Chapter 31 Useless People's Inertial Thinking

"What era is this? Why are you still so restrictive?" Jiang's mother asked. "Do you think selling roasted sweet potatoes is a big deal? You're not a housewife anymore. Why don't you go out?"

Miao Guifeng really thought so. She not only worked at home, but also went out to sell sweet potatoes and made money.

"No, you don't think you've gotten out," Jiang's mother said. "It's because your husband is useless. He's the only one earning money, but he can't provide you with a good life. You're unhappy, and you have no other options. You can only go out and sell roasted sweet potatoes and take odd jobs. There's nothing wrong with that; many families do the same. Those who don't have jobs take odd jobs at home, or set up stalls to earn a little money. But how many people are like you, staring at other people's families like you? You're targeting our family today, and someone else's tomorrow. You want everyone in our compound to suffer, right?"

"I didn't!" Miao Guifeng said hurriedly. She couldn't let anyone in the compound have any opinions about her.

At this moment, Miao Guifeng's son woke up and cried loudly.

Jiang's mother's heart softened when she heard the child cry. A child this young doesn't understand anything yet. It's better not to scare him. Scaring a child can easily cause a fever, which is bad for their health.

"Today, for the sake of your child, I won't waste any more words with you. Miao Guifeng, think carefully about your dirty deeds." Jiang's mother said.

"Yes, think carefully about your dirty deeds." Mother Yang said to Miao Guifeng, "Don't bring shame to our Yang family. You really don't know how to do things properly, and you only know how to mess around with unnecessary things."

Miao Guifeng put the child down from her back and held him in her arms, coaxing him. She didn't have time to clean the stove. Yang Bingrong waited until Jiang's mother returned to the house before he dared to come out. Yang Bingrong had heard Jiang's mother's voice a long time ago, and he was afraid that if he came out, he would also be scolded. Jiang's mother would not give them much face.

Yang Bingrong had lived in this compound for many years and knew clearly how bad-tempered Jiang's mother was. Jiang's mother was usually kind and gentle, but once something really happened, she would dare to take action. Don't think Jiang Moli had a bad temper; she was just imitating her mother.

Yang Bingrong picked up the stove that had fallen to the ground and swept up the ashes with a broom. If Yang Bingrong didn't clean up those things, people would still criticize Yang Bingrong and his wife.

Miao Guifeng watched Yang Bingrong packing up those things, and she thought of Jiang's mother's words again.

Yes, Yang Bingrong is not that useful, and Miao Guifeng’s man is too weak.

Miao Guifeng really couldn't bear to see others have a good man, and she didn't want Jiang Moli to have an easy life. Obviously, Jiang Moli and Miao Guifeng had no vested interests, but because they lived in the same courtyard, Miao Guifeng had evil intentions. She even wanted Niu Cuihua and her husband to snatch Jiang Moli's property.

Yang Bingrong felt a little panicked when he saw Miao Guifeng didn't say anything.

"Take the child into the house first." Yang Bingrong said.

"Clean up first." Miao Guifeng said, "It's hot, there are two pieces outside. Once you've cleaned up, we can go in."

Miao Guifeng coaxed the child a few more times, and the child soon stopped crying. Miao Guifeng looked at the child and saw that she had fed the child before returning. Miao Guifeng looked at the child's diaper and saw that the child had not wet himself. Miao Guifeng couldn't help but wonder if the child knew that his mother was being talked about, and he was crying on purpose. Once he cried, others stopped talking.

This child is so sensible!

Miao Guifeng sighed, determined to raise this child well. She recalled Jiang's mother's accusation that she favored boys over girls. She didn't think she favored boys over girls; she was making up for it. The child hadn't been by her side in her past life, so she had to treat the child well in this life and not let him suffer any more.

After a long time, Jiang Moli came back from outside. When she came back, Yang Bingrong had just packed up his things. Jiang Moli saw Miao Guifeng, who quickly carried the child into the house first.

"I'm not a ghost, what should I be afraid of?" Jiang Moli muttered, then went into the room.

Jiang Moli didn't tell Miao Guifeng. Yang Bingrong was there, so Jiang Moli would still take a look at the situation.

"Mom, I'm back." Jiang Moli said to her mother sitting in the living room, "Where's Dad? Did he go to bed?"

