Mu Yi'an and her family stayed at her parents' house for one night. The next day, after lunch, Uncle Wang drove them back to Jiangjia Village.
"Miss, everything has been moved downstairs. Is there anything else you need to say?"
"No, thank you for your hard work, Uncle Wang. Please be careful on your way back."
Mu Yi'an wasn't used to servants yet. Although there were similar plots in TV dramas and novels, Mu Yi'an, who had never even used a part-time housekeeper, really wasn't used to it. Due to the differences in their upbringing, she felt that Jiang Shuyun adapted quite well. No wonder she was taken care of by nannies since childhood; Jiang Shuyun truly had the life of a young master, unlike her, who had the body of a young lady but the fate of a maid.
"Second sister-in-law is back. How was your stay at your parents' house?"
Li Qiuniang had just coaxed her little devil to sleep, and with Shao Yun and Shao Kun away that day, Shao Kun was the most uneasy. He had stopped crying so much, but these past two days he'd started crying again.
"Everything's fine. It's been a while since we've seen each other, and we've all missed each other. But thankfully everyone's doing well, so we're not too worried. Sister-in-law, where's Shao Kun?"
"He just fell asleep. Shao Yun isn't home, and he's all alone, so he's been crying a lot. I'm really hoping you guys will come back soon. Seeing Shao Kun like this, I don't even want a second one, afraid of another little crybaby!"
Li Qiuniang was still shaken; the child's crying was so distressing and unsettling.
“Not everyone is prone to crying. Shao Kun is also feeling unwell. When you get pregnant next time, start drinking goat milk. The baby will definitely be easier to take care of after birth. Or you can eat more fish and shrimp.”
Mu Yi'an ate seafood at her parents' house yesterday. Although it was dried seafood, it tasted very fresh. Because of the seafood, she learned that the prefectural city is very close to the sea.
"We do have fish and shrimp, but we don't know how to cook them properly. The fishy smell is too strong, and most people don't like to eat them."
Li Qiu Niang's father was a bodyguard, and most of her relatives were in the same line of work, traveling all over the country and able to obtain a lot of supplies.
"Yesterday, my family's cook made several seafood dishes. They tasted delicious. I brought some back with me. I'll cook them tomorrow night, and everyone can try them."
Tomorrow is Mu Yi'an's turn to cook, so she can give it a try.
"Sister-in-law, I'll talk to you later. I need to go back to my room and tidy up my things."
"You go ahead with your work, Second Sister-in-law. Our mother and eldest sister-in-law have gone to the county to visit our aunt and pick up our younger sister-in-law while they're at it."
Li Qiuniang's words startled Mu Yi'an; she had completely forgotten that she had a sister-in-law who was still unmarried.
Never mind, we'll see how things go with the sister-in-law later.
Back in her room, Mu Yi'an began unpacking the things she had brought back from her parents' home—quite a few things to eat and use. Her family truly doted on their daughter. Moreover, her two sisters-in-law were very generous and kind to her, their younger sister-in-law. She needed to work harder; she couldn't just accept without giving back, becoming a married woman who only brought things from her parents' home.
The east wing where Mu Yi'an and the others lived had three rooms. The room she and Jiang Zhonglin lived in had no partitions. The middle room was divided into two parts: an outer living room and an inner bedroom for the children. The other room was a study and a small storage room. All the rooms had doors that connected them.
Mu Yi'an kept all the things she brought back from her parents' home in the storage room. Over the years, she had accumulated quite a lot of things. The original owner of this body was a thrifty person and had saved up a lot of things.
"Have you packed everything? When we're better off in the future, we should repay your family more. They've taken such good care of us."
"Yes, I know, they are a lucky couple."
Mu Yi'an was referring to the original couple, whose parents were both good and responsible.
"You're quite lucky, at least luckier than us. Although you didn't elaborate, I can guess that your parents also raised you in a very hands-off manner."
Jiang Shuyun also guessed part of the truth from some of the things Mu Yi'an said.
“My family lives deep in the mountains, and poverty has been a defining characteristic of our family for generations. My family is even worse off; my grandparents are in poor health, and my parents toil in the fields for a living. I also have a younger brother who is several years younger than me, and I have been taking care of him since he was little.”
I've been stubborn since I was little, and I wanted to change my fate through education. No matter how hard or tiring it was, I never gave up. My dad had no choice but to leave the mountains and go to work. He didn't earn much in a year, but it was enough for my education and the family's expenses.
After I entered high school, my family's expenses increased, so I worked part-time to earn part of my tuition. During holidays, I would go to the mountains to pick mushrooms and herbs, and then sell them. That's how I earned my first year of university tuition, and I supported myself through university and graduate school. I used all my spare time to work part-time, and I only went home once before graduation.
No time, no travel expenses, and after finally getting a job, I still had to work hard at school, competing with a bunch of people with connections. When I finally got a chance to catch my breath, I realized my youth had just slipped away, too busy to have any memorable moments.
Looking back now, Mu Yi'an realizes that she was quite capable!
"You're amazing! I have to admire you!"
Jiang Shuyun hadn't expected Mu Yi'an to have such a hard time, working part-time to earn tuition fees for not just one or two years, but six or seven.
"It's all in the past now. Sometimes I think it's pretty good now. At least I don't have to listen to my mom nagging about what will happen when I'm old if I don't get married, I don't have to put up with the department head's attitude, and I don't have to clean up the messes of colleagues who got in through connections..."
Mu Yi'an stretched her body, as her muscles were a little numb from squatting. She went to check if the children were awake and also to look at the sheep in the backyard.
Mu Yi'an left, leaving Jiang Shuyun with fluctuating thoughts. It was the first time she realized that life could be so difficult.
The children were still asleep. Mu Yi'an wanted to check on the sheep. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Li Qiuniang waving at her from the front door.
"Second sister-in-law, the human traffickers are here again."
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