Chapter 95

Ever since Old Man Lan moved into the courtyard, everyone has been amazed at how well he lives, never worrying about food and drink. No one knows how much money Grandpa Lan earns, but he certainly knows how to enjoy his meals. Even at his age, he loves to eat meat, and there\'s always some kind of meat dish at his house every day. That\'s way better than how the rest of us live.

There are other well-off families in the courtyard, some even better off than him, but none of them are as generous with their food as Grandpa Lan.

"I heard that when Grandpa Lan was transferred here, he even asked the factory to lower his salary as long as they could guarantee his meals. He said, \'At my age, I eat one meal less with each passing day. I don\'t want to mistreat myself.\'"

Some people who are in the know shared this, and there aren\'t many secrets in the factory anyway.

"That makes sense. He\'s really old, but why doesn\'t he save some money for his children?"

People of their generation are like that—once they have kids, they work tirelessly like oxen, always trying to help their children as much as possible. That\'s why some people look down on Grandpa Lan\'s way of living.

"His children are doing fine too, so they don\'t need him to save money for them."

Everyone was sitting in the courtyard assembling matchboxes, chatting while they worked. The task was handed out in the afternoon, and everyone couldn\'t wait to start right away. This was a good way to make some extra money, and no one wanted to miss out.

You see, one jin of flour costs nineteen cents. If you assemble two hundred matchboxes, that\'s equivalent to earning one jin of flour. This job is really great.

However, assembling two hundred matchboxes takes at least a few days. Although they are small, they are much harder to assemble than large cardboard boxes. Large cardboard boxes are easier because they have more surface area, but these small matchboxes are different. They have patterns on them that need to be cut precisely, and if there are too many mistakes, the next batch of work won\'t be given to you.

Of course, there are also regular matchboxes that are easier to assemble, but the pay is lower. Everything is relative.

So, earning ten cents for assembling a hundred matchboxes isn\'t easy. That\'s why this work is outsourced.

Everyone was sitting in the courtyard working, and of course, they chatted as they worked. Auntie Sui asked, "Guihua, Grandpa Lan is your in-law. What kind of person is he? The other day, Old Li from the next courtyard beat his daughter, and Grandpa Lan saw it. Guess what Grandpa Lan said? He said, \'You must be a very kind father, not liking your daughter so much that you probably don\'t want her to take care of you in old age.\' Then he added, \'Why do you only like your son? Is it because he can carry your banner when you die?\'"

At this, Auntie Sui couldn\'t help but burst out laughing. "Oh my, you should have seen Old Li\'s face. He was so angry, breathing like a donkey. He said he was going to beat up Grandpa Lan. And do you know what Grandpa Lan did? He was delighted!"

"Ah? Why?"

"He was going to get beaten, and he was happy about it?"

"You must be mistaken."

Auntie Sui: "Of course not! Grandpa Lan said, \'I\'ve been worried about who will take care of me in my old age. If someone touches me, that would be perfect. I could just fall down and gain a son to take care of me for free.\'"

"Pfft!"

"This old man is really something."

Zhao Guihua looked up and said, "It\'s not just about whether he\'s capable or not."

She said half-jokingly, half-seriously, "It\'s whether Grandpa Lan would actually do it."

She said this because she wanted to help Grandpa Lan a bit. Otherwise, with his sharp tongue, someone might really hit him. At his age, even if he gets compensation, it\'s not worth it. At least by saying this, everyone would think twice before doing anything, considering their own wallets.

After all, they are in-laws.

"Ah, this..."

"He\'s... he\'s not joking, is he?"

"Then anyone could just pull this kind of stunt."

Zhao Guihua argued, "How is that pulling a stunt? How old is Grandpa Lan? Can he be compared to us? Compared to Grandpa Lan, we\'re young. If we fall, we might be fine, but if Grandpa Lan falls, it could be serious. This has nothing to do with pulling a stunt. The older you get, the weaker your bones become. A fall could mean a fracture. You all know this. We\'ve all seen elderly people. Even without intentionally trying to pull a stunt, the medical bills would start pouring out."

"That\'s true."

"It does make sense."

"After hearing that, I guess we really can\'t mess with Grandpa Lan."

Zhao Guihua continued, "I think what Grandpa Lan said is right. Why is there such a strong preference for boys over girls? That\'s not in line with the country\'s call. The big leader has said that boys and girls are the same. Who are we to say that men are stronger than women?"

Even those who truly believed in the importance of boys didn\'t dare to say this out loud.

That would be crazy.

Everyone nodded in agreement, "That\'s the truth."

Zhao Guihua added, "Besides, whether someone is filial or not, whether they take care of their parents in old age, depends on the person. If you meet someone with a heart of stone, even having a son won\'t guarantee care. But if you meet a filial person, a daughter can be just as warm and caring as a son."

"That\'s a great point," Aunt Wang praised. She only had a daughter and was happy to hear this. "Exactly, if you have a son who is... uh, a troublemaker. Forget about carrying on the family line; even getting him married would be a struggle."

"That\'s for sure." Don\'t think we don\'t know you were about to say "having a Bai Fendou kind of son is a disaster."

Everyone laughed.

As it was almost time to get off work, no one was in a hurry to go home and cook. Everyone was focused on their work.

