Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 42.2 – We Have a Home in This City! (II)

Mao Huimei and Mao Huilan quickly gathered around. Mao Huilan held the certificate and read aloud, “Property Ownership Certificate. Owner: Xia Mian; Address: No. 2, Jinyu Lane, Longcheng District, Yan City; Area: 400 square meters!”

“Haha, it’s really Sister Mian’s house!” Mao Huilan, overjoyed, hugged Xia Mian and spun her around. The purchase of the home didn’t just put Xia Mian’s mind at ease—it also reassured Xia Wenyue and her daughters. It was an unfamiliar but wonderful feeling. They had all but burned their bridges, leaving everything behind to come to Yan City. True, they were not inconvenienced in any way, but with this property ownership, it was like they had finally found a solid foundation, like a floating duckweed that finally took root.

They now had a home in Yan City! This realization ignited everyone’s enthusiasm. The Mao sisters were even more enthusiastic than Xia Mian. In addition to helping their mother with the skewer stand, they would go to the courtyard whenever they could, eager to make the rooms sparkling clean.

When Xia Wenyue came back after closing her stall that evening, she admired the property certificate for a while before she quickly got to cleaning. The whole family worked enthusiastically until late at night, thoroughly cleaning the house.

“Once the bedding arrives, we can move in,” Xia Wenyue said. “We have a few new quilts made at home.”

She was referring to the bedding from their old home in Mingxi. As soon as they arrived in Yan City, they immediately contacted Mao Zhishan to give him their new address. The following day, he swiftly packed up all the bedding and shipped it to them via a freight train.

After all, no matter where you settle down, food and sleep were the basics. Don’t underestimate the importance of bedding—though it’s something you use every day without much thought, buying new sets could be quite expensive.

“The quilts from home are made with good cotton,” Xia Wenyue said. “Once we find a place here that sells cotton and quilt covers, we can make a set for Xia Mian and Xiao Feng, too.”

Mao Huimei chimed in, “I’ll make the quilts. I know how to do it. Mom, you’re still running the stall—don’t tire yourself out.”

Mao Huizhu, rubbing her eyes, sleepily added, “It’s nice if Dad is here. Dad can do the stall and Mom makes the quilts.”

At this, Mao Huilan said, “That’s right, we haven’t had time to tell Dad yet. I’ll call him first thing in the morning and ask when he can come.”

Mao Huimei looked a little worried. “I wonder how Dad’s doing.”

Xia Wenyue picked up her little daughter in her arms and said, “We’ll know after we call him tomorrow. Now, let’s go to bed—kids shouldn’t stay up late!”

Xia Mian, too, picked up the soundly sleeping Xiao Feng, who had refused to leave earlier, insisting on staying while they cleaned up. Even though the house was still mostly empty, he was happy just to be there.

Seeing how tired he was, Xia Mian had laid a small mattress on the floor for him to take a nap. Now, as she lifted him up, he sleepily opened his eyes, saw it was Xia Mian, murmured, “Auntie,” and then promptly fell back asleep on her shoulder.

Xia Mian carried him back and washed his face and feet without waking him up. The next morning, he was up bright and early.

Still drowsy, Xia Mian felt a tickling sensation on her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Feng gently touching her face with his small hands. “What are you doing, baby?” She kissed his forehead. Since moving to Yan City, this little guy had been sleeping better and rarely woke up before her.

“Auntie,” Xiao Feng sat up eagerly, looking at Xia Mian with joy. “Our house.”

“Come here, don’t catch a cold,” Xia Mian pulled him back under the blanket. “Yes, we have a house now! It’s right across the street.”

“Moving today?” Xiao Feng’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if he couldn’t wait.

Xia Mian teased him, “Don’t you like living with Brother Chenchen?”

Xiao Feng tilted his head. “We are just across the street. We can still play together.”

“Right, our own hut is always better than other people’s golden mansion,” Xia Mian chuckled, patting the boy’s fluffy head. “Once the bedding arrives, we can move in.”

“When will the bedding arrive?”

“We’ll ask your great aunt in a bit and find out.”

