Chapter 10: Meeting Again Two Years Later
Tang Mingli was stunned because she didn't expect to see her aunt and cousin when she opened the door.
She hadn't paid attention to the days since she returned from her uncle's house that day, and she didn't expect that so many days had passed in the blink of an eye, and her cousin had already returned to the city.
Did you just get back?
Judging from his appearance, there was still an undeniable sign of fatigue in his eyes.
To be honest, Tang Mingmei's appearance was already a bit blurry to her, but even if it was blurry, it wouldn't be like what she saw in front of her.
She was clearly only in her early twenties, but looked like she was twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Farm work really takes its toll; every trace of time has been left behind. It's truly fortunate I didn't go to the countryside back then.
They came here right after I got back, and it's raining. Their urgency is making me very uneasy.
Tang Mingmei was stunned because the person in front of her was so different from what she remembered or imagined.
She had always known that Tang Mingli was pretty; otherwise, they wouldn't have been jokingly called the "Two Flowers of the Tang Family" by their neighbors in the tenement building. But after two years apart, she wondered if Tang Mingli had simply grown up or something else; her appearance had changed drastically from what she remembered.
She's become so beautiful, dazzlingly beautiful, so beautiful that it makes people uncomfortable.
Looking back at myself...
However, seeing the white powder on Tang Mingli's face made Tang Mingmei feel a little better.
Even if she becomes more beautiful, what difference does it make if she's still just a free nanny in the Fu family?
In just a few seconds, two people who hadn't seen each other for a long time experienced a flurry of complex emotions.
Fortunately, Tang Mingli was more mature, and after a brief moment of surprise, she quickly regained her manners and greeted the two of them warmly.
"I really didn't expect it to be you two. Come in quickly." He then turned to the side, gesturing for the two to enter the house.
Once inside, Li Hong and her daughter quickly realized what it meant to live in two completely different worlds.
Outside, a light drizzle was blowing and the air was bitterly cold, but inside it was warm and cozy.
Li Hong asked sourly, "Has the heating still been turned off?"
Tang Mingli replied with a smile, "It's already stopped, but it's a bit chilly this year, so we burned some charcoal to keep warm."
After saying that, he looked toward the place where the charcoal brazier was placed.
Li Hong saw it too; a pot of charcoal was burning red-hot, as if it were free.
Mr. and Mrs. Fu, who are usually at home at this time, unfortunately went out today, so Tang Mingli had to handle the guests herself.
Zhang Guihua was still making dumplings, and it would be quite troublesome to stop what she was doing to do something else, so Tang Mingli took the initiative to make tea and poured a cup for Li Hong and Tang Mingmei each.
Making and pouring tea was just another nanny's job in Tang Mingmei's eyes, which made her feel a little more at ease.
Seeing that they had been inside for a while, but only Tang Mingli greeted them, Li Hong asked, "Where is the others? Aren't they all home?"
Tang Mingli nodded: "Grandpa and Grandma have to go out, and Fu Ci is away on a business trip and won't be back for a few days."
Hearing about such a coincidence, Li Hong felt somewhat disappointed.
I had originally planned to come here today with my daughter to meet the Fu family and perhaps ask them for help in arranging a job.
However, Tang Mingmei secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that the Fu family members were all coincidentally absent.
Although she took the initiative to come to the Fu family, they were, after all, people who had caused her a lot of unpleasant experiences. It would be best to avoid them, and besides, her purpose in coming today was just to see how Tang Mingli was doing.
It must not have been her imagination; Tang Mingli's face clearly showed disappointment when she mentioned Fu Ci's business trip.
Others might not know, but she did. Fu Ci was a workaholic; in her previous life, she spent more time traveling for work than at home. Being so busy, it would be one thing if she were successful, but she remained just a section chief.
Later, many families in the compound bought cars, but the Fu family didn't even own a motorcycle. They were just a name without substance, seemingly glamorous on the surface.
The familiar yet unfamiliar environment stirred up many previously vague memories for Tang Mingmei, intensifying the resentment she had been suppressing.
Tang Mingli had no idea what Tang Mingmei was thinking; she only felt that her cousin had been acting strangely since returning from her two years in the countryside.
But it doesn't matter; to her, they were just passersby.
After chatting for a few minutes, Tang Mingli said to the two of them, "You two sit down for a while, I'm going to wash my face."
Li Hong laughed and said to her, "Go on, your face is covered in flour."
Tang Mingli smiled and went into the first-floor restroom.
When she came out of the bathroom again, her face was clean, which made Tang Mingmei gasp.
How could she be raised so well in a family like the Fu family? Her appearance and complexion don't look like she's not doing well.
But as soon as she thought that, Tang Mingmei immediately denied it in her mind.
Impossible. How could anyone live well in the suffocating three-generation household of the Fu family?
But how do you explain Tang Mingli's fair and delicate appearance? Tang Mingmei's heart is in turmoil; she is unwilling to accept the life she couldn't adapt to in her previous life. Tang Mingli is doing very well, and she can only drink tea sip by sip.
Li Hong was unaware of her daughter's thoughts. After Tang Mingli sat down, she couldn't wait to tell her that her daughter had only returned the day before yesterday.
"I originally wanted your sister to rest at home for a couple more days, but after she heard that you were the ones who helped, she was eager to come and express her gratitude in person."
Now that we've said all that, all we're waiting for is for my daughter to say thank you.
However, after waiting for a while without her daughter speaking, Li Hong became anxious and secretly nudged her with her elbow.
Tang Mingmei then reluctantly said, "I really thank you all for making it back to the city this time."
She was still somewhat unconvinced after saying that. Perhaps Li Dazhu was already thinking of a solution, and even if the Fu family didn't intervene, she would be able to return to the city sooner or later.
