Chapter 15 Chapter 15
Not only him, but Du Juan, who had just laid down in the room, also sat up suddenly when he heard that Liu Shuqin was leaving, and listened to the noise outside.
Trying hard to suppress his inner excitement, Qiao Wangbei pretended to be concerned and asked, "You're living well, why do you suddenly want to go back?"
From the first day he moved in, Qiao Wangbei was eager for his mother and niece to move out as soon as possible.
One of them is too old to work, and the other is still young and in school. What's the difference between raising them and raising two Pixiu that only eat and don't poop?
Filial piety is something only rich people can have.
For parasites like them who have been living a life of idleness and waiting for death when they are young and have achieved nothing when they grow up, of course they have to be selfish enough to only consider their own life and death.
Picking up the lighter on the table, Liu Shuqin lit three incense sticks at Qiao Wensheng's memorial tablet and said quietly, "I'm old now, and I'm afraid I'll cause you trouble."
"Oh, what's the trouble?"
Liu Shuqin: ???
Among the four sons, only Qiao Wangbei is extremely stupid.
He didn't hear the hidden meaning in his words at all and actually thought she was thinking about him.
But after all, he was already in his thirties, so Qiao Wangbei wasn't that stupid yet: "Well, when you get back, give me a call if you have anything. I'll come see you when I'm free."
Face is very important to a man.
Well, at least it’s more important than filial piety.
He also thought that if his mother took her granddaughter back alone, the people in the village might gossip about her and point fingers at him and his brothers.
So between being filial and being unfilial, he chose to be funny.
"It's nice to live in the village. The air and environment are good. I don't have many relatives in the city, so it's nice to play cards with them when I'm back."
"Mom, don't worry. My brother and I will never ignore you. Just ask if you need anything!"
"But I don't think you need to. Didn't my brother say he would give you money every month? Ninety yuan a month, isn't that more than what any farmer in the village earns? Don't you think so?"
Judging from what Qiao Wangbei said, how could they be returning to the village in disgrace? They were clearly returning home in glory and splendor!
They must be self-aware and let others know that they are returning voluntarily and want to enjoy a good life in the village.
The most important thing is that they should not be seen as unfilial by others and should not be criticized in the back.
Money is desired;
The house is what you want to take;
You also have to have face;
Respect cannot be lost;
The only thing they can do without is their biological mother who raised them since childhood.
Oh, there is no such cheap thing in this world.
Do you really think that no one can see through their "empty filial piety"?
But in order to have a smooth journey tomorrow, Liu Shuqin didn't forcefully remove the fig leaf. "Of course not. Today I said I was going to move back home with Jiaxin, and everyone was envious. They said my kids are all promising, and that I could go home and enjoy a good life."
After hearing what Liu Shuqin said, Qiao Wangbei completely put his worries aside.
"Yeah, if we really compare, my brothers and I are much better than those guys in the village."
Liu Shuqin: ...
Seeing that Qiao Wangbei's smug smile was almost uncontrollable, Liu Shuqin became even more certain of one thing: her youngest son was indeed a brainless idiot who couldn't tell the difference between good and bad words!
*
The next morning, Qiao Wangbei and Du Juan got up early to help them pack.
They called it cleaning, but in fact they didn't help at all. They just gave up the room so that they could get their own clothes.
It was almost time to go to work before they happily left hand in hand.
Now Liu Shuqin has completely ignored his fox tail that is so eager to reach the sky. No matter what he says, she feels no ripple in her heart.
Maybe this is what it feels like to have a dead heart.
"Sister Liu? Your phone number."
As I was packing, I heard a shout outside the window.
He is the security guard in the communication room of the family compound.
"I'm coming," Liu Shuqin asked casually after washing her hands in the kitchen. "Who's calling?"
Security guard: "It's a woman, she seems to be your eldest son's wife."
The eldest daughter-in-law? Zhang Dongmei?
Why did she think of calling me so early in the morning?
On the way to the message room, Liu Shuqin suddenly remembered: it was almost the end of the month, and according to the time agreed upon by the brothers last time, they should send her living expenses.
She has to have this money.
Although Liu Shuqin made up her mind to cut off contact with her sons after taking her granddaughter back to the countryside, she treated them as if they were ungrateful bastards and had never given birth to them.
But... she didn't intend to go against the money.
One reason is that they really need money now, and the other is that she has spent decades of hard work on the four brothers. No matter how much money they give her, she deserves it. Why shouldn't she take it?
Arriving at the switchboard room, Liu Shuqin answered the phone.
"Hello, Mom?"
Zhang Dongmei is from the south and an intellectual. She always speaks softly.
Liu Shuqin didn't interact with her very often. In the past, they only spoke a few words when their family came to dinner.
