Chapter 21

Jiang Chunzao’s guess was not wrong.

When Liu Hongyan saw that the smiles on the faces of the people in the Lu family courtyard faded as soon as they saw her, she didn’t feel anything unusual.

She still grinned widely and, holding Lu Mutou’s hand, entered the Lu family courtyard casually.

Liu Hongyan was carrying a basket and first took a look into the courtyard. She saw the neat and clean Lu family yard, the tall beams of the house, and several clay basins placed in front of the kitchen used for making shrimp paste.

She could clearly see that the basins contained shrimp paste, and her eyes flickered. Then, she carried the basket over to Jiang Chunzao, grinning: “Third sister-in-law, you really live well. Your family has shrimp paste and fish to eat, life here seems really happy. Is Sister Changshan home too?”

After saying this, she picked up a slice of watermelon from the table with her yellowed hand and shoved it into her mouth. While chewing, she grinned at Jiang Chunzao and Sister Changshan. This watermelon is really sweet and delicious!

While eating the watermelon, Liu Hongyan didn’t forget to give a piece to Lu Mutou beside her.

The watermelons given to the Lu family in the village had been sold to the city by Father Lu to exchange for money. In the hot summer, every household in the village had watermelon to eat, except for the Lu family.

Every time Liu Hongyan and Lu Mutou saw others in the village eating watermelon, they couldn’t help but get very greedy. After finally getting some watermelon, Liu Hongyan and Lu Mutou ate it like little piglets, chomping away.

Sister Changshan, standing nearby, couldn’t help but secretly laugh at the sight of Liu Hongyan and her son acting so unseemly. It’s true that like mother, like son. The villagers often said that although Lu Lin, the eldest son, was raised by Father Lu and his wife, he was different from the other two sons.

Lu Dashan was a good person, but unfortunately, he was a bit of a simpleton. This was how his life would be. As for Lu Ershan, he was even worse—lazy, annoying, and good-for-nothing. He married Liu Hongyan, who was just like him, with thick skin like a city wall.

Although Sister Changshan’s family wasn’t rich, she managed her two children strictly. Even though Xiaoliang, the youngest, was only eight, every time they visited the Lu family, he was always polite and addressed people properly. Jiang Chunzao liked this child, and every time, she gave him extra candies and snacks. Little Xiaoliang always said “thank you” politely.

It wasn’t hard to understand why Sister Changshan couldn’t stand Liu Hongyan and her son. Even Jiang Chunzao couldn’t bear to look at them. She could only avoid looking and smiled, saying:

“Second sister-in-law, is there something you need today?”

“Oh, it’s nothing big. The tomatoes in our vegetable garden grew really well. I thought your family’s Shitou Moliyu would like them, so I picked a few good ones to bring to the kids.”

After finishing a piece of watermelon, Liu Hongyan grinned and brought the basket over to Jiang Chunzao. Jiang Chunzao glanced into the basket, which was dirty, and saw a few withered and green tomatoes inside. Some of them were even cracked, clearly the ones that the Lu family didn’t want to eat.

Sister Changshan, who was standing nearby, also saw the tomatoes in the basket and was even more disapproving of Liu Hongyan. Just look at what’s in this basket—how could she possibly bring such tomatoes to give away? It’s really disgusting!

Liu Hongyan didn’t notice Sister Changshan’s displeasure and, still grinning, began to boast about herself:

“Third sister-in-law, how about it, our tomatoes grew pretty well, didn’t they? I picked the best ones to bring for you.”

Jiang Chunzao was taken aback by Liu Hongyan’s shamelessness. The corner of her mouth twitched as she replied: “…Second sister-in-law, we don’t need these. If there’s anything good in the future, just save it for your children, no need to bring it over here.”

If she brought them over, she would just have Lu Lin throw them away later.

It’s really troublesome.

Lu Lin: …

Liu Hongyan didn’t catch the meaning in Jiang Chunzao’s words. She thought the third family was thanking her, and grew even more smug: “It’s nothing, we’ve got plenty at home. By the way, Third sister-in-law, if you need help with anything, feel free to let me know. Your second brother is home today, so if there’s any work, just have him help out.”

“We’ve got Lu Lin at home, so I don’t need to go out to the fields. No need to trouble Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law.”

Although Jiang Chunzao smiled, her tone was indifferent, effectively blocking anything Liu Hongyan might have wanted to say.

