My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

When Bai Fendou returned in the afternoon, he was humming a tune, clearly in a good mood. Running into a female classmate always brought a sense of joy, especially when she seemed gentle and affectionate, and perhaps even a little interested in him. Bai Fendou was feeling quite pleased with himself. He had bought a small bottle of liquor, tucked it into his pocket, and was humming as he swaggered into the courtyard.

As soon as he entered, he was met with a barrage of eyes staring at him. Everyone was sitting in the courtyard, busy making paper boxes. The moment they saw Bai Fendou, they immediately asked, "Bai Fendou, how did your blind date go?"

Bai Fendou chuckled and said, "It didn't work out. Those young girls are only interested in guys with good conditions. They don't recognize a gem when they see one. Actually, my conditions aren't bad either, but I'm more of an introverted type, so they don't see it."

The crowd let out a long "Ohhh."

Zhou Qun cut in, "If it didn't work out, why are you so happy? I saw you walking off with someone. What's the deal? Did you find a new target?"

Bai Fendou coughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense. There's nothing between me and Guan Guiling. We just ran into each other as old classmates and caught up."

Zhou Qun said sarcastically, "Old classmates? You only went to elementary school together. Your old classmates are my old classmates too. Why didn't you call me to join?"

Bai Fendou glanced at Zhou Qun and said, "Why should I call you? Guan Guiling remembered me, but she didn't remember you. If she doesn't remember you, what's there to catch up about?" It hadn't occurred to him before, but now that Zhou Qun mentioned it, he realized that both he and Zhou Qun were present, but Guan Guiling had recognized him and not Zhou Qun. This made Bai Fendou quite proud. After all, over the years, he had always been secretly comparing himself to Zhou Qun, who had been doing better in life.

Now, he felt like he had finally outdone Zhou Qun, since Guan Guiling had remembered him so vividly.

He smiled, his chin lifting with pride, and said, "You? You're just not up to par."

With that, he hummed his tune and headed home.

Zhou Qun called after him, "Hey, where are you going? You better be careful with that Guan Guiling. Don't let her take advantage of you!"

Bai Fendou wasn't upset by this comment. Instead, he took it as a sign of Zhou Qun's jealousy.

He thought to himself, "Haha, I never thought I'd feel Zhou Qun's jealousy. This feels great!"

Bai Fendou happily went home, ignoring whatever Zhou Qun was saying. Zhou Qun, on the other hand, decided to stop helping his mother with the paper boxes. Truth be told, he didn't really enjoy doing it in the first place. He had only been doing it to get closer to the women in the neighborhood. Sitting around chatting wasn't very interesting, so he needed something to do.

He got up and followed Bai Fendou, saying, "Hey, where are you going? Do you even know Guan Guiling that well? Zhuang Zhixi's wife works at the bus station. I can help you find out more about her if you want."

Bai Fendou didn't like this suggestion and said, "Why wouldn't I know her? And what do I have that anyone would want to take advantage of? Stop causing trouble and go away."

Zhou Qun said, "You... Hey, Zhuang Zhixi, where are you going?"

He was standing by Bai Fendou's window when he saw Zhuang Zhixi leaving with a bag. He quickly stopped him, wanting to ask a few questions.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "I'm going to buy some vegetables."

Zhou Qun said, "Buying vegetables at this time? The afternoon vegetables aren't fresh."

He glanced at Zhuang Zhixi and said, "Your family isn't short on money, right? A pound of vegetables isn't even a penny cheaper. Why would you buy the less fresh ones?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "I'm buying green beans. It doesn't matter if they're fresh or not. I'm going to blanch them and dry them for winter."

In the north, during winter, there really aren't many fresh vegetables available. It's mostly cabbage and radishes, and maybe some dried vegetables from the summer. Green beans, for example, are blanched and dried, and they taste quite good in winter.

There are also dried mushrooms and wood ear fungus, but beyond that, there isn't much else. They've heard about greenhouse vegetables, but those are rarely seen in the black market and are prohibitively expensive. Even if their family is relatively well-off, they can't afford to eat those regularly.

Besides, if they had that kind of money, wouldn't it be better to buy meat?

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at Zhou Qun and said, "Isn't your family drying vegetables this year?"

At this, Zhou Qun couldn't help but feel a little proud. "We've already dried some," he said with a smirk.

With Wang Zhaodi around, his family was doing much better than in previous years.

Sure, their expenses had gone up because Wang Zhaodi ate a lot, but it was worth it!

Recently, Zhou Qun's salary only left him with five yuan for food, and the rest had to be handed over to Jiang Lu. Since the money didn't pass through his hands, he didn't feel the pinch too much. But the benefits were clear. Before Wang Zhaodi came, his mother was quite lazy, and Jiang Lu had to work, so all the household chores had to be done after work. It was a daily struggle to keep up.

But now, with Wang Zhaodi around, everything was prepared and tidied up early. He had to admit, he was starting to see the benefits of having a maid, just like in the old days.

