Refusing to marry a widower, I went on a crazy spree of sending my children to the army.

The big yellow dog glanced up at her, then slowly walked over and buried itself in cooking.

"Hey, you little thing, you dare roll your eyes at me!" Qiao Manman laughed in exasperation and lightly kicked its butt.

The big yellow dog whimpered and moved to the side.

"Man'er, you've adopted this dog?" Ma Qiuhua walked over from a distance and found the scene quite amusing.

Qiao Manman saw the big yellow dog's ears twitch and laughed it off, "Aunt Qiuhua is here!"

Oh, you're too kind. I can just go get it myself. You're bringing the chicks to my door.

This bright sunshine truly flatters me!

Ma Qiuhua shuddered, feeling a chill rise from the soles of her feet.

He stiffly handed the chick to Qiao Manman and prepared to leave.

But Qiao Manman grabbed her arm: "Auntie, what's the rush? Come in and sit down!"

"No, no, I haven't eaten yet, it's the middle of the day..."

Qiao Manman practically dragged Ma Qiuhua into the courtyard and served her a bowl of rice: "Guests are welcome, how can we let you leave without eating your fill!"

Ma Qiuhua was unsure whether to eat or not, and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) feeling very constrained.

He Nian said with a smile, "Aunt Qiuhua, don't be shy, make yourself at home!"

Ma Qiuhua was quite embarrassed: "Sigh, it's been so long, and I haven't even come to see you and Brother Qiao. Look, I've come empty-handed..."

"it's okay no problem!"

"I'm taking care of the chicks!"

Qiao Manman's voice and He Nian's voice rang out at the same time, giving Ma Qiuhua a way out.

She smiled and asked about Qiao Runming's health before picking up her enamel bowl and starting to eat heartily.

Wow, the Qiao family is something else. They've only been separated from their relatives for a short time, and they can already afford to eat cured pork rice.

It's true, a good daughter is worth more than a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing sons!

Qiao Manman carried the chicks—or rather, the hen—to settle down next to the vegetable garden.

After finishing its meal, the big yellow dog crawled over, glaring at the smelly thing that had entered the yard before it, baring its teeth and growling.

The little hen trembled, hiding in Qiao Manman's arms, too afraid to move.

Qiao Manman raised her hand and gently tapped the big yellow dog's head: "Stop messing around, this is a new friend, don't bully it!"

As if it understood, Da Huang lay quietly beside Qiao Manman, but its eyes were fixed on the little thing in Qiao Manman's arms.

Qiao Manman used tree branches to build a simple chicken coop along the courtyard wall and put the little hen inside.

The little hen sat obediently in the corner, looking incredibly timid.

A hint of disdain flashed in Da Huang's eyes as he settled into Qiao Laosan's household with a clear conscience.

Qiao Manman shook her head and went to the backyard to wash her hands.

I figured I could afford to keep it, so I might as well treat it as an extra guard dog. I'd feel more at ease when I came and went.

Inside the house, He Nian, though not particularly good at chatting, genuinely treated Ma Qiuhua well.

Ma Qiuhua is also outgoing, so she quickly relaxed.

Chatting with the two about village gossip was quite entertaining for them, as they hadn't left their homes in a long time.

When Qiao Manman returned, she saw Aunt Qiuhua spitting as she spoke.

She didn't interrupt, took the bowl from the table, went to the kitchen to wash it, and then went back to the west room to prepare a thank-you gift for Aunt Qiuhua.

This conversation lasted for more than half an hour.

Ma Qiuhua felt unsatisfied, but Qiao Runming couldn't hold on any longer and kept yawning.

Ma Qiuhua stood up: "Honestly, I have such a big mouth, I just love to chat, and once I start, I can't stop."

I'm so sorry to disturb your rest at midday.

"Well, I'm heading back now. You guys get some rest."

He Nian tried to persuade Ma Qiuhua to stay a few more times before seeing her off.

Qiao Manman came out of the west room with a bag of candy and five yuan in her hand.

Based on the current market price of chicken, this little hen is definitely not worth five yuan.

But chickens lay eggs, dozens every year, for six or seven years, and in the end, you can even eat their meat.

If Qiao Manman hadn't "forced" her to come, she would have been a continuous source of wealth for Aunt Qiuhua's family.

But now...

Therefore, Qiao Manman offered the other party a high price that they wouldn't refuse.

That way, the matter of threatening her with his eyes can be resolved.

Sure enough, Ma Qiuhua was quite excited when she received the thank-you gift.

"Hey, Man, you're giving too much. My chickens are still small, two yuan is enough for you!"

Qiao Manman smiled and said, "Auntie, take it. Consider the extra as me reserving chicks for next year."

Ma Qiuhua breathed a sigh of relief and happily stuffed the money into her pocket: "Don't worry, Man'er, your aunt has a good memory. I'll give you ten chicks next year!"

Qiao Manman nodded and saw the person off.

He bolted the door and looked at the big yellow dog with a dangerous gaze: "Little Yellow, come here!"

"Woof woof woof!"

Qiao Manman mimicked the action of an eagle catching chicks, chasing the big yellow dog all over the yard.

He Nian heard the commotion and came out to check, saying that she was being silly. "She's such a big girl, yet she acts like a child."

Qiao Manman didn't care. With a quick acceleration, she grabbed the big yellow dog by the scruff of its neck.

Drag it to the well, take a shoe brush, and clean the dirt off it.

Big Yellow hadn't had a bath and was howling like a banshee in the backyard.

It was so horrific that an uninformed person might think Qiao Manman was abusing animals.

"I'm telling you, if you want to stay, you have to wash yourself clean. Otherwise, get out!"

As if it understood, Dahuang stopped struggling and let Qiao Manman knead and shape it.

Half an hour later, he shook his head, still wet, as if in revenge, deliberately splashing water on Qiao Manman's face.

The chase scene in the courtyard was repeated once again, much to the annoyance of Zhang Xiu, a member of the educated youth settlement.

"Shut up, you little bastard! Who came from? If you don't shut up, I'll go out and stew you!"

Qiao Manman had no idea that someone held a grudge against her dog, Dahuang. She made a nest for it with straw and went back inside to rest.

The working hours during the summer harvest are different from usual. We rest until 3:30 pm and then work straight through until 9 pm.

After resting, Qiao Manman washed her face and applied sunscreen. She filled her military water bottle with iced cola before leisurely heading to work.

In the afternoon, Aunt Qiuhua was noticeably more enthusiastic, frequently asking Qiao Manman if she was tired.

This left Qin Erhua and Zhao Zhaodi feeling frustrated: "Auntie, Qiao Manman isn't tired, but we are. Why don't you help us with the work for a while?"

Ma Qiuhua rolled her eyes at them: "Dream on!"

Qin Erhua wasn't angry. During a break, she whispered to Zhao Zhaodi, "I have a cousin on my mother's side. He's very handsome. He's 21 years old this year and works as a temporary worker at the sugar factory. He's never had a boyfriend yet."

"Zhao Di, do you have someone you like? How about I introduce you two?"

Qiao Manman listened to the system gossip with her and thought to herself that Qin Erhua was really inhuman!

It was one thing for her to have an affair with her brother-in-law, but she actually wanted to introduce Zhao Zhaodi to her cousin, who had a paralyzed mother, three illegitimate children, and a string of venereal diseases—a gambling addict.

My God, how cruel is this?

Qiao Manman shook her head, thinking that Zhao Zhaodi, this naive and inexperienced little laborer, was probably eager to jump into the fire pit!