Chapter 12

Lu Lin’s family reached a consensus to go to the county town to take a family photo, and soon they finished their midday meal.

After eating, Mother Jiang tidied up and walked out of the house, smiling and saying: “Zao, I’ve been thinking about it, and this time I won’t go with you all to the county town to take the photo. Look, your father isn’t at home, and it wouldn’t be much fun for an old woman like me to go by myself. I’ll just wait for you all to come back at home.”

Huh?

Jiang Chunzao, who had changed into her clothes and was coming out of the room, looked at Mother Jiang with confusion and said:

“Mom, didn’t we agree before that we would all go to the county town to take the photo? Why are you suddenly saying you’re not going?”

Jiang Laoniang hurried to explain when she saw her daughter looking puzzled:

“Oh! It’s because of your father, that old man. Originally, I’d changed my clothes after lunch, but I don’t know why, I just thought about him! Zao, you know your father’s bad temper. If that old man knew that his precious daughter was only taking me, his old wife, to the county town to take the family photo, leaving him alone at home, he’d be sulking. I can’t handle your father’s bad temper.”

Jiang Chunzao listened to her mother’s words, and thinking back to when her father was younger, he always insisted on accompanying her mother everywhere, even to the outhouse. He was afraid she would run away. She couldn’t help but smile: “Okay, Mom, if you don’t want to go, that’s fine. Next time we have the chance, I’ll invite Dad, and we’ll all go to the county town together, along with Chunyu.”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

Hearing her daughter agree, Mother Jiang looked at her daughter teasing her, and felt a bit embarrassed. She hurried back into the house.

Jiang Chunzao watched her mother rush back inside, feeling pleased inside. After all, her parents had been together for over thirty years, and her father was still so possessive of her mother.

Just then, Lu Lin returned from washing his face in the yard. Seeing his wife giggling inside the house, he came over and asked what was going on.

Jiang Chunzao, still grinning, told him the whole story. Lu Lin smiled as he listened, his gaze softening as he looked at his wife’s charming profile. His heart warmed, and he reached out to hold her small hand: “Don’t worry, wife. I’ll be just like Dad, always sticking to you for the rest of my life!”

Pfft!

Jiang Chunzao widened her eyes as she looked at Lu Lin, whose dark eyes were burning with heat, watching her without blinking. Her face immediately turned as red as a sunset, but inside, she couldn’t help but feel giddy with pink bubbles of happiness. She smiled, about to say something, when suddenly, Little Stone and Little Moli popped out of nowhere. The two little ones stared wide-eyed at their parents holding hands. Little Moli’s delighted voice rang out: “Brother, look! Mommy and Daddy are holding hands! Holding hands!”

Little Stone smiled, trying to hide a giggle, and before Jiang Chunzao could react, she felt like she had stepped on a cat’s tail. Her face flushed even redder as she hurriedly retreated back into the house.

Lu Lin was left standing awkwardly, looking at the two bright-eyed kids….

~

The summer days were long, and the roses on the fence in the Lu family’s small yard were in full bloom. Mother Jiang had laid out a mat in the yard, holding Little Shitou and Little Moli on either side. She looked at her daughter, still shy and staying inside, and couldn’t help but call out: “Zao, if you don’t leave now, the sun will set.”

Jiang Chunzao, hearing her mother’s voice, finally came out, pretending like nothing had happened. As she stepped out, she yawned, her face still looking like she had just woken up: “Mom, the sun is so strong in the summer, it’s really nice to take a nap inside.”

“Yes, yes, I know it’s nice to nap, but that’s not what we’re talking about now. The kids are all dressed up in their new clothes. I made these clothes for them earlier, thinking I’d find a chance to dress them up. Now, it’s the perfect time to put them in their new outfits.

You wouldn’t believe it, when they put on these new clothes, they look just like little fairy children in a painting. I’m so proud of them!”

After saying this, Jiang Laoniang kissed the kids’ little faces, making them giggle.

Jiang Chunzao, seeing the new clothes on the kids, couldn’t be shy anymore and, following her mother’s lead, complimented how nice they looked. Just then, Lu Lin, who had changed into his clean military uniform, came out of the house. The couple each picked up one child and headed out.

Mother Jiang saw them off and kept reminding them:

“Zao, go early and come back early. Be sure to look after the kids on the road, it’s hot outside, so don’t let them get too much sun. And did you bring all the money and rations?”

Jiang Chunzao, who was holding Little Moli with one arm, patted the backpack on her back with the other, exuding a rich and confident air: “Mom, don’t worry, I’ve got everything!”

“Good, then don’t waste any more time. Hurry up and go!”

Mother Jiang saw them off, feeling relieved as she opened the door and urged Lu Lin’s family to hurry and get going.

