Chapter 124 Crushing Unfinished Dreams

"I ask you to do something, but you can't do it well," Miao Guifeng said. "You can't do housework, and your grades are not good either. Tell me, what can you do?"

When Daya heard this, she lowered her head and continued to wash clothes.

"Every time I criticize you, you just keep your head down," Miao Guifeng said. "Just do your job well. If you do it well, would I still criticize you? When I was your age, I often washed clothes, and they were always very clean. Back then, we had to go to the river to wash clothes, not at home. It wasn't as convenient as it is now. You can wash clothes at home now, without having to go to the river, and you don't have to worry about falling into the water..."

Miao Guifeng said a lot of things. She just felt that Daya was not doing well enough and should do more.

"What are you looking at?" Miao Guifeng looked at Erya beside her. "I asked you to do something, but you refused to do it and only did a little bit. I don't know what kind of person you will marry in the future. If you get scolded later, don't come back crying."

"I won't cry," Erya said. As long as she could do less, she wouldn't cry. If she had to do a lot of things every day, that wouldn't work.

Erya is determined not to do so many things, and Daya can do whatever she wants. Every time Erya sees Daya working so hard, she is speechless. Daya is really working too hard, not just a little bit of effort, but what's the point of working hard, won't she still be scolded by her mother?

Erya just won't do it anyway. She would rather be scolded by her own mother. Her own mother will always criticize them, no matter whether they do the work or not.

Miao Guifeng always thinks about her son. She is really good to him. Miao Guifeng often buys delicious food and new clothes for her son, but her daughter doesn't have as many delicious food and new clothes. Miao Guifeng asks her son to put the food in the room, and she even locks it, just to prevent Erya from sneaking in to eat.

Daya and Sanya would not go and steal food, but Erya really dares to.

Miao Guifeng hit Erya, and she rolled her eyes. Erya thought her mother was just looking for an opportunity to hit her, and there was no way to avoid it.

Therefore, when Erya was beaten by Miao Guifeng, she didn't even think about working. If Miao Guifeng had the ability, she could just beat her to death, and then Miao Guifeng wouldn't have to say anything to her.

"You say you won't cry now, but you may not cry in the future," Miao Guifeng said. "I told you to study hard, but you didn't know how to study hard. How can your mother harm you?"

"Yes." Erya said.

When Miao Guifeng heard this, she glared at Erya fiercely. Erya was always like this, and no matter what she said, it was useless.

The neighbors all knew how badly Miao Guifeng treated her daughter. There was no point in saying anything, so no one spoke. When Miao Guifeng criticized the child, at most she would spank her a couple of times. It wasn't particularly severe, and nothing else happened, so it was nothing. Everyone pretended they knew nothing.

Miao Guifeng and his wife asked people about their son's high school enrollment. They thought that no matter whether their son passed the high school entrance exam or not, he had to go to high school and could not let him go to work after graduating from junior high school.

In the evening, when Miao Guifeng talked about her son, she thought of Ding Hongwang again.

"He's not their biological son. Those people really don't know how to consider the child," Miao Guifeng said. "Ding Hongwang only graduated from junior high school. How old is he? They let him work in a factory and didn't even bother to send him to a vocational school. It would still be in time for him to go work after he graduates from vocational school."

"Whether you work early or late, you still have to work," said Yang Bingrong.

"Their financial situation isn't good," Miao Guifeng said. "Both husband and wife work, but they still haven't bought a house and are still renting. They don't even know how to save money. If I were them, I'd save a little more and buy this house. But they haven't even bought a house yet, so why would they buy a TV? And they want to eat so well all day long. Are they that particular?"

"..." Yang Bingrong didn't say anything. He thought about the food he ate at home. It was indeed not as good as the food Jiang Yuqin and her husband ate.

Jiang Yuqin and her husband enjoyed good food, so they started enjoying it earlier, not thinking about saving money. Before Jiang Yuqin had children, she worked less and earned less. Now, Jiang Yuqin is working more, so she can earn more.

