"Brother Fuqiang is quite reasonable. Could it be that Chen Mei has done something again?"
Sister Li had an expression that said, "You don't know anything about this. This matter has something to do with you! Didn't Chen Mei bring her brother and sister-in-law over to run the business? Seeing that they couldn't make any money anymore, they wanted to go back home to farm!"
Xia Ruzheng said: "Isn't this normal?"
Although the policy has been relaxed and more people are doing business, it does not mean that anyone can succeed in business. What's more, Chen Mei's sister-in-law is not a smart person, and her brother is probably not much better, otherwise why would he listen to Chen Mei's deceptive advice and do such a despicable thing.
Sister Li was very gossipy and said, "It would be fine if they just left like that, but Chen Mei said they've been living there for over a month and want to collect rent! She also said she lent money to her brother and sister-in-law for their business and wants them to pay it back!"
This sounds a bit strange, but if you think about Chen Mei's style of doing things, it becomes understandable.
"She can do it." Xia Ruzheng said lightly.
Sister Li said, "Isn't it? I knew she was that kind of person before you came. It's a good thing you didn't live with her, otherwise there would be even more trouble!"
Xia Ruzheng smiled, knowing that Sister Li just wanted to gossip with her, nothing more. Xia Ruzheng felt that Sister Li was a better person than Chen Mei, but still not as frank and forthright as Tian Nier. But many people in the world were like Sister Li. They wouldn't deliberately take advantage of you or act rudely, but they also wouldn't confide in you or treat you as a true friend. They'd just sit together occasionally, gossip, and interact with each other. A deep relationship wouldn't be worth it.
Most people around us are like Sister Li, so we just need to interact with them normally and be polite to them.
Sister Li then turned to talk about Chen Mei, saying, "Chen Mei wasn't this impressive before. When she first arrived, she was still married to Wang Fuqiang! Back then, it was really tough! Wasn't it the Red Guards? You couldn't mess with them. Even finding a place to live was hard. Then, when the factory was hiring, the two of them joined right after each other, and that's how things got to where they are now."
State-owned factories and enterprises do allocate housing, but there are usually more people than houses. Chen Mei and Wang Fuqiang are both ordinary workers with no connections and no money, so they had to find a house to live in outside. It took them a lot of effort to get this house now.
Sister Li didn't tell Xia Ruzheng in detail about the twists and turns and secrets involved. There were many people involved, and few families around here were clean. It would be better not to say anything, so as to avoid getting her family involved.
"I guess she used to think she was new here, so she kept a low profile. But now she feels like she has settled down and has become more powerful." Sister Li tried to figure out Chen Mei's mental journey.
Xia Ruzheng didn't know the Chen Mei of the past, so he felt that the current Chen Mei was unpleasant, and was a microcosm of many families' wives. He said, "I think they are probably afraid of being poor. The poorer they are, the more they want money. When they find a way to make money, they naturally don't care about anything else. People like this will still be like this even if they really have money, stingy and greedy. They feel uneasy without money and feel that their future is uncertain."
In his previous life, Xia Ruzheng had witnessed Huang Zhong's rise from impoverished to a powerful figure within the system. He grew increasingly capable and wealthy, yet he never showed any generosity, treating money like his lifeblood. He cherished his son, daughter, and mother more than money. While Chen Mei wasn't as overly generous, she was on the same page.
Sister Li clapped her hands and said, "Zhengzheng, you really see things clearly. Come to think of it, I agree! But we all have been poor before, so some people are more generous, while others are just obsessed with money. There are many kinds of people, and the old sayings of our ancestors are always right."
Xia Ruzheng successfully changed the subject and said, "Isn't it? Some of what our ancestors said does make a lot of sense. Sometimes it doesn't make much sense to listen to, but after experiencing something and thinking about it again, I realize that our ancestors clearly told us this truth a long time ago. We have to experience it ourselves before we can understand the key points."
These words made Sister Li feel painful, so Sister Li talked about some things that touched her deeply, and the two of them drifted away completely as they chatted.
But I heard that the incident at Chen Mei's house was quite shameful. People still think that relatives should help each other if they can. If you give someone advice and it goes wrong, not only do you shirk responsibility but you also ask for money. How can that be justified?
Chen Mei didn't have a good reputation around here, and with this incident, everyone's impression of her is even worse.
For Xia Ruzheng, although Chen Mei was not an enemy, they had their share of grievances before. Since she was not doing well, Xia Ruzheng felt relieved.
Xia Ruzheng thought of a few methods for Tian Nier to try. Tian Nier got the method and said, "If the method works, I can openly give you meat buns to eat in the future. If not, thank you. If you need any help from me and my husband in the future, just tell me!"
Xia Ruzheng said: "Then I will remember it!"
Having nothing to do in the afternoon, Xia Ruzheng followed Tian Nier to buy vegetables, and then looked for buckwheat flour, corn flour and the like. These things were not as easy to find as wheat flour, so the two of them searched around for a long time before they found a grain supply and marketing cooperative that had these things.
There was such a big difficulty before it even started, Xia Ruzheng felt a little embarrassed.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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