**
When Chang Ying got back home, Mo Yue pulled her to the backyard excitedly. Lu Chen had taken her and Grandpa Lu aside after breakfast and told them of his plan to expand to a small poultry farm.
Grandpa Lu was already there marking out the yard and knocking small stakes into the ground to clearly demarcate the edges for the new chicken coop fence. His old face was flushed with energy. His turbid eyes were deeply squinted to see better.
The old man did not stop running back and forth, marking out points on the ground, before mumbling a few words about measurements, sizes, materials and so on. Then he would erase the old marks and make new ones.
All in all, Mo Yue and Chang Ying simpered on the sidelines and let the old man enjoy himself planning out the expanded chicken coop.
Mo Yue gently tugged her hand. Still holding her palm, she said, "Chang Ying, Lu Chen gave me 50 yuan this morning. Chang Ying, I..." she paused, trying to find the right words to continue.
Her expression faltered helplessly as she didn't know how to properly express her gratefulness to this young girl that had married her son.
Chang Ying's eyes softened and she squeezed the older woman's hand. "Mother, you don't have to say anything. We are family now."
Mo Yue shook her head and quickly wiped the moisture that gathered in her eyes. "It's because we are family...because you took us as your family too that I should thank you. Chang Ying, listen to me, you are a rare gem in this world. It's been difficult since you married in, I saw how much you could not cope. But you still persevered and you've brought home to our small family. Chang Ying, thank you."
Chang Ying shyly nodded. Mo Yue was so straightforward and frank, Chang Ying did not know how to respond.
Mo Yue suspended farm work for that day. The two women followed Grandpa Lu out later that morning.
Grandpa Lu was older. He walked a little slower and slightly hunched over and his vision was failing but the old man could still move through the backwoods of the village like a fish in water.
He led the two women with his handy machete to cut some wild bamboo and wood to build the coop's fence. Chang Ying followed around, or rather, stumbled around. In her previous life, she had struggled through hardship but it was clear that in and out, she was a city girl. She belonged to civilisation.
After stumbling around and nearly tripping over shrubs and creeping plants every five steps, Chang Ying scrapped her arm on a tree trunk. She sighed, a bit embarrassed at her clumsiness and just relegated herself to a tag-along. She could only help these two older people by offering an extra pair of hands to carry wood.
The three carried back their haul home in the late afternoon. Chang Ying held the smallest bundle of wood in her hands. There was no way her meagre strength could compare to the old man who had worked his whole life or a woman who did farm work every other day. Chang Ying shamelessly trudged behind them with a bundle that was barely a one-third of what Mo Yue held.
Just as they passed by Su Jiaojiao's family courtyard, the woman popped her head out if the gate with a bright smile.
"Father, look who came to visit me." Su Jiaojiao strutted out with a wide smile.
A short, chubby girl followed Su Jiaojiao out. The girl greeted Grandpa Lu respectfully. Grandpa Lu recognised her and amicably asked her how her parents were doing.
While this little rhetorical exchange was going on between the old man and the unfamiliar girl, Su Jiaojiao stared at the piles of wood the three were carrying. She made no effort to move and help out her in-laws, instead she looked at Chang Ying and smiled. Her mouth opened and her voice with the trademark lisp came out, "You have been working hard today. Chang Ying, are you okay? Are you used to this kind of work?
Chang Ying was lost for a second when she realised Su Jiaojiao was talking to her. This was the first time this woman even properly looked her way. In fact, Chang Ying did not have a good impression of this relative, and it was not farfetched to say Su Jiaojiao did not like her either.
"Yes, don't worry," Chang Ying gave a short, dry answer.
"Ah," Su Jiaojiao exclaimed with admiration. "You are so hard working, Chang Ying."
Chang Ying blinked a few times. Even a deaf man could tell that she was carrying way less than her family elders. She wondered if Su Jiaojiao was being sarcastic and mocking her.
Su Jiaojiao did not stop there. She even laid the butter thicker. "I hope my XiaoBo can get a good wife like his cousin too when he grows up. A girl that is filial and hard working like you is the ideal daughter-in-law."
