Chapter 213+214 Combined

Wang Zhenhe knew his own sisters very well. Holding his daughter close, he said, “Qianqian, just don’t consider them human beings. Whatever they do, let them be. Your dad has learned to let go.”

Since her father had moved on, Wang Qian naturally had no lingering attachments. The father and daughter went to the city. They first took the corn and wheat to be ground into flour at the processing mill, and the soybeans were processed into soybean oil. The entire morning was spent with the mill providing services for them. People assumed it was a production team that had come for processing.

Once everything was done, they quickly found buyers for their products. Seeing a thick stack of money in their hands, Wang Zhenhe finally realized that his family had wealth. The tense and thrilling business transaction gave him a renewed sense of hope.

“Qianqian, trading is more profitable than labor. If we have time in the future, we should make more trips. Your school fees will be covered in no time,” Wang Zhenhe said.

This was the first time Wang Zhenhe had tasted success in business. No wonder his wife and the others used to come over frequently. This was something they needed to continue. It would be foolish not to make money when the opportunity presented itself.

“Dad, you should handle the business transactions in the future. Let Mom rest at home. Once we’ve saved up more money, we can venture into other businesses. There are plenty of opportunities to make money. This small amount is nothing. As long as you have the courage, there will be ample opportunities to make money in the future. Let’s quickly go buy a clock so we don’t miss the afternoon bus,” Wang Qian suggested.

Realizing it was getting late, the father and daughter hurried to buy the most important clock for their home. Then, Wang Zhenhe took his daughter to a restaurant to buy some steamed buns before rushing to catch the bus back home.

As it was getting late, the father and daughter hurried back home after purchasing the important clock. Wang Zhenhe led his daughter to a restaurant to buy a few steamed buns before hastily catching the bus back.

The addition of a clock to the household was a significant event. Zhang Lan was delighted to see her husband return with an exquisite mantel clock, feeling as if it were almost like celebrating the New Year.

“This is great. Now we have a clock at home. It will be convenient for us to keep track of time. It’s inconvenient for Auntie and the elderly not to have a clock,” Zhang Lan remarked.

Hao Lianchun, upon hearing Zhang Lan’s words, smiled and said, “Silly girl, it’s not inconvenient at all. We are all family. Nonetheless, adding items to the house is a good thing. It means our lives are improving. It will also be convenient for the children to check the time.”

Wang Zhenhe had finally tasted success. That evening, as he worked in the space, he excitedly talked about the day’s events. “Wife, we’ll save the money we earn for the children’s education. We won’t spend it unless absolutely necessary. And with the money from the production team, it won’t be long before we’re considered wealthy in the village.”

When Ma Fenqing gave birth, Zhang Lan didn’t send any gifts. This was not only due to their strained relations with Wang Zhenguo and the others in the old house but also because Ma Fenqing didn’t consider them significant. So, when Wang Zhenguo’s child celebrated the full moon, Wang Zhenhe and his wife didn’t attend. It was best to avoid such interactions.

Wang Juan, as the elder sister-in-law, had to help out. However, seeing that many of the guests were considered riffraff by the locals, she began to feel uneasy.

Both Wang Zhenhai and his wife shared the same sentiment. They couldn’t understand why their family had connections with such disreputable people. Wang Zhenhai confronted Wang Zhenguo, “What’s going on, little brother? Why did you invite these people to the celebration? Aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed? What good can come from associating with them?”

Wang Zhenguo felt a bit disgruntled by his brother’s intervention. “Big brother, those are my friends. The more friends, the more connections. Besides, they haven’t done anything to bother you. Why do you care so much? They came with money to celebrate. I can’t just kick them out. It’s common courtesy to accept gifts graciously. I know what I’m doing.”

Seeing that the host himself didn’t mind, Wang Zhenhai also felt that he was being meddlesome. It was none of his business. Although they were brothers, they had separate lives now. He could only advise, but beyond that, he had no say. Today, he had simply been too nosy.

