Chapter 67 Chapter 67 I am glad that Xu's mother has really grown up. ...
73%? What is 73%?
Sixty yuan and seventy-three cents...sixty-seven! Ahhhhhh! Grandpa Zhou was so nervous that he couldn't even calculate. Having been a carpenter for so many years, simple arithmetic was a piece of cake for him. But now he was stuck on such a simple arithmetic problem.
Anyway, he knows a lot.
It was many times more than he had originally thought.
At first he didn't think too much about it, thinking that it was just a simple assembly and he didn't have to buy spare parts or deal with steel plates, so charging ten or fifteen dollars would be pretty good.
He followed Xiao Jiang and helped him. He didn't ask for much in return. He would be satisfied with just half a pound or a pound of wild boar meat.
If converted into money, it would be about one dollar.
But if it's 60.73, then he...
Eighteen dollars?!
When the calculation was figured out, Mr. Zhou was stunned. If he could finish one in ten days or half a month, wouldn't it cost more than thirty yuan a month?
And it's really not that difficult.
Xiao Jiang has a proper job, so she just does some work during her break after get off work. His work is a little more complicated, but it is carpentry work that he has been doing for many years.
It's complicated but not difficult at all, and he has to follow Xiao Jiang's progress. He can just take a break if he feels sore, and there's no need to rush to finish it.
This job is really suitable for him.
Especially since it's a lot of money.
Not to mention earning more than 30 yuan a month, he is an old man and he is already very happy with 10 yuan. Although his sons and daughters-in-law don't think he is a burden, he still feels bad when he thinks that not only does he have little income, but he also has to ask his family to help pay for medicines from time to time.
But now I just feel my back is straighter!
"Okay, I'll contact them right away!" Mr. Zhou agreed without hesitation. It was almost time for dinner, and he couldn't even wait a moment and ran straight to the scrap yard.
Because his work must be accelerated, they have to seize the initiative now. Once other carpenters or mechanics react, they will not be able to gain anything.
If you are lucky, you can win two or three orders. If you are unlucky, you may only win one or two orders.
It's all about seizing the opportunity and making some quick money.
I understand, so Mr. Zhou is particularly anxious. In the past, he had to walk slowly, but now he walks as fast as the wind.
As he was leaving, he passed by Xu Yingxia who was walking by. Seeing the old man running very fast, she quickly reminded him, "Slow down, don't fall."
Mr. Zhou said "OK" repeatedly, but he still walked very fast.
Xu Yingxia was somewhat helpless, and pushed her youngest son beside her, "Go and give the Zhou family a message, and ask their grandson to go over and take a look. The old man is quite old, but he is quite energetic."
When Jiang Xiaozhou heard this, he covered his ears and ran into the yard.
Xu Yingxia rolled her eyes. She had dragged the brat by the ears when he came back. She complained angrily, "This brat is really lawless. He even rode his bike into the park. What if he crashes into the lake?"
"You're surrounded by a group of guys, nothing will happen." Jiang Shuangshuang asked her to rest assured. Jiang Xiaozhou, her brother, was a little wild, but not completely out of touch. She was quite satisfied with this.
Xu Yingxia actually knew this too.
It's just that Jiang Xiaozhou is too high-profile, and I think it's not a good idea.
Even though she was still showing off in the first half of the month, she now understood why some people, although they obviously have a good family background, hide their wealth as if they are afraid of being discovered.
I didn’t quite understand it before, but now I do.
Being too high-profile will only draw more and more attention to you. It would be fine if it was all out of curiosity, but you can always vaguely sense some creepy gazes.
As a result, she doesn't dare to say anything now. Even if someone comes to praise her, she will hide it and never reveal the situation at home to anyone else.
As a result, this bad boy rode his bike to the small park. It was time to get off work, and I don’t know how many people saw him.
Now everyone knows that they have more than one bicycle at home.
Having one is rare enough.
And now they have two at home.
Even if one of them looks strange, it is still a rideable bicycle.
Xu Yingxia was not someone who could hide things. After returning home, she spoke out her worries and said, "I don't know if you still remember Aunt Pan from our workshop? There are six people in her family and four work targets. The monthly salary for the whole family must be around 150 yuan. Look at what they eat and wear? The clothes they wear are even more tattered than ours. If you don't know, you would think her family is in great difficulty."
So she felt it necessary to learn from Xiao Pan.
