The entire yard of Zhang Guofu's house is planted with fruits and vegetables, and Huang Cuilan secretly planted sweet potatoes in the corner closest to the woodshed and toilet.
To the right of the woodshed, there's a fenced-off area where five hens and a large rooster are raised. They now earn two or three eggs a day, thanks to Mai Miao. The little girl is very hardworking, and the chicken coop is kept exceptionally clean.
Huang Cuilan glanced at the chicken feed on the plate and saw that the chickens had already devoured it. She smiled and shook her head. She didn't even need to check the chicken coop to know the eggs had been taken. Her daughter wouldn't leave the house without seeing the eggs, fearing her cousins might come and take them.
Lush green vegetables fill the entire yard, leaving only a small path. All this is thanks to the three Xizi brothers. She also has to go to work, so she relies on the children for watering, fertilizing, and insect hunting.
As Huang Cuilan tended to the garden, she thought about how she should find time to visit the village backyard. Then, realizing she wouldn't have to worry about not having time in the future, she sighed.
It was almost noon, and she was about to put down her work when she heard a knock on the door. She was startled. Who would come to her house at this time? Before she could think about it, she heard the voices of her mother and her sister-in-law outside.
Huang Cuilan frowned, sighed, walked to the gate of the courtyard, opened it, let them in, and then closed it again, looking back at them in confusion.
Huang's mother smiled and took her hand. "Why are you still doing such rough work? Just go and call your nephews. Have you eaten?"
"Mom said she hasn't seen you for a long time, so I brought her here to visit. Where are the children at home? Xiaolan, I came here today because I have something very happy to tell you."
Huang Cuilan smiled at her and pulled her mother into the living room.
"Mom, look at how tidy my little sister's yard is. The vegetables here are much fresher than those sold outside."
Huang Cuilan paused, not responding. In the past, she would have said, "Let's take some back later." But she couldn't really make the decision. These were all grown by her four children, so she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
After Huang's mother sat down, she looked around and asked in a low voice, "I heard that your mother-in-law and her family returned to the village this morning?"
Huang Cuilan shook her head. "I'm not sure. I just got off work this morning."
"Has my son-in-law come back?"
Huang Cuilan shook her head again.
"Xiao Lan, I'm not saying anything to you, but why don't you go to the provincial capital for a few days? How much money can you make if you keep going to work all the time?"
Huang Cuilan laughed and said, "I can't even go to work now. I was just notified this morning that I have to go through the formalities soon."
Huang's mother snorted and said with a smile, "What are you afraid of? Ask your mother-in-law to go to the factory and tell her. Are you worried about not having a job? If your mother says you're stupid, why go to a textile factory? It's exhausting. This time, ask your mother-in-law to help transfer you to your son-in-law's unit. The two of you will be together, and no one will be able to steal your job."
The eldest daughter-in-law of the Huang family then said, "Mom, you are smart. Unlike Xizi's grandmother who is so rigid. I heard a funny story a while ago. Isn't his grandmother funny? The neighborhood committee on this street asked her grandmother to help, meaning that she had to work. But do you know what she said? She said she couldn't read, so we shouldn't embarrass her. There are people like this. She didn't even realize that they were trying to show her respect, and she refused."
Huang Cuilan was not happy about her saying that about her mother-in-law and reminded her, "My sisters-in-law and younger sisters-in-law all live nearby. Be careful they might hear you."
"So what if they heard it?" Even so, the Huang family's eldest daughter-in-law dared not bring up the subject again. If those crazy people in the Zhang family heard about it, they would definitely kill her. Everyone knew that the five Zhang siblings listened to their mother the most, and she was incredibly protective of her.
Huang Cuilan knew she was just being stubborn, so she ignored her and whispered to her mother, "This time, both of us sisters-in-law are resigning from our jobs, without any negotiation. My mother-in-law isn't that kind of person, and she wouldn't ask anyone else for help."
"You really lost your job? Then what are you going to do? Your mother-in-law can't just ignore it. Go and talk to her."
Huang Cuilan didn't listen to her. If she kept on nagging, she would have to go back to her parents' home.
Huang's mother listened to her, her head bowed in silence, and sighed. "What a loser! She can't even hold on to a man, and now she's lost her job." She didn't want to speak again when she thought about it.
Seeing the mother and daughter sitting there in silence, the Huang family's eldest daughter-in-law moved her stool and moved closer to Huang Cuilan. She smiled and said, "Xiaolan, I have something happy to tell you."
Huang Cuilan glanced at her and said, "You look so happy, it must be a big deal. Telling me about it makes me happy too."
"Haha..." The eldest daughter-in-law of the Huang family laughed twice, "I told my mother that she also thinks this marriage is good. That's why we came here today."
Huang Cuilan looked at her mother with interest and said with a smile, "Is it a nephew or a niece? Then I want to congratulate my sister-in-law. Whose family is it?"
The Huang family's eldest sister-in-law's smile froze, and she immediately said, "They're not my children. They're not as lucky as Xizi. I have a colleague whose husband is a cadre in the county. She has a little granddaughter who is now twelve years old. She wants me to help them get her to like our Xizi..."
Huang Cuilan immediately interrupted by shaking her hand when she heard this, "Sister-in-law, please stop talking."
"Why? He said his daughter and Xizi are in the same school, and he'll let her go to college in the future. She's very sincere and said she doesn't want any betrothal gifts, she just wants the child. I promised her that there would be no problem. What's there to be picky about with such a good family?"
Huang Cuilan frowned, "Sister-in-law, what guarantees can you make? Xizi's last name is Zhang. Not to mention that he's still young, even when he's older, the Zhang family's rules are to let children choose for themselves. Parents never make decisions privately."
Huang's mother was so angry that she poked her daughter's forehead with her finger. "You are stupid. If you don't find a daughter-in-law who shares your beliefs, what status will you have in the family in the future? Do you think I am not tired of rushing here in such hot weather? It's all because of you, a damn girl."
"That's right, little sister. What mother said makes sense. You've arranged it for Xizi, so can the Zhang family force you to cancel the engagement? That family is wealthy and worthy of the Zhang family."
Huang Cuilan closed her eyes and shook her hands weakly, "Stop talking. If I dare to act on my own, believe it or not, I'll be kicked out immediately. And no one can make the final decision on Xizi's affairs. Even when his father's good friends mentioned marriage, he didn't dare agree. Not to mention county officials, even provincial officials are useless. My father-in-law said that Xizi and his family can find their own. He doesn't care about the child's family background. As long as the family is upright and the child is virtuous, it's fine as long as they like it."
The eldest daughter-in-law of the Huang family rolled her eyes after hearing this and immediately said, "Well, what about Xiaoxiu from my mother's family? She's a good-looking and hardworking child."
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