“It’s not about being particular. It’s about upbringing.” Lu Qingyuan glanced at Aunt Zhou with exaggerated surprise. “Oh, I wasn’t saying you don’t have any upbringing, Auntie. Don’t overthink it.”

With that, she picked up her clean clothes and walked away.

Aunt Zhou was livid. “Who has no upbringing? Someone who sleeps till noon every day dares to talk about upbringing?”

“You’re really weird, constantly fixated on my and my husband’s affairs,” Lu Qingyuan said impatiently, turning back to look at her. “Are you a pervert?”

“What does ‘pervert’ mean?”

Someone asked.

“It means someone who isn’t right in the head,” Lu Qingyuan explained. “Always obsessed with other people’s business, even when their own household is a mess.”

“Oh, then Aunt Zhou does have that problem.”

“Not right in the head? Does that mean she’s mentally ill?”

“Oh wow, that’s serious. If a mentally ill person hits or curses at someone, you can’t even hold them accountable!”

Soon, word spread throughout the building that Aunt Zhou had mental issues.

【Hahaha, Qingyuan roasted her so well!】

【Damn, she’s such a nosy old hag.】

【And she’s a control freak too. She drove her daughter-in-law away just so she could take care of her son herself. Gross, isn’t it?】

【Ugh, stop. I’m already nauseous.】

【Sending a little bee flower to our queen of era novels~】

While hanging clothes on the rooftop, Lu Qingyuan saw the last comment and had a thought.

After the livestream ended, she checked the system notifications. According to the prompt, once she collected five little bee flowers, she could exchange them for a one-kilogram jar of wild honey.

Lu Qingyuan’s eyes lit up. No matter what she could exchange, it felt like something falling from the sky—of course, she was happy.

By evening, Xiao Zhou, Aunt Zhou’s son, overheard the gossip, and his eyes immediately brightened.

He ate his meal with a grim expression.

Meanwhile, Aunt Zhou was still complaining about how bad Lu Qingyuan was as a new wife.

Xiao Zhou said, “Mom, go back to our old home tomorrow morning and let Su Mei come over.”

“What do you mean? Are you trying to kick me out?”

Aunt Zhou was so upset she lost her appetite.

“We haven’t had kids yet, and we’ve been living apart for so long. Do you think a child will just appear on its own? Have some sympathy for me. I’m almost twenty-three now. People my age back home already have kids running around.”

Xiao Zhou put down his chopsticks and looked at her.

“Besides, my supervisor heard that you’re not right in the head. Do you want both of us to get kicked out of the textile factory, or will you leave on your own?”

Naturally, Aunt Zhou chose to leave on her own.

So the next morning, when Lu Qingyuan woke up, Shu Beiqiu, who had just returned from the cafeteria with breakfast, told her that Aunt Zhou had packed up and gone back to her hometown.

Close to noon, when Lu Qingyuan came back carrying groceries, she saw a slender woman standing at the entrance of the Zhou family’s home. This was Xiao Zhou’s wife, Su Mei.

The two exchanged a simple greeting.

Su Mei was a quiet person, and she was the same way with Xiao Zhou.

But ever since she arrived, Xiao Zhou felt like the air had become fresher.

Whenever Lu Qingyuan had free time, she would weave bamboo crafts at home. She made all kinds of designs, and when the bamboo strips she had brought back were used up, she stopped.

Shu Beiqiu handled the sales, and in less than a week, everything she had made was sold out.

Looking at the newly earned twenty-plus yuan, Shu Beiqiu was shocked.

“In a week, you make as much as a trainee earns in a month.”

“Impressive, right?”

Lu Qingyuan was quite proud. “Back home, very few people buy these. I’m surprised that so many people in the city do.”

“There’s definitely demand. Intellectuals see bamboo crafts as a kind of elegance.”

Shu Beiqiu handed her a book he had brought back. “I found a new collection of practice questions for you. Work on them, and when you finish, I’ll find you another one.”

“Okay.”

Lu Qingyuan was thrilled and leaned in to give him two kisses.

“Oh, right.” Lu Qingyuan got up and took out a black-gray jar from the cupboard. As soon as she opened it, a sweet fragrance filled the air. It was the honey she had exchanged for that morning. “I came across someone selling honey, and it came with the jar. I bought a jin.”

“This smells great.” Shu Beiqiu scooped a bit and tasted it. “Very sweet, and the flavor is pure. This is wild honey.”

“That’s good. You work hard, so mix a little honey into your water every day.” Lu Qingyuan scooped out a big spoonful, added it to hot water, and handed it to Shu Beiqiu.

“Drink with me.”

“Of course.” Lu Qingyuan scooped another spoonful into a separate bowl. The couple sipped their honey water slowly. “This isn’t from a state-owned store, so we need to be careful and keep it for ourselves.”

“Understood.” Shu Beiqiu pointed to the book on the table. “I bought that from the black market too.”

They exchanged glances and smiled.

