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◎Day 13 of the control group◎
"Assigning a job isn't something he can decide with just a word; it depends on whether your second child has the ability and meets the requirements."
"Your daughter and daughter-in-law have been here for almost two years and haven't had any jobs."
"Besides, if you really want Erwa to have a job, why not let him work with everyone else and earn money through his own efforts? Wouldn't that be more reliable?"
Liu Cuihua was stunned for a moment, then remained silent.
Jiang Tiezhu's eyes lit up: "Work with them? How much money can I make?"
Jiang Wanzhou sneered: "The jobs here are for hardworking people. If you work hard and don't slack off, you'll naturally earn money. But if you want to slack off or cheat, don't blame us for being impolite."
Jiang Tiezhu stared wide-eyed: "What do you mean, what do you mean, I'm your second brother!"
Zhou Qingyu stood in front of Jiang Wanzhou.
Jiang Tiezhu was furious.
Jun Yanghong felt a little anxious as things developed in an unexpected direction.
"Brother Tiezhu, don't agree. Working with them is too tiring. It's not as easy as working in the army."
Jiang Tiezhu was somewhat tempted. He was lazy and didn't earn much money back in his hometown, so when he heard that he could make money, he naturally didn't want to miss out.
Liu Cuihua also felt that Liu Hongying's words made sense, and stopped crying: "Can you really make money?"
“Of course,” Shen Xinglian said. “Our woven products and snacks are very popular right now, and orders are booked until next month. As long as Brother Tiezhu is willing to work hard, he can earn more in a month than he does back home.”
Seeing that Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu were somewhat hesitant, Jiang Renzhou softened his tone.
"Mom, Second Brother, it's not that I don't want you to come, nor that I don't want to help you. But I hope you can earn money through your own abilities."
“If you really want to work on the island, I can let you try first, but let me make this clear: if you dare to slack off, cheat, or cause trouble, leave the island immediately and don’t come looking for me again.”
Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu exchanged a glance, both seeing interest in each other's eyes.
Liu Cuihua nodded: "Okay, we promise you, we will work hard."
Jun Yanghong hadn't expected things to turn out this way. She was very unwilling, but she couldn't say anything more, so she could only say it sullenly.
"Since Auntie and Brother Tiezhu have agreed, I won't bother you any longer. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."
Watching Jun Yanghong's retreating figure, Shen Xinglian narrowed her eyes: "We need to be careful of her; she definitely won't let this go so easily."
Jiang Wanzhou nodded: "Yes, I will tell my sisters-in-law to keep a close eye on her and not give her a chance to cause trouble."
Liu Hongying smiled and said, "Alright, now that things are resolved, I'll head back first. My eldest daughter is preparing for the college entrance exam..."
"...Look at me, I forgot to tell you about something so important. The higher-ups have decided to reinstate the college entrance examination."
"Sister Hongying, thank you for your help," Jiang Wanzhou said.
Liu Hongying waved her hand: "You're welcome, it's all my duty."
Zhou Qingyu, Jiang Wanzhou, and Shen Xinglian went back.
Jiang Renzhou led Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu to the guesthouse: "You two stay here for now. Tomorrow I'll take you to the warehouse and assign you work. Remember, if you dare to try anything funny, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu nodded quickly: "We understand, we will definitely work hard."
Jiang Wanzhou returned home, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
She always felt that Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu wouldn't be so honest, and that Jun Yanghong wouldn't let it go so easily.
But since things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time.
Zhou Qingyu held her hand and whispered, "Don't worry, I'm here. I will protect you and the baby, and I will protect this family."
Jiang Wanzhou felt more at ease seeing the determination in his eyes.
After returning home, Shen Xinglian gradually noticed that something was wrong with Jiang Wanzhou.
At first, Shen Xinglian thought it was just because she was more easily distracted, and that it was due to pregnancy symptoms and the fatigue from preparing for the exhibition. So she took on more work in private and told her to rest more.
Jiang Wanzhou's anxiety did not ease; she began to suffer from insomnia, and dark circles appeared under her eyes.
"Wanzhou." Shen Xinglian put down the seaweed in her hand, walked over and pressed her hand, which was icy cold to the touch. "What's wrong with you? Don't try to fool me with tiredness."
Jiang Wanzhou shuddered suddenly, as if startled awake. Her eyes darted away in panic, and her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Shen Xinglian pulled her to sit down on the small stool next to them. The evening breeze on the island was cool.
"Is it because of what happened with Liu Cuihua that you're still upset?"
She asked tentatively.
Liu Cuihua had caused trouble before, and although she was turned away and Jiang Renzhou made his stance clear, it still bothered him.
Jiang Wanzhou shook her head, then nodded, and finally spoke in a dry voice: "Not entirely. I just think about how I almost killed someone back then."
"I've already wronged you by forgiving her, and now you still have to be good to her and not let others talk about it."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Shen Xinglian understood.
Shen Xinglian was silent for a moment, then took her cold hand. "Wanzhou, you've always been kind to people. Before you found me, I remember when you were bullied and harassed by your colleagues, you just resigned."
“You told me back then that it’s not easy for girls to find a job.”
“But I know you. The new job isn’t difficult for you, so you’ve put up with it. As long as it doesn’t affect your planned good life, you can ignore it.”
