Chapter 189: No emotion at all

Jiang Hao, "Going to the countryside, ah, actually, there is no need to be afraid, as your family is a military family, as long as you don't cause trouble and are not afraid of trouble, you won't have to endure any hardship when you go to the countryside.

If you're unhappy living at the educated youth camp, you can move out. You can ask the brigade to help you build a small house. It doesn't have to be too big, just enough for sleeping and cooking. It won't cost much, sixty or seventy, at most a hundred, will be enough. You can eat and live by yourself then. As a grown man, what else can you endure besides the hard work of working?

Mrs. Meng didn't mind the little money. "If the educated youth don't get married, they can't get a homestead."

Jiang Hao: "If it's not possible, then just don't approve it. Then sign an agreement with the brigade. This house will be built next to the educated youth site and will belong to the site. But because you paid for it, as long as Meng Ran is in the brigade, he will have the right to use it. When Meng Ran returns to the city, the house will be returned to the brigade. This way, the brigade can get a house for free in the future. They will definitely agree."

Meng Ran blinked and said, "Grandma, I think this is a good idea. When I go to the countryside, I will build a small house for myself and live there by myself.

Grandma, except for when I was little and lived with you, after I turned five I had my own room. I'm really not used to living with other people."

Mrs. Meng agreed repeatedly, "Don't worry, we'll live on our own. When you go to the countryside, we'll see how much money your parents can give you. If it's not enough, I'll give you more. Don't worry, I'll definitely keep an eye on your parents and make sure they give you and your sister the same amount. I'll definitely not let them favor boys over girls. I'll supervise them and make sure they treat everyone equally."

Jiang Hao was quite a smart guy. Based on what he had heard in the department store, he immediately guessed what Old Lady Meng had done. "Now that you know where you're going to the countryside, you can send some of your luggage over in advance. It might cost a little more, but it will save you from having to carry so many bags on the train."

Liu Cuihua: "That's just a small amount of money. The postage is so expensive. There are so many things to take with you to the countryside. If you really send them all by post, it will cost a lot of money, half a month's salary or even more."

Mrs. Meng may not be able to say it to others, but she is not the one who is reluctant to spend money on Meng Ran. "Don't worry, I still have the money your grandfather left me, as well as the pension money your father and his siblings give me every month. If nothing else, it's definitely enough to mail things and build a house. When your mother has prepared your things, grandma will mail them to you."

Liu Mei: "Aunt Meng, your neighbor Qi hasn't come back yet? It's been six days since her water broke. Logically, she should be discharged from the hospital. It's almost Chinese New Year, so she can't spend the New Year in the hospital. Even if she wants to spend the New Year in the hospital, I'm afraid the hospital won't agree."

Mrs. Meng said, "He was discharged from the hospital. He came back around noon today. It's unlikely that you didn't hear the noise in the room."

Liu Cuihua: "The water broke. Did she go to the hospital to give birth? Should we go check on this neighbor?"

Mrs. Bai said, "Of course you have to go. When Mei Zi gave birth to her third child, all the good neighbors came to visit. Those who live close to us are even more so. You are here to visit relatives. The neighbors next door can't pretend not to know. You must go and see them too."

In the past, all the personal relationships in the compound were handled by Fan Yuan, but today Fan Yuan fell ill and collapsed. Judging from the situation, he would probably have to stay in bed for the next two days and would not be able to get up.

Old Mrs. Meng had no choice but to do it herself. For the sake of face, she couldn't ask her daughter-in-law Fan Yuan about some things she didn't understand, so she could only ask the neighbors.

"Why don't we go tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is the 30th, so it wouldn't be appropriate to go later. Let's go together then. Otherwise, it would be tiring for the mother to go back and forth so often. Is the way we see mothers and newborns in our compound the same as other places? Are there any taboos?"

It is said that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Liu Cuihua had just arrived and was not familiar with the local rules, so she had to make sure she was clear about every aspect.

"Then let's go tomorrow at 10:30. It's not during mealtimes, so it won't disturb the mother and child's rest. Are there any rules about the amount of things you bring to the compound? I've never been around anyone here, so what do you think is right?"

Liu Mei has lived in the compound the longest among the people in the room, and she is very familiar with the unspoken rules of interpersonal relationships.

"As for the gifts, there's nothing particular about them. It depends on the family's circumstances. For those with good financial conditions and close relationships, I'll basically give them two items from some supplementary foods suitable for postpartum women that replenish blood and nourish the body. For those with average financial conditions and average relationships, I'll just give them one. For those with really poor financial conditions but still have to give a gift, then I'll just choose what I have and what I can give."

Liu Cuihua had a rough idea in her mind, which was no different from visiting relatives in the village. "What's the situation with the Qi family? My son didn't have time to tell me today, and I don't know what time he will be back tonight. How about you introduce them to me?"

Liu Mei thought that she was the one who was most familiar with the neighbors among the people sitting there, so she could only introduce herself, "The Qi family is a family of four, including the newborn. The man is called Qi Lu, and he is the deputy commander of the Second Regiment of our division. His wife is called Huang Caiyun, and she is an ordinary nurse in our military hospital. The eldest child in their family is a girl named Qi Jing, who was born to Qi Lu's ex-wife and is fifteen years old this year.

Qi Jing had lived with her grandparents in her rural hometown before. When Huang Caiyun gave birth, Qi Lu's mother came over last month and brought Qi Jing with her. I heard that she didn't plan to take Qi Jing away.

Qi Lu's ex-wife had never been with the army before. When she was getting a divorce from Qi Lu, she came to the army. She looked like an honest and decent rural woman. They went through the formalities without any quarrels. The reason they gave for the divorce was that it was an arranged marriage and there was no love.

Less than a month after his divorce, he married Huang Caiyun in Qilu. Two months later, Huang Caiyun announced her pregnancy, and the child she gave birth to recently.

Jiang Hao rolled his eyes. Bullshit arranged marriage, bullshit no love. If Qi Lu was really that innocent, where did Qi Jing get that child from? "Then what about Qi Lu's ex-wife? How's she doing?"

Mrs. Bai: "I know this. After Qi Lu's mother came, she was bored at home and came to talk to me a few times. One time, she talked about her ex-daughter-in-law. She remarried five months after the divorce and is now pregnant.

That man was found by her ex-daughter-in-law's mother, and he was also from their brigade. His previous wife had a massive hemorrhage during childbirth, but the child survived, a ten-year-old boy. His family is doing well now."

Old Mrs. Meng sighed, "Alas, the hardest thing about divorced parents is the children. Both parents have started their own families and have children. Qi Jing will be uncomfortable living in any family in the future if her father doesn't love her and her mother doesn't care for her. If the parents have a conscience, it's okay. We can treat them equally. If they don't have a conscience, we can just ignore them."