"They don't know how to save money and plan. They're destined to be poor," Miao Guifeng said. "Houses here used to be cheaper, but they've gone up in price in recent years. If they had saved money to buy a house earlier, wouldn't they be much more relaxed now? Instead of saving money themselves, they're waiting for Jiang Yuqin's parents-in-law to help them buy a house."

"Their parents don't have money to buy a house either," said Yang Bingrong.

"Your parents didn't buy us a house, they just gave us a room." Miao Guifeng said, "If your parents were a little more capable, they would buy us a house. They didn't buy us a house, and they still want us to vacate the room. They are just dreaming."

When their children grew up, they had no separate rooms, so they had to separate their room a little and let the children sleep in the same room with them. They hoped that Miao Guifeng would let their three daughters move out, but Miao Guifeng would never let her three daughters move out.

Miao Guifeng was thinking about the future demolition. If she asked her daughters to move out now, it would be difficult to deal with them later. Miao Guifeng and her husband had originally been registered together. Miao Guifeng and her son moved their household registration and moved it to the house they had purchased, while her three daughters' household registration remained there. Miao Guifeng was waiting for her three daughters to receive the demolition compensation. Gender equality meant that girls should also receive the compensation.

Lu Dongxiang and his wife had saved money last year, and they offered cash directly to Miao Guifeng and his wife, but Miao Guifeng and his wife refused to accept it. Miao Guifeng and his wife insisted on the house, which left Lu Dongxiang and his wife with no recourse. They also couldn't directly drive Miao Guifeng's three children away because Miao Guifeng would make a scene.

If nothing can be done, then Miao Guifeng's three children will have to stay there.

People like Lu Dongxiang were not reborn. They didn't know that Miao Guifeng wanted the demolition compensation. They just thought that Miao Guifeng was too disgusting. Miao Guifeng insisted on having this house, so Lu Dongxiang and his wife had to let their son sleep in the same room with them.

The provincial Xiaobaihua and the new recruits had a competition, and Teacher Li and others gave them scores.

The person ranked first didn't choose Jiang Moli's group. She was worried that she would be crushed after going there, so she chose a lower-ranked group. A lower-ranked group was also good, as it would give her more opportunities.

The second-ranked person breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the first-ranked person didn't choose Jiang Moli's group. She would choose Jiang Moli's group. Even if the people there were very strong, she was not afraid. Being with excellent people would make her even better. If she hadn't stayed there, and mixed with other ordinary people, she might not have thought about working so hard.

This time, there were six people in total, two of whom could go to Jiang Moli's group, and the others to other groups. Since the first place didn't go, it gave the second and third place a chance. Logically, if the second place wanted to go to Jiang Moli's group, she could go. She was relieved, mainly because she thought that since the first place didn't go, there would be one less strong competitor. The second place would still know who to compete with the first and third place.

When Jiang Moli learned that the first place winner had chosen another group, she was not unhappy. Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei were in different groups now, and the first place winner was going to Qiao Yuwei's group.

"I was hoping to join your group, but I can't." Qiao Yuwei sighed, "That person had the chance, but she didn't join your group. She'll regret it later."

"You may not regret it." Jiang Moli said.

Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli were in the company cafeteria together, and Jiang Moli ate vermicelli.

"Your group is pretty good, and there are a lot of opportunities." Jiang Moli said, "Maybe she wants to show her face more. If she were in our group, she might not have so many opportunities to show her face. In your group, she can show her face more, how great."

"Getting more exposure? That's good, but it's not as popular and you won't be that famous." Qiao Yuwei said, "In your group, you have more performances and are well-known. If someone from your group came to ours, they could do better. Am I not a good example? After I left your group, I had a bigger role in my current group, and I could even have a name to mention during promotions."

