Zeng Shuyi rode swiftly, and in a blink, she disappeared around the corner of the street.
Zeng Qingliang and Lin Jiazhen’s eyes met, and Lin Jiazhen hesitantly asked, “Qingliang, are you still going to the Wang family?”
“Going where? Haven’t you seen how happy Shuyi is? She’s practically blossoming. What good can come from going to the Wang family?” Zeng Qingliang waved his hand irritably. “Let’s just go home and cook. It’s a waste of time—day after day, there’s never any peace.”
Lin Jiazhen had no choice but to head back home. Just as she reached the courtyard, her eldest son and daughter-in-law returned as well.
“Mom, it’s not that I’m blaming you guys, but you really should keep an eye on Shuyi,” Zeng Xiangping said unhappily as he carried his daughter into the house. “Even if we were wrong for not giving notice, it’s just a chicken. Is it really worth making such a fuss over?”
His face was full of frustration. “Even if you’re unhappy, you should wait until we get home to talk about it. Instead, she went to the Wang family and caused a scene, making a laughingstock of us and embarrassing everyone. Not to mention, Xiao Mei was nearly worried sick. Mom, this is your own grandson. If you don’t teach Shuyi properly, then in the future…”
Zeng Shuyi, who had been lying inside listening, pushed the door open and stepped out.
“Who’s making such a fuss? If you think an old hen is nothing, why don’t you just buy one yourselves?”
“Don’t think I don’t know—none of you want to spend money, you just want to freeload off the family! And besides, even the doctors can’t guarantee that Da Ying’s baby is a boy. How can you be so sure?”
Wang Xian could not stand such words.
She had secretly consulted a fortune teller, who assured her that the child she was carrying was definitely a son.
That was why she dared to act so arrogantly in her in-laws’ house.
“Cao Shuyi, tsk tsk tsk, you just can’t stand seeing others do well!”
She had deliberately caught Shuyi buying the chicken, hoping to upset her now that the old Zeng family owed much to her.
But she hadn’t expected Shuyi to actually go to her house demanding money.
Zeng Shuyi scoffed, “Hmph.”
Lin Jiazhen tried to mediate, “Stop arguing. We’re all family, there’s no need for this.”
Zeng Xiangping said, “Mom, if Shuyi is capable of doing things like this, it’s because she doesn’t see me as her big brother. There’s no such thing as family to her.”
He looked at his sister with disappointment.
“Shuyi, you used to be a bit headstrong, but how did you become like this?”
“Big brother, you enjoy the best treatment in the family—work given to you, failing the college entrance exam twice but still allowed to retake it.
You have it easy.
If the roles were reversed, would you still think I was going too far?” Zeng Shuyi sneered.
Zeng Xiangping said they were different.
“We have a maid to rely on, and I have to support myself through exams. How could I be like you?”
“That sounds like you’re saying that once Ba Ma get old, you won’t want me to take care of them either,” Shuyi replied. “If that’s the case, I won’t fight you on it. Do you dare write a Baozheng Shu?”
Zeng Xiangping was silent; he had to consider himself. Besides, Ba Ma weren’t his alone.
To argue with Shuyi would be to slap himself in the face.
At this point, Zeng Xiangping knew he couldn’t win against Shuyi, so he just glared and left.
“Xiangping?” Wang Juan glared at Zeng Shuyi after her husband left, furious. “You’re so fierce, always picking fights. What’s the use of being pretty? I want to see what kind of life you’ll have in the future!”
“That’s none of your business. I’ll definitely live better than you,” Zeng Shuyi said. “Mom, I’m going to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to see if they have any meat. I made some money selling the chicken today—I’ll treat everyone to an extra meal!”
She spoke loudly on purpose, making Wang Xian even angrier inside the house.
Wang Xian glared at Zeng Xiangping.
Zeng Xiangping cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t you see I’m furious?” Wang Xian said, tears forming.
“I’m pregnant and still being bullied, and you won’t stand up for me?”
