Chapter 19: The Days of Sin Are Long
"I'll pick her up from her workplace tomorrow for dinner," Sheng Jiahao said. He didn't sit in the living room, but went to the kitchen. "Mom, I'll cook."
"You cook, you cook." Teacher Lu walked over. "If you marry Jasmine, don't expect her to cook. She rarely cooks at home; her parents do it all. She also said she can't cook when she comes to our house for dinner. She basically just washes the vegetables and stuff."
"I know." Sheng Jiahao held the noodles in his hand. "Mom, this is not her shortcoming. No one can be a jack of all trades. Now that we have reform and opening up, the policies have changed. If she can't cook, can't she just find someone else to cook for her?"
Sheng Jiahao didn't think that Jiang Moli had to cook for him. He could be busy with his career, and Jiang Moli could naturally be busy with hers.
"What I want is a wife, not a free nanny," said Sheng Jiahao.
"That's right. Times have changed." Teacher Lu recalled some past events. During the Special Period, families with servants dismissed them, fearing they would be sent to the farms or something else might happen. Someone Teacher Lu knew committed suicide. He was quite talented, but what good was talent? Talented people can sometimes become arrogant, easily giving others a chance to find fault with them, and that's when things get bad.
"Some of our graduates get jobs assigned by the government, while others, like me, go into business," Sheng Jiahao said. "The school originally wanted me to stay on as a teacher, but I don't think I'm cut out for it. Being a teacher, with the pressure of teaching and being responsible for students, is a bit too much, and I'm not good at it."
Sheng Jiahao didn't like teaching students. He had been a student himself and knew how naughty and restless students could be. At school, counselors were often busy running around with students, one student asking for help, the next. They'd barely sat down in the cafeteria, barely even had a bite of their hot meal, when they were called away.
"That's the capital. Don't you want to stay here? If you stay, you can get a household registration in the capital." Teacher Lu said.
"Our Nancheng isn't too bad," Sheng Jiahao said. "We're not from the capital to begin with. Even if we stayed, we'd have to develop for many years before we could gain a foothold there. Coming to Nancheng, our family is doing pretty well."
"You want to be the local boss." Teacher Lu said with a smile, and she took two eggs and gave them to Sheng Jiahao.
"To do business, you still need some connections," Sheng Jiahao said. "It's easier to get things done with connections. Even if I can stay and become a teacher in an unfamiliar place, how can I get promoted in the future? I'm afraid I'll have to perform better than others, and even then I might not get promoted. Undergraduate students are still a bit underdeveloped to be teachers, so I still need to continue my studies. If I don't continue my studies, how will I supervise graduate students and doctoral students in the future?"
Sheng Jiahao had already planned his future: what path he would take, what he would do, and where he would develop. He figured that while some paths might seem promising, they would require a lot of effort, and even that effort wouldn't necessarily yield results.
If the Sheng family wasn't doing well in South City, perhaps Sheng Jiahao would have thought about staying in the capital and working hard to make a name for himself there. The Sheng family had been rooted in South City for many years, and Sheng Jiahao would have returned to South City. If he worked a little harder, he could earn more money. Once he had enough money, he could buy a house in the capital, and it would be easier to settle down there.
"You've really thought it through. Being a teacher is indeed difficult," Teacher Lu said. "Students treat teachers as connections. Teachers don't demand anything from students, but students do."
"Are there students giving you trouble again?" Sheng Jiahao asked. "They want you to do something? You're too gentle. You're too close to them, and you don't have enough of a deterrent effect."
"It's not that I'm too gentle, but if students really have difficulties, we still have to lend a hand." Teacher Lu has been a teacher for so many years, and when she sees students suffering, she can't bear not to lend a hand.
"During that special period, many teachers were beaten by students and sent to the countryside." Sheng Jiahao put the noodles into the pot, and the water was already boiling.
"That's a minority. Besides, that was during a special era, not now," said Teacher Lu.
"If it weren't for your father and others protecting you back then, you might not have been able to become a teacher," said Sheng Jiahao.
"As a teacher, you should set a good example for your students," Teacher Lu said. "You're truly not suited to being a teacher. If you were a teacher, you'd want to be as far away from your students as possible. As soon as the class was over, you'd leave, unwilling to stay longer to answer their questions."
"It's not a question of whether to answer the question or not, but most people are not worth others paying so much for them." Sheng Jiahao said.
"Cook the noodles well." Teacher Lu looked at the noodles in the pot and said, "Let me do it."
Sheng Jiahao made room for his mother and asked her to cook noodles. Sheng Jiahao looked at his mother, who was indeed a very good teacher.
"As a teacher, you can still add points to my performance," said Sheng Jiahao.
"Bonus points? Are you talking about Jasmine?" Teacher Lu asked, "Jasmine thinks I'm a good mother-in-law?"