Zhao Guihua said, "I think educating your children well is the most important thing. Whether they are boys or girls, that\'s really not that important."

If Aunt Zhou were here, she would definitely say, "Of course you\'d say that—you have both a son and a daughter!" But since Aunt Zhou wasn\'t around, there was no one to argue with Zhao Guihua. Everyone agreed with her, as there was no need to go against her.

Like Aunt Zhou, who was always like a fighting rooster, there were very few people like that.

Most people didn\'t like to cause trouble. Even if they sometimes argued, it was usually for their own benefit. But Aunt Zhou was the type to cause trouble even when it didn\'t benefit her. That\'s what everyone found most puzzling—it seemed like she had some kind of mental issue, or else she wouldn\'t do such things.

At this moment, someone brought up Aunt Zhou: "I wonder how Aunt Zhou is doing. Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu haven\'t come back yet."

"Who knows."

Zhao Guihua asked, "Didn\'t you go with Bai Fendou to the police station? Don\'t you know?"

"This case isn\'t handled by our local police station. We had to go to the one that handles that area. Oh, I was so tired. Bai Fendou walked slowly and didn\'t want to spend money on the bus. I was so fed up."

At that moment, Bai Fendou stuck his head out of the window and shouted, "Did I ask you to go? Stop talking behind my back and mind your own business!"

He had been so tired from the walk that his thighs felt like they were about to blister. Hearing someone gossip about him, he was very unhappy. He said, "Don\'t think you can watch the fun and not get involved. I\'m telling you, Aunt Zhou cursed me today, and tomorrow she could curse you. Just wait and see."

"Hey, what are you saying? Why would she curse us? The police said there\'s no such thing. Why are you still blaming Aunt Zhou? She\'s not a good person, and she hasn\'t done anything good, but the police said she cursed her in-laws, not anyone else. You\'re just trying to make yourself look good by blaming her. You\'re just stupid, and you\'re blaming Aunt Zhou for it."

Zhao Guihua said, "Maybe he has paranoia?"

"What?"

Zhao Guihua explained, "I heard there\'s a condition where someone thinks others are out to get them. It\'s called paranoia. You know, delusions."

Bai Fendou was furious: "Hey, wait, how did I become paranoid? Aunt Zhao, how are you talking? It seems like it\'s none of your business, so you\'re just staying out of it, right? Then tell me, if it wasn\'t her cursing me, why have I been so unlucky lately?"

Zhao Guihua: "Don\'t you know what you\'ve done yourself?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"Bai Fendou, the eyes of the masses are sharp."

Bai Fendou: "You bunch of old shrews."

As a man, he couldn\'t out-argue a group of older women, but that didn\'t stop him from cursing: "You\'re all so mean, you\'ll get your just deserts sooner or later."

"You haven\'t gotten yours yet, so how could anyone else?"

"That\'s right!"

"You even blame your own father and push the blame onto him, and you\'re talking about karma? It\'s no wonder you haven\'t gotten yours yet."

"Oh, but it\'s obvious now."

"Exactly."

The group of older women were all fierce and argumentative. Bai Fendou had overestimated himself. He took a deep breath, snorted heavily, and retreated.

"Tch, what are you backing down for?"

"Yeah, why not keep yelling?"

The ferocity of these older women left Wang Zhaodi, who was new to the scene, completely stunned. Although the older women in her village could also curse and argue fiercely, they didn\'t care much about propriety. However, coming from a small, poor place, Wang Zhaodi had always thought city folks were very dignified and refined. Seeing that city people were just like them—cursing, arguing, and working for money—her initial unease eased a bit.

However, thinking about the topic of having boys or girls that these people had mentioned, she was again confused.

In her village, no one would say that having boys or girls was the same. They all said that having a daughter meant the end of the family line, and they had to try for a son. Her family had already had nine children and was still trying. Her mother, constantly giving birth, was in poor health, taking one pill after another, making their family poor.

Her father also needed to be heavily nourished, and she didn\'t understand why.

But they were determined to have a son.

She didn\'t understand at all.

She looked up at Zhao Guihua, met her gaze, gave a timid smile, and then quickly lowered her head to continue working. She worked to earn money. She had never thought that coming here would allow her to earn money along with everyone else.

"It\'s getting late, you all keep working, I\'m going home to make dinner," Zhao Guihua stood up first and said, "My family has a pregnant woman, I can\'t delay the meal."

Liang Meifen quickly stood up: "Mom, let me do it."

Zhao Guihua: "Today we\'ll have some meat, I don\'t trust your cooking, I\'ll do it. Tomorrow when we have vegetables, you can cook."

Liang Meifen hesitated for a moment, happy inside but trying to look sincere: "Okay."

Zhao Guihua: "If you\'re happy, just be happy. What\'s with the fake calm? Everyone knows you want to earn more money, just get to it."

Liang Meifen chuckled and smiled along.

She turned and went home. At this time, Aunt Wang also quickly stood up: "In that case, I\'d better hurry too, my daughter is also pregnant."

Everyone had already heard about this. Li Fang had gone to the hospital today and found out she was pregnant, already two months along. It was just that she had been careless and only discovered it now. With two pregnant women in the courtyard, everyone sighed: "Although things have been a bit chaotic in our courtyard recently, there are also many happy events."

