My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 47

Zhuang Zhixi was a shrewd man, and he could tell that Wang Xiangxiu had some interest in him.

Actually, this is how relationships between men and women often work - many times, what appears as "not knowing" is simply pretending to be naive. There aren't really that many truly innocent men. Often, playing dumb and claiming ignorance is just an act, allowing them to both enjoy the attention while maintaining their innocence.

Zhuang Zhixi, being a man, understood that many people had this mindset. However, he kept his distance from people like Wang Xiangxiu. Although Zhuang Zhixi shared plenty of sweet words with his wife Ming Mei, he was fundamentally a pure-hearted person. He had a good relationship with his wife and maintained appropriate boundaries with other women.

It wasn't that he didn't understand why Wang Xiangxiu behaved the way she did, but understanding doesn't necessarily mean acceptance, does it?

He simply looked down on Wang Xiangxiu. He never claimed to be a selfless, kind person, nor did he hold himself to such standards. So Zhuang Zhixi just didn't respect Wang Xiangxiu and couldn't be bothered with her.

Oh, if she got into fights with others, he'd still watch for entertainment.

But if she tried to get involved with him? Sorry, get lost! Not interested!

This was exactly how Zhuang Zhixi felt about Wang Xiangxiu - he couldn't care less about her. When Wang Xiangxiu walked away swaying her hips, some men's eyes were practically glued to her, but Zhuang Zhixi didn't even spare her a glance.

Really not worth the eye strain.

Instead, he started thinking. Since it was payday, why not take his wife to see a movie?

The couple hadn't gone to the movies together recently - ah, there had been too much excitement in their courtyard, and they'd saved their movie money. Oh, they could also go out to eat, either at Donglaishun or Quanjude.

His wife probably hadn't been there in a while.

Oh wait, today was Hutou's discharge from the hospital, and his mother would probably cook something special. So they should eat at home first and then go to the movies - can't miss out on good food. Zhuang Zhixi smiled happily as he thought about these plans.

He returned to the medical room with money in his pocket, where Doctor Wang was tending to flowers - well, actually pulling them out.

Zhuang Zhixi went over and asked, "Doctor Wang, what's this...?"

"Roses, know them?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, I do."

Although growing flowers wasn't common, they lived in the capital city after all, so people here were more knowledgeable than those from other places. These roses, while not abundant, were something they had all heard of and occasionally seen.

He was puzzled: "But why are you pulling them all out...?"

Doctor Wang sighed and said, "They're from my classmate's garden, they don't want them anymore. I thought I'd take them home to make some rose pastries."

Policies were strict now, and growing flowers could be politically sensitive if not explained properly, especially roses that symbolized love. Yes, even though it was only the 1970s, young people knew a bit about this.

When he was in elementary school, he and other kids would squat outside the Old Moscow Restaurant, drooling as they watched Russians carrying flowers and walking in with their leather shoes. It really shocked these little country bumpkins at the time.

But things were different now. Growing flowers itself wasn't quite appropriate, especially these kinds. Some families simply pulled them all out to avoid trouble. Zhuang Zhixi looked curiously and asked, "Doctor Wang, could I have a few?"

Doctor Wang looked up at Zhuang Zhixi in surprise and said, "What do you want these for?"

Then she immediately slapped her forehead and said, "Look at me, what else would you want them for?"

They were newlyweds after all, different from others.

She said, "Sure, I can't use them all. Pick whichever ones you like, take more, but it's better not to plant them at home. Just put them in a vase for a few days."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "I'm also going to make rose pastries at home."

Doctor Wang pointed at him from afar and said, "You little fox."

He picked a few good ones, and Doctor Wang smiled and said, "Take more, don't be shy. I can't use them all and would have to throw them away anyway. Rose pastries are just for novelty, I can't make a whole pot, and I don't have that much flour either. Go ahead and choose."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled: "Alright then, I'll pick a few more, make it nine, for eternal love."