It's not that you have to pretend to be poor, but you can't be too high-profile and make yourself attract more attention than the factory director.
After Xu Yingxia said this, Jiang Shuangshuang felt an inexplicable emotion in her heart. How should she explain it?
Like being touched or relieved.
I’m glad that Mrs. Xu has really grown up.
This feeling is really a bit ridiculous, as if their identities were switched, and she actually feels gratified because of her mother's growth.
But it was true. She got a job and before she even went through the formalities she was showing off in the textile factory. After she got a bicycle she had to talk about it to everyone she met.
But now I feel that I shouldn't be too high-profile and it's better to do things steadily.
If this isn’t growth, then what is?
Jiang Shuangshuang asked with great interest: "So what do you think we should do?"
Xu Yingxia thought for a moment and said, "How about we not make new clothes for this year?"
Jiang Shuangshuang shook her head. "No, that won't work. I do so many things just to dress better and eat better. If I have money in my pocket and still have to pretend to be frugal, then why do I work so hard?"
I don't even dare to spend any money, I just lie down and rot.
Since you won't have enough to eat or wear anyway, you might as well not waste your effort.
"...What you said makes sense." Xu Yingxia thought about it and realized that since the living conditions were no different from before, why would she have the energy to continue working hard?
But what if no change is made?
"So what do you think we should do?"
"First of all, hold your back straight when you go out. Our good conditions are earned through our hard work, without stealing or robbing. So what if someone is jealous?" This is why Jiang Shuangshuang doesn't want to take risks, because she walks and sits upright, so what if others are jealous?
Since I can neither catch her nor beat her, I can only continue to be jealous in the dark. "If you really feel uneasy, then do more and talk less. Use your actions to tell everyone that everything you have achieved is by your own hands."
Xu Yingxia was stunned when she heard this, as if she had never expected Shuangshuang to say such sensible words.
It took a long while of silence for him to digest it.
But her expression became a little strange again, "But... the reason why our family has become so prosperous is not because of my hands, but because of you, my daughter."
She is very self-aware of this.
If she were to rely on herself, she would definitely have accomplished a lot, but now she is probably still being exploited by the people in the old house, and she doesn't get her monthly salary.
Although they had food to eat and clothes to wear, their conditions were still worse than those of poor households, and were far worse than they are now.
Jiang Shuangshuang smiled softly, "That's even easier. Let them look at me more. Besides working with my hands..."
At this point, she raised her hand and tapped her temple, "It still depends on the brain."
Xu Yingxia smiled.
But as I was laughing, I suddenly felt something was wrong, "What? Are you saying I have no brains?"
Jiang Shuangshuang shrugged, "I didn't say that."
"..." Xu Yingxia's palms started to itch when she saw her. Just then Jiang Xiaozhou came into the room. Without thinking, she grabbed his ear and said, "Don't just hang out outside all day long. Read more books, or you won't even be able to graduate from high school."
Jiang Xiaozhou bent down and hid behind his second sister. He poked his head out and said, "Even if you can't graduate, it's not my fault. There are no teachers in the school to teach you."
Xu Yingxia frowned.
She had heard about this in the workshop. Classes had been suspended for a long time not long ago, and now they have finally started, but most of the time students have to study on their own, with no teacher teaching at all.
I don’t know whether these students can study well in the future.
Jiang Shuangshuang gave him an idea, "San Ya from the compound next door has good grades, so if you have any questions, go ask her."
After saying that, she raised her chin towards Xu's mother and said, "Let me give you a handful of candy as tuition."
"That's good, that's good." Xu Yingxia nodded repeatedly, "Sanya has the best academic performance in our district. If it weren't for the fact that she always ranks first in the exams, her grandmother would not be willing to continue supporting her studies."
She is smart and hardworking. Her family allows her to continue studying because of her good grades. Compared with San Ya's grades, Jiang Xiaozhou's grades are terrible...
Even her mother was too embarrassed to mention it.
With San Ya helping me with my studies, I don’t worry about how high my grades will be, as long as I can graduate successfully.
She stood up and was about to open the counter to get some candy.
But when she was picking it up, she remembered something. "Your eldest sister called today and said that she had received the package. I didn't expect it to arrive so soon. The girl also said that she was a little fatter than before. I thought I should just not make the ready-made clothes and send the fabric to her directly..."
