Lin Xiaoman grew somewhat guilty, her voice softening considerably: “He’s the son of the logistics director at the Glass Factory, Li Gang.”
“What? What kind of trash are you bringing to our family? Get out, get out right now!”
Mother Shen was furious, her face turning red as she opened the door to shoo Lin Xiaoman away.
Knowing this matter was definitely not going to work out, Lin Xiaoman shrank against the wall and slipped away.
Mother Shen threw out the things she had brought too. “We don’t need these in our family. Don’t ever come to our door again.”
With this commotion, people from the surrounding area came out to see what was happening.
Aunt Wang, who had a good relationship with Mother Shen, came over. “Yunxiu, what’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”
Mother Shen grabbed Aunt Wang’s hand. “That shameless Lin Xiaoman said she wanted to introduce someone to our Yao Yao, and it turns out she was talking about the son of Director Li from the Glass Factory.”
When everyone heard what Mother Shen said, they immediately started discussing.
“How could Lin Xiaoman do such a thing? Isn’t this harming people? Everyone around here knows that Director Li’s son likes to drink, and when he drinks he beats people. His previous wife was beaten to death by him.”
“That’s right, Lin Xiaoman really has a black heart. After all, she and Yao Yao used to be good friends. How could she push someone into a fire pit like that?”
“What do you know? Lin Xiaoman’s husband is a temporary worker at the Glass Factory. They must have given her benefits.”
“No wonder. She wouldn’t get up early without some gain.”
“They’ve made a clever calculation. The Shen family is anxious now, so they’re trying to take advantage of the situation.”
Hearing them talk like this, Mother Shen immediately felt she had let Lin Xiaoman off too easily. She should have given her a beating before letting her go. What a miscalculation.
As Lin Xiaoman walked out of the Steel Factory Family Compound, she was still muttering curses under her breath, feeling her good intentions had been treated as malicious.
She started cursing in her heart, hoping Shen Jingyao would be sent down to the countryside and end up with a fierce, nasty, dirty, smelly rural man who would beat and scold her every day.
What she didn’t know was that because she failed to accomplish this task, she would be the one to experience domestic violence that very night when she returned home.
Later, Lin Xiaoman’s husband lost his temporary job at the Glass Factory. He started drinking heavily every day, and would come home and beat her. Lin Xiaoman’s life became filled with endless suffering.
Meanwhile, Aunt Wang accompanied Mother Shen back into the house. “Yunxiu, don’t be angry anymore. It’s not worth damaging your health over this.”
Shen Jingyao also came out from her room. She had seen that her mother could handle the situation, so she hadn’t come out to complicate matters.
“That’s right, Mom. Aunt Wang is correct. It’s not worth getting angry over someone like that.”
When Aunt Wang saw Shen Jingyao, she smiled and said, “Yao Yao, are you feeling better? You gave us quite a scare this morning.”
Shen Jingyao walked over and supported Mother Shen, a smile on her face. “Thank you for your concern, Aunt Wang. I’m much better now.”
“That’s good. If you need anything, just come find Aunt Wang. I should head back now.” Aunt Wang knew there wasn’t much more she could do by staying.
“Okay, thank you for your trouble.”
After Aunt Wang left, Mother Shen was still seething with anger. She took Shen Jingyao’s hand and began wiping away tears.
In situations like this, all kinds of monsters and demons came coveting her daughter. How dare they?
Shen Jingyao reached out and wiped the tear stains from her mother’s face. “Mom, don’t cry. It hurts me to see you like this.”
Shen Jingyao understood how her mother felt. She usually treated Shen Jingyao as the apple of her eye.
Now that someone had come to kick them while they were down, of course she was deeply upset.
“Alright, I won’t cry. You must be hungry—I’ll go prepare dinner.”
Mother Shen wiped away her tears and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was indeed time to start cooking.
“Mom, let’s go together.” The original host knew how to cook, often assisting Mother Shen in the kitchen. Through constant exposure, she had learned the skill.
Shen Jingyao herself could cook too, but since Zhou Muyan often took charge in the kitchen, she rarely had the chance.
“Alright, alright, let’s go together.”
The kitchen in the Family Compound was on the first floor—a large room with five built-in stoves.
Mother Shen had bought a piece of Pork Belly at the Meat Processing Factory earlier that day and planned to use it to make Braised Pork.
It was time for the family to enjoy a proper meal; they hadn’t eaten meat in over a week.
She also took out some dried fish given by Shen’s uncle last time, which could be used to make a soup. Finally, she would stir-fry a vegetable dish, with Grain Rice as the staple.
Mother Shen led Shen Jingyao to the kitchen, which was bustling with activity at that hour.
“Oh, Yunxiu, you bought such a large piece of meat today!” Ma Danniang, standing nearby, couldn’t take her eyes off the meat in Mother Shen’s hands.
Living in the same compound, everyone knew each other well. Ma Danniang was notorious for her love of taking advantage of small favors.
Mother Shen frowned slightly and subtly shifted two steps aside, as Ma Danniang’s drool was nearly dripping onto her meat.
“I was just lucky. If you go to the Meat Processing Factory, Auntie, you might find such good meat too,” Mother Shen replied.
Ma Danniang’s expression soured. “You’re right,” she said, turning to leave the kitchen.
Faint snickers echoed around. Everyone knew Ma Danniang guarded her money and ration coupons tightly—her family rarely visited the Meat Processing Factory, sometimes not even once a month or two.
Her grandson was often heard throwing tantrums, demanding meat, and only then would she buy a palm-sized piece, barely enough for each family member to have a single bite.
“Yao Yao, go wash the vegetables.”
Mother Shen handed the vegetables to Shen Jingyao, instructing her to fetch water and wash them at the dedicated vegetable-washing station nearby.
“Yunxiu, what are you and Old Shen planning for your Yao Yao?”
“Why not find her a reliable match to marry into?”
The onlookers were eager for gossip. They had wanted to ask ever since Lin Xiaoman left, but the family had promptly closed their door.
Mother Shen had no intention of discussing such matters with them. She knew most were just there for the spectacle.
“Old Shen has his own plans for this,” she said curtly before busying herself with cooking. She had no time to chat.
In the evening, Mother Shen and Shen Jingyao finished preparing the meal and carried it upstairs to their room.
Shen’s father, Shen Jingzhou, and Xu Zhiyi had just returned home.
The three of them first inquired about Shen Jingyao’s health, asking if she was alright.
Shen Jingyao felt a warm glow in her heart. She considered herself truly fortunate—in her modern life, she had A Yan, uncles, and aunts who cared for and cherished her, and now she had a father, mother, brother, and sister-in-law.
A delicate smile graced her face. “Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine now.”
“Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Hearing that his daughter was hungry, Shen’s father immediately said, “Alright, let’s eat quickly.”
During the meal, Mother Shen glanced at Shen’s father several times, hesitating to speak.
Shen’s father picked up a piece of Braised Pork and placed it in her bowl. “Eat more,” he said, implying they should finish the meal first and talk afterward.
Shen Jingzhou noticed the meaningful glances exchanged between his parents and sighed inwardly, then served a piece of meat each to his sister and wife.
Xu Zhiyi took the meat from her husband and chewed it mechanically. She had gone out earlier to inquire about job opportunities but found no vacancies anywhere.
No one was willing to sell their positions either—those jobs were all reserved for their own children who were due to be sent down to the countryside.
She had a very good impression of her sister-in-law. Having married into this family three years ago, she had maintained a harmonious relationship with Shen Jingyao.
If possible, she would never want to see her endure the hardships of rural life.