Chapter 291

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Life has to go on; over the next day or two, nothing major happened.

Chai Mi got two rare days of leisure, rested a bit, and set up her stall once more.

The diners all asked why Chai Mi hadn't come those two days; Chai Mi brushed them off, saying she was tired……

"Mom, let's go to Second Aunt's place early. Staying home is uncomfortable anyway; going out will clear our heads. My second aunt loves visiting relatives — now that something's happened at this house, she'd be delighted for you to come over early."

On the afternoon of the third day, Chai Mi started getting ready to go to Second Aunt's.

"How will things be managed at home?" Su Wan was still worried no one would be there to feed the cattle and sheep.

"Didn't I tell Song Qiushui? Asked her to help keep an eye on things……" Chai Mi had not only told Song Qiushui, but also deliberately gave her fifty yuan in wages.

Fifty a day, two days total.

Song Qiushui nearly swore an oath — she guaranteed that although she's useless at doing anything, she eats more than her fill, she can summon her dad to help feed the cattle and such.

Besides……

Chai Youqing hasn't frozen to death either.

He comes home often, too.

Although Chai Mi separated him from the household, he still stays at home during the day. And he just sits inside without leaving…… Chai Mi has no way to deal with it.

She can't exactly push Chai Youqing out to be shot……

If she could, Chai Mi would have done it long ago. Unfortunately, she can't……

Chai Mi could only helplessly accept the reality that, despite the separation, Chai Youqing refuses to leave.

Since there was someone to watch the house, Chai Mi wasn't anxious anymore.

"Will…… Song Qiushui be able to handle it?" Su Wan didn't quite trust Song Qiushui.

Song Qiushui came often; from childhood on, Su Wan had never seen Song Qiushui do any work.

And their own cattle are very sensitive to people — if the feeder isn't familiar, what if the cattle refuse to eat or drink and fall ill?

"Oh come on…… you're overthinking, Mom. No problem, don't worry so much. If Song Qiushui can't manage, aren't her dad and mom still there? It's settled. And I've already agreed with Eldest Aunt — we're going this afternoon, then my cousin will drive us together to Second Aunt's to eat and drink, give them a good fleecing."

Chai Mi covered her mouth and laughed: "My second aunt loves visiting relatives; this time something's up at Eldest Sister's house, she's bound to want you and Eldest Aunt. Besides, Eldest Aunt's health isn't good — who knows when she won't be able to walk anymore. While she can still move, let her move about; it's fine."

"Eldest Aunt's health really is declining day by day. It hasn't been that long — just spring I saw her doing fine. Now, not even autumn yet, and she already struggles to walk." Su Wan sighed, not knowing what to say.

Her own sister's life — probably just bitter fate.

Although Su Wan also felt her own life was bitter, her eldest sister's was even more bitter.

Relatively speaking, Chai Mi's eldest aunt's first half of life was still quite good. One son, two daughters, all turned out well.

But this second half, especially the last two years, the decline shows.

That is, Su Jin is getting more and more irritable — fewer good moods, more annoyed ones.

And there's no solution to this.

Son and daughter-in-law married five or six years with no child — this problem is basically infertility.

Yet they've seen many clinics, hospitals.

Afterwards they took many folk remedies too, but to no avail — the problem simply can't be solved.

In this era, preference for sons over daughters is still widespread.

Naturally, infertility is looked down on even more.

"If Liu San and your sister-in-law could have a child, that would be great. Eldest Aunt's heartache would be cured."

"Don't meddle in what you can't control." Chai Mi reminded her: "You mustn't blab this to Eldest Aunt — she's narrow-minded, easily driven to despair. Let them handle it however they want; anyway, that's a future matter."

Chai Mi said no more to explain to Su Wan, went out to the vegetable garden, picked some leftover vegetables and took them along.

Chai Mi's second aunt's family circumstances are also very poor — this was mentioned earlier.

Anyway, very poor.

But relatively speaking, that side is more harmonious; the human relations and social exchanges are far better than in Chai Mi's village.

If you ignore the economic situation, the living environment at Chai Mi's second aunt's place is actually quite nice.

One visit feels like entering the Peach Blossom Spring — pretty good.

The vegetables Chai Mi brought were mainly for Eldest Aunt's house; she couldn't have Liu San drive over to pick her up every time she went out, and it wasn't far, so Chai Mi went ahead with her mother and Chai Xiu.

"Oh my…… Chai Mi's here. Xiu'er's here too." Su Jin leaned on the window sill, calling from inside.

Chai Mi turned and went straight into the room.

"Where's Cousin?"

"San'er went to get some gasoline — worried there won't be enough for the road."

