Chapter 48

In the afternoon, Wang Dahe brought back the sewing machine he had just bought. Some family members saw the car parked in front of Xu's house and followed it curiously to take a look. When they saw that it was a sewing machine, they could not hide their envy in their eyes. The Xu family had both bicycles and sewing machines. In the past, if one got one of these when getting married in his hometown, it would be a matter of face to tell others about it.

Xu Zhao really cared about his young wife. He took care of all the three major wedding items. He would go to the canteen to buy breakfast every morning and go home. He would also wash her clothes sometimes. He single-handedly raised the standard for married men in the family compound a lot. When the sisters-in-law came home and saw their men sitting still like bosses after work, they got even angrier.

Jiang Suihan was not yet proficient in using the sewing machine, and her movements were a little unfamiliar. She was afraid that she would get pricked by the needle if she wasn't paying attention, so she practiced a few more times and gradually improved her speed.

Before she knew it, an hour had passed and a white vest was finished. She looked at it from left to right and checked it carefully. To her surprise, apart from the fact that the initial seams were a little crooked, there were no other obvious problems.

Even she has to admire herself, she is really amazing.

Jiang Huihan couldn't wait to come to Xu Zhao to take credit, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "Try it on to see if it fits."

She looked at him with eyes that seemed to be seducing, and probably because she was too happy, the end of her voice rose involuntarily, making it easy for people to be infected by her good mood.

Xu Zhao took the clothes and didn't leave. He took them off in front of her.

Jiang Suihan widened her eyes, exclaimed, then turned her back belatedly, not daring to look at him, her face flushed.

Seeing how shy she was, Xu Zhao couldn't help but want to tease her: "It's not like I haven't seen this before."

Jiang Suihan's face turned even redder. It was at night and it was pitch dark and she couldn't see anything. But it was not now and the light above her head was still on.

His face is getting thicker and thicker, and his moral integrity is completely shattered.

"Are you okay?"

Xu Zhao put on his vest: "Okay, you can turn around now."

Jiang Suihan turned around cautiously. Xu Zhao had a good figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The loose white vest he wore made him look energetic and casual.

"It seems a bit bigger. Have you lost weight recently?"

Xu Zhao: "I have been busy with training these days, and the clothes are very comfortable. I like them very much."

Jiang Suihan couldn't interrupt the army's affairs, so she just said, "Do you want to change it to a smaller size?"

Xu Zhao stretched his hands and moved: "No, just like this, it fits very well, I like to wear loose clothes."

Jiang Suihan was in a good mood because people liked the things she worked so hard to make. She said, "Then I'll make you another one according to this size, so you can wear it alternately in the future."

The vest is relatively simple, easy to make and quick.

Xu Zhao didn't want Jiang Suihan to work so hard: "I have clothes to wear, I'll make them for you and Lele first."

Jiang Huihan glanced at him and said, "Many of the threads on your clothes are worn out, and you don't even have a good pair of socks. They're all full of holes. How dare you say that?"

She found all of Xu Zhao's torn socks and clothes yesterday and mended them. This man looks bright and handsome on the surface, but in fact he is very unpretentious in private. He just wants to have food and clothes, and he will wear his clothes even if they are torn.

Xu Zhao touched his nose awkwardly and did not refute.

Seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Suihan asked him to take a shower first while she cleaned up the place.

Xu Zhao took a very quick shower, it felt like less than five minutes.

Jiang Suihan saw that he was wearing the white vest and was speechless: "Why are you wearing this? It hasn't been washed yet. Change it quickly."

Xu Zhao was reluctant to change it: "It's okay, it's quite clean."

It is unknown how many people's hands the fabric has passed through and how many bacteria it has been contaminated with before it leaves the factory.

Jiang Suihan glared at him: "Do you want to change?"

Under her captivating gaze, Xu Zhao changed into the newly collected clothes again, then prepared to go downstairs with the vest in his hand.

Jiang Suihan: "Why are you taking the clothes?"

Xu Zhao: "I'll go wash my clothes so I can wear them tomorrow morning."

It’s just a piece of clothing. Is there any difference between wearing it tomorrow and the day after tomorrow?