"No, I'm washing my feet." Jiang's mother said, "Have you seen Miao Guifeng?"

"I saw it. As soon as she saw me, she took the child and went into the room. I hadn't even said anything to her yet." Jiang Moli said.

"I just kicked her stove and gave her a good scolding," Jiang's mother said. "She said those things in front of your sister-in-law. Your sister-in-law is stupid, and Miao Guifeng is vicious. If I don't say something to Miao Guifeng, she will tell more lies in front of your sister-in-law, and our family will be in chaos because of them. Miao Guifeng doesn't have a good life herself, but she also makes others' lives miserable. That's her problem."

"Mom, you did a great job." Jiang Moli gave a thumbs up. "If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to do it."

"Don't think you can't do anything just because she just gave birth," Jiang's mother said. "People like that take advantage of the fact that they just gave birth and that others will sympathize with them, so they act recklessly. You give her face, but she won't give you face."

Jiang's mother was old, so she wasn't afraid. "You young ladies have to save face, so it's easy for you to hold back. If she dares to talk nonsense to your sister-in-law again, or if she dares to encourage her to do those evil things, I won't let her go."

"Yes, I won't let her go." Jiang Moli ran to her mother and hugged her neck. "Mom, you are the best mother in the world."

"Okay, don't be so clingy." Jiang's mother chuckled. "Go take a shower and rest afterward. It's so late, so don't wash your hair. Long hair doesn't dry easily. You can't sleep with your hair wet. You'll get a headache if you do."

"Mom, you've told me this many times, I know it all." Jiang Moli said, "I'll curl my hair and tie it on top, and then wear a hat to keep it from getting wet."

"That's right." Jiang's mother said, "Take a good shower and have a good rest. Don't worry about those things. Mom is here."

Jiang's mother thought that as long as she was still alive and able to move, her daughter didn't need to always rush to the front, and she still had to help her daughter more. Jiang's mother felt guilty about her son, but she also tried her best to be good to him. There were some things Jiang's mother could do, and some things she couldn't do, such as Jiang's mother would never let Jiang's father hand over the house to Zhao Guodong.

Jiang's father treated Zhao Guodong well. If Zhao Guodong and his wife were to push their limits, that would be unjust. Jiang's mother couldn't let her life become a mess because of Zhao Guodong and his wife. Children and grandchildren would have their own blessings, and Jiang's mother didn't want to interfere too much.

After returning to the room, Miao Guifeng still pricked up her ears to listen to the movement outside. She was afraid that Jiang Moli would rush in with a kitchen knife. Fortunately, Jiang Moli did not rush over. Miao Guifeng looked at Yang Bingrong who came in and asked Yang Bingrong to close the door.

"Jiang Moli's mother is really powerful." Miao Guifeng was stunned by the scolding.

Jiang's mother's curses were different from those of the country women Miao Guifeng knew. Jiang's mother was more civilized, without using harsh words. You know, some country women curse with all sorts of human organs exposed, and their curses are particularly brutal.

Those people didn't want to reason with anyone, they just kept cursing, spitting everywhere, and kept on cursing over and over again.

"Don't say those things to her daughter-in-law in the future." Yang Bingrong said. He was afraid that his wife would anger the Jiang family. "She's still pretty good. If Jiang Moli's grandmother comes over, Old Lady Jiang will curse even more fiercely."

Yang Bingrong didn't want to face these people at all, and wanted to face them as little as possible.

"I..." Miao Guifeng thought about what Jiang's mother said, and the secret in her heart was revealed. "It's not that I don't want them to live a bad life, it's just... I just thought that Jiang Moli's boyfriend is a college student, a college student, how amazing. I... That's why I thought that. Big deal, I won't say it anymore."

"That house belongs to the Jiang family," Yang Bingrong said. "It's not ours, nor is it the Zhao family's. You don't have to think about helping others fight for it."

Yang Bingrong didn't dare to say these words outside, so he only said them in the room. Jiang's mother had already said it, so Yang Bingrong knew what Miao Guifeng was thinking.

"Zhao Guodong and his wife are not familiar with you, why are you saying those things?" Yang Bingrong said, "It's useless."

