Chapter 18
Bei Bitang smiled bitterly and said, "Do I want to? I don't want to work and make money,...
Bei Bitang smiled bitterly and said, "Do I want to? I don't want to work and earn money to give to Mom and Little One, and buy nice things for you. But I have to find it. Others have waited for half a year, and I've only waited a few days."
Lin Bilan said, "If it really doesn't work out, you should find someone to marry like Bili did. You have to get married eventually."
Miao Xiuxiu curled her lips and said, "The family Bili found is not good enough. More than a dozen of their family members work in the transport team, so Bili is usually the only one left at home. Bili's husband's family doesn't even want to find her a job. Bili can't keep her second uncle's heart. Except for the New Year and other holidays, he would leave after leaving the gifts and never see him again. But Bili often comes."
After hearing these words, Bei Bitang's mind moved slightly. She thought about going to see her second sister tomorrow. Her second brother-in-law's family was so well-connected. She hoped that she could ask her second brother-in-law for help to find out if there were any job vacancies or channels for temporary recruitment.
Lin Bilan agreed, "That's right. My brother-in-law doesn't value Bili, so he doesn't value our family either. He didn't even attend the welcoming party for Bitang's return, nor did he call Mom to apologize. I think Chen Jinlong looks down on Dashan. When Dashan talks to him, he ignores him and turns around to talk to Bili. Even when Dashan isn't talking to him, I don't see him having much to say to Bili."
"Bi Li is also stupid. She didn't try to please her parents-in-law and asked them to help her find a job. She thought that if she married well, she could sit back and relax. Having a job is the real deal and it can be passed down for three generations."
When Lin Bilan said this, Bei Bitang looked at her in surprise.
Lin Bilan was deeply resentful of Wei Bili's incompetence and continued, "If I were Bili, I would not only control my parents-in-law, but also my husband."
The more she spoke, the more outrageous it became. Bei Bitang said, "Did the eldest sister take control of the eldest brother-in-law?"
Facing Bei Bitang's questioning gaze, Lin Bilan became angry. She glared at him and said, "What are you talking about? If I don't take advantage of your brother-in-law, how can this little brat have my last name?"
Bei Bitang said calmly, "Standard Mandarin."
Not taking your last name? What's the point of recruiting a live-in son-in-law? I've never heard of that.
Lin Bilan wanted to say something when Huang Dashan walked into the room reeking of alcohol and sweat.
Lin Bilan immediately shut her mouth.
Huang Dashan's face flushed red as he shouted irritably, "Is there any water? Quick, pour me a glass of water! I'm dying of thirst!"
Miao Xiuxiu quickly poured water, and Lin Bilan also hurried over and took off his shirt to cool him down.
The air in the room became foul. Bei Bitang held her breath and watched coldly as the two women circled Huang Dashan again.
She couldn't help but interrupt the suffocating atmosphere and asked, "Mom, where did you put the things I sent back, the beef jerky, cordyceps, and red dates?"
Miao Xiuxiu turned her gaze to Bei Bitang, frowned, and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
Bei Bitang said coldly, "I can't ask about the things I brought back. That day I asked you to set aside some for Second Sister to take home. But who knew that Second Sister and I were so happy to see each other that I forgot about it. Second Sister didn't take the things last time, so I'll bring them to her tomorrow."
She had originally thought of bringing some back the next time Second Sister came home for dinner, but she couldn't go empty-handed when she came tomorrow. She had to go out and buy some common things on the market; even candy and biscuits wouldn't seem sincere enough.
Miao Xiuxiu's brows furrowed even deeper, and she said impatiently, "I'll find it and give it to you later."
Bei Bitang was worried about going to her second brother-in-law's house, so she got up from the ground at dawn.
Seeing that Bei Bitang was still not leaving, Miao Xiuxiu asked, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Didn't you say you were going to look for Bili?"
Bei Bitang glanced at the old clock that was about to fall apart and said, "Wait a minute."
