In the Chen family, it was always the mother who played the bad cop and the father who played the good cop. From childhood to adulthood, every child in the family had been slapped by the mother.
Because she was wearing thick clothes and Chen's mother hadn't used much force, Chen Shuning didn't feel much from Qin Yalan's slap. Meanwhile, Chen Jiandang, who had been eating with his mouth full of grease, felt sorry for his sister.
She quickly said, "Mom, my second sister is usually the closest to you. She wouldn't hide something this big from you. She probably just hasn't had a chance to tell you yet!"
As he spoke, Chen Jiandang quickly winked at Chen Shuning.
He Chaoyang was clearly surprised that Qin Yalan had such a violent temper. Although the little girl who had been slapped didn't seem to be in much pain, he still felt a little sorry for her.
She also helped Chen Shuning explain: "Auntie, Shuning's brigade was particularly busy with the autumn harvest a while ago, so Shuning probably hasn't had a chance to tell you about it yet."
"To be honest, it's my fault for being too hasty. I should have formally visited you and Uncle first before submitting my relationship proposal."
As He Chaoyang spoke, a hint of grievance crept into his voice: "Actually, Shu Ning has always been quite hesitant about dating me."
It was because of Shuning's hesitation that I panicked a bit. As soon as she nodded, I couldn't wait to submit my dating report. So, Auntie, you really can't blame Shuning for this."
He Chaoyang's words directly revealed his fear that Chen Shuning would change his mind to Qin Yalan, and his humble attitude showed no trace of the airs of a young master from a prominent family.
This alone pleased Qin Yalan. She felt that He Chaoyang not only came from a good family, but also had no airs of a rich young master. He seemed to genuinely care for her daughter, and coupled with the sense of responsibility inherent in the military profession, he should be a reliable and good kid.
Hearing He Chaoyang's words, Chen Shuning felt guilty but also warm inside.
With these two mouth doubles, Chen Shuning realized that he didn't need to say anything anymore, so he smiled and took Qin Yalan's arm and said coquettishly, "That's right, Mom, I would never hide this from you."
As she spoke, Chen Shuning stretched out her hands, which already had a thin layer of calluses, in front of Qin Yalan and said with a wronged expression, "Mom, you don't know how tiring the autumn harvest is. Look at the calluses on my hands. They started as blisters and then slowly turned into calluses."
When I first arrived, I couldn't sleep a wink because of all these blisters on my hands.
Seeing the calluses on her daughter's once fair hands, Qin Yalan no longer cared about those trivial matters. She held Chen Shuning's hand in her own, rubbing the calluses on her palm, and her eyes welled up with tears of heartache.
Chen Jiandang, who had been busy stuffing food into his mouth, grumbled with heartache, "I told you I'd go to the countryside in place of my second sister, but you wouldn't let me. Look how thin my sister has become..."
Chen Jiandang was about to say how thin his sister had become when he suddenly stopped, because he realized that his sister hadn't lost any weight at all; in fact, she had gained a little weight compared to when she was at home, and her originally pale complexion had turned into a healthy rosy glow.
So, without thinking, she blurted out, "Hey, Second Sister, I've noticed you seem to have gained a lot of weight, and your complexion looks better too. It seems Dad was right; the soil and water of Heilongjiang Province really do nourish people."
"You're the one who's gained weight, I'm just sturdy... no, that's not right, I'm just... anyway, I'm not fat. Hurry up and eat your food, it'll get cold and you might get an upset stomach."
No matter when, the word "fat" is always very damaging to girls, so when Chen Shuning heard Chen Jiandang say that she had gained weight, she immediately got angry.
With the siblings' banter, the somewhat sad atmosphere instantly disappeared.
He Chaoyang, who was sitting in front, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he felt sorry for Chen Shuning doing farm work, He Chaoyang would respect her choice after she had clearly rejected his request to transfer her back to the city.
The atmosphere on the oxcart improved considerably during the rest of the journey, with the mother and daughter huddled together, chatting about the big and small events that had happened to them recently.
Chen Jiandang, on the other hand, chatted with He Chaoyang and Lao Yangtou without any hesitation, telling them about the local customs and interesting stories of Heilongjiang Province.
Of course, Chen Jiandang, that clever little devil, would also occasionally try to subtly inquire about He Chaoyang's situation.
Thinking of his future mother-in-law sitting right behind him, He Chaoyang naturally answered all of his future brother-in-law's veiled questions without hesitation.
Qin Yalan was naturally very satisfied with He Chaoyang's attitude and answer. She changed her address for He Chaoyang from "Little He" to "Chaoyang," which was a very obvious sign of her approval.
Chen Shuning only learned about many things about He Chaoyang at this point.
The group chatted and laughed, so they didn't find the time passing too slowly.
The oxcart didn't return to Qingshan Brigade until after 7 p.m. Fortunately, the snow on the ground hadn't melted yet, and the bright moonlight shone on the snow, casting a shimmering white glow. With the lantern hanging on the front of the cart, the road was clearly visible.
Knowing that Chen Shuning had gone to the county to pick up her family, Feng Baoguo specially left the door open for her.
The gate opened with a gentle push, and Chen Shuning, without any hesitation, took out the key and handed it to He Chaoyang, telling him to take Qin Yalan and Chen Jiandang home first. He then went to the front yard to inform Feng Baoguo that if no one else was going out, the gate could be locked.
When Chen Shuning returned to his small house, he saw He Chaoyang and Chen Jiandang lighting a stove in the outer room as soon as he entered.
She had been gone for too long, and even though she had packed a lot of coal, the fire in the stove had gone out.
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