He smiled with a hint of pride and said, "You still have to go buy vegetables? I don't have to do any of that work at home."

He then gave Zhuang Zhixi a sympathetic look and said, "A grown man going to buy vegetables? You're really something."

Zhuang Zhixi, unfazed, smiled and said, "That's because I'm a good man. A good man always thinks about his family. Should I let my parents do all the work? That wouldn't be filial. Should I let my wife do it? She's pregnant, and I can't bear to make her work. As a man, I have to take responsibility. I'm happy to do this work."

The women making paper boxes all made "tsk tsk" sounds. Buying vegetables was hardly a big deal, but Zhuang Zhixi made it sound like he was doing something extraordinary. Was it really that big of a deal?

Ming Mei, however, smiled sweetly and said softly, "My Zhixi is the best. He's responsible, capable, and funny. No one can compare to him."

The others rolled their eyes. How shameless of them to brag like that!

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Of course, if I weren't good, I wouldn't be worthy of you. My wife is beautiful, capable, generous, and even earns more than I do. I have to do my best so that we can be a perfect match."

Zhao Guihua continued making paper boxes, her expression blank. She had seen this kind of behavior from them in her past life.

She was used to it, so it didn't surprise her.

The others, however, felt like their lunch hadn't settled well. Their stomachs were churning from all the saccharine talk.

Zhou Qun's face scrunched up in disgust, and he said, "Just go already."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "You're the one who stopped me. You're the one wasting my time."

Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Qun spoke again.

"Hey, why aren't you riding your bike?"

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Are you going to let me leave or not?"

He then said directly, "If you have something to ask, can't you ask someone else? Why are you always bothering me? If you have nothing to do, go play with Bai Fendou. You two get along well. You're just wasting my time."

Zhou Qun frowned as if he had a toothache and said, "The way you say it..."

Before he could say more, Zhuang Zhixi finally left.

Zhou Qun called out, "Hey~"

"Stop calling. The bike was taken by the old man and the eldest son."

Zhao Guihua, watching Zhou Qun's antics, said, "They went fishing."

Zhou Qun said, "Old Zhuang has been fishing a lot lately."

Zhao Guihua said, "If they catch something, it's a good meal, isn't it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. A pound of meat cost 85 cents, and while fish wasn't as good as meat, it was still better than vegetables. Speaking of buying vegetables, Aunt Wang said, "I'm going to buy cabbage tomorrow morning. Are any of you coming?"

"Yes!"

"How much are you buying this year?"

Aunt Wang said, "I'm thinking of buying 200 pounds, and some radishes too."

"You're buying less than us. We're planning to buy more this year, and fewer radishes. My family doesn't like radishes much; they say it gives them heartburn. Zhao Guihua, what about you?"

Zhao Guihua said, "I need to buy more. I want to buy 400 pounds. My family is big, and there are more adults. If I don't buy enough, what will we eat? I'll buy 400 pounds of cabbage and some radishes too. I'll pickle some cabbage and make some radish pickles. I might even make some kimchi. I'll see how it goes; if it's not enough, I might buy more."

"We're pickling cabbage this year too. Aunt Wang, come over and give me some tips."

"Sure."

"This year, each family's storage space has been separated, and I feel like my area has gotten a bit bigger."

The front yard had been reallocated, with the basement divided into small storage units, and the backyard followed suit. Previously, everyone had their own sections, but with shared storage, there were always complaints about someone swapping good cabbages for inferior ones. Now, each family had their own space, and things were much better.

"Are you buying first-grade or second-grade cabbage?"

Even cabbages were categorized by quality.

"I want to buy the better ones. There’s less waste, and they’re more tender."

"My family is getting second-grade. It’s the most cost-effective."

As everyone discussed buying vegetables, Ming Mei sat for a while but felt uncomfortable staying seated for too long, so she got up to take a walk.

Her gaze inadvertently fell on Bai Fendou's room, where she saw him admiring himself in the mirror, turning left and right as if appreciating his own face. Ming Mei shuddered and quickly looked away, muttering, "That’s hard to watch." She strolled back to her room and looked at her slightly swollen calves, sighing, "Being pregnant is really tough."

She rarely complained in front of others, but she deeply felt the strain.

Just as she finished speaking, her mother-in-law, Zhao Guihua, came over and asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Ming Mei shook her head gently and said, "I’m fine, just a bit tired."

Zhao Guihua replied, "Then don’t bother with the paper boxes. Lie down for a while. If you feel too cooped up in the room, bring the rocking chair outside."

Ming Mei agreed, "Sure."

She enjoyed being around everyone, so when Zhao Guihua saw her moving the rocking chair, she quickly intervened, "Oh, let me do that. You shouldn’t be lifting things in your condition…"

Ming Mei returned without doing any work, sitting on the rocking chair and joining the gossip.

Jiang Lu noticed and nudged Zhou Qun, as their family also had a rocking chair.

