My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

The weather was nice today, sunny and pleasant.

As the evening sun set, the old and young men in the courtyard gathered together to chat about daily life. The men discussed national affairs and global events, while the women talked about which mother-in-law mistreated her daughter-in-law or which young wife was selfish and harsh toward her mother-in-law. The children, on the other hand, didn’t care about any of that and were running wild inside and outside the courtyard.

Hutou, Xiao Yanzi, Li Junjun, and Li Weiwei were a group of kids who often played together.

In the past, Hutou and Xiao Yanzi were inseparable, but the boys didn’t like playing with them because Hutou always dragged Xiao Yanzi along. However, over the past few months, the kids had started hanging out together.

They caught sparrows together. Zhao Guihua, who wasn’t one to keep secrets, had once gone up the mountain with Aunt Wang and taught her which seeds attracted sparrows. They had gathered quite a lot, so the kids could now catch sparrows themselves.

The four children roasted and ate the sparrows, forming a deep friendship.

These days, it seems only food can bring people together sincerely.

In any case, the kids were having a great time together.

They had eaten much more meat this year than in previous years.

Sparrows were delicious.

Li Weiwei asked, “Did your family eat rabbit meat tonight?”

Hutou nodded, swallowing his saliva. “Yeah, I ate a lot.”

“My family ate some too. I had a piece. We made potato stew with rabbit meat.”

“Same here, but I had several pieces, hehe.”

Li Weiwei looked at Hutou with envy. Hutou’s family had eaten an entire rabbit, while his family had only eaten half. His grandmother had said they would save the other half for later, to satisfy their cravings.

“If only we could eat rabbit every day…”

This was all the kids talked about.

While the men, women, old, and young were chatting among themselves, Aunt Su rushed out anxiously, saying, “Why aren’t they back yet?”

Zhao Guihua asked, “Aunt Su, haven’t your family members returned?”

Aunt Su nodded. Wang Xiangxiu had already finished cooking dinner, but the children still hadn’t come back. Her children often played outside, but they usually came home when they were hungry. They should have been back by now, but today Wang Xiangxiu had returned later than usual.

The younger kids hadn’t gone to look for her either. Aunt Su wondered where they had wandered off to this time. Still, she wasn’t too worried. After all, they were just kids. What could happen? It wasn’t like they’d be sent to the police station.

They were just children.

With this mindset, Aunt Su wasn’t overly concerned, but the long delay was starting to make her anxious.

She went to the gate. Many children were running around outside, but her three grandchildren were nowhere to be seen.

“Could they have gone up the mountain again?”

She remembered how, once, they had gone up the mountain to catch fish. Seeing them eat rabbit today, she wondered if they had gone to catch rabbits. The thought made her panic, and she hurried out.

“Please help me find my children. I beg you all. I… sob…” She burst into tears.

The neighbors exchanged glances but quickly stood up. “Alright, we’ll…”

“Grandma… Grandma!”

Tonglai’s desperate cry came through. Aunt Su rushed out and asked, “Tonglai, what’s wrong?”

Seeing the child return alone, she knew something must have happened to the older ones.

Tonglai said, “My brothers got caught.”

“What!”

Everyone turned to look at Aunt Su.

Aunt Su asked, “What happened? Where are your brothers? Xiangxiu, Xiangxiu, come out. We need to go quickly.”

Although they had been caught, she wasn’t too worried. They could always play the victim card and say, “They’re just kids.” If that didn’t work, Wang Xiangxiu could use her charm. She said, “Xiangxiu.”

Wang Xiangxiu hurried out. “Alright, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

Aunt Su sobbed, “Thank goodness you’re here. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were about to leave when several officers from the local police station arrived. Two officers came to verify the situation. As officers from the local station, they were all too familiar with Wang Xiangxiu’s family and had a strange respect for this courtyard.

Really, the word “respect” wasn’t misplaced.

How could the families in this courtyard cause so much trouble? The fact that everyone else could endure it was truly admirable.

They had been here so many times, it was endless.

It was truly impressive.

The old and young were always stirring up trouble.

Now it was even worse. Such young children dared to steal public property. This was different from stealing a bun from a neighbor. Cutting off a pig’s tail from a state-owned slaughterhouse was a much more serious offense.

“Are you the family members of Su Jinlai and Su Yinlai?”

“Yes, they’re my grandsons.”

“They’re my sons.”

“Alright, come with us. Su Jinlai and Su Yinlai went to the slaughterhouse to cut off pig tails and were severely injured by the pigs. They’ve been taken to the hospital.” The officers were clearly displeased with the two women.

The way these children were raised was partly their fault.

As far as they knew, this wasn’t the first or second time these kids had caused trouble. The parents had done nothing to stop it.

“Oh no! My poor Jinlai and Yinlai! If anything happens to my grandsons, I’ll make them pay with their lives!” Aunt Su wailed.

The officer said sternly, “Pay with their lives? If you break the law, you’ll end up in jail too. As parents, you’ve failed to educate your children properly. They steal and you’re proud of it? Let me tell you, this is serious. Your children have repeatedly cut off pig tails, which is a severe act of undermining public resources. Once they recover, they’ll be sent to juvenile detention.”