Apparently, Xiao Feng wasn’t the only one excited. The three Mao sisters were also up early and had already called their hometown. However, they had to wait for a reply. Mao Zhishan’s house didn’t have a phone, so Xia Wenyue had to call the public phone at the local shop, which then would notify Mao Zhishan to make a return call.

By mid-morning, Mao Zhishan called back. When he heard that Xia Mian had bought a courtyard in Yan City and they had a place to settle, he was overjoyed. “I sent the bedding by freight, and I mailed the receipt. It should be arriving soon. Keep an ear out for the phone. I also sent some seasonal clothes, so make sure you don’t go without.”

“I’m almost done packing up here too,” his voice was full of joy. “I should be able to leave in about five or six days.”

Then, lowering his voice, he added, “Don’t call me for a while. I’ll let you know once I’ve bought the tickets.”

Xia Wenyue frowned, “What’s going on? Is that old hag giving you trouble again?”

Mao Zhishan whispered, “It’s nothing. Since I’m about to leave, I’m just worried something might come up.”

Lately, Old Lady Mao had been dreaming of becoming in-laws with the county’s richest family. Even though Xia Wenyue and her daughters had disappeared, she didn’t suspect anything, assuming they had gone to hide with the Xias. After all, she’d done it before. Despite the Xia family’s stubborn resistance, she ultimately succeeded in obtaining Xia Wenyue, didn’t she? Now, with the Hao family’s power and influence, Mao Huimei would have no choice but to marry—even if she tried to run, what about her family? They wouldn’t be able to stay in hiding forever.

Mao Zhishan was cautious because the Hao family had been visiting the old lady more frequently lately, and he suspected she had secretly accepted a bride price. After all, this wasn’t the first time she had secretly arranged someone else’s marriage without their consent.

“Oh, by the way, Wenyue, I’m thinking of selling our house to Third Aunt,” he told his wife.

Xia Wenyue immediately burst into laughter. “That’s a great idea. Just sell it to Third Aunt—even if you have to sell it for a lower price. Sell it quickly and come here. We’re all set, just waiting for you.”

Mao Huizhu jumped up, shouting into the phone, “Dad, Dad, hurry up and come! I’m already in kindergarten!”

Hearing this, Mao Zhishan immediately brightened up. “Dad misses you, too. I’ll be there soon, just wait.”

After hanging up the phone, Xia Wenyue couldn’t stop laughing. Mao Huilan asked, “Mom, what’s making you so happy?”

Xia Wenyue told her daughters, “Your dad’s planning to sell our house to your Third Grandma.”

Mao Huilan paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Haha, Dad is brilliant!”

Seeing them laughing so hard, Xia Mian became curious. “What’s the story with this Third Grandma?”

Mao Huilan, still giggling, said, “Oh, right! Let me tell you about my Third Grandma—she’s something else…”

Mao Zhishan’s father was the second eldest among his brothers, with an older brother above and a younger brother below. This Third Grandma was the wife of the youngest brother.

The Mao family had a long-standing habit of favoring boys over girls. Although Old Lady Mao was the second daughter-in-law, she had given birth to three sons in a row, which earned her favor with her mother-in-law.

While she had a sweet demeanor on the outside, her real nature was harsh and petty, often using her position to bully her two sisters-in-law. Her favorite tactic was to endlessly exploit the daughters of those two families.

The eldest family fared better—they had a daughter but also a son. Furthermore, the eldest sister-in-law had an advantage in seniority, and if Old Lady Mao went too far, she wasn’t afraid to stand up to her. But things were different for the third. She had only given birth to two daughters, which made her despised by their mother-in-law.

So Old Lady Mao always used the excuse that she or her son was not feeling well to order the two young girls around.

Since Third Grandma had no sons, she had little standing in the house. Arguing or fighting back didn’t help. Old Lady Mao would always justify her actions with seemingly sweet words, saying things like, “A girl should learn how to work hard. While others might avoid doing laundry in the cold, when people see you washing clothes, they’ll say how diligent and hardworking our family’s daughters are. With such good qualities, you’re sure to find a good husband. Even if you don’t have a son, you’ll still have someone to rely on,” and so on.

With reasoning like this, Third Grandma couldn’t win in front of the in-laws, so she resorted to scheming behind the scenes instead.