Reborn as a Tough Army Wife-Chapter 42 Between Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Between Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

"Thank you, Jiao Tanling, for the reward, thank you.

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Luo Zhongyong, a grown man, felt somewhat embarrassed sitting there listening to these women talk about giving birth.

He thought about turning around and leaving, but when he saw Zhou Yunmei directing her gaze towards Fang Pingying’s belly, he worried that Zhou Yunmei might ask Fang Pingying some inappropriate questions in front of others, making her uncomfortable.

After pondering a moment, he chose to pretend he hadn’t heard and sat down with his head bowed beside the stove to help Fang Pingying stoke the fire, with a noticeably unnatural expression on his face.

Fang Pingying probably understood a bit of what was on Luo Zhiyong’s mind. She smiled gently, feeling extremely sweet inside.

For a man to be so considerate and think of such details was enough to touch her heart.

Seeing that Zhou Yunmei had nearly finished speaking, she swiftly changed the subject, "Auntie, I made some hawthorn jam at home yesterday. You should take some back to try later."

Qiu Xiu immediately perked up at the mention of something to take home, stopping the previous topic and asked with a smile, "Hawthorn jam, what is that?"

She suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Could it be made from those hawthorns you picked in the village the other day?"

Fang Pingying smiled at her, "Did auntie see me picking hawthorns?" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Qiu Xiu nodded, "Yes, that day at the doorway, I saw you and Hong Lan carrying a basket of hawthorns. I even wondered what you’d do with those sour things."

"Not much, just making use of free time and casually making some things. I also thought if it tastes good, I might sell it in town to earn some pocket money," Fang Pingying knew Qiu Xiu’s nature, she was definitely curious, and since she had seen her picking hawthorns, she would surely ask what she was making.

Moreover, she had encountered many villagers when she set up a stall in town, and it was likely that Qiu Xiu had heard about it. Perhaps her visit today was precisely to inquire about this.

In that case, it’s better to openly admit it. After all, doing business to earn money was nothing to be ashamed of, and it also prevented her from constantly snooping around as their neighbor.

Sure enough, once Fang Pingying openly mentioned it was for earning money, Qiu Xiu did not inquire further.

She replied with a smile to Fang Pingying’s earlier comments, "You can sell this for money? That’s good. Alright, I’ll take some back to try later."

"Sure thing, you and mom go sit in the courtyard first. I’ll pack some up for you once I’ve finished stir-frying the rice." Fang Pingying continued, then recalling the earlier conversation about her daughter-in-law Yu Fen being pregnant, specifically cautioned her again, "By the way, auntie, with Yu Fen being pregnant, she can’t have this jam, so please be very careful."

"I was actually thinking of taking some home for her to eat," Qiu Xiu expressed surprise since she had never heard of such a thing.

Although it might not necessarily cause issues since everyone’s body is different, it’s definitely better to avoid eating it.

Fang Pingying nodded and emphasized again, "Don’t give it to Yu Fen to eat, pregnant women shouldn’t have hawthorn, make sure you remind her."

"Got it, I’ll remember," Qiu Xiu nodded and agreed at once.

Afterwards, seeing Fang Pingying busy working and not wanting to disturb her, Qiu Xiu left with Zhou Yunmei, saying they’d go to the courtyard to talk.

When Qiu Xiu and Zhou Yunmei got to the courtyard, Qiu Xiu glanced at the kitchen and whispered, "Elder sister-in-law, you always say how capable your eldest daughter-in-law is, but I find her quite agreeable. She’s generous, works efficiently, knows how to run a household, unlike my own, who hasn’t done a single good thing since marrying into our family. So stingy that she counts the few eggs she brings from her mother’s house before taking them out, as if she’s worried that both Yu’er and I might secretly eat them."

No matter how her daughter-in-law usually behaved or what kind of grievances they had, she always felt proud whenever someone praised her daughter-in-law."

Zhou Yunmei chuckled after hearing that, glanced into the house, and said, "Good? When she gets into a temper, she won’t listen to anyone, just like a stubborn donkey."

"Hey, who doesn’t have a temper?" Qiu Xiu replied with a snicker. "To tell you the truth, your temper isn’t so great either."

