Chapter 120: Suffering

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For Mrs. Fang, the greatest happiness in life was having the whole family together, surrounded by children and grandchildren. At present, they were only missing one small piece.

That missing piece was her eldest son, who had been away for several days. She knew he had to travel far in order to support the family. Understanding that was one thing, but whenever her eldest son left home, Mrs. Fang could not help worrying about him day and night.

Thinking of this made her appreciate her daughter-in-law even more. The girl had married her son without the slightest嫌弃.

Tang Xin was still holding her bowl and had not yet set it down when she heard her mother-in-law ask again, “Daughter-in-law, what would you like to eat tomorrow? Tell me, and I’ll make it for you.”

Before Tang Xin could answer, the two people beside them, who had been bickering, heard this and immediately protested.

Forgetting their quarrel, they turned in unison toward their mother and said, “Ma, isn’t that favoritism taken a little too far? Why do you never ask what we want to eat tomorrow?”

Mrs. Fang did not change expression. She merely snorted. “You eat whatever I cook. Do you have a choice?”

Well, there was no way to live like this. Truly, life had become unbearable!

Only after happily finishing the last mouthful of soup did Tang Xin say, “Ma, I feel like our family hasn’t eaten meat in ages. Could you make braised pork with preserved vegetables tomorrow?”

As she spoke, her mind filled with the image of the dish: slices of pork belly, layered with both fat and lean meat, arranged in the middle of the plate. It was as though she had never eaten anything at all.

She was hungry again!

Seeing her daughter-in-law’s greedy expression, Mrs. Fang could not help laughing softly. “All right, I’ll make it for you. There are still several handfuls of dried preserved vegetables in the jar. I’ll take them out to soak first thing tomorrow morning and make the dish for lunch.”

Tang Xin’s little face instantly brightened like sunshine. She gathered the bowls and chopsticks in front of her, then scampered over to Mrs. Fang’s side and slipped her arm through hers, acting spoiled.

“Ma, I knew you treated me best. You’re the finest mother-in-law in the whole world.”

Mrs. Fang laughed until she was delighted. Tapping her daughter-in-law on the nose, she said with a smile, “You little monkey. You certainly know how to flatter people.”

Her daughter-in-law was childish, simple, and kindhearted. The longer Mrs. Fang spent with her, the younger she felt herself becoming.

Tang Xin, however, pouted unhappily. “Ma, I truly meant every word. Why do you say I’m flattering you? I like you best of all.”

“Like Ma best? What about Brother Li Sheng? Don’t you like your Brother Li Sheng anymore?” Mrs. Fang deliberately teased her daughter-in-law.

“When Brother Li Sheng is at home, of course I like him best. But now that he isn’t home, I like you best instead,” Tang Xin replied without the slightest hesitation.

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The few people listening nearby were utterly dumbfounded.

They could never have imagined that anyone in this world could be so shamelessly thick-skinned.

There was nothing particularly urgent left to deal with at home. The matter Tang Xin was most eager to resolve now concerned her husband’s elder sister.

That evening, while chatting with her mother-in-law, she asked, “Ma, is my elder sister-in-law’s family far from here?”

“Not far. Whenever your elder sister comes back, she walks. It’s less than five miles.”

What exactly did less than five miles mean?

Tang Xin lowered her head and calculated. It was a little far, but she thought she could manage. With a smile, she said, “Ma, let’s go visit Elder Sister tomorrow.”

Mrs. Fang froze for a moment, then instinctively refused. “What’s there to visit? She only came back for half a month during the New Year.”

The main reason was that Li Xihua’s mother-in-law was too harsh. Whenever they met, she was bound to say unpleasant things, and Mrs. Fang did not want her precious daughter-in-law to suffer such humiliation.

Besides, even when there had been a wedding in the family and during the New Year, Qian Darong had not bothered to come and pay them a visit. There was no need for their family to abase themselves by making a special trip to curry favor with him.

Tang Xin said, “Exactly. During the New Year, Elder Sister came back to wish us a happy New Year. We were too busy then for anyone from our family to visit her husband’s home. But things aren’t so busy now. Shouldn’t we go and see her?”

Naturally, she was talking nonsense with a perfectly straight face. Back then, only Li Xihua had returned. Not only had the elderly couple been upset, even Li Sheng had been angry in his heart.

Respect had to go both ways, so during the New Year, no one had thought of visiting Qian Darong’s family.

Tang Xin was only saying this now to suit the occasion.

Mrs. Fang saw through her at once. Her daughter-in-law was probably planning to visit her eldest daughter for some reason. But instead of exposing her, she simply smiled and nodded in agreement.

When it was time for bed, Tang Xin lay alone on the mattress, rolling back and forth while muttering to herself.

Ah, if only they had a bicycle. Riding five miles would be far less tiring than walking.

In her previous life, she had often joked with her classmates that the bus she loved most was Route Eleven. She had taken Route Eleven to school every day.

But back then, her family had lived near the school. Even walking had taken no more than ten minutes.

Now, however, it was five miles. Even if she walked without stopping, it would take at least an hour and a half, wouldn’t it?

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“Heaven must be trying to destroy me!”

If it were not for her elder sister-in-law, why would she put herself through this misery?

Whenever they went to the county seat or the commune, at least half the journey was by vehicle. Walking more than ten miles there and back in one go was simply inhuman.

And so Tang Xin decided that once Brother Li Sheng returned, she would make him find a bicycle.

They themselves had no way to obtain one, but connections were crucial. The Chen family all lived in the county seat, so they were bound to have more contacts and opportunities.

With a bicycle, it would be much more convenient for the family to go out. She and Gu Kai would also find it easier to run a little business on the side.

Besides, Tang Xin had gradually discovered something during this period. Although Li Sheng said that his mother disliked going out and therefore stayed at home all day, what was there to dislike about leaving the house? Was she supposed to be happy living like some former noblewoman who never stepped beyond her front gate?

In truth, Tang Xin had realized that Mrs. Fang disliked going out because she often encountered unpleasant women like Second Aunt Li. Over time, those encounters had driven her to stay home.

At heart, Mrs. Fang was a lively and amusing little old lady. It was only the harsh environment around her that had suppressed her natural temperament.

People often said that the old and the young were alike. The elders deserved to live as happily as children in their later years.

Tang Xin quietly worked out a plan in her mind. She hoped they could resolve the matter in one visit, because the longer it dragged on, the worse things would become for her elder sister-in-law.

After all, in the prevailing atmosphere of the countryside, gossip could absolutely ruin a person.

If her mother-in-law went with her, and her father-in-law came along as well, wouldn’t it be even better to bring one more person?

With Brother Li Sheng away from home, the obvious choice for such an important task was Gu the Third.

However, everyone had to work each day, and anyone who wanted to leave temporarily had to ask for leave. It seemed they could not go tomorrow after all. They would have to wait until the day after.

The next day at noon, Tang Xin got the braised pork with preserved vegetables she had been craving. The meat had come from the ration coupons she had provided, and since everyone had benefited from her contribution, the two annoying siblings who usually loved to bicker could do little besides bury their heads in their bowls and eat in silence.