Wang Desheng was also displeased with the presence of these people. However, seeing the joy on the elderly lady’s face as she greeted them, he decided to step aside and have a conversation with his eldest son.

In Zhu Qiyu’s view, her son being associated with these people meant that no one would dare to trouble their family’s youngest son in the future. These people might not have respectable occupations, but they were not averse to physical altercations. With so many of them, any household would be fearful. In the future, no one would dare to provoke their family.

Contrary to Zhu Qiyu’s perspective, Ma Fenqing’s parents and her brother and sister-in-law, who lived nearby, were well aware of these individuals. They were dissatisfied with Wang Zhenguo inviting them to the celebration, and it left them feeling unsettled.

Ma Fenqing’s parents began to reprimand her, “Daughter, what’s the matter with your husband? Why is he mingling with these disreputable people? This isn’t something a respectable person does. Why don’t you talk to him? Do you think finding him a job at the cooperative will solve everything? Have you thought that your father will retire in a couple of years? Besides, Wang Zhenguo’s career hasn’t taken off. Aren’t you worried that this will affect his future?”

Ma Fenqing looked helpless. “Mom, I’ve talked to him. He had promised not to do this. I didn’t expect these people to show up. I’ll talk to him when I have the chance.”

Ma Fenqing’s brother, Ma Fenkai, had always been dissatisfied with his brother-in-law, and seeing the current situation only added to his discontent.

“Sister, Mom is serious about this. Don’t take it lightly. Your husband, Wang Zhenguo, seems to be heading in the wrong direction. I’m telling you, you need to take this seriously. Don’t wait until it’s too late,” Ma Fenkai urged.

As an official at the Revolutionary Committee, Ma Fenkai was highly sensitive to political situations. While Ma Fenqing might not heed other advice, her brother’s words certainly caught her attention.

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ll talk to him tonight. Dad, you need to keep an eye on him and keep him occupied with work. He shouldn’t be running around aimlessly after work. We need to keep an eye on him,” Ma Fenqing responded.

Ma Bentang nodded grimly, already making plans regarding Wang Zhenguo.

While the family was having their meal, a commotion broke out outside, startling the still-sleeping children awake.

Ma Fenkai and Ma Bentang, irritated, stepped outside to see what was happening. Two intoxicated troublemakers were arguing for some inappropriate reason. The guests from the village, who had come for the celebration, stood by watching, none of them stepping in to intervene.

Having finished her meal, Wang Juan quickly pulled Wang Zhenhai away to avoid the situation in the courtyard.

Unable to find his older brother, Wang Zhenjiang, along with Wang Zhenguo and their friends, tried to defuse the situation.

However, inebriated individuals are not easily reasoned with. They were stubborn, unresponsive, and seemed determined to pick a fight.

“Stop this! Have you forgotten the law? Causing a disturbance here? Do you want to join us for a while?”

Ma Fenkai, with a stern look, rebuked the troublemakers in the courtyard, and immediately, they obediently stood still, no longer daring to move.

“You good-for-nothings, in the future, steer clear of these people. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you have no work to do. You might as well return home and tend the fields. And for the rest of you, if you ever associate with Wang Zhenguo again, be careful because I’ll have you brought in for questioning. I’m not just saying this; think it over for the future,” Ma Fenkai scolded.

After addressing the situation, Ma Fenkai returned to the house. Seeing the commotion, Zhu Qiyu quickly apologized to her guests.

In any family, such an occurrence is bound to cause distress. Ma Fenqing’s mother, Hong Shufen, vented her frustration.

“In-law, we didn’t provoke this. Look at what your family has done. Our daughter has never had an easy time since she married into your family. When she got married, your family threw its weight around. And now, you want to embarrass us? If you’re not pleased with our daughter, then why didn’t you say so before she gave you a grandson? We don’t lack children to feed. If your family doesn’t want to raise this child, then we’ll take him back. From now on, this child will bear our family name,” Hong Shufen lashed out.

This declaration frightened Zhu Qiyu. This was her beloved grandson. She couldn’t bear to have him taken away and have his surname changed. It would be the end of her.

With a rare smile, she tried to defuse the situation. “In-law, please calm down. Don’t take this to heart. Our family, the Wangs, are not heartless. Your daughter has brought great honor to our family, expanding our lineage. How could I embarrass you? This is just the villagers and relatives coming over. We can’t simply ask them to leave. Who could have anticipated that it would turn into such a mess? Rest assured, I’ll discipline my son, and in the future, he won’t associate with these people. Here, let’s have a drink together as a token of my apology to all of you.”

Zhu Qiyu, feeling embarrassed, dragged Ma’s family into the house to make amends over drinks.

Wang Zhenhai and his wife, seeing that the commotion in the courtyard had settled down and the troublemakers had left with their friends, returned at a leisurely pace.

Seeing his older brother return, Wang Zhenjiang grumbled, “Big brother, where did you disappear to at such a critical moment? Thank goodness I was here; otherwise, this could have turned fatal.”

Wang Juan glanced at her big-headed younger brother-in-law, aware of the recent events. She couldn’t help but smirk, “Little brother-in-law, we just went to the outhouse. How did everything go awry in the blink of an eye? Luckily, you were here. I’m glad nothing serious happened. By the way, where’s your wife? Hurry up and come help me clean up. We need to go to work in the afternoon. We can’t afford to lose any earnings.”

Eager to leave the scene of conflict, Wang Juan quickly tidied up the kitchen with Han Cui, leaving the rest unattended. She then dragged Wang Zhenhai out.

“Wife, is it okay for us to leave like this? The bride’s parents haven’t even left yet. Will they take offense?” Wang Zhenhai asked.

“Offense? If they take offense, they can take it with your mother. What does it have to do with us? I don’t care if I’ve offended someone. It’s not like I did anything wrong. Hurry up and go to work. We’ve wasted enough time. Your mother and brother won’t compensate you for lost earnings. Look at how obsequious your mother is. When has she been like this to my parents? She gets on my nerves. Let’s go,” Wang Juan asserted.

Zhang Lan later learned about the events at the Wang house from Wang Juan’s complaints and couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister-in-law, you stumbled upon quite the spectacle. Where else can you find such entertainment, and it’s free!”

“Ha, there’s nothing interesting about their fighting. Just looking at them, you can tell they’re not decent people. I feel embarrassed just being around them. Didn’t you see how eager she was? She’s more enthusiastic than when she greets her own son. I think she’s lost her mind. Some advantages aren’t easy to seize,” Wang Juan commented, expressing her disdain.

Both sisters-in-law were insightful. They could easily understand the old lady’s subtle intentions. “Sister-in-law, some people are just destined to be that way. You can’t obtain what they have by scheming. In the end, it’s likely to be all for nothing,” Zhang Lan responded.

Listening to Wang Juan’s grumbling, Zhang Lan smiled.

 “Sister-in-law, it’s already the beginning of spring, and we haven’t had a single rain. We’re about to start planting, so we do need some rain. Otherwise, the crops won’t grow properly.”

Surveying the dry land, Wang Juan sighed, “It’s really not good. We’ve only had a few light snowfalls this winter. They haven’t done much good. We need rain soon; otherwise, it will be difficult to ensure our family’s food supply.”

This concern wasn’t limited to the two sisters-in-law. It was a topic of discussion among the community members who farmed year-round. The team leader, Liu Changlin, looked concerned as he surveyed the fields with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Team leader, we really need to find a solution. The land is so dry; we can’t plant anything,” someone urged.

Facing everyone’s expectant eyes, Liu Changlin nodded. “Comrades, starting tomorrow, we’ll irrigate the fields before planting. If we delay any longer, we won’t be able to plant at all.”

Everyone present understood the importance of timing when it came to farming. If planting was delayed, the crops wouldn’t mature before the weather turned cold. If they planted too early, with the ground still cold, the seeds would rot in the soil and fail to germinate.