Zhou’s mother glanced over, pursed her lips in dissatisfaction but didn’t dare say anything.

Among the pregnant women in the courtyard, Ming Mei and Jiang Lu were treated with extra care, while Li Fang, who had already given birth twice, remained calm and experienced fewer discomforts.

"How are the preparations for the baby coming along…?"

Even though the due dates were months away, the topic of preparation came up again…

Although city folks didn’t work in the fields, autumn was still a busy season, especially in the north, where heavy snowfall in winter required extensive preparation. This summer had seen a lot of rain, and many families had gone to the mountains to gather mushrooms, which had added variety to their meals. But there was still much to be done.

After the matchmaking event, National Day arrived, bringing a few days of holiday.

But the holiday wasn’t relaxing—everyone was busy.

Early in the morning, they had to get up to buy cabbages. If you wanted the best ones, you had to go early.

Once the cabbages were brought home, they had to be pickled or turned into kimchi.

Radishes were also bought, blanched, and cut into strips to dry.

Beans couldn’t be forgotten either…

And, of course, the winter essentials like coal briquettes.

Every household was bustling with activity. Zhao Guihua’s family had many members, so while there were more hands to help, the amount of work was also greater. But no one complained. After all, having more people meant prosperity.

In the countryside, having many siblings was seen as a sign of strong labor force, which was considered a great advantage.

Though everyone loved to gossip, when it came to matters of survival, the atmosphere changed completely. Recently, no one had time for drama—they were all busy storing vegetables. Even Bai Fendou, who usually had his father to help, was now doing everything alone, which left him feeling a bit lonely.

Perhaps because of this, he didn’t seem as cheerful as before.

The storage cellar was allocated by family size, so Zhao Guihua’s family of eight and Bai Fendou’s household of one got the same amount of space. As a result, Zhao Guihua’s cellar was packed full, while Bai Fendou’s was only half-filled.

When Liang Meifen suggested borrowing some space from Bai Fendou, at least for a pickling jar, Zhao Guihua firmly refused. She knew Bai Fendou wasn’t malicious, but his poor judgment often led to trouble, so she preferred not to get involved with him in any material matters.

People’s liveliness often depends on having some leisure time, but autumn was a critical period for storing food, and no one slacked off. Zhao Guihua had prepared a lot this year, which gave her peace of mind.

However, the food shortage this year was now widely known. The heavy summer rains had affected crop growth, and even in the capital, rations were limited.

Even the factory canteen had restrictions—white steamed buns were limited to two per person.

Fortunately, Zhao Guihua had prepared well in advance, so her family had plenty of food.

The old lady had more than just her two sons—she also had a daughter, Zhuang Zhixin, living on an island. Zhao Guihua was less worried about her. Although Zhuang Zhixin lived on a military base, their life was relatively stable compared to many cities.

The island had few civilians, mostly military personnel, so issues like political background checks were less common. Moreover, being surrounded by the sea, they never lacked fish.

Every year, Zhuang Zhixin would send dried fish, shrimp, and seaweed.

This year, since Zhao Guihua’s family had dried their own, they didn’t receive as much, but Zhao Guihua still made sure to send her daughter some supplies.

She had sent two large pieces of fabric, enough for Zhuang Zhixin to make a dress and two tops for her grandchildren.

However, Zhao Guihua kept this low-key, as the fabric had been obtained through unofficial channels.

Life on the island was good in terms of seafood, but other supplies were scarce.

This year, due to the widespread food shortages caused by the heavy rains, Zhao Guihua was still concerned. She prepared ten pounds of fried flour, along with dried mushrooms, fungus, and other items, and sent them to her daughter.

These were things the island lacked.

As for salted fish, Zhao Guihua didn’t bother sending any—the island had plenty of that.

Far away on the island, Zhuang Zhixin was teaching at the local elementary school. She had a high school diploma, which was rare among the island’s residents and military wives.

Most soldiers came from rural areas, and their wives often had little to no education.

Zhuang Zhixin, having come from the capital with a high school education, was exceptional.

She could have taught at the middle school, but she preferred working with younger children and was now the vice principal of the elementary school. However, even as a vice principal, she still had to teach.

After class, Zhuang Zhixin returned to her office with her lesson plans when the gatekeeper came to inform her, "Vice Principal Zhuang, the postman is here with a package for you."

Zhuang Zhixin smiled, "That must be from my mom."

Her in-laws, on the other hand, were as good as dead to her—they never sent anything. Her husband’s mother had passed away, and his father had remarried and had three more children. Her husband, the eldest son, had been sent off to the military as soon as he came of age.

The relationship between them was icy—literally.

The attitude of the stepmother was straightforward: if you're not biologically related, there's no need to pretend to have deep feelings. Avoid seeing each other as much as possible. She didn't expect to gain any advantages from Zhuang Zhixin, but neither did she cause any trouble for her.

This was the stepmother's stance.

With a stepmother comes a stepfather.

