My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 119

"What?!!!"

Wang Xiangxiu never expected that she would be transferred to the sanitation department to clean toilets!

She stared in disbelief at the personnel officer who came to inform her, completely stunned. "Why are you transferring me to sanitation? I’ve been doing well in the workshop. This is just bullying! You’re taking advantage of me because I’m a widow with a child."

"That’s not fair for you to say. If you put it that way, it’s completely unreasonable. You’ve been absent for ten consecutive days without even asking for leave. The factory has already been very lenient with you. Go out and ask around—would any other workplace tolerate an employee being absent for ten days without notice? Transferring you to sanitation is already a consideration for your situation. Now you’re trying to turn the tables. There’s no logic in that. I’m a woman too, and I’m not trying to make things difficult for you. But our work is about serving the people, and no matter the position, we can all contribute and shine."

Wang Xiangxiu was taken aback, suddenly realizing that she indeed hadn’t asked for leave.

That day, she had gone straight from the police station to the hospital. The next day, she got caught up in the fight between Bai Fendou and Vice Director Cai, and afterward, she had been hospitalized, completely forgetting about requesting leave. As for after being discharged, she hadn’t rushed back to work either.

In her mind, she was the "victim," so what was wrong with taking a few extra days off? The factory should have granted her sick leave.

"But... but... this isn’t my fault! And the factory sent someone to the hospital to check on me, didn’t they?" Wang Xiangxiu felt deeply wronged and tried to defend herself.

The personnel officer replied, "Yes, someone from the factory did go to the hospital to investigate because it involved multiple parties. But that doesn’t mean you can just skip asking for leave. Besides, we know you’ve been home for two days since being discharged. You could have easily come in to submit a leave request. Wang Xiangxiu, this is a factory, not a place where you can do as you please."

The officer grew impatient and said, "Go report to the sanitation department now. If you make a fuss or refuse to go, you can go home, and it’ll count as another day of absence. If you’re still unhappy, go talk to the higher-ups. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—the leadership has already reviewed your work records in the workshop, and that’s why you’ve been transferred. They don’t want you holding back the other workers. Over the years, your performance evaluations have been mediocre at best."

In this era, most people worked diligently, so someone like Wang Xiangxiu, who slacked off, stood out like a sore thumb. The workshop supervisor had long wanted to get rid of her but hadn’t found the right opportunity. Now that the leadership had taken the initiative, the supervisor had quickly filled in the gaps.

Every year during the internal evaluations, Wang Xiangxiu had barely scraped by.

Looking at the personnel officer’s expression, Wang Xiangxiu felt a pang of sadness but still said, "I’ll go ask around. This isn’t right!"

Deep down, she knew her chances of success were slim.

After all, the supervisor had always disliked her for her lack of effort. She had even considered trying to seduce him, but he was a stern and upright man. If she spoke softly, he would scold her.

He also never allowed himself to be alone with her, always keeping his guard up.

Wang Xiangxiu bit her lip, knowing it was unlikely, but she still clung to a sliver of hope as she headed to the workshop.

As soon as she arrived, she spotted Liang Meifen working alongside Sister Zhu in the workshop. It seemed Sister Zhu was responsible for training Liang Meifen. When Wang Xiangxiu first started, she had also been under Sister Zhu’s guidance, but because she often shirked her duties and relied on male coworkers to do her work, Sister Zhu had eventually given up on her.

Later, she had been assigned to several other trainers, but none of them stuck with her either.

Still, she had a decent rapport with the male coworkers in the workshop.

After all, in a machinery factory like this, female workers were rare, and attractive ones even more so.

She glared at Liang Meifen with envy. This wretched woman had already lost one job, yet she managed to get a second one. Why was she so fortunate? Why did Zhuang Zhiyuan let her off so easily?

Even Zhao Guihua, who was usually so harsh, hadn’t scolded or beaten her!

The more Wang Xiangxiu thought about it, the more her jealousy burned.

She believed she was far more attractive than Liang Meifen. In her opinion, even Ming Mei only had youth on her side. If Ming Mei were her age, she might not have the same charm. As for Liang Meifen, she was just an average-looking woman.

She stared venomously at Liang Meifen, unable to understand how someone so disloyal could keep improving her life. The Zhuang family had even been willing to spend money on her. Meanwhile, a woman as good as herself had nothing.

Life was always so unfair.

"Wang Xiangxiu, what are you doing here? Weren’t you transferred out?"

The workshop supervisor came out to inspect the work and saw Wang Xiangxiu standing to the side, glaring resentfully at the workers. He immediately grew wary, worried she might be there to cause trouble. He said sternly, "You’re no longer a worker in this workshop. Leave now, or I’ll have to suspect you’re here with malicious intentions."

Hearing this, Wang Xiangxiu’s eyes welled up with tears. "Supervisor, can I be transferred back? Everything was fine—why was I transferred? I’ve always done well in the workshop. Please, let me come back. I’m a widow with a child, and life is hard for us..."

