Sure enough, the old lady couldn't hide her smile; her mouth was practically stretched to her ears.
The old man who came carrying water was about the same.
"Hey, little flower, you're so sweet. Tiger is no good, all he does is cause trouble."
They might say they dislike it, but their eyes tell a different story.
Simply put, I've learned something new about interpersonal relationships and social etiquette.
"Have you tidied up your garden yet? I saw that all the educated youth from the former educated youth compound moved over there. I was thinking you'd have to go with them."
"I'm not going. It just rained, the road must be all muddy and slippery."
If I go, the kids will have to worry about coming along. They might not find much food, but they'll get covered in mud and have to wash themselves when they get back. It's too much trouble.”
"That's true. Look at you, you used to be so elusive, but now you're always busy with the kids, you don't even think about going up the mountain anymore."
Just now,
"Hey, she's my sister here. I can live alone, and having her here keeps me company and helps me look after the house. I'm used to it now. I feel uneasy if she's not home."
You said you'd take care of everything, since they're just a few kids, you'd raise them like your own.
The old lady lifted the awning to let the sun shine through, then turned and walked out of the garden first.
"That's what you say, but what about later? At your age, if you were any younger, you'd be a mother by now."
Even if you're not in a hurry, you'll have to start thinking about your personal life in a couple of years. Isn't settling down and starting a family just a matter of time?
Simply wave your hand quickly.
“Emma, Third Aunt, don’t say that. I’m not planning that far ahead.”
Look, now I have quite a few work points. I occasionally go up the mountain to gather some things, and Uncle Xin Xin also brings things over. If we need anything, we just exchange it in the village. We can even eat meat occasionally. Isn't that great?
You know, if you really find someone, not to mention whether they can accept Xin Xin, they must have parents and siblings, right?
Many families in the village haven't separated yet. With over twenty people living together, if I were to encounter an unreasonable old woman or troublesome sisters-in-law, how could I possibly tolerate it?
If I endure it, I'll suffer; if I don't, then we'll have to fight.
Don't you agree?
It took the old lady a while to realize what was happening.
"Don't talk nonsense, there aren't that many unreasonable mothers-in-law."
She herself knew that what she was simply describing was actually the situation of most families.
It is said that a daughter-in-law who has endured a thousand years of hardship will eventually become a mother-in-law, especially in rural areas.
Having been oppressed by her mother-in-law for many years, she was suddenly liberated and became a mother-in-law herself. Everyone wanted to show off their power and put on airs.
Those with a good heart are alright; they can treat everyone equally and probably won't be too harsh on their daughters-in-law.
If you really run into someone who's biased, then it's hard to say what will happen.
"Don't think like that. Why don't you think about how you'll meet someone who's perfect for you and has a harmonious family?"
"Oh, Third Aunt, there are a few like that, but I don't care. I'm just thinking about living my life with Xin Xin. Who knows, her dad might come back someday."
When the time comes, with elders around, we'll have someone to rely on, won't we?
Besides, her uncle is still in the army. If she really gets old, maybe I can ask him to help me find someone I know well while he's in the military.
Simple and natural, one wouldn't rely on others, so one wouldn't think of asking for help, but it should be usable as an excuse to refuse.
In particular, she is about to come of age, capable, and comes from a well-off family. She has no parents and no burdens, so there might be some bold people who might target her. The old lady brought it up today as a reminder to her. She needs to be aware of her situation so as not to be caught off guard.
The old lady could see her perfunctory attitude and lack of interest, so she didn't try to persuade her further.
"Sure, as long as you know what you're doing."
"Do you have enough seedlings? I have plenty more than I need; if you need more, come and get some."
Once the topic was changed, I stopped thinking about it.
"It seems like we need to plant fewer. I'm thinking that I'll plant them in the garden tomorrow or the day after, when the ground is a bit dry. It'll be warm enough for now."
After I finish this, I'll plant some green beans and other things around the edge of the garden.
I never expected that the watermelons I planted last year would grow so well, and the kids really enjoy eating them.
This year I thought, why not leave a few rows open, plant them all, and when they're ripe we can harvest them and store them in the cellar. That way, the kids will have them ready whenever they want to eat them. Wouldn't that be great?
"That's true, your watermelon is really well prepared."
I also saved some seeds, and I'll plant some near the cane this year. They don't need much care; even if they don't grow well, they won't take up much space, so I won't feel bad.
I just want to say, you're really smart, you never lose out anyway.
After saying that, the topic of mushrooms came up again.
"Yes, I was just thinking of making something edible for the child, since Xinxin likes to eat it."
You tell me, this child, other people like to eat meat, but she only likes to eat mushrooms. Do you think that's greed or not?
The old lady also smiled.
"Really? That's not easy. Meat is hard to come by, and mushrooms are never enough."
Oh, right, last time you said you wanted to change the mushrooms, I told them to clean them, dry them, and send them over.
"Don't worry, the old lady has sharp eyes; she'll make sure nothing bad stays."
"That's why I had to come to you. I'm not good at it. Once it's dried, you can't see anything at all."
We don't need to dry them all; fresh ones are fine too. We can just stir-fry them when we get back. We can dry them ourselves, and Xin Xin is quite willing to do this anyway.
Yesterday, the two of us went up the mountain to do some chores. She washed and dried everything herself when we got back, and she seemed quite happy with how it was done.
"Really? That's fine then. I'll talk to them later."
Sigh, everyone's struggling financially. They'd be overjoyed if you were willing to exchange it.
I've already thought of that; the current shortage of skilled workers often stems from this situation.
"Isn't this just a matter of each getting what they need?"
Last year I exchanged a lot of grain, and Uncle Xinxin also sent a lot of things. We saved up all that grain this winter. If anyone wants to exchange grain, we can exchange for that.
I stored it properly; it's not damp or frozen, and it hasn't attracted any bugs. It's doing just fine.
The old lady nodded at her.
"If you knew they could exchange food for it now, they would be ecstatic."
Even if it's coarse grain, damp, frozen, or infested with insects, it's still food, and they'll fight over it.
Nowadays, let alone coarse grains, even corn bran and corn husks are considered good stuff.
Is it like this every year?
"That's right. The grain distributed in the first year was basically enough for one winter. Some people were frugal, or some families were particularly capable and received more grain, so they could last a few more days. But at most, it would be almost gone by summer."
If it can be summer, then everything will be fine. The cucumbers, persimmons, eggplants, green beans, and even the early potatoes will be ready to eat. We can also find food on the mountain. Everything will be better.
The saddest time is springtime.
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