Jiang Suihan felt a little helpless and didn't bother to persuade him: "It's up to you."

I woke up in the morning with a little soreness and slight discomfort, but it was bearable.

Jiang Suihan looked at the time. It was already past nine o'clock. She got up late again.

When she opened the door, Wu Guihua excitedly grabbed Jiang Suihan's hand and said, "You passed, Xiao Jiang, you passed!"

Jiang Suihan was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "An announcement has been made?"

Wu Guihua was happy for Jiang Suihan: "It was posted on the notice board of the family compound right after it was published this morning, and your name was the first one."

Xiao Jiang is well-educated and is a college student. Wu Guihua is very satisfied that she comes to the primary school to be a teacher. If Zhao Xiaojun is lucky, it would be even better if he can be assigned to the class taught by Xiao Jiang.

Although she didn't read much, she knew that a good teacher is very important to a child's growth. Her youngest son didn't like reading and said he felt dizzy when he saw a book. He only wanted to inherit his father's business and join the army when he grew up. He thought reading was useless.

Wu Guihua didn't think so. She couldn't get into university now, but she couldn't say that studying was useless. Factories in the city required educated workers. If you can't read, you won't even get a turn to carry heavy bags in the factory. She didn't want her son to be like her husband. Life as a soldier was too hard. She only hoped that her son would be admitted to high school in the future and be an ordinary worker in the factory. She would be satisfied with that.

Jiang Suihan thanked Wu Guihua for telling her the good news as soon as possible: "Sister-in-law, come in and sit for a while. I'll pour you a cup of tea."

Wu Guihua glanced at the yard. It was very clean. A small vegetable plot was opened in the corner, with green buds just sprouting. A few flowers, red and yellow, were planted on the other side of the corner, adding a bit of liveliness to the yard.

Seeing Jiang Suihan sitting calmly drinking tea with her, Wu Guihua couldn't help but worry about her: "Xiao Jiang, aren't you going to check on her?"

This calmness of character made her, who was a dozen years older than her, feel ashamed.

Jiang Suihan took a sip of tea and said, "Don't worry, the notice is posted there. You can't escape. Sister-in-law, have a drink of this tea. It was sent to me by the family of one of Xu Zhao's comrades. I think it tastes very good."

It is true that it is the eunuchs who are anxious, not the emperor.

"I'm a rough man, how can I drink tea?" Wu Guihua tasted the tea and savored it carefully. "It was a bit bitter at the first sip, but it became sweet after the second sip. It tastes quite good."

She looked a little embarrassed, not knowing if what she said was right and was afraid that Jiang Suihan would laugh at her.

Jiang Suihan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law thinks it tastes good. I'll get you some when we leave later."

Wu Guihua waved her hands and refused. Every time she came to Xiao Jiang, she never went home empty-handed. How could a person be so shameless as to take advantage of others for nothing?

Jiang Suihan said it didn't matter, she was able to pass the exam to become a teacher in a military elementary school thanks to the elementary school textbooks borrowed from Zhao Dajun, it was just a thank you gift.

Wu Guihua quietly revealed: "What's the big deal? You are capable. Maybe you don't know that Wang Liying's younger sister didn't pass the exam. I heard she is making a scene at home, saying she wants to go find Principal Cai."

She was at the scene. Wang Lijuan ran excitedly to the bulletin board, but didn't see her name on it. She looked incredulous and kept saying it was impossible and there must be some mistake. She pushed through the crowd and ran home.

Jiang Suihan was surprised for a moment: "She didn't pass the exam?"

Wu Guihua glanced at Jiang Suihan and reminded her, "I looked at the notice posted this morning, and her name was not on it. You, Dai Jia, and Commander Qin's wife all passed the exam. Someone overheard the two Wang sisters quarreling at home. Wang Lijuan said there was something fishy going on, and she was going to ask Principal Cai to seek justice. She also mentioned your name, saying that you and Principal Cai knew each other before, and Principal Cai must have leaked the test questions to you."

Who is Principal Cai? He is the chief of staff's lover. How could someone of such status help others cheat? Even if we take a step back, Xiao Jiang is a college student, the person with the highest academic degree in the entire staff compound. For her, taking the exam is as easy as drinking water.