The supervisor replied bluntly, "You don’t need to worry about that. Cleaning toilets pays about the same as working in the workshop. After all, you haven’t made any progress in the workshop over the years, so your rank hasn’t increased, and your salary hasn’t gone up either. Cleaning toilets pays 25 yuan, while in the workshop, you only made 26.5 yuan. Your rank hasn’t changed, so your salary won’t increase. The only difference is the 0.5 yuan raise every two years for seniority. The factory leadership has considered your family situation and decided not to change your salary. Even though you’re cleaning toilets now, your pay will remain the same. It’s just a different job. Frankly, your performance as a mechanic has been subpar. You wouldn’t have advanced in the workshop anyway, so it’s better not to hold back the others. Maybe sanitation is more suitable for you. Oh, and the leadership also said your seniority will continue to accrue. In two years, you’ll still get the seniority raise, just like in the workshop. This is a special consideration for your family’s circumstances. Even Bai Fendou, who also cleans toilets, doesn’t get this treatment. You should be grateful to the factory and the leadership. There’s no hierarchy in work. Now go report for duty."

He spoke quickly and decisively, then waved her off. "If you don’t report today, it’ll count as another day of absence. This is a factory, not your backyard. You can’t just do as you please."

Wang Xiangxiu stammered, "But..."

Her words were cut off.

She had wanted to use her family’s poverty as an excuse, but even that had been taken into account.

For a moment, she was at a loss for words.

"Go on, this isn’t the place for you. If anything happens here, I’ll have to suspect you’re trying to disrupt unity," the stern-faced supervisor said, clearly fed up with her lack of ambition.

Wang Xiangxiu grabbed his arm. "Supervisor, let’s go to your office. I need to talk to you..."

"Enough, Wang Xiangxiu! Don’t try your tricks on me. Get out!!!" The moment he saw her batting her eyelashes, he knew what she was up to. Over the years, she had tried to seduce him too many times.

He was a good man who never fell for it.

Although his wife wasn’t as young or attractive as Wang Xiangxiu, she had far better character. He glared at her in disgust. "Out!"

"Supervisor..."

"This workshop isn’t where you belong. Out!"

Seeing no hope of persuasion, Wang Xiangxiu left in tears. She took a deep breath and headed to the leadership office. She refused to believe that none of them would be tempted by her beauty.

If even one was, she could get what she wanted.

And indeed, there were some who were tempted. No matter the era, there were always those who had such inclinations. But even so, none of them gave in to Wang Xiangxiu.

Vice Director Cai was a man with a clear reputation, and no one dared to mess with a poisonous widow like Wang Xiangxiu. What if she turned around and bit them? Wang Xiangxiu might have thought she had the upper hand, that she had fooled everyone, but in reality, she hadn’t fooled anyone. Anyone who gave it a moment’s thought could see there was something off about her.

Vice Director Cai, no matter how desperate he was, still had his status and position. He wouldn’t stoop to forcing himself on Wang Xiangxiu.

Although the story later changed, Wang Xiangxiu’s aggressive demeanor made it clear to everyone that they should avoid any deeper interactions with her. Besides, wasn’t she somewhat of a jinx when it came to men?

Her own husband was gone; Yu Baoshan, who was rumored to have slept with her, had died; Vice Director Cai, who had dealings with her, had been sent to the northwest; and Bai Fendou… well, that goes without saying. Everyone had seen how much money he had spent on her, only to end up childless.

There was definitely something unsettling about her, and people couldn’t help but feel a bit afraid.

After failing to find success elsewhere, Wang Xiangxiu had no choice but to head to the logistics department. She couldn’t afford to miss another day of work. If she were marked as absent again, what would she do?

The logistics department was well aware of her situation and didn’t treat her with much kindness. The section chief immediately said, “Go get to work. Bai Fendou is back on duty today.”

Bai Fendou wasn’t fully recovered, but he couldn’t afford to stay home. He had just sold his job position and paid a fee of 130 yuan. Fortunately, the factory covered most of the expenses, or the cost would have been even higher. After all, his father had been hospitalized after being hit with a brick, and the bill was still unpaid. Bai Fendou himself had also been hit and rendered infertile, and his father’s emergency treatment was still outstanding. With so many unpaid bills, 130 yuan was already a bargain.

He originally had 70 yuan saved up, including some private savings and 100 yuan from Jiang Lu as compensation. After spending some on replacing a window, he had 70 yuan left. Now, after selling his job position for 400 yuan, he had 340 yuan in hand. But he didn’t dare spend a single cent. He had to start planning for his old age.

Since he was destined to have no children, he couldn’t afford to be careless anymore.

When Bai Fendou and Wang Xiangxiu ran into each other in the restroom, Bai Fendou felt like enemies meeting face-to-face, his eyes blazing with anger. Wang Xiangxiu, however, immediately cooed, “Fendou, what are you doing here? Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”

She spoke softly, “You’re back at work already? Why didn’t you take a few more days off?”

Now that Bai Fendou had money, Wang Xiangxiu was more than willing to cozy up to him.

But Bai Fendou was cold. “Get the hell away from me.”

“Huh?”

Wang Xiangxiu pouted, “Why are you talking to me like that? If you keep this up, I won’t pay attention to you anymore.”

Bai Fendou retorted, “I don’t need your attention.”

The section chief glanced between the two of them and said, “Alright, get to work. Just so you know, cleaning the restrooms isn’t divided by gender. Wang Xiangxiu, you’re responsible for the east side, and Bai Fendou, you’re on the west side.”

Wang Xiangxiu’s face changed. “Not divided by gender?”

