Master Shen’s main objective was achieved, and he diligently entertained his in-laws.
After the meal, Damai and Xiaomai helped clear the tables.
Shen Jianrong felt very embarrassed; how could she let guests do such work?
She urged her daughter and son-in-law to quickly help with the cleanup.
Li Weibao stood up and took his father-in-law’s place. His father-in-law hadn’t started learning yet, so he shouldn’t make a fool of himself.
Yu Jinghai’s slight awkwardness then disappeared.
It wasn't just mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who were natural enemies; father-in-law and son-in-law could also be.
Once the dining table was cleared, Shen Jianrong brewed tea, laid out fruit, and invited the Li family to sit down for tea and fruit.
Then she went to the kitchen to help wash dishes, telling her daughter and son-in-law to keep the guests company in the living room.
Today was their return visit; how could she let her son-in-law do these things?
Even Damai and Xiaomai were ushered out of the kitchen by Shen Jianrong.
She washed the dishes and chopsticks, and Yuan Jiyong helped rinse them with clean water. It didn’t take much time.
After washing her hands, she went back to the living room to sit with them for a while. Then Tian Jing went out with her to bring in the small arch vines and plant them in the yard.
Planted along the wall, they wouldn’t take up much space in the yard.
A total of ten small arch vines were planted along the south wall and the west wall of the kitchen.
Shen Jianrong was very satisfied, as these two “five rings” of hers were sure to thrive.
The Li family prepared to take their leave.
Yu Ziyu and Li Weibao also left together.
Yu Ziyu packed some clothes because she would be returning to Kushan with the Li family tomorrow to host guests.
Shen Jianrong gave her daughter a thorough lecture, reminding her that when she went to Kushan, she wouldn’t be a pampered guest but a daughter-in-law. She had to treat the place as her own home and be perceptive in her interactions.
Yu Ziyu nodded repeatedly; she still had a lot to learn.
The Li family left, and Shen Jianrong and Yu Jinghai escorted them to the main gate of the compound before the Li family drove away.
The party ended, and everyone dispersed.
Shen Jianrong felt a sense of loss.
Especially with her daughter away for these past two days, she felt an emptiness in her heart.
She didn’t know how long it would take for her to recover from this feeling.
Yu Jinghai had intended to return to his study to catch up on the work that had been delayed over the past few days. Seeing his wife like this, he thought for a moment and said:
“Why don’t you brew some tea and go to the study to read the newspaper? We’ll be in the same room, keeping each other company.”
Shen Jianrong paused, then agreed. The house was too quiet, and Yuan Jiyong was a young man; she didn’t have anyone to chat with.
…
After returning to the villa, the Li women intended to visit the villa opposite.
A new house needed people to fill it with life.
The two young children, Yuan Fang and Zhou Yulin, were very happy to go to the opposite villa because it had a swimming pool.
This villa had originally had a swimming pool in the central courtyard, but Tian Jing felt that since they would only be staying for short periods, a swimming pool that was unused year-round was akin to a garbage pit.
It had been converted into a fish pond and a rockery.
In the villa opposite, the four wolfdog puppies that had been confined for three days were released.
Seeing Tian Jing and the others enter, they barked at them.
They barked and whined as a warning.
Their fierce yet adorable appearance made Tian Jing and the others chuckle.
Although they felt a little disappointed that the wolfdog puppies didn’t recognize them, they were also glad that the four puppies were diligent in their duties.
“Dahuang, Huang’er, Huangsan, Huangsi,” Aunt Cai called from the living room, addressing the four wolfdog puppies. “Go back, back to your kennel.”
The four wolfdog puppies reluctantly returned to their kennels by the wall, still whining softly.
Aunt Cai welcomed Tian Jing and the others into the living room, then went to the kitchen to prepare tea and fruit.
Mother Li followed Aunt Cai into the kitchen, helping to cut fruit while inquiring about Aunt Cai’s family situation.
Aunt Cai’s husband had passed away several years ago, and she was raising two sons and a daughter alone.
She also had in-laws; although they lived with her elder brother-in-law, she and her younger brother-in-law also had to contribute to their support.
Her two sons were married, and her daughter was in high school.
She had also worked before, but only washing dishes in restaurants, earning little money.
Her two sons had borrowed money to get married, and her daughter also required some expenses.
She joined fellow villagers in working at a factory, which didn’t mind her age.
