Although everyone lived upstairs, they liked to wash their clothes in the courtyard pool, as the water bill was more or less shared equally.

There was a tap in the courtyard, along with a cement platform—perfect for standing and using a washboard to scrub clothes.

Qian’s mother had been staying at her eldest son’s house these past few days to supervise her daughter-in-law, Lin Xia, in taking her medicine and treating her illness.

Her daughter-in-law was good in every way except for one thing: she didn’t really listen to her.

It’s not that Lin Xia disrespected her; it was just that in matters of taking medicine, she didn’t give her mother-in-law the respect she thought she deserved.

Qian’s mother was only looking out for the couple’s best interests. Would she ever harm her?

Tong Ailian’s mother was also there, washing her grandson’s diapers.

She had a sympathetic look on her face, as if she understood Qian’s mother’s concerns, but inside, she was secretly pleased. “Children are all about fate. If you have them, you have them. If you don’t, there’s no need to force it. Adopting one isn’t a bad option either.”

As she scrubbed the diapers with soap, she complained, “Look at us. We have so many children, but what good does it do? I’ve raised this grandson and that granddaughter, taking care of one after another. I’m nearly exhausted.”

Qian’s mother replied, “That kind of exhaustion is happiness. I don’t mind being worn out like that. The more, the better.”

Seeing Qian’s mother envy her, Tong’s mother felt satisfied, but she still continued to complain, “You don’t know how lucky you are. If you ask me, it’s better not to have kids. That way, the couple can spend their money on themselves and be more filial to you. If you catch a cold or something, there’s someone to take care of you. But if you have too many kids, they won’t even have time to look after themselves, let alone you. I fell last winter, and there was no one to take care of me.”

Qian’s mother recalled how, when she broke her leg, Lin Xia had taken care of her attentively and thoughtfully.

As they chatted, someone mentioned the newly appointed workshop director at the factory, “I heard they’re going to select a deputy director as well.”

“Qian’s sister-in-law, your son Li Sheng is a popular candidate.”

Although pleased, Qian’s mother responded humbly, “That’s unlikely. There are so many team leaders competing for the position. Our Li Sheng is still young; he needs a few more years of experience.”

Tong’s mother thought to herself that her eldest son was about the same age as Qian Lisheng, and even a few years older.

Shouldn’t he be the one to become the deputy workshop director?

She didn’t openly say her son was suitable but kept inquiring about the position from others.

At that moment, an elderly lady with her hair tied in a bun, wearing an old-style jacket, bound feet, and trousers, walked over.

The women immediately greeted her, “Aunt Jiang…”

Aunt Jiang’s feet had been bound and then unbound in the past, so they weren’t as small, but it still affected her ability to walk easily.

She stood by the pool and started scrubbing shoes for her son.

Tong’s mother eagerly leaned in closer, trying to get on Aunt Jiang’s good side and pry for information about the factory’s deputy director position.

Meanwhile, other women were more interested in finding out how Aunt Jiang’s search for a daughter-in-law was going.

Aunt Jiang’s eldest son was the deputy director of the steel mill and also the head of the factory’s Revolutionary Committee, making him the next likely factory director.

He held significant influence over decisions regarding the selection of the deputy director or even the director.

This Jiang Director was a former military officer who had transitioned to civilian work.

He was only 32 years old and had been a widower for over a decade after his wife died in childbirth.

Despite being such a highly eligible bachelor—tall, handsome, a high-ranking leader in the factory, earning a high salary, and still relatively young—he had never remarried.

Even young women, 18 or 19 years old, were vying for his attention.

But he refused to remarry, turning down many young and attractive women, leaving people frustrated and puzzled.

Aunt Jiang, in a huff, remarked, “Forget about him! If he wants to stay a bachelor for life, so be it.”

Qian’s mother responded, “Old sister, you can’t just let it be. As mothers, we still have to worry and plan for our children.”

A son without descendants means the end of the family line.

How could a mother just stand by and let that happen?

This Jiang Director had lost his wife and never remarried, so he had no wife and no children.

He might not mind now while he’s young and holding a leadership position, but what about when he’s old?

What about after retirement?

How could a mother not worry about that?

Some people speculated that maybe it wasn’t that Jiang Director didn’t want to remarry, but that Aunt Jiang, as his mother, was too difficult to please, making it hard for any potential bride to settle in.

Aunt Jiang retorted, “What can I do? If he refuses to marry, am I supposed to tie someone up and force him into the bridal chamber?”

She was exasperated.

It infuriated her that her son wouldn’t listen to her about something as important as finding a wife, and he wouldn’t even help with something as simple as buying a tube of herbal ointment!

Yet here she was, scrubbing his shoes!

Hmph!

Let him scrub his shoes himself.

In a fit of temper, Aunt Jiang tossed her son’s big shoes to the side of the pool and walked off on her own.

The women around her exchanged glances.

This old lady was really something—she said she was from the countryside, but she seemed like she was from a different world.

At that moment, a tall, dark, and sturdy woman walked over, accompanied by a delicate, almost fairy-like young woman.

