Chapter 26: Cruelty is not something you can fight for
"You are..." Niu Cuihua asked in confusion.
"I'm the daughter-in-law of the Yang family next door. My name is Miao Guifeng, and I'm also from the countryside." Miao Guifeng carried her son, who had fallen asleep, on her back. She went out to sell roasted sweet potatoes with him on her back. She couldn't count on her parents-in-law to help her take care of the child; she had to do it herself.
"Are you from the countryside too?" Niu Cuihua asked in surprise.
"Yes," Miao Guifeng said, "I heard you were coming a while ago, and I was thinking we could talk more if you came to the city. I have two roasted sweet potatoes here, you can have some."
"Did you just come back from ordering takeout?" Niu Cuihua asked.
"Well, I can go out and sell roasted sweet potatoes. I don't have any special skills, but at least I can make some money selling them. I don't have to be criticized for just sitting at home and waiting for food." Miao Guifeng said, "There are so many places to spend money in the city. I can make some money myself and have money in my hands. I don't have to always ask men for money."
Miao Guifeng remembered that Niu Cuihua had worked odd jobs in her previous life, paying for rent and raising her children. Relying solely on Zhao Guodong's salary was ultimately a stretch. Jiang's mother had lost her job, and while she had saved a little, she didn't give it all to Zhao Guodong.
In her previous life, Niu Cuihua had complained to Miao Guifeng about how her mother-in-law lived so well while they lived so poorly. Niu Cuihua wanted her mother-in-law to give them more, but her mother-in-law played dumb, pretending not to hear. She even told them to save some and find more things to do.
One person works to feed four mouths. Jiang's father and mother both have pensions, and Jiang Moli can also earn money, so the Jiang family lives a comfortable life. Even though Jiang Yuqin repeatedly asked Jiang's father for money, he didn't always give it to her. Miao Guifeng packed two roasted sweet potatoes and handed them to Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua reached out to take the roasted sweet potatoes and said, "How can this be so embarrassing? You can sell them."
"These are the leftovers." Miao Guifeng said, "Two roasted sweet potatoes, not worth much, don't mind."
"No, no, it's such a good thing." Niu Cuihua said with a smile, "When we were in our hometown in the countryside, we ate a lot of roasted sweet potatoes. We also ate sweet potato rice all day long, and we got tired of it. Roasted sweet potatoes are much better. They have less water, the skin can be a little more crispy, and they taste very sweet and delicious."
"That's fine. I was worried that you wouldn't like it." Miao Guifeng said.
"If you let me eat sweet potato rice, I don't like it. Roasted sweet potatoes are okay." Niu Cuihua said.
"If you live here in the future, we can talk more." Miao Guifeng said.
When Niu Cuihua heard this, she thought of what Jiang Moli said, "I guess I can't stay here for a few days. I have to go out and rent a house."
"Rent a house? Don't they have a vacant room? Isn't that room for you to live in?" Miao Guifeng said.
"Stop talking. Just now when we were having dinner, my husband's sister told us to go out and rent a house." Niu Cuihua nodded at Miao Guifeng and pointed in the direction of Jiang Moli.
"You just came back, and I'm asking you to go out and rent a house?" Miao Guifeng opened her eyes wide. "She's a girl, she'll have to get married sooner or later. Even if she takes a son-in-law in, she won't have a child so soon. Wouldn't it be nice to have a room free for you to live in? It's not that easy to take a son-in-law in, and many of the men we take in aren't very good."
Miao Guifeng said these words, not afraid of Niu Cuihua and Jiang Moli quarreling. Miao Guifeng believed that Niu Cuihua, as a sister-in-law, should still suppress her sister-in-law.
"What did your mother-in-law say?" Miao Guifeng asked, "Your mother-in-law only has you as her son. She will still have to rely on you for her old age."
"Alas, it's no use saying anything." Niu Cuihua said, "They've already spoken."
"Talk to your mother-in-law privately," Miao Guifeng said. "Maybe she's willing. As long as she's willing to help you, she can talk to your father-in-law. As long as the old couple agree, your sister-in-law's attitude won't matter."
