Chapter 4. At 7:30, Yu Songqing…

At 7:30, Yu Songqing and Lu Xiaoqing arrived. Yu Songqing was carrying two bags, one bag of apples and the other bag of steamed sponge cakes.

Lu Xiaoqing was also carrying a paper bag.

This was Lu Xiaoqing's first time visiting our home.

She was very attractive, with particularly gentle eyes. At 1.6 meters tall, she looked petite standing next to Yu Songqing, who was 1.8 meters tall.

As soon as she arrived, she greeted everyone with a smile, "Uncle and Aunt."

Cheng Xiuying was quite satisfied with Lu Xiaoqing at first glance, and since she hadn't come empty-handed, she said, "Come in and sit down." She then called Yu Songchuan and Yu Jiajia to bring out the dishes.

After they sat down inside, Lu Xiaoqing opened the paper bag in her hand and took out a box of face cream and a box of tea: "Auntie, this face cream is for you. I'll buy you more when you run out. Songqing said that Uncle likes to drink tea, so I asked my aunt to buy some tea for him."

Tea is not something ordinary people can drink.

Cheng Xiuying took the face cream and tea leaves and examined them. The tea leaves were a bit broken, but they were still more intact than the tea leaves she bought at home. She smiled broadly and said, "Good girl, I'm already so old, why would I need face cream? This tea must be hard to buy."

That's incredibly generous!

Lu Xiaoqing laughed: "You look so young. If we walk down the street, people will think you're my older sister. After Uncle finishes drinking this tea, I'll ask Aunt to buy some more."

“Your aunt’s family is really something else. It’s not easy for me to buy any tea from them normally.” Cheng Xiuying smiled broadly.

Lu Xiaoqing casually mentioned her aunt's family situation, saying that Liu Duobao's grandparents lived in Beijing and had no shortage of rare items.

Cheng Xiuying thought it was better and better the more she listened. If Siya married into such a family, wouldn't it be like marrying into a honey pot?

Yu Jiajia became increasingly annoyed. Even if Lu Xiaoqing portrayed the Liu family as rotten, they were still Liu the fool.

Yu Jiamin held Yu Jiajia's hand, afraid that she would be blinded by what she heard, and whispered, "It's not that good."

Yu Jiajia glanced at Yu Jiamin in surprise, and said, "Thank you, Third Sister."

After the food was served, Cheng Xiuying picked up her chopsticks and put a piece of braised pork into Lu Xiaoqing's bowl: "You're so thin, eat more meat."

She won over the mother-in-law's heart at first sight; Lu Xiaoqing's words were truly extraordinary.

Cheng Xiuying picked up a piece with her chopsticks, signaling that it was time to eat. Everyone reached out their chopsticks to pick up pieces of braised pork. It looked like a big plate, but actually only a small portion was meat, and the rest was potatoes and radishes cut into the same size.

The angrier Yu Jiajia became, the more she wanted to eat meat. She reached for her chopsticks. She had cooked the meal, and although the potatoes and carrots on the plate looked like meat, she knew exactly which piece was meat. She picked up a large piece of braised pork with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

Cheng Xiuying placed a piece of braised pork on her chopsticks and gave it to Yu Hongding. Looking at Siya's chopsticks full of meat, she felt dissatisfied and coughed, "Siya, get a clove of garlic. I love this."

Yu Jiajia handed over the garlic cloves that were next to her, and bent down to put the vinegar bottle on the table. "Would you like some vinegar?"

This process did not prevent her from eating.

Cheng Xiuying cursed inwardly that this fourth girl was the most shrewd when it came to food. If she had this shrewdness when looking for a job, she would never have trouble finding one.

She coughed again: "No vinegar, just pour me a glass of water."

Yu Jiajia hadn't prepared any water. She picked up another piece of braised pork with her chopsticks and put it in her bowl—this time, two pieces! Adding to the two pieces of meat she'd kept in her spatial storage, she definitely ate the most meat in her family!

Yu Songchuan exclaimed, "Fourth Sister, you're a pro!" He moved even more nimbly, but he kept getting fooled by the fake meat. "Fourth Sister, could you cut the potatoes and radishes into bigger pieces next time?"

Seeing Cheng Xiuying's distressed expression, Yu Jiajia smiled and said, "Potatoes and carrots are even more delicious than meat!" Then, with sharp eyes, she spotted a piece of pork and picked it up!

