Two days later, all of Grandma Yao’s relatives moved out.

Before leaving, they still took a lot of household items and grain.

The grain they took came from Grandma Yao and Fifth Uncle’s portions, since the rest had already been divided among Fifth Aunt and her children.

If Fifth Uncle wanted to make sure that he and Grandma Yao had enough to eat, he would have to work hard. The more work points he earned, the more grain he could exchange for after the autumn harvest.

Now, Fifth Aunt’s work points would no longer be used on Fifth Uncle and his son. She controlled the money, had her children with her, and was living her own life. It was no different from being divorced.

Grandma Yao felt that ever since her younger brother and nephews left, the household had become unbearable.

She had to cook her own meals, or else her son would come home from work with nothing to eat.

Having not cooked in a long time, Grandma Yao’s back ached, and her waist was sore.

She wanted to order someone around, but her daughter-in-law wasn’t there, and neither was her granddaughter.

After just three days, Grandma Yao told her son to find a way to bring his wife and children back. As for the rent, they could just ask Third Great-Uncle to return the remaining amount.

Fifth Uncle went to the thatched hut, but only found Lu Qinghong there.

No one knew what the father and son talked about, but in the end, Fifth Uncle didn’t bring anyone back. No matter how much Grandma Yao tried to persuade or scold him, it was useless.

So, Grandma Yao decided to take a more ruthless approach.

While weeding her private vegetable plot, Lu Qingyuan suddenly heard the sound of the livestream activating in her mind.

The two little guys beside her were enthusiastically squatting down, pulling weeds. With her height, Lu Qingyuan could easily see the red text floating above their heads.

【It feels so strange. Before, I could watch the livestream every day.】

【You’ll get used to it. This lousy site is always like this. But honestly, reading the text updates these past few days wasn’t bad. I just find Grandma Yao’s family super annoying.】

【Same. By the way, did you guys read the latest update? That Grandma Yao is planning to make trouble for her daughter-in-law again.】

Lu Qingyuan’s grip on the hoe tightened.

What was Grandma Yao up to now?

【I saw it too. I was just about to go yell at her in the comments. For those who haven’t read it yet, here’s a summary—she’s planning to accuse her daughter-in-law of sneaking out at night to meet a man. That way, she can pressure her into moving back home with the kids.】

Lu Qingyuan: ?

How despicable.

But she wasn’t too worried.

She continued working because when Fifth Aunt had come over that day, her mother and the other two aunts had already anticipated this possibility.

Fifth Aunt had simply laughed and said, “That’s easy to deal with. Just have her son eat with her during the day and stay at my place at night.”

Half an hour later, the barrage of comments exploded again.

【HAHAHAHA this is amazing! Hahaha, this is brilliant! Her daughter-in-law suggested letting the son stay over at night, but eat at home during the day!】

【Grandma Yao was completely speechless! She stood there looking like a fool!】

【So basically, the daughter-in-law’s message was: ‘Let your son come take care of me at night, and during the day, he can eat your food.’】

【LOL I can’t stop laughing!】

“Aunt, what are you laughing at?”

Lusheng suddenly ran up to Lu Qingyuan and asked.

“I’m laughing at you two little mud monkeys,” Lu Qingyuan said naturally, pointing at the dirt clinging to their clothes. “When we get home, you two better wash up properly. Don’t go playing inside before changing clothes.”

“Okay.”

Jiasheng and Lusheng nodded.

Fifth Aunt was found by Grandma Yao while working in the fields.

Of course, their conversation also caught the attention of others.

At noon, when Second Sister-in-law Lu returned home, she brought it up. “It’s really unbelievable. A mother-in-law actually tried to frame her own daughter-in-law for having an affair.”

“She doesn’t care about her reputation anymore,” Lu Qingtian added.

She used to be so concerned about appearances, yet in some moments, she just couldn’t think straight and ended up doing things that embarrassed herself even more.

“If I ever turn into an old man like that, you have to make sure to knock some sense into me,” he turned to his wife and said.

Second Sister-in-law Lu dodged him with a look of disgust. “If you ever become like that, I’ll take the kids and leave!”

Sitting nearby, Lu Qingyuan watched as bright red text flashed over her family members’ heads.

【I love shipping Lu Qingming and Lu Qingtian with their wives so much!】

【Me too! In the original story, these two couples were the sweetest!】

Lu Qingyuan’s eyes curved with amusement as she read the comments. Her brothers and sisters-in-law did have a great relationship.

