Xie Jinghao took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then approached Shen Meng with a stiff smile. Her belly was large now, and she couldn’t help carry the burlap sack. She and Shen Meng exchanged a glance, then looked over to the two frail children standing in the doorway.

Seeing the children, Shen Meng gave up on asking for help with the sack and went to the kitchen to grab a knife. She untied the rope around the sack and started pulling items out one by one.

The first thing she pulled out was a large iron pot. When the original Shen Meng married Lu Zhenping, she’d brought one, but soon after the wedding, her mother-in-law, Liu Sanjin, had taken it. Now, they were left with the old iron pot used by the Lu family for decades, full of chips and cracks that Shen Meng worried would tear open any day while cooking.

Then came candy, pastries, lean meat, ribs, towels, toothbrushes, cups, washbasins, clothes, shoes, socks, bedsheets, and covers. Lu Mingyang and Lu Mingliang made countless trips back and forth between the sack and the main room, astonished at the never-ending flow of items from the sack. When they finally emptied it, the room was nearly filled to the brim.

Seeing the stunned faces around her, Shen Meng scratched her nose, feeling a little awkward.

“Well, I might have gone a little overboard…”

“S-sister-in-law,” Xie Jinghao stammered. “Did you… did you buy out the whole supply store?”

“It was a rare trip to the county,” Shen Meng replied, waving it off. “I stocked up on everything the household was missing. The county’s store is huge! Luckily, they sell ready-made clothes for adults and children. Otherwise, if I had to rely on you sewing, it wouldn’t be ready in time. The weather’s cooling next month, and Mingyang and the others don’t have decent warm clothes or shoes for school. I bought everything a little big, so they can use it for years.”

As she spoke, Shen Meng separated the clothes for each of the children, giving each two sets, along with shoes, socks, notebooks, and pencils. There were even three green shoulder bags, which she’d found cheaply at a small goods market.

Lu Mingyang and Lu Mingliang gaped at their piles of clothes and supplies, especially Lu Mingyang. He had thought that if this “bad woman” was pretending to take care of them, it was just to sell them off later. But who would spend this much on things for kids they planned to sell? Suddenly, he felt he wasn’t worth nearly as much as all these items.

Lu Mingliang clutched his new clothes in excitement, staring at Shen Meng in disbelief. “Mom, is all this really for me? These Liberation shoes are so cool! My cousin Dazhuang has a pair, and he shows them off every time he visits!”

“Yes, they’re all yours,” Shen Meng assured him. “Once the harvest season is over, you and your brother will start school. Mingfang is timid, so make sure no one bullies her.”

Standing a little taller, Lu Mingliang puffed out his chest. “Mom, I’m a man! I’ll protect my sister!”

Seeing her gentle smile as she spoke to his brother, Lu Mingyang felt a bit of warmth toward his mother.

Once everything was sorted, Shen Meng instructed the kids to put their new clothes away, ready to be worn after washing. Then, she took out the rest of the items she’d bought at the supply store. In addition to the blue polyester she had already shown, she’d bought floral-patterned cotton fabric and some army-green polyester, enough for both adults and children.

“Jinghao,” Shen Meng began, “I know I wasn’t very understanding before. We argued too much, but you have a good heart—you’ve always been kind to Mingyang and the others. I really appreciate it. Here, I bought some fabric for Xiaogang and the baby, and some rubber soles. You can use the extra fabric for shoes for Xiaogang. I also have brown sugar and candy for you.”

With her arms full of gifts, Xie Jinghao nearly lost her balance.

“Oh, no, sister-in-law, I can’t take this! My husband and I owe so much to Big Brother already. I helped with Mingyang and the others because they’re sweet kids, not because of gifts. Please, take these back.”

But Shen Meng held her ground, smiling, “This isn’t about today. When you married into the family, I didn’t give you anything for your trousseau. Consider this as making up for that. Besides, even if you don’t take it, Xiaogang and the baby still need it. Feel this cotton fabric—so soft! And the shoe soles are just Xiaogang’s size. If I keep it, I’ll have no use for it. You know me, Jinghao. I’m not a ‘saint’—just look at the way I ignore my other in-laws. I don’t care if they ask for things. And these items are to stay here until they’re made into clothes and shoes. If you take them home now, not a crumb will be left by morning.”

Xie Jinghao looked at her sister-in-law, moved by her sincerity. Her own little stash of fabric scraps couldn’t compare to what Shen Meng was giving her. Still, taking all this did feel a little shameless.

Noticing her hesitation, Shen Meng sighed. “Jinghao, things are just things. I’ve got four children to raise, and I’m no good at sewing or heavy chores like fetching water or chopping wood. I’m going to need your help and Jiasheng’s, and if you don’t accept these, I’ll feel bad asking. Come on, even I can understand this simple reasoning!”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jinghao finally accepted, holding the gifts close. “Alright, sister-in-law. I’ll thank you on behalf of Xiaogang and the baby. Just let me know if you need help with anything.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Shen Meng replied, pleased.

They continued unpacking, eventually reaching a collection of specialties sent from the army—home-woven fabrics, small blocks of cured ham, flower cakes, Yunnan white medicine, mushrooms, and rice noodles.

“These are all good! Jinghao, stay and have dinner with us tonight.”

“Oh, no, no, sister-in-law. I have to get home soon to make dinner for the others when they return from the fields.”

Shen Meng looked at her rounded belly, about to protest but saying nothing. After all, in these times, there wasn’t much sympathy for pregnant women when it came to daily chores.

“Alright, go on, but try to eat less and come over with Xiaogang for a stroll tonight. I’ll save some dinner for you both.”

“Sister-in-law, you really don’t have to—”

“Please, don’t argue,” Shen Meng interrupted. “I know exactly what the Lu family eats. You’re so thin that you’ll struggle when it’s time to deliver the baby.”

Hearing this, Xie Jinghao fell silent. Her sister-in-law really was kind and warm-hearted—she’d been wrong about her before. Before leaving, Shen Meng slipped her three yuan, explaining it was the pension money for their parents send by Zhenping.

Shen Meng felt unhappy. She was providing the money, but they weren’t even eating together as a family. There was no separation of the family. Their private plots were also cultivated by the Lu family. No matter how she thought about it, she felt that she had suffered a great loss.