All the female colleagues suddenly felt their teeth ache from the sweetness, and Doctor Wang sighed: "That's youth for you. If I asked my husband to say something like this, he'd ask if I was sick and forgot to take my medicine."

"Mine would ask if my head got caught in a door."

"You're lucky. If it were my husband, he'd send me straight to the hospital for a head examination."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled as he arranged the nine roses, saying, "What are you all talking about? I just said it casually, I really just want to make rose pastries, that's why I'm taking some flowers home."

He wouldn't admit he was taking them home as a romantic gesture - such things had to be done secretly. But fortunately, if he insisted on making rose pastries, there was no point in arguing about it.

After all, they couldn't stop someone from eating, could they?

Zhuang Zhixi arranged the roses and placed them under the table. As they chatted, one of the nurse seniors said, "Little Zhuang, Zhou Qun's mother from your courtyard was taken out by her daughter-in-law this morning. Did you know?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "I heard about it. As soon as I got to the factory this morning, I heard the security office discussing it. Wonder how long this auntie will stay quiet after going back."

"Well, that's not what I wanted to talk about. I mean, she's really vicious. When Jiang Lu went to pick her up, she grabbed Jiang Lu's hair and slapped her face. Jiang Lu tried to block with her hands and got scratched up badly. I happened to pass by on my way to work and saw it. She was forcefully pinching and twisting Jiang Lu's arms. How can this old lady be so cruel? When she acts like this in your courtyard, hasn't anyone reported her to the Women's Federation?"

The nurse senior really looked down on such people - in this day and age, still tormenting daughters-in-law.

Zhuang Zhixi shook his head: "She's never hit anyone in front of us, we only hear her verbal abuse. I don't know if she hits people in private, but I've never seen any injuries on Jiang Lu, so I guess probably not. But she does often go into hysterical rants. She's quite unreasonable in our courtyard, but who can interfere in their family matters? Even if you try to help, it might not work. Take my mother for example, she used to speak up for Jiang Lu many times, but Jiang Lu always defended her mother-in-law. So what can you say to that? Now my mother doesn't get involved much anymore, it's between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. If that's what they want."

Zhuang Zhixi had actually noticed that since his marriage, his mother had changed somewhat, becoming different from before - more decisive and more spirited. Of course, her attitude toward neighbors had also subtly changed.

But Zhuang Zhixi thought this was good.

Sometimes you try to be a good person, but the person involved doesn't appreciate it and continues the same behavior. Then no matter how much you do, it becomes a joke. That's why Zhuang Zhixi thought it was good that his mother could let go.

Then again, he thought, his mother was busy now, always bustling about with life, and didn't have time to mind others' business.

"In many cases, many things, it really makes you frustrated at their lack of fight," the nurse senior heard Zhuang Zhixi's meaning and understood that as neighbors, they definitely wouldn't interfere in this matter. She had originally wanted to suggest to Zhuang Zhixi that the neighbors jointly petition the Women's Federation to help Jiang Lu.

Wouldn't that be a good deed?

But seeing that Zhuang Zhixi clearly wasn't interested, she dropped it.

She didn't know Jiang Lu personally, and if she stepped in just because she disapproved, it would probably be even more inappropriate.

She said, "The worst is when the person involved is willing to accept it."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded: "That's exactly it."

Just then, the end-of-work music played, and Zhuang Zhixi immediately stood up, smiling as he said, "I'm going home to make rose pastries."

Everyone burst out laughing, their words full of hidden meaning: "Well, Little Zhuang, make them well then."

"Why don't you bring some for us to taste tomorrow, let's see how your rose pastries turn out?"

Everyone teased him, but Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said seriously, "That won't do. Making this requires a lot of flour, oil, and sugar. How can I bear to give it away?"

His stingy words only made everyone laugh even harder. The flower biscuits, he clearly intended to take home to his wife, but he could still find an excuse. Doctor Wang shook his head with a smile, "My words actually gave him a good excuse."

