Chapter 43
Jiao Huilan has been feeling sick at the smell of meat lately, so she can't enjoy pork belly or chicken. Although she is greedy, she can do nothing about it. She can only pick up a few green vegetables and dried squid seeds and try to make some soup.
Zhen Zhen shook her head, "At least add two eggs. Pregnancy is hard, don't let yourself down."
Jiao Huilan still has the rustic thinking of a rural person. She is used to being frugal and wants to save the eggs for her children.
I don't know where my mother got this seed from. How can rural people eat this? Adding two eggs to it is too outrageous.
Daya took two eggs from the chicken coop.
"Grandma, here!"
Zhen Zhen took the eggs and beat them in the soup, mashing one to make egg flower and the other to make a poached egg.
The soup became fragrant after a dozen eggs were added. Zhen Zhen also cut some Yanji spicy cabbage and salted duck eggs for her. It was so delicious to eat with the fragrant red bean paste steamed buns!
Jiao Huilan had no choice but to enjoy her mother-in-law's love with a happy face.
Tao Aihong curled her lips. She was saying that her mother-in-law was partial, right? It wasn't a festival, was it necessary to add two eggs? Couldn't she move the two eggs to her bowl?
To put it another way, it would be ok to be polite and not give her eggs to eat, right?
When she was pregnant, she only conceived one egg a day. Why was the mother-in-law so nice to the eldest sister-in-law, but so indifferent to her?
Tao Aihong did not admit that she was jealous, but Meng Daguo was not only good in bed, but also very good at giving birth to children. This time, the first wife got ahead again.
Meng Daguo was naturally happy when he heard the news.
If you can't give birth to a son in the countryside, you will be criticized.
A daughter of the Meng family had four daughters but no sons, so they adopted a boy from outside as their son, saying that the boy would carry on the family line.
Rural people think that having a son is considered having an heir, and no matter how well a daughter is raised, she will have to get married in the future.
Under the transformation of his mother, Meng Daguo has gradually gotten rid of his old ideas, but he still hopes that Jiao Huilan can give birth to a son. Otherwise, when Daya and Erya get married, he and Jiao Huilan will be the only ones left at home, and it will be too lonely during the holidays.
Meng Eryong was stunned. He felt that Erya had only been born for a short time. The children in the family were like leeks, growing one after another, which made his mother suffer.
Jiao Huilan had a lot of reactions to this pregnancy. She suffered from frequent morning sickness, and had trouble eating or sleeping. She looked much more haggard.
Zhen Zhen didn't let her do any housework.
Jiao Huilan had never seen a mother-in-law pamper her daughter-in-law like this. It was just a pregnancy, not a big deal. Nowadays, it was as common for rural women to get pregnant as for a hen to lay eggs.
Only her mother-in-law treats her like a treasure.
Jiao Huilan felt very happy, but she felt guilty. She had never been willing to let her mother-in-law do housework before. Now her mother-in-law not only had to cook, but also had to take care of the children. She was really suffering!
Early in the morning, Zhen Zhen pulled Daya out of bed and started to dress Erya.
Meng Zhaodi came in from outside carrying a bundle of firewood, sweating from exhaustion.
"Auntie, the firewood has been chopped, the water tank has been filled, the chickens and pigs have been fed, and the vegetable garden has been watered. I will help you wash the clothes at home."
Meng Zhaodi went out carrying Zhen Zhen's dirty clothes.
Zhen Zhen made steamed egg custard for Erya and Sanwa, soaked steamed bread crumbs with milk powder, and served them with eight-treasure porridge.
Under her training, Erya and Sanwa can eat independently.
Especially Erya. Although she is young, she is very good at using chopsticks, so Zhen Zhen doesn't need to worry about her when eating.
"Grandma, I'll take care of Erya and Sanwa, you go and do your work!" said Daya, a smart boy.
Zhen Zhen was so proud, "No one is as capable as my eldest granddaughter."
Daya hummed proudly: "A capable grandmother gave birth to a capable granddaughter!"