"After today, I won't talk about it anymore." Miao Guifeng said, "I just feel sorry for Niu Cuihua. She and I are both from the countryside. It's really not easy for her. It's really not easy. We at least got a room, but Niu Cuihua can only rent a house."

"That's because this house belongs to my parents." Yang Bingrong said, "The Jiang family's house doesn't belong to Zhao Guodong's biological father. If Zhao Guodong wants to fight for it, he has to go to the Zhao family to fight for it."

"Since you all said so, I will definitely stop saying it in front of Niu Cuihua, okay?" Miao Guifeng said, "It's not that I don't understand what you are saying. I can understand it all."

"Yeah." Yang Bingrong nodded slightly.

Many people in the compound heard the noise. When Jiang's mother was talking about Miao Guifeng, they didn't run out to stop her, but chose to eavesdrop. They had already been wondering why Miao Guifeng would offend Jiang's mother. Miao Guifeng was a person who did things without thinking, always doing things without thinking.

Miao Guifeng doesn't think before she does things, so it's impossible for others to spoil her forever. They aren't her relatives, and Jiang's mother used to say Miao Guifeng would change, saying that after she'd been in the city longer, she wouldn't have so many problems. But no matter how long Miao Guifeng had been in the city, she was always like this.

Anyway, no one else in the compound likes Miao Guifeng. She's selfish and always uses rural rhetoric, making it seem like everyone's targeting rural people. In reality, they're not targeting rural people, nor are they trying to discredit them; some rural people are actually very good. It can only be said that people like Miao Guifeng have little education, no money, poor ideological education, and spiritual poverty—poor in every way.

"Jasmine's mother finally couldn't help herself." Someone at home said this to her spouse, "I've said it all along, people like Miao Guifeng don't deserve sympathy. Miao Guifeng is just like that. The better someone treats her, the more she wants to stab them. She has no conscience."

Miao Guifeng is not popular, which is why she wants to interact more with Niu Cuihua. Both of them are from the countryside and they have many similar ideas.

It was so late, and Jiang Yuqin still had to check on her adopted son's wound. Fortunately, her adopted son did not have a high fever, so there was no need to go to the hospital. At most, he had to go to the hospital to change the dressing. Jiang Yuqin originally wanted to change the dressing at home, but Ding Chao said that he still had to go to the hospital.

Ding Chao was worried that Jiang Yuqin wasn't taking the child seriously, that something might be wrong with the child, and that they needed to take the child to the hospital. Jiang Yuqin had no choice but to listen to Ding Chao, saying that taking the child to the hospital would cost money, and they had spent a lot of money these days. Jiang Yuqin felt bad about the money, thinking that it would be much better to use it to buy food and clothes.

This was the first time that Jiang Yuqin deeply realized how expensive it was to raise a child. Jiang Yuqin couldn't say no. If she had paid more attention, the child would not have been burned.

"The wound is much better." Jiang Yuqin said, "Do we still need to go to the hospital to change the dressing?"

"Let's go to the hospital," Ding Chao said. "My deceased brother only had this one son. We must take good care of him."

"Of course." Jiang Yuqin nodded. "I will definitely take care of him. I heard that the wound has healed a lot, and I can change the dressing on the child myself at home without going to the hospital. After all, going to the hospital costs money."

"This money should be spent." Ding Chao said, "If you had paid more attention, the child would be fine."

"Yes, it's time to spend it." After hearing this, Jiang Yuqin stopped talking, fearing that Ding Chao would continue to say that she didn't pay attention and didn't value the child.

Jiang Yuqin had never given birth, and she felt she had been good enough to her children. However, there were inevitably some omissions, and Ding Chao would be unhappy if he knew. Jiang Yuqin did not reflect on herself, nor did she think about whether it was difficult for Jiang's mother to be a stepmother. She only felt that it was difficult for herself.

"The child's injuries are much better, but we still can't let our guard down," Ding Chao said. "If you can't take care of the child while you're cooking, ask the neighbors for help. If that's all that matters, give them some money; they'll be willing to help."

If you ask others to help you for free all the time, they will definitely not be willing to do so. But if you give them some money or something, they may be willing to do so.

Although it is common for neighbors to help each other, it also depends on the relationship between these people.