"Don't rush to send it." Jiang Shuangshuang interrupted her, "Mom, contact your eldest sister tomorrow and ask her to find out how to go back to the city if there is a work quota."
Xu Yingxia paused and turned her head sharply: "You want to give the job to her?"
Jiang Shuangshuang nodded, "Sister will take over my job, and Xiaozhou will be able to take over your job in two years. They can all stay in the city to be with you."
"Really? Big sister can come back?" Jiang Xiaozhou on the side was dancing with excitement. He missed his big sister so much!
If he makes any mistakes in the future, no one will beat him anymore because his elder sister will help him.
Xu Yingxia didn't say anything. She suddenly stood up and walked into the inner room. Once the door was closed, no one knew what she was doing inside.
Jiang Xiaozhou was a little puzzled, "What's wrong with Mom?"
Jiang Shuangshuang didn't explain, but reminded him, "Isn't it time for you to cook? Help me roast some sweet potatoes, I'll take them out to eat tomorrow."
"Are you going to give it to my brother-in-law? Then I have to pick a few good ones for him!" Jiang Xiaozhou rolled up his sleeves and went out. He first made some preparations quickly, then picked out a few sweet potatoes with particularly good shapes, and stuffed them directly into the stove after the fire was lit.
I was busy running around in the room alone, but now I was used to it, my hands and feet were very nimble, and I managed to prepare two dishes and a soup in less than half an hour.
The food at their house is really good now.
Neither his mother nor his second sister would interfere with his cooking. He could just take whatever ingredients he wanted from the kitchen. If he wanted to eat meat today, he would just cut some wild boar; if he wanted to eat fish tomorrow, he would soak the dried fish overnight. This way, the food would not be too salty or too hard, and the taste would be just right.
My second sister’s only request was that the food must be large enough and a dish of pickled must be prepared.
But today he prepared two pickled vegetables.
A plate of steamed fish fillets and a small plate of scrambled eggs.
It was a really small plate with only one egg on it, and it looked a bit malnourished.
However, this was the first egg laid by the hen that he had raised with great effort, and he thought it smelled particularly fragrant!
When I brought the two dishes back to the house, I found that my mother was already sitting at the table. Her expression looked the same as usual, but her eyes were red. I could tell at a glance that she had just been hiding in the house and crying for a while.
He opened his mouth and was about to say something to comfort her, but his mother glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense and put the food up quickly."
"Okay, okay." Jiang Xiaozhou was very tactful. He knew that if he dared to say a few more words, he would be slapped a few times, so he just held the bowl and chopsticks obediently.
A few dishes were served on the table. As soon as Xu Yingxia sat down, she asked, "I forgot to ask you before. Did you see your uncle get on the bus?"
Jiang Xiaozhou nodded repeatedly, "Well, I won't leave until they get in the car."
"That's good. Your uncle doesn't know the way, and I'm worried about him." Xu Yingxia still remembered that before she got married, her younger brother went to the pigeon market in town. He didn't come back until the evening. She was very worried at home. Just when she was thinking about whether to ask someone to look for him, he returned home in the dark.
Later I found out that Dove City was in the south, and he ran to the north.
If a kind person hadn't pointed the way, he wouldn't have known where to go.
But this time, Xu Shuisheng got home smoothly.
My nephew saw me off before I got on the bus, and Zhao Lizhu led the way after I got off. The two of them carried eight large bags, and fortunately they were lucky enough to encounter an ox cart.
I spent fifty cents to hire someone to deliver it directly to the brigade.
It was a bit expensive, but the two of them really couldn't carry eight big bags. When they arrived at the road crossing of the brigade, they met Lu Lianhua who was waiting there.
Lu Lianhua finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the two of them. "Why did you arrive so late? I was worried that something might have happened to you on the way."
Xu Shuisheng explained with a smile, "I met Shuangshuang's boyfriend yesterday. We had too much food at home, so we stayed for lunch before leaving."
As he spoke, he took out a lunch box from the bamboo basket behind him and said, "Big sister also left you half a roast chicken, you can eat it if you are hungry tonight."
"You brought it for me?" Lu Lianhua was very happy. "I have already prepared food at home. I can have a hot meal when I return home."
Then she patted Zhao Lizhu on the back and said, "It's too late today, so don't go back yet. I'll ask your uncle to take you there tomorrow."
Both of her sons were not at home, so no one would say anything even if Zhao Lizhu stayed overnight at their house.