This girl speaks in a very sweet way, with a chubby little face and two little buns of hair, just like a doll in a New Year picture!
Zhen Zhen also liked her more and more, but still said:
"Don't feed your younger siblings anything else, especially peanuts and melon seeds."
"I know, grandma, I will protect my brothers and sisters."
Zhen Zhen has always treated the three children equally and without any partiality. If she really wanted to be partial, it would be to Daya, so Daya never envied her younger siblings, and the relationship between the three children was quite good.
She felt relieved to let Daya look after the child. In rural areas, children of Daya's age could go to the fields and earn work points.
Zhen Zhen walked outside, glanced at the clean and tidy yard, and thought that Meng Zhaodi was really capable.
It was just past eight o'clock, and she had already finished all the farm work at home. Even Jiao Huilan wouldn't dare to be so efficient.
In fact, Meng Zhaodi was only thirteen years old. In later times, she would be in junior high school, which is a rebellious age, but she spent her adolescence doing farm work.
Zhen Zhen looked at this from the perspective of future generations and felt that this child had a very difficult life. But if he thought about it carefully, which child in those days was not like this?
"Zhaodi, have you eaten yet?"
Meng Zhaodi shook her head embarrassedly. Zhen Zhen asked her to soak her clothes, served her a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, and brought out two big meat buns.
Where has Meng Zhaodi eaten these at home?
People there also eat meat during the Chinese New Year, but there are more than a dozen people in the family, so the plate of meat is snatched up as soon as it is served.
If she ate one more bite of meat, her mother would glare at her, thinking she was ignorant and not giving in to her younger siblings. After a long time, she refused to pick up her chopsticks.
Meng Zhaodi's eyes were shining. She took a bite and was attracted by the delicious filling of the bun. She finished the whole bun in just a few bites and slurped down the eight-treasure porridge. The food she ate was so delicious!
Zhen Zhen kept shaking his head, thinking that this child had probably never had enough to eat in his entire life.
"Are two enough?"
Meng Zhaodi nodded. She felt that her labor was not worth the price of two buns. Besides, the eight-treasure porridge was cooked thick and sticky, with real red beans, red dates and black rice in it, so the price must be high.
"Auntie, I'm full."
Zhen Zhen knew that she was not full, but she did not dare to let her eat too much. A stomach that has been hungry for a long time will easily suffer from diarrhea if she eats too much.
Zhen Zhen observed her for several days and knew that she was a very honest girl. There were many girls like Meng Zhaodi in the countryside, whose names were born for their younger brothers. If Zhen Zhen could help her, he would be willing to do so.
"Zhaodi, how many years of schooling have you received?"
Meng Zhaodi blinked and said, "I only went to elementary school, but I taught myself for a few years."
Zhen Zhen looked at her and smiled: "Zhao Di, do you want to study?"
Study? Meng Zhaodi felt that this was too far away for her. She had done well in her studies before, but her mother said that it was useless for girls to study, and that getting married and having children early was the right thing to do. Besides, all schools were closed now, so what was the point of her studying?
"Zhaodi, do you think your name sounds nice?"
Meng Zhaodi shook her head. She was often laughed at, but her mother said that only by giving her a name like this could she attract a younger brother.
"Look, without education, you can't even change your name to a decent one. For most rural girls, studying is the only way to change their fate. I heard from your grandma that you used to have good grades. If you work hard, you might be able to get into a decent university when the college entrance examination is resumed."
Even if you can't get into university, it's still a good idea to get into a college or a technical school.
It's better than marrying in the countryside, right?
Zhen Zhen thought that Meng Zhaodi worked for her, and she had to give corresponding rewards, but this reward would be more long-term.
There was a gleam in Meng Zhaodi's eyes. What her aunt told her were things she had never dared to think about before.
"Auntie, I want to study!"
"Okay, then go back and ask your mother. If she agrees, you can come over. I don't have much work to do. You can come back after you earn your work points."
Meng Zhaodi told Zhang Qiaohong about this when she got home.
After earning the work points, the Meng family won't suffer any loss.
