Looking back, he found Shen Wan looking at him with a helpless expression.

"Wanwan, what's wrong?"

Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Yu looked up and saw Zhang Xinhua looking strange. She couldn't help but walk over and raise her voice a few decibels.

"Has someone said something about you?"

As soon as she said that, Zhang Yanfang, feeling guilty, turned to the customer who couldn't find any salt and declared:

"I'll find it for you."

Jiang Yu knew what had happened at a glance. She snorted coldly and explained to Shen Wan:

"Ignore her, that's just how she is. When I first came here, she also mocked and slandered me. She's the kind of person who won't change no matter what you say, and she never learns from her mistakes."

She patiently explained to Shen Wan and recounted the general situation that had occurred. After selecting the items she wanted to buy, she glared fiercely at Zhang Yanfang, who was acting strangely, at the checkout. Zhang Yanfang was so frightened that she quickly shut her mouth, clearly bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Although Shen Wan knew her sister-in-law meant well, what that woman said wasn't entirely untrue. Her outfit looked very rustic and out of place with everything in the city.

While lost in thought, I didn't even see the person coming from the other side.

With a 'thud,' she was bumped. Luckily, the man reacted quickly and grabbed her; otherwise, she would have been in pain for a long time if she had fallen to the ground.

"Th...thank you."

The man was handsome, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a refined and cultured demeanor. That one glance almost cost Shen Wan her life.

Jiang Yu realized what was happening and wanted to explain to the other person that her sister-in-law hadn't done it on purpose. Unexpectedly, she had run into an acquaintance.

"Vice President Li? What a coincidence."

Li Xianxue was also surprised to see Jiang Yu again. He looked at the woman in front of him, then at her concerned eyes, and pointed with a puzzled expression:

"You two... know each other?"

Because they both had their own things to do, they chatted briefly and then parted ways without saying goodbye. Shen Wan stared at the man's retreating figure for a long time until Jiang Yu called her to leave, bringing her back to her senses. Realizing her impolite behavior, she opened her mouth, thinking:

How could I do this?

......

Because of the holiday, the preschool class ended early. The two picked up Shen Suisui on their way home, and on the way, Shen Suisui pointed to the large and small bags Jiang Yu was carrying and asked:

Is this tangyuan (sweet rice ball)?

The little snowballs were round and plump, and felt cool to the touch. Before school ended, the teacher said that tomorrow was the Lantern Festival, and we would eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls). And what Mom was holding must be them.

Jiang Yu nodded, looking at her with a loving mother's expression. That's why they say school teaches a lot; this time, instead of giving them a science lesson like during the New Year, Shen Sui Sui will act as the family's little teacher, explaining things to them.

Back home, it wasn't too late yet. Jiang Yu planned to boil some water to cook dinner, but Shen Wan beat her to it. Her sister-in-law was paying for her and providing meals, so she should at least be appreciative.

Besides, she could easily do this little thing herself.

Jiang Yu went to the cellar in the backyard to get the food for dinner, and Shen Ying followed, explaining his plans. After the fifteenth of the lunar month tomorrow, they would tear down the main house and build a new one. Today, they had someone build the stove in the outer room of the east wing, so they could cook there tomorrow.

Since the inner room of the east wing is separated by a wall, it's perfectly fine to stay in. The only problem is the soundproofing isn't very good.

Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment, not expecting Shen Ying to be so direct, and found it somewhat unbelievable:

So tonight...

"I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Shen Ying left as soon as he finished speaking, leaving her there to process all that information. To put it simply, it was incredibly awkward. When will this situation ever end?

In the inner room, Zhao Meiyun pulled Shen Wan aside and said earnestly:

“Wanwan, you’re not getting any younger. The matchmaker said there’s a nice young man in the next village who seems honest. Why don’t you take some time to meet him? After all, you’re getting on in years. When your sister-in-law was your age, Suisui was already two years old.”

I had talked to my daughter about this before, but she was working in a cotton mill and was exhausted every day. After mentioning it a couple of times, I stopped talking about it when she didn't respond.

Now that she's back in the village, she can finally settle down and find someone to marry. This puts one of her worries to rest.

When it comes to marriage, Shen Wan's mind is filled with the man she bumped into today. He seemed different from everyone else, but unfortunately, as an uneducated villager with no future prospects, the dream of being with him was unattainable.

However, this does not mean that she can just marry any man. Shen Wan does not want this kind of arranged marriage.

Zhao Meiyun wanted to say something more, so she took out the five ten-yuan bills her sister-in-law had given her from her pocket and placed them in front of her mother.

"Mom, look, this is the money my sister-in-law gave me for my work. There will be extra money after the clothes are finished in a couple of days. I'll use this money to go to night school and study hard."

When I was a child, my family was poor. It was not easy for my mother to raise us, let alone teach us to read and write. My eldest brother became a live-in son-in-law and studied with his sister-in-law for two years. He could write and do some simple math.

My second brother was smart from a young age, and he joined the army early on, where he learned a lot and became quite cultured.

She was the only one who worked in the factory and was illiterate; she couldn't even understand the accounts that Jiang Yu kept in her notebook.

"A young lady like you, so young, should just find someone to marry and be done with it. Why bother going to school!"

Zhao Meiyun's outdated ideas irritated Shen Wan. She picked up the money from the table, put it in her pocket, and walked out. It was better to help her sister-in-law with chores; she could learn a lot that way.

When Jiang Yu walked in from outside, her hands were full of vegetables, including fish and meat. She planned to cook some glutinous rice balls and make a sumptuous dinner.

Upon entering, seeing Shen Wan's long face and her mother-in-law coming out from the inner room, I immediately realized that the mother and daughter must have said something wrong.

"Jiang Yu, Mom is going outside to chat with the old lady next door and also to see the two kids. You young people can have a good chat; I won't be able to get a word in edgewise."

Zhao Meiyun looked haggard, like a child who had done something wrong. Before leaving, she glanced at Shen Wan with a helpless expression.

At her age, her greatest wish is simply for her children to be safe and sound. The times are what they are; she hasn't thought about anything else.

Jiang Yu nodded, told them to call her when the food was ready, and then said nothing more.

The outer room fell silent for a moment. Shen Wan seemed to have mustered her courage:

"Sister-in-law, I want to save up enough money to go to night school."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Jiang Yu smiled and said:

"It's good to have that thought, so why do you look a little unhappy?"

In her view, future social development will favor intellectuals. Learning more while young will never be in vain.

"But Mom says she wants me to get married soon..."

Before Shen Wan could finish speaking, Shen Ying came in from outside and listened to their conversation.