At home, she wanted to help with the incense-making and avoid working in the fields, but since her mother-in-law didn’t say anything, she felt stifled.

Jiang Weidong and Lin Xia looked eagerly at Panpan and Tiantian.

Why were these two children so endearing?

They were like little treasures; they were so warm and enthusiastic toward everyone in the family, never neglecting anyone.

Even Lu Cuicui and Lu Er received their attention from time to time.

Of course, if people didn’t appreciate their kindness and responded coldly, they would notice and wouldn’t continue to be overly enthusiastic.

Jiang Weidong glanced at Lin Xia secretly: Such wonderful children, I want them.

Lin Xia also wanted them.

She understood the meaning in Jiang Weidong’s eyes.

Although she wasn’t easily embarrassed, she felt her cheeks warm up a bit and quickly turned to talk to Lin Shu.

Lin Shu smiled and said, “I vaguely heard the cicadas calling. Do you want to go look for them?”

Jiang Weidong wanted to go with Lin Xia, but since they were only dating and not yet married, it wasn’t appropriate to go out together late at night.

It might lead to gossip about her.

Lin Xia refused, saying that when she was a child, she had once touched a toad, which had made her feel disgusted for a long time, and since then, she had lost interest in looking for cicadas.

Jiang Weidong whispered to her, “In the future, I’ll bring a flashlight with me to go look for them. It will be bright, so you won’t have to worry about touching anything scary.”

After dinner, Fang Dihua, Old Man Lu, and Lu Erge discussed family matters.

Fang Dihua said, “The south room is too small and cramped for the incense-making room. Erge has to stoop while walking around, and it’s easy to accidentally bump his head. The secretary said the brigade is willing to help us. After the wheat harvest, they can build two new tile-roofed rooms.”

It’s not easy to have walls as thick as the old house’s rammed earth.

Now, they mainly use mud bricks and blue bricks, which are more convenient, faster, and look better, though they’re not as warm in winter and cool in summer as the old house.

Old Man Lu said, “Tomorrow I’ll go to the commune’s eldest daughter’s place and ask my in-laws to help get three loads of blue bricks and a few large foundation stones from the kiln.”

The brigade would provide some blue bricks and mud bricks, but it wouldn’t be enough for two rooms.

The rest would have to be purchased.

The commune has a kiln, but blue bricks and dark tiles are in high demand and require waiting in line to buy.

So, he needed to find someone to purchase them early.

Additionally, they needed to cut down a few more trees from their east side and contact someone to exchange for properly dried wood, which could be used directly as beams and purlins.

Trees cut down on their own property would need to be dried for at least a year or six months and couldn’t be used immediately.

Of the few trees cut earlier, they had exchanged one, and the remaining were almost ready.

Besides, they needed to find someone to thresh the sorghum straw and get help from women to bind the sorghum stalks to replace the rafters.

In the local area, houses were traditionally built using sorghum stalks tied into long, personal-shaped bundles.

These bundles were placed directly on the roof ridge, covered with a thick layer of yellow clay, and then tiled with roof tiles.

This construction method made the houses warm in winter and cool in summer.

Nowadays, since fields are mostly collective, it’s not easy for families to gather enough sorghum stalks.

People would plant sorghum in their private plots, coordinate with close relatives and friends to ensure a share, and apply to the production team to get extra stalks during the autumn harvest.

Sorghum was highly valuable; even the stalks were used to make mats, so the production team didn’t give out all of them to the members.

Building a house with one’s own efforts was really challenging, often taking at least ten years to gather enough materials.

The next morning, after breakfast, Jiang Weidong took his leave.

He didn’t visit Lin Shu’s home this time, mainly because he noticed Lin Xia seemed somewhat reluctant.

She didn’t mind bringing him to her sister’s place, but she appeared hesitant about introducing him to her parents.

Since she was hesitant, he wouldn’t push her; there would be more opportunities in the future.

Having been unmarried for many years, he wasn’t in a hurry.

He valued the sweet moments spent together with someone he cared about and hoped Lin Xia would feel the same.

Lin Shu hurriedly packed things into his car, including the freshly made rice cakes, some millet from their own harvest, pickled vegetables, home-cured Chinese toon sprouts, salted duck eggs, and various kinds of pickled vegetables.

Oh, and there was also the spring-made soybean paste, which was still drying in the paste jar but could be scooped out for use.

The drying soybean paste was similar to modern broad bean paste but stickier and more flavorful.

