Chapter 75 The Qian family members have a magnetic field between each other.

Zhong Ying placed the sack of grain she had been carrying all the way in front of Li Rou and looked up at her.

Li Rou and Li Linshi look very alike; both have exceptionally good-looking faces.

Zhong Ying stared at it for a while, then felt that Li Rou looked more like Li Rongshi. After all, they were twins. However, her second brother had gained weight and his face was rounder. In comparison, Li Rou was surprisingly thin.

Li Rou looked at the bag of grain and was even more surprised. "Did you carry this yourself?"

Although it wasn't a full sack, the grain was heavy, and even half a sack was quite substantial.

Zhong Ying smiled but didn't say anything. Well, she couldn't very well say, "Your brother carried the whole way, I was just pretending."

“My parents said that since I’ve already made this trip, I might as well bring you some food, in case you and Qianqian don’t have enough to eat,” Zhong Ying said.

“My father and second brother just gave me the grain two months ago, why are you bringing it to me again…” Li Rou’s eyes were moist, and her voice was choked with sobs.

Although Li Rou married into the county town, she did not have a job, so her household registration and grain ration were still with the Tonggan Production Team. Furthermore, because the current household registration system followed the policy of "infants following their mothers," Li Rou's daughter, Qian Qian, followed her mother, and her household registration and grain ration were also with the Tonggan Production Team.

This is a phenomenon unique to this era, commonly known as "half-household registration," where half of a family has an urban household registration and the other half has a rural household registration.

Although the mother and daughter live in the city, they do not enjoy the same monthly rations of food and oil as city dwellers.

With no income and the need to eat, the mother and daughter were in a very awkward situation. Relying on some of the food rations from Li Rou's husband and in-laws to give to them was always a case of "he who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding." The Li family lived a decent life in the countryside, with enough food to eat, so they would occasionally give their daughter some extra food to make Li Rou's life in the county town a little easier.

Zhong Ying saw the tears welling up in Li Rou's eyes, so she pretended to be playful and said, "Isn't this a refund for my food rations? Sister, can I stay at your house tonight? I've even brought my own food, just lend me a place to sleep."

Zhong Ying told Li Rou again about the production team's plan to build a hydroelectric power station, "So I came to the county town to order water turbines from the supply and marketing cooperative. I'll go back tomorrow morning."

"Great, that's great. Electricity will make things much more convenient." Li Rou raised her hand, quickly wiping away her tears as she tucked her hair behind her ear, and smiled. "No problem, I'll clean out Qianqian's room for you. I'll sleep with Qianqian tonight, and you can sleep in her room for one night. Come in quickly, I'll get you some water. Qianqian, call her Auntie."

Zhong Ying didn't go inside, but pointed to the green water bottle she was carrying on her shoulder. "I'm not thirsty. I brought this water bottle specifically for drinking water on the way."

This water bottle was sent home by her brother Zhong Cheng. Her sister-in-law, Miao Suyun, had kept it but couldn't bear to use it. Before she went to the army, she left it to Zhong Ying.

Qian Qian and her second brother Li Rongshi's son Guangfu were born in the same year and are both four years old this year. Unlike the mischievous children in the countryside who are tanned like little black monkeys, the little girl who grew up in the city is fair-skinned and as pretty as a little flower bud. She came over and hid behind Li Rou, obediently calling her "Auntie" as her mother told her.

Zhong Ying smiled at her.

“Sister, I’ll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to order the machine first,” Zhong Ying said, looking up at Li Rou. “I’m afraid they’ll be closed by the time I get there.”

Li Rou wouldn't let Zhong Ying in either. She quickly said, "Yes, the supply and marketing cooperative closes at six o'clock. We need to hurry over. I'll take you there."

As she spoke, Li Rou reached to untie her apron.

Zhong Ying quickly stopped her, "No need, I saw the supply and marketing cooperative from afar on my way here. I remember the way. You go ahead with your work, I'll go by myself. I'll be back in a bit!"

