Chapter 113 The date was not her doing
"I still have to pay back my mother's money." Niu Cuihua said.
"I told Mom to consider it a loan," Zhao Guodong said. "We took a lot of money from Mom. Jasmine and the others don't need Mom and Uncle's money. Jasmine and her husband also give Mom and Uncle money. We're short on money and can't give that much. We still have Mom worrying about us."
"Yes, we have more things to do here," Niu Cuihua said. "My mother doesn't have that much money, so she has to send it back to the countryside."
This time, Niu Jingshan's wife, He Zhaodi, was truly pregnant. Niu's father even brought two chickens to the family. However, He Zhaodi kept one for herself and sent the other back to her parents' home.
Niu Cuihua didn't know what to say. Should she say that He Zhaodi only sent one chicken back to her parents' home instead of sending both chickens back? He Zhaodi was really too bold. The chicken was clearly for He Zhaodi's health, but He Zhaodi still sent it to her parents' home and said it was a gift for her, so she could make her own arrangements.
Niu Cuihua wasn't in the countryside. If she were, she would have asked the He family to return the chicken. If He Zhaodi didn't want to eat the chicken, then she shouldn't eat it. If He Zhaodi didn't want to eat the chicken, there were plenty of other people who could.
He Zhaodi was pregnant, and Niu Jingshan didn't have much money, so his mother sent him some. Niu Cuihua couldn't convince his mother to stop sending money to Niu Jingshan. He Zhaodi was truly pregnant, not faking it. She had to prioritize the pregnant woman, so Niu Cuihua kept her mouth shut.
Niu Cuihua didn't ask her mother for money, nor did she embarrass her. Zhao Guodong also knew the Niu family's situation, so he didn't force her. He and Niu Cuihua had the same idea. Niu's mother had a hard time, so there was no need to say too much about her. Just let it go.
"It was your mother... She immediately thought of our difficulties." Niu Cuihua said, "Although your mother didn't help us with anything, she gave us a lot of money."
Niu Cuihua sighed, sometimes even if they didn't do anything, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give them more money. Jiang's mother lent them money at a critical moment, so they could have more money on hand and not be too stressed out.
When Jiang's mother returned home, Jiang Moli had not returned yet.
"Has the money been delivered?" Jiang's father knew that Jiang's mother had gone to give money to Zhao Guodong and his wife, and that Zhao Guodong had spent quite a bit of money at Uncle Lu's. Sheng Jiahao still paid for the hotel accommodation, so Zhao Guodong didn't have to pay for anything.
"They delivered it," Jiang's mother said. "I knew they were short of money. It's impossible for them not to be short of money. They had some money, but they spent it all. The New Year will cost a lot. The children are about to start school, so they still need to pay for tuition. If they didn't ask me for money, they would have asked Jasmine. If they asked someone else, they would say Jasmine is so rich. Why did Guodong ask others for money instead of Jasmine? Others would not be willing to lend him money."
Jiang's mother thought those people's ideas were not wrong. Jiang Moli was well-off, so it would be a good idea for Zhao Guodong to borrow money from her. This would also help others not be so tight on their finances. Many people didn't have that much money, and each of them just barely made enough to cover their family expenses.
"I'll give them some. It doesn't matter when they return." Jiang's mother said.
"Let them." Jiang's father didn't think about when Zhao Guodong would have to pay the money back. It was Jiang's mother's own money, and Jiang's father didn't care. Jiang's father just knew this and asked a question.
Jiang's father saved money on his own. His passbook was separate from Jiang's mother's, and the two of them also had a shared passbook. Jiang's father was no longer involved in these matters. He didn't need Jiang's mother to leave money for Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli had enough money and didn't need Jiang's mother's money.
Jiang Moli knew about the money Jiang's mother had given to Zhao Guodong and his wife. Jiang's mother had told Jiang Moli about it, and Jiang Moli had no objection. Zhao Guodong and his wife were in trouble, and Jiang's mother should have helped them. This was just a difficult time for Zhao Guodong and his wife, and the situation should improve in the future.