"Exactly."

Zhuang Zhixi carried the flowers as he left work. He left early, and the infirmary was close to the main gate, so he was among the first to leave. Zhang San was on patrol at the gate and greeted Zhuang Zhixi, "Doctor Zhuang, what... why are you carrying flowers?"

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "I asked for some flowers to make flower biscuits at home."

"Flower biscuits? Can flowers be eaten?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Why can't they be eaten? Is there anything that can't be eaten?"

"True, back in 1960, I even chewed on tree leaves."

Zhuang Zhixi laughed, "Same here, my mom always said I ate enough to bankrupt my father."

"Yes, my parents said the same thing."

Zhuang Zhixi didn't linger and hurried home. Although he and his father both worked at the factory, they rarely left together. This was due to their different work natures.

Zhuang Zhixi's job was less demanding, so he prepared everything before the bell rang and left immediately. Old Man Zhuang, on the other hand, needed to organize his tools and sometimes change clothes. He usually didn't bother changing and just left in his work clothes, but he was still slower than Zhuang Zhixi.

As Zhuang Zhixi entered the courtyard, he saw Hutou, Xiao Yanzi, and kids from the back courtyard like Li Junjun and Li Weiwei running around. Xiao Yanzi's eyes immediately stuck to the flowers.

It was clear that boys and girls were different.

The boys also saw the flowers but quickly looked away, not caring much. But Xiao Yanzi couldn't take her eyes off them, saying, "Pretty flowers."

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Yes, they're pretty."

He went straight into the house without placing the flowers, instead hiding them in a cabinet. Turning around, he saw Xiao Yanzi peeking from the doorframe, her big eyes blinking.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "Xiao Yanzi, what are you doing?"

Xiao Yanzi bit her lip, lifting her little face, "Uncle, can I have one flower?"

Zhuang Zhixi looked at her hopeful eyes and said firmly, "No."

Xiao Yanzi's pigtails drooped, looking very dejected. Zhuang Zhixi came to the door, crouched down to look at the little girl, and said to her at eye level: "This is for your aunt. If I give it to you, there won't be enough. Next time, I'll give you one, okay?"

Xiao Yanzi pouted, very disappointed, but still nodded weakly, "Okay."

The little girl's sadness was palpable, but the boys were happily playing hopscotch, not caring about the flowers at all. Hutou shouted, "Sister, later we'll pick some dogtail grass for you!"

Xiao Yanzi: "..."

Even the little one knew that pretty flowers and ugly dogtail grass were different!

Very different!

Dogtail grass, not pretty!

Li Junjun: "What's fun about dogtail grass? Let's find some black oil, that's delicious."

Li Weiwei: "Yes, yes, that's tasty."

Hutou sighed, "My grandma said not to eat outside food recently~"

He had just been discharged from the hospital and was quite worried.

Li Junjun and Li Weiwei looked at each other and nodded, "Right, you almost got food poisoning from eating outside. You shouldn't eat it. Hehe, all for us."

One less competitor, not bad!

Hutou, even more worried.

The siblings each had their own worries.

Zhuang Zhixi patted the little girl's shoulder, "Dogtail grass isn't pretty. Uncle will pick other flowers for you tomorrow, just for you, not for your brother or your aunt. Okay?"

Xiao Yanzi clasped her hands together, "Let's share a little, we all should have some."

Zhuang Zhixi laughed, "So obedient."

Xiao Yanzi didn't get the red roses, but thinking that her uncle would bring her other flowers, she thought they would surely be better than dogtail grass. So the little girl was reassured.

Dogtail grass, a life of being disliked.

Xiao Yanzi soon joined her brother's game, hopping in hopscotch with everyone.

Zhuang Zhixi watched the lively children and asked, "Hutou, just out of the hospital and already jumping around, is your body okay?"

Hutou: "I'm fine!"

