As the first rays of sunlight pierced the treetops of the Hongqi Production Brigade, shouts and calls echoed across Lin Wanqiu's homestead. Villagers arrived one after another, carrying tools. Some went straight into the greenhouse to help pick ripe tomatoes, while others skillfully picked up shovels and worked in the mud. Even Aunt Li's son, Hu Zi, carried a small basket, following behind Shen Nian'an to pick up scattered nails. The whole scene was as lively as a New Year's celebration.

Only Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan dawdled, finally arriving around noon with an empty basket. Grandma Shen, wearing a patched cotton-padded coat, took a few steps and then gasped for breath, muttering, "This awful road is freezing my old bones. If I'd known it would be this cold, I would never have come to suffer like this." Zhang Lan followed behind, her eyes constantly glancing towards the kitchen, wondering if she'd still have pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli for lunch. She swayed her basket back and forth, not daring to touch a single brick.

Lin Wanqiu was handing mortar to the bricklayer, Master Wang. Seeing them approach, she pointed to the stack of blue bricks in the corner: "Mother, sister-in-law, you should move these bricks to the wall today. Be careful not to break them; we'll need them later." Old Mrs. Shen glanced at the pile of bricks, which was almost half a person high, and her face instantly darkened: "So many bricks? With my old arms and legs, how can I move them? Wanqiu, aren't you deliberately making things difficult for me?"

Zhang Lan quickly chimed in, "That's right, Wanqiu. Look at my hands, they're blistered from carrying bricks yesterday. They'll definitely bleed if I carry bricks again. Why don't I go help in the kitchen? I'll help you light the fire and cook, I promise it'll taste delicious." She was secretly planning to make something warmer in the kitchen, where she could sneak a bite to eat, much more comfortable than carrying bricks outside.

Lin Wanqiu had long seen through their thoughts, but she didn't expose them. She simply said, "Aunt Li and the other women are helping in the kitchen, so there's no need to trouble you, sister-in-law. There aren't many bricks, so you can move them slowly. You'll be paid as much as you can carry. Anyway, the wages are based on how much work you do, so the more you work, the more you earn, and the less you work, the less you earn." As she spoke, she turned around and continued to hand mortar to Master Wang, ignoring them completely.

Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan exchanged a glance, both unhappy but not daring to object. After all, they were there to earn wages; if they didn't work, Lin Wanqiu certainly wouldn't pay them. Grandma Shen dawdled for a long time before slowly picking up a brick, taking two steps and then putting it down to rest, constantly complaining, "Why is this brick so heavy? It's heavier than my rice jar! It's going to kill me!" Zhang Lan was even worse; she picked up a brick, took three steps and then stopped, chatting with the other villagers from time to time. When she got carried away with the conversation, she simply put the brick down and stood there chatting, completely forgetting about carrying the brick.

Aunt Li, who was helping out nearby, couldn't stand it and quietly tugged at Lin Wanqiu's sleeve: "Wanqiu, look at those two. They're not here to help; they're just here to freeload. Don't be too soft-hearted. Say something, or they'll only take advantage of you." Lin Wanqiu nodded, already having made up her mind. She knew that Old Lady Shen and Zhang Lan had always treated her like a pushover. She might have tolerated it before, but now she was no longer that widow who could be bullied at will. She wanted to show them that it wouldn't be so easy to freeload off her.

At lunchtime, Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan were the first to rush to the kitchen, filling a large bowl with pork, cabbage, and vermicelli stew, and even grabbing two extra steamed buns. They sat in a corner and wolfed it down. Grandma Shen said between bites, "Wanqiu's cooking is still the best; it's much better than the sweet potato porridge at home. Zhang Lan, eat more so you'll have the energy to work this afternoon." Zhang Lan, her mouth full of rice, mumbled her reply, her eyes still fixed on the remaining vermicelli in the pot, as if afraid someone else would snatch it all.

After finishing their meal, the villagers took a short rest before returning to their work building the houses. However, Old Mrs. Shen and Zhang Lan found a sheltered corner and began to doze off against the wall. Old Mrs. Shen had wrapped her cotton-padded coat tightly around herself, humming a little tune, looking extremely content. Zhang Lan, on the other hand, had her head buried in her knees, practically drooling in her sleep, and didn't even wake up when Shen Nian'an passed by and called her "Sister-in-law."

Lin Wanqiu was inspecting the newly built wall when she saw them sleeping. She went over and gently patted Old Mrs. Shen's shoulder: "Mother, it's time to get to work. If you keep sleeping, the sun will almost set." Old Mrs. Shen was woken up and was very unhappy. She rubbed her eyes and said irritably, "What's all the noise about? I just fell asleep and you woke me up. My old bones are tired. What's wrong with resting for a while? Can't a person rest?"

Zhang Lan was also woken up. She stretched and complained, "That's right, Wanqiu. We got up so early this morning and walked such a long way. What's wrong with taking a break? You're so heartless." As she spoke, she deliberately yawned, pretending to be very sleepy.

Lin Wanqiu looked at them, her eyes turning cold: "Mother, sister-in-law, we paid everyone to come and help. Everyone earns their living through hard work; no one has it easier than anyone else. Look at Aunt Li, she's two years older than you, and she comes to help before dawn, carrying bricks, mixing mortar, doing all sorts of work without ever complaining. And look at the other villagers, aren't they all sweating profusely but still persevering? You, on the other hand, have been here all morning and haven't even carried ten bricks in total. You ate so much for lunch, and now you're sleeping here in the afternoon. Is this what you call helping?"

Old Mrs. Shen's face flushed red and then paled, but she remained stubborn: "I...I'm just old, my strength can't keep up anymore. Besides, I'm your mother-in-law, it's your duty to take care of me. Even if I don't do any work, you should still pay me." Zhang Lan quickly chimed in, "That's right, Wanqiu, I'm your sister-in-law, we're family. How can you be so calculating with us? It's just a few less bricks, why are you being so petty?"

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