Zhao Guodong and his wife didn't owe anyone else any money. Instead, it was Niu Dasao and her husband who owed Zhao Guodong and his wife money.
Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei ate together in the company cafeteria. Qiao Yuwei didn't ask much about the new script. The new script has not yet been released. When the new script comes out, the company will screen people to see who is more suitable to play the role.
"Today's food tastes pretty good," Qiao Yuwei said. "We also got a lot of meat. The good profit makes all the difference."
"Not bad." Jiang Moli said, "Eat more."
"You..." Qiao Yuwei hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Moli asked.
"I heard that the new play is going to replace some people." Qiao Yuwei said, "It means swapping some people with other groups. At least it will be a bit fresh."
In addition, some people in the unit have long wanted to join Jiang Moli's group. Jiang Moli's plays are very popular, and others want to participate in more performances.
Qiao Yuwei has been in the same group with Jiang Moli for many years, and this time she might be replaced and go to another group. Qiao Yuwei can't always be with Jiang Moli, and it's not good for her to always follow Jiang Moli. It would be better to go to other groups and see more.
"I want to change groups." Qiao Yuwei said.
"Change groups?" Jiang Moli asked, "What do you think?"
"I respect the company's decision. I can't let you hold an umbrella and hide under it forever." Qiao Yuwei said, "The company made that arrangement for the good of all of us. I used to be in another group and often performed with you. When the new play comes out, I guess I won't be able to perform with you for a long time."
Qiao Yuwei felt a little disappointed, but she also understood that this was the best arrangement and the company was doing it for everyone's good.
"Although we can't perform together, we're from the same unit, so we can still meet." Qiao Yuwei joked, "Don't pretend not to know me when the time comes."
"No." Jiang Moli said, "I still know you."
Jiang Moli didn't think about the members of the group. She just did what the company arranged. Jiang Moli didn't say she had to be with anyone. She couldn't pick all the best people in the company to be in her group. There were several groups of people who performed opera in the company.
After get off work, Sheng Jiahao came to pick up Jiang Moli, and they went back together.
Miao's mother was at Miao Guifeng's place. She watched Daya cook and simply let Daya take a rest while she cooked.
"Grandma, I'll do it." Daya said quickly, "I can do it, and I can do it well."
Daya is a very good cook. When she doesn't cook well, Miao Guifeng will complain that the food is too salty or too bland, and even ask if the salt at home is free. When Daya hears what Miao Guifeng says, she will make some changes and try to cook better the next time, instead of letting Miao Guifeng complain that the food is not tasty.
"It's okay, you can rest here for a while, grandma will do it." Miao's mother said.
"Okay." Daya said.
When it was time for dinner, Miao Guifeng didn't know that the meal was cooked by Miao's mother, and she started to complain, "Daya, this dish is too salty. Be more careful next time. You can't even do the smallest things right, you..."
"I did it." Miao's mother said, "I did it."
"Mom." Miao Guifeng's expression was a little stiff. Then, she looked at Daya and said, "If I ask you to cook, just let your grandma do it."
"She didn't ask me to do it, I wanted to do it myself." said Miao's mother.
There haven't been many people buying roasted sweet potatoes recently, so Miao Guifeng didn't set up her stall early. Instead, she waited until after dinner and then went out to sell for a few hours before coming back.
"Mom, just let her do it. She's old enough to do these things." Miao Guifeng said, "Don't do these things for her. You can stay here for a few days and try the food she cooks and teach her a little bit. It's not that I dislike the food, but she's going to get married in the future. If I don't say anything to her, her in-laws will find fault with her. It's better for me to teach her more at home so she can get used to it. It won't be too hard for her to go to her in-laws' house in the future."
Miao Guifeng knew that the food was cooked by Miao's mother, so she didn't say that the food tasted bad.
"She's still young, so don't bother talking to her yet." Miao's mother said, "Wait until she's older..."
"When she grows up, her personality will be set, and it will be difficult to teach her then. We have to teach her from a young age." Miao Guifeng said, "Mom, don't worry about these things. We will take care of them. When you come here, just rest and have fun. Don't worry about these things. We will do it well. Trust us."
