The old lady sat at the entrance of her house, her eyes ‘resentful’ as she looked towards Qin Huai Ru in the middle courtyard.
Qin Huai Ru was washing clothes in the courtyard, including the old lady’s, but she didn’t know if she had forgotten, but she didn’t wash the old lady’s smelly socks.
The old lady, however, was someone who cared about her reputation, so she felt embarrassed to take the smelly socks to ask Qin Huai Ru to wash them.
But asking the old lady to wash her own smelly socks was a bit too much for her!
Although she had a pair of socks to wear today, if she didn’t wash them, she wouldn’t have any more socks to change into.
It can’t be said that Qin Huai Ru didn’t take care of the old lady, but her care had become increasingly inadequate.
The old lady was deeply dissatisfied.
Again, she reminisced about being cared for by Yi Zhong Hai's ex-wife.
She hadn’t felt anything before, but looking at it now, she had been a bit too oblivious to her blessings back then.
You don’t know what you have until it’s gone!
If Qin Huai Ru were to continue taking care of her, just thinking about it made her frown.
It was a pity that Zhen Da Hua and Yi Zhong Hai didn’t get together, otherwise, Zhen Da Hua would have taken care of her, definitely much better than Qin Huai Ru.
The old lady didn’t notice that a pair of eyes from the front courtyard were looking at her.
The Third Aunt also wanted to take care of the old lady. After all, the benefits of taking care of her were numerous.
Controlling the old lady meant controlling the entire courtyard!
She could gain benefits and a good reputation.
She wouldn’t dare to say much, but it was definitely better than Qin Huai Ru’s current care for the old lady.
But she needed the old lady’s consent.
From the Third Aunt’s observations, the old lady was definitely dissatisfied with Qin Huai Ru.
Maybe she should ask the old lady?
The Third Aunt was also worried about someone else snatching this opportunity from her.
Gritting her teeth, the Third Aunt decided to ask the old lady first.
Immediately, the Third Aunt walked towards the back courtyard.
Qin Huai Ru, who was washing clothes in the middle courtyard, also noticed the Third Aunt heading towards the back courtyard, so she paid attention.
She saw the Third Aunt go to the back courtyard to chat with the Second Aunt.
After observing for a while, Qin Huai Ru stopped paying attention.
However, after chatting with the Second Aunt for over ten minutes, the Third Aunt found an opportunity to approach the old lady.
“Old lady, I see that Huai Ru is too tired taking care of you. Why don’t I take care of you from now on?” the Third Aunt said.
The old lady remained silent.
The old lady knew that there were people both inside and outside the courtyard who wanted to take care of her.
The Third Aunt coming to offer to take care of her was no surprise to the old lady.
But the old lady didn’t want the Third Aunt to take care of her.
“That’s not necessary,” the old lady thought to herself.
“What did you say? You want to treat me to braised pork?” the old lady pretended to be deaf.
The old lady wouldn’t hear anything she didn’t want to hear.
The Third Aunt’s smile froze, and she cursed inwardly.
Treat the old lady to braised pork? If there was braised pork, wouldn’t she eat it herself?
The Third Aunt wasn’t completely sure if the old lady was pretending to be deaf, but she thought it was possible.
However, the Third Aunt didn’t want to give up so easily, so she asked again. However, the old lady still said she couldn’t hear.
Now, the Third Aunt was almost certain that the old lady was pretending to be deaf.
She clearly didn’t want to be taken care of by her.
For a moment, the Third Aunt was a little angry. She had offered to take care of the old lady, but the old lady didn’t want her to.
Feeling a bit frustrated, the Third Aunt reluctantly returned to the front courtyard.
At this time, Qin Huai Ru had also finished washing her clothes in the middle courtyard.
The old lady’s clothes were hung out to dry in the back courtyard.
“Huai Ru, your Third Aunt said that you’re too tired taking care of me, and she wants to take care of me. What do you think?” the old lady asked Qin Huai Ru with a serious expression.
She had pretended to be deaf in front of the Third Aunt, but now she was telling Qin Huai Ru this. This old lady was truly cunning.
The reason the old lady didn’t want the Third Aunt to take care of her was, of course, because the Third Aunt was stingy and calculating.