There are more than a dozen people in her second brother-in-law's family, which is really a big family. She doesn't want to run into anyone in her second brother-in-law's family, otherwise she will have to bite the bullet and greet them one by one, and rack her brains to think of topics to talk about.
Miao Xiuxiu threw the rag in her hand and said, "I don't want to bother with you."
Bei Bitang was certain and very sure that everyone in her second brother-in-law's family had left and gone to work, and Wei Bili was the only one at home, so she went out with the gift.
At around eight o'clock, the streets were devoid of bicycles, with only a few cars passing by. Some shops on either side of the street had just opened, while others had already seen off their first wave of customers, allowing them to rest or prepare for the second wave in three or four hours.
Bei Bitang sniffed the mixed smell of various foods in the air and looked at the house number.
Standing in front of a shop on the street, Bei Bitang looked around from the outside at where her second sister currently lived.
This is a small two-story privately built house. The first floor was publicly owned and used as a pastry shop. The second floor was bought by Chen Jinlong's grandfather and used as a residence, and later inherited by Chen Jinlong's father.
The staircase wasn't inside the bakery; it was a separate wooden staircase leading to the second floor, located on the outer wall. The staircase was dark and unlit. Bei Bitang, carrying her belongings, carefully climbed up the wooden handrail and knocked on the door.
A moment later, Wei Bili, wearing pajamas and looking pale, appeared in Bei Bitang's sight.
Bei Bitang quickly stepped forward to support her and asked with concern: "Second Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"
Wei Bili waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need Bei Bitang's support. She took a deep breath and said helplessly, "I'm fine. I just vomited something."
Bei Bitang's face lit up with joy, and she asked with shining eyes, "Are you pregnant?"
Wei Bili looked bitter and said, "It would be great if I were pregnant. I'm not pregnant. The medicine for pregnancy preparation was too hard to drink, so I vomited it out."
Her mother-in-law was never happy with her. Chen Jinlong had three older brothers and three wives, and they would always get good news within six months. But with her, there had been no news for a year or two, forcing her to take tonics prescribed by the hospital.
She didn't dare disobey her mother-in-law in person, so she could only pretend to obey and drink the medicine in front of her mother-in-law. After her mother-in-law went to work, she went to the bathroom to spit out the medicine.
Bei Bitang didn't understand the reason and just said, "If it's hard to drink, then don't drink it. Second sister, don't worry. Eldest sister also got pregnant a few years after getting married."
It is strange to say that Miao Xiuxiu was able to conceive in her three short marriages, but her two daughters had difficulty getting pregnant.
Wei Bili didn't want to talk about this topic, nor did she want to tell Bei Bitang about the difficulties in her marriage. She bent down and took out a pair of yellow plastic sandals from the shoe cabinet, placed them at Bei Bitang's feet, and asked, "Why did you come to see me?"
It wasn't that Wei Bili wasn't happy about Bei Bitang coming over, but this wasn't her home. She felt restricted everywhere, and she felt uncomfortable the moment she left her room, even when she was alone. She didn't want to entertain Bei Bitang with this unnatural feeling, nor did she want to expose it to her.
Bei Bitang lowered her head to change her shoes. Now was not the right time to talk, as Second Sister was feeling very uncomfortable.
She took back her request and said with a smile, "I wanted to come and see Second Sister and bring you something you forgot to take away last time."
Wei Bili said, "Hey, why bring it here? Leave it at home. I can eat it when I get home."
The only time her family ever made her proud was when Bei Bitang sent her ten kilograms of new cotton on her wedding day. The Chen family was incredibly enthusiastic about this cotton, and since she was newly married and rather soft-tempered, they coaxed her into giving them nine kilograms, which they then gave away for free. When she ran out of things, the Chen family's attitude towards her changed again.
Slowly she figured it out. What's the point of earning that face? It's not beneficial at all. If she wants the Chen family to always be nice to her, she has to keep giving them benefits. She's not going to be taken advantage of.
