Chapter 21 The mad dog has a very ugly face
"You are someone's daughter-in-law. What daughter-in-law doesn't do housework?" said Yang's mother.
"There's no point in taking back my daughter-in-law's things. Borrowing someone else's things would embarrass my daughter-in-law," Lu Dongxiang said. "What's the matter? I can work, but you can't. Are you old and incapable of working? Do you really need me to support you? If you don't want me, then I'll get out."
"Mom." Yang Bingliang then looked at his mother. He couldn't let his wife go back. If she really went back, all their money would be wasted.
Yang Bingliang's mother also thought of what he was thinking. She had no other choice but to wash the dishes herself.
"If you don't want to do it, don't do it. These jobs hurt your hands. Let Mom do it." Yang Bingliang turned and coaxed Lu Dongxiang, "Mom can still do it."
"Why didn't you say this earlier?" Lu Dongxiang said.
Reluctantly, Yang's mother washed the dishes. She would have to do these chores from now on and couldn't count on Lu Dongxiang. Miao Guifeng overheard the conversation between Yang's mother and the others. In her previous life, Miao Guifeng had lost her child and felt sorry for her in-laws. She worked hard on those tasks, but the Yang family assumed they were hers. They didn't think she was working hard, and they thought it was just a small task, so how could it be that hard?
"Your mother is really good to your brother. If I marry you, she will make me work, and even if I work, she still scolds me." Miao Guifeng said, "Lu Dongxiang stood over there and said those words so loudly, and your mother just said a few words and went back to work, not daring to say anything more. Your parents just look down on you, they look down on you!"
Yang Bingrong sat beside her, his head slightly lowered. They had already finished their meal, and he went to clear the dishes, not asking Miao Guifeng to do so. Yang Bingrong thought that if he could do more, his wife would be in a better mood and have less work to do. Yang Bingrong didn't want his wife to keep saying those harsh words. Yes, his mother had done something wrong, but they had already separated, and those things were in the past. Why bother to keep talking about them?
Miao Guifeng was going to say that if she didn't tell him, Yang Bingrong wouldn't have remembered those things. He would just try his best to be nice to his parents so that they would look at him more. Miao Guifeng had already seen clearly that no matter how well the couple did, Yang's father and mother would never look at them. They would only find ways to take money from them, squeeze them, and make them work harder.
In their previous life, they had suffered so much, and in this life, Miao Guifeng could not let herself suffer any more.
When Yang's mother saw Yang Bingrong washing dishes, she had something else to say, "You have to go out to work every day, and your wife can't do a little work at home? She used to be able to work, but now she can't? Just because you gave birth to a son, she is precious?"
Yang's mother couldn't say much about Lu Donghua, but she could still say something about Yang Bingrong and his wife.
"Just a few bowls." Yang Bingrong said, "I washed them in no time."
"Can a grown man like you wash the dishes cleanly?" asked Yang's mother.
"Yes," Yang Bingrong said, "I used to help wash dishes at home."
"...What are you saying to me?" Yang's mother said. She had indeed asked Yang Bingrong to do some housework in the past. "Who doesn't let their children do some work?"
"..." Yang Bingrong wanted to tell Yang Bingliang that he didn't have to do so many things, but he didn't dare.
Jiang's father and mother didn't hear any noise from the Yang family. They didn't turn up the volume of the TV and even turned off the TV.
"There's going to be a lot of quarrels over at the Yang family." Jiang's mother sighed.
"I'm not surprised at all that you met Sheng Jiahao today," Jiang's father asked, "Did you know about this a long time ago?"
"Jasmine told me, I forgot to tell you," Jiang's mother said. "They just started dating, and it hasn't been long, but you still found out. If you don't know today, I'll have to tell you in a day or two. I can't let you know everything. Jasmine is in a normal relationship, it's not like she's hiding it from the public. Jiahao is pretty good, with good conditions and a college graduate."
"Jasmine's conditions are not bad either." Jiang's father said.
"Jasmine's conditions are not bad, but it's not easy for her to find a man like Jiahao." Jiang's mother said, "He's her teacher's son, so she met him."
"She's not yet of legal marriage age, so she can still put it off a bit," Jiang's father said. "If she can't find a man like him now, will she ever find one in the future? I don't even know if what he said is true..."
"You can find out if you check it out," Jiang's mother said. "They're all in the same place. If you ask around, you'll be able to find out."
"Yang Bingliang's wife is also from Nancheng. Has his family found out about Yang Bingliang's situation?" Jiang's father then cited the Yang family's case as an example.
"That's different," Jiang's mother said. "The Yang family kept it a secret, and the neighbors didn't dare to say anything."
"We went to check and found the same situation," said Jiang's father.
