Chapter 10 Losing Money...
Upon hearing this, Ma Dahua quickly released her mother-in-law's hand, put on a pitiful look, and said apologetically to Erni:
“My mother-in-law was just worried because she had just arrived at the army base and had nothing at home. When she saw your wild vegetables, she got a little anxious. I apologize to you on her behalf.”
Upon hearing this, the disdainful looks from those present lessened considerably, and they praised the daughter-in-law for being quite sensible.
Ma Dahua's next words further heightened everyone's enthusiasm.
“My mother-in-law is over fifty years old and can’t compare to a young girl like you. If she’s not careful, she might dislocate or fracture her bones. If there’s anything, just tell us, the younger generation, and I will definitely handle it.”
Sure enough, everyone forgot about the scene of Grandma Zhang rudely snatching things and started gossiping about Erni.
"That's right! That's right! How can a junior lay a hand on an elder?"
“In my hometown, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration for such a junior to be beaten to death by his family.”
"These days everyone's promoting freedom, but no one's respecting or caring for the elderly. It's all a mess, what a state it is!"
...
In a daze, Miya thought she had returned to the past. The faces and words of the people in front of her were like heavy mountains pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.
A surge of anger welled up inside her, with nowhere to vent it, causing her to unconsciously lower her head, feeling remorseful for her earlier offensive behavior.
Just as she was about to apologize for her behavior, Erni straightened her chest and took a step forward, forcing Ma Dahua to back away in fright, and she accidentally sat down on the ground.
"What kind of ridiculous elders do you want me to acknowledge? You think you're in the right to snatch a little girl's things in broad daylight?"
"My dad says the army is a place where reason prevails, so I'm going to find someone right now to see who's in the right!"
As she spoke, she was about to rush out of the crowd, which terrified Ma Dahua, who was sitting on the ground.
She really couldn't understand why the tricks she used back home weren't working anymore, and she was completely baffled.
If she were to complain to her husband's boss today, affecting his work, he would definitely not let her off the hook.
Thinking of this, Ma Dahua pushed off the ground and immediately stood up, rushing to Erni. Her hands unconsciously gripped Erni's arm tightly, pleading:
“My mother-in-law really didn’t mean it; she’s just straightforward and didn’t notice.”
While explaining, Ma Dahua suddenly caught sight of Ma Guifen in the crowd out of the corner of her eye and anxiously sought others' agreement.
“Guifen, you saw it too, right? My mom really didn’t mean it.”
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Ma Guifen.
An awkward smile appeared on Ma Guifen's face as she once again felt annoyed that she had taken the initiative to visit the Zhang family in an attempt to please her husband's boss.
He also deeply regretted mentioning that he shared the same surname as Ma Dahua to try and build a closer relationship, and now he couldn't shake it off.
"Hehe! Maybe...maybe Aunt Zhang was just curious about where to pick the wild vegetables, and in her haste, she said the wrong thing. It's normal for her to feel uncomfortable because the girls' wicker baskets were torn and the wild vegetables were scattered on the ground."
Erni was furious at Ma Dahua's attempt to smooth things over. She shook off Ma Dahua's hand and regretted telling Ma Guifen where the wild vegetables were collected.
She glanced subconsciously in her older sister's direction, hoping the other woman could see through Ma Guifen's sinister intentions.
Unexpectedly, all I saw when I looked over was my older sister's anxious expression, as if she didn't know what to do.
Miya, standing to the side, seemed to be stunned, her eyes glazed over, lifeless.
On the contrary, the eldest child looked angry, seemingly trying to find a way to support himself.
Erni finally felt a little relieved and glared at Ma Guifen, "You think you're right to steal? Pay me back for my wild vegetables! If you don't, I'll take you to the authorities."
After saying that, she stretched out her hand to Ma Dahua and opened her palm.
Enraged, Ma Dahua gritted her teeth, held her breath, and pulled a small bill from her pocket, slapping it heavily into Erni's hand.
