Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 16

“I’m late.” A chubby old man with a large beer belly walked into the Zhen family yard, carrying a bag of things. 

The sound caught everyone’s attention, and all eyes turned toward him. The old man hesitated, unsure, and stopped for a moment.

Why do Shankun’s wife and precious granddaughter look so intimidating?

Niu Laomu scratched his hair and tugged at the hem of his clothes. 

Today, he had worn every nice piece of clothing he had kept in the bottom of the box. Could it be that he looked too handsome and dazzling, making people unable to look directly at him?

It was possible. Niu Laomu nodded to himself and, after gathering his courage, walked into the room with steady steps.

“Master, why are you here? Did you smell the fragrance of the egg custard made by my Grandma?” Baoli took a deep breath, causing his abdomen to ache. As he was about to rest, he noticed the old man approaching. He pushed his chair away and stood up excitedly. “Hehe.”

Niu Laomu’s smile froze. It sounded like he came here just to eat. Were his eyes so shallow? This kid really couldn’t think before speaking.

“Baoli, sit down.” Liu Sanmei shot her foolish grandson a glare before smiling shyly at Niu Laomu.

Xu Panhao looked at her “shy” mother-in-law, and her stomach churned. If she vomited at that moment, her mother-in-law would instantly turn into a nightmarish figure and tear her apart. However, with Niu Laomu here, the mother-in-law might choose to endure it and settle the score later.

Xu Panhao, who had fought with her mother-in-law for half her life, was tempted by this thought. But seeing her mother-in-law’s happy expression, she finally smiled inwardly and gave up this rare opportunity.

“Today, I called everyone here to say something. Your Grandpa Niu and I are ready to be together.”

The two old ones exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with tenderness.

The incident on the riverbank that day had been a turning point for the two. If it weren’t for Niu Laomu’s unhesitating protection, Liu Sanmei might have hesitated.

At their age, wanting to be together wasn’t about passion. It was about finding someone who could understand and accompany them in their remaining years.

What was more important than liking each other was whether they were suited to be together. At their age, it was no longer about passion or romance, but about having someone reliable to share their old age with. 

No matter how filial children were, they had their own families and couldn’t be there with their parents all the time. When night fell, and one was left lying in bed alone, the silence was the most tormenting. Especially as they grew older and slept less, waking up in the middle of the night to find the space next to them still cold. They would toss and turn, half asleep, until dawn.

At meals, only one set of bowls and chopsticks would be laid on the table. Eating had become a chore. One would just boil some vegetables and eat them. When sick, children would come to visit, but due to their jobs, they could only stay briefly, offering little help.

They just wanted to find someone who could support them in their remaining years, someone they could rely on.

For Liu Sanmei, however, there was another issue she had to consider in her old age: if she remarried, the pension she had been receiving as her deceased husband’s widow would stop.

Pension standards varied by region. In their area, a martyr’s wife could receive a subsidy every month if she didn’t remarry. If there were underage children, the government would continue to provide subsidies until the children came of age.

For many years, Liu Sanmei had received this subsidy, and if she didn’t remarry, she could continue to receive it until her death.

When she decided to be with Niu Laomu, Liu Sanmei first considered this issue.

Now that Baobao received life supplies from the army every month and would occasionally be taken to the military hospital for check-ups, with any missing supplies made up by the army, Liu Sanmei didn’t need much of a subsidy for her granddaughter anymore.

In the past, most of the family’s expenses had been spent on the fragile baby. Liu Sanmei, Xu Panhao, and Zhen Baoli were easy to support. The team’s rations and the work points from the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were enough. 

In recent years, Liu Sanmei had saved most of the subsidies she received to prepare for the children’s future marriage needs.

So, when Liu Sanmei decided to remarry, her main concern was whether she could still take care of herself and save some money for her grandchildren once she lost her extra pension.

To be honest, if Niu Laomu hadn’t had his own pension, Liu Sanmei might not have considered spending her old age with him.

Of course, she could also choose to live with Niu Laomu without getting a marriage certificate. Many people in the team lived this way—they were married but didn’t have a marriage certificate. As long as the husband listed in the household registration book was still a deceased husband, she would still receive the subsidy.

But even if she and Niu Laomu didn’t get married, Liu Sanmei had already made up her mind to give up the subsidy.

Since she had decided to live with Niu Laomu, continuing to take the money would not only disrespect him but also tarnish her late husband’s reputation. He had died gloriously, leaving behind blessings for his wife and children. If she continued to take the money after remarrying, people would not only ridicule her, but they would also gossip about her late husband.

Regardless of whether she was seen as powerful or selfish, Niu Laomu’s pension, which was comparable to the subsidy given to prosperous husbands, was indeed a considerable advantage for him.

That day, Niu Laomu’s decisive action had made Liu Sanmei realize that he was a responsible and dependable man. After weighing the pros and cons, she made the decision to start a new chapter in the final years of her life.

“Ahem, Shankun’s wife, Baoli, Baobao, this is the little red envelope I’ve prepared for you,” Niu Laomu said as he opened the cloth bag and took out three red envelopes.

The two of them had discussed and decided not to hold a grand wedding. Instead, they would pick a good day, invite close relatives for a meal, and then go to the county to get the marriage certificate.

Before coming to the Zhen family, Niu Laomu had returned to the city to gather his sons and daughters and inform them that he had found a partner and was preparing to remarry. His children had accepted his decision without issue.

It had been nearly ten years since Niu Laomu lost his wife. For the past few years, he had lived with his eldest son’s family. But last year, his eldest son had been assigned a large two-bedroom apartment, and the whole family had moved into the new house. 

The reason Niu Laomu had returned to his hometown upon retiring was partially due to the fact that his children were no longer living with him.

