Chapter 25: My Brother Returns to the City

"You're starting to look for and rent a house so soon?" Jiang Moli was surprised.

"It's getting late," Jiang's mother said. "They're all coming back soon. I originally wanted to let them stay at home for a few more days. But the more I think about it, the more something seems wrong. My heart is pounding."

"What's wrong?" Jiang Moli asked.

"I understand your brother's temper. He wouldn't have asked me to buy those things and send them to him, saying they were for his parents-in-law," Jiang's mother said. "When your brother got married, our family gave him a betrothal gift. It's not like we didn't give him anything. I also send some things to your brother every month. I can't let him always rely on his wife's family. Your brother always tells me not to send those things because he knows I'm short of money."

Mother Jiang recalled the time she'd been on the phone with Zhao Guodong, and there had been a voice nearby. Could that person be Niu Cuihua? Mother Jiang's relationship with Niu Cuihua had been brief; she'd been home with Zhao Guodong before, and she'd been quite diligent, helping with cooking and washing dishes.

Zhao Guodong knew the situation at home, and he was always sensible. He didn't think much of anything his family had to send. If Zhao Guodong wanted to give his parents-in-law something, he could buy it in town himself, rather than having Jiang's mother buy it and mail it to him.

Jiang's mother was afraid Niu Cuihua might have other ideas, so she hadn't told Zhao Guodong about Jiang Yuqin's background yet. But when Zhao Guodong and his family returned, they would eventually find out. What if Niu Cuihua didn't want to move out then?

This won’t do!

Jiang's mother didn't want Zhao Guodong and his wife to quarrel with Jiang Moli, so she had to look around for a house as soon as possible to see which one was suitable. When Zhao Guodong and his wife came back, they could decide which house to rent.

"Your brother is already married. Don't expect him to be the same as before." Jiang's mother reminded Jiang Moli.

Jiang's mother had been a stepmother for so many years, carefully trying to keep things even and to make life peaceful for the family. It was impossible for Jiang's mother to let Zhao Guodong take over the property just because Jiang Yuqin had left. The property belonged to Jiang Moli. Even if Zhao Guodong and his wife didn't support Jiang's mother in the future, the property would still belong to Jiang Moli.

"This house is yours. You are your father's only daughter, so the house will only belong to you and no one else." Jiang's mother said, "Even if it's your brother, he has no share."

The Jiang family was not dead. If Jiang's mother dared to ask Jiang's father to give the house to Zhao Guodong, Jiang's father would dare to divorce Jiang's mother. Jiang's father was always very calculating. He loved his own children very much. When one of Zhao Guodong and Jiang Yuqin had to go to the countryside, Jiang's father wanted to give Jiang Yuqin the opportunity to stay in the city.

Jiang's father never considered whether Zhao Guodong would provide for his old age. He didn't think about other people's sons. No matter how reliable other people's sons were, they were not as reliable as his own biological children. Jiang's father would rather give the house to his daughter than to his nephew, let alone his stepson.

In order to avoid subsequent disputes, Jiang's mother had already thought about it, and she said so in front of Jiang Moli.

"Don't be silly when the time comes," Jiang's mother said. "If you're willing to let your brother and sister-in-law stay for a few more days, they might be thinking about your house."

Jiang's mother glanced at Jiang's father as he emerged from his room. She knew her husband must have heard what she had said. Earlier, when Jiang's mother had told Jiang's father about Zhao Guodong's return, Jiang's father had been reluctant to let him stay at home for long, saying only that he could stay for a while. When Jiang's mother heard what Jiang's father had said, she understood.

"Mom..." Jiang Moli didn't expect her mother to say that.

"Your brother is my mother's, and you're my mother's too," Jiang's mother said. "You're both my biological children. Even though you're a girl, I can't always think from your brother's perspective. If parents can't make sense, their children will suffer, and later, the parents will suffer too."

This is the experience of Jiang's mother as a stepmother over the years. She did not make things difficult for Jiang Yuqin at the beginning, and it is even less likely that she would make things difficult for her own biological daughter now.

"Rent them a one-bedroom apartment," Jiang's father said, "and pay two or three months' rent. A one-bedroom apartment can be used as two rooms. Like where we live, many people have a separate kitchen next to the door."

