Chapter 23

But everyone also knew Ning Shu’s temperament, the kind that could drive someone to madness, but they had been listening to it for five years already, so they weren’t surprised anymore.

“Let’s wait outside; your third aunt is still eating. Don’t disturb them,” Lin’s mother said, shooing out her grandchildren, who were drooling at the delicious food.

Once they were outside, everyone relaxed and ate. Ning Shu fed the eggs from the rice cake soup to San Bao and gave him a small sip of the soup.

San Bao, who was mainly eating pumpkin porridge, could only drink soup and eat eggs.

Rice cakes were difficult for an 11-month-old like him to digest.

He protested several times with “Ah ah ah,” but it was of no use.

Ning Shu finished the remaining rice cake soup in a few mouthfuls, then carried San Bao outside.

She heard the commotion outside; Lin’s father and the others had arrived.

The bedsheets were still spread outside, so she put San Bao down to play by himself before going to see Lin’s father and the others building the wall.

The bricks were placed in the yard, and the cement and sand were already mixed with water.

Lin’s father, Lin Guofeng, and Lin Guoliang, the father and sons, each worked on one side of the wall, while Qian Aifen and Lin’s mother handed bricks to their respective men.

Lin Haiwen, as the eldest grandson, handed bricks to Lin Guoliang, since Zhang Qinfang wasn’t there.

Zhang Qinfang felt too ashamed to come, so she didn’t, but the children from the second family came.

“Dad, you’re really working hard,” Ning Shu said, watching them busy themselves even beyond their work hours, and it was without expecting anything in return.

She felt a bit strange inside, but given the original owner’s character, she couldn’t express it well, so she just dryly said a sentence.

However, she would remember this friendship.

“It’s no trouble, we have nothing to do at noon anyway,” Lin’s father actually felt quite pleased. Getting a word of appreciation from the third daughter-in-law was a first in these five years.

No matter how she used to be, as long as she was gradually improving, it was good.

“Now, cement and bricks aren’t easy to buy, right?” Ning Shu didn’t know what to say. “By the way, how much did all of this cost? I’ll give it to you later.” People working hard like this, money couldn’t be delayed.

“The cement and sand were left over from when we built this big brick house before. The bricks were bought at 2 fen each, and 500 bricks cost a total of 10 yuan. If it’s not enough, we’ll buy more; if there’s too much, we’ll return them,” Lin’s father said. But then, he added after some thought, “These were all bought from Guodong’s uncle and cousins. Although they’re relatives, money still needs to be accounted for.” He was afraid his daughter-in-law might think that not giving money was acceptable just because they were relatives.

Ning Shu: “…Of course, of course.” She felt a bit innocent. Would the original owner really do things like not paying for things from relatives?

Maybe the original owner could do it. After all, this was his grandmother who had taken care of two herpostpartum periods, and her grandson’s who had eaten for five years without saying thank you.

The atmosphere was awkward. Lin’s father wasn’t good at chatting, neither was Ning Shu.

Thinking it over, standing there felt awkward too. She decided to go inside. The kids were almost done with their meal, so she would tidy up.

Just as she was about to go in, she saw Er Bao and Lin Hai coming out carrying a wooden basin.

This basin was usually used for washing vegetables, but now it held dishes and utensils.

She hurried over, “Let me help.”

“Mom, we’ve already cleaned up, and we’ve wiped the table too,” Er Bao said. “You said to share the housework, so we’re sharing.”

“Thank you both then,” Ning Shu said, taking the wooden basin and carrying it to the well to wash the dishes.

They were using ash to wash the dishes, as they didn’t have any detergent. The bowls and aluminum boxes used for the rice cake soup were greasy and couldn’t be cleaned without ash.

“Third daughter-in-law, how much did you pay for this aluminum box?” Lin’s mother suddenly asked.

“Huh? Um…?” Ning Shu was puzzled. “Mom wants to buy an aluminum box?”

