Chapter 300 301: Third Aunt

Yang Chunyan carried a basket to the backyard. The bamboo rack originally used for drying herbs was filled with winnowing baskets for drying red mushrooms. The plump and red mushrooms looked very beautiful.

There were fewer and fewer mushrooms on the mountain. Zhao Huifang and her two sisters-in-law, Li Yinfu, the third room's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and Yang Xiaoxue and her husband went out to the mountain to pick mushrooms at dawn every day. Each person could only pick about ten kilograms of red mushrooms a day.

Yang Chunyan felt the red mushrooms in the winnowing basket and found that they were dry. She picked up the winnowing basket and poured the red mushrooms into the basket. At this time, someone shouted from the front yard, "Second brother, second sister-in-law, Huifang, is anyone there?"

"Here they come!" Yang Chunyan put down the dustpan and returned to the front yard. She saw a woman with a melon-seed face, probably in her forties, standing in the yard with a vegetable basket in her hand, looking around with her bare eyes.

Thinking about who she called just now, I felt that it should be Zhou Huaian’s aunts. Judging from her age, she should be the youngest aunt.

Although this third aunt has a kind face, she is very gossipy and loves to gossip and stir up trouble.

When something happened to the old man in his previous life, the one who came to the house and jumped the most violently was the third aunt, who kept saying that the old man's death was the fault of the second wife.

He also pointed at her nose and called her a jinx, saying that the Zhou family had never had peace since she married into the family and that all the bad luck was caused by her.

Huai'an was so angry that he wanted to chase her out with a broom, and only then did she stop scolding.

Miss Zhou San saw her standing there blankly, and didn't know to ask her to come in and sit down. She curled her lips and said, "You are the youngest wife, right? I am Huai'an Sanniang. I came to your wedding and the New Year."

They also said she was the daughter of a barefoot doctor, silly and foolish, but her face was still pretty.

Yang Chunyan glanced at her calmly, "So it's Miss Three! I'm sorry, I didn't see you in the bridal chamber on the wedding day. You came to pay New Year's greetings, and I greeted you at the door and then went to my eldest uncle's house. I really didn't recognize you."

Miss Zhou San was furious after hearing this. Thinking of the purpose of her visit, she said, "Before, your house couldn't accommodate us, so we stayed at your grandfather's house. When your new house is finished, we will stay at your house next time." Then she asked, "Where are your mother and husband?"

"My husband is at the construction site, and my mother is picking corn in the back hill. If you have anything to do, you can go to the back hill to find her."

"No rules!" Miss Zhou San glared at Yang Chunyan in dissatisfaction, then walked towards the backyard. She curled her lips when she saw the red mushrooms in the winnowing basket.

Yang Chunyan was too lazy to argue with her, so she sent her to the backyard door and went to the bamboo rack to continue picking red mushrooms.

Miss Zhou San left the backyard and before she even reached the edge of the corn field, she saw her mother coming over with corn on her back. "Second sister-in-law, you have such a good temper! The young daughter-in-law stays at home to enjoy the leisure time, while you are working here like a cow."

Mother Zhou looked up at her and smiled faintly, "Is this what Third Sister came to talk about?"

I don’t know what’s going on at home. My parents-in-law are not the kind of people who are mean and sarcastic, but my three sisters-in-law are more mean and sarcastic than the other.

Miss Zhou San didn't seem to notice her indifference, and said with a smile: "I don't mean anything else, I just think you should not spoil your young wife too much, otherwise she will climb over your head in the future."

"I know Chunyan's personality very well. She would never do such a thing." Mother Zhou said as she walked back. "When did you come?"

"Just arrived, and came to your house as soon as I got there." Miss Zhou San also followed, "Second sister-in-law, congratulations! It was only yesterday when I went to drive the white horse that I knew you were building a new house. When did you start construction?"

"The construction started on the 22nd of last month." Zhou's mother pushed open the backyard door and said, "Come in and sit for a while."

