Chapter 26: Brother, Please Hold On a Little Longer

She had been sitting in the yard, watching over her youngest daughter. She didn’t expect that damn girl secretly brought some food—she must have come in through the back door.

Just as she was thinking this, Zhang Shi appeared behind her.

“What are you doing blocking the door? This chicken was brought by me. Mianmian said she wanted to show filial respect to us old couple. Do you want some?”

Zhao Hui twitched the corner of her mouth, clearly displeased, and snorted, “Show filial respect to you? If you want it, eat it. Hmph, who hasn’t eaten chicken before?”

Zhang Shi breathed a sigh of relief and went inside, taking the bowl from the old man’s hand.

The little granddaughter had come looking for her, but as soon as she reached the yard, she overheard Zhao Hui’s voice.

She hurriedly told her granddaughter to go back out and act as if she was bringing the food in from outside; otherwise, she’d get scolded by that woman again.

After a while, Feng Xiaojing came back.

Zhao Hui asked if she had found out anything.

Feng Xiaojing honestly replied, “It’s just that my brother-in-law brought two friends to help fix the house, that’s all.”

“How much did they give as a reward? That young man seems decent; why would he willingly marry in?”

Originally, she thought the stepmother forced him, but since he brought friends to help with the house repairs, it wasn’t forced — it was voluntary.

That confused her.

Feng Xiaojing said, “She has a house—a three-room thatched cottage—and a small plot of land. If I met someone with no parents but with a house and land, I’d be willing to marry too.”

“Hey, you shameless girl, how can you say that? A daughter marrying out can’t compare to a son marrying in.”

Feng Xiaojing didn’t respond.

Zhao Hui added, “She stewed chicken. Why didn’t you bring some?”

“She gave Grandma a big bowl, half a chicken stuffed inside, not much left.”

Zhao Hui angrily said, “Aren’t you close to her?”

“Yes, so she gave me a chicken wing. She let me eat it before letting me go.” (She didn’t dare say it was a drumstick and changed it to “wing.”)

Zhao Hui, just now venting her frustration, scolded her again, telling her to hurry up and get to work in her room.

…

She packed half a chicken for Feng Xiaojing to take away — there wasn’t enough at home.

She secretly ordered some pre-made dishes: pig stomach chicken.

Feng Rongrong picked some chili peppers, and she made some tiger-skin chili peppers.

Wood ear mushrooms stewed with chicken, pig stomach chicken — to them, it was basically the same chicken served in two ways.

No, three ways.

She made pickled pepper chicken giblets — sour, spicy, and satisfying.

Last time the steamed buns were all eaten, so she steamed two more baskets, and another basket had salted vegetable pork belly.

Also on the menu were cured ribs, and pickled fish…

After today’s work, there was nothing left; this meal was especially sumptuous.

Everyone ate until they were full and burped.

Leng Chuan rubbed his belly and said, “The past few days felt like living like an immortal. No work, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever eat such good food again in my life.”

Feng Mian laughed, “Of course you will. The good days are still ahead.”

That was the truth. Later, restaurants would be everywhere, and they would rack their brains and use all their skills to research food and drink to keep customers coming.

Compared to those private dishes and real big restaurants, Feng Mian’s cooking skills weren’t even close.

“Sis-in-law, if you ever have work again at home, remember to call me. I don’t charge anything; as long as food is provided, I’ll take leave to come help.”

Feng Mian said some polite things with a smile and got the agreement.

“Wait a moment, I’ll serve you some pork belly.”

She steamed a basket of pork belly, wanting to pack a bowl for each of them for the last day.

They came over to help for a few days. The two of them didn’t say anything even after eating well, but they still had families.

Their family members didn’t say much, but she couldn’t be unreasonable.

Leng Chuan and Wei Guo each packed a bowl of pork belly and happily looked forward to what was next.

When it came to Gu Yuelin, however, he tried to decline.

Feng Mian firmly shoved the bowl into his hands. “Take it. Everyone else has some but you don’t—people will laugh if they see that. There’s no need to cause trouble over one bowl of pork belly.”

“You’ve been feeding them well these days; it must have cost a lot.”

Feng Mian smiled softly and whispered, “It’s okay, I have money.”

Outside the yard, Leng Chuan and Wei Guo were urging him on, so Gu Yuelin had no choice but to say goodbye to Feng Mian.

His mood had fluctuated over these past few days, with many mixed feelings.

They clearly said it was a cooperative marriage, and he even signed the contract himself, pressing his fingerprint on it.

But before the contract even took effect, he already felt a bit regretful.

“Brother, what are you still looking at? We’ve already left the village, just keep going.”

Gu Yuelin’s ears turned red. “Go your own way, and be careful not to fall into the winter paddy fields.”

“That’s what I should say to you—if you don’t pay attention while walking, you might fall into the winter paddy fields.”

Wei Guo laughed at him from the side, “Brother, after the new year, you’ll be married here. Just hang in there a bit longer.”

Gu Yuelin grabbed at them and started chasing them playfully.

…

Feng Rongrong came over to help for a bit, and Feng Mian packed a bowl of pork belly for her as well.

While chatting, she said she wanted to go to school after the new year, but her grandmother didn’t agree, and her parents argued over it.

In these times, going to school was very flexible. In one class, there could be kids aged seven, eight, or nine.

Some would start in the spring, some dropped out halfway, some transferred midway—no one cared if they could keep up.

Feng Mian rubbed Feng Rongrong’s hair and said to her, “Your mom said she wants to send you to school, so she will definitely send you. Don’t worry.”

“But Mom has no money.”

“Do you want to go?”

“Yes, I’ve thought about it. After the new year, I’ll work a few months to earn money, then go to school in the second half of the year. Next year, I’ll do the same—study half a year, then keep working. I can work for half the year and study the other half.”

She was eight years old but not well-nourished, thin and small. Many kids her age in the 21st century would be taller than her.

Looking into those striking black-and-white eyes filled with determination, Feng Mian made up her mind: no matter what, she had to go to school.

Feng Mian encouraged her, “Yes, no matter what, you must go, and study seriously, work hard. Rongrong, if you want to change your fate, school is the easiest way out. Once you get to university, the city will arrange jobs for you, and you can leave here.”

Feng Rongrong, inspired by her encouragement, nodded firmly.

Suddenly she asked, “Auntie, will people in the city look down on girls?”

Will they? Actually, yes, sometimes they do.

Feng Mian said, “In the city, they don’t look down on female university students.”

“Then… if they assign jobs to female university students, do they keep score?”

Feng Mian chuckled, patted her shoulder, and said, “They don’t keep score. If you do your job well, you get paid more.”

…

The next day Feng Xiaojing didn’t come. Feng Mian thought she was probably scared to come after being scolded by her mom.

She took a bowl of pork belly and went to her place.

As soon as she set it down, Zhao Hui came over, lifted the lid, looked inside, and complained, “Just a few slices of meat. One slice per person isn’t enough.”

There were actually eight slices in the bowl, just enough for one each for their family.

Since she said that, Feng Mian replied, “Not enough? My grandparents each can eat four slices.”