The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 204 "Have you gone mad?"

Lin Zhao glanced at the things Zhao Liuniang was carrying. "For me?"

“Yes.” Zhao Liuniang was a little embarrassed. “We don’t have much good stuff at home, just lots of vegetables. This pumpkin is the biggest one in the field. Qianbao and Yaobao love pumpkin porridge, right? This pumpkin is sweet, so I gave it to them.”

She knew that the value of these vegetables wouldn't be enough to buy much oil, but she really didn't have anything valuable at home.

In the countryside, money is scarce. There are no coupons or cash, and people are always struggling to make ends meet.

Lin Zhao praised, "Second sister-in-law's vegetables are so fresh and delicious."

She also has vegetables in her backyard, but not many kinds. If she wants to eat something else, she will trade with other villagers.

Seeing that her third sister-in-law didn't care, Zhao Liuniang felt more at ease. "That's all the skill she has."

The group arrived at the Gu family's new courtyard.

Yu Bao and the others had already finished the pig's head meat in their bowls.

Yu Bao is very diligent. He washed the dishes and put them in the cupboard. Right now, he is looking at picture books with Heng Bao and the others.

Upon seeing visitors, the little ones all called out to them.

Zhao Liuniang sighed, "Reading again. No wonder he's your parents' son, he loves to study."

Yu Bao smiled politely.

Hengbao boasted quickly, "We are Mom and Dad's sons, so of course we love learning just like Mom and Dad!"

After speaking, he lowered his head to read.

Lin Zhao went to the kitchen, took out an oil bottle from the cupboard, and gave Zhao Liuniang four ounces of oil.

Zhao Liuniang had expected two taels, but she didn't expect her third sister-in-law to be so generous.

I heard that city workers only get four ounces of oil coupons a month!
If you use it sparingly, it can last for more than a month.

"Third sister-in-law, do you have any work to do?" Zhao Liuniang took the oil can, her face full of excitement and her eyes shining.

"I'll help you! Do you need the sheets washed? Don't be shy, your older sister is too busy to come, but I can help. We country folk have plenty of strength, so don't stand on ceremony with me, just ask me to do whatever you want!"

Lin Zhao's face lit up with joy, "There are freshly changed sheets..."

“I’ll do it!” Zhao Liuniang immediately replied.

Yu Bao ran into the house and dragged out a bamboo basket full of bed sheets and blankets.

He looked up at his aunt and said, "Second Aunt, they're all here."

The three households have a large number of people, so each time they need to change, they have to change three sets of clothes. The guest room clothes were also replaced by Lin Zhao, so the bamboo basket is full.

“Okay.” Zhao Liuniang didn’t think it was a big deal, but she thought the bed sheets in the third room were really nice, and they were all new with few patches. Unlike her own, she didn’t dare to use too much force when changing or washing them, because if she used even a little force, they would fall to pieces.

"These sheets are really nice." She looked envious, but not jealous.

They were all won in a lottery, so of course they're good. Most importantly, not only are they good, but the patterns aren't outrageous either.

Lin Zhao smiled, "They are all defective fabrics."

“Defective products are also good. Ordinary people can’t even get defective products,” Zhao Liuniang said.

Cloth coupons were even harder to obtain than sugar coupons.

Yu Bao then brought out a bar of soap and put it in the bamboo basket. "Second Aunt, use the soap to wash. My mother likes her clothes and bed sheets to smell nice."

Zhao Liuniang's eyes widened, her heart aching so much that she twitched.

What a wasteful thing!

Wash the bed sheets with soap!
"It wastes too much soap. You can get it just as clean with soapberry."

She touched the soap that had shrunk considerably, her face contorted with pain.

Lin Zhao: "It's alright, we have plenty of soap at home."

Zhao Liuniang immediately fell silent.

……All right.

My third sister-in-law works at the supply and marketing cooperative; no matter who needs them, the sales staff will never be short of them.

Without saying another word, she took the oil can in one hand and the bamboo basket in the other and walked out.

First, put the precious oil can back inside, then go to the river to wash the sheets.

Knowing that the bed sheets in the third room were very conspicuous, I didn't dare to rush into the crowd. Instead, I found a secluded big rock, plopped down, and started washing them with great effort.

