Every time she saw Qian Mu, she felt like showing off, which made Qian Mu quite annoyed.

She thought Qian Mu was blind to the value of such a good daughter-in-law.

If Lin Xia were her daughter-in-law, she’d be happy to give her whatever she needed, even if it meant spending money on her.

If Lin Xia didn’t have a job, she’d be happy to provide financial support!

As Lin Shu helped Old Madam Jiang back, she glanced back at Zhang Shuxia, who was assisting Qian Mu, and whispered to Qian Mu, “Auntie, is this person the one who caused Master Lin and Brother Qian’s divorce?”

Qian Mu replied irritably, “She’s not worth your attention. Keep your distance from her.”

She wasn’t unaware of Zhang Shuxia’s petty nature.

Ever since she arrived at the family compound, she didn’t want to leave.

Qian Mu had told her several times that she could leave since she was better now, but Zhang Shuxia always begged her not to send her away, promising to be very diligent and obedient.

Qian Mu enjoyed the feeling of controlling someone’s fate, as if she were Zhang Shuxia’s savior, deciding her life and death with a single word.

It gave her a sense of satisfaction and even a sense of revenge against Lin Xia.

Although Zhang Shuxia had no direct connection with Lin Xia, she felt a sense of superiority, thinking, “Since you, Lin Xia, don’t value my family, naturally someone will beg to stay in my home.”

She would even occasionally show her displeasure and force Zhang Shuxia to plead for her to stay.

It was quite gratifying.

…..

After returning home, Old Lady Jiang told Lin Shu, “I think Zhang Shuxia seems unreliable. She always goes around the family quarters, complaining about how pitiful she is, how much she suffers, and how grateful she is to Qian Lisheng, saying she’s willing to work like a servant for Qian Mu.”

Zhang Shuxia had once confided in Old Lady Jiang, saying that her first husband used to beat her all the time.

When she was pregnant and working in the fields in May, he hit her over a minor argument, causing her to miscarry.

Unable to endure the constant beating, she ran away, but was caught and beaten even more severely.

Her husband later became paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a roof while helping someone build a house.

His temper got worse, and he continued to beat her.

After serving him for half a year, one day he violently threw dishes and even stabbed her with scissors, accidentally injuring himself.

He later died from tetanus.

After his death, her in-laws despised her and took over her land.

Local troublemakers tried to bully her, and her family didn’t let her return.

She then secretly got involved with a man whose wife and children had died.

She wanted to marry him and live with him, but he refused and was seeing other women.

She eventually came to terms with his infidelity and thought having someone to rely on was better than nothing.

However, the man’s actions were exposed, and he was executed.

Because of this, many men in the village pretended to dislike her but wanted to take advantage of her at night, while the women made her life difficult.

Angry and frustrated, she ran away to the county to work odd jobs.

There was a parts factory in Huang County, and she met Qian Lisheng there while doing sewing and mending for the single men working there.

After recounting Zhang Shuxia’s story, Old Lady Jiang told Lin Shu, “We come from the countryside too. Can you secretly go to the county to work? Besides the production team trying to bring you back, the local Red Arm Band patrols will arrest you. Plus, without an urban residence permit, where would you get food?”

However, the Qian family didn’t think much about it.

Qian Mu was even quite pleased to have found a willing maid for a small fee.

Lin Shu found the story full of holes, but women often talk a lot, and their suffering is usually real.

If not, Qian Lisheng could easily find out by asking around in her village.

She couldn’t keep her story hidden.

Qian Lisheng probably took her in because she was desperate and could be hired as a full-time maid for a small sum—quite a bargain.

When they finished cooking, Jiang Weidong and Lin Xia returned together.

Old Lady Jiang was surprised, thinking Jiang Weidong had specifically gone to pick up Lin Xia.

Jiang Weidong explained, “I’ve been going to the sub-factory these days. On my way back, I passed by the power supply bureau, so I brought Lin Xia along.”

Lin Xia confirmed, “Yes, and I’ve also taken a few rides over there.”

Old Madam Jiang didn’t think much of it; after all, she had been encouraging her son to take care of Lin Xia more, so it was normal to give her a ride.

Lin Shu, however, felt something was off.

Second Sister Lin Xia didn’t seem to notice anything, but Jiang Weidong’s gaze towards Second Sister was different from before.

When someone has feelings for another person, their gaze uncontrollably drifts towards that person and lingers longer.

Jiang Weidong now seemed to be showing those signs.

After dinner, Jiang Weidong went to the dormitory and didn’t stay to chat with them.

Lin Xia told Old Madam Jiang and Lin Shu, “We’ve received a new task; we’re going to Qing County the day after tomorrow.”

Lin Shu asked, “Our county? It’s finally our turn? I’m so happy!”