"How well you'll perform as a mother-in-law will depend on the future," Sheng Jiahao said. "But you're doing a great job as a teacher now. Jasmine respects you very much and says you're exceptional. She says she's made such great progress thanks to you."
"You two are talking about me over there?" Teacher Lu finished cooking the noodles, scooped them into a bowl, and prepared to pour water to fry the eggs. "Don't you have anything else to say?"
"No, I didn't talk about you all the time." Sheng Jiahao said, "Do you think it's possible to not say a word about you?"
"That's impossible." Teacher Lu nodded. "It's good for you to be with Jasmine. She's not the type to be soft-hearted. Like you, she doesn't easily suffer any setbacks."
Jiang's father returned home and the three of them had dinner. The Jiang family had a TV, but Jiang Moli rarely watched it. When Jiang Yuqin was at home, she liked to monopolize the TV. Neither Jiang's mother nor Jiang Moli fought with her, as Jiang Moli preferred to practice singing.
Not every household has a television, and Jiang Moli has a good relationship with the elderly in the compound, many of whom love opera. When Jiang Moli practices, she sometimes sings a few relatively complete verses, and the elderly sit nearby and listen.
Jiang Moli didn't stop people from listening. She was practicing in the yard, so it was normal for people to listen. The fact that someone was willing to listen meant that she sang well.
"The weather is getting hot, let's buy a refrigerator later." said Jiang's father.
"Buy a refrigerator?" Jiang's mother looked at Jiang's father.
"Yes, I bought a refrigerator to store things." Jiang's father said, "Don't you want to buy one?"
"We lived like this before we had refrigerators," Jiang's mother said. "We didn't have that much stuff at home, and the refrigerator was so big..."
"Once we buy a refrigerator, we'll have something to store our things in." Jiang Moli said, "The weather is too hot in the summer. With a refrigerator, we can store our things and they won't spoil easily. By the way, when will my brother come back?"
"He hasn't called yet. I guess he hasn't dealt with those things in the countryside yet." Jiang's mother thought about her son's affairs and the refrigerator issue. She had already done a good job by giving her son the job. Jiang's mother thought that she couldn't leave all the money to her son. Jiang's father would be dissatisfied.
Father Jiang received the compensation from Jin Manzhi and the others, and he wanted to spend it quickly to avoid those people still eyeing the compensation in his hands. The refrigerator was the best choice, and as for the TV, it was fine as long as it worked; there was no need to replace it.
"Should we plant the land first and then come back?" Jiang Moli asked.
"I'm not sure, he didn't say." Jiang's mother said, "He will be back soon."
Mother Jiang looked at Jiang Moli, then at her husband, and she would wait for her son to come back to see what was going on.
In the countryside, someone asked Zhao Guodong if he was going back to the city. "Didn't your family call you? Didn't they ask you to go back and take over the job?"
"..." Zhao Guodong did not answer. What should he say? Should he go back to take over the job, or should he farm first?
Zhao Guodong's family situation was complicated, and he didn't tell many people about it, but the Niu family knew about it, as did some of the educated youth. In the early years, the educated youth lived together, and many of them would inquire about each other's news and talk about the past.
"If you can go back, you'd better go back quickly." The other one said, "Life in the countryside is not easy, and farming is not easy either."
Zhao Guodong really wanted to go back as soon as possible, but Niu Cuihua said that he had to plant the land first, and he would be able to go back in ten days or half a month. Zhao Guodong's life in the countryside was not bad, with the support of his own mother and sister, as well as the help of the Niu family. Zhao Guodong had to listen to Niu Cuihua's advice.
Farming also requires paying public grain. Zhao Guodong and his wife farmed, and then they returned to the city, leaving the Niu family to look after them. The Niu family also had to help Zhao Guodong and his wife pay the public grain. These things can be easy to handle, but they can also be difficult to handle.
Some people also asked the Niu family if Zhao Guodong had to divorce Niu Cuihua before returning to the city. If that was the case, they must not allow Zhao Guodong and Niu Cuihua to divorce. An educated youth from the neighboring village disappeared after divorcing his wife. He clearly didn't want his wife and children anymore. They said it was a fake divorce. A divorce is a real divorce. How could there be a fake divorce?
Jiang's mother hasn't called Zhao Guodong to tell him about Jiang Yuqin yet. She thinks that once her son and daughter-in-law return to the city, those people will naturally know about it. There's not much point in talking about those things now.
The Niu family brought out the red mushrooms they'd picked last year. Villagers love using them to make steamed egg custard, and many more sell them at the market. The Niu family also brought out some dried vegetables, and Niu's mother was thinking about having Niu Cuihua take them to the city.