Qiao Yuwei didn't regret being in the same group with Jiang Moli; she was actually glad to be in the same group. It's true that Qiao Yuwei didn't have the same starring role as Jiang Moli, but so what? Outside of Jiang Moli's group, Qiao Yuwei was doing pretty well. Qiao Yuwei knew that some of the people in Jiang Moli's group had become more famous, and she was a little envious. She sometimes wondered what would have happened if she and Jiang Moli had always been in the same group, but then she decided it wouldn't be a good idea for them to be in the same group all the time.

If the members of a group are fixed, there will be no freshness, and sometimes we still have to disrupt them.

"Everyone has their own choices, and we have to respect others' choices," Jiang Moli said. "Our group isn't the most favored, and we have all kinds of competition. If we don't do well, that won't work."

"Aren't you afraid that others will say that you are on the decline and new people won't choose you?" Qiao Yuwei said.

"Don't be afraid." Jiang Moli said, "Everyone has eyes to see what's going on."

"That's true." Qiao Yuwei nodded.

Jiang Moli never thought that to get first place, she had to choose their group. She was not afraid of the first place passing her. The reason why she could achieve her current success was that she walked out step by step, not relying on others, nor did she become famous overnight. No, Jiang Moli worked hard for a long time to achieve what she has now.

Someone asked the first person if he would regret it, and the first person said hesitantly: I probably won’t regret it.

The first-place winner wasn't trying to push forward; she was afraid she'd be swept away, so she considered joining another group. The first-place winner and Zhu Zhixuan were from the same local theater troupe, and she knew them.

Zhu Zhixuan also stars in a local drama troupe. When people ask her about the provincial Xiaobaihua (Little Hundred Flowers) competition, she'll offer a few words. The first-place winner asked Zhu Zhixuan about this, and she explained that the competition within the provincial Xiaobaihua competition is fierce. The first-place winner then asked about Jiang Moli, and Zhu Zhixuan suggested avoiding her. She said that no matter how talented someone is, they'll look incompetent next to Jiang Moli, which can undermine their self-confidence and can make them feel devastated.

In reality, Zhu Zhixuan knew what that person was thinking. Haha, did she really think she was thinking about that person getting ahead? They were from the same workplace, so what? Zhu Zhixuan herself hadn't made any progress at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers School and had even been sent back. When Zhu Zhixuan saw someone else trying to get there, she certainly didn't think about being outclassed by someone from the same workplace.

Zhu Zhixuan did not deliberately say anything bad about Jiang Moli in front of the first place winner. Instead, she talked about how great Jiang Moli was and how capable the people in Jiang Moli's group were. If the people in the past were not good enough, they might not even have the chance to go on stage, and even if they were substitutes, they would not be able to get on stage.

Zhu Zhixuan also mentioned some of her previous experiences in the Provincial Xiaobaihua, implying that she had not performed particularly well in the Provincial Xiaobaihua, and that the people in the Provincial Xiaobaihua might have opinions about people leaving their unit. This made the first person think a little more. She was worried that Jiang Moli would have opinions about her because of Zhu Zhixuan's situation, so it would be better for her not to join Jiang Moli's group.

Jiang Moli had no idea what Number One was thinking. If she knew, she would be speechless. Number One and Zhu Zhixuan were two completely different individuals. Jiang Moli had long stopped thinking about Zhu Zhixuan, let alone Number One.

In the evening, when Jiang Moli was taking a walk with Sheng Jiahao, she said that the first place winner did not choose her group.

"People ask me if I'm unhappy, but of course I wouldn't be unhappy," Jiang Moli said. "Everyone who gets to join our unit is an excellent person. If this person didn't make our group, there are others who could. It's not like all those people refused to join our group. Some people didn't make our group and came to me to ask if they could join our group. I said I can't decide. It depends on the unit's opinion."

If Jiang Moli asked them all to join her group, what would happen to the other groups?

Each group needs fresh blood, and Jiang Moli can't just let them join her group and be done with it.

