Replacing rear brakes?

So, the car needed new brake shoes. Yes, rear shoes. Non-ABS model. I've swapped out wheel cylinders on cars before, but never had to do the shoes and all of that mess.

After much toil, hammering, and trouble, I got it done. But there are 2 burning questions. 1) each side has a spring on it that runs to the rear shoe from a piece of hardware. Not one of the springs that holds the shoes together and not the spring clip. It has a double hook on one side and a regular hook on the shoe side. I can't remember how that egoes for sure. I've got it in place where it's not coming out, but it doesn't "feel right." I'm thinking it has become too stretched to go into the holes that it's supposed to go into.

2) when adjusting the emergency brakes, how do I know I've got it set right without putting everything back on and trying to drive the car? I've got some tension in the brake handle and the cables and shoes are moving properly. When I have the drums on, I can't rotate the wheels by hand no matter how much of my 230 lbs I put into it. But when I go to drive the car, it has no trouble driving away. Clearly more adjustment is needed, but I don't want to overdo it.

By the way, whoever invented drum brakes should be cursed. 2 hours with if fighting to learn that job. But I can knock out a set of pads in 20 minutes.