Li Jianguo and Liang Yuemei were both working in the fields. This plot was fairly close to the Settlement, so they could hear the tractor chugging and knew Li Long had returned.
For now, the whole family still mostly lived at Li Jianguo's place. Chen Lirong had actually wanted to join Li Jianguo and the others in the fields, but Liang Yuemei had stopped her. She felt that as long as no one interfered, she and her husband could manage the fieldwork themselves; it was no big deal. Chen Lirong farmed back in their hometown and surely wouldn't be used to working here. Besides, Li Anguo was going to become a factory worker, and Chen Lirong would certainly move into town too. There was no need to put her through the strain.
Mainly, Li Jianguo and his wife were still young and full of drive, with the prospect of earning money ahead of them.
Who didn't want a better life? Her mother-in-law wanted to tend her brother-in-law's vegetable plot, so let her, as long as she didn't stir up trouble. Liang Yuemei had never feared working the main fields. What she feared was hassle.
Besides, from last year until now, it was her brother-in-law's transformation that had made their lives better and better. Without that change in him, she was confident that she and her husband could still have made a good life for themselves, but not this quickly.
So things were actually pretty good as they were.
They worked in the fields and came home at noon to a meal already prepared. Whether it tasted good was another matter, but at least someone cooked, and there wasn't so much trouble. Why complain about the pit in a date you got for free? Liang Yuemei wasn't like that.
Li Jianguo