Wow, this material is so nice, it would be nice to touch it.

They were doing hard labor, but their faces were full of smiles, and they looked very happy.

When I got back after washing up, I smelled an extremely rich fragrance as soon as I reached the door of the brick house.

This aroma is so enticing it can make you feel dizzy and intoxicated.

I pushed open the door and entered the courtyard.

Several little kids were perched on the kitchen window, peering inside with longing eyes. Beside them were two dogs, one big and one small. The golden monkey named Xiao Jin sat cross-legged on Yu Bao's head, occasionally jumping up and down, reaching out to pat Yu Bao's head, looking quite excited.

"...What are you doing?" Zhao Liuniang asked, holding a wooden basin and looking towards the children.

"My mom is frying ribbonfish!" Hengbao answered in a moment.

"Ribbonfish?" Zhao Liuniang had never heard of it, much less eaten it. It must be something city people eat.

She didn't say anything more, and went straight to the backyard, wiped the clothesline clean, hung the sheets and blankets out to dry, and then walked towards the front yard.

He called out to the kitchen, "Third sister-in-law, the sheets and blankets are hung up to dry. Don't forget to bring them in tonight. I'm leaving now."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Zhao came out of the kitchen, carrying a porcelain bowl in his hand.

"Thank you for your hard work, Second Sister-in-law. Please take these pieces of ribbonfish back with you."

Lin Zhao shoved the bowl into her sister-in-law's hands and turned back to the kitchen.

The aroma of fried food is so overpowering that it goes without saying that Zhao Liuniang, who was starving, was completely overwhelmed by the fragrance.

Its nose twitched violently, as if trying to inhale all the fragrance into its belly.

She swallowed hard, looked away with difficulty, and gazed at Lin Zhao, her voice filled with joy.

"Thank you, Third Sister-in-law. I'll have Bangbang and Laimei gather firewood for you and pile it up high so you'll have enough to burn all winter."

Lin Zhao did not refuse, "Okay, my family is indeed short of firewood, and I don't want them to pick it up for free. I will exchange it with something."

“No need!” Zhao Liuniang said, “They eat the oil you give them, and this… fried fish, what kind of people are they to have such good fortune! Being able to eat the fish that city people eat, what more could they ask for?”

After saying that, he left in a hurry, saying that Bangbang would bring the bowl later.

She carried the fish out of the Gu family's house, and after only a few steps, she was surrounded by adults and children from the village.

"Fish Girl, what are you holding? It smells so good!"

"Yes, what is Yu Bao's mother making again? I can smell it from far away. It looks like fish, right?" The aunt who spoke looked at the bowl in Zhao Liu Niang's hand very closely. "It's all oily. Is it fried in oil? Hmm, is your third sister-in-law not making a living?!"

The other person also looked distressed, "Yes, that's so much oil, it could last my family for almost half a month!"

They had such extravagant expressions on their faces.

Zhao Liuniang also felt it was wasteful, but she didn't want to hear what the villagers were saying. She turned away so they wouldn't see her anymore and retorted directly: "My third sister-in-law has a job, my third brother has a stipend, and her brothers all have jobs and give her subsidies from time to time. What can't she afford? Let alone fried fish, she can afford all kinds of delicacies. There's nothing we can do about it, she's just lucky."

"Before the third brother went back to the army, he told his wife and children to eat whatever they wanted and not to be stingy. If they wanted something but couldn't get it, they could send him a telegram and he would get it for them... The third brother of the third sister-in-law said the same thing. So tell me, why does she need to be so stingy and reluctant to eat or dress properly?"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it was indeed unnecessary.

In that instant, my feelings were very complicated.
“Your third sister-in-law is lucky; none of the girls in the whole brigade are as lucky as her,” the man who had been lecturing her said.

If it were her, she wouldn't be stingy. Her family has everything they need, so she definitely wouldn't be calculating about food and drink.

Seeing that these people had been persuaded, Zhao Liuniang's eyes flashed with pride. She puffed out her chest and strode away.

As she was walking, Yuanbao's mother caught up with her.

