Drama Couple in the 80s

Chapter 56

After Shao Chunhong left for Yongcha City, Bao Lanxiang inquired once, but Jiang Ya only mentioned that she had gone south to work. Seeing no further details forthcoming, Bao Lanxiang didn't press the matter.

Yang Guo attempted to visit several more times with similar futile results, eventually slipping away dejectedly each time.

One month turned into two... As time passed, the Yang family began spreading rumors that Shao Chunhong had found another man elsewhere.

Some people even urged the Yang's to demand her return from the He family, but they dared not do so. Aside from the fact that Shao Chunhong fled due to Yang Guo's domestic abuse, which put them on shaky moral ground, the Yang's simply lacked the courage to confront the He family directly.

Following the tradition, Shao Chunlai mourned his father at home for fortycnine days before leaving after the memorial service. He entrusted their two year old daughter to Bao Lanxiang's care.

Since the child was four months old, Shao Chunlai and his wife had left her behind, and Bao Lanxiang raised the girl single handedly. Previously, with Shao Baokui around, he and Bao Lanxiang took care of their granddaughter while also tending to the contracted land for both their families, totaling five members.

Now with Shao Baokui's death, Bao Lanxiang, as an aging woman, struggled to care for her granddaughter and cultivate such extensive farmland alone. Realizing she couldn't manage it all, she proposed transferring the land to others.

In Xiaoling Village, every household cultivated vegetables under small arches, yielding high profits, making their fields highly sought after. As soon as Bao Lanxiang expressed her intention to renting the land, several villagers were eager to take over. Following the village's customary practice, they agreed to pay Bao Lanxiang 30 yuan per acre annually and assume responsibility for the public grain quotas. After Shao Baokui's passing, the village reclaimed his allotted portion of the land. With only four remaining family members, Bao Lanxiang had just over eight acres left. She retained a few nearby plots for growing vegetables for personal use and transferred the rest, earning herself 240 yuan per year from the eight acres.

Having left his child at home, Shao Chunlai never contributed financially to the household. Consequently, these 240 yuan represented Bao Lanxiang's entire annual income.

However, this amount was insufficient for their needs. What could she do? Her solution was to seek support from her eldest son, demanding that He Cheng and Jiang Ya provide for her retirement.

At the end of spring, it was precisely the season for small arch grown watermelons and vegetables to hit the market. He Cheng, busy with both the procurement of these watermelons and expanding sales channels for the upcoming greenhouse vegetables to be planted later in the year, found himself overwhelmed with work. Even Fengchan and Fengshou, the brothers known for their productivity, were occupied from dawn till dusk, barely visible at home.

When Bao Lanxiang brought up her desire to retire during this hectic period, presenting the matter to He Cheng, he simply couldn't spare any attention for it. Consequently, it landed on Jiang Ya's plate instead.

Upon hearing this, Song Shixia erupted in anger, cursing, "She isn't that old! I'm the same age as her, yet I still work tirelessly every day, even feeling capable enough to move mountains. Yet here she is, Bao Lanxiang, wanting to retire and live off others already? How shameless!" Urging Jiang Ya, he said, "Don't pay heed to her, just don't give her anything. She's raising Shao Chunlai's child too, so any money you provide will likely go towards the kid. Why should you bear the responsibility of supporting his child?"

"Forget it," Jiang Ya said. "I'd rather she straightforwardly asks for money, as long as she doesn't bother me too much. Mother, think about it - with her raising a child alone, farming is indeed impractical, and she has no other source of income. If we ignore her completely, once she becomes pitifully destitute, she'll likely spread the word that her son refuses to support her. Outsiders won't know the full story, causing embarrassment solely for He Cheng."