The Yue Family's house seemed shrouded in clouds.
Zhang Ying pursed her lips as she held Yue Qingqing, occasionally letting out a light sigh.
She didn't have the heart to blame her daughter, but still, she felt it was a pity.
The Yue Family had to stretch every penny, and watching a money-making opportunity slip through their fingers was hard to ignore.
Although Yue Jiandong didn't say what had happened when he came home, Lin Chunju could guess a thing or two from his expression.
"Stop frowning, it's rare you get a break; spend some time with your daughter."
Yue Jiandong rubbed his face, trying to pull together a smile, then went back to check on his mischievous little girl.
"Qingqing, what on earth are you thinking about?"
Yue Jiandong rubbed his daughter's cheek with his chin, and Qingqing, disliking the stubble on his face, cried out "ah ah", trying to push his big face away with her little hands.
Zhang Ying couldn't help but let out a pleased smile at the scene.
Her mother was right, having some spare time to spend at home with her daughter wasn't so bad.
After playing for a while, Yue Jiandong held his daughter in front of him, and Qingqing looked at him with big, woeful eyes.
"Oh, this skin is way too delicate."
Zhang Ying slapped him lightly, not pleased, "You've rubbed Qingqing's cheeks all red."
She was usually gentle, and it was only at times like these that she showed a bit of coquettish anger.
Yue Jiandong, struck by a thought, gently placed his daughter back on the bed and then went to hug his wife.
"Then I'll rub against you, see if your cheek turns red."
"Stop messing around! Qingqing is right here."
"She's still young, she doesn't understand anything."
Yue Qingqing was staring at the ceiling, wishing she could cover her ears with her hands.
The two of them were an old married couple; how could they still be so mushy.
Fortunately, it was broad daylight, and the couple was intimate only for a moment.
Zhang Ying, still breathing rapidly, pushed her husband away and took her daughter back into her arms.
Yue Jiandong feigned a hurt tone, "Now your eyes only have Qingqing in them; there's no place for me."
Zhang Ying couldn't help but laugh.
"Stop it. We have some free time today, and the sun outside is nice. Let's take down the bedsheets and duvet covers for washing and drying. And let's do the ones for mom, your sister, and Third too."
With such an interlude, the dark clouds over the Yue Family's heads seemed to disperse, restoring the clear skies outside.
The men brought a barrel of water from the river, and the sisters-in-law changed the old bedsheets and duvet covers, washed and cleaned them together, and then wrung them out side by side.
Suddenly, a piece of fabric swooped through the air in an arc and hung on the clothesline in the yard.
When most of the work was done, Yue Qingqing, who was in a small basket beside them, began to whimper softly.
Zhang Ying immediately understood.
"She needs to relieve herself."
Wang Xiaoni, full of envy, said, "Qingqing is so easy to raise. She always finds a way to let the adults know when she needs to urinate or defecate, and she never pees the bed. So sensible."
In comparison, Yue Xiaohu was much more trouble, as the other clothesline was filled with his diapers.
Zhang Ying held her daughter tenderly. Before she could respond modestly, an annoying voice came from outside.
"Know nothing, if she were obedient, she wouldn't have caused that incident this morning. I tell you, she's nothing but a jinx."
The speaker was indeed the wife of Second Zhou from next door.
The Yue family's yard was very close to hers, but their relationship was extremely poor.
Jiandong said it was because after Second Zhou's wife moved into the Zhou house, she thought she could take advantage of the widow next door.
Unfortunately, Lin Chunju was tough and did not tolerate any nonsense, which led to a few altercations where Second Zhou's wife not only failed to benefit but was caught and beaten twice.
Usually, Zhang Ying would not even talk to her, but when it involved her daughter, she couldn't hold back.
"You're talking nonsense. My Qingqing is no jinx."
"She would be, if she hadn't..."
Second Zhou's wife, hands on her hips and acting superior, was about to say more when someone breathlessly ran up from a distance.
Upon closer look, it was the eldest son of Village Chief Zhang.
"Something's happened! Anyone whose men dig ditches, go to the dam and check it out—there's been an accident!"