"Liu Cuihua is the original owner's mother, so you can give her money. You're on my side, so it's a complicated emotional situation."
"We didn't retaliate against Liu Cuihua in any substantial way; it was more about self-preservation."
"There's no need to resist or regret it now. After all, there's the veneer of filial piety, and it's impossible to completely sever ties with Jiang Renzhou on the surface. There's still a long way to go."
“Now that we’re married, both of us need to consider each other’s feelings. You need to consider not only me, but also Zhou Qingyu.”
“I’m not resisting her, I’m resisting myself back then.” Jiang Wanzhou’s tears finally fell, filled with lingering fear and self-loathing. “I feel like a bystander with the wrong script, unable to escape.”
"But actually, the biggest taboo when time travel is to criticize the original owner or their family."
“Wanzhou, we have awakened,” Shen Xinglian suddenly said, her tone certain.
Jiang Wanzhou looked at her through teary eyes.
“Yes, that’s the correct way to put it,” Shen Xinglian affirmed.
“Let’s consider this an awakening. From the moment we awaken, look at the people around us—Director Liu, those women, even Liu Cuihua—are they still the paper figures you used to think of?”
Jiang Wanzhou was stunned.
She recalled the firelight in Liu Hongying's eyes, the tenderness and sorrow in Sister Li's voice when she talked about her children, and the rough calluses on the hands of the military families and their simple, honest smiles.
I even recall Liu Cuihua's seemingly unruly nature, which was actually pitiful and detestable due to her being trapped by the times and her own perceptions.
“No,” she murmured.
“So,” Shen Xinglian turned back to look at her, “it used to be all about the author’s manipulation, but now everyone should be a living, breathing person who can feel pain, laugh, and change.”
"The person who harmed me was not Liu Cuihua, and I am not the victim Shen Xinglian."
"Theoretically, shouldn't we also have a chance to turn over a new leaf? Not that we should forgive anyone, but that we should change the way we see the world."
She squeezed Jiang Wanzhou's hand tightly: "The past, good and bad, we should probably clear up the mess in our hearts. Don't keep carrying it around, feeling uncomfortable, indebted, or afraid."
“I know Wanzhou is a very upright person, but sometimes you will side with your feelings and then feel bad.”
"I will never be someone who makes things difficult for you in my life. Let's be upright people together."
"Before awakening is the past life; after awakening, we must learn to truly live here, not just pretend."
"Pack your things tomorrow and have a good chat with your mother."
Aren't you feeling wronged?
“I won’t make up with her, and you don’t need to do anything because of me. But I really don’t care about that incident; I was just being manipulated by the plot back then.”
Shen Xinglian smiled and said, "You don't actually like my friends, but sometimes when I ask you to keep me company, you don't refuse."
"If you don't stop me from making friends, I won't interfere with you either."
“I will not think badly of you because of who your friends are,” Jiang Wanzhou quickly replied.
Shen Xinglian nodded: "I won't have a problem with you just because your family members are people I don't like."
Dusk completely enveloped the courtyard, and the stars lit up one after another.
Jiang Wanzhou remained silent for a long time.
But they didn't expect trouble to come so quickly.
The next morning, Jiang Wanzhou and Liu Cuihua had a good time rekindling their mother-daughter bond.
Although Liu Cuihua favored Jiang Tiezhu, Jiang Wanzhou was the best student in the team, so Liu Cuihua treated her well out of consideration for her reputation.
Jiang Renzhou would also support her and subsidize her privately, which is why the original little girl turned into a villain after making a mistake.
With Jiang Tiezhu absent, Liu Cuihua showed genuine affection for Jiang Wanzhou.
The intimacy that Jiang Wanzhou had etched in her memory returned.
As soon as Shen Xinglian arrived at the warehouse, she was surrounded by a group of women.
"Comrade Jiang, Comrade Shen, something terrible has happened! I just saw someone carrying one of the new backpacks we just finished weaving!"
"And the notebook where I kept the recipes is also gone!"
Jiang Wanzhou's heart sank: "Is it just one person? Xiao Wang, go check the department stores and nearby shops to see if they have similar styles."
"I opened the door this morning, and everything was fine; none of our backpacks were missing." Mrs. Zhang was almost in tears. "Those backpacks were for foreign guests. What if the number is wrong? How are we supposed to manage this?!"
"It must have been Jiang Tiezhu and Liu Cuihua who did it!" someone said through gritted teeth. "No one else would do such a thing!"
Jiang Wanzhou's expression changed.
When the two arrived, they were brought by Sister Hongying, who said they were her relatives.
These past few days, she's been making empty promises to them, so logically Liu Cuihua and Jiang Tiezhu shouldn't be so biased towards Jun Yanghong.
Jiang Wanzhou felt a little dizzy: "I'll go back and ask them right now!"
"Wait a minute." Shen Xinglian stopped her and whispered, "Don't assume they will definitely do it. Stay calm."
“If their identities are revealed, the public’s anger will be directed at you and Jiang Renzhou.”
Jiang Wanzhou, holding her aching stomach, said, "They can't distinguish right from wrong. My eldest brother is a soldier of the people. If my mother and second brother were parasites on socialism, he would definitely feel ashamed and would voluntarily retire from the army."
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