As soon as the two arrived at the entrance of the Fu family courtyard, they saw Yun Tangyin and Yu Xia sitting under the grape trellis picking vegetables.
Jiang Jianhua deliberately raised her voice, put the basket on the stone table, and the floral fabric slid out of the basket. She quickly picked it up and shook it: "Runli brought this from Shanghai. She said it was for making a jacket for me. Look how bright and beautiful the colors are!"
Yun Tangyin could tell at a glance that it was scrap fabric, and she picked the green beans in her hand with a cracking sound: "If Second Sister-in-law likes it, I'll ask Acheng to have someone bring two feet of good fabric from Shanghai. A jacket made from scrap fabric probably won't last long."
Jiang Jianhua's face instantly turned red: "Who said it was scraps? Runli brought this especially for me!"
Xu Runli quickly chimed in, "My sister must have misread it. This fabric was brought by Zhicheng through a colleague. Although it's a bit short, the material is really good."
As she spoke, she glanced into the yard, deliberately rubbing her wrist to reveal her watch, which gleamed brightly in the sunlight: "By the way, shall we go see Auntie first? I brought some southern tea for Mom to try."
"Okay!" Jiang Jianhua pulled her towards the main room. When they passed Yun Tangyin, he deliberately stopped for a moment, then walked on with his head held high.
Just as Yu Xia was about to speak, Yun Tangyin pressed her hand down.
Once the two entered the main room, Yu Xia spat out, "These two are cut from the same cloth, trying to cause trouble as soon as they walked in."
Yun Tangyin put the selected green beans into the bamboo basket: "What's the rush? The best is yet to come."
Sure enough, Song Yushuang's voice came shortly afterward: "You're here? You must be exhausted from the journey?"
Song Yushuang was a respectable person, with an elegant demeanor and polite speech.
Then came Jiang Jianhua's loud voice: "Mom, look how much Zhicheng dotes on Runli! This watch is so expensive!"
Xu Runli stood to the side with a shy smile on her face, but her eyes were glancing at Yun Tangyin at the door.
Yun Tangyin walked to the table, picked up the tea canister on the table, opened it and smelled it: "But this tea is last year's old tea... The new tea from the south just came on the market this month. You can't be so fond of your wife that you don't care about your image."
Jiang Jianhua's hand froze in mid-air: "What did you say?"
Song Yushuang looked at Xu Runli: "Maybe you took the wrong one?"
It seemed like they were trying to help Xu Runli out of a tight spot, but anyone with eyes could see what they really meant.
Xu Runli's smile faded slightly: "I... I did take the wrong one. I was in a hurry and grabbed the wrong one."
“It’s normal to take the tea.” Yun Tangyin put down the tea canister and tapped her fingertips lightly on the edge of the table. “However, we won’t use this tea to brew for you. After all, if we brew this old tea for guests, people will say that the Fu family doesn’t know how to treat guests.”
Xu Runli dug her fingertips into her palm and forced a smile, saying, "Sister is right, it was my oversight."
Yun Tangyin was somewhat surprised.
Xu Runli has really changed a lot. What exactly has she been through?
If it were the Xu Runli of the past, she would probably have jumped up in anger immediately if she were being squeezed like this now.
Yu Xia walked in carrying washed cherries and placed them in front of Song Yushuang.
Yu Xia picked up a cherry and handed it to Song Yu's hands, saying, "Mom, please try this. It's freshly picked."
Song Yushuang took a bite of a cherry, the sweet and sour juice spreading out. She looked at Xu Runli and said, "Runli, if you don't mind, stay in the east wing for now. Don't rush to find a job; we'll talk about it when Zhicheng arrives."
Just as Xu Runli was about to respond, Jiang Jianhua interrupted, "Mom! Runli is good at accounting. Wouldn't it be great if she went to work as an accountant or cashier in the army in Acheng? It's much better than her staying at home idle!"
Actually, Jiang Jianhua regretted it a little after he said it.
She secretly found out that Fu Yucheng's army was short of personnel, and she was only thinking about finding a good job for Xu Runli so that she could curry favor with Jiang Zhicheng.
But now that the words were out of her mouth, she realized...
Yun Tangyin and Fu Yucheng are a couple. She arranged for Yun Tangyin's stepsister to work for Fu Yucheng. What would that look like if word got out?
Wouldn't that break his spine?
Jiang Jianhua chuckled awkwardly, trying to salvage the situation, but Xu Runli's eyes gleamed with anticipation: "I can do the math!"
These four words immediately made Jiang Jianhua flustered and pale, and he didn't even know where to begin to explain.
Yun Tangyin had just peeled a cherry and put it in her mouth when she heard this and slowly raised her eyes: "Second sister-in-law, you seem to have forgotten that military accountants need to undergo political vetting. Runli didn't even bring a letter of introduction, so how can she get in?"
She twirled the cherry stem between her fingers: "Besides, Acheng's troops are very strict. Not to mention outsiders, even relatives of the Fu family who want to visit have to report in advance to avoid leaking secrets."
Jiang Jianhua's face instantly turned as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and he stammered, "I...I just said it offhand."
Xu Runli, however, refused to give up and took half a step forward: "Auntie, I can get a letter of introduction! As long as I can work in the army, I don't mind making a few more trips."
She looked at Song Yushuang with earnest eyes, "I'm educated, and I have no problem with arithmetic."
"The army isn't a production team." Yun Tangyin put down the cherry stem, her voice calm and indifferent. "The accountant is in charge of military pay and records supplies. Even a penny's difference has to be investigated thoroughly. If you really have that ability, why don't you first settle the bill for vegetables that my second sister-in-law overstated?"
These words struck Jiang Jianhua like a needle, hitting her sore spot. She slammed her hand on the table: "Why did you bring that up! It's just money, isn't it? Are you still not done?!"
"It's not about money, it's about ability." Yun Tangyin looked at Xu Runli: "Oh, Second Sister-in-law, why are you getting so angry?"
Xu Runli's face flushed red and then turned pale, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes as she couldn't speak.
She didn't know anything about military rules. She just knew that Fu Yucheng was an officer in the army and wanted to get closer to him to build a relationship.
I just blurted it out without thinking!
Song Yushuang put down the cherry pit and slowly said, "She's just arrived, so let her rest for a couple of days. If she really wants to find a job, it would be a favor if Yucheng could see if there's anything suitable in the local area. As for the military, forget about it; the rules are too strict, and it's not suitable for a young girl like her."
Having said all that, it would be foolish of Xu Runli to argue any further.
She bit her lip and nodded, but a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes. It was Yun Tangyin who ruined her plans again.
Seeing the atmosphere become awkward, Jiang Jianhua quickly tried to smooth things over: "That's right! It's a good place! I heard that the textile factory is hiring, and it would be good for Runli to work as a factory worker there, where she won't be exposed to the wind or rain."
“The textile factory needs skilled workers, so we have to train them for three months first.” Yun Tangyin picked up the bamboo basket and stood up. “Sister-in-law, let’s go finish picking the green beans, or we won’t be able to make dinner.”
Yu Xia immediately agreed and followed. As she passed Jiang Jianhua, she deliberately nudged her basket with her elbow: "Second sister-in-law, you should worry less about other people's business and think about when you'll pay off your own grocery bill."
Jiang Jianhua watched the two figures walk away, stomping his feet in anger, but Xu Runli pulled him back, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, don't let me, an outsider, ruin your family's harmony..."
Song Yushuang, who had been standing nearby, suddenly laughed.
I was genuinely amused.
Does Xu Runli even know she's an outsider?
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