Chapter 17: Did Shen Jiaojiao Sit in the Field and Cry?  

Xu Meili pouted angrily and said: “I begged him for so long, but he still wouldn’t give it to me. I thought there was no hope of getting the candy. But who knew, just now, Third Brother found me and said that if I helped you finish the work, he would give me the candy.”  

“So, Fairy Sister-in-law, please don’t fight with me for the work. I’m doing this voluntarily, really! I’m very happy to help.”  

The young girl pleaded anxiously, afraid that Shen Jiaojiao would take her task away.  

Otherwise, she wouldn’t get to eat the White Rabbit Creamy Candy.  

Since things had already come to this point, Shen Jiaojiao couldn’t insist on taking the sickle.  

She simply pulled the weeds by hand—whatever she could manage was fine.  

Hearing Xu Meili’s words, Shen Jiaojiao’s heart felt as sweet as honey.  

Xu Mo might look cold and indifferent, but he really did care about her.  

“By the way, why do you call me Fairy Sister-in-law?”  

“Because you’re so pretty! Like a fairy, just like someone who walked out of a movie. Anyway, you’re just especially beautiful.”  

The young girl praised Shen Jiaojiao without hesitation.  

Shen Jiaojiao indulged in a moment of vanity.  

It seemed that her looks really were quite decent.  

“Just call me Sister-in-law. Don’t add ‘Fairy’ in front of it. Nowadays, people with labels like that tend to get into trouble.” She joked.  

Although Xu Meili didn’t fully understand, she obediently stopped calling her Fairy Sister-in-law.  

After all, her Third Brother seemed to like Third Sister-in-law a lot, so she mustn’t make Third Sister-in-law angry in the future.  

Otherwise, Third Brother would definitely scold her.  

With someone helping her and an enjoyable conversation, Shen Jiaojiao no longer found the time unbearable.  

Just then, Liu Xiaolan’s voice suddenly rang out, loud enough to shake the heavens.  

“Jiaojiao! Why are you out here working?”  

The two of them in the field turned to look.  

They saw Liu Xiaolan holding a ceramic water jug, quickly striding toward them.  

“Mother?”  

“Aunt?”  

Shen Jiaojiao and Xu Meili called out in unison.  

Liu Xiaolan walked up to them, set down the water jug, and pulled out a woven fan from behind her waist, fanning Shen Jiaojiao while grumbling: “Jiaojiao, what were you thinking, coming out here to work in the fields? Hurry back home. You don’t need to do this.”  

She had heard from others that Shen Jiaojiao had gone to work today. As soon as she found out, she had immediately abandoned her own chores and rushed back home to fetch some cool boiled water. She had even been generous enough to add a full spoonful of white sugar—something she rarely did.  

Shen Jiaojiao felt warm inside from Liu Xiaolan’s kindness, though she also felt a little embarrassed.  

She wasn’t that delicate, was she?  

“Aunt, this isn’t hard work at all. Besides, with Meili keeping me company, it’s actually quite fun.”  

It was only then that Liu Xiaolan seemed to notice Xu Meili’s presence. She finally turned her gaze toward the girl.  

“Oh, Meili’s here too! That puts my mind at ease. Meili is strong and works fast—just like a boy. You should sit and rest. Let Meili handle the weeding; she can finish it quickly.”  

Xu Meili: “……” Who was the real daughter here?  

Xu Meili suddenly felt like she had been picked up from the side of the road.  

Liu Xiaolan continued fanning Shen Jiaojiao while using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face.  

“Oh dear, your face is covered in sweat, and you’re getting tanned. Jiaojiao, let’s forget about today, but don’t come back to work tomorrow. Just stay inside the house and don’t go anywhere. If anyone dares to talk behind your back, you just tell me—I’ll go slap them silly.”  

Shen Jiaojiao could only smile awkwardly.  

Seeing that her mother was completely ignoring her, Xu Meili grabbed the water jug, tilted her head back, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.  

She had been working all morning—she was dying of thirst.  