Miao Guifeng gave Niu Cuihua some serious advice, "Your household registration is still in the countryside, right? You need to move it back and see if you can move into the house here."
If the household registration is moved back and the house is still there, they can still get some money when the house is demolished. If the household registration is not there and the house is not owned by Niu Cuihua and her husband, it will be difficult for them to get a share of the demolition compensation.
"It hasn't been moved here yet." Niu Cuihua said, "I don't know how it was moved."
Miao Guifeng and Niu Cuihua were talking outside, their voices were a little low, but they spoke so casually. Did they think it was late and no one was outside?
Jiang Moli wanted to go to the toilet, so she got up and went to the living room. She found that the door was not closed. Then, Jiang Moli heard some words between Miao Guifeng and Niu Cuihua.
"..." Jiang Moli didn't know what to say. When she turned around, she saw Zhao Guodong standing over there. "Brother, did you hear that?"
"I..." Zhao Guodong only heard a little bit. Even if he didn't hear it all, he knew what Niu Cuihua's attitude was. "In a few days, we will rent a house and move out."
"Brother, we've all grown up. We're not children anymore," Jiang Moli said. "Many things are different from when we were little. It's not about a piece of candy or a homework book."
"I will transfer my household registration to my workplace, a collective household," said Zhao Guodong.
"Jiang Yuqin is not Dad's biological daughter." Jiang Moli said, "Mom is feeling better at home."
Jiang Moli didn't want Zhao Guodong and his wife to cause so much trouble for her mother. Jiang's mother gave the job to Zhao Guodong, and Zhao Guodong, at his age, should know how to do it. It wasn't that Jiang Moli had to make things difficult for Zhao Guodong and his wife. Look at Niu Cuihua's behavior. Miao Guifeng was reborn, so what Miao Guifeng said to Niu Cuihua could be justified. As for Niu Cuihua, she wasn't familiar with Miao Guifeng, so how could she have the nerve to say so much to her?
Do you need others to take care of your own affairs?
We are all adults, and adults need to have a sense of distance. We cannot always think about what others should do without thinking about what we should do.
Zhao Guodong understood what Jiang Moli said. Before he went to the countryside, he knew how embarrassed his biological mother was in this family. Jiang Yuqin was not Jiang's father's biological daughter. Jiang's mother could breathe a sigh of relief and not have to think about Jiang Yuqin all the time. Zhao Guodong could not become a burden to his biological mother at this time.
"Thank you for taking care of mom over the years," said Zhao Guodong.
"That's also my biological mother." Jiang Moli said.
Zhao Guodong and Jiang Moli spoke aloud, while Miao Guifeng and Niu Cuihua stopped talking. Niu Cuihua washed the clothes and hung them out to dry under the eaves. They had come here today, exhausted from the car ride, and the weather was hot. They had to wash the clothes early, otherwise they would become sour and smelly.
Niu Cuihua came back from hanging up the clothes, and Jiang Moli had already returned to her room.
"My younger sister was here just now?" Niu Cuihua felt a little guilty, but then she thought there was no need to feel guilty, as her man was also a member of this family.
"I told you to talk less, why did you still tell others?" Zhao Guodong said.
"We'll be neighbors from now on, so what's wrong with a few words?" Niu Cuihua said, "She's from the countryside too. I think she's quite nice. She even gave me two roasted sweet potatoes. Perfect for the kids. I don't know if they had enough to eat last night. Your mother only made a small meal, so she's not worried about not having enough."
In reality, Jiang's mother had already cooked quite a bit of food. She knew how much Zhao Guodong ate, but she hadn't expected Niu Cuihua to eat so much. Jiang's mother even asked Niu Cuihua if she had eaten enough and if she wanted some noodles. Niu Cuihua said no. Jiang's mother then explained that there were noodles and eggs in the kitchen, so if they were hungry, they could always cook them.
It can only be said that Jiang's mother didn't ask Niu Cuihua how much food she wanted in advance. If she had asked more and made more, perhaps it would have been better. People in the city basically cook and eat one meal at a time, and each meal is just eaten up. Occasionally, there is a little rice left over. If it is not enough, if the shortage is small, they will not cook. If the shortage is large, they will make more food.
