Early in the morning, Zhao Guihua took Liang Meifen out with her.
She carried a bamboo basket on her back containing a fishing net she had borrowed from Li the Cook's wife, Aunt Wang.
Yesterday, when she said she was going fishing, it wasn't just idle talk. As an experienced elderly woman, Zhao Guihua genuinely knew where to catch fish. There were actually quite a few fishing spots in their city, like where Li the Cook regularly went fishing at the Back Lake area.
However, such places weren't suitable for Zhao Guihua. Old Man Zhuang understood her well - she didn't actually know how to fish with a rod.
At those typical fishing spots, she would be completely lost. That's why Zhao Guihua never intended to go to such places. The place she had in mind was a rare gem for catching fish. Though, since her memories were a bit distant, it took some effort for Zhao Guihua to find it.
Liang Meifen followed Zhao Guihua the whole way. They walked for most of the morning, and Liang Meifen stole glances at her mother-in-law, not daring to speak. Her mother-in-law had "talked" to her earlier that morning, making her already troubled mood even worse.
She never imagined her mother-in-law could be so calculating, and when she thought about it, her household had indeed been taking advantage all along. As a result, Liang Meifen didn't dare make a sound now, following behind Zhao Guihua like a servant girl.
Zhao Guihua couldn't be bothered to look at her dejected face and focused on finding the fish pond.
Though she was confident she knew where it was, they still wandered quite a bit before suddenly, "Ah!"
Zhao Guihua cried out, startling Liang Meifen, who hurried forward asking, "Mom, what's wrong?"
Zhao Guihua pointed to a hidden pond not far away and exclaimed excitedly, "Found it!"
She was instantly energized and rushed over, with Liang Meifen hurrying to keep up. Both mother and daughter-in-law ran to the pond, and Liang Meifen was amazed: "Mom, there really is a pond here!"
Zhao Guihua gave her a sideways glance and said, "Did you think I was making it up?"
"Of course not," Liang Meifen wouldn't dare offend her mother-in-law.
Zhao Guihua immediately started giving instructions: "You gather stones while I check how frozen it is and find a spot to break through."
Liang Meifen perked up and got busy right away: "Okay!"
Zhao Guihua nodded with satisfaction. Although her eldest daughter-in-law had many flaws - being what modern people would call a "brother complex" - she did have her good points. She worked diligently and never cut corners.
Whatever task you gave her, she would complete it thoroughly without being lazy.
This area was on a small hill, slightly colder than in the city, and the entire pond was frozen over. Zhao Guihua and Liang Meifen found a spot and frantically started breaking the ice. It took considerable effort, nearly exhausting them, but they finally managed to create a decent-sized hole.
As soon as they broke through, Zhao Guihua's sharp eyes spotted fish. Her face lit up with joy as she said, "Quick, bring the fishing net, let's set it!"
Liang Meifen had never fished before. Though from a modest family, she was still a city girl who had finished high school. While not well-off, they weren't desperately poor either, so naturally, she didn't know these skills.
"Mom, how do we do this? Just throw it in and we'll catch them?"
Zhao Guihua gave her a look: "Are you dreaming? Thinking it's that easy? Go find a bamboo pole."
Zhao Guihua thought to herself that she was quite internet-savvy, having learned many life hacks on social media. When Liang Meifen returned with the pole, Zhao Guihua immediately put it in the water and started stirring clockwise, saying, "If I get tired, you take over."
"Sure!"
Liang Meifen never argued about work.
Zhao Guihua stirred the pole in the water, a task requiring significant effort. Despite the cold weather, she was starting to sweat and her arms were getting sore. Liang Meifen quickly took over, though she couldn't last as long as Zhao Guihua had. She commented, "Mom, why does it feel harder and harder to stir?"
Zhao Guihua replied: "Probably got fish, come on, let's pull up the net!"
They quickly started pulling, "One-two, one-two!"
Zhao Guihua: "Careful now, pull hard, quick, one-two! Heave!"
"Ah!"
As both women pulled with all their might, there was a cracking sound as the ice started breaking. Liang Meifen's face turned pale with fear, but Zhao Guihua quickly gave one final pull, and the fishing net came flying up.
"Ah ah ah, Mom, look, look there are fish, really there are fish!"
Zhao Guihua: "Stop talking, quick, move!"
They dragged the net, rushing quickly to the shore. Fortunately, though the ice had cracked, only a few pieces near the hole had fallen in, with just some cracks elsewhere, so it wasn't too dangerous.
Zhao Guihua plopped down on the ground, sighing: "Damn, getting something to eat really isn't easy."
Liang Meifen also sat down, not caring about getting dirty, her eyes fixed on the fishing net in amazement.
Inside were more than ten fish, both large and small. The smallest ones were seven or eight inches long, while the biggest ones were over ten inches - no wonder it had been so hard to pull up. These fish were enormous, almost like fish spirits!
Liang Meifen stared at the fish in a daze while Zhao Guihua couldn't hide her excitement. Still catching her breath, her eyes crinkled with joy, softening her usually stern features. Zhao Guihua said proudly, "I told you we could do it, didn't I?"
Liang Meifen swallowed, her eyes still glued to the fish - they were truly huge.
