The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 350 "We Can't Outsource Filial Piety"

Yuan Xiang was sitting in the Gu family's courtyard when she saw Lin Zhao drying half of the chili peppers. She took over the task and skillfully started drying them herself.

When Lin Zhao returned home, he saw her working diligently.

"Sister Xiangxiang".

Yuan Xiang looked up and smiled, "Zhao Zhao."

"Don't bother, come and sit down," Lin Zhao said, instructing Yu Bao to bring some candy and cookies.

"Almost done." Yuan Xiang quickly finished her work, washed her hands at the sink, and sat down next to Lin Zhao.

She looked at Lin Zhao and asked, "How is Uncle? My mother was very worried when she heard about Uncle's injury and hasn't been sleeping well lately. She went to the Dongfeng Brigade to look for Aunt, but Aunt and Uncle were not there. She asked Brother Shichang and the others, but they didn't know anything either. I heard from Li Song that you were back, so I came here quickly to find out about Uncle's situation."

"It's alright." Lin Zhao guessed Yuan Xiang's purpose for coming and explained Song's uncle's condition without wasting words. "Before I came back, the doctor said that my uncle was recovering well. My aunt Yun Jin and my parents stayed there and took turns taking care of him."

"Go back and tell your aunt that your uncle is fine, and tell her not to worry."

Yuan Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It's good that everything is alright. When is Uncle coming back? My mother and I will go see him when he returns. My mother has saved up a lot of eggs and even asked someone in the village to order two old hens to give to Uncle so he can get some nutrition."

"I don't know the exact time, it depends on his recovery. But I guess it will be about a month later," Lin Zhao said uncertainly.

The Song family is well-off, and Auntie is not a stingy person. If hospitalization would be more beneficial to Uncle's recovery, she thinks Auntie would insist that Uncle be hospitalized.

The county hospital has limited resources and its examination equipment is not as good as that in the provincial capital. Coming back is not as reassuring as staying there.

The probability of them staying is quite high.

and.

She heard from Uncle Fu that the factory had approved leave for her uncle, but the time period was not specified. They only told her uncle to focus on recovering.

It's not surprising. A technician of her uncle's caliber would be treated like royalty in any factory he worked for.

“If your uncle comes back, tell Li Song’s sister to pass on a message to me,” Yuan Xiang said. “I need to go to work, so I can’t take too many days off. People in the village will gossip.”

She had gone out with Li Song a few times before, and each time she returned to the brigade early, she was still gossiped about. People said that she wasn't married yet and that her heart was with a man... Such a chatterbox, it's too much trouble to pay attention to her.

"Okay," Lin Zhao readily agreed.

"Sister Xiangxiang, please sit down first. I'm going back to my room to get something." She left those words and walked into the house.

Yuan Xiang hadn't waited two minutes when Lin Zhao came out carrying a bag, and she quickly got up to help him.

"What is this? It's strangely heavy," Yuan Xiang said casually.

"These are wedding gifts from your uncle and aunt." Lin Zhao pushed the gifts in front of her. "Your uncle and aunt were worried they wouldn't make it to your wedding, so they asked me to give them to you first."

"My uncle said he will try his best to come back for your wedding. After all, he is your family member and he wants to support you. He can't let the Li family look down on you."

"If he doesn't come back, it must be because his body can't withstand the commotion. If that really happens, I hope you won't be upset."

Yuan Xiang's eyes felt hot.

"What's so strange about that? Your health is the most important thing. I don't care that much about formalities. Your health is much more important than attending my wedding," she said considerately.

She will always remember the warm sesame seed cake her uncle gave her when she was hungry as a child. It was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

"I knew you would say that," Lin Zhao said with a smile.

Yuan Xiang looked at her and smiled.

She only asked for half a day off and didn't dare to stay any longer. She was about to leave after asking her questions.

Lin Zhao told Yu Bao and Heng Bao to stay home obediently, and then rode her bicycle to take Yuan Xiang to the hospital.

Uncle Song and Aunt Song prepared a lot of things for Yuan Xiang, and it was quite tiring for her to take care of them herself.

After leaving the Fengshou Brigade, the road turned into a dirt road, full of potholes and extremely bumpy.

"Sister Xiangxiang, hold on tight!"

Yuan Xiang responded in a clear voice, "Hey! Don't worry, I'm holding on tight, I won't fall."

Wearing a homemade mask to protect herself from the wind, Lin Zhao shouted, "...Is the wedding preparation almost done?!"

"Alright." A blush of shyness, typical of a new bride, appeared on Yuan Xiang's face. "My mother prepared it; she said I didn't need to worry about it."

"What about the Li family?" Lin Zhao asked again.

"Li Song prepared it, with his sister helping out. He even asked for my opinion on the home's layout." Yuan Xiang looked expectant as she thought about their home after marriage.

After knowing Li Song for about half a year, she found they were getting along better and better. As time went on, minor disagreements were inevitable, but both of them were straightforward and could resolve things quickly without holding grudges.