The section chief replied, “Of course not! Women make up less than one-tenth of the workforce here, and there aren’t many restrooms. Dividing them by gender would be unfair. Don’t even think about it. Now, get to work. The restrooms have been a mess lately.”

The regular restroom cleaners hadn’t been coming in, so the logistics department had to send others to help out every three days. It wasn’t as clean as when they were cleaned daily. The restrooms were in a terrible state.

“Get to work!”

The section chief reminded them once more before leaving.

Bai Fendou sneered, picked up his broom, and walked away.

Wang Xiangxiu called out, “Fendou?”

Bai Fendou snapped, “Don’t you dare call me!”

Wang Xiangxiu hadn’t expected such a harsh reception on her first day back. But she couldn’t afford to quit. She swallowed her disgust, tears silently streaming down her face. How had Wang Xiangxiu fallen so low?

She was furious but powerless. This was her reality now, and there was no way to change it. She had no choice but to endure. Cleaning the restrooms left her reeking of filth. How could she ever…

She was so worried, all she could do was hope for the day to end quickly. She needed her mother-in-law to give her some advice.

At this moment, she deeply resented Liang Meifen. If Liang Meifen hadn’t moved to the workshop, would Wang Xiangxiu have ended up cleaning restrooms? She had taken over the job of cleaning restrooms, so why had Liang Meifen gone to the workshop? Wang Xiangxiu was furious.

She also hated Bai Fendou. That fool didn’t know who to side with. He had money but didn’t hand it over to her to manage, and he had even helped Liang Meifen.

Damn him!

She worked with venom in her heart, her eyes dark and brooding.

Cleaning the restrooms felt like an eternity to Wang Xiangxiu. When she was in the workshop, she could easily slack off and get male coworkers to help her. But this job offered no such help. She was exhausted, panting heavily.

That day, male workers deliberately came to her side of the restroom, pointing and laughing at her.

Their laughter was lewd.

There were plenty of comments, both good and bad.

Of course, some went to Bai Fendou’s side too. After all, Bai Fendou was a well-known figure in the factory. Among men, the banter was more direct. Even though Bai Fendou was no longer a man, several brave souls couldn’t resist teasing him that morning.

Several fights broke out as a result.

This was only because Bai Fendou had a reputation as a man-killer. Without that reputation, things would have been even more chaotic. Zhuang Zhixi couldn’t help but lean out the window to watch the commotion several times. If it weren’t for the fact that his sister-in-law was the one who had bought Old Bai’s job, Zhuang Zhixi would have gone down to join the spectacle.

Old Huang watched Zhuang Zhixi pacing back and forth and asked, “What are you doing?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “There’s a fight downstairs.”

He sighed, “There are really some brave souls out there, daring to mess with Bai Fendou.”

“Why wouldn’t they dare? Bai Fendou can’t just go around neutering everyone, can he?”

“Who knows?”

Zhuang Zhixi leaned on the windowsill and mused, “I thought he’d take a few more days off. I didn’t expect him to be back at work so soon.”

“When there’s illness in the family, you have to earn more. What else can you do?”

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, “That’s true. Illness is the worst.”

As they spoke, Sister Cui came over and watched for a while before turning around. “Hey, Little Xu, what’s going on with you lately? You look worse than Bai Fendou, and he’s injured.”

Little Xu, aside from going to the countryside to show movies, seemed to be on the verge of collapse. He spent all day slumped over his desk, as if he could never get enough sleep.

He was practically a sleep god.

Little Xu had changed quite a bit recently. In the past, he was always trying to climb the ladder, constantly scheming and flattering the bosses with gusto.

But in the last two months, he seemed like a completely different person.

He was like a scholar drained of his vitality by a seductive fox spirit, exuding an air of weakness. Despite sleeping so much, his energy levels were far worse than Bai Fendou’s.

Bai Fendou, who wasn’t even a man anymore, could still swing a broom around with vigor, looking like he could take on the world. But Little Xu? He looked pitiful just sitting there.

“You can’t keep going like this. You should go to the clinic.”

Little Xu shook his head, “No, I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

Little Xu insisted, “I’m fine.”

Old Huang chimed in, “I think you should settle down. A man needs a wife to take care of him. That would make a big difference.”

He wasn’t particularly close to Little Xu, but given Little Xu’s recent decline, everyone in the department felt compelled to offer some advice.

“Yeah, having a wife would help.”

At this, Little Xu’s eyes widened. He stood up abruptly and declared, “I’m dedicating my life to my career! Marriage is just a stumbling block on the path to success. I don’t need it for now!”

Everyone: “…”

Zhuang Zhixi smirked, “But you’re sleeping all day. How’s that going to help your career?”

It’d be faster to succeed in his dreams.

Little Xu shot Zhuang Zhixi a glare, “What you see as me sleeping is actually me meditating. I’m thinking about how to improve my movie projection skills.”

Everyone: “…”

Yeah, right.

Little Xu: "Zhuang Zhixi, you're still young and don't understand how family responsibilities can sap a person's fighting spirit. I'm determined to dedicate my life to my career."

Zhuang Zhixi: "...Oh."

If it weren't for the fact that so many men had been acting strangely lately, making it theoretically unlikely, he would have thought Little Xu might have gone off the rails too. Otherwise, how could he say something so bizarre? The words themselves were normal, but coming from Little Xu—a guy who sleeps on the job and takes things from the villagers when sent to the countryside—it was laughable to hear him talk about lofty ideals.