Otherwise, she would be worried if she had to rush back so late at night.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, auntie." Zhao Lizhu nodded immediately. She was now particularly looking forward to her marriage.
She kept the relationship a secret from her family during the years she was with Xu Tan.
Because she knew very well that her parents would force her to break up if they knew. Xu Tan had never hidden anything from her. He made it clear what the Xu family's conditions were. He also hoped that she would wait for him for a few more years and marry her when life got better.
She kept it a secret because she knew that his family's conditions were really bad. Her sisters who knew that she was with Xu Tan also advised her to think carefully.
If it weren't for Xu Tan, she would really hesitate.
In the past few years, he has also used his actions to prove that he is working hard to make his family's conditions better and better. Although she doesn't know what the future will be like, everything Xu Tan does tells her that he is working hard and there is hope for their future.
This trip to the city made her feel settled.
Even though she hasn't gotten married yet, she has already regarded the Xu family as her own home and doesn't feel embarrassed to live there.
On the way back, I kept talking to my aunt about some things about Xu Tan.
Most of what they said were just exaggerations. Lu Lianhua felt so relieved. And since it was her own son who was being praised, how could she not be happy?
She said happily, "This kid has always had a lot of ideas. In the past, when the whole team had a meeting, he dared to sneak onto the stage and tell jokes to everyone. The more people there were, the less afraid he was."
"It's true. He is the bravest one in our family." Xu Shuisheng also nodded. He couldn't help but think of some things in the past. The smile on his face never faded.
The group walked towards home, and from time to time they met a few people on the road. Some were curious about what the big bags they were carrying were. Lu Lianhua simply brushed them off: "Let's talk about it tomorrow. Lao Xu and his friends have been sitting in the car for most of the day and are still hungry."
It's your own family that you take care of. Instead of wasting time chatting here, you might as well go home and have a meal to fill your stomach.
But this journey is indeed very tiring.
The bus was very fast, but it was so shaky all the way that her feet felt a little unsteady when she got off the bus. Zhao Lizhu was indeed tired, and after eating she had no time to pack other things. After her aunt's repeated persuasion, she went back to the house to rest.
I slept until the sun was high in the sky.
She felt someone pushing her in a daze. When she opened her eyes, she was still a little dazed. "Mom? What's going on... Hey? Mom, why are you here?"
Mother Zhao tapped her head unhappily, "How dare you say that? This is the first time you stay overnight at someone's place and you slept until almost noon!"
She was really irritated by the girl's careless nature. She hasn't even entered the house yet, but she has already become a lazy girl in the eyes of her future parents-in-law.
Not to mention helping with some kind of work, but why can't she sleep until now? Others are almost back from work and she is still lying in the room.
Zhao Lizhu stuck out her tongue, feeling really embarrassed. She quickly got up from the bed and explained while getting dressed, "I didn't sleep the night before and I was in the car for several hours..."
There is a reason why I didn't fall asleep.
Cousin Shuangshuang's words made her excited. Although she was not 100% sure, from what her cousin Shuangshuang said, Xu Tan and his brother might be able to stay in the city.
It's a good thing for this family no matter who stays in the city.
It is definitely a great thing!
But this matter has not been finalized yet, and she doesn't want to cause any trouble so she doesn't plan to tell anyone else, not even her parents.
Her parents are very nice to her.
Otherwise, she would not have been sent to school, and would not have met Xu Tan in school.
But her parents are the kind of people who can't keep secrets. If they knew about it, the whole team would know about it. If something unexpected happened and the matter was ruined, she would cry to death.
So she had to keep it a secret and not tell anyone!
If it doesn't work out, then they won't have to expect too much.
If it works, tell me the good news!
However, it is difficult to talk about this matter. The matter of buying cloth can be talked about. After Zhao Lizhu finished washing up, she found that many people had come to her house and were all sitting outside.
When they saw her get up, they all pointed at her and said something to her.
Zhao Lizhu looked unhappy and quickly got down to business. "I spent all the fifty yuan you gave me on cloth."
Her brothers and sisters-in-law all knew that the family gave her fifty yuan as a dowry. As early as when her eldest brother got married, her parents told the whole family that both the son and daughter would receive fifty yuan as a gift and dowry, and it was up to them to decide whether to ask for the money or buy things.