"We are in the countryside, can we eat as much as we want?" Zhao Guodong pulled Niu Cuihua to the room.
It was only their first day back, and Niu Cuihua was already talking so much. Zhao Guodong sighed. His sister was right; they really should have moved out sooner rather than later. A place smells good from afar, but smells bad up close. If Niu Cuihua stayed any longer, who knew what might happen.
After returning to the room, Niu Cuihua said, "It's not like I haven't come here with you before, but nothing happened before...but as soon as your sister comes back, something happens. Your sister..."
"Didn't you say before that your sister was good and that she sent us things?" Zhao Guodong said.
"I think she's just putting on a show," Niu Cuihua said. "Some people are like that. They put on a show so no one will say anything about them. She..."
"Cuihua!" Zhao Guodong interrupted Niu Cuihua, "Jasmine doesn't owe you anything!"
"I didn't say she owed me anything," Niu Cuihua muttered. "I just thought we just returned to the city and didn't have much money. Summer was fine, but winter will require a lot of shopping, and we didn't bring many winter clothes back with us."
At that time, Niu Cuihua thought that if they came to the city, Zhao Guodong would have a salary and they could buy new clothes. It would be great if they could save on rent and use it to buy clothes and food.
"Mom and uncle will pay us two months' rent." Zhao Guodong said.
"Twelve months a year." Niu Cuihua said, "When we were in the countryside, we lived in my parents' old house and didn't have to pay rent. It wasn't just for one room, it was also..."
"The city is different from the countryside," Zhao Guodong emphasized. "Don't always use our past to describe the present. This house existed before my mother married my uncle. It's my uncle's house."
"I didn't say it's not his house, it's just... Alas, your sister doesn't know how to feel sorry for you as her brother." Niu Cuihua said.
Not only was Jiang Moli dissatisfied with Niu Cuihua's performance, but Jiang's father was also dissatisfied with Niu Cuihua's appearance. Niu Cuihua was too impatient and even a little aggressive. Jiang's father had wronged Jiang Moli for Jiang Yuqin before, but that was because he thought Jiang Yuqin was his biological daughter. But now, Niu Cuihua was not Jiang's biological daughter, so Jiang's father would not wrong Jiang Moli for Niu Cuihua.
"Let them move out as soon as possible." Jiang's father was lying on the bed. He didn't go out, but he heard some noise outside.
"Take them to see the house tomorrow and decide on it as soon as possible." Jiang's mother felt helpless. She had thought that there might be something wrong with Niu Cuihua, but she had never thought that Niu Cuihua could be so troublesome.
Niu Cuihua had just returned with Zhao Guodong, so she should have been more cautious and not act like she wanted to be the boss. Jiang's mother believed that Zhao Guodong must have explained the family situation to Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua still said those words. This daughter-in-law really didn't consider what the people in her in-laws thought.
Before Zhao Guodong and his wife returned, Jiang's father hadn't considered letting them stay at home for a long time, and it was even more so now. While Jiang's father was sitting there, Niu Cuihua dared to talk about Jiang Moli. Jiang's father didn't need to rely on Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong in the future. Jiang's father also thought that based on Niu Cuihua and his wife's attitude, he couldn't rely on them in the future. He still had to work hard to save money.
Father Jiang thought of Jiang Moli. He realized that he had not been good enough to his youngest daughter before.
"Jasmine is right." Jiang's father said.
"This is her home, of course she's not wrong." Jiang's mother said, "I didn't expect Cuihua to be like this, alas."
Niu Cuihua hadn't been like this before, but this time she said something like that. Jiang's mother wondered if Niu Cuihua thought that since they had returned to the city, they should stay at home forever.
Jiang's mother knew that the Niu family treated Zhao Guodong and his wife very well, but she really didn't have the final say on the house. Even if she had the final say, Jiang's mother couldn't give the house to Zhao Guodong. If Jiang's mother gave the house to Zhao Guodong, Zhao Guodong and his wife would become more demanding and would try to get Jiang's mother to take more things from Jiang's father.
There are some things that Jiang's mother cannot take just because she wants to. Those things do not belong to Jiang's mother.
