Chapter 32: Cannibalism They Are Sucking Your Blood
"Do you want it spicy?" Jiang Moli asked.
"Anything is fine." Sheng Jiahao said, with a large plate of dumplings in front of him.
Jiang's father and mother were sitting nearby, and the table was filled with several dishes, some of which were cooked by Jiang's mother and some brought by Sheng Jiahao.
The door to the living room was open, not closed, so passersby could see him. Besides, Sheng Jiahao was such a big man, and his car was parked there. Even if the door to the living room was closed, others would know that Sheng Jiahao was at the Jiang family.
While Sheng Jiahao ate dumplings at Jiang's house, Niu Cuihua and her children made dumplings for themselves in their rental apartment. Niu Cuihua actually bought some meat to make dumplings, insisting on eating them. "Your sister-in-law's boyfriend is here," someone passing by Niu Cuihua's home said.
Niu Cuihua's rented house was right on the street, so passing neighbors could easily spot her cooking outside. Once they saw her, they started talking. Hearing this, Niu Cuihua felt even more upset. Jiang's mother had asked Sheng Jiahao to eat dumplings at home, and wouldn't even let her grandson and granddaughter eat there.
If Jiang's mother knew what Niu Cuihua was thinking, she would definitely say that Sheng Jiahao brought so many things with him, and since Sheng Jiahao was the Jiang family's future son-in-law, Jiang's father would naturally be happy to have him stay for dinner. If Niu Cuihua could satisfy Jiang's father that much, she would also bring her children to stay for dumplings.
After dinner, Sheng Jiahao went back first. This time, he didn't go for a walk with Jiang Moli. Sheng Jiahao had some things to deal with when he got back.
After Niu Cuihua finished making the dumplings, she looked outside to see if Sheng Jiahao had finished eating. She wondered if Sheng Jiahao was going to go for a walk with Jiang Moli or just leave. When Zhao Guodong came back, he saw Niu Cuihua peeking over there. He followed her gaze but saw nothing.
"What are you looking at?" Zhao Guodong asked.
"Your mom bought a lot of meat and vegetables. I thought she had so much delicious food over there that she would definitely invite us over to eat. So I went over there early to help, but your mom said she didn't buy much and told us to come back and eat on our own." Niu Cuihua said, "She also said something about different family situations. Isn't she your biological mom? Why can't we go over to eat? My parents made delicious food and asked us to come over to eat."
"You..." Zhao Guodong was speechless. Everyone lived nearby, so it was impossible for Mom to buy some delicious food and then have everyone go over to eat. "My little sister is graduating soon, and Mom is here to celebrate her graduation. What are you doing over there?"
"Your younger sister has graduated, so we can't eat there anymore?" Niu Cuihua asked, "Only your younger sister and her boyfriend can eat delicious food? We can't eat?"
Zhao Guodong entered the room and saw the dumplings. "Isn't this here?"
"I bought this myself," Niu Cuihua said. "If I didn't buy it, would you have anything to eat? Would you have waited for your mother to serve it to us? Is that even possible?"
Niu Cuihua felt resentful. In her opinion, a mother-in-law should consider her son and daughter-in-law more. If Jiang's mother had several sons, it would be fine if Jiang's mother treated Zhao Guodong badly, but Jiang's mother only had Zhao Guodong as a son. Niu Cuihua believed that Jiang's mother should focus on Zhao Guodong instead of Jiang Moli.
"Your younger sister's boyfriend hasn't even married her yet, and your mother is already rushing to curry favor with him," said Niu Cuihua.
"This isn't flattery, don't say that." Zhao Guodong said, "Do you want Mom to come over to see you? Are you happy when you keep saying these things?"
"I..." Niu Cuihua curled her lips.
"Let's eat our own food. Don't always keep an eye on what's eating at Mom's place." Zhao Guodong said, "Mom's family doesn't eat delicious food every day either. If they eat meat, it's because my uncle and my younger sister can earn money. Mom doesn't make any money now, and her pension won't be available so soon. She'll have to wait a few years. Every penny she spends is a penny less, so she still needs money from my uncle."
