Another autumn rain fell, and the weather grew colder.

Lin Shu kept reminding the children not to catch a cold, but she ended up with a cold herself.

Her nose and eyes were streaming, and she felt terribly uncomfortable.

She suspected it was the flu, so she slept in a separate room from the children, and Fang Dihua took over the cooking duties.

Today, the production team distributed the annual bonus, and everyone was as excited as during the New Year.

Fang Dihua personally went to collect the money, a yearly tradition.

Their family received one hundred sixty-eight yuan.

A bit more than last year.

This year, the family earned more than the previous year.

Aside from Old Lu, who earned extra from being a barefoot doctor, the eldest daughter-in-law got a subsidy for being a tractor driver, and the third daughter-in-law helped with the team’s accounting, which also brought in some food.

That’s all money.

Lin Shu, however, privately felt sympathy for everyone.

Throughout the year, they got up before dawn and worked hard, sometimes sleeping in the fields during busy farming periods, and in the end, received only a hundred and eighty yuan.

One hundred sixty-eight yuan was the highest amount; others received more often around one hundred twenty yuan, most around eighty, and the lowest were thirty or fifty. Some even ended up with debts to the team.

Debts to the team were called “backward accounts.”

Families who were lazy or lacked laborers, with insufficient work points to buy food, had to supplement the team with money, and if they had no money, they had to run up debts.

Especially for widows like Widow Sun.

A widow raising several children was essentially supported by the entire team, and the debt seemed never-ending.

For example, Widow Sun’s family owed the team over forty yuan because their work points were insufficient, but they received a full amount of food.

Widow Sun was crying at the production team, “Leaders, our family is struggling. It’s really tough, and the debt keeps increasing year after year. When will it end?”

Some members who felt annoyed by the delay shouted, “Didn’t you remarry? Let your new husband earn work points to cover the debt and repay it slowly.”

If time passed and her new husband knew her family’s debt was too high, he might not dare to take her.

Of course, there were other ways; she could remarry in another village or leave her children with grandparents or uncles, but the team had no choice.

In the end, the team might have to help provide some food for the children.

Widow Sun continued to cry, and the bald head suggested that she make a scene.

Perhaps some of the debt could be wiped off.

Even if not all of it could be erased, reducing half would be acceptable.

The secretary, unable to stand seeing her act out, said, “Let’s handle it this way for now. We can gradually repay the debt as the children grow older.”

Some of the debt would definitely be erased, but not all of it.

It couldn’t be done haphazardly; the boys had to be aware of the benefits taken from the team.

This debt has to wait until Widow Sun’s son grows up to be dealt with.

Zhang Xiuqin’s husband works in the county and earns a salary.

She and the children stay home to farm, which is what city people call a “half-household.”

Her eldest son is studying, while she and her two daughters work in the fields to earn work points.

When the work points are not enough to buy food, they have to use her husband’s salary to purchase it from the team.

She’s unhappy seeing that Widow Sun’s family owes money but still gets food.

She said, “It’s really unfair. Why do we have to buy food? Their family gets it directly? If this is the case, we won’t buy it either, and we should get our share too.”

Others told her not to worry about it. “Your husband earns a salary, so it’s not the same.”

Zhang Xiuqin’s son complained, “How is it not the same? Our family lives so hard! We can’t even fill our stomachs, eating coarse grains every meal. You all use work points to exchange for food, but we still have to buy it with money. Why is that?”

He didn’t consider that his father doesn’t earn work points, and neither does he.

Only his mother and sisters earn a small number of work points, so how could they possibly have enough for their share of food?

Widow Sun replied, “If you’re unhappy, let your father die too. Then your mother would also be a widow, and she could openly owe money to the team.”

Zhang Xiuqin’s son was furious and shouted, “Shrew, you’re so vicious!”

Zhang Xiuqin also cursed Widow Sun, saying she dragged any man into her house.

Both women were fierce, cursing each other and then started fighting.