To be honest, living alone in the countryside, though his brothers and sisters took care of him, still made his children anxious. He wanted to find a partner who could understand his feelings at his age. What right did his children have to refuse?

Looking at the bigger picture, Niu Laomu had spent most of the money he saved over the years to help his children with marriage or home purchases, or to collect rare wood. He didn’t have much savings left.

Even if the old lady he found had ulterior motives and was after his money, the only thing she could take was his retirement salary. 

While this money might be substantial for rural people, for Niu Laomu’s children, who had jobs, it wasn’t enough to incite jealousy or suspicion.

If the old lady could take good care of him and make his life more comfortable in his old age, even if she used the money to help her own children, Niu Laomu’s children would be willing.

When Niu Laomu’s children learned that the old lady’s son had passed away early, leaving behind only a widowed daughter-in-law and two young grandchildren, they bought some canned fruits—rare items in their area—as a small gift for her family. It wasn’t much, but it was sincere.

“Don’t call me Master from now on. Just call me Grandpa, like Baobao.” Niu Laomu touched Baoli’s round head. 

He hadn’t expected to develop such a bond with the child. If he had just planned to take him on as a disciple, even though he liked Baoli, he would have had to hide some of his skills in teaching him. That was the old way. Except for his own sons and grandsons, masters usually kept their unique skills hidden to avoid starving by giving away too much to their apprentices.

But now, since he was marrying Baoli’s grandmother, he had to treat his third sister’s grandson as his own. If someone called him Grandpa, he shouldn’t hold onto selfish thoughts.

“Master… Grandpa…” Baoli, a stubborn person, changed his words because his grandfather asked him to. As for why he had to change his words, it was too complicated for him to explain. It might take him some time to figure it out. “Do you want to eat egg custard? My grandma made it. It’s delicious.”

Baoli’s mind was still on the fragrant bowl of egg custard. He gently reminded everyone that the egg custard was almost cold and it was time to eat.

“Your grandma will make it for me often in the future.” Niu Laomu, like an old tree blooming again, had found a new spring in life. He also began to act a bit like a child, competing for affection with his new grandson.

“Wow!” Baoli’s eyes widened in envy. “Sister, you can eat egg custard often in the future,” he said happily, turning to look at his sister.

A stubborn person has his own logic. Grandma loves Baobao the most. As long as she makes egg custard, there must be a portion for Baobao. His sister loves him the most too. When the time comes, she will definitely secretly leave him a bite. He’ll give half to his mother and still have half for himself.

Niu Laomu boasted, but the listeners were left scratching their heads. His boasting had been thoroughly unsatisfactory.

He looked at Liu Sanmei beside him, dismayed. 

Liu Sanmei gently patted the back of his hand when no one was watching. 

In an instant, Niu Laomu was rejuvenated.

Half a month later, the Niu family’s children took special leave to return to the countryside. 

Liu Sanmei’s brothers and sisters were gone, and she hadn’t kept in touch with her nephews and nieces. This time, she only invited Zhen Shanfeng’s family, along with Niu Laomu’s brothers and sisters. A group of people gathered at two tables, marking the occasion as a simple greeting.

That night, Liu Sanmei moved into Niu Laomu’s house. The wall that had separated the Zhen family’s yard for many years was torn down, and the other people in the production team finally realized that the elderly widow, Zhen, had formed a relationship with an old man named Jin at her age.

The villagers had mixed opinions about this, but the couple had openly gotten their marriage certificate, making the matter public and undeniable. Even if people wanted to gossip, they couldn’t find fault.

Just as Liu Sanmei had questioned the women by the riverbank that day, could they guarantee that their husbands would never die before them? Could they bear to see their wives widowed for life? If they couldn’t, then why criticize Liu Sanmei?

Aside from one particularly conservative old man, no one gossiped about the matter. 

In these times, taking care of the elderly and children was a more pressing concern. The village was lively for a while, but eventually returned to its quiet state.

At this point, Lin Rui began to shift her focus. 

She secretly started reaching out to the “stinky old nine” and “bad elements” who had been sent down. She remembered that several of them would be rehabilitated in the late 1970s and return to their previous positions. Many had been university professors or cadres before they fell from grace. It would be advantageous for her in the future to make connections with these people and save face.

When Lin Rui learned that Liu Sanmei and Niu Laomu were in love, she locked herself in her room for an entire day.

This hadn’t happened in her previous life. Liu Sanmei and Xu Panhao had never remarried before her death. It made Lin Rui feel that this world was different from the one before her rebirth.

In the world she came from, Zhen Baobao had not been so strong, and Old Lady Liu had not experienced a second spring.

Lin Rui wasn’t sure whether this change was for the better or the worse, but since she no longer planned to be involved with that family, she resolved not to be disturbed by anything concerning them.

After a long silence, Lin Rui finally opened the door again, her previous energy restored.

Ten years later

“Hurry up and get dressed, the boy from the Huo family will be back today!” At the Jiang household, Wang Juan stood in the living room, urging from the bedroom. She looked out the window frequently, her face betraying her anxiety.

“Aunt, how do you think I look in this skirt?” Twenty-year-old Jiang Mingmiao looked as graceful as a peony. 

She wore the most fashionable plaid skirt from the department store, paired with white lambskin shoes. Her thick black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and a wide headband firmly held her playful locks atop her head. She looked elegant, pure, and lovely.

Behind Jiang Mingmiao stood her cousin Jiang Mingting, one year younger than her. She was also dressed up, but clearly not with as much care as Jiang Mingmiao. 

At this moment, Jiang Mingting didn’t look much different from her usual self.

Seeing this, Wang Juan’s eyes flashed with displeasure.

She had clearly reminded her, yet Jiang Mingting still failed to seize such a good opportunity.