"That\'s for sure."

Zhao Guihua went home to cook the meat. She sliced the lamb into pieces and also chopped an onion, preparing to make onion stir-fried lamb tonight. This was a dish that was very nourishing. If only they had a refrigerator, their meal planning could be better. But they didn\'t. Although the meat was marinated, it still couldn\'t be stored for too long. So recently, Zhao Guihua hadn\'t bought meat. Instead, they had been eating lamb. The meat ration tickets had a longer expiration date, so she was holding onto them, planning to buy meat after they finished the lamb.

Since their family started eating better, in just half a year, everyone could see the changes. And they were good changes. Zhao Guihua felt that it was worth her second chance.

Zhao Guihua finished cooking the meat and started stewing fish.

Actually, freshwater fish was quite fishy, but everyone still loved it. This was entirely because supplies were scarce, and sometimes even money couldn\'t buy them.

Zhao Guihua was stewing the fish when she heard commotion outside. She looked out and saw Zhou Qun and his wife returning. Zhao Guihua quickly went out as well. How could she, the gossip queen, Zhao Guihua, miss such an event?

After all, such a thing hadn\'t happened in her previous life. Everything now was new. It was also quite a coincidence. If she had been a day late, the situation might have been different. Those people would have finished their deeds, and Jiang Lu\'s father would have suffered.

But now, everything was just right. The people were safe, and the bad guys were caught.

Zhao Guihua didn\'t comment on Aunt Zhou, but she thought that the capture of that gang was well-deserved. They deserved it, damn it. Back then, those people had even targeted her, wanting to pull a fast one. Pfft!

She, Zhao Guihua, might not be very capable, but how could she miss the chance to get revenge?

Hmph!

Zhao Guihua had forgotten that she had only reported them casually and not really for revenge. Anyway, she was going to take the credit for this, even if no one knew. After all, she knew it herself, and knowing she had done a good deed was enough.

Oh right, Ming Mei also knew.

Zhao Guihua walked out proudly and joined the crowd. At this time, everyone had surrounded Zhou Qun and his wife. It could be said that Zhou Qun and his wife were the core of the courtyard, the most important figures.

Zhao Guihua also eagerly looked at Zhou Qun.

Everyone asked questions in a flurry. Zhou Qun was clearly unhappy, but no matter how unhappy he was, for the sake of face, he didn\'t show it. Instead, he tried to speak calmly: "This matter is still under investigation, and I can\'t say much about the specifics, but my mother definitely wasn\'t the one who instigated the robbery. My mother wouldn\'t do such a thing. Everyone, please let us through. I need to go home, change clothes, and then visit my in-laws."

Only then did everyone notice that his clothes were wrinkled, and he looked quite haggard. Of course, being investigated at the police station wasn\'t easy.

"So you coming back like this means this matter has nothing to do with you?"

Someone asked.

Before Zhou Qun could answer, Jiang Lu got angry: "Of course this matter has nothing to do with us. This was all my mother-in-law\'s own doing. How could Qun and I be like that? Besides, what benefit would it be for us if my father got into trouble? He\'s my own father. Am I crazy? How could you think that of me?"

She said unhappily: "Let us through, we need to go home."

The couple quickly went home, their faces grim. They didn\'t even pay attention to Wang Zhaodi, changed clothes, and quickly left again. Wang Zhaodi stayed quiet, not daring to say a word. She had that much sense.

"Why would they go to their in-laws\' place at this time?"

"What else could it be? They must be going to ask Jiang Lu\'s father to drop the charges. After all, Jiang Lu\'s father is the victim. If he doesn\'t pursue it, the matter won\'t be that big."

"You\'re stupid. Zhou Qun\'s mother didn\'t hire thugs to hurt people; she was involved in superstitious activities. Jiang Lu\'s father isn\'t even really the victim in this case."

"You\'re the stupid one. Think about it, how this whole thing plays out is really hard to say."

Everyone started discussing, and Zhao Guihua listened for a while. Suddenly, she let out a scream: "Ah! My fish!"

She darted back quickly, moving like a gust of wind.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Zhao Guihua rushed home, almost letting the fish burn, but luckily, it was fine.

As it got late, everyone gradually went home to cook. Wang Zhaodi pursed her lips, looked at the house, and silently continued working. She was hungry. In fact, she hadn\'t eaten lunch. With Aunt Zhou not at home, she didn\'t dare to take food.

She would dare to eat on the table, even if it meant enduring someone\'s nasty looks. She was scared of hunger, but with no one at home, she didn\'t dare to take the grain out to cook. Taking something without the owner\'s permission was like being a thief, wasn\'t it?

She didn\'t dare to do that.

Wang Zhaodi\'s stomach growled, and she lowered her head to continue assembling matchboxes.

Mrs. Wang came over to collect everything. Seeing her with her head lowered, she said, "Let\'s just leave it like this today. You should go home and cook."

Wang Zhaodi gently hummed and got up to prepare to go out.

She wants to see if there are any wild vegetables outside; even just a little bit that she can gather would be edible.

Wang Aunt: "Girl, where are you going?"

Wang Zhaodi: "I, I want to go out for a walk..."

Goo goo.

