On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yan Xiaoqiang drove an oxcart, with Dongnan and Xuemei on board, along with several large bags of bedding and daily necessities, and slowly left Mushroom Village.
Yan Xiaonan stood at the gate of the courtyard, supporting her grandmother with one hand and her mother with the other, watching them leave.
Grandma Yan's eyes were filled with sadness, and Cuihua's eyes were filled with reluctance, after all, they were children she had raised herself.
Southwest stood to the side and said, "Grandma, I think I'll marry a girl from the village so she can take care of you and Mom and Dad for the rest of my life."
Cuihua's eyes lit up: "Southwest, do you have someone you like?"
Southwest was startled and quickly shook his head: "No, no, I want to go to university, how could I possibly like girls?"
Grandma Yan and Cuihua couldn't understand what liking a girl had to do with going to college.
"Grandma, Second Brother means he wants to focus on getting into university, so he doesn't have time to think about girls," Yan Xiaonan translated what Southwest meant.
Southwest nodded repeatedly, that's exactly what he meant.
"Second brother, if you take the college entrance exam, won't your household registration be transferred like your eldest brother's?" Yan Xiaonan asked deliberately.
Southwest was stunned. Yes, once you get into university, your household registration has to follow the university, and later it has to follow your workplace. How could you possibly stay in the village?
Southwest looked towards North South, but North South turned its face away. Southwest felt a chill in its heart; what did North South mean?
Yan Xiaonan laughed. What does that mean? It means you want to split up the family.
Grandma Yan sighed inwardly, hoping that Bei Nan wouldn't be like her second son, but it didn't matter if he was, since Qiangzi still had Nan Nan.
Cuihua wasn't a particularly observant person; she didn't notice the undercurrents that had been brewing in those few seconds. She was simply grieving the loss of her eldest son.
With Xuemei gone, Cuihua does most of the housework. In addition to feeding the chickens and rabbits, Yan Xiaonan now also has to feed the dog.
The uncle's letter said that the person who would pick up the dog would not arrive until the fifth day of the first lunar month, so Yan Xiaonan wanted to feed the dog well, in case they didn't have enough to eat on the way.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Cuihua's parents brought Chen Xiaolong and Xiaohua to visit.
Yan Xiaonan was startled. Was this little flower here to recognize the house? Her consciousness spread out, and Zhongnan sensed Yan Xiaonan's presence and hurriedly ran home.
Grandma Yan is starting to find her in-laws a bit of a nuisance. "You can come if you want, but why bring your married son and his wife?" she says.
But he still had to wear a smile on his face, after all, it was his wife's family, and it was his own suggestion to bring them here.
This time, Cuihua was more alert. She glanced at Xiaohua and saw her staring intently at her daughter, which made her even more wary.
Zhongnan rushed in and bumped into Xiaohua, making her tumble several times.
Animals are very sensitive; they can clearly distinguish between your malice and kindness.
Xiao Hua's malice was not only seen through by Yan Xiaonan, but also by Zhongnan.
The Yan family all know Zhongnan's habits: as long as something is detrimental to Nannan, Zhongnan will definitely show his sharp fangs.
Yan Xiaoqiang stepped forward, shielding Nannan behind him, and coldly looked at Xiaohua, asking, "What do you want to do? Are you planning to do something bad to my daughter?"
Before the gifts were even unloaded from the oxcart, tensions had already built between the two families.
Old Man Chen was a reasonable man. He had originally planned to visit his daughter's home with his wife, which would be considered a visit between in-laws.
But last night Xiaolong said he wanted to take his new wife to meet his sister's family. I originally disagreed, thinking, "You're already married, why are you getting involved?"
But Xiaolong said that Xiaohua no longer had a family to rely on. She used the cotton cloth she had kept for many years to make a padded jacket for Nannan as a way of thanking her sister for the quilt.
Chen's mother thought about it and agreed. These days, cotton quilts are so precious, and her daughter gave them away so readily, so she should be grateful.
Who would have thought that the daughter's dog would pounce on his wife? Could it be that he didn't recognize his wife and therefore wouldn't let her in?
That doesn't make sense either. Look at the expressions on their faces; they're all looking rather grim. Could it be that Xiaohua has done something to offend them?
Thinking of this, Mr. and Mrs. Chen's faces also turned ugly. If their daughter-in-law was disliked, then they should never come to this place again.
Chen Xiaolong got angry and charged at Zhongnan. Anyone who dared to bully my wife was down, so dogs were no match for him.
Zhongnan's actions changed, becoming a posture of preparing to attack. Southwest stepped forward and stood between Zhongnan and Chen Xiaolong.
Yan Xiaonan closed her eyes, and everything in the courtyard became even clearer.
Yan Xiaonan was extremely disgusted by Xiaohua's eyes, which looked at him as if he were meat, but he didn't know what this woman wanted to do.
Could it be that she's what rural people call a "flower seller," and she's taken a liking to me and wants to sell me?
I heard that the woman who takes pictures of flowers has something in her hands, so you have to be careful with her hands and you can't touch her food.
But these were all just her imagination. She wanted to call her uncle, tell him what had happened, and ask him to think of a solution.
Grandma Yan told Southwest to take Nannan and Zhongnan to her room, close the door, and not to come out.
"My dear in-laws, since you're already here, please have a simple meal. After you finish eating, please go back early. It's freezing cold, so don't work so hard in the future."
Old Man Chen nodded and wanted to ask Yan Xiaoqiang to move the things from the oxcart, but Yan Xiaoqiang refused: "Dad, your family isn't well-off either, so please take them back. I appreciate your kindness."
Mr. and Mrs. Chen were utterly embarrassed. This was the beginning of a complete break in their relationship. They both looked at Cuihua.
Chen Cuihua stood decisively beside Yan Xiaoqiang, her meaning clear: I am a member of the Yan family.
Originally, Cuihua was just being more vigilant, but Zhongnan's sudden attack, coupled with Chen Xiaolong's attitude towards Zhongnan, chilled her heart.
The wild boar that came from my mother's family was brought down by Zhongnan. If it weren't for Nannan, Zhongnan would have been killed by the wild boar's tusks. You ungrateful wretch.
Old Master Chen was very sensible. The way Chen Xiaolong protected his wife and tried to hurt the dog had broken his daughter's heart, and she no longer trusted them.
"My dear in-laws, I'm so sorry. My husband and I originally came to wish you a Happy New Year, but... well, never mind, let's go back early."
Chen's mother nodded to Grandma Yan and climbed onto the oxcart. Grandma Yan gave Cuihua a wink, and Cuihua nodded and went inside.
When she came out, she was carrying four steaming hot steamed buns and a bowl of chicken stew with mushrooms. She placed both items into Chen's mother's hands.
"Mother, go back and live a good life. If anything is not going well, talk to your eldest and second sisters-in-law. They are good people."
Chen's mother was somewhat stunned. If the eldest daughter-in-law was good, then this youngest daughter-in-law must be bad.
Cuihua noticed the question in Chen's mother's eyes and nodded vigorously. People or things that Nannan and Zhongnan dislike are all bad.
Chen's mother felt relieved, but she also became wary. She knew her daughter Cuihua well; she was a magnanimous person. If even Cuihua didn't approve, then she would have to think carefully.
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