"I don't even dare to put boiling water on the table anymore," Jiang Yuqin said. "If I really have to, I'll just put it in a corner and cover it with something to keep the kids out of reach."

Raising a child requires a lot of attention. Jiang Yuqin has now learned to do a lot of things, such as washing the child's hair and bathing, washing the child's clothes, making milk powder for the child, and making sure the child eats fine grains. In short, the good things in the house are eaten by the child first.

Jiang Yuqin asked Ding Chao to eat more meat, but Ding Chao said that he was letting the child eat more because the child was too thin. Jiang Yuqin saw that Ding Chao didn't eat much, so she herself didn't want to eat more.

The next morning, Niu Cuihua was shocked when she learned that Jiang's mother had kicked Miao Guifeng's stove. Niu Cuihua had never expected Jiang's mother to treat Miao Guifeng like that. You know, when Jiang's mother spoke to Niu Cuihua, her face would at most turn cold. Niu Cuihua was a little afraid of Jiang's mother, but not too much.

When Niu Cuihua learned that Jiang's mother was so cruel to Miao Guifeng, she was afraid that Jiang's mother would treat her the same way. Fortunately, Jiang's mother did not treat her like that at the moment.

Before, Niu Cuihua thought that it was because of what Miao Guifeng said to her that she was scolded by her mother-in-law. But now, Niu Cuihua does not intend to scold Miao Guifeng anymore, because Miao Guifeng has already received retribution.

"Is your stove okay?" Niu Cuihua asked Miao Guifeng who was passing by.

"Fortunately, the stove is fine and still usable." Miao Guifeng said, "The stove is of good quality and it wasn't broken by the kick."

"You..." Niu Cuihua looked at Miao Guifeng, "You... Is my mother-in-law very fierce?"

"..." Of course it's fierce, how could it not be fierce? Miao Guifeng looked at Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua was fine, so Jiang's mother would be a little cautious. "It's okay. From now on, don't say what I said casually, and I will say less."

Miao Guifeng didn't blame Niu Cuihua too much. What could Niu Cuihua do wrong? She was just a little talkative. People from the countryside were more direct. They couldn't keep things to themselves and wanted to speak out as soon as there was something.

"You don't blame me?" Niu Cuihua was originally worried that Miao Guifeng would blame her, "I didn't tell my mother-in-law that it was you who said it."

"If you don't say anything, others will." Miao Guifeng said, "If others see us together, they will say something. Are you afraid of your mother-in-law? Do you still dare to talk to me?"

"What am I afraid of? What's there to be afraid of? She and I don't live together." Niu Cuihua said, "I'm not afraid of her. I really am not afraid of her."

Maybe it was because Miao Guifeng was scolded by Jiang's mother that she figured out some things. Miao Guifeng always stabbed others, but if she didn't get any benefits, she would still be retaliated by others. It would be better for her to stop talking about Jiang Moli.

Now, Miao Guifeng didn't dare to encourage Niu Cuihua to fight for the house. If she dared to do so, Jiang's mother would make her unable to stay in the compound.

Time passed, and the graduation play concluded successfully. During the play, He Jingxian had argued with her group members, and once during a performance, something went wrong, with leaders watching from the audience, bringing some of He Jingxian's group members to tears. He Jingxian acted as if nothing had happened. She had successfully gotten into the South City Theater, and a good performance would only be icing on the cake. A poor performance wouldn't have much of an impact on her.

The top three teams in the graduation show were announced: Jiang Moli's team took first place, and He Jingxian's team barely managed third place. He Jingxian's team made some mistakes, as did the other teams. It was all thanks to their peers that they made up for it; otherwise, He Jingxian's team wouldn't have gotten third place.

The leaders watched the graduation drama, and He Jingxian's performance was not outstanding, so the leaders did not have a special impression of He Jingxian.

From the beginning to the end of the graduation drama, Niu Cuihua did not take her children to watch it, but Zhao Guodong went to take a look. Zhao Guodong still felt a little sorry for his sister, but this little bit of love seemed insignificant compared to his wife and children.

At that time, Zhao Guodong also met Jiang Moli. It was a daytime performance. After Jiang Moli finished her performance, Zhao Guodong went backstage to see Jiang Moli.