If that's not possible, then rent a bigger room. After all, the two children are still young and can sleep in the same room with their parents. If the room is slightly bigger, putting another bed next to it will be enough.

Jiang Yuqin and her husband rented a slightly larger room and cooked outside. They placed their pots and pans on a table by the roadside, not inside. They didn't keep everyday items that weren't particularly valuable.

When Jiang Yuqin was with Ding Chao, and before her father knew she wasn't his biological daughter, he'd gone to see her. Seeing Jiang Yuqin's current home, he felt a pang of sadness. He debated whether to help her, but then decided to let his daughter suffer. Before Jiang Yuqin could endure the hardship for long, her father learned of her past from Old Madam Jiang.

Jiang's father now felt that Jiang Yuqin deserved such a hard life, but he also felt that Jiang Yuqin's life was not hard at all. She had a job and a place to live, so how could it be considered hardship? Jiang's father did not seek revenge on Jiang Yuqin, nor did he think about getting rid of her job. After all, they had already received compensation from Jin Manzhi.

"Look at a few more houses." Jiang's father said, "When they come back, take them to see some too. They have to be satisfied with the house they live in."

"We need to take them to see it," Jiang's mother said. "I'll make some preparations first. It will be much more convenient for them to see it when they arrive."

On a new day, Jiang's mother went to look for a house. She looked for a house nearby, preferably one that didn't require taking the bus, and could be walked for ten or twenty minutes, but not too far.

When Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were dating, she didn't mention that her mother was going to help Zhao Guodong and his wife find a house. This matter had nothing to do with Sheng Jiahao. Jiang Moli couldn't possibly ask Sheng Jiahao for help. The last time Sheng Jiahao bought her supplements, Jiang Moli even asked him not to buy too much. Sometimes, giving too much to someone out of the blue isn't necessarily a good thing. Just enough is enough.

"The graduation drama will start soon, and this is our program." Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were walking on the campus together. Jiang Moli took out the program from her bag and gave it to Sheng Jiahao.

Jiang Moli was carrying a single-shoulder cloth bag. She didn't buy a particularly good bag, nor did she need a bag from any particular brand. As long as it was simple and easy to use, it would be fine. She didn't care about that much.

"Don't dislike me for not understanding the play." Sheng Jiahao joked.

"Can you understand those lines?" Jiang Moli asked.

"I can still understand the lines, but I don't understand the performance art and the singing." Sheng Jiahao said, "My mom understands, but I don't."

In the past, people always asked Sheng Jiahao to sing a few lines, and then said that Sheng Jiahao's mother was so amazing. Sheng Jiahao was speechless. He didn't learn to sing opera, and he really didn't know how to sing opera. It was okay for him to just listen, but asking him to speak in professional terms was not an option.

"You don't need to understand so much," Jiang Moli said. "Just sit there and listen. Many people who listen to opera don't necessarily understand all that. They listen to the story, the emotions expressed by the opera actors, and they understand that through the actors' lines and actions. We don't sing opera for professionals, we sing for ordinary people. Local opera troupes also perform in the countryside for farmers. Farmers don't understand so much, but they can still listen."

"Have you ever performed in the countryside?" Sheng Jiahao asked.

"I've been there," Jiang Moli said. "Of course I haven't. I went there with everyone. People in the countryside don't have much money, but some people will still give tips."

Jiang Moli once encountered someone coming up on stage to give her a tip. Many people love to go to opera. Mainly because there are no other entertainment options, those who hear opera performances flock to them, wishing the performers could keep singing. Sometimes, some people have already heard the operas, but they still sit there and listen.

"But we didn't go to the countryside far away, we stayed in the nearby countryside." Jiang Moli said, "My brother is a little far away from South City, but compared to the northwest and northeast, it's not that far. After all, we are in the same province."

Nancheng is a coastal city, while Zhao Guodong's village is closer to the inland, deep in the mountains. There are more hills over there, mostly red soil, and the land is not as fertile.

It takes six or seven hours to take a train from Nancheng to the county town where Zhao Guodong is located, not including the time to go to the township and then to the village from the township.