When there was not enough food at home, Meng Zhaodi would eat less and Chaowa would eat more.
Zhang Qiaohong was so happy that she got such a big advantage for nothing.
"Tell your aunt and grandma that you will go there tomorrow! Your aunt and grandma are really something. With your level, you still want to study. It's so funny."
Meng Zhaodi stopped talking.
Meng Zhaodi came the next day. Zhen Zhen got to know her first and found that she was not stupid, but her foundation was too poor and she needed to start from scratch.
However, the college entrance examination in 1977 was very easy. If Meng Zhaodi was willing to study and had a little luck, she could still give it a try.
If possible, Zhen Zhen would like to train his son and daughter-in-law to become college students, but they clearly have no interest in studying.
Since her grandchildren are still young, her worries are not in vain.
Meng Zhaodi is really capable. Zhen Zhen took out the ingredients and taught her how to cook.
Meng Zhaodi's mouth was watering when she saw so many delicious foods. She finished cooking the dishes while swallowing her saliva.
There was a halogen dish for dinner, which was a combination of halogenated duck wings, halogenated chicken feet and halogenated pig's trotters. Needless to say, the taste was excellent.
Zhen Zhen took a bite of halved pig's trotter before eating, and was almost blown to heaven by the aroma. Where did Meng Zhaodi get such good cooking skills? She can actually cook better than Jiao Huilan!
In addition to the salty taste, there was a plate of pork ribs stewed with carrots, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a plate of vegetables.
Fearing that her three children would not eat well, Meng Zhaodi made hotpot stickers using sweet potato flour and corn flour.
Although the farmers don't like this, Zhen Zhen thinks it is delicious, and the three kids also like this sweet pancake.
After all, the Meng family doesn’t often eat this kind of farm food.
When Meng Daguo, Jiao Huilan and others came back from working in the fields, they were almost half-taken away by the fragrant smell of the food.
Meng Daguo slurped his porridge and said, "Mom, this halved pig's trotter is so delicious!"
"The stewed spare ribs are also delicious. Zhaodi is really capable." Meng Eryong also praised.
Tao Aihong pouted and lazily picked up a piece of carrot. She wondered what these two people meant. Could they be saying this on purpose to her to mock her for being lazy?
What's wrong with her being lazy?
My mother-in-law is capable of making money and bringing so many delicious foods to the house. Can't she just sit back and enjoy herself?
Meng Zhaodi felt a little embarrassed because at home she would wait until everyone else had finished eating before sitting down at the table.
Zhen Zhen thought of Jiao Huilan and quickly asked her to sit down and eat with him.
Meng Zhaodi was so flattered that she thought all the dishes were delicious and she couldn't even swallow enough with her tongue!
Meng Daguo ate comfortably and thought his mother was really good at housekeeping. Since there were not enough people at home, he asked Meng Zhaodi to do the work.
I don’t know what tricks the mother used, but Meng Zhaodi was so devoted to her that he accepted her as his mother!
But Meng Zhaodi is capable, so they can all feel a lot more relaxed.
After dinner, Zhen Zhen called him over and said, "Huilan is pregnant, so don't bother her at night. Let her have a good rest."
Meng Daguo blushed.
He was so shy, Zhen Zhen wondered if he was too direct, and couldn't help coughing:
"Mom is a bit blunt, don't blame me."
Meng Daguo would never blame his mother. He just shook his head and said, "Mom, I listen to whatever you say and do whatever you ask me to do."
Zhen Zhen was really at a loss for words with this foolishly filial son. He sat on the edge of the bed with his legs apart and said with a smile:
"Mom wants you to pay more attention to Huilan. Say nice things to comfort her when you have nothing to do. When Huilan is tired, massage her feet and back. If you have money, buy her some clothes and jewelry. When you are not busy, take Huilan to the county town by bike to watch a movie. You can also learn from the young couples in love and be romantic!"
His mother taught him how to fall in love step by step, so how could Meng Daguo not learn it?
"Mom, it's not good for a man to massage a woman's feet, right?" Meng Daguo asked.
