After giving Lin Xiaojing and Yu Xiaomian some tips on how to inquire and bribe people, they left enthusiastically.

Young people always have a lot of fantasies about the future, especially when they are about to solve their own troubles, they have many expectations.

However, Ning Shu was not completely at ease.

After all, the girl was only eighteen years old and lacked experience in the world.

When she dealt with the Ning family, she had been rolling solo in society for many years.

She was as tough as iron, and it could be said that at that time, there was nothing in life worth caring about for her.

In her previous life, her parents didn’t care for her, and the only grandmother who raised her had some concern, but the affection was not deep and was built on the foundation of her irresponsible father.

This life was even worse.

Not only did her parents not care for her, but they also treated her like a servant, and her siblings looked down on her.

So at that time, she held the idea that if she didn’t do well, no one else could do well either.

But Lin Xiaojing was ultimately a gentle and kind girl.

Back in the kitchen, Lin Guodong had already sliced a lot of meat.

Ning Shu told him about Lin Xiaojing’s situation: “…I’m worried that something else might happen while they’re solving this. Shouldn’t you pay attention to it?”

Lin Guodong didn’t expect such a thing to happen to his little sister, and he didn’t expect Ning Shu to teach her to do this.

But he thought it was okay for Ning Shu to teach her this way.

When his little sister went to the county town and worked in a crowded clothing factory, she really needed to learn how to calculate and guard against others.

This didn’t mean having malicious intentions, but rather having the mindset to fight back when being framed.

“No need, people can’t rely on others forever. They have to learn to grow up on their own,” Lin Guodong said.

Whether it was his little sister or his three children, they all had to learn to grow up. And his little sister, as a girl, needed to grow up even more, because this era was harsh on girls, so girls needed to protect themselves even more.

“I’ll go to the county town tomorrow and investigate that male classmate’s background, his name is Zhang Zihao, right?”

“Yeah, I only heard Xiaojing say his name is Zhang Zihao, I don’t know anything else. Do you need me to ask for more details?” Ning Shu asked.

“No need, I can find out,” Lin Guodong said.

Since he was so confident, Ning Shu didn’t say anything more about it.

The Next Day

Today was the day for distributing grain, but Lin Guodong went to the county town to investigate Zhang Zihao’s situation, so Ning Shu took the three children to distribute the grain.

The courtyard in front of the village committee was still crowded with people, and for three days in a row, the village had been very lively.

“Ning Zhiqing, how much grain are you buying this year?”

“Yeah, do you want rice this year? If the village’s rice is not enough, my family can exchange some for you.” Someone asked. Exchange was just a nice way of saying it; it was naturally for sale.

The southern region mainly produces rice, so the village also distributes a considerable amount of rice every year. Some families are thrifty and eat less rice, so they save it up and sell it.

In the past, rice needed to be exchanged in secret in the town or county, but now some of it can be sold to the young people who returned to the countryside to work.

Ning Shu said, “I’m not buying any this year, it’s inconvenient to bring grain while following the army.”

She still had over 400 catties of rice left from the last time she bought it from an app.

She and the three children had been eating it for two months, and they hadn’t even finished 100 catties.

Lin Xiaoshan sold her 150 catties of rice for 30 yuan, and the rest of the rice had not been picked up yet.

With the work points from Xiaoshan’s mother, she could exchange them for grain, so she probably wouldn’t come to exchange it in the first half of the year.

Therefore, she had a lot of rice left.

This time, Ning Shu didn’t want rice. Lin Guodong used all the work points he earned to get corn kernels, and he would grind them into corn flour himself later.

The corn kernels distributed were less than 20 catties, and Ning Shu walked slowly, her hands turning red from carrying them.

Yibao looked at his mother struggling to carry them, feeling very distressed.

It was all because he and Erbao were growing too slowly.

If they could grow up faster, it would be better.

So he asked Erbao to hold Sanbao, and he ran back home quickly. After a while, Yibao came back, still carrying a small basket. “Mom, I brought a small basket. Pour some corn kernels into it, and I’ll carry it with you.”

Seeing this, a warm feeling welled up in Ning Shu’s heart, and her eyes were touched. “Thank you, Yibao.”

She didn’t refuse her son’s kindness.

She was very encouraging of children’s filial piety within their abilities.

Then she gave Yibao some corn kernels, not too much.

If the basket was filled, Yibao wouldn’t be able to carry it.

People around saw this and couldn’t help but look at them more.

Someone even joked, “Yibao is so obedient, Ning Zhiqing, you can enjoy your blessings now.”

Ning Shu smiled proudly, “That’s right, Yibao has been obedient since he was little.” She wouldn’t be modest about this.

Hearing his mother’s praise, Yibao’s little face blushed slightly, very happy.

Erbao protested, “Brother, why didn’t you bring my basket too?”

Yibao explained to his younger brother, “You have to watch Sanbao.”

Erbao thought about it and said, “Then when you get tired, you can switch with me, and you can watch Sanbao.” This was something they often did as brothers.

Yibao said, “Okay.”

Sanbao didn’t quite understand what the two brothers were talking about, but he saw the big brother carrying a small basket, so he wobbled over to him and reached out his little hand to help carry the basket.