“…”Miao’s mother didn’t quite believe Miao Guifeng, but there was nothing she could do.
Miao's mother couldn't stay with Miao Guifeng all the time, and she couldn't keep an eye on her. Even if Miao's mother spoke up for Daya and Erya now, Miao Guifeng would still bully them after she returned. If Miao's mother spoke less, it would make Miao Guifeng feel better, and Miao Guifeng could say less about Daya and Erya.
Erya was busy eating, picking up some meat for herself. She didn't care whether Daya picked up some meat or not, because taking care of herself was the most important thing. Erya was afraid that if she picked up some meat too late, she would have no meat to eat, so she had to hurry up.
Daya rarely eats meat. She eats very little meat and basically only eats vegetables.
When Miao's mother saw that Daya didn't know how to pick up meat for herself, she picked up some meat for Daya.
"Eat more." Miao's mother said, "Pick up some food for yourself."
Miao's mother looked at Erya. Erya was the one who knew how to pick up food. The family was eating together, and she wasn't picking up food herself, waiting for others to do it? Miao's mother did prefer boys, but after all, Erya and Daya had been with her for several years, so she still hoped Daya and Erya would get along better and not let them suffer too much.
"Eat." said Miao's mother.
"Your grandma is right, pick up the food for yourself." Miao Guifeng said as she picked up the food for her baby son. Her baby son must eat well.
Miao Guifeng also secretly bought other food for her baby son, but Daya, Erya, and Sanya had nothing to eat. Miao Guifeng did not think that her behavior was wrong. Her son would have to support the family in the future, so of course he had to eat more.
"It's not like there aren't enough dishes. It's more than enough," Miao Guifeng said. "Ask your grandmother. You've lived in the countryside yourself. Is there really so much food on the table?"
After hearing what Miao Guifeng said, Miao's mother didn't say much. There really weren't that many vegetables in the countryside, and a plate of vegetables depended on what they were. If it was vegetables, there would be more, but if it was meat, there wouldn't be that much meat.
After dinner, Miao Guifeng asked Daya to wash the dishes and refused to let Miao's mother help. Maybe it was because Miao Guifeng was always talking, or maybe Daya was not paying attention, Daya accidentally dropped a piece of the bowl.
"What are you doing?" Miao Guifeng frowned. "I asked you to wash the dishes, and this is how you wash them?"
As Miao Guifeng spoke, she hit Daya's arm twice, and Miao's mother quickly stopped her.
"Don't hit her. It's just a bowl. Just let her clean it up." Miao's mother said, "It's still the first month of the year. It's not appropriate to hit children."
"I think she is a rebellious person. When she saw you coming, she didn't want to work. She did it on purpose." Miao Guifeng said.
"Nothing happened. She was just careless." When Miao's mother heard what Miao Guifeng said, her eyelids twitched. What Miao Guifeng said was really unpleasant.
Daya could only clean up the broken bowls and accidentally cut her hand, but Miao Guifeng didn't care about Daya. When Miao's mother saw Daya's injured hand, she asked Daya to go to the side and washed the bowls. She took Daya back to the room on the Yang family's side and treated Daya's wound briefly.
Miao's mother wondered why Miao Guifeng had such a bad temper, considering the child was still so young, not particularly old. She looked at Daya and realized she really couldn't take care of so many things.
"Be more careful next time. Your mother might be going out to set up a stall to make some money. She's not in a good mood and needs to get things done. That's why she got so angry at you." Miao's mother couldn't find it easy to criticize Miao Guifeng. After all, she was her biological daughter. "When your mother says something, don't talk back. Say less and everything will be fine."
"It won't get better." Erya said.
"You're still young, so talk less," Miao's mother said. "You still have to rely on your parents to support you. If you talk too much, your mother will be unhappy. If she's unhappy, won't she scold you? If she talks and you don't, she'll stop talking soon."
Erya looked up at Miao's mother. She didn't believe what she said, but that was all she could do. Erya then looked at Daya. Daya was already injured, but she didn't say much.