Bei Bitang walked into the tiled living room, put the things on the coffee table, and joked, "What about my second brother-in-law? He can't eat it."
Bei Bitang took a quick look at the layout of the house. There was a large living room covered with yellow patterned tiles, a large balcony planted with flowers and plants, and five crimson doors that were tightly closed. The kitchen and bathroom doors were not closed, and no walls were visible, so they must be quite large as well.
How big is this house? It seems that Second Sister's living environment is really good. At least she has not suffered from material hardship.
Wei Bili had her back to Bei Bitang. Upon hearing this, she calmly scalded her teacup with boiling water. Turning around, she changed her expression and said with a smile, "Chen Jinlong is so lucky. My little sister thinks so much of him that she even ignores me, her elder sister. Have a sip of water to moisten your throat. Use my cup."
Bei Bitang took the teacup, lowered her head and took a sip, saying, "This tea is really good. The tea leaves are whole and intact."
Ordinary families could only get a few grams of tea leaves during the New Year and other festivals.
Wei Bili said, "If you like it, I have some in my room. I'll bring some back to you later. This is what your second brother-in-law brought back from Fujian. Tea there is easy to buy and cheap."
Bei Bitang didn't refuse. She liked the taste of this tea the first time she drank it. She said, "Then I thank Second Sister."
Wei Bili said, "You and I don't have to be so polite, sisters. By the way, have you thought about what I said last time? You won't be able to find a job in the short term. Do you have any other ideas?"
Although she stays at home as a housewife on weekdays, she is also aware of the current employment situation.
Bei Bitang moved her lips and said hesitantly, "I..."
At this time, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by the sound of a key turning. The door opened, and a man wearing gray work clothes, about 1.75 meters tall, with a slender face and capable temperament walked in.
Chen Jinlong was slightly startled when he saw a stranger there, and asked Wei Bili, "Who is this?"
Bei Bitang took the initiative to say, "Second brother-in-law."
Chen Jinlong's eyes were filled with even greater surprise. This was the little sister Wei Bili was thinking about. Her temperament was so different from Miao Xiuxiu and the others. It seemed that the evil bamboo had more than just his wife.
Seeing Chen Jinlong's hesitation in answering, Bei Bitang looked at Wei Bili awkwardly and asked silently, "Why is my second brother-in-law back? Isn't he at work?"
Wei Bili said directly, "Your second brother-in-law drives a car. He doesn't have to work, so he often sneaks back home to relax during his busy schedule."
Chen Jinlong walked over and said, "Hello, little sister."
Bei Bitang said even more bluntly than him: "Hello, second brother-in-law."
Wei Bili smiled with her eyes curved and said, "Okay, you two sit down."
Bei Bitang misjudged Chen Jinlong's attitude towards her, his sister-in-law. She thought that Chen Jinlong's brief greeting was due to embarrassment of seeing her suddenly rather than indifference.
But after that, Chen Jinlong kept a sullen face and did not communicate with her again. Even though the second sister kept winking at him to hint at him, Chen Jinlong just ignored her.
In this situation, Bei Bitang had to chat with Wei Bili alone. Chen Jinlong did not participate, but he did not leave either. He sat there and listened to them talk.
Bei Bitang felt a little uneasy and spoke with a forced smile.
Seeing her like this, Wei Bili's anger grew stronger and stronger. She suddenly stretched out her hand and slapped Chen Jinlong hard on the thigh.
Chen Jinlong endured the pain, glanced at his watch, and said through gritted teeth, "It's almost ten o'clock, Bili, you should make lunch. I'm hungry, and I have to go out in the afternoon."
Bei Bitang immediately stood up and said, "Second Sister, I'll be leaving first."
Her thoughts were empty. Wasn't Chen Jinlong's attitude obvious enough? She couldn't bring herself to talk about work. If she did, wouldn't that put Second Sister in a difficult position? She shouldn't have come today, and she wouldn't come again.
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