While Shen Muling was lost in thought, Li Hongmei and her daughter returned.

"Mom, the supply and marketing cooperative has so much meat today! Let's cook this piece for lunch," Shen Lin said, clinging to Li Hongmei's arm affectionately.

"Such a big piece, and you've cooked it all in one lunch break? How are we supposed to make a living now?" Li Hongmei said irritably, letting go of her daughter's hand and going to the kitchen to start preparing lunch.

Seeing this, Shen Lin curled her lips and followed into the kitchen to help, hoping to taste the meat first.

"Mom, when will Shen Mu Ning wake up? She's been gone for the past two days, and my hands are all rough from doing housework." Shen Lin complained while washing vegetables. Since Shen Mu Ning came to live with her, when has she ever done any housework?

“I don’t know when that brat will wake up, but what’s wrong with you doing some housework? You’re always running around doing nothing. We’ve even signed her up to go to the countryside. From now on, you’ll be doing all the housework.” Li Hongmei said without looking up.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lin paused in her work, but quickly resumed. She didn't argue further, because her younger brother, Shen Yu, was the more favored child in the family. Even though she was good at sweet-talking and could please her parents, she could only rank after Shen Yu.

The courtyard gate was slammed open from the outside. "Mom, what delicious food are we making?" A rough voice walked in with heavy footsteps. It was the voice of Shen Yu, the lazy and good-for-nothing cousin in the original owner's memories.

"If there's anything good to eat, just keep asking. Sit down and wait a bit. We'll start eating when your dad gets back." Li Hongmei beamed when she saw her son return and invited him to sit down and wait for dinner.

Shen Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He was his parents' darling at home, and it had always been that way since he was a child. He was the one who lived the best life in the family.

A moment later, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Uncle Shen Guoliang returned. The whole family sat neatly around the table, no one speaking, all eating heartily with the meat. Although there were two workers in the family, their meat rations were fixed each month, so they didn't eat much meat. At this moment, they spoke less and ate more meat. Even if the meat ran out, the gravy from the stir-fried meat could be used to mix with rice.

None of them had considered that they had a niece and cousin. However, after the meal, Shen Guoliang looked at Li Hongmei and asked, "Shen Mu Ning is still sick."

"Yeah, that brat actually dared to try to kill herself, and she even has a fever. Just ignore her; once she's dead, all her things will be ours." Li Hongmei said dismissively.

"If she dies, there will be no one to replace our daughter in going to the countryside. Are you willing to let her suffer there?" Second Uncle Shen Guoliang said calmly. Actually, it wasn't that he was unwilling to let his daughter go to the countryside, but Shen Lin was quite pretty. If she married in the city, they could get a dowry; if she went to the countryside, far away from the emperor, they wouldn't be able to control her. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to get rid of Shen Mu Ning.

“The name has already been submitted. If she dies, this quota can certainly be removed.” Li Hongmei tried to appear calm.

"If people find out that you drove your niece to her death, and that she's a martyr's family member, do you think you'll get away with it? Let her go to the countryside to find a way out, and she won't be in your way anymore." Shen Guoliang knew that if they had driven Shen Mu Ning to her death, the community and the armed forces department might have investigated. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to send her to school all these years and not dare to skimp on her food and clothing, since the compensation was still being paid out.

Once Shen Mu Ning goes to the countryside, it's uncertain whether she'll ever come back. Even if he doesn't have the property deed, he can find a way to make it his own. It's just that that brat doesn't even know where the family's savings book and property deed are, which is why he only received his older brother's pension and the child support payments over the years. He hasn't seen a single penny of the other savings. It's really bad luck.