Chang Ying wrinkled her brows. Since when had this woman changed her tune? Su Jiaojiao's act felt like oversweet nausea forced down her throat.
A few days ago, this Su Jiaojiao was at their gate loudly smearing her. Nowsh was trying to act pleasing to the eyes.
"Su Jiaojiao, why are you here for today?" Mo Yue asked her.
Su Jiaojiao smirked and with a flick of her wrists, gestured towards the girl following her. "I am standing in front of my house with my cousin's husband's niece. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Mo Yue clicked her tongue but she could not say anything to refute. "Whatever, do what you want."
"You should know this girl's family, they borrowed you some money one to your son fell sick a few years back?" Su Jiaojiao continued, not caring that Mo ye was no longer interested. Su Jiaojiao faced Chang Ying and said, "Oh, l forgot. This girl's family also lent out a lot of money to help Lu Chen pay his tuition. You should be nice to her, Chang Ying."
Chang Ying turned her attention to the girl beside Su Jiaojiao, curiously. The gilrl had a small, immature face kissed with golden freckles. Her short frame was full, rounded and pinched like a shrunken hourglass.
The girl greeted Mo Yue and Chang Ying. Grandpa Lu had already quietly withdrawn out of sight immediately he caught glimpse of Su Jiaojiao.
Mo Yue nodded politely toward the young girl, then turned back to Su Jiaojiao. She knew this woman was up to no good. At this point, their mutual distaste for each other was overflowing like the Yangtze river.
"Their family is very good. They even gave my husband a few jobs in town over the years. Today, this girl followed me to ask for a small favour."
"Favour?" Mo Yue ceased her brows together. "What can we possibly do for you?"
Their Lu family usually barely had any cash to help others out. Chang Ying's successful deal was strictly kept a secret within their family. So outsiders should have no reason to ask them for favours on regular days.
Su Jiaojiao laughed, her tone held a slight bit of mockery as she said, "Not telling, it's not your business."
Fortunately, Grandpa Lu had finished making small talk with the girl. He waved the girl goodbye and reminds her to send his greetings to her parents. Then they left and went towards their own home.
After they returned and dropped off the wood in the backyard.
Chang Ying dropped herself into the closest chair and watchedbon as the old man fluttered about the yard energetically. She almost felt ashamed. Their ages were decades apart and the old man still had more stamina than her.
After a while, Grandpa Lu counted off a few things they still needed to get before they could start. Luckily, they could borrow some tools and materials from other families in the village. The old man knew the village well but his vision could still be a problem. Since Mo Yue was home she insisted on following him out.
Chang Ying stood up again to follow them.
Mo Yue already saw how exhausted Chang Ying was. It was not easy to carry wood from the backwoods and trek back home, especially for someone unfamiliar with such tedious labour like Chang Ying. She insisted that Chang Ying stay home and wait for them. Then she escorted the old man and went out.
A few minutes after Mo Yue and Grandpa Lu left, there was a clatter of footsteps in the courtyard.
Chang Ying raised her head, expecting to see Mo Yue and the old man. Instead she saw their uninvited family relative had breached the Lu family courtyard again.
This time, Su Jiaojiao was accompanied by the girl that was with her earlier.
Su Jiaojiao's plastered a friendly grin on her and walked up to Chang Ying. "Chang Ying, you just married Lu Chen so you don't know. This is Xie Man. I brought her here to introduce you two."
Chang Ying was taken aback. Su Jiaojiao came to see her?
It was clear Mo Yue and Grandpa Lu were not home.
Su Jiaojiao had been just met them outside barely half an hour earlier. So Su Jiaojiao most likely came here for her. Chang Ying still stood up and exchanged greetings with the girl politely.
Chang Ying was fairly sure this was a ploy for her hens, or at the very least, payback for the embarrassment yesterday. But she still did not know what this new girl had to do with it. Chang Ying wondered if Su Jiaojiao planed to use the girl to sow discos between her and Lu Chen.
Otherwise, she could not think of any reason this stranger was here.