Upon returning home, Nan Sheng told the children, "Your eldest brother’s wife is not only beautiful but also an excellent cook. Sizhong is a lucky boy!"
Siqi, the little flatterer, immediately clung to Nan Sheng’s leg and tried to climb into her arms. "Mom is the prettiest! Mom’s cooking is the best!"
Nan Sheng picked up her daughter and patted her little bottom. This child sure knew how to sweet-talk. The features of her current body could only be described as delicate and pleasant—even with careful grooming, she wouldn’t qualify as a beauty. Sometimes, when she hadn’t fully woken up in the morning and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she’d even startle.
Sizhe was also happy for his brother. "Mom, will Eldest Brother hold the wedding banquet before the New Year? I’ll catch a few more ducks to add another dish for him!"
Nan Sheng let them do as they pleased. The Lin family wanted the bride to join their household before the New Year, so the banquet was scheduled for the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month—time was tight.
True to his word, Sizhe went to the old house, enlisted his two brothers, and headed to their usual duck-egg-gathering spots. To their surprise, they managed to catch seven or eight wild ducks.
Sicheng couldn’t help but praise him, "I thought you got lucky last time catching wild ducks, but you’ve actually figured out their hideout. Impressive!"
The three brothers secretly transported the ducks back home, while the eggs they found were taken back by Sizhe.
It wasn’t until after Sizhong’s engagement that Nan Sheng realized what the Wang family was scheming. One day, as usual, she went to work, only to be summoned by Secretary Ma to his office.
"Nan Sheng, if you had relatives you wanted to place in town, you could’ve just told me directly. It’s not such a big deal."
Secretary Ma felt a bit hurt. He considered Nan Sheng one of his own, yet she’d resorted to such roundabout methods.
Nan Sheng pointed at herself in confusion. "Secretary Ma, are you mistaken? I don’t have any relatives looking for work in town!"
Secretary Ma wasn’t a fool—he immediately realized there had been a misunderstanding.
"You didn’t know about this? It was Wang Yuyou’s father who personally came to my house to ask." He’d even brought fine cigarettes, alcohol, and tea as gifts.
Wang Yuyou, a worker-peasant-soldier college graduate, had pulled strings to secure a position in the town government.
Secretary Ma hadn’t wanted to agree at first. While the government was short on clerks, he’d planned to wait until the new town head took office before making adjustments. But Wang Yuyou had claimed a familial connection to Nan Sheng, which made him relent.
Upon hearing this, Nan Sheng couldn’t help but sneer. So, the Wang family had been setting her up all along—how cunning.
She immediately clarified her stance with Secretary Ma. "Secretary, I’ve only met Wang Yuyou once—he’s just a distant relative. If the town government really needs staff, you can assign him normally. But if it’s for my sake, forget it. They never even mentioned this to me."
Secretary Ma hadn’t expected anyone in Huaishan Town to dare trick him. Amused yet furious, his impression of Wang Yuyou plummeted. He vowed that as long as he remained in office, Wang Yuyou would never set foot in the town government.
After returning home, Nan Sheng began writing a letter, venting her frustrations to Lin Han.
Once the letter was finished, her mood improved considerably. She couldn’t wait to see the day the Wang family regretted their actions.
To avoid affecting Sizhong’s wedding, she even asked Secretary Ma to stall the Wang family—letting them suffer the consequences of losing both their daughter and the job they’d schemed for.
On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Lin and Wang families celebrated their joyous occasion. The children were already on winter break, and Nan Sheng had taken a day off to attend her nephew’s wedding banquet.
The Lin family’s old residence was bustling with preparations for the feast. The dishes included braised pork with pickled cabbage, wild duck stewed with potatoes, and a bowl of steamed pork. Alongside steamed bowl-shaped buns, stir-fried cabbage, and a simple vegetable soup, the table was set with six dishes in total.
Nan Sheng arrived early with her child, but Zhou Wei wouldn’t let her help with the chores, insisting she keep the bride’s family company once the new bride was brought home.
These days, weddings were a simple affair—just a few red "double happiness" characters pasted on the door, without any grand celebrations. Sizhong, dressed in new clothes and wearing a large red flower pinned to his chest, rode his bicycle to Xiahe Village to fetch his bride.
A lively group of young men from the village followed him, and soon enough, the bride was brought back. Behind them trailed the Wang family’s wedding procession, along with an ox cart carrying a sewing machine and dowry items.
The whole village praised the Lin family for securing such a good match, and Zhou Wei was genuinely pleased. Judging by the dowry, it seemed the bride’s family had spent the betrothal gifts wisely.
Two brand-new quilts, a bolt of floral-patterned fabric, and a pair of thermos flasks—who wouldn’t envy such a haul?
Her son was truly fortunate to have such a reasonable father-in-law!
Nan Sheng couldn’t recall which one was Wang Yuyou, but she disliked every member of the Wang family equally. Even as she chatted with them, her smile never reached her eyes.
Wang’s Mother, however, was particularly warm toward Nan Sheng, clinging to her as she spoke. "Auntie, our Yuyou will soon start working at the town government. We’d appreciate it if you could look out for him."
Nan Sheng feigned surprise. "Yuyou is Wang Yuting’s younger brother, right? He’s been assigned to work in town?"
Wang’s Mother nodded, her face brimming with pride for her son. She even called Wang Yuyou over to greet Nan Sheng personally.
The Wang family had connections in the county government. Back when Wang Yuyou excelled in his studies, they pulled strings to secure him a spot in the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University program, and now they had even arranged his job placement.
Knowing Nan Sheng held a special position in the town government, they had instructed the Wang family to stay on her good side. Coincidentally, the Lin family had sent a matchmaker to propose the marriage.
The Wangs had done their research—the eldest Lin son had a good reputation, and Sizhong was a hardworking, dependable young man.
Though his family was poor, he had an uncle who was a battalion commander and an aunt working in the town government, which more than made up for it. Besides, Wang Yuting found Sizhong handsome and was willing to marry him.
And so, the wedding was settled!
It should have been a joyous occasion, but Wang’s Father’s stinginess ruined it—he refused to spend money on gifts for Nan Sheng yet still used her name for favors.
The thought made Wang’s Mother uneasy. She could only hope that Nan Sheng, upon learning the truth, would spare them embarrassment for Wang Yuting’s sake.
Nan Sheng played along, pretending ignorance. "Yuyou seems like a fine young man. But I haven’t heard about any new transfers to the town. Should I ask Secretary Ma for you?"
Wang’s Father, who rarely spoke, immediately refused, afraid the truth would come out.
"No need. We have relatives working in the county government—the arrangements were made through them. Secretary Ma wouldn’t know anything about it."
Nan Sheng nodded. "Then I won’t meddle."
Wang’s Mother shot her husband a glare, annoyed by his poor choice of words. "Don’t mind him, Auntie. Old Wang just doesn’t know how to speak properly. He’s only worried about inconveniencing you."
The wedding ceremony itself was simple, officiated by the village chief. In front of the villagers, the newlyweds pledged their loyalty to the Party, vowing to work together and contribute to the nation’s progress.
