Gu Yunting, who Yang Manman was thinking about, got off work, swung his long legs over his bicycle, and pedaled towards Huaihua Village at full speed.
As he entered the village, the villagers who were just finishing their work and heading home with their farming tools only saw a tall, blue figure zoom past.
"Isn't that the Gu Family's eldest son? That blue worker's uniform looks really nice." These days, being a worker is a secure job. In the countryside, people work in the fields for food. If a family can produce a worker, it's as if smoke rises from their ancestral graves in pride.
Indeed, everyone envied the Gu Family's eldest son for securing a worker's position. Not only could he earn a monthly salary, but he also received various factory benefits during holidays, and the job could be passed down to his descendants.
"But it's been three years since the Gu Family's eldest son got married, and he still doesn't have a child."
Wu Meili spat to the side, "That Yang Manman is just a hen that can't lay eggs. I reckon they'll never have kids in this lifetime."
Some aunts who heard Wu Meili's words frowned, "Wu Meili, what you're saying is really unpleasant. You better not let Yao Chunhua hear it, or she'll tear your mouth apart."
Yao Chunhua is very protective. Not only her own children, but even daughters-in-law who marry into the Gu Family are under her protection.
Previously, when someone else mocked Yang Manman for not being able to bear children, Yao Chunhua tore into them on the spot and later made them shovel manure for a whole month.
Remembering this, Wu Meili's confidence wavered, but she still persisted, "What I'm saying is the truth."
"Wu Meili, could it be that you're still bitter because the Gu Family's eldest son didn't want to be introduced to your daughter, Treasure Bead?"
Wu Meili's gaze faltered even more as she put her hands on her hips and raised her voice, "No way, don't talk nonsense. I'm not arguing with you anymore, I need to hurry home and cook."
With that, she scurried away. Even those who passed by her could hear her cursing Yang Manman for being infertile.
Upon arriving home, Wu Meili was all smiles as she saw her daughter Gu Baozhu, along with her grandson and son-in-law Yang Guangming, visiting from her parent's home.
Avoiding her son-in-law, Wu Meili shared the news about Eldest Gu becoming a worker with her daughter in the kitchen.
"You know, if you had married Eldest Gu back then, you might have become a city person by now." Wu Meili had little regard for Yang Guangming, who was merely a carpenter.
Gu Baozhu's eyes flashed with resentment, but when she glanced at her son, who was eating candy not far away, her expression relaxed, and she appeared quite pleased, "Gu Yunting is bound to regret it."
Regret having refused to meet her and instead marrying Yang Manman.
According to her mother, Yang Manman is just a hen that can't lay eggs. If Gu Yunting had married her back then, he would have a son by now.
She awaited the day Gu Yunting would regret his decision.
Gu Yunting, who others expected to regret, was already home. After listening to his wife's report on the morning's treatment, he also received a prescription from his mother prepared by his younger sister.
After going over the prescription, he carefully folded it and placed it in his pocket, "I'll head out to buy the medicine after breakfast so Manman can have a herbal bath tonight."
Sure enough, when Gu Yunting returned in the evening, he brought back the herbs. After dinner, he personally boiled them for Yang Manman's herbal bath.
In winter, Huaihua Village, being in the south, doesn't snow, but it's still bitterly cold at night with the wind howling outside.
Inside the house, soaking in the herbal bath, Yang Manman's heart felt warm.
While soaking, she discussed with her husband, who was reading nearby, what gift they should give for his younger sister's marriage.
"I heard it's cold at the Northwest Military Region, why don't you help me trade for some yarn, preferably red, so I can knit a thick scarf for her," Yang Manman suggested.
Her knitting skills were top-notch and something she could proudly present.
A red scarf, if she hurried, could be given on her sister-in-law's wedding day.
"That sounds good," Gu Yunting agreed, closing his book and checking the water temperature. When it felt cooler, he carefully added water from a kettle he had prepared earlier, saying, "I'll bring you the yarn tomorrow and exchange some tickets with my coworkers."
They didn't really know what was needed there, but having more tickets would ensure they could buy whatever was needed. As for money, his parents surely wouldn't shortchange his sister.
Indeed, in the main room next door, belonging to Old Gu and Yao Chunhua, a candle burned brightly.
By candlelight, Yao Chunhua was threading a needle, making a cotton-padded coat with new cotton she had saved from this year. She worked diligently, occasionally glancing at her equally busy husband, and mumbled, "I've heard the Northwest is much colder than here in the south, and it snows during winter. Temperatures often drop to minus ten or even twenty degrees. I wonder if Ningning can handle it after joining the army as the spouse."
After all, their daughter had been spoiled by them since she was young and wasn't used to hardship. They couldn't bear to see her suffer and were a bit worried.
A mother's heart, when she thought about her daughter growing up and getting married, going to a faraway place where she couldn't see her, always felt unsettled.
So, this cotton coat was being made for Gu Jia Ning, stuffed with lots of thick new cotton. The plan was to finish it before their daughter joined the army so she wouldn't freeze up in the Northwest.
While calculating the family's money and various tickets, Old Gu replied, taking a moment, "Yes, but this is the path our daughter chose, and Ze Xi is a good kid, we should support them. You should finish that cotton coat quickly, and we'll give them more money and tickets, especially cotton tickets, for making cotton-padded clothes, pants, and quilts. Once she's there, she can sort it out herself."
The family savings were around 1000 yuan, Old Gu considered dividing it into five shares for the four children and the elderly couple, then taking 100 from theirs to make a total of 300 yuan for their daughter.
After sharing his thoughts, Yao Chunhua agreed, though they doted on their daughter, their son's interests couldn't be compromised.
With that in mind, she worked even faster without sacrificing the neatness of her stitches.
In the western wing room, the candlelight cast shadows over Su Miao, who lay on the bed, wrapped tightly and with a headscarf to protect against the wind, recovering from childbirth. She watched her husband Gu Yunan gently change their son's diaper and spoke of the wedding gift for his younger sister.
Su Miao's impression of her sister-in-law wasn't particularly good or bad. While her sister-in-law was somewhat spoiled and demanding, the Gu Family, including her husband, pampered her to the extreme.
But Su Miao didn't feel envious. Since she married in, the Gu Family had treated her well, in stark contrast to her male-preferential birth family. Even the spoiled and demanding sister-in-law brought her lots of food and clothes when she first arrived, looking frail and petite.
So now, as the sister-in-law was getting married, she and her husband wouldn't hesitate to give whatever they could.
Since they hadn't yet divided the family, most of the money and tickets were held collectively, but it didn't matter.
"Tomorrow, I'll take the day off and go to the mountain to see if I can catch some game. If I can, I'll bring it back quietly and have mom smoke it. Little sister can take it when she joins the army."