Chapter 187: Mrs. Song is a Bit Stingy

In Xinshi, Dawan Village.

Song Mingyuan and his father, Old Man Song, had just returned from the fields when they saw the mail carrier stopped in front of their house. His mother was there pressing her thumbprint, while Dogsheng’s mother across the street stood with a disdainful look.

Seeing them, Mother Song exaggeratedly laughed, “Old man, Mingyuan, look! Xiaoran’s family has sent us something again! This in-law is so generous.

They often send us things, and they’re all rare items we’ve never even seen before. And look, they’ve sent another big package!

I can’t even lift it! You two hurry up and bring it inside before some people get jealous,” she said, casting a glance at Dogsheng’s mother.

Old Man Song walked over, lifted the package, and exaggeratedly exclaimed, “It doesn’t look that big, but why is it so heavy? What could be inside?”

Song Mingyuan glanced at his father’s sturdy frame and then at the relatively small package. He said nothing and carried it home.

His wife hadn’t returned yet, and his son and daughter were sleeping on the kang in the inner room. He placed the package on the table and then went to check on the children.

When Lu Xiaoran returned from school, she found Song Mingyuan chopping firewood in the yard, while her mother-in-law was busy cooking, and her father-in-law was tending the fire.

Seeing her return, Song Mingyuan paused his work and smiled, “Are you tired? Come in and rest. Xiao Ning sent us something again, and there’s a letter on the table.”

“I’m not tired; I’ll help Mom with dinner first. You can check what the letter says,” Lu Xiaoran replied as she made her way toward the kitchen to assist.

Mother Song, hearing her voice, called out, “Xiaoran, dinner will be ready soon, so don’t come in here.”

Song Mingyuan also didn’t let her go to the kitchen; instead, he gently pulled her into the room.

Lu Xiaoran sat down and opened the letter. It was from Lu Xiaotang, giving a brief update on things at home. The contents seemed simple at first, just a few casual sentences, but when she reached the last line, her face lit up with joy.

Overwhelmed with excitement, she hugged Song Mingyuan and exclaimed, “Mingyuan, Mingyuan, I’m so happy!”

Curious about the good news, Song Mingyuan took the letter from her hands to read it. At first, it looked like an ordinary message, just some greetings and updates, but when he reached the last line, his eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at Lu Xiaoran in astonishment.

 “I don’t know, but my brother wouldn’t be wrong. Starting tonight, you’re going to study with me, and no excuses! Also, don’t mention this to anyone,” Lu Xiaoran said, looking at him earnestly.

Song Mingyuan quickly assured her, “I understand; I definitely won’t say anything. But do I really have to study? I’m just a middle school student, and I didn’t do well in school.”

“No way! You must learn; I’ll help you with tutoring,” Lu Xiaoran insisted firmly, looking at him with determination.

Song Mingyuan helplessly gazed at his wife and sighed.

“I wonder if Xiaotang wrote to Mingyu? Take a day off this Sunday and come with me to visit Mingyu. That kid didn’t do well in school either, and I want to talk to his wife to make sure she keeps an eye on him.”

Lu Xiaoran opened the package again and found several pieces of cloth, two cans of milk powder, and some rock candy. She handed these items to her mother-in-law.

Mother Song looked at the contents of the package and said, “Xiaoran, your sister-in-law is really generous! This can must be filled with milk powder, right? And these pieces of cloth are such good quality.”

“Xiao Ning is indeed very kind, Mother. You and my father can each make a new outfit from these fabrics, and please share some of the food with my eldest sister and my second sister’s children,” Lu Xiaoran said, smiling as she made her suggestions.

“We already have clothes to wear; we’ll save this fabric to make something for you later. As for the rock candy, take some to your eldest sister and second sister’s family. The milk powder can be saved for my grandchildren. Those boys are all grown up now; they don’t need milk powder anymore,” Mother Song replied.

Hearing her mother-in-law’s arrangements, Lu Xiaoran exchanged a helpless glance with Song Mingyuan. This old lady was quite stingy!

After receiving the letter, Mingyu didn’t find Lu Xiaoran’s concerns to be as unfounded as she thought. He read the letter and quickly guessed what Lu Xiaotang was trying to convey.

After pondering for a moment, he went next door to find his father-in-law. His father-in-law was the village chief, and his wife, Zhang Xiaoling, was the eldest child; she also had a younger brother who had just graduated from high school this year.

When he married Zhang Xiaoling, they built two rooms right next to her family’s house.

The couple had gotten married two years ago, and last year, Zhang Xiaoling gave birth to a daughter who was just starting to walk. His mother-in-law helped take care of the child.

Zhang Dazhuang had just returned from the fields and smiled upon seeing him, “Mingyu, you’re here! Come in and sit down.”

He followed his father-in-law into the house and said, “Dad, my brother graduated this year too. What are your plans for him?”

Zhang Dazhuang sighed, “There aren’t many factories around here. I was thinking about having him join the army, but I’m not sure if he’ll be eligible.”

“Dad, if he wants to join the army, it’s not too difficult. But I think there’s no rush; he’s only 16. He should work at home for a couple of years first,” Mingyu said seriously. “In the evenings, he can also review his schoolwork. And Xiaoling should start studying more too, beginning today.”

(T/N: Hi, this is SakuRa. I would like to sincerely apologize for the mistranslation of the character “宋.” I previously used the surname “Zhou” instead of the correct translation, “Song.” Moving forward, I will use “Song” and will also edit the earlier chapters to reflect this change. Thank you for your understanding!)