"It may not be a bad thing that that person didn't join your group," said Sheng Jiahao.

"I think so too," Jiang Moli said. "Our group has a lot of work pressure and a lot of things to do. We perform frequently, so we have little time to rest and rehearse. If someone who just joined our unit can't adapt, it would be better for them to go to another group."

Some groups were not as intense as Jiang Moli's group. The unit leaders wished that Jiang Moli's group could perform every day. Jiang Moli's group's tickets sold well, and the unit leaders had high hopes for Jiang Moli's group. To be more precise, the unit leaders thought that as long as Jiang Moli was there, the revenue would not be reduced.

"I'm used to this kind of intensity," Jiang Moli said. "People from other groups came to ours earlier and said our rehearsals were too intense and we didn't have enough rest time. Our director also said we were paid more."

Because the money was high, everyone was willing to endure the hardship and rehearse more. The people in our group received much more money than other groups, and that was the result of their hard work.

Many people come from ordinary families and don't have a strong economic foundation. They all want to earn more money. Everyone in Jiang Moli's group is very grateful to her. If it weren't for her support, they wouldn't have received that much money. They have been to other groups, but they don't perform as much and don't earn as much.

The company always staggers those people, and when Jiang Moli starts a new play, they reorganize the team to avoid upsetting some people within the company. Everyone wants to earn more, not watch others earn more. If others earn more and you earn less, it's fine for a short time, but over time, people in the company will resent it. The company also needs those people to grow, and a reorganization will also benefit everyone's growth.

"Actually, I'm fine. I still have energy now." Jiang Moli said, "When I don't have so much energy later, I guess I will retreat."

"It depends on your preference." Sheng Jiahao said, "If you don't want to withdraw, then don't withdraw."

"It's not about retiring now, but later. When you reach a certain age, you have to retire." Jiang Moli said, "On stage, even if you wear makeup, you can still see the age difference when you reach a certain age."

Jiang Moli is self-aware. She can't think that she won't grow old. Everyone will grow old.

"In my heart, you will always be young," said Sheng Jiahao.

"I'm younger than you." Jiang Moli said.

He Jingxian's adopted daughter went to school. She was very sensible and didn't dare to get into trouble. The neighbors who took care of her adopted daughter thought she was obedient. He Jingxian gave her money, so it was no big deal for her to take care of the child herself.

The adopted daughter's name was Wu You, and she was very well-behaved. The neighbor's house didn't have that many rooms, so Wu You slept in He Jingxian's house. When He Jingxian and her husband were not at home, they gave the keys to the neighbor. Their room was locked, as was the study, but Wu You's room was unlocked, so the neighbor could take her there to rest.

Wu You was sleeping alone at home. She was a little scared, but she still persisted. She couldn't make the adults unhappy, so she had to behave better.

He Jingxian came back from the film and television city. She was shocked when she saw Wu You, and then she thought of adopting a child, and this child would be her own daughter.

"Have you eaten?" He Jingxian asked.

"I've eaten." Wu You replied. She was drawing in the living room.

"Okay." He Jingxian nodded. If Wu You didn't eat, He Jingxian would cook more noodles. "You're going to school, so study hard. As long as your grades are good, you can go to junior high school, high school, and even college in the future. There's no way we can stop you from studying."

"Study hard." Wu You said. She knew that these people liked good children, and she had to be a good child and not a naughty child.

The director's mother had said long ago that when they arrived at their new parents' home, they had to be more obedient and sensible, and not be kicked out by their new parents.

"Listen to the neighbor's grandma, understand?" He Jingxian repeated what she had said before.

"I understand." Wu You said, "Mom, this is the painting I drew."

Wu You asked He Jingxian to look at the painting. He Jingxian glanced at it and said, "Read more books, learn to read, and write. Can you draw well? You don't want to be a painter in the future, so you still have to study hard. If you don't like reading, do you like singing opera?"

"I like it." Wu You said. She didn't dare to say she didn't like it.