Liu Hongyan realized that the third family didn’t want to get involved with them, which made her feel upset.

The smile on her face faded, and she was thinking of directly bringing up the matter of borrowing money. However, with Sister Changshan still present, she didn’t feel comfortable asking, so she could only babble on with Jiang Chunzao about some small talk, hoping to wait until Sister Changshan left before bringing up the topic of borrowing money.

Unexpectedly, Liu Hongyan spoke dryly and she was becoming more and more anxious, but Sister Changshan didn’t seem like she was about to leave.

Meanwhile, Lu Mutou was fussing and complaining, saying he wanted to go home.

Liu Hongyan, focused solely on how to bring up borrowing money, was annoyed by Lu Mutou’s noise. She waved at him: “Go on, go play. Can’t you see your mother is talking to Third Aunt? What kind of manners is that?”

Lu Mutou didn’t mind being scolded by Liu Hongyan. He wandered around the Lu family courtyard, walking here and there. Not only did he chase after three chickens, making them squawk, but he also went to the rose trellis and, seeing the three little ones watching ants, puffed out his chest and strutted over, saying: “What are you three doing?” 

When the Lu family hadn’t been divided yet, Lu Mutou often bullied Shitou and Xiao Moliyu, who were younger than him.

Both Shitou and Xiao Moliyu disliked him.

As for Xiao Liang, who was eight years old, though younger than Lu Mutou, he was the leader of the children in the village and the best at fighting.

When he saw Lu Mutou like this, he immediately glared at him and clenched his small fists, saying:  “None of your business!” 

Lu Mutou, just like his father, Lu Ershan, was someone who liked to bully the weak and fear the strong. When he saw how Xiao Liang wasn’t easy to mess with, he immediately backed down and went over to chase the chickens by the chicken coop. 

Jiang Chunzao had already grown tired of listening to Liu Hongyan nagging in her ear, and when she heard the three Lu family hens squawking as Lu Mutou chased them, her impatience only grew. She exchanged a glance with Sister Changshan, who also didn’t like Liu Hongyan, and they both silently read the same two words in each other’s eyes: “Annoying!” 

Seeing that the tea and snacks on the table were almost finished, Jiang Chunzao seized the opportunity to grab the teapot and said to Sister Changshan, “Let’s go into the kitchen and refill the water.” 

This left Liu Hongyan alone in the yard, enjoying the breeze, while Jiang Chunzao’s mother was busy in the kitchen. Seeing her daughter go into the kitchen with Sister Changshan, she smiled and said: “Your second sister-in-law is still out there in the yard?” 

“Yep, she’s like a sticky plaster, you can’t get rid of her.” 

Jiang Chunzao whispered to her mother while filling the teapot with hot water. 

Her mother gave her a mock reproachful look, but seeing that Sister Changshan seemed to have not heard, she picked up two boiled eggs and went out to the yard. 

“Is Ershan’s wife here?” 

Jiang Chunzao’s mother smiled and greeted Liu Hongyan, who quickly stood up and smiled back: 

“Auntie, I’ve brought some tomatoes for the third sister-in-law.” 

Mother Jiang glanced at the tomatoes in the basket but still kept her smile: 

“Second sister-in-law is so thoughtful. These tomatoes look good. This is our Mutou, right? He’s grown so well, so sturdy, looks like a good kid. These are two eggs I boiled earlier, I was just thinking about giving them to Mutou and Dashan’s family. Since you’re here, you can take these two eggs. Give one to Mutou, and don’t forget to take one for Dashan’s family.” 

When Liu Hongyan heard this, she immediately reached out to take the two eggs from Jiang Chunzao’s mother, excited at the thought of such a good deal. She promised to deliver the eggs and smiled at Jiang Chunzao’s mother. In her mind, she thought, This silly old woman, does she think these two eggs are going to fly away? And one egg for Dashan’s family—why? 

Just two eggs. When she gets home, one will go to Mutou, and the other one, she’ll eat herself! She’ll say it’s for the baby in her belly! 

Liu Hongyan was already planning this in her head when she suddenly remembered that she could not let the opportunity slip away. She quickly grabbed the mischievous Lu Mutou, took the empty basket, and said goodbye to Jiang Chunzao. 

“Third sister-in-law, I just remembered that there’s sweet potato stew in the pot at home. It should be done by now, so I need to go back and check. I’ll come by another day when I have time to chat with you.”

