Chapter 34: I wonder if you are hiding something from me?
Zhao Guodong felt sick when he heard what Aunt Zhao San said. Aunt Zhao San didn't recognize him and was still questioning him.
"I don't know. You wait at the door, maybe he will come out." Zhao Guodong said.
Zhao Guodong walked away quickly. He didn't want to bother with Aunt Zhao San. When Aunt Zhao San went to the office gate, Zhao Guodong ran away.
When Aunt Zhao San turned around, Zhao Guodong had already run very far away.
"Do you know Zhao Guodong?" Aunt Zhao San asked others.
"That's him, the one who just talked to you." Someone said.
"He is?" Aunt Zhao couldn't believe it. She was standing in front of Zhao Guodong, and she had said all those things, but Zhao Guodong pretended to know nothing. This made Aunt Zhao very angry. Zhao Guodong must have done it on purpose.
When Zhao Guodong saw the wound on her face, he ran away.
"Damn it, he's as despicable as his mother." said Aunt Zhao San.
"Don't talk nonsense." Jiang's mother used to work at this company, and some people knew her. When they heard Aunt Zhao San say this, they were naturally upset. "Who are you to say such things here?"
"I'm Zhao Guodong's biological aunt, his mother's ex-husband's sister!" Aunt Zhao San said, "Who else could I be?"
Third Aunt Zhao left in a rage. Zhao Guodong had already left, so there was no point in her standing there. How could Zhao Guodong just run away like that? How could he not say a few words to her? Third Aunt Zhao still had a lot to say to Zhao Guodong. She wanted to criticize Jiang's mother and ask him to be filial to Old Lady Zhao and the others.
When Zhao Guodong returned home, Niu Cuihua spoke up, "Your third aunt came and asked you to give your grandparents some support. I didn't give her money, and she got upset. Mom came over, and she started fighting with her."
"Don't give me money," Zhao Guodong said. "They didn't raise me, and they kicked me out. Now you're asking me for money? No way."
"How could they be so mean?" Niu Cuihua said, "You didn't see it just now. Mom was very fierce. As soon as she came over, she grabbed her scalp and beat her directly."
"She deserves a beating!" Zhao Guodong said, "What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Of course I was helping Mom. I went up and hit her directly." Niu Cuihua said, "They didn't take care of you, so how can they expect you to take care of grandpa and grandma in their old age? My younger sister also said today that they have to pay child support first."
"They can't give it to you." Zhao Guodong said.
"If they don't give, then you shouldn't support your grandparents in their old age," Niu Cuihua said. "I used to think your mom was a bad person, but now I see that the people on your dad's side are no good. You're back, and they don't give you money to buy things, but they just keep asking for money. They even say that your two uncles have supported your grandparents for so many years, so it's your turn to pay for their support."
When Niu Cuihua heard those words, she felt incredulous. If the Zhao family were truly good, Zhao Guodong would have spoken of them in front of Niu Cuihua. Even someone as bad as Jiang Yuqin, Zhao Guodong would have spoken of them to Niu Cuihua. It can only be said that the Zhao family are beasts. Those people are truly bad, so Zhao Guodong didn't say much about them.
"No money." Zhao Guodong said.
"Will they go to your unit to cause trouble?" Niu Cuihua asked.
"They don't dare. If they dare to cause trouble at my workplace, I can also cause trouble at theirs," Zhao Guodong said. "At most, they will come to us and pressure us. They won't dare to make a big deal out of it. They will use filial piety to pressure us and force us to pay. You do whatever mom says. Watch how mom does it, and learn from her. The people over at the Zhao family are not my relatives, they are all demons."
Zhao Guodong thought about the hardships he had endured in the past. He didn't resent his mother for remarrying. If his mother, a weak woman, hadn't remarried, neither he nor his son would have survived. The Zhao family wouldn't have let them off. After the Zhao family kicked them out, they continued to harass them. When Jiang's mother went on a blind date, others knew about her previous in-laws' family and were afraid to marry her.
Those pains are not something that ordinary people can understand.