"Then I'll send you to learn opera singing someday," He Jingxian said. "Opera singing is not bad. It's a career path. If you sing well, you can become a leading actor in the future, appear on TV, and become very famous."

He Jingxian looked at Wu You and thought that if Wu You could become a better singer in the future, he would be able to surpass Jiang Moli. However, it would take many years for Wu You to grow up, and by then Jiang Moli might be ready to retire. Now was still Jiang Moli's era.

He Jingxian was not just a little envious of Jiang Moli, she was jealous of Jiang Moli, but she herself just couldn't reach that level.

"We can't help you for your whole life. It still depends on you." He Jingxian said.

He Jingxian herself was an opera singer, and since she couldn't let her biological daughter sing opera, she decided to let her adopted daughter sing opera. He Jingxian thought it was a good time for her adopted daughter to learn opera at this age. If she learned more, she would be able to support herself in the future. He Jingxian thought that she didn't have that much money to support her adopted daughter. When she was young, she and her husband could raise her, but when she grew up, she would still have to rely on herself.

How could a person who doesn't even care about his own daughter care about his adopted daughter?

He Jingxian looked at her adopted daughter and thought of her own childhood when she was learning to sing opera. "It's very hard to sing opera. You have to be able to endure it."

"I can endure it." Wu You said quickly.

Zhao Jiaojiao had just started school, and her military training was almost over. She had made friends at school and lived with roommates. There was a student in Zhao Jiaojiao's dormitory who was from the same province, but lived far from home, not in the south city. That student hadn't thought about going home like Zhao Jiaojiao had.

The day before National Day, Zhao Jiaojiao went back home. After a period of military training, Zhao Jiaojiao got a little tanned.

"You've become a lot darker. Didn't you apply sunscreen?" Niu Cuihua asked.

"Yes," Zhao Jiaojiao replied. "It's hot and sweaty standing there. You'll be outside all day. Mine is still relatively good. Some people are darker than me."

"It's okay, it will turn white after a while." Niu Cuihua was not too worried. When she was in the countryside, she often worked in the fields, which made her skin darker. After Niu Cuihua came to the city, she didn't have to work in the fields as often. She often stayed at home and worked in the yard. Niu Cuihua's skin became much whiter, unlike when she was in the countryside, when her skin was dark. "If you have time, remember to visit your grandma and your aunt."

"I know." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "When I went to my aunt's house, she never let me come back empty-handed. As for me, I felt like the relative who was begging for money."

"Your aunt and the others don't think so." Niu Cuihua said, "Don't talk nonsense. Your aunt and the others have never looked down on us."

"I know, that's why I want to go to my aunt's place." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "I don't want to stay at home all the time."

Zhao Jiaojiao really likes Jiang Moli, her aunt is very nice.

During the National Day holiday, Zhao Jiaojiao brought her brother, Zhao Li'an, to visit Jiang Moli. Zhao Li'an was in his third year of junior high school, and his grades weren't very good. His birthday was near the end of the year, so he was about the same age as everyone else when he started school. He didn't start kindergarten earlier than he started elementary school.

Zhao Jiaojiao went to college, and Niu Cuihua and her husband breathed a sigh of relief. Now it all depends on Zhao Lian.

After Zhao Li'an came to Jiang Moli's place, he played with the baby. Zhao Li'an and the baby went to the backyard to plant crops, and the two of them had a lot of fun.

"When your cousin comes, you lead people to dig the ground." Jiang Moli looked at the baby with amusement.

"Growing delicious vegetables." The baby said, "Grandma gave some to my brother."

"So you are going to take your brother to dig the ground?" Jiang Moli asked.

"Together." The baby reached out and wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead.

"Aunt, I'm very strong." Zhao Lian said.

Zhao Li'an studied martial arts and other sports, and was a student with sports expertise. Zhao Li'an and the baby were digging the ground together. The baby was holding a garlic bulb in his hand, intending to plant garlic.

