The four men looked quite aged, but the eldest, Elder Wu, was actually only in his early sixties. It would be perfectly fine for her to call him "Grandpa." The other three were mostly in their early fifties. Not wanting Mr. Wu to overthink things, Bai Jiu usually addressed them casually, sometimes calling them "Grandpa" and other times "Uncle." They never minded it, anyway.
"Since you want to go to the city, then go. There’s no need to worry about us," Old Sir Zhang said, unable to hide the smile on his face. "With the things you left for us, we can last for a year. But girl, you absolutely cannot go around saying these things to outsiders," he added, still feeling a bit uneasy.
"Rest assured, sir. I’m no bleeding heart." Bai Jiu, of course, knew better than to run her mouth. "However, while there are some rumors about this matter, who knows when it will actually be implemented? I bought a lot of grain on my way back this time. Combined with what’s left at home, it’ll be enough to feed you all until early spring. Don’t skimp on it. Ruining your health just to save food isn’t worth it."
Bai Jiu had already made up her mind. After the New Year, she would make frequent trips back and forth to stockpile enough living supplies for them. Even if they ended up leaving, they could take these things with them. Grain was a precious commodity no matter where it was kept.
This wasn’t the first time they had heard her say such things.
"Thank you, girl," one of them said.
"Meeting you is the greatest blessing of our lives," another added.
The four elderly men thanked her from the bottom of their hearts.
"Please don’t be like this, I’m not used to it," Bai Jiu said. Seeing the sincere gratitude in their eyes, she felt a bit overwhelmed. Afraid they would start overthinking again, she told them about what had happened at her maiden home, including the scene she had caused at the Li Family and Wang family.
The story made the four men both angry and amused. When they learned that the news had come from the Public Security Bureau, they grew even more convinced. After Bai Jiu left, they resolved to take better care of their health.
Bai Jiu hadn’t stayed for long. After chatting for a bit, she took her leave since she still needed to visit the production team captain’s home and Gouwa’s home. Now that it was getting dark early, she decided to go to Zhou Qingshan’s house first. Their place wasn’t too far from the captain’s house, both being located in the center of the village.
"Hello, Sister-in-law Zhou," Bai Jiu called out as the front door of Zhou Qingshan’s house opened. The person greeting her was Zhou Qingshan’s wife.
The moment she saw Bai Jiu, a beaming smile spread across her face. "I was just thinking about going over to check on you after dinner. I didn’t expect you to come over first! Have you eaten yet?" Sister-in-law Zhou opened the door wider and hurriedly ushered Bai Jiu inside. "Quick, come in first. It’s freezing outside."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Zhou."
Once inside the house, Sister-in-law Zhou called out to her husband. Because they didn’t live with their in-laws, the house was quite peaceful. Since the village had just distributed meat today, there was a dish of braised pork on the dining table, showing that she truly doted on her husband and children.
"You’re here, Sister-in-law Bai. Have you eaten?" Zhou Qingshan asked, looking a bit awkward as he put down his chopsticks.
Gouwa, on the other hand, greeted Bai Jiu sweetly as soon as he saw her, then immediately peered behind her. "Did Zhengyang not come back?" He missed Zhengyang dearly. His father had taken him to the mountains a few days ago and caught a wild hare, and he had been eager to show it off to his friend.
Bai Jiu stepped forward and affectionately pinched Gouwa’s soft cheek. "Zhengyang didn’t come back. It’s too cold, so he’s still at his grandma’s house."
"Then when is Zhengyang coming back?" Gouwa asked, looking a bit disappointed. He hadn’t played with Zhengyang in such a long time.
Bai Jiu ruffled the little boy’s hair and smiled. "Probably not until early spring. When he gets back, will Brother Gouwa play with Zhengyang and Xiuxiu?"
Although the little guy didn’t know how long it would be until early spring, he was thrilled to hear that he could play with his friends again. "Okay!"
Bai Jiu handed Gouwa the gifts she had brought back for him, telling him they were from Xiuxiu and Zhengyang. Gouwa was absolutely overjoyed.