“Xiao Jing is studying in the county town, right? Her old aluminum box isn’t in good shape. She’s been wanting to get a new one,” Lin’s mother didn’t say anything more, feeling a bit awkward. They needed industrial coupons to buy an aluminum box, which they didn’t have, and they didn’t want to ask their third daughter-in-law for them.

Then they thought the old aluminum box could still be used, so they never bought a new one until now.

Speaking of Lin Xiao Jing, she was also someone deeply hurt by the original owner. At the age of 13, she was naive and was bribed by the original owner with White Rabbit milk candies, a red headband, and red hair clips. “Sold out.” After the incident with her brother, she was harshly beaten by Lin’s mother.

She seemed to grow up all of a sudden and never spoke to the original owner again.

Ning Shu didn’t know how to respond. She also didn’t know how much the aluminum box cost.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “This one was given to me by a friend from the supply and marketing cooperative. I helped her with something, and coincidentally, when I went to the state-owned restaurant to get food today, I didn’t have an aluminum box. She gave me two. Today is the first time I’m using them. If Xiao Jing wants one, I can give her one.”

“That’s great,” Lin’s mother said, seeing that the aluminum box was very new. She could tell at a glance that it had just been bought, not expecting that today would be the first time it was used.

However, she asked, “Really giving it to Xiao Jing?” Seeing the third daughter-in-law agreeing so readily, she became worried instead.

“It’s just an aluminum box. What’s with all this ‘real or fake’?” Ning Shu replied with a look of disdain, as if saying they were all ignorant country bumpkins.

It was unavoidable; if she was too kind to the Lin family, they would worry, so she had to adopt a high posture for the Ning family to feel reassured.

Actually, this was quite tiring for her. She felt like she would eventually develop a split personality.

Initially, after marrying into the Lin family, the original owner knew she had deceived Lin Xiao Jing.

She wanted to apologize and make amends, but Lin Xiao Jing ignored her.

The original owner, feeling proud and arrogant, thought, “Since I’ve already married your brother, and you refuse to forgive me, then forget it.”

“When Xiao Jing comes back this week, I’ll give her the aluminum box and tell her it’s from her third sister-in-law,” Lin’s mother said with a smile, not minding Ning Shu’s attitude.

“Don’t, if you say it’s from me, she definitely won’t use it. Just say you bought it,” Ning Shu suggested.

Lin’s mother sighed. She knew about the rift between her daughter and the third daughter-in-law.

Many years had passed, but her daughter still couldn’t let go. However, there was nothing she could do.

This wasn’t her daughter’s fault. “Okay, let’s do that.”

“Grandma, can I use the aluminum box that my aunt doesn’t want?” Lin Qingmei, Lin Guofeng and Qian Aifen’s eldest daughter, who was thirteen years old and in fifth grade, spoke up.

“What do you want to do with it?” Qian Aifen asked, puzzled.

Lin Qingmei shyly said, “If I pass next year, I’ll be going to junior high, and I’ll need to bring lunch to school.”

There was no junior high in the village; it was in the commune, and high school was in the county town.

Lin Qingmei had good grades, so if all went well, she would go to junior high, and by then she would need a lunchbox.

Hearing her daughter’s explanation, Qian Aifen realized this.

“That’s no problem. You can use it when the time comes,” Lin’s mother said. “It’s just that your aunt’s aluminum box is very old. It was leftover from your uncle’s use at the time, and later it was given to your aunt. If we give it to you again, it’ll become a family heirloom.”

Lin’s mother’s words made everyone laugh.

Ning Shu suddenly had an idea: “Coincidentally, Big Brother and Sister-in-law have been building this chicken coop for several days. I don’t know how to give them compensation, so I might as well give them this aluminum box as a reward.”

“How can I accept this?” Qian Aifen was truly embarrassed to take it. An aluminum box would cost several yuan, even with a receipt.

Lin Qingmei looked at the brand-new aluminum box in Third Aunt’s hand, her eyes filled with deep affection. But since Mother said so, she naturally didn’t dare to show it.

“Don’t say anything about feeling embarrassed. I’m just asking if you want it or not? You guys are so indecisive, not as straightforward as Zhang Qinfang, she’s straightforward.” Ning Shu used his old trick.