Erya didn't want to be like Daya. Anyway, she didn't do much work in the future. Her mother would just abandon her and throw her away if she had the guts. Erya felt uncomfortable when she saw Daya like that. Daya really wouldn't resist.
At this moment, Jiang Moli and her husband had already finished their meal, and the baby was walking very fast.
The baby ran to the backyard again. He always wanted to check out the vegetable patch, where his grandparents grew vegetables for him. They were all fragrant and delicious. Jiang's mother said the vegetables on the table were grown at home, and the baby even ate a few more bites.
"Don't run." Jiang Moli walked behind the baby, "Slow down."
"Cai Cai," the baby said, "Look at Cai, have you grown taller?"
"You've grown taller, taller." Jiang Moli said, "Tomorrow, ask your grandparents to pick fresh vegetables for you and make porridge for you."
"Eat more." The baby gestured, "Eat a lot."
"Okay, eat a lot. As long as you can eat, you can eat." Jiang Moli said, "Can't I stop you from eating?"
"Mommy eats, daddy eats, grandma eats, grandpa eats, grandma eats, grandpa eats..." The baby counted on his fingers one by one, and when one small hand was not enough to say it, he switched to another small hand, "Everyone eats."
"Yes, eat them all." Jiang Moli said.
"The chickens and ducks need to eat vegetables," the baby said. "The chickens and ducks both need to eat vegetables, but I want to eat the chickens and ducks."
"You eat, you eat, you can eat anything." Jiang Moli said.
"Mom." The baby ran to Jiang Moli and stood on tiptoe. "Here, here."
"..." Jiang Moli looked at her son. Was he measuring his height? "Almost. You'll be taller soon."
Pan Yun was discharged from the hospital soon after giving birth. She had a natural birth and was recovering well. She didn't consider it a bad thing to give birth to a daughter, but she also knew that having only one daughter wasn't enough. Pan Yun herself was a woman, and her father gave his wealth to his illegitimate son instead of her, which made her furious. Pan Yun was afraid that Shi Nan would find another woman to have a son with in the future; these men were unreliable.
Mrs. Pan had repeatedly stressed to Pan Yun that men were unreliable, and even mentioned Pan's father's affairs. Pan Yun realized that she couldn't rely on Shi Nan for the rest of her life, and she still had to think about how she would live in the future.
"When your mother-in-law found out you were having a daughter, she couldn't even hold anything. She didn't even go to the hospital to bring you chicken soup. Even after you were discharged, she didn't care." Mrs. Pan stayed in Pan Yun's room. "Your mother-in-law is unreliable."
"She is just unreliable. You are better, mom." Pan Yun said.
"Of course, I'm your biological mother. How could I treat you badly?" Mrs. Pan said, "It doesn't matter if we give birth to a daughter. We'll see later. If you want to have another child, then you can. If not, then let Shi Nan get a sterilization."
Mrs. Pan has already understood that sterilization is not limited to women, men can also do it. Mrs. Pan cannot let Shi Nan give birth to an illegitimate child with another woman, and cannot let the illegitimate child reap the fruits of his labor.
"Vast ligation?" Pan Yun was stunned. She hadn't expected this to happen. "Would Shi Nan agree? He doesn't have a son yet..."
"As long as you're willing, it's fine. Don't worry about whether he's willing or not," Mrs. Pan said. "If it weren't for our family, would he be where he is now?"
"Wait a few years first." Pan Yun said.
"Do you still want to have a baby?" Mrs. Pan asked.
"I'm still young and can still have a baby if I want to," said Pan Yun.
"If you want to have a baby, then have it. You need to take good care of your body. If you don't want to have a baby, let him get a sterilization," Mrs. Pan said. "Let's not talk about this for now. I'll talk to him later. Just tell him when you don't want to have a baby."
"Yeah." Pan Yun nodded. She felt that what her mother said made sense. If Shi Nan was not allowed to get a vasectomy, he might have another woman.