"That's great." Lin Zhao could hear the expectation in her cousin's voice. "Your married life will definitely be comfortable."

Yuan Xiang: "Thank you for your kind words."

There's another reason why she's looking forward to married life: she doesn't have a mother-in-law, so there won't be any conflicts between her and her mother-in-law.

Yuan Xiang's mother-in-law was considered a good mother-in-law within the surrounding villages, but Aunt Song also had a bellyful of grievances that she couldn't express.

"Will Aunt and Uncle come back early?" Yuan Xiang asked about Lin Heling and Song Xiwei's arrangements.

"Yes. My mother said she'll send you off to your wedding." Lin Zhao turned a corner and continued riding forward.

Aunt Song married into a rather remote village with narrow roads, making it very inconvenient to visit relatives. Visiting relatives during the Spring Festival would take up most of the day.

Yuan Xiang swayed her foot slightly.

"Great, you're all here." She was very happy.

Lin Zhao: "Marriage is a joyous occasion, of course we'll all be there. We need to intimidate the Li family and show them that you have countless people backing you up, so they won't dare to look down on you."

A deep warmth welled up in Yuan Xiang's heart.

"……Thanks."

……

Lin Zhao escorted Yuan Xiang to the Yuan family home, chatted with her aunt for a while, and then said goodbye and left.

After she left, Aunt Song and Yuan Xiang looked at the gifts given by Uncle Song.

"I don't know what your uncle prepared for you. When Zhaozhao got married, your uncle went around looking for people to exchange for a sewing machine, saying he wanted to get her one. In the end, I don't know why he didn't get one. Although there was no sewing machine, I heard that he gave her a really big red envelope. I estimate it must have been at least a hundred yuan," Aunt Song muttered.

Yuan Xiang glanced at her mother, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

She said earnestly, "Any gift is a token of my appreciation. The bond between Zhaozhao and her uncle is something I can't compare to. No matter how many gifts I give, I won't give in."

She knew some of the Song family's past. Her aunt had played a significant role in her uncle's rise from a worker to a highly respected technician. She unconditionally supported her uncle's education, paying his tuition and earning his living expenses... taking care of him in every way, ensuring he had no worries. It was natural that the siblings had a closer relationship.

When she was young, her mother had some reservations about her uncle's constant studying, and the two quarreled several times, so they were not very close.

The siblings have now reconnected thanks to their aunt's efforts.

Otherwise, the ice wouldn't have been broken yet.

“Why can’t we compare? We all call him uncle…” Aunt Song understood the implication in her daughter’s words, her face flushed with embarrassment, but she stubbornly retorted.

Yuan Xiang looked increasingly helpless. "Mother!" "I'm not saying anything more," Aunt Song said impatiently.

She also knew that her relationship with Uncle Song was not as good as her younger sister's.

Yuan Xiang didn't say anything more and unwrapped the bundle.

Inside, I saw a lump of iron and two peony-patterned pillowcases.

"A radio?" Yuan Xiang stood there stunned, never expecting her uncle to prepare this for her. This was a big deal!

Even city girls might not have such a dowry.

Aunt Song was also stunned for a long time.

She moved her lips and felt her eyes getting hot.

She had just said those things because she didn't think Uncle Song would give Xiangxiang anything valuable, but she didn't expect... she was being petty.

Aunt Song gave a wry smile.

She is indeed petty, unlike her siblings.

My parents were right.

“Your uncle is giving you face. Remember how good he is to you,” Aunt Song said to Yuan Xiang.

Yuan Xiang nodded emphatically.

"I know."

Aunt Song reminded her again, "The radio is valuable, lock it in your cabinet, don't let anyone steal it."

"Ah."

The Yuan family learned that Yuan Xiang's dowry included a radio.

The girls were so jealous their teeth ached, and the way they looked at Yuan Xiang changed.

Some of the more cunning individuals secretly approached the Yuan family elders, urging the patriarch to speak up and persuade Yuan Xiang to leave the radio behind.

The old couple coveted the radio, and not only them, but every old man in the village coveted it. However, despite their covetousness, they would never do something as shameful as stealing their granddaughter's dowry!
What does the radio have to do with the Yuan family? Did the Yuan family pay extra or give them a ticket?! Neither! They didn't pay anything, so why should they keep the radio?!
If word gets back to the village, won't those two old folks have any shame?!
The old lady bent down, took off her straw sandals, and threw them at the face of her granddaughter who had given her the bad idea.

"Get out! You shameless thing!! What did Xiangxiang do to you that you dislike her so much that you came up with the stupid idea of ​​seizing her dowry? I've taught you everything I should have, a young lady shouldn't be so short-sighted, why can't you understand? You're making me so angry! Your mother is still arranging marriages for you, stop now. You can only arrange marriages when you're not so short-sighted, otherwise you'll just be a disgrace to the Yuan family if you get married..."

Her voice was loud, showing no respect for her granddaughter, Yuan Duo.

Everyone else in the Yuan family heard it.