When Zhao Guodong was at the Jiang family, Jiang's mother didn't ask him to endure too much, but she did say some words to make him more sensible. Jiang's mother had no choice. She was remarried and still lived in Jiang's father's house. Jiang's father was willing to support Zhao Guodong with Jiang's mother, which was already very good. Jiang's mother didn't dare to hope that Jiang's father would help Zhao Guodong more. Everyone has selfish motives. If it weren't for the special era, perhaps Zhao Guodong wouldn't have to go to the countryside.
"Your mother still cares about you." Niu Cuihua said.
"Mom has always cared about me. She sent us so many things, and my younger sister also bought a lot of things and sent them to us," Zhao Guodong said. "So many things, and Uncle didn't stop them from sending them. We came back, and you said so many unpleasant things, so sarcastic, but Mom still gave us money to buy things. Don't blame me for saying those unpleasant things to you, it's because Mom has suffered so much."
Niu Cuihua pursed her lips. Perhaps because Jiang's mother stood on Niu Cuihua and her husband's side today and even beat up Aunt Zhao San, Niu Cuihua felt that Jiang's mother was very good again. After what happened today, Niu Cuihua didn't dare to say that Jiang's mother was not good to Zhao Guodong. Facing such a demon in the Zhao family, it was indeed not easy for Jiang's mother to raise Zhao Guodong.
"No wonder you didn't talk about the Zhao family before." Niu Cuihua said.
"Third Auntie went to the office gate to wait for me today. I stood in front of her, but she didn't recognize me." Zhao Guodong said, "I recognized her, but she didn't recognize me."
Even if Aunt Zhao San didn't introduce herself, Zhao Guodong recognized her.
Zhao Guodong had once been to the Zhao family and thought about asking them to help him, but he knew they wouldn't. They only wanted money from Zhao Guodong, not from him.
"When I was very young, I went to look for them without my mother's knowledge," Zhao Guodong said. "I hoped they would give me some money, but they didn't. They said I was a bastard."
When Zhao Guodong recalled the past, he felt very sad.
"They said it was my mom who asked me to ask them for money. My mom didn't ask me to ask them for money. She told me to pretend those relatives didn't exist," Zhao Guodong said. "My mom didn't change my last name because of my deceased father. If she had, those people would have called me a bastard."
Zhao Guodong had been through a lot, but he hadn't told Niu Cuihua about it before because he didn't want to open up his wounds. Now that the Zhao family had come to visit, Zhao Guodong had to tell Niu Cuihua about it, lest she remain in the dark. Zhao Guodong was even more afraid that Niu Cuihua would side with the Zhao family and persuade him to be filial to Old Lady Zhao and her family.
"If they say they're going to give us houses or property, don't believe them. They won't give us any," Zhao Guodong said. "They're just dangling a big carrot in front of us to get us to pay first."
"Radishes are not worth much." Niu Cuihua said.
"Don't believe them anyway. No matter how nice their words are, they're useless," Zhao Guodong said. "What Mom said might be a little harsh, but Mom did it all for us. She sacrificed a lot for me. I'm not picking on you, nor do I look down on you for being from the countryside. When we got married, Mom gave us a betrothal gift and bought some things. She even went to the countryside herself. When you gave birth, I couldn't take care of you, but I still sent a lot of things and money. We can't just pretend we didn't see it."
The Niu family lived in the same village as Zhao Guodong and his wife. Niu Cuihua could sense the Niu family's care for her. But they couldn't ignore the money and possessions; without them, their lives would be even more difficult. They couldn't dismiss those as cold, heartless things.
"Okay, okay, I know it's not easy for Mom." Niu Cuihua said, "I didn't think about it before, right? Now that I know, I won't be the same as before. Don't other people know about those things?"
"Some of the older neighbors know about it," Zhao Guodong said. "People around your age probably don't know about it, and people who are slightly older than you probably don't know about it either."
"Yeah." Niu Cuihua thought that Miao Guifeng must not know the situations of the Jiang and Zhao families, so Miao Guifeng asked her to fight for it.