When those women saw a man with a little money, they would throw themselves at him, like they had no arms or legs. Pan Yun didn't think it was Shi Nan's fault at all, but rather that it was the fault of those women. Those women had to pester Shi Nan, so Shi Nan could be with those women.
"Don't be silly, you know?" Mrs. Pan said, "With our family being like this, Shi Nan doesn't dare to do anything else now. He doesn't dare to do it on the surface, but we don't know about it in private. During that special era, your father was able to secretly have children with other people. Your father had some power at the time, and I didn't expect him to do that. It was only after the special era was over that he stopped hiding it like he used to that I found out."
Mrs. Pan knew her husband had deliberately let her know. Those people were going to join the company, and he couldn't keep it a secret. Boss Pan wanted his son to inherit the family business, not his daughter. Mrs. Pan was the original wife, so it didn't matter. Nothing Mrs. Pan said could change Boss Pan's decision. Men are like that; they prefer their sons.
How many people say that men and women are the same, but in the end they are not.
Mrs. Pan didn't believe this, and she couldn't let her daughter foolishly believe it. Believing in these things would only make her life miserable. Pan Yun still had to be wary of Shi Nan. A child raised by those people in the Shi family couldn't possibly be a good person.
"Mom... Shi Nan probably wouldn't..."
"Don't trust him. If you trust a man, even a sow would climb a tree," Mrs. Pan said. "Don't tell your husband what Mom told you. Be careful about this matter and don't end up like Mom."
Mrs. Pan made sure Shi Nan was out before telling Pan Yun all this. It wasn't that she had to tell her daughter during her confinement, but only then would her daughter remember it better. She had to make a deeper impression on her daughter and stop being so nice to Shi Nan.
"Yeah." Pan Yun nodded. "Mom, I've got it all."
"You have to consider your daughter," said Mrs. Pan.
"Just like you're thinking about me." Pan Yun understood. She understood, but she also thought in her heart that Shi Nan shouldn't be like that.
Mrs. Pan knew what her daughter was thinking, so she didn't continue. She thought that if she talked about this kind of thing too much, it would be meaningless. After a long time, her daughter would know that what she said as a mother was right.
The new day is the Lantern Festival. This evening, Jiang Moli did not participate in the performance. She had performed several shows before. Jiang Moli rested during the Lantern Festival. The provincial TV station's Lantern Festival Gala she recorded was broadcast, which can be regarded as an appearance.
The baby is still young, so Jiang Moli and her husband did not take the child out shopping. Jiang Moli and her husband went out together for a date.
Jiang's mother and the others did not go. They stayed at home. Jiang's mother also took the baby to visit Old Lady Wen. Old Lady Wen was still in good health and she loved the baby very much. The baby also knew not to offend Old Lady Wen.
The baby even knows to call Grandma Wen "Grandma." The child is adorable, with a soft and sweet voice. Grandma Wen is not so serious in front of the baby and will even tease the child. Grandma Wen rarely teases her own grandchildren. When she shows some interest in her own grandchildren, her children will want to send their children to her and ask them to please her.
This kind of flattery is not what Mrs. Wen likes. What she wants is true and sincere companionship, not the kind of companionship with calculations.
When the children were young, Mrs. Wen didn't have such feelings. But now that the children have grown up, those people have schemed against her too much. Her children schemed against her, and people outside also schemed against her.
"Grandma." The baby would gently pat Mrs. Wen's hand.
"Didn't you go out to play?" asked Mrs. Wen.
"Come over here, isn't he playing too?" Jiang's mother said, "There are a few lights in the yard, he's seen them."
"It's fun." said the baby.
Jiang Moli and his wife watched the lanterns together. There were so many people watching the lanterns that some even guessed lantern riddles. Jiang Moli and his wife did not guess lantern riddles. Instead, they boarded a boat, either a steamer or an ancient-style boat. The two of them sat on the boat and walked along the river bank, looking at the lanterns on both sides.
There were people who rowed the boat, so Jiang Moli and her husband didn't have to do it themselves. If they paid a little more, the boatman would row slower, allowing them to enjoy the lanterns along the way.
Sheng Jiahao handed Jiang Moli a piece of cake and asked her to taste it.
