Chapter 172: Chapter 96: Time to Get Busy

That afternoon, Mrs. Wang, ignoring Yang Family’s pleas to stay, packed up and took everyone with her. She said, “The New Year celebrations are over, and you have work to do. That wasteland needs to be cleared soon. Spring will be here before you know it, and the days will fly by. If you don’t get an early start, how will the two of you manage all the work? Farming is no joke—it requires careful attention. First, clear the land. Plant whatever you can. Don’t worry about the yield for now; the priority is to fertilize the soil and let it recover.”

Yang Family smiled. “We’re planning to plant Shanyu in that wasteland. Shanyu are easy to care for. We’ll plant as much rice as we can, but if we can’t manage it all, we won’t kill ourselves over it. People are what’s most important, after all.”

Mrs. Wang nodded repeatedly, telling her to be careful not to overwork herself.

After staying for several nights, Laicai had no excuse to linger. Besides, he was genuinely a little scared of Qingmu and Juhua, so this time, he left without making a fuss or daring to ask for anything.

After everyone had gone, even though Juhua was exhausted from spending half the day wandering the mountain, she still busied herself tidying up inside and out.

She knew the past few days had been tough on Yang Family. Entertaining guests wasn’t just physically demanding; it was mentally draining as well. Now that everyone was gone, her mother deserved a good rest, so Juhua didn’t let her help, tidying everything herself before starting to cook dinner.

Yang Family was indeed exhausted, but the smile on her face was one of genuine contentment.

She sat by the kitchen stove, watching Juhua busily organizing the pots and jars, and smiled. “I’m exhausted, but my heart feels so much lighter. Ever since I married your father, our family has always been scraping by. Your eldest uncle and your grandmother have often helped us out, giving us things both openly and secretly. This time, I was able to do my part for my mother and serve my sisters-in-law for a few days, which makes me happy. Your second aunt-in-law may have a disagreeable mouth, but you just have to ignore her. Compared to truly unreasonable people, she isn’t all that bad. Didn’t you see how she came to smooth things over as soon as I got angry? That’s just how she is—a gossip, a bit petty, and that’s about it. You can’t expect her to change.”

Seeing how genuinely happy she was, Juhua chuckled. “Mom, you should invite Grandma to stay with us more often in the future. It’ll give her a chance to rest, and you can fulfill your filial duties. Grandma’s getting on in years, yet she’s still looking after little kids and doing so much housework. She never gets a moment’s rest at home. Bringing her here would let her enjoy a few days of leisure.”

Yang Family said, “What does a little girl like you know? She’s happy to be busy. Your eldest uncle’s two kids are grown, so she doesn’t worry about them. But your second uncle’s two are still young, and with your second aunt-in-law being the way she is, she can’t let go. Parents can’t help but be a little biased. They worry less about the capable ones and focus on helping the one who’s struggling. There’s nothing to be done about it; you can’t just ignore them. So, if one of your children isn’t up to snuff, the parents will have their hands full, and it might even be a burden on the siblings. It’s inevitable that parents will spend more effort on that child. In the end, they just want what’s best for them.”

Juhua nodded in understanding. ’That’s true. It’s not that parents are truly biased. It’s just that, unlike other things, they can never give up on their children.’

Yang Family then asked Juhua, “Did you hit Laicai? He seemed a little afraid of you.”

Juhua couldn’t help but laugh. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t tell her mother. “I did. If you don’t discipline that boy, he’ll think he can walk all over everyone. Mom, you don’t know, but Laicai can be managed if you’re firm with him. I hit him, and he understood completely. He didn’t even dare tell his mother. That kid understands everything; it’s just that everyone has always spoiled him. That’s why he tries to get his way by throwing a tantrum. Then the adults coddle him, and he’ll cry a river over something tiny.”

Yang Family laughed too. “So that’s why he was so well-behaved when he left! He was such an obedient child when he was little. I don’t know how he ended up like this. Sigh! I’m afraid there’s no fixing him. His mother doesn’t discipline him, your grandmother doesn’t… do you think hitting him once is going to set him straight? Honestly, it’s not just your second aunt-in-law; your grandmother spoils him too much. Old people are just too soft-hearted.”

Just as they were speaking, Zheng Changhe returned from the fields with a hoe over his shoulder. He asked, “Did Mother-in-law leave?”

Yang Family smiled. “I saw them off. I tried to get them to stay another night, but Mother refused, saying we needed to start clearing the wasteland. Changhe, when are we going to start clearing it?”

Zheng Changhe poured himself some warm water and drank it all in one go. “We have to wait until after the fifteenth. We won’t be able to hire anyone before then.”

According to rural custom, the New Year wasn’t truly over until after the fifteenth day. No matter how poor they were, no one would work themselves to the bone for money before the fifteenth.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep