Crossing Over to Yamada Love

"Yes, I miss Grandma, and I miss Auntie too." The little one nestled obediently in his auntie's arms, speaking softly.

"San'er only thinks about his maternal grandmother and aunt, but not his uncle?" Qiu Baosheng looked at his little nephew, his full beard beaming with laughter as he teased him.

"I miss my uncle, and I also miss my grandpa and cousin. I miss them all." The little guy sat up straight in his aunt's arms, looked at his uncle, then at his grandpa, and answered his uncle's question earnestly.

"Haha." The room was filled with cheerful laughter because of Xiao San'er's childlike innocence.

"Grandma's darling, come here quickly and let Grandma give you a kiss." Qiu Changshi had one arm around Mo Lan and the other outstretched to her beloved grandson.

Qiu Huangshi released Xiao San'er and let him go to his mother-in-law's side. Xiao San'er took a few steps to his maternal grandmother's side, then slowly sat down and gently leaned against her.

Qiu Changshi hugged her grandson and asked curiously, "Normally, he rushes into my arms as soon as he sees his grandma. What's wrong today? Why are you so quiet? Are you feeling unwell?" She then touched the little boy's forehead to check if it was warm.

"Grandma, I'm not feeling unwell. It's just that my sister bled a lot last time she was injured. She looked so scary when she was sleeping. She had a headache all day long afterward, and I was afraid that if I bumped her too hard, I might hurt her." Xiao San'er's voice wasn't loud, and he didn't speak very fast. But as soon as he finished speaking, many people in the room had tears in their eyes.

"My dear grandson, what a good child." Qiu Changshi, her eyes red, hugged the brother and sister tightly in her arms.

Mo Lan looked at her younger brother with emotion. He was only 5 years old, and so much time had passed, yet he still remembered her injury, fearing that something bad might happen to her again.

Her gaze softened. She knew that this younger brother would always remain in her heart.

"Changhe's family, go to the kitchen and help your sister-in-law with some work. There will be many of us at noon, and your sister-in-law won't be able to handle it all by herself." Wang secretly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, then instructed Qiu to go to the kitchen to help prepare lunch.

"Yes, Mother, I'll go right away." Qiu wiped her eyes with her sleeve and hurriedly stood up from the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Steam the remaining flour into buns. Also, use the eggs and goose eggs. You and your sister-in-law decide what to use and use it accordingly. Don't be stingy. When Changhe comes back later, have him go and get some liquor," Wang instructed her daughter-in-law.

"This? The flour and goose eggs are for his eldest uncle, so let's not touch them, shall we?" Qiu hesitated. Although she wanted to make something nice for her parents, this was precisely when Mo Changhai needed it, and the family had no money. If they made it for lunch, what would her eldest brother eat later?

“In-laws, we’re all family, no need to be so polite. We’ll eat whatever you usually eat today. Don’t stand on ceremony with us.” Qiu Changshi quickly spoke up. She knew the family’s situation, so she didn’t want to make things difficult for her daughter.

"Good child, go quickly and do as your mother says." Wang smiled and nodded to her daughter-in-law, gesturing for her to hurry.

"Okay, I'll listen to Mother," Qiu replied.

"Wait for me, sister, I'll go with you. There are so many people eating, how can the two of you manage?" Qiu Huangshi jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and wanted to go with Qiu Shi.

"Okay, you two go and help. I want to chat with your aunt." Qiu Changshi told her two daughters-in-law to go and help.

Mo Lan sat with her arm around Xiao San'er, leaning against her grandmother. Mo Mei and Qiu Yuzhen sat together, whispering to each other from time to time.

After chatting for a while, Qiu Changshi and Wang Shi steered the conversation back to the main topic.

“Our in-laws, we came here today to ask when you will be transplanting rice seedlings. We’d like to try to stagger the transplanting dates so that the old folks can come and help us.”

As Mo Lan listened to her grandmother's question, her mind rummaged through her memories. It seemed that every year her grandfather and uncle would come to help the family plant rice seedlings. The family had a lot of land, but only a few people could do the work. So, if her grandmother's family didn't help, her grandfather and uncle would probably be exhausted.

However, when Grandpa and Grandma came to help, they weren't well-received by the second wife's family. After finishing the work, they had to endure the second wife's sarcastic remarks during mealtimes. They were truly putting in effort and suffering in silence. Fortunately, Grandma and Grandpa were honest people who helped with the work for their daughter, so even though they endured the second wife's temper, they still came to help every year.

"When the husband comes back later, we'll discuss when to plant the rice. You've been working so hard every year, I really..." Wang's voice choked as she spoke.

“What are you saying, in-laws? Our daughter has married into your family, so we’re all family now. She’s so lucky to have met such wonderful in-laws like you. Changhe is even better, and all the kids are so well-behaved and sensible. What more could I ask for? So please don’t be so formal with me, in-laws. My children are your children too. You can use them as you please when the time comes.” Qiu Changshi held Wang Shi’s hand and said sincerely.

"Mmm," Wang responded, her voice lingering slightly, clearly touched. Although her daughter-in-law came from a poor farming family, they were honest and easy to get along with. She was very happy to have such in-laws.

After saying a few more words, Qiu Changshi glanced at her eldest grandson and said to Wang Shi, "Also, we brought Dajun along this time because we were thinking of sending him to town as an apprentice in a few days. We thought that having him come to see us this time would make it less easy for Lanlan and the others to see their cousin again."