After this incident, Niu Cuihua didn't think about fighting for the Jiang family's things. It was not easy to fight for them, and she couldn't fight for them. Jiang's father was able to let Zhao Guodong stay in the Jiang family and let him grow up safely. It was indeed very good. With the Zhao family as a backdrop, Jiang's mother looked very good.
"I won't mention my younger sister anymore." Niu Cuihua said, "That is indeed my younger sister's home."
"Although my younger sister is the biological child of mom and uncle, before that, Jiang Yuqin was still my uncle's daughter. My uncle would still take care of Jiang Yuqin, and mom would also take care of me." Zhao Guodong said, "My younger sister's care is not exclusive. She knows everything, but she just doesn't say it. You see, my younger sister has a sharp tongue, but that's because only by being a bit sharp can she live a better life. Jiang Yuqin always snatched my younger sister's things in the past, and it was difficult for me to help her get them back, and mom couldn't help her either, so she had to do it herself."
It is precisely because Jiang Yuqin had robbed so many things that Jiang's father now feels more and more that he had not done well in the past. He did not care enough about Jiang Moli, and he would never let others bully Jiang Moli.
"Uncle will be more lenient with us for Jasmine's sake," Zhao Guodong said. "Remember, I have my own ideas. If you don't understand something, don't listen to what others say. And if you hear others say something, don't follow their lead."
"I know, I know. I didn't know it before, but now I know it." Niu Cuihua didn't say that Jiang Moli didn't rush over to hit Aunt Zhao San just now. Jiang Moli had nothing to do with Aunt Zhao San, so it was Niu Cuihua who should have rushed over.
During dinner, Jiang Moli said to her parents, "Jiahao and I will go visit grandpa and grandma tomorrow. Also, the teacher told you to choose a time when you are free and they will come to visit you officially."
"Although your teacher is Jiahao's biological mother, she is your teacher after all. You should ask them when they are free." Jiang's mother said.
"I told you, the teacher said it depends on when you are free." Jiang Moli said, "Their family must respect ours."
"Your teacher knows how to be polite." Jiang's mother was delighted to hear this, fearing that the man would try to outdo them. "Why are you planning on visiting your grandparents tomorrow?"
"Don't I have to report to work the day after tomorrow? After that, whether I can get a holiday or not will depend on the company's arrangements." Jiang Moli said, "Other people have weekends off, but we still have to attend performances on weekends. There are more people watching performances on weekends."
Jiang Moli was like this when she was in the South City Theater, and she was like this when she went to the Provincial Xiaobaihua School. However, she no longer had to go to school, so her time was not so tight.
"Okay, then go over and take a look," Jiang's mother said. "Your grandparents will definitely be happy to see you."
"Tell your grandparents in advance so they don't miss out," said Jiang's father.
"Yes." Jiang Moli said, "I called grandma, and she said she made something delicious for us to eat."
"Your grandma loves you." Jiang's mother smiled.
"Of course, grandma has always loved me." Jiang Moli said.
Mrs. Jiang once asked Mr. Jiang to adopt his nephew, but his father was unwilling. Mrs. Jiang was not too bad to Jiang Moli. She was just not very nice to Jiang Yuqin. Facts have proved that Mrs. Jiang was right. Jiang Yuqin was not a member of the Jiang family. If Mrs. Jiang was nice to Jiang Yuqin, it would be a waste of her feelings.
"Your third cousin is getting married in a few days," Jiang's mother said. "It's less than ten days away. You can check in then. If you don't have anything else to do, you can ask for leave. If you can't, just let me know in advance and go a little later. That's fine too."
Jiang's mother was afraid that Jiang Moli would forget this matter, so she would remember everything that happened at home and remind her family what to do.
"If you can take leave, then take it." Jiang Moli said, "It's only a few days. I just joined the company, and I don't think there's any important work to do. I should first familiarize myself with the situation and get used to it. If I have a role to play, I'll have to rehearse first to see what it is. The provincial Xiaobaihua is also performing 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday,' but the performance is a little different, so there are some changes."