He waved his arms in circles, "Look, I'm strong, I'm healthy."

Zhuang Zhixi turned back, "Call me when your aunt comes home."

"Okay~"

The soft, sweet little voice.

Zhuang Zhixi entered the house and saw his mother making mugwort. The smell was strong. Zhuang Zhixi asked, "What are you doing? Why are you putting mugwort water in a basin?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "I'm making green rice balls."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

He twitched his mouth, today everyone mentioned strange foods, first flower biscuits, then green rice balls. He asked, "Mom, do you know how to make them?"

He had never seen his mother make them before. Zhao Guihua replied, "What's there to know? I just need to think about it, there's no technical difficulty. Do I need to be a chef to make a little snack?"

She continued with the mugwort water, suddenly remembering, "You're off tomorrow, right?"

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, "Yes."

Zhao Guihua nodded, "Then come with me to the countryside, we'll go fishing and pick some more mugwort. The weather's warming up, and there are more insects and mice. Hanging some at the door and in the house is good."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure!"

He peeked out the window, "Hey, the Zhou family hasn't come back? Madam Zhou Li was taken away by Jiang Lu, hasn't she returned?"

Zhao Guihua's mouth twitched, "She's in the hospital."

Zhuang Zhixi: "???"

Just three days of hunger, shouldn't eating something be enough? Why the hospital?

It wasn't unusual for Zhuang Zhixi to think this way. People usually didn't go to the hospital for minor issues. So he was surprised.

Zhao Guihua explained, "I guess... Madam Zhou Li wanted to be hospitalized to be cared for by Jiang Lu. Think about it, if she went home, Jiang Lu would have to stay in the hospital to care for Zhou Qun, and she might neglect Madam Zhou Li. But in the hospital, Jiang Lu could care for both in one room."

Zhuang Zhixi: "That's quite something. But there's more, right?"

Zhao Guihua looked at him, "Yes, later she got into a fight with Bai Fendou, really hurt, her face swollen like a bun, and got kicked by Bai Fendou. At her age, already weakened, and then injured. I guess she won't be back for ten or fifteen days."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

This was...

He mused, "It's really strange."

But soon, he smiled slightly, "Mom, I think some things are just meant to be. You know, even the heavens are helping us."

Zhao Guihua was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Why suddenly talk about metaphysics?

Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile, "Look, in our front yard. Su's family has one in the hospital; Zhou's family has two, and Bai's family has one. Four people in the hospital. Their families are tied up in the hospital too. So, if we do something, no one will know, right?"

Zhao Guihua: "..."

That makes sense.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Tomorrow, let's go to the outskirts together and see if we can catch some fish. I don't believe that with both of us working together, we won't succeed."

Zhao Guihua nodded in agreement, feeling that Zhuang Zhixi had a point.

However, upon closer inspection, it was indeed quite strange. Every household in their front courtyard had someone hospitalized. You could say it was bizarre. Regardless of the reasons, everyone had someone hospitalized.

Zhao Guihua: "Do you think we might have offended something?"

Zhuang Zhixi couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Mom, what are you thinking? That's impossible. This is purely an accident. Think about it, it's quite normal. With the personality of Madam Zhou, she'd get into trouble for one reason or another. Her mouth is so foul, her behavior so mean, it's strange she hasn't gotten into a fight yet. And Aunt Su, even if it wasn't because of this dog incident, she always spoils Jinlai and the other two boys. Those boys are troublemakers, it's inevitable they'd get into trouble sooner or later. As for Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun, it's no surprise either. They've always had a rivalry, it's not something that just started."

He paused and continued, "So this accident isn't really surprising. Even if it wasn't this incident, there would have been another."

Zhao Guihua: "You're right, but thinking about it still makes me nervous. But we can only talk about this at home, who would dare say it outside?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "You understand that, right?"

The old lady snorted, saying, "Do you think I'm a fool? Of course, I understand."

