Chapter 16: Just in Time to Divide the Family Property

Looking at Shen Meng's expression, Wang Guizhi found it difficult to keep refusing. She tucked the money and coupons into her pocket and gave a light laugh. "Alright, alright, I know you are filial. I'll take this money then. I won't spend it; I'll save it for you. If you ever run out of money, just come home and ask me. Seeing you like this, I know your health isn't an issue. Your father and I will head back now. If anything happens, just come home and find us, okay?"

Shen Meng felt a slight ache in her heart and turned around, nodding gently.

"I understand, Mother. Once I'm better, I'll come home to visit you in a while. Since the sun isn't too strong yet, you and Father should head back early. Don't worry about me; I'm doing just fine!"

Wang Guizhi took Shen Meng's hand and patted it, saying nothing more. Children grow up and eventually figure out how to manage their own lives; if they say too much, the children only get annoyed. For now, she and the old man were still in good spirits, and if Xiao Meng ran into anything she didn't understand, they could offer some support.

After the old couple left, the four children took the opportunity to run off. They didn't want to stay with Shen Meng, especially seeing her in this state—it seemed she wouldn't be dying anytime soon.

Left alone at home, Shen Meng took a stroll around the brick-and-tile house.

The house consisted of three brick rooms and a central hall. The largest room was on the east side, serving as the bedroom for Shen Meng and Lu Zhenping. There were two rooms on the west side: one for the boys and one for Lu Mingfang. Additionally, there was a kitchen in an adobe building, a woodshed in another adobe building, and one empty room. The courtyard wasn't small, and there was a parasol tree in the open space. Shen Meng thought that later, she could fence off the area around the tree to plant some vegetables and fruits or perhaps build a chicken coop.

Previously, Lu Zhenping had insisted that Lu Mingfang, being a growing girl, deserved her own room. Although the room was small, he had built a set of cabinets for his youngest daughter, and the little room was kept very tidy. However, since he had left, Shen Meng had moved all the children into a single room. She kept all the good things locked in her own room and the food locked away in a large wardrobe, often leaving the children hungry and forced to go out looking for food.

Whenever someone outside helped the children, she would be displeased, feeling that people were intentionally making a mockery of her. She would often resort to passive-aggressive insults and physical punishment.

As Shen Meng looked around the courtyard, she recalled the plot of the story. When Lu Zhenping had first proposed building this house, Liu Sanjin had adamantly disagreed. She wanted to build a new adobe house for the first branch of the family in the old courtyard, using the saved money to renovate the old place, with whatever was left going to her.

Lu Zhenping had refused. Having served in the military for many years, he knew how to be quite intimidating when he changed his expression. In the end, it was Lu Changzhu who made the final call: they could build the house, but it couldn't be too far away or too large, lest the other brothers feel slighted.

Shen Meng didn't see what the problem was; if they were so capable, they could build their own houses.

While they had grain, they had no vegetables at all. Yesterday, Tian Guihua had brought some dried vegetables. Shen Meng had checked them; they were things like shepherd's purse, bracken, and purslane dug up in the spring. Since she was still maintaining the facade of being "critically ill," she couldn't exactly go out picking vegetables with high spirits.

She had them in her spatial dimension, but she couldn't just brazenly take them out!

Shen Meng felt a bit worried.

Just as she was thinking about soaking some dried vegetables to have noodles for lunch, there was a sudden knock at the courtyard gate. Tian Guihua arrived, carrying a basket.

"Are Mingyang and Mingliang home? Big Sister is here, can I come in?"

"Sister-in-law, please come in. The door isn't locked. Mingyang and Mingliang aren't home; they went out," Shen Meng said, leaning against the doorframe with a sudden air of weakness.

Hearing Shen Meng's voice, Tian Guihua hurried in. Seeing Shen Meng's sickly appearance, she quickly set the basket on the ground.

"Good heavens, why are you out of bed? Are none of the children home?"

"I'm fine, Sister-in-law. I can already walk around a bit. I've been taking the medicine Dr. Lu prescribed; it's just a headache. Why are you here at this time? Aren't you working in the fields?"

Tian Guihua supported Shen Meng by the arm as they walked into the central hall. Once they sat down, Tian Guihua said, "It's just that your mother was worried about you before she left, so she asked me to look after you. She even gave me a yuan. Look at your mother—she's such a thorough person. I'll leave this money here for you. I told you yesterday, you're like a sister to me; how could I take your money? It's a coincidence, too—I'm not working today because I was tending to my private plot. I thought about how you just moved back and probably don't have any vegetables, so I brought a basket of cucumbers and beans. There are plenty in the garden. If it's not enough, I'll have Mingyang go pick more."

Tian Guihua was a straightforward person. Her brother-in-law had told her to build a good relationship with Shen Meng and treat her children well, so she had come over promptly. While it had started because of her own son, she had genuinely developed a friendly intention toward Shen Meng.

"Thank you so much, Sister-in-law. I just got up and walked around, and my house really doesn't have a single leaf of vegetable. But why did you give so much? This will last for several days."

"It's nothing. Every household has a vegetable garden; it's nothing special. Just eat it. Looking at your spirit, you're clearly much better than yesterday."

Shen Meng smiled and said, "Indeed. No wonder they say Dr. Lu is the best doctor in our commune; his medical skills are truly excellent."

Tian Guihua also added a few kind words about Lu Changhong. Far away at the commune reporting for work, Lu Changhong sneezed three times in a row, feeling as though someone was cursing him while he rubbed his nose.

Tian Guihua didn't stay long, as she had a pile of work to do in the fields. Before leaving, she said to Shen Meng, "Sister, if there's any work you can't do, tell me and I'll help. You need to recover your health. If the Lu family doesn't let you come over to eat, tell Mingyang to cook something and you all just make do. If it really comes to that, I'll have Wenxiu come over to help you cook."

"It's fine, Sister-in-law. Eating isn't a problem. The Lu family shouldn't be so heartless as to not provide food. Besides, we haven't split the household yet. If they really don't give us food, then it's a good time to split up. Then my children and I can just close our doors and live our own lives. That would be fine."

Tian Guihua stared at Shen Meng in surprise, then thought about it and realized it made sense. Who wouldn't want to live privately with their own family? When she was young, she dreamed of it every day. But now that her son was about to get married, she actually wanted the whole family to live together. Tian Guihua shook her head; she wasn't the type of biased mother-in-law like Liu Sanjin.

"Alright then, Xiao Meng. Rest at home, and I'll head back first."

"Okay."

Tian Guihua had brought quite a lot of vegetables, so Shen Meng put them all in the wall cupboard. The tall cupboard was quite empty, containing only a few bowls and chopsticks—the ones Wang Guizhi had taken from the Lu family kitchen yesterday, which had earned her several glares from Liu Sanjin.

Shen Meng found a clean basin in the kitchen and placed two handfuls of handmade noodles inside. The side dishes and soup base were also ready, all kept in large bowls, waiting for her to cook and eat them at noon.

She was certain that the Lu family would absolutely not invite her to eat.