Zhao Guodong said a few more words to Niu Cuihua, asking her to mind her mouth.
"Hasn't Mom been working for so many years?" Niu Cuihua said.
"Didn't you need food and drink before I went to the countryside?" Zhao Guodong asked, "After I went to the countryside, my mother sent us a lot of things. Didn't we have to spend money to buy those things? Cuihua, your parents were by our side at the time. They helped us, and we could see them more easily. That's not wrong. You can say they helped us a lot. But it's not that my mother didn't help us. She spent money to buy things and sent them to us. It's not that she didn't care, it's because we were too far away. You can't always say that about my mother? You have to compare our family with yours."
Zhao Guodong was also unhappy because Niu Cuihua would talk about every little thing she saw.
"Zhao Guodong, you have changed." Niu Cuihua said.
"Is it me who has changed, or you?" Zhao Guodong said, "After you came to the city, you did all these things... Do we have to eat what my mom eats? We calculated it before, and there's less than 30 yuan left. We're eating dumplings today, what are we going to eat tomorrow? Doesn't this cost money?"
Niu Cuihua was so extravagant, wanting to eat and wear good things, which shocked Zhao Guodong. It all came from money. Zhao Guodong had so little money. If it ran out, he would have to go to the factory for an advance. If the factory was unwilling to give him an advance, he would have to borrow money.
Zhao Guodong knew some people, but it was not easy to borrow money from them, as they might not have that much money.
When Niu Cuihua saw Zhao Guodong's stern face, she realized that they didn't have much money left.
"Isn't it your mother who inspired me to do this?" Niu Cuihua said, "I've already bought it and prepared it. Eat it, eat it, eat it first."
When Jiang Moli learned that Niu Cuihua bought meat to make dumplings for herself, she looked at her mother. Jiang Moli was walking with her mother while her father went to watch people play chess.
"Why are you looking at me?" asked Jiang's mother.
"I just think you're so majestic and great," Jiang Moli said, "You're not afraid of offending anyone."
"Don't be afraid of offending people. If you don't offend others, they will offend you," Jiang's mother said. "Some situations can be tolerated, and some situations can't be tolerated. Although I am your brother's only son, sons are not necessarily as filial as daughters. Look at some families. When parents have something to do, the daughters are the ones running around and taking care of the parents, while the sons don't care for them as much."
Jiang's mother wasn't so foolish as to focus solely on her son. Frankly, Zhao Guodong was a member of the Zhao family. The Zhao family had driven both Zhao Guodong and Jiang's mother out in the first place. Jiang's mother was worried about her old age and Zhao Guodong driving her out. Zhao Guodong had the blood of the Zhao family flowing through his veins, and that couldn't be changed. He was just afraid that Zhao Guodong was inherently cold-blooded and heartless.
No matter how well Zhao Guodong performs now, Jiang's mother still has to save money for her retirement and can't rely on Zhao Guodong. Jiang's mother is remarried, and she thinks she has treated Zhao Guodong well enough, but Zhao Guodong may not feel the same way. Niu Cuihua may say something unpleasant to Zhao Guodong.
Jiang's mother's heart is as clear as a mirror. It is better to rely on yourself than on others. It is better to think more on your own than to look for help from others in the future.
"My relationship with your sister-in-law is just like this, and I'm afraid it won't get better." Jiang's mother said, "I don't need you to say too much to her. It's no good when a sister-in-law says bad things about her. Others think you're trying to sow discord, and that's why our relationship is so bad. Just stay out of your sister-in-law's business and pretend you didn't see anything. If she says anything about you, tell me and I'll tell her."
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded. She understood what Jiang's mother meant. Jiang's mother still cared about Zhao Guodong. Jiang Moli felt that it was normal for Jiang's mother to do this. Zhao Guodong was also a piece of flesh that fell from Jiang's mother. It was impossible for Jiang's mother to only care about Jiang Moli. "Mom, my sister-in-law and the others are spending so much money, the money will soon run out."
