Chapter 61: A Few More Days Until I Go Home

After the Lu family members finished their work, the aroma wafting from Shen Meng’s house made their stomachs rumble. Back home, Xie Jinghao was still lying on the kang, and the kitchen was cold and empty, devoid of any food. This stark contrast made their hearts churn.

“Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping all day! Like a landlady, I don’t know when she’ll stop sleeping! People have been working hard all morning, but she’s just sleeping like a pig!”

Liu Sanjin tugged at the dirty clothes on the rope and tossed them towards the water jar.

“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll make the meal. Second Sister-in-law, please come help!”

“Help what? Jiaojiao, you do it yourself. Have Second Sister-in-law wash the clothes. Everyone is busy, the house is full of chores. Some people are like they have blind eyes.”

Liu Sanjin glared at Xie Jinghao’s room, feeling agitated.

Zhou Jiaojiao’s expression faltered slightly, then she muttered “Oh” and entered the kitchen. She had been hoping to help Wu Xianglan with the fire, and have her make the meal.

However, she was in a good mood these past couple of days. She and Lu Jiaxuan had spent 50 cents on a phone call to specifically call Lu Zhenping, telling him about the family’s separation. Big Brother had agreed to recommend Jiaxuan to work for the commune.

As long as Jiaxuan became a commune cadre, she and her family would have a better life. Even her mother’s family would benefit.

Once they had money, they could ask the mother-in-law for some more, and a brick and tile house was within reach.

She felt energized, and making a meal was no big deal.

Xie Jinghao had already fed Xiao Gang half a bowl of noodles. The little fellow ate his fill and went to sleep. She ate the remaining half bowl.

Looking at the empty, gleaming bowl, she truly respected Shen Meng, this sister-in-law. As for others, she could just deal with them as needed.

Shen Meng cleaned the empty bowl and placed it in the basin. She put two steamed chicken cakes into each of Lu Mingyang’s and the others’ schoolbags.

“Mingyang, this is a thermos. Mother bought it for you at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Eat the chicken cakes later when you’re hungry. Ask your teachers for some water. Don’t drink the tap water at school, or you’ll get a stomach ache. Do you understand?”

“Understood, Mother.”

“Alright, then go to school quickly. Don’t be late. Mother has been working hard all morning. Later, I will lie down and rest with Xiao Kai.”

Lu Mingyang and the others: “. . .”

A certain military district in Southern Yunnan.

Lu Zhenping had just finished sending a telegram when he saw Ma Xiang, carrying a package, approaching him slowly.

“What are you doing?”

“I came to see you. I heard Xiao Zhang, the communicator, say you used connections for your brother. I came to tease you. How about you, the selfless Lu Deputy Regiment Commander, also using connections?”

Lu Zhenping shook his head. “No, I just sent a message to the commune. Fair competition. If he can do it, he can. If he can’t, my recommendation won’t help. But Jiaxuan is actually quite good, very diligent and hardworking. Among our young people, he’s quite outstanding. If he can become a commune cadre, it will help my sister-in-law and the others when I’m not home.”

“Alright, alright, your brother. I think he’s just so-so. I’m not arguing with you. Hey, I heard you got your leave approved. Happy?”

Lu Zhenping scoffed at his winking, turned around and walked away.

◈◈◈

“Don’t go! I’m just happy for you. Now the guys in the team are relieved. They were worried about you not getting your leave this year. They even asked me to speak well of you.”

Lu Zhenping raised an eyebrow. It seemed he still needed someone to speak well of him. Whether it was completing missions or participating in large-scale military exercises, he was consistently among the top three. A mere leave was a piece of cake.

“Forget it. Don’t get proud. This is some stuff your siblings prepared for you. All homemade. They feel bad for my sister-in-law, because of you giving up the courtyard, they’re able to accompany you. If they didn’t give you this, how could they feel comfortable?”

“Just homemade things, nothing else, right?”

Ma Xiang immediately raised his hand. “Absolutely not. We’ve been comrades for so many years. You wouldn’t doubt me, would you?”

Lu Zhenping opened it and saw some coarse cloth, dried vegetables, and pickled vegetables. There were also five cans of meat, which were the most valuable.

“Alright, I’ll take it. Thank my siblings for me. By the way, Chang Hong wrote to me that Xiaomeng likes to eat Yunnan rice noodles. Could you see if any of the villagers want to sell some? Buy me some. Give them money and coupons. Don’t take advantage of the villagers.”

Ma Xiang looked at him sympathetically, as if only he knew the rules. He turned and walked away, ignoring him.

Lu Zhenping chuckled and returned to his office. In four or five days, he would be home. He felt unusually excited, a feeling he had never experienced before. He couldn’t help but wonder what Shen Meng was like now.

Shen Meng was soundly asleep with the child. The courtyard gate was slammed. Lu Mingkai whimpered in his sleep and went back to sleep. Shen Meng frowned, gritted her teeth, and went outside.

“Who is it?”

“Shen Meng, you little brat! You dare to use the commune’s straw to help your family? What do you think you’re doing? You’re our Lu family’s daughter-in-law, always thinking about taking things from your mother-in-law’s family and giving them to your family. How heartless are you?”

Liu Sanjin yelled through the gap in the door. It was work time, and many villagers saw the usually gentle old lady shouting at her son’s wife’s door, which happened several times a month.

She couldn’t help it. She had planned for her nephew to come and get the straw. Her family’s thatched roof needed to be replaced every two years to stay warm in the winter. But Shen Meng silently had the straw taken by Shen Meng’s family. How could this be? Even though they had separated, she was still the old lady of the Lu family, and her words still carried weight.

Shen Meng walked to the door and turned back. “Mother, go back. The commune land is mine. My nephew came to help me, so what if he took some straw? Don’t try to take things from my mother-in-law’s family and give them to your family. My family doesn’t have anything good to give you anymore.”

Wow!!!

The people outside heard this and were stunned. It turned out that both of them were taking things from their mother-in-law’s family and giving them to their own.

But since the Lu family’s eldest branch had already split, Shen Meng could do whatever she wanted. Besides, she was living in a brick and tile house, and the straw wasn’t useful to her.

Liu Sanjin didn’t expect her to be so direct. When her nephew came to borrow money, she gave him 8 yuan, which she had just taken from Shen Meng. She knew Shen Meng would eventually reveal this, but she couldn’t admit it. If her husband found out, she would be in trouble.

“You’re lying! Open the door! I’ll beat you to death, you little brat!”

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