"Aunt, if Li'an can dig the ground, so can I." Zhao Jiaojiao said, wanting to give it a try too.

"You shouldn't go." Jiang Moli said, "You're going to college, so you still have to practice the guzheng. Don't just stop practicing when you're in college."

"I know. I'll practice when I get home." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "Aunt, I can even teach children now."

"Yes, you can." Jiang Moli said, "You have learned enough."

"I have taken art exams, and I can share my experience with others and give them some tutoring." Zhao Jiaojiao said.

"Look for yourself. If you want to be a tutor, go for it." Jiang Moli said, "Be careful and don't go to dangerous places."

"Of course." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "During the summer vacation, I earned a little money as a tutor."

Zhao Jiaojiao thought that being a tutor was a good idea. She could earn some money, which she could use as living expenses, so her parents wouldn't have to work too hard.

"There are some people on our street who are also pursuing art studies," Zhao Jiaojiao said, "but not many."

Zhao Jiaojiao's academic performance wasn't very good, so she worked as a tutor, teaching people to play the guzheng and other instruments. Zhao Jiaojiao figured that at least she earned her own money. It wasn't much, but she hadn't graduated from college yet. By the time she did, she could save enough money and continue teaching.

"When you graduate from university, you can open a tutoring class, specifically teaching people how to play the guzheng and preparing for the art exams," Jiang Moli said. "You can still make some money. If you can't do it alone, you can find a partner. You don't have to go big; a small shop will be enough. With some things, the bigger you spread out, the more likely you are to lose money."

In her previous life, Jiang Moli had seen some so-called chain tutoring institutions close down. Others had opened large stores, collected a lot of money, but failed to pay their teachers, and their stores also went bankrupt. For someone like Zhao Jiaojiao, they didn't need to open a large store. Two or three teachers would be enough, and they could open a store together.

"You can also look for a job when the time comes. It's up to you." Jiang Moli said, "It will be easier to be your own boss, but if you teach others, it will also be considered a service industry, so you need to have a better temper."

"I'm thinking of opening a shop when the time comes," Zhao Jiaojiao said. "I don't have any assigned jobs yet. I'm an art student, so there are many things I'm not that outstanding about."

"It costs money to open a shop." Jiang Moli said, "But it doesn't matter much. You can rent a shop first. If you still need money, you can borrow it."

"I'll save more money when I'm in college." Zhao Jiaojiao said.

"Have you ever thought about studying for a master's degree?" Jiang Moli asked.

"Me? Graduate school? If I can, I'll go. I've always wanted to be an art student in college. If I go to graduate school, it has to be in the arts." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "I'd better start working early and not study. It's not that I want to reduce the burden on my parents, but I know my abilities. I'm grateful that I was able to get into this university."

Zhao Jiaojiao is very satisfied with her current life. She was admitted to university and has the opportunity to study.

"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded. She didn't force Zhao Jiaojiao to go to graduate school.

In this day and age, even if you don't have a master's degree, it's still okay to go to college. College graduates are still very popular. Zhao Jiaojiao is also good at playing the guzheng, so after she graduates from college, she will be able to make a living.

Jiang Moli asked Zhao Jiaojiao and her brother to eat at home and play for a while. They ate here at noon and in the evening. When Zhao Jiaojiao and her brother returned, the baby took Zhao Li'an to pick vegetables, saying that he was going to give them to Zhao Li'an.

"Go ahead, go pick some," Jiang Moli said. "After you're done, have the driver take you back."

Jiang Moli didn't think of letting Zhao Jiaojiao and her brother take the bus back. If the driver took them back, they could stay a little longer.

Zhao Li'an carried a basket and went to the vegetable garden with the baby. The baby was directing, "Do you want some chili peppers? There are still some."

The little baby was so proud, as if this large vegetable field was planted by him and he was bossing around there.

