Chapter 56 Shatter That is Your Freedom

"It's too expensive," Niu Cuihua asked about the price of a guzheng, which turned out to be quite expensive. Niu Cuihua and her husband had already arranged for Zhao Jiaojiao to learn the instrument, but they hadn't yet bought her a guzheng.

"I've already paid the tuition. Jiaojiao has to study when she goes to class, and she has to study when she comes home," Jiang Moli said. "If you don't study when you come back, you'll fall far behind others."

"This..." Niu Cuihua looked at the guzheng. She really hadn't thought about buying one for her daughter. "How about...we give you some money."

Niu Cuihua didn't have much money, but she felt that what Jiang Moli said was right, and she felt embarrassed to take the guzheng.

"It's for Jiaojiao," Jiang Moli said. "I'm buying her a guzheng this time. I might not remember her birthday in the future. I don't even remember my own birthday well. I usually only remember it after it's over."

Jiang Moli and the others rarely celebrated birthdays. It was just an ordinary birthday, not a tenth-anniversary birthday. Jiang Moli hoped Zhao Jiaojiao would study the guzheng well so that she could make a living with her skill in the future.

"Put this guzheng away for Jiaojiao," Jiang Moli said. "Put it away."

"Okay, okay." Niu Cuihua nodded quickly. My goodness, such an expensive guzheng, her sister-in-law bought it just like that. If her sister-in-law had told them before buying it, they wouldn't have let her buy it.

Niu Cuihua felt embarrassed to ask her sister-in-law to pay so much. She and her husband didn't have that much money, so they couldn't help her sister-in-law much. On the contrary, her sister-in-law helped them so much, which made Niu Cuihua at a loss for words.

"I cleaned up a place for her to put it and kept it well." Niu Cuihua said.

"Yeah, okay." Jiang Moli nodded. "I'll go back first. As for this cake, you can cut it and give it to Jiaojiao later. You can eat it together."

"Okay, I'll put them all away." Niu Cuihua said.

Niu Cuihua and her husband didn't think about buying a cake. They thought it was just a child's birthday and didn't need to put too much effort.

Jiang Moli went back first. She just had to deliver the things. Jiang Moli told her mother about buying a guzheng. Her mother wanted her not to spend so much money. Jiang Moli felt that she still had to buy a guzheng. Only after buying a guzheng could Zhao Jiaojiao practice at home.

The guzheng is not a piano. It doesn't mean that Niu Cuihua and her husband can just draw a guzheng on paper and Zhao Jiaojiao can practice on it. She still needs a real guzheng to practice on.

It will be worth spending this money now as long as Zhao Jiaojiao can reach a certain level in the future.

"Have you finished delivering the things?" Jiang's mother asked when she saw Jiang Moli coming back. "You bought those things so your brother and sister-in-law can spend a lot less money."

"It's already amazing that my brother and sister-in-law can let Jiaojiao learn the guzheng, especially since you paid half the money. They didn't buy a guzheng for Jiaojiao because they didn't have enough money." Jiang Moli said, "I don't need them to give me money. Just consider it a gift to Jiaojiao."

"You just feel sorry for Jiaojiao." Jiang's mother sighed.

"Girls help girls." Jiang Moli said.

"What?" Jiang's mother didn't understand.

"Girls help girls." Jiang Moli said, "My brother and sister-in-law have a son and a daughter. You don't have to worry too much about the boy. It's the girl. If Jiaojiao can do better, my brother and sister-in-law will have less worries. I just can't bear to see girls being treated unfairly."

"There are limited things at home, and the first thing they think of is their son. They want their son to stay with them and be filial to them in the future," said Jiang's mother.

"Yes, they all think that their daughters will get married sooner or later." Jiang Moli said, "Even then, they still need to let girls learn more. This will help Jiaojiao's future life."

Jiang Moli didn't ask Niu Cuihua and his wife to do anything. She couldn't control so much. If Jiang Moli insisted that Niu Cuihua and his wife do this or that, their attitude towards Zhao Jiaojiao would only get worse. Jiang Moli could only guarantee her own behavior.