These rips of flesh felt like a knife to Cheng Xiuying's heart; her eyes blazed with fury. "Pour me a glass of water!"

Yu Jiajia then stood up to pour water and handed it to Cheng Xiuying.

Once the meat was almost finished, everyone slowed down their eating pace and started eating Mapo Tofu and other dishes.

The Mapo Tofu with added toppings was quickly devoured, with most of it gone.

Yu Jiajia felt her mood improve, and then she thought, "Hmph!"

Cheng Xiuying and Lu Xiaoqing chatted about Yu Songqing. When they mentioned that Yu Songqing had attended university, Lu Xiaoqing praised Cheng Xiuying for her ability to educate her children and said that Yu Hongding was an intellectual and that his children were better at studying than others.

This compliment really touched Cheng Xiuying's heart, and her gaze towards Lu Xiaoqing softened even more.

Lu Xiaoqing: "Uncle and Aunt, you are so kind to make sure all the children in our family can go to school. I don't know how many times I begged my mom to let me go to high school. When I was in my second year of high school, my sister-in-law gave birth to twin nephews, and my mom made me drop out of school to help take care of the children. I admire elders like you the most in my life. I really envy the girls in your family." She then looked at Yu Jiamin: "Third sister, you are so lucky to have such a good mother, which is why you were able to go to high school and have the opportunity to find a good job. I heard from Songqing that you are a primary school teacher? That's a great profession."

Yu Jiamin smiled gently: "Don't envy my good job. I think you're lucky too, to be able to date my older brother. There aren't many college graduates these days, and every marriage is one less available. Mom, don't you think?"

This was the topic that made Cheng Xiuying happiest. Her proudest achievement was raising her eldest son who had been admitted to university! "Of course, Songqing is the only university graduate on our street! He's now an engineer at the steel rolling mill, earning a high salary of forty or fifty yuan a month. Who in the steel rolling mill isn't envious?"

Lu Xiaoqing offered a few words of praise, and then the topic returned to Yu Songqing.

Yu Songqing coughed lightly: "Mom, I want to get married to Xiaoqing on September 1st. Xiaoqing doesn't want a dowry or a three-wheeled vehicle. Our family will help her find a job."

Cheng Xiuying was quite happy when she heard the first part of the sentence. No dowry, no luxury goods, that would save a lot of money. But when she heard the second part, she frowned. It was hard to find a job.

Even if you add up all the dowry, it won't buy you a job.

Nowadays, a job costs at least five or six hundred, and a better one costs seven or eight hundred.

Moreover, it's so rare that there's no market for it and it's purely a matter of luck.

Therefore, the family never considered helping Yu Jiajia find a job.

Lu Xiaoqing quickly added, "Auntie, after we get married, Songqing and I will still do the same thing as now. We will give you our salaries to manage. Songqing says you are the best at managing money. With you in charge of the money, our family will definitely become more and more prosperous."

Cheng Xiuying: "It's hard to find a job these days. I can't just quit and give you my job. None of my children are married yet, so I can't give it up."

This blocked Lu Xiaoqing's path.

Yu Songqing said, "How could that be?" He looked at Yu Jiamin and said, "Jiamin, you work so hard every day, and it's so far from the school. You're exposed to the wind and sun. You can stay home and rest from now on. When Xiaoqing and I have a child, you can help take care of the child at home. It will be easier for you."

Yu Jiajia listened intently!

This future sister-in-law not only wants the third sister's job, but also wants the third sister to take care of their children?

Did Lu Xiaoqing not inquire about Yu Jiamin's personality?

Is Yu Jiamin someone that an ordinary person can handle?

Yu Jiamin scoffed: "Brother, some things are better left unsaid, lest they damage our relationship."

Yu Songqing said, "Jiamin, you have a bad temper and are not suitable to be a teacher. I'm not getting any younger, and you can't just watch me not get married. From now on, your sister-in-law and I will give our salaries to Mom so she can save them for your dowry."

Cheng Xiuying pondered the feasibility of this matter and was quite tempted. Being a teacher was a good job, and staying at home was certainly better than getting married.

The second brother, Yu Songyan, shoveled rice into his mouth and gave Yu Songqing a thumbs-up: "How come I never noticed before that eldest brother had such a big face?" Then he pointed his thumb at Lu Xiaoqing, "You're ruthless. You're not even married yet, and you're already asking your third sister-in-law to work and marrying your fourth sister-in-law off to a fool. Are you going to be the head of our family from now on?"

