Chapter 46

Lin Family Old House

“Sister-in-law, why are you here? Please sit down.” Lin’s mother saw the brigade leader’s wife and warmly invited her to sit. It had not been long since everyone had finished lunch, and they were all resting.

These days, Lin Hai Cai had caught a cold, either having a runny nose or coughing, and everyone was very worried. When a child gets sick, there’s always the fear of something happening.

The brigade leader’s wife waved her hand. “No need, no need. I’ve come to congratulate your old Lin family.”

“Congratulations? Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Why don’t I understand?” Lin’s mother was puzzled, and the others in the old house were also confused, looking at each other.

Seeing their confused expressions, the brigade leader’s wife realized they might really not know. “It’s about Guodong’s wife. You really don’t know?”

As soon as she heard it was related to the third daughter-in-law, Lin’s mother was startled. Could it be that the third daughter-in-law had caused some trouble again? She hurriedly asked, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong with my third daughter-in-law? Did she do something?”

“It’s about her job. She came to my husband at noon for an introduction letter, saying it’s for the procedures at the clothing factory. She passed the recruitment at the clothing factory. Your family has a worker now.”

Lin’s mother was shocked.

Everyone in the old house was shocked.

“Guodong is a military officer, and the third daughter-in-law is a worker. Your family is full of promising people,” the brigade leader’s wife continued, “These educated youth are high school students, they should go work as laborers.”

Lin’s mother hadn’t recovered yet.

No one in the old house had recovered yet.

Seeing that Lin’s mother was still unresponsive, the brigade leader’s wife shook her. “Sister, what’s wrong with you?”

Lin’s mother said, “Sister-in-law, I don’t know about this yet. I have to go ask the third daughter-in-law.”

“Oh, then you go ask quickly. I’ll leave first.”

“In that case, I won’t entertain you.”

Lin’s mother hurriedly went to find Ning Shu.

The others in the old house wanted to follow, but they held back. After all, when Lin’s mother came back, they would know too.

“Dad, is what Sister-in-law said true? Did the third sister-in-law really become a worker at the clothing factory?” Lin Guofeng couldn’t help but ask.

Lin’s father shook his head. “I don’t know either. We’ll know when your mother comes back.”

Zhang Qinfang pouted and couldn’t help but mutter, “If she has the ability to become a worker, why wait five years?”

With Lin’s mother absent, Lin’s father, Lin Guofeng, and Lin Guoliang naturally ignored her muttering.

However, Qian Aifen gave her a disdainful look. “The third sister-in-law wouldn’t spread rumors to the brigade leader. She has a proud personality, and if this thing is false, it would damage her reputation. So, this thing is most likely true.”

Qian Aifen thought she still had some understanding of Ning Shu. According to her character, she wouldn’t do something so embarrassing.

So, this thing must be true.

Thinking that Ning Shu had become a worker, Qian Aifen felt a pang of jealousy, but ultimately, the third branch had already been separated, and their fortunes were unrelated.

However, if their fortunes improved, it might benefit her as well. So, even though Qian Aifen felt jealous, she still hoped for the best for the third branch and hoped this thing was true.

Lin’s mother ran to the third daughter-in-law’s house and saw that the door was closed, with sweet potato vines, quilts, and bed sheets stuffed in the yard.

Had they gone out? Lin’s mother asked the people nearby, “Have you seen our third daughter-in-law?”

“She went out with a hoe and three children.”

These days, the walls of ordinary houses are not very high, just over a meter tall, so you can see inside from outside. But the walls of Lin’s house are very high, over two meters. So, people outside don’t know what’s going on inside unless they look at the gate.

The neighbor saw Ning Shu with the children passing by her door before she knew.

With a hoe? It’s not yet time to go to work, so did she go to the mountains? Thinking back to when she took the children to the mountains to dig bamboo shoots, Lin’s mother thought it was possible. But there are mountains on three sides here, and it’s not easy to find someone.

So Lin’s mother decided to come back in the evening.

In the self-cultivated land, Ning Shu was turning the soil in front, digging one hole after another. Yi Bao and Er Bao threw seeds into the ground as instructed by their mother, two seeds in each hole.

Ning Shu worked quickly, finishing two rows of land before Yi Bao and Er Bao had finished one.

After they finished planting one row, Ning Shu returned to cover the holes with soil.

Even San Bao followed Erbao, playing with the soil happily.

It was impossible for the mother and sons to finish planting the whole acre in one afternoon.

Seeing that it was almost time, Ning Shu took the three children back home. However, when they were having dinner, Lin’s mother arrived.

“Third daughter-in-law…”

Lin’s mother had rushed over as soon as she got off work. Seeing that the door of the third daughter-in-law’s house was open, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Third daughter-in-law…” She was just missing the person.

“Mom…” Ning Shu looked at Lin’s mother coming in. “Is something wrong?”

Lin’s mother hurriedly asked, “Third daughter-in-law, I heard from the brigade leader’s sister-in-law that you went to get an introduction letter at noon. Did you become a worker?”

Ning Shu nodded. “Yes.”