The two families were distant. When they returned to the capital to visit relatives, they weren't even invited to stay for lunch, let alone spend the night. Of course, there was a silver lining: neither side took advantage of the other. It was as if they had mutually agreed to act as if the other didn't exist.

This might sound harsh, but it was essentially how things were handled.

So, when Zhuang Zhixin decided to marry this man, her parents were firmly against it. After the marriage, her husband's side offered no support whatsoever. Nowadays, people prefer to marry into families that are well-rounded, where the elderly can help manage the household.

But Zhuang Zhixin was determined. She married him despite her parents' objections, which infuriated them. When she later quit her job to follow him to his military post, they scolded her mercilessly. Zhao Guihua always felt that her daughter had lost her mind.

Zhuang Zhixin could have married someone better, but she was young and steadfast in her love.

Now, eight years into her marriage, her life was decent.

Her judgment hadn't been wrong. Her husband was a good man, treating her well and upright in character. However, she had to admit that her mother was right. While her life was manageable, it was also incredibly tough. As a northerner living on a southern island, the first couple of years were filled with inconveniences and adjustments. To make matters worse, she was pregnant and gave birth during that time, while her husband was away on missions. She had no one to help her, and it was truly agonizing.

Eventually, she had no choice but to ask her mother to come and help during her postpartum period. At that time, her eldest nephew was just over a year old, and her sister-in-law was extremely displeased with her.

With no one to rely on, her husband often away on missions, and having to juggle taking care of the household, her job, and her child, life was exhausting. Sometimes she wondered if things would have been different if she had listened to her mother and stayed in the capital or married someone else.

But she quickly reaffirmed her decision.

Though that alternative might have been good, she still had deep feelings for her husband.

Especially over the years, hearing stories from other military wives about their difficult lives and the mistreatment from their mothers-in-law, she felt that her situation—where both sides kept their distance—wasn't so bad after all.

Not having a mother-in-law wasn't a bad thing.

Zhuang Zhixin went to pick up a package after work.

This year, the island was also facing food shortages, and they had tightened their belts considerably. Zhuang Zhixin carried the package home on her bicycle.

She had bought this bicycle as soon as she arrived on the island, and it had served her well ever since.

Though her parents were furious about her marriage and decision to follow her husband to the military post, they still cared for her deeply. The bicycle was part of her dowry. Her parents had pulled some strings to get a nationwide bicycle ticket and even gave her 180 yuan to buy it.

This wasn't publicized in the neighborhood; her parents had given it to her secretly.

In the past, she always felt that her parents favored her brothers. If the family cooked a chicken, the two drumsticks would always go to her older and younger brothers, leaving her with none.

But even so, her parents were still exceptionally good parents. They had supported her education through high school and, despite their objections to her marriage, saved up to give her a bicycle as part of her dowry.

Outsiders didn't know, but those close to her did.

Her sister-in-law had been extremely jealous at the time.

Her mother was a bit biased, but not overly so. She had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she cared deeply for all her children.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Zhixin smiled. She pushed the package back to the residential compound. Several women who weren't working sat downstairs, enjoying the cool breeze and doing small chores. When they saw her package, they exclaimed enviously, "Your family sent you something again!"

Zhuang Zhixin was well-liked in the compound, especially since she was a teacher, and everyone had children who needed schooling.

Having lived there for so many years, everyone knew each other's circumstances. Zhuang Zhixin's family situation was no secret. The story of her parents giving her a bicycle as part of her dowry was still widely talked about.

Such generosity was rare, even in the city.

If Zhuang Zhixin had married someone in the capital, her parents, Zhuang Laonian and Zhao Guihua, wouldn't have given her such a gift. But because she had married far away, to a family that seemed unreliable, and moved to a distant island, her parents couldn't help but want to provide more support to make her life easier.

They also wanted to show her husband that, despite their grievances about her moving far away, they would still stand by their daughter. After all, they were willing to give her a bicycle.

Though she had been headstrong, Zhuang Zhixin understood her parents' intentions.

Fortunately, her husband was truly a good man.

One of the women looked at Zhuang Zhixin's large package and sighed, "You city folks live well. Whether it's my in-laws or my own family, we're the ones who have to support them."

Zhuang Zhixin smiled and said, "My parents dote on me."

"That's good. You're lucky."

"Families like yours are rare."

Zhuang Zhixin smiled again.

"Mom, Mom, what did you bring back?"

Zhuang Zhixin had twin boys. She had been injured during childbirth, and the doctor said it would be difficult for her to conceive again, so she only had these two children. The seven-year-old twins, Dabao and Erbao, were full of energy.

"Your grandma sent it."

Though they rarely visited their grandparents, the children loved their grandma because she often sent them gifts.

The world of children is simple.

"Let's go home."

"Okay!"

"Let's see what Grandma sent."

The three of them went upstairs to their second-floor apartment in the building. As they left, the women downstairs began to chat.

"I always say, life in the city is better. When will my family ever send me anything?"

