◎ First update ◎ 

Yang Yan give them the registration slip, there was also a badge attached with a black cord, and a small plastic card that read “Participant in the City Youth Table Tennis Competition”—Xu Shengwei. 

“There will be a preliminary round next month. I’ve inquired about it. One third of the people will be eliminated, and only the remaining ones can actually participate in the competition.” 

Liang Baozhen understood that they had to screen the young talents and let the remaining capable ones compete for the rankings. 

“Thank you, Comrade Yang Yan, you’ve really helped us a lot,” Liang Baozhen said as she handed over a pastry with the warm scent of walnuts. “We made this ourselves; please accept it.” 

“This is just a small favor; no need to specially give me something.”  

“It’s mainly Xiao Wei’s intention. He now thinks you’re a great benefactor. He paid for the ingredients for the walnut cakes from his New Year’s money.” 

“Hahaha, you’re so willing to give it away?” Yang Yan liked this family very much, so she didn’t hesitate to say, “Then I’ll accept it. I’ll go back and taste it.” 

Xu Shengwei, who successfully registered, was extremely excited as he touched his registration slip. He threw his heart into the table tennis table. However, despite practicing and playing every day, he didn’t have a systematic training method. Not long after, when his sister accidentally bumped into him, he cried out in pain. 

Xu Shengjie pulled up his sleeves and rubbed his younger brother’s bare arm with some ointment mixed with medicinal wine to warm it up. “Does it hurt?” 

“It hurts, ugh~ Ow~” Xu Shengwei’s arm and shoulder felt sore and painful after playing for an extended period. His right hand was truly suffering. “Brother, be gentle! Ow, ow, I can’t take it anymore! Sister-in-law, help me! My brother is rubbing my arms harder than before, and it hurts!” 

Xu Shengjie was not as gentle to his brother as he was to his wife. His wife had delicate skin and tender flesh, while Xu Shengwei had rough skin and thick flesh. “If I don’t rub hard, it won’t work.” 

He firmly grasped his brother’s slender arms and rubbed it vigorously, knowing exactly where to apply pressure to help him out. Besides, how could a man scream like this? Xu Shengjie suspected that Xu Shengwei was making a big commotion. “Does it hurt so much? You’re such a grown man acting like a child.” 

“Xiao Wei, be patient. Your brother is right. This medicinal wine needs to be rubbed in well.” Zhou Yun looked at her grandson and comforted him. 

“Xiao Wei, isn’t your brother very strong?” Xu Shengjie was very strong when he was rubbing her legs, although he said that he only used half of his strength. Now looking at Xu Shengwei with tears in his eyes, Liang Baozhen felt that she had finally found a partner against Xu Shengjie! 

“Yes, yes, sister-in-law! My brother’s hand was too heavy. Ow, ow.” When Xu Shengwei saw someone speaking for him, he couldn’t but nod vigorously, as if his head were a wooden fish, bobbing up and down. 

But it was useless to say anything. Xu Shengjie rubbed the medicinal wine on him for a long time and then pulled his arm to “massage” him for a while. Only when Xu Shengwei was howling in agony did he show mercy and let him go. 

When sleeping at night, Xu Shengwei was still complaining that his brother was completely indifferent to his feelings. 

However, after being “tortured” by his older brother, Xu Shengwei felt much better the next morning. He raised his hand and waved his arm without feeling much pain. He decided to generously forgive his elder brother. 

After all, they’re family, and there’s no such thing as holding grudges overnight! 

*** 

At the end of the month, after Liang Baozhen finished her work, Xu Shengjie sent her home first, as he had to rush back to work the night shift. 

“You should eat more. You’ll be cold and hungry at night.” After finishing her meal, Liang Baozhen put two wild vegetable cakes in an oil paper bag for him. If he wanted to eat in the middle of the night, he could take a few bites and wash them down with some hot water. 

“I’ll go first or I’ll be late.” Xu Shengjie took the oil paper bag and strode back to the factory. 