This matter, you really can't say that only Zhao Guihua and her son had this thought. Many people in the courtyard had similar thoughts, but like the Zhao family, no one would talk about it outside. Getting labeled as promoting feudal superstitions wouldn't be good.

However, everyone just thought about it casually, except for one person who thought too much.

This person was none other than Madam Zhou Li. As she sat on her hospital bed, she pondered recent events and suddenly asked, "Has our courtyard been plagued with troubles since the day we fell into the cesspit while catching thieves?"

The two strangers, Old Man Lan and the young man, immediately looked at Madam Zhou Li. They hadn't heard about their experience falling into the cesspit before.

"Ahem."

"Ahem, ahem!"

Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun, rarely in agreement, both coughed incessantly, not wanting to recall their miserable past. Zhou Qun especially didn't understand why his mother brought it up.

Zhou Qun: "Mom, why don't you rest for a while?"

Madam Zhou Li: "I'm not sleepy, why rest?"

Zhou Qun, restraining his anger, said, "Resting is always good, Mom."

His last word was slightly emphasized, and Madam Zhou Li finally realized that this wasn't something to discuss in front of others.

Madam Zhou Li forced a smile and said, "Then I'll lie down for a bit."

Lying in bed, her mind was in turmoil. Look at how unlucky they'd been recently; the entire front courtyard had been hospitalized. Could this be mere coincidence? Clearly, something was amiss.

Although there hadn't been any rumors of ghosts for a long time, Madam Zhou Li firmly believed in them. She had even heard from Jiang Lu that they had heard a woman's voice near the toilet that night.

So, Madam Zhou Li believed in ghosts and thought that the recent misfortunes might be due to the time they fell into the cesspit. Perhaps they had picked up some unclean spirits, affecting their luck and leading to hospitalizations.

The Su family had someone fall in, and Aunt Su was sleeping beside her.

Bai Fendou had fallen in, and he was lying across from her, lost in thought.

And her son was also lying there, deep in thought. All three families had fallen into the toilet.

As for the Zhuang family, although no one from their family had fallen in, Madam Zhou Li believed their strong aura had still been slightly affected by the misfortunes of the other three families.

Yes, it must be so.

She bit her corner of the blanket, becoming more convinced of her reasoning. Those fools wouldn't think as deeply as she did. They probably thought it was just an accident. Only she, with her keen insight, had seen through the truth.

However, she wasn't worried or scared.

She had a plan.

She could find a shaman. Spending money was necessary for help. She glanced at the others and met Aunt Su's gaze. She snorted and turned over, maliciously thinking that she wouldn't let anyone else know.

She wanted everyone else to suffer while only her family escaped the misfortune.

She coughed and said, "Jiang Lu, help me to the toilet."

Jiang Lu quickly came over: "Okay, Mom, take it slow."

Despite being beaten, Jiang Lu was still a good daughter-in-law, taking good care of Madam Zhou Li.

Aunt Su frowned, feeling that Madam Zhou Li was hiding something. She wanted to investigate but knew she couldn't follow too closely. She decided to keep a closer eye on this old woman, sensing a secret.

As Madam Zhou Li and Jiang Lu left the room, seeing no one around, Madam Zhou Li whispered, "Jiang Lu, I think our courtyard is cursed. The last time they fell into the cesspit, they must have brought something out... We ordinary people can't handle this. Go find Auntie Lian, the shaman. She must have a way. Tell her to help us, see how we can break the curse."

Jiang Lu nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll go now."

Madam Zhou Li stopped her, shaking her head: "You're foolish. You can't go now. If you suddenly leave, they'll suspect something. This matter is only known to our family. We want everyone else to keep suffering. If they find out, everyone will be fine, and that's no good."

She hoped others would suffer.

Jiang Lu: "Okay, then I'll say I'm going home to prepare clothes for you in the evening and secretly find Auntie Lian..."

"That's a good idea!"