"Don't you think Zhuang Zhixin's family has been sending more stuff this year?"

"Now that you mention it, yes."

"Not long ago, she made a red dress from fabric her mom sent. That bright red was so eye-catching."

"At my hometown's supply and marketing cooperative, you'd need connections to get something like that."

"This just goes to show how important the woman's family is when choosing a spouse. Look at Zhuang Zhixin—her whole family are workers. They can support their daughter. If her brothers didn't have jobs, would they still be able to do that?"

"Exactly."

Zhuang Zhixin didn't hear what they were saying. She was at home, opening the package.

When she unwrapped it, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow!"

There was a lot inside.

She opened a cloth bag that emitted a faint fragrance and gasped. Inside was fried flour. To make this, you needed to crush peanuts, add a bit of sesame, mix it with wheat flour, and stir-fry it with sugar before packing it. It could be eaten dry or mixed with water.

She weighed the bag in her hands. As someone who managed a household, she could tell it was about 12 to 13 pounds. She estimated her mother had used about 10 pounds of wheat flour, plus the weight of the peanuts and sesame.

"Wow, Mom, this is wheat flour!"

"It smells so good."

"Mom, I've never had this before."

Even city folks wouldn't spend money so freely. Zhuang Zhixin had eaten this as a child, but only occasionally as a treat. But this much... her mother must have gone all out to send her so much.

Looking at her two boys, who were practically drooling, she said, "I'll make a bowl for each of you later. First, try a bit of it dry."

The kids each took a bite, their eyes lighting up. They jumped around excitedly, saying, "It's so good, Mom! So delicious! Nothing tastes better than this!"

Their family was actually quite well-off. Her husband earned 50 yuan a month in the military, and she earned 30. This was a high income anywhere, but the problem was that money didn't always guarantee access to goods, especially on the island.

Even in the port city nearby, shopping wasn't much easier.

It's like fried noodles—sure, you can make them, but peanuts and sesame seeds are hard to come by. The same goes for malted milk powder; it's not something you can get every time. But if you're back home, you can definitely find them at the department store. That's the difference. After all, it's the capital!

Zhuang Zhixin pulled out two more bottles of malted milk powder, and the two boys clapped and jumped around in excitement.

Zhuang Zhixin took a deep breath and said, "How much stuff did Grandma send?"

But she quickly realized that her mother must have sent so much because of this year's food shortage. These items probably wouldn't make much of a difference, but at least they could provide some nutrition and keep them from falling too ill.

She also found two packs of brown sugar, dried mushrooms, dried wood ear mushrooms, and even a smoked rabbit.

These were all things that were hard to come by on the island. And to her surprise, there was even a jar of "Great Friendship" snowflake cream. She chuckled and said, "Since when did Mom care about this kind of thing?"

As she looked at all these goodies, her eyes turned slightly red.

The two boys, Dabao and Erbao, were happily jumping around when they suddenly noticed their mother was about to cry. They exchanged a glance and quickly chimed in unison, "Mom, don't cry."

"Yeah, Mom, don't cry. When Dad gets time off, we'll go visit Grandpa and Grandma."

"Mom~"

Zhuang Zhixin, her eyes red, said, "Your dad won't get any leave this year."

The distance between their two places wasn't short—it would take several days just to travel. Unless it was a long holiday, they couldn't make the trip. And with the food shortage this year, even if there was a holiday, she couldn't just leave. Going back would mean consuming more food.

She sighed and sat down in her chair, unmoving.

When her husband, Wang Haomin, came home and saw all the items on the table, he was startled and said, "Where did you go to rob all this?"

Zhuang Zhixin shot him a glare.

Dabao and Erbao immediately explained, "Grandma sent these. Mom is missing her mom."

Wang Haomin, seeing his wife's eyes as red as a rabbit's, said, "How about I take some leave this year, and we go back?"

Zhuang Zhixin shook her head. "Not this year. There's a food shortage."

This was true, and he also felt it wasn't the right time.

Wang Haomin comforted his wife, saying, "Alright, don't cry. We won't go this year. When things are better next year, we'll go. Your mom sent so much stuff. How are we supposed to return the favor?"

"She's my mom. We don't need to return anything." Despite saying this, Zhuang Zhixin immediately got up to rummage through their belongings and send some dried seafood back to her family.

"There's a letter here. Have you read it?"

Zhuang Zhixin: "Oh, no, I haven't."

She had been too caught up thinking about her parents to notice.

She quickly opened the letter and read it carefully.

"How's everything at home?"

Zhuang Zhixin: "There's a food shortage in the capital this year too. The price of rice and flour on the black market has gone up five times. The grain stations are limiting purchases. But my mom is quite sharp. When there was heavy rain all summer, she sensed something was off and stockpiled some food. We have enough to eat."

This put her mind at ease.

"My sister-in-law is back at work. A neighbor had an accident, and she bought his job. Now she's working in the mechanical factory's workshop. My sister-in-law is pregnant, and it's twins."