Liang Baozhen watched her husband leave and then walked around in the courtyard. She wasn’t doing any of the housework these days; washing the dishes was Xu Shengwei and Xu Shengya’s responsibility. The two of them worked together; one rinsed the dishes first, and the other would rinse them a second time. 

Xu Shengya loved to worry at a young age. She would glance at her sister-in-law from time to time and said, “Sister-in-law, please walk slower. Be careful of the slippery road.” 

“I know.” Liang Baozhen turned sideways and looked over. She’s just liked her older brother. 

“Xu Shengya, are you finished?” The two daughters of widow Chen Yulian came to find Xu Shengya to play.  

“Almost, almost!” Xu Shengya shook her hands, and water splashed everywhere, some of which landed right on Xu Shengwei’s face. 

“Xu Shengya, you splash some water on my face.” 

“Hehe,” Xu Shengya giggle, feeling no guilt at all toward her second brother. “Second Brother, there are only a few dishes left, why don’t you finish them up? Song Xinhe and the others are waiting for me!” 

“Oh, hey, wait!” Xu Shengwei shouted helplessly at his sister’s departing back. In the end, he could only resign himself to his fate and lower his head to continue washing the dishes. 

Four girls in the courtyard gathered together to play string on the stone steps of the back house. Each girl took a turn. Liang Baozhen was walking slowly beside them. Seeing how happy they were playing; she couldn’t help but go over to give them some hints. 

“Xiao Ya, flip it here!” 

Xu Shengya was thinking seriously and had not yet found a way to flip the rope. After her sister-in-law pointed it out, she immediately understood it. 

“Ah, no hints allowed!” Qin Xiaoyue protested to Liang Baozhen, “Aunt Baozhen, if you’re not playing, you can’t help.” 

“That’s right.” Song Xinmiao nodded vigorously. 

“Okay, I’ll keep quiet then.” Liang Baozhen hadn’t played string for a long time, and her hands were starting to itch. She sat down nearby to watch. 

Seeing this, Song Xinmiao simply invited her to join, “Aunt Baozhen, do want to play with us?” 

“Sure!” Liang Baozhen rolled up her sleeves and joined in without caring that she was older than them. 

When Cheng Caili came out with the baby in her arms, she saw the four young girls playing happily with Liang Baozhen. Her daughter Chuchu, now eight months old, was starting to show some real cuteness. “Let’s go and see what they are playing.” 

“Baozhen, you’re in a good mood, playing with a group of children.” 

“Sister Caili, come and sit.” Liang Baozhen had just finished her turn and was now resting. She stood up to check on the baby. Chuchu had inherited her parents’ good qualities. Even as a baby, she was very beautiful—fair, tender, and chubby. She sat in her mother’s arms, sucking on her fist. 

“Look at Chuchu, she’s so adorable! She looks just like you!”  

Cheng Caili loved hearing this. The daughter she had worked so hard to give birth to must look like her. Even Lu Yuan had to stand aside. “She looks like me. My mother said she looked exactly like me when I was a child.” 

“Then our Chuchu will be as pretty as her mother when she grows up~” Liang Baozhen gently touched the child’s face, which was as tender as an egg. 

Cheng Caili’s parents-in-law came over tonight. Liang Baozhen saw them earlier, but they seemed to have left now. 

“Lu Yuan’s parents left?” 

“Yes.” Cheng Caili was upset about it, “They brought some things over and stayed for dinner.” 

“What’s wrong? You don’t look happy.” Liang Baozhen knew that her mother-in-law preferred boys over girls, so they hadn’t seen each other much since Chuchu was born. But today, Cheng Caili seemed especially upset when her mother-in-law was mentioned.  

“Do you know what bad idea she came up with?” 

“What?” 

“She wants to change our Chuchu’s name!” 

Cheng Caili and Lu Yuan’s daughter was named Lu Yichu, with the nickname Chuchu. They’d already registered her name three months after she was born, but now, her mother-in-law was suggesting they change her name! 

