Li Xiufen never expected that such rare vegetable seeds would be in her daughter-in-law's portable space, as much as an entire granary.
She quickly cut out several old newspapers, divided the vegetable seeds into three portions, took one portion, and happily ran to the neighbor's house.
Since Li Xiufen and her cousin Li Xiulan married into Jiudao Slope more than twenty years ago, and happened to live next door, the two sisters treated each other's homes as their own.
As Li Xiufen entered the house, Li Xiulan was also sorting through her own vegetable seeds. Hearing her cousin enter, Li Xiulan didn't look up.
"Sister, I heard the production team also assigned Miao Miao a private plot. I'll pick some vegetable seeds for you..."
Li Xiufen proudly showed off the vegetable seeds her daughter-in-law had given her.
"Stop picking. I have better ones here. I just got them, they're still warm, and I brought them to you."
"Look! These are high-yield seeds researched by Miao Miao's university teachers. They say the yield is higher than our own saved seeds, and the melons and vegetables grown taste better too!"
"Really? Then I'm lucky to benefit from my niece-in-law this year, haha~ Do you have soybean seeds? The soybean seeds I saved last year weren't good, and the soybeans that grew were smaller each year."
"Yes! Why wouldn't I? I heard Miao Miao say that their agricultural college researches all sorts of seeds. Miao Miao also said she'll write to her teacher later to ask for some other seeds for me."
Li Xiulan gave her cousin a thumbs-up: "Sister, you married the right daughter-in-law. She brings good fortune to your husband, herself, and the whole family!"
"Look, ever since your Zhanjun married Miao Miao, his career has been getting bigger and bigger, right? And your family's life has also been getting better day by day."
"In my opinion, that Commander Gu and his wife mistook pearls for fish eyes. Now that they've driven Miao Miao out, they'll regret it later!"
Li Xiufen greatly enjoyed her cousin's flattery and waved her hand, making a promise: "Don't worry, little sister. What kind of relationship do we have? As long as I have food, I won't let you just have soup!"
After giving away the vegetable seeds, she returned home. Gu Chunmiao had already washed up and was waiting for her in the room.
Seeing Li Xiufen return, Gu Chunmiao handed her a tin cookie box.
Li Xiufen refused: "Keep the biscuits for yourself, Mom doesn't like to eat them..."
Gu Chunmiao pursed her lips and smiled: "It's not biscuits, it's some grain coupons, cloth coupons, meat tickets, and sugar ration tickets I've saved... and a bicycle ticket and a sewing machine ticket. Mom, if you don't need them for now, you can sell these two tickets."
"I've been eating and living here during this time, so consider this my food expenses."
Ever since the true daughter returned, Gu Chunmiao had been consciously paying for her meals at home, fearing that others would think she was freeloading at the Gu family's.
Jiang Hongying was also afraid that her biological daughter would think she favored her adopted daughter. She accepted the food expenses Gu Chunmiao paid every month, and she did so in front of Gu Sisi.
To pay for her meals, Gu Chunmiao secretly went to the black market several times, clearing out a batch of grain and fruits and vegetables she had stockpiled in her space. The various coupons she obtained were enough for her and Li Xiufen to use for a lifetime.
Li Xiufen counted the coupons in the cookie box and took out only a stack, pushing the rest back to Gu Chunmiao.
"Mom only needs these. Keep the rest for yourself. In the future, whether you're with Zhanjun... or find another man, you should always save some private savings."
A warm current surged through Gu Chunmiao's heart.
Actually... if He Zhanjun hadn't gotten involved with that female doctor at the military hospital, she would have been quite willing to stay in her hometown and live with her mother-in-law.
Apart from being concerned with appearances, her mother-in-law had no major flaws. She cooked well and treated her daughter-in-law very well.
However... thinking of the photo Gu Sisi had shown her, in the photo, her husband He Zhanjun was smiling brightly with that female military doctor, their demeanor so intimate that she looked more like He Zhanjun's wife than Gu Chunmiao herself.
Gu Chunmiao was not the type to cling or make a fuss.
Her adoptive parents arranged for her to go to the countryside for her biological daughter, asking her to leave Beijing City. She left without a word.
If He Zhanjun truly chose the daughter of the military hospital director for his future and career, she would also divorce him and let him go.
Life should be lived with someone who treats you sincerely to be flavorful.
If hearts are not in the same place, forcing people together will not make life enjoyable.
Besides... she and He Zhanjun had only managed to get their marriage certificate at the time and hadn't truly been together. Divorcing now could be considered cutting losses in time.
That night, Gu Chunmiao lay on the kang head at the He family's house, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Hundreds of miles away, He Zhanjun had already packed his luggage and boarded a train back to his hometown overnight.
His wife, whom he had painstakingly sought, was actually asking for a divorce without a word? Absolutely not!
He Zhanjun couldn't understand it at all. Of his monthly allowance, besides sending five yuan and ten jin of grain coupons to his mother, and keeping two yuan for himself, the rest was all handed over to his wife.
He was in the military and hadn't flirted with anyone.
Why was his wife trying to divorce him?
He didn't understand!!!
Fortunately, he had just finished training, and He Zhanjun had found his leader to approve family visit leave overnight.
Taking the night train to the Provincial Capital, then transferring to the bus to the Commune, if all went smoothly, he would see his wife by evening tomorrow.
..
The next morning, Li Xiufen made breakfast for her daughter-in-law. Seeing Gu Chunmiao board the ox cart to the Commune, she immediately rushed to the private plot assigned to Gu Chunmiao by the production team, carrying the "high-yield vegetable seeds" her daughter-in-law had given her.
She showed off as she walked. By the time she reached the private plot, half the people in the production team knew that Li Xiufen's daughter-in-law from the city had gotten her rare high-yield vegetable seeds from the agricultural college.
Old Liu's wife sneered: "A few packets of vegetable seeds, and she's this excited. If she's so capable, why doesn't her daughter-in-law get her a big gold bracelet to wear?"
Li Xiufen didn't indulge her.
She readily agreed to the other villagers that once the harvest from this batch of high-yield vegetables was in, everyone would get a share.
As for Old Liu's wife?
Since she looked down on it, then she wouldn't get any.
Old Liu's wife was furious.
However, what made her even angrier was yet to come.
In the evening, Li Xiufen's daughter-in-law returned from work and actually brought her a pair of gold bracelets!
Immediately after, just before dinner, Li Xiufen's son, who was a Deputy Battalion Commander in the army, also returned!
Damn it~ Old Liu's wife was grinding her teeth. How could all the good things happen to Li Xiufen?
When He Zhanjun returned, no one was home.
Li Xiufen was pulling her daughter-in-law around the production team, introducing her, and also going from house to house, showing off her newly acquired big gold bracelets.
"Oh my, I said I didn't want them, didn't want them! Miao Miao insisted that we older people should wear some real gold and silver on our wrists to live a long life. You know, I never felt my hands were so empty before. Wearing these big gold bracelets, even chopping vegetables feels more energetic than before!"
Someone said enviously: "Aren't you afraid of losing such heavy gold bracelets?"
Li Xiufen said proudly: "I wish someone would steal them~ Don't you know yet? My son is coming back soon!"
"You see, if my son happens to catch a thief while on a family visit back home from the military, wouldn't he get some merit citation or something when he returns to the army?"
As soon as she said this, those who had harbored some petty thoughts completely gave up.
They dared not imagine that if they failed to steal the gold bracelets and instead got a pair of silver ones, that would be too thrilling.
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