Bet: I Won’t Bet with You.
Liu Shufeng had already reached the gate of her own yard. Instead of rushing in, she leaned against the bamboo fence, carefully listening to the movements inside the house.
Following behind her, Zhang Ma, just like her, surreptitiously lingered at the doorway, eavesdropping on the sounds from within.
Passing by, Mrs. Sun from the neighbouring family cast a strange glance at the two of them. If she hadn’t recognized Liu Shufeng, she would have thought Zhang Ma was attempting to burglarize the Su family.
“What are you two up to?”
Startled by the sudden appearance of Mrs. Sun, Liu Shufeng and Zhang Ma were taken aback. Liu Shufeng, still in a state of shock, whispered, “It’s Mrs. Sun’s wife. Don’t scare people.”
Mrs. Sun’s wife curiously popped her head out, whispering, “What’s going on? Why don’t you go inside?”
In the countryside these days, there wasn’t much entertainment, so when something out of the ordinary happened, everyone wanted to join in for some excitement.
What was happening at the Su family?
“Xiaoman’s back home, with her sister-in-law in the house,” explained Zhang Ma, who was standing beside them.
“Really?” Upon hearing this, Mrs. Sun’s wife couldn’t help but lean in closer to the Su family’s fence, focusing on the sounds coming from inside.
In the countryside, listening to people quarrel was also quite an interesting activity.
It would be strange if Su Xiaoman and her sister-in-law didn’t quarrel when they were alone together. Earlier, she had heard Su’s sister-in-law complaining about Su Xiaoman.
Liu Shufeng watched Mrs. Sun’s wife eavesdropping on the fence from the perspective of an onlooker, and immediately her face darkened.
She glared at Zhang Ma and Mrs. Sun’s wife; both of them were eager to witness the commotion in her family.
“Go on, both of you, go home.”
Humph, how could she let outsiders witness the family’s discord?
Liu Shufeng chased away the two women who were trying to stir up trouble and opened the gate to her yard. She took a deep breath and walked into the house.
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, she was still somewhat afraid of what she might see.
There had been no sound outside just now. Had Xiaoman really come back? Or had she already quarrelled with her sister-in-law and left?
With the door of the house left open, Liu Shufeng stepped over the threshold.
Outside the courtyard, Zhang Ma and Mrs. Sun’s wife, who had been driven away earlier, were unwilling to leave. They came back and gathered around, waiting to hear the latest news from the Su family’s yard.
“Yingzi, Yingzi…” Liu Shufeng called out her eldest daughter-in-law’s name.
As soon as she walked into the main hall, she saw her eldest daughter-in-law, Yang Yingzi, and her youngest daughter, Su Xiaoman, sitting together, both holding needles and thread. She was immediately stunned on the spot.
“Xiaoman, you’re back?”
“Stop! Be careful with those needles!!” If they started arguing, those needles wouldn’t discriminate whom they pricked!
Su Xiaoman looked up. “Mother, you’re back? We were waiting for you.”
“Mother, I’m learning how to embroider flowers from Xiaoman. Look at her skills; I didn’t expect her to be so talented.”
Liu Shufeng began to wonder if she was dreaming today.
Or perhaps the sun had risen from the wrong direction…
Otherwise, why would her daughter-in-law and daughter be getting along harmoniously? Xiaoman’s first act upon returning home wasn’t to start a fight for divorce.
Liu Shufeng’s hands were trembling a bit. “Xiaoman, are you really Xiaoman?”
“Mother, what’s wrong?” Su Xiaoman and Yang Yingzi stood up to assist her.
“The sun is too strong today, making me feel a bit dizzy.”
“Mother, sit down and rest for a while.”
Su Xiaoman poured her some water. As Liu Shufeng drank, she watched them embroider, realizing that the two people in front of her were indeed real. Her daughter Xiaoman had come home, and she was embroidering with her daughter-in-law… And the flowers she embroidered were surprisingly beautiful.
“This is a cloth bag I made for you, hmm? Pomegranate flowers, you’ve always liked pomegranate flowers.”
“Yingzi also embroidered something for you.”
“Mine doesn’t look good.”
Liu Shufeng went through the things Su Xiaoman brought, feeling extremely pleased. Their Xiaoman had suddenly grown up and become sensible. “Xiaoman, keep some food for lunch. Your father and brothers are going to eat with his eldest uncle today and won’t be back.”
“Yingzi, cut half of the rabbit. We’ll have rabbit meat for lunch today.”
Liu Shufeng instructed Su’s sister-in-law to prepare the meal, then pulled Su Xiaoman aside for a heart-to-heart talk. “Xiaoman, Mom knows you’re sensible. In the future, just live a good life with that kid from the Xie family. He’s a good one. Leaving aside the fact that he saved you, when your father broke his leg on the mountain before, he carried him down… He’s a bit poor now, but life will get better in the future. When you split up the family in the future, your parents will still support you. When I married your father, he was penniless, but look at us now, isn’t life better? Don’t think about that Educated Youth Jiang anymore, he and us are not the same kind of people, he can’t give you happiness.”
“Mom just wants you to live a peaceful life. No matter how rich others’ families are, we don’t want to climb up high. Mom doesn’t want you to suffer.” Liu Shufeng’s heart didn’t feel right thinking about her daughter, whom she had pampered since childhood, trying to please some “country bumpkin” man.