Whenever Jiang's mother went to visit Zhao Guodong, she had to take an early train; otherwise, she wouldn't reach the village by dark. Sometimes there were no buses to the village, and the market was early in the morning. Jiang's mother even took the train in the middle of the night, just to catch a tractor carrying people to the village market so she could catch it.

"Come to think of it, I haven't performed in my brother's village yet, and I don't think I'll have the chance to perform there in the future," Jiang Moli said.

Local drama troupes may go to the countryside more frequently, while provincial Xiaobaihua troupes may go to the countryside less frequently.

"Want to go over?" Sheng Jiahao asked.

"No." Jiang Moli shook her head. "I haven't thought about going there. It's not that I dislike it, but the countryside is really not as good as the city nowadays, and sometimes there are still some problems."

Not all villagers are very simple and honest. In some places, the villagers are all kinds of weird and extraordinary. There are also weird and extraordinary people in the city, but it is easier to hide in the city than in the countryside.

"I haven't been there since my brother went to the countryside," Jiang Moli said. "Firstly, my grandma and dad didn't want me to go, and secondly, I didn't want to go myself, fearing something might go wrong."

Jiang Moli couldn't risk her life to find Zhao Guodong. She cared more about herself. She just bought some things and mailed them to her brother. The rest was left to her brother. He could always get things done.

"It's better not to go." Sheng Jiahao said, "I've been to the countryside, and the conditions there can't be compared with the city."

"My mother has been there several times." Jiang Moli said.

"He is my aunt's biological son, so I naturally care about him," said Sheng Jiahao.

"Well, being a mother and being a younger sister are different feelings." Jiang Moli said, "Being a mother-in-law is also different from being a sister-in-law."

"It's different." Sheng Jiahao said, "Have you met my second sister?"

"I have met her." Jiang Moli nodded. Sheng Jiahao's second sister is in South City. Jiang Moli sometimes went to Teacher Lu's house and met Sheng's second sister. "Your second sister is very good."

"She knows you and I are dating. She said you're great and that she'd been wondering who would be your partner, but she never expected it to be her own brother." Sheng Jiahao said with a smile, "My second sister also said that no one in our family has followed Mom in singing opera, but you're doing it, so it can be considered a dream come true for Mom."

Sheng Jiahao's three siblings all knew what Teacher Lu was thinking. She really wanted her children to learn opera from her. However, during that special era, the development of local opera was greatly affected. Teacher Lu herself encountered many difficulties during that period, so she did not allow her children to learn opera.

Now that things are better, Mr. Lu inevitably thinks back to some of the past. He doesn't have many regrets, after all. We all need to make the most of the present. Different time periods and situations lead to different choices. We can't judge a choice as bad at another time. Sometimes it's not about whether the choice was good or not, but rather the circumstances at the time.

"Actually, whether you performed opera or not is not a big deal," Jiang Moli said. "The most important thing for people in this world is to stay alive."

"Yes." Sheng Jiahao said, "We didn't go to learn opera. Mom was the teacher and taught the students. She valued her students very much."

"I can tell." Jiang Moli said, "I've been to your house several times. Not just me, but other students as well. Besides our class, there are students from other classes as well. Teacher Lu is very kind to us. It's because Teacher Lu is so kind that people are so close to him and open up."

"Mom has high hopes for her students," Sheng Jiahao said. "She has a special fascination with opera."

During those difficult times, Sheng Jiahao and others would sometimes see Teacher Lu staring blankly at her opera costumes. As her children, they didn't know how to comfort their beloved mother. They hadn't learned opera with her, and they didn't know what it was like. At home, Teacher Lu rarely talked to her children about opera, and for a long time, she didn't even practice her lyrics at home.

Teacher Lu was determined to prevent her children from developing an interest in opera, from even considering learning it. As a mother, she cared deeply for her children. She hadn't anticipated the current situation, the turnaround in their opera career. But missed opportunities are missed opportunities. There's no way her family could learn opera anytime soon, and they wouldn't be able to perform on stage.

Teacher Lu was undoubtedly filled with regret, so she treated her students better and watched them grow. This was Teacher Lu's wish: to help her students do better, to allow them to perform on stage, and to gain recognition from the audience.