“What! How can that be? If that happens, how will they ever face society?” Wang Xiangxiu screamed hysterically.

The officer retorted, “If you’re so worried about their reputation, why didn’t you discipline them when they started stealing? Now that they’ve caused a major problem, you’re worried about their reputation? Do they even have one left? Enough, I don’t want to argue with you. The children are in the hospital. Take some money and go see them. What were they thinking, messing with pigs like that?”

Thankfully, the pigs had been castrated at a young age, so their aggression was reduced. Otherwise, those two brats could have been trampled to death.

“What? We have to pay?”

The officer looked at them incredulously. “You’re not paying? Who else will? Do you expect the slaughterhouse to pay? Let me tell you, the slaughterhouse is going to sue you for damages.”

“I can’t go on! I really can’t! How can they treat us like this? We’re just a widow and her children. How can they do this to us? My life is over…”

Aunt Su cried uncontrollably. Zhao Guihua couldn’t stand it anymore and said, “You should go to the hospital first. No matter what, you need to see your children.”

These two women had no sense of priority and no idea what they were doing.

“Yes, yes, to the hospital.”

“We don’t have any money. Can you…” Aunt Su looked around, her eyes landing on Zhao Guihua. Her family had many workers and earned more. She sobbed, “Guihua, you know our situation. We just came back from the hospital, and now the children are back in the hospital. Life is so hard. Your family has many workers and earns more. Can you lend us some money?”

Zhao Guihua’s expression hardened. This old fox couldn’t be given an inch, or she’d take a mile.

Zhao Guihua replied immediately, “My family has many workers, but we also have many mouths to feed—pregnant women, children. We don’t have much savings. Besides, everyone knows our family is practically divided internally. I don’t have any money to lend you.”

Although Zhao Guihua didn't know that Director Cai had compensated two hundred yuan, she could guess as much, otherwise the matter wouldn't have been resolved so quickly. She bluntly said, "Didn't you compensate the person you had a conflict with before? You can't be like this! Your family has money, so why are you still borrowing from others? Are you treating people like fools? I think you're the one who spoiled the child. You're not a good person either."

At this mention, the police officers glanced at Aunt Su. They knew that compensation had indeed been made.

And it wasn't a small amount either.

Yet, at such a critical moment, this person's first thought wasn't about the child but about borrowing money?

Thinking this, the police officer's tone turned harsh, "At a time like this, what's more important—people or money? Didn't you receive compensation? Surely two hundred yuan hasn't been spent in less than a month, has it?"

The neighbors, fearing they might be asked for money, chimed in:

"My goodness, two hundred yuan is a lot!"

"Exactly, if your family has money, why are you borrowing from others? That's not how things should be done."

"You should go check on Jinlai. You keep talking about your grandson, but at this critical moment, you're only concerned about money. Don't you realize that being trampled by a pig is no small matter?"

"That's right, prioritizing money over life."

"I think the child has been spoiled by you, which is why all these things have happened. The child is still young and doesn't understand anything."

"Absolutely."

"Let's all go and see."

"I think that's a good idea."

Everyone had a curious heart, and of course, they also wanted to see what had happened to Jinlai. Ming Mei was about to follow the crowd when Zhuang Zhixi quickly grabbed her, saying, "My dear, you're pregnant. Don't join them in their nosiness."

Ming Mei smiled innocently, "Can't I just take a look?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "No, let's stay back. We don't want to get involved if they start causing trouble."

Ming Mei sighed as she watched everyone leave, "I'm missing out."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Mom and sister-in-law have gone. Let's wait for them to come back and tell us what happened."

Ming Mei: "Alright then."

The men were also curious and eager to know what was going on, but they felt it was inappropriate to join in, as it might seem too gossipy for men. However, there was an exception—Zhou Qun followed along, calling out, "Wang Zhaodi, take care of Jiang Lu. I'll go with my mom to see the... situation."

He had almost said "spectacle" but caught himself.

Zhou Qun and Aunt Zhou quickly followed, making him the only man in the group.

Bai Fendou sneered, "How effeminate."

His father had already been discharged from the hospital. After being out of danger a few days ago, he was brought home to recover. Old Man Bai had woken up but was now paralyzed. Having suffered such a huge blow, he no longer went out.

Well, he couldn't even if he wanted to.

But Old Man Bai truly had no desire to go out. Even when Bai Fendou returned in the evening, he wouldn't respond.

When he first woke up, Old Man Bai cursed Bai Fendou, firmly believing that if it weren't for him, he wouldn't have fallen from the building. He held a grudge against Bai Fendou and deliberately made things difficult for him, such as knocking over the food Bai Fendou prepared.

This was his way of provoking him.

However... Bai Fendou responded by simply not cooking anymore. He would leave a single steamed bun; if Old Man Bai was hungry, he could eat it, and if not, he could throw it away. Bai Fendou didn't prepare anything extra. As for Old Man Bai's attempts to provoke him by soiling himself, Bai Fendou just let him be.

He didn't care.

If Old Man Bai wanted to make a mess, he could live in it. If he thought he could torment his son for his own amusement, he was mistaken.

Sometimes, people like Old Man Bai need someone like Bai Fendou to deal with them. After a few days of trying to torment Bai Fendou, Old Man Bai realized that he was only hurting himself. Bai Fendou didn't give him the chance and refused to indulge him.