Old Madam Jiang and her friends came to see Jiang Moli's performance, so Zhao Guodong couldn't help but come. Niu Cuihua didn't want to bring her children, so Zhao Guodong didn't force her, so he came to see Jiang Moli himself.

Jiang Moli did not say anything bad about Niu Cuihua in front of Zhao Guodong, nor did she ask why Niu Cuihua did not come. Jiang Moli felt that her brother had come, and that was enough, so she should not think about anything else.

Niu Cuihua did not ask Zhao Guodong whether he had gone to see Jiang Moli's performance. It would be useless for her to ask. She was Zhao Guodong's biological sister, and it was impossible for Zhao Guodong to really ignore his own sister.

After Zhao Guodong returned from the countryside, he hadn't yet visited the Zhao family. To be more precise, ever since he was kicked out of the Zhao family, Jiang's mother had forbidden him from visiting them, no matter how difficult life was. Zhao Guodong had always kept this in mind, and he wasn't willing to go there now.

Niu Cuihua didn't understand what was going on at the Zhao family's place, and she asked Zhao Guodong, "Should we go over to your grandparents' place?"

"No need to go to the Jiang family." Zhao Guodong said.

"I'm not talking about the Jiang family, I'm talking about your grandparents." Niu Cuihua said, "I rarely hear you talk about them."

"They... they're just like my enemies," Zhao Guodong said. "They kicked me and my mother out when I was very young. They don't consider me one of their own. Don't even think about meeting them. They won't do you any good. They'll only ask for favors from you."

"Is that so? Then I won't go." Niu Cuihua saw Zhao Guodong's face was so ugly, "I don't understand these things. If you tell me, I will understand."

Ever since Jiang's mother kicked Miao Guifeng's stove, Niu Cuihua was a little scared. She didn't dare to speak freely outside. At least, Niu Cuihua didn't dare to say too much about Jiang Moli's faults, nor did she dare to talk too much about the Jiang family's affairs. Niu Cuihua became much quieter. She didn't take odd jobs at home, just waiting for Zhao Guodong's salary. Of the 160 yuan, Niu Cuihua spent less than 30 yuan.

Niu Cuihua didn't know how she spent the money. When she came to her senses, only the money was left. The clothes and quilts at home were all new. The weather was hot now, but it would be cold later. The quilt she brought from the Jiang family could be used as a mattress pad. The new quilt was used to cover herself. Niu Cuihua also bought a blanket, a thinner one, not too thick, to cover the mattress pad in winter.

In addition to clothes, quilts, and other things, Niu Cuihua also bought some peach blossom cakes and other things. Niu Cuihua bought cakes for the children to eat, and asked her daughter to eat less and her son to eat more. The son needed to grow, and the daughter did not need as much nutrition.

"I heard... someone in the Jiang family is getting married. Will they send us an invitation?" Niu Cuihua said.

"I don't know." Zhao Guodong said, "Maybe it will be sent, maybe not. What's the matter?"

"If they send us invitations, we have to prepare red envelopes," Niu Cuihua said. "They didn't give us red envelopes when we got married. Once we give out red envelopes, we may not be able to get them back."

"How much money do you have left?" Zhao Guodong had a bad feeling when he heard Niu Cuihua's words.

"I still have money, not that I don't have money." Niu Cuihua felt guilty.

"How much money is left?" Zhao Guodong asked again.

"There are still about thirty left." Niu Cuihua said, "Wait a while, when you get your salary, it will be fine."

"How much do you think my salary is?" Zhao Guodong didn't expect Niu Cuihua to spend so much money at once. "What did you buy?"

"It's those things, clothes, quilts and so on." Niu Cuihua said, "I didn't expect to spend so much money all at once. There are a few clothes, each one costs ten yuan. My parents worked hard for so many years, but they don't have a single nice piece of clothing. I bought one for each of them, and yours. My own clothes are cheaper, and the children's clothes are not that expensive either."

"I'll take mine back." Zhao Guodong said.

"It's impossible to reverse it. It's already been washed. It's too late." Niu Cuihua said.

"How did you spend all this money so quickly?" Zhao Guodong sighed. "It's been less than a month, and the child still needs to enroll in school, which costs money. My salary isn't high. I just started working at the factory, and 30 or 40 yuan is good."

