Chicken cakes, those were precious things.
More than two years ago, the old Su family could never have afforded chicken cakes.
Back then, even though they had a son-in-law working at the supply and marketing cooperative, that son-in-law was unreliable.
The Su family's conditions had improved considerably in the past two years, and besides, Chen Zi'an always brought pastries from the city when he visited.
Chicken cakes were the most frequent among them, but with so many people in the Su family, each child could at most have half a cake.
Even with half a cake, the Su brothers would still save some for their little sister, Xiao Tian, leaving less for themselves.
"You little glutton, you're worse than your sister!" Liang Xiu couldn't help but laugh, poking her son's forehead with her finger.
Su Xiao Wu, poked on the forehead, smiled, "Mom, your hands don't smell of grass anymore, they smell of chicken cakes."
The little fellow sniffed deeply as he spoke, as if treating his mother's hand as a chicken cake.
Meanwhile, Qi Liang Ying's conversation with her own sons was largely similar.
As mothers, seeing their children after such a long time, the affection was naturally evident.
In this moment, the eldest branch's San Gong and Xiao Liu seemed noticeably disheartened.
San Gong, being slightly older, didn't show it as much.
But Xiao Liu was still young, and seeing the children from the second and third branches crowding around their second and third mothers, acting cute and waiting for chicken cakes, his eyes turned red.
The second and third mothers had gone to work in the city factories and were now returning with chicken cakes.
He wanted chicken cakes too, what should he do? But they weren't his family's.
Why couldn't his mother go to the chicken cake factory instead of raising chickens?
Then, he could also eat chicken cakes.
"Brother!" Xiao Liu looked expectantly at his own second brother, Su San Gong.
Su San Gong was the elder child and didn't want to ask his second and third mothers for chicken cakes directly for the sake of a bite.
But his younger brother looked so incredibly envious, what could he do?
San Gong's mind raced, thinking of ways to distract Xiao Liu.
He even considered going to the chicken farm to discuss getting an egg for Xiao Liu.
But in an instant, he abandoned the idea. With his mother's personality, she wouldn't just not give him an egg, she'd probably beat him.
"Be good, Xiao Liu. Wait a moment, brother will take you to the mountain to play, okay?" Su San Gong whispered to his younger brother.
"What's on the mountain?" Xiao Liu, though still a bit sad and envious, was finally distracted.
"We'll go find bird eggs on the mountain, and brother will roast them for you."
Su San Gong's voice was low, but he was doing his best to comfort his younger brother.
It was already the dead of winter, would there even be bird eggs on the mountain?
Su San Gong didn't know, but that's all he could say.
Of the three children in the eldest branch, Su Shou Wen was busy every day with the team leader, leaving only the younger two to play together. Su San Gong dutifully acted as a good older brother.
Upon hearing about bird eggs, Xiao Liu indeed became much happier and immediately tugged on Su San Gong's hand, wanting to go.
Just as the two brothers were about to head out, Liang Xiu and Qi Liang Ying sensed the disappointment of the two children.
Qi Liang Ying called out, "San Gong, where are you two going? Come over quickly, don't you want chicken cakes?"
At this time, Su Shou Wen and Su Ci Liang were not present, making San Gong the eldest among the children.
San Gong glanced at Qi Liang Ying, hesitated for a moment, then brought Xiao Liu over.
"Second Aunt, Third Aunt!" The two children greeted them obediently.
"These are the chicken cakes brought by Second Aunt and Third Aunt. Take them to the main hall, give them to Grandpa and Grandma, leave some, and you brothers can share the rest."
Qi Liang Ying took the chicken cakes from her and Liang Xiu's hands and shoved them all into San Gong's.
"Don't forget to leave some for your eldest brother and second brother, otherwise, what if they come back and cry from envy?" Liang Xiu added.
As Qi Liang Ying and Liang Xiu spoke, smiles were in their eyes and brows, warming Su San Gong's heart.
So, Second Aunt and Third Aunt hadn't forgotten them, and they were going to get chicken cakes too.
"I know, Second Aunt!" Su San Gong said joyfully.
Seeing the two children's delight, the sisters-in-law exchanged glances and smiled.