Still, it was clear that Little Xu seemed genuinely afraid of marriage.

"Hey, are you okay? Have you gone off the deep end too? Why are you so scared of getting married?"

It wasn’t just Zhuang Zhixi who thought this; others did too.

Little Xu immediately raised his voice: "What nonsense! I'm a real man. If you don’t believe me, check in the bathroom. I can still—"

He abruptly stopped himself, cutting off what he was about to say.

He wasn’t weak, after all. He could go four or five times in one night, lasting three or four hours.

Otherwise, how could Jiang Lu have taken an interest in him?

But at the thought of Jiang Lu, he deflated. He quickly said, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm going to take a nap."

Everyone exchanged glances: "..."

Those who liked to stir up trouble wondered if he was possessed.

Little Xu: I’m not possessed. I’m just drained.

Little Xu: Back to sleep.

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

He really envied Little Xu’s ability to fall asleep the moment he lay down.

"Xiao Zhuang, come downstairs with me to update the bulletin board. With all the recent rain, there have been some accidents. We need to remind everyone how to handle rainy days."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure."

Their propaganda department handled these small, mundane tasks.

Zhuang Zhixi followed Old Huang downstairs and quickly got to work. Though their department didn’t seem particularly busy, they were efficient at getting things done. Over the past few months, Zhuang Zhixi had been working closely with Old Huang, and no matter what they did, the results had improved dramatically.

As he helped Old Huang with the bulletin board, he caught a glimpse of Yang Lixin leaving the factory.

Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow.

It wasn’t even time to clock out yet.

Yang Lixin didn’t know Zhuang Zhixi had seen him. After leaving the factory, he didn’t head back to the compound. Instead, he wandered around the streets for a while, then turned into a small alley. Up ahead was the black market.

The reason he’d left work early today was because he had an important mission.

His mother-in-law had tasked him with buying some grain. Yang Lixin thought it was completely unnecessary and overly cautious, but in his household, he didn’t have the final say. So, he had no choice but to follow orders.

However, going to the black market was risky, and he was extremely careful, afraid of getting caught. If he were caught, it could ruin his career.

He grumbled inwardly about his mother-in-law stirring up trouble for no reason, but as a live-in son-in-law, he didn’t even receive his own salary. So, Yang Lixin had no choice but to obey. He slipped into the black market. If you were carrying a basket or bundles of goods to sell, you had to pay an entrance fee.

There were lookouts at the alley entrance, and they didn’t work for free.

But if you were a buyer, no one charged you.

This was mainly due to the difference in roles.

Yang Lixin was extremely cautious, but that wasn’t unusual. Anyone who wasn’t careful in the black market would be suspicious. Just as Yang Lixin entered, Zhao Guihua was leaving with her purchases. She spotted Yang Lixin but didn’t call out to him. Instead, she ducked into a corner, waited for him to pass, and then carried her sack of flour out.

She had bought a full sack of white flour—twenty pounds.

The black market didn’t require ration tickets, but the prices were much higher than at the grain store. Even so, Zhao Guihua bought it. Others might just buy a little as a backup, but Zhao Guihua knew that this year, there would definitely be a grain shortage.

This was only the first day. She planned to buy more tomorrow.

After all, people still needed to eat.

Zhao Guihua carried the sack of flour, glancing around as she left the black market. She quickly made her way home and stored the flour in her bedroom, covering it with something. This amount wasn’t nearly enough, but she wasn’t just going to buy white flour. She’d also get some mixed grain and cornmeal. Though cornmeal wasn’t very tasty, it could serve as an emergency ration. It was cheap, after all.

Zhao Guihua did some calculations and felt that the money she had on hand would suffice.

She didn’t say much to her children about it.

Normally, rationed white flour cost 0.18 yuan per catty. Today, she bought it for 0.21 yuan at the black market. But when grain became scarce, the price wouldn’t stay this low. Even though it seemed like she was spending more now, it wasn’t a loss.

"Aunt Zhao, are you back?" Wang Zhaodi called from the doorway.

Zhao Guihua: "Yes, what is it?"

Wang Zhaodi: "I made you a pair of shoes. Try them on and see if they fit."

Zhao Guihua: "Oh, you shouldn’t have."

She came out and saw Wang Zhaodi holding a pair of cloth shoes. "They look nice, but you really didn’t have to make these for me."

Wang Zhaodi smiled shyly. "It’s the least I could do. I’ve borrowed your fishing rod several times, and you never asked for anything in return. Making you a pair of shoes is the right thing to do. I just provided the labor; Jiang Lu paid for the materials."

Zhao Guihua protested politely but quickly tried on the shoes. "These are really good. You’re quite skilled."

Wang Zhaodi beamed. "I’m glad you like them."

Zhao Guihua examined the shoes closely. "Your stitching is excellent. Alright, I’ll take them. Feel free to borrow the fishing rod anytime. Don’t be shy."

Wang Zhaodi nodded vigorously.

Even before she gave Aunt Zhao the shoes, Aunt Zhao had never hesitated to lend her the fishing rod. Wang Zhaodi knew how rare such kindness was. In her village, no one would lend out something as valuable as a fishing rod or net, no matter what you offered in return. They were too afraid it would get damaged with too much use.

