Chapter 19: Your Partner Came to Help You Work

He was the kind of person who, once he said he’d do something, just did it—he carried out the wood and got to work right away.

Feng Mian took the steamed buns and mantou, told Gu Yuelin she was going out for a bit but would be back soon.

“If you get hungry, just take some from the steamer.”

“If you get thirsty, there’s still warm tea on the stove.”

After giving these instructions clearly, she carried the steaming basket and headed to Shangyuanzi Village.

Her aunt-in-law, Zhao Hui, was mending shoe soles. Seeing her carrying a basket, she sneered sarcastically, “Oh, the sun’s rising from the west today! You always come back here taking things from our house, but this is the first time I’ve seen you bring something to us.”

Feng Mian smiled faintly. “I wasn’t an adult before, I was just a kid. When you’re a kid, adults don’t expect you to bring them things. Now it’s different—I’m eighteen.”

“Oh? Why does that sound like an insult?”

Feng Mian ignored her and went straight inside.

“Grandma, I steamed buns and mantou today and brought some for you all.”

Zhang Shi came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She lifted the thick cotton cloth covering the basket and glanced inside, surprised. “Why so many?”

“I steamed a lot, so I brought some for you.”

“Oh no, I don’t want them. Take them back quickly. You still have a few pounds of grain—you need to eat that yourself. After the New Year, you’ll have to support another person. If you get pregnant, that’s even worse. The three of you waiting to starve? Just take them back.”

Feng Mian smiled bitterly—she thought to herself, “Already imagining a family of three.”

“No worries, I have enough grain to eat.” Feng Mian leaned closer and whispered, “Last night Gu Yuelin carried some grain over for me.”

Zhang Shi was taken aback. “Really?”

Feng Mian nodded and signaled her to keep it down.

Zhang Shi whispered, “Where did he get it?”

Feng Mian whispered back, “He’s not stupid. He’s wary of his stepmother, so please don’t ask.”

Zhang Shi wisely didn’t ask further.

Outside, Zhao Hui was still mending shoes and craned her neck but didn’t catch anything. She grumbled in annoyance—probably something about how she could bring something better.

Feng Mian ignored her and asked Zhang Shi if the buns smelled good.

Zhang Shi bit into a soft, chewy bun filled with meat and nodded. The aroma was wonderful.

“You steamed these?”

“Yes. How are they?”

“Good, very good. The dough is well risen. Mianmian, your skills have improved.”

She took another bite, the meat filling filling her mouth, and her heart ached.

“Oh, you little spender, how could you put so much meat in them?”

Feng Mian laughed, “I’m taking one to grandpa.”

She took out a meat bun and gave the rest of the basket to Zhang Shi.

Grandpa’s legs were bad, but his upper body was fine. Eating the meat bun, he kept praising how she’d grown up but also reminded her to be frugal.

Feng Mian said, “As long as grandpa thinks it’s good, that’s enough.”

Back then, grandpa had been in charge and insisted she at least finish middle school.

If it weren’t for grandpa, she probably wouldn’t even have gotten into elementary school.

In the future, in the catering business, knowing more things would help. If someone like her, who had never studied, wanted to do it, they’d have to work hard to find excuses.

“The tea you gave me last time—your grandma brewed it for me. Good tea. Where did you buy it?”

Feng Mian casually said, “Bought it on the street. If grandpa likes it, I’ll buy some for you next time.”

Grandpa shook his head, “No need to buy. I’m not going there anymore. As long as I have something to drink, it’s fine.”

Feng Mian chatted for a bit, then got ready to leave.

After all, Gu Yuelin was still at her place.

When she got to the main room, she saw Feng Xiaomei taking big bites of the meat buns she brought.

She lay on the chair and rubbed her stomach.

Seeing Feng Mian come out, Feng Xiaomei quickly put down her hand that had been resting on her belly and tried to act indifferent.

But her movement was like the classic “there’s no silver here” — that hand on her belly seemed like a subconscious reaction, which made Feng Mian glance at her a few more times.

The more Feng Mian looked, the more uncomfortable Feng Xiaomei became, as if she was hiding something and feeling guilty.

Feng Mian guessed what was going on, suddenly realizing the truth, and quickly looked away.

No wonder the stingy Zhao Hui so readily gave her fifty yuan — it turned out Feng Xiaomei was pregnant.

These days, being pregnant with someone else’s fiancé was a serious matter.

“Grandma, I’m full.”

“Eat first, then go. I’m already cooking.”

“No thanks, I still have plenty of buns at home.”

After Feng Mian took a bite, Zhao Hui also came inside, pretending to compliment Feng Mian’s cooking and took a bun to eat.

Zhang Shi just pursed her lips and said nothing.

But when Feng Xiaomei took her third bun, Zhang Shi opened her hand.

“There are only a few buns here. The whole family needs to eat, you already ate two, and now you want a third? Your brother, sister-in-law, sister, and your dad haven’t eaten a single one.”

“I… I’m hungry.”

“Who isn’t? I’m hungry too.” Zhang Shi glared at her with no patience. “Look at you—you’re so fat already, and you still want to eat more?”

Zhao Hui knew very well that her daughter wasn’t fat.

If this shameful thing got out before she got married, it would be a disaster.

Hearing this, she hurried to stop Feng Xiaomei from eating more, making sly facial expressions, and quickly changed the subject to Feng Mian.

“Mom, Mianmian really found someone willing to marry in?”

“Yeah.”

“From Gujia Village?”

“Yeah.”

“Really raised by a stepmother?”

“Yeah. Why? Why are you asking so much?”

“Nothing, just casually asking.” Zhao Hui’s face showed some displeasure. “Why did she suddenly not get married? I originally thought that after she married, that house would go to her second cousin. Later, when her two cousins marry, her second cousin would have a place to live.”

Zhang Shi raised a cold brow and said irritably, “How is that possible? That house was built as resettlement money for the educated youth back then.”

“Mom, that ungrateful wolf has been gone for so many years, why do you still mention him?”

“I don’t want to mention him. I just want to tell you not to be greedy about those three rooms and the land. Before he left, that wolf gave the house and land to your younger sister. After your younger sister died, it ended up in Mianmian’s name. She’s not on the same household registry as us. She’s got her own account. Even if she marries and moves to another village, the land still belongs to the brigade.”

Zhao Hui scoffed, “Can’t she just transfer it to her second cousin?”

Zhang Shi angrily said, “Who owes you that?”

Zhao Hui said no more, but inside she still felt bitter.

Thinking about how she raised Feng Mian all these years and got nothing in return, and even lost fifty yuan over her daughter’s business, she felt really uncomfortable.

…

Feng Mian was going home but hadn’t even entered the courtyard when Lu Lan from next door pulled her aside.

“You weren’t home? Then whose noise was that from your room?”

The noise was sawing wood. Feng Mian thought it must be Gu Yuelin working.

She didn’t hide it and said plainly, “Gu Yuelin is helping me work.”

“Who’s Gu Yuelin?”

“The guy from that blind date last time.”

“Ah?” Lu Lan whispered excitedly, “Your fiancé came to help you work?”

Ahem, that fiancé of yours…

“Yeah.” Feng Mian answered awkwardly.

“That’s pretty diligent.”