It didn't take long for Old Man Bai to calm down.

At first, he was furious, believing that his current state and suffering were all because of Bai Fendou. If Bai Fendou had just listened to him, he wouldn't have fallen. As for the matter of having children, wasn't it all for Bai Fendou's sake?

He wanted to ensure that Bai Fendou would have someone to rely on in old age and to carry on the Bai family line.

But who would have thought that Bai Fendou would refuse?

He hated this son who had caused his injury, but after a few days, he quickly realized that in his current state, he could only rely on Bai Fendou. There was no one else he could count on. If he continued to torment Bai Fendou, he would only receive the same treatment in return.

And so, he became obedient.

Of course, he had once thought of marrying Aunt Su and having her take care of him. But from the time of his injury until now, Aunt Su hadn't visited him once. Sometimes, when he heard her voice and called out to her, she would ignore him completely.

This was deeply hurtful.

Although it had only been a short time, Old Man Bai quickly learned that if he couldn't earn money, he was worthless.

So now, the Bai household was unusually quiet. Old Man Bai stayed silent, and Bai Fendou, aside from working, spent his time thinking about how to find a wife.

He approached Jiang Lu and said, "Jiang Lu, you promised to help me find a match."

Jiang Lu: "I did promise you, but there really hasn't been anyone suitable before. Now, it's even harder..."

Bai Fendou grew anxious, "How can there be no one? My conditions are decent."

Jiang Lu: "I know."

She didn't argue but said, "But don't take this the wrong way. I know your conditions are decent, but you can't have children. I can't just introduce anyone to you. That limits the options even more. Besides, I have to consider the woman's situation too, to make sure she doesn't take advantage of you. Don't you agree?"

Bai Fendou sighed, "Why is it so hard for me to find a wife?"

His gaze fell on Wang Zhaodi, who immediately stumbled and fell to the ground, waving her hands frantically, "No, no, not me. Don't look at me..."

Bai Fendou frowned, "What are you thinking? I wouldn't even consider a little girl like you."

Wang Zhaodi didn't feel offended and nodded vigorously, "I know, I know."

Bai Fendou: "You're from the countryside and don't have a grain quota. If I were to support three people on my salary alone, the burden would be too heavy. I'm not planning to marry someone from the countryside."

Ming Mei couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. She looked at Bai Fendou, completely baffled by how someone like him could exist. With his conditions, he wanted to marry someone from the city? Even rural girls wouldn't be interested in him.

Bai Fendou: "What are you surprised about? Isn't what I'm saying true? I've thought about it. I want to marry someone from the city, preferably a widow with a young son—around one or two years old, so he won't remember his biological father. The widow should also have a job."

Ming Mei's eyes widened as she exchanged a look with Jiang Lu.

Zhuang Zhixi, who was standing nearby, understood immediately. Men always seem to understand each other's thoughts easily.

He said, "You don't want to increase your burden by having another mouth to feed, but at the same time, you want a son who's young enough to see you as his real father and take care of you in your old age."

Bai Fendou: "Exactly. Preferably, the child could take my surname."

Jiang Lu opened her mouth several times but couldn't find the words. She wanted to say, "Who do you think you are?"

But she held back. She was pregnant and didn't want to provoke someone like Bai Fendou. Jiang Lu had been keeping a low profile lately, not wanting to offend anyone. She knew she couldn't afford to. Besides, she had noticed that as long as she acted meekly, Bai Fendou wouldn't give her a hard time.

She sighed and said, "It's hard to find someone like that. I'll keep an eye out for you, but don't rely solely on me. You know how difficult it is to find such a situation. You should also keep looking yourself."

Bai Fendou: "But you said you'd help me find someone..."

Jiang Lu: "If I wanted to deceive you, I could easily introduce someone to you. But I genuinely don't want to set you up for failure. You need to be realistic."

Bai Fendou: "That's true."

He felt that Jiang Lu had a point. If she wanted to brush him off, she could have easily introduced someone to him.

Now, she was sincerely trying to help him find a match.

He said, "Alright, I owe you one."

Jiang Lu: "It's nothing. I'm just doing what I should."

She was indeed keeping an eye out for such people, but where could she find one? With those conditions, it was unlikely anyone would choose Bai Fendou.

Ming Mei thought that Jiang Lu had really taken on a big task.

She coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "I wonder how Jinlai and the others are doing."

"It's hard to say. Getting trampled by pigs can be a big or small matter."

"What were they thinking, going to the slaughterhouse to cut off pig tails? How could they come up with such an idea?"

"It's just how they were raised."

Even though the topic had shifted, Bai Fendou wasn't willing to let it go and forcefully steered it back, saying, "Hey, Xiao Zhuang, how do you think I’ve treated you?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Not particularly well. Our relationship is just average."

Bai Fendou choked for a moment but quickly responded, "Actually, it’s not bad, right? We grew up together in this courtyard. That counts for something, doesn’t it?"

"Not really. You’ve schemed against me plenty of times. Just say what you want directly." Zhuang Zhixi’s tone was as cold as a winter breeze.

Bai Fendou: "...What kind of person are you? You’re not friendly at all."

