Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

It was quiet for only two days.

Old Chen, the contractor of the commune construction team that Zhou Fang had previously worked with in Qingyang, came to see Song Xianglan.

"Comrade Song, I was introduced by Zhou Fang. He said you're going to build a warehouse here."

Song Xianglan quickly closed the courtyard gate. "I'll take you to see it."

The two arrived near the processing workshop.

"Old Chen, look, this whole piece of land is mine." Song Xianglan pointed around and said, "I'll level all five acres of land to the west of the workshop."

The warehouse is located right in the middle.

A row of dormitories was built right next to this end on the north side.

A two-meter-high red brick wall was built around the perimeter, with broken glass inserted on top.

The main gate is located here; weld two large iron gates onto me.

The road must be compacted and widened to ensure that tractor-trailer trucks can easily maneuver and access 45-foot high cube containers in the future.

Old Chen quickly jotted down notes in his notebook.

"Boss Song, this is quite a big deal. It must cost a lot of money."

"You'll get your money. Just do a good job." Song Xianglan made the decision directly. "Zhou Fang should have explained things to you clearly. After you finish building it, knock down the wall on the workshop side for me. Also, build me a three-story office building on the south side, near the workshop."

Old Chen readily agreed.

The matter has just been explained.

A brand new bicycle stopped by the roadside, its bell ringing.

Nie Xiaochuan tidied his hair, his face beaming with joy.

"Third Aunt. Have you finished arranging the work? My mom wants me to pick you up right away, the house is in complete chaos."

"What's the rush?"

Song Xianglan spoke a few more words with Lao Chen, and mentioned that she had someone choose an auspicious day for breaking ground.

Old Chen said he would bring people over in a few days.

After finishing her work, Song Xianglan went home and casually grabbed two sets of clothes to change into, stuffing them into her bag.

Before leaving home.

She went next door to find Liu Chounu. "Chounu, I'm going to Nie Family Village for my nephew's wedding. I'll be gone for three days. Keep an eye on the door for me. Here's the key."

The chickens, ducks, and geese raised in the backyard all need to be fed by people.

They have to be let out every morning and called back every evening.

Liu Chounu took the keys. "Go ahead. You've seen four people in that transport team. Chunhua and I have also seen the two new ones. They're Lin Bingnan's sister from the west end, the one who married into Tangjiazhuang, and her daughter-in-law."

"If you think it's okay, then it's fine."

Song Xianglan added, "At the beginning, you should choose two experienced people to guide them for a week."

"I understand. You can go to the wedding without worry," Liu Chounu replied with a smile.

Song Xianglan sat in the back seat of Nie Xiaochuan.

The bicycle wheels spun rapidly, heading straight for Niejiazhuang.

Both the old house in Niejiazhuang and the newly built villa were full of people.

I just got off my bicycle.

Song Xianglan heard the increasingly loud laughter and cursing of the women in the courtyard.

Wu Hua, with her short, ear-length haircut, stood in the yard with her hands on her hips, directing her five little radish heads, "Da Ya, Er Ya, take your younger siblings to play over there, don't crowd around the kitchen door like greedy cats."

This girl used to be so afraid of even breathing loudly, and after getting married, she was completely controlled by her in-laws.

Today, upon seeing him, I realized his voice was so loud it could shake the roof tiles.

"Third Aunt is here." Wu Hua, with her sharp eyes, came forward to greet her and took Song Xianglan's bag.

"Wuhua, your in-laws finally decided to let you out this time?" Song Xianglan looked her over.

Wu Hua married far away, and this is the first time she has returned to her parents' home since the wedding.

Wu Hua's back was ramrod straight.

"They wouldn't dare utter a sound. Xiao Chuan has made something of himself now, and his family has built a new house. My sisters-in-law all look at me differently now."

I took my five children back to my parents' home for a wedding banquet, and my mother-in-law even gave me two yuan.

Sanhua and Sihua came out of the kitchen carrying basins of vegetables, their faces beaming with pride.

"Let alone Wuhua who married far away, my in-laws used to have long faces when they saw me come back to my parents' home."

Sanhua squatted on the ground picking vegetables. "Now Xiaochuan is making a lot of money with my aunt. He brings me things every time he visits me. My mother-in-law treats me like royalty, afraid that I won't bring back some benefits."

Song Xiangmei came out of the house wearing an apron, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Third sister, you've finally arrived. You'll sleep in my room tonight, and we sisters can have a good chat."

Several women sat in the courtyard chatting.

Sihua asked Dahua's family if they were going to divide the family property now that they had more land.

Da Hua: "We're not separating. Xiao Chuan is now in charge of Aunt Qingyang's office, and my Da Chao is following behind him, working very hard. Er Chao is learning to drive with Er Hei, and he says he'll be ready in another half month."

"Thanks to Third Aunt for finding Erhei."

Song Xianglan took the enamel mug Erhua brought her and took a sip of tea. "Study hard. Let him follow Erhei for three months, and then he can drive in my workshop."

Big Flower's eyes and brows were full of joy.

Erhua sat down close to Song Xianglan and said, "Third Aunt, our Shugen has made something of himself."

His master praised his wood carvings for their spiritual quality. A while ago, he carved a Guanyin statue out of sandalwood, which was bought for a high price by a big boss in Hong Kong!

"Good lad." Song Xianglan pulled up a bench and sat down. "How much commission did you get?"

Erhua shook her head.

"Apprentices don't get paid for the first five years; that rule can't be broken. The money goes to the master. But his master has taken a liking to Shugen and wants to marry his daughter to him."