"That's a lot of good news."

Seeing that everything at home was fine, Zhuang Zhixin felt much more at ease. She said, "Alright, come on, I'll make you some fried noodle soup. When I was a kid, getting a sip of fried noodle soup was a treat reserved for New Year's morning."

Wang Haomin laughed. "Your family could afford it. Mine couldn't."

"Well, I'll make you a bowl too so you can try it."

"Why should I compete with the kids? I..."

"Everyone gets a bowl. We'll all try it. Before I got married, my mom was very frugal, counting every penny. Now that my younger brother is married too, my parents must feel like a weight has been lifted."

Wang Haomin nodded in agreement.

In previous years, her mother had also sent things, but never as much as this year. It seemed that with all the children now settled, the old couple could finally relax.

What they couldn't possibly guess was that Zhao Guihua's newfound generosity was because she had been reborn.

In her past life, she had also sent things to her daughter, but never this much.

Back then, she had truly been frugal. But now, having been given a second chance, she realized that you couldn't skimp on food and drink. Depriving yourself of nutrition only led to suffering. This wasn't like the dieting of decades later, where people cut back to lose weight. This was a real lack of nutrients.

So, she couldn't afford to be stingy.

After sending the items to her daughter, Zhao Guihua also prepared for the winter. The weather was gradually getting colder, and by early November, there were already patches of ice on the ground. Ming Mei was further along in her pregnancy, and Zhuang Zhixi was being extra cautious.

The matchmaking event before National Day had gone very well, and more couples had gotten together this year than in previous years. Even Tao Yuyue, the "flower" of the mechanical factory, had gotten married. After her wedding, she became a full-time employee.

Her husband was the son of the factory's logistics director.

There were actually others who pursued her with better conditions, like the nephew of the factory director or others. But Tao Yuyue was shrewd. She knew that no matter how high-ranking an official was, a nephew was still just a nephew—not the same as a son.

So, she chose the logistics director's son, and he helped her secure a permanent position.

The couple was also assigned a house right after their wedding, in the same courtyard as Zhao Guihua. The Zhang family in the backyard had been transferred to another city, leaving two rooms vacant. The couple managed to secure one of them.

However, even though they had connections, they couldn't take both rooms. Housing in the city was tight. After all, even Lan Sihai, who had been brought in as a "talented individual," had only been allocated one room.

A newlywed couple wanting two rooms? Impossible.

Getting one room was already quite an achievement.

The couple got one room, while the other was assigned to Zhuang Zhixi's old acquaintance—Zhang San from the security department.

Zhang San had also found success at the matchmaking event. He had matched with a slightly plump young woman named Pan Pan, who was a primary school teacher. Her family was well-off, and coincidentally, she had an uncle who was a workshop director at the mechanical factory.

It was said that Pan Pan was the only girl in a family full of men, so she was doted on. Her uncle had gone to the factory and managed to secure a room for Zhang San.

Otherwise, Zhang San might not have gotten a room so quickly.

Both couples moved in on the same Sunday, as they were all working and had to coordinate their schedules. Zhang San and his wife arrived early in the morning, and he was in high spirits, slapping Zhuang Zhixi on the shoulder. "Buddy, I never thought I'd end up living in this courtyard. Heh."

He then introduced his wife to everyone. "This is Zhang San from the security department. I'm sure you all know me. This is my wife, Pan Pan."

"Of course, we know. Pan Pan, the niece of Director Pan."

"That's right."

No one had expected Pan Pan, with her good family background, to marry Zhang San. But as Zhao Guihua had said, not everyone prioritizes material conditions. Some people value character, and Pan Pan was one of them.

Zhang San's family wasn't well-off, and he wasn't particularly handsome, but Pan Pan saw something in him.

Pan Pan greeted everyone warmly. "Hi, everyone. If there's anything good or bad about living together, just let me know. I'm easy to get along with."

"Sure, you look like a lucky girl."

"Exactly, everyone in this courtyard gets along well. Don't worry."

Pan Pan smiled. "Great."

Zhang San introduced everyone, and Pan Pan's eyes sparkled. This was the famous courtyard she had heard so much about! She even recognized Ming Mei. "Hello, heroine!"

Ming Mei burst out laughing. "Where did you hear that? Heroine?"

Pan Pan: "Zhang San told me. He said you've caught thieves several times."

Zhang San, the spreader of gossip.

He was clearly on the same wavelength as Zhou Qun, both being frontline figures in the world of rumors.

Ming Mei: "It's nothing special. That was before. I wouldn't dare now."

Pan Pan looked at Ming Mei's large belly and nodded, saying, "You're almost due, right?"

Ming Mei shook her head, "Not until late January. It's twins, so my belly looks bigger."

"Ah, two babies," Pan Pan exclaimed, "That's amazing."

Ming Mei proudly lifted her chin and said, "Of course, it's been quite a struggle carrying them."

