They were looking for their daughter, Li Cuixia, because they wanted money.
Madam Li looked around; she rarely came to town and only knew the Cooperative and the grain station over there.
The reason those members of the Cooperative saw Li Cuixia that day was because she was pregnant. Her morning sickness was quite severe, so her mother-in-law took her to the health clinic for a check-up.
Li Laosan and his wife searched the town for a long time but couldn’t find her, and had to return home disappointed.
What they didn’t know was that as soon as they left town, Li Cuixia had gone to find her husband with a lunch box in hand.
"Mom, why hasn’t little sister sent a letter back?" Eldest Sister-in-law Yun became anxious when there was still no word from her younger sister-in-law with the New Year approaching.
If her sister-in-law didn’t return soon, would her husband still have a chance at the promotion?
Mother Yun was pondering the same issue.
They had sent two letters, but Xiaoxiao hadn’t replied to either.
She was really worried about this.
The end of the year was busy at the factory too.
She wondered if something had happened to Xiaoxiao.
"There must have been some delays."
Eldest Sister-in-law Yun was worried. With these delays, what were they to do if she didn’t come back?
"Mom, why don’t you take some time off and go check on her? There’s been no news from little sister for a while, and I’m worried something might have happened. When you go, you can bring her back with you. It’s about time our family reunited."
Eldest Sister-in-law Yun put on an appearance of concern for her little sister-in-law.
But she had her own ulterior motives.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, you’re right. I’ll ask for leave and go check," said Mother Yun.
Eldest Sister-in-law Yun’s mouth curved into a smile. As long as her sister-in-law returned, she would have the leverage to persuade her in-laws to hasten the marriage between her sister-in-law and the deputy director’s son.
After spending a few years in the countryside, the little sister’s complexion surely couldn’t be as tender as it was in her youth, but the deputy director’s son needed someone who wouldn’t mind his lame leg or his child.
Father Yun didn’t object and allowed his wife to visit the countryside where their youngest had been sent.
Yun Xiaoxiao was oblivious to the fact that her female supporting character’s mother was about to come down to the countryside.
Her days were still passing by pleasantly.
After Er Dan caught a cold, Yun Xiaoxiao stuffed him with an old cotton quilt that had been used by Da Bao and Xiao Bao and replaced it with eight-pound cotton for the two little ones.
"Educated Youth Yun, are you going to town? I want to go to town to check for some flawed fabric, the kind that doesn’t require coupons. A few days ago when it snowed, my mother-in-law wouldn’t let those two little monkeys leave the house. They’ve been making a racket at home for days."
The public grandfather of her little sister-in-law was a squad leader in the large brigade, as for her man, he used to patrol for the brigade.
"Yes, I want to buy some soy sauce, we’ve run out at home, let’s go..."
This time Yun Xiaoxiao planned to check the post office, the last time the family of the female supporting character urged her to return to the city.
She wondered what would follow from that.
The female supporting character’s final fate was to be married off by her family, then to die from domestic abuse.
To avoid possibly meeting the same fate as the female supporting character, her first step was not to return to the female supporting character’s family home. Furthermore, she aimed to keep her distance. The female supporting character might have affection for them, but she, as an outsider, did not.
"Alright, let’s go, otherwise we’ll miss the ox cart," urged the little sister-in-law, hurrying Xiaoxiao.
"Sister-in-law, I’ll go fetch the basket and soy sauce bottle."
"Then hurry up, I’ll wait for you by the ox cart."
The little sister-in-law gave Yun Xiaoxiao time to get ready.
"Da Bao, Xiao Bao, mom is going to town to buy some things. Do you want to stay at home or go to grandma’s to play?"
"At home, at home, we’ll practice writing, read books..."
They both knew the simple characters; Xiaoxiao had been teaching them.