The little ones were growing up, their thoughts becoming more sensitive. It seemed they would have to be more cautious in their words and actions from now on, and maintain fairness.
Su Xiao Tian smiled as she watched this scene.
Holding her mother's hand with one hand and Qi Liang Ying's with the other, she couldn't stop smiling.
She had always worried that because some members of the second and third branches had gone to work in the city, there would be unpleasantness and conflicts within the Su family later on.
Now, it seemed that wouldn't happen for the time being.
As for the future... she didn't know for sure, but she would do her best to maintain the relationships within the families and try to avoid conflicts.
In her past life, until the very end, her cousins had all doted on her and been dedicated to her. From the moment she was reborn, she had decided to treat all nine of her brothers as her own.
She didn't want the three branches to drift apart in the end.
Qi Liang Ying and Liang Xiu couldn't understand why Su Xiao Tian was smiling, but before they could figure it out, Su Xiao Tian broke free from their hands and ran off.
"I want chicken cake too, Third Brother!" Su Xiao Tian ran towards Su San Gong with her short legs.
Su San Gong was feeling incredibly pleased at the moment. He casually handed the chicken cakes in his hand to Su Xiao Si, who was beside him, then reached out and scooped up Su Xiao Tian, holding her high in his arms.
The young man's body wasn't particularly strong, but he tried his best to lift his little sister high.
Su Xiao Tian, caught off guard by being lifted, was first startled, then giggled.
"Third Brother is so strong, Third Brother is so strong!"
Su Xiao Tian cheered him on with a smile, and Su San Gong's strength increased, even lifting Su Xiao Tian and spinning her around.
Watching the children interact so harmoniously, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su smiled.
As elders, there was nothing more gratifying than seeing their family united and loving.
They had also worried that because the third branch's situation was different now, conflicts might arise, but now, everything seemed fine, and they could finally rest easy.
The chicken cakes brought by the two sisters-in-law of the Su family were indeed quite a lot, totaling six or seven jin.
The children of the Su family were not selfish eaters; each carefully took a piece of chicken cake.
As for the rest, they were carefully placed on the table in the main hall, awaiting Grandma Su's unified arrangement.
"Second daughter-in-law, Third daughter-in-law, are these from the factory for you?" Grandpa Su asked, taking a puff of his pipe.
"It's not exactly for us, it's just cheap and doesn't require coupons," Qi Liang Ying said. "Chicken cakes cost eighty cents a jin, but this kind we brought is only twenty-five cents a jin, which is basically the cost price. My third sister-in-law and I thought the children hadn't had chicken cakes properly before, so we bought more."
Such cheap chicken cakes could be considered factory benefits, and thus, the amount each person could purchase per month was limited to five jin.
Grandpa Su was relieved by his daughter-in-law's answer.
"You work in the factory, you can't take advantage of the country casually," Grandpa Su said earnestly. "Our old Su family cannot do such things!"
Some things needed to be said early, to avoid them becoming a problem later.
Grandpa Su was an honest man who had never taken advantage of the collective in his life.
"Father, we know, don't worry!" The two sisters-in-law exchanged glances and immediately agreed.
Liang Xiu and Qi Liang Ying did not bring anything else home this time except for the chicken cakes.
After all, they had only been working for less than a month, and they didn't have much money or coupons. The only thing they could bring from the factory was a little bit of chicken cake.
Grandma Su, fearing the old man would say more and upset her daughters-in-law, said, "Since you two are back tonight, we'll make a good meal."
"Mother, I've wanted to eat home-cooked meals for a long time. The food at the factory just doesn't taste right," Qi Liang Ying said with a smile.
The food at the factory was actually quite good, with more oil and meat than at home, but for some reason, it just didn't taste as good as home-cooked meals.
The two sisters-in-law had been away for so long, they really missed home-cooked meals.
"Let's have noodles tonight. Third daughter-in-law, can you make noodles?"
"Yes, Mother, I'll wash my hands and start kneading the dough." Liang Xiu quickly agreed.
"I'll cook. We have a lot of cabbage this year, how about stir-fried cabbage?"
Grandma Su nodded.