Madam Zhou Li thought this plan was excellent.

It's no wonder they say to combat superstition; otherwise, such muddle-headed old ladies could be easily swindled. But she was already on her way to being swindled, still afraid of others benefiting from her misfortune.

With these families in the hospital, their courtyard was much quieter.

When Ming Mei returned home from work, only children were playing in the courtyard. Xiao Yanzi, quicker than her brother, shouted loudly, "Uncle Zhuang, my aunt is back!"

Zhuang Zhixi quickly came out of the house. Ming Mei smiled charmingly, saying, "What, missing me that much?"

Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "Yes, I missed you. Come here."

Ming Mei raised an eyebrow, curious about what he wanted to do. She followed Zhuang Zhixi into the house. He said, "Close your eyes."

Ming Mei: "Okay."

She obediently closed her eyes. Zhuang Zhixi chuckled softly, hiding a bouquet behind him, and said, "Open your eyes."

Ming Mei opened her eyes: "Huh?"

There was nothing but him.

Zhuang Zhixi suddenly pulled his hand back and said, "Dangdang, this is for you!"

Ming Mei: "Ah!"

She instantly burst into laughter, covering her mouth in surprise, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She looked up at him, saying, "For me? You're giving this to me?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Of course, for you, isn't it beautiful?"

Ming Mei nodded vigorously: "It's beautiful."

She took the flowers, her cheeks flushed redder than the flowers themselves, her whole being radiating a sweet smile, as if she had just tasted honey. Her large almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she lowered her head to smell the flowers, saying, "These are roses."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, do you like them?"

Ming Mei nodded: "I love them!"

She wrapped her arms around Zhuang Zhixi's neck and boldly kissed his cheek, saying, "I really love them, so much."

Zhuang Zhixi was quite pleased: "I knew you would. There are nine flowers here, symbolizing our long and lasting love."

Ming Mei's smile widened, humming a cheerful tune, "Then I'll put them in a vase, let's find a bottle."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Alright."

He even boasted: "When I came back, Xiao Yanzi asked for them, but I didn't give them to her."

Ming Mei smiled sweetly: "You're the best."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Of course, I take good care of my wife. Wait for me, I'll go to my mom's room to get a jar, perfect for putting flowers in."

Ming Mei pouted: "Okay."

Zhuang Zhixi quickly returned, and the couple swiftly arranged the roses in the jar. Ming Mei was overjoyed, like a chirping little magpie. Sometimes, a girl's happiness is that simple.

She propped her chin on her hand, saying, "It's so beautiful."

She must have muttered "it's so beautiful" countless times before she looked up: "Where did you get these from?"

Such beautiful flowers couldn't be picked from the roadside.

Zhuang Zhixi laughed, saying, "I got them from someone, Doctor Wang from our clinic. Her friend gave them to her after uprooting a flowerbed. She originally planned to make flower cakes at home, but I thought they deserved a better fate."

Ming Mei smiled coquettishly, saying, "That's wonderful."

Where they came from didn't really matter; what mattered was that Zhuang Zhixi had this thought.

She excitedly said, "When the flowers dry, I'll pluck the leaves and make bookmarks out of them."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, saying, "Won't they wilt?"

Ming Mei widened her eyes, saying, "Even if they wilt, they'll still be my favorite flowers. Because they're from you."

Zhuang Zhixi was equally delighted, pulling his wife into an embrace and kissing her cheek, saying, "In the future, I'll give you many more."

Ming Mei softly murmured, her eyes sparkling as she nodded.

Zhuang Zhixi was pleased: "Oh, and I got my salary today, here, it's yours."

He took out his pocket money and handed it to Ming Mei, who then took out ten yuan, saying, "Keep this for yourself, and give it to Mom later for next month's living expenses."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure."

The young couple discussed matters amicably.

Zhuang Zhixi: "I plan to go fishing with Mom tomorrow, do you want to come?"