"I'll do whatever I can." Jiang Moli said, "I'm not spending all my money on Jiaojiao. Some money can be spent, and some money can't be spent. I still know this, and I told my sister-in-law, just this once."

"Well, talk to them." Jiang's mother said, "I can't ask you to buy things for Jiaojiao all the time."

"I can't keep buying them." Jiang Moli said, "Mom, girls really need to learn more skills so that they can support their families and not have to rely on men in the future. The idea that daughters just need to marry into a good family is outdated. Nowadays, when people talk about gender equality, they are more likely to require women to earn money to support the family. Women earn money to support the family and also have to do housework. How can this be considered equality?"

Jiang Moli has always felt that this is a manifestation of inequality. In ancient times, women managed the harem at home, and the dowry still belonged to them. Jiang Moli is not saying that the status of women in ancient times was so high, but that some contemporary actions are backward.

In her past life, Jiang Moli often read online that betrothal gifts had to be returned, dowries couldn't belong entirely to the woman, and after a divorce, the woman couldn't take all of the dowry. A betrothal gift was given by a man and a woman for the purpose of getting married, while a dowry was a gift from parents to the couple, unless the woman's parents explicitly stated it was for their daughter. After marriage, if the woman's dowry was mixed with money from other bank accounts, then the dowry was no longer pure dowry, and it became unclear what was going on.

In such a situation, it is better for a woman to have some earning ability. Don't work hard for more than ten years doing housework, and then when the divorce comes, the house is the man's pre-marital property, and the man only compensates the woman with a small amount of money. That little money is more than the woman can earn by working as a nanny for a year.

"That's how life is for ordinary families. Everyone goes out to work, but the money they earn is too little to support the family," Jiang's mother said. "Look, doesn't your sister-in-law have to get up early to make tofu and sell it? It's all because one person working earns too little, and the family needs to spend too much."

"Mom, look, many people have the same idea as you." Jiang Moli said, "There's nothing wrong with a couple working together for their family. But you can't use the so-called equality between men and women to explain work. That's not equality; it's another form of exploitation of women by men."

"You," Jiang's mother said, "luckily your partner doesn't need you to do those chores."

"If he asked me to do it, I wouldn't do it." Jiang Moli said, "If I have to do it, I have to do it."

Jiang Moli's idea was very simple: don't use those trivial things to exploit her, she won't be PUA. Sometimes, a woman doesn't feel that others are PUAing them, she just thinks that everyone around them is like this, and there is nothing else.

However, sometimes old ideas subtly influence women, causing them to give more without realizing it, and men to enjoy more.

Jiang Moli doesn't object to women being full-time housewives, nor does she object to women working to earn money. What she wants is for women to see their own situation clearly. Jiang Moli can't control other people's affairs, she just takes care of her own affairs, and when she sees something bad, she lends a hand, that's it.

"Have you told your partner these words?" Jiang's mother was a little nervous. She didn't think her daughter had done anything wrong, but some words could easily make others unhappy if spoken out loud.

"He did say a few things." Jiang Moli said, "He didn't say I was wrong. If he said I was wrong, then there must be something wrong with him."

"You really say anything." Jiang's mother sighed.

"No," Jiang Moli said, "Jiahao and I are already engaged and will get married in the future. Of course, we have to talk about these things and get to know each other better. If that doesn't work, then let's not talk about it anymore and live our own lives."

"You've just met someone who understands you," Jiang's mother said. "If you meet someone who doesn't understand you, you'll inevitably suffer."

"If we hadn't been together in the beginning, we wouldn't have suffered." Jiang Moli said.

Jiang's mother looked at her daughter and realized she needed to be more considerate of her. Her daughter was outspoken and uninhibited, which was good because it showed she hadn't been hurt too much. Jiang's mother was afraid her daughter would be gloomy and feel wronged.

In the evening, Zhao Guodong returned home and didn't remember his daughter's birthday. It wasn't that he didn't remember, but they didn't have the habit of celebrating birthdays before.

