Chapter 3: Sending Shen Anan to the Countryside

“What? She passed?!”

Liu Cailan was dumbfounded.

Her son’s grades had always been terrible. Now he actually passed?!

Remembering what Shen Xiuxiu had said yesterday, Liu Cailan’s eyes lit up!

“Your older sister is truly a lucky star! Look, the moment she came back, you passed the high school entrance exam!”

Liu Cailan rubbed her hands together excitedly.

“But you’re also smart, boys are just naturally clever!”

Hearing this, Shen Yaozu swelled with pride.

“But… it was Shen Anan, my sister, who tutored me. The exam happened to cover the topics she reviewed with me.

If I had done well on the mock exam, I could have gotten into a vocational school. Vocational schools guarantee job assignments after graduation, high schools don’t…”

Liu Cailan snorted.

“I think she didn’t teach you properly. If she had tutored you earlier, you would have gotten into a vocational school!

It seems Xiuxiu was right, that Shen Anan is a jinx!

It’s good she’s gone, our family’s life will definitely get better and better!”

Shen Yaozu didn’t bother listening.

“You said if I passed, you’d buy two pounds of pork ribs for me! I’m going out to play now, Mom, hurry up and cook!”

With that, he rushed out.

By the time Liu Cailan reacted, he was long gone.

She looked down at the large basin of laundry and felt annoyed.

But her husband would be off work soon, she had to hurry and buy groceries and cook.

Her husband worked as a temporary worker at the mine, doing the heavy labor that regular workers wouldn’t do. He couldn’t come home to an empty stomach.

She took the basin of laundry upstairs, planning to have her daughter wash it later.

Taking the money, she hurried off to buy groceries.

Six o’clock in the evening.

Liu Cailan had prepared the pork ribs, and Shen Xiuxiu had also returned from work.

It was her first day working at the supply and marketing cooperative. The work wasn’t heavy, and it was quite easy.

Seeing the meat, her eyes lit up, and she immediately reached out to grab some.

Liu Cailan slapped her daughter’s hand away.

“Your dad and your brother haven’t come back yet, wait for them to eat!”

Sheepishly retracting her hand, Shen Xiuxiu frowned.

When would the Shen family finally prosper? Even these few pork ribs had to be shared among so many people!

“Go wash that basin of clothes first, Mom’s waist hurts too much. Hurry up, you can eat right after you’re done!”

Liu Cailan pointed to the basin of clothes piled in the corner.

It was the end of August. Hecheng was located in Northeast China, and autumn had already arrived. It was cold at night, not to mention the icy cold tap water.

Shen Xiuxiu was unhappy.

But she had just been reunited with her family, so she couldn’t openly disobey. She still relied on the Shen family’s prosperity to live like a young lady.

Reluctantly, she carried the clothes downstairs to wash them.

She casually rubbed some soap on them, stepped on them a couple of times, rinsed them, and hung them up to dry.

She finished quickly and hurried back with the basin.

However, upon returning, she found that all the pork ribs in the dish were gone!

“Not a single piece left for me?!”

Unbelievable!

Liu Cailan felt a little embarrassed.

“Mom didn’t eat any either. I gave it to your dad and your brother. Men get hungry faster, they can’t function without meat…”

But Shen Xiuxiu directly gave her a cold stare.

She didn’t believe it at all.

“Mom, I’m your biological daughter! You didn’t even give me any meat, could it be that Shen Anan didn’t eat meat when she was home either?!”

Hearing this, Liu Cailan was stunned.

“Anan never ate meat since she was little, we always saved it for your dad and your brother…”

“You’re just making excuses!”

Shen Xiuxiu angrily stormed off.

Liu Cailan didn’t know what to say.

Shen Anan never complained about not having meat before, why was Xiuxiu…

Shen Xiuxiu, leaving home, threw all the clothes she had just hung up onto the ground.

They made her work but didn’t give her any meat, she almost thought she was the one who was switched at birth!

Had the Shen family not accepted her yet?

Shen Anan was nowhere to be found, could the Shen family be secretly giving her money?