"Smack!"
The crisp sound brought many people back to their senses, making them realize that Ma Dahua wasn't as reasonable as she seemed when she spoke.
"not enough!"
Erni's two words almost made Ma Dahua vomit blood with anger. She glared fiercely at her mother-in-law on the ground, who was more trouble than she was worth, and took out another small bill.
Seeing this, Erni casually picked up a handful of edible wild vegetables from the ground, turned around, and strode confidently towards home.
Da Ni was afraid to think about what would happen when she got home, thinking about what had just happened.
Suddenly everything went black. He frantically picked up the bag that had been thrown on the ground and took Miya, who was still immersed in the shock brought by Erni, home.
In a daze, Miya felt as if her feet were walking on clouds, completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world.
When she regained consciousness, she was already standing in a row with the three Zhou siblings, receiving a collective scolding from Liu Limei.
"Do you four know what the people in the family compound will say about you starting tonight?!"
Miya was so frightened that she trembled, almost causing Liu Limei to lose her composure. In her opinion, Miya was about the same age as her daughter, and she felt it was necessary for her to understand the unspoken rules of society.
Da Ni was the first to step forward and admit her mistake, feeling that she had failed to stop everyone.
But in Miya's mind, there was an image of Erni, full of fighting spirit, defeating those people and words that were like mountains.
Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't utter a complete sentence. Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions, unable to judge right from wrong.
Erni didn't think she had done anything wrong at all; in fact, she felt she had been taken advantage of.
The second daughter's self-righteous manner infuriated Liu Limei, causing her blood to boil. She sternly rebuked her:
"Believe it or not, this afternoon, rumors about Commander Zhou's second daughter disrespecting her elders will spread. After that, which family will dare to introduce you to a potential partner? Which family would want a daughter-in-law who is unreasonable and doesn't know any better?"
"Let them say what they want, it's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh."
Erni's nonchalant attitude stunned everyone present.
What she said next caused another intense shock to everyone's worldview.
"Besides, as the great man said, women hold up half the sky! Women are involved in all walks of life, they can earn money, and the factory will help them in their old age. What does it matter whether they get married or not?"
"If I have to be submissive to my partner's family, I'd rather dedicate my life to the cause of building our country!"
Erni clenched her fists and placed them in front of her chest, raised her chin, and looked up at the sun in the sky, her eyes sparkling.
For a fleeting moment, Miya even felt that Erni was surrounded by a dazzling red light, so bright that it drew people unconsciously toward the light and heat.
"What a tragedy! What a tragedy..."
Liu Limei's legs went weak and she stumbled backward, her calves hitting the chair, and she plopped down, muttering to herself.
For the first time, she felt a deep resentment towards her husband's mother; if it weren't for her, her daughter wouldn't have harbored such thoughts.
Erni was still reeling from the shock her sister had brought her, feeling completely alienated.
How can a girl not get married?
A group of people stood in the room, still reeling from the impact of Erni's grand pronouncements, and even forgot about lunch.
The canteen stopped serving food after a certain time, so Miya could only exchange wild vegetables she picked in the morning for a meal with Sister Liu.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone seemed to have forgotten what had happened that morning and continued to happily tidy up their new home.
But only they themselves know what they are really thinking.
Liu Limei recalled what she had overheard others mentioning when she was home alone that morning, and took the initiative to tell Miya about it.
"Miya, I heard from everyone that there are too many people moving into the family compound this time, and the military supply and marketing cooperative simply can't supply that many goods. The logistics department is preparing to send a vehicle to help us make a centralized purchase in the city. Is your family going?"
“I…I don’t know,” Miya said, pursing her lips.
"Go back and ask your third brother. It's a good opportunity for everyone to go together. Who knows when we'll be able to leave the army again?"
“Yes,” Miya nodded emphatically, keeping Liu’s words in mind.
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