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"Mom, let me do the rest." Zhang Shan Ni saw that it was already past four in the afternoon and didn’t want to stay inside any longer, so she straightened her clothes and went to the front yard.
At this time, Xie Tiesheng had already gone to the fields, only Zhou Xiuhua and Xiao Liu’er were in the house.
"Second Aunt!" These past few days, Xiao Liu had been playing alone at home. Apart from playing with Mao Mao, he could only stay in his own yard. Usually, Xiao Si, Xiao Wu, and Xiaoqi would accompany him, but now, all of a sudden, his little friends at home were gone, and Xiao Liu felt wronged.
Luckily, there was still Second Aunt at home. Every time he saw Second Aunt, there would be tasty treats! In Xiao Liu’s little mind, Second Aunt equaled delicious goodies!
Now, seeing that Second Aunt, who hadn’t been seen for half a day, appeared, Xiao Liu excitedly threw himself into Zhang Shan Ni’s arms.
"Good boy, Xiao Liu, be careful not to fall! Here, have some candy to sweeten your mouth."
Zhang Shan Ni immediately took out a small paper-wrapped oil package from her pocket, containing sugar cubes that she and her husband had bought from the supply and marketing cooperatives to give as gifts, with a few remaining that she had casually packed before leaving the house.
Choosing a small chunk the size of a thumb from it, she stuffed it into Xiao Liu’s little mouth.
The sugar cubes had already been divided into small pieces. After all, a cube was as big as half her palm; if not cut, it would just be crammed into the mouth, where one could only wait to drool embarrassingly.
"So sweet, thank you Second Aunt!"
"Good boy, go play over there, don’t get near the stove, okay?"
"Okay!" Xiao Liu knew the adults were busy, and with a piece of candy in his mouth, he felt even less inclined to throw a tantrum. He simply thought that ever since Second Aunt had arrived, he had lots of candy to eat!
"Ni, did you rest well?" Zhou Xiuhua saw that their commotion had subsided and that the Third Son’s Wife seemed to have recovered, so she casually asked.
"Yeah." Zhang Shan Ni stiffened for a moment, then continued with what she was doing, "I’ve rested well, Mom, why don’t you take a break too? I’ll handle the rest."
Zhang Shan Ni took the heavy cleaver from Zhou Xiuhua’s hand and continued Zhou Xiuhua’s previous action of chopping pigweed.
"Ni, don’t worry, as soon as San’er applies to the Suirong Guard, you’ll be reunited!" Zhou Xiuhua was paying attention to her expression, and when she stopped, Zhou Xiuhua noticed and said a comforting word.
"It’s okay, Mom, I’m not that fragile. I’ll live my life well," Zhang Shan Ni said as the knife in her hand went ’chop chop chop’, but she quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Mom, I still don’t know where our family’s fields are." [Note, the decollectivization of land in Anhui Province happened in 1978, but here Ranran assumed it was at the beginning of the year.]
"Ah, our fields are all collectively located in the River Middle Domain area. Tomorrow, follow me to weed, and you’ll know," said Zhou Xiuhua.
"Oh, okay."
"Ah, it’s really better to have the land decollectivized. You get as much as you put in, which is much stronger than the collective system before!" Zhou Xiuhua muttered softly at the end, her voice almost lost in her mouth.
After all, at this time, the Party’s policies had just been implemented. The oppressed farmers and youth of the past decade or so felt both happy and afraid, fearing that the policies might change again someday!
Especially since they had heard from their sons at the end of last year about the restoration of the college entrance examination, she felt a new hope in her heart!
Progressive times, they meant more opportunities for the grandchildren. Even her sons would have an easier future.
After listening, Zhang Shan Ni wanted to respond, but then she thought that what her mother-in-law had just said was almost mumbled under her tongue, hardly clear to anyone; she might as well pretend she hadn’t heard it.
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