Chapter 121 - 61: The Downtrodden Wife of the 50s (Finale)

Chapter 121: Chapter 61: The Downtrodden Wife of the 50s (Finale)

Zhu Yun wasn’t shy either and immediately started looking through everything.

There were four pounds of shelled, plump, ruddy peanuts; dried river shrimp caught and sun-dried; mushrooms foraged from the mountains; thirty salted duck eggs; two pounds of glutinous rice; two pounds of white flour; three pounds of pristine, bug-free dried dates; and two pounds of shelled walnuts. The rest was all dried vegetables, dried wild fruits, and pickled greens that Mrs. Zhu had made!

"We don’t have much of anything good back home, so please don’t mind," Zhu Yingxia said cautiously, clutching the empty burlap sack. "Everyone at home was so happy to hear you got married. Mom, Dad, and our grandparents are all doing well, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll bring you more next fall, after the harvest!"

"We didn’t know you were pregnant, or we would have saved all the red dates for you..."

"Mom wanted me to see your husband before I left. And don’t worry, we’re not asking for money. We have enough to eat and drink back home, and the kids are still little, so our expenses are low..."

Zhu Yun sighed softly. A warmth spread through her chest, and her eyes began to sting. "Why do you all go to such trouble?"

’The original owner had been like a servant in the Wang Family’s house, not daring to utter a single extra word. Yet, with her own family, she had unleashed all her frustrations, each sentence a dagger to the heart.’

’This was just the way things were in the countryside. Every family’s finances were tight. The bride price received for a daughter was almost always used to get a wife for a son or to build a house. A dowry of a few quilts was considered quite generous.’

’After all, a daughter married off is like water spilled on the ground—gone for good. They raised her for over a decade, banking on that one-time transaction, and they wouldn’t expect her to support them in their old age.’

’The older generation’s thinking was deeply ingrained, but at the end of the day, it all boiled down to one thing: poverty!’

’The original owner had never done much heavy labor at home. Even though her father was unreliable and her brothers were always running wild, the work points they earned from the fields were enough to keep the family fed.’

’At the time, the marriage arrangement with the Wang Family had seemed like the best match in the entire region.’

’Whose arranged marriage wasn’t like that?’

’You never lived together beforehand, so you couldn’t know if you were marrying a man or a monster. It was impossible to predict what the future would hold.’

Zhu Yingxia rubbed his hands guiltily. Faced with his sister like this, he stammered for a long moment before finally saying, "It’s what we should do."

By now, Mrs. Chu had finished cooking the noodles. She brought them out with a smile—a large basin full. The bone broth, which had been simmering all morning, was rich and fragrant. The noodles were smooth and perfectly chewy, served with crisp and tangy bean sprouts, a spicy sauce of diced pork and fermented black beans, and two fragrant, crispy fried eggs. It was an excellent meal to serve a guest.

Zhu Yingxia lowered his head and pulled a rock-hard, dark flour biscuit from his bag. "Auntie, I can just eat this with some hot water."

Zhu Yun snatched the biscuit away in a huff. "I’m giving you food, so you’ll eat it. You come all the way to my home, and I’m going to let you eat that? Are you trying to embarrass me? Or do you think I’m some ungrateful wretch who only takes and never gives back?"

Seeing his sister was getting angry, Zhu Yingxia ducked his head, quickly picked up the basin, and started shoveling the noodles into his mouth. After a bite, he said sheepishly, "Sis, I can’t eat this much..."

Zhu Yun crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "How many years have you been married? Has your wife managed you into a total wimp? What happened to ’Zhu the Reckless,’ the guy who’d get into fights and eat every last scrap on his plate?"

"You’re at your sister’s house, so don’t be so formal. I’m a head chef at the factory, for goodness’ sake. I get a paycheck every month. You think I can’t afford to feed you one meal?"

Reassured by his sister’s words, Zhu Yingxia smiled and began to eat heartily.

His stomach, having survived the whole journey on cold biscuits and water, had just been soothed by the warm, sweet drink. Now, ravenous hunger took over, and he felt like he could eat a horse.

A faint smile touched Zhu Yun’s lips. She hadn’t been ignoring her family all this time. In fact, she had been using her Teletubbies to check up on them periodically, getting a good grasp of everyone’s personality.

’The Zhu family weren’t bad people. They used to have a reputation for being lazy and gluttonous, but things had changed. Over the past few years, as the sons brought home their wives and children started popping up one after another, the men had all started earning their full share of work points. They would even go up the mountain from time to time to find game or wild fruit to satisfy their wives’ and children’s cravings.’

’As their own lives gradually improved, they looked at their sister, who they had pushed into a living hell, and felt a profound sense of guilt. Whenever they had something good to eat, they made sure to save a little for her.’

’Otherwise, what farming family could afford to give away such a large bag of uncommon foods all at once?’

Just as Zhu Yingxia was finishing his meal, Chu Shenyu came home from work, carrying his lunchbox.

Zhu Yingxia immediately shot to his feet. He was stunned once again by his brother-in-law’s extraordinarily handsome appearance. Then, seeing the smile on his sister’s face and her round, pregnant belly, he felt as if his life was now complete.

Chu Shenyu didn’t put on the cold, aloof air he usually showed others. Instead, he smiled warmly and invited Zhu Yingxia to have some food and a drink with him.

Zhu Yingxia couldn’t resist his enthusiasm. Despite his sister’s glare, he accepted the glass with a smile.