Resorting to watering the fields before planting was an unavoidable solution. If they continued to delay, they might not be able to plant at all.

The next day, everyone and everything in the production team was in motion. People were carrying water, carts were hauling it, and even hand-operated tractors were put to use. A large water tank was transported uphill on the back of a vehicle to fetch water. People were simultaneously tilling the land and sowing seeds while others focused on watering. No one dared to slack off at this crucial time; the year’s harvest depended on it. The year’s food supply relied on the harvest from this land, so anyone slacking off now would be subject to criticism.

In the afternoon, after school, Wang Qian, her younger brother, and her cousin Wang Li went to pull weeds. The adults were all busy on the hill, so the task of tending to the pigweed at home fell to the children.

Looking at the dry soil, even weeding was becoming difficult. Wang Qian furrowed her brow, concerned about the unfavorable weather this year.

Meanwhile, Mingyuan was also struggling, but fortunately, he had more strength than Wang Qian and had already gathered a bundle of fresh grass.

Wang Qian checked the river and was relieved to see that the stream hadn’t diminished. It seemed that the reservoir had begun releasing water. “Brother, you keep working on the grass. I’ll catch some fish for our ducks.”

With the weather concerns in mind, she needed to water the crops in the space promptly. Otherwise, the lack of water would become an issue for the crops inside.

Arriving at the stream, she took off her cherished ring and worked hard to collect water. She ensured that all the land in the space was thoroughly watered before she began catching the small fish. This time, she caught quite a few fish. The fish in the river seemed eager to swim into the space, as if they knew it was a treasure trove.

Wang Qian cheerfully strung the fish she had caught onto grass stalks. She left quite a few in the space’s tank for the geese to eat later. She had caught plenty today.

“Brother, are you finished over there? I’ve caught quite a few small fish here,” she called out.

Wang Li envious of her cousin’s catch, asked, “Qianqian, can you give me some of those fish? I want to make soup at home.”

Although she didn’t particularly favor her cousin, Wang Qian didn’t mind sharing the fish, as she had plenty. “Sure, elder cousin, come and take some with you.”

Wang Li didn’t hold back this time and almost took all the large fish from Wang Qian. “Qianqian, remember to save some for me next time if you catch more fish,” she requested.

Seeing her sister work hard to catch fish only to have them taken by her cousin, Mingyuan felt sorry for her. He glared at Wang Li’s departing figure and reassured his sister, “Don’t be upset, sister. I’ll catch some more for you later.”

Although Wang Qian felt a bit disdainful about her cousin’s behavior, she wasn’t heartbroken. Some people were just like that, always taking advantage, even from their own family. However, this time would be an exception. It wouldn’t be so easy for her cousin to take things from her in the future.

“It’s fine, brother. It’s just some fish. It’s a good thing I didn’t catch any crabs; otherwise, she’d have found out,” Wang Qian remarked. “Let’s prepare something delicious for our eldest brother. He’s preparing for an exam, and we need to ensure he’s well-nourished.”

Mingyuan also felt relieved that he hadn’t told his cousin about their crab-catching spot. Otherwise, things could have turned out differently.

While Mingyuan caught crabs in the water, Wang Qian packed their wet backpacks on the shore. Their books were combined, making it easier to pour out the backpack and dry it.

Upon seeing the siblings return soaked, Hao Lianchun realized they had been to the river. “Grandma, please pour out my backpack; we were catching crabs today, and I need to clean my backpack quickly. I’ll need it tomorrow.”

The grandmother affectionately patted the siblings’ heads. “Yes, our Mingyuan and Qianqian are very capable. I’ll prepare some crabs for you.”

Wang Qian cleaned the backpack herself, while Hao Lianchun was busy cooking. Mingyuan helped chop the pigweed they had brought and put it into the pig feed barrel. Then, he mixed the chopped green grass and small fish with bran, cornmeal, and wheat bran to feed the animals.