The women’s director quickly went over to separate them, “Be quiet and stop fighting!”

But the two women ignored her and continued fighting, and when she tried to intervene, she even got scratched.

The women’s director shouted, “Damn it, this is outrageous! Stop it!”

The two women continued their passionate fight, completely disregarding everyone else.

The brigade secretary and brigade leader shouted several times, but it didn’t work.

It was useless; men’s fights were the secretary and leader’s responsibility, but women’s fights weren’t under their jurisdiction.

The women’s director had no authority, just a nominal position, and was so angry she stomped her feet.

Finally, someone shouted, “Where’s Second Mistress? Hurry up and call Second Mistress.”

Fang Dihua was rushing back home to take care of her third daughter-in-law.

She was asking Qiu Pozi, Wang Pozi, and others, “Is there an old hen at home that doesn’t lay eggs? My third daughter-in-law caught a cold, and she must be exhausted from helping with the team’s accounts. I’ll buy a chicken to make up for it.”

Several old women said which family had one.

Old Chang Pozi, overhearing, sarcastically said, “Tsk tsk, her third daughter-in-law doesn’t work in the fields or do any chores, just idling around all day, and she still buys a chicken for herself? What’s she been doing that she’s exhausted?”

Aunt Li replied, “She’s tired from helping with the team’s accounts. If she didn’t help with the team’s accounts, would you have such a good life?”

“Quickly divide the food and bonuses!” Some of us who are clueless shouldn’t doubt those who do the thinking work.

Let me tell you, accounting is exhausting. Don’t believe me?

Go home and try doing some elementary math problems with your grandson.

A few elementary school students nodded vigorously, “Accounting is really tiring!”

Fang Dihua was finally found by the women’s director. “Aunt, hurry up and help. Those two silly women are fighting, and they won’t listen to any advice.”

Fang Dihua replied, “No, I don’t hit people.”

She wasn’t being insulted by the other woman’s daughter-in-law, so why should she hit her?

The women’s director said, “Aunt, it’s not about hitting. It’s about persuading them to stop fighting.”

Fang Dihua said, “Let them fight. They’ll stop when they get tired.”

What’s there to worry about with women fighting?

They’re not using knives or bricks, just scratching and slapping.

It won’t turn into a big deal.

She wasn’t interested in getting involved.

Instead, she was going to make chicken soup for her daughter-in-law.

Fang Dihua had previously asked Old Man Lu to buy some Chinese herbs to keep at home, such as astragalus, codonopsis, and angelica, along with dates and goji berries.

When she made the chicken soup, she added astragalus and codonopsis, a bit less angelica and dates, and added goji berries towards the end of cooking to avoid them becoming mushy and sour.

Fang Dihua said she wasn’t biased, but over time, natural feelings develop, and her heart was indeed inclined, even if she tried to be impartial.

After making the soup, she poured the rich broth into bowls and placed the chicken hearts, livers, gizzards, and two chicken legs into bowls for Lin Shu and the children.

After serving, she poured a kettle of hot water into the pot and added potatoes and cabbage to make another pot of stew for everyone’s dinner.

With such good old hen, how could anything not taste good?

This was all thanks to the third daughter-in-law.

At dinner, everyone enjoyed the chicken stew with potatoes and cabbage.

But Lu Er noticed the absence of chicken legs in the serving bowl and knew that the mother-in-law was favoring Lin Shu and the children, causing her to pout.

She hoped Lu An make a scene and want to get a chicken leg, but the brothers didn’t even mention it and didn’t think about the chicken legs at all.

Lu Cuicui dared not say anything and was quietly grabbing chicken skin.

Sister Lu Er complained, “Mother, the women’s director is really useless. She even asked you to help out.”

Fang Dihua replied, “Why bother with them?”

Seeing her mother-in-law not siding with her and instead countering her, Sister Lu Er felt a bit frustrated. “How can she be the women’s director if she can’t manage anything?”