Jiang Moli had seen the performance of "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents" by the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers. Those actors had all given it a good performance, and Jiang Moli had no idea what role to play at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers. She simply followed her unit's instructions and did whatever they asked her to do. But Jiang Moli had a vague feeling that the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers might still want her to play Cuiyun. This was just Jiang Moli's personal feeling, and she didn't share it with anyone else.
It's easy to get into trouble if you talk nonsense before things are finalized.
"My third cousin is getting married, I have to go," Jiang Moli said, "I have to have a big meal."
"If you didn't go, I would ask your third cousin to prepare a big meal for you alone. He would cook it for you." Jiang's mother said with a smile.
Jiang Da's uncle and his people were quite nice to Jiang Moli. They all watched what Old Madam Jiang did. Old Madam Jiang's attitude towards Jiang Yuqin was a little worse, and so was Jiang Da's uncle and his people. Jiang Yuqin's personality was indeed not pleasant. She always acted like the Jiang family owed her something, so it was strange that others could like her.
After He Jingxian won the role in the competition, she went to rehearsal, but because of a foot injury, she could not stand for too long. Sometimes she did not move, just sang the lines, did not move, and at most made a few gestures with her hands.
Then, in order to flatter Aunt Qi, others would say against their will that He Jingxian sang well, and that He Jingxian was very serious and was still rehearsing even though she was injured.
When Zhou Yiran heard those people praising He Jingxian, she could hardly bear to listen.
"They really know how to lie with their eyes open." Zhou Yiran went to her mother. She really couldn't stand what they were saying. "Without Jasmine here, I feel so empty. I can't even complain to her."
"It's not like you can't meet again later." Zhou's mother said.
"But Jasmine didn't see that scene. We used to watch it together and talk about it together." Zhou Yiran thought back to the past and felt that those days were so beautiful. "Mom, let's go back early."
It was late at night, and Zhou Yiran didn't have many scenes, so she just needed to practice and not stay here. Those people could praise He Jingxian all they wanted, so let them. He Jingxian played this role now, and she might play other roles later.
There were also some people who were dissatisfied with He Jingxian and were not happy with her. But so what? He Jingxian had backers and connections, so she could rise to prominence.
"Then go back." said Zhou's mother.
"No one is like Jasmine anymore." Zhou Yiran sighed, "Jasmine and I have known each other for many years."
"Jasmine is indeed good," Zhou's mother said. "As for you, be careful when you talk to other people next time. Those people are not Jasmine. If you talk to them, they might say bad things about you and talk behind your back. Jasmine is very strict with her words. She won't talk about it outside."
"Yeah, Jasmine is very tight-lipped." Zhou Yiran said, "I love to say those things to Jasmine, and Jasmine will say them to me too. We are the two of us who did bad things together. Bah, bah, bah, we didn't do anything bad, we didn't do anything bad."
"I didn't say you did anything bad." Mother Zhou chuckled. "Moli is dating the youngest son of the Sheng family. The Sheng family lives near us, so you and Moli can see each other often."
"Even though we don't live in the same place or work in the same unit, I can still find Jasmine." Zhou Yiran snorted softly, "If she doesn't come to find me, I'll go to her."
"With you like this, how dare she not come to find you?" Zhou's mother said, "She will definitely come to find you."
"That's right. She and I are very good friends. She's not as close to anyone else as she is to me." Zhou Yiran said, "No one else can replace me, and no one else can replace Jasmine either."
Zhou's mother looked at her daughter. Her daughter was sometimes very innocent. She would see what kind of friends her daughter kept and would also talk to her. Jiang Moli had known Zhou Yaran since she was very young. Children don't have so many thoughts. Zhou's mother thought that if the Jiang family asked her for help, she would help.
After so many years, the Jiang family never asked Zhou's mother to help Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli worked hard on her own and got a job at the company, moving up step by step.
Zhou's mother knew what kind of people the Jiang family was like. They were all good-natured people who didn't rely on others. Jiang Moli also worked hard on her own. Zhou's mother sometimes wondered why her daughter, who was so useless and couldn't help Jiang Moli, became friends with Zhou Yaran. Jiang Moli entered the provincial Xiaobaihua Academy, and her family could no longer help her.
