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◎The Twenty-Fifth Day of the King of Scrolls◎
“But we have to do farm work every day, and we still have to travel such a long distance,” said the plump Aunt Wang hesitantly.
"No way, Uncle. What do you think about having school kids learn to sing it at school?"
Jiang Weiguo's eyes lit up, and he raised his voice, "Does anyone have a kid who's about to grow up? Call them over, I'll teach them to sing. Kids learn quickly, and they can even supervise adults when they get home!"
Upon hearing this, the commune members were even more delighted and turned to call out to their own children.
Before long, five or six children ran over and curiously surrounded Jiang Wanzhou.
The children learned the song in no time and scattered throughout the village, chasing each other, their voices carrying far and wide as they sang "The little pig is chubby and plump."
Jiang's mother, carrying a basket, passed by and, upon seeing the scene, was so angry she nearly fainted.
She deliberately squeezed into the crowd and said sarcastically, "A troublemaker, now acting as a teacher."
Several aunties who had just learned the rhyme from Jiang Wanzhou were unhappy: "Third sister-in-law, what are you saying? Zhou is doing this for the good of the team, how can you, as her mother, not see what's good for your child?"
"Exactly, he's better than your second son!"
"Tsk, the second son is just different from the eldest son and the youngest daughter."
"What's different?"
"Of course..."
"Wang Laidi, what are you trying to say? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth off!"
"Come on, what did you say back then? Liu Cuihua! You think nobody remembers?"
"It was you who refused to marry into the Jiang family in the first place!"
"Yes, my husband is doing well! Although I don't want to be a widow, these two kids are good kids. How have you treated them?"
"I'm not good enough? I'm not good enough! How can a girl go to high school?"
"That was confessed by your eldest son!"
Jiang's mother was speechless after being rebuked. She glared at Jiang Wanzhou and slunk away.
Jiang Wanzhou pretended not to see it and taught the children to play hopscotch in a "fair and aboveboard" way.
After teaching the children how to draw, she prepared to find stones and explain them to them.
Shen Xinglian walked to her side and handed her a flat, small stone: "This."
Jiang Wanzhou took it: "Sister-in-law, you picked the best! No one else can compare to mine!"
The children chattered excitedly: "It's just a rock, I can find better ones!"
“My sister-in-law found this for me. My sister-in-law is the best sister-in-law in the world.” Jiang Wanzhou said, hands on her hips.
The children pouted.
Most teenagers have to do chores at home.
The arrival of a new sister-in-law might mean more laundry to do.
There's also the matter of food.
Therefore, he is not very close to his sister-in-law.
The laughter still echoed in the distance. Zhou Qingyu chuckled and shook her head, carrying firewood towards the educated youth settlement.
As he passed by the pigsty, he noticed that even the crevices in the corners were wiped clean.
It was all filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
A few days later, Shen Xinglian took a break and went to the pigsty.
No pigs died, and the sick pigs became lively again.
Shen Xinglian squatted at the entrance of the pigpen and handed a note to the old man feeding the pigs: "This is the new pig feed plan that I discussed with the brigade. Let these sick pigs eat it, and we can compare it in a few months."
"Comrade Shen, you two sisters-in-law are really capable." Old Man Li smiled, his face full of wrinkles. "My little granddaughter is watching me every day now, saying that I didn't follow the 'rhyme'."
"Then you've raised your child well, and he's reliable in everything he does. He'll definitely be a comrade who serves the people in the future," Shen Xinglian replied with a smile.
Old Li scratched his head: "Yes, my granddaughter didn't like her sister-in-law at first. Her brother earns money, and she has to ask my grandson for money to go to school. My granddaughter-in-law looks rather stern, and my granddaughter is afraid that I will be scolded by her, so she said she doesn't want to go to school anymore."
"You can't go to school against your will. Grandpa, you've raised your children so well, and you chose your granddaughter-in-law yourself, right? She shouldn't be that kind of person, should she?"
Hearing Shen Xinglian say that, Old Man Li was also happy.
"Yes. That's why Yaya Wang is playing games with them, like hopscotch."
“My granddaughter often goes to play with her sister-in-law, and the two of them have become good friends.”
"The two of them aren't that much older."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xinglian nodded: "Then Grandpa doesn't need to worry."
"Yes, it's all thanks to you two, sister-in-law and sister-in-law. Didn't you and Zhou'er not get along before?"
“Zhou girl has always had a strange temper, but she is kind and warm-hearted. As her sister-in-law, I still need to be more considerate.”
In the original book, Jiang Wanzhou should have been completely evil.
But her best friend is different, of course.
Kindness and enthusiasm often lead to disadvantages in modern society.
Perhaps here, she can refrain from criticizing Jiang Wanzhou's kindness and enthusiasm.
If she hadn't always mocked Wanzhou's kindness and enthusiasm, they probably wouldn't have been practically strangers for fifteen years.
It was Wanzhou who remained kind-hearted and took care of her during her postpartum period.
Just as Shen Xinglian was about to speak, Jiang Wanzhou ran in from outside: "Sister-in-law, my brother is back."
Jiang Wanzhou greeted Old Man Li politely.
Old Li took the paper inside to prepare the ingredients.
Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian walked back.
She took out two pairs of newly made cloth shoes.
“You’ve been wearing my old shoes lately. I asked my older brother to buy them for me, but embroidery is a bit too flashy these days, so I didn’t buy the kind of flowers you like.”
Shen Xinglian picked up a pair.
Only Wan-zhou would pay attention to such small details.
She herself didn't expect it.
Wanzhou's birthday gift was also practical.