Over the years, Jiang Moli had saved some money, and she didn't dare spend as lavishly as Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua always bought good clothes, and she bought a lot of them. She bought clothes for summer, winter, and all seasons. Niu Cuihua bought a lot of clothes, saying that it would be cheaper if she didn't buy them in season. Niu Cuihua did save money by buying so many clothes at once, but the total price was displayed there.
Jiang Moli also heard that Niu Cuihua had sent a lot of things back to her parents' home. Niu Cuihua was truly generous. After returning to the city, Niu Cuihua and her husband seemed to have found their feet, but they weren't there yet. Niu Cuihua and her husband still had a lot of money to spend, and Niu Cuihua didn't have a plan. Jiang Moli didn't know how much money Zhao Guodong had saved originally; she only knew that she didn't have much saved herself.
"It doesn't matter whether it's the bottom or not. Your brother has a job. He's a grown man, so he has to take care of those things." Jiang's mother said.
Jiang's mother originally wanted to bring a plate of dumplings after dinner, but then she thought better of it. She couldn't let Niu Cuihua climb up the ladder. Jiang's mother thought she was being good enough to Niu Cuihua and her husband, but Niu Cuihua was still finding fault with her. Jiang's mother simply gave Niu Cuihua a cold shoulder and spoke directly to her. She was afraid that if she was more subtle, Niu Cuihua wouldn't understand.
Niu Cuihua has never experienced a reconstituted family or a middle-married couple, but she should also listen to what others say.
"Do you still want to go to your previous unit?" asked Jiang's mother.
"I'll go there in a couple of days," Jiang Moli said. "Those people are going to compete for the role I originally wanted. I'm not a judge, I'm just going to join in the fun. Many people in the unit went to see it, not just the judges."
"Aren't you afraid that others will ask for your opinion?" asked Jiang's mother.
"When others ask me, I just say it's not within my scope of responsibility and I won't talk about it," Jiang Moli said. "They also say that I have preconceived notions about the roles I've played and have limitations. It's a good thing that others can express feelings differently from me, which shows that there is freshness and vitality."
Jiang Moli had already thought about what she was going to say. She had to join in the fun. People just love to be together, and they love gossip. So many people from the troupe were going to watch, so Jiang Moli wouldn't be missing out. Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran were getting along so well, so they were going to watch the competition together. After the competition was over, Jiang Moli would go to her new unit and probably wouldn't come to watch the fun much anymore.
The day before the competition started, Second Aunt Qi came to the Qi family for dinner. He Jingxian was about to participate in the competition, and Second Aunt Qi had some words to tell He Jingxian.
"You don't have to worry about Jiang Moli putting obstacles in your way. She's not a judge, so she can't influence everyone's decision." Aunt Qi said, "If she goes, she'll just be watching from the side. If you really see her, don't get excited, and don't act like someone is trying to trick you. Jiang Moli is okay. She'll do what she says. She'll just watch the fun and won't do anything else. Just don't be stupid enough to offend her."
"I didn't offend her." He Jingxian said, "That was all in the past."
"Working is different from when you were in school, so you should be more careful with your mouth." Aunt Qi said, "I've established good relationships with them. Don't behave too badly, they will still support you. As for the final result, it depends on your performance."
Second Aunt Qi had made a lot of preparations for He Jingxian's situation, even finding the judges, just to help He Jingxian win the role. If Second Aunt Qi tried so hard and He Jingxian still couldn't get the role, then it was He Jingxian's own problem, not Second Aunt Qi's. Second Aunt Qi was helping He Jingxian because she was her niece's wife.
"Talk less, do more," Aunt Qi emphasized. "Don't think that just because you're my niece's wife, you'll definitely be chosen. It's very complicated. Just because you have connections, doesn't that mean others can't have connections?"
Second Aunt Qi worried that if He Jingxian didn't win the role, she might say something at the competition. Some things couldn't be said, and she worried that He Jingxian might offend others. Second Aunt Qi sometimes wondered if she was right or wrong in helping He Jingxian get into this company. Now that things had come to this, whether she regretted it or not was no longer important.