Jiang's mother can be the master of her own things, but she can't be the master of Jiang's father. Jiang's mother never thought of leaving all her things to Zhao Guodong. If she arranged everything for her son, her son would be useless. Her son should be more sensible and learn to handle some things by himself instead of relying on Jiang's mother to arrange everything for him.
"This house is for Jasmine," Jiang's father said directly, "no one can take it away."
If Jiang Yuqin was still Jiang's father's biological daughter, Jiang's father would have left a portion for Jiang Yuqin. Jiang's father only had Jiang Moli as his daughter, so all his things were left to Jiang Moli. Even in front of Zhao Guodong, Jiang's father dared to say so.
"Yes, yes, no one can take it away from me. Jasmine is my biological daughter." Jiang's mother said.
Jiang's father was worried about Jiang's mother. Many people favored boys over girls, and no one could guarantee whether Jiang's mother would side with Zhao Guodong in the future. Jiang's father thought he should be more careful and not let Jiang's mother move all her things to Zhao Guodong.
"Be more sensible." Jiang's father said. He did not stop Jiang's mother from giving the job to Zhao Guodong, nor did he stop Jiang's mother from taking care of the children for Zhao Guodong, but some things still need to be done in moderation. Once a certain limit is exceeded, things will become bad.
Niu Cuihua didn't care whether Jiang's mother was in trouble or not. She only thought that Jiang's mother had only one son, Zhao Guodong, so Jiang's mother should be more supportive of Zhao Guodong.
The next morning, Jiang's mother took Zhao Guodong to the factory, and Jiang Moli left after dinner. Jiang Moli locked the door. When Jiang Yuqin was at Jiang's house, if Jiang Moli didn't lock the door, Jiang Yuqin might go into Jiang Moli's room.
Niu Cuihua had been to the Jiang family before, and at that time, Jiang Moli's room was also locked. Jiang's mother had the key, but she didn't open Jiang Moli's room. Instead, she told them to stay in the living room for a while, or go to a hotel for two nights.
Jiang's mother didn't say that Niu Cuihua and the others should live in Jiang Moli's room. Regardless of whether this room had been occupied by Zhao Guodong before, it had become Jiang Moli's room. Jiang's mother was very cautious in the Jiang family, trying not to let the Jiang family say that she was unfair.
Niu Cuihua saw Jiang Moli locked the door, and she thought to herself, in their country, when people go out, the front door is not locked, and sometimes the door of the room is also open. Who is Jiang Moli guarding against by locking the door? Is she guarding against her sister-in-law?
Jiang Moli didn't know that Niu Cuihua would think these things even though she was simply locking a door. If Jiang Moli knew, she would definitely roll her eyes.
In the yard, Miao Guifeng was washing sweet potatoes, and Niu Cuihua moved a chair to help Miao Guifeng wash the sweet potatoes.
"Have you told your mother-in-law?" Miao Guifeng asked.
"Not yet. She went to work with my husband early this morning. She said she wanted to complete the handover procedures and let my husband take over the job." Niu Cuihua said, "It's better to take over early. I'm afraid something will go wrong."
"As for work, you don't have to worry about your husband not being able to take over. There is no one else in your family who needs to take over the job. Your sister-in-law has her own job and doesn't need to take over your mother-in-law's job." Miao Guifeng said.
"She...she went out today and locked the door of her room, fearing that we would go in." Niu Cuihua said.
"This..." Miao Guifeng didn't expect Niu Cuihua to say such a thing, but Jiang Moli really couldn't be blamed for this. "She's used to locking the door. Her sister... isn't her sister anymore. Before, when Jiang Yuqin was here, if Jiang Moli didn't lock the door, Jiang Yuqin might have just walked in. Now that you're here, she still locks the door. She's used to it, and it's hard to change it all of a sudden."
"That Jiang Yuqin isn't even home anymore," Niu Cuihua said. "I have a feeling about this myself. People from the countryside are looked down upon. When I sit over there, everyone sneers."
Jiang Moli did not sneer at Niu Cuihua, Niu Cuihua was speaking on her own.
"..." Miao Guifeng had little contact with Jiang Moli, and Jiang Moli was usually quite polite to her. Miao Guifeng didn't know how Jiang Moli treated Niu Cuihua, so she couldn't say much. "Little girl, you don't have to worry too much. You should solve the house issue first."