Zhao Guodong saw the cake on the table and was surprised, "Did you buy it?"

"It wasn't bought by me," Niu Cuihua said. "Do you think I'm the type to buy something so expensive? It was bought by my younger sister. She also bought Jiaojiao a guzheng. She said it was just for this one time and asked us to keep it for Jiaojiao. Jiaojiao will need to practice guzheng when she gets home after learning it. She was very thoughtful. We don't have the money, so we can't buy anything else. I offered to give her some money, but she refused."

Niu Cuihua sighed. She felt more and more that she had done something wrong in the beginning. She shouldn't have been so mean to her sister-in-law. Niu Cuihua regretted what she had done in the past. She should have spent more time with her sister-in-law and the others, or at least been gentler in the beginning.

"My little sister doesn't hold a grudge. I treated her so badly at the beginning, but she still helped us." Niu Cuihua said.

"My younger sister never bears grudges," Zhao Guodong said. "She can understand you and knows you're doing this for my own good."

"Yeah, yes, my little sister is very understanding." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom and my little sister spent so much money, we feel much more relaxed."

"The younger one will go to kindergarten next semester." Zhao Guodong said.

"Going to kindergarten so soon?" Niu Cuihua was surprised.

"Well, the older ones are about to go to elementary school, so it's okay for the younger ones to stay in kindergarten for a couple of years," Zhao Guodong said. "Going to school more often will help them learn more knowledge."

"How much knowledge can you learn in kindergarten?" Niu Cuihua looked at her youngest son, who was really young.

"Now that he's in kindergarten, you can pay less attention to him and do more other things," said Zhao Guodong.

"Going to school costs money," Niu Cuihua said, "but let him go."

Niu Cuihua didn't dare ask Jiang's mother or Jiang Moli for a loan, nor did she dare ask others to pay half of the child's tuition. If she really did that, it would be too inhuman. People should have a conscience. If she pushed too far, others would be unhappy and she would feel guilty.

Niu Cuihua had to admit that the help from her own family was different from that from her husband's family. Her family was poor and didn't have much money, so it was good enough that her family invited them over for dinner and helped take care of the children. Her husband's family was richer and could help more.

"This time, we have to pay for it ourselves," said Niu Cuihua.

Zhao Guodong glanced at Niu Cuihua. He had saved money for his youngest son's tuition and didn't give all his salary to Niu Cuihua. That was because Niu Cuihua had been extravagant in the past and spent all her money quickly. So Zhao Guodong saved some money now so that if he really ran out of money, he could still give her some money.

"You haven't paid back the money you borrowed from your younger sister yet." Niu Cuihua said.

"It's true that we haven't paid it back yet. My younger sister said she's not in a hurry and told us not to rush to pay it back." Zhao Guodong said, "Let's take care of our own things first."

"Remember, you have to return it to my younger sister when the time comes. You can't really not return it." Niu Cuihua said, "It would be fine if my younger sister gave it to us herself, but the key is that we borrowed it from my younger sister. We borrowed the money from her."

"Yes, I remember." Zhao Guodong hadn't forgotten. "I wrote it all down. I wrote down the amount of money I borrowed in the notebook."

Sheng Jiahao knew Jiang Moli bought a guzheng for Zhao Jiaojiao, and they went to see it together. Sheng Jiahao even said he would pay for it, but Jiang Moli didn't let him. The guzheng was expensive, and it was Jiang Moli who proposed to give it to Zhao Jiaojiao, not Sheng Jiahao himself.

If it was something bought for Jiang Moli herself, or something bought for Jiang's father and mother, Sheng Jiahao would have paid for it. But it was something bought for Zhao Jiaojiao, and it was Jiang Moli who suggested it, so of course she had to pay for it herself.

Sheng Jiahao was not unhappy about this, he knew that Jiang Moli was always very sensible.

Zhao Jiaojiao didn't expect her family to buy her a cake. When she heard her parents say that it was bought by her aunt, she was not surprised.

