Tian Jing cupped her chin, "Can Fang Qiuhong and Li Aiguo's hands really not be separated?"
"Sister-in-law Niu said that's the case, and the four of them were making quite a racket, so they finally decided to all stay at Lin Er Lai's house."
Tian Jing's eyes widened. Li Aiguo was forced to go to Lin Er Lai's house, and what was Zhang Fangcao doing tagging along? Were all four of them going to sleep on the same kàng? It sounded a bit horrifying.
Li Zhengguo pulled her up, not allowing her to focus on irrelevant people. "Let's go back to the room and rest."
Back in the room, Tian Jing directed Li Zhengguo, "Go ask Li Min for some scar-removing cream."
"What for?"
"I'll add some special ingredients and give it to Fang Qiuhong. These three days are a good opportunity."
Li Zhengguo didn't understand.
Tian Jing grinned wickedly, "She's fixated on the birthmark on her face, so I've decided to help her. And I'll tell her that the earlier she uses it, the better the effect."
"If she can't resist using it, even if the birthmark doesn't disappear immediately, the fragrance will be there. Won't Zhang Fangcao think she's deliberately trying to seduce Li Aiguo?"
"Once Fang Qiuhong's appearance is restored, with Zhang Fangcao's jealous nature, won't she be suspicious?"
That Zhang Fangcao was truly someone who wanted the best of both worlds, still pining for her former fiancé while desperately holding onto her current husband.
Looking at the mischievously smiling Tian Tian, Li Zhengguo didn't want to do anything else. "It's already dark. What can we do? Let's talk about it tomorrow."
After a passionate kiss, he went to fetch hot water. "How did you handle yours?"
"Mine?"
"The one you used?"
Tian Jing... What was this man trying to do?
"Threw it away."
"Then, is it enough? Do you need me to ask Min Min for some more?"
"You'll go ask?"
Li Zhengguo's face flushed, but he still nodded. "I'll go ask. You wait..."
The rest of his words were interrupted by someone who suddenly leaped into his arms. The scolding he intended to deliver was silenced by soft lips.
This foolish man.
After the kiss ended, Tian Jing directed the foolish man to continue heating water. She would wash herself, alright?
When would she finally get to use a real sanitary napkin?
The next day, Tian Jing wanted to go up the mountain, but Li Zhengguo forbade it.
They finally compromised: she would force-grow ginseng in the wooden box at home and extract ginseng essence to mix into the scar-removing cream she got from Li Min.
Li Zhengguo was worried. "Is it worth using this essence to get revenge on that woman?"
"I'm doing this for you. Any woman who dares to have designs on you, I'll stir up trouble in her family until there's no peace."
After mixing the scar-removing cream, Tian Jing handed it to Li Zhengguo. "Take this to Lin Guangde and tell him to handle it properly."
"Okay."
During these three days, Tian Jing diligently knitted wool trousers on the kàng.
During these three days, there were many villagers moving around near Lin Er Lai's house.
Li Min constantly received new information from Sister-in-law Niu and passed it to her elder sister-in-law.
Going in and out together was understandable, but all four of them going to the toilet together was a true marvel of the world.
The village was lively for three days. The heavy snow, fluttering like goose feathers, couldn't dampen the villagers' curiosity.
The snow came late this year and fell for two consecutive days, stopping on the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month.
The villagers were busy shoveling snow, with no time to go to the Lin family to watch the spectacle.
However, since Li Aiguo and his wife had returned to the Zhang family, there was no more excitement to be had.
On the twenty-third, Li Zhengguo put on the lovingly made wool trousers. One deep kiss wasn't enough to express his inner excitement; two deep kisses barely eased it; it took three deep kisses before he let go.
Tian Jing playfully hit him in annoyance.
Time flew by, and it was the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month. The Lunar New Year was the day after tomorrow.
In five days, Tian Jing had finished knitting her own sweater and had even started one for her mother-in-law.
Even without leaving the house, she was aware of everything happening in the village, with Sister-in-law Niu coming almost daily to report.
Sister-in-law Niu marveled at Tian Jing's speed at knitting sweaters while chatting about village affairs.