"..." Mother Jiang looked at Father Jiang, who was now a heartbroken old father who was reluctant to marry off his daughter. "Why haven't I seen you being so obsessed with this before?"
"This isn't about being overly picky," Jiang's father said. "This is about being meticulous. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, so you need to pay extra attention and not miss any details."
"We can't miss any details." Jiang's mother nodded. She used to worry that Jiang's father would pay too much attention to Jiang Yuqin and ignore Jiang Moli. But now, without Jiang's mother saying anything, Jiang's father himself pays more attention to his youngest daughter's affairs.
A few days ago, Uncle Jiang and his wife came over, and other relatives of the Jiang family also called Jiang's father, all of them worried that Jiang's father would be too heartbroken. How shameful it must be for a grown man to be cuckolded for so many years and to have raised someone else's child for so many years.
Jiang's father cannot be blamed for this matter, but it is Jiang's father who is laughed at by others. Those people will also say that Jin Manyzhi and her lover are very capable.
"You need to keep a closer eye on her," said Jiang's father. "Don't let Jasmine be deceived. You're her mother, and Jasmine will listen to you."
"Moli is already this old, how could she possibly listen to everything I say?" Jiang's mother said, "I still have to say something. Don't worry, she's my biological daughter, how could I not tell her?"
Jiang's mother couldn't talk much to Jiang Yuqin, so she could talk to Jiang Moli.
At this moment, Jiang Yuqin was struggling to take care of the child. When the child cried, she had to comfort him. Jiang Yuqin also had to wash the child's dirty clothes. Not only the child's clothes, but also Ding Chao's clothes and Jiang Yuqin's own clothes. She had to wash all of them herself. Ding Chao couldn't help with the laundry. It was good that Ding Chao could take care of the child.
"Don't cry, don't cry." Ding Chao got a headache when he saw the child crying.
Jiang Yuqin quickly picked up the child, and when the child was in Jiang Yuqin's arms, he soon stopped crying.
"The child kisses you." Ding Chao said.
"Of course, I've been taking care of him for a while, and I often carry him on my back." Jiang Yuqin said, "I'm not my stepmother..."
Jiang Yuqin paused at this point. Jiang's mother was no longer her stepmother.
"The child is neither yours nor mine, so there's no need to blame anyone." Jiang Yuqin said, "We are equals."
If Jiang's mother heard what Jiang Yuqin said, she would be speechless. What equality and inequality? Isn't this still raising someone else's child?
"I told you I'd treat him like my own child, and that's it." Jiang Yuqin said, "I used to live under the care of my stepmother, and it was really not easy."
"I believe you." Ding Chao said.
"The weather is getting warmer. I'll tear off two pieces of cloth and make you a set of clothes someday," Jiang Yuqin said.
"We don't have a sewing machine at home," Ding Chao said, embarrassed. Many people get married and have sewing machines and other things at home. But when Ding Chao married Jiang Yuqin, they really had nothing. They had nothing, nothing at all, and they still had to rent a house.
"It's okay, my mom and her family have one." Jiang Yuqin wanted to go to Jiang's house to use the sewing machine, and she wanted to move the Jiang family's sewing machine away directly.
In the original novel, Jiang Yuqin moved the Jiang family's sewing machine without even notifying them beforehand. She also claimed that the dowry her family had prepared for her was insufficient, and that the sewing machine was her dowry. Jiang Yuqin took many things from the Jiang family, and her mother, thinking she was her father's biological daughter, didn't stop her. When Jiang Yuqin moved a little more, her mother started getting angry with her father again.
It is true that Jiang's mother does not earn as much as Jiang's father, but Jiang Yuqin has moved all the things in the house away, so what will the rest of them use?
"Okay." Ding Chao said, "Your mother has remarried. Is it convenient for you to go over?"
"It wasn't very convenient before, but it's much more convenient now." Jiang Yuqin said that since those people didn't want to tell others about their past, they should just cooperate with her. If they didn't want her to use those things, they could just give them to her, and she wouldn't have to go there.
Ding Chao knew what Jiang Yuqin was thinking, but he didn't say anything. As long as his family could gain the advantage, why would he say so many useless words?
Early in the morning, Lu Dongxiang slept a little late in her room. She didn't get up to make breakfast, so Yang's mother had to do it. Yang's mother felt sad, but she still went to make breakfast. Her youngest son finally got married, and this daughter-in-law was from the city and more literate. Yang's mother told herself that there are gains and losses, so don't worry too much.
Miao Guifeng saw Yang's mother making breakfast and thought Yang's mother deserved it. Didn't Yang's mother really care about Yang Bingliang? Then let Yang's mother do more for Yang Bingliang and his wife.
"You have such a sullen face, it's really ugly." Mother Yang glanced at Miao Guifeng.