"As for you, don't always think about your aunt buying you things." Niu Cuihua reminded her daughter, "Your aunt is already very good to you. She even bought you a guzheng, fearing that you would have no place to learn guzheng after class."

"Aunt is so nice." Zhao Jiaojiao said.

"Of course your aunt is good." Niu Cuihua said, "Your own parents are not so good to you. Your aunt thinks so carefully about you."

"My aunt is so nice." Zhao Jiaojiao sighed again.

As soon as Zhao Jiaojiao finished speaking, her brother wanted to touch the cake.

"Don't move." Niu Cuihua patted her son's hand gently. "I'll open it and let you eat. The cake your aunt bought is quite big, enough for you."

Niu Cuihua didn't think about taking the cake to the Jiang family again. That was Jiang Moli's for Zhao Jiaojiao, and they didn't need this cake. When Niu Cuihua was in the countryside, she was reluctant to spend money on these things. These things were very expensive and they were gone after a few bites.

"Light a candle," Zhao Guodong said, "make a wish, and then eat."

"Do you still want it like this?" Niu Cuihua said.

"That's possible." Zhao Guodong said.

"Will this candle get on the cake? Will that be bad?" Niu Cuihua asked.

"It's okay, it will be blown out in a moment." Zhao Guodong said.

This time, Zhao Jiaojiao's birthday was quite ceremonial.

The Niu family had already known that Zhao Jiaojiao was learning the guzheng. When Niu's mother received a call from Niu Cuihua saying that Jiaojiao's aunt had bought her a guzheng, Niu's mother was shocked.

"Your sister-in-law is a good one, you have to treat her well." said Niu's mother.

"Of course, I will treat her well. I already know that I was wrong before, don't I?" Niu Cuihua said, "I just didn't expect my sister-in-law to buy Jiaojiao a guzheng, such an expensive one."

Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong went to ask, and they knew that the guzheng was expensive, so they temporarily gave up the idea of ​​buying a guzheng for Zhao Jiaojiao.

"She's a very nice person, and she thinks things through very carefully," Niu Cuihua said. "I can't think of so many things."

"Of course you can't compare to her," said Niu's mother. "She's more educated and more sensible than you. She's several years younger than you, and you're still not as good as her."

"Yes, not as good as." Niu Cuihua said.

"Your daughter went to learn the guzheng, and the relatives heard about it and said you were wasting money," said Niu's mother. "I said that it was your money, and your mother-in-law was willing to pay for it. If those people ask you to borrow money again, don't lend it to them. You can't always let your mother-in-law and your sister-in-law pay for it like that. How long can they pay for you? You still have to have money in your hands and be able to support your children."

"The younger one is going to kindergarten too," Niu Cuihua said. "If it were in our countryside, the younger one could wait. But in the city, there are already children of his age going to kindergarten. Guodong and I are thinking of sending him to kindergarten next semester, just like the others."

"Okay." Niu's mother didn't object. "You don't have to think about your parents all the time. We're living well. Now that we have household contract responsibility systems, everyone has their own land and is working harder."

The land that Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong cultivated last year was divided up this year. Since they were no longer residents of the village, they shouldn't have claimed the land. Last year, because Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong had already cultivated the land, the Niu family had already been given the land to cultivate. Naturally, the Niu family had no objection to the village dividing up the land again this year.

Families with newborns in the village were given land, but it wasn't much. Niu Cuihua and the others didn't have to worry about that; the village officials would naturally take care of everything. As for who was taking advantage and who was being disadvantaged, Niu Cuihua was in the city, so she had no idea.

Niu's mother rarely told Niu Cuihua about those things and called to ask for money.

"Let's not talk about this for now and don't waste money." said Niu's mother.

"Okay." Niu Cuihua responded.

The mother and daughter exchanged a few words before hanging up the phone, and Niu Cuihua paid for the call. Every time Niu Cuihua made a call, she felt that the phone bill was too expensive.

There are many ancient buildings in Nancheng. When filming "Provincial Xiaobaihua", we didn't think about going to other provinces to shoot. We mainly shot in Nancheng, and we could also go to other places within the province to shoot.

