Gu Zhao rolled up his sleeves and followed Zhou Zhou into the kitchen. He sat on the stove and lit a fire, saying, “It’s not my fault, it’s the crops in the fields that are doing well. Every household has some relief, and people are getting more friendly. They smile at everyone they see.”

　　”It seems so. This autumn, the uncles and aunts in the village all have smiles on their faces when they visit each other, and there are fewer quarrels.” Li Zhouzhou thought about it carefully, and while washing his hands and kneading noodles, he simply ate some noodles at noon, and said, “I went to Xingge’s house this morning and met Aunt Wang. She even greeted me.”

　　Aunt Wang had been talking behind his back about the ten-cent stove, and Li Zhouzhou actually knew about it. But Li Zhouzhou would not argue about this kind of thing, and could only stay away from it. He did not expect Aunt Wang to take the initiative to greet him, although she looked reluctant and a little awkward.

　　”She has five mu of paddy fields, and the rice is piled up in exchange for money. She still gives you a bad face, so don’t blame the villagers for criticizing her.” Gu Zhao said naturally. There is a saying that poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people. It’s not absolute, but there is some truth in it.

　　When he was a child, he lived in an orphanage. There were many children in the orphanage, and food and clothing were scarce. They relied on donations from kind-hearted people in the society. Several children would fight for a toy or more meat. Later, he went to college with government funding, and several other people who worked in the same city contacted him and said they would have dinner together.

　　They used to fight over small toys, but at that dinner party they were very friendly and even scrambled to pay the bill.

　　Mainly because of poverty.

　　”But we should stay neither too close nor too far from Aunt Wang and just be polite to her.” Gu Zhao said.

　　Even the poor have their own dignity, and we cannot blame poverty for everything. The Li family was even poorer than Aunt Wang’s family next door. They lived in a thatched house and the dry land did not produce food. The father and son went hungry during the lean season, but they never took advantage of others.

　　Li Da always remembers the friendship shown when he lent a helping hand, and is always willing to help with anything he can.

　　When slaughtering pigs for others, ask for less offal.

　　Li Zhouzhou also remembered that Aunt Wang had helped him when he was a child. Gu Zhao guaranteed that if the Li father and son were the ones burning the stove and Aunt Wang bought it, it would definitely be ten cents cheaper.

　　”I know, husband.” Li Zhouzhou made dough, picked wild vegetables, and put them in the pot. In front of others, Li Zhouzhou might not say such words that would give others a chance to criticize him, but in front of his husband, it didn’t matter. He knew that his husband was on his side, so he said, “I think Aunt Wang is petty, and it’s a good thing that the paddy field fertilizer worked this time.”

　　Otherwise, Aunt Wang would hate the Li family even more and he wouldn’t know what to do.

　　Although the village chief said that he would bear all the consequences, good or bad, people hated the Li family in their hearts and were doing bad things secretly. Could the village chief really make a big fuss and use the village law?

　　It’s hard to guard against villains, especially those among your neighbors, so just stay away from Aunt Wang and don’t have much contact with her.

　　Li Zhouzhou was cooking noodles in the pot. Li Da came back carrying a basket of pig food and two bundles of dry firewood. Gu Zhao prepared hot water for his father to wash his face and hands so that he could have dinner.

　　After dinner, Li Da was not idle. He could not stay at home and went to the foot of the mountain to collect more firewood. His son-in-law was weak and needed to drink soup and burn the stove in autumn and winter, which was all waste firewood.

　　Li Zhouzhou went to Xingger’s house to make clothes.

　　After finishing the cutting in the morning, Li Zhouzhou began to embroider the word “Fu” on the chest of the double-breasted shirt in the afternoon. He washed his hands before starting the work, and he did it quickly and well, stitch by stitch.

　　This character “Fu” is simple, and Gu Zhao also deliberately wrote it to make it rounder and fuller.

　　The old man must feel good and blessed when seeing this.

　　Li Zhouzhou spent four days embroidering it. Xing’er’s mother-in-law looked at it and said it was good, round and smooth, and could bring good luck. Xing’er said his mother liked it, and he would go to town to buy a piece of cloth to embroider a short jacket for his mother the next day.

　　”Why spend that money? It’s not my birthday.” Xing’er’s mother-in-law said it but was happy in her heart.

　　Later, Li Zhouzhou embroidered auspicious clouds on the cuffs and collar. Xing Ge’er asked Li Zhouzhou to buy a piece of indigo and also made a double-breasted jacket for his mother-in-law, saying it was a new dress. He followed the style made by Li Zhouzhou and also embroidered the word “Fu” on it.

　　Xing’er’s mother-in-law complained about Xing’er’s spending money, but she loved him in her heart. Xu saw this and felt a sense of urgency. A few days later, Li Zhouzhou stuffed cotton into his short jacket and started making buttons. Xu also went to the town to buy cloth and came back to make a skirt for her mother-in-law.

　　It’s like a boxing match.

　　Fortunately, Li Zhouzhou’s short jacket was ready. He said he would not disturb her and that he could go back and make the headband, so he hurried home with the bamboo winnowing basket.