As she spoke, Zhong Ying lifted her foot and walked out, afraid that Li Rou would still have to be polite to her.

After giving the bag of grain to Li Rou, Zhong Ying felt much lighter. The important documents, letters of introduction, money, and other items were all packed in the pockets of the black military-style clothing under her thin jacket. For decades, and even today, this men's-style clothing has had one characteristic—many large pockets, which are particularly good at holding things.

Zhong Ying went straight to the county supply and marketing cooperative empty-handed. She ordered a machine from the salesperson before the cooperative closed for the day and registered it. She was just waiting for the purchasing agent to go to the agricultural machinery factory to "buy" a water turbine for her when he went out to purchase goods.

When Zhong Ying left the supply and marketing cooperative, she had an extra oil paper package in her hand, containing a pound of chicken cakes. The money she had spent was not the public funds in her left pocket, but her own money in her right pocket.

Zhong Ying strolled into the tenement building once again.

"Sis, I bought this for Qianqian on the spur of the moment. She can have it as a snack." Li Rou opened the door, and Zhong Ying handed her another oil paper package.

Li Rou scolded, "Why did you waste money buying this? Come on, come in and eat, are you hungry?"

She stepped aside, and Zhong Ying, standing at the doorway, saw that there were now several more people inside the house.

Besides the little girl Qian Qian, there were three other people sitting around the dining table.

The old man, with a stern face and holding a bowl, didn't even lift his eyelids;

The woman with a harsh face and deep nasolabial folds scrutinized Zhong Ying with a critical gaze;

There was also an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who could be lost on the street and never be found again.

Suddenly, Zhong Ying believed that there was a magnetic field between people, because she keenly sensed that these people were unconsciously conveying a sense of rejection towards her.

"Why are you just standing there at the door? Come in quickly." Li Rou urged, and then introduced them to Zhong Ying, "These are my parents-in-law, they work at the pickle factory; this is your brother-in-law, he works at the county film management station, they just got off work not long ago."

Qian Haishen was the first of the three to speak, "Sister-in-law, your sister told you that you're coming to stay for one night. Don't worry about it, just make yourself at home."

Mother Qian gave a weak, insincere chuckle.

Mr. Qian nodded somewhat perfunctorily in response.

"Thank you, brother-in-law," Zhong Ying replied with the same indifferent attitude as everyone else, simply saying, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."

Zhong Ying then stepped into the Qian family's house and took off the cotton-padded jacket she was wearing on the outside.

Only when he saw the neat dress Zhong Ying was wearing underneath did Mr. Qian give her a proper look.

"You came to the county town to order a water turbine for your production team?" Mr. Qian asked, as if condescendingly.

Li Rou warmly took Zhong Ying's clothes and hung them on the wall for her. She then moved a chair for Zhong Ying to sit down and placed clean bowls and chopsticks in front of her.

Zhong Ying picked up her chopsticks, deciding not to argue with the old man for Li Rou's sake. She nodded with a fake smile; even the commune leaders weren't this arrogant.

Mr. Qian only said two words, "Not bad."

He never spoke another word to Zhong Ying, that country girl, again.

"She looks clever. I thought she would be a stupid girl if she was willing to marry a dead man," Qian's mother said sarcastically. "How could a decent girl from a respectable family be willing to marry a dead man?"

Zhong Ying gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger that made her want to flip the table. She could let herself get angry, she could just pack up and go to a guesthouse, but what about Li Rou? She and Qian Qian still had to live in this house.

“Heh, it was my own choice.” Zhong Ying squeezed out these words through gritted teeth. What she really wanted to say was, “What’s it to you? You don’t know anything.”

Mother Qian scrutinized Zhong Ying again, "So young, how could you be so foolish? Marrying a dead man means you'll have no hope for the next few decades—"

"Mom!" Li Rou interrupted her, unable to bear it any longer.