Her uncle had a fishing rod, and even her father couldn’t borrow it.

So, Wang Zhaodi was deeply grateful that Aunt Zhao treated her like family. Zhao Guihua: "Come sit."

Wang Zhaodi: "I’ll grab my sewing basket. I’m still working on clothes for the baby."

Zhao Guihua: "Oh, you’re starting so early?"

Wang Zhaodi nodded. "I’m afraid... well, I’d better prepare for Jiang Lu early."

She pursed her lips. "If I go back home, it won’t be a problem."

Zhao Guihua understood. Wang Zhaodi had come to help Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu with their child, but now that Zhou Qun was incapacitated, there was no need for a child. She hadn’t left yet because Jiang Lu still needed her, but if Aunt Zhou returned, Jiang Lu might not need her anymore.

Wang Zhaodi didn’t ask for much money, but she ate a lot.

This skinny little girl ate more than a grown man.

It was likely that Jiang Lu and Zhou Qun together couldn’t match Wang Zhaodi’s appetite. With grain being so precious, it was understandable if they didn’t want to keep supporting her.

Zhao Guihua didn’t want to interfere too much in other people’s affairs, but she said, "Don’t overthink it. Just stay here for now. When Aunt Zhou comes back, they’ll discuss it."

Wang Zhaodi nodded. "I know."

She was already mentally prepared.

Her own parents had complained about how much she ate, so of course others would too.

She was used to it, but she couldn’t help feeling attached to the people in this compound. She took a deep breath. "If I leave, I’ll miss you a lot."

Zhao Guihua smiled. "Don’t worry too much, little one. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ll keep an eye out for a suitable young man in the city. If you can marry into the city, that would be ideal."

Originally, Bai Fendou from their compound would have been a good match.

Don’t get me wrong—Bai Fendou had his flaws, but in the countryside, especially in Wang Zhaodi’s remote mountain village, life was tough. Families were large, and poverty was rampant. If Wang Zhaodi married Bai Fendou, it would be a step up.

A man with a city home and a stable job was considered top-tier.

Jiang Lu’s earlier idea wasn’t meant to harm Wang Zhaodi but to genuinely consider her future.

However, things are different now, so in reality, Wang Zhaodi still isn't a good match for Bai Fendou. But no one could introduce Wang Zhaodi to Bai Fendou either, as he’s no longer capable, and there’s no chance of him having a child in the future.

If a woman were to marry him, it would truly be a life of misery. Wouldn’t that just be a living widowhood?

In this era, people place an incredibly high value on continuing the family line. Not having children is a huge deal. Take Li the Cook and his wife, for example. Their family conditions aren’t bad, but because they don’t have a son, they’ve been looked down upon for years.

This is something people decades later can’t even imagine, but that’s just how it is now.

If it weren’t for the early decision that Li Fang would find a man to marry into their family, Li the Cook probably wouldn’t even have any spirit left in him.

This is also why Jiang Lu was bullied so much by the Zhou family without fighting back—it was because she didn’t have children. It seems like this issue is the biggest deal of all. Wang Zhaodi, after all, is still a young girl. If she were to marry Bai Fendou, her life might be better than in the countryside, but the pressure would undoubtedly be immense.

A man who can’t perform and no children—how would people outside view her? What would they speculate about her? You don’t even need to think about it.

She’s still young and might not be able to withstand such gossip.

Zhao Guihua’s mind raced with thoughts, but she still said, “I’ll look into it for you, but you know, anyone who’s looking for a girl from the countryside probably doesn’t have great conditions... Even then, it’s not guaranteed, but we’ll give it a try.”

Wang Zhaodi was stunned for a moment, then her eyes turned red. She whispered, “Thank you. I know you’re doing this for my sake.”

Zhao Guihua waved it off. “No need to thank me. We don’t even know if there’s a suitable match yet. Let me talk to Jiang Lu and see what she thinks. We’ll rally the community to help.”

Wang Zhaodi knew that even with this, the chances were slim. Such good fortune was rare.

But she was still deeply moved, feeling warmth in her heart.

She said, “Auntie, you’re so good to me. You treat me even better than my own mother.”

After a pause, she added, “Sister Jiang Lu is also very kind to me, and so is Aunt Zhou…”

Even though everyone says Aunt Zhou isn’t a good person, being harsh and cruel, Wang Zhaodi had only interacted with her for a little over a day. In that short time, Aunt Zhou had treated her well.

She didn’t care what others said; she only cared about how she was treated.

Back at home, because she ate a lot, her mother once said she regretted not drowning her at birth! The relationship between her and her sisters wasn’t great either, as everyone fought over every bite of food.

Because she ate so much, she did the most work every day, but still, no one liked her.

But here, she felt that this place was good.

Aunt Zhao was kind, Aunt Wang was kind, and Sister Jiang Lu was even kinder.

“I’ll just work hard!” she encouraged herself. “Work harder! Even if I have to go back, I’ll make sure to finish all the little tasks Sister Jiang Lu asked me to do.”

Zhao Guihua nodded.

Curious, she asked, “Zhaodi, what’s your hometown like?”

Wang Zhaodi replied, “My home is in a mountain valley.”

At that moment, Aunt Wang and a few other women from the backyard came over, joining them with their needlework and adding to the conversation.

Wang Zhaodi continued, “To get here from my home, you have to transfer buses several times.”

