Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

"Thank you so much!"

Elena, being a sentimental person, immediately teared up and hugged Grandma Wei Shufen, speaking in her native dialect. Fortunately, Zhang Yi understood Italian and translated for Grandma Wei Shufen, "Elena said that you made her feel the love of her late grandmother!"

"Look how touched this girl is, it almost brought tears to my eyes," said Old Mrs. Wei Shufen, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Girl, if you don't mind, treat this place as your own home from now on. Don't cry. We women should choose the right time to cry, not just cry randomly!"

"Why?" Elena was completely confused after hearing the translation. It was the first time she had heard someone say that women have to know when to cry, so she asked curiously.

The other granddaughters-in-law also looked over with gossipy expressions. Grandma Wei Shufen tucked a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear before saying, "You girls these days don't live like we used to. Back then, even how and when we cried was taught by a female tutor. When I married your grandfather, I came from a prominent family. Our Chen family was a well-known and respected clan in Jiping back then, you know that!"

"There are three types of women who cry: one is to show weakness, one is to show strength, and the other is to stir up trouble!"

As Grandma Wei Shufen looked at the table full of younger generations, she seemed to be recounting some of the old ways of life: "A woman should not cry indiscriminately, whether at home or outside. She should not cry in front of her father, husband, or children, and she should be careful not to cry when she is away from home!"

Do you know why?

Chen Zaixing asked casually, "Grandma, did you cry and people dislike you?"

"I'll give you a piece of my mind," Old Mrs. Wei Shufen rolled her eyes at Chen Zaixing. "The rule that a married daughter shouldn't cry in front of her father is because it's considered bad luck for her to cry when she returns home!"

"I don't cry in front of my husband because we are husband and wife as one, and should be understanding and generous. Crying is a big taboo, as it seems like I'm showing weakness. Happiness gained through crying will never last!"

"Why don't I cry in front of my children? A mother needs to be strong, for a mother is her child's support. If a mother cries when things happen, how can a child be strong? So I show weakness to my children. Have you ever seen me cry in front of my eldest and second sons?"

"No," Huang Lanzhi, Zheng Ling, and Yang Xifeng, the three daughters-in-law, shook their heads in unison. Since they married into the family, they had never seen the old lady cry so easily.

The only time I saw the old lady cry was on the day her father-in-law, Chen Shengyu, passed away. It was when Chen Dong came back that the old lady, Wei Shufen, received an old photo of her second great-uncle. She was teary-eyed, but quickly stopped crying.

"As for this 'be careful not to cry in front of strangers,' remember this: stay away from women who cry and wail in front of others!"

"They're all cunning and scheming; they're either after something from you or plotting to harm you!"

"Grandma, you're so knowledgeable!" Elena stared wide-eyed at Grandma Wei Shufen. "This is the first time I've ever heard someone analyze a woman's crying like this!"

Grandma Wei Shufen waved her hand dismissively, "These are all outdated ideas people used to talk about. They're not allowed to be taught these things anymore. Back in our day, they were things that unmarried women had to learn."

"When I was young, I happened to be caught up in Mr. Sun's revolution, so I was exposed to Western learning early on. I met your grandfather in school, so I didn't have my feet bound. I'm so glad I didn't have them bound when I was young, otherwise it would have been a real struggle to go for a walk!"

"Hahaha!"

The whole room of children and grandchildren burst into laughter. Although the old lady was usually very old-fashioned, she was actually quite witty. She was very loving and doting on her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and rarely scolded them.

"Grandma, did women really bind their feet in the past?" Xiao Huiqin asked with wide, inquisitive eyes. She had only read about foot binding in textbooks and had never heard anyone actually say it.

"They're like children from wealthy families. Your sister Huijuan is already being pampered at her age," said Old Mrs. Wei Shufen, pointing to Chen Zailong's daughter Huijuan, who was not even nine years old.

"Binding feet with cloth—the suffering was unbearable! Even now, when I think back to that woman I once knew whose feet were forced to be bound by her family, I still feel a chill. Women suffered so much back then!"

"Thank goodness we're liberated," Chen Huiqin shuddered after hearing this, and old lady Wei Shufen nodded in agreement, "Yes, thank goodness we're liberated, we don't have to endure those hard times anymore!"

Elena sat there listening to Zhang Yi translate for her. Old lady Wei Shufen recounted many heartbreaking stories from the Republican era: the bald-headed scoundrels, the cannibalistic nature of the puppet troops, and the wanton killings by the Japanese.

"Back then, I carried my eldest and second eldest son across the bridge. The Japanese soldiers were only three inches tall, not even as tall as me. They were spouting some kind of gibberish that I couldn't understand. I was afraid they would turn on me, so I didn't dare to go," Wei Shufen said, getting excited as she recounted her past.

"That Japanese soldier touched the eldest brother's face and gave each of them a piece of candy. I quickly told the eldest and second eldest not to eat it. After we left the post, I threw it into the stinking ditch. The eldest and second eldest were small then, and when they saw that the candy had been thrown away, they sat in the basket and cried all the way home!"

After Grandma Wei Shufen finished speaking, people around her immediately chuckled softly. Chen Xiangui, who was already a grandfather, quickly changed the subject when his mother brought up this matter, asking, "Mother, why didn't you want that candy back then?"

"Heh! Eldest brother, you and second brother were still young back then. You didn't know how those beasts acted. Did you really think they were being kind by giving you candy? If you had, you wouldn't be alive this age!"

"Those little devils spread poison everywhere, especially liked to mix bacteria into sugar to trick children into eating it. After eating it, they would get diarrhea and be sent to the county hospital. If the Japanese found out, they would forcibly take them away," Grandma Wei Shufen recalled, her brows furrowing.

"Our village's production team leader, Huang Bingkun, has an older brother. Do you know that?" Old Mrs. Wei Shufen asked Chen Xiangui. Chen Xiangui shook his head. "It's too far back. I don't remember."

"Back then, she ate candy given to her by the Japanese devils, and at only six years old, she suffered from severe diarrhea and died in her bed. You wouldn't know this unless someone else told you!"

Chen Dong had only heard his grandfather talk about the Japanese killings in Tuocheng when it fell, but he had never heard of the Japanese poisoning. He was deeply moved when he heard Grandma Wei Shufen talk about it today!

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Today is a joyous occasion for my great-grandson's return. It's just that I, an old woman, am talking about these boring things, making you all feel dull," Grandma Wei Shufen said with a cheerful laugh, picking up her chopsticks again to eat some food.

Everyone then resumed eating and chatting about other things. Xiao Rongguo's eyes darted around, and he ran over to his older brother Chen Hui and whispered a few words in his ear. The two little ones then ran out the door, went to the trunk of the car, opened it, and carried the gifts inside.

"Dad, I brought you a gift!" The two had barely entered the courtyard when Xiao Rongguo shouted to Chen Zaixing, "Come here quickly!"