The cabbage on the cutting board was cut crookedly, but the rice was cooked in the pot. Her knife skills made her heart skip a beat, fearing that her daughter had cut her hand. It suddenly reminded her of when she first came to Qinghe Village to help Gu Chen cut potatoes, and she cut them as if they were stones.

Jiang Shufen sat on the stool, lit a fire with a match, and said, "I'll keep it simple for lunch, just some greens and a cucumber salad."

Lin Yuxi turned around to scoop water and nodded, "Okay, Mom, have you finished your water? If you've finished, fill up some more."

One pot of water per person wasn't enough. Watching Jiang Shufen skillfully stir-fry the dishes, she even took a plate and divided out her own small portion. She put some green vegetables in a rough porcelain bowl, and cucumbers were also mixed with minced garlic. She also took out a little bit of that.

Jiang Shufen had just washed her hands and put out the fire in the stove. "You can eat the rice yourself. I'll bring some sweet potatoes and potatoes over for lunch."

"Okay, I'll fill the kettle for you in a bit." Lin Yuxi filled the kettle with cooled boiled water and hung it by the door.

Sensing that Lin Yuxi was preoccupied, Jiang Shufen assumed it was because Gu Chen had returned to the army.

"Gu Chen just went back to the army to handle his demobilization application. It's not like he's not coming back. If he really isn't coming back, we'll break off this engagement and Mom will find you someone else..."

Jiang Shufen originally planned to send her daughter away overnight when she was sent down to the countryside, so that she wouldn't have to suffer with them.

The job that was bought at a high price was not to be taken by my daughter. If she wanted to stay at home, then she could stay at home. My love for my daughter is strong, and more than half of the reason is that a doting mother spoils her son.

As the only daughter in her family, she was provided with the best possible conditions for clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Now, Jiang Shufen still thought that her daughter's low mood was due to Gu Chen.

Lin Yuxi quickly interrupted her rambling thoughts, "Mom, what are you thinking about? It's about the letter I asked Grandpa to write to clear his name. We got a response. Secretary Cao just brought it to me. I was planning to wait until you guys came back tonight and then tell you about it."

She took out the letter, which was stamped with a red seal.

"They replied?" Jiang Shufen breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at the letter, quickly stuffed it back into Lin Yuxi's arms, and lowered her voice, "Keep this safe. We'll talk about it when your grandfather and the others come back tonight."

"Mom, I know." Lin Yuxi put the letter away.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Shufen hurriedly went to Huangtupo to deliver the food.

These past few days they've been digging pits on the slope to build a reservoir, and their family has to go too.

Waiting for the family to return in the evening, the doors and windows were closed, the electric fan swayed inside the house, and although the lights were dim, the night illuminated the main room.

Lin Zhenbei, wearing glasses, carefully examined the red seal on it. "This seal looks fine. I wonder if Dong Wei sent it to fool us."

"It's not safe to send letters nowadays; sometimes they get confiscated. It's not easy to send a letter and receive a reply."

In their past lives, they didn't have the money to send letters; they were lucky if they could even afford to eat.

"A reply means it's a good thing. Maybe we'll be exonerated soon." Lin Weidong also held the letter in his hand, looked at it, and then put it back.

The city is full of changes, and if you don't think the labor force is too strong, staying here is actually not bad.

"Don't make any promises. We'll know once the documents come out. You've had a long day, so go and get some rest."

Back then, Lin Weidong and Jiang Shufen still had jobs, but Dong rushed them to the countryside, so he must have embezzled their work as well. There was also the fact that he hadn't received his salary after working hard for a month. Just thinking about it made him feel resentful.