A scene had to be performed several times, and different angles had to be shot. It was just one camera, not multiple cameras. One camera was just one position, unlike later generations where there were multiple cameras that could shoot multiple positions at once.

The weather was getting hotter, and Jiang Moli and the others had to wear costumes for filming. The costumes were not very light and thin, but still quite thick. Especially since they were filming outdoors, it was even hotter.

Jiang Moli followed her colleagues to a complex of ancient buildings in the south of the city. The buildings there were relatively well-preserved. They also had a garden, which was truly vast. They weren't the kind of crew that filmed a long drama, so they didn't plan to rebuild the set; they filmed within some of the existing buildings.

The unit's budget was limited, and we couldn't exceed it. If we did, the leadership would have to criticize us. The crew had no choice but to be frugal and film better. Fortunately, these people were all employees of the unit, receiving salaries and subsidies from the company, though they weren't particularly generous. Everyone was very motivated and didn't care about the amount of the subsidy.

On this day, Teacher Lu came to visit the class and she watched Jiang Moli singing over there.

The company arranges everyone's schedule every day. Whoever is filming will come. If there is a performance, we have to ensure the performance is good and can't let the filming affect the performance.

"Teacher." Jiang Moli had some sweat on her forehead. She had just performed a role, and now it was another teacher's turn to perform.

"Are you tired?" asked Teacher Lu.

"It's not tiring at all." Jiang Moli said, "Everyone is focused on getting things done."

"We have to do it well." Teacher Lu nodded. "This is a good opportunity. If we film it well, more people will see our Yue Opera."

"Yes." Jiang Moli said.

"Hey, Lao Lu." Teacher Li walked over. "Have you ever thought about singing?"

"You guys sing." Teacher Lu came over, not to fight for an opportunity.

"Honestly, do you regret it?" Teacher Li asked in front of Teacher Lu and Jiang Moli, "Do you regret not staying at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers School to sing?"

"No," Teacher Lu said, "I've taught many students, and they're in various theater troupes. That's enough."

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Teacher Lu also thought about what would happen if she stayed at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers School instead of teaching. She also felt that being a teacher was a good option for her, as she could bring up many students, and the meaning of her existence did not lie in her having to stay at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers School.

"That's right, you have many students all over the world." Teacher Li said.

Teacher Li and Teacher Lu work in different units and take different paths.

"In the future, our Yue Opera will only get better and better," said Teacher Li. "If this film is broadcast on TV, more people will see it. They won't have to go to the performance to see it live. This is quite good. Many people don't have the time or money to see it live."

"If it can develop well, that's fine," Teacher Lu said. "It's just right that you've encountered a good time."

"Me? I'll be retiring soon," Teacher Li said. "I'm old now, and I have to retire. I have to give young people a chance."

"Are you willing to do that?" asked Teacher Lu.

"You were willing to leave Provincial Xiaobaihua back then, so why should I be reluctant to leave?" Teacher Li said, "It just so happens that we can shoot a film like this again this time, so I feel even more satisfied."

Teacher Li was telling the truth. She is now very content and satisfied. She thinks this is a highlight of her career.

"It's all the same," Teacher Lu said. "They all achieved what they wanted."

"Moli, listen to what your future mother-in-law says." Teacher Li smiled. "She should be content with having you as her daughter-in-law."

At this time, He Jingxian was pregnant and she didn't think about aborting the child. If He Jingxian really aborted the child, the Qi family would definitely be unhappy.

After He Jingxian became pregnant, some things became difficult for her to do. The doctor said that He Jingxian's pregnancy was not very stable and asked her to rest more.

So He Jingxian could only say this to Qi's mother. Qi's mother knew that He Jingxian loved acting very much. Since He Jingxian said that she wanted to rest more, it meant that her daughter-in-law really wanted to give birth to this child for the Qi family.

"I told your second aunt to let you rest more." Qi's mother said, "After you give birth to the child, you can do whatever you want in the future. The most important thing right now is to give birth to this child and take good care of your health."

