"No...no, sister-in-law, where did you hear this rumor? We're completely innocent."
Shen Wan vehemently denied it, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her. Jiang Yu, speaking from experience and emphasizing the importance of freedom in marriage and relationships, offered her advice:
"I think you and Comrade Li Xianxue are a good match. If you feel the time is right, don't hide it or play guessing games between you. Just break the ice and let everything take its natural course."
She spoke earnestly and, before leaving, patted Shen Wan on the shoulder as a way of wishing her good luck.
After closing the door, her mind was filled with images from this morning. She could tell the man didn't reject Bai Ling, and her heart was in turmoil. She thought about it for a long time, finally leaving the room at lunchtime.
Upon returning home, Shen Ying explained the whole story to Zhao Meiyun. Although it was a frame-up, it had still hurt Jiang Yu. Zhao Meiyun felt it was best not to get involved, but seeing her daughter-in-law's listless appearance, she still felt sorry for her.
"Yu, there's a large mulberry grove on the hill behind our village, and it's ripe right now. If you're free this afternoon, you can take the kids to pick some to eat."
The weather is nice today, with a clear sky and a gentle breeze, perfect for going out. Besides, my daughter-in-law seems to be in a bad mood and is always cooped up at home, which isn't a good solution.
Upon hearing Zhao Meiyun's suggestion, Shen Ying secretly peeked through the rice bowl, trying to deduce the woman's thoughts.
"OK."
Jiang Yu smiled slightly and readily agreed without hesitation. She was at home and unsure how to interact with men. Although she wanted to avoid them as much as possible, she worried that if they were in close contact, things might get too intimate, like before.
Shen Ying's liking for her was outside the plot. What if things get out of control and he can't go back in time, and is trapped in the book for the rest of his life?
"The road behind the mountain is difficult to travel. Shen Ying, you should come along to protect us."
Zhao Meiyun spoke to her son in a commanding tone. In her view, there were no major problems between the couple; it was just that their good relationship had aroused jealousy from others. She thought that if the two of them went out more often to spend time together, they could reconcile if anything happened.
"No...no need."
Jiang Yu instinctively refused, but she agreed to go out to avoid men. There would be no point in him coming along.
"Alright, alright, stop making excuses. You're not familiar with the area behind the mountain, and you have a child with you. You must be exhausted."
Without a word, Zhao Meiyun got up to get the three woven baskets. She had prepared them for digging wild vegetables. But recently, she had been busy with family matters and hadn't had time to get them, so the baskets had been sitting there unused.
They had already finished eating, and Shen Wan wanted to go too, but the doctor advised her to rest at home for a few days. She watched her second brother's family leave with great envy.
"Auntie, I'll pick lots of mulberries for you. Just stay home and wait for us."
Shen Niannian noticed the envy in Shen Wan's eyes and, mimicking his mother's usual tone when she went out, said...
"Okay, I'll be waiting at home."
As his family praised him for always caring for his aunt since he was little, Shen Niannian scratched his head and blushed.
When they reached the back of the house, many villagers saw the family they hadn't seen in a long time and greeted them. They heard that Zhang Xinhua, who had been causing trouble, had been taught a lesson by her husband and then went to the city to work.
Recalling how the woman had been so persistent when she first transmigrated, Jiang Yu thought: It would be best if I met a few domineering city women and taught her a lesson.
"This mountain road is a bit steep. There's another road around here that's easier to walk on."
When the man was young, his family was poor. He and his older brother used to go up the mountain to collect firewood with the men in the village, so he knew the terrain there very well.
He instructed Jiang Yu and the children to follow him. For safety, he even found a long stick to hold and probe the way.
The children followed closely behind, and the woman, seeing this, also went after them.
When they saw the path the man had described, it was indeed much easier to walk than the previous one. Because of the beautiful scenery on the back mountain, the children chatted and laughed all the way, and Jiang Yu had already forgotten her original intention.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, you'll see mulberry trees covering the entire hillside. Looking at the fallen fruit on the ground, it's a pity. Of course, there are also signs that others have been here. Regardless, the mulberry grove is filled with plump and delicious fruit. Even if you come to pick them every few days, you can enjoy them for quite some time.
Chen Suisui, carrying a bamboo basket, searched for branches within reach and picked the fruit from them. On the way, her father had told them to look for the purplish-black fruit; the green ones were unripe, and the red ones, while edible, were sour and not fully ripe.
"Mommy, An'an wants to pick some too."
Seeing her parents, brother, and sister all busy, Shen An'an, being so small and unable to reach anything, bit her finger and looked longingly at Jiang Yu.
"Okay, no problem."
The woman smiled at him, picked all the mulberries beside her and put them into the bamboo basket, then squatted down and picked up Shen An'an.
Adults have a much broader perspective, and Shen An'an looked around curiously. Seeing this, Shen Niannian below began to give instructions somewhat anxiously:
"An'an, pick the dark purple fruit over there, there are so many. If you can't, I'll take over."
Under his guidance, Shen An'an picked her first mulberry.
After a busy afternoon, the family of five spent it in laughter and joy. The three children's lips were black from eating, and Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh.
"We can come back and pick another batch when the weather gets better in a couple of days. These fruits won't keep for long, so we can eat them at home before they spoil."
Shen Ying looked at the three baskets full of mulberries and said to the woman. They had gotten along well that afternoon, and in the man's opinion, the two had reconciled.
"When we get back, I can make some mulberry wine for you to try."
Just thinking about the sweet and sour taste with fruity and wine aromas lingering on the tip of her tongue makes Jiang Yu's mouth water.
"Can we drink it too?"
Shen Sui Sui tilted her head back and asked. She wanted to drink too, after all, her mother's cooking was always delicious. But the teacher in the preschool class had said that children shouldn't drink alcohol.
"Hmm... I'll go back and think about it, and see if there's any way to turn it into a beverage."
As a mother, Jiang Yu's greatest virtue is that she doesn't spoil her children's fun, which makes all three children very happy. Shen Niannian's eyes lit up at the thought of more delicious food, her anticipation impossible to hide.
After returning home, Zhao Meiyun took the three baskets, washed the fruit, and prepared to put them in the yard to dry and remove excess moisture before eating.
Sitting on the sofa, Shen Wan pointed to the envelope on the table and slowly spoke:
"Brother, a letter from the army."
The man, puzzled, opened the letter. Inside, a line of text compelled him to rush to the army.
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