"There are more lanterns this year than last year," said Sheng Jiahao.
"Did you come here on this day last year?" Jiang Moli asked.
Jiang Moli did not come with Sheng Jiahao to see the lanterns at this time last year. They did not come on the Lantern Festival, so there were fewer lanterns.
"No." Sheng Jiahao shook his head. "Let's watch it together."
"You can also come and see it yourself." Jiang Moli said, "Come with your parents."
"They didn't come with me." Sheng Jiahao said. No matter whether it was Jiang Moli's parents or Sheng Jiahao's parents, seeing such a grown man like Sheng Jiahao standing there, his parents thought it would be better for them to come and see it by themselves.
Jiang's parents had come out to see the lanterns yesterday. The lantern displays in South City aren't just for the Lantern Festival; there are two or three days of continuous activity. This way, many people can come out and see them. Even if they don't have time on the Lantern Festival, they can still see them at other times.
"Don't be a light bulb." Sheng Jiahao said.
"That's right. Mom and Dad can come by themselves." Jiang Moli said, "My parents rarely go to crowded places now. Mom says there are too many people and they're afraid of getting bumped into. People get older and can't stand being bumped into. I wonder if we'll be like this when we get to that age."
"We'll know when the time comes." Sheng Jiahao thought about growing old with Jiang Moli. "By then, maybe you can still sing opera."
"As long as I can sing, I'll sing." Jiang Moli fantasized about the future. If she really reached that age, the Internet and other things would be very developed. If Jiang Moli didn't have any performances, she might post some short videos online, recording her singing opera, and still be happy.
There were many beautiful lanterns along the way. Not only did Jiang Moli and her husband ride the boat, but others did, too. The park specifically organized these activities, including the boats, to generate revenue. Many people were willing to pay, including many young couples.
Jiang Moli looked at the boats behind her. Some of them were faster, and those boats quickly passed by the boat Jiang Moli was on. The fee was limited to a certain time, and the boatmen had to come according to the time, as there were still passengers waiting behind them.
"Before, you couldn't make lanterns well," Jiang Moli said.
"We'll buy some ready-made ones later," Sheng Jiahao said. "We can make them ourselves some other day. My cooking skills are better now than before."
"Really? Or is it fake?" Jiang Moli was a little unconvinced.
"Really." Sheng Jiahao said.
"You didn't practice secretly." Jiang Moli hardly saw Sheng Jiahao making lanterns.
"I made some things with my dad." Sheng Jiahao said. He saw Jiang's father doing some handicrafts and went over to help.
Jiang's father always told Sheng Jiahao not to do it, but Sheng Jiahao would still think about doing more. Seeing Sheng Jiahao like that, Jiang's father did not stop him. Sheng Jiahao could do better at handicrafts, but it was not certain how good he could do it himself.
"The baby is always watching and wants to get started." Sheng Jiahao said, "When he's a little older, let him do it."
"He's curious about everything he sees and wants to try everything." Jiang Moli chuckled, "That's not bad. As long as it's safe, it doesn't matter. Children are truly curious about the world."
If the child is not curious about the world and is silly, parents should worry about whether there is something wrong with the child and whether they should take the child to the hospital for a checkup. Jiang Moli certainly doesn't want the child to have any problems. It's better for the child to be smart.
The boat arrived at the destination, and Jiang Moli and her husband got off the boat together. Someone nearby saw Jiang Moli and called out, "Moli, Jiang Moli."
Jiang Moli turned around and saw the young girl. She smiled at her and left with Sheng Jiahao.
Many people in South City know Jiang Moli, and many young people like to listen to her singing. They rarely listen to other people singing, but they often listen to Jiang Moli singing. Some young people go to see Jiang Moli singing when they are on dates.
"You are still very popular." Sheng Jiahao said.
"It's okay." Jiang Moli said.
At the Shi family, Shi's mother did not go to Shi Nan's place. Shi Nan's people would not let her go. When Shi's mother learned that Pan Yun had given birth to a girl, she dropped the things in her hands on the ground. Mrs. Pan and her people remembered it and said that Shi's mother only wanted a boy.