The mother-in-law and two daughters-in-law turned and went into the kitchen to prepare the meal.
"When you had time off, did you go see Xiu'er and her child?" Grandma Su asked her daughter-in-law, who was kneading dough, while tending the fire.
This old mother's heart was always concerned about her children.
"We've seen them. Eldest sister said she'll come to see you and Father before the New Year. Brother-in-law is busy during this time, so Eldest sister can't come over," Liang Xiu replied nimbly while kneading the dough.
"Mother, don't worry, I think Eldest sister and Xiao Bao are doing well. Brother-in-law is taking good care of them," Qi Liang Ying also chimed in while cutting vegetables.
She knew what her mother-in-law was worried about.
To be honest, when they got married, she was quite worried. After all, a divorced woman, even finding an ordinary man, would face discrimination, let alone a high-ranking official in the county.
But unexpectedly, Eldest sister was fortunate enough to live a peaceful life with Chen Zi'an. The couple looked like they were deeply in love.
"Indeed, Eldest sister looks much younger than before, like a young maiden of eighteen or nineteen!" Liang Xiu exclaimed, "A woman's most important thing is to marry a suitable man."
Grandma Su was happy to hear that her eldest daughter was doing well and said, "Xiu'er has finally seen the end of her hardships!"
But in an instant, Grandma Su's expression turned a bit unhappy again. She thought of her youngest daughter.
Since she had cut ties with her youngest daughter, she heard that her youngest daughter's life in the Kang family was getting worse and worse.
Recently, she heard that her youngest daughter had been beaten, bruised and swollen by her younger son-in-law, and was in a terrible state.
She couldn't help but sigh.
"Mother, why are you sighing when Eldest sister is doing well?" Qi Liang Ying asked, confused.
"Why is my fate so unfortunate? In the past, when Xiu'er's life was not good, I worried about her. Now that Xiu'er's life has finally improved, Man Xiang's life is a mess."
It would be so good if both daughters could live well, and she would have less to worry about.
Hearing her mother-in-law mention her sister-in-law's difficult life, the two sisters-in-law also stopped talking.
Man Xiang's difficult life, who was to blame?
Wasn't it her own fault?
If she had known how to cherish good times in the early years, would she have ended up like this?
The old Kang family didn't seem like good people either, but Man Xiang was as if possessed.
But at this moment, these words couldn't be spoken. If they were, wouldn't it hurt their mother-in-law?
Liang Xiu thought for a moment and said, "Mother, let's ask Tian'er's father to inquire in town about Man Xiang's situation."
After all, she was their own daughter, and they couldn't just watch her be bullied.
Grandma Su didn't expect her third daughter-in-law to say such a thing.
Man Xiang had indulged Kang Meihua back then and pushed Xiao Tian into the river, almost costing her her life.
She looked at Liang Xiu in surprise. It was false to say she wasn't moved.
But Grandma Su was a rational person, and she quickly shook her head, saying, "Forget it, whatever she becomes is her own doing. Can I, her mother, take care of her for a lifetime?"
In the early years, she had taken care of this youngest daughter's family too much, which led the Kang family to believe that eating and drinking from their family was a given.
A favor given in need becomes a debt in plenty; they gave too much, making the old Kang family naturally assume it was their due.
Now that they were no longer providing financial support, the Kang family's true colors were revealed.
In fact, the Kang family's life was worse than that of ordinary farming families.
Because they lived in town, the Kang family members considered themselves city dwellers and looked down on people like the old Su family.
Naturally, Su Man Xiang was also looked down upon by the old Su family.
Even though the other two daughters-in-law of the Kang family had even worse family conditions, with their entire families living in a single room, unable to even turn around, and not having enough to eat by the middle of the month, they still felt superior and had more status in their in-laws' homes than Su Man Xiang.
Having lost her family's support, Su Man Xiang, a country bumpkin, was naturally looked down upon even more by those who were arrogant.
It was predictable that Su Man Xiang was living a difficult life.
Grandma Su felt sorry for her daughter, but she also knew that she couldn't subsidize the Kang family forever.
If the grain taken from the old Su family had gone into the mouths of her daughter and grandchildren, it would have been one thing.