She had expected it to be just regular boiled water, but to her surprise, it was actually sweet.  

Xu Meili smacked her lips.  

It really was sweet.  

“Mom, did you put sugar in the water?”  

The moment Liu Xiaolan heard that, her eyes shot daggers at Xu Meili.  

“You little troublemaker, that water wasn’t for you! That’s enough, two sips are plenty. This is for Jiaojiao.”  

Xu Meili had barely even warmed the jug with her hands before Liu Xiaolan snatched it back.  

She smacked her lips again, sighing internally. This woman really was a stepmother.  

The white sugar that had been so precious she wouldn’t touch it for half a year—now she was putting it in water for Sister-in-law?  

Sigh!  

She was just lucky to be benefiting from Sister-in-law’s presence.  

After snatching back the jug, Liu Xiaolan handed it to Shen Jiaojiao.

“Jiaojiao, hurry and drink. I added white sugar to it—it’ll help restore your energy.”  

Shen Jiaojiao did not refuse Liu Xiaolan’s kindness. She took the water jug and drank a big gulp.  

At this moment, drinking some cool boiled water with added sugar was truly refreshing.  

“Aunt, I can’t drink anymore. You should finish the rest.”  

“Drink a little more. You only took a small sip—it’s not enough. Have two more gulps.”  

Under Liu Xiaolan’s expectant gaze, Shen Jiaojiao took another sip.  

“I really can’t drink anymore.”  

Liu Xiaolan took back the jug and, feeling parched herself, took a sip as well.  

It had been so long since she had tasted anything sweet.  

Now, she was actually moved.  

“It’s all thanks to Jiaojiao that I get to drink such sweet water.”  

Shen Jiaojiao: “…?” Something about this didn’t seem quite right.  

Liu Xiaolan chatted with Shen Jiaojiao for a while longer, fanned her a bit more, and finally reminded Xu Meili not to slack off on her work.  

Then, carrying the remaining sweet water, she left.  

She still had to save some for her third son.  

On her way back, she was stopped by a group of nosy village women.  

“Liu Xiaolan, did your daughter-in-law sit in the field and cry?”  

“Cry, cry, cry—if you die one day, I’ll gather ten or eight people to cry at your funeral. Be sure to let me know in advance.”  

“Heh, why do you explode like a firecracker? I didn’t even provoke you.”  

“You may not have provoked me, but you spoke ill of my daughter-in-law, and that’s unacceptable. My daughter-in-law is filial, sensible, hardworking, and beautiful. She’s perfect in every way. If you keep badmouthing her, I won’t let it slide.”  

Mother Fang was bent over, vigorously cutting wheat.  

She had originally wanted to exchange a few sharp words with Liu Xiaolan, but after the fight they had in the morning, her whole body ached. She didn’t dare make a sound.  

Still, she scoffed inwardly.  

Hmph. She’s just a secondhand good my son didn’t want, yet look at you acting like you picked up some priceless treasure.  

Liu Xiaolan, Shen Jiaojiao tricked me out of fifty yuan—I won’t let your family live in peace.  

At precisely six o’clock in the afternoon, the workday ended.  

Shen Jiaojiao and Xu Meili had long since finished clearing the weeds.  

Not only that, but Xu Meili had also taken her to the mountains to search for wild raspberries.  

They were lucky today and found a large amount.  

They wrapped the raspberries in mulberry leaves, and by the time they were done, it was time to head home.  

The captain had been worried about whether Shen Jiaojiao could handle the work, so he came to check just before dismissal.  

To his surprise, she had done quite well.  

The weeds had been completely cleared.  

And most importantly, she hadn’t accidentally pulled up the soybean seedlings—that alone was worthy of praise.  

There were others who had come along besides the captain—people who had been hoping to see Shen Jiaojiao make a fool of herself.  

They had been looking forward to the sight of her sitting on the ground crying in embarrassment.  

But when they arrived, they found that not only had Shen Jiaojiao not cried, she had also cleaned up the weeds thoroughly.