Chapter 86: Job Opportunity, Old Widow Luo’s Scheme

Fang Rou had visited Luo Cheng’s house several times, and the Luo family had become familiar with her.

As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Luo Qiang, the youngest son of the Luo family, walking out.

When he saw Fang Rou, his eyes lit up. He rubbed his hands together nervously and greeted her before heading out. Even after walking far away, he kept turning back to look at her every few steps.

Fang Rou pretended not to notice and lifted the curtain to enter the house.

On the heated brick bed, Widow Luo was spinning thread with her two granddaughters, while her youngest grandson was tumbling around at the edge of the bed.

Seeing Fang Rou come in, Widow Luo greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“Comrade Fang, you’re here! Come, sit on the bed. Feng, go pour some water.”

Fang Rou quickly waved her hand. “Auntie, no need to trouble yourself. I’m not thirsty.”

Ding Xiaofeng also smiled and made a polite gesture, but she remained glued to the bed, not moving an inch.

Luo Dabao, who had been tumbling around, stopped and scooted next to Ding Xiaofeng. The mother and son both stared eagerly at the bag Fang Rou had brought with her.

Fang Rou’s eyelids twitched. Even though she had already understood what kind of people this family was after spending time with them, she still found their behavior unbearable. Their greed was simply too obvious.

Widow Luo smiled without saying a word, silently approving of her daughter-in-law and grandson’s actions.

She didn’t understand why this educated youth kept visiting their house, bringing food and drinks. Previously, Fang Rou had even made her a single-layered coat, saying it was to thank her for taking her in at the beginning.

The favor seemed too excessive and rather strange.

But if someone was offering benefits, only a fool would refuse. So, she happily accepted them, expressing her gratitude on the surface while not thinking much of it in her heart.

Whenever Fang Rou brought more gifts afterward, she gladly accepted them, without worrying that the young woman might have ulterior motives.

However, what did concern her was that her youngest son seemed to have taken a liking to Comrade Fang.

Although Comrade Fang was quite delicate and dressed in an overly flamboyant manner, she had money, and her family was from Beijing. More or less, she could be a match for Luo Qiang. The two of them being together wouldn’t be a bad thing.

However, Widow Luo had no intention of taking the initiative. A girl like this came with a sense of pride. She needed to be kept at a slight distance—neither too close nor too far—until she eventually lowered her own head. Only then would she be easier to manage.

She had no desire to bring home a daughter-in-law who acted like an ancestor to be served.

Under the increasingly heated stares of the mother and son, Fang Rou took out the contents of her bag.

She did not disappoint them—it was a pack of biscuits.

Unlike the broken, leftover biscuits sold at the commune supply and marketing cooperative, these were whole and intact, not substandard goods.

As soon as she opened the package, Luo Dabao reached out and grabbed two pieces, stuffing them into his mouth all at once. With just one bite, biscuit crumbs flew everywhere.

Ding Xiaofeng pretended to be upset and lightly smacked his arm. “What’s the rush? Your Auntie Fang brought these just for you. They’re all yours, so why are you snatching like that? How rude!”

Her slap had no strength, so Luo Dabao didn’t hold back at all. He grabbed two more biscuits and ran back to the edge of the heated bed to continue playing.

Just as his mother had said, these were his—he could take his time eating them.

The two girls spinning thread on the side watched quietly, licking their lips, but they didn’t dare say anything.

Widow Luo gave Fang Rou an apologetic smile. “Comrade Fang, I’m sorry. Kids in the countryside are rough, and they don’t get to eat good things often. Fortunately, they have an aunt like you who dotes on them and brings them so many delicious treats.

“Our Dabao was just saying the other day that the milk candy you bought for him was really tasty. What a shame he finished it so quickly.”

Fang Rou was speechless at this family’s shamelessness. She forced a laugh and replied, “Milk candy isn’t easy to find. If I happen to go to the commune sometime, I’ll see if there’s any.”

Widow Luo smiled in satisfaction. “Dabao, aren’t you going to thank Auntie Fang?”

Luo Dabao looked up and said, “Thank you, Auntie Fang.”

As he spoke, the biscuit crumbs still in his mouth sprayed all over the heated bed. Fang Rou subtly shifted backward to avoid them.

Glancing at the small table on the bed, she realized that the biscuits she had just opened had already disappeared.

She couldn’t help but laugh in frustration.

Forget it. She was only coming here to make herself familiar with them anyway. After all, Luo Cheng was very filial to his mother, and because of that, he also deeply respected his eldest brother and sister-in-law, who took care of the old woman at home.

If she wanted to secure her place in this family without a hitch, she had to build a good relationship with them first.

Everything was for Cheng-ge!

After convincing herself, she smiled and said to Widow Luo, “Auntie, didn’t you ask me to look into any job openings in the county? I managed to find one.”