Although Zhang Dongmei treated her very well, there was always a sense of alienation.
Please, thank you, excuse me... These polite words are often on their lips. They don't sound like the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but more like vegetable vendors and regular customers.
Zhang Dongmei called "Mom" very gently.
Don't hit someone who smiles at you. Even if Liu Shuqin was dissatisfied with Qiao Wangdong, she couldn't bear to take her anger out on her.
"Hey," Liu Shuqin took a deep breath and lowered her attitude a bit. "What's going on so early in the morning?"
Zhang Dongmei: "Nothing, it's been really hot lately. It was over 37 degrees Celsius yesterday, and you don't have air conditioning, so I just wanted to ask how you and Jiaxin are doing."
At that moment, Liu Shuqin felt as if a drop of warmth suddenly fell on her frozen heart.
"It's okay, it's only hot at noon. It's pretty cool if you turn up the fan."
Liu Shuqin is always like this. If someone shows a little concern for her, she will be doubly nice to them. "Don't try to stay cool even when it's so hot. Eating too much can easily cause stomach upset. Don't use the air conditioner too much. Go out for a walk when you have nothing to do. Didn't they say on the radio that using the air conditioner all the time is bad for your health?"
On the phone, the two first chatted about family matters, and then talked about what was difficult for Liu Shuqin and Qiao Jiaxin to get used to in their lives.
Sitting on the chair in the message room, Zhang Dongmei's words almost made her forget Qiao Wangdong's attitude towards her, which was cold and a little disgusted.
Although both are teachers, Zhang Dongmei is obviously more of an educator than Qiao Wangdong.
After a long conversation, Zhang Dongmei finally talked about the purpose of this call: "Mom, this is what happened. Wangdong told me that during your last family meeting, he promised you that he would give you 30 yuan a month for your retirement, right?"
Liu Shuqin said "hmm".
Speaking of money, Zhang Dongmei's tone became hesitant. "Can you... reduce it a little bit, 20 yuan, please?"
Liu Shuqin didn't know what to say to her.
20 yuan?
Liu Shuqin never asked what the situation was now, but as early as five years ago, their salary was 100 yuan per month. No matter what, it should have increased to 200 or even 300 yuan by now, right?
Add to that their job titles and all sorts of other classroom benefits, and they would earn at least 500 a month.
500 per person, 1000 for two people. Do we have to be so fussy about even 30 yuan?
"Well, as you know, my parents have been living with us for many years. Their health is not good, and they often need to take some Chinese medicine to regulate their body. It costs a lot of money every month."
"Xiaoyan is still in college, and the living expenses and tuition fees are a headache if you calculate them carefully."
"Wangdong and I have to use our salaries to support them. Please be considerate and considerate. Can you temporarily reduce it to 20 yuan? When we have more money in the future, we can increase it for you. Is that okay with you?"
Zhang Dongmei's words froze the smile that had just appeared on Liu Shuqin's face.
"Is this what the boss meant?" Liu Shuqin asked.
"It was my own idea," Zhang Dongmei explained to her, "Wangdong went to study abroad, and he asked me to find time to send you some money, so I was thinking about discussing it with you."
Worried that she might overthink things, she added, "We don't mean to stop supporting you. It's just that our lives are very tight right now. In a few years, when Xiaoyan grows up, we will definitely bring you to live with us and take care of you!"
Another blank check.
It's not even the future yet, and you expect me to accept this non-existent filial piety?
Liu Shuqin didn't answer her, but just rubbed her eyebrows with a wry smile.
Well, I was thinking too much.
Liu Shuqin had not read much, but she knew the saying "Respect the elderly as your own and respect the elderly of others."
She knew that her parents had worked hard all their lives and needed their daughter's filial piety.
Why can't she think about the fact that her mother-in-law is over 60 years old and also needs her son's care?
Taking a deep breath, Liu Shuqin didn't want to be angry with her.
Forget it, 20 is 20.
My granddaughter is about to start school, and I haven’t found the tuition for this semester yet. Any money is better than nothing.
"Okay, 20 is fine."
Liu Shuqin wanted to tell her that it would be sent over soon, but before she could say anything, Zhang Dongmei excitedly continued, "Thank you, Mom. Thank you for your understanding! So, after six o'clock this afternoon, come to the school to find me and I'll give you the money."
Liu Shuqin: ???
Aren't you here to give me money? Why do you want to take it yourself?
"Don't be too late. We have a faculty meeting at 7 o'clock. If you come late, you may have to wait for me for a while."
Liu Shuqin didn't know what to say.
Isn't this her pension money? Why does it feel like they're giving her handouts?
Not only does she have to get it herself, but she also has to keep to the time so as not to delay her work.
There are two kinds of people who can't sleep in the same bed. No wonder they end up together.
