Chapter 16.1

“She is ill, but her treatment is going well. As long as she’s not stressed, she’s just like any other person.”

“What about housing? And your household registration? He’s on a supply ration, if your household registration is still in the village, you’d have to earn work points for grain. You’d be living apart most of the time.”

“He said there’s a way to change my registration to non-agricultural, and if there’s an opportunity, he’ll arrange a job for me.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Hearing these conditions, her sister-in-law immediately overlooked the mother’s illness. A mother can’t live forever, but such favorable conditions were a huge advantage.

“Why didn’t Xu Yinlian agree before? These conditions are great. It’s probably because of his mother’s illness that he’s looking for a bride in the countryside.”

“Xu Yinlian had already fallen for someone else, so no matter who came to propose, it would have been a no.”

“Silly girl. What’s the point of being in love? The conditions for marriage and living together are the most important.”

Those who had been married for years and experienced marriage often held this view, but unmarried girls looked for different things. They wanted someone they liked, who made their heart race and their mind wander.

“When are you planning to get married?”

“On National Day.”

“Oh no, the cloth ration tickets won’t be settled until the end of the year. I’ve already exchanged mine for grain tickets to build a house. What should we do?”

“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry. I have some. I’ll handle it myself.”

“You need at least one set of bedding. If necessary, I can borrow a wedding outfit for you.”

“I have new clothes that I haven’t worn. You don’t need to worry. Just help entertain him when he comes.”

“Of course, I’m your sister-in-law. It’s my responsibility. It’s just that life is tough, I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“It’s no trouble.”

They chatted while working, and after a quick lunch, she continued knitting. She was very skilled and quickly got the hang of it. Following the book’s instructions, she had already knitted the sweater border and completed a row of plum flowers by the afternoon.

She carefully examined her work, ensuring every stitch was perfect. The red base with red flowers and off-white centers looked very beautiful. Her stitches were even, making the fabric smooth and pleasing to the eye.

The work bell rang, and she set her knitting aside to return to work. The next day, Zhou Qingshan rode his bike to visit early in the morning, bringing gifts to her small shed.

“You didn’t need to buy this.” The delicate pastries, with their oily wrappers, were a luxury in these times of scarcity.

“It’s my first visit, I must make a good impression.”

She asked the team leader for leave and took Zhou Qingshan to her eldest brother’s house. Her sister-in-law, seeing how tall and handsome he was, warmly welcomed them. She offered them sugared water and boiled a few eggs.

Her elder brother sent his son to inform their second brother and brother-in-law, and soon the whole family gathered. Since it was her second marriage, no one made a fuss. They just wanted to meet him and offer their blessings. Her marriage meant one less worry for her siblings, and her sister brought a few eggs as a gift for her brother-in-law.

“Finally, our sister’s worries are over. Otherwise she would have been worried day and night and couldn’t sleep.” her brother-in-law said.

“Thank you for your concern. After I marry, I’ll live my own life. You can rest easy.”

After a few polite words, Zhou Qingshan stayed for lunch and gave the three families a share of the pastries he brought. Her sister felt a bit awkward accepting such fine things. After he left, she complained to her husband.

“How could second sister-in-law accept such good stuff? If not for the new brother-in-law, I’d have confronted her.”

“Forget it. You know how she is. Your second brother is quiet, and she’s stingy. Now that our sister is marrying into the city, we must watch out for her taking advantage.”

“She wouldn’t dare,” Luo Mei huffed. “It’s bad luck to have such relatives. Enough about her. My sister is getting married soon. I’ll borrow six feet of cloth ration tickets and repay them at the end of the year.”

“Six feet?”

Luo Mei knew what her husband was worried about. “You handle asking your mother for cloth tickets. That’s your task.”

“Sigh, I know.”

Her sister and brother-in-law were also thinking about how to help her new household. With the wedding date set, preparations began in earnest. Before leaving, Zhou Qingshan handed Luo Lan a small cloth bundle, explaining its contents.

“My mother gave this to you. Keep it. Next weekend, I’ll come to take you to the city to buy wedding supplies.”

Luo Lan looked at the handkerchief-wrapped bundle and then at him. “What’s inside?”

“The dowry.”

“I’m getting married for the second time, so there’s no need for that.”

“Everything that should be included must be included.”

The man pushed the handkerchief bundle into her hands, his smile full of encouragement. He wanted her to know she deserved the best treatment, no matter being a second-time bride.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll come to pick you up on the weekend.”

“Okay.”

After seeing him off, Luo Lan returned to her small shelter. Once inside, she closed the door and opened the handkerchief bundle. It was thick, but she couldn’t tell exactly how much was inside.

When she finally unfolded the last layer, she saw a large wad of cash. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a stack of banknotes—no change at all. She counted, and there were exactly twenty crisp bills.

With such a significant dowry, she needed to reconsider her wedding supplies. That evening, she tucked the money into her pocket and headed to her sister’s house. On her way, she was abruptly bumped into.

“Oh!”

Startled and in pain, she looked to see who had collided with her. It was the new daughter-in-law of the Li family, who had just married at the beginning of the year and was now heavily pregnant.

“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern.

“Woo woo… Luo Lan, they’re bullying me.”

The system was thrilled, finding its choice of onlookers quite satisfying. Luo Lan was both amused and frustrated by its enthusiasm. Just as she was about to ask more, a group of people burst out of the courtyard, led by Old Lady Li.

“Run away, and don’t come back! How dare you challenge me, a woman who has eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. What do you think you are to challenge me?”

“Too much salt makes you salty.”

Luo Lan’s eyes lit up. It seemed that the old woman, who she had initially thought was a soft target, was actually a prickly character who wasn’t afraid to show her claws. While such words didn’t hold much weight with these women, the act of resistance further enraged Old Lady Li.

As expected, Old Lady Li slapped the air with frustration, trembling with anger. “How dare you defy me, you little wench.”

The young wife hid behind Luo Lan, shouting, “Everyone, come and see! My mother-in-law is hitting me. Look at Old Lady Li hitting her daughter-in-law. It’s pitiful. I’m carrying the child of the Li family, and they’re treating me like this.”

The Li family has three sons, and this is the eldest daughter-in-law. The mother-in-law was only in her forties, still relatively young. The young wife knew how to manipulate the situation, and by accusing her of hitting her daughter-in-law, she turned public opinion against her mother-in-law.

“Who hit you? Who hit you? Don’t talk nonsense, woman.”

Old Lady Li had initially planned to dominate as the elder, but now she was being led by the nose by the young wife. Reacting quickly, she shoved her eldest son and gave him a meaningful look.

The eldest son understood his mother’s hint and approached his wife angrily. Under the moonlight, his furious expression was clear, and Luo Lan instinctively protected the heavily pregnant woman.

“Calm down, calm down. Your wife is pregnant, let’s discuss this calmly.”