Even though they’re both rural areas, the villages around the capital are much wealthier than others. Wang Zhaodi’s hometown, on the other hand, is quite poor. Geographically, it’s not even within the capital’s boundaries anymore; it’s part of Hebei Province.

She explained, “It takes three hours just to walk to the commune from our village. We only have one ox cart in the village, and it’s used for plowing the fields. If we want to go to the commune, we have to leave early in the morning.”

“Your life must be quite tough,” someone remarked.

Wang Zhaodi nodded. “Yes, it is. Even the wealthiest families in our village don’t eat as well as many families here. My family is even worse off. We have a lot of children, my father needs supplements, and my mother needs medicine, so life is even harder for us.”

Zhao Guihua sighed, “Even though your village isn’t too far from the capital, it’s not exactly remote. How come it’s so poor?”

Wang Zhaodi hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “Actually, our village wasn’t the poorest in the area before, but something happened, and things got worse. People from outside stopped coming to our village.”

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued. “What happened?”

Wang Zhaodi pursed her lips, hesitant, but eventually spoke up. “A long time ago, our village used to sell eggs. Back then, it wasn’t as strict as it is now. People didn’t strictly raise just two chickens; they secretly raised five or six more. The eggs could be exchanged for goods or used to supplement nutrition. They were like a form of currency. But we rarely took them to the commune’s distribution center to sell. It’s a three-hour walk from our village, and the road is rough. Sometimes the eggs would break, which was a big loss. Plus, people were lazy and didn’t want to waste hours walking to the city, so they preferred to trade among themselves. Later, a peddler came to our village to buy eggs for three cents each. The villagers all saved up their eggs to sell to him. Everyone was happy to earn a little extra money.”

“Wasn’t that speculation and profiteering?” someone interjected.

Aunt Wang pinched the woman who spoke, and she quickly clarified, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Wang Zhaodi explained, “That was a few years ago. It wasn’t as strict as it is now. It wasn’t allowed, but it wasn’t heavily enforced either.”

“It’s probably like the pigeon market, where people sell small amounts of their home produce. It’s not a big deal,” Zhao Guihua chimed in, and Aunt Wang nodded in agreement. “That’s probably the case.”

It’s only in recent years that such activities have been strictly prohibited. In the past, selling a few eggs from home-raised chickens at the pigeon market wasn’t considered speculation and profiteering, as long as it wasn’t in large quantities.

Selling eggs wasn’t a big deal, but the person buying them definitely was engaging in speculation.

“Everything was going fine for almost a year, but then Uncle Qinglai, the village head’s son, said we were being cheated. He worked as a temporary laborer at the commune and came back after hearing about it. He said we were being shortchanged. It turned out he happened to know the peddler who came to our village to buy eggs. The peddler divided the eggs into three grades: four cents, four and a half cents, and five cents. But he only paid three cents when buying them. When the villagers found out, they were furious. They felt that raising chickens and collecting eggs was hard work, while the peddler made a tidy profit just by reselling them. They demanded not only to raise the price but also to be compensated for the difference from the past year.”

“How much did you want to raise the price?” someone asked.

“They said the peddler should only make a fraction of a cent per egg. They wanted to divide the eggs into three grades again: four-cent eggs would be sold for three and nine-tenths cents, four-and-a-half-cent eggs would be… They argued that the peddler was just a middleman and didn’t deserve to make so much. A fraction of a cent per egg was already plenty. On top of that, they demanded compensation of at least a hundred yuan for the past year’s sales.”

Zhao Guihua listened, feeling a mix of emotions. She thought the villagers were… well, not the sharpest tools in the shed.

“Later, when the vendor came back to collect eggs, the villagers blocked him, insisting that he had to buy them at their price. Otherwise, they would report him for speculation. The man was cornered and agreed, but he said he didn’t bring enough money and needed to go back to fetch more, promising to return the next day. The villagers were thrilled with their victory. However, Uncle Qinglai remarked that the man looked shifty and might bring reinforcements the next day, possibly reneging on the deal. He suggested calling the speculation office to arrest them, teaching them a lesson so they’d behave in the future. Everyone thought it was a good idea, but the next day, no one showed up. The village was scolded, and Uncle Qinglai led a group to the commune to demand an explanation. Instead, they returned with broken legs. It turned out the village’s informants had been tailed, and the vendors knew about the speculation office. They refused to deal with the village, calling them greedy. From then on, no vendors came to the village. Later, when poultry farming was strictly controlled, anyone caught raising an extra chicken was reported. Villagers trying to sell anything at the collection station were constantly harassed. The vendors despised the village and continued to cause trouble… so the village grew poorer and poorer.”

Everyone listening to Wang Zhaodi’s story about why her village was so poor didn’t know what to say.

How could they even respond?

It was essentially a self-inflicted disaster.

Aunt Wang: “If they’re arguing over a fraction of a cent per egg, they’re probably losing money. They have labor costs, and as you said, the journey takes over three hours on rough roads. There’s bound to be breakage and losses, which they have to account for… Not that I’m defending the vendors. They’re no saints for targeting your village, but the whole mess started because of your own actions.”