"Also, you've just joined the company, so don't worry about whether you'll get a room or not." Aunt Qi reminded He Jingxian again, "There are still many old employees in the company who don't have a house. Look at Zhou Yaran, learn from her. Zhou Yaran knows how to behave, and everyone likes her, not many people dislike her. We're all relatives, so just take it easy on her."
He Jingxian felt that she was not simply a relative, she was capable, but because she was a local directional commissioned trainee, she had to ask Second Aunt Qi for help. He Jingxian thought so in her heart, but did not say it out loud, for she was afraid of upsetting Second Aunt Qi.
Mother Qi brought some fruit to Second Aunt Qi and said with a smile, "I'll have to trouble you to help me, your daughter-in-law."
"We're all family." Aunt Qi said, "I'll definitely help if I can."
"With you as her aunt, she can avoid many detours." said Qi's mother.
"I've told her everything," said Aunt Qi Er. "Don't think about the housing allocation for now. The seniors haven't even been allocated a house yet, so it's not appropriate for her to apply."
"They can live at home first," Qi's mother said. "If they feel the room is too small, they can move out and rent a house. It's great that you can let her go to your company. As for whether they get a separate room or not, that's not important."
"That's good. If you want me to solve the housing issue, I can't do it." Aunt Qi said, "I'm just a small leader. There are some things I can't control or interfere with. If I interfere too much, it will be difficult for me to get along in the company. If things don't get done, I will also suffer."
Second Aunt Qi was afraid that Mother Qi would make it difficult for her and that Mother Qi would force her to help He Jingxian apply for a house. Some people at the workplace were talking about the housing allocation. Some people thought that He Jingxian married Qi Shixin in order to transfer to the Nancheng Theater. Since He Jingxian had joined the workplace and had a Nancheng household registration, she might be thinking about the housing allocation. This was also one of the reasons why everyone isolated He Jingxian. He Jingxian, as a relative, was too ambitious, and they all thought that He Jingxian would definitely fight for it.
No one else fights and competes like He Jingxian. Even if others fight and compete, they are still much better than He Jingxian.
He Jingxian felt a little sad when she heard what Aunt Qi said to Mother Qi. She blamed herself for not being strong enough and not being born in South City, which is why she needed these people's help. Whenever He Jingxian thought of Jiang Moli, she felt that Jiang Moli had a good background.
The day of the competition soon arrived. When Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran went to the theater, many people from the unit came over. They were all sitting in the audience, waiting for the performance of those people.
Liang Tong became a judge, and she definitely would not stand on He Jingxian's side. Second Aunt Qi did not serve as a judge to avoid suspicion.
"Your mother is also a judge." Jiang Moli saw Zhou's mother, who was sitting in the front row.
"Well, she's going to be a judge," Zhou Yiran said. "My mom didn't want to be a judge at first, saying that since He Jingxian and I were classmates, she had to avoid suspicion. My mom said the leaders had said everyone should avoid suspicion, so no one else would be a judge. So my mom had no choice but to be a judge and fill in. Look at the judges, one, two, three, four, five... there were about ten people."
"There are so many judges, which is good." Jiang Moli said, "They are all seniors."
"Aren't they seniors? They're also seniors from the 'Five Women Paying Homage' group," Zhou Yiran said. "It's all about being fair and objective."
Zhou Yiran thought that Second Aunt Qi must have arranged for a lot of people, but she didn't know whether those people would stand on He Jingxian's side today.
"Take a good look," Zhou Yiran said. "Those people can't sing as well as you. If they really could sing better than you, they should be the ones to perform, not you."
Those people have basically competed with Jiang Moli, but they have never been able to defeat Jiang Moli.
"This time, some people clearly have no chance and are just runners-up," Zhou Yiran said. "If I had participated, my mom would have said she wouldn't be a judge. I didn't participate, but those people insisted that my mom be a judge, so she had no choice. As for what the outcome will be, it all depends on how those people perform. Honestly, He Jingxian has a great chance of being selected."
