After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the group left with their respective belongings, with Ning Hao and Jiang Qiao going together.

On the way, we ran into Wang Dahua. It was a cold day, and the old lady was hunched over, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her two cotton-padded jackets, and she was walking towards us with her head down.

"grandmother--"

Upon hearing Jiang Qiao's voice, Wang Dahua looked up with a worried expression, which was noticed not only by Jiang Qiao but also by Ning Hao.

"Grandma Wang, why are you out in this freezing weather? Aren't you cold?"

Seeing her granddaughter and Ning Hao, Wang Dahua quickly ran a few steps. "Sigh, I have to come out even if it's cold. I was thinking of finding a job for my son, but after going around in circles, I haven't heard anything. I'm so worried."

Jiang Qiao let Ning Hao carry the things, and she helped the old lady walk while saying, "Grandma, I don't know what you're thinking. You said you'd find Uncle a job in the city, but you can find one, but can you find this whole family?"

These days, people eat based on grain rations. What are you going to feed this family?

Besides, my older brother and his wife are married. You can't expect my uncle and my older brother and his wife to keep living with us like this. It won't work in the long run. What will our whole family eat and spend money on?

We understand your feelings, especially since my uncle was just found. But you also need to consider the practical issues involved.

Wang Dahua gave a bitter smile. "Girl, you haven't had children, so you don't know the heartache of a mother. I live in the city while my son's family lives in the countryside. I just can't get over that."

You don't know what your uncle's family situation is like. They eat porridge every meal and can't even afford to eat dry food.

Putting aside whether adults could handle it, let's talk about children. With this kind of eating habit, it's already a miracle that a child can even grow up.

Since Wang Dahua has said so, what can Jiang Qiao say? She has analyzed all aspects of this, and if the old lady insists on going her own way, there's nothing she can do.

Ning Hao gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Grandma Wang, you're only thinking about how sorry for your son. Your family is out of food. How are you going to manage? Are you going to have to drink cold water?"

Also, you and Jiang Qiao still need to make a living by pasting cardboard boxes for the time being. With so many more people added to the family, do they not eat or drink?

You mean well, but you've oversimplified the issue. For now, you and Jiang Qiao are living on your own food, so there aren't any conflicts at home. But when you run out of money and food, you'll be in for a lot of trouble.

If you really can't bear to part with your son, you can always go live with them in the countryside. Whether you sell or rent the house in the city is up to you; you can use the money to live a better life in the countryside.”

Wang Dahua sighed, "If everyone thought like you, that would be great. I'll think about this again when I get back."

Wang Dahua's words left Ning Hao speechless. This family was truly bizarre. He was mainly worried about Jiang Qiao, wondering if the little girl could adapt to living with these people.

Jiang Qiao had given up trying to persuade the old lady. "Grandma, I've divided the money today. This is four hundred plus our initial investment. I'll keep the remaining change for spending money. Please keep this safe."

Wang Dahua looked at Ning Hao in surprise, "So many?"

Ning Hao smiled and said, "This is a one-off deal, there won't be a next time. We all worked together to figure it out. We also owe a lot to Jiang Qiao, otherwise we wouldn't have made so much money."

He secretly nodded to Jiang Qiao, thinking that she knew to leave herself some room to maneuver and wasn't stupid.

To be honest, Wang Dahua's worries weren't just about her son's job. When she brought her son back, she hadn't initially planned to find him a job here, so she didn't bring any grain from Jiang Ping's family.

Who would have thought that neither the daughter-in-law nor the grandchildren wanted to go back? They were implying that they wanted to stay here. You tell me, since the daughter-in-law had already said it, how could the mother not go out and find a solution?

Especially since the family's food supplies were almost exhausted and their money was nearly gone, the money Jiang Qiao earned was a lifesaver for her.

"I've arrived. Take care."

Jiang Qiao helped the old lady walk and said, "Grandma, I have to give some of these things to Third Aunt. Not to mention usual times, when you were sick, you received a lot of help from her."

It's not about the quantity, it's about the meaning. Is that okay with you?

Wang Dahua noticed that Jiang Qiao's bag was quite heavy. Although she couldn't see what was inside, she had no objection to this exchange of favors.

However, when they got home, Niu Guihua saw Jiang Qiao carrying things back and snatched the bag from his hand.

"Wow, so much food, including meat! Mom, we can have a good meal tonight."

Wang Dahua glared at her daughter-in-law and said, "All you know is food. Put it down right now. Jiang Qiao still needs to deliver some to the neighbors."

Niu Guihua's small eyes suddenly widened, and her tone became even more exaggerated: "You're going to give this away? Are you crazy? This meat is such a precious thing, why would you give it away? That would be a huge favor."

Jiang Qiao ignored Niu Guihua's gluttonous expression and snatched the bag from her hand.

"Auntie, I brought these things back myself. I've already spoken to Grandma about it. If you don't understand, just ask Grandma."

After saying that, she started picking and choosing. There was only one piece of meat, so she hesitated for a moment and didn't take it. As for fish, seafood, and dried goods, she took a few items, put them in a basin, and carried them directly out the door.

Niu Guihua looked at her mother-in-law angrily, "Mother, look at this unlucky child! She doesn't know how to respect her elders at all. Ever since she came back, her attitude has been off."

She's never shown any affection towards us. If she's like this now, what are we going to do in the future? We can't raise an ungrateful child, can we?

Wang Dahua is really having a headache. She's freezing cold outside, and now she's causing such a ruckus at home. If things continue like this, she probably won't live for more than a few years.

"Hey, what do you know? Our neighbors have helped us a lot, so it's only right that they give us something. If you live here in the future, you should also make sure to visit your neighbors more often. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, especially since we have no roots or connections here."

Wang Dahua glanced at her daughter-in-law and sighed inwardly. Her daughter-in-law had had a hard life all these years, enduring hardships with her son and raising many children for the Jiang family. She used to be quite pretty, but now she looked almost the same age as her.

"Guihua, be nicer to Jiang Qiao in the future. No matter what, that child is getting old and knows how to read people's expressions. Don't try to outsmart her. Maybe she can help you in the future."

Don't let her young age fool you; she's very stubborn. The more you act like that with her, the less she'll like you.

Niu Guihua gave a bitter smile. "Mother, how can I be good to her? There are six children in our family alone. I can barely take care of my own children. How can I have the mood to please her?"

Then again, we raised her, and she should be grateful to us for the rest of her life. Why should we live at her beck and call?

Suddenly, an idea popped into Niu Guihua's mind, and she said with a happy expression, "Mom, look, Jianghe will be looking for a wife in two years. We have a ready-made one in the family, so why don't we arrange for Jiang Qiao to marry our Jianghe? It's good to keep the good stuff in the family."

Besides, you raised her, so you know her well. This way, you can save money on her wedding expenses. What do you say?

Wang Dahua had never really considered such a thing before, but after Niu Guihua reminded her, she thought it was a good idea.