"Just thirty or forty?" Niu Cuihua couldn't believe it.

"What do you think?" Zhao Guodong said, "Mom and uncle paid our rent for two months. We have to pay for it ourselves from now on. We can't let them pay for us anymore. The children need money for schooling, and we need money for food. When the New Year comes, you will have to send some things to your parents in the countryside. If you don't save a little now, you will have no money by the New Year."

“…” Niu Cuihua took out the money and counted it. It was less than thirty yuan. She didn’t give up and counted it again. It was still the same.

"Be frugal so you don't have to borrow money from Mom. Mom's unemployed now, so she doesn't have that much money." Zhao Guodong said, "Think about it. Even if I earn 40 yuan a month, it'll take me five months to make 200 yuan, and that's without eating or drinking. We have four mouths to feed, so it's impossible not to eat. We're lucky if we can save a few yuan a month. Even if we can save 10 yuan a month, that's only 120 yuan a year. If we spend during the Chinese New Year, it's impossible to save 100 yuan a year. 40 or 50 yuan is incredible."

Although Zhao Guodong hadn't been in charge of the family's finances before, he could tell how much the family was spending with just a quick glance. Before Zhao Guodong went to the countryside, he had to carefully calculate how much he would spend. He didn't want to spend more than his mother's money, fearing that it would make things difficult for her. Zhao Guodong, a grown man without a job, ate a lot, and food cost money.

Zhao Guodong wasn't a man who knew nothing. He sighed, "It's not your fault. I thought you would take good care of the money, but I didn't expect... you might not be used to it yet. It will be fine once you get used to it."

"This money now... I didn't know it would be like this. I really wasn't paying attention when I spent it." Niu Cuihua was worried that Zhao Guodong would be unhappy. "I spent all the money in a flash."

"It's spent. Pay more attention next time." Zhao Guodong said.

On this day, Jiang Moli and Zhou Yaran received their diplomas, and both were very happy. Sheng Jiahao invited them to dinner. Zhou Yaran was Jiang Moli's good friend, and Sheng Jiahao couldn't always take Jiang Moli alone, so this was considered as him and Jiang Moli treating Zhou Yaran.

"I need to order a few more dishes. You won't be reluctant, will you?" Zhou Yiran said jokingly while sitting in the restaurant, holding the menu. "Your wallet must be full, don't just bring a little money."

"There's enough food here, feel free to order." Sheng Jiahao said with a smile, "It's enough for you and me, too. Don't be polite. Today is the day you get your diplomas, it's a good day."

"Go ahead and order, go ahead. If the money is not enough, let him wash dishes here to pay off the debt, and we will go back." Jiang Moli said.

"Go back and get the money to redeem him?" Zhou Yiran said, "In my opinion, it's better not to redeem him. What's the point of redeeming him? It's his fault for not bringing enough money."

"Then I won't redeem it. I'll do whatever you say." Jiang Moli said.

"That's more like it. Don't put love before friendship." Zhou Yiran sat next to Jiang Moli. "We have been friends for so many years."

"Of course." Jiang Moli said, "We have been good friends for many years."

Sheng Jiahao smiled. He was thinking, Zhou Yaran and Jiang Moli have been friends for so many years, and Zhou Yaran lives near him, so why didn't he meet Jiang Moli earlier? If they had met earlier, they might not be together. Meeting at the right time is the only way to be together.

"It's strange, Jasmine has been to my house several times, but she never met you." Zhou Yiran said, "Or did Jasmine just pass by you and you didn't realize it was Jasmine?"

When Jiang Moli heard this, she thought of a very popular meme on the Internet in her previous life, which was that when watching "Journey to the West", people were only focused on watching the monkeys and not the beautiful women.

"I don't know, maybe we passed each other, maybe we didn't meet at all." Sheng Jiahao couldn't guarantee it. Those were all things in the past and he had no memory of them.

Zhou Yiran and others ordered the dishes and waited for them to be served.

He Jingxian returned to her husband's house with her diploma. She was going to participate in a competition in a few days, so she didn't go out much. He Jingxian moved out of school and moved all her luggage into her husband's house.