Ming Mei immediately jumped up: "I'll go! Besides the two kids, I'm the only one who hasn't been! How could I miss it?" She really wanted to go. But then she remembered she had to work tomorrow.

No worries, though.

Ming Mei: "I'll go to my colleague's house later, I'll ask her to cover my shift tomorrow, and I'll cover hers next time."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Great! Zhixi, you're the best."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Because you're Ming Mei, you're my wife."

Ming Mei giggled, the couple's mood today was exceptionally good.

Ming Mei placed the jar with the roses on the table, admiring it with great delight. After all, roses were scarce these days. Even more so because they were from Zhixi. They held a special meaning.

Zhuang Zhixi: "I originally wanted to take you to the movies tonight, but since we're going to your colleague's house, let's do it next time."

Ming Mei: "Okay~"

She said softly, "Next time, there aren't any new movies anyway, it's more fun watching the neighborhood squabbles. The cinema always plays old movies, nothing new. But the neighborhood fights are always fresh, always something new."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Oh right, I have to tell you, today at the hospital..."

The young couple were quite the gossipers.

But was that strange?

Not really, with so few forms of entertainment, people could talk about anything for ages. Like the incident with Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou falling into the cesspit, it was still a hot topic. Whenever someone had a visitor, they'd take them to see the "attraction."

"No swimming here" was a notable sight on the street.

It was rumored that a relative of Old Chen from the back street had come all the way from Tong County just to see it, quite absurd!

Dinner was nice tonight, and after the meal, the young couple quickly went to Ming Mei's colleague's house. Everything was settled, and on their way back, they ran into Old Man Lan at the alley entrance. Ming Mei chirped, "Grandpa, where have you been?"

Old Man Lan spoke arrogantly: "Out to eat."

Ming Mei: "You're living quite well, huh."

Old Man Lan: "Of course, I'm different from you. I wouldn't be happy living like you, struggling every day."

Ming Mei chuckled, saying, "We had meat for dinner too, it was pretty good."

Old Man Lan: "Little fool."

Ming Mei: "..."

Why the sudden personal attack?

She looked quite clever, didn't she?

Old Man Lan: "A few bites of meat, what's the point."

Ming Mei: "..."

Many families couldn't even afford to eat meat.

Old Man Lan: "But I won't treat you to a meal, so whether you eat well or not, you're on your own."

Ming Mei: "Oh..."

She hadn't expected the old man to treat her anyway.

Ming Mei felt she didn't quite understand the old man.

At that moment, Old Man Lan fished out a White Rabbit candy from his pocket, saying, "Here."

He stuffed his hands back into his pockets, saying, "I'm going back to my room."

Zhuang Zhixi looked at the White Rabbit candy in Ming Mei's hand, pouting, "Grandpa, no candy for me?"

Old Man Lan: "Oh, you're such a filial grandson-in-law, haha, haha~" He finished his fake laugh, saying, "Get lost!"

Without even turning back, he strode arrogantly, opened the door, slammed it shut!

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Ming Mei said, "My grandpa is quite the character, my mom always said he's a strange old man."

Zhuang Zhixi: "I find him quite interesting. I think if I spend more time with him, my ability to annoy people could increase tenfold."

Ming Mei: "Pfft!"

She looked at Zhuang Zhixi, saying, "You, don't learn any bad habits."

Zhuang Zhixi innocent: "I'm actually very good."

Ming Mei peeled the candy and put it in her mouth, saying, "So sweet."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Let's go back to our room, I want to taste how sweet the candy is too."

Ming Mei: "I ate it, how will you taste it?"

Zhuang Zhixi gave a meaningful smile, and Ming Mei suddenly understood. She punched him, saying, "You're so naughty!"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Am not!"

Ming Mei: "Hmph!"

The two of them pushed and shoved, soon returning to their room to taste the sweetness of the White Rabbit candy... Yes, very sweet.

Truly, exceptionally sweet.