Chai Mi didn't wait for Eldest Aunt to invite her; she just sat herself on the kang head, crossed her legs, and gave Su Jin a serious look.

"What happened? Your eye sockets are greenish-black? Bumped into something?"

Su Jin pursed her lips: "Walked into the door frame."

Then Su Jin went to the ground, fetched a bunch of apples and grapes from the back room.

Washed them, gave them to Su Wan first: "Fresh-picked grapes, from our neighbor's house, quite sweet. Chew them up and feed the child……"

Then she gave the remaining grapes to Chai Xiu.

Chai Xiu glanced at her mother and Chai Mi; seeing no objection, she obediently ate the grapes.

Chai Mi also felt a bit thirsty, picked up an apple and started eating.

The apple was crisp, and quite sweet too, really delicious.

Every time she came, her eldest aunt was very enthusiastic, so Chai Mi wasn't particularly formal either.

"You come and then you leave in a bit, tell me, what did you bring vegetables for?" Su Jin grumbled, pointing outside at the vegetables Chai Mi had brought.

Just short of saying: feeding the daughter-in-law until she's blind, nonsense.

Su Wan smiled and said: "Chai Mi felt coming empty-handed wasn't good, so she brought a bit. Anyway, we can't eat it all at home."

While speaking, Su Wan also took out one hundred yuan from her pocket and forcibly stuffed it to Su Jin: "Eldest Sister, I came in a rush. Didn't have anything to bring, and didn't know what you lack. If you lack anything, just buy it yourself."

Su Jin did grumble and keep refusing, saying she didn't want it no matter what.

Su Wan said: "Eldest Sister, you take it. Chai Mi... has been doing business recently too. She goes out to set up a stall selling dumplings, earned quite a lot of money. In this past half month plus, she earned seven or eight thousand. The family is well-off now. You just take it..."

Invisibly, Su Wan gave Chai Mi's "getting rich" a bit of advertising.

"That much..." Su Jin was half-believing, half-doubting, but didn't refuse further.

"Liu San and his wife, one market day, earning a hundred is already a lot. How does Chai Mi earn money so fast? This half month, equals what the two of them earn in over a year?"

Going to market isn't every day after all, it's every few days.

And in winter, most of the time they rest, so being able to earn five or seven or eight thousand a year is already pretty good.

So Su Jin was indeed very surprised at Chai Mi earning that much money.

Due to Su Wan's words, the information density was indeed a bit high. You have to know, in this era earning money is terribly hard. Think of Chai You Fu, annual salary two thousand... then Chai Mi's half month earnings equal Chai You Fu's four or five years of earnings...

Cough cough...

(Chai You Fu: Can you stop f*cking using me as a comparison target every time...)

That is to say, Chai Mi in this half month plus earned what another family earns in four or five years... the richest person in Sanjiacun is about to change soon.

"Really?!"

Su Wan nodded, her face looking very happy.

Daughter is capable, she as a mother is naturally very happy too.

Su Jin also nodded, feeling Chai Mi had prospects now.

You have to know, these old farmers face the yellow earth and back the sky all their lives, wanting to earn a bit of money is really too hard. Su Jin's family tossed about for many years, barely got Liu San to go out and do some business or something, but the family has a buttload of debt.

Earning money is really very hard.

Never expected Chai Mi earns money this simply.

Coincidentally at this moment Liu San had already bought gasoline and returned, filled up his eighth-hand small truck with fuel.

Su Jin looked more and more angry.

Damn it, buying a truck to do business, still not as much as Chai Mi earning at home with an inverted donkey!

This Liu San is real trash...

"Did you go dig for oil or what? How come you're back so slow? Gone for over a point, only just back... really can't do anything right."

Liu San just entered the room and heard his mother Su Jin grumbling, he looked dazed...

Zhang Hailan who came in together was also dazed, not knowing who provoked Mother-in-law's anger again.

But this mother-in-law has always loved getting angry, nothing can be done...

Get used to it and it's fine.

Zhang Hailan and Su Jin this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair's relationship can only be described as average. Zhang Hailan is carefree, while "Mother-in-law" Su Jin actually has a bit too many matters.

But Zhang Hailan knows she couldn't give birth to a child, so Su Jin nags, she doesn't talk back.

Su Jin these two years got older, temper got bigger too, and this anger isn't just today's anger, anyway Su Jin gets angry at the drop of a hat, so Liu San and his wife although finding it abrupt, don't pay too much attention.

Just said to Chai Mi: "Look at your eldest aunt, this unreasonable... others go out to buy gasoline, she still has to say you're wrong. Anyway whatever I do is wrong. She sits on the kang, doesn't know how far the door is... buying gasoline has to walk over ten li at least."