"What's wrong with it? There's no poison on her feet. Don't think I didn't see it. When you were busy farming, Huilan helped you massage your feet and remove blisters. How come women can serve men but men can't serve women?" Zhen Zhen gave him a lecture.
After being scolded by his mother, Meng Daguo knew that he was wrong.
Women understand women best. Maybe what Niang said is Huilan’s thought?
At night, Jiao Huilan felt sore in her feet, so Meng Daguo asked her to lie on the bed.
"I'll give you a massage!"
Jiao Huilan opened her eyes wide, thinking she had heard it wrong, and stared at the man as if she had seen a ghost. It was not until Meng Daguo took off her shoes that she reacted and hurriedly shrank back.
She blushed and touched her hair, "Daguo, my feet are dirty, please don't touch them."
Meng Daguo looked at his daughter-in-law's feet for the first time.
Don’t say that Jiao Huilan’s appearance is average, but her feet are quite good-looking, white, tender and soft, and not too big. He can wrap them up with one palm.
Meng Daguo's heart was filled with emotions, and all he could think about were the moves he had made with Jiao Huilan in bed.
He was a self-taught person. No one taught him that, but he just knew how to please women.
But he is like a bull that only knows how to plow the land and never speaks sweet words.
Meng Daguo mumbled for a long time before finally saying, "Huilan, your feet are so beautiful. Wash them someday and let me kiss them?"
Jiao Huilan's face turned as red as a sweet potato. She felt that this man was good at sweet talk and she couldn't resist.
Daya was just about to get up to pee when she heard something in a daze. She rubbed her eyes and put her feet in front of her father's face.
"Dad, do you think my feet look good?"
Meng Daguo blushed when he called his daughter a troublemaker, and quickly took Daya out to scold her.
In any case, with the doting of her mother-in-law and the love of her husband, Jiao Huilan was in a very good mood during her pregnancy. Everyone she met praised her for her good complexion and how blessed she was.
Originally people thought Zhen Guizhi was an evil mother-in-law, but in the end she became a good mother-in-law envied by all the daughters-in-law in the village.
The bullied daughters-in-law in the village secretly envied Jiao Huilan's good fortune.
She said she had never seen a mother-in-law treat her daughter-in-law so well. Even after giving birth to a daughter, she could eat meat and eggs every day. The mother-in-law took care of everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation, and never asked her daughter-in-law to worry about anything.
Do you think this is eye-catching?
When Mrs. Meng heard that Jiao Huilan was pregnant, she was happier than anyone else. "I see that her belly is sharper than the previous two pregnancies, and the reaction is different. It should be a boy, right?"
She had old-fashioned ideas and thought that there would be no pot-breaking after the death of a boy, and she talked about this with Zhen Zhen several times.
Zhen Zhen felt helpless after hearing so much.
"Who said that pots must be smashed when someone dies? Who said that girls can't smash pots? Just change this broken rule."
Mrs. Meng was extremely surprised. "You still want to change the rules? If boys and girls can break pots, wouldn't that be a mess?"
These days every family wants to have a son.
If Jiao Huilan couldn't give birth to a son, she would not be able to hold her head up in the village.
No matter what Zhen Zhen said, Old Lady Meng hoped that Jiao Huilan could give birth to a boy.
Zhen Zhen couldn't convince her, so he didn't say anything.
She had mis-knitted a row of knitting and was wondering what had gone wrong, so she said nothing.
Since she didn't say anything, Old Lady Meng wondered if she had spoken too harshly.
How pitiful! She had no intention of scolding her daughter-in-law. She just spoke in a harsh tone by nature, and it sounded like she was scolding someone.
She knew in her heart how good her daughter-in-law was to her during this period. She would never forget her when eating pig's trotters, spare ribs, or porridge with garlic. She would always send her pancakes, dumplings, and steamed buns.
People said that she had a bad fate as she lost her son at a young age. She cried at first, but later, when she saw how good her daughter-in-law was to her, she let it go.
