When Jiang Qi grew up, his carpentry master, a retired soldier, recommended him for military service. He sent half of his monthly allowance home to help ease his parents' financial burden, and saved the other half for himself in case of emergency. He knew his brothers and sisters were working in the fields and needed his help.
Although life was difficult, Jiang Qi never complained. He believed that as long as he worked hard, he could change his family's fate. He also hoped that his brothers and sisters would one day be able to leave the mountains and live a better life.
Although Jiang Qi's family wasn't well off, he was genuinely devoted to Cao Yue. He often bought her small gifts and personally picked her up from work on holidays. This kind of thoughtful care made Cao Yue deeply feel the warmth of love, which is why she was so moved.
This time, not only Liu Yanran but also Cao Chong and Cao Kun were visiting. In fact, they had already held a simple wedding ceremony in Su City, which, in modern terms, meant they could begin their lives together. Although Cao Yue and Jiang Qi would be living in a small border town, her family still needed to come and get to know her and familiarize themselves with the environment.
Liu Yanran was the only person who had visited Cao Yang's in-laws' home. When she saw Cao Yue's in-laws, she couldn't help but sigh at the huge differences between people. Especially Jiang Qi's mother, her mercenary appearance made it difficult to have a good impression.
Jiang Qi's eldest sister and her husband, his second sister and her husband, his fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers were all home. The house was a mess, with many things scattered about. As soon as Jiang Qi entered, his eldest sister warmly pulled him in, and his eldest brother-in-law greeted him with a smile. His second sister and her husband were busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner. His fifth sister was washing the family's clothes, while his fourth and sixth brothers were snacking on sunflower seeds.
"Jiang Qi, you have married a good wife. She also has a job. Can you send more money back home in the future?" Although Jiang's mother spoke her hometown dialect, it is well known that the dialects of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan are very similar to Mandarin in later generations, so Liu Yanran could understand it.
Liu Yanran felt uncomfortable hearing this. She felt that Cao Yue was being asked to increase her financial contribution before she had even officially become a member of the family. Moreover, Jiang Qi had just confirmed their marriage, and now their family was calculating Cao Yue's salary. This behavior made Liu Yanran feel a little disappointed.
Besides, they had been here for quite some time, but Jiang Qi's family didn't seem to show much concern or attention to them. Even Cao Yue wasn't greeted and stood aside awkwardly.
However, Liu Yanran still tried her best to keep smiling and tried to establish a good relationship with Jiang Qi's family. After all, she knew that marriage was not just a matter of two people, but also involved the integration of two families.
Although she felt somewhat dissatisfied, she decided to give Jiang Qi's family some time and opportunity, hoping to gradually change the situation. After all, Cao Yue had set her sights on Jiang Qi, so at most she could ask them to come back to their hometown as little as possible in the future!
Jiang Qi noticed Cao Yue's discomfort and patted her hand gently, signaling her not to take it personally. Then he turned to his mother and said, "Mom, let's talk about this later. Yueyue and the others just arrived, let them rest first."
At dinner time, everyone sat together. Jiang Qi's parents kept asking about Cao Yue's work situation, while Liu Yanran ate silently, feeling unhappy.
After dinner, Cao Yue found Jiang Qi and expressed her concerns. Jiang Qi comforted her, saying, "I know my parents are sometimes too practical, but they're doing this for our own good. We should try to come back less often in the future so that this incident doesn't affect our relationship." Cao Yue nodded. She understood Jiang Qi's difficulties and decided to put aside her unhappiness for the time being and work hard to adapt to this new environment.
Liu Yanran also heard the conversation from the side, and she felt very uncomfortable. She didn't want Cao Yue to suffer any injustice. After all, the girls of their Liu and Cao families were all excellent, so how could they not find a good family? So she couldn't help but say, "Jiang Qi, you know what? Our Cao Yue's conditions are not bad. Even if she doesn't marry you, she can still find a good husband. Your family treats our Cao Yue's marriage like this, which is really not serious!"
Jiang Qi's face flushed upon hearing this. He knew full well that what Liu Yanran said was true. Furthermore, she was not only Cao Yue's cousin, but also the fiancée of their Captain Gu. She was also a student at Peking University. From every perspective, her status and position far surpassed his own, and he simply couldn't afford to offend her. So he hurriedly explained, "Comrade Liu, my parents are just ordinary farmers who have toiled in the fields their entire lives. They've never seen the world, so their perspective is naturally short-sighted, but they're definitely not bad people."
"Okay, in that case, we will trust you this time. But ask your parents not to go to the fields to work tomorrow. We need to discuss the matters concerning the betrothal gift and dowry." At this time, Cao Chong, the eldest son of the family, stepped forward to smooth things over.
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