"Then what were you thinking yesterday?" Su Jin scolded dissatisfied: "Didn't go yesterday, today you want to go out, only then you go."

Liu San helpless, just said in a low voice that yesterday he didn't know he was out of fuel.

"Sister-in-law, are you going?" Chai Mi asked.

"I'm not going." Zhang Hailan expressed she wasn't too willing to go out: "It's quite far, you still have to stay over, home can't do without a person either. Chai Mi, when the time comes, do you need me to help manage the cattle or something?"

"No need, I had Song Qiushui go."

A few people chatted a few more simple sentences, then prepared to set off.

Su Jin's legs and feet were somewhat not too agile, Su Wan held the child on one side, supported her while speaking on the other.

"Eldest Sister, how come you're worse day by day."

"Isn't it them angering me?!" Su Jin grumbled.

Liu San and his wife pretended not to hear.

Liu San: This old lady is too unreasonable, others don't speak, she can still pin a shit basin on you!

"Take those vegetables Chai Mi brought over, bring them for your second aunt. And that bag of rice and that bag of flour bought that day, bring them too." Su Jin grumbled, urging Liu San to hurry and get things.

Liu San acknowledged, nimbly went to the back room to move that basket of vegetables Chai Mi brought. That basket of vegetables looked fresh and spirited, full to the brim, big basket. Liu San thought to himself, this Chai Mi girl is really particular, visiting relatives and still brings these, but thinking again it makes sense, second aunt's family conditions are poorer, these things count as rare treats.

"Mom, where are the flour and rice placed?" Liu San finished moving vegetables, asked again.

"Granary! Granary corner! Eyeballs growing to vent air?" Su Jin directed unpleasantly.

Zhang Hailan saw Liu San busy, also wanted to go help, was stopped by Su Jin: "You stay in your room, you're not going, no need for you."

Zhang Hailan helplessly pursed lips and returned to room.

Liu San heaved and hoed a bag of flour and a bag of rice onto the bed of his eighth-hand small truck, together with that basket of vegetables. The vehicle body was pressed down again.

Chai Mi supported mother Su Wan, Su Wan held the little one, beside them Chai Xiu followed obediently. Su Jin was carefully supported on the other side by Su Wan, she walked indeed somewhat tottering, every step seeming to consume not a small amount of strength.

"All get in the car!" Liu San patted dust off his hands, pulled open the car door. Car not big, squeezing five people plus a held child, really scorching.

"Chai Mi, you and your mom holding the child sit in the back, more spacious. Mom, you sit in front." Liu San arranged.

Su Jin didn't refuse either, was supported by Chai Mi and Su Wan into the passenger seat. Chai Mi next to Chai Xiu, Su Wan holding the even smaller child, squeezed in the back row.

The road was terribly bumpy; the pitted dirt road made the little truck sway left and right like a drunkard. Su Jin was jolted so hard her brows knitted tight, her hand clutching the handle above the door.

"This damn road!" Su Jin couldn't help complaining. "It's like sifting chaff! Liu San, drive a little steadier! Your Third Aunt is holding a child, and you're throwing us into ditches..."

"Mom, the road's just like this, what can I do? It's not a highway..." Liu San defended himself helplessly, turning the steering wheel carefully.

Chai Mi sat in the back seat, holding Chai Xiu, watching the fields flash past the window.

Autumn was deepening, but this year's crops were very poor. Most places were total failures or under-yield.

This era didn't have as many irrigation projects as later generations; even with electricity, it was very difficult.

Chai Mi had drilled a well some time ago, and it took a lot of effort.

Fortunately, her own family's corn grew quite well; the output wasn't affected too much, so that should be alright.

"Going this trip, it'd be best if I could just relax a bit." Chai Mi thought to herself.

Chai Mi really did want to go out and relax; recently at home it was truly too upsetting.

Besides being busy setting up a stall to earn money, she also had to deal with Chai Zhongxiao and those few pieces of human trash — simply a splitting headache.

The problem is, these few old geezers, they still fucking do fucking things every day, it's just infuriating.

"Ah... it's raining."

Just as they were driving along, suddenly it started to rain.

At first it was a light patter, then it gradually grew heavier.

Fortunately Liu San drove a bit faster; they reached the paved road and the car wasn't stranded halfway.

"My Second Aunt's place, with this rain how are we supposed to get up there?" Liu San complained bitterly.

It was a mountain gully to begin with, the road hard to travel; now with the rain, it was even harder.

"You make it sound like if it didn't rain, Second Aunt's road would be easy." Chai Mi laughed: "In a bit it won't work; the two of us will each shoulder a bag, otherwise we won't make it..."