The original owner's memories came flooding back, and Jiang Yu covered her shattered head, calming herself down for a while before she could piece together this past from her recollections.
These two are Zhao Meiyun, the mother-in-law, and Shen Wan, the sister-in-law, whom the original owner had previously driven away. It must be said that the Shen family really knows how to name their children. Shen Ying, Shen Wan, and the eldest brother Shen Ci, whom they haven't been in contact with for years, are all easy to pronounce on their own.
This contrasts with the iron pillars and military builders of this era.
Zhao Meiyun stood timidly in the courtyard, not at all like someone going home. She looked more like someone seeking a favor. And this person was none other than her daughter-in-law, who had once berated her mercilessly.
She wore plain-colored clothes made of rough cloth woven on a loom. The cloth was stiff and chafed against her skin, causing her considerable discomfort. Her shoulder-length hair was gray, a testament to the passage of many years.
He was holding a cloth bag containing two pounds of eggs.
Shen Wan was wearing a piece of clothing that no one would pick up if it were thrown on the street. She was tightly gripping her mother's arm, standing there timidly and at a loss.
After her second brother got married, she went to the city to work in a factory to pay off her debts. She didn't have much contact with the original owner of this body, but she wasn't spared just because she was a child back then.
Seven years have passed, and although she has grown from a thirteen-year-old child into a twenty-year-old young woman, her courage remains the same as it was back then.
Shen Niannian followed behind Jiang Yu, initially not recognizing the people in the courtyard. But upon closer inspection, her face lit up with undisguised joy, and she called out to the two of them:
"Grandma, Auntie."
He had visited his grandmother in the city with his father before, and each time she would bring him and his sister delicious treats. Even though the food had been sitting for a long time and was about to expire, Zhao Meiyun couldn't bear to eat it herself and would save it for them instead.
The old lady turned her head when she heard her grandson's voice, and almost didn't recognize Shen Niannian's chubby little face.
It's no wonder she was abused by the original owner in previous years, and her two children were emaciated and looked pitiful.
Later, Jiang Yu cooked delicious meals for them every day, and her face became much fuller, so it's reasonable to say she looked like a completely different person.
As Zhao Meiyun held Chen Suisui, her eyes darted around Jiang Yu, her heart pounding. This daughter-in-law seemed to be in a good mood; surely she wouldn't be sent away before even stepping inside?
Jiang Yu felt awkward, thinking that her mother-in-law had come to interrogate her about her aunt's matter, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain.
Needless to say, Shen Wan was also scolded by her sister-in-law back then, who accused her of being a freeloader at home and threatened to hit her if the food wasn't to her liking. Even now, just hearing her sister-in-law's name still makes her heart skip a beat.
Apart from Shen Niannian, the three adults stood in the courtyard, none of them knowing how to break the deadlock.
"Mom, I was also in a difficult position about Aunt's situation last time. We really couldn't afford to lend her any money."
Jiang Yu's "Mom" sounded awkward, but it was a genuine way of addressing her, completely different from her feelings when she met the original owner's father, Jiang Chun.
Zhao Meiyun almost thought she had misheard. Over the years, her conversations with her daughter-in-law had always been either "hey" or "speak directly." If her daughter-in-law was in a bad mood, she would even call her "old thing."
When she called her "Mother" at that moment, Zhao Meiyun almost burst into tears.
“Child, I heard about it. That matter has nothing to do with you. Your aunt’s attitude was never good. She didn’t ask for an IOU when she borrowed money. She just asked for it directly. Nobody’s money grows on trees. It’s not easy for you and Shen Ying to make a living.”
Zhao Lan suffered a loss here last time, and the next day she went to the city on crutches to find the factory where Shen Wan worked, and rattled off a long list of accusations against Jiang Yu.
Although Zhao Meiyun and Jiang Yu had a bad relationship, she was still the daughter-in-law who had given birth to two children for her family. Seeing that she couldn't get any benefit from her, Zhao Lan turned around and scolded her, saying that with such a cowardly nature, she deserved to suffer the temper of her daughter-in-law.
Seeing that Zhao Meiyun wasn't angry, Jiang Yu felt relieved and spoke again:
"Mom, sister, you've come all this way, it must be hard for you. Come in and sit down. It's the middle of the day, you probably haven't eaten yet. Niannian and I are the same, so have something to eat with us."
Her expression seemed very approachable and genuine, making the mother and daughter feel flattered.
If Shen Wan hadn't lost her job and had nowhere to go, they wouldn't have thought of bothering their son's family. They had originally planned to have a place to stay and move out as soon as they found a job, but they found it difficult to speak after seeing Jiang Yu.
"Sister-in-law, we...we've already eaten."
Worried that her sister-in-law would accuse her of freeloading, Shen Wan bought two flatbreads from a roadside vendor and ate them with water. She figured she could manage the day by helping her second brother with chores in the afternoon and having some leftovers for dinner.
Jiang Yu caught a glimpse of a lie in her eyes, but said nothing, and led her into the house. She couldn't show too much enthusiasm; she could only get to know her slowly through everyday interactions.
There was still some lotus root and pork rib soup left from last night, so she planned to heat it up and make two more dishes, one with meat and one with vegetables. Since they were out of steamed buns, Jiang Yu decided to make two scallion pancakes, crispy and delicious, so her mother-in-law could eat them too.
After washing her hands and rolling up her sleeves, she prepared to knead the dough. Seeing her busy at work, Shen Wan timidly stood in front of her:
"Sister-in-law, why don't you rest for a while, I'll do it."
In her memory, her sister-in-law never did any housework, and she would only eat the food that was served. Even so, she would still overturn the table if she was even slightly unhappy.
I thought that as long as I did more work and didn't make her angry, she would probably reluctantly agree to let me stay at home for two days.
"No need, this little chore won't tire me out. You play with Mom and Niannian for a while, and then we can eat."
Jiang Yu knew she was there to help, but she was used to cooking alone and felt uncomfortable having someone else help.
Shen Wan stood there helplessly, trying to figure out what her sister-in-law meant by those words. Was she angry? What should she do?
Shen Ying had just gotten off the bus when he heard from his neighbor that his mother and sister had come to visit. He had gone to the city to look at doors and windows, and unexpectedly, his family arrived at that very moment.
Thinking of the tense scene between that woman and them a few years ago, he hurried home anxiously, afraid that if he was a step too late, Jiang Yu would kick him out of the house.
The courtyard was as quiet as ever. There was no arguing or angry outbursts, and Shen Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
Then it occurred to him that the woman might have already driven his mother and sister away. Suppressing his anger, he pushed open the door.
In the outer room, Jiang Yu was kneading dough, and Shen Wan, unable to help, started a fire. From the inner room came the sounds of Shen Niannian talking to her mother; everything seemed so peaceful.
"I'm back."
Jiang Yu looked at him with disdain, seeing his dark expression and unchanged demeanor. She knew this man was constantly suspicious of her, and she couldn't be bothered to gain his trust.
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