Miao Guifeng didn't care what Yang's mother said. No matter what Yang's mother said, it was impossible for her to cook for such a large family. Miao Guifeng didn't know how she had managed to survive in her previous life. She had done so many things in her previous life, but these people didn't appreciate her. They all thought she was eating for free at home and thought she should do those things.
"Your old face looks good?" Miao Guifeng said.
Mother Yang was angry, but she didn't say much to Miao Guifeng. She didn't want to argue with Miao Guifeng so early in the morning, and she didn't want the neighbors to hear them arguing.
When Jiang Moli and others were rehearsing in the drama troupe, He Jingxian got into an argument with someone.
He Jingxian and the others practiced the lyrics for the third woman. He Jingxian always thought she sang well, and thought the others didn't sing very well. Some people thought He Jingxian would become the niece-in-law of Aunt Qi, and some people got closer to He Jingxian and became her friends.
He Jingxian was a talkative person, often unable to control her tongue. She had only been friends with those people for a few days, and those people had only worked with them for a short time. This led to the fact that what He Jingxian said to someone the day before would be known to the person the day after.
"You're not even from our unit yet, and you're already saying I can't sing well. You're so eager to replace me."
"You said I can't sing well, go sing and see how well you can sing."
"You're relying on your partner's connections to get in. It's like this even though you haven't really gotten in yet. Once you do get in, you'll be so proud of yourself."
"Today, you want to replace me, but who will replace you tomorrow?"
"Youngsters are really good at fighting, and they don't take their seniors into consideration at all."
…
The actress who plays the third woman is no pushover either. There's a lot of competition and conflict within the troupe, and many people aren't as gentle as they appear. Don't assume these people don't have connections; there's a lot going on here.
Some people don't try to be the first to speak out, because it's not happening to them. Jiang Moli is like that. Why bother meddling in other people's business? No one is competing with her, so don't talk about the lips and teeth being cold. He Jingxian is just one person. If she can grab one role, can she grab all the roles?
No, He Jingxian doesn't have that ability. She is just trying to pick a soft persimmon to squeeze. If she can squeeze it, that's the best. If not, the worst that can happen is to squeeze another soft persimmon.
When He Jingxian chose to practice the third female line, others had some thoughts in their minds. Could Second Aunt Qi let her niece-in-law always be a backup? Even if Second Aunt Qi was willing, He Jingxian would not agree. He Jingxian would run to the front.
Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran stood by and watched the two people quarreling. They did not try to separate them, but were thinking in their hearts: Fight, fight!
"Even if I were to replace you, so what?"
"If you are not as skilled as others, you should step down and let others take over."
"So what if I'm young? Does that mean I can't sing well? Jiang Moli is even younger than me!"
…
He Jingxian specifically mentioned Jiang Moli, "Didn't Jiang Moli play a relatively important role? Why don't you talk about her?"
"Can you be like her? She came to our unit very early, and many of us have watched her grow up. You are nothing, how can you compare with her?" Liang Tong said.
Liang Tong played the third female role for several performances, sometimes swapping roles with others. Liang Tong knew what kind of personality Jiang Moli had. If others didn't mess with Jiang Moli, Jiang Moli wouldn't mess with others either. Jiang Moli had been in the troupe for a long time, several years. Liang Tong knew when He Jingxian came that Jiang Moli and Zhou Yaran didn't like her. He Jingxian still used Jiang Moli to make things worse, which showed that He Jingxian had a sinister intention. He Jingxian wanted the others to deal with Jiang Moli.
Jiang Moli has come this far step by step, not by doing nothing, nor relying on connections. Jiang Moli has a solid foundation and is no worse than those predecessors.
Liang Tong is nearly 30 years old, and she is a little worried that she will be eliminated. Of course, she still wants to play important young roles rather than those older roles.
"You still have the nerve to say that I rely on connections. I think Jiang Moli is the one who relies on connections." He Jingxian looked at Zhou Yiran. She originally wanted to say something about Zhou Yiran, but after thinking about it, she decided to say something about Jiang Moli. The role played by Zhou Yiran was not as important as Jiang Moli's role.
"What connections do I have? My Nancheng household registration?" Jiang Moli sneered. "He Jingxian, if you want to quarrel with someone, just quarrel. Why use me as a scapegoat? You're really good at it. You want to drag someone down with you. Do you think I'm willing to be your scapegoat?"
"I'm just telling the truth." He Jingxian said, "You came to the company earlier, and those people value you. They all come to bully me. Are you happy?"
"Happy, very happy." Jiang Moli nodded. "I didn't feel anything at first, but if you insist on saying that, then if I'm not happy, then it seems like I'm wrong."
