The shrimp that had been netted and cleaned were originally meant to be dried by Sizhe the next day, but now they were all contributed to let his mother showcase her culinary skills. He was quite curious—what would shrimp paste stuffed with chili peppers even taste like?
"Mom, the river’s warming up now, and fish and shrimp are starting to surface. Plenty of adults and kids in the village are out catching them. In a few days, there won’t be much good stuff left to net."
But this was inevitable. Before, villagers rarely ate fish or shrimp because they thought cooking them wasted oil and the taste wasn’t always worth it. Now, with food scarce, who could afford to be picky? Filling their stomachs came first.
"We’ve dried plenty of shrimp and fish—enough to eat. Don’t go fighting with others over netting more."
Sizhe gave his mother a speechless look, thinking, Out of the four of us in this family, you’re probably the only one who’d pick a fight.
After washing the eggplants, Nan Sheng sliced them open and stuffed the crevices with minced meat. To keep the filling from falling apart in the pan, she added an egg to the seasoning for extra stickiness.
The shrimp paste was easier to handle. She removed the veins from the green peppers, halved them, and stuffed them with the seasoned shrimp filling.
Half an hour later, both dishes were ready, and they looked quite appetizing.
Nan Sheng plated a portion of each and had Sizhe deliver it to the old house first. She set the rest of the meal on the table and returned to the kitchen to marinate the meat. If she woke up early the next day, she’d fry it and store it in an oil jar.
By this time, Lin Guozheng and the others had already finished eating and were sitting on the heated brick bed chatting. Fan Shuting smiled when she saw her grandson bringing a plate.
"Your mother made something delicious again? Next time, don’t send it over—you and your siblings should eat more yourselves!"
Sizhe, eager to return for his own meal, didn’t linger. "Grandma, Mom wants you to call Uncle and the others over to try it. She says they’ve never had it made this way before. It smells really good, too."
Fan Shuting transferred the food to her own plate, washed her daughter-in-law’s dish, and handed it back to her grandson. Of course it smells good—there’s meat and shrimp in it!
It was no wonder the old couple had grown more tolerant of their second daughter-in-law. Just the food alone had brought them plenty of benefits!
Back inside, she told her son to go fetch his wife, hoping to reconcile the couple.
"Jianguo, go call your wife and the kids over. There are still a few steamed buns in the pot—let’s all have a taste of meat!"
Zhou Wei had been back from her parents’ home for nearly half a month, but Lin Jianguo had been staying at the old house the whole time. Their two sons, seeing their mother so downcast, felt miserable too.
They hadn’t expected their father to return today, but when the door opened from the outside, the boys brightened and rushed out.
"Dad, you’re back?"
Lin Jianguo gave a quiet "Mm," his tone calm.
"Your aunt sent Sizhe over with meat. Go eat with your grandparents. And when you have time, don’t forget to take the cart up the mountain to gather firewood for your aunt."
Sizhong agreed immediately—their father had mentioned this before. Once they had enough firewood at home, they’d gather extra for their aunt.
"Dad, aren’t you and Mom coming to eat too?"
Lin Jianguo shook his head. "You go ahead. I need to talk to your mother first."
Sicheng understood—this was a good sign. He tugged his brother along. If they were willing to talk, things were looking up.
Inside, Zhou Wei had heard Lin Jianguo’s words. She got up and opened the door, her face tense with uncertainty. Would he still send her away?
The two sat on the brick bed, a wide gap between them. After a long silence, Lin Jianguo spoke first.
"I looked into the man your mother wanted to arrange for you. His family’s better off than ours—you’d never go hungry. But he’s five years older, and you’d have to raise his grandchildren as soon as you married."
Zhou Wei paled and cut him off. "Old Lin, are you trying to push me to my death?"
Lin Jianguo met her gaze, his expression steady. "I’m not forcing you. I’m giving you a choice. Listen carefully."
"You know I’ve always had a bad temper. If you disrespect my parents again or get tangled up with your family, I might hit you again. I’ve thought it over these days—I went too far last time, nearly costing you your life when I sent you back to your parents. So think hard. Do you still want to stay with me?"
"If not, I’ll give you what’s left of our savings as compensation."
He regretted taking Zhou Wei for granted. The thought of what could’ve happened if their sons had been even a day later haunted him.
He wanted to make things work, but he also feared she wouldn’t change. So he left the decision to her.
He’d chosen this moment to speak because he wanted her to recover first.
Zhou Wei burst into tears. She’d thought he despised her, but the choice was obvious—her husband and sons meant everything.
"I choose you, my husband. I won’t live with anyone else!"
Lin Jianguo’s tension eased. He moved closer and patted her hand reassuringly.
"Then stop crying. If you’re choosing me, let’s make this work. I promise—as long as you stay away from your family and treat my parents well, I’ll never raise a hand to you again."
And just like that, the couple reconciled.
Though they still had their disagreements in the years to come, Lin Jianguo kept his word—he never hit her again.
When Sizhe returned home, he reported to Nan Sheng, "Mom, Uncle’s still staying at Grandpa and Grandma’s place. He’s not really going to kick Aunt out, is he?"
Nan Sheng told him to eat more and worry less. Lin Jianguo didn’t seem the heartless type. Still, when she wrote to Lin Han later, she casually asked—What’s your brother’s problem, anyway?
Over in Wangshan Village, Nan Jingyu, after finishing work, heard that his younger brother had come looking for trouble. He immediately took his son to the old house.
Nan Jingdang had always been afraid of his elder brother. A man of no achievement, he’d relied on Nan Jingyu’s support for years. The moment he saw his brother enter the courtyard, he bolted for the back window, abandoning his wife and child.
Like father, like son.
Mingli was already waiting for him outside. His face was dark as he said, "Uncle, are you walking back, or do I drag you?"
Nan Jingdang gritted his teeth. When did Mingli grow up enough to stand up to me? Why did I only end up with a useless daughter?
Nan Jingyu didn’t waste words—he gave his brother a thrashing first. His sister-in-law and niece cowered in a corner, not daring to intervene.
"Jingdang, you can be irresponsible, but don’t you dare slander your sister-in-law. After all these years eating our food, have you no shame?"
"And don’t even think about taking Father back. No matter what you do, I won’t give you another grain. I’ve done my duty as an elder brother—I owe Mother that much."
That night, Nan Sheng slept restlessly.
What she didn’t know was that letters of complaint about her had already landed on the desks of both the Party secretary and the Revolutionary Committee director…