Could their family even eat all these fish? If not, could she perhaps send some to her parents' home? Her gaze drifted back to the pond, blinking a few times, wondering if she could secretly tell her family about this place...
Zhao Guihua, who had been feeling pleased with herself, turned and caught her daughter-in-law's calculating look. She startled and immediately scolded: "This is MY spot that I found. If you dare tell your family about it, you can pack up and go back to them forever. Divorce - that's definitely what'll happen."
Liang Meifen was startled by these words and quickly said, "Mom, I wasn't..."
"Bah, I don't care what you were or weren't thinking. If I ever find out you did such a thing, you can go back to your family forever and be your brother's servant for life. See how nice I'm being! I'll be the evil mother-in-law if that's what it takes!" Zhao Guihua's words were harsh, but different people needed different approaches.
She understood her eldest daughter-in-law Liang Meifen's personality too well. If you spoke to her kindly and tried to reason with her, genuinely considering her interests, she would take it for granted and even feel wronged at the slightest thing, thinking you were easy to push around.
Even in her previous life, Zhao Guihua had already done so much for the eldest son's family, yet in Liang Meifen's mind, she was still absolutely wicked.
Later, she simply became fierce, never showing a kind face, speaking only to scold. Surprisingly, Liang Meifen then started seeing her mother-in-law as straightforward and frank.
Zhao Guihua found this utterly absurd.
So she didn't hold back at all and went straight to being stern. Sure enough, her harsh words made Liang Meifen close her mouth submissively, looking wronged but apparently taking the message to heart.
Zhao Guihua thought to herself: "..." How ridiculous! This person just couldn't handle kindness.
After catching her breath, she said, "Let's rest a bit and then head back."
Liang Meifen hesitantly asked in a small voice, "We could catch more, couldn't we? Should we get some more?"
Zhao Guihua didn't want to leave either, but she worried that taking too much might draw attention, especially since they had quite a distance to walk home. Besides, the ice had cracked earlier, which was concerning.
"Let's save it for next time. Next time we'll bring some men from the family. This time I mainly wanted to find this place again. Next time we'll bring rope to tie around ourselves, it'll be safer. I don't trust this ice too much."
Though she wanted fish, she valued her life more.
"Besides, there are only two kids at home, and they haven't had lunch yet."
Zhao Guihua made the decision, standing up to arrange the fish in her basket, her face beaming with satisfaction, feeling truly content.
She cautioned: "We need to be careful on our way back, don't let anyone notice."
Hearing this, Liang Meifen nodded in complete agreement, saying, "Mom, I understand."
Having lived in the same compound for many years, everyone knew each other well, and she was quite familiar with everyone's personality. If people found out about this wonderful spot they had discovered, there wouldn't be a single fish left in no time.
Thinking about this, both of them shuddered.
Zhao Guihua made a quick decision: "We can't wait, this place is too good to pass up. Let's go back first. I'll visit the old man at noon, and you go to the eldest's place. Have the men take the afternoon off, and we'll come back again."
After a moment's thought, she added, "I'll go borrow Ming Mei's bicycle. We shouldn't take the bus in the afternoon. Let's ride bikes instead. It'll be less conspicuous."
"Agreed!"
The mother and daughter-in-law, having made their plan, quickly headed back. After descending the hillside, they still had quite a walk before reaching the bus stop. They walked briskly, full of pride and excitement – such good fortune didn't come often!
While Zhao Guihua was having her successful morning, Ming Mei had been busy all morning as well. With the New Year just half a month away, there were particularly many travelers. She had been shouting all morning until her voice was nearly gone, and she'd finished an entire bottle of water. At noon, Ming Mei took advantage of the shift change to grab a quick meal when she heard someone at the gate calling, "Xiao Ming, Xiao Ming, someone's here to see you."
Ming Mei stood up: "Coming!"
She was a pretty young woman, known in the community simply as Xiao Ming.
That's what happens when your surname causes confusion.
Ming Mei hurried to the entrance, her footsteps clicking along the way. She saw her mother-in-law, a small elderly lady, pacing back and forth at the bus station entrance. Ming Mei quickly ran up, playfully patted Zhao Guihua's shoulder, and linked arms with her, saying with a smile, "Mom, what brings you here? Come in and have a seat."
The old guard at the gate peered over his newspaper, stealing glances repeatedly.
Zhao Guihua pulled Ming Mei aside and said, "Let me borrow your bicycle, there's something good happening."
Ming Mei replied, "What do you mean 'borrow'? We're family, just use it!"
Though she was concerned, she believed there must be "something good" coming.
Seeing Ming Mei's slightly furrowed brow despite trying to appear generous, Zhao Guihua chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I won't let it get scratched or damaged. You'll understand when you get home tonight. Oh, and make sure to go straight home after work, keep an eye on the house. We'll all be back a bit late."
With that explanation, how could Ming Mei not understand?
Her eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, leave it to me, no problem!"
Zhao Guihua: "...Don't go wandering around."
Ming Mei nodded.
Zhao Guihua: "...Don't let the two kids cause trouble."
Ming Mei nodded again.
Zhao Guihua: "Just prepare something simple for dinner..."
Ming Mei put her hands on her hips: "Mom, don't you trust me? Really, I've got this!"
Zhao Guihua: "...Alright then."
