Hua Guangzong felt that his grandson's thinking was unacceptable, and immediately scolded him, "I asked you to do more work, and you complain like this. Why don't you think about the hardships you suffered when you went to the countryside?"

You sit in the factory, how hard can you work than those farmers?

Besides, this is only temporary. After such a long holiday for Chinese New Year, it's normal to be rushing to finish work now.

Hua Xiangyun also felt that Hua Zhian was being a bit dramatic. They had just returned from the countryside today, and the villagers there were truly exhausted from their work.

Everyone in the factory has a specific job, and because my second brother has connections with my grandmother, the position he was assigned to wasn't too strenuous.

Hua Zhian, thick-skinned, said with a fawning smile, "Grandpa, you're just envious of my little sister. She has time to spend with you. I haven't been able to go out with you for almost half a month."

Hua Guangzong didn't believe him at all. "You talk as if you're so filial. I've never seen you spend much time with me before."

"Don't you have any eyesight? Hurry up and help your grandma wash the ginger."

Hua Zhian knew this would be the outcome again, and sighed dramatically, "Nobody cares about me!"

Li Lijuan then placed the dishes on the table and teased, "Then you should hurry up and get married. Someone came here today after hearing about my job. Although it's not a formal job, I do temporary work at the factory. If it works out, we can all work together to find a way to get permanent positions."

"Sister-in-law, please let me go," Hua Zhian said with a look of utter despair. "Except when I'm at work, I can have some peace and quiet. These days, she keeps telling me about this and that."

I never knew I was so popular.

Hua Zhiping walked over and kicked him. If Hua Zhian hadn't been on guard, he would have actually kicked him squarely.

"Brother, we can't play like this. Your little brother has been suffering these past few days. You should at least show some concern for him."

Hua Zhiping said, "You should find a wife to keep you in check. Besides, if the conditions are right, you can settle down. Otherwise, you'll be overwhelmed by all the choices."

"Oh, I see, sister-in-law, brother is jealous of me. Back in the day, he wasn't as popular as me. If you hadn't been so blind to have your eye on him, he might still be a bachelor now."

As soon as Hua Zhian finished speaking, he quickly retreated behind Hua Xiangyun, as his little sister was his most important life-saving charm.

Li Lijuan glanced at Hua Zhiping, covered her mouth and laughed, "Comrade Zhiping, your brother is trying to sow discord."

Hua Xiangyun quietly moved aside a little. "Second brother, you're a real man, someone that eldest brother envies. Don't hide in the back, come to the front quickly and let everyone see your charm."

Hua Zhian suddenly felt insecure, as if his family members around him were all staring at him with predatory eyes.

"I was just joking," she said, knowing that if she didn't back down now, she would really be intimidated later. "Big brother, I was just being sarcastic. Your wife has a keen eye for talent; she found a gem like you in a whole forest..."

Tian Guihua snatched the ginger from his hand and scolded him with a laugh, "All you ever do is talk nonsense. You can't even do your job properly. I'm waiting to cook this."

Well, even Grandma came over to add insult to injury, and now even Grandpa is glaring at me.

With no other choice, he fled behind Hua Xiangyun again. This time, he was smarter, gripping her arms tightly with both hands. "Little sister, when I get my salary at the end of the month, your second brother will buy you candy." You have to protect your second brother right now, or your second brother's life is over...

The family was bickering and making a lot of noise, which was full of life. Meanwhile, not far away in the Zhou family home, Zhou Xiaolan was looking at her family with red eyes and a wronged expression.

"Well, look at how unfilial your daughter is! Your father and I have only been here for a few days, and she already looks down on us like this." Zhao Yue'e pointed at Zhou Xiaolan and scolded, "What are your father and I here for? Isn't it all so that she can marry into a good family?"

We've been guarding there from morning till night. We've spoken to Jiang Yi several times already. With a little more effort, we can bring up the child's marriage.

But the child didn't seem to accept it, saying that she wouldn't marry Jiang Yi and insisted on choosing that Hua Zhian instead.

I think she did it on purpose; she probably thinks we two old people are in her way.

In Zhao Yue'e's view, Jiang Yi's conditions are what they are, who can compare to him?

Moreover, with such a big house and such a high salary, he can't possibly live in it all by himself. Now that I've become the Zhou family's grandson-in-law, I should be more filial to him.

They used to think the Hua family was good, with their own courtyard and formal jobs, but now, compared to them, they look down on the Hua family at all.

“You’re all staring at me every day, but I still need to be noticed,” Zhou Xiaolan said at length, but none of them listened; they were only focused on the surface in front of them.

She's not stupid; she knows Jiang Yi is better than Hua Zhian, but that person is simply not suitable for her, nor is he suitable to be the Zhou family's grandson-in-law.

"You haven't even tried, how do you know it's not right?" Zhao Yue'e cursed for a while before saying, "Look at Bai Zhaodi, she was willing to swallow her pride and harden her heart to crawl into bed with him back then, and now she's married into the city, and she's the one who calls the shots in the whole family."

Look at her all these years, she's taken good care of her husband's family and her own family too. That's your great-aunt, why can't you learn from her?

Zhou Xiaolan, being an unmarried girl, blushed deeply after hearing this. "How am I the same as her?"

Besides, if this gets discovered, I'll be arrested and subjected to public criticism...

"You're so stubborn. At most, it's a matter of personal conduct for the man to be unmarried and the woman to be single. Once they get their marriage certificate, who can say anything about it?"

Bai Ailian looked at her with disappointment and frustration. She was so smart, how could she have given birth to such a stupid daughter?

They can't even do anything right, yet they have the nerve to criticize this and that.

Zhou Xiaolan was on the verge of a breakdown, unable to understand why this year had been so difficult.

Now, not only are we not getting enough to eat three meals a day, but we also have to endure endless abuse.

She desperately wanted to get out of this house as soon as possible. As for their suggestion to get into bed, even if she wanted to, she'd go find someone else...

Startled, she quickly pulled her thoughts back. How could she have been influenced to have such thoughts in her mind?

The neighbors nearby were used to the noise coming from the Zhou family and didn't even bother to listen. It was just the same old trivial matters going on and on all day long.

Bai Ailian was the only one who liked to put on a show of wealth, leaving the two elderly people at home, yet the food she and her daughter received was always meager.

Bai Ailian is better off; she can eat lunch at the factory. Zhou Xiaolan is the only one who suffers the most here.

It's estimated that the child hasn't had a full meal since before the Lunar New Year.

She doesn't even look at herself now, as thin as a bamboo pole, yet she still dares to fantasize about Jiang Yi.