As the days grew hotter, the end of the month arrived. On Shu Beiqiu’s day off, Lu Qingyuan had already packed their things in advance. As soon as he got off work, they headed to the station and caught the last bus back to town.

By the time they arrived home, it was still light out.

Coincidentally, they ran into Shu Beidong, so the three of them walked home together.

Shu Beidong’s arms looked even more muscular than before.

The couple couldn’t help but glance at him several times.

Shu Beidong grinned. “I’ve been training by lifting stones.”

“…You’re turning into a bear.”

Shu Beiqiu commented.

“Well, I’m not quite there yet. I’ll keep working on it.” Shu Beidong chuckled.

Lu Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh.

When they arrived home, the whole family sat down for a joyful meal together.

During dinner, they talked about the upcoming full-month celebration for the two elder sisters’ babies.

Shu Beiqiu said, “The timing works for me. I can adjust my rest days and swap shifts with someone. But that means I won’t be able to come back at the end of the month.”

“That’s fine. If you don’t come back at the end of the month, there’s always next month.” Mother Shu smiled.

Lu Qingyuan noted the date down.

She also listened as Xiao Tingting and the others discussed what gifts they were planning to bring. She paid attention so that she could prepare something similar—giving too much might make others feel pressured.

After a comfortable night’s sleep at home, the next day, she helped with some chores. In the afternoon, the couple carried their things and headed to the Lu family home.

Grandma Lu looked even thinner than before.

Lu Qingyuan’s eyes turned red in an instant.

“What are you crying for? I’m still here.” Grandma Lu examined her closely. “You’ve gained weight, and your complexion is even better than when you were home. Looks like you and your husband are living well—that puts my heart at ease.”

Mother Lu chuckled from the side. “So you should eat more and take care of yourself. You need to stay healthy so you can hold your great-grandchildren one day.”

“Oh my, if I can see Qingyuan’s children, that would be such a blessing.”

Her words made Lu Qingyuan blush bright red.

That evening, as they sat together and talked, Lu Qingyuan learned that Lu Qingguo’s wedding date had been set—it would be on the eighth of next month.

As for Lu Yanyan and Tan Chang’an’s engagement, the two families were still negotiating. However, the Tan family was not very satisfied with Lu Yanyan, so they hadn’t finalized anything yet.

“Your Fifth Aunt is furious. She’s been arguing with Yanyan at home all the time.”

Second Aunt Lu sighed. She truly felt exhausted for Fifth Aunt.

Her husband was unreliable, and her daughter was a handful too.

Life was really hard.

Lu Qingyuan had already seen the barrage of comments exposing the true nature of the Tan family, so she wasn’t surprised at all.

Especially since she had previously spoken with Mother Tan.

It had been utterly disgusting.

So Lu Qingyuan quickly changed the subject and asked about other matters.

That led to them talking about Chunhong’s fiancé, who treated her exceptionally well. He often sent gifts, and she had grown fair and plump under his care.

“It’s just a bit unfortunate. She went to her uncle’s house yesterday and hasn’t returned yet. Otherwise, you two could have met.”

Lu Qingyuan also felt it was a pity.

Mother Lu then brought up Zheng Xiaoxin. “She’s really impressive. I heard she wrote an article that got published in the newspaper!”

“Yes, yes, she’s amazing. Just yesterday afternoon, she was taken to the county to give a report at the educated youth conference.”

“That’s really impressive!”

Lu Qingyuan’s eyes lit up.

That night, they stayed at Lu’s house. It was the first time Shu Beiqiu slept in Lu Qingyuan’s room.

Neither of them could fall asleep.

“How do you feel?”

Shu Beiqiu answered honestly, “A little excited.”

Lu Qingyuan punched him lightly. “Not serious at all.”

“I’m holding back. If I were really improper, that would be trouble.”

“Go to sleep.”

The next morning, they went to cut some bamboo. After processing it into bamboo strips, they carried them on their backs and left Lu’s house.

When they arrived at the clinic, they greeted Shu Beidong before taking a bus back to the county.

For the next few days, Lu Qingyuan focused on weaving.

Aside from grocery shopping, she barely went out.

As the weather got hotter, Lu Qingyuan liked to walk around the house wearing just a tank top.

One day, Shu Beiqiu brought back popsicles, and the two of them sat together, happily eating.

“The mung bean one tastes pretty good.”

“Right? Next time, I’ll buy a couple more.”

“Sounds good.”

Lu Qingyuan grinned and nodded.

“I’m out of bamboo strips.”

Shu Beiqiu understood right away.

Before long, the woven items were sold.

Every month, they would sell the bamboo strips they brought back and the items they made.

They never overdid it, fearing they might get caught.

With an income of more than twenty yuan a month, it was enough to support the two of them.

Everyone in the building knew that Lu Qingyuan and his wife lived well.

Every day, there was meat on their table.

If it wasn’t fish, it was pork, or sometimes ribs.