“In that case, I won’t be polite. Thank you, Third Younger Sister.” Qian Aifen glanced at her daughter and also stopped being polite. Pushing away several yuan is foolish.

Lin’s mother chuckled, “She’s not straightforward, she just wants everything.”

“The kids are here, what are you saying?” Lin’s father scolded his wife, who was getting carried away.

Today, the third daughter-in-law was too polite, and the old lady was floating, not even considering that the second son and his family’s children were all here.

Lin Guoliang didn’t mind, “My Wife is just straightforward.” He knew his Wife was like that, very clear.

The children from the second family also felt a little embarrassed.

It was unexpected for Ning Shu to give the aluminum box to Lin Qingmei. It happened that the little girl would be starting junior high school next year.

This aluminum box had only been used to store grilled crucian carp with scallions, and it was still new.

She would have more aluminum boxes in the future, so she gave it away casually.

However, if the eldest family came to help with the compensation, it wouldn’t be good for the second family not to give anything.

If Zhang Qinfang found out, who knew how much gossip she would spread behind their backs.

So the second family had to give something. Giving something cleared the debt of kindness, and Ning Shu also liked this.

You have to give appropriately, and also cater to the original owner’s personality.

Suddenly, she remembered the clothes that had been put away. The clothes that could be made for the three brothers were limited because many fabrics were not suitable for boys.

For example, the fabric of the floral skirt, the fabric of the really good quality…

forget it, Zhang Qinfang would probably think too much if she wore clothes that had been worn by someone else.

It’s better to keep them and alter them into vests and camisoles for her to wear as innerwear, which should be fine.

So, she said again, “I’ve compensated Big Brother and Sister-in-law, so I can’t leave out Second Brother. But I don’t have any more aluminum boxes now…”

“No need, Third Younger Sister,” Lin Guoliang hurriedly said. “My Wife talks a lot, so it’s already good enough that you can forgive her. What reward is needed between brothers helping each other?” In Lin Guoliang’s view, making Zhang Qinfang go dig sweet potatoes wasn’t a punishment at all.

For people in the countryside, isn’t this a normal thing? So he felt that Third Younger Sister was still giving face considering the circumstances.

He even argued with his wife over this matter, and his wife ended up scolding him as heartless.

Luckily, Ning Shu didn’t know Lin Guoliang’s thoughts, otherwise, she would be infuriated by his straightforward thinking.

“That won’t do. If I give it to Big Brother and not to Second Brother, how will people talk about me? Looking down on the second family and flattering the first family? Then, do I still have any face?” Ning Shu said discontentedly.

“When I go to the county town, I’ll ask my friend if there are any more aluminum boxes. I’ll get one for Qing Lan too. She’ll need one when she starts junior high.”

If you’re going to give, give the same thing to avoid gossip and conflicts. Hopefully, they can get an aluminum box for pan-frying beltfish.

“Third daughter-in-law is very fair,” Lin’s father spoke, tacitly agreeing with Ning Shu’s words.

“Thank you, Third Aunt,” Lin Qinglan said timidly.

She was the first daughter of the second family and had disappointed Zhang Qinfang because she was a girl.

As a result, Zhang Qinfang wasn’t nice to her and had assigned all the housework of the second family to her.

But this little girl was also a bit lucky. The lucky thing was that the old house hadn’t been divided, and Lin’s mother was in charge.

Although she did the work of the second family, with Lin’s mother watching over her, she didn’t have to worry about food or education.

This is probably the benefit of not dividing the house. If there was a troublemaker mother-in-law, it would be best to have an empress dowager to suppress her, otherwise the children would suffer.

By the end of the nap, Lin’s father and his two sons had built a one-meter-high wall. It would probably be enough in another two or three days, and then they would start putting on the thatched roof.

If it were built with planks, there would be no need to put on a thatched roof, but because it was a brick house, they would eventually replace the thatch with tiles, making it suitable for sleeping in. So, they still needed to put on the thatched roof.