"You too, fools have luck, and you can make such good friends." Zhou's mother said.
He Jingxian left work amidst the praises of others. She had deliberately worked overtime. When He Jingxian returned to the small room, her in-laws had already eaten. They couldn't possibly wait for her to come back for dinner. She sometimes had to rehearse in the evening, so she would be late when she came back. The Qi family meant that if He Jingxian came back early, they would eat at home. If she came back late, there would be no food left for her at home, and she would have to eat at the office.
"Rehearsal overtime?" Qi Shixin asked.
"Well, Jiang Moli is no longer at work, and they're having a performance, and I've been chosen, so of course I have to take over," He Jingxian said. "I can't let someone else go. If they do, I'm not sure if I can still go. I have to perform better, that's all."
"The injury on your foot..."
"It's nothing, no bones are broken." He Jingxian said, "The swelling will go away in a couple of days."
"You still have to come back early," Qi Shixin said. "If you come back too late, your parents will need to rest. If you make any noise when you come back, it will disturb their rest. Your company can't let you practice all day and all night. After practicing for so long, do you still have the energy to perform?"
"I was just selected, so I'm working harder now." He Jingxian said, "It will get much better later."
"It's much better, how much better can it be?" Qi Shixin said, "Mom asked us today when we plan to have a baby."
"Want a child?" He Jingxian looked at Qi Shixin.
"Yes, ask us when we will have a baby." Qi Shixin said.
"If we want a child, such a small room..."
"When we have a child, we can rent a house nearby," Qi Shixin said. "Mom can help us take care of the child and reduce our burden."
"I'm not saying Mom won't take care of our children, I just want to... want to..."
"What are you thinking about?" Qi Shixin asked.
"Didn't I just get selected? I haven't even participated in the performance yet. I just joined the unit, so I have to show my ability. Wouldn't it be bad to have a baby so soon?" He Jingxian had never thought about having a baby so soon. She still wanted to become a famous actor.
"You have to perform, but you also have to make a living, right?" Qi Shixin said. "Those senior women in your unit also have children. It's impossible for them to remain childless for their entire lives. Having children early will help you recover sooner. After you have children, you can act however you want."
"Isn't it too early now?" He Jingxian was a little worried. She was originally very happy, but after hearing this, she became unhappy.
"It's not just Mom who said that. Second Aunt also wants us to have a child soon." Qi Shixin said, "You're not afraid that having a child will delay your work. With Second Aunt around, your work won't be delayed."
Qi Shixin and his parents had the same idea: to get He Jingxian pregnant and have a baby sooner rather than later. He Jingxian was too wild-minded, and what if she had other ideas later? The Qi family didn't want to tie He Jingxian down with a child, but they felt that now that He Jingxian had a child, she could do whatever she wanted. Even if He Jingxian wanted to divorce Qi Shixin, it didn't matter; at least they had a child.
"Aren't you just worried about that little thing at work?" Qi Shixin said nonchalantly, "As I said, Second Aunt is here."
"I know Second Aunt is here." If it weren't for Second Aunt Qi, He Jingxian would not have been able to get this role so easily.
On the day of the competition, He Jingxian's performance was not so good and she made some mistakes, but the judges still praised her. Some judges thought that He Jingxian's performance was not good, but it was useless. In the end, He Jingxian received more votes than anyone else and won the role.
Through this experience, He Jingxian felt more and more that having power was a good thing, and having connections was good. If she didn't have connections, He Jingxian would definitely have been eliminated this time instead of being selected.
"Then you should think about it carefully." Qi Shixin said, "Have a baby soon, and Mom can help us take care of the child. When we rent an apartment outside, Mom will also subsidize us. Mom has already said that if we have a child, they will definitely help us a little and won't let us have a hard time."
Qi Shixin's job wasn't particularly good, and the salary wasn't great. Qi Shixin and He Jingxian both had jobs, so whether they could make ends meet depended on how they spent their money. If they spent too much, they could end up spending more than they earned. Many newlyweds don't monitor their spending and quickly burn through their money.
