Chapter 43

Zhong Miao scratched his itchy ears, "Why don't you tell me you want to become a small pendant and tie it to my belt?"

"That's fine too, as long as we're together."

"We'll see you again in a few days."

"Wife, will you miss me?"

"Uh, sometimes."

"When do you miss me?"

"Haha, when I was working with my mother-in-law." Zhong Miao told the truth with a guilty conscience.

Whenever her mother-in-law did heavy work, Zhong Miao would help. At that time, she would think, it would be great if Pei Ze was at home.

"You are such a heartless person." Pei Ze opened his mouth and bit her ear in anger.

"Are you born in the year of the dog?" Zhong Miao's ears were fragile, and even though Pei Ze didn't bite hard, it still felt a little painful.

"I'll bite you, you little rascal." Having said that, he still loosened his mouth and took the opportunity to kiss her a few times.

Zhong Miao was afraid of being seen, so she hit him several times in anger.

After sitting for a while, Zhong Miao couldn't stand it anymore. Not everyone can enjoy the treatment of the heroine. Her neck was tired and it hurt. Pei Ze could only let her sit back in the back seat regretfully.

The ice and snow melted and the ground was covered with mud, but it could not extinguish the warmth in Pei Ze's heart. On the contrary, as the weather warmed up, he became warmer.

Ever since he fell in love with Zhong Miao, his mentality has changed, and his views on family and love have also changed. His life has become more promising, and he is obviously enjoying it, but he can't help but worry about gains and losses.

-

Before the school entrance exam, Zhong Miao still went to the city and got a bunch of small notebooks and real estate certificates.

After returning home, she showed it to her mother-in-law.

"Mother-in-law, everything is here."

Zhang Weilan took the property certificates and flipped through them one by one. "This is well done. From now on, Miaomiao will have a home in the city. If you want to move to the city, you can live there for a while to get used to it. In our house, you can live wherever you want. No one will restrict you."

"I can't bear to leave my mother-in-law."

She really couldn't bear to leave her mother-in-law. Zhang Weilan's kindness to her was long-lasting, and she was very caring towards her in life, which never changed. The longer she got along with her, the better she felt about her mother-in-law.

"Haha, the city isn't far away. An An and I can stay there for a few days, and you can come back on weekends. Now that we have a car, it's convenient to go back and forth."

"Yeah, grandma is right. When I finish college, I will paint every day. Then I will go back to the village and paint while accompanying you."

Zhong Miao is speaking from the heart; freelancing is the same everywhere.

"Don't think like that. The city is much better than the village anyway. You can't stay in the village forever."

"Grandma, don't you want to go to the city? Why?"

The original text only said that the mother-in-law didn't want to leave, but didn't say why.

"Alas, although our house is shabby, it was built brick by brick by the second son's father. He died early, and this is all I have left. To be honest, this shabby house is my real home, and my only home."

"When I was little, I lived with my parents. There were many brothers and sisters in my family. We had good conditions, but we were also full of intrigue. Later, I married a useless man and lived with my in-laws. I never considered that home."

"Then I met your short-lived father-in-law. After my second child was born, I started living with him sincerely. Before that, I was hiding my feelings. He knew it from the beginning, but he saw through it and didn't say anything. But who could have thought that after just a few years of these good times, he would be gone."

There were no tears in my mother-in-law's eyes. Her eyes, which had gone through many vicissitudes of life but still had spirit, were filled with a hint of regret and nostalgia.

"Mother-in-law, in marriage, what does it mean to be truly devoted?"

"I can't really put it into words. It's probably because after getting married, you have a family. The family members are united and work together for the best of the family, whether it's two people, three people, or more. My second child's father has done all these things, so I can live with him."

"Miaomiao, most of the time, the interests of the family and the interests of the individual are consistent. Only when the family is good can the people live well. But occasionally there will be conflicts, such as who earns more or less, who works more, and who contributes more or less."

"To put it bluntly, they're all petty. They each have their own calculations for big and small matters, but even five fingers aren't evenly matched. How many people contribute equally? These can all cause family conflicts. This is an objective fact, and it's not necessarily about who is petty and nitpicking."

"Alas, some things are still unavoidable even if you don't care. It all depends on the mentality of the family members. Are they trying to solve the problem or avoid responsibility?"

"Yeah, my mother-in-law is right." It is true that some things, if you take a step forward, you will not get what you want, and if you take a step back, you may easily get breast hyperplasia. Let alone having the best of both worlds, you can't even take care of one side.

"You and the second brother have only been married for a short time, so don't feel pressured. The second brother is a few years older than you. If he is willing to work hard for your future life, that's a good thing."

"You just focus on your own things and be happy every day. That's what he wants. We have a small family, so there aren't so many messes or outdated rules. You can live a good life, that's what my second brother and I hope for."

"Mom can see that you sincerely hope that our family will live a good life and are willing to make sacrifices for it. This is sincerity. Love may not last long, but friendship is the key to getting along."

"Is this true love?"

"Silly child, don't overthink it. If this isn't sincere, then what is sincerity?"

"Grandma, you are the best."

Zhong Miao's words amused Zhang Weilan. "Haha, but I can't be with you forever. The second brother is the one who will accompany you for the rest of your life. If he does something wrong, just talk to him. He doesn't have those bad habits towards his family that he has outside. He will listen to good or bad advice."

"Yeah, I know."

Pei Ze's kindness depends on who he is treating. He won't even bother to look at those he doesn't care about, but it's the complete opposite for those he cares about.

"Miao Miao, Mom has prepared an inheritance for you. I, an old woman, have no use for it. When you go to the city, take it with you. Think of it as Mom laying a good foundation for your little family."

Zhong Miao knew that her mother-in-law had ancestral inheritance, but she didn't know the exact amount. "Grandma, Pei Ze can earn money, my father can earn money, and I can earn money in the future. We will never lack food or clothing. You should keep it for your old age."

"I must keep some, but how much can an old lady like me spend? I only have one son, the second one, and you are his wife. If I don't pass it on to you, who will I pass it on to?

"In the past, men were the ones who made the money and women were the ones who managed the household. Now times have changed and women can earn money too. But the household still can't be left to the second son alone. He's capable, but he needs someone to supervise him. Otherwise, he might get mad one day and tear the roof off your house, leaving you with a mess."

"Pfft, haha, mother-in-law, you're absolutely right. He doesn't care about what he eats and wears. He still wears that shirt even though it's in such a distorted state. And his temper is just as bad. When he gets angry, he's like he's on fire. He never has a good word to say."

"That's why they say he can only behave like a good person if someone is watching over him."

"Grandma, do you think I can do it?"

"Silly boy, if you can't do it, no one can."

How could she not understand her own son? He is stubborn and will stick to his own path until the end. Once he has chosen a wife, he will not let go.

"Oh, I feel so stressed."

"There's no pressure. Just eat when it's time to eat, play when it's time to play, and go to school when it's time to go to school. When you look back, you'll find that the days have already passed by in a daze."

Zhong Miao felt that her mother-in-law was truly remarkable. How many elderly people would have such clear-headed and sensible ideas, not to mention in the 1980s, even decades later?

She understood the principles, but she still didn't believe she could do it and do it well. She had never been serious about relationships, and if she took on the responsibility of a family, she would be under tremendous pressure.

Forget it, why make things difficult for yourself? Just live in a muddle for now.

-

On the afternoon before the school entrance exam, Pei Ze drove his old car back to the village, intending to pick up everyone in the family. He had already informed his mother about this matter, and it was considered a top priority for the whole family. He had to make sure Zhong Miao had a comfortable life for the next two days.

Zhong Ming is cleaning up his new house in the city, and there are still some finishing touches. These days, the father-in-law and son-in-law are busy with factory work during the day, and come back to clean up the new house at night. Although a thorough cleaning is impossible, at least it is habitable.

What was cleaned up was the three connected small houses. The warehouse and soy sauce factory were not occupied before, so it could not be cleaned up in a short time.

The school exam lasts for two days. The first day is for sketching in the morning, color in the afternoon, and creation on the second day. It is not realistic to come from the village in the morning, so you must come to the city in advance and stay for at least two days.

When the car drove into the village road, the sound of the engine aroused the curiosity of some people.

Some people were very curious when they saw it was a car. They had never seen anyone in the village have such a relative. So whose house was it going to?

Those who had good news followed the car, insisting on seeing whose house it was going to.

Pei Ze saw it in the rearview mirror but didn't care. He didn't pretend to be poor anymore. He just knew it. When the factory made money, he would buy a new car for his wife.

When Pei Ze arrived home, his mother, wife and children were already ready and ready to go in the car. The two onlookers were so surprised that they couldn't say a word. They saw Pei Ze casually greet them, stepped on the accelerator and drove away, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes.

After An An's toy car was broken, Pei Ze bought him another one, and the child cherished it even more.

It was the first time that An An saw a real car and even sat in one. For a moment, she danced with excitement in the back seat.

After the car drove for a while, An An began to look at the things in the car again. Various questions popped up one after another, and Zhong Miao answered them patiently.

Zhang Weilan got into the car and found it a little hard to believe. She didn't care whether it was broken or not. Knowing that she had bought a car was one thing, but actually sitting in it was another feeling. She never thought that she would have the chance to ride in a car again in her life.

When she arrived at her new home, Zhong Miao discovered that the three connected small houses had been cleaned and tidy and were ready for living.

This house is not easier to clean than an apartment building. One can imagine how hard the father-in-law and son-in-law have worked these days to make it convenient for her to take the exam.

Seeing his old father busy and sweating but still smiling, Zhong Miao couldn't hold back her tears and hugged her father, "Thank you, Dad."

"Haha, baby, don't cry, as long as you like it."

"Yeah." Zhong Miao took the rag from his father's hand, "Then you take a break. If there's anything left to clean, I'll do it."

"There are only a few drawers left to clean, so you do it while Dad takes a break."

Zhong Ming knows his daughter best. If he competes with her for work at this time, she will definitely not be able to be comforted and will cry in front of him.

Zhong Miao let go of his father and washed the rag in the basin.

"Wife, let me do it." Pei Ze was about to take the rag from Zhong Miao's hand, but Zhong Miao dodged it and threw the rag into the basin. She looked at him with red, watery eyes, then reached out and hugged him, "Thank you, Pei Ze."

Pei Ze was stunned for a moment, and did not grab the rag. He raised his hand to wipe the tears from her face, "You are my wife, why thank me? It is natural for me to support my wife and treat you well. Don't think about anything. I will accompany you to take the exam tomorrow."

Zhang Weilan was sitting on the small sofa coaxing An An and also paying attention to this side, but she didn't come to disturb them.

"Well, I'm sure I'll pass."

"That's right, my wife is so awesome." Pei Ze patted her back to comfort her.

Zhong Miao calmed down and went to wipe the drawer. After wiping the drawer, she poured out the water and returned to the house.

"What shall we eat tonight?" Zhong Miao asked Pei Ze.

"I bought some rice, oil, and seasonings for the kitchen. I didn't buy too much, just enough for the next two days. The gas tank and stove are all new, and there are vegetables and meat in the refrigerator. I'll go cook later. How about you help me?"

"OK."

In the kitchen, the stove connected to the heater was already lit, and the dry heat took away the moisture in the room.