Nan Sheng was unaware that Yu Sheng, in his efforts to help Su Jinyan return to the city, had now set his sights on the daughter of the village head. There would surely be more drama to come.
Sitting on the back of the bicycle, she tapped her younger brother on the shoulder. "Let it slide today, but don’t be so sharp-tongued in the future, or you’ll never find a wife!"
Mingli chuckled, feeling thoroughly pleased with himself. "Got it, sis. Besides, I’m not in a hurry to get married. I’d rather save up some money first."
Seeing her brother’s determination to earn, Nan Sheng was satisfied. Once the ice-selling business wrapped up, she planned to introduce him to Xiao Yi if the right opportunity arose.
If Mingli was willing to put in the hard work, being a middleman could be quite profitable—though it wasn’t without risks, but that was unavoidable.
In Wangshan Village, several teams were digging wells. In the past, water would start seeping in at three or four meters, but now they had to dig six or seven meters before hitting any. The water seemed to be pooling in lower areas.
A proper deep well needed to go down at least fifteen to twenty meters. Workers had to haul up dirt and immediately reinforce the sides with stones to prevent collapses.
The work was grueling, and many men stripped to the waist in the heat, their backs peeling from sunburn. Nan Sheng stood watching for a while but didn’t hear a single complaint.
The village head of Wangshan Village was quite responsible, managing things well.
Village Head Cai, having caught wind of Nan Sheng’s visit, intercepted her and Mingli on their way back, trying to butter her up.
"Nan Sheng, I never expected you’d land a job at the town government! You’ve really brought honor to our village. Jing Yu is blessed to have a daughter like you!"
Nan Sheng remained modest in front of outsiders, though she knew exactly why he was here.
"Uncle Cai, you’re making me blush. This visit was the town head’s idea—to check on the villages and prevent another Xiaoguan Village situation. We’re just here to gather feedback."
Village Head Cai nearly choked hearing her half-truth. Of course he knew she was here to investigate, and more importantly, that a single word from her could cost him his position.
"Ah, I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been too focused on the fields lately. I wonder if the villagers have any grievances."
Nan Sheng silently scoffed at the old fox’s act. She wasn’t about to hand out favors easily—let’s see who cracked first.
"Uncle Cai, don’t say that. Most villagers respect you. A few dissenting voices are actually good—it keeps the town head from suspecting any false reports."
They chatted in circles until they reached the village entrance, where Village Head Cai finally caved.
"Nan Sheng, you know me—I’ve always put the villagers first. When you report back, put in a good word for me, won’t you?"
Nan Sheng agreed readily. "Of course. You’ve looked after my family, so it’s only right I return the favor. Don’t worry."
In other words: If you want to keep your position, remember how you treat my family from now on.
Back home, Zhong Yanyan opened a jar of chilled fruit preserves, serving a bowl each to the kids while she and Grandpa Zhong took small tastes.
Nan Sheng scooped some from her bowl into her mother’s. "Mom, really—you’re not getting any younger. You should enjoy the good stuff too. When Dad gets back, open the other jar for him to cool off."
After the snack, it was getting late, so Nan Sheng decided to head home early to give her daughter a proper bath.
The house was quiet when she arrived—both kids were out. A large basin in the yard held sun-warmed water, perfect for a quick rinse.
Last time, the kids had loved her hand-pulled noodles, so today she’d treat them to spicy oil-splashed noodles.
At four sharp, the children returned hand in hand.
Seeing the gate open, they cheered. "Mom! You’re back so early today!"
Nan Sheng had just kneaded the dough, which needed time to rest. Hearing them, she stepped out.
"Goodness, look how red your faces are! Why didn’t you wear hats? Get inside before you burn!"
Sizhe washed his sister’s face first, his expression troubled.
"We weren’t playing. We went to Grandma’s. Mom, you were right—Aunt Lin Xue came back with her kids. Looks like they’re staying for good."
"Food’s pricier in town. If Grandma and Grandpa don’t mind, we’ll keep quiet."
Sizhe grunted in agreement. Even Auntie (his uncle’s wife) was unhappy but held back because Grandma had given her brown sugar recently.
Still, he worried—what if Grandma and Grandpa ran out of food with extra mouths to feed?
"What can we do? Tough luck. She’s their daughter—they won’t kick her out."
This was just the beginning. In a few months, Lin Xue would bring her in-laws too. Then things would really get lively.
Dinner’s oil-splashed noodles were a hit. Even Siqi, who hated greens, cleaned her bowl.
Wiping her greasy lips with a handkerchief, she sighed. "Mom, how do you make such yummy food? I’m stuffed!"
Nan Sheng tapped her forehead fondly. "Walk it off in the yard, or your stomach will ache tonight."
The girl always overate by half a bowl, and her brother was no better—he’d polished off the remaining half-plate of noodles. Soon, both were banished outside to digest.
At dusk, Nan Sheng bathed her daughter in the kitchen, their laughter echoing while Sizhe lounged contentedly on the kang bed in the west room.
Lin Xue, meanwhile, had lingered in her parents’ room after dinner. Her eldest and third brothers’ families had visited upon hearing of her return—shouldn’t her second sister-in-law (Nan Sheng) at least show face?
But night fell, and the yard stayed silent. She was eventually shooed to the west room to sleep.
The next morning, Nan Sheng cooked mung bean porridge before taking the kids to Xiaoling Village to visit her uncle’s family.
She packed two chunks of cured meat and twenty pounds of cornmeal—enough for lunch at her uncle’s.
Xiaoling Village was a good hour’s bike ride from Xiangyang Village, so they left early.
Good thing, too—otherwise, they’d have been ambushed by Lin Xue at the gate. Finding it locked, she even peered through the kitchen window from the backyard.
They reached Xiaoling Village by 7:30 a.m. Only then did Nan Sheng realize she didn’t know which house was her grandparents’. She decided to start with work first.
News of the town officials’ village inspections had spread overnight. The Xiaoling Village head had urgently warned villagers to watch their words and not cause trouble.
So when Nan Sheng arrived, the villagers were tense—obliged to answer but afraid to say too much.
She smiled disarmingly. "I’m a town clerk, but also Zhong Min’s niece. I’m here for work and family. No need for formalities—just a friendly chat."
Hearing she had local ties, the villagers relaxed. Though still cautious, they began to speak more freely.
One auntie, skeptical, even personally escorted the trio to the Zhong family’s doorstep—a true Good Samaritan!
"Old Man Zhong, you’ve got a visitor at home—come out and greet them!"
Grandpa Zhong and Grandma Zhong had grown noticeably weary these past few days, all because of their daughter’s antics.
Hearing the shout from outside, their knees nearly buckled—who could be at their door now?