Wang Zhaodi nodded: “I know. Some in the village are aware too, but everyone just wanted to make more money, thinking only of their own gain and expecting others to help for free. That’s how it ended up. Uncle Qinglai, the one I mentioned, still walks with a limp. The village is now divided into two factions. One side follows the village head, and the other blames Uncle Qinglai for causing trouble. That’s why our village is so poor. Nearby villages don’t want to marry their daughters or sons to anyone from our village. They say we’re foolish, vicious, and brainless. They think girls shouldn’t marry into suffering here, and boys shouldn’t bring our village girls home to cause trouble.”

In the past, Wang Zhaodi wouldn’t have shared this, but since Zhao Guihua offered to help her find a match, she decided to be upfront. Their village had a bad reputation. No one from nearby villages wanted to marry into their village, let alone someone from the city.

Although she wanted to marry into the city, she didn’t want to deceive anyone.

“My younger sister is already engaged, waiting to marry in a couple of years, but I’m not.”

“Why? If your sister is engaged, why aren’t you, as the older sister?”

Everyone was curious.

Wang Zhaodi was a bit embarrassed but explained: “Because I eat a lot. My appetite is huge, enough for several people, but I can’t work as hard as several people. So no one wants to marry me.”

That’s why she was sent out.

Still, Wang Zhaodi added: “Even though I eat a lot, my family’s food is divided equally. I don’t get more than anyone else. I find my own food outside, like picking fruit or catching fish, but because I sneak food, my parents don’t like me much. I’m not very favored at home.”

Zhao Guihua: “That’s not fair. I’ve experienced hunger myself. If your appetite is naturally big and your family’s rations are limited, what else can you do? You can’t just starve.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s just how you’re born. What can you do?”

“That’s true. Besides, I think you’re quite capable.”

Everyone was hardworking, but no one was as diligent as Wang Zhaodi. The Zhou family’s home was now well-organized thanks to her. She even caught fish to improve their meals, which was no small feat.

Everyone thought Wang Zhaodi was quite impressive, but when it came to considering her as a match for themselves or their relatives, they hesitated. After all, rural households didn’t have grain quotas, and her appetite was too much for most families to handle.

While they couldn’t consider her for their own families, they were willing to help her find someone else.

The conversation continued, and the atmosphere grew lively.

Aunt Su was resting at home. She had initially thought about joining the gathering, but after spending so much time lying in the hospital, she’d grown used to napping at this hour and decided to stay in. When she woke up, she heard the chatter outside.

Peeking out the window, she saw everyone talking to Wang Zhaodi and sneered.

A country girl, mingling with everyone like she belonged. How dare she?

Aunt Su had thought that since she was the one who introduced Wang Zhaodi, the girl should be grateful and treat her like royalty, taking on all the household chores. But instead, Wang Zhaodi had immediately sided with the Zhou family, completely ignoring Aunt Su’s household.

This ingrate.

A thankless wretch.

Her family seemed cursed. Wang Zhaodi was an ingrate, and Hu Huihui was no better. After handing over her earnings, she barely showed her face except to sleep. If asked to do anything, she’d just ignore it.

Aunt Su: “These girls are all worthless. In the old days, they’d have been sent to the brothels.”

She spat a few times, growing more displeased.

Zhao Guihua noticed a gaze and turned to see Aunt Su’s venomous look before she could hide it.

Yikes!

That was terrifying.

She rolled her eyes and called out loudly: “Aunt Su, if you want to listen, come out and join us. What are you doing, sneaking around like that?”

Aunt Su: “Who are you calling sneaky? How dare you speak to me like that!”

Zhao Guihua: “Who else? That look of yours just scared me.”

She didn’t hold back, saying what needed to be said.

Aunt Su’s eyes darted around. “Nonsense. I’m the gentlest person. You’re just… Ahhh!”

She suddenly screamed as if she’d seen a ghost.

“What the heck? What’s wrong with you?”

“Yeah, why are you yelling like that? You’re scaring everyone.”

Aunt Su pointed at the gate, stammering: “Y-you… how are you back?”

Everyone turned to see a gray-haired, weathered old woman stepping into the courtyard. It was none other than the first person from their neighborhood to be jailed—Aunt Zhou.

Aunt Zhou had lost a lot of weight. She was already a thin woman, but now she looked like a gust of wind could knock her over. Though it hadn’t been long, she seemed to have aged several years.

“Good heavens, Aunt Zhou, you’re back?”

“Wait, weren’t you sentenced to four months? Shouldn’t you be back at the end of next month?”

“Yeah, did you escape?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t have the guts or the means.”

“True.”

Aunt Zhou’s face was ashen. Wang Zhaodi quickly put down what she was holding and went to support her. “Auntie, you’re back. Come sit down. Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu are still at work and haven’t returned yet. Should I go call them…”

Aunt Zhou suddenly burst into loud sobs, wailing: “Oh heavens, I’m finally home! It’s been so hard! Oh, heavens, it’s been so hard…”

She cried uncontrollably.

Everyone exchanged awkward glances.

Zhao Guihua, ever the practical one, said: “If you’re going to cry, at least sit down first.”

Aunt Zhou: “It’s been so hard! After I was taken in, I suffered so much! My son and daughter-in-law didn’t even visit me! My life is so bitter…”

Aunt Zhou was completely devastated. She had just returned home, but neither her son nor her daughter-in-law had shown up to see her, not even once. Although she hadn’t been gone for too long, it wasn’t as if they couldn’t have visited her! How unfilial of them!