No!

She had to find Shen Anan and make her… make her go to the countryside!

Shen Anan absolutely could not stay in Hecheng!

The Shen family could only have her, Shen Xiuxiu, as their daughter!

Meanwhile, at the Huo family’s home.

Shen Anan was preparing dinner.

Huo Aihua had specially bought two pounds of meat.

He was a doctor, and his son was a soldier, so they had more meat coupons than the average family.

He had originally planned to cook himself, but Shen Anan took over the kitchen work, and in a flash, she made several dishes.

The aroma was enticing.

Even Huo Rufeng ate more than usual.

Since returning home from injury, Huo Rufeng hadn’t been able to eat much. Today was a rare occasion where his appetite was so good.

Huo Aihua felt somewhat emotional.

It was fortunate that they had kept Shen Anan as a housekeeper.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but put several pieces of meat into Shen Anan’s bowl.

Yang Qiuju did the same, frantically serving Shen Anan food.

Soon, Shen Anan’s rice bowl was piled high.

For a moment, she felt uneasy.

As a housekeeper, it was already inappropriate for her to eat at the table with them, and now Uncle Huo and Aunt Yang were giving her so much food.

“Uncle, Aunt, I…”

She was about to speak, but Huo Rufeng, who had been silent, spoke first: “Since Mom and Dad are serving you, then eat.”

Hearing this, Shen Anan’s body reacted faster than her brain, and she ate heartily.

She didn’t know why, but she… dared not disobey this person.

“You scared her, little Shen!”

Huo Aihua glared at his son.

“Yes, Anan isn’t one of your subordinates, tone it down!”

Yang Qiuju was also a little helpless towards her son.

Why hadn’t she noticed before that her son was so intimidating to young girls?

No wonder he still hadn’t found a partner!

Huo Rufeng opened his mouth.

Too lazy to argue.

He was just speaking normally, and this scared her?

He looked at Shen Anan.

Her mouth was stuffed full.

Their eyes met, and she stuffed several more mouthfuls of rice into her mouth.

She was such a simpleton…

He lowered his head and ate.

After dinner, Shen Anan quickly cleaned the table, washed the dishes, and tidied up the kitchen.

Yang Qiuju was increasingly satisfied.

Huo Aihua also looked emotional.

The two nodded simultaneously.

If only they had gotten Shen Anan as a housekeeper earlier, all those burnt fish and half-cooked meat wouldn’t have been wasted!

“Uncle, Aunt, I’ve cleaned the kitchen, is there anything else I can do?”

Shen Anan was a little nervous.

It was like taking an exam.

“Nothing for today.

There isn’t much housework to do. You can tidy up the house, cook, and do laundry. Your uncle usually does the grocery shopping.

As for Rufeng, although he’s in a wheelchair, he can take care of himself. We’re just afraid something might happen, so you can keep an eye on him.

You’ll stay in the small room today, it’s usually used as a study for them, we’ll move the books to Rufeng’s room tomorrow!

Anan, thank you for your hard work…”

Yang Qiuju held Shen Anan’s hand, her eyes full of pity.

Such a capable and sensible girl, yet she had encountered such a fate, it was truly pitiful.

“It’s not hard work, I should be thanking you for taking me in!”

Shen Anan said sincerely.

She was truly, deeply grateful!

At night, lying on the clean bed, Shen Anan gritted her teeth.

“I have to work hard to survive, I, Shen Anan, will live a good life!”

Her voice was low, but it was clearly heard by Huo Rufeng in the courtyard.

The corner of his lips curled slightly.

In the innermost room, Huo Aihua sighed in bed, “Her household registration should still be in the city. Now that she’s graduated and her job was given to someone else, sooner or later she’ll be sent to the countryside!”

Yang Qiuju frowned upon hearing this.

“That won’t do. This girl has had a hard life, and she’s just so likable.

You should talk to the higher-ups, given Rufeng’s situation, it’s only right to have a housekeeper to take care of him. We need to find a way to keep Anan!”