NOVPUB
Chapter 197: 190
After a day of work, Qiu Shuping and her daughter ended up looking like dusty ragamuffins.
Picking corn was alright, but transporting baskets of corn back home really wore the two of them out.
When Shen Yunfang got off work and came home, she saw the corn everywhere in the yard, with Qiu Shuping and her daughter sprawled on the Kang, playing possum.
Shen Yunfang cheerfully began to cook (during harvest season, she didn’t need to tend to the vegetables), and after she had laid out all the food in the house, she finally called the mother and daughter to eat.
"Mom, eat more, Xianghe, you really worked hard today. If it had just been me, it would have taken two or three days to bring it all back. Now, the more people we have, the greater our strength." Shen Yunfang affectionately added a piece of cabbage to each of her mother-in-law’s and sister-in-law’s bowls as a reward.
Qiu Shuping was already worn out. She hadn’t worked the fields for many years, and this time her own words had forced her into it, making it hard for her to adapt.
Li Xianghe was doing much better than her mother; after all, she used to go to work with the others at home.
So, with a mix of cajoling and tricking, Shen Yunfang managed to get the two to help her harvest the corn in the backyard and then pull the cornstalks out of the field. After leaving them to dry in the field, they transported them back home to be used as firewood.
Once the corn was harvested, it was time for the soybeans. But picking soybeans wasn’t as easy as harvesting corn; the fuzz on the pods was so irritating that both of them couldn’t stand it. Eventually, Qiu Shuping couldn’t take it anymore. She felt that she, as the mother-in-law, should no longer be bossed around by her daughter-in-law. So, after a grueling week of work, she decided to quit and to lay her cards out on the table with Shen Yunfang.
"Alright, stop busying yourself, I need to tell you something," Qiu Shuping halted her daughter-in-law who was bustling about inside and outside.
She snorted. It looked as though she was really busy, but did she not realize? All the dirty and tiring work had been left to her and her daughter, while Shen Yunfang had the easy tasks. Really, it was as if she didn’t know who was the mother-in-law and who the daughter-in-law anymore.
Shen Yunfang obediently stopped her work and sat down on the Kang, all ears. She guessed her mother-in-law was about to give up.
"Yunfang, it’s been quite a while since your sister and I came to stay with you here, and I’m not comfortable leaving the house neglected like that. I think the work here is almost done, too. If anything’s left, just call your cousins, they’ll finish it in no time. So I’m thinking of taking your sister and going home tomorrow," Qiu Shuping spoke to Shen Yunfang warmly and gently.
Shen Yunfang nodded knowingly, "Mom, please don’t leave. You’ve been such a great help this past half-month. The soybeans in the field aren’t all harvested yet, and in a few days, we’ll need to gather the sweet potatoes and other things. Even though I have a few cousins around here, nobody is as dear to us as you and our own family. It wouldn’t be right to ask others to work for me." Shen Yunfang was reluctant to let them go. She might not need the extra hands, but the idea of letting them off so easily didn’t sit well with her; she felt compelled to give them a hard time.
"I can’t do this anymore, I’m exhausted, I want to go home," Li Xianghe complained from the Kang. Back at home, she did work in the fields, but with her old dad and big brother, two strong men, she was mostly just an assistant. Unlike here, where she was treated like a strong worker by the two in front of her.
Qiu Shuping stiffly patted her daughter, "Shut your mouth, I’m talking to your sister-in-law. You have no place to chime in."
Immediately, she turned her head, tugging at the corner of her mouth and furrowing her brow, "Logically, Yunfang, under your current circumstances, we ought to finish the work before leaving, but you know, there’s just your dad at home. He’s been by himself these days, and I have no idea if he’s eaten well. I’m really worried..."
"My big brother and his wife are also at home, they can definitely take good care of my dad. Mom, you should just stay here with me with peace of mind," Shen Yunfang said, still with a smile on her face.
"Your big brother, your big brother and his wife, are they even human? I’m not being mean, but over these years, Wang Dan has been pretending to be such a decent person in front of me, when in reality her heart is so dark..."
Afterward, Qiu Shuping rambled on with a multitude of bad things about Wang Dan, truly finding an outlet for her frustration, spitting venom with great gusto.
Shen Yunfang listened with her ears but thought to herself that this mother-in-law probably gossiped about her in the same way in front of others.
At last, Qiu Shuping concluded, "Your dad’s getting on in years and can’t stand to be upset. If I don’t go back to keep an eye on things, I’m afraid your sister-in-law will turn the place upside down."
After pondering for a moment, Shen Yunfang finally relented, "All right then, my dad’s health is more important. Mom and Xianghe can leave tomorrow morning. I should quickly pack some things for you." Saying this, she moved to get up and pack some eggs and such for her mother-in-law to take home.
It wasn’t easy for them to visit, and they indeed had helped with work for several days. She wasn’t stingy; sending some things back with them would look good for her, and they would save face too.
"Ah, Yunfang, wait a moment, those things aren’t urgent. I have something else to tell you." Qiu Shuping quickly grabbed Shen Yunfang, who was about to leave. Money was the main issue. She hadn’t gotten to the most important part yet; the other things weren’t going anywhere.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunfang sat back down again, her large eyes looking at her mother-in-law, signaling for her to continue.
"Here’s the thing. You know about Hongqi going to high school in the county, right? Of all the Lee family’s children, your little brother-in-law is the only one cut out for academics. He’s been praised by teachers and classmates all these years, and everyone says your little brother-in-law is destined for success," Qiu Shuping said, watching her daughter-in-law for any reaction.
Shen Yunfang was expressionless. This little brother was Li Hongjun’s brother, not hers. Besides, she had hardly met Li Hongqi or talked to him; how could she tell whether the child was good or bad?
As far as whether he would be successful in the future, that wasn’t something Shen Yunfang, as his sister-in-law, could judge. However, if her brother-in-law turned out to be successful, she would be happy for him, but if not, it wasn’t all that relevant to her.
Unable to grasp her daughter-in-law’s perspective, Qiu Shuping had no choice but to carry on, "A few days ago, he came back from school and said that he secured a nomination spot at the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University for himself. Can you believe it? Such a young kid showing such capability, achieving what we adults couldn’t, he actually pulled it off." Although she complained with her words, her tone was increasingly filled with pride.
Shen Yunfang raised an eyebrow. She knew that the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University was a product of the current era, recruiting students through a combination of mass recommendations, leadership approval, and school re-examinations. However, as time had passed, everyone had come to understand that to secure a spot at the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University, all you really needed was a recommendation from the leadership. Thus, merely being a good student wasn’t enough; you also had to build relationships with the leaders to have a chance. Of course, if you didn’t have any remarkable achievements, having connections alone was insufficient; you also had to show the right attitude to the leaders. Shen Yunfang was quite surprised; she had not expected Li Hongqi to have such ability. It was unexpected.