Fang Dihua asked, “Oh, can you manage it?”

Sister Lu Er immediately looked up at her mother-in-law with hopeful eyes, “I can!”

Fang Dihua picked out the chicken head and gave it to Sister-in-law Lu Da, and gave Old Lu the chicken feet to nibble on with a little wine. It made for a delightful treat.

Brother Lu Dage gazed at her with starry eyes and said, “Mom.”

Since Dad’s already given me some wine, can you give me a chicken foot to nibble on too?

Chicken feet with a bit of wine just make it taste even better.

Sister-in-law Lu Da handed him the chicken head.

Brother Lu Dage took it back and gently said, “Guiying(Sister Lu Da), you like chicken heads, so you should eat it.”

The entire table fell silent, with everyone stopping their actions.

They all looked at Brother Lu Dage.

Seeing that Fang Dihua had put the chicken feet back into the bowl without waiting to hand them to him, Brother Lu Dage quickly grabbed them himself. “Why are you all looking at me? I’m just the assistant accountant, it’s not a big deal.”

He even pretended to be modest.

On the kang (a traditional heated bed), Lin Shu was laughing quietly while wiping her nose.

Brother Lu Dage is really something…

Without him, the meal wouldn’t taste as good.

He knows how to liven things up.

Sister-in-law Lu Er was quite upset.

The team was about to hold elections, wasn’t it?

The women’s director was completely unqualified; why not replace her?

Wasn’t she just as good, if not better, than the current women’s director?

She thought that if Fang Dihua supported her and spoke to Aunt Li and others, the team would surely elect her as the women’s director.

Being the women’s director would be so impressive!

She wouldn’t have to work in the fields under the sun and rain, and could earn full work points and also get a salary supplement.

She heard that the women’s director’s salary wasn’t paid by the team but by the county, given by the Women’s Federation, and there were even extra benefits every year.

When she became the director, she would even have face when returning to her parental home!

She thought her mother-in-law hadn’t understood her point and intended to explain more clearly later.

But how could Fang Dihua not understand?

Wherever her tail pointed, Fang Dihua knew exactly what she was up to.

She was belittling the current women’s director and boasting about herself, while hinting that she could give it a try.

Try what?

What had she done to get noticed by the team?

Lin Shu, although not seriously ill, was still feeling lethargic due to her cold.

That evening, Tian Tian and Pan Pan came over to tell her about the team’s meeting and the distribution of dividends, focusing on the fight between Widow Sun and Zhang Xiuqin.

Pan Pan’s little mouth flapped as he mimicked the argument between Widow Sun and Zhang Xiuqin, but Lin Shu cut her off immediately.

Lin Shu said, “Don’t mimic people’s insults.”

Pan Pan scratched her head and said, “It won’t be the same if I don’t imitate them.”

Lin Shu replied, “I know it’s insulting.”

“Alright then.”

So when Panpan and Tiantian performed, it became, “You’re the worst, you’re the worst, you’re a deadbeat, you…”

Lin Shu rubbed her temples, “Children, I meant we should skip the insults, not say them and then remove them.”

You two have really mastered the art of peaceful resolution.

After the children finished their performance, Old Man Lu came over to give her a few acupuncture treatments.

The acupuncture at certain points could help her breathe better through her nose and sleep more comfortably at night.

After the acupuncture, Old Man Lu took Tiantian and Panpan back to the east room to sleep and asked Fang Dihua to help Lin Shu apply a ginger plaster to the acupuncture points.

This plaster was made by Old Man Lu himself based on medical books.

That night, Lin Shu was alone in the west room and felt quite lonely, missing the sensation of sleeping with a milk-scented bundle.

The kang (bed) was warm, as Fang Dihua had been simmering chicken stew on it all night.

Not sure how long she had slept, she woke up drenched in sweat.

The kang was too hot, and with the acupuncture and plaster before bed, it had raised her yang energy, leading to sweating at night.

The door creaked open.