The wind made several trees in the yard rustle, and the half-yellow leaves swirled and flew up, landing gracefully on He Xiaojie who came in.

"Auntie, look what I brought back."

She didn't need to say it, He Ruixue saw it when she entered the door, holding a big green watermelon in her arms.

"Where did it come from?"

"Someone at my colleague's house grew it. She didn't want a ticket, so I exchanged some with her."

Everyone knows that when we say "exchange", it is just another way of saying "buy".

Someone looked at it with envy, "Xiao Jie, this watermelon is so big, your family can't finish it, why don't you give me a piece?"

"Yes, I'll trade you the cantaloupe I bought yesterday."

"No, I have a big family, one watermelon is not enough."

He Xiaojie refused without a second thought, fearing her mother would agree to the offer, so she interrupted her, "Mom, what are we having for dinner tonight? My aunt is here, and you can't just use beans and bitter melon to deal with me anymore."

In summer and autumn, the several bean racks built in He Ruixue's vegetable garden began to burst with endless vitality. Just pulling them would get most of them. You could never pick them all, and eating them would make you want to vomit.

The main reason was that her mother was reluctant to add oil, so she boiled it with water and then added some salt. She really couldn't taste anything.

However, these days, dishes are not meant to be eaten with rice, but to supplement the staple food. Their main function is to fill the stomach and make people eat less.

Wang Taozhi took her watermelon and patted it. When she found it was fully ripe, she nodded and glanced at her. "You look so spoiled. I'll starve you for two meals and you'll be sensible. There's still some seaweed left from the one your aunt brought last time. I'll make some egg soup with it later."

As she spoke, she put the watermelon in her own bucket to soak, then waved her back inside. "Go in and wash the vegetables first. If you see any that have been sitting around for a long time, cook them quickly. Then start cooking the rice, and use less refined rice."

Lu Lan was reserved by nature, and she felt uncomfortable sitting and waiting for food. "Mom, I'll go. Xiaojie just got off work. Let her rest for a while."

"Everyone just got off work. She's a girl who runs around outside all day. She's become playful. Let her do more work to exercise. Her cooking skills are not good. Her in-laws will definitely blame me for not teaching her well in the future."

He Xiaojie was not convinced, "My aunt doesn't know anything either."

Wang Taozhi nodded, her logic clear. "Yes, so she was smart and found a man without a husband. Can he crawl out of the ground and poke your grandmother in the back?"

"I'm just like her. I don't want an in-law."

"Can you compare with your sister-in-law? She earns as much as you two now. If you find someone without an in-law, where will you live? Who will take care of you during the confinement period? Who will help you take care of the child?

I'm already a mother at your age, and many of your classmates are married. Who's as happy as you every day? Your sister-in-law has found a partner, how about you? After the New Year, you'll be in your twenties, right? There's no need to rush.

"Mom, I just turned eighteen this year."

"Yes, Mao is nineteen and Huang is twenty. She has become an old maid."

Wang Taozhi saw her dressed more youthfully than a high school student and sighed, "I'm not asking you to get married right away, but you should at least come up with some rules. Besides the money I saved for you, do you have any money saved of your own?"

He Xiaojie's eyes widened. She didn't feel the need to save money at all. "I pay my living expenses every month, and I have to save a portion for you. The rest of the money is not enough to spend. I'm lucky enough that I don't have to borrow money from others."

"You're just like your dad. Your pockets are empty at the end of the month. If your aunt hadn't brought you a watch, you probably wouldn't have been able to bring anything big with you to your wedding."

He Xiaojie didn't listen to her threats and instead put pressure on her, "How could that be? Mom, I believe in your ability. You will definitely be able to help me get everything."

The He family is considered the best-off family in the compound, with several workers at home.

Everyone was of course curious about He Xiaojie's dowry, so they asked Wang Taozhi how much it was.

"She earned her own dowry. Every month she gave me a fixed amount to help her save it. We'll see how much she has in the end. If it's a lot, I'll buy her two houses. If it's a little, I'll buy her a sewing machine and a bicycle."

Everyone present gasped. Wow, including the foreign watch He Xiaojie was wearing, she would have to pay at least three large items in compensation.

Whoever marries her is marrying a golden child, right?

Moreover, He Xiaojie has a job. Working at a grain station is very respectable. The He family has no shortage of jobs, so they will probably let her take her job with her.

By this calculation, she can support the family by herself. After all, many families now have only one earner, but can't they still raise several children?

Yin Hong said bitterly, "She'll have to save up for several years, right? She'll just keep saving up and become an enemy. Are you not planning on marrying off the girl?"

Wang Taozhi suppressed the pride in her heart and said lightly, "Of course her father and I have to give some money. We can't just ignore it. There are also her brother, sister-in-law, uncles and aunts who contribute money. If we add it together, it won't be a big deal."

Only then did they remember that, yes, He Xiasheng was a wealthy man who could spend hundreds of dollars without blinking an eye, and He Ruixue was always generous.

With these two aunts alone, He Xiaojie's dowry would not be shabby.

"Oh, if you have the conditions, why do you still want to get married? Follow your two aunts and find a son-in-law."

Wang Taozhi frowned, "What are you talking about? Xia Sheng and Dong Bao got married normally, how could they be considered as having a son-in-law?"

These days, marriage concepts are conservative and many people are ashamed of marrying into their husband's family.

"Even the child's surname has been changed, and it's not considered marrying into the family. Why are they hiding it? No one is laughing at them."

Seeing that they were about to quarrel, He Xiaojie quickly pulled her sleeve and said, "Mom, don't worry about her. Are you really going to buy me a house?"

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