Witty Wife, Better Life

Chapter 322: Chapter 312 I Came Back by Myself

Shen Yunfang, holding her child, went straight to Old Lady Wang’s house where it was just Old Lady Wang taking care of two kids because Dashuan and his spouse had both gone to work. Old Lady Wang jumped when she saw Shen Yunfang coming back by herself, carrying a child and a bag, "What happened? Why are you back by yourself? Where’s your husband, Li Hongjun?"

Shen Yunfang quickly repeated what she had told Old Lady Shen.

Old Lady Wang confirmed twice that it was indeed an urgent matter that called Yunfang back alone and not because the couple had quarreled. Only then did she feel relieved.

"Goodness, you’re quite the brave girl, trekking all this distance by yourself with a child in tow!" Old Lady Wang pulled Shen Yunfang onto the kang bed, and while preparing noodles for her, she admonished her.

Shen Yunfang treated the Wang Family’s home as her own, without any reservation. She took off her shoes, climbed onto the kang, and laid her child down from her chest, letting Pangpang lie comfortably before finally relaxing. "What’s the big deal? It’s not like I haven’t traveled alone before." She had even visited the military unit on her own in the past.

"How can that be the same? Back then, it was just you, and if something happened, no one would have missed you. But now you have a child. If something had happened to you on the way, do you think Li Hongjun would have let it go?" Old Lady Wang placed a bowl of noodles in front of Shen Yunfang. "Eat up quickly, snack on the go and noodles when off the ride. You two, go play somewhere else. Don’t mess around near your brother Pangpang; if you wake him, be prepared for a beating."

Xiaojuan and Xiaohu weren’t scared of their blustering grandma; they still crouched on the kang, watching Pangpang sleep.

"Why bother with them? You know Pangpang. Even thunder and rain won’t wake him if he’s not done sleeping," said Shen Yunfang as she stroked Xiaojuan’s little braids. "Xiaojuan, I haven’t seen you in half a year, and you’ve changed so much."

"Auntie, have I really changed?" Xiaojuan, touching her own little cheek, looked puzzled.

"Of course, our Xiaojuan is getting prettier by the day. Look, your auntie brought you something nice." Shen Yunfang said as she pulled her leather bag closer, rummaging through it and handing a pair of hair ornaments to Xiaojuan. "Here, let your auntie put them on for you. You’ll look lovely."

Xiaojuan’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the hair ornaments in Shen Yunfang’s hands. Hearing that her auntie was going to put them on for her, she shyly turned around, sat in front of her, and let her do it.

These hair ornaments were bought by Shen Yunfang at the marketplace, yet they were also items from the supply and marketing cooperative. Although she found them a bit unsophisticated, others seemed to like them.

"There, go check if it looks nice," Shen Yunfang patted Xiaojuan’s head.

Xiaojuan dashed to her mother’s room to look at herself in the mirror, the only one in the house.

"Dear me, this young girl knows to care about her looks already. She’ll be quite something when she grows up," Old Lady Wang said with a smug look on her face but couldn’t help smiling.

"When Xiaojuan grows up, she will catch the good times. Then, she can be as beautiful as she wants," said Shen Yunfang earnestly, thinking of the upcoming era of reform and opening up.

"Oh, I dare not even think about it," Old Lady Wang shook her head repeatedly.

Shen Yunfang just laughed, but she didn’t say anything more. The time to dare to dream would come.

Noticing Xiaohu squatting beside her, looking at her with hopeful eyes, she couldn’t resist pinching the soft cheeks of the little one. He was so cute.

Xiaohu wore a puzzled expression like ’why did you pinch me?’, which made Shen Yunfang laugh again. Noticing something off with Xiaohu’s expression, she quickly handed him a bag of candy, "This is what your auntie bought for you. Take it, and share with your sister, okay?"

Xiaohu’s little face blossomed into a smile when he saw what was in his hands, and he said sweetly, "Thank you, Auntie."

"This child only cares about eating," the Wang matriarch said, clearly unimpressed by her grandson’s lack of ambition.

"Ha-ha, what else can you expect from a little one like him? It’s all about eating and playing. What more could he think of?" Yunfang wasn’t bothered at all. She thought it was great that a child could have a carefree childhood, and to grow up healthy and happy was a mother’s wish.

"Humph, you’re the type to spoil kids," the Wang matriarch said, with a knowing look.

Yunfang kept her head down as she ate her noodles. It really wasn’t like that in her case; it was Hongjun who spoiled the children.

After hungrily devouring a few mouthfuls of noodles, the Wang matriarch was poised to serve her more. Yunfang quickly stopped her, "Matriarch, I’ve had enough, don’t serve me anymore."

"No, there’s still a bowl left in the pot; it would be a waste to leave it," she insisted. These were white flour noodles that would spoil if not eaten soon and would taste bad.

"Then don’t let it go to waste. Just give half a bowl each to Xiaojuan and Xiaohu later. I really can’t eat anymore. Listen, Matriarch, I’ve left my child here for you to watch for me. I’m going back home to take out the quilts to air them and clean up the house; otherwise, it won’t be fit to sleep in tonight," Yunfang said frankly, without any reserve.

The Wang matriarch appreciated Yunfang’s straightforwardness. "You’ve got everything figured out. Alright, go on then. I’ll make sure to watch the kids for you. When your sister-in-law comes back, I’ll send her over to help you."

"Okay, then I’m heading home now," Yunfang agreed.

And so, Yunfang left her son at the Wang family’s home to play with his cousins while she went back to her own home to tidy up.

She unlocked the door and stepped into the courtyard, instantly noticing the greenery in her own yard. On closer inspection, she realized that every patch of soil had been planted with vegetables, typical of Dashuan’s wife’s practical style—nothing wasted.

Without heading to the backyard, Yunfang went into the house and took a quilt out of the storage chest in the eastern room. She headed outside with it to hang it on a wire used for drying clothes and bedding.

She spread the quilt out to air it and touched it, finding it quite dry and crisp, likely thanks to Dashuan’s wife’s help.

After hanging the bedding, she went back inside to fetch a basin and rag and then headed to the backyard well to draw water, planning to wipe down the inside of the house.

Upon reaching the backyard, Yunfang was greeted by thriving greenery. The vegetable garden was lush and organized as she had done in previous years. All the creeping plants like pumpkins and winter melons were planted at the edge of the yard.

The timing of Yunfang’s return was perfect—July, the peak season for vegetables and fruits. She saw the vines heavy with large and small fruits hanging in clusters.

After a brief look at the vegetable garden, she went to pump water from the well but was surprised to hear the sound of pigs from her yard. She hurried to the pigsty and, sure enough, there were two pigs being raised there, looking to be around seventy to eighty pounds each, probably tended by Dashuan and his wife.

Yunfang just took a glance and then went back to fetch water and clean the kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove).