Lying in bed at night, my back was a little sore from being hit by a stick. I rolled over to my side and it felt better.
Jiang Shuya saw a message on her phone from Huang Minghao that she didn't know when he had sent it. She didn't reply, nor did she want to. In her past life, she had had enough of his indifference and condemnation. Even when she sent messages, she couldn't get a complete reply from him.
At this moment, my younger sister Shuting sent me a message informing me that the photo upload failed. The website homepage has strict requirements for image clarity, and the images did not pass the review. All the ones Shuya sent could not be approved. She said that Chen Lin has a professional digital camera and will come to take photos in person next weekend.
Jiang Shuya quickly responded, "Okay." Tangtang seemed to have been frightened today. After drinking her milk, she kept whimpering and refused to sleep. Singing a few lullabies didn't work. She could only feel safe when she was held in her arms. During this time, she patted her back continuously to soothe her gently and rubbed her little tummy. This continued until the middle of the night before Jiang Shuya finally fell into a deep sleep with Tangtang in her arms.
The old man didn't come back that night!
The next morning.
Jiang Shuya received a call from Master Fang early in the morning and waited at the entrance under the Jiajiang Bridge. When she came out, Shuya handed the child over to her mother-in-law. This mother-in-law has one good point: she doesn't hold grudges. If there's something to say, she says it to the face and that's it.
Looking at the time, it was exactly 8 o'clock. In the distance, she saw a middle-aged man waving at Jiang Shuya. She went up and saw a truck full of bricks. After checking the phone number and confirming, she got on the truck and gave the driver directions.
In just a few minutes, they arrived at the vacant plot of land. Mr. Fang got out of the car, looked at the site, asked how many square meters the building would be and how many bricks he would need. He then got back in the car and unloaded the bricks in the middle of the plot. After unloading, he told them that he would need to transport five more truckloads, which would all be done today. After that, he would haul cement and sand. Next, he would unload another five square meters of bricks around the perimeter for easier handling. He said he would bring the workers over the next morning so they could start construction. It turned out that the father had contracted the materials to a boss.
As Mr. Fang drove away, he saw his grandfather standing at the door looking around. Jiang Shuya greeted him, then put on gloves and neatly arranged the messy bricks.
Just then! A sarcastic remark drifted over from the balcony on the left: "They're really planning to build this! I never would have guessed that this useless imitation glass manufacturer has actually produced some diamonds. I thought I was blind and didn't see it; I just don't know what I'm talking about."
Looking up at the sound, I saw my aunt's disdainful face.
Jiang Shuya smiled and replied, "Whatever grows in the ground is what it is. Whoever planted it owns it. No one can take away what belongs to an owner."
Auntie suddenly chuckled: "Niece-in-law, you're quite something. If you manage to do this, I'll be the first to admire you. I'm not trying to make fun of you, but among a bunch of people who are asleep, you're quite the one who has any sense of responsibility. I underestimated you before."
Her words weren't just a blow to her in-laws, but also to those who couldn't see things clearly. Some people always thought that demolition compensation was based on the number of people, not the size of the house. Her aunt was the most enlightened person. Why was she so determined to get this plot of land? Because she had transferred her parents' household registration from Anhui Province, just waiting to settle them on this plot of land. Once the house was built, she could rightfully claim the compensation. She wanted them to enjoy the demolition compensation as well, but Jiang Shuya intercepted it, so she was naturally very angry.
Jiang Shuya knew she was holding back her anger and didn't want to confront her directly anymore, so she pretended to be confused, nodding and agreeing at times... Within an hour, the second truckload of bricks arrived, followed by the third, the fourth, and so on... They ate lunch at Grandpa's house again.
By afternoon, Jiang Shuya was exhausted, covered in sweat, with stone bricks scattered all around her, and she still hadn't finished stacking the stones. Her hands were so weak she could barely lift them. Master Fang, who was unloading sand, asked her in bewilderment:
"Where are the rest of your family? Why aren't they here to help?"
Grandpa, who was listening nearby, asked:
"Did your dad come home last night?"
Jiang Shuya shook her head. Seeing that Master Fang was about to drive away, Grandpa stepped forward, picked up a stone brick, and said, "I'd like to hitch a ride."
Before Shuya could find out the reason, she saw her mother-in-law running over from the fishpond, carrying a wailing Tangtang.
It turned out that Tangtang was hungry and hadn't had milk for most of the day. Grandma, panting, put Tangtang in Shuya's arms. The little one was starving; her rosy cheeks were flushed red, her eyes were filled with tears, and she was whimpering and crying for milk. When she finally drank the milk she had been longing for, the surroundings instantly became quiet.
The old woman was shocked to see that there were stone bricks all around her and hadn't reacted yet.
Jiang Shuya gave the gloves to her mother-in-law, indicating that she should help lay the bricks. The workers would start work tomorrow. Her mother-in-law did not refuse and put on the gloves to get to work.
Some people who knew the mother-in-law well came up to her at the door and asked about the condition of the stone bricks, jokingly asking if the daughter-in-law was going to separate from the family and if their relationship was not good.
The mother-in-law didn't hide anything, saying that the homestead originally belonged to her family, and since there were two plots, they built on both. It would be a waste not to use resources, and it was perfectly normal for them to separate households.
As they were talking, they saw Huang Guohua being chased and beaten by his grandfather in the direction of his grandfather's house. His head was also broken and bleeding. Upon closer inspection, there was a large bump on his forehead. His uncle was pulling his grandfather back from behind.
The aunt stood on her balcony, covering her mouth, but couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Huang Guohua, utterly shameless, ran to her mother-in-law and angrily rebuked those who were laughing at her.
A group of women, making a lot of noise, tactfully walked away. At this time, Master Fang had finished delivering three truckloads of yellow sand, then delivered a truckload of cement bags and three truckloads of gravel. The remaining materials would be delivered tomorrow with the workers.
Jiang Shuya nodded in agreement and made an appointment with Master Fang for tomorrow. Her mother-in-law invited Master Fang to stay for dinner, but he waved his hand and said he had to go back first.
Jiang Shuya looked at the old man and instantly understood that this man was someone her grandfather had scared out of the mahjong parlor with a brick.
Jiang Shuya didn't go home for dinner until it was almost dark. She ate at her grandfather's house instead. She didn't want to hear the sounds of the two fighting. She had seen too many of those fights in her past life. They bothered her and brought her endless trouble. Sometimes she felt sorry for Huang Minghao. Growing up in such an environment, although he wasn't good to her, he was friendly and gentle to everyone around him. Yet, he didn't repeat the same mistakes and go down a path of no return.
Now that she's been given a second chance at life, Jiang Shuya is determined to find out the reason for Huang Minghao's indifference towards her. She didn't know the reason in her previous life, but she's going to unravel this mystery in this one.
After saying goodbye to Grandpa, I asked him to look after the materials delivered by the neighbor, and then I took Tangtang home.
Once home, things calmed down. Jiang Shuya gently carried Tangtang upstairs, closed the bedroom door, took a shower, and went to sleep. She was just too tired today; it had been a long time since she had worked for such a long period. Those bricklayers! They still need to get used to it.
After taking a shower, she lay comfortably in bed. In a few days, Tangtang would be 7 months old. She planned to breastfeed her for 10 months and then wean her. In the meantime, she planned what to do next. Grapes would be on the market in mid-July and would be sold until September. What to do next...? Her head was throbbing... After thinking about all sorts of things, she fell into a deep sleep.
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