Her stomach growled, and Aunt Wang suddenly reacted, saying, "Did you not eat anything?"

Wang Zhao Di hesitated for a moment and then nodded gently.

Grandma Wang sighed and said, "I guess his family can\'t take care of you now."

She thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you come over to my house tonight to get by for a meal, and in the evening I\'ll talk to Zhou Qun and his wife about this matter."

Wang Zhaodi hurriedly shook her head and said, "No, no, I won\'t eat. It\'s fine."

She knows the value of food and would never dare to eat for free at someone else\'s place. She dares to eat at the Zhou family because she wants to nourish her body to bear a son for them. If she went to someone else\'s house, what would she be? Food is an incredibly precious thing.

Wang Aunt: "It\'s okay, you come over. I\'ll talk to Zhou Qun when the time comes."

She saw that Wang ZhaoDi was very determined and said, "I will ask Zhou Qun and his wife for the meal expenses then."

That said, Wang Zhao Di nodded lightly.

Wang Aunt looked at Wang Zhaodi, who was as skinny as a stick, and said, "Let\'s go."

Wang Zhaodi: "Thank you."

She said softly, but with exceptional determination, "Thank you, Aunt Wang."

Wang Auntie: "Hey, I\'m in charge of the management department. If you come to the courtyard, how could I not take care of you? A person is like iron and rice is like steel; if you miss a meal, you\'ll feel uneasy. How can a person go without eating?"

Wang Zhaodi followed Aunt Wang and took the initiative to help start the fire, her face feeling hot and also a bit flushed.

Bai was gazing out of the window with a thoughtful expression. He knew why Wang Zhaodi had come, after all, the Su family was there to help him. How could they possibly not inform them? It would be necessary to describe his situation as extremely difficult in order to secure their assistance.

This will naturally increase the difficulty.

So Bai Fendou knows about this, and he also knows that Wang Zhaodi is not a relative of the Zhou family. In fact, she is the daughter of Su Dama\'s side, a relative of Su Zhaodi\'s in-laws. Bai Fendou has also considered whether to interfere and ruin this matter, or whether to take the initiative himself.

Anyway, everyone else is out, so what can the Zhou family do to him?

However, he quickly dismissed this idea. After all, Aunt Zhou was a bit crazy, and there were certain things that were absolutely off-limits. Having children was one of those matters. If Aunt Zhou were to find any difficulties regarding this issue, it was quite possible that she could truly resort to violence.

So he thought about it for a long time, but in the end, he didn\'t dare to do it.

Moreover, another reason is that Wang Zhaodi is generally thin; she is not short, but she is too slender. He doesn\'t like girls who look too thin and unhealthy. Besides, she lacks many qualities, and he still prefers girls who are a bit more plump, as they are better for childbearing.

This girl is really not his type, so he has given up the thought of intervening.

Moreover, he felt a vague sense of pride in his heart. No matter how good Jiang Lu\'s family conditions were, she couldn\'t give birth. Even if Zhou Qun found another woman to bear him children, she would still be an uneducated, low-status, and average-looking rural girl.

But Bai\'s struggle is different; he can still marry a good wife. At the very least, she should be like Mingmei.

She is good-looking, comes from an above-average family background, has supportive parents who won\'t hold her back, and can conceive quickly. He believes he should at least find a girl like that, after all, he is deserving of it.

He was contemplating when he saw Zhuang Zhixi and his wife pushing a cart back together. At the moment he caught a glimpse of Ming\'s beautiful face, he blushed instantly and quickly retreated.

Zhuang Zhixi: "???"

He pressed his lips together and said, "Let\'s go home." What a bastard, looking at his ass!n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Bai Fendou watched their retreating figures, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ming Mei\'s back, then he shook his head. He was getting married for the first time and couldn\'t settle for someone who had been married before. If anyone was most suitable, it would be the new girl Tao from the infirmary.

Although it has only been two or three days, he has already indirectly inquired and found out that this girl, little Tao, is single.

He feels that Miss Xiao Tao might have a crush on him; otherwise, why would she immediately respond when he asked about it? He believes that she definitely has that intention towards him. She\'s probably just too shy to say it, waiting for him to take the initiative.

Bai felt motivated and happy again.

He must have married the best one.

However, if Miss Xiao Tao is not a formal employee, he cannot do it.

If he doesn\'t have a formal job, he doesn\'t deserve that.

Bai was pondering these things, growing more and more cheerful, feeling that his marriage was within reach. He even began to think about how many children he would have in the future. Anyway, he wanted to have many sons, at least more than three. Xiu\'s family had three, and he wanted to do even better than Xiu.

Bai was getting happier the more she thought about her struggles, laughing heartily. A few children from Jinlai rushed into the yard and, hearing her laughter, exclaimed, "Stop laughing, you sound like a ghost!"

Three children were rushing home. Their grandmother was hospitalized again. After Wang Xiangxiu came back from work and cooked, she still had to go to the hospital to deliver meals. In short, it involved a lot of back and forth, which also wasted quite a bit of time. These kids were like wild children, running around everywhere.

Three children ran back home, and Wang Xiangxiu followed behind them, calling out, "Slow down, don\'t fall!"