“We’re back, Grandma,” Mingcheng said as he and Wang Xuan entered the courtyard with their school bags.

“Brother, you finished school early today. Did your teacher take pity on you and let you go?” Wang Qian inquired. With the high school entrance exam approaching, the teachers for the ninth graders were strict. Everyone hoped that their students would achieve good results. For rural children, there were limited opportunities, and only by studying well could they potentially have a chance. Therefore, the teachers put in extra effort, hoping that all their students would pass the high school entrance exam. Although it was harder to get into high school at this time than to enter college in modern times, the teachers still did their best to help, hoping to make a difference.

In Wang Qian’s opinion, at this time, the teachers were extremely dedicated to their profession and genuinely cared for the students. They wished they could impart all their knowledge to these children, which was far better than some modern-day teachers who only taught half the material in regular classes and saved the rest for their paid sessions.

“Little sister, we have our sports day tomorrow, so we let out early. I even have an event to participate in,” Mingcheng explained excitedly.

Wang Xuan’s face also lit up at the mention of the sports day.

Both Wang Qian and Mingyuan felt a bit envious, as they still had to attend classes on Saturday. “Brother, I envy you. When can we have a sports day at our primary school? Sister, if we finish early tomorrow, let’s go watch our elder brother,” Mingyuan suggested.

Mingyuan’s hopes were pinned on the early dismissal from school, a situation that had occurred frequently lately. When the teachers had to leave early in the afternoon for political study sessions, the students were dismissed ahead of schedule. Wang Qian felt helpless about this, but fortunately, they had a teacher in the family. Otherwise, she would have been genuinely concerned about potentially affecting the future of her siblings.

“Brother, don’t expect us to have a sports day, but if our elder brother is participating in an event, we should prepare a good meal for him. I’m going to fish for our elder brother. Are you coming with us?” Wang Qian asked.

Wang Xuan declined, as she needed to help Hao Lianchun with cooking. Mingcheng, having completed the household tasks, accompanied Mingyuan to the fishing spot along with his younger sister.

Carrying the prepared fish, the three siblings set off. When they reached the reservoir, they saw their parents busy watering the vegetable garden. Mingyuan and his brother rushed over to help. With everyone pitching in, the work was soon completed. Zhang Lan came over to help her daughter carry the fish, just as they heard a commotion coming from the direction of the old house.

Wang Qian glanced in the distance. “Mom, I hope Ma Fenqing and Grandma aren’t arguing.”

Zhang Lan wasn’t sure about the situation. They were quite far from the old house, and the voices weren’t entirely clear. “I hope not. Grandma has taken charge of all the household tasks. What could Ma Fenqing possibly be unhappy about? She does very little apart from going to work all day. She’s practically the master of the house. It doesn’t make sense.”

While Zhang Lan couldn’t believe Ma Fenqing would be dissatisfied with the treatment she was receiving, Wang Qian had a different perspective. In her view, the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was a difficult puzzle. Being good to someone didn’t always guarantee their acknowledgment. After all, her own mother had been kind to everyone in the family, but it hadn’t brought any positive results.

Wang Zhenhe heard something amiss in the vegetable garden near the old courtyard. Initially reluctant to intervene, the loud voices from the courtyard troubled him.

“Mingyuan, go see what’s going on and come back to tell me,” he instructed.

Following the command, Mingyuan hurried to the gate of the Wang residence. Curious onlookers had already gathered on the street, eavesdropping on the commotion.

In the courtyard, Wang Zhi, who worked in the city, had returned, clad in a green military uniform, engaged in a heated argument with Ma Fenqing.

“Sister-in-law, do you have any evidence to accuse me of stealing your cake? I just returned not long ago. Who knew there was cake hidden in your room? Even if there was cake, you don’t offer it to our elders, is it appropriate to sneakily indulge yourself? This isn’t how a daughter-in-law should behave. We advocate filial piety, and your behavior is truly improper,” she argued, his face flushed and neck thick with anger.