"Don't use dried vegetables. People in the city eat fresh ones." Mrs. Niu watched her mother-in-law packing up the food. She thought that there was not enough food for so many mouths at home. "Some people give things to relatives in the city, but they just throw them away. They don't care about these things at all. It would be such a shame if they threw them away."
Mrs. Niu wasn't sure if Zhao Guodong's family would like those things, but she thought, "Why bother with dried vegetables when they can eat fresh vegetables?" In the city, it's easy to buy vegetables, and those people like to eat fresh food. They heard that they cook fresh for every meal, and they won't eat leftovers, not even leftovers from the same day.
"Mom, if you give dried goods like red mushrooms as a gift, they can be considered as delicacies, but let's not give up these dried vegetables," said Mrs. Niu.
"I see you can't bear to part with those things." said Niu's mother.
"It's not that we're reluctant to give it up. What if they don't want it?" Mrs. Niu said, "They don't want to eat it, but they insist on giving us face, and Cuihua is over there...wouldn't that put Cuihua in a difficult position?"
Niu Dasao said this deliberately because Niu's parents were reluctant to let Niu Cuihua suffer. This time, the Niu family hoped that Niu Cuihua could go to the city with Zhao Guodong, so that Niu Cuihua could become a city dweller and her children would have a better life.
Before Niu Cuihua went to the city, the Niu family had to pack up their things. They couldn't let Niu Cuihua and her husband go to Jiang's mother's house empty-handed.
At noon, Sheng Jiahao went to the South City Theater to pick up Jiang Moli for lunch. Jiang Moli did not eat in the cafeteria, but ate outside with Sheng Jiahao.
"Don't you have to go to work?" Jiang Moli asked.
"Yes, but I also have to make a living." Sheng Jiahao just came from the company. There are a lot of things in the company that he has to solve and keep an eye on.
Sheng Jiahao took Jiang Moli to a nearby restaurant for dinner and asked Jiang Moli to order her favorite dishes.
"It's about making a living." Jiang Moli nodded. "Being a working machine is hard and tiring."
After dinner, Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli back to work. He then asked Jiang Moli, "How is it going? Can you date me now?"
"Sure." Jiang Moli said, "From now on, if you don't like it anymore, if you don't want to, you have to tell me, and tell me as soon as possible."
"That day won't come." Sheng Jiahao held Jiang Moli's hand tightly.
Sheng Jiahao wanted to stay with Jiang Moli for a while longer, but Jiang Moli had to go to work. They ate for more than half an hour, and walked and talked for some more time. When Jiang Moli returned to work, she would probably just sit in a chair and lean on it for a while before she would get back to work.
When the afternoon work started, He Jingxian and her boyfriend Qi Shixin came over while everyone was rehearsing. Qi Shixin's aunt was watching everyone rehearse, and Qi Shixin brought He Jingxian to his aunt Qi Er.
Second Aunt Qi had heard that Qi Shixin was dating someone, and she wanted to introduce him to someone, but not everyone in the troupe was interested in him. Second Aunt Qi thought Zhou Yaran was good, but Zhou Yaran didn't like Qi Shixin.
"You sit down and take a look first." Qi Shixin asked He Jingxian to sit down, and he pulled his aunt to the side to talk.
Qi Shixin's parents had already talked to Aunt Qi and asked her to help. Aunt Qi had no choice but to help. They had such a good and close relationship. If Aunt Qi didn't agree, the Qi family would definitely be very unhappy.
"Have you decided on her?" asked Aunt Qi Er.
"That's her," Qi Shixin said. "Second Aunt, please help me. Look, she's pretty good, isn't she?"
"It's okay." Aunt Qi said, "It's quite scheming."
"She's scheming and won't be easily taken advantage of." Qi Shixin spoke up for He Jingxian. "Her professional ability is good. How about asking her to sing a part for you? Aren't you rehearsing 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday'? I know it's very popular recently. Second Aunt, you can ask her to play a role."
"Let her play? Every role is filled," Aunt Qi said. "It's already been filled. Groups A and B are both filled, some are swapped in, and some are backups. Your girlfriend wants to play a role right away. How will others see it? Are you afraid that others won't know she's related to you?"
"Second aunt, good things should be kept within the family." Qi Shixin said.
He Jingxian whispered several words into Qi Shixin's ear. She didn't want to be outdone by Jiang Moli. She knew Jiang Moli was participating in the "Five Women Paying Homage" performance and that Jiang Moli and her group had been received by the mayor and his wife. This made He Jingxian even more upset. If she were received by the mayor and his wife, it would definitely be easier for her to stay in South City.
In order to stay in Nancheng, He Jingxian had no choice but to ask Qi Shixin to think of a solution. If she couldn't stay in Nancheng and they were separated, how could they be together? How could they have children?
