NOVPUB
Chapter 438: Chapter 428: Returning to My Mother-in-law’s Home (Part 1) (Extra for Anitaqing)
As for Shen Yunfang, she pushed her bicycle into the yard of the Li Family.
"Is anyone home?" She saw no one as she entered the yard which was quiet and still, so she could only call out and ask.
"Who’s there?" Qiu Shuping was lying on the kang inside the house, this hot day made one sweat with just a little movement. Hearing someone at the door, she hesitantly sat up and called out.
Shen Yunfang recognized Qiu Shuping’s voice, parked her bicycle properly, and entered the house with her belongings.
"Mom, you’re home! I came to see you and Dad," said Shen Yunfang as she entered the room.
"You, why have you come back?" Qiu Shuping was startled to see who it was.
"I came back to visit my hometown and especially to see you and Dad." Shen Yunfang pretended not to notice her surprise and placed the things she was carrying onto the kang, "Has Dad not come back yet?"
"Not yet, any moment now," Qiu Shuping was still not fully recovered from the surprise, "It’s so sudden. Are you alone, where’s Hongjun?"
"Has the second son come back?" At this moment, the gate was pushed open again as Old Li finished his work and came home.
"Dad, you’re back. Hongjun has a mission and didn’t return; I came back alone." Shen Yunfang still preferred talking to Old Li.
"Is that so, he’s on a mission? That’s good, let him do his duty well in the army, and bring honor to the country," Old Li murmured to himself as he entered the house and saw his son had not returned.
"Dad, I didn’t bring much back with me, just some liquor," said Shen Yunfang as she took out two bottles of baijiu from her pocket, which she had bought at the supply and marketing co-op—ordinary stuff, not too expensive.
"Ah, that’s very nice!" Old Li responded with a smile and a nod.
Although he was disappointed that his son hadn’t come back, seeing his daughter-in-law return and even bring him two bottles of liquor made him feel comforted.
"Hongjun mentioned last year that you hurt your leg, so I specifically brought some pork for you. Mom can stew it for you to help you recover," Shen Yunfang took out a piece of pork from her bag, about five pounds; it was quite a large chunk.
"Ah, it wasn’t anything serious. You went through all this trouble," Old Li was a little embarrassed; his son had come a long way to see him, and now his daughter-in-law had come as well, making him feel somewhat overly flattered.
"It’s no trouble. We haven’t come back in a long time, and Hongjun often talks about coming home to see his parents." Shen Yunfang glanced at Qiu Shuping, then smiled and said, "Mom, I was in a rush and didn’t buy much, just two packs of pastries for you. I hope you don’t mind." She then took out the last two items from the bag.
Both were bought at the supply and marketing co-op; she had thought long and hard to complete a set of four gifts.
Qiu Shuping looked at the two paper-wrapped packages and snorted through her nose, showing her displeasure.
Shen Yunfang pretended not to hear and turned to continue chatting with Old Li.
"Now that you’re back, what about the kids? Why didn’t they come back with you?" Old Li finally remembered his grandchildren.
"Oh, they’re at Gaijiatun. It’s quite a distance, and I came over on my bike. It wouldn’t be safe to bring them along," Shen Yunfang explained a bit, though of course the real reason is better not mentioned at this point.
"That’s true, they’re all young. It’s not safe to bring them along on a bicycle," echoed Li Lao Tou.
"Dad, is your leg alright? Hongjun is still worried about you after he left," Yunfang began to express concern for her father-in-law’s health, playing the part of a devoted daughter-in-law.
"It’s nothing, just a little skin scrape, no big deal at all. There’s really nothing to worry about. When you go back, tell Hongjun not to fret—I’m in good shape," Li Lao Tou said as he even shook the injured leg in emphasis.
Last year, he had spent two days in the hospital receiving anti-inflammatory injections, and later, his son-in-law took him to the clinic to have his bandages changed twice, and his leg completely healed. Now, he could work in the fields and do everything without any delays.
"Come off it. You’re getting on in years; why on earth would you still try to show off your strength? Who is it that groans in bed every night, huh?" Qiu Shuping quickly interjected when Li Lao Tou claimed he was fine.
"What nonsense are you spouting, woman," Li Lao Tou felt embarrassed to be called out in front of his daughter-in-law.
"Am I spouting nonsense? Am I? Why don’t you tell them? You’ve got nothing to hide from these heartless kids. You’re so old and still scraping around in the dirt for food, making others think the Li Family has no children. They live it up in the city, never sparing a thought for us old folks," Qiu Shuping was deliberately picking a fight because she was dissatisfied with the gifts her daughter-in-law had brought.
She thought some lousy pastries would appease her? Fat chance. Did she think she didn’t know? Someone told her that Yunfang had somehow managed to head to the Capital for school, and they even bought a house there; their days are too lavish to be concerned about.
It was said that Yunfang’s mother-in-law had seen it with her own eyes, so the story was highly credible.
She had been busy with her youngest son’s affairs recently and hadn’t spared much thought for her second child and his spouse, but now they’ve shown up on her doorstep. She was going to give them a piece of her mind today—why buy a house in the Capital? After getting a house, why weren’t they bold enough to tell the folks back home?
And there was last time’s incident; if the couple was wealthy enough to buy a house, why did they let Hongqi pay back the two hundred yuan they had borrowed?
Shen Yunfang pretended not to hear and maintained a slight smile, sitting there meekly and quietly listening to the old couple’s quarrel.
She only came to visit the elders and would be leaving in a short while—she could let her mother-in-law say whatever she wanted, acting as if she didn’t hear.
"Why are you talking nonsense? At my age, find me one person who doesn’t work. If we don’t work, what will we eat?" Li Lao Tou disagreed with his wife’s point of view. It was the same with every family in the village; nobody thought about resting until they were well into their seventies or eighties.
"That’s other families. They have no choice but to scrape for food in the soil. Are you the same as them? Don’t you know you have a son, and that your son is capable?" Qiu Shuping’s words carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Stop talking nonsense. As long as I am able to work, I won’t bother my children," Li Lao Tou still held onto traditional values.
"You old fool, no wonder you haven’t achieved much in your life," Qiu Shuping retorted angrily when her husband didn’t cooperate, before turning directly to the quiet daughter-in-law and saying, "See for yourself, your father is getting old and isn’t as efficient in the fields anymore. You’re back just in time—tell us, what do you think we should do now?"
Shen Yunfang found her mother-in-law’s words amusing and couldn’t help but laugh out, "Mom, you’re asking the wrong person. We have the eldest brother at home, and if all else fails, there’s still Li Hongjun. I don’t think it’s quite appropriate for you to ask me. You really must be confused by anger."
Qiu Shuping was left speechless by her response; of course, the daughter-in-law of the Li Family was there just to work, so why bother asking her such things? She should just be ordered to do them.
Thinking this, Qiu Shuping coughed and said with dignity, "That’s right, in our Li Family, it’s the men who have the final say. So, here’s what will happen: Your father is too old for fieldwork now, and since you and Hongjun live far away and can’t take care of him, I won’t make it difficult for you. You’ll just provide the money, and let your eldest brother and your third brother do the work."
Shen Yunfang looked at her mother-in-law with surprise, "Mom, don’t Hongjun and I send a hundred yuan every year for you and Dad’s living expenses? What’s wrong, can’t a hundred yuan a year sustain you two elders in Taoshu Village?"