Zhou Yiran looked around, didn't say anything, but stretched out her hand and gestured, money.
Second Aunt Qi helped He Jingxian find some judges and even gave them some money. If Second Aunt Qi hadn't found people and given them money, those people might not necessarily side with He Jingxian; they might side with someone else. Not everyone can find people like He Jingxian did, but Second Aunt Qi was there. Second Aunt Qi could also help others with some things, and by helping each other, others would side with He Jingxian, as long as He Jingxian didn't make any mistakes.
Those competing were all wearing makeup and costumes. Some were quite nervous and were taking deep breaths.
He Jingxian was not the first to participate in the competition, nor was she the last. When He Jingxian went on stage, she accidentally fell and twisted her ankle. He Jingxian looked back and saw nothing unusual on the ground. She wondered if someone had set her up.
"Let's start." The judges didn't say anything to let He Jingxian take a short break.
In their line of work, even if there's a minor problem, they'll still go if they can, unless it's a major problem. He Jingxian accidentally fell, so that was He Jingxian's problem. No one else fell, so why did He Jingxian fall?
"Master..." He Jingxian started, but after only one word, she felt a little uncomfortable and said, "Wait a minute, I'm a little nervous. I accidentally fell just now. Can I have a drink of water first?"
"Okay." The judges nodded.
Aunt Qi looked at He Jingxian like this and her face looked unhappy. What was He Jingxian doing? She fell down and asked for water.
After He Jingxian drank the water, she continued her performance without stopping this time. He Jingxian just saw that Aunt Qi's face was not good, and she also realized the problem, but she had just said those words and done those things.
Aunt Qi had told He Jingxian a long time ago not to treat her as if she was still in school. This is not a school. This is not a school.
Jiang Moli was speechless when she saw He Jingxian's actions.
"What is she doing?" Jiang Moli turned to look at Zhou Yiran.
"She's confident," Zhou Yiran said. "We've already taken care of everything. She just fell and drank some water. What could possibly happen?"
Zhou Yiran sneered, saying that He Jingxian was really not low-key at all, and was so high-profile, as if she was afraid that others didn't know that He Jingxian relied on connections.
When the judges gave their scores, Zhou's mother didn't give He Jingxian a high score and even commented, "Your performance was unstable on the spot. Once you're on stage, you're likely to make mistakes. You're not calm enough."
Zhou's mother gave higher scores to other people, but it was useless because others gave high scores to He Jingxian.
One judge even contradicted Zhou's mother, saying, "Jingxian is still young and just graduated from school, so it's natural for her to be nervous. Unlike the others, who have been working in the company for many years and we are all acquaintances of theirs, they are not that nervous."
The judges clearly wanted to help He Jingxian, so Zhou's mother naturally couldn't object. What was the point of objecting? Her objection was useless. Didn't you see so many judges? What mattered was whose side they sided with. If the judges sided with He Jingxian, nothing Zhou's mother said would matter.
"Moli." Liang Tong turned to look at Jiang Moli, "Tell me about it. You've performed so many shows, and you have a deep understanding of it."
"A thousand people, a thousand Hamlets." Jiang Moli said, "I'm in it, so it's hard to say. There's a line in poetry that goes, 'I don't know the true face of Mount Lu because I'm already in it.' I'm stuck in it and can't escape it. Everyone's performance has their own unique characteristics; it's not fixed."
Jiang Moli refused to speak, and Liang Tong wanted to drag Jiang Moli into the water and let Jiang Moli say that He Jingxian was not good enough. Liang Tong had wanted Jiang Moli to be a judge before, and Jiang Moli did not want to be a judge. Suddenly, Liang Tong saw that the judges stood on He Jingxian's side, and thought of Jiang Moli again.
Since most of the judges gave He Jingxian high scores, He Jingxian received more votes and won.
Jiang Moli saw the result and wasn't surprised. He Jingxian had connections, people with backers were different. Those with backers were able to play relatively important roles right from the start, and they got in through a so-called competition. Externally, they could still say it was a fair and just selection. Internally, everyone knew what was going on.
