Chapter 3 Change, Guidance

  Unconsciously, Wang Zhen had already walked to the entrance of her home, gazing at the worn-out gate of her own house. She gently pushed it open, and two dog barks echoed out before falling silent again. Two red-brick tile-roofed houses and one thatched hut appeared before her eyes.

  This house was when she was still very young, her grandmother divided their family into two thatched cottages. Later, because of the heavy rain, one of them collapsed. Perhaps God knew about their situation, Wang Xian Guo managed to get back 1,000 yuan that year and built a new tile-roofed house and courtyard. Looking at the old house in front of her, she who had not returned home for many years in her past life, felt a layer of mist covering her eyes.

  Home, in her previous life, she didn't have time to repay this family with anything, and only cared about her own love. This life, she will use all methods to repay, not seeking wealth or nobility, but seeking happiness and peace.

  Zheng Shuirong held a basin, mixing rice bran and chopped green vegetables to feed the chickens and ducks. She raised her head to see her daughter standing stupidly at the gate of the courtyard. Thinking of the 200 yuan spent on registration today, she felt a pang of pain and frowned: "What are you standing there for? Nothing to do, sweep the yard clean, it's almost noon, sweep it up and cook!"

  "Good." Wang Zhen gathered her emotions and responded crisply.

  This reaction made Zheng Shuirong stunned for a moment, her daughter was usually not very capable and would just quietly do her work without saying a word, but today's performance, did she finally realize that it's not easy for her mother to make money and had a change of heart?

  It's undeniable that Zheng Shui Rong has spoken the truth, and Wang Zhen Ke has found her conscience. In her previous life, she thought her family was poor because her parents couldn't earn enough money and didn't care about her at all, without considering practical problems. With such abilities of her parents, what else could they do?

  It can't be said: What a pity that my dad is not Li Gang?

  Wang Zhuanli put down her school bag, swept the floor and thought that in the past, the chickens and ducks in the yard would leave droppings everywhere, which was very annoying. But now she didn't think so. As she swept the floor with her head down, she said: "Mom, from now on, let's put all the chicken and duck poop together into the latrine pit, it can be used as fertilizer."

  Zheng Shui Rong looked at her daughter for a while, couldn't understand why she suddenly had such a good attitude today, and didn't think about it anymore. She casually responded with a "whatever you want".

  Wang Zhen didn't mind either, and after sweeping, she really poured the "fertilizer" that had been swept together into the latrine.

  On the old dinner table in the kitchen, there was a basket of summer vegetables such as green peppers, eggplants and bitter melons. Wang Zhen slightly opened his mouth and smiled, it had been many years since he last ate homegrown vegetables. He hadn't realized before, but after being away for over a decade, he finally understood that true flavor had always been by his side.

  No more nonsense, Wang Xiang started washing rice and cooking, while boiling rice, she washed and chopped vegetables. The oil used at home was vegetable oil, all of which were pressed from the oilseed rape grown by themselves. Compared to whatever salad oil in later generations, it's simply incomparable. This vegetable oil is really fragrant.

  Boiled a white eggplant, then adjusted a chili sauce. Every household here makes a jar of chili sauce every year when they harvest chilies, which is enough to eat for a year.

  Then stir-fry bitter melon with green pepper.

  One stove, two pots, rice is done, dishes are ready too.

  "Mom, let's eat."

  "Hmm." Zheng Shui Rong had just finished washing and hanging up her clothes, and had been busy since early morning until now. She was really getting a bit hungry.

  Wang Zhen arranged the dishes and cooked a simple green vegetable soup. Just add some ginger, salt to the boiling pot, wait for the water to boil, then throw in two pieces of green vegetables.

  Zheng Shui Rong saw the two dishes and one soup on the table, glanced at Wang Zhen, didn't say anything, picked up her bowl and started eating.

  Her own daughter, due to poverty at home, would do any job, and naturally could cook meals, but never cooked soup. This soup didn't have anything in it, yet looked light and appetizing. The children of poor families had to take care of the household early on. Zheng Shui Rong's heart ached as she thought: Now that the child has grown up, being sensible is good.

  Zheng Shui Rong has grown up too, Wang Zhen Ke is already an adult, they are all over 30 years old, can't they be adults?

  Wang Zhen looked at her mother staring at the soup with unblinking eyes, raised an eyebrow: "Mom, after working all morning, you must be tired and sweaty, so I made some soup on the stove to quench your thirst. I didn't add any oil, it's more refreshing for summer."

  Zheng Shui Rong's calm demeanor was gone, her daughter had been just like her since she was a little girl, never caring about whether her old mother was tired or not. When these words came out, Zheng Shui Rong's eyes suddenly turned red and she choked back tears: "Mm, eat."

  Zheng Shui Rong thought to herself, these more than ten years of hardship were not in vain, this daughter finally understands things. Her dad is useless, can't rely on him, looking at her daughter, she silently sighed, must find a good family for her, to bring honor to the family.

  Wang Zhen didn't know what her mother was thinking in her heart, but she thought a lot, not only to make money, but also to broaden the horizons of her mother who had never been to the provincial city all her life, and not just think about marrying her off.

  "Mom, Wang Zhinan is in his third year of high school now, right?"

  "Huh?" Suddenly hearing Wang Zhen mention Wang Zhinan, Mo Wen was somewhat taken aback.

  Wang Zhinan is Wang Zhen's neighbor, growing up together, three years older than her, just in high school, living right behind her house.

  "Listen to Er Sao say that in the future, we will support Wang Zhinan to go to university. She said that after going to university, she can be assigned a job and then there's nothing to worry about." Wang Zhen calls Wang Zhinan's mother Er Sao.

  "Oh, can they still get assigned jobs now? Didn't they say that nowadays university students have to find their own jobs?" Zheng Shuirong wasn't stupid either, selling vegetables on the street every day, she had heard a thing or two: "Besides, his family only has his dad growing and selling vegetables, how could they afford to send him to college?"

  Wang Zhen raised an eyebrow, "Huh, mom's not stupid after all: 'Nowadays universities are also divided, depending on what major you read. If you take the military academy or normal university and other exams, not only do you not have to pay tuition fees, but the school will also provide living expenses. The job arrangement is definitely available, and the jobs arranged are not bad either.'"

  "Is there such a saying?" Zheng Shuirong lowered her head and thought absent-mindedly.

  Wang Zhen didn't interrupt her thoughts either, sometimes people need time to think for themselves.

  "Mom, next weekend when I'm not in class, I'll go help you sell vegetables, okay?" Wang Zhen said.

  "Go away, you'll sell nothing! You won't even look at the scale, and yet you're selling vegetables? Don't cause trouble!" Zheng Shuirong wasn't clever, but she didn't want her daughter to spend all day messing around in the vegetable market either.

  "If I don't know it, I'll learn it. I'm not stupid, I'll get it right after learning."

  "You talk so much today, I said no going then it's not going."

  Wang Zhen saw her mother's determined look and knew she wouldn't let her learn, so she lowered her head and stopped speaking.

  Zheng Shuirong couldn't bear to look at her, thinking that her daughter had finally grown up and wanted to share her burdens. If possible, she also wanted her child to make a name for herself. But with only one child, she thought about the little money she earned, which was barely enough for the family's expenses, plus that useless man, her heart felt tight with distress.