"Exactly, why shouldn't we say anything!" Several older women echoed in their hearts.
Others might not be able to see it clearly, but their neighbors on either side could see it perfectly.
"I don't know what Fangzi was thinking. When that man left, the youngest of her children was already ten years old."
"Just hang in there for a few more years, and once the kids are all working, things will be much better!
"Who can argue with that? Two daughters and a son, plus a permanent position—what great conditions!"
Aunt Fan was both envious and puzzled. "Why would someone so eagerly become a stepmother? Is being a stepmother so easy?"
"Yes, Lao Hao is such a shrewd person."
An old woman standing nearby couldn't help but chime in, "Before he married Fangzi, he couldn't even get a hot meal when he came home. His house was a complete mess, like a pigsty."
"Now it's great, there's food as soon as I get home, and someone washes my clothes when they get dirty. I heard that Fangzi went to take care of his two daughters-in-law during their postpartum period."
The old woman's words, though rough, were true: "No matter how you look at it, this deal is a huge loss. I don't know what Fangzi is after."
"Exactly! With my explosive temper, when Lao Hao enrolled Meng Yuan back then, I insisted on enrolling both of his sons as well!"
Fangzi is so foolish; she didn't even say a word after her daughter was sold.
"To put it bluntly, it's fortunate that the Meng family still has a son, otherwise, with Fangzi's muddle-headedness, she would have been eaten alive by Lao Hao's whole family sooner or later."
"By the way, Meng Yuan hasn't come back for seven or eight years, has she?"
"Yes, that's about right. I remember she went to Xinjiang in 1963."
Mentioning Meng Yuan, the older women couldn't help but sigh.
What a beautiful and sensible girl! It's such a pity she's stuck with such a clueless mother.
Amidst the sighs and lamentations of the crowd, a figure hurriedly walked past the window.
Some people with sharp eyes recognized it immediately.
"Hey, isn't that Meng Yuan?"
Upon hearing this, the other elderly women all stopped talking and peered over.
"It really is her!"
Meng Yuan was already eighteen years old when she left, and her facial features hadn't changed much since then.
It's true that she's become more beautiful, and she also exudes a sense of maturity and composure.
Seeing that Meng Yuan was carrying a large bag of things, the older women had different expressions.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
...
Inside the house, Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai were arguing fiercely when they heard a knock on the door.
Hao Chunlai yelled irritably, "Who is it?"
Meng Yuan said calmly, "It's me."
That sound...
It sounds so familiar.
Qi Fang was stunned for a moment, but before she could react, Hao Chunlai had already stepped forward and opened the door.
I saw Meng Yuan.
A hint of surprise flashed across Hao Chunlai's face.
But soon, his gaze was drawn to the sack next to Meng Yuan.
"Oh my, Yuanyuan is back." Hao Chunlai was both surprised and delighted. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Why did you bring so much stuff back to your own home? Come in quickly."
Having said that, he stepped forward.
Without saying a word, he took the package, weighed it in his hand, and was instantly overjoyed.
Qi Fang hadn't recovered from the argument yet, and upon seeing this, she immediately said, "This is a gift from my daughter, it's none of yours, let go of me!"
He emphasized the words "my daughter" very heavily.
Having been humiliated by Qi Fang in front of his stepdaughter, Hao Chunlai's face instantly turned ugly.
But he held back his anger, saying, "Look at you, what are you saying? Yuanyuan has finally come back, can't you just say less and not make the child laugh at you?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Fang seemed to realize it as well.
While she was distracted, Hao Chunlai quickly carried the items back to his room.
After thinking for a moment, I found another lock and locked the package directly into the cabinet.
In the living room, Qi Fang looked at her daughter's expressionless face and felt a little dissatisfied. "When did you get back? Why didn't you write a letter to let us know beforehand?"
After saying that, she glanced behind Meng Yuan again, "Where's the son-in-law? Why isn't he with us for the New Year..."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yuan interrupted him: "He doesn't have time."
"Are you that busy? You don't even have time to come back for a meal?"
Perhaps due to being cooped up at home for too long, Qi Fang's temper has become much worse than before.
"Alright, alright, the child just got back, why are you saying these things?"
Hao Chunlai was always good at saying nice things. "You two haven't seen each other for a long time. Chat for a while. I'll go out and buy some groceries. We'll have a nice family reunion dinner at noon."
That's disgusting to hear.
Meng Yuan said directly, "No need to trouble yourself, I'm just back to get my things, I'll leave as soon as I'm done!"
Upon hearing this, both Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai paused for a moment.
"Take what?"
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