Chapter 12.1

Even though Zhou Yao and Wen Yue tried to keep a low profile when visiting the Wen family, it was hard to hide anything in the village. When they started arguing, someone happened to be passing by the Wen family’s courtyard. Hearing the sound of a table being overturned, they stopped and listened curiously. Since the courtyard gate wasn’t closed, the sounds couldn’t be blocked.

As a result, everyone in the village knew that Li Huahong wanted to take over her niece’s land and that Zhou Yao had offered a betrothal gift of one thousand yuan.

The villagers both despised Li Huahong’s ruthlessness and were shocked by Zhou Yao’s generosity. They thought if they had known Zhou Yao was so generous and wealthy, they would have married their daughters to him!

Lin Fang was naturally aware of this.

She couldn’t hide the jealousy in her voice, “That bastard is really lucky. If I had known he had so much money, I would have introduced my niece to him! One thousand yuan, that could send my son Yaozu to college…”

Liu Cuicui went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Lin Fang followed her and kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

Liu Cuicui was so annoyed she almost cut her finger while chopping vegetables, “Can you stop already? What’s the use of telling me? Is the money going to end up in your hands?”

Who wouldn’t want that? She wanted it too, but what was the point of wanting?

“Can you really make that much money working outside?” Lin Fang fell silent for two seconds before speaking again, her face full of longing, “Elder brother stayed outside for five years and made so much money. I remember he gave mother five or six hundred yuan when he came back and paid for the house renovation… Adding the betrothal gift, it’s over two thousand yuan, right?”

Two thousand yuan in five years!

The more Lin Fang thought about it, the more excited she became. She figured if you could make that much, why bother farming? Just have Zhou Jianghai go out and work!

They barely saved a hundred or two hundred yuan a year.

Liu Cuicui was speechless, “It’s not that easy. Do you know where elder brother worked? It’s in Shencheng. Do you know how hard it is to find a job there without connections or education? It’s almost impossible to find a good job.”

Liu Cuicui’s and Zhou Qingshan’s eldest son had married a city girl and would talk to them about these things when he came home.

She had heard her eldest son mention that the salaries in Shencheng were much higher than in other places, but it was tough for outsiders to find work there.

So Liu Cuicui actually admired her husband’s elder brother quite a bit. Going to work alone in a big city with just an elementary school education and still finding a job was impressive.

If she had married the elder brother back then…

Liu Cuicui’s eyes darkened momentarily. She shook her head to clear such thoughts.

The person was dead, what was the point of thinking like this? Besides, Zhou Qingshan wasn’t bad, at least he was smarter than Zhou Jianghai.

“Ah? Really?” Lin Fang was unwilling to let it go, “Sister-in-law, your son Enci works in the city. How much does he earn in a month? Tell me!”

Liu Cuicui furrowed her brow and replied softly, “How much could he earn? Just about ten yuan a month. His place is small, not like big cities. I’ve heard in Shencheng, monthly wages can be one or two hundred yuan, and the high ones can even reach three or four hundred.”

She shifted the conversation back to Shencheng.

Lin Fang was indeed intrigued, her eyes widening in shock, “Wow, three to four hundred a month? That’s more than we earn in a year! Oh, if only we could go work in Shencheng.…”

Liu Cuicui pursed her lips, thinking Lin Fang was too naive to dream about going to SShencheng..

The two sisters-in-law, each with their own thoughts, prepared lunch.

Zhou Jianghai and his son, along with Zhou Qingshan, returned from the fields.

They had clearly heard about the incident at the Wen family that morning. Their expressions were grim, a mix of resentment and jealousy, occasionally glancing towards the open door of Wen Yue’s room.

Finally, Zhou Qingshan said, “With Zhou Yao’s personality, a thousand yuan will be spent in no time. Don’t worry about it.” Only then did they reluctantly put the matter aside, silently cursing Zhou Yao in their heart.

Wen Yue carried the meal into the room, placing the bowl with the overflowing rice in front of Zhou Yao.

Zhou Yao picked up the chopsticks beside him, ready to eat.

Wen Yue asked, “Did you wash your hands?”

Zhou Yao paused, following her gaze to his hands, clicked his tongue, then stood up and walked to the kitchen.

What a hassle.

Seconds later, Zhou Yao reappeared at the doorway, water still on his hands, too lazy to wipe them. He eagerly picked up the chopsticks and reached for the braised pork.

As soon as the meat entered his mouth, his furrowed brow visibly relaxed, a satisfied expression emerging.

It felt like the past twenty years of meals had been wasted.

Zhou Yao tried two more pieces of meat alone, then combined it with rice, making loud smacking noises as he ate.

The noise was a bit loud, yet he seemed completely unaware.

Wen Yue held back and held back, but finally couldn’t resist tapping his bowl with her chopsticks.

“Don’t smack your lips while eating!”

Zhou Yao looked up, his expression saying “Why do you have so many rules?”

Wen Yue’s expression was serious, “Smacking your lips affects your handsomeness, so please don’t make any noise.”

Zhou Yao: “…”

So many rules just to eat.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the food was particularly delicious, he really wanted to leave in a huff.

Zhou Yao stared at Wen Yue for two seconds, then muttered that he understood.

He continued eating without making a sound.

Wen Yue, satisfied, ate her meal.