"My husband said he wanted to rent a house, and I told him to talk to his mother about it, but he didn't want to and wouldn't let me," Niu Cuihua said. "If I said a few more words, he'd frown."
"You've been married for so many years and have children. If he doesn't think about himself, he should at least think about the children," Miao Guifeng said. "Some things can't be left to men; we women have to do them. We're better at talking than waiting for men to do it. Men have to save face, and in the end, nothing gets done."
"I think so too," Niu Cuihua said. "If he doesn't go and tell me, I will."
Jiang's mother had already submitted the job application to the factory, and they had already approved it. Zhao Guodong and Jiang's mother went to the factory to complete the handover procedures and would be able to start work the next day. After completing the formalities, Jiang's mother took Zhao Guodong home to look at the rental house and sort out any other matters that could be resolved first.
When Jiang's mother and Zhao Guodong returned home, Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, Guodong is your only son. Can't you let us live at home?"
"No!" said Jiang's mother.
"You..." Niu Cuihua originally thought that Jiang's mother was hesitant and that if she said a few more words, Jiang's mother would agree. Niu Cuihua did not expect Jiang's mother to say "no" so decisively.
"This house belongs to Uncle Guodong and his stepfather. Later, it will belong to Jasmine," said Jiang's mother. "No one can take it away from us."
"Guodong is Jasmine's biological brother. We don't want this house, but can't we live here for a while longer?" Niu Cuihua thought that as long as they moved in and stayed there for a while, they could slowly make plans for the future. When Jiang's father and his people saw how well they were doing, they might think of giving them the house.
"No, forget it." Jiang's mother said, "If you live here for a long time, your mind will change."
Jiang's mother has already seen through Niu Cuihua's thoughts. She can't let Niu Cuihua continue to live here and let her mind run wild.
"In a few days, you'll transfer your household registration to the workplace," Jiang's mother said. "Today, let's go look at houses first. Do you want a single, larger room, or a one-bedroom apartment with a living room? You can also use the living room as a bedroom."
"Using the living room as a bedroom?" Niu Cuihua was unhappy. "The living rooms in our countryside are huge, even bigger than the ones here. And the living room here is so small, it's hard to entertain guests, so how can it be used as a bedroom?"
"Mom is right. The living room can be used as a bedroom." Zhao Guodong said, "I know people who even sleep in the living room."
Zhao Guodong pulled Niu Cuihua, but Niu Cuihua shook his hand off and said, "Others are others, and we are us."
"Let's go look at the house first," Jiang's mother said. "Decide on it soon and move in soon. Otherwise, you'll be embarrassed when someone kicks you out."
"Mom, can't you say a few words to Uncle?" Niu Cuihua said, "You are his wife, will he not listen to you?"
"A half-way couple." Jiang's mother said, "Don't even think about it."
Yes, Jiang's mother was talking about 'you', including Zhao Guodong.
If Zhao Guodong really wanted to stop her, he shouldn't have let Niu Cuihua finish her words. Niu Cuihua said a lot yesterday, and Jiang's father and Jiang Moli had heard it.
Jiang's father had a conversation with Jiang's mother last night. Jiang's mother knew that she couldn't let Niu Cuihua and her husband stay any longer. She had originally wanted her son and daughter-in-law to stay a few more days. But her daughter-in-law was not up to the task and kept saying some messed-up things.
"Let's look at houses first," Zhao Guodong said. "If it's suitable, we can decide today. We can pack up and move in."
"Then let's go and take a look." Jiang's mother said.
Niu Cuihua wanted to say something, but Zhao Guodong shook his head at her. Facing Jiang's mother's cold face, Niu Cuihua couldn't say anything else. Jiang's mother had been polite to Niu Cuihua before, because she felt that the Niu family had really helped Zhao Guodong a lot. But when she realized that Niu Cuihua was getting ahead of herself, she couldn't be so polite to her anymore and had to show some respect as a mother-in-law.
With Niu Cuihua's personality, Jiang's mother thought it would be better for her to go less often to take care of her grandchildren in the future. If she went there more often, there might be other things to do.