"Yeah." He Jingxian nodded.

"I'll stew a chicken for you later." Mother Qi was very happy. He Jingxian was finally pregnant. Mother Qi had been worried that He Jingxian would not be able to give birth.

Second Aunt Qi helped He Jingxian apply for leave. It was actually a leave of absence, meaning she would temporarily stop playing the role of Cuiyun and not participate in the performance. He Jingxian could go to work during her working hours, and her basic salary would still be paid. Even if He Jingxian didn't go to work, it didn't matter. With Second Aunt Qi around, everything would be easy to handle.

The director of the South City Theatre Troupe was clearly not that happy. Last year, the original actress had gotten pregnant and given birth, so Jiang Moli took over. Jiang Moli performed well, which pleased the director. He Jingxian hadn't performed well herself, but with Aunt Qi around, the director had turned a blind eye. Now, He Jingxian was about to give birth.

This means that the role of Cuiyun has been played by three different people in less than two years. It's no wonder that others say their troupe is not very good. The director has no choice but to let He Jingxian rest.

When Jiang Moli learned about He Jingxian's situation, she thought it was perfectly normal. He Jingxian originally wanted to stay in South City and find a more powerful family. Others helped He Jingxian just to make her listen to what they said.

Jiang Moli learned about this from Zhou Yiran, who worked in the same unit as He Jingxian.

"He Jingxian seemed to not want to get pregnant before, and even went to the hospital and talked about having an abortion." Zhou Yiran said, "How could He Jingxian dare to actually have an abortion?"

Zhou Yiran and Jiang Moli were shopping together, talking as they walked.

"She's pregnant now, and the fetus isn't stable, so it's difficult for her to participate in performances," Zhou Yiran said. "She probably still wants to participate, but her health isn't good, so she has to take care of the baby first. It's a good thing for her this way; after she has the baby, she can continue singing. With her second aunt around, she doesn't have to worry about not having roles later."

"I hope she gives birth to a son." Jiang Moli said. It's not that she favors boys over girls, but He Jingxian's in-laws want her to give birth to a son. If He Jingxian gave birth to a daughter, the Qi family might ask her to give birth to a son.

"I hope so." Zhou Yiran said, "You can never be sure about such things."

The two of them went into a store to look at clothes. Zhou Yiran tried on a piece of clothing and walked out of the fitting room.

"How is it?" Zhou Yiran turned around and pinched the flesh on her arm. "I think I've gained a little weight."

"It's okay," Jiang Moli said. "It's not very noticeable. It's not like I'm on TV. If I were, I might not look as good. People in front of TV cameras tend to look fatter. Does your company record any opera?"

"Not yet," Zhou Yiran said. "Recording it would cost money. Many of our operas are the same as those of the provincial Xiaobaihua Opera. Since they are all the same pieces, there is no need to re-record them. Our recordings would definitely not be as good as yours. Even a blind person would know how to choose. We all have eyes and ears and know which one is better. How is your filming going?"

"My part is completed, and what remains is other people's part." Jiang Moli said.

The director arranged everyone's parts separately, staggering them. Some people performed fine on stage, but not so well in front of the camera, requiring further adjustments. This was something the director and the others needed to consider. Jiang Moli had to complete her part so she could have a good time with Zhou Yiran.

It's almost August now, and Jiang Moli finally has time. She was busy a while ago and didn't have time to look for Zhou Yiran. When Zhou Yiran went to look for Jiang Moli, she was either not at home or busy with other things. Zhou Yiran knew that Jiang Moli was busy, but she didn't insist that she accompany her.

"You'd better change your clothes. This one makes you look fat." Zhou Yiran said.

"Then change into something else." Jiang Moli said, "There are so many clothes, you can try whatever you want."

"You should try it too." Zhou Yiran said, "The weather is getting hot, so wear some nice clothes."

After trying on some clothes, the two of them bought some and went to a restaurant for dinner. It's much more convenient now that we don't need food coupons. Before, when food coupons were needed, it was difficult to eat out.