Before, she had some doubts that it was just a fabrication by those gossipers in the family compound, but now, after careful consideration, she estimated that there might be some truth in it. Otherwise, there were several people taking the exam, so why did Wang Lijuan choose to hold on to Xiao Jiang? It was obvious that she disliked Xiao Jiang and wanted to get angry with him.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had discovered the truth. Wu Guihua couldn't help but frown and patted Jiang Suihan's hand: "It's not his fault that he is excellent. You must not get angry with Xu Zhao for those insignificant people. It gives others an opportunity to take advantage of you. The most important thing between husband and wife is trust."

Jiang Huihan was stunned. She didn't react for a moment as to why the topic suddenly changed.

She smiled, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll listen to my sister-in-law."

Wu Guihua felt a little embarrassed. In fact, she regretted it as soon as she said it. She was worried that Xiao Jiang would be unhappy and dislike her for meddling in other people's business.

"I almost forgot to tell you that there is a car going to the county tomorrow, and it will leave at about seven in the morning. Didn't you say that you were missing a lot of things at home and wanted to go to the department store? Let's go together tomorrow morning. School is about to start, so we can buy some cloth to make clothes for the two children at home."

Children grow fast, especially boys. They play outside every day, and their clothes get torn after just a few days of wearing them, or they become too short. My eldest son is going to study in the county, and he can’t keep wearing his old clothes.

She had been saving cloth coupons for several months. She should be able to make a new suit for her eldest son and a pair of trousers for her youngest son. If there were any leftover fabrics, she could give her youngest daughter an extra jacket.

Jiang Suihan's eyes lit up. She had been here for nearly half a month, and apart from going to the market and Upper West Village once, she hadn't been anywhere else. It would be great to have a chance to go out for a stroll.

"That's great, where do we meet?"

Wu Guihua passed on her experience to Jiang Suihan: "It's right at the entrance of the army. Remember to come early so you can get a good seat."

There are only a few seats on the bus, and if you arrive late you can only sit in the back, which is hot and bumpy.

Jiang Suihan: "Okay, I'll get up at six tomorrow morning, I should be able to get up."

Wu Guihua was choked and didn't know what to say for a moment. She had never seen a married girl who slept until eight or nine o'clock every morning. Fortunately, Xiao Jiang's mother-in-law did not come with them, otherwise there would be conflicts between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

In her hometown, villagers were busy working in the fields and would get up at around five o'clock. She used to do the same. Although she didn't have to go to the fields every day after joining the army, she would not have enough time to prepare breakfast for the man and children at home if she didn't get up early. She also couldn't bear to let her man and children go to work or school on an empty stomach.

To be honest, she was a little envious of Xiao Jiang. She married a good man like Xu Zhao. She helped with the housework and didn't feel embarrassed to be seen by others. She could sleep in and wake up whenever she wanted. She also passed the exam to become a teacher in a military primary school. She soon got a formal job and received a salary every month.

All I can say is that some people are born to be envied.

Jiang Suihan returned the favor: "By the way, sister-in-law, my family bought a sewing machine. You can come and try it after you buy some cloth. It's very convenient. Making a piece of clothing is much faster than simply doing it by hand, and it can save a lot of time."

Yesterday, Wang Dahe drove the car directly to the door. In addition, it was a little late and everyone was busy making dinner. Not many people knew that the Xu family wanted to buy a sewing machine.

"You've bought a sewing machine, that's great." Wu Guihua looked at Jiang Huihan in surprise, her tone revealing a bit of envy, "Okay, then I won't be polite with you. I'll use it when I buy some cloth tomorrow to see if the clothes made by this sewing machine are fast and good."

The village chief's family also has a sewing machine, which was a dowry from his eldest daughter-in-law. It is so precious that he doesn't let anyone touch it. He is very careful every time he uses it, for fear of breaking it.

Wu Guihua sighed silently, it was true that comparison would make one feel dreadful. Looking at Xiao Jiang's current life, she wondered how many people in the family compound were envious. Who would have thought that Xu Zhao loved his wife so much after marriage.

As the two were talking, they heard hurried footsteps.

Jiang Huihan looked up and saw the two sisters from the Wang family rushing in aggressively.