Zhao Lizhu directly pulled her eldest brother's hand and said, "Come on, help me carry the cloth bag out."
When the price was first mentioned as 50 yuan, everyone in the Zhao family felt very painful.
It was not easy for them to earn fifty dollars, and spending so much at once was painful even for Zhao Lizhu who spent her own money.
But when they saw the two siblings carrying five big bags out of the house, the Zhao family became a little uneasy.
"Is this all?"
"How can fifty dollars buy so much?"
"You really don't want the coupons, can I just pay the money?"
"This is really worth it. If we had known this earlier, we would have bought some."
I really regret it. Fifty yuan for such a large bag is definitely a waste. If I went to the supply and marketing cooperative, I could only buy four large bags for fifty yuan at most, and I would have to put in a lot of cloth coupons.
Mother Zhao was anxious and took action. She opened one of the large packages to take a look. She was amazed by a piece of red material. "Oh, this red material is really good. When you go back, I'll ask your sister-in-law to make you a new dress. It's perfect for your wedding."
"I plan to use this piece of material to make a quilt cover." Zhao Lizhu took out another piece of red material from another big bag. Not only was the color bright red, but it also had some beautiful patterns on it. "I'm going to use this piece of material to make a wedding dress."
Brother Zhao chuckled twice, "Now you're not ashamed anymore, so why did you keep it a secret from your family for five or six years?"
Zhao Lizhu snorted twice, "If you say that again, you won't get any. I was planning to give you a new set of clothes."
Brother Zhao pointed at himself and said, "Is there still a share for me?"
"Everyone gets one!" Zhao Lizhu was quite generous, but she felt that this was all she should do. Her parents were good to her, and her brothers and sisters-in-law didn't complain about anything. So now that she had so much fabric, wasn't it natural for her to give them new clothes?
She said, "Except for these two pieces of red material and the material inside this bag, you can pick whatever else you want. After you pick, I will take them to the team to exchange for other items."
The bag she was pointing at contained several pieces of men's fabric, all of which she had cleared out earlier to make clothes for Xu Tan.
As they were talking, Xu Shuisheng and his wife came into the yard carrying farm tools. Seeing their future in-laws, they were delighted and said, "Please sit down. I'll go get you a glass of water."
"No, no, no." Zhao's mother joked with a smile, "Your family has already poured water for us."
Xu Shuisheng didn't understand what this meant, but Lu Lianhua understood it immediately. She put her hand on Zhao Lizhu's shoulder and said with a chuckle, "Then Lizhu will entertain us well for us."
"Okay!" Zhao Lizhu answered readily, causing everyone in the yard to burst into laughter. Her face turned red from laughing. Just as she was about to change the subject, she saw a familiar figure outside the yard.
She thought about it, found a reason and left the yard.
She saw a man waving at her from the bushes nearby.
Zhao Lizhu ran over, "Sister Qiu Ling."
Qiu Ling nodded at her and pointed to the side, "Let's go over there and talk. I'm afraid... I'm afraid of being seen."
"Okay." Zhao Lizhu followed her into the woods. In fact, she had already guessed why Sister Qiu Ling came to see her.
She had had contact with them before.
The two brothers were secretly dating each other without telling their families, and once she even covered for Sister Qiu Ling.
If she wasn't in a hurry, Sister Qiu Ling would definitely not come to look for her outside the Xu family's yard at this moment. Otherwise, if she was seen by her uncle and aunt, it would be difficult to explain.
Zhao Lizhu's guess was correct, Qiu Ling was really anxious.
Xu Moyi had been away for more than half a month, and there was no news during that time. The Xu family only told the outside world that they had found a temporary job in the city, and there was no other news at all. No matter how others asked, the Xu family just gave vague answers and there was no news at all.
The longer time went on, the more uneasy she felt.
Especially now, her husband's family has put a lot of pressure on her. When Dazhu was sick, her husband's family forced her to lie on Dazhu's hospital bed and promised not to marry again. But after just a few years, they changed their tone and said that they would choose a good family for Daya to marry when she is a few years older, so that she would not be a widow for the rest of her life.
After all, he has been in the Huang family for so many years, so he knows how fake this so-called "good family" is. The last time they mentioned a "good family", they meant finding someone who would have enough food and clothing to adopt Daya. If Xu Mo hadn't helped, Daya would probably have been sent away.
If...if even Xu Mo wants to give up on her, then what should she and Daya do?
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