Li Rou's face darkened, and for a moment she saw a resemblance to her father, Li Ming, which made this usually gentle person appear somewhat solemn.

Li Rou was filled with grief and indignation at her mother-in-law's repeated use of the word "dead person." Did her mother-in-law ever consider whose husband or younger brother the "dead person" she was referring to was?

Qian's mother glared at Li Rou with eyes like daggers, "You want me to shut up? You dare to tell me to shut up now?"

She was so angry, as if her authority had been challenged, that she jumped up and down. "You, a country girl, are lucky to have married into my family. Otherwise, how could you live in the county town? You live in my house, eat my food, and all you've done all these years is give birth to a troublesome girl. Your womb is useless, and you're useless too. You can't even do a good job washing clothes and cooking at home. How many times have I told you not to scrub the work cloth like that..."

"Mom!" This time, it was Qian Haishen who interrupted his mother's endless accusations.

Qian Haishen turned to comfort Li Rou, "Mom went a bit too far. Although you come from the countryside, I have never looked down on you."

Mother Qian slammed her chopsticks down and yelled, "You two are making me so angry I'm not eating anymore!"

As she spoke, she stood up and went back to her own room.

The floor inside the house was painted with a layer of dark brown floor paint on top of the cement floor in order to make it look decent and shiny. Of course, this also has some drawbacks, such as making it easy to slip when it gets wet.

Mrs. Qian walked forward angrily, not paying attention to her footing. She stepped on a wet spot, lost her balance, and fell backward, landing right on Mr. Qian. The couple fell to the ground one after the other.

Qian Qian was sitting next to Li Rou, next to her grandfather, and almost got involved too, which scared her so much that she started crying.

Li Rou quickly went to comfort her daughter, while Qian Haishen hurriedly went to help his parents.

Qian's mother kept yelling that her bones were broken, but at that height, and with someone else falling down with her, at most she would only have a sore tailbone.

Amidst the chaos, Zhong Ying wasn't so angry anymore. She just looked at Li Linshi's cold but handsome face and quickly ate a few bites of rice. The others had no appetite; she was still hungry. She couldn't let the food Li Rou had painstakingly prepared go to waste.

That night, Zhong Ying took off her coat and lay down on her little niece's single bed. The child's room was small, and the bed was small too, so she could only snuggle in Li Linshi's arms.

Li Linshi simply held the person in his arms and didn't do anything else, since he was just staying in a child's room.

"I feel like something's not right," Zhong Ying muttered.

Li Linshi responded with a deep "Mm".

The year Li Rou got married was the year Li Linshi was focusing all his efforts on preparing for university entrance exams, leaving him no time for anything else. Later, he was admitted to university and went to the capital, only returning home for the Spring Festival. His sister married and moved to the county town, so they could only see each other during the Spring Festival.

Everyone in the production team envied Li Rou for being able to "leap out of the peasant gate" and marry into the city. With so many people talking about it, Li Linshi really thought his sister was going to live a good life. Only today did he realize that Li Rou was actually living this kind of life.

They were criticized and disliked, yet they still had to diligently manage the household chores, like slaves in the old days of landlords...

Li Linshi gritted his teeth and couldn't help but hug Zhong Ying even tighter.

Zhong Ying whispered to him, "My brother-in-law's mother keeps putting down my sister, and then my brother-in-law steps in and says he doesn't mind. One plays the good cop and the other the bad cop. Are they playing PUA here?"

Li Linshi looked down at her and asked, "What is PUA?"

“It’s emotional manipulation,” Zhong Ying explained to Li Linshi as simply as possible. “It’s about constantly putting down and criticizing someone, making them feel that they are not good enough for the other person. Over time, this will make them increasingly insecure and lose themselves. They will feel that only the other person is willing to accept them, be grateful, and become more dependent on the other person.”