"Moli, don't pay any attention to her." Zhou Yiran said, "She's just a mad dog."
When the people around heard Zhou Yiran's words, they all laughed. Some people didn't dare to laugh, so they held it in.
He Jingxian was furious, but she couldn't go to Aunt Qi. Aunt Qi had told her not to consult her elders for any problems. Aunt Qi knew that He Jingxian's recommendation for special training by the local government showed that she had some ability and should be doing well in her local unit. However, different units have different interpersonal relationships, so Aunt Qi still needed to see how He Jingxian got along with the people in the local unit.
Aunt Qi didn't want He Jingxian to always rely on her relationship with her aunt to offend people wantonly. Some people were not something Aunt Qi could afford to offend. Aunt Qi also wanted He Jingxian to suffer a little, so that He Jingxian would not think that she was great after joining this unit. He Jingxian still had a long way to go after joining the unit.
He Jingxian was very sad when she saw people around her laughing at her. She turned around and rushed out without staying there. She didn't want to be laughed at by those people anymore.
"That's how she couldn't bear it." Liang Tong walked to Jiang Moli's side, "Are you sure she's a classmate of yours?"
"We are in the same class, but our relationship is very ordinary." Jiang Moli said.
Jiang Moli didn't want to take sides, neither with Liang Tong nor with He Jingxian. It wasn't a question of who was right or wrong, but rather that Jiang Moli simply didn't like getting involved in these matters. Only a fool would rush to take sides, insisting that neutrality would eventually lead to failure and that one had to find a side to achieve success. This wasn't about choosing a side to see who would win the throne. It wasn't about having to take sides, and not having to be beheaded.
Liang Tong understood what Jiang Moli meant. She didn't force Jiang Moli to take sides, but she hoped she wouldn't just randomly take sides. Some people are fence-sitters, constantly siding with one side and then the other, without even considering the situation.
"Let's continue practicing." Liang Tong said.
Zhou Yiran pulled Jiang Moli, turned around to look at the exit, and whispered, "Do you think He Jingxian will go to see her boyfriend's aunt?"
"Not necessarily." Jiang Moli said, "But she will definitely be back soon."
"She comes back so soon, doesn't she have any shame?" Zhou Yiran said.
"I have to come back just to save face," Jiang Moli said. "Work isn't like playing house. You can't just walk away. You still have to come back and practice. How can you keep up with the progress if you don't practice?"
He Jingxian had just come to the unit for practice. If she always left in anger, was unhappy, and stopped practicing, then He Jingxian would never be able to keep up with everyone's progress.
"Her brain isn't that stupid yet." Jiang Moli said, "She still understands things."
He Jingxian didn't dare to go to Aunt Qi, nor did she want to keep saying these things to her partner. She went to get some fresh air. After getting some fresh air, He Jingxian went back. She couldn't let others think she had a bad temper, or that she was going to leave all of a sudden. She didn't want to leave all of a sudden. She could go back and continue practicing. She had to let those people know how strong she was and that she had a strong psychological endurance.
When Zhou Yiran saw He Jingxian coming back so quickly, she thought that what Jiang Moli said was indeed correct.
Jiang Yuqin's mother-in-law, Ding's mother, had other children. She had been reluctant to help Ding Chao raise his adopted son before, and now she was even more reluctant. When Ding Chao and his wife took Ding Hongwang to the Ding family, Jiang Yuqin had no choice but to let Ding Chao hold the child while she helped out in the kitchen. As a daughter-in-law, it was impossible for her not to help at all.
"Are you still planning to raise this child?" Ding's mother looked at Ding Hongwang in Ding Chao's arms.
"Keep it." Ding Chao said.
"Didn't she ask you to send the child away?" asked Ding's mother.
"No, she said she would treat the child as her own," Ding Chao said. "Mom, we both have jobs and can support this child."
"Do you think it's easy to raise a child? The child needs to go to school. After the child goes to school, it costs more money, and you still have to have children of your own." said Ding's mother.
"Mom, didn't you raise so many children in the past?" Ding Chao said, "The child's biological father is gone, and his biological mother remarried. The child has no choice but to live with us. He has nowhere else to go."
"Where are the child's grandparents?" asked Ding's mother.
"The child's grandparents have other children and grandchildren, so they don't have the time to take care of him," Ding Chao said. "Besides, his grandparents are in the countryside, so there's no way they can let him suffer there."
"If it really doesn't work, we can give a boy to someone else to raise." said Ding's mother.
"Mom, this is really not possible." Ding Chao said, "He didn't live under our noses. He suffered and we didn't know it."
Jiang Yuqin vaguely overheard what Ding's mother was saying about Ding Chao. She hoped Ding's mother could persuade Ding Chao to do the right thing, but she also worried that Ding Chao would insist on raising the child. If the child was sent away, people would say she couldn't be a good stepmother and that she was the one who instigated it.