After a slight pause, Qiu Xiu let out a sigh and continued to advise Zhou Yunmei, "The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can’t compare with one’s own daughter. You can’t just speak your mind or get physical whenever you want. As long as the family gets by and she’s filial to the elders and treats your siblings well, that’s what counts."

Zhou Yunmei thought that compared to Qiu Xiu’s daughter-in-law, theirs was much better – not only did she not skimp on supporting them, but she also voluntarily took on the responsibility for the family’s living expenses.

So, empathizing with her, Zhou Yunmei said, "All things considered, she’s actually quite decent."

"That’s good then."

After Qiu Xiu sat for a while, Fang Pingying had finished roasting the rice and gave her almost half a jar of hawthorn jam, telling her if she liked it, she could come back for more, as she was family and not an outsider.

After Qiu Xiu left, Fang Pingying swept the courtyard’s mill clean with a small broom and had Luo Zhiyong sit on the millstone bench. He didn’t use the mill’s handrail; instead, he pushed by hand to help her grind the just-roasted rice into rice flour.

With nothing else to do, Zhou Yunmei stayed to watch.

After watching for a while, Zhou Yunmei suddenly asked Fang Pingying, "How did the sales go in town today? Did you sell all the goods? I meant to ask earlier, but your aunt was here, and I held back."

Fang Pingying had not intended to keep the trading a secret from the family. Since they all lived together day after day, it was impossible to hide anyway.

Seeing Zhou Yunmei ask, Fang Pingying replied truthfully, "The hawthorn cakes were all sold, at one yuan per jin. We only managed to sell one jar of hawthorn jam. People thought the jam was too expensive and hardly anyone was willing to buy it."

Zhou Yunmei listened and said something she had anticipated, "I said so. Each jar costs three yuan, you think everyone can afford that?"

"Yes, I’m thinking of dividing that one jar into three and selling them that way. Tomorrow when I go with Zhiyong to the county hospital for his leg, I want to take the chance to see if there’s a place that sells those small jars in town. I’ll buy some small jars to bring back." It was rare for Zhou Yunmei to be in a good mood today, and for the first time since Fang Pingying married into the family, they had a calm and peaceful conversation.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yunmei disapproved of Fang Pingying’s idea, "Buying jars in the county, will it be worth it? Don’t end up with your earnings not even covering the cost of the jars."

"That won’t happen, for I will definitely include the cost of the jars when pricing the goods," Fang Pingying had already planned out that if the jars were expensive, she would naturally raise the price slightly and earn a bit less herself. Balancing things out that way, it should still work out.

"That’s fine, you should check it out," Zhou Yunmei felt the logic was sensible - if the buying price and materials were expensive, it was natural to sell at a higher price.

Speaking of going to the county tomorrow, Fang Pingying voiced her request to Zhou Yunmei, "Mom, I’d like to bring Hong Lan along tomorrow, but I’m worried I won’t be able to handle both the hospital visit and buying jars by myself."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yunmei immediately said, "If you really need help, I’ll come along with you guys. That Hong Lan girl doesn’t know anything; why bother bringing her along?"

"You coming..." Fang Pingying hesitated. She actually didn’t really want Zhou Yunmei to join them, fearing she’d meddle in things, but since she had already offered, it would seem rude to not allow Zhou Yunmei to go. She said politely, "Mom, how about both you and Hong Lan go? I promised to take her to see the county before, and she’s never been there before."

"How has she never been to the county? I took her there when she was young," Zhou Yunmei was reluctant to have Luo Honglan accompany them, feeling it was a waste to spend on another person’s travel expenses and that having too many people was unnecessary.

"She was too young to remember," but Luo Zhiyong recalled Fang Pingying’s promise to Luo Honglan and made a decision, "Let’s do that. Mom, you and Hong Lan go together; it’s better to have an extra person to help out."

Zhou Yunmei rarely contradicted Luo Zhiyong’s words and agreed, "Okay, then Hong Lan and I will go together. Tomorrow, let Hong Lan stay with you at the hospital, and Pingying and I will check out those jars. Pingying doesn’t go out much; I’m afraid she’ll get cheated and won’t even know it."

"Alright, it’s settled then. We’ll all go together."