"What's that girl like?"

Erhua didn't know either, and shook her head.

While she was saying happy news, Erhua's wrist trembled uncontrollably.

She lowered her eyelids, not daring to look at anyone.

Lately, whenever she closes her eyes at night, she always dreams of the days when she was locked in an iron cage.

The faces of those strange men were flashing before my eyes.

She was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and stayed up all night until dawn.

She felt fear even at night, but she could only keep it to herself.

She was afraid people would say she was being pretentious for living a good life.

Sihua pulled up a chair and sat down, her knitting needles flying across the fabric. "Third Aunt, you wouldn't believe it. The other day when our family was dividing up the land, we almost blew the roof off."

My sister-in-law is jealous of my family's good life, and she's always making veiled insults at me.

"What did she say?" Wu Hua leaned closer.

"She spewed filth, saying that the good feng shui of our Nie family is because my eldest brother killed my dead father with a hoe back then, and used my father's blood to make Xiao Chuan successful today."

Sihua was so angry her teeth itched. "I grabbed a doorstop and smashed two big holes in her pot. If she dared to curse me, I'd tear her mouth apart."

"Well done!" Song Xianglan slapped her thigh. "People like this who gossip need to be taught a lesson. Where was your man?"

Sihua pouted:

"That coward. He hides in his room and doesn't dare to fart. He's not even as tough as Xiao Chuan."

Sihua snapped a bunch of long beans with a crackling sound and continued, "Men all over the world, when it comes to their own brothers, they blame it all on women."

My mother-in-law favors my brother-in-law, and my husband even scolds me for being unreasonable.

He talked about how close he and his brother were before he married me. He also talked about how hard his mother worked to raise them.

"My husband said the same thing, because raising them and their siblings was hard work, so he wants me to be more filial." Wu Hua looked noticeably older.

I spat in his face.

Sihua raised an eyebrow and said, "I said your mother has worked hard and it wasn't easy for her, that's the result of your dead father's sins."

It doesn't make sense for your father to dig a hole for me, his daughter-in-law, to fill.

You're marrying a daughter-in-law, not finding a replacement for your mother-in-law. I, on the other hand, complain about her constantly finding fault with me.

Song Xiangmei frowned upon hearing this, walked over and slapped Sihua.

"You brat, you're spouting nonsense! How dare you shout these things around like that?"

Sihua stood firm, refusing to back down.

"Mom, what did I say wrong? The village has been less strict these past two years. On the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and during festivals, I'm the one who runs the errands for worshipping the Jade Emperor and the village temple."

My mother-in-law, on the other hand, is always putting on airs and nitpicking.

Today she complains that the joss paper for the offerings isn't folded square enough, tomorrow she'll complain that the red tortoise cakes I made aren't as pretty as the ones she used to make.

I only said one thing: if she thinks I'm not doing a good job, she should get up and do it herself. She said that when she was a daughter-in-law, she was beaten and scolded by her mother-in-law but didn't dare to talk back, and that nowadays daughters-in-law are like women who poop on their mothers-in-law's necks.

The women in the courtyard burst into laughter.

"There's no such thing as a good mother-in-law in the world," Sanhua concluded.

Song Xianglan rolled her eyes, peeled a peanut and popped it into her mouth. "Stop sweeping up a whole bunch with a big stick. You should just learn to be a good mother-in-law from now on."

Erhua smiled, pursing her lips:

"Third Aunt is such a good mother-in-law. Huijun always acts like a spoiled child in front of Third Aunt."

Sanhua quickly added, "Except for my third aunt. My mother is also a good mother-in-law. It's just a pity that her previous sons were no good and the daughters-in-law she had were no good either."

At this, the wrinkles around Song Xiangmei's eyes completely smoothed out.

His face beamed with joy, "Chunxia and I definitely get along well. That girl is so honest; she always says I'm too soft-hearted. She even said she'd invite her to come with her when we visit the Song family, so she can come and watch the fun."

"Now that Mom has a wife, we married daughters have to step aside," Da Hua joked.

Wu Hua kept her ears perked up, listening to the gossip.

Upon hearing the name of the Song family, he turned to Song Xianglan and asked, "Third Aunt, what's been happening to Uncle's family lately?"

The courtyard immediately fell silent.

Da Hua, being quick-witted, immediately chimed in.

"You married far away and were kept out of touch with the world. Song Qiang had an illegitimate child outside. Yang Liu was making a scene about getting a divorce a while ago, but for some reason she suddenly changed her mind. A few days ago, she bought a ticket and rushed to Guangzhou to find Song Qiang and have a son."

"She said she'd give birth to her baby without restraint this time, and wouldn't accept her fate until she reached menopause."

"You really got pregnant?" Wu Hua's eyes widened.

"Of course, they conceived a child, and it's a boy. Isn't that infuriating? If I were Yang Liu, I would divorce Song Qiang, make him leave with nothing, and then make him give the child money every month."

They would ask the village elders to draw up a written agreement, stipulating that the property would be divided equally among the five girls.

"And Song Yulu, she's been married for so long and hasn't gotten pregnant, so she went to the New City Hospital for a checkup too." Da Hua turned to Song Xianglan, "Third Aunt, did they find anything wrong with Yulu?"

Song Xianglan patted the peanut skins off her hands.

"Yu Lu is a pitiful girl; she does have health problems. The couple stayed in the new city to work and get treatment. However, the doctor said the situation wasn't good and suggested they adopt a child."