Bai was not happy and said, "Sister Xiu, take a look at your child; they were just talking about me a moment ago."

Wang Xiangxiu said softly, "Struggle, don\'t blame them; they are still children! How could they understand so much? Look, those kids don\'t even call each other names. They just don\'t understand."

Bai nodded and said, "I know they are not bad kids. It\'s just the three of them. If it were another adult, I would have hit them."

Wang Xiangxiu thought to herself, "You bastard, your egg is already broken, and you walk like a more delicate person than me. Who do you think you can teach a lesson to?"

You old fart!

Her inner thoughts are quite complex, but on the surface, she appears gentle: "I know you are a good person."

Bai said: "That\'s true. When I get married, I\'ll let them help me with the bed pressing, so I can have a chubby little boy too."

Wang Xiangxiu smiled with her eyes but not with her mouth, yet her voice hadn\'t changed: "Sure, as long as you get married, I will definitely give you a wedding night gift."

She knows that this person is interested in the nurse Xiaotao, but he should take a look in the mirror and reflect on himself; he really doesn\'t know what he\'s talking about. That nurse Xiaotao has only been at the factory for a few days, and already several young men are pursuing her, but she is neither proactive nor rejecting nor taking responsibility.

It\'s strange that someone would actually regard Bai\'s struggles as noteworthy.

Wang Xiangxiu turned around and went home. Even if she were to remarry, she wouldn\'t find someone like that—foolish and clumsy.

If she really had to find someone, she would definitely prefer someone like Zhou Qun over Bai Fendou. However, Zhou Qun hasn’t come back yet? That’s really malicious; his whole family is toxic. Although Wang Xiangxiu is reckless, she does it to support the entire family.

And she doesn\'t kill or set fires; this Aunt Zhou is really quite vicious.

Wang Xiangxiu returned home and quickly got busy. There was a subtle aroma in the yard, as if someone was stir-frying meat. She looked in the direction of the source of the smell, and without needing to say much, it was definitely the Zhuang family\'s cooking.

It could be the Lan family; those greedy ones, why haven\'t they choked to death yet?

Every family has its own affairs. At this moment, Zhuang Zhixi\'s family has already started their meal. Because of the stewed fish, Zhao Guihua has placed pancakes around it. Although the pancakes don\'t taste very good, they\'re different when paired with the fish stew.

This is to say that his family has recently come into some good fortune; it seems that after they became more prosperous, their appetite actually diminished somewhat. Apart from Old Man Zhuang, who engages in physically demanding work at the factory, everyone else\'s food consumption has actually decreased a bit.

Everyone had dinner, and Old Man Zhuang finished off the remaining fish soup. He dipped his bread into the fish soup and ate every bit of it.

“What do you think the situation will be for Aunt Zhou this time?”

Zhuang Zhixi\'s gossip opening.

This is a situation that is difficult to predict, and no one really knows how it will turn out. They have never encountered such a situation before, so naturally, they are unsure. Zhao Guihua has never encountered this either. However, with the current movement against the "Four Olds," engaging in feudal superstition is not a minor matter.

Of course, it is not comparable to robbery.

But it is impossible to simply let it go unaddressed.

If it were for something else, like Aunt Zhou buying strange things like black dog blood for Jiang Lu to drink, hoping to help her daughter-in-law get pregnant, the issue might not be too serious. And Jiang Lu\'s father, for the sake of face, might even help out.

But now, it seems unlikely.

If someone is already cursing him, and he still helps, then that person is far too easygoing.

In Zhao Guihua\'s impression, Jiang Lu\'s father is not an easygoing man. In these times, being a leader at the supply and marketing cooperative means he is not a simple person. The Zhou family benefiting from their relationship with their daughter is due to the family\'s affection for their daughter.

But having affection for their daughter does not mean they have affection for outsiders, especially when the outsider does not have good intentions. It is unlikely they will let it go easily. If they only had Jiang Lu as their child, they might let it slide, but they don\'t.

Jiang Lu has a brother.

After a while of gossiping, Ming Mei started yawning. Zhao Guihua asked, "Are you tired? If you are, go to bed early."

Ming Mei nodded, "A little."

She never really noticed before, but now that she\'s pregnant, it\'s quite obvious.

She yawned again and said, "I\'m really a bit sleepy."

Although she watched a bit of drama in the morning, she wasn\'t very energetic today. She didn\'t know why, but she just felt a bit tired. Zhuang Zhixi was worried about his wife and said, "Come, I\'ll take you back to bed."

Ming Mei smiled, "Okay."

Hutou chimed in, "Teacher says, early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy."

Xiao Yanzi added, "That\'s right, Auntie, go rest."

Ming Mei replied, "Okay."

She really likes Hutou and Xiao Yanzi. Under Zhao Guihua\'s guidance, they are well-behaved and not at all troublesome. Well-behaved children are little darlings, but troublesome ones are little rascals.

Zhuang Zhixi helped Ming Mei back to their room. Ming Mei was feeling lazy and just flopped down, saying, "I don\'t want to wash up, I just want to sleep."

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Alright, then sleep."

He took the initiative to help her take off her shoes and adjusted her pillow, saying, "Let me help you take off your jacket."

He was very attentive.

Ming Mei, as if boneless, followed Zhuang Zhixi\'s movements and quickly took off her clothes.