When Shi's mother went to return the clothes, the store employee refused to accept them, and they argued for a long time. The employee offered to change the color of the clothes, but Shi's mother still refused and insisted on returning the clothes. In the end, Shi's mother returned the clothes, but she was paid less.
"The clothes they buy for their children are just right, but the clothes I buy for my children are not." Shi's mother was furious at the thought. "Clothes can be any color. It's not like girls can't wear blue."
"Okay, it's all over." said Shi's father.
"I want to go see the kids, but they won't let me." Shi's mother said, "If I go, I can only stand at the door."
"Don't go." Shi's father said, "Wait until the baby is one month old."
"If we don't go now, they'll say we don't care about the child. If we go, they'll say we're unlucky," Shi's mother said. "No matter what we do, it won't be right."
"Listen to them," said Shi's father, "and do as they say."
"Pan Yun gave birth to a girl, and she's blaming me," Shi's mother said. "She said our family's feng shui is bad. They don't even live near us, so why are they blaming us?"
Shi's mother didn't understand. She felt that this matter shouldn't be blamed on her. However, Mrs. Pan and the others said so, and Shi Nan also listened to Mrs. Pan. Shi's mother thought of Bai Meiqi again. Bai Meiqi's attitude was much better than Pan Yun's, and the Bai family would not always ridicule the Shi family.
If that incident hadn't happened at the wedding banquet, Bai Meiqi would still be Shi Nan's wife.
Shi's mother thought that if Bo Meiqi and Shi Nan hadn't divorced, Shi Nan might not be earning that much money now. It was pointless for Shi's mother to dwell on those things. Shi Nan simply didn't want to pay her any more attention. Shi's mother told her daughter that at most she could just call to talk to Shi Nan. After hearing that, Shi Nan felt that her mother shouldn't talk to anyone else.
"She's just a girl, and yet she's so precious," Shi's mother said. "Look at Miao Guifeng. She asked her daughter to cook, saying she wanted to train her. Haha, what do you mean by training her daughter? That's just son preference. Her daughter even ran away from home. We never thought about treating the child that way, nor did we have the time to do so. How could we be bad to the child, yet they still acted like that?"
Shi's mother thought that Madam Pan was too hateful, and Pan Yun was not good either. This mother and daughter were not good people. Shi's mother thought that she had been very humble in front of them, but those people still did not give her face.
"How could you make the mistake when giving clothes to a child?" Shi's mother said, "We didn't know the baby's gender early on, so naturally we didn't think too much about buying clothes for the child. And they just grab onto the smallest issue and start talking about it. This time, she's a girl, and we don't know if Pan Yun will continue to have children. Our Shi Nan makes so much money, and we can't give it to outsiders. I think Pan Yun has to keep having children. Her biological mother didn't give her a son, so her biological father wanted to let the illegitimate child into the family. If her mother had given birth to a son, there wouldn't be any problems with those people."
Shi's mother was nagging, saying that Pan Yun couldn't live without a boy. She should give birth to a boy. The family had assets that needed to be inherited, and daughters couldn't inherit them. Daughters had to get married, and if they inherited them, it would be like handing the assets over to outsiders.
Shi's father sat there listening to what his wife said. Of course, he also hoped that Pan Yun could continue to give birth, hoping that Pan Yun could give birth to a boy. Shi's father was a man who valued his son very much. Even though he did not usually show any particular preference for boys over girls, he still wanted a boy.
Tonight, during the Lantern Festival, Miao's mother took Daya and Erya out to play. She hadn't expected Miao Guifeng to take Daya and Erya out with her. Daya and Erya had a lot of fun. Although Miao's mother didn't have much money and couldn't buy them many things, she was very happy when she took Daya and Erya out. Even if they didn't buy anything, the two children were happy.
When Miao's mother returned with Daya and Erya, they saw Miao Guifeng. Miao Guifeng had sold some roasted sweet potatoes that evening and hadn't sold any more because everyone had gone to see the lanterns. Miao Guifeng was selling roasted sweet potatoes near the lantern display, and business was okay, not particularly good, as most people were buying other delicious treats.
