to find time to collect your husband’s allowance.”
Yang Yufen finished her meal in just a few bites.
People in the countryside, busy with farm work, tended to eat quickly.
“Okay.”
Coming back to herself, Qin Nian ate the egg and then hurried to wash the dishes.
Her mother-in-law had already cooked. If she didn’t even wash the bowls afterward, that would be too much.
While cooking the noodles, Yang Yufen had also boiled water on the coal stove.
It was just right for washing up.
Back in her room, Qin Nian thought for a while before opening her trunk and taking out her salary savings and various ration coupons.
Since her mother-in-law had come all this way, she obviously couldn’t ask her to leave.
And judging from Yang Yufen’s attitude, she clearly wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon. At the very least, she would stay until Shen Xianjun returned.
Her husband had been raised alone by his mother.
Qin Nian could hardly expect Yang Yufen to remain in the countryside forever.
Eventually, bringing her to live with them and supporting her would be inevitable.
Qin Nian took out fifty yuan.
As a platoon leader, Shen Xianjun’s monthly allowance was only fifty-two yuan.
When they married, he had given five hundred yuan and a wristwatch as a bride price. The money was currently with Qin Nian.
She didn’t dare give too much, but she couldn’t give too little either.
They had only just begun living together.
Fifty yuan plus various coupons was already enough for an ordinary family to live on for three to five months.
“Mom, Xianjun is away on a mission. I may not have time tomorrow to collect his allowance, but please use this for now.”
Yang Yufen glanced at the money and accepted it.
After counting it, she kept twenty yuan and stuffed the remaining thirty back into Qin Nian’s hands.
“This is enough. Get some rest. I’m sleepy too.”
After setting the money aside, Yang Yufen really did lie down and quickly fall asleep.
Qin Nian turned off the light and returned to her own room.
Yang Yufen had money of her own.
She had always been capable.
Otherwise, she could never have raised her son alone and sent him into the army.
Although she had never demanded Shen Xianjun’s allowance, he wasn’t the sort of son who never sent money home.
Over the years, especially after the implementation of the household responsibility system, Yang Yufen had managed to save more than sixteen hundred yuan.
She had intended to use it as her son’s wedding fund.
But her son had quietly gotten married without saying a word and never asked her for the money.
So the savings remained in her own hands.
The next morning, Qin Nian woke to the smell of food.
“You’re up. Eat this bowl of egg porridge before you go to work.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll bring lunch back from the cafeteria at noon. You don’t need to cook.”
Qin Nian felt somewhat annoyed with herself.
She had stayed up too late thinking the night before and ended up oversleeping.
“Mhm.”
This time Yang Yufen didn’t refuse.
Breakfast consisted of pancakes dipped in sauce and a bowl of porridge.
By the time Yang Yufen finished eating, Qin Nian was already hurrying off to the research institute.
Yang Yufen then knocked on the door of the Liu family, who had lent her the benches the previous day.
“Sister Liu, are you ready?”
“Coming, coming!”
Auntie Liu emerged carrying a vegetable basket.
The two women had arranged the day before to visit the market together.
“Here, try my cooking. I’ll be troubling you to lead the way today.”
“Oh my, I was going to the market anyway. It’s on the way. This sauce smells wonderful. Did you make it yourself?”
Auntie Liu accepted the pancakes with a smile.
“Of course. This sauce recipe has been passed down through my family for generations. Every year I make two huge jars of it. I’ll share some with you later. It’s a pity I couldn’t bring much this time. Next time I make a batch, I’ll invite you to join me.”
Meanwhile, Qin Nian arrived at her mentor’s office.
“Didn’t I approve leave for you? Why are you here today?”
“My mother-in-law is settled in now, so I came back. We’re at a critical stage right now, and I don’t want to hold things up.”
“Are you sure there won’t be any problems with your mother-in-law?”
“Yes.”
Qin Nian nodded earnestly.