A few days ago, Jiang Yuqin heard people say that she would eventually find a way to get Ding Chao to give the child away. On the one hand, Jiang Yuqin didn't want to raise the child and wanted Ding Chao to give the child away himself, but on the other hand, she didn't want to give the child away because she didn't want to be criticized.
Jiang Yuqin thought that no matter what the final outcome of this child was, she couldn't take the initiative to say what would happen to the child in the future. She had to let Ding Chao and others make the decision. Jiang Yuqin pretended not to hear anything and didn't go over it.
Mrs. Ding looked at Jiang Yuqin, who was picking vegetables nearby. She had heard everything Mother Ding said, and she thought Jiang Yuqin must have heard it too. Mrs. Ding wondered how many women would be willing to raise someone else's child. Jiang Yuqin was probably the same, just pretending to be willing and unwilling to speak up. If Jiang Yuqin really wanted to keep the child, she would have rushed to the living room right then and there and said loudly to Mother Ding: I'll raise this child!
Jiang Yuqin was afraid that Ding Chao would be unhappy. She didn't want to be the bad guy, so she had to let others be the bad guy.
"Sister-in-law, do you want to shred the potatoes?" Jiang Yuqin asked.
"Yes, cut it into strips. Don't cut it too thick." Mrs. Ding said, "If you cut it too thick, it won't taste good. It should be cut thinner so that it is easier to stir-fry."
"Okay." Jiang Yuqin nodded.
During the meal, Ding's mother asked Jiang Yuqin directly, "Yuqin, do you want to raise this child?"
"I...will raise him." Jiang Yuqin didn't dare to look at Ding Chao, didn't dare to say no. She didn't expect Ding's mother to ask her this directly. "We had already discussed this before Ding Chao and I got married."
"Let's not talk about whether you had discussed this before you got married. Just tell me, do you want to continue raising this child now?" Mother Ding asked. "If you don't want to raise the child, we'll give the child away. If you..."
"Of course I have to raise her." Jiang Yuqin was afraid that Ding Chao would be unhappy when she heard this. "Mom, I will raise this child as my own. I mean what I say. There's no way I won't raise her."
"Since you've made up your mind, don't regret it later," said Ding's mother. "The child is still young and doesn't remember much. If you send him away now, others will still treat him as their own son, but he won't remember the past. In a few years, when he's a little older, it will be difficult to send him away. Once the child has memories and knows who his parents are, it will be difficult to raise him."
"We can support ourselves. We both have jobs and we can support ourselves," said Jiang Yuqin.
"If you raise it, you have to keep raising it. It will be difficult to abandon it halfway." Mother Ding thought that she was giving Jiang Yuqin a chance. If Jiang Yuqin insisted on saying so, then she couldn't blame anyone else.
"Don't throw it away." Jiang Yuqin's palms were slightly sweaty. She turned to look at Ding Chao and said, "Let's raise it together."
"Okay." Ding Chao nodded.
Jiang Yuqin cursed Ding's mother for being unkind and unjust. Couldn't Ding's mother just make the decision directly? Why did she have to ask herself? Ding's mother asked herself, and she could only give this answer, there was no other answer. Jiang Yuqin believed that Ding's mother did it on purpose. Ding's mother didn't want to be the bad guy, so she let Jiang Yuqin do it.
"If you continue like this, when will you be able to save enough money for a wedding banquet?" Ding's mother asked again.
"Aren't you the ones who pay for the wedding banquet?" Jiang Yuqin said subconsciously. For many people, it is the groom's parents who pay for the wedding banquet.
Mother Ding was not very happy to hear this. "Would you like to cut off two pounds of meat from my body and stew it for yourself?"
"Mom, Yuqin doesn't understand our family situation." Ding Chao said quickly, "We want to hold a wedding banquet. We can save money ourselves, and our family doesn't need to pay for it."
"I don't have a job, and your dad and his family don't make much money even if they do. There are so many things we need to spend money on at home," said Ding's mother. "Your nephews are still young. You have money to support other people's children, but don't you have money to hold your own wedding banquet?"
Ding's mother meant this: if Jiang Yuqin and her husband wanted money, she had no money to give them, and they couldn't expect anyone else in the Ding family to give them money. Ding's mother glanced at Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin was a woman who was willing to throw herself at a man, and Ding's mother wasn't afraid that Jiang Yuqin would be unhappy. If Jiang Yuqin was unhappy, then get out. Ding's mother knew Jiang Yuqin wouldn't get out, and she was afraid that Ding Chao would be unhappy.