“It really makes me furious! Our beloved Chuchu has such a beautiful name, yet they insist on calling her something as absurd as ‘Zhaodi.’ They even want me to hurry up and give her a grandson! Every time they come to our house, it’s the same thing, and I’ve heard it so much that my ears hurt.” 

“Zhaodi? That sounds terrible.” There are several families in Damian Village whose daughters are called this name: Hu Zhao Di, Hu Pan Di, Liu Zhao Di, Liu Pan Di. They have different surnames but the given names are the same. Sometimes when someone shouts “Zhao Di” on the edge of the field, several girls will turn around and respond. They have to say both the given name and surname to tell them apart. 

“I did not agree. Why should my daughter have that name? It doesn’t sound right. I think she’s just here to make things difficult for me.” Cheng Caili raised her head and vented her anger. “Anyway, I have already told Lu Yuan to talk to his mother. There is no way she can change her name. I won’t also have children anymore. One is already enough. If I have another, I feel like I’ll lose half my life.” 

“This really should be handled by Brother Lu; It’s better that he talks to his own mother.” They both call her mother, but a biological mother is different from a mother-in-law. One can only act like a spoiled child and sometimes have a little temper in front of his or her own parents since relatives will tolerate you. 

“Exactly! If Lu Yuan can’t handle it, he shouldn’t come home,” Cheng Caili said, holding her daughter firmly. 

Liang Baozhen looked at her and remembered what Xu Shengjie had said before: she had locked their doors and let the drunk Lu Yuan stay outside the door. Cheng Caili did have a lot of experience in not letting anyone into the house. 

“Oh, Xiao Liang and Xiao Cheng, have you eaten?” Luo Hongmei just came into the courtyard from outside while holding a letter with a smile on her face. She then excitedly asked for help reading it. 

“I can’t recognize many characters; can you help me read what’s written?” Although she said she needed help, the smile in her eyes was unmistakable. 

Liang Baozhen took the letter and saw that Luo Hongmei’s daughter had been accepted into university. The letter from Yao Haoyun said she had been admitted to a university in the southwest and would start in the spring.  

“Aunt Luo, your Haoyun is really impressive. She was admitted to university.” 

Years ago, when Luo Hongmei had to send a child to the countryside, she couldn’t bear to send her son to suffer, so she sent her daughter instead. After many years, Yao Haoyun finally managed to come back to the city. Although she didn’t make it back to Beijing, it was still a big city in the southwest.  

“Hahaha, of course! I always said our Yunyun is capable; this is a great achievement—she got into university!” This was the first time Luo Hongmei praised her daughter outside. With her daughter getting into university, she felt proud. “It’s also because I’ve taken good care of Yunyun’s studies since she was little; she’s clever like me.”  

When others in the courtyard heard her loud voice, they congratulated her, then turned and whispered, “Isn’t it Yao Haoyun who worked hard for this?” 

“Luo Hongmei abandoned her daughter in the countryside for so many years. Her admission to university now has nothing to do with her, yet she is still trying to flatter herself.” Wu Changlong, who couldn’t stand her, couldn’t help but sneer while changing the coal in the house. 

“Xiao Liang and Xiao Cheng, you have studied for many years, right? It’s time for you to take the college entrance examination. Of course, not everyone can pass; it’s all about participation!” 

Liang Baozhen and Cheng Caili looked at each other, feeling quite helpless. If one didn’t know, one would think that Luo Hongmei had been admitted to university on her own.  

“By the way, has Nianhua come back yet?”  

“Inside the house, Sister Hua is busy.” 

Luo Hongmei slapped her thigh. “Oh! I already said it before! A family can’t function without a man. Just wait; there’s going to be some good news in our courtyard soon!” 

“What good news?” 

Cheng Caili was a little curious; she had never heard of it. 

“I’ve found a match for Nianhua.”