Someone who appeared to be better than He Jingxian, but didn't make the cut, was red-eyed and wanted to make a scene, but the people around him pulled him back and shook their heads at him. They still had to work at the company, and if he got angry at that moment, it would be offensive. He could only suppress his dissatisfaction. This is how the workplace is, and it's inevitable to feel frustrated. When encountering problems, you can't just say it's cheating, it's unfair.
"As expected, this is the result." Zhou Yiran said, "Everyone is just watching the fun."
"It's just to watch the fun, otherwise, what are we watching?" Jiang Moli said, Second Aunt Qi is really capable.
Jiang Moli couldn't help but wonder if He Jingxian would have taken action against her sooner or later if she hadn't been transferred to the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers. He Jingxian couldn't always be content with playing a small role, and Liang Tong couldn't back down. Over time, He Jingxian would wonder if Jiang Moli was easy to control.
He Jingxian had a lot of contact with Jiang Moli at school, and she knew Jiang Moli's temper, so she didn't confront Jiang Moli at the beginning.
Some people were crying because they were not selected. Even though they had good abilities and high scores from the judges, what was the point? They failed because they had no connections.
He Jingxian was very happy when she was chosen, but Aunt Qi pulled her into a corner and scolded her harshly.
"What are you doing?" Aunt Qi asked, "You wanted to drink some water, but couldn't you have it beforehand? Why did you have to drink it on stage? Are you afraid that others won't know you're related?"
"I was just impulsive at the time." He Jingxian already knew that her behavior was wrong, but she really just said it casually at the time.
"This matter is what it is. It has already happened and cannot be changed." Aunt Qi said, "Is it sprained?"
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt too much. I think there's no bone damage. It should heal soon." He Jingxian said, "It definitely won't affect the performance."
"Hurry up and apply the medicine. If you affect the performance, it won't be you who will go up, but someone else." Aunt Qi said, "If someone else goes up, it won't be so easy for you to go up."
Second Aunt Qi said a few words to He Jingxian and then stopped talking.
The game is over and everyone disperses.
Jiang Moli has already completed the formalities. She will no longer be a member of this unit, but will report to the Provincial Xiaobaihua. When Jiang Moli and He Jingxian looked at each other, neither of them spoke.
He Jingxian was told by Aunt Qi, but she was still very happy because she got the role. When He Jingxian looked at Jiang Moli, the smile on her face faded a little. This role originally belonged to Jiang Moli. It was as if He Jingxian was suppressed because she was not as good as Jiang Moli. This was also the reason why He Jingxian wanted other more important roles. However, He Jingxian did not have such great ability, and Aunt Qi did not dare to let He Jingxian play a more important role.
Jiang Moli and Zhou Yiran walked together. They just went to the backstage to take a look. They saw their colleague crying and could only say that there would be another chance next time. The colleague cried even louder.
Opportunities don't always come. Sometimes they only come once or twice a year. If you miss it, you don't know when you'll get another chance. Some plays don't just last a year, they last for several years, and sometimes they can even continue to be performed forever.
"It's so tragic. She cried so much that her makeup was all smudged." Zhou Yiran sighed and shook her head. "Having some ability but no connections is just as miserable as it is. Unless you're exceptional, like you were back then, so talented that others see you and don't try to compete with you. The gap isn't that big, so there's more room for maneuver, and someone else can replace her."
Zhou Yaran was like that. Her abilities weren't too bad, and she could have filled in for someone else if she really wanted to. But Zhou Yaran didn't want to do that, and her mother wouldn't let her. She wasn't particularly gifted, nor was she particularly capable. She just needed to make a living, and not dream of becoming a famous actress. With Zhou Yaran's abilities, she wouldn't be able to become one.
"My mom said that as long as I can do the little I have on hand, it's fine. If I do more, I won't be able to do it well and will only mess things up." Zhou Yiran said, "I even joked that my mom looked down on me. She said she couldn't let me embarrass her."
