Yang Yufen never mentioned that she believed Qin Nian was probably already pregnant. Even Qin Nian herself had no idea.
Yang Yufen was simply preparing in advance.
With such a frail body and such a demanding workload, the girl needed to eat more nourishing food.
Once these chicks grew up, they would start laying eggs by next spring. And when the baby was born, they would need plenty of red-dyed eggs to distribute in celebration. Naturally, they had to raise more chickens.
The shed in Sister Wang’s backyard had given Yang Yufen an idea. She could build something similar in her own backyard to raise chickens. That way, they would be protected even during the winter.
At the market, Yang Yufen even picked up discarded vegetable leaves that others had thrown away. She hadn’t managed to buy any meat today, but she had bought some large soup bones. They were cheap and didn’t require ration coupons, though if she arrived too late, even those would be gone.
The bones needed to simmer for a long time. She chopped them apart with an axe, sliced some ginger, and put everything over the fire.
As expected, Qin Nian did not come home for lunch.
After settling the chicks, Yang Yufen headed to the bamboo grove.
Today, her companion was Sister Wang.
“You’re as strong as a man! No wonder they called you the Iron Woman of your commune!”
Watching Yang Yufen chop down a thick bamboo stalk in just a few swings, Auntie Wang couldn’t help feeling envious.
She herself wasn’t very strong. Thin bamboo branches were manageable, but felling a large bamboo stalk required considerable effort, and carrying it home was even harder.
Usually, she simply waited until others had cut bamboo and then gathered the leftover branches.
“We make a good team. I’m terrible at dealing with all these thin branches. All I’ve got is brute strength. Your strength may not be much, but you’re a master at tending crops. Besides, thanks to you, I get to ride that tricycle. It’s so convenient for hauling things.”
Indeed, Auntie Wang owned a pedal-powered cargo tricycle.
Yang Yufen had learned how to ride it after only a few tries. Auntie Wang provided directions, Yang Yufen pedaled, and together they came to the bamboo grove.
Since long bamboo poles would be difficult to transport, Yang Yufen processed them right there in the grove, trimming them into more manageable lengths.
Even with a cartload of bamboo and a passenger aboard, she pedaled steadily, showing no sign of strain.
“I’m thinking of building a grape trellis like yours. And that outhouse you built looks pretty good too. Where can I buy bricks? I’d like to build one myself.”
Yang Yufen unloaded the bamboo into a corner of the yard, careful not to crush the vegetables.
“You don’t need to go to a brick factory. The security office at the family compound can arrange delivery. You only need to pay for the bricks. The benefits for research institute families are actually quite good.”
“So that’s how it works. Thanks, Sister Wang. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”
Yang Yufen decided to visit the security office the next day and ask about it.
On the first day, Qin Nian didn’t return home until nearly eleven o’clock at night.
Tiptoeing carefully into the house, she was startled when the light suddenly came on.
“Mom, did I wake you? I’ll be quieter next time.”
“No. When you get old, you sleep lightly. Walking around in the dark is how people trip and hurt themselves. Next time, just turn on the light. There’s food and hot water left in the kitchen. Eat something and go to bed early.”
After saying that, Yang Yufen lowered the curtain and went back to sleep.
Qin Nian quietly let out a sigh of relief and headed to the kitchen.
The soup was made from pork bones, tofu, and fermented soybean paste.
She was genuinely hungry.
Work had been so busy that she had skipped dinner entirely. Fortunately, the egg her mother-in-law had given her that morning had at least taken the edge off her hunger.
After quietly eating, soaking her feet, and washing up, she finally went to bed.
The next morning, Yang Yufen had breakfast ready again.
The leftover soup from the night before had been turned into noodle soup. The noodles were handmade, and a poached egg rested on top.
As Qin Nian ate, she found herself thinking that having her mother-in-law around wasn’t so bad.
After all, her own salary was higher than her husband’s. Supporting her mother-in-law was no burden at all.
Besides, Yang Yufen was hardworking and exceptionally clean.
“Mom, I’m off to work.”
Yang Yufen nodded.
Today she planned to finish fencing off the backyard and then visit the security office about the bricks.
Everyone else assumed she was only staying temporarily.
But she knew very well that she would probably be living here for the next two or three years.
“Qin Nian, leaving your mother-in-law home alone while you leave early and come back late every day—isn’t that lonely for an elderly woman? You should spend more time with her. I heard your mother-in-law is from the countryside. Country people usually aren’t very clean. Don’t tell me you just don’t want to be around her?”
Like a ghost suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Yi Mengling emerged and began speaking in a sarcastic, sing-song tone.
Qin Nian had been mentally reviewing yesterday’s calculations. Being interrupted so abruptly put her in a bad mood.
“There’s no need for Comrade Yi to worry. My mother-in-law and I get along very well. I have work to do, so I’ll be going now.”
With that, Qin Nian walked away.
Yi Mengling glared at her retreating back.
“What’s so special about her? She only married some country bumpkin. So what if he’s a soldier? With a wicked mother-in-law like that, does she really think she’ll have a good life?”
As she muttered, some idea suddenly occurred to her, and a malicious smile spread across her lips.
Meanwhile, Yang Yufen was splitting bamboo and weaving a fence.
She only needed to enclose three sides.
The family compound consisted of three five-story apartment buildings and four rows of small courtyard homes like the one assigned to Qin Nian.
Each courtyard house contained a bedroom, a main room, and a kitchen. They were much more spacious than the apartment blocks and came with a small yard for growing vegetables.
Qin Nian’s house happened to be in the last row.
A mountain lay not far behind it, making firewood easy to collect. The bamboo grove was farther away, but it was only a twenty-minute walk along a path wide enough for a pedal tricycle.
The mountain itself belonged to the research institute, so there was no concern about criminals wandering around.
Patting the dirt from her hands, Yang Yufen admired the fence she had built.
Though it only reached her chest, it was the perfect height for growing climbing vines.
After tidying up the backyard, she made herself a simple lunch.
Then she filled a basin with water and began scrubbing clothes.
The front gate stood open.
Yi Mengling walked straight inside.
“Hello, Auntie Shen. I’m one of Qin Nian’s coworkers.”
Hearing the voice, Yang Yufen looked up.
“You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Auntie Shen.”
She saw a young woman standing there.
Although the woman wore a smile and claimed to be Qin Nian’s colleague, there was something malicious in her eyes.
Yang Yufen immediately took a dislike to her.
“Oh? You’re not Qin Nian’s mother-in-law? Then why are you here? This is definitely the courtyard assigned to Qin Nian. Don’t tell me you’re the nanny she hired?”
Yi Mengling noticed that Yang Yufen was washing clothes.
In her hands was the blouse Qin Nian had worn the previous day.
The assumption slipped out before she could stop herself.
Yang Yufen said nothing.
She dumped out the dirty water and turned on the tap to refill the basin.
“Qin Nian sure knows how to enjoy herself. Hiring a nanny and all. Maybe her mother-in-law came for a few days and then got driven away. The other day I saw her bringing food back from the cafeteria and thought she treated her mother-in-law so well. Turns out she was just sending her off.”
Yi Mengling hadn’t expected her plan to fail.
Her expression immediately changed.
The way she looked at Yang Yufen became openly disdainful.
“Hey, how much does Qin Nian pay you every month? I’m talking to you!”
Lifting her chin arrogantly, Yi Mengling raised her voice.
Yang Yufen wrung out the garment in her hands, picked up the basin, and turned around.
With one swift motion, she splashed the water onto the ground.
The dirty water sprayed across Yi Mengling’s shiny leather shoes.
An ear-piercing shriek erupted instantly.