Watching the time pass, they were worried that if they didn’t hurry, the impatient second brother-in-law would come to fetch them himself. So Lianshan stopped fiddling with his half-done worm bed, washed up, and meticulously dressed in the Zhongshan suit Shuzhen had made for him.
Seeing his careful manner made Shuzhen’s heart ache, intensifying her desire to improve their lives. She wanted her husband to eat well and dress well, never again treasuring a set of clothes to such an extent.
Alright, because of memories from a past life and feelings of guilt, Shuzhen naturally felt it was her responsibility to make the family wealthier and happier, ensuring Lianshan had a smooth life. It became her goal for future efforts.
To outsiders, it looked a bit like the genders were reversed in this household.
But Lianshan was already quite old when he finally got married, and he married someone as perfect as Shuzhen. His gaze always carried a soft glow, like a perfectly edited photo, so he never felt even a bit aggrieved.
Besides, any opinion or advice from Shuzhen was sincerely for the benefit of their little family and for him, with no selfish intent at all.
Moreover, having lost his parents at a young age, Lianshan, who grew up relying on his two siblings, always kept the phrase ’the elder brother acts as a father’ close to heart. He constantly cared for and protected his younger siblings, but had himself ever been cherished or loved?
Now, with a wife who cared for him, always keeping him in her thoughts, willing to suffer and fight alongside him, he felt only gratitude and warmth, never any dissatisfaction.
After all, when a couple runs a household, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge as long as it’s for the good of the family, right?
Those who said a husband must be the family’s pillar, always yelling at their wives or harshly disciplining the children with the excuse of being a ’real man,’ were, in Lianshan’s view, pure lunatics.
How pathetic must a grown man be to resort to showing off at home against the women and children?
It’s shameful not to be embarrassed, let alone boast about it.
Humph, I’d really like to ask where such a coward’s face is!
Although Lianshan had the notion that making his wife live well was a man’s responsibility, he honestly didn’t care who made the decisions, big or small.
Whoever’s idea proved better for the family would be the one listened to. What’s there to argue about?
This good attitude, combined with a steadfast heart dedicated to spoiling his wife, silently allowed Shuzhen, who had been openly or secretly mocked as ’trash,’ to live more comfortably and stretch more herself. Silently, she became someone countless young and married women envied and desired to replace in their dreams.
In sleepless nights, numerous women who once had the chance to marry Lianshan but dismissed him due to his family’s poverty and younger siblings’ burden, now regretted it deeply.
If they had been braver and more decisive back then, where would Liu Shuzhen, that so-called ’trash,’ be in the picture?
That’s a story for another time. Right now, let’s say the young couple changed into new clothes, picked up the gifts Lian Yue and Lian Hai had carefully prepared.
They instructed Lian Yue to stay home to take care of the house and occasionally check on the mushrooms, black fungus, and the dried vegetables Shuzhen cut yesterday afternoon.
Only then did Lianshan push the bicycle out from the west room, hanging the four gifts on the handlebars. He had Shuzhen securely sit on the back, in the specifically widened and reinforced seat like a high chair that Su Yanshou had custom made for them. Once he saw she was sitting comfortably without any discomfort, Lianshan swung his right leg over the crossbar and got on the bike.
The couple, both dressed in brand new deep blue Zhongshan suits, rode the village’s sole bicycle. The handlebars were also adorned with gifts such as wheat milk essence, pork, sugar, and liquor—items that would be impressive even if gifted individually. Along the way, they naturally attracted countless gossiping gazes, and there were those who, driven by jealousy and having been prompted by Lin Yuanzhi, spit disdainfully.
They mocked the couple for having the money to ride a bicycle and buy four sets of gifts to appear generous. Yet they still owed the commune and were said to drag down the nation with low ideological awareness.
As he spoke, the few onlookers scattered back to their own homes.
Nobody dared to argue with him, fearing the label of low awareness would be slapped on them. Nor were they willing to agree, as there was no point in throwing mud on the innocent couple; better to head home quickly.
Ah, there was still a pile of work to be done at home, who had time to waste here?
The man who had hoped to stir up rumors to force Lianshan to repay his debts was left dumbfounded, seeing his plans thwarted as both participants and onlookers left. What was there for him to do?
Frustrated, he headed towards the Lin family, only to encounter a situation even more exasperating.
The day before, the team leader, who was resolute about collecting debts and intended to make an example of the Lian family brothers, unexpectedly changed his mind after a night’s sleep?!
The debts were still to be cleared, but he no longer planned to use the Lian brothers as a negative example.
This young subordinate couldn’t understand what medicine Lin Yuanzhi, the team leader, had taken, but he knew his plans targeting the Lian brothers were all in vain.
But neither Lin Yuanzhi nor the Lianshan couple were aware of this minor episode.
Dressed neatly and riding a bicycle with the four sets of gifts, the young couple was currently being warmly entertained by the brother-in-law and his wife.
Naturally, as the brother-in-law, Lianshan was not spared from the two older brothers-in-law, who took turns pestering him about how to pamper and love a wife.
And Su Hongying, after some warm exchanges with Shuzhen, turned around and went into the courtyard, handing over the task of connecting with their aunt to her two precious sons.
While Shuzhen was affectionately embracing her two beloved nephews, Su Hongying swiftly captured a big rooster and called for her husband to come out and slaughter it.
When a new brother-in-law arrives, it’s traditional in the northeast to serve chicken stewed with mushrooms, a signature dish for welcoming new brothers-in-law.
Since Lian Hai and Lian Yue gave the young couple such a considerable gift, the wife’s family had to ensure their sister-in-law wouldn’t lose face!
She would stew chicken with hazelnut mushrooms, cook the carp her husband caught early in the morning, steam some egg custard, fry tofu, mix a cold dish, and use half of the pork belly to make twice-cooked pork. With six dishes altogether and a pot of pure white steamed buns, this level of hospitality surely demonstrated their regard for the new brother-in-law.
And when it was time to give the return gift, she would pack the leftover pound of meat and add ten eggs for her sister-in-law. One can of wheat milk essence would be kept, and one would go back, meant to nourish her sister-in-law’s body. One bag of sugar would be kept, and one would go back, to give Lian Jie, Lian Jia, and little Ning An something sweet to eat.
The Lian family valued propriety, and so did her side of the family, naturally!