"There are so many characters," Qi Shixin said. "It's not just one performance. If it doesn't work out, taking turns would be great, right? When you perform outside of town, people might not know everyone in the crew."
He Jingxian said these words to Qi Shixin. Jiang Moli was nothing. Even if Jiang Moli had performed elsewhere and had a little bit of fame, the audience's memory was short, and many people might not be able to tell the difference between a good performance and a bad one. He Jingxian felt that she could completely replace Jiang Moli.
"Keep your voice down," Aunt Qi said, "Aren't you afraid of being overheard?"
"As long as Jingxian comes here, she will definitely be able to conquer them with her own strength." Qi Shixin said.
"..." Aunt Qi smiled helplessly. There were many outstanding people in their unit, but there were always people who were better than you. There were always people who were more outstanding. There were only a few plays in the unit, and the main roles were even more limited. How many people wanted to play the main role?
Jiang Moli saw He Jingxian, but she did not delay her rehearsal because of He Jingxian's arrival. Jiang Moli rehearsed seriously, and when she had a role, she would go on stage, and when she didn't have a role, she would stand in the audience and learn.
"Here she is." Zhou Yiran reached out and poked Jiang Moli's arm. "She's quite capable. She's here so soon."
"It's ability." Jiang Moli nodded.
"She's here, and she must be trying to snatch a role," Zhou Yiran said. "Everyone's roles have been arranged now, and now she's here... I think things are going to get uneasy. But I'm only playing a small role, so she wouldn't be interested in a small role like mine. Jasmine, you have to be more worried. After all, she has an aunt who's a leader."
"If the enemy comes, we'll fight him. If the water comes, we'll block it with earth." Jiang Moli said, "If they really want to steal our roles... isn't your mother still around? As for me, if she steals my role, I'll go crazy and show them!"
Jiang Moli didn't intend to accept it passively. He Jingxian could use connections, but couldn't others? The person who was pushed down was a coward. If someone was afraid of getting into trouble, they might endure it. Jiang Moli didn't want that. If she retreated once, she would have to retreat countless times.
"Let's wait and see what she's going to do," Zhou Yiran said. "Her transfer order hasn't come out yet. It'll take a while for her transfer order to reach her original unit. By that time, we'll almost have graduated. It's impossible for her to participate in rehearsals now and then perform directly after the transfer order is officially issued."
"It's not impossible," Jiang Moli said, "We have the support of our leaders."
Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran were talking quietly over there, while others were also talking about He Jingxian and Qi Shixin. Second Aunt Qi was somewhat capable, but her abilities were somewhat inferior to those of people like Teacher Lu. Second Aunt Qi preferred to play with power and liked to hold it tightly, mostly in charge of administration. If Second Aunt Qi really wanted to intervene in these matters, it was not impossible for her to do so.
Aunt Qi Er has been in the unit for so many years and knows many leaders. Many leaders will give her some face. She is very good at scheming. After Aunt Qi Er finished talking to Qi Shixin, she walked in front of He Jingxian.
"Shixin has already told me." Aunt Qi said, "It's not impossible for you to come over, but you have to wait until you get the marriage certificate."
Second Aunt Qi didn't want He Jingxian to take advantage of Qi Shixin, so He Jingxian kicked Qi Shixin away. Although Second Aunt Qi was still a small leader in the unit, He Jingxian wanted to climb up other high branches in the future. Second Aunt Qi saw ambition in He Jingxian's eyes. She knew that He Jingxian would not be able to live in peace. If He Jingxian lived in peace, He Jingxian would not find Qi Shixin.
"Okay." He Jingxian nodded. "Can I come early to participate in the rehearsal?"
"Aren't you going to perform in the graduation drama? You are the highlight!" Zhou Yiran walked over.
Jiang Moli had no relatives in the troupe, so her style of doing things was different from Zhou Yiran's. Zhou Yiran was more direct. She wasn't afraid of Aunt Qi giving her a hard time. If Aunt Qi did, she would just go to her mother. She would always find a way to get back at her.
Zhou Yiran didn't let Jiang Moli come with her, as Jiang Moli had to go on stage again. Zhou Yiran walked up to Aunt Qi and He Jingxian by herself.
"I can take care of both sides." He Jingxian said. She had no intention of giving up the highlight of the graduation drama.
You know, some leaders will go to watch the graduation drama. What if, He Jingxian performs well in the graduation drama and is praised? He Jingxian also wants to be an outstanding graduate, and the graduation drama will be a bonus for her.
If He Jingxian was asked to join the Nancheng Drama Troupe later because of the graduation drama, she would not be willing to do so. Not only did she want to come in earlier, she also had to participate in rehearsals and performances earlier.
He Jingxian glanced at Jiang Moli on the stage and said, "What Jiang Moli can do, I can do too."