Zhong Ying asked him, "Has your sister ever said anything bad about your brother-in-law before?"

Li Linshi thought about it carefully, "It shouldn't be. My mother sometimes only mentions that my sister's mother-in-law is not easy to get along with."

"The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law problem is never just a problem between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. What about the man? Where did the man go?" Zhong Ying pointed out sharply. "Just like now, the brother-in-law could have stood up to stop his mother when she said her first words, but he only spoke up after his mother had said a lot of things."

Li Linshi pondered, "Yes, if he really wants to mediate, he can go and have a proper talk with his mother. They're all family now, so she shouldn't keep bringing up his rural background and constantly criticizing and blaming him."

Zhong Ying looked at him approvingly and patted Li Linshi's chest as if awarding him, "Right? A man with a sense of responsibility should take the initiative to resolve family conflicts, instead of just saying 'I don't mind' in a half-hearted way."

However, Zhong Ying sighed again, "But mind control doesn't leave scars like physical violence. It's like a slow poison, corroding a person little by little. First of all, you need to make your sister realize that she is in an abnormal marital relationship. She is not the problem; the problem lies with others. I'll talk to her again when I leave tomorrow morning."

Li Linshi nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "Thanks to you."

"You're welcome." Zhong Ying yawned; she was a little sleepy, the fatigue from the long journey washing over her.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard Li Linshi say two words.

“Our sister.”

Zhong Ying mumbled sleepily, "Okay, okay, not 'your sister,' she's my sister now, I understand..."

After saying that, she fell into complete darkness and fell into a deep sleep.

——

The next morning, the Qian family members all went to work, and Li Rou took her daughter to see Zhong Ying off.

Now that she was also her sister, Zhong Ying had nothing to hide from Li Rou, and they talked about everything from the Qian family all the way to the county bus station.

"Sister, think about it yourself. It's true that you come from a rural background, but did you beg the Qian family to marry you? Or did they only find out you were from the countryside after you were married into the family? If they look down on you so much, why don't they find a city wife? So you see, the fault lies entirely with them, not you."

Li Rou finally showed her first smile since last night, "You..."

She and Zhong Ying were of different ages. In the past, she only knew that Zhong Ershu's younger sister, who was five years younger than her, had the same temperament as Zhong Ershu's aunt: shrewish, fierce, and unforgiving. She always blamed others, never herself.

Li Rou witnessed Zhong Ying demonstrate this in front of her today, and instead of finding it offensive, she felt extremely pleased.

“Sister, don’t always feel inferior to them,” Zhong Ying continued. “It’s true that you’re not registered in the city, but you’ve not been eating their food all the time. The reason why your parents keep giving you subsidies and sending you food is because they don’t want you to feel ashamed in front of them.”

Li Rou was greatly shocked.

"And it's not that you're bad, it's that you're too good. Otherwise, why would they tolerate your rural background, which they are so concerned about, and still marry you?"

Zhong Ying bought the train ticket and said to Li Rou before boarding, "You may feel isolated and helpless in the city, but don't forget, sister, you are not alone. You have a whole family standing behind you."

“Just tell me, and I’ll go back and get my whole family here to back you up,” Zhong Ying said, sounding both joking and serious.

Li Rou stood in the waiting room of the bus station for a long time that day, so long that Zhong Ying had already left for quite some time.

Qian Qian looked up at her mother, who was still staring in the direction her aunt had left, puzzled. She felt that her mother's absent-minded look made her want to walk over and get on the bus to leave as well.

"Mom?" Qian Qian tugged at the large hand she was holding.

Li Rou snapped out of her daze and looked down at her daughter. "You want to go home, don't you?"

Qian Qian nodded.

“Okay, let’s go home…” Li Rou’s voice was a little hoarse.

She also wanted to go home, but not to her home in the county town, but to her home in the Tonggan production team.

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Author's Note: Waaaaah, my beautiful older sister!