There were only four of them in total, yet there was a lot to do. Since she wasn’t going to the front, Bai Jiu came over to help.
"Why would I go? I’m a recent widow. I don’t want to bring bad luck to Xingguo and Gaoli." Bai Jiu was straightforward and spoke her mind.
The person who had asked her was Grandma Niu, who had helped Mother Bai in the past. Mother Bai called her Aunt Niu, while Bai Jiu called her Grandma.
"Child, you shouldn’t say things like that." Grandma Niu stopped what she was doing and gently patted Bai Jiu twice. "We’re in the new society now. We don’t believe in those superstitions."
After saying that, she glanced at the other three people in the kitchen. Her meaning was clear: this conversation was not to leave the room.
The other elderly woman was surnamed Zhang. She had lent grain to Mother Bai back in the day, which showed just how good a person she was, considering her own family’s situation was barely any better than the Bai family’s at the time. To lend grain under those circumstances meant she had done Mother Bai a massive favor. Now that the Bai family’s conditions had improved, Mother Bai naturally thought of those who had been kind to her whenever there was something good to share.
"Exactly. You need to be more careful with your words outside," Granny Zhang agreed, disapproving of Bai Jiu’s self-deprecating remark.
However, the other two women actually looked at Bai Jiu with newfound respect. They had all been victims of that era and had lived through it, so they knew exactly how serious it would be if such words were spread outside.
"It’s fine. There are a lot of people outside, but we can still hear the excitement from here," Granny Zhang’s daughter-in-law smiled at Bai Jiu. She wasn’t a talkative person to begin with, and after experiencing those past events, she had become even more reticent. The fact that she managed to say this much to Bai Jiu was already quite remarkable.
Granny Zhang knew her daughter-in-law well. She was a bit stunned to see her speak up first, but quickly broke into a smile and changed the subject.
"Still, Xingguo is truly capable to have married the Xiang family’s daughter. You know, a lot of people wanted to marry her and bring her home," Granny Zhang praised with a chuckle.
Bai Jiu also knew that the Xiang family had good conditions, and many people had their eyes on her. It was just that her brother was too outstanding and had managed to win the beauty’s heart.
"Gaoli is indeed a great catch, but there’s nothing they could do. Xingguo acted a step faster than everyone else," Bai Jiu joked along.
Compared to the teasing in the kitchen, the atmosphere outside was much livelier.
After the bride was brought back, the couple entered the main room. Holding their red marriage certificates, they stood before the portrait of the Great Leader and swore an oath to spend their lives together. As soon as they made their vows, their few close friends nearby started cheering and jeering, making the bride blush furiously.
However, the Bai brothers were no pushovers. They directly dragged the hecklers away so Gaoli could retreat to her room.
Even though it was the new society, a bride still couldn’t come out to meet the guests immediately after entering the household. She had to wait until mealtime to come out and toast everyone. In the meantime, she would stay in the bridal chamber.
Because food supplies were tight these days, they only hosted a wedding banquet for lunch. Of course, those with the means could also host a dinner. Although the Bai family didn’t lack grain, they didn’t want to attract too much attention, so they stuck to a single midday meal.
Even so, the Bai family’s wedding banquet made many people green with envy. There were four meat dishes alone, making a total of eight dishes in all. Every dish was served in large portions, and with no fewer than ten people seated at each table, everyone could eat their fill. It was a testament to just how lavish the Bai family’s preparations were.
The staple food, of course, wasn’t white rice—no one could afford that—but mixed-flour steamed buns. They were primarily made of cornmeal, so it wasn’t a waste of precious grain. Mother Bai had clearly put a lot of thought into this wedding banquet.
The two children were being looked after by their uncle, so Bai Jiu comfortably stayed in the kitchen to eat with Granny Zhang and the others. Mother Bai had come in to ask her to go out and sit at the main table, but Bai Jiu refused.
After all the guests were seen off, Bai Xingguo—having been forced to drink quite a lot of alcohol—was completely dazed. Xiang Gaoli, on the other hand, came out to help clean up the remnants of the feast.
"Gaoli, stop cleaning and go rest in your room. You woke up early today, so go catch up on some sleep." Mother Bai was very pleased to see her eldest daughter-in-law being so perceptive, but she didn’t want her to work too hard either.
"Mom, I’m fine. If I help Jiu, we’ll finish packing up much faster." Xiang Gaoli had never been a delicate person—except in front of her own husband, of course.
Mother Bai shook her head and stepped forward to snatch the rag from her hands. "A new bride doesn’t need to do any chores. Jiu and I are enough." Mother Bai didn’t want her daughter-in-law working the moment she entered the household. While it was customary for a new bride to rest, she also genuinely cared for this daughter-in-law from the bottom of her heart.
Xiang Gaoli was a little confused. The night before her wedding, her mother had taught her to be diligent after marrying into her new family.
"Gaoli, just listen to Mom and catch up on some sleep. Our two families still have to eat dinner together tonight," Bai Jiu chimed in to persuade her.
She dug into the original owner’s memories and recalled that on the second day of her own marriage, she had gotten up early to help cook breakfast. Not only that, but once she started, the kitchen chores had never left her hands. Up until she crossed over to this world, she had been doing most of the cooking in the Gao family. She would only stop and pass the work to Old Mrs. Song and Lin Guihua on grueling days like the harvest rush. Comparing the two, Mother Bai was much more caring than Song Caihua.
"Exactly. Hurry back to your room."
Feeling helpless, Xiang Gaoli returned to her bridal chamber, looking back reluctantly with every step. Mother Bai only withdrew her gaze after the door clicked shut.
"You’ve been tired all day, too. Go back and get some sleep. I can finish this little bit of work by myself." It was true that she cared for her daughter-in-law, but she also loved her daughter.
Bai Jiu couldn’t possibly sleep. "I don’t need to, I slept perfectly fine last night. Stop talking, Mom, and let’s hurry up and clean. Later, have my youngest brother return these things." The tables and chairs for the wedding banquet had all been borrowed from their neighbors.
Mother Bai knew her daughter well. If she didn’t want to do something, no one could persuade her. "You... just don’t overwork yourself. Be careful not to hurt yourself."
Mother and daughter chatted as they worked, and before they knew it, the topic shifted to the Gao family.
"Mom, stop worrying for nothing. If Zhengyang and the kids really blame me in the future, I’ll just send them back to the Gao family." Bai Jiu was someone who would never wrong herself. If the children she raised turned out to be so unreasonable, she might as well not have them. No matter how much she liked them, since she hadn’t gone through the pain of childbirth, there was truly nothing she couldn’t part with.
Hearing this, Mother Bai shot her an exasperated glare. "You..." She looked helpless. "Once you don’t have your children, let’s see who you can rely on in the future."
"I’ll rely on myself. What’s there to worry about? As long as I have money in my hands, why would I be afraid of having no one to rely on?" Bai Jiu saw things very realistically. Mountains crumble and people leave; only by relying on oneself could one stand firm.
"Money isn’t everything."
Bai Jiu shook her head. "But without money, you can’t do anything. Mom, just stop worrying about me and start thinking about taking care of your future grandchildren." Bai Jiu didn’t want to argue with her about this.
Mother Bai rolled her eyes at her in annoyance. "Fine, I won’t talk about you. But Xingguo just got married, so don’t go nagging about having kids. I’m afraid it’ll put pressure on Gaoli."
Truth be told, she really wasn’t in a hurry for grandchildren. Having two kids at home was already lively enough. If there were more, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She still had to go to work, and when Gaoli did have a baby, there wouldn’t be anyone available to look after it.