Listening to the conversation between her sons, Ning Shu’s heart softened even more.

These were her children, connected by blood, the most important presence in her two lives.

“Ah, Sanbao is so filial, Ning Zhiqing, you’ve really taught your children well.” The people nearby were envious when they saw this.

Ning Shu’s reputation now could be said to be like a roller coaster, from being a spendthrift and lazy woman to being good at teaching her children.

Actually, in Ning Shu’s view, the three children were able to grow up like this because of Lin Guodong’s good genes and Lin’s mother’s sufficient care for them. Otherwise, without their father and with their mother not caring, if it weren’t for Lin’s mother’s love, she didn’t know what they would be like.

But of course, Ning Shu wouldn’t say these things. She just smiled faintly and said, “I’m just a passive shopkeeper.

The main credit goes to their grandmother. They were taken care of by my mother-in-law when they were young.”

This was not a lie. Just look at the eight children in the old house, all of them were well-behaved and sensible.

Take Zhang Qinfang for example, would the four children of the second family be taught by her?

Obviously not.

So it must be Lin’s mother who taught them well.

When others heard Ning Shu praise Lin’s mother, they thought that Ning Shu knew how to handle things.

Although everyone in the village knew that the three children were raised by Lin’s mother, Ning Shu could admit it so frankly and praise her mother-in-law, which made any mother-in-law feel comfortable.

So this word quickly reached Lin’s mother’s ears.

Ning Shu finally managed to carry the three children home after much effort.

Her palms were already red, although Yibao’s small basket lightened the load by a tenth, she was still tired.

If she had known, she should have brought a winnowing basket to carry. With 20 catties of corn kernels, 10 catties on each side, it would have been easier and more comfortable to carry.

Lin Guodong came back in the afternoon. When he came back, Ning Shu was tidying up the house.

It was the New Year, and the hygiene needed to be cleaned, and the bed sheets and quilts needed to be changed.

Seeing Lin Guodong back, Ning Shu asked curiously, “How was it? Did you find out?”

Looking at her eager inquiry, Lin Guodong couldn’t help but find it amusing. “I found out, it’s not a problem.”

Ning Shu glared at him, “What do you mean it’s not a problem? Don’t speak in half sentences.”

This guy, what’s the difference between saying this and not saying anything?

Lin Guodong naturally wouldn’t speak in half sentences.

He just wanted to see her anxious look. “The Zhang family couple are ordinary workers, with no other background. Zhang Zihao is the eldest son of the Zhang family, and there are younger brothers and sisters below him. The younger brothers and sisters are young, the oldest being just 14 years old. The rumors about going to the countryside have been urgent recently. The neighborhood committee has urged their family several times to sign up for the countryside selection as soon as possible, but their family hasn’t signed up yet.”

Ning Shu heard this and felt that she understood a little. “So Zhang Zihao is pestering Xiaojing to marry him to avoid going to the countryside?” When she thought about when she went to the countryside at the age of 16, and Ning Hua and Ning Shi were only 14 years old, she said, “Although the age limit for going to the countryside is 16, the neighborhood committee won’t care if someone signs up as long as they come, regardless of whether they are 16 or not.”

“I’m not sure about that.” Lin Guodong was a rural person and didn’t need to go to the countryside, so naturally he didn’t understand the policy of going to the countryside.

“Then do you think Xiaojing will succeed?” Ning Shu asked again. “Zhang Zihao’s younger brothers and sisters are all under 14 years old and don’t have any immediate interest with Zhang Zihao.”

Lin Guodong said, “As you said, as long as someone signs up at the neighborhood committee, it’s fine. We should judge with the greatest suspicion. Will Zhang Zihao put his brother’s name on the list in order to stay in the city?” He wasn’t a suspicious person, but someone who would pester a female comrade wasn’t of high moral character.

Especially…

Lin Guodong glanced at his wife.

From his wife, he already understood the clever use of the countryside policy, so he had to have this suspicion.

Ning Shu felt that Lin Guodong’s look at her was somewhat inexplicable.

But it was possible for someone to put another person’s name on the list in order to stay in the city.

Initially, weren’t Ning’s father and mother trying to keep their eldest son and daughter in the city, so they put her name on the list? It was just a failed attempt.

She didn’t let the culprits go. Don’t clamor that it was Ning’s father and mother’s fault.

Ning’s father and mother did it for them.

As for Ning Hua and Ning Shi, they were only two years younger than her. They had fought with her and bullied her since they were young.

“So, can Xiaojing target Zhang Zihao’s brother?” Ning Shu felt that Lin Guodong wouldn’t speak without reason.

Since he said so, there must be a problem between Zhang Zihao and his brother.

Lin Guodong raised his eyebrows at her. “You guess.”

Guess your sister.

Modern people probably hated these two words the most.

Seeing that Lin Guodong wasn’t from her time and didn’t understand the degree of annoyance caused by these two words, she didn’t get angry with him. “Go grind these 20 catties of corn kernels into corn flour. We’ll make corn flour dumplings tonight.” She loved the fragrant corn flour dumplings.