However, she often worked overtime, and her speed wasn’t as fast as younger people. She didn’t earn much more than she did washing dishes, and her health suffered from the late nights. When she returned to the village from the factory, her niece from Kyoto came home and told her that being a nanny was suitable for someone her age.
Her niece in Kyoto worked as a nanny, saying that many families in Kyoto hired nannies and advised her to rest at home and recuperate, and she would help find her a job.
She waited for half a year and finally got this job, her first as a nanny.
The nanny job was simple, much like doing housework, and she enjoyed it.
Although the place was large, she had done housework and farmed at home, which was even more tiring.
No one paid her wages, and the two mu of land she cultivated, after deducting fertilizer and pesticide costs, was barely enough to eat.
Mother Li asked, “If you’re working here, who’s taking care of your daughter? What about your fields?”
Aunt Cai smiled and said, “My daughter lives with her elder brother, and her two mu of land are also farmed by her eldest son. It’s considered her food expenses.”
Mother Li was surprised. “Doesn’t your son work outside?”
“Of course, he does,” Aunt Cai sighed. “Everyone says they go out to work, but it’s not that easy.”
“In factories, women workers can join freely, but men need a skill.”
“If you go to construction sites, not only is carrying bricks exhausting, but delayed wages are common. Sometimes you don’t even have money for food.”
“This is the difficulty for us farmers, who only have physical strength and no education, when we go out to work.”
Mother Li inwardly felt grateful to her youngest daughter-in-law again.
Otherwise, her own family wouldn’t be much better off than Aunt Cai’s.
Tiantian had brought not only wealth but also happiness to their family.
The two women carried the tea and fruit to the living room. Mother Li personally handed a slice of watermelon to her youngest daughter-in-law. “Tiantian, you eat.”
Tian Jing accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, Mother.”
Mother Li then handed a slice to her elder daughter-in-law. Ouyang Meihua gratefully thanked her mother-in-law.
Seeing her mother hand another slice of watermelon to herself, Li Min reached out to take it. To her surprise, her mother actually put the watermelon into her own mouth.
She felt wronged. “Mother, what about mine?”
Mother Li swallowed the watermelon in her mouth and glared at her daughter. “Are your hands broken?”
Li Min… She was definitely adopted. At over forty years old, she was still scolded by her mother every day.
Aunt Cai was a quick-witted person and promptly gave Li Min a slice of watermelon.
“Thank you,” Li Min said gratefully and began to chat with Aunt Cai.
Aunt Cai was asked about her family situation again. She was not impatient and repeated it.
These were all the in-laws of the host family, and it was normal for them to ask about her family situation.
After listening, Li Min glanced at her mother. Why was it somewhat similar to her own family’s situation?
Mother Li glared fiercely at her daughter. “Do you still remember those leaky thatched huts from back then?”
Thinking of their miserable past over twenty years ago, and then considering Sister Cai’s current family situation, Li Min shivered.
Just as Tian Jing finished her slice of watermelon, Li Min quickly put down her own watermelon and subserviently handed another slice to her younger sister-in-law.
“Little sister-in-law, have another piece.”
Tian Jing looked at her sister-in-law. “I can’t eat any more, but given how eager you are, I’ll eat this piece of watermelon.”
“Thank you, little sister-in-law,” Li Min said, picking up her half-eaten watermelon and happily continuing to eat it.
Yuan Fang and Zhou Yulin finished their watermelon and wanted to go swimming. Yuan Man forbade them, telling them to play for a while first.
The two children ran to see the puppies.
The wolfdog puppies whined, indicating they weren’t welcome, so they couldn’t play.
The two children then noticed the rabbit cages not far away.
The rabbits didn’t reject them, so they happily picked up the vegetable leaves drying on the rabbit cages and fed them.
Just as Yuan Man thought the children would forget about swimming, they finished feeding the rabbits and wanted to swim.
Yuan Man had to call Zhou Chengbing to join them in the swimming pool.
Fortunately, when they were in Kyoto, Tian Jing had asked everyone to buy swimsuits.
Even the two children had swim trunks.
When changing into swim trunks, Yuan Fang had objections, saying they had swum naked the day before.
Yuan Man coldly asked her son, “Do you want to swim or not?”
Yuan Fang immediately shut up.
As the children went swimming, Tian Jing and the others returned to the opposite villa, leaving Damai and Xiaomai to accompany them.