Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

It was a rare treat for her daughter and son-in-law to come home, and Lin's mother was overjoyed, wearing an apron and bustling about in the kitchen.

"Xiulian, go to the backyard and catch a chicken, kill it and stew it," she instructed while washing the pot.

Lin Xiulian responded and was about to walk towards the backyard when Chen Yongqiang stopped her.

"Mother, there's no need for that." He walked into the kitchen and said to Lin's mother.

"That won't do. You rarely come back, so we can't just serve you plain soup and water." Lin's mother said, heading to kill a chicken.

Chen Yongqiang quickly stopped her: "Mother, really, there's no need. Xiulian and I came back this time to take care of some business, not just to visit."

Lin's mother stopped and turned to look at him: "What is it?"

Lin Xiulian chimed in, "We'd like to ask our great-uncle to help us make the doors and windows. Yongqiang has built a new house and wants our great-uncle to do a better job with the doors and windows."

"So we still have to go to my great-uncle's house later. Mother, don't bother, just make something simple to eat." Chen Yongqiang planned to go back quickly after inviting his great-uncle.

Lin's mother then gave up, muttering, "Alright, alright, if you don't want to do it, then don't. You all go and take care of your business."

Carrying the gifts, Chen Yongqiang followed Lin Xiulian to a detached mud-brick house.

Lin Xiulian pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard gate and walked in: "Uncle, are you home?"

There were some lumber and semi-finished furniture piled up by the courtyard wall, along with some woodworking tools.

Someone inside answered, and then the curtain was lifted, and an old man walked out.

The old man was a bit hunchbacked, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was missing half of his little finger on his left hand, which he had accidentally lost when he was working in his youth, when it was planed off.

This carpenter is named Lin Wenfeng. He's almost seventy years old, but he's still quite nimble.

He saw Lin Xiulian and smiled, "Xiulian's here? What a rare guest!"

Lin Xiulian greeted him with a smile: "Uncle, it's been a long time since I've visited you. This is my husband, Chen Yongqiang."

Chen Yongqiang quickly stepped forward and handed over the gift he was carrying: "Hello, Uncle, this is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't find it offensive."

Lin Wenfeng sized up Chen Yongqiang a few times. He remembered that Chen Yongqiang was Lin Xiuzhen's husband. How did he become Lin Xiulian's man now? Could he have remembered wrong?

"You're here, why did you bring anything? Come in and have a seat."

After entering the house, Chen Yongqiang didn't exchange many pleasantries and went straight to explaining his purpose.

"Uncle, I've come to ask you to come out of retirement. I've just built five new brick houses and need someone to make the doors and windows."

Lin Wenfeng looked somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "Five brick houses? That must have cost a lot of money..."

Lin Xiulian smiled and replied, "Uncle, Yongqiang from my family is good at making money, so don't worry about that. As long as you're willing to help, he'll be paid exactly what he's owed, without any delays."

Lin Wenfeng leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment: "Whether it's wages or not, it's all negotiable. If all else fails, we can accept grain as payment."

He distributed the land to his three sons to cultivate. They were supposed to provide him with a pension, but those sons…

Based on Lin Wenfeng's understanding of them, it's hard to say whether he'll be able to provide them with food.

The elderly don't not want money; they want something tangible. The older generation feels that food is more reliable than money, at least it ensures they won't go hungry.

"Uncle, then we'll do as you say. We'll give you the wages in grain." Chen Yongqiang didn't mind; the grain he grew in his space was more than enough.

It wasn't as difficult to hire as I had imagined. Chen Yongqiang originally thought that these elderly craftsmen would be stubborn and arrogant, and that it would take a lot of persuasion.

Unexpectedly, Lin Wenfeng was quite easy to talk to. Apart from wanting to convert his wages into grain, he had no other objections.

Before coming, he specifically asked Zhao Fugen how much a skilled carpenter like Lin Wenfeng, who had worked as a carpenter all his life, was paid.

The current market rate is 1.5 to 2 yuan per day for an average carpenter, while someone of Lin Wenfeng's caliber earns 3 yuan per day, which is considered a very high wage.

"Uncle, let's calculate it as three yuan a day. If you want it converted to grain, we'll do it at the market price. After the work is done, the grain will be delivered to your door. Is that alright?"

"Okay, okay, that's best." Lin Wenfeng agreed to the job.

Lin Xiulian asked, "Uncle, when can you come over and take a look? The timber has all been brought back, and we're just waiting for you to start the work."

"It's too late today, let's go early tomorrow morning. I'll take my tools over there, take a look at the materials, and then figure out the design." Lin Wenfeng is rather superstitious and always consults the almanac before going out; today is not auspicious for going out.

"Alright, I'll come pick you up again tomorrow." Chen Yongqiang had no choice but to make the trip again tomorrow.

When she returned to her father-in-law's house, smoke was billowing from the kitchen chimney, and Lin's mother was busy at the stove wearing an apron.

Lin Xiulian strode into the kitchen: "Mother, let me help."

"No need, no need, it'll be ready soon." Lin's mother lifted the pot lid and stirred the vegetables.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Lin's father walked in, carrying a hoe, his trouser legs covered in mud.

Lin Xiulian came out to greet him: "Father!"

Lin's father saw Chen Yongqiang following behind and wanted to say something, but he didn't.

It's mainly about Xiuzhen and Xiulian; I still feel a bit uneasy about it.

Chen Yongqiang readily took the hoe from him: "Dad, have you reached the water yet?"

"We've got them!" Lin's father replied indifferently.

The reservoir released plenty of water, and he stayed up all night to water all the land.

Lin Xiulian smiled and said, "That's good. Now we don't have to worry about the crops."

Lin's father glanced at Chen Yongqiang, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.

He thought of the crops in his own fields. He didn't know what was wrong this year. He had planted the same land and watered the same crops as everyone else, but his few acres were growing better than theirs.

His corn seedlings were more than ten centimeters taller than others'. Everyone in the village said he knew how to farm, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't because he knew how to farm, but because the seeds Chen Yongqiang gave him were special.

When Chen Yongqiang came last time, he brought a bag of seeds, saying they were high-quality seeds he had asked someone to buy for him to try. He tried them, and the results were indeed different.

During the meal, Lin's mother brought the stew to the table, and Lin's father took out a bottle of liquor from the cupboard. It was bulk baijiu, and he poured a bowl for himself and Chen Yongqiang.

"Come on, Yongqiang, have a sip." Lin's father picked up the bowl.

Chen Yongqiang quickly picked up the bowl, clinked it against his, and took a sip.

Lin's father also took a sip of his drink and picked up some food with his chopsticks: "Yongqiang, Xiulian is with you, so you have to treat her better."

Lin Xiulian chimed in, "Dad, Yongqiang treats me very well. He never lets me do any heavy work. He only lets me run errands for the house construction."

Lin's father glanced at his daughter, then at Chen Yongqiang, nodded, said nothing more, picked up the bowl, and took another sip.

Lin's mother, standing nearby, chuckled and tried to smooth things over: "Your father is just not good with words, but he's really happy. Yongqiang, don't take it to heart."

"Mom, I know." Chen Yongqiang could tell that his father-in-law was much more lenient than when he last visited.

After a few more sips of wine, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Lin's father became more talkative, talking about things in the fields, things in the village, and how he almost got into a fight with people from the neighboring village the night he was guarding the water.