After Zhu Zhixuan returned, she didn't get a good role.

The leaders of the unit knew what happened to Zhu Zhixuan at the Provincial Xiaobaihua and knew that she was a troublemaker. They were all afraid that Zhu Zhixuan would cause trouble. The Zhu family did have some connections in the local area, so Zhu Zhixuan didn't get a very good role, but it wasn't bad either.

Ever since her mother said that Zhu Zhixuan was able to enter the provincial Xiaobaihua because her family used connections to help her defeat another person, Zhu Zhixuan became depressed. Zhu Zhixuan always believed that she relied on her own abilities, not her family. She really thought that her parents taking her to visit the leaders was just a simple visit.

The clown turned out to be herself!

Zhu Zhixuan still didn't quite believe it, but she had to believe it.

Some people in the unit knew that Zhu Zhixuan had relied on her family's connections to go to the provincial Xiaobaihua, while another person did not go but stayed in the local drama troupe.

"We shouldn't have let her go in the first place. She went but didn't stay. Isn't that a waste of a spot?"

"She's just a jerk, occupying the toilet without doing anything."

"Be quiet, don't let her hear you."

"Even if she heard me, I would still tell her. She relies on her family, and she has the nerve to report others there. She should be reported by others."

…

Many people in the unit don't like Zhu Zhixuan, but Zhu Zhixuan has connections, so those people can only talk and can't do anything to Zhu Zhixuan.

After Zhu Zhixuan returned home, she did not live in the work dormitory, but lived at home. Zhu's mother arranged for Zhu Zhixuan to go on a blind date, hoping that Zhu Zhixuan would get married as soon as possible.

In order to give Zhu Zhixuan a better future, Zhu's mother arranged for Zhu Zhixuan to go on a blind date with the child of the leader of her unit, who was the leader of Zhu Zhixuan's unit.

"Mom." Zhu Zhixuan was a little dissatisfied with her mother's arrangement. "I've only been back for a few months, and you're so anxious for me to get married."

"Get married sooner and get it over with. It's all your fault," said Zhu's mother. "If you were more ambitious, you would have found a partner in South City instead of coming back to us. I have to keep my head down every time I go out, afraid that someone will ask me about you. It's such a sin! We put in so much effort, and this is what you do."

Zhu's mother was furious when she thought about it. Zhu Zhixuan didn't even bother to discuss it with her family before doing those things. Now, everyone knew that Zhu Zhixuan was a troublemaker and someone who liked to report others.

"You've ruined a good life like this," said Zhu's mother. "If you had just been more motivated, I wouldn't have to worry about you so much. Now that you're back and want to stay here, go set up a blind date with the child of your boss. She has a respectable job, and you two will have a better life together."

"..." Zhu Zhixuan thought of what she said to Qiao Yuwei and the others in Provincial Xiaobaihua.

When Qiao Yuwei and the others said they wanted to find a partner in Nancheng, Zhu Zhixuan said they weren't working hard enough, saying they only cared about finding a partner. When it came to Zhu Zhixuan's turn, she was being pressured by her mother to find a partner. With her brother and sister-in-law at home, she wasn't suited to living at home forever; she really had to find a partner.

After Zhu Zhixuan went to a big city like Nancheng, she gained more experience and found it difficult to adapt to the small place when she returned.

"You're already back." Mother Zhu emphasized this sentence.

Zhu Zhixuan opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She had no way of refutating her mother. After Zhu Zhixuan found out that her family had used connections for her, her self-esteem and pride were completely shattered. It turned out that she was the kind of person she hated the most.

Sometimes, Zhu Zhixuan wanted to call Ma Yuwen and ask if she had gone on a blind date, or if she was getting married. But the relationship between them was no longer the same as before, and Zhu Zhixuan wondered what Ma Yuwen would think of her if she knew she had gotten into the provincial Xiaobaihua class through her family connections.

Zhu Zhixuan didn't want anyone to know about this. When she was saving Xiao Baihua, no one else knew about it. It was only after Zhu Zhixuan was sent back that she learned about it from her mother.