"Jasmine is acting in the graduation drama, but she has fewer roles, unlike you who have more." Zhou Yiran said.
He Jingxian's group adapted opera, and she wanted to take all the highlights for herself. While the graduation drama was clearly meant for every student to showcase themselves, He Jingxian insisted that the process couldn't be affected by those with less professional skills. She explained that they were a team, and that they needed to prioritize the overall honor, not individual gains and losses.
Zhou Yaran had listened to what He Jingxian's group had said, and crucially, she had even agreed with them. Some were worried about affecting the group's performance, while others weren't keen on performing much. Not everyone who came to this school was destined to continue performing; some were considering other careers, perhaps administrative work if not acting.
"If you try to do two things at once, be careful not to capsize." Zhou Yiran said.
"You..." He Jingxian looked at Aunt Qi, why didn't Aunt Qi say anything, "This is not playing both sides, it's working hard."
"Ya'ran, go rehearse." Aunt Qi Er didn't say anything bad about Zhou Ya'ran. Instead, she said to her gently, "Your mother was talking about you a few days ago. She asked us to keep a closer eye on you and encourage you to work harder."
Second Aunt Qi said this deliberately to remind He Jingxian that she wasn't the only one who had the final say in the troupe. The troupe had many connections. Second Aunt Qi was afraid that He Jingxian would offend people as soon as she arrived. Later, if He Jingxian offended a series of people, what would Second Aunt Qi do? Second Aunt Qi wasn't the head of the troupe. She had several leaders above her, and some other people also had a lot of say.
"My part will start later." Zhou Yiran said, "I'm just playing a maid with a small part."
I didn’t even think about playing such an important role, but what about He Jingxian?
Zhou Yaran and He Jingxian are different people. Zhou Yaran can play small roles, but He Jingxian can't. He Jingxian is very ambitious. She was always fighting for the position when she was in school. If she joined the drama troupe, she would definitely fight for it. Not only would she fight for it herself, but she would also use her connections. He Jingxian probably still thinks she has some ability and is amazing, but she doesn't know that the drama troupe is full of talented people.
Even within her workplace, Jiang Moli wasn't the best. There were powerful bosses ahead of her. People who were the same age as Jiang Moli, or even a few years older, were basically no match for her. Jiang Moli had fought her way through the crowd with her own strength; she didn't need many connections to rely on.
Zhou Yiran likes Jiang Moli, but not He Jingxian.
"Small roles are also very important." Aunt Qi said, "Without these small roles, this play can't hold up."
When they were in school, He Jingxian hadn't been impressed by Zhou Yaran's family background, but now, she felt it deeply. The person He Jingxian had worked so hard to get close to was so gentle towards Zhou Yaran, while she herself didn't dare to say much, for fear of saying the wrong thing.
"Jingxian, you need to learn more from Yaran," said Aunt Qi. "Yarran has been with our troupe for quite some time. When she was little, she often came here with her mother. She has a family background in drama. She's hardworking and down-to-earth."
"I will definitely learn more from her." He Jingxian said, "We are still classmates."
"That's even better. You're classmates, so you can communicate more." Aunt Qi said, "Let's discuss more and make progress together."
"What are we discussing? Classmate He is much better than me, so she should be the one to guide me." Zhou Yiran said, "Classmate He loves to guide people the most in school."
"It's just classmates correcting each other." He Jingxian argued cunningly. She always felt that she was great at school and acted condescending towards some other students.
"You guys go back first." Aunt Qi said to Qi Shixin, "Come back another day when you're free."
He Jingxian didn't dare to say anything more in front of Aunt Qi, so she could only leave with Qi Shixin.
In order to prevent Jiang Yuqin from causing trouble later and ruining her second daughter's marriage and making it difficult for her to live in her husband's family, Jin Manzhi had no choice but to prepare a dowry for Jiang Yuqin. Jin Manzhi believed that she could not prepare the dowry by herself and had to ask her second uncle Jin to prepare some things. Jiang Yuqin was her second uncle Jin's biological daughter, not her own daughter.
Jin Manzhi's husband was unwilling to prepare more things for Jiang Yuqin, and because of his daughter's marriage, he could only hold his nose and prepare things for Jiang Yuqin. Jin Manzhi specifically went to find her second uncle Jin and went to his workplace, not daring to go to her second aunt Jin's home. Jin Manzhi was afraid that her sister would find out, so she didn't dare go there.
"Dowry?" Uncle Jin frowned when he heard Jin Manzhi's words. "Did she ask for it, or did you prepare it for her?"
"She wanted it," Jin Manzhi said. "She insisted on having it. She even told mom that if we didn't give her a dowry, she would make a scene. How could the Jiang family raise her like this, so obsessed with money? We can't do without her a dowry."