While twins might seem like a blessing, being pregnant with two was undoubtedly more exhausting. Ming Mei felt utterly worn out. As they were chatting, Tao Yuyue and her husband, Chen Yuan, happened to arrive.

Chen Yuan had also been one of the men surrounding Tao Yuyue on their blind date day.

The couple had just moved in, and Chen Yuan's expression was full of disdain. After all, his family used to live in an apartment building, and now they were moving to a place like this—how could he feel comfortable? But his father had insisted that they seize the opportunity to secure the house first, as waiting for a better option might take too long. They could always adjust later if a better apartment became available.

Because of this, they quickly moved in.

However, Chen Yuan's contemptuous gaze didn't go unnoticed by everyone.

Tao Yuyue smiled and said, "We’ll be neighbors from now on. Please take care of us."

She spotted Wang Zhaodi and asked with a smile, "Zhaodi, haven’t you gone back to the countryside yet?"

Wang Zhaodi shook her head, "I’m staying with my godmother for a while, helping take care of Sister Jiang Lu."

Tao Yuyue raised an eyebrow and smiled, "That’s nice. Come visit us sometime."

She glanced at Wang Zhaodi, who was carefully supporting Jiang Lu, and thought to herself that when she got pregnant, she could also ask Wang Zhaodi for help. After all, Wang Zhaodi was staying with the Zhou family, so she could easily lend a hand. Would she dare refuse?

Neighbors wouldn’t charge for help, right?

Wang Zhaodi probably didn’t even know how to ask for payment. A country girl—what did she know?Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Tao Yuyue didn’t think much of Wang Zhaodi. She had only befriended her before because Wang Zhaodi made her look better by comparison. Now that she didn’t need that, she could still use Wang Zhaodi for chores.

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled and said, "It’s been so long since we last met. Come over to my place sometime."

If she came, wouldn’t she naturally help with cleaning and chores?

Tao Yuyue’s mother-in-law had conveniently avoided the moving day, leaving all the work to her. Tao Yuyue was furious but kept a smile on her face. She assumed Wang Zhaodi wouldn’t refuse.

After all, who in this courtyard would respect a country girl like her?

Wang Zhaodi shook her head, "I can’t. I still have to do the laundry, buy coal briquettes, and clean the windows before it freezes." Wang Zhaodi felt she was quite busy.

Living with her godmother’s family was a thousand times more comfortable than her own home, and Sister Jiang Lu even gave her three yuan. She was more than willing to take on extra chores.

Lately, besides making paper boxes and matchboxes, she had earned over twenty yuan from Sister Jiang Lu—more money than her mother had ever held. Wang Zhaodi was motivated and hoped to stay longer.

Tao Yuyue was taken aback by Wang Zhaodi’s refusal. Her smile stiffened, but she quickly recovered, saying, "You’re so diligent. But why rush through all the work? Take your time. It’s been so long since we last talked. It’d be nice to catch up."

Wang Zhaodi replied, "There’s still work to do tomorrow."

She planned to go up the mountain with Auntie Zhao and the others tomorrow. Heh.

Tao Yuyue: "..."

Wang Zhaodi was straightforward and didn’t understand Tao Yuyue’s intentions, but the experienced women in the courtyard saw right through her. Who invites someone over on moving day without having cleaned up first?

It was obvious she wanted Wang Zhaodi to help with chores but didn’t want to say it outright.

Auntie Zhou sneered, "People these days are so sneaky. If you want help, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush. Tsk tsk, how shameless."

Tao Yuyue had once given Bai Fendou an injection, so she knew what kind of people lived in this courtyard. Initially, she had felt uneasy about moving here. She thought the neighborhood was bad and the people hard to get along with.

But the courtyard itself was well-built and newer than many surrounding areas, so she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Another reason was that if Wang Xiangxiu could boss Bai Fendou around, why couldn’t she? She was far better than Wang Xiangxiu, who even spent Bai Fendou’s money. At least she wasn’t a gold digger.

She just needed someone to do the chores.

After all, her husband, Chen Yuan, was spoiled and clearly not the type to do manual labor.

Now, it seemed the neighbors were as annoying as she had feared.

She pursed her lips and smiled, not responding further.

Chen Yuan: "Yuyue, stop chatting and start cleaning. Look at all this dust."

He frowned, "The walls are yellowed from smoke. How can anyone live here? And where’s the stove?"

Tao Yuyue: "We’ll have to build one ourselves."

This was their own problem.

The Zhang family had previously lived together, so they only had one stove. But when the house was divided, they chose the cleaner, larger room, forgetting it didn’t have a stove.

The other room had a stove but was in worse condition overall.

The contrast was stark, and now Tao Yuyue regretted her choice.

"Look at this peeling wallpaper. How can we live like this?" Chen Yuan continued to complain, "The windows are old too. Look at this chipped paint."

He was thoroughly dissatisfied.

Especially since Lan Sihai’s house, located between the front and back courtyards, had been recently renovated and looked brand new. In comparison, the neighboring houses, including theirs, looked shabby.