Indeed, even now, most of the provincial Xiaobaihua people don't know that Zhu Zhixuan relied on connections. A few people know a little, but they don't say anything. She was originally recommended by the local government and screened by the local government. It can be said that it is the survival of the fittest. Naturally, the provincial Xiaobaihua doesn't care too much.

Where there are people, there is competition, and there are so-called personal connections.

"Dress up nicely." Mother Zhu said, "If you weren't my daughter, I wouldn't care about you."

Zhu Zhixuan had no choice but to listen to her mother and go on a blind date.

During the summer vacation, Shi Nan did not return to Nancheng, he still stayed in the capital. Maybe because Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were engaged, when Shi's mother met Jiang Moli, her attitude improved a little.

Even though Shi Nan didn't come back, Shi's mother would still look at the young girls on the street.

Fan Xiaoxue was getting married, and she was marrying someone from the same neighborhood. He was her childhood sweetheart; they lived on the same street, and being roughly the same age, they had grown up together. He also knew Shi Nan, and they were considered friends; they'd spent a lot of time together.

When Fan Xiaoxue gave Jiang Moli the wedding invitation, Jiang Moli was a little shocked.

"You're busy with work, so you don't know. It's normal." Fan Xiaoxue was at the door of Jiang Moli's house. "Our relationship was decided a while ago. We grew up together and know each other well, so our two families decided to get married sooner."

"Are you satisfied?" Jiang Moli asked.

"It's not bad," Fan Xiaoxue said. "At least my future mother-in-law doesn't look down on me now. They don't have anything to look down on me for. Their son isn't a college student."

It's not that Fan Xiaoxue hasn't thought about finding a powerful man, but she's just plain-looking, without Jiang Moli's beauty or talent. Even Jiang Moli is looked down upon by her mother. Fan Xiaoxue thought if she really wanted to find a college student, who knows how she'd end up working like a slave for him.

"It's okay if we're not college students. We shouldn't say one is inferior to the other," Fan Xiaoxue said. "Let's just live our lives like this."

"Just make up your mind." Jiang Moli said.

"To tell you the truth, I like Guo Shinan, and my fiancé knows it." Fan Xiaoxue said.

"You..." Jiang Moli didn't expect Fan Xiaoxue to say this at this time.

"It's true, I liked him." Fan Xiaoxue said, "He's pretty good-looking and can study, so it's normal for me to admire him. No one else on our street is as good as him, and they are all outshone by him. If I didn't like him and liked someone else, then my vision would be flawed. Facts have proved that even if I liked him, my vision was still flawed. I know myself now, and I don't like Shi Nan anymore. I don't think about waiting for him to graduate to pursue him. If I can't catch up with him, I won't chase him even if I can."

Fan Xiaoxue looked at Jiang Moli. She wanted to say that Shi Nan might like Jiang Moli. Fan Xiaoxue thought about what Shi's mother said. Shi's mother's attitude towards Jiang's mother and Jiang Moli was not so friendly. If Shi Nan really liked Jiang Moli, he should have persuaded his mother. Unfortunately, Shi Nan did not do so. So whether he liked Jiang Moli or not seemed not very important.

"Young man Mu Ai, what's wrong with liking someone? It's not against the law." Jiang Moli said.

"I'm a toad who wants to eat swan flesh." Fan Xiaoxue sneered.

"No." Jiang Moli shook her head. "Whether you've been to college or not, and who you like is your freedom. You haven't caused any negative influence on others. Those things are in the past. Aren't you going to get married? Then you should be a happy bride."

"My fiancé knows all about that," Fan Xiaoxue said. "I just hope that when we argue in the future, he won't bring up those past events."

"Uh..." Jiang Moli didn't know this.

"Okay, I have to go back. Come if you are free. If not, forget it." Fan Xiaoxue said.

"Let me check the time." Jiang Moli said.

Fan Xiaoxue went back. When Jiang Moli turned around, she saw her mother standing there with a spatula. She was startled and said, "Mom, aren't you going to cook? Aren't you afraid the food will burn?"