Widow Luo’s face lit up with surprise. “You really found one? Comrade Fang, you’ve done me such a huge favor! Once your Brother Qiang gets his first paycheck, he’ll treat you to a meal!”

Fang Rou: Brother Qiang? What nonsense is that?!

She forced a smile. “Haha, Auntie, you’re too polite. But that still depends on whether Comrade Luo Qiang can pass the interview.”

Widow Luo’s slightly cloudy eyes gazed at Fang Rou with a warm expression, sending a shiver down her spine.

“How could someone recommended by Comrade Fang possibly fail? Where’s the job? Is it at the commune?”

Fang Rou replied, “It’s at the county’s livestock farm, near the commune.”

Widow Luo hesitated. “That place, huh? It’s a bit out of the way.”

Fang Rou let out a laugh, half out of exasperation. “Auntie, job opportunities aren’t easy to come by. My uncle in the city gave me this information as a favor!”

Hearing the displeasure in her tone, Widow Luo quickly adjusted her expression and smiled to make up for it. “Oh, I wasn’t complaining. I just thought it might be inconvenient for Luo Qiang to take you to and from work, right?”

Fang Rou’s face turned completely cold. “Auntie, I only helped find a job for Comrade Luo Qiang because you kept saying how hard it was for him to find a match without one. You were extremely anxious about it, so I thought I’d ask around for him. I did this purely as a favor to you—it has nothing to do with Comrade Luo Qiang himself!”

With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.

How could Widow Luo let her go when her son’s job hadn’t been secured yet?

“Oh dear, Comrade Fang, look at me! I’m getting old and don’t know how to speak properly. Don’t be angry. It was my foolish mouth that said the wrong thing. I should be thanking you—thank you for looking out for an old woman like me and helping my son find a good job.”

Fang Rou had not yet achieved her goal, so naturally, she had no intention of leaving.

She sat back down with a cold expression. “Auntie, you’d better be careful with your words. If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t dare to come anymore.”

Widow Luo smiled kindly and spoke in a soft voice. “I understand, I won’t say anything reckless again. Now, tell me more about this job.”

Fang Rou repeated the details once more. Although it was just a temporary position, it was highly sought after. She had to pull some strings and offer quite a few valuable items to secure it. Luo Qiang needed to report as soon as possible.

Widow Luo hesitated. “So soon? In the middle of winter?”

Fang Rou looked at her calmly. “Auntie, job opportunities don’t wait for anyone.”

Widow Luo quickly nodded. “That’s true, that’s true. Jobs are scarce these days. I’ll have Qiang pack up and head there in the next day or two.”

Fang Rou gave a slight nod. “Don’t worry, Auntie. The livestock farm provides accommodations, so he won’t have to travel back and forth.”

Widow Luo was relieved. “That’s great! That’ll make things much more convenient!”

Ding Xiaofeng, who had been sitting quietly on the side, curled her lips in disdain. That old woman! A good job like this, and instead of giving it to the eldest son, she hands it to the youngest. Such blatant favoritism!

Just wait. When you’re old, I won’t let Luo Qing take care of you. You can go live with your precious youngest son!

As for Luo Cheng, the Luo family rarely thought about him—except when it was time for him to send money home every month.

After finishing the discussion about the job, the three of them began chatting idly. Fang Rou subtly steered the conversation toward Luo Cheng, the son who had joined the army.

She casually mentioned how she regretted not having the chance to enlist and wanted to learn more about military life.

The people in Liujiawan only knew that Fang Rou came from Beijing, but they weren’t aware of her specific background. In this era, many people dreamed of becoming soldiers, so her interest didn’t seem out of place.

Widow Luo had mixed feelings about her second son.

On one hand, Luo Cheng was the most successful of her children, earning her considerable respect. That naturally made her happy.

On the other hand, he had been raised by his grandmother and resembled her in appearance. Having suffered under her mother-in-law’s harsh treatment for years, Widow Luo couldn’t bring herself to like him. She had even resented him at times. Even after his grandmother passed away and he returned to her care, she still felt uneasy around him. Her affection for him was merely superficial, nowhere near as genuine as what she felt for her eldest and youngest sons.

So, whenever someone praised her for having such an outstanding son, she felt incredibly conflicted.

But when she needed him to boost her reputation, she had no problem using his success to her advantage.

Now, she spoke about her son with an affectionate smile, playing the role of a loving mother to perfection.

Fang Rou wasn’t aware of any of this. As she listened to Widow Luo proudly recount Luo Cheng’s glorious achievements—some of which were clearly exaggerated—she was completely captivated.

How could she not fall for such a capable and outstanding man?

Seeing how deeply absorbed Fang Rou was, Widow Luo was very satisfied. She continued talking without pause, while secretly calculating in her mind—what should she ask Comrade Fang to bring next time?