"As for our wedding banquet, the weather is too hot right now." Qi Shixin said, "If you want to hold a wedding banquet, hold it in a hotel instead of at home. Your relatives live too far away, and they may not be willing to pay for the trip. So we can hold a separate wedding banquet at your place. You can do whatever you want."
Qi's mother meant that He Jingxian came from a small town, where hotels were relatively inexpensive. Some people in small towns like to host banquets at home, inviting relatives and friends to feast for several days. Banquets in small places cost less, and those guests would be well fed and well-fed, saving them the trouble of traveling to South City. The Qi family wasn't wealthy enough to pay for every relative's travel expenses. If they did, wouldn't they still have to pay for hotels? It would add up to a lot of money, and even the gift money wouldn't cover all the expenses.
Qi's mother had never thought highly of He Jingxian, and was even more reluctant to have He Jingxian's relatives come to Nancheng, much less spend so much money on them. If He Jingxian had her parents come, or even close relatives like her uncle, the Qi family could still make some arrangements. If all the aunts and uncles came, with so many people coming at once, the Qi family wouldn't be responsible, and the He family would have to handle it themselves.
Therefore, Qi Shixin said this to He Jingxian so that He Jingxian would know what was going on.
"We live at my parents' house and don't rent a house of our own," Qi Shixin said. "When your relatives come, we don't have a place to stay. It will be better if we rent a house in the future. If you want your relatives to come over then, it will be no problem."
When He Jingxian heard this, she knew that the Qi family didn't want more of her relatives to come. He Jingxian thought that her own relatives hadn't come yet, and the Qi family was so afraid of her relatives coming.
Early in the morning, Jiang Moli woke up, washed up, and had her meal. Not long after she finished, Sheng Jiahao came over. Sheng Jiahao had already bought some things. They had to go to Old Lady Jiang's place. They couldn't go empty-handed. They had to buy some things for the old lady and the old man, as well as Jiang Moli's great uncle and others. Sheng Jiahao had to buy something for them. He couldn't not buy anything.
Sheng Jiahao asked his mother, and what she meant was to prepare more things, because more gifts are better. Sheng Jiahao thought about it and realized that if he prepared more things, others would be more satisfied with him.
"You guys go over there. Your dad and I didn't go." Jiang's mother gently patted Jiang Moli's arm. "Wait a couple of days, and then have Jiahao's parents come over so we can officially meet."
"Okay." Sheng Jiahao heard what Jiang's mother said, "They are always available."
"Okay." Jiang's mother nodded. "Go ahead and have a good talk with your grandparents."
Mother Jiang looked at Jiang Moli and said, "Your third cousin is getting married, and they have their own things to do. Don't disturb them too much."
"Don't worry, Mom, we all have eyes." Jiang Moli chuckled, "Let's go take a look. Grandma asked me to bring the person to her."
"Go, go." Jiang's mother said.
"Let's go." Jiang Moli said.
Jiang's mother watched Jiang Moli and the others get in the car. She watched the car drive away before turning back. When Jiang's mother saw Miao Guifeng washing sweet potatoes in the yard, she didn't look at Miao Guifeng with a good face. She had been too nice to Miao Guifeng in the past, which made Miao Guifeng speechless. Jiang's mother snorted coldly and went back to the house.
Miao Guifeng saw Jiang's mother's dissatisfaction, and she didn't continue kicking her basin, which was already very good. Miao Guifeng also understood that she was just taking it for granted. She was self-righteous and said those things to Niu Cuihua casually. Jiang's mother and others were not stupid. They all knew that Niu Cuihua couldn't know those things all at once.
Niu Cuihua and Miao Guifeng still keep in touch and have common topics, but for the time being, neither of them talks much about Jiang's mother and Jiang Moli. Miao Guifeng is afraid that Jiang's mother will kick her stove again. It's okay if Jiang's mother kicks it in the yard, but Miao Guifeng is worried that Jiang's mother will kick it at her stall.