She had a vague feeling...

Zhuang Zhixi, seeing her like this, was a bit worried and furrowed his brows, but Ming Mei didn\'t notice. She curled up in the blanket and reached out, "I want to sleep with you."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled gently and whispered, "Okay."

******

In the quiet night, Ming Mei walked along an empty street. She recognized it as the Apricot Blossom Alley where they lived. She heard a commotion and continued walking.

"Make way, make way..." Ming Mei quickly moved aside. Being pregnant, she couldn\'t afford to be bumped into. She moved quickly, but the person still bumped into her. However, it seemed the person didn\'t see her at all and just passed through her, running towards their courtyard.

Ming Mei looked down at herself, puzzled. She was clearly standing there, so how did someone pass through her?

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then realized she was dreaming.

She was clearly dreaming, yet she seemed to know she was dreaming...

Ming Mei walked home along the alley and saw the person who passed through her running into the courtyard to deliver news: "Which house is Zhuang Zhixi\'s?"

Ming Mei raised her hand high, "Mine!"

But the person didn\'t even glance at her. He shouted again, "Zhuang Zhixi!"

Ming Mei saw her mother-in-law, Zhao Guihua, come out hurriedly and ask, "What\'s going on? What happened? Zhuang Zhixi is my son."

"Is he home?"

"No, he\'s not. What\'s the matter? Tell me."

The person quickly grabbed Zhao Guihua and said, "Auntie, come with me. Is Ming Mei your daughter-in-law? She fell on the bus, had a massive hemorrhage, and was sent to the hospital..."

"What!"

Zhao Guihua\'s face turned pale instantly. "Let\'s go!"

Zhao Guihua followed the person, stumbling as they ran. Ming Mei, at this moment, also changed her expression and quickly followed, hearing the person say, "The road was slippery due to the heavy rain, and she fell out of the bus. She\'s already been sent to the hospital..."

"She\'s lost a lot of blood, let\'s hurry..."

Ming Mei desperately tried to catch up with the two, but couldn\'t. She panted and crouched down, holding her belly. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain, as if something was about to leave her body...

The scene quickly shifted, and she vaguely heard the doctor\'s voice: "The child has been barely saved, but the mother needs long-term rest. It\'s hard to say what will happen next. You, the family, must be very careful. Also, take good care of the mother; otherwise, it\'s hard to say if the child can be saved. She\'s carrying twins, which is already very taxing..."

Ming Mei wanted to say something, but it felt like she was drowning. She clutched her belly, feeling miserable...

Gradually, she seemed to detach herself, floating and watching herself. She looked very tired, as if she might miscarry at any moment. She was pale and haggard. People in the courtyard gossiped behind her back, saying her child might not be born smoothly, and even if born, might not be healthy...

Ming Mei took deep breaths, and at this moment, she seemed to be in the delivery room...

"Ah!!!" Ming Mei suddenly screamed and sat up.

Zhuang Zhixi, who had been half-asleep, was startled awake. He quickly sat up and asked urgently, "Wife, what\'s wrong? How are you? Did you have a nightmare? Don\'t be afraid, I\'m here."

Looking down, he saw that the girl was actually crying.

Zhuang Zhixi immediately panicked and quickly said, "What\'s wrong?"

He hurriedly wiped her tears, "Are you feeling unwell? Should I take you to the hospital?"

He was about to get up, but Ming Mei grabbed his undershirt and shook her head forcefully. She leaned forward and rested on his neck, biting her lip and said, "I\'m fine, it\'s okay, I just had a nightmare. Let me calm down..."

She hadn\'t had a nightmare.

This was a premonition dream.

Ming Mei suddenly understood; this was a premonition dream.

When she was younger, she might have been weaker, and as a child, her spirit was indeed weak, so she often had all sorts of strange dreams. At that time, she would wake up crying every day. As she grew older and started practicing martial arts, she gradually became stronger and stopped having those strange dreams. Premonition dreams became rare, though she still had them occasionally, especially about important events related to herself.

Although very rare, they did happen.

For example, she had dreamed that Zhao Guihua was reborn.

On the eve of her blind date, she had dreamed of a middle-aged version of herself and Zhuang Zhixi holding hands, strolling in the park, and even kissing. She had dreamed all of that.

This time, she had another dream. She had no doubt; this was a warning for her.

Ming Mei leaned on Zhuang Zhixi\'s chest, thinking about the scenes in her dream. It was summer, with short sleeves, and she seemed to hear the loud chirping of cicadas. She bit her lip and suddenly became determined, saying, "Zhixi, I want to change jobs."

Zhuang Zhixi was taken aback and then said, "Change jobs?"

He didn\'t ask anything else and just said, "Okay."

Ming Mei continued, "As a conductor, I get a three-yuan bus allowance every month. If I change jobs, I won\'t get that. That means I\'ll lose three yuan every month. I really don\'t want to..." She leaned on Zhuang Zhixi and said, "Actually, when I first got pregnant, I thought about this, but I gave up at the time. Although the baby isn\'t born yet, raising a child is very expensive, and I want to save more money. But I just had a nightmare, and I\'m so afraid it might come true. Being a conductor on the bus is good, but the bus is moving, which isn\'t safe for a pregnant woman like me. I can\'t take the risk with my own safety."