Since Old Lady Jiang enjoyed this, Lin Shu packed some for her and reminded Jiang Weidong, “Make sure Grandma eats less salty food and more vegetables.”

Jiang Weidong promised, “I’ll make sure she knows. She says I’m too nagging, but my sister says she likes it because it shows you care.”

Lin Shu smiled, “Alright, I’ll talk to Grandma more in the future.”

Jiang Weidong reassured her, “Don’t worry. Your sanitary incense is excellent. It will definitely sell well, and more orders will come in.”

Lin Shu thanked him and had Lin Xia see him off.

Lin Xia took the passenger seat to drop Jiang Weidong at the village entrance.

Normally, villagers would flock to see a rare sight like a jeep.

However, since Jiang Weidong was a relative of the Lu family, they showed respect for Lin Shu and didn’t crowd around him, as they didn’t want to seem intrusive.

Moreover, the village head had mentioned earlier that Jiang Weidong was their factory manager, adding to the respect and discretion shown by the villagers.

The major clients of the brigade’s incense factory were crucial for making money for the brigade, and nobody was allowed to offend them.

If anyone dared to offend the major client and jeopardize the brigade’s business, they would have their legs broken!

So, they only watched discreetly and didn’t get up close to observe.

Jiang Weidong drove out of the village and parked by the roadside.

He smiled at Lin Xia and said, “Remember to eat on time. If you run out of charcoal, give me a call, and I’ll bring you some.”

Lin Xia nodded, “I’ll eat properly. I won’t do that again.”

That time was really hard for her.

Jiang Weidong watched her quietly.

She looked much better than before the divorce—she was more cheerful, smiling, and her eyes were full of tenderness.

He felt very pleased.

When Lin Xia met his gaze, she thought he wanted to do something, so she reached out and took his hand that was holding the steering wheel, and said, “Drive carefully on the road. Don’t rush.”

This was their first time holding hands.

Jiang Weidong’s heart raced uncontrollably.

He returned her grip.

Her hand looked beautiful, but due to her constant labor, it was scarred with calluses on the fingertips and palms, similar to his own.

He held her hand, slowly interlocking their fingers.

As her cheeks slowly reddened, he placed a kiss on her thumb.

Lin Xia’s face instantly turned bright red, and she quickly pulled her hand away.

She hurried out of the car and turned back to wave at Jiang Weidong, saying, “Hurry up and drive safely.”

Jiang Weidong smiled at her, pressed the accelerator, and drove away.

Looking through the rearview mirror at Lin Xia waving goodbye, he felt a deep sense of happiness.

He thought of his mother’s comment: “You see, you look like a big factory manager, but who knows, you don’t have the good fortune of young Lu Shaotang. Look at his wife, she’s something!”

He couldn’t help but want to tell his mother, “Your daughter-in-law is also something. Are you happy? Surprised? Still think I’m useless?”

His mother would probably hit him with a broom, upset that he kept it from her.

Lin Xia couldn’t see Jiang Weidong’s jeep anymore.

She turned back onto the small path to return to Sanmei’s house, avoiding the main village road because it was lined with elderly people sitting out to cool off and gossip!

Among them was a 94-year-old man, toothless but with bright eyes, who loved to watch people who were dating.

He had an expression of, “Even though I didn’t see it, I know everything.”

Most people couldn’t handle his gaze.

Back at home, Lin Xia went to the south room to help sort the incense.

Lin Shu quietly asked her, “Second Sister, did you bring Jiang Ge back home?”

Lin Xia shook her head, “No, I…”

“I don’t want to take him there. I’m afraid our mother and the others will nag us. They’ll definitely push me to get married quickly.”

“Hurry and catch Jiang Weidong. Don’t let him escape.”

She now enjoys dating Jiang Weidong without the pressure of marriage.

She’s afraid that if she marries him, it will soon become like her previous marriage—losing the excitement and feeling like living a monotonous routine.

It’s too frightening.

But she knows this kind of thinking is bold. Only her third sister understands her.

If she told her parents she just wants to date Jiang Weidong and doesn’t want to get married, her mother might faint from shock.

The old lady has limited experience and tends to overreact.

Lin Shu supports her second sister’s choice.

If you like it, go for it. Life is too rare to be so comfortable.

Missed opportunities don’t come again.

Lin Xia went to the commune after lunch to report for work.

They had a lot of preparation to do, and tasks like burying electric poles and pulling wires needed to be done slowly.