Lin Xia was excited as well. “Yes! As soon as I heard we were going to Qing County, I was the first to sign up. Our home will be electrified soon.”

Old Madam Jiang was also pleased for them. “There’s a big difference between having electricity and not. I’ve noticed that the countryside lacks what the city has—mainly convenient transportation and electricity. If transportation was more convenient and there was electricity, the countryside could do everything the city does.”

Lin Shu agreed, “Auntie, you’re absolutely right. With electricity, we could buy machines. If we can’t afford big ones, we can buy small ones. An electric flour mill is a must.”

She had already planned: if the production team didn’t buy it, she would use Lu Shaotang’s salary to buy it herself.

After buying it, she would open a small mill, and apart from paying for electricity, she could give a share of the profits to the production team, with the rest being hers.

If the production team or the brigade was willing to buy it, that would be even better; she would save the trouble of buying and operating the mill herself.

Although modern people say that flour ground by stone mills is more natural, electric mills produce much finer flour.

Of course, if you don’t have to push the mill yourself, it’s easy to talk.

If people prefer stone-ground flour, that’s their choice.

After dinner, Lin Shu cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen, then invited Old Madam Jiang and Second Sister for a walk to help with digestion.

Old Madam Jiang, citing tired legs, let the sisters go while she stayed home to listen to the radio.

She thought the sisters probably had private matters to discuss.

Lin Shu and Second Sister Lin Xia went out through the back door of the residential compound and strolled along the roadside.

“Second Sister, do you have something special going on lately?”

Lin Xia sighed, “Oh, don’t even mention it. I’m a bit frustrated. There’s a lady from the power supply bureau who keeps trying to introduce me to her cousin. She insists that I should date him. Her cousin is 24 this year, never married, and doesn’t mind that I’m divorced. I’ve already told her that I just got divorced and don’t want to marry again, but she keeps brainwashing me, saying that her cousin is perfect for me—good temper, good job, and everything else. She says it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I should not miss it.”

“I almost couldn’t help but ask why your cousin hasn’t found a partner at 24, considering how great he is. But just then, Factory Director Jiang arrived, so I held back,” Lin Shu said.

Lin Shu smiled and said, “Sister, you don’t need to rush into marriage, but you shouldn’t avoid it just because of a past divorce. If your previous marriage didn’t work out, it just means you weren’t suited to Qian Lisheng. He wasn’t a good man, and his actions don’t reflect all men. If you find someone who treats you well and you have feelings for him, it’s worth exploring the relationship.”

Lin Xia sighed and said, “Honestly, I’m a bit scared. I’ve realized I’m afraid of marriage. Even if a man seems perfect, things might change after marriage.

Wasn’t Qian Lisheng considered a good match?He seemed like a top-notch young man, and other women envied you and wanted him. And what happened?”

Lin Shu responded with a smile, “You’re not afraid of marriage itself; you’re afraid of entering an unknown marriage with someone you don’t know well.

Back then, you and Qian Lisheng didn’t understand each other before marrying, and his flaws became apparent after marriage.

If you had understood him better beforehand, you could have ended the relationship before it turned into marriage, avoiding future problems, right?”

Lin Xia thought for a moment and then smiled, “Third Sister, how do you know so much about this? You haven’t even been to a big city or read many books.”

Lin Shu joked, “I’ve become wise.”

After some laughter, Lin Xia put her arm around her sister’s shoulder and asked quietly, “Tell me, were you afraid when you entered an unknown marriage with a man you didn’t understand?”

Lin Shu replied, “Of course I was scared. But he left after marriage, and it took me years to come to terms with it. Once I did, I realized I wasn’t afraid of anything. For example, if Lu Shaotang had found a better match now, maybe someone important’s daughter, I wouldn’t desperately fight for him.”

Lin Xia scolded, “Why are you making such comparisons? Your brother-in-law is so great.”

Lin Shu said seriously, “Sister, I’m being honest. If someone loves me, I’ll love them back even more. If they don’t love me, no matter how sad or painful it is, I’d rather end it quickly than prolong the suffering. As long as I can support myself, why should I depend on someone else for my happiness?”

Lin Xia was taken aback by her viewpoint but realized it made sense.

Lin Shu hugged her sister and smiled, “That’s the worst-case scenario. The best case is if I like someone who deserves my affection, and they like me too, I’ll go for it without hesitation! I won’t give anyone else a chance!”

She tickled her sister and laughed, “So, if you like someone, don’t hesitate. Explore the relationship, and if it’s right, get married. If not, just let it go. Even if you just want a relationship and not marriage, that’s okay too. We need to make ourselves happy. Who cares about other people’s opinions or standards? The less we care about others, the easier our lives will be.

We’ve already followed the rules in our work and studies, so why should we let others dictate how we live our personal lives?

Who are they to judge?”