The next morning, at the Commune's Agricultural Technology Station.
Station Chief Zhu Dinghong, holding the newly stamped dispatch letter of introduction, was secretly pleased.
He was just waiting for Gu Chunmiao to come to work so he could immediately send her off to the production team.
Out of sight, out of mind.
He didn't expect that instead of Gu Chunmiao, he would receive her "guardian."
Seeing Li Xiufen walk in with a bamboo basket, Zhu Dinghong shot up from his seat.
"Auntie, why are you here? Where's Xiao Gu?"
Li Xiufen said with a smile, "My Miaomiao is sick, I'm here to ask for a couple of days off for her."
Last night, she overheard her son and daughter-in-law's "loving" sounds through the wall. She immediately stayed at her cousin's house for the night. This morning, she sneakily climbed over the wall to go home, prepared breakfast for her son and daughter-in-law, kept it warm in the big pot, and then came to the Agricultural Technology Station to ask for leave for her daughter-in-law.
Zhu Dinghong gritted his teeth: Sick? She's clearly faking illness, relying on the adults in her family for backing, deliberately putting on an act to show him disrespect.
Thinking of his father's shoe sole, Station Chief Zhu forced out a kind smile:
"Auntie, you've come at the perfect time. The station considered that Comrade Gu Chunmiao is new here and unfamiliar with the environment of our Hongwan Commune. So, we wanted to let her learn for a period at your Jiudaopo Production Team first."
"Don't worry! During Xiao Gu's period of learning in the countryside, all her benefits will be the same as at the station, and additionally, she'll receive a subsidy of half a jin of grain coupons daily. This is perfect for her to stay at home and slowly get familiar with the environment. Auntie, what do you think?"
Li Xiufen looked suspicious: "You're not trying to deliberately send my Miaomiao to the countryside, are you?"
Zhu Dinghong put on a pained expression, turned away from everyone, and pointed to the red mark on his forehead.
"How would I dare?"
"Look! My father hit me with his shoe sole. Auntie, you really... If you have any issues with me, you can tell me directly. Why did you find someone to gossip to my father?"
Li Xiufen took the letter of introduction for her daughter-in-law's countryside learning, pretending not to see the shoe print on Station Chief Zhu's head.
"Learning in the countryside is great. The production team just assigned my Miaomiao a private plot. It's perfect for her to, uh, set up an experimental field!"
"Then it's settled. Let Miaomiao stay at home first... Bah! Learning at the production team for a month."
After speaking, she didn't forget to comfort the wronged Station Chief Zhu: "Xiao Zhu, Auntie misunderstood you. How about this, tonight you and your father come to our house for dinner. My son is back, so Zhanjun can accompany you for a few drinks."
"Zhanjun is back? That sounds good!"
Li Xiufen left the Agricultural Technology Station with a smile, then changed her demeanor and slipped into the black market.
Her son and daughter-in-law finally consummated their marriage last night. According to the old generation's rules, consummation meant they were truly husband and wife, and a banquet must be held to celebrate the young couple.
There was still a big pig's head and a few ribs at home; it wouldn't be enough to host a meal.
Li Xiufen, using the private savings she'd gotten from her son, rushed into the black market for a spree of purchases.
She bought five yuan worth of fatty pork and spent two yuan on two big carp.
She bought fifty duck eggs, thirty chicken eggs, twenty preserved eggs, one dried duck, and one live duck.
After leaving the black market, Li Xiufen went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and bought two jin of fruit candy and one jin of sorghum candy.
She originally wanted to buy a few jin of loose liquor, but realized she didn't bring any bottles.
Never mind, she'd have her son go to the commune in the afternoon to buy some cigarettes, liquor, and tea leaves for the guests.
Carrying a large pile of things back home, the young couple had already gotten up.
Her son was drying bed sheets in the courtyard, along with the clothes the couple had changed out of last night.
Her daughter-in-law's little face was flushed, and she stood nearby, helping her son.
Seeing Li Xiufen return, Gu Chunmiao shyly called out, "Mom~"
Her son seemed to have taken a potent tonic; his "Mom" was so loud it shook the plaster off the wall.
Li Xiufen couldn't help but roll her eyes at her son.