After saying this, Liu Hongyan hurriedly pulled Lu Mutou out of the Lu family courtyard. Jiang Chunzao, carrying the hot water kettle, came out of the kitchen. Seeing Liu Hongyan rushing so quickly, she was puzzled and asked:

“What’s going on? She was just sticking to us like a stubborn plaster, and now you’re leaving so soon?”

Sister Changshan was also curious: “Yeah, what happened?”

What else could have happened? Jiang Chunzao’s mother chuckled and explained: “Earlier, I gave Ershan’s wife two boiled eggs, saying I specifically cooked them for Mutou and Dashan’s family. I figured she could take them back with her. As soon as she heard that, she took the eggs and left.”

Sister Changshan, hearing this, gasped and said, “Oh no,” and when Jiang Chunzao’s mother asked why it was bad, Sister Changshan quickly replied:

“Auntie, why did you give the eggs to Ershan’s wife? That woman’s so greedy—once those eggs get into her hands, there’s no chance they’ll make it to Mutou or Dashan’s family!”

Jiang Chunzao’s mother wasn’t upset; she just smiled. Jiang Chunzao, who had picked up on the situation, spoke up: “Mom, you meant to give the eggs to Liu Hongyan, right?”

Jiang Chunzao’s mother, pouring shrimp paste into a large pot, praised her daughter: “You’ve finally wised up this time.”

Jiang Chunzao beamed with pride at the compliment, and Sister Changshan, who was also sharp, understood what had happened when she saw Jiang Chunzao’s mother’s expression. She laughed and said: “Auntie, you really are clever! You used two boiled eggs to send Liu Hongyan and her son packing!”

---

Back at the Lu family’s old house, Liu Hongyan, clutching the two eggs, happily led Lu Mutou inside. As soon as they entered, she headed straight for her room. Inside, Lu Ershan was lounging, his legs crossed, eyes closed. When he saw his wife walk in with a beaming expression, his eyes lit up: “How come you’re back so soon? Did you borrow the money from the Third family?”

Liu Hongyan, with a beaming face, was about to take the eggs out when she was suddenly blasted by Lu Ershan:

“You silly woman! All you know how to do is eat, eat, eat! That old lady from the Jiang family only used two boiled eggs to send you away! I asked you to go to the Third family to borrow money, and all you brought back were two eggs! What are you even good for?”

Lu Ershan was fuming, shouting at Liu Hongyan, who had swollen eyes from crying. She wanted to defend herself and mention how tasty the eggs were, but seeing how angry her husband was, she hesitated and didn’t dare speak.

After Lu Ershan vented his anger, he remembered that Liu Hongyan was carrying their child and tried to calm himself down. He thought, *Forget it, forget it. This silly woman is useless. I’ll find a chance to go to the Third family and borrow the money myself.*

He was confident that as the older brother, Lu Lin would definitely lend him the money!

---

Lu Ershan thought things would go smoothly, but he didn’t know that Jiang Chunzao had already warned Lu Lin to stay away from Lu Ershan’s family.

After Liu Hongyan was sent away by Jiang Chunzao’s mother with the two boiled eggs, Jiang Chunzao spent the rest of the evening pondering the situation.

She thought about it thoroughly and concluded that Liu Hongyan had not come with good intentions.

Liu Hongyan, who had never visited before, suddenly came over this time—there had to be something fishy about it!

Jiang Chunzao quickly realized that Liu Hongyan’s visit wasn’t a coincidence.

That evening, after everything had calmed down, she grabbed Lu Lin, who had been acting touchy, and lectured him for a while.

She insisted that Lu Lin must keep his distance from Lu Ershan’s family, and if she ever saw him getting too close to them, he wouldn’t be allowed to sleep on the kang that night!

When Lu Lin heard this, his dark eyes were focused on his wife’s moving lips.

After hearing her scold him, he immediately agreed, saying that he would stay far away from Lu Ershan’s family, making sure to follow her instructions.

Jiang Chunzao was pleased with his sincere response and kept on talking, but eventually, an impatient Lu Lian silenced her with a deep kiss, his voice husky: “It’s late. Time to sleep.”

Jiang Chunzao: “…”

---

Although Lu Ershan had his own plans in mind, Lu Lian was a man who listened to his wife.

For the next few days, Lu Ershan tried to find opportunities to approach the Lu family’s small courtyard.

However, the gate was always tightly shut, and since Lu Lin wasn’t the type to go out often, Lu Ershan couldn’t find a way in.

