Liu Sanjin finished work early in the afternoon, she sat at the entrance of the central room waiting for Xie Jinghao. These past two days, without fail, the third son’s household had been bringing their children to run towards the main house, as if she didn’t know. The gossiping old ladies at the village entrance had told her everything today—that her eldest daughter-in-law had gone to the county and dragged back two large packages. She was certain that it must have been the things her son sent back, but as for what specifically, she needed to thoroughly inquire.
When Xie Jinghao walked in with Xiao Gang, the mont she opened the door and made eye contact with Liu Sanjin, she was startled and her steps faltered.
"Mother, you finished work so early. I’ll go cook right away."
"Wait, co sit down first, I have so questions for you."
Xie Jinghao glanced at her, then walked over with Xiao Gang.
Liu Sanjin was not nice to her daughter-in-law, but she was good to her grandson Xiao Gang; of course, compared to Lu Mingkai, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
"Xiao Gang, co here, let grandma hold you."
"I want Mommy to hold , Xiao Gang wants Mommy to hold."
Liu Sanjin’s expression changed, looking at Xie Jinghao with a displeased face. Seeing that her grandson was not close to her, she blad her daughter-in-law for badmouthing her behind her back to the child.
"Hmph, don’t think I don’t know you’re turning my grandson against behind my back. My grandson is closest to , Xiao Gang is closest to grandma, isn’t that right, hehehe;" as she spoke, she glared at Xie Jinghao, "You ca from your elder sister-in-law’s house, didn’t she ntion anything?"
"Oh, elder sister-in-law, she gave this month’s pension money and also told you not to overwork yourself!" Xie Jinghao, just having returned, was afraid of being scolded and hurried to go cook, forgetting about the matter of the money.
"Hmph, you wouldn’t have ntioned it or taken it out if I didn’t ask. Are there only money? Where are the tickets, the food coupons, cloth tickets, kerosene tickets? And that big package your older brother sent, she didn’t take anything out of it?"
Xie Jinghao licked her lips and said with a forced smile, "Mother, that’s not what my older brother sent. I saw his letter, it was only a remittance slip. The parcel is from a soldier to the children of Mingyang, just so vermicelli, dried mushrooms, and such."
Upon hearing this, Liu Sanjin imdiately glared with widened eyes, the old lady with bound feet nearly leapt up. In her eyes, as long as they hadn’t separated households, everything the oldest son sent should be under her control, not even a thread could be left to Shen ng.
I knew it, when initially I was against building a house, against building a house. Now look, the things her own son sent back were all being hoarded by that black-hearted Shen ng.
"Don’t bother cooking for the main house tonight, let her go hungry for a few als, hmph, no, I must go ask for it myself. Those things were sent by the army to Mingyang’s children, if left in Shen ng’s hands, who knows, they might all end up with her mother’s family."
Xie Jinghao didn’t have the chance to stop her, and she saw Liu Sanjin hastily making her way to the courtyard entrance; this was the first ti she had seen her mother-in-law walk so fast!
As she saw no one else around, she took Xiao Gang back to the room, unwrapping a cloth tied around her waist that Shen ng had given her. Inside, she hid a handful of Golden Monkey brand milk candies and a bag of brown sugar. She quickly put everything away in her cabinet and locked it, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
Xiao Gang, sensible as he was, nestled up against her bosom. But his mind was on what Shen ng had said, "Living by ourselves in our courtyard is quite comfortable." She too longed for such a comfortable life. If she could only live separately, she wouldn’t have to sneak to give her child sothing nice to eat.
Shen ng was in the house, watching Ming Kai and Ming Fang happily trying on their new possessions, when suddenly, there were loud knocking sounds at the door, causing her eyebrows to frown.
"Ming Fang, put away the things quickly, stay in the house to watch your brother, Mommy’s going out to have a look."
Lu Mingfang’s face turned pale with fright. She quickly got off the kang and hid her clothes and shoes in Shen ng’s cupboard. She didn’t know why, but since her mother said so, there must be a reason.
The knocking was so loud that even the neighbors on both sides craned their necks to see, thinking sothing had happened.
"Third Auntie Sanjin, what’s wrong with you? What happened?"
Liu Sanjin wiped the corners of her eyes and choked up, "Daqing’s mother, it’s just that Zhenping wrote a letter back ho, and for a whole day, I didn’t know what he wrote. Zhenping’s wife is keeping it from , and I am really worried!"
Daqing’s mother, Wang Lianhua, rubbed her hands together and looked at Liu Sanjin with a touch of sympathy.
"Yes, Third Auntie Sanjin, it’s been several years since Brother Zhenping ca ho, but he does write once a month. Don’t get upset. Mingyang’s mother is not feeling well. Let’s wait a bit more, she’ll co out soon, and then we can ask about the situation, alright?"
I thought Wang Lianhua was going to follow my lead and badmouth Shen ng, but unexpectedly, she ca to say kind words. Annoyed, I found myself knocking harder.
"Elder sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Has Zhenping’s wife made you angry again? In my opinion, she deserves a beating. Beat her until she listens. Look at Lianhua, Xifeng, and the others, they listen to well. You are just too soft-hearted, like dough, that’s why your daughters-in-law walk all over you."
Hearing her mother-in-law’s words, Wang Lianhua shuddered and hurried back into the courtyard to work.
Chen Zhaodi watched the back of her second daughter-in-law and spitefully spat on the ground.
Liu Sanjin brushed her hair and said, "I don’t have your luck, it’s just that my eldest son isn’t very filial. But Xiang Lan and Jiaojiao are very filial. They think of with any good food they have. Jiaojiao and Jiaxuan even moved back and let live in the big house. Oh, such pity."
A good daughter-in-law she might be, but her heart ached for her son. Jiaxuan had ntioned building a courtyard before. Since he beca the warehouse manager of the production team, he never took a penny for himself. If they were to build a courtyard now, it would cost a significant amount of money. The money I had was for my coffin and couldn’t be touched. That’s why the cost would have to be covered by Zhenping. As the elder brother, it wouldn’t make sense to live in a brick house and let the younger brother live in a mud hut!
Apart from Chen Zhaodi, several other families also ca out to see what was happening upon hearing the noise. Shen ng stood behind the door with her arms crossed, listening for a while before finally opening the door. She appeared pale and ghostlike in the dim light, as if she had just jumped out of a grave.
"Ah, my goodness!"
"Good heavens, that scared to death!"
"Zhenping’s wife, what happened to you? How did you end up looking like this?"
Liu Sanjin was also startled, watching Shen ng lean against the door fra. She subconsciously took a couple of steps back, fearing Shen ng would suddenly fall onto her.
"Auntie, I, cough cough cough... I received Zhenping’s letter and was so happy I wanted to ask soone to collect the parcel for . But I was worried about missing work, so I went myself. When I ca back, I felt all sorts of discomfort and laid down for an afternoon before getting up."
"Ts, what about Mingyang and Mingliang? You’re sick like this, and none of the kids are taking care of you?"
Shen ng shrunk her neck as if scared and said, "Zhenping’s comrade sent so mushrooms and vermicelli, all from Diannan. We were all so hungry at noon today, we skipped lunch. Those things, none of Mingyang’s kids know how to prepare, and they didn’t want to exert myself, so they had Ming Fang look after , while the two of them went fishing. They haven’t returned so late, and I am really worried."
Liu Sanjin had a bellyful of words left unsaid when she was blatantly slandered by Shen ng. Seeing the suspicious looks from those around, a well of rage rose in her chest, one she couldn’t spit out.
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