At noon, Jiang Moli had lunch with Sheng Jiahao, and Sheng Jiahao could see that Jiang Moli was unhappy.
"Unhappy?" Sheng Jiahao asked, "It doesn't look good to frown."
"It's all because of my sister-in-law." Jiang Moli said, "When she came, she slapped my butt and said that my butt was small and it would be difficult to give birth. Women are not born to bear children."
"Of course not." Sheng Jiahao said, "Don't pay attention to what she said."
"If she had just said that, it would have been fine, but she also said I didn't work." Jiang Moli really experienced the saying that distance creates beauty. She had never met Niu Cuihua face to face before, and Niu Cuihua didn't say much on the phone, so she didn't think Niu Cuihua was such a disgusting person. "When she first came, she wanted to stay in our house, stay in our house, and live in our house forever. When I told them to go out and rent a house, she had a sullen face, which was really unpleasant."
"You said to let them rent a house?" Sheng Jiahao asked, "Didn't your uncle and aunt say that?"
"My mom told my brother a long time ago," Jiang Moli said, "I don't know if my brother has told his wife. My brother is not my dad's biological son, and my wife and her people can't let my brother live at home forever. It's okay if my brother is not married, but if he is married, he should move out. If they live at home for too long, they will want to fight for it in the future. My mom wants to give my brother her job, and my grandma also said that they can have the job, but they can't live at home forever. This was all agreed in advance, and it's not just me who said it."
"Next time, let your aunt do it, you don't have to say it." Sheng Jiahao said.
"If my mom goes and tells them, she'll have to suffer too," Jiang Moli said. "I'm not afraid of offending them. This house is mine. I'm my brother's biological sister, there's nothing wrong with that. Brothers should settle accounts clearly. These things have to be accounted for clearly. It's not just a matter of leaving one room empty. They live here and have to eat together, which costs money. If things from all kinds of things are mixed together, many things won't be accounted for clearly. When the time comes, they will feel that they have suffered a loss, and I will also feel that I have suffered a loss."
When Niu Cuihua was doing housework at home, she would feel that she was the one doing all the housework and that Jiang Moli didn't know how to lend a hand. Jiang Moli only knew how to wait for food and clothing to be served. When Niu Cuihua was not around, Jiang Moli herself didn't have to do those things.
People don’t think that they are being taken in, they just think that this home is theirs and the men inherit the property.
The Jiang family's situation is complicated and not as simple as Niu Cuihua thought.
When Jiang's father and mother got married, they never said they would give the house to Zhao Guodong.
"It's hard for you." Sheng Jiahao's family is relatively simple, and he doesn't need to face such a complicated situation.
"It's not that difficult," Jiang Moli said. "Someone has to say it first. I just can't stand my sister-in-law saying bad things about me. If I don't say anything back, she'll think I'm easy to bully. She just came in and said this, clearly testing our bottom line, to see how far we can tolerate her. She and my brother have been married for so many years, she's not a new daughter-in-law."
"If you don't like it, just say it directly." Sheng Jiahao said, "Uncle can't help but stand on your side. As for Auntie, she may have to consider your brother..."
"My mom didn't say much." Jiang Moli shook her head. "My mom has been a mother for so many years, she still knows what she can and can't do. She insists on helping my brother more, which is harming him. It would be better to let my brother move out earlier. If anything really happens to my brother in the future, my parents will help them a little. My brother's grandmother and others are all in South City, and they didn't think of helping him more. He and my mom were kicked out back then."
"Kicked out?" Sheng Jiahao was shocked. He didn't know about this yet. He didn't specifically inquire about the Jiang family's affairs, so he didn't know about this.
"Yes, they were kicked out. My brother's biological father died, and they lived with the rest of the Zhao family." Jiang Moli said, "My mother was still young at the time, and they thought she would remarry, so they kicked her out early."
"Do you want to drive your brother away too?" Sheng Jiahao asked.
"That's right." Jiang Moli nodded. "The Zhao family has other children and grandchildren, so they naturally can't keep my brother. My brother's father's job was also taken over by someone else in the Zhao family, instead of waiting for my brother to grow up and take over. If my brother could take over that job, he wouldn't have to go to the countryside."
