Yu Sheng's lips twitched slightly. Since he had already taken the money, he figured a pair of jade bracelets wouldn’t hurt. At worst, he could find something better for Jinyan elsewhere. Right now, the most important thing was helping Jinyan return to the city.
"This is for you. I just never had the courage to give it to you before."
Yu Sheng personally slipped the bracelet onto Nan Sheng’s wrist. Under the flashlight’s glow, it shimmered brilliantly. "I’m not as capable as Lin Han. I’ve only managed to save a little over three hundred yuan. Don’t look down on it."
Nan Sheng didn’t mind at all—she considered it compensation for the emotional distress the original owner had endured over the past year.
She pretended to choke up. "You’re really willing to give me the money?"
Yu Sheng nodded solemnly. "Isn’t it said that the man handles outside matters while the woman manages the home?"
Nan Sheng smiled and dangled a carrot in front of him. "You’re such a good person. I’m sure you’ll make it back to the city!"
Yu Sheng mistook this for a promise from her. Hidden in the shadows, his face curled into a knowing smirk. You have to spend money to make money—and now it’s all coming right back to me.
With the money secured, Nan Sheng had no desire to stay with this scoundrel any longer. "It’s too late now. I should head back. If someone wakes up and finds me missing, it’ll be trouble."
Yu Sheng was taken aback. In the past, he had always been the one shooing her away. Her sudden change in behavior left him unsettled.
"Alright, I’ll watch from the door until you get home. Don’t be afraid!"
He wasn’t the least bit worried about the money being squandered. He assumed Nan Sheng was saving it up to return to him in one lump sum.
Meanwhile, two figures lurking in the shadows were fuming. They had rushed home ahead of her and now waited at the gate, ready to confront Nan Sheng.
Sizhe wasn’t used to sharing a room with outsiders, so he had pretended to sleep earlier. When he heard his stepmother sneaking out, he followed—only to stumble upon an affair in progress.
Mingli had done the same. He had caught his sister sneaking off for secret rendezvous more than once before. Tonight, he had deliberately stayed awake to see if she’d leave again—and ended up running into Sizhe.
Now, Mingli’s face burned with humiliation. "Sizhe, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get an explanation for this!"
Sizhe gave a cold hum of acknowledgment, though he suspected his stepmother had been deceived by that man. Once home, he’d tell his grandfather—they had to get the money back before she handed it over to someone else.
As Nan Sheng approached her house, she spotted two large shadows by the gate. Just as she was about to scream, Mingli clamped a hand over her mouth. "Do you want the whole village to know you were sneaking around with an educated youth? Keep quiet!"
Nan Sheng shone her flashlight and recognized her brother and son. No wonder the favorability dropped—he really did follow me.
"Keep your voices down. Come inside, and I’ll show you something good."
She led the way into the courtyard, and the two reluctantly followed. Nan Sheng slid the bracelet off her wrist and held it out. "See this? Back in the day, this could’ve bought several houses."
She planned to keep it safe until the reforms opened up the market, then trade it for a courtyard home in Beijing!
Mingli sensed something off and exchanged a glance with Sizhe before confronting her. "You’re married, you know! Why are you taking gifts from another man? Give it back!"
"No!"
Nan Sheng protectively clutched the bracelet to her chest. "That scoundrel played with my feelings and tried to swindle me out of money. I’m just collecting a little interest!"
Hearing this, Mingli was so moved he nearly teared up. "Sis… you’ve finally opened your eyes! Yu Sheng is absolute trash. Stay away from him from now on."
Nan Sheng waved him off impatiently.
"Ugh, I know! I just wanted to get back everything I spent on him this past year. He even gave me over three hundred yuan. Want some pocket money?"
Without waiting for an answer, she shoved three ten-yuan bills into her brother’s hands and handed one to her son. "This is hush money. If he comes asking, act like you know nothing."
Sizhe coolly pushed the money back. "I don’t want it!"
Even without payment, he wouldn’t side with an outsider.
Mingli also refused most of it, taking only one bill. "Mom and Dad keep a tight grip on money. One’s enough for me to keep handy."
And just like that, the matter was temporarily settled.
Lying in bed, Nan Sheng immediately summoned the system panel. The favorability hadn’t increased—still stuck at 9 points. Sizhe must still doubt my sincerity.
No matter. She’d prove it to him tomorrow.
Nan’s Father and Mother went to bed early. By the time Nan Sheng woke up, the dumplings were already steamed—made with taro starch for extra chewiness.
Most folks in the countryside preferred boiled dumplings, but Nan Sheng was picky. After trying steamed dumplings once, she refused to eat them any other way.
Nan’s Mother doted on her daughter, even scooping out two chunks of meat from the oil jar to mince into the filling. The rich flavor filled their mouths with every bite. The family’s meager meat reserves were nearly depleted after this visit.
With work in the fields about to start, Nan Sheng planned to leave late to avoid running into the scoundrel, his mistress, or the village gossips.
Nan’s Mother packed the leftover dumplings for her to take. The kids loved them too, but Nan Sheng protested. "Mom, keep these for lunch. Otherwise, you’ll have to cook again after work."
Nan’s Father scowled. "Take them. If we want more, we’ll make more. You can’t even forage properly—how would you manage on your own?"
Hearing her father expose her shortcomings, Mingli and Nan’s Mother couldn’t help but laugh. "Exactly! Others come back with baskets full of wild greens, but you can’t spot a single one. We’ll have your brother bring you a basket in a few days."
Sizhe and Qiqi both glanced at Nan Sheng. So that’s why stepmom never goes up the mountain.
Nan Sheng flushed with embarrassment. "Don’t trouble him. There’s no bicycle here—walking back and forth is exhausting. Dad, do we have a bicycle voucher? I’ll buy one for the family!"
Nan’s Father shot a look at the kids and firmly refused. "No buying anything! We don’t have a voucher, and you’re married now—stop sending things back home."
Nan Sheng wouldn’t hear it. Her parents had been so good to her; she had to repay them. "What does being married have to do with it? Can’t I be filial? Besides, you didn’t keep a single cent of the three hundred yuan Lin Han gave as bride price. It’s only right I buy something big for the family."
In rural areas, most families used their daughter’s bride price to secure a wife for their son. For Nan’s parents to give it all to their daughter was practically unheard of.
Even Sizhe was surprised, thinking his maternal grandparents were far more decent than his biological mother’s family.
Qiqi chimed in support. "It’s only fair!"
She didn’t fully understand, nor did she know how expensive a bicycle was. But after enjoying chicken legs and meat-filled dumplings, she figured her stepmother ought to treat her grandparents too.
Outnumbered three to one, Nan’s Father could only grumble, "Fine, but if you buy one, I’ll smash it the moment you bring it home."
His words were harsh, but his heart warmed. His daughter had grown considerate, realizing her aging parents could use easier travel.
When Nan Sheng left, she carried a bag of dumplings. Sizhe noticed they weren’t heading home. "Going to town?"
"Mm. While it’s early, let’s buy some fatty meat to render into lard. We’ll bury some in a jar to preserve it—it’ll last a long time."
At the mention of meat, Qiqi chattered excitedly. Sizhe thought, If stepmom were still planning to steal money, she wouldn’t spend so freely. Still, he’d keep a close eye on her.
Upon arriving in town, Nan Sheng used the meat coupons to buy some fatty pork belly, along with three pounds of marbled pork and two pounds of well-balanced shoulder meat. The butcher couldn’t help but remark,
“What kind of household are you running, coming here every day to buy meat?”
