Chapter 5: The Landlady's Dream

Upon arriving at the old house, Shen Yu saw her father-in-law, Shi Xiude, sitting by the main gate smoking hand-rolled cigarettes.

Seeing them approach, Shi Xiude quickly stubbed out his cigarette and smiled at them with a face full of affection. He first asked Shen Yu with concern, "Xiaoyu, are you alright now?"

Shen Yu smiled back at him. "Dad, I'm fine. I heard from Sister-in-law that Mom has heatstroke, so the children and I came to check on her..."

Seeing that Shen Yu's complexion had indeed improved and that her previously listless spirit seemed to have returned, Shi Xiude breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"It's good that you're alright, it's good. Xiaoyu, come inside and sit down quickly. Your mother is lying in her room resting."

Shen Yu nodded with a smile. "Okay, I'll go in and see Mom."

Holding the children's hands, Shen Yu walked into the room where her mother-in-law stayed.

Her mother-in-law's full name was Liang Sanmei.

Liang Sanmei had originally been lying on the bed, listless and lacking energy, but the moment she saw Shen Yu arriving with the children, she felt a sudden surge of spirit and sat up.

"Xiaoyu, are you alright now?"

Seeing the expression of excitement mixed with concern on her mother-in-law's face, Shen Yu felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and replied, "Mom, I'm fine. You and Dad don't need to worry anymore. I will stay at home and raise the three children well."

Upon hearing this, tears instantly streamed down Liang Sanmei's face. "Xiaoyu, thank you, thank you for being willing to stay..."

Liang Sanmei's heatstroke and illness this time were also due to the fact that her youngest son had recently passed away in an accident. She and her husband were the living who had to bury the dead; how could they not be heartbroken?

But seeing her youngest daughter-in-law looking so despondent, as if she wanted to follow her son to the grave, the elderly couple had been living in constant fear that something might happen to her as well.

The old woman's grief had turned into a physical ailment, and after being exposed to the fierce sun while working outside, she had finally collapsed.

Seeing her mother-in-law unable to stop her tears, the children began to cry as well.

In such an atmosphere of overwhelming sadness, Shen Yu could not help but be affected, and her eyes grew red.

She took the old woman's hand and comforted her, saying, "Mom, please don't be sad. Just as you advised me before, Ah Lei is gone, and we must be strong and live our lives well."

Looking at her daughter-in-law's pretty face, which had regained its vitality and spirit, Liang Sanmei wiped her face forcefully and nodded vigorously. "Yes, we will live well, so that Xiao Lei can rest in peace..."

As she spoke the last sentence, thinking of her beloved youngest son and his voice and smile, Liang Sanmei's tears would not stop.

"Mom, please stop crying. Crying too much is bad for your health..."

After comforting the old woman, Shen Yu had to comfort the three children who had been moved to tears. "Chenchen, Kangkang, don't cry either. Take your little sister outside to play, okay? Be good!"

Once the children had gone out, Liang Sanmei also stopped crying.

She spoke to Shen Yu with an apologetic tone, "Xiaoyu, I'm sorry, I just couldn't control myself."

Fearing that the old woman would start crying again if she continued, Shen Yu quickly said, "Mom, don't say any more. I understand how you feel..."

Changing the subject, she added, "I brought two cans of malt extract and a bag of brown sugar to help nourish your body."

Liang Sanmei was happy in her heart, but she still spoke with a playful reproach, "Keep these supplements for yourself and Chenchen and the others. Why bring them here? Take them back in a moment."

Shen Yu smiled. "Mom, we have plenty at home. Please eat these without worry. When they are gone, I'll buy more for you and Dad."

Liang Sanmei sighed softly. "Xiaoyu, you don't have a job right now and only have a little money, yet you have to raise three children. Your father and I aren't worried about food or clothing, so you don't need to think about us all day long. As long as you can take care of yourself and the three children, we will be at peace."

To reassure the old woman, Shen Yu shared her plans with her. "Mom, I plan to make some food and sell it near the industrial zone. What do you think?"

Liang Sanmei was somewhat surprised. "You want to become an individual entrepreneur?"

Shen Yu nodded. "There's nothing wrong with being an entrepreneur. I'm not stealing or robbing; I'm earning money through my own labor. There are already many individual vendors selling things on the streets now. I think I can do it too."

Liang Sanmei was still somewhat worried, but ultimately decided to support her. "Since you've decided, then go for it. If you need our help, just say the word. We are family, don't be polite."

Shen Yu nodded with a smile. "When I get busy, I might need you and Dad to help look after little Kang and Xiao Shu. I'll have to trouble you both then."

Liang Sanmei said as a matter of course, "That's only natural. If you are busy and need our help, just tell us. We will definitely help you."

The old woman felt deep compassion for her youngest daughter-in-law.

She was so young and beautiful; many people said she wouldn't stay and would surely remarry.

Yet now, her daughter-in-law was proactively telling her that she would stay to raise the children.

The old woman felt immensely grateful.

Although the three children were also Shen Yu's, raising three children alone without a man to help would be incredibly difficult.

As elders, how could they stand by and watch her struggle alone?

The old woman was grateful that Shen Yu was willing to stay.

Shen Yu was equally grateful that the old woman was willing to help her unconditionally.

Furthermore, regarding Shi Lei's compensation money, the elderly couple refused to take a single cent and gave it all to her.

Such wonderful elders were truly rare.

Shen Yu was also determined to fulfill her filial duties to them in the future.

After visiting her mother-in-law, Shen Yu instructed the three children to stay at their grandmother's house to play while she went to the street to buy some things.

She also wanted to scout the surrounding business environment to see if she could find a shop to open a small food stall.

Perhaps because everyone was still busy and the weather was hot, there weren't many people walking on the streets, and there weren't many vendors.

Shen Yu walked around for a bit, but felt the heat was becoming unbearable. She prepared to head back first and would ask her father-in-law and brother-in-law about shop availability later.

She also wondered about the shops on the village's commercial street—would the village build them to sell or to rent out?

Since the Reform and Opening-up had only just begun, Shen Yu was in no rush. She planned to use the goods she had stockpiled in her farm space to open a few shops first to accumulate some seed capital.

With seed capital, she could strive to acquire more land once the land auctions opened, and then build houses to rent out.

Only then could she truly realize her dream of becoming a landlord.

Having made up her mind, Shen Yu didn't linger outside and went straight home.

She locked the door and slipped into the farm space.

From the warehouse, Shen Yu took out a pile of fresh vegetables and fruits, two large pieces of pork, ten boxes of mung bean cakes, and twenty large meat buns.

She picked out one piece of pork, two boxes of mung bean cakes, and ten large meat buns, placed them in a basket, and covered them with a cloth.

She then headed back toward the old house to deliver these items and pick up the three children on her way.

(End of Chapter)