After resting for a few days, Mother Li began preparing for the New Year's goods.
This year, Hao Hao was bringing his girlfriend home for the holidays, Yan Yan was also bringing her girlfriend, Xiao Bo and his wife were coming back, and Xiao Yu and An An would be returning as well.
It had been many years since the family had been this complete.
Therefore, Mother Li had a lot of New Year's goods to prepare. Ouyang Meihua and Li Liguo came back every day to help. They were the eldest, and while their mother lived with her younger son, they and their sister were also coming home for the New Year, so they had to get busy early.
Even Sister-in-law Niu was called over to help. Help with what? Of course, to help with curing the salted fish.
In the entire village, no one's salted fish was as delicious as Sister-in-law Niu's.
In front of Mother Li, Sister-in-law Niu did not hide the reason for her unique salted fish.
Ouyang Meihua slapped Sister-in-law Niu on the shoulder: "You're quite sly, so that's how you get the special flavor."
Sister-in-law Niu, clutching the vegetable juice, smiled proudly: "I call it being smart. Everyone knows the vegetables from Koushan are especially delicious, but who would have thought of curing salted fish with vegetable juice?"
"Exactly, exactly," Mother Li chuckled: "Indeed, Sister-in-law Niu is smart. Our minds just don't know how to bend."
Sister-in-law Niu beamed with pride.
Ouyang Meihua, unable to stand Sister-in-law Niu's proud demeanor, asked: "Where is your mother-in-law celebrating the New Year?"
Sister-in-law Niu's expression changed: "Hmph! My mother-in-law said my sister-in-law shouldn't work too hard, so they'll all be celebrating together this year."
"I didn't want to agree, but Da Niu's father said that before the New Year, they should get Da Niu and Er Niu married to their new wives and let the new wives handle things."
Mother Li lightly chided her: "You're so worried and can't let go, that's why you're so tired. If you don't let go, how will the younger generation learn to do things?"
"Alright!" Sister-in-law Niu nodded vigorously: "I'll learn to let go."
She poured the vegetable pulp from the gauze into a basin beside her: "It's a waste to throw it away. I'll take it back later to boil pig feed."
After saying this, Sister-in-law Niu sighed again: "Back then, when Tiantian first came, she taught us how to make sweet potato starch, but she forgot to mention how to deal with the sweet potato residue. Li Min poured it at the entrance of the self-reserved field, and I poured it into the pig feed."
"Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Now that life is better, let alone sweet potato residue, even this vegetable residue is fed to the pigs."
Mother Li sighed: "Yes, back then my house had leaky walls, and I thought my body wouldn't last two years. After Tiantian came, my health got better and better."
"You were starving," Sister-in-law Niu said: "When there's no food at home, worrying combined with hunger, how can your health not deteriorate?"
Ouyang Meihua saw that the conversation had gone off track and the atmosphere had worsened, so she changed the subject:
"Sister-in-law Niu, there's only a little over a month left before the New Year. When are your two daughters-in-law getting married? Why haven't you mentioned it?"
Sister-in-law Niu's face showed little joy: "Da Niu is getting married on Winter Solstice before the New Year, and Er Niu is getting married on the second day of the second lunar month after the New Year."
"On Winter Solstice, you must come for a drink."
Sister-in-law Niu didn't mention a wedding banquet, only drinking. In her opinion, there was no need to make a fuss about a second marriage; getting a license and living together was enough.
However, the woman was marrying for the first time and wanted a wedding ceremony. Her eldest son and second son agreed, so she could only agree.
Mother Li nodded: "We'll definitely go, definitely go."
The fish pieces were all cured. Sister-in-law Niu picked up the vegetable pulp and left.
Mother Li sighed softly: "Marrying a first-time bride as a second-time groom, the later wife will quickly have her own child, and will surely be hostile towards the child born to the first wife."
"Marrying a second-time bride as a second-time groom, the wife brings her own child and then has another child. The child born to the first wife still won't have an easy time."
