Witty Wife, Better Life

Chapter 275: Chapter 265: Mrs. Shen’s Petty Schemes

Old Lady Shen was chatting with Shen Yunfang, yet she could still lend an ear to the men’s conversation nearby. When she heard that Li Hongjun was indeed taking Shen Yunfang with him to join the military, she started incessantly praising Pangpang while tugging at Shen Yunfang’s arm.

Old Lady Shen was quite wise about life; she knew that at this moment, it was better to compliment Pangpang a few more times than to say nice things to Shen Yunfang directly, for this would definitely make Shen Yunfang happy.

Indeed, she had pinpointed a mother’s heart. Shen Yunfang listened to Old Lady Shen flatter her son in various ways, and her face bloomed with smiles.

Even though she knew Old Lady Shen had a purpose, she simply couldn’t help herself, after all, she was a mother.

Feeling that the timing was about right, Old Lady Shen took Shen Yunfang’s hand and asked softly, "Yunfang, are you really going to join the military?" She had heard Yunfang talk as if she intended to before, but she had never taken it seriously. After all, joining the military was not that simple. Who could just abandon their home? There were always things to consider and worry about.

"Yes, a lot has happened in the past six months. It scared even Li Hongjun when he got back. If something had gone wrong, who knows what would have become of me and the kid." When Shen Yunfang talked about it, she still felt residual fear.

Old Lady Shen also felt awkward when she heard this, as one of those incidents had been caused by her own daughter.

"Tut-tut-tut, let’s not invite bad luck by talking about it. We’re blessed people, protected by divine spirits. We will definitely be safe and sound."

"Mm, I think so too, but Li Hongjun is worried and insists on having both mother and child join him. I thought it over, and it’s not just about me being full while the rest of the family goes hungry anymore. Now that we have Pangpang, I’ve got to think more for his sake," said Shen Yunfang, expressing her true feelings.

If it were just her, she would have loved to live in the countryside forever, leading a self-sufficient life. In her previous life, this would be considered returning to a simple and unadorned state. After experiencing too much scheming and conflict, she longed for a life where one works from dawn till dusk. But now with a child in the picture, she had to think more about him. The difference might not be apparent when the child is young, but once it’s time for kindergarten or school, the educational standards in the countryside couldn’t compare to those in the city. For the child’s future, they really had to move to the city.

"Right, that’s exactly it. What is our generation living for if not for our children? If we didn’t have the means, there’d be no point in discussing it. But you and Hongjun do have the means, so why not give your child a better life?" Old Lady Shen had heard plenty from the couple Shen Yunxiu and her spouse lately and had been somewhat successfully brainwashed.

For Old Lady Shen, a rural woman who had lived her whole life "facing the yellow earth and turning her back to the sky," it was surprising for Shen Yunfang to hear her say something so insightful and philosophical.

"Yeah, so when Li Hongjun suggested that the two of us join him, I thought it over and agreed. Anyway, if mother and child go with him, Li Hongjun surely won’t let us starve. I’ll just close my eyes and follow," Shen Yunfang joked. Actually, it was Li Hongjun who had pleaded with her in bed, asking her to join him so she could cook him delicious food every day.

One should know that over the past few years, Shen Yunfang had been raising chickens and ducks and growing crops, and she saved up all the extras in her space. So in the end, it’s not clear who will be supporting whom.

"Hehe, I just heard from Hongjun that you hired a big truck, and when it’s time to leave, you’ll haul away the household items, right? So, does that mean we need to start packing now? Those things that we don’t need should be boxed up, ready to load onto the truck when the time comes," Shen Damei ventured cautiously.

"That’s what Li Hongjun said, and these past days, I’ve noticed him bustling about the house, though I’m not sure how much he has packed. I have just gotten out of my postpartum period, and Li Hongjun won’t let me lift a finger, worried that I might hurt myself. It would be terrible if I stopped producing milk." It’s tough being a new mother, unable to exert oneself or stretch too much. Thus, moving house and the packing had to be handled by Li Hongjun alone. All she needed to do was take care of the baby.

"Absolutely, Hongjun is right. Your task right now is to take good care of yourself and feed the baby properly, and you needn’t worry about anything else. Besides, we have so many people in our family. There’s no need for you to be busy. I’ll go over with your Daye tomorrow and help you pack up a bit."

"Oh, there’s no need, Damei. Please don’t come, there are not many things at home, let Li Hongjun handle it in time. You and my Daye are of an age now, and it wouldn’t be right for you to exhaust yourselves. That would weigh heavily on our conscience," Shen Yunfang was embarrassed at the thought of Damei packing for her.

"Oh my, packing things up, that’s hardly considered work. Your Daye and I aren’t that delicate, don’t mention it anymore, if we’re free tomorrow, we’ll both come over," Shen Damei said magnanimously.

Shen Yunfang saw that Shen Damei had put it like that, so she found it difficult to refuse anymore and said nothing. Anyway, if they really did come tomorrow, she planned to just chat with them in the house. She couldn’t possibly let them do any work.

"Yunfang, once you and Hongjun leave, will your house just remain vacant?" Shen Damei finally got to the main point.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunfang immediately understood why Shen Damei was so eager today.

"It’ll stay empty. We’re not saying we won’t come back. Whenever Li Hongjun gets leave, or I have some free time, or there’s something that needs attending to here at home, we’ll still need to bring the baby back, and then we’ll have a place to stay," Yunfang hinted at her intention diplomatically.

"That does make sense," Shen Damei replied, but could not bring herself to say what she wanted. However, looking at Shen Yunfang’s smiling face, she felt indignant for her own daughter. Why do others live so well, while her daughter doesn’t have anything? Now married with a child, her daughter doesn’t even have a place of her own. "But you know, a house tends to deteriorate faster the longer it’s left empty. If these mud-brick rooms of yours are left vacant for a couple of years, they’ll likely need major repairs before they can be lived in again."

"No worries, this time going to the army, Hongjun and I will tighten our belts and save up. When the opportunity arises, we’ll come back and build a big tiled house," Shen Yunfang said with a smile.

"Hehe, right, someday you should come back and build a big tiled house," Shen Damei said somewhat disingenuously, but eventually couldn’t help herself and asked, "Yunfang, actually, there’s no need for the house to stay empty. What do you think about letting Yunxiu and her husband move in with their child after you leave? For one, they don’t have a place of their own and are living with me and your Daye. I don’t mind, but your Daye becomes more irritable with age, and there’s always tension living together. If they moved in, it would give me and your Daye a break. Secondly, they could keep an eye on the house for you, and whenever you come back, they could vacate the place for you, couldn’t they?"

Shen Yunfang was silent for a good while, thinking over her response.

"Damei, is this your idea, or is it Shen Yunxiu’s? I’m sure you came up with it yourself. Shen Yunxiu dislikes me so much, how could she possibly want to live in my house? She has her pride, after all."