Before, He Jingxian didn't think the room was too small. But when she brought her luggage into the room, she realized it was really small. Very, very small. He Jingxian wanted a bigger room, but they had already agreed that they didn't need any other rooms, just this one. Now, He Jingxian couldn't say the room was too small.

"Put the things under the bed." Qi Shixin said, "It's not easy to put them anywhere else."

"I know." He Jingxian said, "It's the only way."

Qi Shixin's room didn't even have a proper wardrobe, but there were boxes, and his clothes were kept in the boxes, which were placed on a stool. The Qi family thought that the room was too small and that Qi Shixin would have to move out and rent out the house, so they didn't buy any more things. After Qi Shixin got together with He Jingxian, the Qi family was not very satisfied with He Jingxian. He Jingxian said she wanted to live at home, but Qi's mother still didn't buy anything for him.

He Jingxian felt wronged. Why didn't her in-laws prepare more things? She didn't ask for anything else. It was so small that it was hard to put anything in it.

"My mom said we're only staying here for a while, and we'll have to move out eventually, so we shouldn't keep so many things here," Qi Shixin said. "It's not easy to keep so many things in this room anyway."

"Then don't do it." He Jingxian said, "I didn't say I had to get more things. I just think this place is not very convenient for storing things. If you put things here, there will be no place to put them. Fortunately, it's just a few things, so you can just stuff them on the bed and the floor. If that doesn't work, just pile them in the corner."

"This room should be bigger than your dormitory." Qi Shixin said.

"..." He Jingxian looked at the room. She felt that even her dormitory was not so crowded, but she didn't know how to say it.

Qi's mother didn't care whether He Jingxian was satisfied or not. This was the situation. If He Jingxian was willing, she could stay. If she wasn't willing, forget it. He Jingxian also understood what the Qi family meant. Naturally, she couldn't say more. If she said too much, it would be her business. If He Jingxian asked for it, others would think she was asking for too much.

It's okay, it's okay, He Jingxian could only say this to herself in her heart. Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran didn't know about He Jingxian's mess at the Qi family. They had a big meal together. After dinner, Zhou Yiran didn't stay with Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao. She waved goodbye to the two of them. She had to go home and not be a light bulb anymore.

"Now that I've got my diploma, I'll be reporting to the Provincial Xiaobaihua School in a few days," Jiang Moli said. "I'll just be handing over my work at my previous unit. Actually, there's not much to hand over. I knew I was leaving a long time ago, so a lot of things have already been handed over."

"That's good." Sheng Jiahao said, "Congratulations, you've graduated."

"I'm not a college student." Jiang Moli said.

"In your profession, you have to learn from a young age, so you don't have the time to take care of other things," Sheng Jiahao said. "Ordinary colleges don't teach opera. If you go there and sit there all day without learning professional knowledge, it will affect your training. You didn't go to college, so don't you still have to learn some knowledge?"

"Yes, you need to learn." Jiang Moli nodded. "Didn't I perform Dream of the Red Chamber in my graduation play? I've read Dream of the Red Chamber several times and also read some research materials. You have to study and understand, so that you can better play the role. Sometimes, we don't just read the script, we also have to look at how the story came about, who the author is like, what happened to the author, and what the social background was like at the time. There are so many things to understand."

Jiang Moli didn't want to be asked questions and not know the answer, or even give the wrong answer. Sometimes, it wasn't about whether the answer was wrong or not, but it was about being quick-witted and saying the wrong thing. If someone spoke too quickly, the matter would be over after the other person explained it. She was afraid that someone would keep harping on it and make the matter escalate.

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. If you know you are wrong, correct it earnestly, apologize if you should apologize, learn if you should learn, and that’s it.

"You guys are working very hard. It's not easy at all." Sheng Jiahao said, "My mom reads a lot of books."

"You have to read books. You can't not read." Jiang Moli said, "Others say we are not well-educated, but we can't really think that we are not well-educated. We still have to continue reading. Read now, and we will have to read again in the future."

Jiang's mother knew that Jiang Moli was going to get her diploma today, so she wanted to cook more dishes to celebrate her graduation. When Jiang's mother saw Niu Cuihua coming with her two children, her face suddenly turned bad. Jiang's mother had no intention of keeping Niu Cuihua for dinner with the children, as those delicious dishes were not bought for Niu Cuihua.