The Zhao family was truly cruel to Zhao Guodong, while the Jin family at least knew how to let Jiang Yuqin live a better life. Although the Jin family had bad intentions, they still did more than they could. The Zhao family was afraid that Zhao Guodong would go and snatch things from them, so they had already completed all the necessary procedures. Before they drove Jiang's mother away, they also said that Jiang's mother was having an affair and was flirting with others.
Jiang Moli was not yet born at the time, but she had heard others say that the Zhao family was very excessive, so Jiang's mother did not think of letting Zhao Guodong stay in the Zhao family.
If Jiang's mother hadn't taken Zhao Guodong out with her, and instead had left him at the Zhao family, the Zhao family might have abandoned him immediately, and whether Zhao Guodong could grow up safely would have been a question. Jiang's mother took a boy to a blind date, but many people didn't want her to marry Zhao Guodong, believing that boys were too expensive. Not to mention Zhao Guodong's future marriage and children, just the issue of food. This young boy was eating his parents out, and once Zhao Guodong grew up, there wouldn't be enough food at home.
After hitting a wall everywhere, Jiang's mother met Jiang's father, who accepted Jiang's mother bringing Zhao Guodong with her. When Zhao Guodong was at the Jiang family, he was still able to eat a lot and didn't go hungry.
"Those people are so cruel." Sheng Jiahao said.
"That's right." Jiang Moli said, "That's why my mother doesn't dare to speak loudly to the Jiang family. When my grandmother scolds her, she endures it as much as possible."
If Jiang Moli heard her grandmother say those words, she would trot to her grandmother to make her happy and ask her grandmother not to say those things about her mother.
"I'm not going back for dinner tonight," Jiang Moli said. "I'm going to school for rehearsal. The show will officially start the day after tomorrow."
"Then don't go back, go straight to school." Sheng Jiahao supported Jiang Moli.
Jiang's mother took Zhao Guodong and his wife to look at houses, ultimately settling on a place about a four- or five-minute walk from the Jiangs' home. The place was relatively clean and tidy. It had two rooms, one of which was small and used for storage. It wouldn't be comfortable for adults to sleep in, but it was fine for children. There was no kitchen, so cooking had to be done outside on the street.
Niu Cuihua initially disagreed, finding fault with everything. Jiang's mother didn't care whether Niu Cuihua agreed or not, she just asked Zhao Guodong. Niu Cuihua saw that Zhao Guodong was really determined to book the house, so she had no choice but to agree.
After booking a house and signing the rental agreement, Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong cleaned up the room together. They would clean it up today and could move in tomorrow.
"It's June now, and the Chinese New Year is still several months away." As Jiang's mother helped pack, she thought of the things Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong brought. "You can still save some money. Oh, and didn't you bring any winter clothes? They're hard to carry. Are you waiting for them to be mailed?"
Jiang's mother hadn't wanted to say it, fearing that Niu Cuihua and the others hadn't brought any winter clothes. Winter clothes are expensive, and buying new clothes for the whole family would be a significant expense. In winter, you always need two sets of clothes to change into; you can't wear one set of clothes for the same thing.
"Those clothes are old, and I didn't bring them with me." Niu Cuihua said, "Wearing those clothes makes me look like a beggar. You city people look down on us. If..."
"Stop." Jiang's mother couldn't stand it any longer. What was she saying? She saw Niu Cuihua because Zhao Guodong had a job and wanted him to buy her new clothes. Niu Cuihua didn't want Zhao Guodong to move out because she wanted to save money on rent, which could buy her a lot of things.
If these people really lived at home, most of the food expenses would be paid by Jiang's father and mother, and Zhao Guodong and his wife could still save money.
Mother Jiang thought for a moment and realized that she had seen through Niu Cuihua's thoughts accurately. Niu Cuihua was someone who didn't know how to hide her thoughts, so others could see through them at a glance. Mother Jiang didn't know whether to call Niu Cuihua stupid or greedy.