Miao Guifeng simply didn't stay out much. She even bought a lantern for her beloved eldest son. Yang Bingrong took the eldest son out to play and bought him some food. Miao Guifeng and her husband didn't think about Daya and Erya. They didn't think about them last year, and they didn't think about them this year. Miao Guifeng and her husband thought Daya and Erya were better off staying home. If they took the children out, they would just run around.
If their son wandered around, it wasn't a big deal; they could just go find him. But if their daughter wandered around, they'd blame her. To put it bluntly, Miao Guifeng and his wife didn't want to spend more time with their daughter. They were all focused on getting her to do more housework, not let her go out and play.
"You're back so early today?" Miao's mother asked Daya and Erya to go into the room first.
When Yang's mother opened the door and saw Miao Guifeng, she quickly closed it again. She didn't want to look at Miao Guifeng, fearing she would scold her again. She had originally thought that since it was the Lantern Festival, Miao Guifeng should stay out longer, as some people would stay out late, and perhaps buy her roasted sweet potatoes. If Miao Guifeng had come home earlier, she should have gone to the house she bought, not come here.
No matter what Yang's mother thought, it was useless. Miao Guifeng came over here, and Yang's mother could only avoid her a little.
Miao Guifeng didn't look very happy when she heard what Yang's mother said. "Don't mention it. Today, someone is selling sugar-roasted chestnuts next door. Their business is much better than mine. Fewer people are buying roasted sweet potatoes. I thought today is a holiday, so I just came back early and stopped by to see you. Mom, you can go out and play by yourself. You don't have to take these two little ones with you. If you take them out to play, their hearts will become wild and they will want to go out and play all the time. If they can't find their way back, we will have to go look for them. It's so troublesome."
"I'm going back in two days, so I'm taking them out for a walk now," Miao's mother said. "After I go back, they can only go out on their own and won't go far."
"They're very brave, especially Erya," Miao Guifeng said. "She dares to take the bus by herself, without even checking where it's going. She just gets on and leaves."
When Miao's mother heard Miao Guifeng talking about Erya running away from home again, she looked at Miao Guifeng and then at the closed door of the room.
"It's okay to say it in front of me, but don't always say it in front of the child. Isn't Erya going out on her own now?" Miao's mother said, "The child made a mistake and will change."
"If you don't say more, she won't remember the lesson." Miao Guifeng said, "Speaking more is also for her to remember. Mom, didn't you often say those words before? It was so that we could remember."
"..." Miao's mother had done something like this before. "That's all in the past. I don't like to talk about it so much now."
The main reason was that Miao's mother was old and could do less. She lived with her son and daughter-in-law, so she talked as little as possible to avoid annoying her daughter-in-law. They lived in the countryside, and as a mother-in-law, she still had to help with cooking and other things. If she could do things, she would be well-liked by her son and daughter-in-law. If she couldn't do anything, she would just wait for the meal, and her daughter-in-law would complain about her, but her son would not say anything to her.
When Miao's mother saw others being silenced by her daughter-in-law, she wondered if she could still do some work, and if she could no longer work, would she be treated the same way? Unwilling to face such a situation, Miao's mother changed her temper and stopped talking too much. At first, Miao's mother was a little impatient, but eventually she got used to it and became much more relaxed.
"That's because you're old," Miao Guifeng said. "When I'm old, I'll be able to say less. Erya and Daya are still young, so I have to say more. When they grow up, I can't control them, so I won't say much either."
Miao Guifeng always likes to say this, as if everything she does is right and she is doing it all for her daughter's good, but others just don't understand her good intentions.
Inside the room, Erya heard what Miao Guifeng said, but she didn't go out. Erya already knew that her grandmother would never take her to the countryside, and her grandmother asked her to talk less. A person of Erya's age naturally couldn't help talking, so Daya pulled Erya a little and told her not to go out.
"Er Ya, don't go out." Daya said, "Grandma told me to hold you and we won't go out together."
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