However, Zhou Qingshan and his wife felt a bit uneasy.
"This is too expensive," Gouwa’s mother said. Yet, seeing how happy her son was, she couldn’t bear to make him refuse it.
"It’s nothing expensive, just some children’s toys," Bai Jiu said, shaking her head. Although there was a fair amount of candy inside, in her eyes, these things really weren’t worth much. They were simply treats for kids.
"By the way, I came over today to thank Brother Zhou and Sister-in-law Zhou. Thank you for helping me keep an eye on the house and gather firewood while I was away." If they hadn’t been watching over it, her house might have been completely trashed by now. "I brought these back from my maiden home. Please don’t find them lacking. From now on, let’s treat our two families as relatives."
In the village, the original owner of her body had rarely experienced true friendship. Even when she did, it had been incredibly fake. Bai Jiu herself deeply valued genuine loyalty and affection. The gifts weren’t much—just some food.
"There’s nothing to thank us for, Sister-in-law Bai. You don’t have to be so polite," Gouwa’s mother said, her heart fluttering as she looked at the large bundle on the table. She wondered how much all this had cost. Even though their family was doing quite well, they never spent money so lavishly. "Take it back, Sister-in-law Bai. Like you said, we’re relatives now. There’s really no need to stand on ceremony."
Bai Jiu completely disagreed. "That’s not how it works, Sister-in-law Zhou. Relationships are a two-way street. I might not be able to help out much around the village, but I can afford to spare these things. Please don’t reject them. Once I make more money in the future, we’ll eat even better."
"How... how could we?"
In the end, it was Zhou Qingshan who spoke up, prompting Gouwa’s mother to finally accept the gifts with an overwhelmed heart.
"Alright. Since that’s what you’re saying, then our family just gained another relative. Accept it, honey."
"Exactly. Brother Zhou’s words are much more practical," Bai Jiu agreed. "Sister-in-law Zhou, please don’t treat me like a stranger. If I’m going to live in the village from now on, I’ll definitely need your and Brother Zhou’s help. You know what my in-laws are like—they’re completely unreliable."
Bai Jiu linked her arm with Sister-in-law Zhou’s. "Sister-in-law Zhou, you shouldn’t call me ’Sister-in-law Bai’ anymore. Let’s drop the Gao family formalities and just go by our own terms. Just call me Bai Jiu. From now on, I’ll treat you and Brother Zhou as my own older sister and brother." She didn’t want to be associated with the Gao family in the slightest anymore.
Gouwa’s mother was naturally more than happy to oblige. "Of course, Bai Jiu! We’re practically sisters now. If you don’t mind, you can just call me ’Sis’ and him ’Brother Zhou’."
Bai Jiu smiled. "Why would I mind?" She immediately called out on the spot, "Sis. Brother Zhou."
"Aye!" The couple loudly and happily responded.
After chatting for a little while longer at the Zhou family’s house, Bai Jiu said her goodbyes and left. It was getting late, and she still needed to visit the production team captain’s house.
Before she left, Zhou Qingshan warned her to be careful of the Gao family. Especially Gao Laoer. When Zhou Qingshan had gotten up in the middle of the night yesterday, he had seen Gao Laoer and his mother sneaking around. Although they had been quite a distance away, seeing Bai Jiu now made him somewhat worried for her. He felt genuinely concerned for her safety, truly embracing his new role as her protective older brother.
After expressing her thanks, Bai Jiu left.
When there was no one around, she took two bottles of liquor, a bag of fruit candies, a few packs of cigarettes, and some small cakes out of her dimension. Carrying the items, she headed straight for the production team captain’s house.
The person who opened the door was once again the captain’s wife. "What brings you here at this hour?" As soon as she saw Bai Jiu carrying gifts, she immediately stepped aside to let her in. "Quick, come inside. Have you eaten?" she even asked politely.
In the past, she had never been this courteous. It was rare for her family to have a good meal, and she was certainly never generous enough to share it with outsiders.
"I’ve already eaten, ma’am," Bai Jiu replied with a smile.