It wasn’t just the Third Aunt who was calculating; the Third Uncle was even more calculating, and all their children had learned to be calculating.
If the Third Aunt were to take care of the old lady, the old lady could foresee that it would be better than now at first, but it wouldn’t be long before things changed.
Qin Huai Ru was startled. The Third Aunt wanted to take care of the old lady? From the Third Aunt’s tone, it seemed that she was interested.
“Old lady, I’m not tired taking care of you. The Third Uncle’s family has many children, and the Third Aunt is also not easy. There’s no need to trouble her,” Qin Huai Ru said with a smile.
The old lady didn’t say anything, as if she was thinking.
But her purpose had been achieved.
From now on, Qin Huai Ru would definitely take better care of her.
She saw Qin Huai Ru washing the old lady’s smelly socks.
Qin Huai Ru knew that she needed to wash the old lady’s smelly socks, but she hated the smell and didn’t want to wash them.
But now, if Qin Huai Ru didn’t perform well, the old lady might switch to someone else.
So, Qin Huai Ru endured the disgust and washed the old lady’s smelly socks.
Actually, Qin Huai Ru wanted to pinch her nose, but the old lady was watching, so she didn’t.
When she got to the middle courtyard, Qin Huai Ru turned her back to the old lady, making sure that she couldn’t be seen, and then pinched her nose with one hand.
Washing the smelly socks with one hand, Qin Huai Ru was quick.
Jia Zhang Shi saw this and couldn’t help but say to Qin Huai Ru, was there a need to wash the smelly socks for that old geezer in the back courtyard? Wasn’t she disgusted?
She didn’t even treat her own mother-in-law this well. Was this daughter-in-law even worth keeping?
But Jia Zhang Shi waited until Qin Huai Ru had finished washing the old lady’s smelly socks before she said anything to her.
But with a single sentence from Qin Huai Ru, Jia Zhang Shi fell silent.
The Third Aunt wanted to take care of the old lady?
Now, Jia Zhang Shi understood why Qin Huai Ru was washing the old lady’s smelly socks.
If she didn’t take good care of the old lady, the old lady could switch to someone else at any time!
There were many people in the courtyard and outside who wanted to take care of her.
After understanding this, Jia Zhang Shi no longer objected to Qin Huai Ru washing the old lady’s smelly socks.
But it didn’t stop Jia Zhang Shi from cursing the old lady in her heart.
……
The rolling mill, the back kitchen of the first canteen.
It was busy in the morning and at noon, but it was much quieter in the afternoon.
Zheng Ai Min was still sleeping most of the time, and he woke up now, while the factory hadn’t finished work yet.
Zheng Da Ma, who was chatting with someone nearby, noticed that Zheng Ai Min had woken up and stopped chatting.
Feeling hungry, Zheng Ai Min wailed a few times.
Zheng Da Ma had experience raising children, and she knew that if the diaper didn’t need changing, then it meant he was hungry.
So, she got some malt extract for Zheng Ai Min to drink.
Zheng Ai Min could almost drink some malt extract every day now.
He also had rice soup and congee, and occasionally fish soup and tofu soup.
For this era, his diet was not bad.
He wasn’t lacking in nutrition, and his face had gained some flesh.
Zheng Ai Min, who was already cute, became even cuter after gaining some weight.
Many people, both inside and outside the factory, liked to tease Zheng Ai Min.
However, Zheng Ai Min was a bit indifferent to all this.
But life still had to go on.
He looked at his adoptive mother, who left the 95th courtyard and was becoming more energetic.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was becoming younger.
Although her divorce and remarriage were a huge blow to Zheng Da Ma’s reputation, it had improved with time.
The difficulties had passed, and things were getting better.
It was just that many people gave up in the face of difficulties.
It was because of picking up Zheng Ai Min that Zheng Da Ma had mustered the courage, and the facts proved that she was right.
If she had listened to Yi Zhong Hai, Zheng Da Ma wouldn’t be living this comfortably now.
In the past, Zheng Da Ma had been blinded by her own situation, but when she left the 95th courtyard, she became a bystander.
Zheng Da Ma felt that she had known less about the residents of the 95th courtyard before, and some of her understandings might even have been wrong.