Chapter 119: The Wounds Inflicted Upon the Soul

But Tang Xin thought it would be better to store the items in the farm’s warehouse—where else could be safer? After all, the movement was set to continue for several more years, with many uncertain factors ahead.

So Tang Xin pretended to bring the things back to her room, but in truth, she planned to find an opportunity to visit the farm and take a look.

Returning to the main hall, she saw Mrs. Fang standing there, holding a rag and busy at work. Tang Xin could no longer suppress her feelings. She walked over, opened her arms, and embraced Mrs. Fang softly whispering in her ear, “Mother, you and Father must take good care of yourselves. The good days for our family are still to come. When Brother Li Sheng and I have children, we’ll need your help.”

For the older generation, hope is what fuels their motivation and makes them cherish and protect themselves even more.

In the days that followed, Mrs. Fang stayed inside the house spinning cotton into thread. Though she no longer worked in the fields, she was always busy, finding something to keep herself occupied.

Tang Xin found it fascinating and joined in, teaching her mother-in-law to recognize characters and recite poetry.

Mrs. Fang couldn’t do heavy labor in the fields anymore, but her nimble hands allowed her to do embroidery and spinning, which could earn work points from the team.

The Fengshou Brigade was well organized in this regard, with its own sideline businesses and transport team, so over the years, no one had starved.

For this reason, both Li Sheng and Tang Xin admired the team leader greatly and were willing to help his family as much as they could.

After a while, Li Jiang, Li Hai, and Gu Nan returned home from school together.

The three brothers attended school as a group, and Father Li suggested to Old Gu that, to avoid inconvenience, his son could simply accompany the twins to and from school each day and eat at the Li household.

After all, it was just one child, and the gossip wouldn’t target him. Old Gu had no objection.

He was conscientious and mindful of appearances.

Moreover, he wouldn’t let his son freeload at the Li house, reminding Gu Nan to help out there whenever possible.

Gu Nan helped Father Li with work and always made sure to bring any produce he gathered in the fields back to the Li home.

Before the twins could run over, Gu Nan was already at Mrs. Fang and Tang Xin’s side, eager to boast, “Mother, sister-in-law, today we learned a new poem.”

Mrs. Fang kept her hands moving but turned with a smile, “Oh? Recite it for me.”

She always loved watching the three boys study and write—it was wonderful. Soon, their home would have several educated people.

Gu Nan immediately stood up straight, hands pressed neatly at his sides, looking very serious.

“‘Quiet Night Thought,’ by Li Bai,” he said.

“Before my bed the bright moonlight,
I suspect it’s frost on the ground.
I raise my head to view the bright moon,
Lower it and think of home.”

Then Li Jiang and Li Hai eagerly recited the poem again. Mrs. Fang praised each of them in turn, “Gu Nan, well done. Xiao Jiang, well done. Xiao Hai, you’re wonderful too. You’re all such excellent children.”

But the little ones were not satisfied. Li Jiang pouted, “Mother, you can’t just say that. You’re brushing us off.”

Oh no, the little ones had learned the word “brush off” after only a few days of school?

Not just Mrs. Fang, even Tang Xin couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh? Tell me, why do you think I’m brushing you off?”

“You have to say who’s the best. You can’t just say we’re all great.”

This time, Tang Xin couldn’t hold back her laughter.

What a lovely bunch of little rascals! For their sake, she and Brother Li Sheng would work hard to make the Li household even more prosperous.

Not indulging them, Tang Xin said directly, “Mother’s going to cook now. Hurry up and help out. Whoever does the most is the best.”

Li Hai was cautious and raised a condition first: “And what if we’re the best?”

“The best,” Tang Xin drew out the word, “gets to eat an extra piece of candy.”

The children had been promised candy and pocket money daily once they started school. They were smart and saved their money, but candy was always eaten immediately.

Perhaps because it was during the New Year when conditions improved, restrictions on sweets were relaxed, and one night Li Hai fell asleep with candy in his mouth.

The next morning, he woke up with a terrible toothache.

Even though his sister-in-law gave him anti-inflammatory and painkillers, they had little effect.

There’s a saying: “A toothache is no disease, but when it hurts, it can be deadly.”

The pain lasted three whole days. During that time, food didn’t taste good, even though the family meals were excellent—never lacking meat, chicken, or fish.

But with his toothache, Li Hai could barely eat anything, only plain porridge with a little minced meat.

Li Hai began to suspect that his parents and sister-in-law were deliberately picking on him, though after he recovered, his mother personally made him a bowl of meatball soup.

Still, the emotional damage was hard to heal. Since then, his mother confiscated all his candy, limiting him to just one piece a day.

Though Li Hai felt a bit wronged, the brothers were now treated equally, so he didn’t complain.

They focused on studying diligently and helping their mother, hoping the sister-in-law would reward them more.

The little ones hurried into the kitchen to help. That evening, Mrs. Fang didn’t plan a grand feast, but by most standards, the meal was excellent.

She was making egg drop soup with dough pieces. They ate dry rice at noon to save energy for afternoon labor, so most people either ate lightly or just a little broth at night.

Mrs. Fang’s soup wasn’t meant to save grain; whatever she cooked was always delicious. Tang Xin felt she had gained quite a bit of weight since marrying into the Li family.

First, she sautéed some chopped scallions in a bit of oil, then added finely chopped tomatoes and cooked until the oil turned red.

Next, she poured in water and brought it to a boil.

She then crumbled in the pre-mixed dough pieces, followed by a beaten egg, and sprinkled in a handful of spinach leaves.

After stirring evenly, the soup was ready. Tang Xin felt she could drink two large bowls of just this soup and not need anything else.

Of course, Mrs. Fang also prepared a few side dishes.

Now that spring had arrived, the vegetable garden was abundant, and families had more variety on their tables.

Seeing Tang Xin and the children eat happily, murmuring words of praise, Mrs. Fang felt a deep sense of pride well up from her heart.

She felt truly blessed.

On the other side, the old man ate silently, focused on his food, while Li Kai and Li Xiyue bickered playfully as they ate.

Well, having two lively sons seemed to be quite a handful.