[Live stream ended. Gained 39 new fans. Total fans: 370.]

The next afternoon, an unexpected visitor arrived.

It was Mother Shu.

She came carrying a basket of sweet cucumbers, a rare treat in this area. Not many people grew them because while they tasted great when sweet, if they weren’t sweet, they were only good for feeding chickens or the production team’s pigs.

Plus, the vines grew long, so if the harvest was disappointing, people felt it was a waste of land, which was why few households planted them.

“These cucumbers are from my family’s fields. They’re really sweet. I passed by your vegetable garden the other day and didn’t see any cucumber vines, so I thought I’d bring some for you to try,” Mother Shu said with a smile as she set the basket down.

“Oh my, you didn’t think this was too heavy to carry?” Mother Lu walked up and gently rubbed her arm.

“It’s nothing. I’m quite strong,” Mother Shu laughed heartily.

Grandma Lu saw that the basket was filled with only the best cucumbers, making her even more satisfied with this in-law.

“Looks like you brought all your cucumbers over,” she teased.

“Not all of them. We kept a few at home, and my fourth daughter-in-law’s family sent some as well,” Mother Shu replied. She took the bowl of sweet soup Lu Qingyuan handed her, took a sip, and her mouth was instantly filled with sweetness. “My dear girl, how much sugar did you put in this?”

“Why? Is it too sweet for you?” Mother Lu joked.

Mother Shu nodded earnestly, looking very much like Shu Beiqiu in that moment. “Of course! Now, not only is my mouth sweet, but my heart is too.”

Her words made Mother Lu and the others laugh, while Lu Qingyuan’s face turned bright red.

Mother Shu didn’t stay long. After finishing the sweet soup and eating a piece of mung bean cake, she got up to leave.

Mother Lu personally escorted her to the fork in the road.

“The two kids seem to get along well,” Mother Shu said.

“Yes. Last time Qingyuan went to the county to see Xiao Shu, she said they had a great time together,” Mother Lu replied.

The two women exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

“I’ll pick a good day for it,” Mother Shu said.

“Then we’ll be waiting,” Mother Lu responded.

When Mother Lu returned to Grandma Lu’s room, the elderly woman grabbed her hand, looking eager. “How did it go?”

“She has the intention, and I’m willing.” Mother Lu gently patted Grandma Lu’s back, signaling her not to worry. “She said she will choose an auspicious day to come over.”

That was as good as a marriage proposal.

“The sooner we finalize it, the more at ease I’ll feel,” Grandma Lu sighed in relief, unable to hide her smile.

“Mom, Grandma, have some cucumbers,” Lu Qingyuan said as she walked in with a plate of freshly sliced cucumbers, followed by a few little ones with bright, eager eyes.

The cucumbers were indeed sweet and juicy. This was only the second time Lu Qingyuan had ever tasted cucumbers this good.

“The first time I had cucumbers this delicious was when Qingyuan was ten. Her grandfather grew them,” Mother Lu said nostalgically.

“That’s right. I remember that year’s cucumbers were just as good,” Lu Qingyuan recalled, then thought of her grandparents. “When we visit them for New Year’s, we should bring some along. Grandpa had a cough last time. They didn’t plant cucumbers this year, so how about we take a few for them to try?”

She really wanted her grandparents to taste these cucumbers.

“That’s a great idea,” Grandma Lu nodded. “Take your mother with you, and while you’re there, talk to them about your engagement.”

The next day, while Eldest Sister-in-law Lu stayed home to take care of Grandma Lu, Jiasheng and Lusheng, Lu Qingyuan and Mother Lu packed up some things and set off for her maternal grandparents’ house.

It wasn’t too far—just two production teams away. Taking a shortcut, they could get there in about an hour.

Grandfather’s family was small. He and Grandmother had four children, but the eldest uncle and eldest aunt had passed away young due to illness, leaving only Third Uncle and Mother Lu, who grew up safely.

Mother Lu’s maiden name was Zhou, and Third Uncle’s name was Zhou Guoping.

Zhou Guoping and his wife had two sons and two daughters. The youngest daughter was the same age as Lu Qingyuan and had gotten married last year. Now, only Grandmother, Grandfather, Third Uncle’s family, and a few cousins remained in the Zhou household.

“Grandma! Grandpa!”