She sat on the stool calmly: "What's the matter?"

Wang Lijuan glared at Jiang Suihan, and felt angry when she thought about what had just happened.

Her name was not on the notice, so she didn't pass the exam. However, Jiang Suhan did, and was clearly ranked first, which hurt her eyes.

Unable to suppress her inner resentment, she became confused and almost started a fight. Fortunately, her second sister stopped her in time. When she got home, she became angrier and angrier, thinking that Principal Cai and Jiang Suihan must know each other and must have missed a question for her.

Her grades were not bad in school and her teachers all said she was smart, but she just didn't put her heart into studying. She studied day and night for several days for this exam, but ended up failing.

How is this possible! ?

Wang Lijuan didn't believe that she would not pass the exam with her abilities. In the book, she was clearly a primary school teacher in the army. This was not right.

She refused to accept this injustice and persuaded her second sister to go to Principal Cai's house to ask for an explanation.

Principal Cai heard the purpose of the two people's visit and his face darkened immediately. "The admission list in the announcement was approved by the organization. I don't have that much power. Strictly speaking, you are not a military family member, but a family member of a military family member. This time, the army took into account that most military families have low cultural levels and that the primary school is short of teachers, so they made an exception and allowed you to take the exam."

Looking at the indignant Wang Lijuan expressionlessly, Principal Cai continued, "I don't know where you heard this news from. Comrade Jiang Huihan and I did meet for the first time on the day of the exam. If you have evidence to suspect that I gave her a backdoor, you can complain to the army. As for why you are not on the list, you should know it better than anyone else."

A person of integrity has nothing to fear from his own shadow, and she is not afraid of things she has not done.

Principal Cai really dislikes Wang Lijuan. She thinks that she is too cunning and has impure thoughts. She is dark inside and thinks that others also like to take shortcuts like her.

The talk of behind-the-scenes manipulation is nonsense. I don’t understand why Wang Lijuan would make such a fuss.

Principal Cai thought quickly in his mind that maybe Wang Lijuan thought that if she made a fuss, she would give her a chance in order to calm things down.

Wang Lijuan's face changed and she wanted to refute loudly, but suddenly she remembered that Principal Cai was Chief of Staff Xu's lover. She couldn't afford to offend this person, so it was better not to make him her enemy.

She tried her luck and forced a smile: "Principal Cai, you misunderstood me. That's not what I meant. I have good grades and have never failed in an exam. I thought I would be able to get in this time, but I didn't expect something unexpected to happen at the last minute. So I came here to ask you, so that I can know what went wrong and avoid similar situations in the future. Don't you agree?"

This is a counterattack on her.

This girl thinks quickly, she's not stupid, but why did she always do stupid things that are so confusing?

I can't figure it out.

Principal Cai simply stopped beating around the bush with Wang Lijuan: "You and the third place have the same score. We have to choose one between the two of you. She is more qualified."

Wang Lijuan refused to give up: "Why can't I do it? What's wrong with me?"

Principal Cai was about to run out of patience as he was still trying to argue. He said sternly, "There have been a lot of rumors about you in the family compound recently. Primary schools are places to educate children. They need people with good moral character in all aspects."

The subtext is that her character is not good enough, so she was rejected.

Wang Lijuan's face twisted for a moment. Since her approach wouldn't work with Principal Cai, she could only think of other ways.

Wang Liying pulled her younger sister's clothes, signaling her not to be impulsive. They came here to reconcile, not to cause trouble.

"Well, Xiao Jiang, I've been busy at home these past few days, and I haven't been able to apologize to you properly. I was impulsive last time and caused you a lot of trouble. I reflected on it seriously when I got home, and my husband, Mr. Li, scolded me severely. In the future, I will definitely change my impulsive and reckless personality."

Jiang Suihan said calmly: "Sister-in-law, you are too polite."

No one comes to your house for no reason. It is obvious that these two people did not come just to apologize. If they really wanted to apologize, they would have come long ago. Why wait until today?

Seeing that Jiang Suihan was unmoved, Wang Liying glanced at Wang Lijuan. For the sake of her younger sister's job, she could only grit her teeth, bow her head, and apologize in a gentle tone. She had to hold back her anger.