"Yes." Jiang Moli said, "You haven't said whether you want to come and see it?"

"Of course I have to watch it," Sheng Jiahao said, "but I don't know if the seats will be full by then, or if there won't be any left."

"No, the lobby is huge," Jiang Moli said. "It can accommodate a lot of people. Although it's free, not many people come to watch. Many people still like to watch performances by famous actors and would rather pay a little. Our students' performances are still far inferior."

The people who perform in those drama troupes are carefully selected by the troupes, while the students in the school are mostly of varying abilities. The main purpose of the graduation drama is to give everyone a chance to perform, rather than to exclude people who are poor students from the stage.

"After one round, it's a repetition. It doesn't matter whether you watch it or not." Jiang Moli said, "Our school has been holding this event for two years. This is the third year."

"This kind of activity is good, allowing more people to see it for free," said Sheng Jiahao.

"Some students' parents came all the way from other places to see the show," Jiang Moli said, "just to support their children."

"Uncle and aunt, do you want to come and see too?" Sheng Jiahao asked.

"Not just them, my grandma and the others also said they wanted to come over to see it," Jiang Moli said. "My uncle and aunt are all in South City, as well as my cousin. Oh, and my cousin is dating someone, and before that, my grandma gave the tickets I gave her to my third cousin so he could take his girlfriend to see it. My third cousin is getting married soon, and the two families are discussing the matchmaking. I wanted to go over and join in the fun, but my mom wouldn't let me, saying it would still be in time to go after they finalize their marriage."

Jiang Moli wanted to join in the fun and see what the marriage proposal was about. But her mother didn't let her go, so she didn't have to go.

"It's free, no tickets required, but my grandma is still very willing to come." Jiang Moli said, "Many elderly people are willing to come and see it. They don't have too many requirements for opera, just being able to listen is enough."

Jiang Moli was quite understanding of the elderly. Many of them were not well-educated and didn't know many words. They didn't have particularly high expectations for things. If it was free, what else could they ask for? If there was something free, it was a bargain.

When Jiang Moli returned home from school, she heard a noise at the door. It turned out that it was Jiang Moli's brother and sister-in-law who came. Niu Cuihua and his wife brought a lot of things with them. It seemed a lot, but in fact, it was not much.

When Niu Cuihua came to the city, she gave most of her old clothes to her family, saying that since they had all come to the city, the clothes people in the countryside wore were too tacky, and if she stood in front of the city people wearing those clothes, they would laugh at her. Niu Cuihua also said that when Zhao Guodong got his salary, they could buy cloth to make new clothes, and those clothes would no longer be needed.

"This is red mushroom. A pound is very valuable," Niu Cuihua said. "Some people come to our place to buy it, and the price is very high. Just this little bit costs a lot of money. It's only because my family wants to keep it for gifts that we haven't sold it all. If we sold it, it would be equivalent to one-tenth of our family's annual income."

Niu Cuihua said that deliberately. These red mushrooms were originally kept by the Niu family for their own consumption and to entertain guests. Country people don't have many things to show off, and red mushrooms are something they can show off.

"The dried sweet potatoes made by my mother are delicious. The sweet potatoes in our countryside grow particularly well. We don't even need to add sugar. They are very sweet." Niu Cuihua said.

"These are all good things." When Jiang's mother heard Niu Cuihua say this, she couldn't say that these things were bad. Even if the things were not good, she would praise them to the fullest.

"Mom." Jiang Moli walked in from outside.

Niu Cuihua turned her head to look outside the door. She wiped her hands on her clothes and then quickly walked to Jiang Moli.

"Hey, this is my little sister." Niu Cuihua held Jiang Moli's hands tightly with both hands. "You are so beautiful. If you were in our place, all the boys in the surrounding area would be dazzled by you."

Niu Cuihua said, patting Jiang Moli's butt with one hand, "It's just that your butt is a little small. Those old people like big butts, which are good for bearing children."

"..." Jiang Moli's mouth twitched slightly. She didn't expect Niu Cuihua to do such a thing.

Jiang Moli quickly pulled back her hand. This was the first time she had officially met Niu Cuihua. Was Niu Cuihua praising her or mocking her by saying these words?

"Mom, this is the chicken leg I just bought outside. Cut it up and eat it." Jiang Moli originally thought that Zhao Guodong and his wife would come tomorrow. When Zhao Guodong called, he also said that they would come tomorrow. Jiang Moli did not expect that Zhao Guodong and his wife would arrive today.

Jiang Moli bought three chicken legs, originally thinking of giving one to each family member. With Zhao Guodong and his wife coming, there wouldn't be enough for each person, so she cut them up and ate them. It was impossible for Jiang Moli to say that she and her parents were eating and that she couldn't let her brother and sister-in-law eat.

"Forget it, I'll go out and buy a few more." Jiang Moli said.

"Just cut it." Jiang's mother looked at Niu Cuihua.

"We're not picky about food," Niu Cuihua said. "I can do whatever you want me to do."

"You guys should pack up first," Jiang's mother said. "Jasmine, didn't you say earlier that you had a new blanket for your brother and sister-in-law?"

"Okay, I'll get it." Jiang Moli said.

Jiang Moli went into the room and brought out a new blanket, the packaging of which was still there. Jiang Moli did not throw away the packaging, but gave the blanket to Niu Cuihua along with the packaging box.

"Hasn't it been dried in the sun?" Niu Cuihua looked at the blanket.

"Uh." Jiang Moli didn't think about drying the new blanket.

"Don't you city people all like to sterilize things? They say it's good to dry them in the sun," Niu Cuihua said, holding a new blanket. "The female educated youth who came to our area always took their quilts out to dry in the sun, even their newly bought clothes."

What should Jiang Moli say about this? Could she say she didn't have the habit of airing new blankets? The key point was that she wasn't going to use the new blanket, and she didn't know Niu Cuihua's habits, so it was impossible for her to take the blanket out to air for Niu Cuihua first. If Jiang Moli really aired the new blanket, Niu Cuihua might think it was old.

Jiang Moli suddenly felt that this sister-in-law was a little difficult to get along with. She seemed to be pointing fingers at her from the moment she entered the door. Jiang Moli thought to herself, let's wait and see, maybe that's just the way her sister-in-law spoke, and she didn't mean anything else.

"They also said that washing and drying it would keep it clean and good for the children," Niu Cuihua said. "They said there might be bacteria on it that could make the children sick."

"Sister-in-law, if you think this blanket is not suitable, you can use another one." Jiang Moli was not very happy.

"No, I don't think it's a problem." Niu Cuihua hugged the new blanket tightly. She couldn't possibly return the new blanket to Jiang Moli. Why use the old one when there is a new one? "Sister-in-law doesn't mean anything else, I just want to tell you something."

"Pack your things quickly." Zhao Guodong said.

"I'm cleaning up." Niu Cuihua said.

Jiang Moli did not continue to stand in the living room, but went to the kitchen. Jiang's mother had already come to the kitchen. Jiang's mother had to cook for everyone, at least this meal had to be cooked by Jiang's mother herself, and Niu Cuihua and the others had to clean up.

"Did you call your brother?" Jiang's mother asked.

"Not yet." Jiang Moli curled her lips, "Brother didn't call me either. This is my home, I just came back, listen to what my sister-in-law said?"

Jiang Moli spoke softly, not daring to speak too loudly, for fear that Niu Cuihua would hear. Niu Cuihua said those words on the first day she came, not afraid of being upset at all. Did Niu Cuihua think that she was her sister-in-law and she could say whatever she wanted?

It wasn't that Jiang Moli had to have a problem with Niu Cuihua. Who would say something like that when meeting their sister-in-law for the first time? Whether Jiang Moli was fertile or not had nothing to do with Niu Cuihua. Jiang Moli wasn't marrying into Niu Cuihua's family. And that brand new blanket? Jiang Moli hadn't used it herself.

Was Niu Cuihua afraid that people in the city would think she was unrefined, or did she think Jiang Moli was not refined enough?

"I'll tell them about renting a house in a couple of days," Jiang's mother said. "I just heard about it. Just bear with it for a few days."