"You guys can decide for yourselves whether to buy new clothes or wear old ones," Jiang's mother said. "I gave the job to Guodong, and he's taking the salary. I won't take any. You don't have to pay me every month. I can find some odd jobs to support myself. You can manage your own money. We have pots and pans at home, so bring some over. As for the quilts and straw mats you're sleeping on now, just bring them over."
This was all Jiang's mother could do. In just the past day or so, she had seen enough from Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua felt that she wasn't doing a good enough job as a mother-in-law, and that Jiang's mother couldn't count on Niu Cuihua and her husband to provide for her in her old age. Jiang's mother wasn't that stupid. If she were, she wouldn't have married Jiang's father, and she wouldn't have been able to live a good life.
After Jiang's mother left, Niu Cuihua looked at the two children beside her, then at Zhao Guodong, "Why didn't your mother take the children back?"
"It's just a few steps away." Zhao Guodong said, "Maybe Mom wants to get something. Let's clean up quickly while the weather is good. If we clean up now, it will be done by evening."
"Didn't you say you'd move in tomorrow? You're moving in tonight?" Niu Cuihua was unhappy. "We don't have any pots, pans, grains, oil, rice, or flour."
"I'll go buy some later." Zhao Guodong said, "Those things are sold on the street here. You don't have to go far to buy them."
"Everything costs money," Niu Cuihua said, "and we only have so little money."
"Mom gave me some money." Zhao Guodong said.
"Did you really give it to her, or did you pretend it was given to you?" Niu Cuihua asked. "You didn't take your own money and say it was given to you by your mother, did you?"
"It was really given by my mother." Zhao Guodong said. Why didn't he realize that Niu Cuihua was like this before?
Jiang Yuqin lived nearby, and it was only about a ten-minute walk from her to Zhao Guodong's rented house. Jiang Yuqin knew yesterday that Zhao Guodong had returned. If Jiang Yuqin was still Jiang's father's biological daughter, she would definitely come over and make a scene, and she would also ask Jiang's father if he wanted to make amends to Zhao Guodong and if he wanted to give him money.
Now, Jiang Yuqin couldn't do those things. She was thinking if Jiang's mother gave everything in her hands to Zhao Guodong, would Jiang Moli make a fuss? In Jiang Yuqin's eyes, Jiang Moli was a stingy person who always wanted to compete with her.
Jiang Yuqin came home from work and went to her neighbor's house to pick up her adopted son. She had to look after him while she cooked. Jiang Yuqin did not carry her adopted son on her back, but let him sit at the door.
"Aren't you afraid someone might kidnap him if you leave him like this?" A neighbor noticed Jiang Yuqin didn't tie the child with a rope. "A child this age, who loves to run and climb, could easily wander off. You can't watch him all the time while you cook, so you still have to be careful."
"How do I keep an eye on him? Do I have to carry him on my back?" Jiang Yuqin asked. "He's gained some weight recently, so it's a bit heavy to carry."
"If carrying him is difficult, you can tie him up with a rope and tie the other end to the iron bars on the window," the neighbor said. "You can also tie him to a table, but tables are easy to move. Think about it and see what's best. Don't wait until the child disappears and you cry over there."
Jiang Yuqin didn't dare let the child disappear. If the child really disappeared, it couldn't disappear in her hands. Jiang Yuqin boasted that she would be a good adoptive mother and she would definitely do better than Jiang's mother. Jiang Yuqin's mood was complicated, with two thoughts pulling at her heart. On the one hand, she hoped someone would take the child away, and on the other hand, she wanted to be a good adoptive mother.
"Your brother... Oh, not your brother, it's Jiang Moli's brother who's back." The neighbor said, "He's living over at the Jiang family's."
"That's Jiang Moli's brother. That's right, it's Jiang Moli's brother." Jiang Yuqin laughed at herself, "Not my brother."
Jiang Yuqin would rather Zhao Guodong be her biological brother than have such a bad biological father. Jiang Yuqin can only call Jin Er uncle "Second Uncle" instead of "Dad". Those people owed her too much, and she still had to get some of it back.
When Jiang's mother prepared dinner and Jiang's father sat at the table, everyone ate together.
"Where's Jasmine? She didn't come back for dinner?" Niu Cuihua asked, "Could it be that she went out to eat because I was here?"
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