"Do you know what people outside are saying? They say you're stupid for raising someone else's child." Mother Ding said, "You haven't even had your own children yet, yet you're raising someone else's. There's no need to practice on other people's children when it comes to raising children."
Everyone thought Ding Chao was being taken advantage of, and so did his mother. Regardless of the exact cause of Ding Chao's colleague's death, he'd received a pension for dying while building a dam. But Ding Chao didn't use a penny of his colleague's pension; it went to his parents and his ex-wife. Ding Chao didn't dare take the money. If he did, he'd be cursed and scolded. Ding Hongwang's grandparents wouldn't let him take it.
In the company cafeteria, Zhou Yaran and Jiang Moli sat together for dinner, while He Jingxian sat alone. Those who had previously been close to He Jingxian moved a little further away from her. He Jingxian had argued with Liang Tong today. Liang Tong disliked He Jingxian and had made her attitude clear. Others were afraid that if they got too close to He Jingxian, Liang Tong would think they were provoking her.
He Jingxian wasn't from the company and hadn't yet completed the transfer process, so she wasn't supposed to eat in the company cafeteria. But with Aunt Qi around, He Jingxian was able to eat in the cafeteria. He Jingxian wanted to be around some people, but when they saw her sitting with them, they would immediately take their plates and go elsewhere.
As a result, He Jingxian could no longer get close to those people. She cursed inwardly: Damn it, it's really damn damn.
Zhou Yiran used her eyes to signal Jiang Moli to look in He Jingxian's direction, and whispered, "I heard that their group was supposed to rehearse the graduation play today. If she, such a key figure, is not here, I'm afraid it will be difficult to rehearse."
"That's their play," Jiang Moli said, "We have to participate in the graduation drama too."
"Your role is small, and mine isn't much either," Zhou Yiran said. "It's not like we haven't practiced. After graduation, it will be much easier, and we won't have to run around twice. Running around now is still quite tiring."
"It's almost time." Jiang Moli said, "It's already May. May will pass quickly and it will be June."
"That's true, time flies by in the blink of an eye." Zhou Yiran said.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yuqin came back from Ding's house. She took her children to Wang Chunfen's house. It was quite convenient for her to go to Wang Chunfen's house, as it was not very far away.
When Wang Chunfen heard what Jiang Yuqin said, she knew that Ding's mother and her family would not just give the child away. If the Ding family really wanted to do that, they would have done it long ago, not wait until now.
"I'm just pretending to ask you a few questions. Your husband is over there, so there's no way you're going to give the child away. You can only say you're going to keep the child." Wang Chunfen said, "If you say that, your mother-in-law's goal will be achieved."
"Alas." Jiang Yuqin sighed, "In the past, I had to do things and couldn't stop. Is this how marriage is?"
"You don't live with your parents-in-law, you only visit occasionally. Do you expect them to treat you like a guest?" Wang Chunfen asked. "You're not the Ding family's biological daughter. You're their daughter-in-law. How many mothers-in-law treat their daughters-in-law well? They often want them to work like slaves. As for you, don't blame me for being harsh. They just think you're marrying their son out of spite. They're unlikely to value you; they'll only look down on you."
Before Jiang Yuqin married Ding Chao, Wang Chunfen asked Jiang Yuqin to think it over, saying that Ding Chao didn't really like her, but just needed someone to take care of the children. Jiang Yuqin disagreed, saying that Ding Chao had a stable job and was very popular, so why did Ding Chao choose her instead of someone else? This showed that Ding Chao needed her, Jiang Yuqin, and that she and Ding Chao were the most suitable.
"I do feel that way a little bit," Jiang Yuqin said. "My mother-in-law told us to save money for the wedding banquet ourselves, saying that since we have money to raise other people's children, we should also have money to hold a wedding banquet. The implicit meaning is that if we have money, we can hold a wedding banquet, but if we don't have money, don't hold a wedding banquet."
"See?" Wang Chunfen said, "I'm not afraid of you and Ding Chao being separated at all. I'm confident. So, do you want to change your surname to Jiang?"
"No." Jiang Yuqin said, "What surname can I change to?"
"Surname..." Wang Chunfen thought that Jiang Yuqin's biological father was her second uncle, so Jiang Yuqin really couldn't take her second uncle's surname. It would also be difficult for Jiang Yuqin to take her stepfather's surname, as her stepfather was not her biological father. "Didn't the Jiang family ask you to change your surname?"
"No." Jiang Yuqin shook her head. "They asked my mother to pay compensation, not me."
"Maybe they still care about you a little bit. After all, you have lived with them for so many years." Wang Chunfen said. There is also a possibility that the Jiang family felt that they could not force Jiang Yuqin to pay compensation. Jiang Yuqin did not have that money, so the Jiang family could only turn to Jin Manzhi and others.
