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Chapter 517: Chapter 507 He’s Pretty Good
By the time the two of them got home, not only had Ma Liguo already returned, but Sister Li and a few others had also packed up and come back.
"You’re back, is everything all right?" Sister Li asked worriedly.
"Nothing to worry about with sister-in-law here, what could possibly go wrong?" Shen Yunfang said with a smile.
"Exactly, exactly, with Xiaomu here, there’s definitely no problem." Sister Li echoed.
"Ha ha, I’m not that effective. Besides, Yunfang wasn’t in any serious trouble this time, the one who was in trouble is lying in the hospital right now." Mu Huazhen couldn’t take the credit for nothing; she was a police officer with principles. She could help with minor issues, but if there was real trouble, she truly couldn’t cover for it.
"Right, Xiaomu is right. You’re just worrying for nothing; what could possibly happen to Yunfang?" Liu Jianjun said from the side.
"Now you’re fired up, but who was the one dillydallying over this several times during the day?" Sister Li bluntly exposed her husband’s earlier behavior.
"I, I was just mumbling." Liu Jianjun touched his nose, deciding it was best not to argue with the women.
"Ha ha, Sister, you can’t bully my brother-in-law like that," Shen Yunfang said, finding the squabbling couple amusing. She remembered when she first married Li Hongjun; Sister Li and her husband weren’t like this. Sister Li was the one who threw herself into her work, while her husband would chitchat lively at the dinner table. But now, it seemed that Sister Li’s east wind was overpowering her husband’s west wind.
"Go on, when did I ever bully him?" Sister Li blushed at her sister-in-law’s teasing.
"Ha ha, we all saw it, Sister. You can’t deny it now," Dashuan interjected.
"Whether you saw it or not, the public’s vision is clear. Despite how I may seem capable of raising a fuss, it has always been your sister who calls the shots at home, and I’ve been wrongfully accused for so many years," Liu Jianjun said, feigning a greatly wronged appearance, which made everyone burst into laughter.
"Alright, stop laughing, and let’s wash our hands and eat," Granny Wang had set the plates and bowls, yet these people hadn’t come in, and she could hear laughter outside. She quickly went out to check what was going on. "The kids have been waiting with hungry stomachs for a long time; wash your hands and let’s eat. We can talk after eating."
"Okay, right away."
The group hurried to wash their hands and faces, and when they were all cleaned up and entered the room, they saw the kids’ table was already set, just waiting for the adults to start the meal.
Once everyone was seated, Granny Wang announced the start of the meal, and the children cheered, eagerly beginning to eat.
"It’s good to have lots of kids; they eat so heartily." Mu Huazhen watched her son enjoying his food, even more appetizingly than she herself did.
"Hmm, good for what? You’re not seeing how much more food is needed," Li Xianglian lamented, both for the children and for the precious grains.
At home, with the family’s poverty and many children, in order to avoid hunger, the food had to be rationed carefully, often stopping at three-quarters full.
"Eat more if they eat more. What are we working so hard for if not for the children? Sister, I have to criticize you. You and your husband have been working so hard these past years, and the family’s situation has improved. So you can’t be so stingy with the kids. Shitou and the others are growing; if you don’t feed them well and they end up looking like squat jars, will you regret saving those few coins?" Shen Yunfang said with a smile to her big sister.
During the summer vacation when the children came to play, she had already asked. Although Big Sister made money here last year and went back home, her family’s life hasn’t improved one bit—it’s just the same as before.
As soon as Shen Yunfang heard this, she knew that Sister Li had her frugality kicking in. She was too thrifty to spend money, not just reluctant to spend on others but also on herself.
"Look at you, exaggerating so much. Which family in our village isn’t living like this? By your words, it’s like our whole village is sitting on a fortune." Sister Li was amused by her and laughed.
"You better believe it, people are different from one another. Isn’t it true? Some are born perfectly healthy while others are born missing arms or legs, right? Others’ kids can eat this way and be fine, but who can guarantee that your kids will be too if they eat the same? Would you really gamble with your children’s well-being? Big Sister, I’m telling you, Shitou and the others are good kids, very bright. They are all college material for the future. If you don’t raise them right, as their aunt I’m going to snatch them and raise them myself. Don’t doubt me. During the summer vacation, how were the children when they came over? Didn’t I alone keep all five of them well-fed? Wait till this summer vacation, when Juanzi and Huzi come too, I’ll be able to take care of seven just the same," Shen Yunfang said boastfully.
She really considered herself the king of children.
"Look at her, so full of herself. Don’t you dare snatch my kids. If you think you don’t have enough kids, go and have your own," Sister Li retorted without backing down, the words slipping out without a second thought.
Shen Yunfang’s expression stiffened, then she forced herself to keep smiling, but her facial expression became somewhat fake.
"Yunfang, speaking of which, Hongjun’s mission this time is quite lengthy, isn’t it? Haven’t you received any letters or anything?" Liu Jianjun recalled it had been two years since he had last seen his cousin-in-law.
"Right, I almost forgot. Yunfang, when did Hongjun leave? It’s been such a long time since he’s been back. Haven’t you asked the military about it? Nothing’s happened to him, has it?" Li Xianglian also remembered her younger brother.
"What are you talking about? Why can’t you say anything nice? During the New Year, can’t you just say something auspicious?" Liu Jianjun, noticing his sister-in-law’s changing complexion, quickly scolded his wife.
"Ah, my bad, my bad, I just can’t seem to say anything pleasant," Li Xianglian realized too late that she had misspoken. n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
"It’s nothing, Big Sister. I know you too well. I’ve also been thinking about Hongjun. He’s doing fine. You don’t have to worry. He wrote to me recently and said he’s good, just that it’ll be a while before he can come back. It’s also not easy for him to get in touch often; he can only send a letter occasionally to assure us that he’s safe." Shen Yunfang couldn’t let everyone worry with her over the New Year, so she had no choice but to tell a white lie.
"Let’s not talk about him anymore. He’s like a loose kite with no interest in coming home, no point in worrying about him. Come on, let’s hurry up and eat. After we finish, we’ll count the money—that’s what’s important." Shen Yunfang chuckled and served vegetables to everyone around her with her chopsticks.
Everyone else also felt that bringing up Li Hongjun was like hitting Shen Yunfang’s sore spot. Who doesn’t want to celebrate the New Year with family all together? Everyone else had their spouses with them, only Shen Yunfang was alone. It was better not to bring up a topic that could sadden her.
"Right, right, let’s eat, and after we eat, we count the money. I’ve been looking forward to it all day," Dashuan interjected to lighten the mood.
With that, the topic passed, and laughter returned to the dinner table. After they finished eating, the women cleaned up the table, sent the children away, and the adults gathered to start counting money.
This was the daily closing act and the moment everyone anticipated most eagerly.
When they finished counting, it was clear that Sister Li’s stall had sold a total of three hundred and thirty-one yuan and twenty cents for the day. Firecrackers made up the bulk of it, over two hundred, and the rest was from selling Spring Festival couplets. However, Shen Yunfang’s incoming money shocked everyone. On the first day alone, she had sold over one thousand seven hundred yuan’s worth, and after she and Dashuan pushed two carts of goods to sell today, they had made a total of nearly four thousand yuan.
Mu Huazhen and Ma Liguo were grinning ear to ear. With such a pace, their initial investment would be recouped in another couple of days. Not only did their investment seem to avoid any loss this time, but it also looked like they were going to make a handsome profit.