The fifth brother, Yu Songchuan, clicked his tongue and said, "Big brother, you didn't try to manipulate Third Sister like a puppet, did you?" He then glanced at Lu Xiaoqing and shook his head, "This is only the first time you've been here, and you're already trying to control your two sisters-in-law. You're being too hasty."

This guy is such a shrewd fool...

Lu Xiaoqing's expression immediately changed, and her eyes reddened: "Auntie, is that how you see me? I'm only doing this for the good of the family. Are you suggesting that my third sister-in-law take her job to her husband's family? What kind of girl is so outgoing? I'll keep this job for now, and I'll give it to my brother-in-law when he graduates. In the end, this job still belongs to the Yu family."

Yu Songchuan tilted his head back smugly: "No, I don't need it. In our Yu family, only our fourth sister has gone crazy from studying too much and can't find a job. Once I graduate, how could I possibly be short of work?"

Lu Xiaoqing: ? ? ?

Yu Jiajia was shot in the chest...

Yu Jiamin looked coldly at Yu Songqing: "You can't start a family if you don't have a job? Then don't start a family at all." She sat up from her seat, went to the kitchen and brought back a bowl of cold water: "Brother, you're a college graduate, and you've married a girl who doesn't have a job and is full of tricks. The worst part is that she's not even that pretty. You're really wasting your talent. Let's break up!"

Lu Xiaoqing's face changed, and tears fell in a steady stream: "Third sister, you're bullying me."

Yu Jiamin ignored Lu Xiaoqing, raised her glass and splashed it at Yu Songqing, saying, "Wash the water out of your head and wake up."

Yu Songqing was very agile; he leaned back and dodged the attack, splashing a cup of water all over Lu Xiaoqing's face.

Lu Xiaoqing screamed, her makeup ruined.

Yu Jiajia feigned shock: "Big brother, you actually let your boyfriend brainwash you?"

Yu Songqing glared angrily at Yu Jiamin: "Are you crazy?"

Yu Jiamin smiled enigmatically: "Big brother, your girlfriend's makeup is a bit heavy."

Even with her makeup off, Lu Xiaoqing still looked alright, but compared to the high-颜值 (good-looking) Yu family members, she looked quite ordinary.

Lu Xiaoqing was furious.

Cheng Xiuying quickly grabbed a towel to wipe Lu Xiaoqing's face. "Third girl, are you trying to kill yourself? Your older brother and sister-in-law are doing this for the sake of the family. Why are you hitting them? Besides, your job is so good. Wouldn't it be a waste to take it to your in-laws' house? Why don't you let your in-laws find you a job in the future?"

The third daughter got married, and all her salary went to her husband's family. If it could go to the eldest son's partner... we'll have to discuss that slowly.

Yu Jiamin put her hand on the table, Yu Hongding quickly retreated with his bowl, Yu Songyan and Yu Songchuan also retreated with their bowls, and Yu Jiajia also quickly picked up her bowl. There was no way to persuade her otherwise.

She was really getting into it, let's start fighting!

Cheng Xiuying shouted and pressed her hand on the table: "Don't flip the table, no one will take your job away from you."

Yu Jiamin is not as easy to manipulate as Yu Jiajia. If you offend her, she will make sure no one has an easy time.

As for a place to stay, she has no shortage of options. She doesn't need to stay in a dormitory; she can simply go and stay at her best friend's house for an extended period.

Yu Jiamin has a job, a salary, and a wealthy best friend who treats her like a sister.

Yu Jiamin was very strong. As the table wobbled, everyone else held their bowls and watched the commotion. Cheng Xiuying was furious and shouted, "Fourth girl, even if the table is overturned, I won't let you off the hook!"

Yu Jiajia was speechless. What did this have to do with her? Did she think she was easy to bully?

She's not the Yu Jiajia she was this morning anymore; she now has a check-in system! A direct confrontation isn't out of the question.

She said, "Let's break up. Liu Duobao is an idiot who spent ten years in elementary school. Intelligence is hereditary. If my older brother marries his idiot cousin, won't they have several idiot sons and daughters who spent ten years in elementary school? Don't tell them they are my nephews and nieces, that would be incredibly embarrassing."

A note from the author:

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