"Good days begin with wearing new shoes." Jiang Wanzhou stuffed the shoes into her hands.
Zhou Qingyu stood at the door, watching them talk.
He recalled the way Jiang Wanzhou had taught him rhymes under the old locust tree that morning, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Jiang Renzhou walked over carrying the child and asked, "Zhou Zhiqing?"
"Comrade Jiang," Zhou Qingyu explained, "the brigade leader asked me to call you to the village entrance when we finish work later."
Jiang Renzhou nodded.
—
At lunchtime, Jiang Weiguo banged a gong and shouted through the village, "Everyone come to the team headquarters! I have some good news to announce!"
Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian were both a little puzzled when Jiang Renzhou mentioned it.
As soon as I entered, I saw Jiang Weiguo standing on the steps, holding a certificate in his hand, grinning from ear to ear.
"The reason I've gathered everyone here today is to commend two people!" Jiang Weiguo cleared his throat. "Comrades Shen Xinglian and Jiang Wanzhou came up with the wood ash disinfection method and even made up a rhyme to teach everyone. As you can all see, the swine fever has really been brought under control! Other brigades are also adopting it. This morning I went to the commune to receive the awards on behalf of the two comrades."
"A reward of twenty yuan and thirty work points!" Jiang Weiguo took out the envelope, waved his hand, and looked for Jiang Wanzhou and the other person.
Everyone consciously kept the road clear.
Jiang Wanzhou and the other person accepted it.
Jiang Wanzhou's little brain worked quickly: "First of all, I want to thank my older brother for giving me the opportunity to go to school. I want to thank my sister-in-law for supporting all my ideas. Thank you to my uncle and my grandparents, uncles and aunts who watched me grow up for giving this unreliable, newly grown-up child so many times their trust and help."
"Did you see that? Even the good-for-nothing Jiang Wanzhou got an award! She's famous now! Then many more kids in our village will be too!"
Applause erupted.
Shen Xinglian speaks with far more eloquence than Jiang Wanzhou.
Several aunties who had been taught rhymes by Jiang Wanzhou during the day even sidled up to them, smiling and saying, "She deserves it! She's a good sister-in-law. I wonder how my new daughter-in-law is doing."
Jiang Wanzhou felt secretly pleased and nudged Shen Xinglian.
"The last time we received an award together was in college, wasn't it? Thirty or forty years ago, right?"
Shen Xinglian's eyes, however, shone with an astonishing light.
"Yes, that was the hospice care project you proposed."
Jiang Wanzhou said with some regret, "After working in a nursing home, I still chose to open a bed and breakfast. Plus, my own elderly relatives passed away early, so I didn't have much of a personal connection to it."
"But for these people who watched Jiang Wanzhou grow up, the thought of them all getting old..."
"Stop, let's make sure we can eat meat every day." Shen Xinglian refused ruthlessly.
Wanzhou has a flaw: she is too empathetic.
A person who earns 10,000 a month but still donates 7,000.
Among best friends, there's usually a grand ambition that whoever gets rich will support the other.
She didn't make the payment every month, partly because she was afraid that Wanzhou would donate it.
That meant nothing to her.
She only wanted to spend her time on Wanzhou.
Jiang Weiguo added, "Everyone can observe carefully these next few months to see if the pigs can grow strong and healthy! In previous years, the pigs were sick and didn't weigh much. If the pigs are distributed at the end of the year and the pork is heavier than before, then Jiang Wanzhou will be in charge of all the livestock breeding in the team from now on!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother's face turned pale instantly.
She had been waiting to see those three people make a fool of themselves, but unexpectedly, they became the most popular people in the team.
"Mom, money."
Jiang Husheng tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to keep quiet.
The thought of money made her even angrier.
She couldn't resist, and her lips moved slightly.
Aunt Li had been on guard against her all along, and deliberately said loudly, "Zhou girl, don't put too much pressure on yourself. You are the first high school student in our village. If you can't do it this year, study more and try again next year."
Jiang Weiguo waved his hand: "Go away, go away, why not this year? What nonsense are you talking about!"
Jiang Wanzhou smiled and said, "Thank you for your trust, Captain! I promise I will raise the pigs well and try my best to get everyone a bigger share of the meat by the end of the year!"
Her words struck a chord with the commune members, and the applause grew even louder, drowning out anything Jiang's mother wanted to say.
When the meeting ended, Jiang Wanzhou was very hungry.
Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian walked home side by side.
"I never thought I could win an award for just making up a jingle. This is a lucky prize!" Jiang Wanzhou kicked at a pebble by the roadside.
“What are you saying that everyone can understand?” Shen Xinglian said. “Otherwise, the method will be useless.”
Jiang Wanzhou stopped and looked at Shen Xinglian's profile. Suddenly, she said, "Have I caused you any trouble? If it weren't for me trying to avoid working in the fields, you wouldn't have to go to work and run to the pigsty at the same time."
"From now on, even though I'll be in charge, I'll actually still have to trouble you."
Shen Xinglian paused for a moment, then smiled: "Don't worry, even sisters keep clear accounts."
“Okay, then I’ll keep five of my twenty dollars and you keep fifteen.” Jiang Wanzhou smiled and handed it over.
The autumn wind was still warm, rustling the corn leaves by the roadside.
Jiang Wanzhou patted her stomach: "It's been more than half a year since I came here, and I still haven't been to the legendary state-run restaurant."
“I’ll see if your older brother has any tickets tonight,” Shen Xinglian immediately raised her hand.
[Author's Note]
Jiang Wanzhou: Who understands? Who's the female lead in this drama? She's been struggling for half a year and hasn't even been able to eat at a state-run restaurant! [crying][crying]
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