Zhuang Zhixi: "So, what’s the matter?"

Bai Fendou quickly said, "I heard your department is organizing a matchmaking event."

Zhuang Zhixi: "It’s not just our department. It’s a joint effort by the labor union, the factory office, our publicity department, and the women’s federation. You know Jiang Lu, right?"

Jiang Lu nodded, "I know."

"It’s a collaboration between four departments."

Bai Fendou: "But all the single men in the factory have heard about it. They say this year’s event is your idea."

He added, "Can you give me some inside information?"

This wasn’t a secret anymore, as the details were about to be announced anyway.

Zhuang Zhixi explained, "Our machinery factory, along with the bus station and eight elementary schools in the city, is organizing a large-scale joint matchmaking event. Both men and women can sign up. We’ve secured the city cultural center as the venue. Participants need to submit their personal information, and they can’t falsify it. If the information doesn’t match reality, it’s considered a breach of integrity, and we’ll report it to their workshop for criticism."

Bai Fendou exclaimed, "Ah, what kind of information do we need to provide?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Basic details. For example, for you, it would include your job as a toilet cleaner at the machinery factory and the fact that your father is bedridden. That needs to be noted."

Bai Fendou was shocked, "Do we really need to be that detailed? If I write all that, who would even consider me?"

It seemed he was finally aware that his conditions weren’t as great as he made them out to be.

"If you write it, the women will write theirs too. It’s mutual."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zhuang Zhixi added, "This is to prevent people from lying or fabricating their family situations."

"You guys really know how to complicate things. Isn’t it just about meeting someone, hitting it off, and getting married? Why all this extra stuff?"

"That’s not the way to look at it. If people aren’t upfront, what if someone gets scammed into a marriage? Then the factory would have to deal with the fallout. It’s better to address potential issues upfront rather than deal with them later."

"I think you’re right," Jiang Lu, representing the women’s federation, chimed in. She knew that every year during the matchmaking events, there were complaints.

Zhuang Zhixi continued, "You see, you should think of it this way. Don’t try to trick someone into liking you. Instead, find someone who knows your situation and still wants to be with you. That way, you save yourself time. Otherwise, you might hit it off, spend money on meals and gifts, only to have it fall apart when they find out the truth. Isn’t that a waste of money?"

The way you talk to someone depends on the person, and this approach clearly worked. Bai Fendou nodded in agreement, "That makes sense."

Zhuang Zhixi: "So, this is the right way to do it."

Seeing that it was getting late, he said, "Let’s head home."

"Alright, I should get some sleep too."

"I wonder how things are at the hospital."

They chatted idly as they walked.

As for the hospital...

At the hospital, after extensive treatment, the two children were finally being wheeled to their ward. Normally, patients would need to pay upfront, but the hospital had gone ahead with the emergency treatment for Su Jinlai and Su Yinlai.

This was mainly because Wang Xiangxiu had a job, so there was no worry about her defaulting on the medical fees.

It’s no wonder everyone wanted to be a worker back then—workers held the highest social status, and their word carried weight. The hospital was very familiar with Wang Xiangxiu and her family.

In fact, the two places that knew their neighborhood best were the local police station and this hospital, which was the closest to their courtyard.

At these two places, they were practically celebrities.

The hospital recognized them and dared to provide treatment. For worker families like theirs, even if they couldn’t pay upfront, the hospital could contact their factory to deduct the fees from their wages. So, the hospital quickly moved them to a ward.

"Both patients suffered injuries from being trampled by pigs. They have varying degrees of fractures. Su Jinlai has multiple broken bones, including a fractured leg. He needs to rest properly, or he could end up with a limp. As for Su Yinlai, his condition is more severe. He’s younger, so his body couldn’t handle the trauma as well. Not only does he have fractures, but his lungs are also injured. He’s not out of danger yet, and a family member needs to stay with him 24/7. Even if he recovers, he might have long-term health issues. His lungs are weak, and he’ll need to avoid strenuous work and rest a lot."

"What?!"

Both women from the Su family were in disbelief. They never imagined things could turn out this badly. Their children had gotten into plenty of trouble before, but it had never been this serious.

"He’s... not out of danger?"

"No."

"Oh my god!" Wang Xiangxiu broke down in tears, "Doctor, please save them. They’re good kids. They don’t deserve this. How could this happen... They were fine this morning. Jinlai, Yinlai..."

"Comrade, this is a hospital. You can’t make too much noise. You’ll disturb the other patients. Your children are still very weak. Focus on taking care of them instead of worrying about other things."

"Jinlai, Yinlai..."

Wang Xiangxiu cried, while Aunt Su silently wept beside her, looking like she might faint at any moment.

Although the doctor didn’t have a high opinion of the family, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. They always managed to end up in the hospital. But who could they blame? Their kids were just too mischievous. If only they had been properly disciplined, this wouldn’t have happened.

"Spend more time with your children."

Even though the family was like a curse, the doctor still added, with great seriousness, "This time, while you’re here, don’t cause any more trouble. If you do, we really won’t welcome you back."

Every time they came to the hospital, they never left peacefully.

Their antics had made the hospital infamous.

It was embarrassing.