But she knew clearly that none of the Kang family members were good people, and most of that grain probably ended up in other people's mouths.
Making her own family members economize to support a bunch of ungrateful people, Grandma Su felt foolish.
Liang Xiu, knowing her mother-in-law's discomfort, deliberately changed the subject and started talking to Grandma Su about some amusing stories from their time at the chicken cake factory.
Indeed, Grandma Su's mood was lifted. Factory matters were mysterious, and how could Grandma Su not be willing to listen?
After listening for a while, Grandma Su suddenly thought of something and asked, "When you two were in the county town, were you treated unfairly?"
People in the town considered themselves superior, let alone people in the city, who probably looked down on others even more.
Her two daughters-in-law were honest people; what if they were bullied?
"Mother, we from Hongxin Brigade have status in the chicken cake factory. They all know that the chicken cake factory can continue to operate because of the eggs from our Hongxin Brigade," Qi Liang Ying said with a smile.
There were many people in the factory, and there were naturally those who looked down on them.
But most people did not harbor any malice towards them, especially the factory management, who were very kind to those hired from the Hongxin Brigade.
Grandma Su was much relieved to hear this.
The factory's emphasis on eggs was evident from the fact that they hired five workers from the Hongxin Brigade at once.
"You should also be low-key, so you don't attract attention, which would be even worse!" Grandma Su cautioned.
"Mother, we know what's important. For people like us to be workers in the county town is already a blessing from several lifetimes," Liang Xiu said.
"Mother, it's cold now, so the egg production at our chicken farm is likely to decrease, isn't it?" Qi Liang Ying asked.
"Xiao Tian and Old Du have been working on it for days. The temperature at the chicken farm isn't too low, and it hasn't caused too much delay," Grandma Su said, not deliberately hiding Su Xiao Tian's contributions when speaking to her own family.
"Our Xiao Tian is so capable. Third sister-in-law, why are you so fortunate?" Qi Liang Ying lamented, "When I gave birth to Xiao Qi, I wished for a daughter, but it turned out to be a son. Then, when I gave birth to Xiao Jiu, I again wished for a daughter, but it was still a son!"
Liang Xiu couldn't help but laugh and say, "Second sister-in-law, if others in the brigade heard you say that, they'd probably spit on you on the spot."
This was also true. Several families in the Hongxin Brigade had gone to great lengths to have a son, but in the end, they only had daughters.
How could Qi Liang Ying, who had given birth to four sons in a row, say such a thing without causing resentment?
"Perhaps that's just how things are in the world; you can't have everything," Grandma Su said with a smile. "By the way, how many days will you two be staying this time?"
"We have a two-day holiday and have to go back the day after tomorrow."
"The New Year is coming soon, and the factory is busy. If it were usual, we could have had a few more days off."
"Since you're back, you should go visit your maternal families," Grandma Su said. "I'll prepare some gifts for you tomorrow morning, and you can take them back."
The two sisters-in-law exchanged glances. What was going on?
"Mother, it's not a festival or holiday, why are you sending us back to our maternal families?"
"You two are now workers in the city, so you must go back and visit. Otherwise, people from your maternal families will say you look down on them!"
Grandma Su had been thinking about this for several days, but she hadn't mentioned it because her daughters-in-law hadn't returned.
Now that her daughters-in-law were back, she voiced her thoughts.
"Mother..." the two daughters-in-law called out in unison.
"You must listen to me on this matter!"
Grandma Su was very firm about this.
"Mother, I just want to ask, if both of us go back to our maternal families, what about Eldest Sister-in-law?"
Since they all ate from the same pot, Grandma Su had prepared the same gifts for her daughters-in-law to visit their maternal families for the past few years.
Liang Xiu's question was out of concern that such a small matter might cause disputes.
"There's no problem with that. I won't show favoritism. Your Eldest Sister-in-law doesn't need to come back with you. She can go back on the Laba Festival in a few days, and the gifts will be the same as yours!"
[Author's Note]
I've been working overtime recently, so the updates are a bit late. Please bear with me, babies. If you have any opinions or suggestions, please let me know. Mwah, love you all!