She tried to pull the corners of her mouth, revealing a forced and somewhat awkward smile: "Are you unwilling to forgive your sister-in-law?"

Jiang Suihan looked at Wang Liying with a half-smile: "Sister-in-law, you are worrying too much. As long as it is a sincere apology, I will accept it."

His words almost said that she was not sincere and was just acting.

Wang Liying's expression froze for a moment, and she cursed in her heart that this girl named Jiang was narrow-minded, spoke in a sarcastic tone, and did things in a way that was not decent.

Just because she has a pretty face, Xu Zhao is so blind that he actually fell in love with such a person and married her home. Poor her younger sister, her good marriage is gone and her job is also taken away. People with the surname Jiang and Xu are in conflict with her family.

She secretly cursed in her heart that Jiang Suihan would grow old and ugly and end up being abandoned sooner or later.

Wang Lijuan frowned slightly and looked at Jiang Huihan with tears in her eyes: "Comrade Jiang, are you still concerned about the rumors about me and Deputy Head Xu? Please believe me, there is really nothing wrong between me and Deputy Head Xu. I just wanted to apologize for my nephew that day, and my hasty words may have caused misunderstandings. You know Deputy Head Xu, he is not that kind of person."

Jiang Huihan frowned. This sounded a bit wrong. From what Wang Lijuan said, it seemed that she knew Xu Zhao very well?

Xu Zhao is not that kind of person, so she is?

An unmarried girl knows a married man and keeps asking him not to be angry with the man. It is obvious that the girl is trying to deceive her.

At this moment, Jiang Huihan was extremely sure that Wang Lijuan hated her and had some kind of intention towards Xu Zhao.

She secretly complained about Xu Zhao's charm that went nowhere. The girl had only been in the base for a short time and she had already fallen in love with him. Although this bad peach blossom was not threatening, it was annoying to see him hanging around in front of her.

"Oh, it's okay. Excellent people are remembered by others. I knew this when I married Xu Zhao. You have also apologized. If there is nothing else, please go back. I have to prepare lunch."

It's still too early to cook at this time, and I can't find a good excuse to get rid of them.

Wang Lijuan felt a sudden heart attack and her face changed. Jiang Suihan was unmoved by any persuasion. The more she tried to beat around the bush with her, the more she refused to respond. She was so slippery that she even took the opportunity to ridicule her, leaving her at a loss as to where to start.

She couldn't help but start to get anxious, crying and saying, "Comrade Jiang, please wait a moment, please help me. If you don't help me, I really can't live anymore."

Jiang Suihan looked at Wang Lijuan expressionlessly without saying a word.

In fact, she really wanted to say, whether you live or not is none of my business, please don't throw everything on me, she can't bear it.

A gleam of resentment flashed across Wang Lijuan's eyes. Even after saying this, Jiang Huihan remained unmoved. Her heart was as cold as a stone. How could such a cold-hearted person be worthy of Xu Zhao?

She had no choice but to get Jiang Suihan's help. She couldn't lose her job as an elementary school teacher. Otherwise, her second sister would definitely arrange a blind date for her. As long as she had a job, she would have a reason to stay in the army, and her second brother-in-law would not have any objection.

Wang Lijuan tried hard to suppress the anger in her heart and forced a flattering smile: "Principal Cai believed the rumors outside and misunderstood me and Deputy Head Xu. I was forced to cancel my test results. Comrade Jiang, you must help me. I really need this job. Otherwise, I can only go back to my hometown and be forced to get married by my parents."

Wang Liying's eyes flickered. The younger sister was the youngest child in the family. Her parents doted on her very much. Other girls in the village got engaged and married at the age of seventeen or eighteen, but the younger sister was already nineteen and almost twenty years old. Although her parents were anxious, they let her do as she pleased when she said she didn't want to get married.

She didn't know why her younger sister said that, but she must have her own reasons.

Jiang Suihan broke free from Wang Lijuan's grasp and looked down at her wrists, which were all red. Fortunately, the skin was not broken, but it was a little painful.

It's really hopeless to be so petty when asking for help.

Jiang Suihan remained calm: "How do you want me to help you?"