Liu Shufeng chattered on, and Su Xiaoman listened attentively, realizing that Liu Shufeng was genuinely concerned for her. Her eyes even turned red. Su Xiaoman had experienced the care of three mothers, but it was Liu Shufeng in front of her who truly cared for her.
“Mom, I’ll live my life well in the future and take care of you and Dad.”
Liu Shufeng sighed. “Xiaoman, are you speaking from your heart? You won’t think about that Educated Youth Jiang anymore in the future?”
“If that Educated Youth Jiang likes you, your parents will approve of him, but…” If Educated Youth Jiang had any interest in their Xiaoman, Liu Shufeng would never force her to marry Xie 5th. But he wasn’t a suitable match!
Su Xiaoman nodded. “Mom, I don’t like him anymore. I’ve come to terms with it. Those educated youth will definitely return to the city in the future, and their families look down on us villagers.”
Hearing her daughter’s words, Liu Shufeng smiled. “Then you should live well with Mingtu in the future. Men like him, when they’re living on their own, are rough around the edges. You should manage him well in the future.”
“Get him to go to a barber, shave off his beard, dress nicely. He’ll definitely be a handsome young man. I know you like good-looking ones.”
“He’s tall and handsome. Standing next to you, he’ll surely look good.”
“Don’t judge Mingtu just because he’s a country bumpkin. Believe it or not, if you dress him up in the clothes of an educated youth, he’ll look better than that Educated Youth Jiang.”
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll bet with you.”
Su Xiaoman: “????”
Could her mother actually see through the facade of “Xie Dog”?
… Handsome Xie Dog?
Liu Shufeng glanced at her daughter’s indescribable expression and nudged Su Xiaoman’s elbow. “Don’t believe me? I’ll bet with you.”
When it came to betting, Liu Shufeng got excited. She felt confident that she wouldn’t lose this bet.
Su Xiaoman: “…Mom, I’m not betting with you.”
Since she knew the answer, what was the point of betting?
Hearing her daughter refuse to bet, Liu Shufeng felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water, freezing on the spot.
She had always considered herself to be a discerning mother-in-law, able to see potential and recognize a gem that could be polished, thinking she had found a good son-in-law material.
But her daughter showed no interest whatsoever.
“Mother, how do you know that Xie Mingtu is good-looking?” Su Xiaoman asked curiously.
“Mother saw him when he was little, so small that he looked like a little doll in our village. Everyone said they had never seen such a good-looking baby. At that time, mother thought you were the most beautiful baby in the village, and he was just a bit inferior to you.”
“Before, when he brought your father back, mother carefully observed him. This child has well-defined facial features; his nose and eyes are all perfectly proportioned. How could he possibly look ugly?”
“He must be good-looking. If you don’t believe me, let’s make a… bet.”
“Mother, I won’t bet with you. Let’s go eat.”
For lunch at the Su family’s house, they had white rice and rabbit meat. The rabbit meat, dried and cut into small pieces, was stir-fried with oil and dried chili, sprinkled with chopped scallions at the end. It smelled incredibly fragrant.
The rabbit they used was plump, and when the pieces were brought out, the crispy rabbit skin crackled. When chewed, it was slightly soft yet elastic, spicy with a hint of saltiness, incredibly appetizing.
The pot used to fry the rabbit had been rinsed with white rice, so the rice had absorbed the fragrant oil from the meat. Just the smell made one’s mouth water.
“This rabbit is so plump. Where did Xiaoman get this dried rabbit?” Liu Shufeng devoured her food.
“I don’t know. Mingtu brought it. His family must have some.”
“I guessed as much. I’ll save a large portion for tonight and let your father and brothers taste their son-in-law’s filial piety.” Liu Shufeng smiled meaningfully.
Su Xiaoman ate her meal quietly; there wasn’t much for her to explain for now.
The three of them finished their meal, even the dried chili and ginger in the bowls were eaten clean. Su Xiaoman felt full, and this was probably the best meal she had eaten since arriving in this era.
The rabbit was delicious!
Su Xiaoman thought she might try to catch wild rabbits in the mountains in the future.
Feeling satisfied after the meal, Su Xiaoman’s mood was unusually good, and she happily went to wash the dishes.
“Here, take the key to the old house, and the key to the cabinet. Put whatever you want in the cabinet.”
Su Xiaoman took the keys and nodded.
“After the Xie family splits up in the future, you two can temporarily live in the old house and gradually build your own house.”
Su Xiaoman: “…Mother, you’re thinking too far ahead.”
“Not at all. You’re my daughter, so of course, I have to think ahead for you.” Liu Shufeng smiled and patted her daughter’s head.
“Now that you’re married, you can’t be lazy. You should regularly work in the team, do some simple tasks, earn a few work points, and your eldest uncle will support you.”
Su Xiaoman’s eldest uncle, Liu Zhaoqiang, was the newly appointed production team leader.
Whenever she mentioned her brother, Liu Shufeng seemed a bit worried: “Your eldest uncle has been impulsive lately. He’s determined to quickly boost production and make everyone’s lives prosperous. He talks about clearing land, building dams, and setting up fish ponds for aquaculture…”
“It’s good that he has this enthusiasm, and many people are willing to follow him…” But many people are just idling around, living aimlessly. Liu Zhaoqiang is enthusiastic, and some people respond to his call, but pushing for production doesn’t always yield immediate results. Overdoing it may tire people out, and there’s a risk of losing morale. In the end, nothing may be accomplished.
“Now the team needs more manpower, so you should help out more and work diligently.”
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