The women in the courtyard were instantly captivated.

“Whose family member is this new arrival?”

“Look at her! She’s like a temptress. Her husband must be completely drained by her, right?”

Lin Shu, who had been glancing at Qian’s mother doing laundry, recognized her.

The original owner of Lin Shu’s body had seen her before, so Lin Shu recognized her as well.

She stepped forward and greeted her, “Auntie, doing laundry?”

The group of women, realizing this was a relative of Qian’s mother, immediately fell silent, feeling embarrassed.

Qian’s mother looked at Lin Shu and…

She was dressed in a finely tailored light green blouse, with a dark blue jacket over it, and indigo pants.

She also wore a pair of well-made cloth shoes.

This outfit was stylish enough to be worn in the city.

Without thinking, Mother Qian assumed that her daughter-in-law, Lin Xia, had given this outfit to her sister, Lin Shu.

Mother Qian couldn’t help but feel that Lin Shu was here to take advantage of them, which made her feel a bit disdainful.

This feeling showed on her face.

Lin Shu, however, didn’t mind and continued to chat warmly.

Mother Tong deliberately asked, “Lin Xia’s sister, did you come from the countryside? Did you take an ox cart to get here?”

The other women nearby began to giggle.

Sister-in-law Lu Da, who had a loud voice, said, “We came in a jeep from the tractor factory, so what?”

Mother Tong quickly replied, “Oh, I was just concerned. Taking a horse or ox cart is so slow, it must take a long time to get here, right?”

Lin Shu then took out a bottle of sesame oil and said to Mother Qian, “Auntie, my sister has been taking medicine lately, and it makes her mouth bitter. So, I brought her some sesame oil and soy sauce, so she can cook eggs with sesame oil.”

Whether it was true or not, Mother Qian liked hearing this.

She wanted the other neighbors to know that she gave her daughter-in-law eggs cooked in sesame oil!

Hmph!

She said, “Wait a moment, I’ll wring out the laundry.”

Sister-in-law Lu Da put down her bag and said, “Auntie, let me help you.”

She grabbed the laundry and quickly wrung it out with a few twists.

Mother Qian was a bit stunned by her strength!

The other women were also surprised and started complimenting Sister-in-law Lu Da on how strong she was.

Sister-in-law Lu Da then went around helping the other women wring out their clothes.

Mother Tong wanted her help too, but Sister-in-law Lu Da grabbed her bag and went upstairs with Mother Qian and Lin Shu.

Why couldn’t you wring out just a few pieces of cloth diapers yourself? Are you that weak?

Once upstairs, Lin Shu casually chatted with Mother Qian and mentioned that her sister-in-law was a tractor driver and that they were invited to pose for a tractor advertisement.

Relatives like to show off each other’s successes; that’s why people often say things like “My aunt…,” “My neighbor…,” “My relative…,” or “My classmate…” to add some face to themselves.

Lin Xia and her elder sister married into the city, which brought a lot of pride to the Lin family.

However, their own family might not have brought as much pride to the two sisters.

Instead, there were probably more times when they were a burden to their in-laws and husbands.

Now that Lin Shu had something good to share, she naturally wanted to show off to Mother Qian.

Whether it was to bring pride to her sister or to let Mother Qian brag about “my daughter-in-law’s sister,” it was all about gaining face.

After all, in those days, people cared a lot about what their relatives thought, and everyone took this seriously.

As expected, after hearing this, Mother Qian felt proud too and couldn’t help but smile, forgetting her previous disdain.

Lin Shu wasn’t stingy either.

Lin Shu decided to leave all the benefits from the tractor factory to her second sister.

After all, her second sister had given her so many good things in the past, and she planned to return the favor in the future.

As for the share meant for her eldest sister-in-law, she decided to take it back.

Qian’s mother tried to decline, saying, “Why don’t you leave the sesame oil? It’s easier for us to buy soy sauce and vinegar in the city, so you can take those back with you.”

Lin Shu replied, “My eldest sister-in-law already has some, so this will go to my sister.”

Hearing this, Qian’s mother didn’t insist any further.

In those days, buying a small barrel of soy sauce wasn’t cheap. The cost, including the barrel, would be at least sixty cents.

Feeling pleased, Qian’s mother prepared some sweetened water for Lin Shu and Sister Lu to drink.

“Sister-in-law and sister, why don’t you sit at home for a bit? I’ll go talk to my daughter-in-law and pick up some groceries on the way back.”

Lin Shu immediately suggested, “Staying at home is rather boring.

Why don’t we go out with you and take a stroll?”

To help ensure her sister had a harmonious family life, Lin Shu was willing to flatter Qian’s mother a bit.

At the very least, she wanted to subtly persuade Qian’s mother that her sister could be cured by following the doctor’s advice rather than resorting to random home remedies.

Qian’s mother didn’t refuse.

Sister Lu Da helped them by carrying a basket, and the three women headed out together.

As they walked, people they passed were curious and asked Qian’s mother, “Do you have relatives visiting?”

“Wow, that girl is really pretty. Is she married?”