"One day is fine, but if it lasts longer, I can't stand it." Jiang Moli said, "I don't know if there's something wrong with the way she speaks, or if she's just trying to provoke me."

When Jiang Moli was on the phone with Niu Cuihua, Niu Cuihua was not like this. As soon as Niu Cuihua came over, she said those words, which made Jiang Moli very embarrassed. Jiang Moli didn't say anything else because of Zhao Guodong's face. You know, Jiang Moli's temper is not so good. If it were someone else, Jiang Moli would have been angry and would have said a few words.

Niu Cuihua brought the new blanket into the room, and Zhao Guodong had just heard what Niu Cuihua said.

"Next time, don't touch me," Zhao Guodong said. It would have been fine if his wife had just grabbed my little sister's hand, but why did she slap her butt? Didn't she see how stiff her little sister's expression was? His wife, still looking as if she couldn't read anyone's expression, continued to talk about drying the blanket. "This is a new blanket. If you want to dry it, take it out tomorrow."

"I was thinking that they would take it out to dry early, so we can go to bed directly?" Niu Cuihua said.

After Niu Cuihua married Zhao Guodong, she had been learning the living habits of the educated youth and trying to make her life more like that of a city dweller, so that Zhao Guodong would think she was a hygienic person. Niu Cuihua had just said those words in front of Jiang Moli on purpose to let others know that she was not a silly country woman who knew nothing, but that she also knew a little bit about things.

"You can sleep, of course you can sleep?" Zhao Guodong said, "If you don't want to sleep on the blanket, put it next to you. There's also a quilt."

"It's so hot, of course it's more comfortable to cover yourself with a blanket." Niu Cuihua said, "You have to talk to your mother. Those things are worth a lot of money. Although my mother's family is poor, those things are really good things. It's not just the things you gave that are good things. Do you hear me?"

"Mom knows." Zhao Guodong said.

"She may not know." Niu Cuihua reminded Zhao Guodong again, "You should tell her about it. Oh, and your stepfather too. You should tell them about it too. You should let them know."

"Okay." Zhao Guodong felt helpless. His wife was always like this.

Jiang Moli didn't go out to buy a few more chicken legs after all. Niu Cuihua's attitude made Jiang Moli unhappy, so she simply went to her room. Niu Cuihua packed up her things and found that Jiang Moli didn't go to the kitchen to help, but went straight into the room. Niu Cuihua saw Jiang Moli's behavior and thought that such a sister-in-law was too lazy. If she was so lazy at home, her own mother would definitely scold her.

During dinner, Niu Cuihua picked up sliced ​​chicken legs for her two children, always with the large piece of meat at the bottom.

"Jasmine, you..." Don't you usually have to wash dishes and cook? Niu Cuihua was about to say that when Zhao Guodong stepped on her hard.

Zhao Guodong had a feeling something was wrong. He couldn't let his wife continue. This wasn't their real home, it was Jiang Moli's. They were only coming here to stay for a while, so they shouldn't offend Jiang Moli.

"Little sister, are you about to graduate?" Zhao Guodong asked.

"It's almost time. Our graduation play is about to start, and it's free to watch." Jiang Moli said, "No tickets are needed. It's open to the public. Brother, you and your sister-in-law, as well as your nephews and nieces, can all go and watch directly."

"Okay, we must go and take a look." Zhao Guodong said.

Niu Cuihua's foot hurt a little, but she didn't dare show it too obviously. Jiang's mother noticed the strangeness in Niu Cuihua's expression, but she didn't say anything.

Jiang's father had just returned and asked Zhao Guodong a few questions, but now he didn't ask any more questions. Zhao Guodong was Jiang's stepson, so Jiang's father didn't intend to interfere.

"Where's my eldest sister?" Niu Cuihua asked, "When can the whole family get together?"

"You don't have an older sister," Jiang's mother said. "I forgot to tell you, she's not your father's biological daughter. She's the daughter of someone else."

"What?" Niu Cuihua was surprised. She looked at Jiang's father again. Oh my God, doesn't this mean that Jiang's father has raised a son and a daughter for someone else? Zhao Guodong was easy to say. He was a stepson, and he knew from the beginning that he was not his biological son. But Jiang Yuqin, Jiang's father had always believed that Jiang Yuqin was his biological daughter.