She cried and wailed as she vented her frustration.

Zhao Guihua chimed in, “You’ve cried enough. It’s partly your own fault for stirring up trouble. Now that you’re back, go take a bath and have a good meal. Tonight, when they get off work, the family can reunite.” She paused, then looked Aunt Zhou up and down and asked, “Did you get out early?”

Aunt Zhou nodded through her tears, “Yes, I was released over a month early. I was supposed to serve four months, but I reported someone’s crimes and was credited for it, so they let me out early… sob sob.”

“Reported someone’s crimes? What did you do?”

Everyone’s curiosity was piqued.

Aunt Zhou sobbed as she explained, “There was a woman in my cell who was in for theft. She seemed very meek, always crying and saying she had no choice because life was hard. Everyone sympathized with her and took care of her. But who am I? I’m no ordinary person. I thought there was something off about her. Everyone in there is serving time, so why was she acting like some pitiful saint? Besides, her act wasn’t even as convincing as Aunt Su’s.”

Aunt Su’s eyes widened, “Why are you dragging me into this? I’m not acting!”

Ignoring Aunt Su’s displeased glare, Aunt Zhou continued, “So I kept an eye on her, and sure enough, I found something suspicious. I discovered that her two deceased daughters were actually killed by her. She favored boys over girls and didn’t want to raise daughters, so she deliberately caused their deaths. After testing her a few times, I felt something was wrong and reported her. Turns out, I was right! It really was her doing! Because of my tip, I was released early.”

“Wow, you’ve got some skills!”

“I never would’ve guessed you had such sharp eyes.”

Honestly, everyone was quite shocked. Who would’ve thought Aunt Zhou had such a knack for spotting deception?

Aunt Zhou basked in the praise, feeling a bit smug, “It’s nothing, really. Did you think I’d let her fool me? Her act wasn’t even as genuine as Aunt Su’s.”

Aunt Su retorted, “Stop bringing me up. I’m not like that.”

She would never do something as criminal as murder or arson.

She knew what kind of actions could land her in jail.

She wouldn’t ruin her life like that.

Besides, favoring boys over girls didn’t mean you had to kill your daughters. If you raised them right, they could support the family for life.

Aunt Zhou insisted, “Anyway, I saw through her act.”

It just goes to show how much experience they’ve gained in their neighborhood.

If it weren’t for Aunt Su and her daughter-in-law constantly putting on a show, Aunt Zhou wouldn’t have developed such sharp instincts.

Wiping her tears, Aunt Zhou lamented, “I’m back, I’m finally back. But my son and daughter-in-law are so unfilial. They didn’t even come to see me, sob sob…”

Zhao Guihua said, “You’ve been gone for a while, but a lot has happened in our neighborhood. They probably didn’t visit you because they were too busy. Oh, and congratulations, by the way.”

Aunt Zhou replied, “Don’t expect me to treat you to a meal just because you congratulated me. I got out on my own merits.”

Zhao Guihua clarified, “That’s not what I meant. I wasn’t talking about that.”

Aunt Zhou asked, “Then what?”

Although Aunt Zhou had returned, she was much calmer than before. After all, that place had a way of humbling people. Even someone as fierce as Aunt Zhou had been reduced to nothing there. She had suffered quite a bit, and now that she was back in familiar territory, she didn’t dare act as domineering as she used to.

Now, she could even hold a normal conversation.

Zhao Guihua said, “Jiang Lu is pregnant.”

“What!!!”

Aunt Zhou stared at Zhao Guihua in disbelief, grabbing her arm tightly, “What did you say? She’s pregnant? Really? How far along is she? This is amazing, sob sob…”

She was so excited that her face turned red.

She had been waiting for this for years.

Aunt Zhou began dancing around, her entire being radiating joy.

At that moment, Aunt Su walked over. She couldn’t stand seeing others doing better than her family, so she blurted out, “You should be happy. Your son is useless now, he’s not a man anymore. It’s a good thing Jiang Lu is pregnant, or else your family line would’ve ended.”

“What!” Aunt Zhou let out another wail.

Her emotions swung from extreme joy to extreme sorrow.

She grabbed Aunt Su and shook her violently, “What are you saying? Is it true? Tell me!”

“Let go of me!”

“Aunt Zhou, let go! Aunt Su just got out of the hospital…”

“Yeah, let go…”

With everyone’s help, Aunt Zhou finally released Aunt Su, who was gasping for air and her face flushed. Aunt Su scolded, “Are you crazy?”

Aunt Zhou demanded, “Tell me, what’s wrong with my son?”

Everyone fell silent, and Aunt Zhou suddenly turned to Wang Zhaodi, “You tell me.”

Wang Zhaodi said nervously, “Auntie, let’s go inside, and I’ll explain everything that’s happened recently.”

It would be too embarrassing to discuss this in public.

Aunt Zhou snapped, “Let’s go!”

She stormed off toward her house, with Wang Zhaodi hurrying after her.

Aunt Su grumbled angrily, “It’s not my fault her son’s useless. Why did she grab me?”

“Enough, let’s not talk about this. It’s not our place to comment.”

Thinking about it, Aunt Zhou had only been gone for about three months, but so much had already happened in their neighborhood.

Just as they were reflecting on this, they heard Aunt Zhou let out another scream, “Where’s my secret stash of money? Ahhh!”