Jin Manzhi didn't think about it. It was she and the other members of the Jin family who taught Jiang Yuqin that. They taught her to fight and compete, and not let Jiang Moli take advantage. But now that Jiang Yuqin's background has been exposed, Jiang Yuqin is still the same Jiang Yuqin, but she's not asking for things from the Jiang family anymore, but from people like Jin Manzhi.
"Marriage is a big deal after all. Give her some preparation so she can get through this hurdle." Jin Manyi said.
"We've passed this hurdle, but what about the next one?" Uncle Jin didn't think Jiang Yuqin would be content. "She'll want other things. No dowry. I gave her ten yuan the last time she came. I don't have that much money."
"You don't want to prepare?" Jin Manyi was displeased.
"Give me another twenty yuan, no more." Uncle Jin said, "If you still want me to pay, I'll tell your second sister. What happened back then was such a coincidence. You got pregnant in just that one night."
Second Uncle Jin wasn't afraid. He thought it was Jin Manzhi who should be afraid. Jin Manzhi didn't dare let Second Aunt Jin know; the entire Jin family shared the same attitude. If Second Aunt Jin really went crazy, Second Uncle Jin would just divorce her. Second Uncle Jin thought about it: if he was afraid, he would be controlled by the Jin family. He should be more casual with the Jin family and not get involved in their affairs.
"If your second sister really gets sick, you can handle it yourselves," said Uncle Jin Er.
"You..." When Jin Manzhi heard this, she instantly understood that Uncle Jin Er was unwilling to pay more money.
Indeed, Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin were just husband and wife. As early as after Aunt Jin married Uncle Jin and fell ill, Uncle Jin's attitude towards Aunt Jin was not as good as it had been at the beginning. The Jin family cared about Aunt Jin and did not want her to return to her parents' home in the future and ask her parents to support her, but Uncle Jin was not afraid.
Jin Manzhi felt like she was stepping into mud, and her second uncle Jin was like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water.
At the theater, Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran finished rehearsing and wiped their faces and hands with handkerchiefs. They didn't wear makeup during rehearsal, but they were in costumes. Some movements had to match the costumes, so the makeup didn't affect them much.
"Aren't you afraid of offending people just now?" Jiang Moli asked.
At the time, Jiang Moli was rehearsing and didn't listen to Zhou Yaran's conversation with Aunt Qi and the others. But given Zhou Yaran's personality, Jiang Moli believed that what she said must not be very good.
"What are you afraid of?" Zhou Yiran said, "If it were you, you'd be right to keep your mouth shut. Even if others try to make things difficult for you, you don't have anyone above you... but... since you're dating Teacher Lu's son, those people won't dare to give you too much trouble."
"They're trying to make things difficult for me. My career won't improve, and neither will they," Jiang Moli said. "I'm not a fool. I won't let them bully me."
"Yes, don't be a coward." Zhou Yiran said, "I'm on your side. If they dare to bully you, I'll go find my mother."
In the evening, Jin Manzhi went to Old Lady Jin's house, but her husband was unwilling to go with her. Jin Manzhi wanted to complain to Old Lady Jin and asked her family to contribute some money to buy a dowry for Jiang Yuqin.
The Jin family’s troubles had nothing to do with the Jiang family anymore, but Jiang’s father still felt bad, especially bad.
Jiang Moli returned home and saw the refrigerator. "So fast? I thought I would have to wait a few days."
"Your father found someone to buy this refrigerator, and no ticket is required." Jiang's mother said, "I've wanted to buy a refrigerator for a while now. I've saved up some money, but I'm still a little short of it."
"Refrigerators are great," Jiang Moli said. "With a refrigerator, we can make our own popsicles. Homemade ones are more hygienic."
"It's sold outside, and I haven't seen you eat it many times. I bought you popsicles, but you always said you didn't want to eat them." Jiang's mother said, Jiang Moli said she didn't want to eat them, but Jiang Yuqin insisted on eating them.
"Didn't you say before that women should eat less cold food?" Jiang Moli said, "The food out there isn't as hygienic, and it's very expensive."
"That's because our family is poor," said Jiang's mother.
Jiang Moli eats snacks, Jiang Yuqin also has to eat, and when Zhao Guodong is around, he has to eat... He has to buy three servings at once, where can he afford so much money? Jiang's mother still wants to save some money and spend it on other more useful things. Snacks are expensive and there are not many of them, so it's not worth it.
"You earn your own money now, so you buy more food." Jiang's mother said.
"Just buy some fruits, small cakes and so on." Jiang Moli said, "I only eat a few things."
The Jiang family had dinner together. After dinner, Jiang Moli asked, "Do you want to go out for a walk?"
"Watch the news." Jiang's father said.