"Fish Mom, your third sister-in-law gave you a lot of oil today, didn't she?"

Zhao Liuniang stopped, looking at her warily, and asked, "Who told you that?"

The woman spoke with certainty; she had no reason to deny it.

"Don't look at me like that, as if I'm some kind of lazy bum watching you all the time." Yuanbao's mother was both amused and exasperated, explaining gently, "I saw it..."

"You're holding an oil can, and your smile is practically stretching to the back of your head. It's so obvious, if I couldn't see it, I might as well not have those eyes under my eyebrows!"

Zhao Liuniang was taken aback, not expecting it was because of her overly bright smile.

She said calmly, "As you know, the Gu family just separated, and it's almost the end of the month, so the oil in the house is already empty. We're already hungry, and if we eat boiled vegetables, I'm afraid the head of the household won't have the strength to do any work. So I had no choice but to shamelessly ask my third sister-in-law for help. She's a kind person; knowing the oil jar was empty, she gave me a few ounces."

"Why are you asking this? Are you out of gas?!"

“That’s right.” Yuanbao’s mother finally revealed her true intentions. “Give me a tael or two, and I’ll pay you back next month.” Zhao Liuniang was puzzled. “You’re asking me? Why don’t you just ask my third sister-in-law?!”

Yuanbao's mother: "How could I possibly accept this?"

She stood in front of Lin Zhao, unable to utter a single word.

"You're so kind to me?" Zhao Liuniang rolled her eyes.

What kind of person is that? They really know how to pick on the weak.

She feigned annoyance and turned to walk forward.

Yuanbao's mother hurriedly chased after her, saying, "Look at what you're saying! It's just that we're good friends!"

Seeing that Zhao Liuniang remained unmoved, he continued to speak kindly.

"No one else is as capable as you."

Zhao Liuniang's lips curled up, and she said, "The one with real ability is my third sister-in-law."

She knows her own limitations.

Yuanbao's mother had a different opinion: "You can get along with her, that's your ability! Why can't your sister-in-law even get into the third wife's house? It's because she's not likable and doesn't have any ability!"

Putting everything else aside, Liu Niang is really good at getting along with people.

Zhao Liuniang was pleased and agreed, "Alright, I'll give you one tael."

Before Yuanbao's mother could speak, she reminded her again, "Give it back to me next month."

"definitely."

Zhao Liuniang said seriously, "Don't tell anyone, or I'll be afraid they'll all come to me to borrow oil. I only have four ounces in total."

"She definitely won't talk nonsense," Yuanbao's mother knew for sure.

It's inconvenient for villagers to go to the county, so it's normal for them to borrow salt and oil. But if everyone comes to Sixth Sister, it will cause her trouble. That would be harmful to others and not beneficial to anyone, so we won't do it.

“I’ll have Yuanbao come and pick it up; no one will notice.”

Zhao Liuniang didn't think their caution was exaggerated, "...Okay."

Having resolved her biggest worry, Yuanbao's mother brought up some juicy gossip she'd just heard: "Have you heard? There's a commotion going on at the house where your sister-in-law lives."

Zhao Liuniang looked over, "Second wife?"

The second wife here refers to the second wife of Old Madam Gu.

“Yes, let me tell you…” Yuanbao’s mother said excitedly.

"Isn't your sister-in-law living in the second house? She doesn't do anything productive all day, she even fights with the kids over eggs, and she wanders around the county every day until the sun goes down before she comes back."

Your second aunt had been putting up with it all this time, but I don't know why she suddenly couldn't take it anymore and wanted to kick your sister-in-law out. Old Mrs. Gu was unhappy about it, and when I arrived, your second aunt was about to hang herself..."

Zhao Liuniang's pupils dilated. "What? It's gotten to this point!"

He rushed into the house, put down his things, and hurriedly came out again, heading towards the second room.

This is a huge story, we can't miss it.

When I arrived, there were quite a few people at the entrance; some were trying to break up the fight, while others were just watching the spectacle.

Zhao Liuniang didn't dare get too close, afraid of getting involved in trouble for no reason.

She wanted to stay far away from anything related to her sister-in-law, and she wouldn't come if it weren't for wanting to join in the fun.