Wang Xiangxiu tearfully looked at her son, unable to take her eyes off him, and nodded, "I understand."

Her response was perfunctory, and it was clear she wasn’t really paying attention. But given the state of her child, the doctor didn’t press further. As he left the ward, he saw a crowd outside—police officers, slaughterhouse staff, and onlookers.

"Doctor, how are they...?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses and said, "As you heard, they’re in bad shape. They can’t be moved now, and I estimate... it’ll take at least six months for them to recover." He lowered his voice, "The younger one might not make it."

"What?!" Everyone stared at the doctor in shock.

Even though they disliked the Su family’s troublemaking kids, no one wanted to see a child lose their life.

After all, no one was heartless.

"What a tragedy."

"Such a young child suffering so much..."

"This is all Aunt Su’s fault. Wang Xiangxiu is busy with work, so Aunt Su should’ve been looking after the kids. Instead, she let them run wild. Now this has happened, and all she can do is cry."

"Alright, let’s not make too much noise in the hospital."

Zhao Guihua stopped everyone, saying, "Let’s head back for now."

They had originally gone out to see what the commotion was about, but they hadn’t expected the injuries to be so severe. The spectacle was too much to bear.

Zhao Guihua didn’t know what to say, but she still managed to utter, “I hope the children will be alright.”

“That’s true.”

One by one, everyone started heading back. Zhao Guihua suddenly spoke up, “From now on, every household should keep a closer eye on their children. If we don’t, they’ll become more and more unruly, and if something happens outside, no one will tolerate it. Besides, even if people tolerate it, animals won’t. Look at this—who could have imagined they’d get trampled so badly by a pig?”

“That’s right.”

“Aunt Zhao is absolutely correct.”

Even Aunt Zhou, who usually loved to argue, didn’t contradict her this time. She sighed and said, “You’re right…” before trailing off.

When it comes to life-and-death matters, people tend to show more compassion than usual.

Although they had left and didn’t stay behind, the police officers still communicated in detail with both parties involved. The slaughterhouse was a state-owned enterprise. Even though the injuries were severe, it didn’t change the fact that they had been caught cutting off pig tails.

Pig tails weren’t particularly valuable, but the incident was significant.

It was clear that once Su Jinlai and Su Yinlai were discharged from the hospital, they would definitely be sent to a juvenile detention center.

This was the difference between stealing from private individuals and stealing from the state.

If it were a private household, they might have just gotten a beating and that would have been the end of it. In those days, people weren’t too harsh on children.

But when it came to the state, there had to be consequences.

It wasn’t that the slaughterhouse was deliberately causing trouble, but the incident had already blown up. The slaughterhouse couldn’t afford not to pursue the matter, or someone might accuse them of negligence.

Many things in life are beyond our control.

It’s not as simple as feeling sorry for someone and letting it slide.

Although the children were indeed pitiful, the police still explained the situation to the mother and daughter-in-law. While they were still receiving treatment, they wouldn’t be sent to the juvenile detention center. But once their treatment was over, they would have to go.

Aunt Su cried even more bitterly, while Wang Xiangxiu clutched her son’s hand and said, “I understand.”

She murmured to herself, “I’ll find a way. I’ll definitely find a way.”

Aunt Su grabbed her daughter-in-law’s hand and said, “I’m counting on you, really, I’m counting on you. I’m just an old woman, I don’t know what to do. Our children are still so young. They can’t go to detention.”

Wang Xiangxiu nodded, “I know, I know.”

She truly had no other options. What did she have? Nothing but herself. She racked her brains, wondering what she could do, how she could scheme to keep her son out of trouble.

Although she sounded determined, deep down, she was filled with panic.

This matter was just too difficult to handle.

“And then there’s the medical expenses…”

Earlier, when Wang Xiangxiu was hospitalized, the factory had covered most of the costs. Although they still had to pay some, it was mainly Aunt Su who footed the bill. But now, it was the two children who were injured, and they weren’t workers.

So, they would have to pay a significant amount for medical expenses.

Although their family had some savings, it clearly wasn’t enough.

They knew how much Old Man Bai from Bai Fendou’s family had spent. Back then, Old Man Bai hadn’t arranged for anyone to take over his position, so the factory had covered some of the costs. Even so, they still ended up spending two hundred yuan.

Actually, they were mistaken because that amount included previous expenses as well.

But that wasn’t the main point. The important thing was that they were really short on money now.

Wang Xiangxiu muttered, “What should we do? What should we do?”

Aunt Su looked at her daughter-in-law with a pained expression and said, “We have no other options. I’m just an old woman, I can’t do anything. I’m just a burden to you. I…”

“Mom, don’t say that. I’ll find a way.”

Aunt Su nodded, “I believe in you.”

The news of Su Jinlai and Su Yinlai’s mishap spread quickly. No matter who heard about it, they couldn’t help but gasp.

To be honest, even though this hadn’t happened to their own family, almost every household took a moment to reflect and sternly warned their own children not to end up like the Su family. Even the usually harsh Aunt Zhou mentioned over breakfast to Jiang Lu, “From now on, we can’t spoil our children too much.”

When she was younger, she had also been guilty of spoiling her child, which was why Zhou Qun had turned out the way he did.