“What can I do for you? This morning I said to get the chicken that Ma bought, but you insisted on getting the one Shuyi bought. You know her temper’s explosive,” Zeng Xiangping said, rubbing his arm, feeling embarrassed.
Wang Juan said she just couldn’t bear it.
“Just because she’s a little aunt living at home, acting all high and mighty, you as the eldest brother can’t think of a way to deal with her?”
Living in the same house every day, talking was one thing, but fighting was out of the question since she was pregnant.
Zeng Xiangping sighed; he truly didn’t have a solution.
“Let it be. I heard Wang Chaoyang treats her well. She’ll be twenty after the New Year. Once Wang Song goes out, we can all breathe easier.”
In Yi Hang’s family, as soon as children start working, the family arranges blind dates.
He didn’t believe his father would tolerate his sister remaining unmarried forever.
Wang Juan snorted, “Wang Chaoyang is quite a catch, but I think Shuyi looks down on him.”
“No way. They’re both in business and classmates. They should get along well.” But in Zeng Xiangping’s view, those who work don’t usually seek out businessmen. It doesn’t sound right otherwise.
Wang Juan thought Shuyi had high standards.
“Getting along well doesn’t mean anything. Your sister is pretty and now has some money, so she’s picky. Dad has mentioned it before, but she always refuses. If you expect her to get married, she might just drag it out and become an old maid!”
“Don’t say nonsense. What good would it do you if she became an old maid?” Zeng Xiangping didn’t want to see that outcome.
He still hoped his sister would marry someone capable—after all, she might be able to help him someday.
At that moment, Zeng Shuyi had no idea about her eldest brother and sister-in-law’s gossip.
Her luck was pretty good.
As soon as she arrived at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, she saw two slabs of pork being dragged in at the slaughteryard.
A crowd surged toward the meat stall, chatting excitedly.
Shuyi pushed and squeezed through, managing to buy two jin of pork belly, one pork rib, and even helped Chen Pan snag a good spot to buy meat.
As they left the cooperative, Shuyi glanced at Chen Pan’s build.
He was quite sturdy but lost out in the scramble for meat.
“Comrade Chen, if you just stand there and wait in line, you won’t get any meat. Those uncles and aunties are all squeezing through every gap—they all want to eat fresh pork dumplings for the New Year. It’s thanks to me that you got a spot at the stall, or else you’d be out of luck today,” Shuyi said as they walked toward the bike shed together.
Chen Pan had thought Shuyi was quite tough when he saw her.
Since he was also here to buy meat, they hadn’t exchanged many words before Shuyi pushed him into the crowd.
“Thank you, Comrade Zeng.”
“No problem, it’s nothing,” Shuyi said, feeling cheerful after buying meat.
Since Chen Pan was headed her way, they walked together.
“By the way, I remember you’re also from the machinery factory. Tell me, how’s that Wang Jie doing in your workshop?”
Chen Pan dared not look at the young lady, keeping his eyes forward.
“After Wang Jie was demoted, he went to pull strings, but he offended people at the factory before. Recently, he was punished and sent to Xi Wang Suo. Comrade Zeng, you seem to dislike him.”
“Of course. He’s really malicious. You need to watch out for him. Remember last time when you kicked him? He holds grudges,” Shuyi said. When they parted at the intersection, she got on her bike and headed home.
At the alley entrance, neighbors saw Shuyi carrying meat and immediately exclaimed. Xu Zhaodi was the first to rush over. “Shuyi, where did you buy the meat? Tell your aunt too!”
“Of course from the state-owned store. I got lucky, just in time for the local supplier to deliver meat, so I bought two jin. It’s a pity I didn’t have enough meat coupons, or I’d have bought more,” Shuyi smiled as she headed home.
The pork belly was salted and saved for later, while the pork ribs were for making soup.
Winter radishes were fresh now, and stewing them with ribs made the best soup.
People in Rong City were good at making soup—various kinds. Lin Jiazhen was skilled, and as she took the ribs, she said, “Mom will give you some money.”