The gate to the second branch of the Gu family's house was wide open.

It was quite lively inside.

Gu Xing'er clutched her bleeding arm, hiding behind Grandma Gu, and kept shouting, "Grandma, look at my second aunt! She's stabbing me with a knife! She's trying to kill me! I'm going to call the police!"

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Gu threw stones at her.

"Ah!" Gu Xing'er screamed, shrinking behind the old lady Gu and using her own mother as a shield.

Aunt Gu dared not hurt her mother-in-law, so she naturally threw the stone off to the side.

It didn't end up in Old Mrs. Gu's hands.

She glanced coldly at Gu Xing'er, finding her face utterly repulsive.

Aunt Gu looked at Old Madam Gu and said, "Mother, open your eyes and look. This is the granddaughter you've spoiled since childhood. She's using you as a shield. Are you still going to protect her?"

"Gu Xing'er is a heartless beast!"

"She can abandon even her own parents and sever ties with them so easily. She's a vicious snake. I absolutely refuse to let her register her household in our family!"

When Grandma Gu heard her spitting out even this, her face turned dark.

What a disgrace! The family is utterly disgraced! If word gets out, how will Xing'er ever get married?

He looked at his second son's wife with dissatisfaction.

Aunt Gu's voice wasn't quiet, and the people trying to break up the fight were speechless.

"...What does severing ties mean?" someone asked in a high-pitched voice, their tone full of surprise.

"Oh, nobody knows yet?" Aunt Gu said with a sneer. "Gu Xing'er published a notice in the newspaper severing ties with the first wife's family!"

Everyone was shocked.

"What?!"

"real or fake?"

"Never heard of that. When did it happen?"

……

The members bombarded Gu Xing'er with questions, looking at her as if she were some kind of monster.

Gu Xing'er retorted angrily, "What are you looking at! What's so interesting?!"

"They're so biased! I'm going to cut ties with them!"

"Gu Qingzhou and I are both their biological children. When the family property was divided, why did Gu Qingzhou get fifty yuan more than me? They don't like me, and I hate them too!"

She snorted, "I can live a better life without them. That family won't be able to benefit from me anymore."

Those present twitched at the corners of their mouths.

Has Gu Xing'er gone mad?

Just her.

I'm dying of laughter!!

The Gu family can't rely on her at all. With the three wives and their husbands around, what business does she have?

Can't tell the difference between the two kings.

Zhao Liuniang thought so too, looking at Gu Xing'er with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, speechless.

The village elders, unable to stand by and watch, transformed into messengers of justice.

He scolded Gu Xing'er.

"You're so heartless! Your parents worked so hard to raise you and send you to school. Every girl in the village goes all the way to junior high. Your education has been wasted!"

Gu Xing'er is domineering towards her own family, but quite honest towards outsiders, especially those with some status.

The person speaking was of a high generation and had many children and grandchildren, so she dared not go against him, for fear of upsetting him and causing him harm.

So they pretended not to hear it.

Grandma Gu felt ashamed and turned to scold Aunt Gu, "What are you making such a fuss about? You only do things that are not respectable. Why can't you talk about things behind closed doors? You've made a scene and the whole village knows... Do you think you're making a name for yourself?"

Aunt Gu thought to herself, "How can things be explained when the door is closed?"

"If I had a solution, would I be making a scene?"

"Mother, I'm begging you, let's just live our own lives peacefully and stop interfering in Gu Xing'er's affairs. She's so independent; let her make her own decisions. Please leave her alone!"

"I'll say it again, Gu Xing'er, don't even think about marrying into my family. I'm not willing!!"

No matter what you say today, she will absolutely not allow Gu Xing'er to enter her household.

This guy's a troublemaker; who knows what kind of trouble he'll get into!
Most importantly, the family is strapped for cash; where would they get the food to feed Gu Xing'er, an outsider?!
Gu Xing'er had previously been slashed on the arm by her second aunt and held a deep grudge against her, and did not want to transfer her household registration to her second uncle's house.

She had an indifferent expression.

"Who cares?"

Gu Xing'er said smugly, "Soon I'll be a city dweller, I won't care about moving into your family's household..."