Chapter 12: No Need to Endure

Looking at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, Mei Xue picked up her basket and walked inside.

It wasn't a particularly rainy season, but showers occurred from time to time. With only two people in the house now, it was impossible to rely on a single set of straw raincoats forever.

Then there were umbrellas for going out. In the past, Mei Xue had despised them, but now, she found herself longing for them.

And there were Grandma's shoes. Mei Xue was currently wearing the old lady's high-top rain boots; setting aside whether they fit, what would Grandma do if she wore them?

Therefore, she had to buy rain boots.

And clothes. Grandma's clothes were covered in patches. Since Mei Xue had accepted Grandma He, she would hold her close to her heart.

As she walked, she mentally tallied everything she needed to buy.

Finally, when she saw the fluffy white cotton, Mei Xue found herself unable to move.

"How much is this?" Mei Xue asked the person speaking.

The person glanced at Mei Xue and then turned back to continue chatting with someone else, though she did state the price: "Eighty cents."

Mei Xue could accept this price, but she noticed many people around her looking with disdain, even though their eyes were filled with envy.

"It seems it's better that Grandma is around," Mei Xue muttered to herself.

"Can I have thirty jin?" With such good quality, the quilts on her bed all needed replacing.

And the quilts in Grandma's room—those had turned as hard as stones, yet she still couldn't bear to throw them away.

Seeing how frugal the old woman was, yet knowing she had agreed to give the original owner so much money, Mei Xue felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

The cotton seller heard this and smiled. "How much did you say you wanted?"

"Thirty jin." Mei Xue was in a bad mood and didn't want to bicker. "And give me some fabric too—some in cyan and some in deep blue, enough for two sets of clothes."

She had no choice; Mei Xue didn't know how to make clothes herself, so she could only order by description.

"Is it for you to wear?" The seller knew how to read faces; seeing Mei Xue's sullen expression, she didn't dare be careless.

"Something like that. Just cut a little extra to be safe."

Once she started buying, Mei Xue almost couldn't stop.

If her basket hadn't been nearly full, she would have kept going. Every time she saw something, she felt Grandma was lacking it.

After the fabric for clothes, she grabbed fabric for two quilts, bought a pair of high-top rubber boots, and a set of straw raincoats.

Seeing those old-fashioned straw sandals, Mei Xue bought a pair as well. Grandma's feet were a size larger than hers.

She knew this because she was currently wearing Grandma's shoes.

Having never experienced such a life, Mei Xue bought everything she deemed necessary.

She packed her basket and turned to leave the cooperative. Just as she reached the door, she spotted something wonderful.

It almost caused her to lose face.

After buying a few more things, Mei Xue finally left the cooperative, satisfied.

She first went to check on the horse carriage, thinking perhaps Auntie Meilian had already finished selling.

After wandering for so long, it was almost noon. Mei Xue was actually quite hungry, but there weren't many food vendors along the street.

Because she hadn't smelled any delicious aromas, she had been enduring the hunger.

He Ancheng was currently coordinating with several villagers who drove horse carriages. Everyone had finished buying what their families had requested, and since it was noon, it was time to head back.

"Ancheng, we're heading off first. The rain was too heavy this morning; we need to go back and check the water in the fields," said the owner of another carriage from the same village.

"Go ahead. I expect Auntie Meilian will be here soon, so we won't be late," He Ancheng replied casually.

When Mei Xue arrived, she happened to see the villagers leaving, but she didn't have a good impression of them.

They were all incredibly sharp-tongued. If they crossed her, hmph, Grandma was right—why bother arguing? It's exhausting for the mouth. Just give them a slap, and they'll be quiet.

When He Ancheng saw Mei Xue approaching, he stepped forward to greet some of the older women. "Sister, have you finished selling everything?" He was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, all gone. Has Auntie Meilian not returned yet?" Mei Xue asked, seeing no one in the carriage.

"Not yet. It's already noon; she should be around soon." Generally, village vegetables were sold out before noon.

If there was a large amount, they might last until the afternoon, but villagers wouldn't risk traveling at night, so they never brought too much to sell.

"Alright then, let's wait."

Auntie Meilian had also just finished selling. As soon as she was done, she went to the home of her son-in-law's relative to ask them to pass on a message: tell him to come to the village to pick people up, as his wife and son were returning.

After delivering the news, Auntie Meilian, both tired and hungry, hurried toward He Ancheng's location.

By the time she arrived, the sun had come out. Being caught between the rain and the sun was truly not a pleasant experience.

"Auntie Meilian is here. Let's go." The villagers were very frugal; Mei Xue hadn't expected to be hungry at noon, as He Ancheng thought they could make it back in time for lunch.

"I'm here, I'm here! Let's hurry back; the sun is going to kill us in a moment." Auntie Meilian hurriedly placed her basket at the back of the carriage and climbed up near the wheel.

Mei Xue stepped forward to help, easily pulling Auntie Meilian up.

"Little Xue is quite strong, haha! That's good," Auntie Meilian said with a look of gratitude.

When Auntie Meilian arrived, she naturally saw the things Mei Xue had bought. Her mouth hung open for a moment, but she ultimately held her tongue.

Instead, she used Mei Xue's straw raincoat to cover everything in the basket.

"The villagers are gossipy; it's better to avoid them." She had a strong dislike for those village women.

Back in the day, she...

Forget it, she didn't want to think about it.

"Thank you, Auntie Meilian." Mei Xue was truly grateful for the kindness shown to her.

Most importantly, aside from her Grandma, Auntie Meilian was the first person to show her kindness since arriving in this world.

If others were kind to her, she would return the kindness. If they were malicious, well, she'd let them feel the strength of her palm; she'd consider it an act of charity.

"You are still young and don't understand. Although every household is living a bit better than before and can fill their bellies, their hearts are like demons; they can't stand to see anyone else doing well."

Auntie Meilian's voice was very low. Combined with the sound of the carriage and He Ancheng's driving, it didn't reach the ears of others.

Looking at Auntie Meilian's expression, Mei Xue knew she must have suffered greatly from this. She would ask Grandma about it when they got back; there was no need to discuss it in front of others now.

"Yes, I know. Before, I was foolish, thinking that being kind to others was the same as being kind to oneself. I didn't expect the ultimate result would be so disheartening."

Mei Xue was explaining her change in character.

She would eventually change, and she didn't want people to overthink it. Speaking these words to Auntie Meilian was simply to help her understand her better.

"You're right. Some people just take advantage of you. If you don't show them some teeth, they'll truly think you're a pushover. I didn't know your previous personality, but I can tell you aren't the type to just take abuse."

Auntie Meilian looked at Mei Xue with an "I know" expression and smiled. "You don't need to endure it. You and Anze have your marriage certificate. What are you afraid of? If you hear them babbling again, just go up and teach them a lesson. You'll definitely knock them into shape."