Lu Lin smiled, bid farewell to Mother Jiang, and led his wife and two children toward the village entrance.

Lujia Village was nestled deep in the mountains, with rough and difficult roads. For villagers, going to the city to buy anything wasn’t an easy task.

In the past, villagers had to wake up before dawn, carrying baskets and walking several dozen miles of mountain roads to reach the county town. After finishing their business, they would turn around and walk back with empty baskets.

This back-and-forth journey took up most of the day, and whenever the villagers returned from the county, their feet would be covered in blisters. At night, when they soaked their feet, they would have to use pins to pop the blisters.

The village leader, seeing how difficult it was for the villagers to get to the county, decided to have Er Zhu, who knew how to drive a tractor, wait at the village entrance every weekend. That way, if anyone needed to go to the county, they could take advantage of the weekend and ride with him.

Today was a weekend, and Lu Lin’s family of four was walking along the bumpy village road toward the village entrance. The heat from the sun made the earth feel scorched. Jiang Chunzao, who had always been delicate and afraid of the sun, was walking along holding her daughter, who had recently gained a bit of weight. Her pale face had already turned red from the sun.

While Jiang Chunzao was walking ahead, puffing and carrying her daughter, suddenly a pair of large hands reached out and ruffled her hair. A low, magnetic voice sounded by her ear: “Are you tired? Let me hold Moli.”

After saying that, Lu Lin gently took Little Moli from her arms. His rough hand accidentally brushed against Jiang Chunzao’s chest, and both of them immediately blushed, feeling awkward but not saying anything.

Jiang Chunzao, her face red, quickly stepped aside and walked ahead, leaving Lu Lin to cough awkwardly. He followed behind, holding both children in his arms, and together they reached the village entrance.

Just as they arrived, they happened to meet Er Zhu, who was driving a tractor out of the village. A few village women, carrying bamboo baskets filled with goods, were waiting by the roadside.

When they saw Jiang Chunzao walking towards them in a fitted, stylish dress that highlighted her figure, with Lu Lin carrying the two children behind her, the women couldn’t help but eye her with both envy and jealousy.

In their hearts, they sneered, knowing that Jiang Chunzao was the pampered third daughter-in-law of the Lu family, who didn’t know how to do anything and was seen as lazy. However, they couldn’t help but feel a little sour and envious, wishing they had a husband who cared for them the way Lu Lin cared for his wife.

Jiang Chunzao was completely unaware of the envy and jealousy from the group of village women watching her. She was focused on getting to the tractor as quickly as possible to head to the county for a big shopping spree. She had a plan in mind: she was going to buy ten pounds of flour, some rice, and breathable cotton fabric to make face towels when she got home.

In the countryside, where people didn’t have ration tickets for towels, they would buy cotton fabric from the supply and marketing cooperative and cut it into pieces to use as towels for the family.

While Jiang Chunzao was deep in thought, Er Zhu pulled the tractor up to the village entrance. The villagers lined up in order to get on. Lu Lin, holding both children, thoughtfully helped Jiang Chunzao onto the tractor. The group of village women looked on with envious eyes.

When everyone had boarded, Er Zhu turned to remind them to settle in before driving the tractor toward the county.

After over an hour of bumpy travel, the family finally arrived in the county. By then, both children had fallen asleep in their parents’ arms.

The tractor stopped at the county gate, and the family disembarked. Jiang Chunzao led the way, excitedly starting her shopping spree. First, they went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the fabric and cotton she wanted, then to buy the daily necessities, food, and rice they needed. She also bought snacks for the children, who were still sleeping.

On their way back, when they passed the meat and vegetable stand, Jiang Chunzao spotted some beef and beef bones. She remembered the delicious beef soup from her past life, and with a sweep of her hand, she decided to buy it all.

The butcher, seeing how much Jiang Chunzao was buying, couldn’t help but notice the tall, handsome man behind her, who was carrying bags and looking at his wife with a doting expression. He was amazed. This man really knew how to spoil his wife.

The butcher thought to himself, Well, this spoiled wife must be the result of a man who knows how to indulge her.

Without further thought, the butcher quickly wrapped up the remaining beef bones and offcuts and handed them to Jiang Chunzao. She smiled and handed them to Lu Lin while leading the two children to the photo studio for a family photo.

By the time they finished taking their photos and came out, the sun had already set. The family hurried toward the county gate, hoping to catch the tractor back to the village. After a bit of rushing, they finally managed to catch it.

As they climbed aboard with their large bags and packages, the group of village women was once again shocked.

“My goodness,” they whispered among themselves, “look at this! The third daughter-in-law of the Lu family is really a spendthrift. Look at all these bags! It’s like she bought everything from the supply and marketing cooperative in the county!”

“Such a wasteful daughter-in-law!”