"Yes." Miss Zhou San followed him into the yard.

Yang Chunyan turned around and saw Zhou's mother coming in with her, and hurriedly went to greet them, "Mom, you're back!"

Mother Zhou smiled and nodded, "Don't worry about it, I'll carry her to the front yard and onto the steps." Then she said, "Miss San, do you recognize her?"

Yang Chunyan glanced at Miss Zhou San, smiled and nodded, "I saw her just now."

Mother Zhou carried the corn to the front yard, bent over and poured the corn in the basket onto the steps, then put the basket down and said, "Third sister, sit down."

"Yes!" Miss Zhou San sat down on the bamboo chair at the entrance of the main hall and put down the bamboo basket. "Second sister-in-law, is the old man staying at my eldest brother's house this month?"

"Your second brother said that it's troublesome for the old man to move around so the four Huairong brothers will all move into the new house and the old man will live with us in the old house."

After hearing this, Miss Zhou San uncovered the vegetable leaves covering the basket and said, "We have more than a dozen ducks at home. My old man likes to eat salted eggs. I brought ten of them. You can pickle them for him to eat."

"Yes! How's your harvest this year?" Zhou's mother walked over with corn and sat down, starting to tear the corn leaves. She then tore off the corn cobs, tied four together and put them aside, waiting to send them to be hung under the eaves in the backyard.

Miss Zhou San also picked up a few to help, "The harvest this year is pretty good, and we'll start paying taxes the day after tomorrow. How's your harvest?"

"Not very good. Soon after the millet started to fill with grain, there was a strong wind and heavy rain, which blew down a lot of millet. The yield of one mu of field will be reduced by at least several dozen kilograms."

Yang Chunyan brought the tea and placed it on the small square table, "Mom, Third Miss, have some water!"

Mother Zhou took a few sips from the porcelain jar and said, "Your sister-in-law and the others should be back soon. Go pick out some tender cowpeas and pick some green peppers to stir-fry."

"I've prepared it all. I've been stewing the braised pork intestines for the whole afternoon and it's already been raked up."

"Yes!" Mother Zhou said, and then looked at Miss Zhou San, "Third sister, will you have dinner at my house?"

"Okay." After Zhou Sannian agreed, she saw that Zhou's mother was busy tearing corn leaves and didn't ask her what she was doing this time. She rolled her eyes and said, "Second sister-in-law, is the old man helping on the construction site? Take me to see him!"

"Yes!" Zhou's mother put down the corn and said hello to Yang Chunyan who was cooking in the kitchen, and then the aunt and sister-in-law left.

The two sisters-in-law chatted as they went out. When they got on the main road, they saw Zhou Huaian driving a tractor towards them. "Mom, Chunyan is home alone. Where are you going?"

Mother Zhou shouted in a hoarse voice: "Your third daughter is here. I will take her to see your grandfather."

Miss Zhou San looked at the brand new tractor with envy, "Youngest brother, you've made a fortune. You can even buy a tractor."

Zhou Huaian said with a bitter face, "Miss San, I don't look like a wealthy person. I bought this tractor and I'm in debt. I wanted to borrow some money from you."

Miss Zhou turned her head to look at Zhou's mother and changed the subject, "Second sister-in-law, your youngest child is still so talkative."

"He's just good at talking." Zhou's mother waved her hands at Zhou Huaian impatiently, "Stop making so much noise, hurry up and send the sand to the construction site."

"Oh!" Zhou Huaian started the tractor and ran away, leaving behind a puff of black smoke.

Mother Zhou brought Miss Zhou San to the construction site. She looked at the brick and tile house that had already taken shape and looked at Mother Zhou with envy:

"Second sister-in-law, I heard that you built a brick house for Huairong and the others, and bought a tractor for the youngest. They all said that your family had made a lot of money. I didn't believe it, but it turns out it's all true!"

(End of this chapter)