She didn’t expect the news to spread so quickly.

As for how Lin’s mother knew, it must have been from the brigade leader’s family.

Originally, she hadn’t planned to tell the people at the old house. This was her own business.

Upon hearing Ning Shu’s admission, joy filled Lin’s mother’s brows. “You’re really amazing, you’ve become a worker. When are you going to start work? If you’re going to work, let me know, and the three kids can come to the old house for meals.”

Yi Bao was also surprised. He didn’t expect his mother to become a worker. Although he was still a child, he had heard and seen enough to know that being a worker was a big deal.

Er Bao wasn’t surprised. He had heard about it when he went with his mother to the brigade leader’s house.

Later, he forgot about it when they went to plant in the field.

“No need, I’ve sold the job.” Ning Shu dropped a bombshell while Lin’s mother was still immersed in joy.

“What?” Lin’s mother’s eyes widened in surprise, her mind blank. Her mouth was open wide enough to fit a duck egg.

Ning Shu emphasized again, “I’ve sold the job.”

Lin’s mother was at a loss for words. “How… how did you sell the job?” This was a worker’s job. “How much money can you make by selling this job, and how will you earn it back in the future?” Moreover, this was a secure job. Lin’s mother’s heart was bleeding.

“Since all three kids are here, who will take care of them while I’m at work?” Ning Shu said casually.

Lin’s mother wanted to say that she hadn’t seen you take care of them before. How would she know? But Yi Bao spoke up, “Mom, you can rest assured that I will take care of my brothers.”

Er Bao also chimed in, “Mom, both Brother and I will take care of San Bao.”

Ning Shu paused, unsure of how to respond.

Lin’s mother nodded. “Exactly, the three kids are so well-behaved, there’s no need for someone to take care of them. You… you haven’t sold the job yet, have you? Can you still get it back?” If the third daughter-in-law became a worker in the future, no one would call her lazy, which would improve her reputation.

“It’s too late. I’ll be paid in a few days. It’s hard work in the workshop, getting up earlier than chickens and sleeping later than pigs every day. It’s not suitable for me.”

Ning Shu was honest.

She really didn’t like the 9-to-5 job, especially in this era where she had to start work at 8 in the morning, and on top of that, there was only one day off.

“Then… then…” Lin’s mother thought for a moment. “Can this job be sold to our family?” She felt a little embarrassed to ask, “You can rest assured, the family will pay for it.” Considering the long term, she thought it would be good to spend money to buy a worker’s job, and the job could be passed down in the future.

Upon hearing this, Ning Shu didn’t outright refuse.

“It’s like this…” She explained what happened with Director Ning, “So this job is 200 yuan more expensive than the market price, which is Director Ning’s way of apologizing to me. If you’re willing to pay the same price as Director Ning, I don’t mind selling it to you. However, because of this incident, I have a conflict with Director Ning. If you buy the job, will Director Ning target you? I won’t be responsible for that.”

Things had to be made clear. If the old house could accept it, she didn’t mind selling it to them.

Regardless, it was all about selling it. It didn’t matter who she sold it to.

However, “The money must be paid in full.” She was waiting to use the money to buy a house, and then she would get commodity grains.

Lin’s mother hesitated. “Well, let’s forget it.” Apart from the job being 200 yuan more expensive, there was also a rift with the factory director, which was not good.

She was worried about her several honest children.

Ah… Lin’s mother sighed. The good job was gone, and the third daughter-in-law became the village’s lazy woman again.

No, that’s not the problem. The problem was, “If the brigade leader’s sister-in-law tells others about you getting the introduction letter and everyone thinks you’ve become a worker, but then you don’t go to work, people might gossip.”

She was worried that their family would become the topic of gossip in the brigade.

“Let them say whatever they want. Don’t they talk about me all the time anyway?” Ning Shu didn’t care.

Seeing her like this, Lin’s mother had nothing else to say. “Then I’ll go back first. By the way, your father will go to plant the land you set aside in a few days. What do you want to plant this year?”

“No need, I went to plant this afternoon. It should be done in another two days.”

Lin’s mother was somewhat surprised. She didn’t know that Ning Shu had already planted the land in her backyard.

She thought the Chinese cabbage was still there. “If you need help with anything that requires strength, just let us know. We may not be able to help with much else, but we can definitely help with physical work.”

Since the third daughter-in-law wasn’t around, Lin’s mother naturally had to take care of things more.

Plus, now that the third daughter-in-law was acting more like a proper person, she was happy. And when she was happy, she was more willing to help out.

Ning Shu was touched. The old couple in the Lin family were really good to their third daughter-in-law. Just taking the farming for example, they helped every year without complaint, and they helped with the harvest, showing no signs of resentment.

It was really because of their good nature.

She didn’t like owing favors to others. Seeing how concerned Lin’s mother was, she got up and took a plate from the cupboard.

On it were four meat buns left over from breakfast. She had originally planned to eat them the next morning, but thinking that the old couple must be tired after the autumn harvest, she gave the plate to Lin’s mother.

“Take this back with you and have it to boost your health.”