"Nianhua is here?" Xiong Xihua was filling bottles with the chili sauce she had made. When she saw Xu Nianhua, she praised her, "Nianhua is getting prettier and prettier. It’s a shame I only have two smelly boys and no beautiful daughter like Nianhua."
Xiong Xihua meant every word. Having only two sons herself, she took special liking to other people’s lovely daughters.
"Auntie, I saw Xiaojing just a few days ago. He’s really grown strong and looks so good," Xu Nianhua said. Xiaojing, whom she mentioned, was Xiong Xihua’s grandson, the son of her son Xu Song. He was just over a year old, and would be two after the New Year.
Chubby and adorable, he was at his cutest age.
"Jingfeng is too mischievous," Xiong Xihua spoke about her eldest grandson with a smile in her eyes, which couldn’t be contained as they curved upward, especially since she’d been making money from working here and could afford to give the child even better nutrition. At just over a year old, Xu Jingfeng was already very sturdy.
"Boys should be a bit mischievous. My Xiaofeng isn’t married yet. Who knows what kind of daughter-in-law he’ll bring home in the future," said Zhang Meixiang as she thought about her unmarried son. Her eyes kept sizing up Xu Nianhua as she said, "If he could find someone half as good as Nianhua, I’d be satisfied."
If it had been before, Zhang Meixiang might have considered marrying off Xu Nianhua to her son, but now, she was well aware that Nianhua was bound for college, while her own son...
Of course, she thought her own son was the best, but seeing Xu Nianhua growing more and more graceful, she felt like her son just didn’t seem quite good enough for such a girl.
Xu Nianhua was no naive nineteen-year-old girl and so wasn’t bashful. She said with a smile, "Auntie Cai, Brother Cai Feng will surely marry someone even better than me in the future."
"How is everyone doing with the work here? My mom sent me to check on you all," Xu Nianhua surveyed the other aunties. In addition to Auntie Cai, Auntie Xu, and Auntie Yao, the remaining three were also from the village.
"We’re doing very well here," they all chorused, conveying happiness with their work.
Every day they felt like they had endless energy. Forty yuan a month and two days of rest; where else could they find such a good deal?
Even in some units, the salaries were as low as thirty yuan.
They were so motivated doing work at the factory that paid forty yuan a month, and at the same time, they wished they could do even more so that the factory wouldn’t let them go.
This job significantly relieved their families’ economic pressures.
"That’s good to hear," Xu Nianhua could tell they were happy just by looking at their smiling faces.
As long as they were happy with their work, it meant they could do even better at their jobs.
"Grandpa, how is Grandma Shitou doing?" As soon as Pei Yicheng saw his grandpa Du Chang return, he immediately asked about Grandma Shitou.
"Her condition has stabilized, but living in the mountains is just not convenient. I’ve been persuading Shitou to move out, but he hasn’t agreed yet."
With a sigh, Du Chang reflected that Shitou was only seventeen or eighteen, an age when he should be carefree, but instead, he was carrying the weight of a household for the sake of Grandma Shitou.
"If Shitou is willing, we can surely help him out. He’s still young; we could have Shitou come work at the factory," Pei Yicheng suggested.
Letting out a sigh, Du Chang said, "I’ve already talked to Shitou about it. Now it’s up to him to decide."
He had already said what needed to be said. If Shitou couldn’t come to terms with it himself, Du Chang couldn’t force him to make a decision.