"If you really want to fight for it, your mother will agree, but she won't make it easy for you." Jiang Moli said.
"No, I just want to lay low and not fight. I can make a living like this, and everyone likes me, which is great." Zhou Yiran said, "I've made up my mind. I'm going to find a partner in a year or two, get married, and have kids. I have a minor role, so having kids early is fine. It won't affect the performance."
Their line of work pays attention to body shape. It's okay if the woman's pregnancy isn't obvious in the early stages, but if it becomes obvious later on, it's not convenient for her to go on stage, and she has to let others go.
Zhou Yaran wanted to live a good life, "but I don't know if it can go according to my plan."
"Of course." Jiang Moli said, "If you don't want to find a partner, your mother will introduce you to someone."
"That's good, that's good." Zhou Yiran said, "Come to think of it, my mother must want me to leave home as soon as possible so that she doesn't have to worry about my affairs."
Zhou Yaran has other siblings; she's not her mother's only child. Zhou Yaran's parents are very knowledgeable about planning their children's futures, ensuring some work in factories and others join the military. Parents with some education know how to pave the way for their children's futures, preparing them from a young age rather than waiting until the last minute to make decisions. Decisions made at the last minute aren't always effective.
Sheng Jiahao came to pick up Jiang Moli. He didn't watch He Jingxian's game, nor did he care about He Jingxian. Sheng Jiahao just listened to Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli said a lot of things, and finally said, "It's good to have connections. This society is a huge network of favors."
"That's true. When we do business, we have to be considerate of relationships. Nancheng isn't a big city, but it's not a small one either. Many things can be difficult to handle without connections," Sheng Jiahao said. "The relevant departments will block your procedures, sending you to another department, which will then send you back to this department. You'll have to run back and forth between several departments for a month and still not get things done. I didn't go to other cities, but came back to our own city for this reason. I know a lot of people here."
Sheng Jiahao's father and brother both worked in relevant departments, and his second brother-in-law worked in the judicial department. With his family's connections, Sheng Jiahao found it much easier to get things done in Nancheng, and others didn't give him too much trouble. In other cities, Sheng Jiahao might have been embarrassed and had to spend a lot of money, which might not have guaranteed results.
"You have no idea how hard my colleague cried," Jiang Moli said. "'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents' is a huge hit, and many places are specifically asking for us to perform in it. The show is also doing well at the box office, with lots of tickets sold. Performing more often won't just mean more money, but also greater fame, which will allow us to play more important roles in the future."
"Crying is useless." Sheng Jiahao said, "Before the game, you all knew that the other person had a backer."
"Yeah, everyone knows." Jiang Moli nodded. "I guess her colleagues thought with so many people around, maybe it would be fairer. But it turned out not to be so fair, and she was eliminated. She cried so hard that her eyes were red. I saw her about to jump up and say something else, but she was stopped by the people next to her. They will work in the same unit in the future, so it's no use questioning it, the result is still the same."
"There are so many judges, and so many of them are on the other side. There's nothing we can do," Sheng Jiahao said. "Even if this colleague went to greet the judges in advance and gave them money, it would be useless. They will look at who can benefit them the most. It's not just about choosing the most capable person, but also who can repay them the most."
When Sheng Jiahao does business, they are particular about who they do business with and what price they charge. People with connections can help others get things done, save trouble and worry, and even do things better than people with ability.
Every industry is different. Sheng Jiahao can't say that opera singers with connections will do better, but that's true in some industries. There's a delicate balance between connections and ability. When one's ability isn't particularly strong, others choose connections. When one's ability reaches a certain level, they inevitably have connections.
"Sympathize with that colleague?" Sheng Jiahao asked.
"There's no point in sympathizing, and I can't possibly interfere," Jiang Moli said. "Just now, a senior asked me to comment on something, but I won't. There's nothing to comment on. Everyone's interpretation is different, and we have to allow others to be innovative and have their own unique characteristics."