I know you slept with your wife last night, what are you so smug about?
If it weren't for me calling you, your wife would have divorced you by now!
He Zhanjun also knew that he couldn't have reconciled with his wife so quickly without his mother's help. He hurried over and obsequiously took the carrying pole.
"Mom, why did you buy so much pork and duck eggs? I'm only staying home for five days, we can't eat this much."
Li Xiufen couldn't take it anymore and slapped her son's silly head.
"Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! Do you even know what day it is today?"
He Zhanjun covered his head, looking utterly bewildered: "What day is it?"
Li Xiufen truly wished she could slap this unfilial son to death.
No wonder the old saying goes, raising a son is only happy at the moment of birth; the remaining decades are all troublesome!
Li Xiufen grabbed He Zhanjun by the ear and roared into it, "What day? It's an auspicious day for you and your wife!"
"How could I have given birth to such an ungrateful wretch like you? You must take after your deadbeat father, not caring about your wife at all. If I were Miaomiao, I'd divorce you too!"
"Tell me, you and your wife have been married for three years, and now you've finally become a true couple. Should we hold a banquet for your wife?"
He Zhanjun was stunned for a moment, then looked at Gu Chunmiao with guilt and nodded firmly: "Of course we should!"
"Then it's settled! Hurry up and wash all our liquor bottles clean. Go to the commune first to get a few jin of sorghum liquor, then buy a few packs of cigarettes and a pack of tea leaves. Don't buy wedding candy, I've already bought it."
Seeing her mother-in-law busy as a bee, Gu Chunmiao went to help but was pushed into the inner room by Li Xiufen.
Li Xiufen looked at Gu Chunmiao, whose eyes were clear, and sighed, reaching out to stroke her soft hair.
"Silly girl! A new daughter-in-law is a guest to be cherished~ Didn't Commander Gu and his wife teach you? When a new daughter-in-law first enters the house, shouldn't she avoid doing all the work?"
Hearing the names of her adoptive parents, Gu Chunmiao's eyes dimmed, and she shook her head: "Mom and Dad said that since I married into the He family, I am now the He family's daughter-in-law. I need to be diligent from now on, be observant of tasks, and can't be like I was at my maternal home."
Li Xiufen rolled her eyes: "She's not your biological child, of course, they don't cherish her! Did you hear them say this to Gu Sisi?"
Gu Chunmiao's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip in distress, because she suddenly remembered that her adoptive parents had indeed never said such a thing to Gu Sisi.
Even, before she left, her adoptive parents were arranging a match for Gu Sisi, and the first requirement was that the groom's parents should preferably be deceased.
It didn't matter if the conditions were a bit worse, but he had to be good at housework and be caring.
Gu Chunmiao knew that she wasn't her adoptive parents' biological child, so in many things, she couldn't compare to Gu Sisi, the true daughter.
But after all, before Gu Sisi returned, she had also received the undisguised favoritism of her adoptive parents.
Because she had received it, she felt so sad when she lost it.
She didn't want to become a malicious false daughter who compared herself to others and was disliked, so she ran away.
She thought that as long as she stayed away from Beijing City, she would never think of those unhappy things again.
However, her mother-in-law's few words instantly caused her emotions to collapse.
"Mom..." Gu Chunmiao suddenly threw herself into Li Xiufen's arms, tears streaming down her face.
Li Xiufen sighed and gently patted her daughter-in-law's slender little shoulder.
"Girl, don't cry~ They don't cherish you, but I do!"
"Stop crying, I only have this one apron. If it gets wet, how will we cook later?"
Gu Chunmiao chuckled and turned into the house. When she came out again, she was holding a large piece of labor cloth.
"Mom, I brought this from Beijing City. Use it to make an apron, make ten of them!"
Li Xiufen exclaimed, "Oh my! This is new cloth! Who uses new cloth to make an apron? I'll keep it for you, and when I have time, I'll make you a couple of outfits for field work."
"By the way, regarding the Agricultural Technology Station, Station Chief Zhu said you should go to the countryside for a period of adaptation first. The place has also been chosen, it's in our production team."
"I know you're capable. When the time comes, you can properly set up some kind of 'experimental field.' Let's see how Zhu Dinghong can still be so smug then!"
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