Lately, Jiang's father hasn't wanted to go out much, afraid of hearing people say he's cuckolded. Everyone's saying they've seen Jiang Yuqin for a long time, and they've said it all along, but Jiang's father refuses to believe it. Those people are always like this; no matter what happens, they're always right.
"Look, watch the news." Jiang Moli said, "Dad, the road ahead is Sunshine Road, the main road."
Jiang's mother tugged at Jiang Moli's sleeve. It was because Jiang Moli was Jiang's father's only biological daughter that Jiang Moli could say that. Jiang Moli looked back at Jiang's mother, who chuckled, "You're such a narrow-minded person."
Jiang Moli poked her head outside and saw that the Yang family was much quieter now.
"Mom, are you going to a wedding in a few days?" Jiang Moli asked.
Yang Bingliang and his wife were planning a wedding banquet, but they hadn't yet obtained a marriage certificate. Yang Bingliang wasn't old enough to get one, so the woman's family didn't mind. They just wanted a wedding banquet. Many people believe a wedding banquet is equivalent to getting a marriage certificate; without one, they're not married.
"They've already sent us invitations, so of course we have to go," Jiang's mother said. "Speaking of which, your cousin Cheng Kang's marriage should be finalized soon."
"It's good." Jiang Moli said, "Fortunately..."
"What's good about it?" Jiang's mother asked in confusion.
"Jiang Yuqin didn't have a wedding banquet. Now that Grandma has discovered her background, everyone doesn't need to give her red envelopes." Jiang Moli said, "Once she has the things, she won't give them away. It can be considered as stopping the loss in time. No, it's part of the loss."
"..." Jiang's mother thought Jiang Moli was going to say something, but Jiang Moli was talking about Jiang Yuqin again.
Jiang Moli did it on purpose. Her father had caused her mother so much suffering because of Jiang Yuqin, and she had only said a few words, and hadn't said anything particularly serious. Her father should learn to accept these realities. Reality exists objectively and is not subject to human subjective consciousness.
"Eat an apple." Jiang's mother picked up an apple and stuffed it into Jiang Moli's hand, blocking her daughter's mouth with food.
On the weekend, Jiang Yuqin went to Jin Manzhi's place. Jin Manzhi hadn't given her a dowry yet, so she took the initiative to go there. When Jin Manzhi opened the door and saw Jiang Yuqin, she quickly pulled her into the house.
What a sin!
Jin Manzhi wondered why she had thought of giving birth to Jiang Yuqin in the first place. She should have just aborted the child and not given birth to Jiang Yuqin.
At that time, Che Dongshu wasn't in South City. Jin Manzhi had already married Jiang's father, and she had suspected the child might be her second uncle's, hoping for a lucky break. Then, Jin Manzhi thought, if the child was indeed her second uncle's, then it wouldn't matter. She simply wanted revenge on Jiang's father, on the Jin family for forcing her to marry him.
Back then, Jiang's father didn't force Jin Manzhi to marry him; the two of them had a normal blind date and marriage. It was just that Jin Manzhi had someone else in her heart, and the Jin family didn't want her to be with Che Dongshu. At that time, Che Dongshu's family wasn't well off. The Jiang family was well off, and the Jin family thought that if Jin Manzhi married Jiang's father, she could also help her family.
"Your second uncle, your grandparents, and I have pooled some money for you," Jin Manzhi said. "Whatever dowry you want, you can do it yourself. The house you rented is a bit awkward to store the things we bought for you. Didn't you take some things from the Jiang family earlier? Those things will fit in that room."
Jin Manzhi and Uncle Jin Er and others collected a hundred yuan for Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin looked at the hundred yuan and still felt it was not enough.
"It's too little." Jiang Yuqin said.
"It's quite a bit," Jin Manzhi said. "Ding Chao didn't even give you a betrothal gift, and we've even prepared a dowry for you. That's already very good. Logically, there shouldn't be any dowry if there's no betrothal gift. That's true equality. He didn't give you a betrothal gift, and you brought a dowry, which is like giving away money."
"This isn't giving away money," Jiang Yuqin disagreed. "He has a job, he's just having a hard time. We can't blame him. When he can make more money in the future, our lives will be better."
Jin Manzhi saw her former self in Jiang Yuqin, but Jiang Yuqin was luckier. She could marry the person she loved directly, unlike Jin Manzhi who had to be forced to get married and then elope with her lover.
"That's all." Jin Manyi said.
"The dowry you prepared for Che Lijuan is more than just this," Jiang Yuqin said.
"Her in-laws gave her a large dowry, so of course she needs to prepare some," Jin Manzhi said. "Your second uncle said, if you want it, take it, if you don't, forget it. Your second uncle doesn't care if your second aunt gets sick, he's just worried about spending too much money. It's probably no use going to him."