Miao Guifeng scrubs the sweet potatoes with a brush, trying to remove the dirt from the surface without scrubbing too hard to break the skin. She washes the sweet potatoes in the mornings and sells them around noon and evening.
When Yang's mother saw Miao Guifeng washing sweet potatoes, she didn't even help. Miao Guifeng didn't hold her child constantly; when the child was asleep, she would put him in the room. To prevent the child from falling, Miao Guifeng made a small bed for him to sleep in.
The room was already small, with little space, but Miao Guifeng still managed to fit a small bed in. Yang Bingrong even complained that there was no room to turn around, so Miao Guifeng explained that the child was Yang Bingrong's biological son. Yang Bingrong didn't have another house, so living in that small room was indeed inconvenient, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
People like Qi Shixin usually sleep in a small room, but if they have money to rent a house, their family will help them. But Yang Bingrong and his wife have to rely on themselves when they rent a house, and the Yang family is unlikely to help them much.
Miao Guifeng's sister-in-law, Lu Dongxiang, was chewing an apple. She saw Miao Guifeng washing sweet potatoes, but she couldn't help. Miao Guifeng was making money roasting sweet potatoes, and Lu Dongxiang wouldn't get paid for washing them, so why would she go over and help?
"Wa wah wah." The child soon started crying again.
Miao Guifeng hurried to the room to check on her son, comfort him, and feed him milk. After feeding the child and coaxing him to sleep, Miao Guifeng had to continue washing the sweet potatoes.
Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao arrived at Old Lady Jiang's house. Old Lady Jiang and the others were already there. They had known Jiang Moli was bringing Sheng Jiahao with her, so naturally, they couldn't leave at this time. Jiang Moli's great uncle and his men were all at home. Old Lady Jiang's house was slightly larger, with a courtyard large enough for a table and several wooden pots with ginger and garlic planted in them. In the corner, there were chickens kept behind wire mesh.
Old Mrs. Jiang didn't have a job, so she did some housework at home and raised chicks, which at least helped to ease the burden on the family. This area was a one-story building, and it wasn't just Old Mrs. Jiang who raised chicks; other families did too. With more people raising chicks, they stopped complaining about the chicks' chirping.
The chirping of chicks is so natural. If you listen to it for a long time, you will find that it is a natural sound.
"You brought so many things with you." Old Mrs. Jiang saw Sheng Jiahao coming with a lot of things, and those things were not cheap.
Mrs. Jiang reached out to take the things, and Sheng Jiahao said, "I'll take it."
Sheng Jiahao put the things on the table. They were a bit heavy and it was hard for the old lady to carry them. Sheng Jiahao bought cigarettes, alcohol, and some health supplements.
Jiang Moli didn't know Sheng Jiahao had bought so many things at first. She didn't know Sheng Jiahao had bought so many things until she arrived at Mrs. Jiang's door. Sheng Jiahao bought a lot of things. When he entered the house, he was carrying things in both hands, and a small part of the things were carried by Jiang Moli.
Jiang Moli jokingly said that Sheng Jiahao didn't bring so many things when he went to her parents' house. Sheng Jiahao said that there were many people at her grandparents' house, so he had to buy more things. Jiang Moli was naturally not unhappy. Sheng Jiahao was willing to buy more things for her grandparents. That was his intention.
When Aunt Jiang saw those things, she was a little surprised. Jiang Moli's boyfriend was really rich, buying so many things at once. Uncle Jiang's son didn't buy so many expensive things when he went to the girl's house. Aunt Jiang recognized some brands, so the price was not low.
"Sit down." said Old Mrs. Jiang. She was very satisfied just looking at Sheng Jiahao.
Old Lady Jiang thought of Jiang Yuqin, who had stolen the household registration booklet to get married, and hadn't thought about letting everyone know more about Ding Chao first. Old Lady Jiang thought to herself that it was fortunate that Jiang Yuqin wasn't her biological granddaughter. If she were, she would still be suffering.
"Jasmine, are you going to report to your new unit?" Aunt Jiang brought fruit and tea.