Qiao Wangdong is an ungrateful person, and Zhang Dongmei is no pushover either, as she is able to be his wife.
She is short of money now, but if she has to "ask" for it from her son and daughter-in-law, she would rather not have it!
In a blink of an eye, Liu Shuqin and Qiao Jiaxin have been moving back for a week.
During this week, the sons of the Qiao family have not asked a single question or called.
Maybe they don't know, or maybe they don't want to fight. It doesn't matter. As long as they don't disturb them, the grandparents and grandchildren live comfortably.
"Lo, lo, lo, lo... lo, lo..."
Liu Shuqin crushed the bean dregs into small pieces with her fingers, and then added a little vegetable leaves and cornmeal to make the best chicken feed.
Seeing a fearless fly flying past her, Liu Shuqin raised her hand and slapped it in the face with great efficiency.
Bang!
It’s just the right time to give Qiao Jiaxin’s “tuition fees” a little extra.
On the day she returned to the village, Liu Shuqin took nothing but clothes and the old man's urn.
Since I have chosen to leave, I must leave cleanly. I can just treat the belongings I have saved for more than ten years as a piece of meat that has been cut off.
Once it is taken away by the wolf, it will never be remembered again.
After returning to the village, Liu Shuqin had to buy light bulbs, quilts, pots and pans, toothbrushes and towels... In order to prepare all these daily necessities, she spent a lot of money, and her already small savings were reduced to only a few dozen yuan.
This amount of money is barely enough to make ends meet, let alone pay Qiao Jiaxin's tuition.
Liu Shuqin originally wanted to take back the land she had rented out and make money by farming like she did when she was young.
Chen Bing kindly advised her that she was old now and it would be easy to hurt herself if she did heavy work.
It would be better to raise some chickens and ducks at home, so that they can be taken to the city to sell every few months, which is more or less an income. In addition, the land at home can be rented for 325 yuan every year, which should be enough for them to live.
As for Qiao Jiaxin's tuition for this semester, Chen Bing discussed with the village committee and allocated 700 yuan to them in the name of the village committee.
It was not called aid, but rather funeral expenses given by the village after Qiao Wensheng's death.
"Grandma."
"I'm back."
Seeing the plastic bag in Qiao Jiaxin's hand, which only contained a bottle of vinegar and half a bunch of water spinach, Liu Shuqin asked, "Isn't there a light bulb in the canteen?"
"Yes, yes," Qiao Jiaxin took out the things she had bought one by one, "but Aunt Wu said that the lightbulb is for the toilet and it's not bright enough. She said she'd go to the city to buy a new one tomorrow."
The light bulb at home is broken.
The house had been empty for more than ten years, and the previously installed electrical wires had been damaged by rats. We had to pull a new wire from outside before the house could have electricity.
But the voltage was unstable at night and the light bulbs in the house burned out.
After moving back, Qiao Jiaxin temporarily lived in the same room with Liu Shuqin, and there was only one light bulb in the house.
Once the light bulb broke, she couldn't read at night.
The village is not as convenient as the city in buying anything. There are only three convenience stores in total. If you can't buy it today, you can only wait until they are out of stock.
But it has improved a lot compared to the past.
Looking back to the past, we had to wait for three or four days. It was not as convenient as it is now to go to the city and someone would drive to the city to buy it the next day.
"Why don't you just take a break today? It's vacation time after all, so you should have some fun. There's no need to study so hard."
Liu Shuqin hopes that she can get into university, but she also doesn't want her to work herself to death.
Seeing her get up at six in the morning to start memorizing and taking notes until eleven or twelve at night, she felt distressed.
It was her own fault. If it was Feng Lai who went to college back then, perhaps her life wouldn't be so hard now, and she wouldn't have to work so hard.
It is said that sons should be raised in poverty and daughters in wealth, but the daughters of the Qiao family are more miserable than each other.
Qiao Jiaxin smiled slightly and took the bean dregs sieve basket from her grandmother. "Something. Aunt Wu just told me that I can go to the village office to learn in the evening. She said there is a study corner there."
The study corner in the village was built during the literacy campaign.
There have always been very few people going there, until in recent years, when more and more college students came out of the village, people began to pay more attention to it.
Regardless of gender, age or status, anyone who wants to learn can go to the study corner to read.
"That's fine," Liu Shuqin said, and went back to the house to get some toilet water. "I'll add some to the shower later, so mosquitoes won't bite when I read."
Qiao Jiaxin: "Yes."
After feeding the chicks in the yard, Qiao Jiaxin returned to the house and lit three incense sticks in her grandfather's incense burner.
Wiping the dust that blew in from the counter with a towel, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Grandma, these past few days I've been hearing from the villagers that our village is going to be demolished soon. Is that true?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com