"Dad, Mom, she..." Zhao Tianyu turned around, about to ask Zhao Qingshan what his mother meant by those words.

"Go wash the dishes now, don't even think about slacking off." Zhao Qingshan stood up and walked into the house.

He had to go check on her quickly; Meiyun hadn't looked well earlier, and he hoped she wouldn't get upset by that silly boy.

"Xiaoyu, calm down and think about how much the Liang family has taken from us over the years, and how much they have given back. If you still can't figure it out, come ask me again, and I'll help you understand." Zhao Zhenzhu said this before taking the two children back into the house.

Some things you have to figure out for yourself.

Zhao Tianyu remained unresponsive, and no amount of persuasion from those around him could change his mind.

"Oh," Zhao Tianyu replied, and quickly went to clear the dishes.

It's almost time to go to work.

The supply and marketing cooperative has a lot of work to do lately, and Zhao Tianyu has already taken the morning off. He can't be late this afternoon.

Meanwhile, on Liang Xiaohe's side...

After leaving the house, Liang Xiaohe hurriedly headed towards her parents' home.

The Zhao family lives on the east side of the town, and the Liang family lives on the west side; it takes about ten minutes to walk between them.

Before Liang Xiaohe entered, the Liang family of three was eating and chatting.

On the Liang family's dining table were a plate of fried peanuts and a plate of pickled vegetables.

Liang Tuyou and his son were sitting facing each other, drinking and eating peanuts, enjoying themselves immensely.

"Son, how's it going with Juanzi? When are you planning to get married?" Liang Tuyou asked.

Liang Xiaobao is seventeen years old this year.

In rural areas, people usually get married young.

The seventeen-year-old boy was of marriageable age.

The Liang family was notorious in town, and matchmakers avoided them altogether. It was probably impossible for Liang Xiaobao to find a girl from town to marry.

Therefore, Liang Tuyou, like his mother, set his sights on the villages surrounding Peach Blossom Town.

Market days are held in Peach Blossom Town on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th of each month.

Villagers from the surrounding area would come to the town for the market.

For the past six months, Liang Tuyou has been having Liang Xiaobao wander around the streets on market days to see if there are any rural girls he likes.

Juanzi was the "target" that Liang Xiaobao had his eye on last month.

“Juanzi’s mother said I was like a toad trying to eat swan meat. I don’t have a job, and my family doesn’t even have a decent house, yet I still want to marry such a beautiful girl as Juanzi,” Liang Xiaobao said dejectedly.

"What? I haven't even looked down on them because they're from the countryside! They're getting a huge advantage by marrying a country girl into a town!" Liang Tuyou was furious.

"Dad, it's also your fault and Mom's fault. Why can't you earn more money and build me a big brick house?" Liang Xiaobao said sullenly.

The Liang family only had three mud houses with thatched roofs. They were built by Liang Tuyou's parents and had been there for decades. The thatch on the roofs had been replaced countless times, and the walls were also very old.

Previously, Liang Xiaobao didn't feel ashamed of living in such a house.

There are still many people living in large courtyards in the town, but their family lives alone, which is at least quiet.

A few days ago, after being criticized by Juanzi's mother, Liang Xiaobao suddenly felt that the house he had lived in for more than ten years was no longer pleasing to the eye.

"Oh dear, Xiaobao, you can't say that! You should blame your grandparents for not leaving us any inheritance. Your father and I worked so hard to raise you and your five older sisters, it wasn't easy for us." Jiang Yue'e didn't want to take the blame, nor did she dare to say that Liang Tuyou was lazy, so she had to shift the blame to her deceased parents-in-law.

"In the end, it all comes down to work. If Xiaobao could have a job, it would be much easier for him to find a wife," Liang Tuyou said, squinting as he pondered.

Liang Tuyou was also unwilling to admit that he was lazy.

Life is short, only a few decades. He's not here to suffer.

“Who doesn’t know that having a job makes it easier to find a wife? The problem is, we don’t have any powerful relatives! Apart from my fifth sister, all four of my older sisters married peasants from the countryside,” Liang Xiaobao said with a worried expression.

Liang Xiaobao was used to asking his older sisters for anything he wanted from a young age.

Why not ask your parents? Because there's nothing they could do anyway.

“I’ll have your fifth sister ask around another day; maybe she can actually get you a job,” Liang Tuyou said slowly after taking a sip of his wine.

"Xiaohe's husband is capable? I heard he's just a deputy director of a supply and marketing cooperative! His sister is still farming in the countryside. Would she think of giving her job to our Xiaobao?" Jiang Yue'e asked.

“It’s not that idiot Zhao Tianyu, it’s the one in front.” Liang Tuyou said with a smug look on his face.

“Xiao Bao’s dad, that matter is all in the past, and Xiao He has already secured a job. You can’t cause any more trouble! What if Zhao Tianyu finds out about Xiao He’s past and wants to divorce her?” Jiang Yue’e exclaimed.

"Then what do you suggest? If you don't let Xiaohe go to him, can you find Xiaobao a job?" Liang Tuyou scolded.

"Yes, Mom, I'm the pillar of this family. Only if I get better can you and Dad have a good life in the future. So please stop causing trouble." Liang Xiaobao looked impatient.

"Then...then..." Jiang Yue'e glanced at her precious son, the words of objection on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

They don't have any capable relatives.

The families where their daughters married could only help them with food and drink; they couldn't offer any assistance with their work.

Bringing up the past might hurt Liang Xiaohe, but in Jiang Yue'e's heart, Liang Xiaobao was more important.

"Alright, stop nagging and hurry up and fry some eggs to bring us our food. It'll just be a plate of peanuts, and we can finish it with a drink." Liang Tuyou crossed his legs and started making the arrangements.

"Oh!" Jiang Yue'e responded, slurped down half a bowl of porridge with the pickled vegetables in her bowl, and got up to fry eggs for her husband and son.

"Dad, I want a permanent job, not a temporary one," Liang Xiaobao said, making high demands right from the start.

“Okay, Dad will have Liang Xiaohe handle it.” Liang Tuyou agreed immediately.

Liang Xiaohe happened to enter at that moment and overheard the end of a sentence.

"Dad, is there anything you need me to do?" Liang Xiaohe asked.

"Come, come, Xiao He, sit down first," Liang Tuyou said, pointing to the stool Jiang Yue'e had just sat on.

This was the first time Liang Xiaohe had seen her father so kind and gentle. She was a little excited and quickly sat down.

The lunchbox in the cloth bag bumped into the dining table with a crisp sound.

"Sister, what did you bring back today?" Liang Xiaobao asked, his eyes drawn to the cloth bag.

Liang Xiaohe quickly took out the lunchbox and placed it on the table, saying happily, "This is braised pork that Tianyu made for lunch today. It tastes good. I brought it back for you to try."

"Braised pork?"

Before Liang Tuyou could speak, Liang Xiaobao reached out and pulled the lunchbox in front of him, eagerly opening the lid.

A rich aroma of meat wafted out, and Liang Tuyou and Liang Xiaobao couldn't help but swallow.

"Sis, why is there so little? You're not giving us leftovers, are you?" Liang Xiaobao asked, his face long.