Jiang's father was afraid that Zhao Lian didn't know how to pick the vegetables and would ruin them in the field, so he stood by and watched, and reminded Zhao Lian which vegetable to pick.

"Yes, this is the one." Father Jiang said, "Let me do it."

Jiang's father felt that Zhao Lian didn't know how to pick vegetables, so it would be more convenient for him to pick them himself.

"Grandpa, let Brother Li'an pick the fruits. It's a happy harvest." said the baby.

"Okay, let him pick it, let him pick it." When Father Jiang heard what the baby said, he quickly let go.

Father Jiang listened to the baby very much and loved him dearly. If the baby was happy, it wouldn't matter if Zhao Li'an picked all the vegetables in the garden, let alone a few.

"Brother Li'an, you need to pick more." The baby said, "We can still plant more."

This is what Jiang's parents told the baby, saying that if the baby eats more, they can still plant more. The baby now tells Zhao Li'an the same thing, asking him to pick more.

Sheng Jiahao walked to Jiang Moli's side and followed Jiang Moli's gaze to look at the baby.

"You don't need to look at my dad, you can still pick them." The baby said, "Do you want my dad to help you? Brother Li'an."

"No, no, I can do it myself." Zhao Lian said.

The bamboo basket was already full of vegetables, so the baby took another bamboo basket and gave it to Zhao Li'an, "Pick more and put them in the bag to take back. You can also take the bamboo basket with you."

"That's all fine." Jiang Moli said, "Just take the bamboo basket back and ask your mother to free up the basket. It's no big deal."

"Mom, mom." The baby looked at Jiang Moli, "There are a lot of people at Brother Li'an's house too."

"Yes, there are a lot of people." Jiang Moli said, "These vegetables won't spoil that easily, so pick a few more."

"Brother Face, did you hear what my mother said?" the baby said, "You're welcome."

Then, Zhao Li'an picked some more vegetables. Later, he put them in baskets instead of bags.

The driver took Zhao Li'an and his brother back home. Niu Cuihua took the vegetables out of the bamboo basket and handed it back to the driver. The driver took the basket and went back home.

"Are you going to buy supplies? You took so many vegetables." Niu Cuihua said.

"Brother Xuanxuan asked me to pick them." Zhao Lian said.

"They asked you to pick this much, so you only picked this much." Niu Cuihua said, "And this lamb leg is not picked."

"Brother Xuanxuan told us to eat more." Zhao Lian said.

“…”Niu Cuihua’s mouth corners twitched slightly.

"Auntie knows." Zhao Jiaojiao added that they didn't take things casually, and her aunt and the others knew it.

"Your aunt is worried about you and is afraid that you won't have enough to eat," Niu Cuihua said. "You must be eating your fill over there."

"It's time to eat, and there's dessert." Zhao Jiaojiao said, "After eating, we rinse our mouths to prevent tooth decay."

"Your teeth are all fine. Your aunt told you to pay attention to dental hygiene when you were very young," Niu Cuihua said. "A neighbor's child had cavities, and the adults said to just wait it out and it would be fine once the child's teeth grew."

There are also children who are already in high school and have decayed teeth, but their parents don’t take it seriously and just tell them to bear with it. So many children have decayed teeth, but no one pays attention to them, leaving them with a mouthful of rotten teeth at such a young age.

Niu Cuihua knew that those people had bad teeth, so she thought that fortunately her own children’s teeth were not particularly bad, so she had to let her children brush their teeth well.

He Jingxian arranged for her adopted daughter to learn opera, which cost her some money. However, it was impossible for He Jingxian to stay at home and teach her adopted daughter every day, as she had to go to film.

When the Qi family learned that He Jingxian paid for her adopted daughter to learn opera, they all felt that He Jingxian treated her adopted daughter better than her biological daughter. He Jingxian's biological daughter did not receive those good treatments. He Jingxian did not pay for someone to take care of her biological daughter, nor did she give money for her biological daughter to attend interest classes.

