"Mom! You finally came to see me. You and Tiantian don't go back at noon today. Come to my house for a meal. I just stewed this toad."
"We two are not going back. You are all living at the old woman's house now, and food is so precious. What's the point of us two going back?"
Not eating at other people's homes is already deeply ingrained in people's bones at this time.
Especially now that Tian Lijuan has moved back to her hometown to take care of her parents-in-law, Old Mrs. Tian can't bother her any more.
"It's okay. It's not like I don't earn food. What's wrong with me using my own food to treat my mother to a meal?" Tian Lijuan said indifferently.
Although her old lady had indeed found her the job at the supply and marketing cooperative, her current position was all the result of her hard work over the years and had nothing to do with her old lady.
"Mom! Tiantian! You two just listen to me. Come to my house for lunch today. I can't let you go home hungry after all the hard work you've put into the county town. It just so happens that our supply and marketing cooperative received a batch of kelp a few days ago. I bought some and we'll make kelp stewed with toad for lunch."
Tian Lijuan tried her best to take Old Lady Tian and Tiantian to her home for dinner.
Her family conditions are not bad. Her parents-in-law both have jobs. Although they have retired in recent years, their jobs are still there, waiting for Fang Zhizhi and Fang Zhenzhen to graduate from high school and go directly to work in the factory.
The monthly pension is not small, plus Fang Sheng earns a lot every month, so letting Grandma Tian and Tian Tian have a meal at home will not have any impact on their lives this month.
It is true that Old Mrs. Tian has not spent much time with Tian Lijuan. The last time was during the Chinese New Year, Tian Lijuan went back home and stayed for a day. She was busy at home and the mother and daughter never said much to each other.
But she was also worried about whether she would bring any bad influence to Tian Lijuan. Besides, Tian Lijuan was currently living in her mother-in-law's house, which was not very large, and it was not very convenient for her and Tian Tian to go there, so she was still a little hesitant.
"Mom! Don't worry about it! I'm not a new bride! I've lived in the Fang family for so many years, and my daughter has given birth to two children. You don't have to worry about this and that. Wouldn't your daughter have worked in vain for so many years?"
As soon as Tian Lijuan saw Old Lady Tian, she knew what she was thinking. When they had just gotten married, there was a big gap in financial conditions between the two families. Old Lady Tian never bothered Tian Lijuan, never asked her for anything, and often carried vegetables to the city for delivery, for fear that her in-laws would treat Tian Lijuan badly.
During the two years of famine, the county town could not even afford the monthly food rations. Her two daughters were still young, and the whole family had to tighten their belts to make ends meet.
If it weren't for the mountain products that Old Lady Tian sent them, it would be hard to say whether they could have survived the famine.
Later, their lives improved, and Old Mrs. Tian never asked them for anything, which made Tian Lijuan feel uncomfortable. So every time she went back to her parents' home, her hands were always empty.
On the contrary, every time Mrs. Tian came to bring her something, she would leave hungry.
"Okay then!" Old Mrs. Tian finally gave in. "No need to make that kelp stewed with toads. These are all good things. Zhizhi and Zhenzhen are studying now, and their brains are tired. You can leave these toads for them to replenish their energy. Last night, your second brother went out and caught a lot of toads. We don't lack toads to eat. You can keep these and cook them for yourself. After you're done, eat a few more bites. Don't always think about leaving them for others. You're tired after a day, too. Don't tire yourself out!"
Listening to Old Lady Tian's chattering, Tian Lijuan felt very happy. She is now nearly forty years old, and only Old Lady Tian still worries about whether she is tired and wants her to eat more good food. It is true that only a mother loves her daughter.
There was nothing to do at the supply and marketing cooperative today. After Tian Lijuan called Fang Sheng at noon, she took Old Lady Tian and Tian Tian back to her own house.
They have their own house, and they moved into the old house during this period to take care of her parents-in-law.
They lived in the steel plant's tube-shaped building, which was mostly occupied by the plant's employees.
This house was given to Fang Sheng many years ago when he was promoted to a fourth-level fitter, and he has lived in it until now.
The infrastructure is quite good. There are not only flush toilets, but also heating in the building in winter.
However, Tian Lijuan's house is not big, only about ten square meters. There is a living room as soon as you enter the door, with a table and four chairs, a sofa and a wooden coffee table. There is also a stove in the middle of the room, connected to iron pipes, leading to each room.
This is used for heating in winter. The house is small, and this stove can make the house warm.
Although they had a radiator in their living room and the factory burned coal for heating in winter, the room was not very warm, so they had to build a stove and burn coal for heating.
There are two rooms on the right side separated by a wall. Each room is only a few square meters. There are two windows on the wall. You can see the layout of the two bedrooms when sitting in the living room.
Near the door is the room of Tian Lijuan and her husband. There is basically no space left for a bed and a wardrobe.
Fang Zhizhi and Fang Zhenzhen's rooms were even smaller. Although they had bunk beds, there was a wardrobe and two desks in the room, so there wasn't much space left.
Tian Tian felt crowded just sitting on the sofa.
The cottage looked even less spacious than the small room she lived in.
Although life in the county town is indeed much better than in the countryside, as farm work is not as hard and life can be a little easier, the living conditions are really too crowded.
Although this house is small, it is not easy to get a room like this. There are many families where several generations of grandparents and grandchildren live in one house. Tian Lijuan's family is very lucky to be allocated such a small house, and even to have two bedrooms.
Tian Lijuan poured Tian Tian a glass of sugar water and started to prepare to go outside to cook.
They lived in a tube-shaped building, and every household cooked outside, and Tian Lijuan was no exception.
Old Mrs. Tian wanted to help, so she pushed Tian Lijuan down on the sofa, wanting her to have a good rest.
But Old Mrs. Tian was a person who could not sit still, and in the end she went out leisurely to pick vegetables with Tian Lijuan.
Both elders went out to work, and Tian Tian couldn't just rest in the house alone, so she went out for a walk and finally came back helplessly.
It was time for dinner, and everyone in the building came out to cook. The corridor outside was too narrow, and only two people could barely stand in it. If all three of them had to go out, Tian Lijuan would have to be cautious when cooking.
Tian Tian had no choice but to sit on the sofa bored, drinking the sweet sugar water that made her throat sticky, while looking around the furnishings in the house boredly.
Everyone seems to think that the sweeter the water served to guests, the more they show that they value the guests.
The water that Tian Lijuan poured for Tian Tiantian was particularly sweet, and Tian Tian even felt like it was covered in starch.
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