Niu Cuihua saw Jiang's mother bought meat and fish early this morning. She wondered if Jiang's mother was going to prepare a big meal. Jiang's mother also bought dumpling wrappers, which must be used to make dumplings.

In the past, when Niu Cuihua was in the countryside, her parents made dumplings and invited her and Zhao Guodong to eat. Niu Cuihua thought that Jiang's mother would also invite them to eat, so she came over to help.

"Mom, do we want to make dumplings?" Niu Cuihua asked.

"We're making dumplings to celebrate your sister's graduation," Jiang's mother said directly, "but we haven't prepared any for you."

"..." Niu Cuihua was originally thinking of rolling up her sleeves to get some leeks or something, but she heard Jiang's mother say this.

"It's not a holiday, and we didn't invite you over for dinner, so you can cook your own meals," Jiang's mother said. "We don't eat at your place casually. We only buy a fixed amount of food, not more. Before you came, you told us you'd eat here. It's okay if you didn't tell us, but occasionally. But we didn't prepare much, and if you come, there won't be enough to eat. Let's do it another day."

Niu Cuihua's expression changed again and again. She didn't expect Jiang's mother to speak so bluntly. "My parents always invite us to eat when they make delicious food. I thought..."

"Our situation is different from yours, you know that," Jiang's mother said. "Go back. We don't need your help. Don't let people think we're beggars, only knowing how to beg for food. We should know our limits. Keeping a little distance between people is good for everyone."

Mother Jiang waved her hand. Before the two children left, she gave them a few pieces of peach cakes and asked them to take them back to eat. Mother Jiang looked at the two little children. She was really afraid that they would learn bad things from Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua's thinking was still stuck in the so-called countryside. The Niu family treated Niu Cuihua and her husband well, so they let them go there to eat delicious food. Mother Jiang was not mean to Niu Cuihua and her husband. When Niu Cuihua and her husband returned to the city, Mother Jiang also made delicious food for them.

Jiang's mother thought that since she had handed the job over to Zhao Guodong, it was Zhao Guodong's responsibility to manage the household. It wasn't that Jiang's mother didn't buy extra things, but she was worried that Jiang Moli would be upset when she saw Niu Cuihua, and Jiang's father didn't really like seeing Niu Cuihua. If Niu Cuihua hadn't done those things before and behaved better, Jiang's mother would have let Niu Cuihua and the others stay. Unfortunately, Niu Cuihua's previous behavior had made Jiang's father and Jiang Moli very unhappy, so there was no point in letting Niu Cuihua stay on such a happy day.

Niu Cuihua was unhappy and had to go back. Niu Cuihua felt wronged when she thought about it. How could this be?

If Jiang's father was Zhao Guodong's biological father, then Niu Cuihua's visit wouldn't be a big problem at this time. It would be perfectly fine. Biological parents don't argue with their son and daughter-in-law. As it happened, Zhao Guodong wasn't Jiang's father's biological son, so Jiang's mother naturally had to consider his opinion.

Niu Cuihua thought things through on her own. When she saw something delicious, she went straight over, not considering whether Jiang's mother had asked her to come over or if it would embarrass her. With four more mouths to feed, she had to cook a lot more food. Given Niu Cuihua's past behavior, how could Jiang's father be willing to let her and her husband come over for dumplings?

"Didn't you say you were going to your mother-in-law's house to make dumplings?" Aunt Zhao asked again when she saw Niu Cuihua coming out of Jiang's house with her child.

"We make it ourselves!" Niu Cuihua gritted her teeth. "We have hands, feet, and money, so we can do it ourselves!"

Isn’t it just dumplings?

Niu Cuihua thought that her family could afford dumplings, so she could buy meat and make dumplings herself instead of having to eat the dumplings made by Jiang's mother.

Jiang Moli didn't know what was going on. When she returned home, her mother had already wrapped the dumplings. Sheng Jiahao also came and bought some cooked food. Jiang's mother asked Sheng Jiahao to eat dumplings at home.

"The dumplings my mother makes are delicious, you should try them." Jiang Moli gestured to Sheng Jiahao to eat the dumplings.