"How could they possibly care about me? They didn't care about me when I was my father's daughter, and they're even less likely to care about me now." Jiang Yuqin said, "I've finally understood. These people can't possibly treat me well. I have to treat myself well and can't wait for them to treat me well."
"You're not wrong. Your biological parents already have children," Wang Chunfen said. "Your existence is a stain on their hearts."
"It's a stain." Jiang Yuqin sneered, "When I went in front of them... they told me to go less often. Before, when I was still the daughter of the Jiang family, my mother also told me to go less often, but it would be better than it is now."
"Did your in-laws say anything?" Wang Chunfen asked. "Aren't you going there today?"
"What can they say? Ding Chao and I rent a house, not theirs. I haven't asked for a betrothal gift yet, and I've brought a dowry with me. How can they be dissatisfied?" Jiang Yuqin said.
"..." Wang Chunfen looked at Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin had done so many things for the Ding family in the past, and yet Jiang Yuqin still said this. Wang Chunfen thought to herself: Silly girl, the Ding family is clearly bullying you, and you don't even know it.
Wang Chunfen didn't say much about the Ding family, for fear that Jiang Yuqin would be upset. Jiang Yuqin was in high spirits, madly in love with Ding Chao, so Wang Chunfen didn't want to say anything like that, lest Jiang Yuqin think she was trying to sow discord.
Jiang Yuqin was about to speak when the child started crying, so she had to comfort the child. Wang Chunfen watched Jiang Yuqin comforting the child and sighed.
"Your mother..." Your mother also ran away with someone when you were very young. Wang Chunfen wanted to say this, but then she thought it was unnecessary.
Wang Chunfen's words would make Jiang Yuqin think she was speaking well of her mother. Having been friends with Jiang Yuqin for many years, Wang Chunfen knew how much Jiang Yuqin disliked her mother. Even though her mother had taken care of her since she was very young, Jiang Yuqin still resented her. It was mainly because the people from the Jin family often spoke negatively of her mother in front of Jiang Yuqin, and the neighbors also said so, which led to a difficult relationship between Jiang Yuqin and her mother.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yuqin coaxed the child a little and looked at Wang Chunfen again.
"I mean the dowry your mother gave you is pretty good." Wang Chunfen said.
"That's nothing," Jiang Yuqin said. "The dowry they gave my younger sister was truly enormous. She's my stepfather's biological daughter, born to my mother. The in-laws they found for her were truly well-off, wealthy and powerful. They also suggested I marry Ding Chao. If they had found me a powerful in-law sooner, would I have needed to find a partner on my own?"
Jiang Yuqin didn't think she was wrong. It was clearly those people who didn't value her enough that led her to marry Ding Chao. Besides, Jiang Yuqin didn't think Ding Chao was bad at all. He cared about her. Jiang Yuqin felt that they were equals, and if they could support each other, their lives would be prosperous. She and Ding Chao just didn't have a lot of money at the moment, but they were both working.
Nearly a week later, He Jingxian's transfer order still hadn't come down, even though she and Qi Shixin had already gotten their marriage certificate. He Jingxian was worried that Second Aunt Qi wouldn't get things done by then, so she asked Qi Shixin to urge her.
"Why hasn't Second Aunt finished her work yet?" He Jingxian asked.
"Don't worry, Second Aunt will get it done." Qi Shixin said, "It takes time to go through the procedures. It's impossible to get it done all at once."
"How long will it take?" He Jingxian asked again, "Also, do we have to rent a house?"
He Jingxian and Qi Shixin hadn't held their wedding banquet yet. He Jingxian lived in the school dormitory, while Qi Shixin's parents already had Qi Shixin's older brother and sister-in-law living at home. If Qi Shixin and He Jingxian continued to live at home, there wouldn't be enough room.
Deputy Director Qi meant to let Qi Shixin and his wife rent a house. Even though he was the deputy director, he didn't have that much money. Deputy Director Qi couldn't just give his son and daughter-in-law a house casually, or someone would catch him.
"My parents told us to rent a house," Qi Shixin said. "They'll give us some money to tide us over."
"Your eldest brother and sister-in-law can live at home, but we can't." He Jingxian was a little dissatisfied. "Even if we can't live at home, you can buy us a house."
"There are not many people selling houses, so they are considered scarce," Qi Shixin said. "Renting a house doesn't cost much, but buying a house costs a lot of money. We don't have that much money on hand, and it's unrealistic to ask my parents to come up with that much money at once."
"..." He Jingxian originally thought that Qi Shixin was the son of the deputy director of the factory, and that his family must be very wealthy, and that she would have a good life in the future. But now, Qi Shixin said that they had to rent a house, which made her feel uncomfortable.