Tang Mingli didn't help out of gratitude, but she also disliked Tang Mingmei's aggrieved attitude despite getting the benefit.
So instead of saying polite things like "We're all family, why say thank you?", she inquired about Tang Mingmei's life in the countryside over the past two years.
“I only found out when my aunt came over last time that you were having such a hard time in the countryside. It must have been so hard for you, keeping quiet for the past two years.”
These words, ostensibly concerned but actually meant to upset Tang Mingmei, indeed made her feel suffocated.
Especially since she was someone who tended to overthink things, she naturally assumed that Tang Mingli's words implied something, suggesting that she had brought so much suffering upon herself by not speaking up sooner.
Tang Mingmei was somewhat resentful towards her mother. She had only asked them to find a solution, but instead they had to beg the Fu family, which made her feel inferior in front of Tang Mingli.
She was unwilling to give up and stubbornly said, "Actually, it was okay at the beginning, but later fewer and fewer educated youth stayed, and the task became heavier and heavier."
Tang Mingli responded with an "Oh," and said, "No wonder."
Li Hong knew her daughter well and knew that her words were just a display of pride, so she silently cursed her for being stupid.
Why insist on being stubborn at a time like this? If you can gain Tang Mingli's sympathy, she might be more willing to help with work-related matters.
However, now is not the time for education. I must have a good talk with my daughter about these principles when we get home.
While they were chatting, Zhang Guihua had finished wrapping the remaining dumplings and came over with a smile to ask if they wanted them cooked now.
She has some family matters to attend to and will have to leave for a few days. She needs to catch the bus around noon. Considering that the residential compound is a bit far from the bus station, she wants to leave as early as possible.
Tang Mingli knew what she meant, but it was indeed too early to cook now. Thinking that cooking dumplings wasn't a difficult task, she said, "It's okay, I'll cook them."
Zhang Guihua also felt that cooking dumplings was not difficult, and since she was in a hurry, she said, "Okay, I'll go first then."
After watching Zhang Guihua leave, Tang Mingli turned to Li Hong and Tang Mingmei and said with a smile, "We just made dumplings today, how about we have dumplings for lunch?"
She knew that neither of them would refuse.
Visiting someone's home isn't like going to a restaurant; you can't just order food there.
Sure enough, Li Hong said, "It doesn't matter what we eat, whatever is convenient for us."
With no outsiders present, Tang Mingmei spoke more freely and directly asked Tang Mingli what she did every day.
Tang Mingli certainly couldn't openly admit that she ate and slept almost every day, and slept and ate again. To be honest, even she felt she deserved a beating.
So she embellished it a bit, adding some housework and spending time with family.
Upon hearing this, Tang Mingmei couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
She believed what Tang Mingli said. In her past life, she had wanted the Fu family to arrange a job for her, but the Fu family seemed not to understand, and even used the excuse that her grandparents needed someone to accompany them, asking her to spend more time with her grandparents.
Tang Mingli, it must be unpleasant to be stuck with two old-fashioned people.
She deliberately added, "Even though you're married, you're still young. Hasn't the Fu family ever thought about arranging a job for you?"
Tang Mingli sighed inwardly, thinking, "They really are mother and daughter; they even think alike."
She blinked her innocent big eyes and used the same excuse she had given Li Hong last time.
“The Fu family doesn’t need my salary.”
Tang Mingmei said maturely, "That's not how it works. Salary is secondary; having a job makes life fulfilling."
But to Tang Mingli, these words sounded like someone who had never experienced the hardships of working, and her lips twitched involuntarily.
There are many ways to make the most of your days, and you don't necessarily have to go to work.
She couldn't change Tang Mingmei's mindset, nor did she want to, so she smiled and said, "I feel that every day is quite fulfilling."
A person's fulfillment comes from within, not from what they do. Reading, painting, practicing calligraphy, shopping, or even just daydreaming—aren't all of these more fulfilling than going to work?
Tang Mingmei sneered, "I don't believe it."
Well, people are different. Maybe Tang Mingmei and Li Hong are the kind of people who need to work to feel fulfilled.
So Tang Mingli didn't deny her, but spoke the truth: "Now that there's no one else around, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. In my opinion, going to work is too hard. You have to get up early every day and go back and forth between two points. It's not as comfortable as staying at home."
Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon. After these frank words, Tang Mingmei and Li Hong were unable to refute them for a while, and were even somewhat persuaded.
Yes, if you don't need the salary, why bother going to work so hard?
Tang Mingmei, who was the first to come to her senses, immediately cursed inwardly, thinking to herself that she had almost been led astray by Tang Mingli.
Are we talking about how hard it is to work? It's not that the Fu family can't even provide us with a job.
Strangely enough, she was jealous of Tang Mingli's wonderful life in her previous life, but seeing her so content in this life, nestled in the Fu family's little world, she was also full of resentment.
Since there was no one else around, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
"I think you've been brainwashed by the Fu family. In the past two years, have they ever offered to arrange a job for you even once?"
The word "brainwashing" almost scared Li Hong to death.
Has my daughter gone mad? How could she say such a thing? And at the Fu family's house no less.
Fortunately, Tang Mingli's reaction was calm; she shook her head and said, "No."
What a joke! She acted as if she were perfectly content with the status quo, so the Fu family wouldn't be so tactless.
To everyone's surprise, Tang Mingmei said, "See? They just want to keep you trapped in this house."
Li Hong almost fainted, wondering if her daughter was possessed.
Even Tang Mingli was no longer calm, looking at Tang Mingmei with mixed feelings.
Now I understand to some extent why she didn't have a good life in her first life in the book.
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