Chapter 8: Grandmother Has Arrived

The three siblings thanked the villagers who had helped them earlier and hurried home.

When they arrived, their parents, Mr. Li and Mrs. Shen, were thrilled to see the wild chickens and rabbits the children had caught.

“I didn’t expect you kids to be so capable and catch so many rabbits,” Mrs. Shen said, happily taking the wild chickens and rabbits from the children’s hands. She also grabbed the basket, imagining the money it could bring.

Mr. Li, who was in charge of the household, said, “Let’s not sell the wild chickens this time. The kids haven’t had any meat for a long while.” He looked at Mrs. Shen with a smile. “Tonight, let’s stew the wild chickens! The rabbits, we’ll keep them to breed and raise.”

Seeing the children’s thin and expectant faces, Mr. Li felt a pang in his heart and added, “Alright, I’ll go and kill the wild chickens. I’ll stew them for the children tonight.”

Li Wen was overjoyed, as the wild chickens and ducks from previous hunts had all been sold in the town by his father. This time, they could finally enjoy some wild chicken meat.

The sisters were equally delighted. They had almost forgotten what meat tasted like, and hearing that they would have chicken for dinner made them excited.

After putting the rabbits in the cage and checking to make sure they wouldn’t fight, Li Wen went to help Mrs. Shen in the kitchen.

The delicious smell of wild chicken stew with mushrooms filled the air, and Li Wen nearly drooled from the scent.

Just as they were about to sit down for dinner, there was a knock at the door.

Li Wen put down his bowl and chopsticks to answer the door. To his surprise, it was his father-in-law and mother-in-law, carrying a bag of dried wood ears and a basket of eggs.

Mrs. Shen quickly took the items from her parents. “Mom, Dad, you didn’t need to bring all these things with you.”

“The eggs are from your sister-in-law, and the wood ears are from your second brother and his wife. They went up the mountain to gather them and insisted I bring them over,” said Mrs. Shen’s mother, looking at her daughter.

Mrs. Shen was the youngest in her family, with two older brothers. Being the only girl, she had always been the apple of her family’s eye, especially her two brothers. No matter what good things they had, they always thought of their sister first.

Even after they got married and had children, the love and care they showed her never changed. Her sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews also adored her, with her eldest sister-in-law treating her like a real sister.

Mrs. Shen was deeply grateful for the care and attention her two sisters-in-law had shown to her family over the years.

“Mom, please thank the two sisters-in-law for me when you go back,” she said.

“Why thank them? We’re all family,” her mother replied, waving it off.

The family walked inside, and the three children eagerly ran up to greet their grandparents. Li Wen even ran to his grandfather’s arms, acting sweet.

Mr. and Mrs. Shen, both in their early fifties, had weathered many hardships. Their hair had turned gray, and their faces were marked by the years, yet they radiated warmth and kindness.

The Shen family hadn’t been back to their parent’s house for a long time, and they were very happy to see them.

Shen’s parents lived in Shanghe Village, which was about fifteen miles away from Taohua Village.

Seeing that her parents had traveled such a long way, Shen knew they must be hungry, so she quickly went to the kitchen with Li Guo and made another dish of scrambled eggs with chives before they ate again.

Looking at the food on the table, Shen’s parents were puzzled. They knew what kind of life their daughter was leading.

Her health was not good, and every year she had to spend a lot of money on medicine. Normally, she lived very frugally.

So why would there be chicken for them to eat without a reason? Seeing their puzzled looks as they stared at the wild chicken on the table, Shen realized her parents had misunderstood.

She hurriedly explained that the chicken wasn’t from their home; it was a wild chicken that the children had caught on the mountain. She also mentioned the time when the children caught wild chickens, dug up wild vegetables, and caught fish to sell in the town.

After hearing their daughter’s explanation, Shen’s parents were very happy for her. Although life at home was a bit difficult, her husband was loving, and the children were obedient and sensible.

Li Youyin was very grateful. He remembered how, when they first married, Shen’s parents hadn’t minded his background and had allowed their precious daughter to marry him.

From that point on, he had his own home and experienced the feeling of being cared for by others.

He brought out the treasured old wine again and had a drink with his father-in-law.

Looking at the two men across the table, already a little tipsy with flushed faces, Shen’s mother kindly said to Shen: “Your father is happy now.”

Back then, no one understood why, among so many good suitors, your father rejected them all.

Why did he instead let you marry into the Li family, a family with a bad reputation, and marry the least favored son?

Actually, the reason was simple. Youyin had grown up without anyone to care for him, so he would cherish those around him more than others, appreciating the warmth he found in his family.

Moreover, most of the suitors who came to propose were the eldest sons in their families, which meant they would have to live with the elderly in the future.

Although Youyin was not favored, one day he would be separated from his parents, avoiding the possibility of having to live with his in-laws and suffering.

Your father thought of this, and that’s why he agreed to your marriage. Although the first few years after you moved out were difficult…

Tears welled up, but after hearing her mother’s words, Shen thought for a moment and realized that her mother was right.

Her elder brother, although he inherited most of the family wealth, couldn’t make any decisions in his own home. He was constantly controlled by his in-laws and dared not speak out against them.

Since their parents were still alive, the old house was always under the control of the in-laws, and she had heard that there had been constant quarrels in recent years.

Though her own family was poorer, at least she had control over her own home and was free from those troubling matters.

Shen’s health had greatly improved over the years, and her two daughters were spared from the harsh treatment of her mother-in-law, who had once valued sons over daughters.

Shen was very satisfied with her current life and full of confidence for the future.

After they had finished their meal, Shen’s parents-in-law finally explained the reason for their visit.

It turned out that recently, news of the Li family’s change in rice planting methods had reached Shanghe Village. Now that they had some free time, the elderly couple had come to visit their son-in-law and understand the situation.

After listening to Shen’s parents-in-law, Li Youyin explained their daughter’s idea and the results of the new planting method to them.

When they heard that the method of transplanting rice seedlings had been suggested by their eldest granddaughter, the elderly couple was very proud. They hadn’t expected their granddaughter to be so clever.

Looking over at Li Guo, who was tidying up the table, Shen’s mother said, “Such a wonderful granddaughter of mine, yet that grandson of the Sun family has caused her so much trouble.”

Just thinking about it made her furious. Shen’s father-in-law added, “I really didn’t expect that grandson from the Sun family to be so unworthy.”

Li Guo looked at her grandparents and said, “It’s not worth getting angry at that kind of person. Maybe someday I’ll meet someone who truly cares for me. He’s so selfish and vain, even if I married him, life wouldn’t be any better. I think it’s best to end this engagement.”

Shen’s parents-in-law, along with Li Youyin, listened to their daughter and granddaughter’s words, agreeing, “Guo’er is right. That boy from the Sun family doesn’t deserve our Guo’er.”