Although being a ticket collector on a bus is more tiring than working in the station\'s logistics, many female colleagues at the station still prefer to work on the bus because they earn an extra three yuan a month. Add a bit more to that, and it\'s enough to buy four jin of meat.

So if Ming Mei wants to transfer, it wouldn\'t be difficult. Internal transfers within the station are possible.

Ming Mei softly leaned against Zhuang Zhixi, whispering, "Do you think our parents will disagree?"

Zhuang Zhixi shook his head, "Of course not. They understand what\'s more important. Besides, this isn\'t something they get to decide. As long as we\'re willing, that\'s what matters."

Ming Mei pouted cutely, "You won\'t think I\'m being spoiled, will you? Just because of a little thing like this, I want to change jobs. I\'ll be missing out on three yuan a month."

Zhuang Zhixi tapped her cheek, "What are you talking about? Three yuan is a lot, but you\'re more important. We need to be careful at a time like this." He patted Ming Mei, "Even if you earn three yuan less, your salary is still higher than mine. Strictly speaking, I\'m the one living off you. How could I criticize you? I just want my wife to be safe and sound."

Ming Mei chuckled softly.

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at the outside, "Go back to sleep for a while. It\'s not dawn yet."

Ming Mei murmured softly, "Okay~"

The dream had been too terrifying. She clung tightly to Zhuang Zhixi, unwilling to let go. Seeing her anxious and worried, Zhuang Zhixi gently patted her, though he himself couldn\'t fall asleep...

She was worried about the baby, and he was worried too. Not just about the baby, but also about her.

Yes, it wasn\'t very safe for a pregnant woman to be a ticket collector...

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei weren\'t the type to drag their feet. Once they made up their minds, they brought it up the next morning after breakfast, giving their family a heads-up.

"Mom and Dad, we have something to tell you."

Seeing everyone had finished eating, Ming Mei started the conversation, "I\'m pregnant, so I want to ask my mom to find some connections and transfer me to another department at the station."

Zhao Guihua\'s eyes lit up, "That\'s great news."

She was overjoyed, "This is really good. Have you thought about which department you want to transfer to?"

Ming Mei shook her head, "Not yet. It\'s easy to transfer, but getting a good position is harder. So I plan to ask my mom to help. Although I\'ve been working here for a few years, my mom is still familiar with our old leaders. Since I\'m pregnant now, transferring for this reason would be justified."

She thought for a moment, "It would be best to get a position in the office or logistics."

Zhao Guihua nodded.

Although she didn\'t know exactly what those departments did, it was certainly better than being a ticket collector on a bus. Being a ticket collector was quite tiring. Though there was a seat up front, it was still hard work. Even with the loudspeaker announcing stops, the ticket collector still had to shout to guide passengers. Plus, their holidays were different from regular jobs. Even on holidays like New Year\'s, they had to work. Sitting up front all year round, exposed to the cold wind from frequent door openings in winter, even young people complained of leg pain.

Zhao Guihua knew all this. Although people back then were all hardworking, if her family member could transfer to a better position, that would be great.

Zhao Guihua was both surprised and delighted. After all, this hadn\'t happened in her previous life.

Ming Mei added, "There\'s one downside though."

Zhao Guihua, "Hmm?"

Ming Mei, "I\'ll be missing out on the three yuan monthly bus allowance." She could have kept this to herself, but she decided to mention it because everyone\'s salaries were transparent. Three yuan a month, over time, added up. She didn\'t want her mother-in-law to think she was hiding extra money.

Zhuang Zhixi quickly interjected, "This was my idea. Money is important, but health is more so. She\'s pregnant now, and I really don\'t feel safe with her working on the bus. With the bus stopping and starting at every station, it\'s a bit risky. This is our first child; I just want things to be stable. We can earn money anytime, but Ming Mei and the baby are more important."

Zhao Guihua shot him a look, "Am I the kind of person who only cares about money? Besides, your money isn\'t mine. I don\'t care."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "Then it\'s settled. Tonight we won\'t be home for dinner. Ming Mei and I will go to her parents\' place to discuss this with her mom."

Zhao Guihua, "Alright, make sure you talk to your mom properly. Try to get the transfer done as soon as possible. Even if the position isn\'t the best, it\'s better to transfer early. Don\'t delay; things might not go as planned if you do."

In her previous life, this hadn\'t happened, but Zhao Guihua didn\'t know why Ming Mei suddenly had this idea this time. However, she didn\'t think it was a big deal. After all, not everything could be the same. In the few months since her rebirth, many things had changed. Even if Ming Mei\'s decision was influenced by these changes, it was normal.

Moreover, if the transfer could be arranged, it would be a good thing.

She remembered that in her previous life, due to being pregnant with twins, Ming Mei had been very hardworking. Initially, it was manageable, but as her pregnancy progressed, she suffered greatly. Her feet swelled like pig trotters, and her overall condition wasn\'t great. There were even several close calls, with frequent trips to the hospital.

Despite all this, she managed to give birth to the children smoothly. Perhaps because this pregnancy had been so tough, it scared both Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei, and they never had another child after that.