"It's right not to interfere," Sheng Jiahao said. "You've already left your current company, and you're not a leader. Even if you intervene, you can't change the outcome. Leaving and causing yourself more trouble is not worth it. In this society, many people are selfish. People need to think more about themselves and not always think about contributing to society and giving to others. Others may not appreciate you and may feel that you haven't helped enough."
Sheng Jiahao is willing to donate money to charity, but if it requires people around him to stand up and speak well of others, then forget it. Some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface, and it is not just a good deed.
"That's right." Jiang Moli said, "That's why I didn't say too much. If I said too much, others would still hate me. Even if they and I are no longer in the same unit, we are still in the same circle. If I offend others for my good friend, then there is no problem. They and I are just ordinary colleagues. Why should I say so much?"
Jiang Moli knows her limits, isn't too vindictive, and isn't too extreme. She needs to be a little more tactful and not rush into things the moment they arise.
Because Jiang Yuqin had to take care of the children, she was very busy every time she went to and from work, cooking, taking care of the children, and doing the laundry. Wang Chunfen couldn't help Jiang Yuqin all the time, and she felt that Jiang Yuqin didn't know how to choose a man, so she found such a hands-off man.
It was obviously Ding Chao who was supposed to raise the child, but after Ding Chao married Jiang Yuqin, Ding Chao did not take much care of the child, and the responsibility of taking care of the child fell on Jiang Yuqin.
It wasn't time to leave yet, and Jiang Yuqin was checking the wall clock again, wondering if it was time to leave. The factory wasn't particularly busy, not particularly busy. Many factories are like this now, with fewer orders than before, and a bit of a relief. The factory is responsible for its own profits and losses, and has to find orders on its own. The factory leaders are worried that if there aren't enough orders, they won't be able to pay their employees their full wages.
"Are you thinking about your man or your adopted son?" Wang Chunfen asked Jiang Yuqin.
"I want to... I want to, I want to." Jiang Yuqin said, "The child is still young. When he is a little older, I can bring him to the office."
The company has people specifically responsible for taking care of children, but the child cannot be too young. If the child is too young, no one can take care of him.
When it was time to get off work, Jiang Yuqin hurriedly packed up and left.
"Are you in such a hurry?" Wang Chunfen asked.
"I have to go back and cook," Jiang Yuqin said. "The child's injuries are much better, but I still need to keep an eye on him. I need to make him some steamed eggs with minced meat. A little meat will make him eat more deliciously."
"You're really good to him, preparing food for him every day," Wang Chunfen said. "Aren't you afraid that he'll become picky about food?"
"He is the only child of his father who died. Ding Chao said that we two adults should eat less and let the child eat more good food to nourish him." Jiang Yuqin said.
"Jiang Yuqin, this is really unlike you. When you were in your family... when you were in the Jiang family, you always had to eat the best food in the family," Wang Chunfen said. "Look, now that you're married, the food isn't as good as before. All the delicious food has to be given to your adopted son, your man. Where's your former energy? Don't you need to eat the delicious food yourself?"
Wang Chunfen saw that Jiang Yuqin had lost a lot of weight. She worked so hard for a man like Ding Chao and for someone else's child.
"The past is the past, and the present is the present." Jiang Yuqin said, "I am a mother now, a wife. Of course I have to think more about them. This is a home, a warm home."
"Your home is warm?" Wang Chunfen did not feel how warm Jiang Yuqin's home was. She only felt the word 'cannibalism'.
Jiang Yuqin used to be so energetic. She would always wonder if the people in the Jiang family were hiding delicious food. She would have to eat more delicious food when she returned home, and she would have to look around the kitchen and the cabinets. Jiang Yuqin would also tell Wang Chunfen what those people were like and what she, Jiang Yuqin, would have to do.
Now it seems that the Jiang family is too good to Jiang Yuqin. Even for a family like the Jiang family, Jiang Yuqin still says that it is not warm enough, only Ding Chao is warm. No wonder others say that Jiang Yuqin is very similar to her biological mother.
"You are being treated as a blood bag and they are sucking your blood." Wang Chunfen reminded Jiang Yuqin.
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