“You’re my daughter, so there’s no need for thanks. After the sun goes down, I’ll have your mother go back with you. You’re about to give birth, so I’ll let your mother stay there to take care of you.” Ma Quan was really worried about his daughter’s big belly.
"What will you and your two younger brothers do at home?" Ma Aning was tempted, but also worried about her father and brothers.
“We’re fine. We can cook for ourselves. It’s just cooking and tidying up the house. We can do it all.” Ma Amu also agreed that his mother should take care of his older sister.
When the work bell rang, the father and his two sons went to work, while the mother and daughter hurried home when the sun wasn't too scorching. Wenli also carried a small package containing her personal belongings and clothes.
The two didn't dare to walk too fast on the way, stopping frequently, and it took them two hours to get home, almost time to make dinner.
Shen Zishan was filled with anxiety. His legs were in casts, making it difficult for him to move around. He couldn't go outside now, afraid that people would discover that his legs weren't injured.
As the sky outside the window gradually darkened, his anxiety grew, and he kept wondering if something bad had happened to his wife.
Several times, he couldn't even suppress the urge to struggle to get up and go out to find her.
Just then, a slight sound of a door opening reached Shen Zishan's ears.
His heart tightened, and he quickly dragged his heavy, cast-covered leg, struggling to move his body back onto the bed and pull the blanket over himself.
"Mom, come in and take a look! This is my new home!" Ma Aning said with a big smile, her cheerful voice as clear and melodious as a silver bell.
She excitedly took her mother's hand, eager to show her around.
Meanwhile, Shen Zishan was quietly waiting on the bed for the mother and daughter to enter the room.
As time ticked by, he began to grow impatient, muttering to himself: Why isn't he coming in yet?
Finally, after a long wait, Ma Aning and Wenli slowly pushed open the door and walked in.
"Mother, you're here!" Upon seeing his mother-in-law, Shen Zishan's face immediately lit up with a bright smile, and he said with great joy. He was genuinely happy about his mother-in-law's arrival.
"Brother Shan, Mother came here this time partly to take care of our daily lives, and partly to wait for me to finish my postpartum confinement before going back."
As Ma Aning spoke, she affectionately took her mother's arm and explained the situation to her husband.
"Oh, this is wonderful! With your mother here to help take care of you, I feel much more at ease! I was worried about what would happen to Aning during her postpartum period if she had a big belly and gave birth."
"That's great! All the problems are solved!" Shen Zishan was so excited that he almost jumped out of bed, his words filled with deep gratitude for his mother-in-law.
"Look at you, child, why are you being so formal with your mother? We're family, it's only right that we look after each other."
"Besides, Aning is my own daughter. If I, as her mother, don't take care of her, who will?" Wenli looked at her son-in-law tenderly and replied with a radiant smile.
"I still have to thank Mother!" Shen Zishan said gratefully, but before he could finish speaking, Ma Aning interrupted him: "Alright, Brother Shan, don't be so polite with my mother. Once your leg is fully recovered, we must treat her to a good meal."
“Of course,” Shen Zishan replied without hesitation and readily.
At this moment, Wenli interjected with a smile: "Alright, Zishan, we're all family, why say such formal things? It's my own choice to come and take care of you."
"Look at the time, it's already getting late. I'll go to the kitchen to make dinner for you." As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and walked quickly towards the kitchen.
When they got to the kitchen and found it empty, they went back inside. "Ah Ning, there's nothing in your kitchen. What are we going to eat tonight? What are we going to cook?" Wenli asked, completely bewildered.
"Mom! I haven't had time to prepare everything yet! My younger brother will go to town tomorrow to buy what I need."
"Tonight, let's just make do with some simple porridge in a clay pot," Ma Aning said apologetically, somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh, silly child, what's there to be embarrassed about with your mother? We're family, it doesn't matter what we eat, as long as it fills our stomachs. I'll go cook some porridge now." Wenli said as she walked straight into the kitchen without looking back.
"Mom, let me help you!" Ma Aning quickly supported her pregnant belly and carefully followed her out.
"Alright, you're feeling heavy, go back inside and rest. It's just cooking porridge, you don't need to help!" Wenli nimbly walked to the stove and skillfully began washing the earthenware pot and rinsing the rice.
"My daughter and I can talk, I'll just stay here." Ma Aning sat on a small stool by the stove, occasionally adding firewood.
The next day, Ma Alin went to town very early to buy pots and pans, but was told that the Great Leap Forward was underway and the supply and marketing cooperative had no pots left to sell.
On this day, the brigade leader went to a meeting in town and was informed that everyone would be eating communal meals together.
The team leaders of several production teams were all talking about it, but their voices carried little weight, and no one listened to them.
The brigade leader had a furrowed brow, but he still went to register Shen Zishan's household registration and notarize the property.
Ma Alin only bought bowls and chopsticks, and ran home to tell his sister what happened.
Once they arrived in the village, they asked around and finally found their sister's house. "Mom, eldest sister, where's my brother-in-law?"
"It's in the room! Did you buy it? Where's the stuff?" Ma Aning reached out to take it.
"I'll put it in the kitchen for you, but this time I only bought bowls and chopsticks, I didn't buy anything else, the supply and marketing cooperative doesn't even have a pot."
Ma Aning was a little incredulous. "How is that possible? How could the supply and marketing cooperative not even have a pot?"
“Really, I’m not lying to you. It seems like all the iron is going to be sent to the Great Steelmaking Project,” Ma Alin said somewhat anxiously.
"Oh dear! Uncle is absolutely right! We must hide our precious grain at home very well, and absolutely no outsider can see it!"
"We'll be eating those communal meals soon, and I don't know how much food we'll waste!" Shen Xiaoxin said worriedly, as if she could already foresee the difficult days ahead.
Everyone heard Shen Xiaoxiao's heartfelt words, and their expressions became very solemn.
"The hidden grain might be life-saving food. This year's grain production was already insufficient, and with the collective meals, everyone ate to their heart's content. But then came the terrible three years of natural disasters, and as a result, many people starved to death."
Thinking about this, Shen Xiaoxiao's mood became increasingly heavy.
"Although this communal dining system will be abolished soon, the amount of food wasted during these few short months of eating from the same pot is simply frightening," Shen Xiaoxiao shook her head helplessly at this thought.
Meanwhile, Ma Alin and the others sitting to the side exchanged glances after hearing their daughter's heartfelt words, and for a moment no one uttered a sound.
After a moment's hesitation, Wenli stood up, gently pulled her son out of the room, and whispered some things to him.
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