But this incident had truly shaken her.

Zhou Qun also nodded and said, “We need to educate them properly. If a child ends up in juvenile detention, their future is ruined. Those two from the Su family won’t be able to take over their parents’ jobs either.”

“Oh, that’s right. If they have a criminal record from juvenile detention, they won’t be able to take over their parents’ positions. The machinery factory conducts background checks. Anyone with a criminal record can’t be hired, not even for job succession.”

“Oh no… Then their family is really finished.”

Meanwhile, Aunt Wang was also warning her own children, Li Junjun and Li Weiwei, “You two need to focus on your studies. You can play around the neighborhood after school, but you must never cause trouble. There are some things we just can’t do…”

Similarly, Zhao Guihua was also at home educating her two grandchildren, Hutou and Xiao Yanzi.

Both Hutou and Xiao Yanzi nodded.

Xiao Yanzi asked curiously, “Grandma, will Jinlai and Yinlai have to go to jail?”

“It’s juvenile detention, which is a bit different. So, I don’t scold you when you’re mischievous, but you must never cause serious trouble. There are some things you just can’t do…”

The ripple effect of this news was enormous. Every household in the area was busy educating their children.

No wonder this neighborhood later had such a high success rate.

With such a stark example, the elders were all worried that their own children might go astray. With proper education, the children naturally grew up to be successful.

Zhuang Zhixi was taking Ming Mei to work as usual and asked, “Did your parents buy any grain?”

Ming Mei nodded, “They did.”

Recently, grain prices had started to rise, especially in the black market, where the increase was quite noticeable.

Zhuang Zhixi had gone to buy peanuts but couldn’t purchase a large amount all at once, so he had to make multiple trips. This made the price fluctuations in the black market even more apparent to him. He sighed, “No matter the era, there are always those who are shrewd and plan ahead.”

If Zhao Guihua bought some grain, or if a few households in their compound did, it wouldn’t have much of an impact. No one would believe it if you told them.

The main issue was that others had the same idea, and more and more people were buying grain. With the arrival of autumn, it became somewhat clear how the harvest would turn out this year. News of a poor harvest had started to spread.

Anyone with a bit of money who believed the rumors would stock up on some grain.

As a result, grain prices in the black market had risen.

“Mom is really smart. None of us thought of it, only she did.”

Even her own son had to admit that his mother was a capable woman.

Ming Mei chuckled softly and said, “Yes, with her around, our lives are so much easier.”

Zhuang Zhixi said, “Mom said we’re all going up the mountain tomorrow.”

Ming Mei asked, “Huh?”

Zhuang Zhixi clarified, “Not you. You’ll stay home and help look after Hutou and Xiao Yanzi.”

Ming Mei: “…”

She pinched Zhuang Zhixi hard and said, “Why not me?”

Zhuang Zhixi replied, “My dear wife, you’re pregnant. You need to face the fact that you’re carrying a child.”

Ming Mei sighed wistfully, “Once I’ve given birth to these two little ones, I’m going to go out and have some fun. Right now, because of them, I can’t do this, I can’t do that.”

Ah, the sacrifices of motherhood.

Zhuang Zhixi said, “Just hang in there a little longer.”

“Alright.”

Ming Mei leaned against Zhuang Zhixi’s back and said, “After this, I don’t think I’ll want a second child for a long time.”

“Then we won’t have one.”

“Okay.” Ming Mei smiled brightly.

She had always been lively and energetic, and she loved a good bit of gossip. But ever since she got pregnant, she felt like she had been tied down. She really felt like she had lost her spark. She just hoped to give birth soon.

“Luckily, I’m having twins this time, so I won’t need to have another child right away.”

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, “Yeah.”

Ming Mei asked, “What are you all going up the mountain for tomorrow? I thought there weren’t any fish left in the pond?”

What a shame—such a good fish pond had been completely emptied.

Zhuang Zhixi explained, “There’s a chestnut tree up there. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so we’re all going to pick chestnuts.”

Ming Mei said, “But won’t other people see it too? There have been so many people going up the mountain lately.”

This thing isn’t something only his family can see; it’s something everyone can see. It’s not necessarily reserved for them, right?

Zhuang Zhixi, however, chuckled and said, "The chestnuts weren’t ripe a while ago. Mom and the others went up the mountain recently and took a peek—they’re still there. If we go now, no matter what, we can just collect them. Even if they’re a bit unripe, it’s fine. We can let them ripen at home. But if we wait any longer, they might not be ours anymore. Although not everyone might recognize them or notice them, there are definitely others who’ve seen them. Everyone’s waiting for them to ripen. If we act first, it’s better than ending up with nothing later."

"You’re right," Ming Mei agreed after some thought. "Even if they’ve been picked, it’s not a big deal. There’s plenty of stuff in the mountains in autumn. We might find something else."

"Everyone knows there’s a lot up in the mountains, so there’ll definitely be a lot of people going up."

"Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. At least it’s still early."

That’s true. It’s only early September. Although autumn has officially started, the weather is still quite hot, and it’s not quite the peak harvest season yet. Late September is usually the best time. But they don’t dare wait that long. By then, there might be nothing left.

The two of them chatted all the way. Zhuang Zhixi had just dropped Ming Mei off and was almost late getting back to work, barely making it on time.

