Shen Yao knew what his mother was thinking. Setting down the pancake in his hand, he said calmly, “Mom, our family’s circumstances are what they are. She’ll get used to it eventually.”
Or perhaps they’d part ways before she ever did.
Shen Xiaoyun sighed as she nibbled on her pancake. “Ah, I really wish I could have some meat…”
Shen Qinghong shot her a glare. “If you want to eat it, go earn it yourself! If you can’t control your mouth, you’ll bring trouble sooner or later!”
She hadn’t even said anything wrong!
Feeling wronged, Shen Xiaoyun put down her pancake. “I’m going to work in the fields!”
As she was heading out, Jiang Yingying called out to her, “Wait, little sister!”
Having just been scolded, Shen Xiaoyun was in a sour mood and stood there with a cold expression. “What is it, sister-in-law?”
Truth be told, if it weren’t for those two meat-filled meals yesterday, she wouldn’t even be craving meat now…
Before her resentment could fully surface, a paper-wrapped pastry was pressed into her hand.
Jiang Yingying whispered, “Little sister, if you get tired from working this morning, have a bite or two. I’ll go into town this afternoon and buy you more treats!”
What kind of fairy sister-in-law was this?!
Shen Xiaoyun instantly felt energized. Clutching the pastry, she was so moved she nearly cried. “Shen-in-law, don’t worry! I can handle the fieldwork all by myself!”
With renewed determination, she marched out the door. When she saw Aunt Shen outside, she proudly declared, “Auntie, my sister-in-law is so good to me!”
Aunt Shen scoffed disdainfully. “Good? If she’s so good, why is she making you work in the fields alone?”
Shen Xiaoyun widened her eyes in disbelief. “Auntie, what kind of talk is that? My sister-in-law is so wonderful—how could I possibly make her work in the fields? Do I have no conscience?”
Aunt Shen was left speechless. Had Xue Lian’s family lost their minds when they married this daughter-in-law?
When she returned home, she embellished the story to her husband and concluded, “In my opinion, Xue Lian never should have married this daughter-in-law! So wasteful and lazy—what kind of future can they possibly have?”
Shen Sanping flared up angrily. “You spend all your time meddling in other people’s business! No matter how bad their daughter-in-law is, at least they managed to get one! Our Chuangui is the same age as Shen Yao, and he can’t even marry a widow!”
Aunt Shen immediately fell silent.
Shen Chuangui was her son. A few years ago, he had fallen while climbing a mountain and broken his leg. Not only did he walk with an unsightly limp, but he also couldn’t perform heavy labor—a fatal flaw in rural life.
The girl he had been courting backed out of the marriage, and now he remained alone.
She had four daughters, and Chuangui was the son she had prayed to the gods for with all her might. Who would have thought he’d end up a bachelor? Wasn’t this the end of their family line?
The more she thought about it, the more distressed she became. Suddenly, even Jiang Yingying seemed more acceptable. If only someone were willing to marry her son now—even a lazy one—she would accept it!
As long as she could bear children, what did it matter if they had to support her?
…
Meanwhile, at the eastern end of the village, a tall, middle-aged woman stood at her doorway, peering into the distance. “Why isn’t Yingying back yet? Could the Shen family be mistreating my daughter?”
Seated in the yard was Jiang Changru. Not yet sixty, he was still strong and hardy—a skilled farmworker. Waving a dismissive hand, he said, “I know Qinghong well. Both he and his wife are good-hearted people. Otherwise, would I have agreed to let Yingying marry into their family?”
Liu Xiuqin glared at him. “How can you say that? My beautiful daughter could have married a high-ranking official in the city! That Shen Yao’s family is so poor—how will our daughter manage in the future?”
As she spoke, she began wiping away tears.
Jiang Changru impatiently tapped his tobacco pouch. “Enough, she’s already married. Why make things harder for the child with all this talk? When Shen Yao arrives later, don’t pull a long face. It’ll only make Yingying suffer after she goes back.”
“Understood!”
Liu Xiuqin turned and headed toward the kitchen. “Eldest daughter-in-law, is the fish I asked you to clean ready? Fry it first and then stew it later!”
The eldest daughter-in-law, a simple and honest woman, nodded. “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll start the fire right away.”
After Liu Xiuqin left, a shrewd woman with a neat bob haircut sidled over. “Sister-in-law, all the good things in this house have been taken by Yingying. Even the fish that Eldest Brother managed to get is reserved for her—how unfair! And you’re pregnant too!”
The eldest daughter-in-law was Li Meijuan, and the speaker was the second daughter-in-law, Chen Ruixue.
“Second Sister-in-law, Little Sister is visiting today. This fish should naturally be stewed for her,” Li Meijuan replied with a smile, unbothered as she continued tending the fire, her pregnant belly prominent.
Chen Ruixue curled her lip and pretended to inspect the pot. “Oh, there’s not enough water. Wait here, I’ll fetch some.”
The kitchen was unbearably smoky, and she had no intention of staying.
But just as she stepped out, Liu Xiuqin glared at her. “Second daughter-in-law, your elder sister-in-law is pregnant. You tend the fire!”
“Yes, Mother,” Chen Ruixue replied reluctantly, turning back into the kitchen.
Although the father of the household was the village chief, he rarely involved himself in domestic affairs. The sons all obeyed Liu Xiuqin without question.
The entire family’s food rations and money were firmly in Liu Xiuqin’s grasp. As daughters-in-law, they had no say and could only follow orders.
Jiang Yingying had caused plenty of embarrassing incidents, but with Liu Xiuqin shielding her, they had no choice but to endure.
With a personality like that, what good would her looks do? Sooner or later, she’d be beaten three times a day by her husband!
Fuming inwardly, Chen Ruixue reentered the kitchen. “Sister-in-law, go rest for a while. I’ll tend the fire.”
Li Meijuan was taken aback and quickly waved her off. “It’s fine, it’s fine. This is nothing.”
Seeing this, Chen Ruixue simply sat to the side and waited—better than going out and being assigned more chores.
Soon, two figures approached from the west. Shen Yao, tall and conspicuous, carried a large basket in one hand and several packages in the other.
Jiang Yingying followed lightly behind, holding only a small bundle, a faint smile gracing her face.
“Oh, my dear girl!” Liu Xiuqin hurried over, completely ignoring Shen Yao as she seized Jiang Yingying’s hands. “Let Mother see—you’ve lost weight! Have you not been eating well?”
The Shen family was poor; otherwise, she wouldn’t have prepared so much dried meat for her daughter…
Jiang Yingying clasped her mother’s hands in return, beaming. “Mother, I haven’t lost weight at all! Look, my face has even filled out!”
Liu Xiuqin sighed with heartache. “Don’t say that. I’ll make sure you have a good, nourishing meal at noon today.”
Only then did she glance at Shen Yao and utter indifferently, “Come in.”
As for the things he brought, she paid them no mind.
A family so poor they could barely put food on the table—what decent gifts could they possibly bring for the visit? Poor Yingying!
Shen Yao remained expressionless as he followed, setting down the basket and packages before addressing Jiang Changru. “Father.”
Chen Ruixue, ever the busybody, craned her neck and remarked as if casually, “Oh my, Yingying brought quite a lot back with her!”
She reached out to lift the cloth covering the basket and then froze in surprise—it was packed full of eggs! There had to be at least a few dozen by the looks of it!
She gasped softly and turned to examine the other packages. Though they contained only ordinary white sugar and dried fruits, such items were still considered rare delicacies.
Together with the two clucking chickens left in the yard, this homecoming gift was far more substantial than the one she had received during her own homecoming visit back in the day!