Don't let your daughter-in-law misunderstand you because of this!
Mrs. Meng adjusted her tone and smiled:
"Actually, mother also likes girls. Look at you, you are much more filial than sons! Zhaodi and Daya are both good girls, and they are loved by everyone! I am just worried that Huilan will not be able to get over it, and I hope your family will live a good life!"
The old lady's cautious and flattering look really amused Zhen Zhen, who smiled:
"Don't worry, mother. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. If she is really a concubine, then she is not the blood of a great country. You just wait and see. In the future, I will definitely train my granddaughter to be excellent! Better than all the boys in this village!"
Mrs. Meng was relieved to see that she was not angry, and she was also amused by her tone.
Zhen Zhen calculated that the time was almost up, so he asked Meng Daguo to go to the county town to bring back the sewing machine.
Zhen Zhen specifically asked him to come back at night, away from the crowd, and put the whole group in the inner room.
Jiao Huilan and Tao Aihong were stunned when they saw the sewing machine.
The villagers' clothes get worn out quickly, and since they have children at home, they have to sew and mend their clothes. Having a sewing machine makes things much more convenient, and you can also make some summer clothes for the children.
Jiao Huilan has always loved sewing and mending things, and when she touched the sewing machine, she was a little bit unbelievable.
This is something I dare not even dream of!
A year ago, my family didn’t have enough food to eat, but now we have a car, a house and a sewing machine.
Tao Aihong also sighed, thinking that she had really underestimated her mother-in-law. A sewing machine is a large household appliance. It is a great achievement for anyone to have one these days. This machine could buy two houses in the county.
Tao Aihong couldn't wait to show off to her old classmates that her family had bought a sewing machine!
Zhen Zhen had never used a sewing machine in her previous life. She tried it according to the instructions and found that it was indeed very convenient after she learned how to use it.
There were still a lot of cloths used by the children in the house, all of which Zhen Zhen asked Zhao Meilan to leave for her.
She used it to practice and made scarves for Erya and Sanwa to wear while eating, and a dress for Daya. When she felt her skills were mature, she made a set of pajamas for Daya, Erya and herself, with short sleeves on top and shorts on the bottom. They were very cool to wear!
There were a few pieces of plain cloth in the house, which Zhen Zhen had never used, so she made a set of summer clothes for Old Lady Meng and her father. However, the old couple, who hadn't worn new clothes for many years, were very happy and were reluctant to wear them, so they locked the clothes in a box.
As for the two young wives, they made nightgowns for them. Nightgowns are cooler on summer nights. If Zhen Zhen was not a widow, she would definitely have arranged this for them.
As June arrived, the rainfall in Batou Village increased. Villagers were worried that heavy rain would affect the harvest.
As soon as the rain stopped, Li Decheng organized the villagers to start the summer harvest. Immediately after the summer harvest, it was time to transplant rice seedlings to plant late rice. Rice transplanting is a conscientious job. If the skills are not good, the rice will fall down as soon as the rain hits, and you have to rework to replenish the rice seedlings, which is not an ordinary trouble.
Li Decheng knew the character of the villagers, so he specially picked a few capable ones to plant rice.
Meng Daguo and Jiao Huilan were both selected, but Meng Eryong and Tao Aihong were eliminated in the first batch.
Just after the rice planting was completed, the family received a telegram from Meng Hua.
Meng Hua wrote a letter before the Chinese New Year, saying that he would not be back for the New Year. This letter was not received until March. Fortunately, his family knew what was going on. It would take two or three days to drive back from the capital one way. The short winter vacation was spent on the road, which was not worth it.
During this summer vacation, Meng Hua bought the train ticket early and sent back the train number specially.
Meng Daguo and Meng Eryong were so happy to know that their brother was coming back that they asked Li Decheng to help write a few words on a red cloth and waited at the village entrance at the exact time.
So, when Meng Huakuang came back after a year away, he saw from afar a large crowd of people at the entrance of the village and those conspicuous words on the red ribbon:
Welcome Mr. Meng Hua, a college student from our village!
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