Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 723 - 598: Scheming and Calculations

The entire yard of Zhang Guofu’s family is planted with fruits and vegetables, and in the corner near the woodshed and the toilet, Huang Cuilan has secretly planted sweet potatoes.

On the right side of the woodshed, a piece of land is fenced off to raise five hens and a large rooster. Nowadays, they can get two or three eggs every day, thanks to Mai Miao. The little girl is very hardworking, and the chicken coop is exceptionally clean.

Huang Cuilan glanced at the plate of chicken feed and saw that it had been mostly eaten, shaking her head with a smile. Without needing to check the chicken coop, she knew the eggs had already been collected. Her daughter wouldn’t leave the house without seeing the eggs, fearing that one day her cousins would come and take them.

The lush vegetables fill the entire yard, leaving only a small path. All of this is thanks to the three brothers of Xi Zi. Usually, she has to work too, and watering, fertilizing, and pest-catching all depend on the kids.

As Huang Cuilan tidied up the garden, she pondered about the backyard in the village and thought she should find time to go back and take a look. Then she realized there would be no worry of having no time, sighing with emotion.

Nearing noon, she was about to put down her work when the sound of knocking came from outside the door. She paused in surprise, who could be coming to her house at this time? Before she could think more, she heard her mother’s and her sister-in-law’s voices outside.

Huang Cuilan frowned slightly, sighed, walked to the courtyard door, opened it, let them in, and then closed it back, turning to look at them with confusion.

Mrs. Huang, smiling, took her hand, "Why are you still doing such heavy work? Just call your nephews, they’ll do it. Have you eaten?"

"Mom said she hasn’t seen you in a long time, so I brought her over to visit. Where are the kids? Xiao Lan, I’ve got great news for you today."

Huang Cuilan smiled at her and led her mother into the living room.

"Mom, look how neatly Xiao Mei has kept this yard. These vegetables are much fresher than the ones outside."

Huang Cuilan paused in her actions and didn’t respond. In the past, she would have said she’d take some home later. But now she really couldn’t decide on that, as these were all planted by the four kids themselves; she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

After Mrs. Huang sat down, she glanced around before asking in a low voice, "I heard your mother-in-law and they returned to the village this morning?"

Huang Cuilan shook her head, "I’m not sure, I just got off work this morning."

"Has your husband returned?"

Huang Cuilan shook her head again.

"Xiao Lan, not to criticize you, but why don’t you go to the provincial city for a few days, instead of always working? How much money can you even make?"

Huang Cuilan laughed, "There’s no work left to do even if I wanted. I got the notice this morning, and soon I’ll have to process the paperwork."

Mrs. Huang clicked her tongue, smiling, "What are you afraid of? Just ask your mother-in-law to speak to the factory, still afraid of no work? I tell you, you’re just foolish going to a textile factory, it’s exhausting. This time, let your mother-in-law help you transfer to your husband’s unit, two of you together, and no one can mess with you."

The elder sister-in-law of the Huang family immediately added, "Mom, you are really smart. Not like Xi Zi’s grandma, so stubborn. I heard something funny recently. Can you believe how funny his grandma is? The community committee on the street asked her to help, which basically means giving her a job. But guess what she said? She said she was illiterate and told them not to complicate things. Can you believe there are still people like that? When someone appreciates her, she doesn’t even know it and turns it down." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Huang Cuilan didn’t like her speaking about her mother-in-law that way, warning, "All of my sisters-in-law live nearby, be careful they don’t hear you."

"What if they hear?" she said, but the elder sister-in-law didn’t dare mention it again. If Old Zhang’s family heard, they’d definitely cause trouble. Everyone knows the five siblings of Old Zhang’s family listen to their mother more than anyone else, truly protective.

Huang Cuilan knew she was just being stubborn, and didn’t respond further, softly saying to her mother, "This time, my sister-in-law and I are both stepping down, without any negotiation. My mother-in-law isn’t that kind of person, and she won’t beg anyone either."

"Really lost your job? Then what will you do? Your mother-in-law won’t just ignore it. You should go to her and plead a little."

Huang Cuilan didn’t listen to her. Plead all she wants, she’d better go back to her family.

Mrs. Huang sighed upon seeing her daughter merely lowering her head without speaking. Really disappointing! Couldn’t even hold onto a man, and now the job is also gone. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to speak again.

The elder sister-in-law of the Huang family saw the mother and daughter sitting there silently, so she shifted her stool closer to Huang Cuilan, smiling brightly, "Xiao Lan, your sister-in-law has good news for you."

Huang Cuilan glanced at her, "Seeing how happy you are, it must be really good news. Tell me, so I can share the joy too."

"Haha..." The elder sister-in-law of the Huang family laughed twice, "I was telling Mom, she also thinks this marriage proposal is good. Today we came over because of this."

Huang Cuilan looked at her mother with interest, smiling, "A nephew or a niece? Then I must congratulate sister-in-law. Whose family is it?"

The elder sister-in-law’s smile stiffened, and she replied immediately, "It’s not my kids, they aren’t as lucky as Xi Zi. I have a colleague, her husband works as a cadre in the county. She has a granddaughter who is now twelve years old, and she wanted me to set them up. Her family has taken a liking to our Xi Zi..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Cuilan immediately waved her hand to interrupt, "Sister-in-law, you don’t need to say anymore."

"Why not? They said their daughter goes to the same school as Xi Zi, and she plans to go to university in the future. She is very sincere, mentioning no dowry, just likes the child. I even promised her there would be no problem; how could there be any issues with such a good family?"

Huang Cuilan frowned, "Sister-in-law, what makes you promise anything? Xi Zi’s last name is Zhang. Don’t mention he’s still young. Even if he was older, Old Zhang’s family rule is to let the kids choose themselves; parents never make decisions in private."

Mrs. Huang was so angry she poked her daughter’s forehead with her finger, "You foolish girl. If you don’t find a daughter-in-law who aligns with you, what status will you have in the family in the future? Do you think your mother comes over in this heat because she’s not tired? It’s all for you, you stubborn girl."

"Yes, little sister. Mom is right. You arrange it for Xi Zi, and Old Zhang’s family can’t force you to break it off. That family has a good background, a match for Old Zhang’s family."

Huang Cuilan closed her eyes, shaking her hand weakly, "Enough. If I dare to act on my own, do you believe I would immediately be kicked out? No one can make decisions about Xi Zi. Even when his dad had some good friends mentioning marriage, he didn’t dare agree. Never mind a county cadre, even a provincial cadre wouldn’t help. My father-in-law said they should find their own partners, without caring about the family background, as long as the family is upright and the child well-behaved."

The elder sister-in-law of the Huang family listened and rolled her eyes, immediately saying, "In that case, how about Xiao Xiu from my family? That child is good-looking and hardworking."