Zhang San remarked, "If you’d been a few minutes later, I would’ve closed the gate."

He knew that Zhuang Zhixi had to drop his wife off in the mornings and couldn’t help but ask curiously, "You’re married, and so are others, but is your wife really that precious? You’re dropping her off every day. I’ve seen women at the factory working even when they’re heavily pregnant."

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "My wife is also working while pregnant. What’s the difference?"

He patted Zhang San on the shoulder and said, "You single folks wouldn’t understand."

Zhang San: "..."

How wouldn’t I understand? Oh, right!

He then asked gossipily, "I heard Wang Xiangxiu’s son got into trouble while cutting a pig’s tail?"

Zhuang Zhixi, who already knew the details, nodded. "Yeah."

Zhang San sighed, "That’s dangerous stuff."

Zhuang Zhixi agreed, "Absolutely. He’s in serious condition. We don’t know when he’ll be discharged. Last night, everyone went to the hospital, and they haven’t come back yet. We don’t even know if he’ll make it through the critical period. Even if he does, the medical bills are going to be hefty..."

Zhang San asked, "Does his family lack money?"

Zhuang Zhixi laughed. "Who doesn’t lack money? Only one person in their family is working."

Zhang San chuckled and leaned in to whisper something to Zhuang Zhixi, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Five bucks? Really?"

"Of course, it’s true. Li Si even... hehe."

Zhuang Zhixi shook his head. "That’s really something..."

Zhang San said, "I’d like to spend that five bucks too. It’s not a small amount, but it’s manageable once in a while."

Zhuang Zhixi teased, "Cut it out. Don’t think about that nonsense."

He laughed and added, "I need to head upstairs now, or I’ll get scolded."

"Don’t worry, don’t worry."

Zhuang Zhixi went upstairs and entered the office. As soon as he walked in, Old Huang teased him, "You got stopped and questioned on your way here, didn’t you?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Of course."

Sister Cui chimed in, "I just went to deliver some materials to the Women’s Federation. Jiang Lu couldn’t even move—she was surrounded by women asking questions."

As people from the same compound, they had access to firsthand information. They were practically the center of attention.

Zhuang Zhixi sighed, "Every time something happens in our compound, I can’t even take a step without being stopped."

"It’s because you’re close with the security department."

"Come on, tell us what’s going on."

"I heard Wang Xiangxiu’s second son might not make it?"

"Why did they even think of cutting a pig’s tail?"

Everyone bombarded him with questions. Some of the men, who usually seemed so serious, were just as gossipy as anyone else.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Folks, I don’t know much. I wasn’t there yesterday. I was with my wife."

Little Xu chimed in, "Why are you asking him? You should go ask Zhou Qun."

Zhou Qun had come to the factory early that morning, bouncing around like a monkey. The reason the news spread so quickly was largely due to his "efforts."

"That’s true. Zhou Qun was at the hospital yesterday," Zhuang Zhixi said, not wanting to discuss it further. While he usually enjoyed a bit of gossip, thinking about someone still in critical condition made him feel it wasn’t appropriate to say much.

"Right, go ask Zhou Qun."

"He’s really... even more well-informed than the factory gossips."

"He even waves his hand like this."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

The news caused a stir for the entire day. After all, for most people, the Su family was just a group of strangers, so it was more about the spectacle. Wang Xiangxiu didn’t come to work that day, and the police station even came to ask for leave on her behalf.

You could say they were really good people.

But in the end, the Su family’s affairs had nothing to do with them. Zhuang Zhixi’s mind was still on the upcoming trip to the mountains.

Since they were planning to go up the mountain, Zhao Guihua prepared several baskets. Everyone except Ming Mei was going, and they even borrowed Uncle Lan’s bicycle. The whole family set out at the crack of dawn.

Ming Mei, Hutou, and Xiao Yanzi were left behind, staring at each other.

None of them could go.

Hutou comforted Ming Mei, "Auntie, even though you can’t go this time, you’ll be able to next time."

Ming Mei sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "It’s going to be a long time."

"It’ll take a long time for us to grow up too. When I’m a bit older, I can go as well."

"Me too."

Ming Mei said, "Alright, they’ve all left. Should we go back to sleep or go out and play?"

Hutou replied, "Let’s lie down for a bit. Xiao Yanzi and I can play with the sheep knuckles."

Ming Mei nodded. "Alright, let’s go back inside."

"Okay."

Since she couldn’t go out, Ming Mei decided to catch up on some sleep.

She slept soundly, and since she’d avoided getting hurt on the bus, her condition was much better than in her dreams. She looked quite healthy, and after closing the door, she rolled back into bed.

Hmph, if they weren’t taking her, she’d just sleep in.

Ming Mei had been quite sleepy since becoming pregnant. As she slept soundly, Zhao Guihua and the others quickly rode their bikes to the outskirts. It was Sunday, and since it was still early, the streets weren’t crowded. They rode to the foot of the mountain, and Zhao Guihua’s face lit up with a smile. "I told you it’d still be here."

The chestnut tree hadn’t been picked yet. Zhao Guihua waved her hand and said, "Quick, let’s get to work."

Usually, if people wanted to go up the mountain, they’d choose Sunday. It wasn’t that the day was particularly special, but for working people, Sunday was the only day they had free. Zhao Guihua had prepared thick gloves for everyone.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Mom, you’ve really thought of everything."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Mom, you’ve really thought of everything."

Zhao Guihua replied, "These things are prickly. Did you think I was as careless as you?"

They didn’t plan to peel the chestnuts on the mountain and bring them home clean. That would be impossible—if anyone saw them, they’d definitely join in. Their plan was to collect the chestnuts with their spiky shells intact and deal with them at home.

The shells could even be used as kindling, so it was a win-win.

The five of them worked quickly.

With many hands, the work went fast. In just over an hour, the chestnut tree was completely bare.

They’d gathered six large baskets of chestnuts. Of course, once shelled, the amount would shrink by at least a third, but that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. After all, chestnuts, like sweet potatoes, could be used as a staple food.

That was a big deal.

Vegetables were tasty, but they didn’t fill you up.

"Let’s keep looking," Zhao Guihua said.

Zhuang Zhixi suggested, "How about this? Let’s head down the mountain a bit, find a spot to gather all our stuff, and leave two people to watch over it. The rest of us can spread out and search. We shouldn’t all stay in one place. If someone else has their eye on this tree and sees we’ve taken all the chestnuts, they might cause trouble. These things don’t belong to anyone, so there’s no reason to argue, but you never know with some people. It’s too hot to get into a fight. Let’s not ruin our mood, what do you think?"

"That makes sense," everyone agreed.

Old Man Zhuang was the type who preferred to avoid trouble whenever possible. He said, "Why don't we head back now? We’ve already got some things to take home."

Zhuang Zhixi, however, disagreed. "Come on, we’re already here."

Zhuang Zhiyuan shared the same sentiment. He added, "We should make the most of these trips now. Once winter comes and it gets cold, there won’t be any reason to come up here."

The fish pond was empty, and the mountains were bare. There was no need to come during the winter. But autumn was the perfect season for heading up the mountains.

Old Man Zhuang relented. "Alright, I’ll leave it up to you all."

Liang Meifen suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, look over there! There’s some dried wood ear mushrooms!"

"Wow, you’re right! Quick, let’s get them!"

"You see? The mountains are full of good stuff this time of year. Since we’re already here, we might as well gather as much as we can. That way, we can stay cozy at home during the winter. Oh, look, there’s more wood ear over there! Let’s go pick them."

It was no wonder autumn was called the season of harvest. Good things were everywhere. The group quickly got to work.

After collecting all the wood ear mushrooms, they pushed their cart and started heading back down.

They found a secluded spot to rest for a while. Zhao Guihua and Liang Meifen stayed behind while the men went off to explore. Zhao Guihua reminded them, "Whether you find anything or not, make sure you’re back by noon."

"Got it."

Of course, Zhao Guihua and Liang Meifen weren’t idle either. The area was cool and shaded, and there were plenty of wild vegetables to pick. The two of them got to work without hesitation. Liang Meifen said, "Mom, the ground here is really damp, and there are earthworms. Be careful not to step in the mud."

Zhao Guihua’s eyes lit up. "Earthworms? That’s great!"

Liang Meifen was puzzled. "Huh?"

Zhao Guihua explained, "We can catch them to feed the chickens at home."

Liang Meifen smacked her forehead. "Oh, right! How could I forget that?"

As they worked, Liang Meifen brought up another topic. "Mom, we’ve got so much stuff this year. Do you think we can buy less cabbage and save some money?"

Zhao Guihua scolded her lightly. "Don’t talk nonsense. If we buy less, we won’t have enough to eat. Are you going to tie your mouth shut? We can’t skimp on food. If we run out, it’ll be hard to buy more later."

Liang Meifen didn’t dare argue further.

Zhao Guihua continued, "We still need to buy plenty of cabbage, and we can’t forget the turnips either… Oh, it feels like September has barely started, and we’re already so busy."

"Tell me about it."

These two months were indeed the busiest time of the year. They had to stock up on cabbage and turnips, pickle vegetables, make dried pickles, and not forget to buy coal briquettes. If everyone in the family was working, it was even more chaotic.

Zhao Guihua said, "When we get back, I’m going to talk to Aunt Wang about dividing up the cellar."

Liang Meifen was surprised. "Really?"

Zhao Guihua explained, "With Uncle Lan’s family moving into the front courtyard this year, we’ll need to reallocate the cellar space anyway. It’s better to divide it into separate sections, each with its own lock. That way, everyone can keep their things safe. Relying on everyone’s honesty isn’t enough."

"Do you think the others will agree?"

Zhao Guihua replied confidently, "The majority will agree. Even if someone doesn’t, it’ll probably just be Aunt Su’s family. Everyone else will be on board. In the past, the Bai family let them take things freely, but not anymore. Su Jinlai and his family have a reputation for stealing, so everyone’s on guard now."

"That’s true."

"Though with the new division, each family’s space will be smaller."

After all, there was one more family to accommodate.

Zhao Guihua sighed. "There’s no helping it."

Still, the idea of having separate, locked sections was reassuring. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about their things going missing.

"I’ll bring it up as soon as we get back!"