Become an apprentice? Mo Lan frowned. She seemed to recall reading in novels that being an apprentice was not easy.

"Grandma, what kind of apprentice is Brother Dajun doing? How much does he earn a month?" Mo Lan asked.

“There’s a carpenter in our village who’s learning in town. We’ve been thinking of sending Dajun there to learn carpentry too. There’s no pay for apprenticeships, but at least you’ll have a place to stay and food provided. Dajun can learn a skill, and our family will have one less mouth to feed. Once he’s learned, he’ll have a skill to eat during years of famine or drought!” Qiu Changshi said with a sigh.

"How long does it take to graduate? What do apprentices do?" Mo Lan asked her grandmother, her little face raised.

"It's really hard to say when you'll graduate. If you meet a good master who's willing to teach you step by step, you might graduate in two or three years. But if you meet someone who hides their talents, you might not learn anything even after seventy or eighty years. Being an apprentice means assisting the master and serving them. To put it bluntly, you even have to empty the master's chamber pot, and even then, they might not genuinely teach you." Qiu Changshi said in one breath, glancing at her eldest grandson with eyes full of heartache and reluctance.

After listening to his grandmother's words, Qiu Dajun's eyes flashed with sadness, but he did not refute her and instead lowered his head.

"Grandma, why don't you not send Dajun to be an apprentice yet? Let him stay home for a while, learn some math and literacy. I'll find him a helper later," Mo Lan said earnestly to her grandmother after thinking for a moment. She planned to open a small shop in the future, and she would definitely need someone then. She couldn't trust relatives to hire outsiders. Besides, judging from her cousin's appearance, he seemed like a good person.

"You're only a few years old, how can you find a job for your brother? What kind of work can you find? Lanlan can't just talk big." Although Qiu Changshi's words weren't very pleasant, she meant well. Her granddaughter was still young and shouldn't learn the bad habit of talking big.

Mo Lan didn't reply. Instead, she looked up at her grandmother, Wang Shi. After all, she was still young, and even if she made a promise to her maternal grandmother, her grandmother probably wouldn't believe her. She needed her grandmother to speak up for her.

When Wang received her granddaughter's look, she found it amusing. She knew that her granddaughter had taken a liking to Dajun and didn't want to let him go to town to become an apprentice; she wanted to keep him there.

“My dear in-law, I think Lan’er’s words make sense. Being an apprentice is not only hard work, but if you encounter a bad master, he will beat and scold you and won’t teach you anything. Wouldn’t our Dajun be at a huge loss? Let’s keep him for a while. Maybe we’ll find a suitable job for him in time.” Wang Shi held Qiu Changshi’s hand and tried to persuade Mo Lan.

Qiu Changshi looked at her grandson, then at Mo Lan and Wang Shi, and after a long while, she nodded and said, "I also can't bear to see Dajun suffer, but there's nothing I can do. Since my in-laws say so, I'll let Dajun stay a while longer. But will learning to read and do arithmetic be of any use?"

“It will be useful, Grandma. Think about it. If Brother Dajun can do math and read, it will be easier for him to find a job in the future, right?” Mo Lan chimed in first. Since she was planning to hire someone, basic math and literacy skills were essential.

“Alright, we’ll find someone to teach him when we get back. Baosheng, is there anything you want to say?” Looking at her grandson’s bright eyes, Qiu Changshi slapped her thigh and made the decision. But in the end, she still asked her son for his opinion.

"Mother, you can decide. I have nothing more to say." Qiu Baosheng was also a filial son, and he nodded to his mother.

After everyone had made up their minds, Mo Lan felt relieved. Then, her eyes lit up and she noticed a few sacks of cloth scraps in the corner. Apart from the shoe uppers her aunt had made, she hadn't allowed anyone to touch the rest of the cloth. She had planned to use them to make sachets and cushions after the family division, so that she could earn some income and have some start-up capital.

It seems the plan has to change. There isn't a good opportunity to separate from the second wife's family in the short term. They can't starve to death just because they don't separate. The family needs money, and the maternal grandparents' family also needs money to make a change, so she has to start earning money.

"Grandma, could you tell Grandma about the method for making sachets that you taught me last time? We can share some of those scraps of cloth with Grandma's family so they can make some too, and then we can sell them together to make money." After thinking it over, Mo Lan stared at Wang Shi with her big eyes, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"Alright, after you finish eating, you can teach your grandma and your aunt how to behave. I'm entrusting this to you; you're in charge!" Madam Wang looked at her granddaughter with a smile in her eyes and agreed to her request.

"What sachet? I don't understand what you're saying," Qiu Changshi asked, puzzled, looking at the grandmother and grandson who were speaking in cryptic language.

"Grandma, after you finish eating, don't rush off. Go to my mother's room, and I'll teach you how to make sachets. These can be sold for money," Mo Lan said with a mysterious smile to her grandmother.

"This isn't quite right. You can sell it and make it yourselves. If you let us do it, won't the other family members gossip?" Qiu Changshi had some doubts. She didn't want to make things difficult for her daughter in this family over some money.

"It's alright. The job was taken by the eldest daughter-in-law, the design was my idea, and the fabric was obtained by Lan'er. It has nothing to do with them. Don't worry, in-laws," Wang reassured Qiu Changshi.

"Alright, after we finish eating, we'll learn from Lanlan." Qiu Changshi hugged Molan and laughed heartily. Actually, she didn't take it to heart, thinking it was just a matter of earning a few dozen coins.