Zhuang Zhixi felt that among all the times he had eaten White Rabbit candy, this one seemed sweeter than any other. Sweet to the core of his heart. This over-sweetness led to the couple... oversleeping.

Zhao Guihua: "I really have to thank you two, can't you sleep in on another day? You really can dawdle, the sun's high, and you're still not up, I'm about to panic."

The newlyweds, red-faced, quickly apologized with folded hands.

It was indeed their fault; Zhao Guihua had reminded them to leave early yesterday!

Zhao Guihua: "Alright, hurry up and go."

Liang Meifen saw them off, asking, "You're not coming back for lunch, right?"

Zhao Guihua nodded, "We won't be back for lunch. Just make do with something simple. We'll be back victorious tonight! Let's have a feast then!"

Liang Meifen: "…Alright!"

In truth, she was quite skeptical about whether her mother-in-law could actually succeed. It had been so long since they bought the fishing rod, and they still hadn't managed to catch a single fish. It was hard to trust her ability. However, Liang Meifen didn't dare to voice her doubts. She said, "I'll wait until you return in the evening to start cooking."

"Sure."

"We'll be back after fishing tonight. Let's have fish stew."

Zhao Guihua was quite confident, but Liang Meifen, as the daughter-in-law, was full of doubts.

"Alright, let's go, go, go. Don't delay."

Two bicycles, four people, set off together.

This time, Old Man Zhuang also joined them.

Zhuang Zhixi carried Ming Mei, while Old Man Zhuang carried Zhao Guihua. They were fully equipped with fishing rods, nets, baskets, and baskets on their backs—nothing was left out. It was a real show of determination.

No matter the outcome, with such a complete set of equipment, they had to catch a lot to justify it.

Ming Mei was particularly excited to be going up the mountain with them for the first time. She hummed a tune along the way: "Liuyang River, how many bends have you crossed..."

Zhuang Zhixi quickly joined in: "A journey of dozens of miles to the Xiangjiang River..."

When the young couple reached the outskirts, they didn't hold back and sang merrily.

Zhao Guihua had almost forgotten the lyrics to this song but was very familiar with the melody. She didn't like modern pop songs at all. She preferred these old tunes, and the only modern ones she liked were by Phoenix Legend.

She enjoyed listening to them, but others just didn't suit her taste.

She sang along with her son and daughter-in-law, while Old Man Zhuang pedaled the bike with a smile on his face.

The family of four rode for quite a while before reaching the outskirts. It took even longer to ride up the mountain. That's why Zhao Guihua wanted to leave early—the distance was indeed not short. Ming Mei felt they had been riding for over an hour and a half, nearly two hours.

It was quite a distance.

No wonder, this was already the outskirts.

When they reached the mountain, Ming Mei felt her eyes couldn't take it all in. She looked around everywhere, as she rarely went up the mountain. Her usual range of activities had always been within the city, and places like this were seldom visited. Generally, city kids wouldn't come here. It was too far without adult supervision, and adults wouldn't bring children here for no reason.

Ming Mei looked around and said, "I bet there are a lot of wild fruits in the mountains. Let's take a look around."

Zhao Guihua nodded, "That's what I thought too."

Ming Mei laughed.

Although they talked about picking wild fruits, their main goal was still the pond, as fishing was the most important. No matter how delicious the wild fruits were, could they compare to fish? Absolutely not!

The family of four quickly headed towards the pond. The location of the pond was quite special. Once you found it, it seemed easy to come back. But if you didn't notice it, it was a bit tricky to find, as it was somewhat secluded and not easy to spot from a distance, making it look like a dead end. Naturally, no one would head this way.

When they arrived, Ming Mei jumped off the back of the bicycle and quickly looked ahead. She saw a green mountain pond with rippling water...

Ming Mei: "It's so beautiful here."

She swallowed hard and added, "There must be fish!"

Well! She was definitely craving some fish!