"Anyway, you will be transferred to the Nancheng Drama Troupe. That's a done deal and it can't be changed. Second Aunt will make sure things are done." Qi Shixin said. He knew why He Jingxian was with him, for the Nancheng household registration and to get the transfer order.
"Can't you think of a solution for the house issue?" He Jingxian said, "We'll have children in the future."
"There's no solution for now," Qi Shixin said. "If you're willing, we can continue living with our parents and move out after we have a baby. This way, we can save a little money. The only problem is that the room I sleep in is a little small, not very big, so it's not very suitable as a wedding room."
If they rent a house, they might be able to rent a larger room with better lighting.
"Live with your parents first?" He Jingxian asked.
"If you live together, you and your sister-in-law... living under the same roof will easily lead to conflicts. Are you willing?" Qi Shixin asked.
"..." He Jingxian was worried. Why couldn't she just be given a house?
"If you're willing, I'll tell my parents." Qi Shixin said, "My parents will agree."
"Wait." He Jingxian hesitated. "I don't know where we should live. If we live with your parents, I'm afraid they'll be unhappy. If we just live out there, the expenses will be huge."
He Jingxian wondered if she needed to cultivate a relationship with her parents-in-law, but she was also worried that if she didn't, she might offend them. If she did, it would be difficult to deal with. If He Jingxian offended Qi's father and mother, Second Aunt Qi wouldn't just ignore it. Second Aunt Qi was still He Jingxian's boss, meaning that He Jingxian would have to rely on the Qi family for both her personal and professional life.
"If we don't have enough money, we can just go back and ask our parents for it," Qi Shixin said. "We are in trouble, and our parents can't just sit there and do nothing about it."
"We're already married, how can they still control us?" He Jingxian asked.
"Yes, they can definitely take care of it." Qi Shixin said, "Don't worry about these things, they can definitely take care of it. If you don't ask for too much, they will help you. Don't my eldest brother and his wife still need their help when they live at home?"
"..." He Jingxian saw that Qi Shixin was so sure, but she felt that after her children got married, many things were different from before.
The news that He Jingxian and Qi Shixin had obtained their marriage certificate quickly spread throughout the school and the Nancheng Drama Troupe. Everyone knew that He Jingxian was determined to stay in Nancheng, and that the entire process, from dating to marriage, had lasted less than a month.
On campus, as Zhou Yaran and Jiang Moli were walking by the river, she said, "Some people say she got married early. She said others got married after just a few days of dating, and some were even faster than her. She's considered slow."
"I really didn't know she said that." Jiang Moli said as she bent over and stretched her legs.
"She thinks others are mocking her," Zhou Yiran said. "He Jingxian is really strange. Everything others say seems wrong. Few people criticize her for having a poor background, and some even envy her for receiving targeted training. But she, on the other hand, has a mindset... she's just too ambitious."
"Let's wait and see what her ambition will turn her into." Jiang Moli said, "It's always harder for women to make a name for themselves. Some people will inevitably use some tricks. We won't use them, we'll just watch. To be honest, if it were me, I might also do whatever it takes to stay. We are not her, we don't know what she's thinking, nor do we know what she's been through. If she doesn't provoke us, we'll just watch."
"That's right. Let's just wait and see what she becomes." Zhou Yiran said, "You're saying that, aren't you afraid that others will approve of her actions and think you're that kind of person?"
"I'm telling the truth," Jiang Moli said. "We're not He Jingxian. We're her. We can't guarantee we can do it well. Why should a woman make things difficult for another woman? As long as she doesn't involve us, she can do whatever she wants."
"I heard that the provincial government wants to transfer you there," Zhou Yiran said. "They're already going through the formalities. The transfer order should be issued in a few days."
"How do you know?" Jiang Moli was surprised.
"My mother said so." Zhou Yiran said, "This transfer order is not a secret transfer, it is public."
"Let's wait until the transfer order comes down. It hasn't been settled yet, and I'm afraid something might go wrong." Jiang Moli said.
"What went wrong? Could He Jingxian have snatched your place in the provincial Little Hundred Flowers? Does her boyfriend's aunt have that much power? Oh, now she's her man's aunt, and also her aunt." Zhou Yiran said, "If you stretch your hand too far, you might get it chopped off."
In the countryside, Zhao Guodong and Niu Cuihua returned from planting rice in the fields and left their child at Niu's house. Niu Cuihua insisted on finishing the planting before going to the city, so Zhao Guodong had no choice but to agree.
"Call your mom and ask her to get some more milk powder or something." Niu Cuihua's eyes rolled around. Before going back, she asked her mother-in-law to give them some money so that they wouldn't have to pay for it themselves after going to the city. "Planting rice and farming is so hard. My brothers and others came to help. We have to give them some money."
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