That evening, Kong Xuefang wanted to show off her cooking skills to her future father-in-law and sister-in-law, so she put a lot of thought into preparing a table of dishes. Jiang Jianguo was very satisfied with this daughter-in-law and was all smiles. Jiang Ruyu naturally wouldn't spoil the mood and kept praising her sister-in-law's good skills, saying that her second brother was very lucky.
That night, Jiang Ruyu slept with her second sister-in-law in the new house. After all, this was the new house that her second brother would use for his wedding, and Jiang Ruyu was unwilling to stay there. However, Kong Xuefang's dormitory for educated youth could not accommodate one more person, so in the end, Kong Xuefang was allowed to sleep in the new house with her future sister-in-law.
Jiang Jun slept in the west room with his father. That night, Jiang Jianguo pulled Jiang Jun aside and talked about the family: "Your mother probably regrets it but can't let go of Ruyi. Jun'er, your mother does have a lot of flaws. She's scheming and loves to nitpick. It's partly my fault. She has no ulterior motives. All her scheming is for our family. Although it's wrong, she's been like this for so many years, and it's hard for her to change."
Jiang Jun then voiced his questions: "Why does my mother seem so strange towards Ruyi? She says she's doing it for her own good, but why doesn't she guide her onto the right path? And why is she so hostile towards my uncle's family?"
Jiang Jianguo sighed as he recalled the past: "It was also because of me. Back then, I was just an ordinary worker in the steel factory, while your mother was a well-known beauty in the spinning compound. We got married and had children through a matchmaker. It wasn't until your second uncle married your second aunt that things changed. Your second aunt came from the village, but she was capable, smart, and eager to learn. She worked her way up from an ordinary saleswoman in the department store to an accountant. Your mother couldn't accept that."
“Your second uncle is capable too. He’s daring and hardworking, and he made a name for himself on his own. If it weren’t for your second uncle later… your grandma and the others would definitely have gone to enjoy a life of luxury with him. I don’t have your second uncle’s abilities. Your mother was strong-willed when she was young and never wanted to back down. But after she married me, she couldn’t compare to your second aunt in any way, so her personality gradually turned out the other way.”
"Later, your second uncle sacrificed his life. Everyone knows that the army gave him a considerable sum of money. Your aunt made a fuss about it for a long time. Your mother also coveted the money. From then on, she went from being jealous and resentful of your second uncle's family to scheming and calculating. Gradually, her personality changed to what it is now."
"As for Ruyi, Ruyi is the one among you siblings who looks like her the most, and her personality is also similar. She's extreme and stubborn. Your mother just wants her to marry into a higher social class, at least someone better than Ruyu. It seems like that would make her feel better. Sigh, the family is in such a mess because I, as the head of the family, haven't managed things well."
There are many trivial matters involved, which are hard to explain. In short, he, as Wang Shuhua's husband, also bears undeniable responsibility for how Wang Shuhua has become what she is today.
What Jiang Jianguo couldn't bring himself to say was that he had once felt resentful and even jealous of his younger brother, who was better than him in every way. He was the eldest son of the Jiang family, yet wherever he went, people would say, "Your younger brother is really capable; you'll all benefit from his success in the future."
Others also told his parents, "You are so lucky, Jianjun is such a promising child."
Although he was just feeling uncomfortable and hadn't done anything, he knew that Wang Shuhua must have sensed his change in mindset. That's why she felt emboldened when she was being difficult and calculating towards her younger siblings. And because of these momentary lapses in judgment, he didn't stop her or change her. Even though he later regretted it, the mistake had already been made, and he could only swallow the bitter pill himself.
They both felt so sorry for Ruyu and her nieces. So many things had happened in the past two years, and the guilt in his heart was eroding him every day.
"Son, you must always be upright and honest in your dealings with others. We should only take on what we are capable of, and not be overly ambitious. It's always better to be down-to-earth." Otherwise, the current state of his family is a consequence of their actions.
Jiang Jun hadn't expected these things to happen. Looking at the roof beam, he felt a mix of emotions: "With Ruyi in this state, are we just supposed to let her be like this?"
Jiang Jianguo also wanted to bring her back to the right path. After all, she was still his daughter. He said, "Forget it. How can you pull someone who's already gone down a dead end back? Just live your own life and don't worry about her anymore. Your mother won't give up on her anytime soon. She won't reflect on herself until she suffers a great loss."
Jiang Jun didn't say anything more. Thinking about Ru Yu and then looking at her, he realized that they were incomparable. What his own sister had done for Ru Yu was already enough to make him feel guilty towards his cousin. Ru Yu had even come to his wedding this time and prepared so many things. Based on his understanding of Ru Yu, the things she brought out were never cheap. Ru Yu's feelings for him made him feel ashamed. He, as her brother, couldn't help her with anything, and she had to go to such lengths.
Both father and son were lost in their own thoughts. In the east room, Jiang Ruyu and Kong Xuefang chatted for a few minutes, talking about the funny things that happened when their second brother was a child. However, they were not familiar with each other and fell asleep after a few more words.
The next day, as dawn broke, the incessant crowing of roosters woke the sleeping people. Kong Xuefang and the others were used to getting up at this time. It was the busy farming season, and they could only take a day off on National Day when they held their banquet. Today, they still had to go to work.
"I'm so sorry, Uncle and Ruyu are here, and we can't be with them." Kong Xuefang made breakfast, and Jiang Jun helped bring it over, explaining somewhat apologetically.
Jiang Jianguo waved his hand: "Don't be so reserved. We're all family. It's busy farming season, and the production team has a lot of work to do. We understand. I'll go with you to take a look later. I haven't been to the fields for so many years. We only went to the fields when the factory organized worker-peasant activities. I miss those days."
Jiang Ruyu didn't want to go to the fields: "I'll just wander around the village by myself. You all do what you need to do and don't worry about me."
“That’s fine. There’s a big pond to the south of the village, and a mountain stream to the west. There’s also Tiger Mountain behind it. You can wander around there, but don’t go too deep into the mountains. There are wild animals in those mountains.” Jiang Jun knew that his sister had never been far from home and was curious about the place, so he told her where she could and couldn’t go.
"After we've finished our banquet, if we're free afterwards, I'll take you to the next brigade. That brigade is by the sea, we can go and have some fun there." Kong Xuefang was a smart woman, and she took the initiative to bring up something that would interest Jiang Ruyu.
"Great! I've really made a profit this time. You guys go ahead, don't be late." Jiang Ruyu knew their good intentions and accepted with a smile.
Jiang Ruyu took her second brother and sister-in-law to work, and her eldest uncle went to join in the fun. She took her clothes that she had changed out of to the well not far away and drew water to wash them.
The well here is old-fashioned; you have to put the bucket in yourself and use a bit of skill to tilt it and slowly fill it with water. Jiang Ruyu had never done this before, and it took her a while to fill a bucket with water.
After washing and drying the clothes, Jiang Ruyu locked the door, took the key, and prepared to go to the place her second brother had mentioned.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Jiang Ruyu looked at the lush green forest and immediately signed in: "Tongzi, sign in."
"Received, ready to check in."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com