Niu Cuihua's eyes rolled around, and she had another idea. Jiang Moli was Zhao Guodong's biological sister, but Jiang Yuqin was not. Did this mean that Zhao Guodong could stay at home longer?

Renting an apartment costs money, as does everything in the city. Niu Cuihua wanted to spend as little as possible, rather than spend more.

"Jiang Yuqin is not Dad's biological daughter." Jiang Moli repeated, "But you still have to go out and rent a house."

Jiang's mother had originally planned to tell him two days later, but Jiang Moli did it directly. Many people knew about Jiang's mother's search for a house, so instead of waiting for others to tell Zhao Guodong and his wife, it would be better for them to tell them themselves.

"Mom and Dad said they'll pay you two months' rent, and you can rent a house nearby." Jiang Moli said, "Mom gave the job to your brother. He has a job and a salary, so he can always support you. If you don't have enough money, you can just find some odd jobs."

Jiang Moli didn't like what Niu Cuihua said. Since the two of them lived under the same roof, there were bound to be conflicts. It would be better for her to say less.

"Go out and rent a house?" Niu Cuihua was surprised. She originally thought that these people would at least tell her after some time, rather than as soon as they came back.

"That's right, you can go out and rent a house." Jiang's mother said, "I've looked at a few houses. I'll tell you about them later. You can go out and look around too. If you live nearby and it's inconvenient for you to take care of the children, I can help you look."

As for letting Niu Cuihua and her husband live at home, that’s not possible.

Jiang's father would never agree, and Jiang's mother had to consider the attitude of the Jiang family.

"But...isn't this room empty? It would cost money to rent it out," Niu Cuihua said. "Isn't that a waste of money?"

Zhao Guodong didn't want Niu Cuihua to speak, but Niu Cuihua insisted on speaking.

"Guodong is married, and you have children now," Jiang's mother said. "Go out and live in your own home."

Zhao Guodong understood what Jiang's mother said. Zhao Guodong had lived in the Jiang family since he was very young. He was not Jiang's father's biological child, so many things were difficult to deal with and he did not have the same freedom. When Zhao Guodong was in the countryside and had not returned to the city, he did not think about living here forever. It was Niu Cuihua who was thinking about those things.

"I'll pay you two months' rent." Jiang's father emphasized that this was what he could do as a stepfather.

Jiang's father didn't expect Zhao Guodong to be filial to him. Zhao Guodong knew who his biological father was, and the Zhao family was also in South City. However, the Zhao family didn't pay much attention to Zhao Guodong. It was the Zhao family who kicked Jiang's mother and Zhao Guodong out of the house. While the Zhao family treated Jiang's mother and Zhao Guodong so badly, Jiang's father was considered good to Zhao Guodong.

"This..." Niu Cuihua looked at Zhao Guodong, hoping that Zhao Guodong could say something.

Zhao Guodong had nothing to say, the house was never his.

"Okay." Zhao Guodong said.

"Tomorrow, Guodong will come with me to the company to complete the handover procedures. Guodong will start work first and get paid." Jiang's mother didn't want to delay any further. The sooner the work was handed over to her son, the sooner she could feel at ease. "You can rent a house nearby and visit in the evening. You don't have to go during the day. If you're worried, Cuihua can go and check on you during the day."

"Mom, isn't it a waste to leave this room empty?" Niu Cuihua still said the same thing.

"It's not a waste." Jiang's father said, "Relatives can come and stay."

Father Jiang was not very happy. After all that talk, Niu Cuihua was still talking about the room. Father Jiang stood on the side of his biological daughter. The house was to be left to his biological daughter, not to Zhao Guodong.

Earlier, Mrs. Jiang had told Mr. Jiang that Zhao Guodong and his wife couldn't live in the Jiang family forever and had to move out. Mrs. Jiang wanted to hand the job over to Zhao Guodong, and the Jiang family had no objection. After all, it was Mrs. Jiang's job, and she could give it to whoever she wanted. The Jiang family couldn't demand that Mrs. Jiang hand the job over to someone else.