Second Uncle Jin could give money to Jiang Yuqin once or twice, but not every time. Jin Manzhi thought that perhaps her second brother-in-law was still thinking about letting her second sister know sooner rather than later so that he could divorce her if she had a relapse. It was clearly Second Uncle Jin's fault, but he wasn't afraid at all. Many men are like this, thinking more about themselves than others.
"You'd better not look for him. Even if he's your biological father, it's useless." Jin Manzhi said, "The fewer people who know about this, the better. No matter what others spread, it's just a rumor."
"Give me some more." Jiang Yuqin grabbed the hundred yuan in her hand.
Jin Manzhi took out another twenty yuan and said, "That's all I have. If you don't want it, don't take it."
"Yes, of course." Jiang Yuqin thought about trying to squeeze more money out of them now, but it was impossible. These people had already compensated the Jiang family so much money before, they definitely didn't want to pay more. She had to give them time to calm down. After a while, she could ask them for money again, maybe she could get some. "Does Che Lijuan know about my background?"
"I know." Jin Manzhi said, "How could she not know about such a big thing? She is your biological sister, don't bully her."
"Before, Jiang Moli was my biological sister. You didn't tell me not to bully her, but you told me not to be bullied by her." Jiang Yuqin only felt that these people felt more sorry for Che Lijuan than for her.
"If there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather. I'm worried you'll be bullied. Okay, take the money and go back." Jin Manzhi said, "Don't let your uncle see."
Jin Manzhi was worried that her husband would be unhappy, so she added, "He knows about the money, but he... Anyway, don't let him see you appear in front of him."
"Let's go." Jiang Yuqin said. Before she left, she poured a few apples from the fruit plate into the cloth bag. She could give the apples to Ding Chao or make fruit puree for the children.
Jin Manzhi did not stop Jiang Yuqin, and once again felt that Jiang Yuqin was too stingy. Just as Jiang Yuqin left, Che Lijuan came out of the room.
"Mom, I think she'll ask us for money again in the future," Che Lijuan said. "By the way, will she ask me for money in the future? I don't have that much money to give her. Also, I can't let my in-laws know about this. They'll be embarrassed. They don't like me very much in the first place."
Che Lijuan is the child of Jin Manzhi's elopement. Even after Jin Manzhi married Che Dongshu, people still looked at her differently. When she was very young, Che Lijuan felt the strange looks from others. She thought that she must find a good family, must be rich, must let those people see her live a good life.
"Don't worry, if she dares to ask you for money... we will tell her." Jin Manyi said. This thing hasn't happened yet, so we'll talk about it after it happens.
Che Lijuan didn't continue. She was still a little scared. These people were worried that Second Aunt would have a relapse, and maybe they would just have to let her endure it in the end. Jiang Yuqin was terrible. She only knew how to threaten people and ask for money all day long.
On the way back, Jiang Yuqin bought some meat. When someone she knew met her, he said that she was rich now.
"My mother gave it to me." Jiang Yuqin said with a smile, "My grandmother and her family felt that I had suffered a lot, so they prepared some dowry for me."
Jiang Yuqin said this on purpose so that people wouldn't think that she got the money by threatening her. Of course, it must have been her grandmother and her mother who gave her the money because they were afraid that she would suffer.
When others heard these words, those who didn't know the Jin family's temperament thought it was true, but those who did know didn't believe the Jin family was so easy to talk to. They all thought it was impossible for the Jin family to prepare a dowry for Jiang Yuqin. The Jiang family had once sent Jiang Yuqin to Jin Manzhi's home, but Jin Manzhi quickly drove her away. Over the years, the Jin family had pretended to care about Jiang Yuqin, but in reality, they were using Jiang Yuqin to make things difficult for the Jiang family.
Others didn't know what was going on inside, but Ding Chao did. Ding Chao didn't stop Jiang Yuqin from threatening Jin Manzhi and the others. It wasn't him who was threatening them, so he just pretended he knew nothing. That was all.
Jiang Yuqin and her husband lived not far from the Jiang family's home; it only took about ten to twenty minutes to walk there. When Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao got married, she had been thinking about whether she could ask Jiang's parents to help her take care of the child. She would just leave the child with them, and they would have to take care of it. But now, Jiang Yuqin couldn't just leave the child with Jiang's parents; she wasn't Jiang's biological daughter.
On the way, Jiang Moli was buying a roast chicken. She had just paid when she turned around and ran into Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin bought some meat and was about to buy a roast chicken. After she and Ding Chao got their marriage certificate, they hadn't celebrated properly yet.
"Are you happy?" Jiang Yuqin couldn't help but ask, "You've become Dad's only daughter. When you were little, you always said I wasn't your sister, you didn't acknowledge me as your sister, you didn't treat me as your sister. You must have prayed to the Buddha and the gods a lot, and finally made your wish come true!"
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