Accountant Li's eldest daughter-in-law had managed to save her fetus, and Huang Sulan was in good spirits.
Hu Hongju had become quite gaunt, seemingly having argued with her eldest son and his wife.
Fang Qiuhong's facial birthmark had faded considerably; it was unclear where she had gotten the cream.
Zhang Fangcao and Fang Qiuhong seemed to have fallen out.
Lin Guangde was often seen wandering around the village, greeting villagers, no longer as overbearing as before.
Sister-in-law Niu had been suppressed by Mother Niu because Mother Niu trusted Tian Jing.
Tian Jing smiled, "Sister-in-law Niu, your mother-in-law is a clever woman. With your temperament, you can't win against her."
Sister-in-law Niu agreed, "My mother-in-law is quite cunning. Otherwise, how could a widow raise two sons and get them married?"
"Then you'll have to be careful."
"Let me tell you, I only recently found out that my husband, Big Niu's father, is also cunning. If he hadn't been close to me and you, he wouldn't have revealed himself. He's inherited it completely from my mother-in-law."
"What has he revealed?"
"Well," Sister-in-law Niu leaned closer to Tian Jing, "my father-in-law had some good things. When he was dying, only he was by his side. He left him a dying wish to distribute them. But he, pretending to know nothing, secretly moved the items. He was only a teenager then."
"As expected of someone surnamed Niu, truly impressive." Tian Jing also admired him, not expecting that the seemingly honest Big Niu was actually so deep.
Sister-in-law Niu chuckled, "He also said he liked my temperament and that I always angered him. Isn't he just saying that I'm too simple-minded?"
"He didn't tell you the location of the hidden treasure, did he?" Tian Jing asked slyly, looking at Sister-in-law Niu.
Sister-in-law Niu was startled, then relaxed, "He knows me well. He knows I can't keep secrets. Heh heh, it was so hard for me to keep it in, but I ended up telling you. Fortunately, he didn't tell me the location, or I would have told you too."
...
On the twenty-ninth, under her elder sister-in-law's urging, Li Min braised a large pot of delicacies.
Pig intestines, liver, stomach, and rabbit meat were braised together. The rabbit meat, mixed with lard, wouldn't feel dry.
Tian Jing asked Li Min to cut some of each item and send them to the Chen family.
Of course, Mother Li was worried about her daughter going out alone, so she accompanied her to the entrance of the Chen family. Only when she saw Chen Suozhu come out to greet her daughter did she return home with peace of mind.
Passing by Accountant Li's house, she happened to come face-to-face with Hu Hongju. Mother Li gave a calm smile and continued home.
Hu Hongju was stunned. Her cousin-in-law not only had recovered her health but also had a good spirit and looked much younger.
On the morning of New Year's Eve, Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo both received a pair of corduroy cloth cotton shoes.
Wearing the new shoes, Tian Jing was delighted and directed her sister-in-law to cook.
Sweet and sour pork ribs, pork stewed with vermicelli, pheasant soup, plus the braised meat platter from yesterday. For vegetables, there was stir-fried tender pumpkin and cold mixed radish.
The radishes were from the vegetables grown in the wooden box, which Li Min had carefully protected to save for the New Year.
Unfortunately, her tender pumpkin wasn't protected; her elder sister-in-law had secretly picked one. Since it was picked, they had to eat it.
Five dishes and one soup, all served in enamel basins, filled the square table as soon as they were arranged.
Mother Li was moved to tears of joy. After five years, her family was finally different.
Picking up her tea mug, which contained the sugar water her daughter-in-law had made, she thanked her daughter-in-law. "Tian Tian, Mother thanks you. You've brought vitality and hope to this family. Thank you."
Tian Jing quickly picked up her own tea mug. "Mother-in-law, it's I who should thank you for your generosity and for not holding grudges, which has given me room to flourish."
Li Min raised her tea mug, her eyes filled with tears, but she grinned. "Why are you two, mother and daughter-in-law, being so polite to each other? We are all family."
Li Zhengguo also raised his tea mug. "That's right, we are all family. Cheers, and next year will be even better."