The weather was scorching, and the meat she bought couldn’t be finished in one meal, so Nan Sheng decided to salt the ribs and save them for tomorrow.
At noon, since no one in the family had eaten, Nan Sheng asked Sizhe to pick two tomatoes from the garden. She stir-fried them in oil until the juices came out, then added water and eggs to make a simple flour dumpling soup.
Her little shadow didn’t mind the heat in the kitchen, sitting on a small stool by the stove to tend the fire for her stepmother. The poor child had lost her birth mother at the age of three, and despite Nan Sheng’s past neglect, she remained clingy.
"Mom, it smells so good!"
"Then eat as much as you like. Next time I go to town, I’ll buy some pork fat to render lard for cooking."
The two children hadn’t had wheat flour in a long time, so they devoured the dumpling soup ravenously. Nan Sheng, who didn’t do heavy labor, didn’t have a big appetite and set her spoon down after one bowl.
"Sizhe, we have enough food at home now. Eat as much as you want, but don’t overdo it and hurt your stomach."
Sizhe glanced up at his stepmother. At his age, he had a hearty appetite, and he wasn’t sure if her words were out of concern or annoyance at how much he was eating.
"I’m not full yet!"
Nan Sheng: "…So she hadn’t been letting her son eat his fill before? No wonder his favorability hadn’t gone up."
"Alright, next time I’ll make this much. If you’re still hungry, just tell me."
Sizhe nodded and went back to slurping his soup.
After the meal, Sizhe took the initiative to teach his little sister how to wash the dishes. The two of them cleaned up the kitchen noisily, giving Nan Sheng a chance to take a proper nap.
When she woke up, the yard was bustling with noise. She washed her face in the kitchen and stepped outside to see who had arrived.
Quite a crowd had gathered—her mother-in-law, Granny Zhang from next door, and a few other neighbors. "Come inside, everyone! Sizhe, why didn’t you wake me when your grandma arrived?"
Her mother-in-law shielded her grandson. "I told him not to. I heard you went to town today—must’ve been tiring, walking back and forth."
Granny Zhang chimed in, "Nan Sheng, did you buy a bicycle?"
The news had come from Liu Dahua, the village gossip. The moment she caught wind of anything new, the whole village would know within minutes.
When Nan Sheng rode back on the bike, Liu Dahua had spotted her and even rushed to her mother-in-law’s place to report.
Nan Sheng hadn’t planned to hide it. She asked Sizhe to bring the bike out for everyone to see.
"Before Lin Han left, he gave me money to buy a sewing machine. But since I don’t know how to use one, I thought it’d be a waste. Instead, I bought a bicycle—much more convenient for getting around!"
Hearing this, the neighbors understood why Nan Sheng’s wedding had been so modest—she just hadn’t decided what to buy yet.
Her mother-in-law was pleased. Before, Nan Sheng had clung tightly to the betrothal gifts, making her fear her daughter-in-law might run off with the money. Now, it seemed she had settled down.
Aunt Li added, "Take your time furnishing the house. No point wasting money on things you won’t use. A bicycle is a good choice—it’s not even an hour’s ride to town."
Sizhe wheeled the bike out, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. In a village of 300 households, fewer than 20 families owned bicycles—let alone a brand-new one like this, which looked downright impressive.
"Oh, this is a fine bike! Sizhe, step aside—let me take it for a spin!"
The speaker was Aunt Guihua, about the same age as Nan Sheng’s mother-in-law but far too forward, often coming off as rude.
Sizhe didn’t like her and blocked the bike. "It’s too tall for you, Aunt Guihua. You might fall. Better not try."
Nan Sheng backed him up. "Honestly, I’m taller than Aunt Guihua, and even I struggled with it. If Sizhe hadn’t steadied the bike when I got home, I’d have taken a spill."
The crowd burst into laughter, agreeing that a bike this tall was better suited for men.
Rebuffed twice, Aunt Guihua dropped the idea but kept running her hands over the bike, praising its looks. Before leaving, she couldn’t resist trying to get the last word.
"Nan Sheng, next time my family needs to borrow it, don’t be stingy!"
The others exchanged glances, thinking Aunt Guihua had some nerve. Who’d dare ask to borrow something so expensive? What if it got scratched?
But Nan Sheng matched her audacity. "Of course, Aunt Guihua! Borrow it anytime. I was just wondering how to earn back the cost."
Aunt Guihua balked. "What? You’d charge me? No one in this village does that!"
Nan Sheng raised her voice. "What, Aunt Guihua? You wouldn’t actually expect to use my brand-new bike for free, would you?"
Speechless, Aunt Guihua turned on her heel and left, grumbling to anyone who’d listen that Nan Sheng had gotten too big for her britches after buying a bicycle.
Granny Zhang and the others didn’t linger either, not wanting Nan Sheng to think they were there to freeload.
"Granny Zhang, wait!" Nan Sheng called out, then ducked into the kitchen to fetch a small bag of baking soda and a handful of candies. "I bought the soda you lent me. Here’s some for you, plus a few sweets for your grandkids."
Granny Zhang hesitated at the full bag. "You’re too generous! I only gave you a little."
Nan Sheng smiled sweetly. "Please take it. What you gave me was at least half a bag. If you refuse now, I’ll be too shy to borrow anything in the future."
After a glance at Nan Sheng’s mother-in-law, Granny Zhang accepted with an embarrassed chuckle. "Alright, I’ll take it. But what’s with the candy?"
Nan Sheng: "I bought a pound for the kids. Here’s some for your grandson to enjoy!"
Once the neighbors had left, Nan Sheng ushered her mother-in-law inside, noticing Sizhe still eyeing the bike.
"Sizhe, if you want to ride it, go ahead—just stay in the yard. Put it back inside when you’re done."
"Okay!" Sizhe replied, unable to hide his excitement.
Her mother-in-law’s opinion of Nan Sheng had improved lately. Not seeing her granddaughter, she asked, "Where’s Siqi? Out playing?"
"No, she’s napping in the other room." Nan Sheng took a cloth bag, filled it with two handfuls of milk candies and a small packet of rock sugar, then handed it over.
"Use the rock sugar to make mung bean soup—it’s too hot these days, easy to get heatstroke. The milk candies are for your eldest son’s kids."
Her mother-in-law pushed it away. "Don’t worry about us. Just focus on taking care of yourselves."
"Take it—it’s not expensive! Besides, I’ve saved some for Sizhe and Siqi." Nan Sheng insisted until her mother-in-law relented.
"Come for dinner tonight. I meant to buy fatty pork in town but only got pig’s feet. If you don’t come, I’ll have to send Sizhe to deliver it."
That settled it. "Fine, your father and I will come. No need to send anything!"
With no classes at the school today, she’d only meant to check on the kids—never expected a free meal!