“No need. I bought it for the family. You cook and clean every day. Now that it’s near New Year, as your daughter, I have to let you taste something good too.” Shuyi’s cooking was average, mostly helping out in the kitchen. “Second sister said Aunt Li’s cast hasn’t been removed yet and she’ll have to keep it on until New Year’s Eve lunch. I’ll save some soup for first sister too; she’s been working early and late lately, it’s too hard on her.”
“Shuyi, you’re so good to your second sister and care about Xiangmin, but when it comes to your eldest brother and sister-in-law, you have to fight like enemies?” Lin Jiazhen sighed. “You’re all Ma’s children. Mom knows your dad’s a bit biased, but can’t you all get along?”
Even over something as small as an old hen causing a scene, she didn’t know how to persuade them.
Shuyi said, “Mom, you know me—I treat people well who treat me well. I don’t hold grudges because Dad is biased toward my eldest brother. At most, I was unwilling before and didn’t care about small things. But with Wang Jie’s matter, Da Ying was really scheming and guilty. Afterward, she didn’t even apologize, instead complaining that I was picky and rude. But Mom, think about it—when Yuling grows up, will Da Ying be willing to let her marry someone like Wang Jie?”
No, she wouldn’t.
To her eldest sister-in-law, she was not family—just someone who smiled when there was benefit and chased away those who were of no use.
Lin Jiazhen was left speechless because that was the truth.
“You don’t need to persuade me. We live our own lives. I’ll live well on my own, so don’t worry about me.” Shuyi added coal to the stove. The ribs in the iron pot soon began to emit a rich aroma, making Shuyi’s mouth water.
Meanwhile, the meat Chen Pan bought was for Nai Nai’s house.
Carrying the meat there, he said, “Nai Nai, my mom asked me to buy this and bring it here.
She wants you to make sausage with it for New Year.”
“Nonsense, why did she make you buy it? Where could you even find meat… Oh, this is really good meat today, full of marbling and looks healthy.” Ma Shufen took the meat and asked, “Have you eaten? Leave some for yourself.”
“No need, Nai Nai. I have to go home. In a few days, we’ll all get together to help prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner,” Chen Pan replied.
Ma Shufen smiled and agreed.
Her son and daughter-in-law were busy with work, and since she was retired, she looked forward to the holidays when the kids would come.
She brought a box of biscuits for Chen Pan to take home.
“Tell Ba Ma not to bring anything. I’ve already ordered fish and qi chang. We have chicken and duck too—just waiting for you all to come celebrate.”
Chen Pan thought that was unlikely since Ba Ma were quite busy, but he smiled and agreed nonetheless.
Ma Shufen saw her grandson off at the street corner, watching him leave with a smile before heading back to salt the pork belly.
She chatted with the elders about family matters.
“Our little Ji is almost twenty-two. When I was his age, I was already married. His parents only focus on work and don’t care about his major life events. I think Shuyi is really nice—pretty like someone from the movies, and with a good temper. When the kids come back in a few days, should we bring this up?”
Chen Aiguo was reading the newspaper.
“I advise you, don’t meddle too much. The kids are grown and have their own ideas.”
“They may be grown, but as the older generation, we should guide and watch over them,” Ma Shufen replied, stopping her salting.
“Ma Shufen, don’t you look down on Shuyi for doing business? You think it’s not reputable?” Chen Aiguo asked.
“Nonsense. That’s not what I mean. I just think grandchildren have their own fortunes. We shouldn’t meddle too much in our children’s lives. Let the next generation take care of their own affairs and enjoy their retirement,” Chen Aiguo said, clearly skeptical.
Ma Shufen disagreed.
“When your son thinks it’s time for little Shu to marry, he won’t know when. I don’t care—I just like Shuyi. If little Pan doesn’t, my family has kids about the same age.”
Seeing such a good young lady, she hoped they could become one big happy family.
At that moment, Zeng Shuyi had no idea about Ma Shufen’s praise.
After eating, she turned on her flashlight to go pick up her second sister who was just getting off work.
Now that it was dark early and the street lamps were bright, she made it a habit to meet her second sister whenever she saw her on the road.