"I don't know what she is thinking. She is really good to her adopted daughter." Mother Qi said to Aunt Qi.

When Second Aunt Qi came to the Qi family, she told them about He Jingxian. Even if Second Aunt Qi didn't say it, Mother Qi would be able to find out.

"We shouldn't have let Shixin marry her in the first place," Qi's mother said. "People like her... well, she doesn't want her own daughter, so she only wants an adopted daughter."

"She herself didn't have any outstanding achievements in opera, so she let her adopted daughter learn it." Aunt Qi knew what He Jingxian was thinking as soon as she thought about it. "This child was adopted from an orphanage and is relatively obedient."

"Your own daughter won't listen?" Qi's mother said, "We didn't say we wouldn't let the child learn opera. We just look at the child's interests. He Jingxian is like this... I don't even like to say anything to her. She does this while her own daughter is still in South City. If the child knew what she did, would her own daughters think she was good?"

"She's probably given up on her own daughter a long time ago. She hasn't even come to see her. She simply doesn't think about her own daughter anymore," said Aunt Qi. "It doesn't matter who she lets learn opera. It's up to her. Don't think too much about it. Just know that this happened."

"What do you mean it's good to know?" Qi's mother said, "The children will be so sad and upset after hearing this."

Qi's mother felt unfair for her granddaughter, but so what? He Jingxian just didn't care about her three daughters.

"They're bound to know about these things sooner or later. They live in the same city, so how could they not know?" Aunt Qi said, "You should talk to the children about it. But if the children don't know, there's no need to explain it specifically."

"Do you think I want to talk about He Jingxian? I don't want to talk about her either." Qi's mother said, "With her like this... I don't know what to say to her. She's not my daughter, nor is she my daughter-in-law. What else can I say about her? She earned the money herself. How she wants to spend it is her own business. You can't control it, and neither can I."

Mother Qi was upset. If she could control it, she would let He Jingxian spend more money on her three biological children instead of worrying about whether to raise an adopted daughter or not.

"If she's still working at our company, I can still ask her to pay child support to her three children. If she wasn't working at our company, I wouldn't be able to say anything." Aunt Qi said, "It's a little bit."

"Yes." Qi's mother nodded. "She probably hopes her adopted daughter will be filial to her in the future."

"Whether her adopted daughter will be filial to her is still uncertain." Aunt Qi said, "She has paid child support for her three biological children. If she really needs help in the future, she will still have to look for them."

Even if He Jingxian didn't pay child support, she would still look for her biological daughter if something happened. Aunt Qi believed that it was better for the three children to receive child support to avoid being at a disadvantage in the future.

"It costs a lot of money to learn opera. Do you pay monthly? Or by semester?" asked Qi's mother.

"Some pay monthly, and some pay annually," said Aunt Qi. "Learning opera isn't something you can do overnight; it takes a long time. And learning opera doesn't mean you can become as good as Jiang Moli, the provincial Little Hundred Flowers. Jiang Moli is truly popular, having been for several years and still very popular. Whenever she performs, there are always tickets left."

Second Aunt Qi thought Jiang Moli was extremely talented. She became famous quickly and her fame lasted for a long time. Most people couldn't achieve this.

"He Jingxian herself has given up on opera, yet she wants her adopted daughter to learn it. I wonder how far she'll go," said Second Aunt Qi. "She's trying to get her adopted daughter to achieve her own unfulfilled dream."

If that were the case, He Jingxian would also be unhappy if her adopted daughter didn't perform well.

Jiang Moli also knew about He Jingxian letting her adopted daughter learn opera. It was Zhou Yaran who said that. Zhou Yaran's son could sing a few lines of opera, but Zhou Yaran had not yet decided to let her son pursue a career in opera.

"I see the child's father has gained weight, and his belly has grown quite a bit." Zhou Yiran came to Jiang Moli's house. When she talked about the child's future, she thought about her husband's body shape. "If the child looks like his father, how will he be able to sing opera in the future?"