Chapter 24: Bought Six Locks

At lunch, as expected, everyone had a hearty appetite. Grandma Wang even brought out two more sausage links for her daughter-in-law, telling her to cook them for the in-laws.

Gu Hua’e hesitated. “My mom can barely eat regular meals these days. Let’s not waste the sausage—it’s expensive.”

“Steam it with rice. The flavor seeps in. Maybe just the smell will open her appetite. At our age, we live on rice. The weaker the body, the more we need to eat. Just try it.”

“Grandma, I’m going to visit my grandma later. I’ll bring it over then,” Xiaomei chimed in.

“That’s fine. Eat first, then take a nap. After you wake up, go visit her. We’ve got some tofu left—bring that too.” Grandma Wang was not a stingy person.

After lunch, the family discussed how to set up the front yard. Seeing her mother-in-law behaving normally, Gu Hua’e finally relaxed and hurried off to visit her mother.

Meanwhile, Grandma Wang went with Xiaomei to the bedroom. Once she saw her granddaughter peacefully asleep, she sighed, walked out, and quietly began tidying the kitchen.

“Tidying” meant wiping down the stove—Wang Peigen had already taken the dishes to the river to wash.

After they finished, mother and son sat in the hall for a short rest.

Wang Peigen went to check the eastern bedroom. Xiaohua was asleep.

Back beside his mother, he whispered, “Xiaomei is asleep too?”

Grandma Wang nodded. “The poor child’s exhausted these past few days. She fell asleep the moment she lay down.” Then she instructed him, “When you go to the cooperative medical station this afternoon, stop by Peiying’s house and tell your brother-in-law I need to talk to him. Ask him to come by tonight.”

“Got it,” Peigen answered distractedly. “Mom,” he asked in a low voice, “where did Xiaomei get all that stuff? Is it dangerous?” As a father, he was deeply concerned.

After all, he had picked them up himself—preserved meats, sausages—all very valuable.

“Don’t ask. Even if you do, I won’t tell. There’s some risk, but I’ll manage it. You should spend more time at your mother-in-law’s or come home early. Cook lunch and dinner.”

Oh no. Mom’s going to the backyard again. Wang Peigen felt even more anxious.

Grandma Wang clearly didn’t want to continue the topic. She waved him off. “Go on. Either take a nap or go check on your mother-in-law.”

The helpless son left, carrying his medicine box.

Watching his back, Grandma Wang fell into deep thought.

This situation couldn’t go on. If Xiaomei kept traveling back and forth, someone had to guard the house—meaning she herself couldn’t handle household chores or cooking.

And they had to sell the goods they bought. That meant going door to door, maybe even to the city. She wouldn’t be able to watch over Xiaomei.

In fact, Grandma Wang had noticed more people than usual watching the backyard lately. Many would stop and chat.

If Xiaomei suddenly returned during that time, the secret could be exposed.

So she had to find a way to make Xiaomei’s comings and goings safer.

The biggest threat was Jinhua—she had previously tried to steal rose bushes from the backyard. Although Grandma Wang had patched things up after that, there was no guarantee Jinhua wouldn’t do it again.

These days, perhaps because of a scolding from her own grandmother or because she knew Xiaomei’s grandmother was seriously ill, she hadn’t come by.

But being neighbors, anything could happen. What if one day Jinhua saw the four blooming roses and got greedy again? That could spell disaster.

Other children could also be a problem. Xiaomei was friendly, and many kids liked playing with her. Several groups of children had already come by looking for her. Though they were turned away, others might still come. What if they saw the flowers and tried picking them for fun?

In rural areas, this kind of thing is seen as trivial. Adults don’t interfere.

Some even pick flowers casually if they see something nice—no one criticizes them.

Grandma Wang frowned, thinking hard.

When Xiaomei woke up, she was refreshed.

Hearing movement, Grandma Wang entered the room. Sure enough, Xiaomei was already getting dressed.

While helping her get dressed, Grandma Wang instructed, “Sweetie, when you visit your grandma, take the sausage and tell your uncle or aunt how to cook it. Check if she’s out of bananas—if so, bring some more. And ask her what she wants to eat so you can buy it for her.”

“Okay, Grandma. I’ll be right back. When Sister Xiahua and the others come, I’ll help you sort the vegetables,” Xiaomei said sweetly.

“I’ve been thinking, I might not have time to stay in the backyard much anymore. I’ve got chores, your parents will be worn out otherwise, and I still have to sell things. It takes time.”

“It’s fine, Grandma. Do what you need to.” Xiaomei smiled. “Since you started staying in the backyard, hasn’t there been even more attention?”

Grandma Wang laughed, tapping her nose. “Little trickster, nothing escapes you. That’s why I want you to go there earlier today and buy a few locks. Grandma has plans for them.”

“How many?” Xiaomei asked. She knew the stall next to Xiang Lingling’s at the market sold all kinds of locks.

“Let me see—main gate, two bedrooms, my trunk, and the backyard door—another one for that. That’s five. You know the sizes, right?”

“But isn’t there already a lock on the backyard door?”

“That’s the obvious one. I want a hidden lock inside too. Oh, better make it six. I’m thinking of adding a door in the back wall of the living room, so we can see from the inside if anyone enters the backyard.” Grandma Wang had it all thought out.

“Alright, six locks! Mission accepted!” Xiaomei said playfully. “Grandma, let’s let the family eat better. We’ll earn more and more. If we don’t enjoy it now, we won’t be able to eat it when we get old like Grandma.”

“I’ll listen to my good girl. Like a little mouse, whatever you bring home, we’ll eat.” Grandma Wang was deeply moved.

Heaven had smiled on their family—giving them such a sensible child was truly a blessing.

Xiaomei went to the east room to wake up Xiaohua. After giving them each a small cake, she took two sausage links, held her brother’s hand, and headed across the river to visit Grandma.

Today, her grandmother was being looked after by her grandaunt (her grandma’s brother’s wife). Years ago, after a big argument, her grandmother had broken ties with her own parents.

Her grandma’s family had the best conditions in the village. In recent years, her uncle and aunt had naturally been treated very well.

Grandma was fierce but protective. She had raised her younger brother and adored him. “He’s my brother—only I get to scold him,” she would say. “No one else has that right.”

So her grandma had become a warrior, shielding his family from harm.

Hard times had brought them back together.

When her grandma fell seriously ill, her brother cried in private many times. His wife had even volunteered to help care for her.

The family had four sons. The eldest was married with a child and even took night shifts to help. The three unmarried sons also visited regularly to offer help.