But this house belongs to the Jiang family, not Jiang's mother, nor Zhao Guodong. The Jiang family can't give the house to Zhao Guodong, and can't let Zhao Guodong get it for free.

"Eat." Zhao Guodong picked up some food for Niu Cuihua and stopped her from continuing.

After dinner, Niu Cuihua helped wash the dishes and cleared the table before returning to her room. Niu Cuihua was very unhappy because there was a vacant room at home, but those people insisted on asking them to rent a house.

"No wonder you told me about renting a house before you came back. It seems you already knew their attitude would be like this." Niu Cuihua said in the room, "Your sister is really amazing. She asked us to rent a house right after we came back. I just said a few simple words. Did I offend her?"

"It's better to rent a house." Zhao Guodong said, "This is not my sister's problem."

"It's not her problem, it's mine?" Niu Cuihua said, "She'll get married in the future. Even if she wants a son-in-law, she won't do it so soon. What's wrong with letting us stay at home for a while? They have empty rooms and they don't rent them out, so it's a waste."

"Stop talking." Zhao Guodong frowned.

"I'm not wrong," Niu Cuihua said. "When you married me, you still lived in my parents' old house. My parents never told you not to live there, let alone ask you to pay for it."

"The situation is different." Zhao Guodong was helpless. Niu Cuihua always liked to compare things in the countryside with those in the city. "Didn't Uncle say he would give us two months' rent? Mom will hand over my shift tomorrow, and I'll get my wages soon."

"I'm just not very happy. They're so mean to you." Niu Cuihua felt aggrieved for her man. It is always her man who is sacrificed.

Jiang Moli heard the noises coming from Niu Cuihua's room. She didn't regret saying those words at the dinner table; she had to say them sooner or later. It didn't matter who was the villain; Jiang Moli wasn't afraid that Zhao Guodong and his wife didn't like her. That was the truth. Rather than waiting for a quarrel later, it was better to separate early.

Jiang's mother did not say anything wrong about Jiang Moli, so this matter cannot be blamed entirely on Jiang Moli.

"We live here, at least I can sweep the floor, wash dishes, cook and do clothes." Niu Cuihua raised her voice.

Jiang Moli sat in the living room, rolling her eyes. She looked at her mother and pointed to the room where Niu Cuihua lived. Whether Jiang Moli did housework at home or not, what did it have to do with Niu Cuihua? Jiang's mother was willing to do those things, and Jiang's mother didn't have to let Jiang Moli wash dishes and clothes, so what?

A child with a mother is a treasure, and there's nothing wrong with a mother loving her daughter. But what if mothers are only allowed to love their sons and only favor boys over girls?

Niu Cuihua didn't dare to speak too loudly in front of Jiang's father and mother, and didn't dare to quarrel with her elders for the time being. She said those words to Zhao Guodong in the room, asking Zhao Guodong to think carefully about it, and realized that her own family was the one who was really good to Zhao Guodong.

"Speak softly." Zhao Guodong reminded Niu Cuihua.

"I'm not the kind of person who sits and waits for food." Niu Cuihua said.

"My little sister has work to do," Zhao Guodong said. "Just keep quiet, understand?"

Zhao Guodong almost reached out to cover Niu Cuihua's mouth. If Niu Cuihua continued to talk, Zhao Guodong would be embarrassed to stay here for a few days. Zhao Guodong had long known that Niu Cuihua's mouth was not so good, and he also knew that Niu Cuihua was doing it for him, but Niu Cuihua thought too simply. If Jiang's father was Zhao Guodong's biological father, Zhao Guodong could fight for the house, but Jiang's father was not Zhao Guodong's biological father. The house was owned by Jiang's mother before she married Jiang's father.

Zhao Guodong told Niu Cuihua about this earlier when they were in the countryside, and Niu Cuihua still has the same attitude.

In the evening, Niu Cuihua went to the yard to wash clothes and happened to meet Miao Guifeng who was coming back from selling roasted sweet potatoes outside. When Miao Guifeng saw Niu Cuihua, she subconsciously wanted to call Niu Cuihua's name, and then she remembered that they had just met in this life.

"Hello, are you the daughter-in-law of the Jiang family?" Miao Guifeng took the initiative to speak.