Meng Yunhan, with her belly protruding, walked out of the room. It really felt odd to sit alone there.
âWhat are you doing here? Quickly leave, quickly leave.â Yunâs mother lifted her head to see her tiny daughter-in-law with a big belly.
Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang turned towards the door at the same time.
âMom, Iâm just checking in to see if I can help with anything.â
Yunâs mother waved her off. âWe donât need your help. Go rest. Your sisters-in-law and I can handle things. The food may not be as good as yours, but weâll manage.â
Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang felt a little bitter. Even as they acknowledged that this was true, it was still awkward for their mother-in-law to belittle them in front of their sister-in-law.
âYes, Little Sister, you go rest. Weâve got things covered in the kitchen.âZhang Cuihua forced a smile.
Zhao Fang chimed in more naturally, âBig Sister is right. We can handle things. Go rest!â
A faint smile appeared naturally on Meng Yunhanâs face, but it carried some distance. âThen, I will leave it to mom and Big Sister and Second Sister. Thank you for your hard work.â
Zhang Cuihua had long realized that their youngest sister-in-law was not to be underestimated. Seeing the smile on her face, she envied Yunhanâs ability to remain cheerful despite the situation.
As for Zhao Fang, she knew that Yunhan was no ordinary woman. She had the demeanor of a young lady from a wealthy family and an aura that demanded attention.
Meng Yunhan returned to her room and began reading a book.
Once this year passes, it will be 1977. In August, a national conference on science and education will be held, and the nationwide university entrance exam, which had been suspended for ten years, would be reinstated.
There were ten more months until the college entrance exam. Ten months.
She didnât have much time and had been reviewing these days.
This time when Yun Hao returns, she plans to find out more about this and see if he could also take the exam.
Having a high level of cultural knowledge could help him get promoted faster.
Everyone is selfish, and she was no different. Even after living for several decades, she remained selfish.
In the main room, the older men were discussing this yearâs harvest.
The kids in the yard were having a snowball fight and building snowmen.
The 23rd was for sticking candied fruit; the 24th, for house cleaning; the 25th, for grinding tofu; the 26th, for buying meat; the 27th, for slaughtering a chicken; the 28th, for fermenting dough; the 29th, for steaming buns; and the 30th, for staying up all night.
In the blink of an eye, itâs the 30th.
But Yun Hao hasnât come back. Meng Yunhan appeared calm on the outside, but she was very anxious internally.
He had promised when she first came back that he would return for the New Year. His last few letters also mentioned he would be back for the New Year, but now itâs already the 30th.
âHanhan, youâre pregnant. You should go to bed early. You donât need to stay up for the New Yearâs Eve.â Yunâs mother persuaded her distracted daughter-in-law to go to sleep.
She too was waiting for her younger son. But now it was New Yearâs Eve, and he still hadnât come back. She feared he wouldnât make it this year.
Yunâs father, Yun Hai, and Yun Lei were all clear-eyed individuals. It was difficult for them to ask their youngest sister-in-law, who stubbornly wanted to stay up with them for the New Yearâs Eve, to go to bed.
As soon as his wife voiced her thoughts, Yunâs father echoed, âHanhan, listen to your mother. Youâre pregnant. Go to bed!â It was clear that their youngest son wouldnât be coming home this year.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om