As soon as Lu Qingyuan spotted their courtyard gate, she ran ahead to knock.

The door wasn’t locked, meaning someone was home.

“Qingyuan, is that you?”

“It’s me!”

“Oh my, old man, our granddaughter is here!”

Pushing the gate open, Lu Qingyuan saw her grandparents rushing out of the main house in excitement.

Grandma Zhou looked very similar to Mother Lu, while Grandpa Zhou had a strong, square face. Even in his old age, he was still a head taller than Lu Qingyuan, showing that he must have been a tall young man.

“Looks like you only have eyes for your granddaughter and didn’t even notice your own daughter,” Mother Lu teased as she stepped into the courtyard. Seeing her parents looking healthy, she finally relaxed.

“Don’t talk nonsense, hurry inside and rest for a while. I’ll get you some water.”

Grandma Zhou glared at her.

“Grandma, I’ll get the water,” Lu Qingyuan said, feeling quite familiar with her grandmother’s home.

“Alright, I won’t stand on ceremony then,” Grandma Zhou said happily, pulling her granddaughter into the kitchen. “Your eldest cousin brought back some honey yesterday. I’ll mix some for you to drink.”

“Honey? That’s not easy to get this season.”

“He loves running around,” Grandma Zhou chuckled. Lu Qingyuan picked up the thermos and gave it a shake—it was about half full.

By the time they brought the honey water to the main hall, Grandpa Zhou was listening to Mother Lu talk about Shu Beiqiu.

When Grandpa Zhou heard what Shu Beiqiu’s grandfather’s name was, he slapped his thigh.

“Ah, turns out he’s an old acquaintance! We used to work together repairing roads. That old fellow was an upright man—his grandson can’t be bad!”

Grandma Zhou had also learned from Lu Qingyuan that she had a fiancé. Now, hearing her husband’s words, she was even happier.

“When will you bring the young man over for a visit?”

“There will be a chance,” Mother Lu smiled, glancing at Lu Qingyuan before asking, “So, any good news lately?”

“Not yet. They’re getting anxious, and after we tried to reassure them, it only made them more restless.”

Grandma Zhou sighed.

She was talking about her two granddaughters-in-law, who had both married into the family the same year as Lu Qingtian.

Now, Lu Qingtian’s son, Lusheng, was already so big, yet these two still had no children.

No one in the family pressured them, but their own maternal families were urging them relentlessly. They even secretly took folk remedies and nearly harmed themselves.

After that incident, Mother Lu finally found out what had been going on.

“Maybe it’s just not the right time yet. They mustn’t take those harmful remedies anymore.”

Mother Lu sighed.

“No use talking sense into them,” Grandpa Zhou said. He had scolded them over this, but the granddaughters-in-law still went back to their families and took those dubious concoctions.

Lu Qingyuan listened quietly.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Grandma Zhou said as she got up. “I’ll go prepare lunch. We still have some cured pork trotters at home. I was planning to cook them today anyway, so your visit is just in time.”

“Perfect. I brought some vermicelli,” Mother Lu said, taking out the items she had brought in a bamboo basket. “These cucumbers were delivered by Xiao Shu’s mother yesterday. They’re really sweet.”

Lu Qingyuan got up and went over to help prepare lunch.

As she worked, she listened to her mother and grandmother chatter away, sharing all the gossip from their respective production teams over the past few days.

The gossip from Lu Qingyuan’s production team was mostly about Grandma Yao, while the ones from Grandma Zhou’s side involved a few peculiar households.

For example, there was a couple who had given birth to five daughters over ten years. This year, they finally had a son. But during the full-month banquet, someone noticed that the baby bore an uncanny resemblance—about eighty percent—to the husband’s younger brother.

Lu Qingyuan: Ah?

Then there was an elderly couple who had been together for many years. The wife had only passed away for less than two months when the husband, despite his children’s objections, married a widowed woman from the village. Some people claimed they had once seen the two sneaking into a cornfield together. At the time, they thought it was a mistake. Now, it seemed they hadn’t been seeing things after all!

Lu Qingyuan: Huh?

And then there was a young man in the production team who was born… incapable. On his wedding night, the bride made a scene, packed up her dowry, and left by midnight. The young man refused to admit there was anything wrong with him, but his childhood friends exposed him, saying that back when they used to compete to see who could pee the farthest, he had never won.

Lu Qingyuan: What?