The contrast was glaring.

"I can’t live here. What kind of place is this? How did you even choose this house? Everything’s wrong. Can’t you do anything right?" Chen Yuan ranted nonstop.

Tao Yuyue held her temper and tried to soothe him, "It’s not that bad. We can fix it up."

"How? Are you going to do it? Are you telling me what to do?"

Chen Yuan kept complaining, "Look, they even took the bed and wardrobe. How stingy. And there’s no bathroom? We have to go outside? In winter? I told you this kind of courtyard is no good. You insisted. Is this what you wanted? I can’t stand this."

Tao Yuyue: "I’ll clean it up, okay?"

Chen Yuan continued to stand at the door, grumbling about everything. The others exchanged glances.

Zhang San: "Come on, wife, let’s clean up our place too."

Their house was in worse shape than the neighbors’, but it wasn’t beyond repair.

He chuckled, "You didn’t expect this, did you? I brought a bucket of paint and some old newspapers. I’ll re-paper the ceiling."

Although they had just moved in, they weren’t planning to settle in immediately. After all, the house needed some work. Unlike older couples who might let it slide, as newlyweds, they couldn’t just leave it as it was.

Zhang San: "Go chat with the neighbors. The aunties here are well-informed. You can also visit Sister Zhuang Zhixi’s wife. Oh wait, they got married earlier, so she might be younger than you."

Pan Pan shook her head, "No, let's clean up together. Two people can work faster, and we'll have plenty of time to chat later."

"Alright then, let's do it together."

Couples are different. While things seemed worse on this side, the young couple had already started working together. On the other side, it was a different story. As soon as Chen Yuan saw them repainting the wall, he immediately questioned Tao Yuyue, "Why didn't you think of this? Look, others can come up with ideas, but you can't. How can you be so useless?"

Tao Yuyue couldn't take it anymore and retorted, "It was the man who thought of it over there. How would I, as a woman, know so much?"

Chen Yuan snapped, "How can you not know? My family arranged a proper job for you, and now you think you're above me, huh? How dare you talk back to me!"

Tao Yuyue noticed everyone in the courtyard eavesdropping on their argument, and she felt utterly humiliated, as if she had become the center of gossip.

At that moment, she thought of Bai Fendou.

At that moment, she also thought of Zhou Qun.

And at that moment, she even thought of the Su family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who were often the topic of discussion.

She felt like the world was spinning, and she didn't want to be humiliated like this.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and said, "Don't be angry. I'll go buy the supplies now. We'll clean up quickly. Why don't you go home first? I'll handle it here. When I'm done, you'll come back and see everything looking brand new."

Chen Yuan glared at her and said, "If I'm not here to supervise, can you even do it right? If I don't like what you've done, won't we have to redo it?"

The onlookers were stunned.

This man was really something—making his wife do all the work and still wanting to supervise her?

Bai Fendou couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward, shouting, "What do you think you're doing? Are you even a man? Don't you know how to cherish your wife? Look at other families—the men are the ones doing the work. Even Zhuang Zhixi, who's known for being lazy, does the laundry now that his wife is pregnant. And here you are, a grown man, bullying a woman? Let me tell you, just because your dad's the head of logistics doesn't mean you can oppress women and throw your weight around here! Others might be afraid to offend you, but I, Bai Fendou, am not! If you keep bullying Nurse Tao, I'll take you down!"

Chen Yuan widened his eyes, "What are you talking about? Hey, what does this have to do with you? How I live with my wife is none of your business! You, a eunuch, meddling in other people's affairs? What, you want to take over? Pfft! Take a look in the mirror and see what kind of trash you are..."

"You jerk! Who are you calling a eunuch? I'll beat you to death!!!"

True to his reputation as a reckless man, Bai Fendou, despite having suffered countless losses and even after his father's death, remained unchanged. He lunged forward without hesitation and punched Chen Yuan square in the face.

Chen Yuan let out a shrill scream, "How dare you hit me! I'll fight you!!!"

The two instantly tumbled into a brawl, with Bai Fendou clearly dominating.

He grabbed Chen Yuan and wouldn't let go, while Chen Yuan kept shouting, "You eunuch! You damn eunuch!"

Though he couldn't win the fight, he sure knew how to throw insults!

Zhuang Zhixi exclaimed, "What the hell! How did this even turn into a fight...?"

Their courtyard had been relatively peaceful lately, but with the arrival of new neighbors, chaos had erupted once again.

Zhuang Zhixi immediately pulled his wife aside and said, "Stay back."

Ming Mei stood at a safe distance, clicking her tongue in amazement.

Here we go again!

Several men rushed in to break up the fight. One advantage of having a security officer in the courtyard was that Zhang San was strong and quickly managed to pull the two apart. Tao Yuyue looked over and saw her husband's face had taken two punches—his eye was blackened, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.

Heartbroken, she turned to Bai Fendou and yelled, "You jerk!"