"Alas! As long as there is a divorce, the child born to the first wife is the one who gets hurt."
"In the past, very few people divorced. Women just gritted their teeth and endured. Now! Alas!"
Ouyang Meihua looked at her mother-in-law with a hint of embarrassment: "Mom~"
Mother Li froze for a moment, then patted her forehead: "Oh my, I forgot about you. For so many years, your kindness to Damai and Xiaomai made me forget that you are a stepmother."
Ouyang Meihua felt comforted: "Mom, not all stepmothers are bad, and not all biological mothers are necessarily good."
"Right, right," Mother Li nodded repeatedly: "We can't judge everyone with the same brush."
The mother and daughter-in-law, with great understanding, changed the subject and talked about the distinguished guests who would be coming to their home for the New Year.
...
At noon, Li Zhengguo returned from work, bringing news: Aodu Group from Kyoto had bought all the land on both sides of the rural road from Wuligou to the county town.
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow: "When are you retiring?"
Secretary Ji had just retired, and the rural road built with the investment from Koushan could be sold so casually. What else couldn't be sold?
Li Zhengguo smiled: "After Secretary Ji retired, I submitted my resignation application. It should be soon."
Thinking that his wife didn't ask about anything else, only when he would retire, he couldn't help but ask: "You know Aodu Group?"
Tian Jing replied quickly: "No!"
His wife's tone seemed a bit off. Li Zhengguo's heart stirred: "The Zeng family?"
"No!" Tian Jing still answered with those three words, then frowned: "Go and talk to Zhou Chengbin. The county will probably get involved with the scenic area."
Li Zhengguo nodded: "The scenic area is a big prize, and too many people are eyeing it."
After Li Zhengguo left, Tian Jing paced irritably.
Although the land along the road belonged to the state, this rural road was built by Koushan with borrowed funds under pressure from Zhengguo.
Even though the county was selling the land on both sides of the rural road, could it be denied to Aodu Group?
Even if the rural road belonged to the state, selling the land on both sides without notifying Koushan and without discussion at the town level suddenly filled Tian Jing with anger at the infringement of her property.
It was the same even if the land buyer was a Zeng family enterprise.
Moreover, Zeng Jingchu, after being provoked by her in a superior manner, suddenly bought the land on both sides of the rural road. What was he planning to do?
Furthermore, the county's actions were also a test. If Koushan remained silent, and if no pressure was applied from above, a portion of the scenic area's income would definitely be taken by the county.
Then it would be a gradual erosion.
She donated the Hot Spring Valley, and Zhengguo led the villagers to develop it with great effort, not for others to reap the benefits.
After pondering for a long time, she picked up her phone and called Zeng Jingrong: "Zeng Jingrong, under the name of the special forces team, take over all the mountain ranges in the Hot Spring Valley area."
Hearing the seriousness in Tian Jing's tone, Zeng Jingrong asked: "What happened?"
Tian Jing sighed: "The county leadership has changed. Zeng Jingchu has bought all the land on both sides of the rural road from Wuligou to the county."
"I don't want my decades of hard work to be given away for free. You take over the land, and the special forces team will be the major shareholder of the scenic area. If anyone dares to reach out, the special forces team can step in."
"I believe the villagers would rather share some of the income with the special forces team than give it to the overbearing county."
Zeng Jingrong frowned: "When Jingchu bought the land, didn't the county inform Koushan?"
"No," Tian Jing shook her head: "Zhengguo only found out about this today at work. His position as town mayor is also effectively meaningless now."
Zeng Jingrong's tone turned cold: "Do you need me to step in?"
"No," Tian Jing refused: "When Zhengguo stepped down from the village chief position, he planned to be an ordinary villager."
"We only like peace. After becoming in-laws and meeting old Mr. Shen, he understood."
"Alright," Zeng Jingrong knew Tiantian preferred a peaceful life:
"I'll go and acquire the land now. If the county doesn't interfere, it will be the same as before. Our nursery's income is enough."
"Okay."