They all came out of the house.

Yuan Xiang realized that the matter was related to her, and her cousin was thinking about the dowry her uncle had given her.

She kept her head down, making it impossible to read her expression.

Aunt Song was furious. She rushed over and slapped her niece, saying disappointedly, "Your heart has been eaten by a dog! Xiangxiang was so good to you. She had two red ribbons and gave you one. How could you bear to scheme against her?"

"That was her uncle's dowry for her. If you're so sour, go find your uncle. What kind of skill is it to scheme against my daughter's dowry? Our family has never treated you badly, has it? How could you do this?! Don't call me aunt anymore. I don't have a niece like you who schemes against her own family!"

Yuan Duo covered her face, crying so hard she could hardly breathe.

Seeing her secret thoughts exposed to the sunlight, her face looked like a palette of colors, extremely unsightly.

"I didn't mean to scheme against Xiangxiang. I just... I just thought that Grandpa and Grandma didn't have a radio, and I wanted them to enjoy life. I didn't have any bad intentions, sob sob. Xiangxiang is about to marry into the city. Her husband earns money easily, and if they save up, they can buy one sooner or later. I didn't scheme against anyone. You're wronging me..."

Yuan Xiang's father frowned and couldn't help but say, "It's fine if you want to be filial to your grandparents, but you can't outsource your filial piety. Get this straight, the radio has nothing to do with the Yuan family. It was bought for her by Xiangxiang's uncle as a wedding gift. You're whispering in your grandparents' ears, trying to take the radio that belongs to her. This would be a laughing stock in any family."

"If you still think you're right after I say this, let's go outside, step out the door, and go to the village to get some opinions and hear what everyone has to say..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man interrupted, "Enough! Aren't you ashamed?"

Yuanxiang's father shrugged. "It's not me who's embarrassing. It's not like I'm the one who's after Xiangxiang's radio."

To be honest, he was also thinking about it.

He wouldn't dare touch her; he was terrified of Xiangxiang's younger sister, she was fierce and could kill him with one punch.

The old man glared at his son, "Shut up, aren't you a member of the Yuan family?"

Yuan Xiang's father shut his mouth.

The old man looked at his only granddaughter, who was about to marry into the city, and said, "Your sister was in the wrong. I'll have her apologize to you. Also, her dowry will be given to you. For my sake, don't hold it against her. There's no such thing as a grudge between sisters."

Grandpa was fair-minded, though he was a bit sexist, but he didn't mistreat his granddaughter. She always had a dowry when she got married, though it wasn't much, but it was a source of confidence for the Yuan family. You couldn't find another family like that in the surrounding villages.

She had been jilted at her engagement, and her grandfather, despite being ridiculed at his advanced age, didn't take his anger out on her. Instead, he was thinking of seeking justice for his good-for-nothing granddaughter.

Yuan Xiang always remembered.

She respected her grandfather and didn't want to put him in a difficult position, so she nodded and said, "Okay."

But he felt cold towards his cousin.

You shouldn't get close to people who can't stand to see others do well; that's the lesson Zhao Zhao taught her.

She was convinced.

Yuan Duo realized what was happening and shouted, "No! Don't touch my dowry!!"

His gaze toward Yuan Xiang was filled with hatred.

Upon seeing this, the old man felt a fire burning in his chest, and his face became frighteningly grim.

Yuan Duo's parents felt that the punishment for their daughter was too harsh and wanted to argue their case, but they were frightened by his expression and dared not say anything more. One of them covered Yuan Duo's mouth and dragged her into the house, while the other said some nice things.

"Disperse, disperse! What are you all watching? You can't stop watching your own show. You're really something!" the old man said sternly.

The Yuan family members dispersed, and the courtyard quickly became empty.

"Pah! Luckily, Father is fair and gave you Yuan Duo's dowry money, otherwise... Humph." Aunt Song closed the door and snorted coldly.

"I told you that girl was scheming, but you wouldn't believe me and even got close to her. You almost got tricked, didn't you? It's a good thing your grandparents had some sense of shame, otherwise, it's a mystery whether you could have taken your radio with you."

"That heartless little brat, she really knows how to stab you in the back! Xiangxiang, stay away from her from now on."

She kept saying things, clearly quite angry.

Her husband said, "We didn't suffer any loss, so why are you so angry? Getting angry will only benefit others."

Aunt Song thought this made sense, and took a deep breath. "I'm not angry. It's that heartless brat Yuan Duo who should be angry. All the other girls have dowries, but she doesn't. I think she's going to go crazy!"

Yuanxiang's father didn't agree with this. He looked at his daughter with a grin and said, "Xiangxiang, Dad just spoke up for you. Shouldn't you do something about it?"

A knowing glint flashed in Yuan Xiang's eyes. "Dad wants to listen to the radio, right?"

“As expected of my daughter, she really understands her father.” The man didn’t deny it. “Dad just wanted to hear something new and brag about it when he got out. The radio is yours, and no one in our family can take it away.”

(End of this chapter)