Chapter 101 : Haishi’s cousin is here

Uncle Du said, “You have two children to raise now, and the burden is heavy. In the future, you can keep the food Zhenyu brings back for yourselves. We have plenty of food at home.”

“Uncle, we still have some food at home. Han Zhenyu brought a lot back last time, and we couldn’t finish it, so he gave this to you.”

Seeing that they were still trying to decline, Su Xieqiu quickly said with a smile, “It’s getting late, uncle, uncle-in-law, and cousins. You should head back early and be careful on the road.”

The two had no choice but to accept the items.

Du Zhonghua patted his full belly and said contentedly, “The food my sister-in-law made is really delicious, especially the pig offal at lunch. Even the potatoes in it were amazing.”

He grinned and said to Uncle Du, “Dad, don’t we have a pig’s head at home? Let Mom stew it like this in a few days, so Grandpa and Grandma can taste it too.”

Uncle Du tapped his son on the head and jokingly scolded, “You little rascal, you haven’t even digested what you ate today, and you’re already thinking about the pig’s head at home. That was given by your cousin to honor your grandparents. How could it be your turn to decide how to eat it?”

Talking about the delicious pork offal from lunch, Yan Daqiang and Yan Erqiang joined in the conversation.

“It’s all meat, but why does Zhenyu’s wife cook it so deliciously? Why isn’t my mother’s wild boar skin stew as tasty?”

As soon as Yan Daqiang finished speaking, Yan Guowei kicked him on the backside.

“If you think your mother’s cooking isn’t tasty, then don’t eat it next time she stews meat.”

Hearing this, Yan Daqiang panicked and quickly explained, “Oh, Dad, that’s not what I meant! Please don’t say that when we get back. What if Mom takes it seriously?”

Yan Guowei snorted, chuckled, and deliberately ignored him, walking ahead with his hands behind his back.

The family left the Sanhua Brigade, chatting and laughing along the way.

—

Wang Fengqin knocked on the door a few times and called out, “Zhenyu’s wife, are you home?”

Su Xieqiu was washing clothes in the backyard. Hearing the voice, she immediately replied, “Sister-in-law, I’m in the backyard.”

She wiped her hands and went to the front yard with her two children.

Opening the door with a smile, Su Xieqiu greeted, “Sister, come in and sit down.”

“I won’t come in. I have a lot to do at home.”

Noticing several woodcutters passing nearby, Wang Fengqin lowered her voice and said, “Zhenyu’s wife, I just went to the brigade’s sales point to buy salt, and I saw the team leader bringing in another group of educated youths, more than a dozen of them. I overheard that they’re from Hai City. It seems your cousin and an old classmate of yours are among them. They were asking about you through the old man Han, who drove the ox cart.”

Wang Fengqin didn’t know the details of Su Xieqiu’s family situation, nor that she had strained relationships with them. However, when she heard the female educated youth’s self-important tone while asking about Su Xieqiu, she felt uneasy and decided to inform her in advance.

Hearing this, Su Xieqiu was shocked. Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?

China is so vast, yet they ended up grouped together?

From her memory, her cousin had always been pampered at home. How could her parents bear to send their precious daughter so far away to the Northeast to join a brigade?

And now, asking about her the moment she arrived, what was there to ask? Was she here for her? To exploit her?

She didn’t even acknowledge her biological parents and siblings anymore. Why would she recognize a cousin for whom she felt no affection? What good intentions could she possibly have?

From her memories, this cousin had always looked down on her. In the past, she and Su Xiexia often bullied her, even slapping her at their grandmother’s house two years ago.

Squinting her eyes and smiling coldly, Su Xieqiu thought, ‘She actually came to find me.’

Did they still think of her as the timid pushover who let others walk all over her?

As for the female classmate, she wasn’t sure who it was yet. If the person had good character, then it might be okay to keep them at a distance. Otherwise, she’d have no interest in reconnecting.

But if he’s someone who doesn’t know what’s good for him, then he should just go back to where he came from. She doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with such a short-sighted person.

She said to Wang Fengqin, “Sister, thank you. I understand.”

Seeing that she wasn’t happy about her family’s arrival, Wang Fengqin knew she had made the right decision to warn her. “Then you carry on with your work. I’ll head back now.”

She took a couple of steps, then turned around and asked, “Zhenyu’s wife, have you pickled your sauerkraut yet?”

“Not yet, Sister,” Su Xieqiu replied with a smile, shaking her head. “I don’t know how to pickle it. I’m waiting for Han Zhenyu to come back.”

She had bought two cartloads of cabbage from Aunt Qiuye’s house two days ago, along with a cart of radishes and potatoes from Aunt Aihua’s house. Wang Fengqin had also gifted her another cart of cabbage.

Just yesterday, Han Zhenyu’s aunt had sent her two sons to deliver two more cartloads of vegetables. Now, the vegetable cellar in the backyard was completely full, with enough vegetables to last the whole winter.

Wang Fengqin smiled warmly and said, “I’ll help you pickle them. You just need to peel and dry the cabbage and get the pickle jar ready. I’ll finish pickling this afternoon and come over tomorrow morning to help you.”

“Sister-in-law, thank you so much,” said Su Xieqiu without hesitation. She wasn’t sure if Han Zhenyu knew how to pickle vegetables, and if he didn’t, she would need help from others anyway.

“No need to thank me, it’s just a small matter.”

The two chatted for a while at the door before Wang Fengqin headed home.

—

After closing the door, Su Xieqiu held Chenchen in one hand and An an in the other as they went to the backyard, where she continued washing clothes.

Meanwhile, Su Xieyun sat down, rubbing her sore legs. She took a piece of candy out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth, feeling a bit better as the sweetness spread.

She had just overheard some villagers saying that her cousin had married a formal worker and built four large tiled houses. Jealousy surged through her, but there was also a flicker of happiness.  

‘Since that girl married so well, she should at least help her cousin, right?’

Before she left home, her second uncle had said they wanted her cousin’s husband to help earn two work points a day. He also mentioned that if she didn’t like living in the Youth League House, she could move to her cousin’s house instead.

The Youth League House was said to have large dormitories, and she didn’t want to share a kang with others. ‘That dead girl has four big tiled houses. Surely, she can spare one for me, right?’

—

Li Bihua, standing nearby, had her eyes darting around. She hadn’t expected the timid, cowardly classmate she once knew to have married so well. But thinking about it, she wasn’t surprised.  

Back in school, Su Xieqiu was one of the prettiest girls in class, admired by many boys.  

With a sly smile, Li Bihua glanced at Su Xieyun and said, “Xieyun, your cousin married so well and even has several large tiled houses. She’ll definitely invite you to live with her. I envy you so much, you won’t have to squeeze into the Youth League House.”

Hearing this, the other educated youths from Hai City, who had traveled with them, looked at Su Xieyun with envy and jealousy. They all thought she was incredibly lucky.