Their neighbor next door saw Lu Qingyuan making braised ribs again. Looking at the plain boiled pumpkin she had just cooked, she couldn’t help but offer some advice.

“Little sister, you two don’t have kids yet. It’s best to save some money. Once the baby comes, there will be more expenses. If you can’t come up with the money when needed, asking for help is tough.”

Hearing the genuine concern in her voice, rather than the sarcastic tone of Aunt Zhou, Lu Qingyuan responded warmly.

“Don’t worry, sister-in-law. We have a plan and will be more mindful in the future.”

The sister-in-law could tell she had listened.

But later that evening, while eating with her husband and child, she mentioned it to her husband. After listening, he said, “That younger sister-in-law obviously comes from a wealthy family. Her dowry must have been substantial. Plus, Xiao Shu works in the technical department and earns over forty yuan a month, not to mention all the extra ration tickets. Instead of worrying about them, you should be worrying about us.”

“That’s true.”

Her face turned red. “Was I being nosy?”

“You meant well.” Her husband picked up some pumpkin for her. “It’s just that I’m not capable enough. Otherwise, our family could eat meat every few days too.”

“What kind of talk is that? As long as I’m with you, I’d be happy even eating wild vegetables every day.”

Her husband sighed. “Please, think better of me instead of preparing yourself for hardship.”

Meanwhile, Lu Qingyuan was also discussing their diet with Shu Beiqiu.

“It does seem a little too extravagant.”

“If we want to eat, we’ll eat.” Shu Beiqiu placed a piece of rib on her plate. “My salary is there for everyone to see. Even if we eat meat every day, it wouldn’t be strange. Besides, we don’t have children yet. Shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves?”

“That makes sense,” Lu Qingyuan lowered her voice, “but what if someone reports us?”

“As long as our food expenses stay within my salary range, even if someone reports us maliciously, we’ll be fine.”

In the end, they weren’t the ones who got reported. Instead, a family upstairs did.

That family’s meals were just as rich as Lu Qingyuan and Shu Beiqiu’s, with meat every day.

The problem was that the husband was just an ordinary worker, earning only twenty-eight yuan a month. The wife didn’t work and had to take care of four children.

A family of six, surviving on twenty-eight yuan and five ration tickets, while still eating meat every day—it was suspicious.

When the factory’s disciplinary committee investigated, they uncovered that the man had not only accepted bribes from apprentices but had also secretly sold factory scrap materials.

The director of the machinery factory was furious and called an all-hands meeting.

The factory loudspeaker blasted across the entire complex. Lu Qingyuan stood on the balcony, listening to the director publicly scolding the man before announcing that he was fired.

On top of that, he had to pay back the money to cover the factory’s losses.

That family quickly packed up and moved away in disgrace.

Zhuo Bin swiftly rented the place.

He was getting married next month and needed a place to live.

“We have four banquets to attend next month,” Lu Qingyuan calculated with Shu Beiqiu that evening. “One for Brother Qingguo, one for Zhuo Bin, and two for my sisters. Zhuo Bin’s wedding is the closest, so we can both go. Brother Qingguo is further away, and you can’t take leave, so I’ll go by myself and stay at home for a couple of days.”

“Alright,” Shu Beiqiu had no objections. “Stay longer and keep Grandma company.”

Lu Qingyuan kissed him on the cheek. “You really know my heart.”

“Of course.” Shu Beiqiu happily pulled her into his arms.

The first banquet was for his eldest sister, Shu Beichun. The couple brought gifts and took the bus to a neighboring county.

Shu Beichun looked a lot like Mother Shu and had a gentle personality. Her husband was a tough-looking man with a loud voice. Their daughter was an adorable little girl.

When Lu Qingyuan held her, she felt like she was holding a bundle of softness, with a milky scent all over.

A few days later, they traveled to Shu Beixia’s place.

According to Shu Beiqiu, Shu Beixia took after their grandmother.

Her husband was fair-skinned and chubby, with dimples when he smiled. Their little boy, just like his father, had two dimples as well.

Zhuo Bin’s wedding was the third banquet they attended. Lu Qingyuan even helped decorate the newlywed’s room and prepared some food.

The bride, Sun Yue, was tall and carried herself with confidence. She had a straightforward and generous personality, somewhat resembling the two sisters-in-law in Lu Qingyuan’s family. The two of them got along very well, and by the next day, they were already going grocery shopping together.

Sun Yue loved gossip. Whenever she heard some juicy news, she would rush over to share it with Lu Qingyuan. Because of this, Lu Qingyuan became so engrossed in Sun Yue’s stories that she didn’t even bother checking the barrage of comments.

The viewers in the livestream also enjoyed these gossip sessions, and the number of people sending gifts increased. Since she still hadn’t finished the wild honey, Lu Qingyuan hadn’t redeemed any rewards yet.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day before Lu Qingguo’s wedding. After packing her things, Lu Qingyuan informed Shu Beiqiu and took the afternoon bus back to Heizhu Town.