"Yes, I'll report tomorrow." Jiang Moli said, "I'll take a leave when my third cousin gets married."
"If you can, then please do so. If you can't, forget it." Aunt Jiang said, "You can come later. The banquet is scheduled for the evening."
The man's banquet was usually scheduled for the evening, and Aunt Jiang also followed the established rules. Aunt Jiang didn't expect Jiang Moli to do anything. As long as Jiang's father and mother gave money, they would come, and there was no need for Jiang Moli to do anything else.
It's just because we are close to each other that we all came to the wedding banquet.
"Ask your partner to come too. No need to pay a gift, just come directly." Aunt Jiang specifically emphasized that they should not pay a gift. Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao have not yet married, and Aunt Jiang was embarrassed to ask Sheng Jiahao to pay a gift.
"Okay, fine." Sheng Jiahao didn't say whether he would contribute or not. He would naturally give a red envelope when he came. If he didn't come, we could talk about it later. Sheng Jiahao thought he should be free, so he went with Jasmine.
Old Mrs. Jiang asked Sheng Jiahao a few more questions, and Sheng Jiahao answered them one by one.
"Then your family's conditions are quite good." Old Mrs. Jiang sighed.
"Yes, it's okay." Sheng Jiahao nodded, "It can support the family and have a few mouths to eat."
"Your mother is Jasmine's teacher. It's fate." said Mrs. Jiang.
At noon, Sheng Jiahao and Jiang Moli stayed at Old Lady Jiang's house for lunch. Old Lady Jiang even cooked two dishes herself. Third cousin Jiang and his fiancée were not at home. When Sheng Jiahao and Jiang Moli returned, Third cousin Jiang and his family had not returned yet.
After the people left, Mrs. Jiang was still there sighing, "Our Jasmine is really discerning. Unlike that Jiang Yuqin, she didn't open her eyes when looking for a partner and just picked someone at random. She will suffer in the future."
"Moli looks like you," said Aunt Jiang. "Moli is not a silly child. She can't be like Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin isn't our child. She takes after her biological mother."
"She takes after her biological mother. My son has raised her for so many years, but he hasn't been able to change her." said Old Mrs. Jiang.
"I heard she went to her parents' house to ask for a dowry," said Aunt Jiang. "You're smart. You figured out early on that she wasn't our biological daughter. If she hadn't, she would have gone to Jasmine's parents to ask for money. Jasmine had a miserable life. When she was little, she had a sister like that. She didn't know how much Jiang Yuqin had taken away from her. She was even forced to share any good things with Jiang Yuqin."
"I told Jasmine a long time ago not to share it," said Mrs. Jiang.
"What you said is of little use. If you don't watch Jasmine finish her food, her father will always be thinking about his other daughter." Aunt Jiang said, "You really can't finish things like candy in one go."
Jiang Moli and Jiang Yuqin once slept in the same room, and they had many conflicts. When Jiang Moli and Jiang Yuqin came to Mrs. Jiang's house, they quarreled in front of the old lady, and they almost fought several times.
Aunt Jiang was right there at the time, and she saw it all clearly. Jiang Yuqin had always had a bad temper, and was very willful and capricious. She didn't care what others thought, she just wanted to take advantage. The people from the Jin family had taught Jiang Yuqin that. The Jin family was Jiang Yuqin's maternal relatives, so the Jiang family couldn't stop them from interacting more.
"It's good now. Jasmine doesn't have to fight with others for food anymore. She doesn't have to look so pitiful." Aunt Jiang said, "Before, I saw Jasmine's father secretly taking Jiang Yuqin out to eat."
"The second son is just stupid. I told him to spend more time with Jasmine, but he still did the same. Now he knows he regrets it. Why didn't he do it earlier?" said Mrs. Jiang.
Father Jiang sneezed at home and rubbed his nose. He thought he wouldn't catch a cold in such a hot day.
Jiang Yuqin's second aunt went to Jin Manzhi's house. Jin's second aunt felt that something was not right recently. "Manzhi, are you hiding something from me?"
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