Lin Han’s return this time was brief, and Nan Sheng didn’t get the chance to give him medicine. But judging by last night’s "battle," it was clear his physical condition was excellent.
While she was asleep, the father and his two children held a small meeting. Lin Han repeatedly reminded the kids to listen to their mother and share the household chores with her.
This led to Nan Sheng being practically barred from work. In the afternoon, when she tried to sweep the floor, her daughter snatched the broom away. In the evening, when she attempted to cook, her son shooed her back into the house.
Amused and exasperated, she said, "Who’s the adult here, and who’s the child?"
Sizhe replied matter-of-factly, "Tomorrow, we’re going to the fields for the autumn harvest. You can cook then—no need for you to work today."
Normally, the autumn harvest took about forty days, but this year, Xiangyang Village brought in all the grain in just half a month.
Good news also arrived from the government: Huai Mountain County had suffered a drought, leading to reduced crop yields. After learning of the situation, higher authorities approved the county magistrate’s request—this year, the villagers didn’t have to hand over their grain as public provisions.
The moment this news spread, the entire county erupted in celebration. People were practically bowing in gratitude before portraits of the great leader every day.
Upon receiving the notice, the village chief of Xiangyang Village promptly distributed the grain. Families struggling with food shortages finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Nan Sheng, of course, didn’t even consider it—she had no grain to contribute and didn’t claim a share based on household size. Meanwhile, even families with fewer laborers received two to three hundred pounds of grain.
Lin Xue watched as the village divided the harvest, her heart burning with anticipation. But after days of waiting, her parents and two older brothers showed no intention of letting her take any grain home. What was she to do?
Long-term separation from her husband wasn’t ideal, and she feared he might stray. So, she seized an opportunity to bring up borrowing grain with Fan Shuting.
Fan Shuting said, "Xiaoxue, this year’s harvest was small. Luckily, your father earned full work points, so we got just under three hundred pounds. How much were you thinking of borrowing?"
Lin Xue had originally hoped for a thousand pounds—five hundred from her parents, three hundred from her eldest brother, and two hundred from her third brother. That would last them a long time.
But judging by Fan Shuting’s tone, she knew it wouldn’t be easy. So, she lowered her request.
"Our family has a lot of mouths to feed. Mom, could you lend me five hundred pounds for now?"
Lin Xue planned to take the grain home first. If they ran out, she could always return to borrow more—her brothers still had plenty.
As for Lin Han’s family? She didn’t dare even think about asking them!
Fan Shuting agreed. Her daughter had a point—Lin Xue and her husband were still young, and having her stay at home for a year or more wasn’t appropriate. So, she went to discuss it with Lin Guozheng.
Lin Guozheng called his daughter over. "If you and your kids stay here, even eating your fill for a year wouldn’t use up five hundred pounds—you’d even grow plump. But if you go back, you’ll have to tighten your belts. Are you sure about this?"
Lin Guozheng was willing to support his daughter and grandchildren, but he couldn’t keep helping his in-laws indefinitely.
His stance was clear: Lin Xue could have the five hundred pounds, but she had to choose—stay with her parents or return to the county town.
"I’ve made up my mind, Dad. I want to go back to the county. Staying in the village too long just invites gossip, and I can’t take it."
Lin Guozheng nodded. Fine, let her go. Keeping her here would only bring more trouble.
The next day, Lin Xue sent word to her in-laws. Her husband arrived in record time.
"Uncle, don’t worry. Once grain prices drop, we’ll definitely repay you," Jiang Hua assured his father-in-law.
In the city, they were surviving on overpriced grain, and his monthly wages weren’t enough to support the family. His in-laws might be poor villagers, but they came through when it counted—handing over five hundred pounds in one go! He’d have to visit more often in the future.
Lin Guozheng had no patience for small talk with his son-in-law and simply urged them to leave.
"Head back early. Just take good care of Lin Xue and the kids from now on."
What he didn’t know was that the moment the couple returned home, Lin Xue’s mother-in-law started berating her.
"What’s wrong with your family? Hua barely visits, and they couldn’t even offer him a meal? What a waste of all the nice things he brought!"
Now that she had the grain, Lin Xue stood her ground.
"Mom, how much could candy and canned food possibly be worth? Go ask around—which daughter-in-law can bring back this much grain from her parents these days? What’s there to complain about?"
Jiang Hua also defended her. "Yeah, Mom. Auntie was teaching at school—she didn’t have time to cook. Besides, we were in a hurry to catch the bus."
With her son undermining her, Lin Xue’s mother-in-law snorted and retreated to her room. Lin Xue thought she’d won, unaware that her mother-in-law was already scheming about how to divide the newly acquired grain.
Lately, Nan Sheng’s work had been incredibly relaxed. She spent most days idling, only occasionally checking on the progress in Xiaoling Village.
One evening after work, she found Sizhong and the other kids gathered around, plucking feathers from wild ducks. A glance at Sizhe told her he was the one who’d caught them.
The boy was quite skilled—he’d bagged three. But the gamey smell was strong, and she wasn’t confident about cooking them well.
The kids, however, had blind faith in her. "Auntie, just go for it. No matter how it tastes, we won’t leave a scrap behind."
After cleaning, each duck yielded only three or four pounds of meat. Nan Sheng set aside a portion to make ginger-infused duck for its warming properties, planning to braise the rest for the children.
Once the duck was stewed, Nan Sheng called everyone to eat.
The meat was less gamey when hot. The ginger-infused version, though not entirely authentic due to missing ingredients, tasted even better to her than the braised one.
After the meal, Sizhong remembered something Zhou Wei had mentioned. "Auntie, my family’s going to pickle cabbage in the next couple of days. Mom asked if you’d like to do yours too. If you’re too busy, she can come help."
Nan Sheng had originally planned to ask Zhong Yanyan for assistance, but since her sister-in-law offered, she didn’t refuse.
"That’d be great. The cabbage at home won’t stay fresh much longer if we don’t pickle it soon."
Before leaving, Sizhong and his brother took two bowls of leftover duck meat—not much, just enough for a taste. One bowl went to their grandparents.
Zhou Wei and Eldest Brother Lin didn’t mind the gaminess, digging in with their hands.
"Mom, Auntie said she’d appreciate your help with the pickling. She’s too busy with work to do it herself."
Zhou Wei, busy eating, waved in acknowledgment. It wasn’t a big deal—she and the kids could finish the job in half a day.
Last time Lin Han visited, the whole family had gone over for a meal. She’d been feeling indebted to her sister-in-law ever since. Now, she could finally repay the favor and put her mind at ease.
Lin Guozheng and Fan Shuting were also eating the duck. Fan Shuting couldn’t help but recall how, before the rift with their daughter-in-law, delicious food would always be sent over before meals—or they’d be invited to share it.
Things really weren’t the same anymore…