After a few days of frustration, he went home and erupted in anger several more times.

---

With the scorching summer heat, June arrived, and the weather grew hotter by the day.

After staying at her daughter’s house for seven or eight days, Mother Jiang knew that it was time to leave.

When the wheat harvest season came, Father Jiang arrived with the donkey cart from the village and took her mother back.

Jiang Chunzao packed some wheat milk powder, snacks, and food coupons into a small bundle for her mother to take back with her.

Father Jiang knew that his daughter liked to eat rice, so this time he brought half a bag of white rice for her.

That evening, Jiang Chunzao made fragrant fried rice with her own farm eggs for Lu Lin and the two little ones.

The fried rice was perfectly cooked, with the grains distinct and fluffy, topped with bright green cucumber cubes and savory mushroom pieces.

The aroma was so tempting that it made your tongue almost fall off. A big bowl of fried rice was completely devoured by Lu Lin and the two little ones.

Lu Lin ate quickly, finishing his bowl of fried rice in just a few bites. When Jiang Chunzao saw that the fried rice was almost gone, she thought to herself that if Lu Lin wasn’t full, she could heat up the remaining food and make him a bowl of noodles.

Lu Lin shook his head, signaling that he was full, so Jiang Chunzao stopped.

---

The next day was the village’s wheat harvest day. That evening, Lu Lin, for once, didn’t bother his wife and the couple managed to have a good night’s sleep.

The following morning, the village’s brigade leader held a mobilization meeting in the village, using a metal megaphone to shout instructions. Then, the whole village was divided into teams and began to harvest wheat with great energy and speed.

According to the village’s arrangement, every household was required to send workers to the field to harvest wheat. For every strong laborer, they earned ten work points. The more strong laborers they sent, the more work points they earned.

The Lu family, being large, sent everyone to the fields to help with the harvest. Even Liu Hongyan, who was pregnant, and the usually sedentary Lu Old Lady, went out to earn work points.

In the Lu family’s third household, Lu Lin was the only strong laborer. Jiang Chunzao and Changshan’s wife worked together with the other young wives on the threshing grounds. Threshing involved gathering the cut wheat into neat bundles and cutting the straw with sickles to shake it evenly. Though it seemed like an easy task, it was far from light work.

Since the Lu family didn’t need to worry about earning enough work points, Jiang Chunzao originally planned to have Shitou and Xiaomoli play under the big willow tree by the threshing ground. However, when the two little ones heard this, they shook their heads and insisted on helping their mom earn some work points.

Seeing their innocent little faces, Jiang Chunzao’s heart softened. She patted their heads and smiled:

“Our little ones are so obedient, knowing how to care for their mom and dad. But don’t worry, the work in the fields is something for your dad and me to handle. You two should just play with Brother Liangshi, alright?”

The two little ones obediently played under the big willow tree with Liangshi, as the sun beat down from above, scorching hot. The golden wheat fields were swaying under the intense heat, and the men from the village worked hard, bare-chested, while the women, their heads wrapped in cloth, were busy threshing wheat.

Liu Hongyan, pregnant with a child, sat on a stool she had brought from home, one leg crossed over the other, shaking the wheat. She was chatting with a nearby woman, grumbling as she worked:

“What is all this about? I’m pregnant, you know! This wheat field is so dusty, what if it harms the baby in my belly?”

The woman beside her chuckled, replying:

“Come on, stop complaining. Haven’t you noticed? Your whole family is here working in the field, and your old mother-in-law lets you sit here on your stool while your big sister-in-law and the others are out there in the field harvesting the wheat. What’s there to complain about?”

Liu Hongyan felt a sense of pride at these words. She puffed out her chest, trying to flaunt her condition:

“Oh, it’s because I’m carrying their big grandson, of course. When you’re pregnant, everyone in the family—your mother-in-law, your husband—has to take care of you.”

The women nearby, familiar with Liu Hongyan’s tendency to show off, played along, offering flattering words in return.

“Ah, Hongyan, you’re so lucky. Your mother-in-law and husband are so good to you.”

“Exactly, Hongyan’s situation is so good. When I was pregnant, I was told that eggs were all I could eat, and even white bread wasn’t always available.”

Liu Hongyan, hearing these compliments, couldn’t help but feel a little smug, walking around like a proud hen, chest puffed up as she basked in the attention.

But little did Liu Hongyan know, by midday, her smugness would soon fade.