After seeing off Qi Taiguo, Cheng Su peacefully started to live her small village life. She had a strong adaptability, and even though she initially felt quite uncomfortable with various aspects of rural life, it only took her a few days to convince herself that she was there to experience rural living, and she gradually got used to it.
Additionally, given her past profession, she could be said to be good at socializing and quickly made her way into the village’s social circles.
Of course, she just listened to the domestic gossip without ever speaking ill of others. Her ability to keep secrets made her seem reliable to others.
The only thing Cheng Su couldn’t stand was cleaning up the various animals’ excrements, and the latrine, which was the most primitive kind of dung house. Every time she went there, she stuffed her nostrils with two wads of paper, much to Mother Qi’s disapproval, who criticized her several times for being too delicate.
As for the fieldwork, she didn’t know how to do it, but her father-in-law, being understanding, only let her prepare and deliver the meals.
It must be said that Cheng Su’s cooking was quite good; the entire Qi family recognized this, even if they didn’t say it out loud. However, Mother Qi always felt the pain of it.
Because Cheng Su was too generous with oil when cooking, which made her mother-in-law distressingly upset, never missing a chance to complain about her wasteful daughter-in-law.
Apart from that, the sister-in-law also took Mother Qi’s side, and the two of them together would confront her, the "outsider."
As for Cheng Su, she had been a great debater in college, able to eloquently best her opponents. With just a fraction of her abilities, she could leave her mother-in-law and sister-in-law red-faced and speechless.
Over time, Mother Qi and her daughter came to a unified decision that Cheng Su was a fierce woman not to be trifled with, lacking any hint of submission and commanding respect from all around.
As the proverb goes, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are natural enemies. No mother-in-law wants her daughter-in-law to be the boss, so Mother Qi incessantly pressured Cheng Su, always making sure to include her daughter as well.
Thus, Cheng Su slowly spent her days amidst a battle of wits with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
The air in the countryside was fresh, and she would go for a run every morning. Then she’d return home to make breakfast, help with housework, take a nap after lunch, and tend to various chores. As for the evenings, without any other activities or entertainment, she would either go to bed early or practice yoga in the courtyard, enjoying an extraordinarily leisurely lifestyle as if she were on vacation.
Speaking of yoga, once while Cheng Su was upside down practicing in the courtyard, Mother Qi, on her way to the latrine with an upset stomach, was startled upon seeing her and caused an uproar, nearly giving Cheng Su a fright that could have injured her back.
After a month of various frictions with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Cheng Su began to feel bored.
People need rest and relaxation, but they also need work and to get out. Staying home all day was too boring and restrictive; it wasn’t what she liked or wanted to see.
She had to find a job. Without something to devote herself to, how could she get by here?
In her previous life, Cheng Su was a hotel executive, familiar and insightful about the business. She believed that if she found a job in this field, she could carve out her own niche based on her abilities.
A woman must have her own career and financial independence to not be looked down upon. Otherwise, just by looking at her current situation, it was clear; Mother Qi disapproved, having said many times that Cheng Su was there to enjoy herself and only knew how to spend money, not earn it.
Once she made up her mind, Cheng Su found the right moment, notified her in-laws, and then went off to Flower County to look for a job.