Even though Ming Mei had been so hardworking, she hadn\'t transferred jobs. It wasn\'t that she didn\'t want to; her mom had tried to arrange a transfer for her due to concern for her daughter. But it hadn\'t worked out. Zhao Guihua couldn\'t remember the exact details, but it seemed there was a new leader issue. It seemed that Ming Mei\'s old leader had retired, and a new, forty-something woman had taken over. Her husband was in the Revolutionary Committee, and she herself was quite radical.

This woman, regardless of her own qualities, was extremely harsh towards her female colleagues.

Even though many people were willing to work as ticket collectors, she refused to transfer Ming Mei, accusing her of seeking special privileges just because she was pregnant. She forced Ming Mei to work until she gave birth. It was truly disgusting.

Zhao Guihua, having lived over a hundred years, had forgotten many details. If not for Ming Mei bringing this up, she wouldn\'t have remembered it.

But now that Ming Mei mentioned it, Zhao Guihua recalled the incident. She earnestly advised, "If you can transfer, do it quickly. Your current leader is getting old, and the new one might be someone difficult. If you encounter a mean and vicious one, transferring won\'t be easy."

Ming Mei looked surprised at her mother-in-law and quickly nodded, "Okay, I understand."

Her mother-in-law had even used the word "thing," indicating the new leader was definitely not a good person.

Moreover, she had never mentioned that her leader was old and about to retire. This must be based on her mother-in-law\'s previous life experience.

Ming Mei immediately took this seriously. Ah, the new leader must be bad.

She pouted, feeling quite challenged.

No wonder, no wonder she had that ominous dream.

Zhuang Zhixi noticed Ming Mei spacing out and waved a hand in front of her, "What\'s wrong?"

Ming Mei, "Nothing."

She said, "It\'s just another day at work."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "Exactly."

He said, "Alright, let\'s go. I\'ll walk you to work."

Ming Mei softly replied, "Okay," and followed Zhuang Zhixi out the door.

Liang Meifen watched their retreating figures and muttered quietly, "Three yuan... just like that?"

Zhao Guihua glared at Liang Meifen, "What\'s it to you?"

Liang Meifen was momentarily speechless and didn\'t know what to say, so she lowered her head. Zhao Guihua spoke seriously: "Don\'t meddle in what\'s not your business. Mind your own affairs and don\'t get carried away just because someone gives you a little attention. Stop babbling endlessly, it\'s annoying, and this doesn\'t concern you."

Liang Meifen: "..."

She nodded awkwardly. Zhao Guihua continued: "Apart from the meal money you hand in, any other income is your own, and I don\'t interfere with that. As a sister-in-law, you should keep your mouth shut and not make people dislike you."

"I understand."

After being lectured by Zhao Guihua, Liang Meifen immediately felt deflated.

Zhao Guihua: "After you send the kids to school, come back and clean up the dishes."

She was about to head out when Zhuang Zhiyuan was surprised: "Mom, are you going out again?"

Zhao Guihua: "Isn\'t it for everyone to have some fish to eat?"

Did she enjoy going up the mountain? It was all for the family to eat better. At her age, close to fifty, she worked so hard not for herself, but for everyone. The Zhuang family knew the effort it took, and Zhuang Zhiyuan said: "Maybe don\'t go today, wait until tomorrow. I\'ll be off tomorrow, and we can go together."

He volunteered: "Or, let my wife go today."

Liang Meifen: "Yes, I can go."

Zhao Guihua shook her head: "No, Meifen can\'t go alone. There are a lot of people in the mountains lately, and I don\'t feel safe with a young woman like you going alone."

It was a matter of not having malicious intentions but staying vigilant. While nothing should happen, in the wild mountains, one could never be too careful. She, as an old lady, didn\'t matter, but Liang Meifen was still a young woman. It was better to be cautious.

She said: "You stay home and stick matchboxes. I\'ll go alone."

Liang Meifen: "Will you be back for lunch?"

Logically, there wouldn\'t be enough time. Zhao Guihua: "Of course not. Do you think I\'m a fool to ride for two or three hours, fish for a bit, and then rush back?"

"Mom, that\'s not what I meant."

Liang Meifen quickly added: "Then I\'ll make you some pancakes to take along."

Zhao Guihua: "No need, there are still some leftover pancakes from yesterday. Just one lunch, I can manage."

Old Man Zhuang watched his wife bustling around and said: "You\'re working hard."

Zhao Guihua: "Stop with the unnecessary words."

She said: "We\'re all doing this for the family. I do, you do, and everyone else does. No one should be pretentious."

Old Man Zhuang nodded emphatically, fully agreeing.

They were all striving for a better life.

"Guihua, Guihua."

Zhao Guihua heard the call and poked her head out: "Aunt Wang? What is it?"

Aunt Wang: "I need to deliver the matchboxes to the neighborhood office. Can you give me a hand?"

Zhao Guihua hesitated for a moment, then said: "Sure, I\'ll help you."

Although she also needed to go fishing, she immediately decided to deal with that later. This trip to the neighborhood office was also an opportunity to inquire about something. Zhao Guihua quickly headed out, and Aunt Wang said: "Help me carry this bag."

"Got it!"

As the two elderly women were about to leave, suddenly, a loud bang came from outside—boom!