So the next day, when it was still dim outside, Fang Pingying got up early, planning to look around the village to see if she could find any resources to start a small business with.
Luo Zhiyong had gotten used to waking up early during his time in the military, so as soon as Fang Pingying woke up, he followed suit.
As he got out of bed and dressed, he asked Fang Pingying, "Getting up this early to cook breakfast?"
Fang Pingying had no intention of keeping the business matter from Luo Zhiyong and told him directly, "For today's breakfast, let Fang Xiu and Cui Lan take care of it. I'm taking Hong Lan to the village to look around, see if we can find some work to do."
"Looking for work?" Luo Zhiyong frowned slightly, "If the family lacks money, you tell me, I will figure something out."
Fang Pingying felt that not only did Zhou Yunmei of the Luo Family have problematic notions about spending money, Luo Zhiyong's concept of money was also incorrect. Did one really need to be lacking money to earn it? Should the whole family just sit at home doing nothing?
She glanced at Luo Zhiyong and said, "It's not about whether we're short of money; I should still find some work to do. It's not right to just idle at home every day with nothing to do, feeling bored. Additionally, the entire family's expenses depend on your salary, and I don't think that's proper."
Luo Zhiyong didn't say anything but felt there was sense in what Fang Pingying said.
He pondered for a moment and then looked at Fang Pingying, "So what kind of work do you want to find?"
"I'll take a look." Fang Pingying thought for a bit and shared her ideas with Luo Zhiyong, "It'd be best to find some small business to do. We don't need to make a lot of money; just enough to cover the family's living expenses would be fine."
At this time, many had already started their own businesses, and the army hadn't explicitly forbidden family members from engaging in business.
Luo Zhiyong wasn't opposed, but he was worried about Fang Pingying getting tired, so he said to her, "If you just feel bored and want to find some work to do, that's fine. But if you are worried about not having enough money at home, then don't work too hard. I can handle the money stuff; though my salary isn't much, it can still cover the family expenses."
At this point in the conversation, Fang Pingying, who had planned to go out, sat back down on the Kang bed. She knew that Luo Zhiyong hadn't fully taken to heart what she said yesterday, and felt they needed to have a good talk today.
She composed herself and said to Luo Zhiyong, "Zhiyong, to be honest, the family expenses should not be your sole responsibility. Now that Zhiming has his own family, and others like Cuilan at home have grown up, they can do work as well and should contribute to the family."
Luo Zhiyong was well aware of the family's situation. He nodded and said, "I understand. Regarding Zhiming, I have already discussed with our parents. When I return to the army, I will see if I can ask someone to help him find a job in the city. If he can earn some money each month, it should be enough to cover his and his wife's living expenses. Then the burden on us won't be as heavy."
Though the Luo Family's intention was good—hoping that Zhiming could find a decent job in the city, because urban life was indeed much better than rural life at that time—Fang Pingying felt that they were being too optimistic and held Zhiming in too high regard.
Firstly, Luo Zhiyong said that he might be able to ask someone to find a job for him in the city, but there was no certainty in that. What if they couldn't find one, or the job was not good? What then?
Secondly, without education or skills, why couldn't Zhiming be an honest farmer in the countryside? Why must he lead an urban life as if there's no other way for him to get by in the countryside?
Fang Pingying looked at Luo Zhiyong with a frown, "What if you can't find a good job for him in the army, or what if he can't handle the job in the city? What's his plan then? Just stay at home all the time?"
"I..." Luo Zhiyong, being Luo Zhiming's elder brother, was naturally biased towards him and always felt that his little brother should live a better life.
Seeing Luo Zhiyong remain silent, Fang Pingying decided to lay things out plainly, "I really don't see where Zhiming is any different from ordinary people. In the village, most people his age farm at home, and they lead good lives just the same. Why can't he just settle down and live a normal life like everyone else?"
Unable to counter her point, Luo Zhiyong sighed softly after a while, his tone somewhat helpless, "No matter what, if he can find a job outside, it's always better than farming at home."
Knowing the feelings of Luo Zhiyong as an elder brother, Fang Pingying did not continue to criticize Luo Zhiming. Instead, she analyzed the situation for him, "That's true, but I just want to remind you, finding work for Zhiming is not certain, it's not guaranteed to succeed. Don't give too much hope to your parents and Zhiming and his wife. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, they will blame you."
"And I'm talking about the worst-case scenario. If he can't find a job in the city, Zhiming will still have to come back to farm. He's a farmer's boy, it's not wrong to farm. Your whole family needs to have the right attitude."
Fang Pingying still remembered from her previous life that Luo Zhiyong's efforts to find a job for Luo Zhiming in the city were not smooth. Either the jobs were too good and beyond Zhiming's abilities, or the pay was not enough and Zhiming himself was unwilling to do it, or it was too demanding. After struggling for two years, he finally found a passable job, but the salary wasn't high.
This caused Luo Zhiming and his wife to always have grievances against Luo Zhiyong, accusing him of not doing his best. Therefore, Fang Pingying reminded Luo Zhiyong to not make promises he might not be able to keep, in order to avoid the situation from her previous life.
Luo Zhiyong looked at his wife, puzzled. Isn't this wife of his just a pure village girl, who didn't even finish junior high school? How come she speaks with such wisdom every time, leaving him speechless?
Seeing Luo Zhiyong staring at her, Fang Pingying thought it best to let him properly digest what she had said, so she got up and walked towards the door, "Then I'll head out. If mom asks, just say it's my words, this morning it's Fang Xiu's turn to make breakfast."
Luo Zhiyong nodded, and Fang Pingying went out to call Hong Lan to leave with her.
Before Fang Pingying married into the house, almost all of the household chores in the Luo Family were shouldered by Luo Honglan alone, getting up early in the morning to cook breakfast and boil water for washing.
After breakfast, sometimes she had to go to the fields with Luo Dashan and Zhou Yunmei to work, and by nearly noon she had to come back to cook lunch, and then go out to work in the afternoon again.
By evening, she had to return to cook again, tidy up the yard; her whole day without a moment of spare time.
Since Fang Pingying had joined the family, she felt sorry for Luo Honglan; most of the time she would help with the chores. Occasionally, she would also get Fang Xiu and Luo Cuilan to do a few days of work, letting Luo Honglan go out and play with other young people in the village.
According to Fang Xiu's disposition, she certainly wouldn't be willing to work, but Fang Pingying wouldn't care. If it was Fang Xiu's turn and she didn't work, she'd simply let the whole family go without a meal and stay hungry.
Moreover, she had stated that if anyone at home dared to help Fang Xiu with the chores, she herself would stop doing the housework altogether. The helper would then be in charge of all the chores by themselves.
Of course, this "helper" referred to Zhou Yunmei, who, although sometimes had friction with Fang Xiu, favored Fang Xiu over the two daughters-in-law.
But Zhou Yunmei was also not fond of doing chores, and she knew that Fang Pingying was a person who would carry out what she said. If she claimed it was Fang Xiu's turn to do household chores, then the whole family would genuinely starve that day without anyone else's intervention, as Fang Pingying would insist on Fang Xiu finishing her tasks alone.
After this happened twice, it became a sort of rule; whenever Fang Pingying and Luo Honglan didn't get up early to make breakfast, the whole family knew to tell Fang Xiu to cook.
After many such occasions, Fang Xiu had no choice but to comply. She could bully Fang Pingying back in the Fang Family because Fang Pingying relied on them for support. Now, as the provider for them was Fang Pingying's husband, she had no leverage to be arrogant and had to obediently do her part.