Chapter 36: Are you still worried about changing rooms?
"There's not much good honey left. Mom will check it out someday and buy some," said Jiang's mother.
"No royal jelly," Jiang Moli said. "Things like royal jelly are high in estrogen. I'm young, and my hormone levels are already high. I can't eat too much."
Jiang Moli was still careful. In her past life, many people constantly ate foods high in hormones, which caused health problems. Some older, unmarried women already had excess hormones. They weren't in a relationship, hadn't had children, and were prone to emotional exhaustion at work. Eating more foods high in hormones would be even worse for their health.
Not to mention other things, even soy milk contains hormone-like substances and can produce certain effects.
In her past life, Jiang Moli browsed short videos and posts, and she encountered quite a bit of information. She learned useful information and wrote it down. She couldn't help but write it down. Sometimes, the older generation wasn't well-educated, and they didn't understand certain things, so it was up to their children to learn more about them.
Jiang Moli also wanted to learn more, to understand more. In this lifetime, it would take another ten years or so for computers to become widely available. Right now, Jiang Moli mainly read books, watched TV, and read newspapers.
"Okay, as you say, I'll buy whatever you want." Jiang's mother didn't make her own decisions. She thought she didn't know much, so sometimes she had to listen to young people and follow their lead. "You're going to report tomorrow. Is there anything you need to prepare?"
"No, there's nothing to prepare," Jiang Moli said. "Just bring your ID and other things. I don't have the files. Our school directly handed over the files to the Provincial Xiaobaihua School, so we don't need to bring them over separately. A few days ago, someone in our class didn't know that the files couldn't be opened and opened them anyway, so we had to go to the teacher. It's okay because we haven't completely left the school yet. If we had already left the school and been out for a while, it would have been difficult to deal with the situation if something like this happened again."
"Why would you want to open the files?" Jiang's mother asked in confusion.
"They treated the files as letters and opened them over there," Jiang Moli said. "Some people were curious about what was inside and wanted to take a look. After they opened them, they realized that the files couldn't be opened by themselves. Many people don't know that files can't be opened. No one tells them, so they think they own their things and can open them."
The school teachers didn't specifically emphasize that files shouldn't be opened, but even if they did, some people would probably still do it. Curiosity kills the cat, and people are naturally curious. If you don't let them try, the more they want to try, and once they do, they realize they shouldn't.
"When the teacher learned about this, she was speechless," Jiang Moli said. "The teacher emphasized to the remaining students not to open the files. Some people brought their own files to work, while others had their files mailed directly from the school. As for Bennancheng, some files were delivered directly by the teacher."
The teacher was relatively responsible, but he couldn't resist the students' curiosity, so they insisted on taking it apart to see what was inside.
In her previous life, Jiang Moli saw on the news that many people were dismantling files. In this life, Jiang Moli learned that her classmates had done such a thing.
"You're young and ignorant," Jiang's mother said. "You really can't open this file. You can't keep it in your hands."
"Anyway, the problem is solved." Jiang Moli said, "Luckily, it can be solved quickly. If I go back home to unpack it, it's a long way away, and many things will be difficult to handle. I'm afraid it will affect my work."
"Is there anyone in your class who stayed in South City?" Jiang's mother asked.
"Those who were originally from South City naturally stayed in South City. Few, if any, stayed," Jiang Moli said. "Some had excellent grades and solid basic skills, but they still had to return to their hometowns and didn't stay with us."
"There's nothing we can do about it. There are only a few vacancies at work," Jiang's mother said. "No one has come out, there are no vacancies, and it's hard for others to get in."
"Well, that's right." Jiang Moli nodded. "Mom, how do you feel about not going to work? Do you feel empty? Do you want to find something to do?"
"It's okay," Jiang's mother said. "I don't necessarily need to find a job. I can collect my pension in a few years. Now, your father still has a job, and you have a job too, so I don't have to worry about the family's finances. If I don't have money to buy groceries, I can just ask your father. Your father still gives us money for groceries every month, and he gives us a lot."
Jiang's father gave Jiang's mother a little more money, but he still hid some money. Jiang's father was worried that Jiang's mother would give all the money she had to Zhao Guodong. He had to think about Jiang Moli and save the money for her. He couldn't say that Jiang Moli didn't need the money because she was a girl. He still had to prepare some for her.
"Your father is much better now. He's not as stingy as before." Jiang's mother whispered, "It's all because of Jiang Yuqin."
In the past, if Jiang's mother bought a set of clothes for Jiang Moli, and she didn't buy anything for Jiang Yuqin, Jiang's father would take Jiang Yuqin to buy new clothes. Jiang's mother earned her own money, and she wanted to spend it on her children, which was fine. Jiang's father didn't say much to Jiang's mother, and he spent money on Jiang Yuqin himself. At that time, Jiang's mother thought that since Jiang's father bought new clothes for Jiang Yuqin, he should also buy some for Jiang Moli. What she bought for her daughter was her own, not Jiang's father's.
Jiang's mother thought about it and held back. In Jiang's father's eyes, a new set of clothes for each child was fair, but Jiang's mother didn't think so. Jiang's mother was the biological mother of Zhao Guodong and Jiang Moli. She treated both children equally when buying things for them. If Jiang's father bought something, he had to buy it for both Jiang Yuqin and Jiang Moli. This was Jiang's mother's inner fairness.
No matter what Jiang's mother thought, it was useless. If she said it, Jiang's father would not let Jiang Moli get two new sets of clothes. Jiang's father would also tell Jiang Moli to get along well with Jiang Yuqin and not to think about so many things.
Recently, Jiang's mother has been paying attention to Jiang's father's behavior. Jiang's father is now worried that Jiang Moli will remember the past. Jiang Moli didn't remember, but Jiang's father did. Jiang's father also brought up the past. Jiang's father didn't say it in front of Jiang Moli, but he did say it in front of Jiang's mother.
Jiang Yuqin returned from Wang Chunfen's visit and Ding Chao left some food for her when she got home. Ding Chao knew Jiang Yuqin hadn't eaten yet and he knew he had to be nicer to her so she would be more attentive to the family.
Ding Chao knew Jiang Yuqin was easily moved. Even the smallest bit of goodness would make her happy. Ding Chao didn't need to do much; Jiang Yuqin could still be moved by herself and find excuses for herself.
Just look at this: when Jiang Yuqin saw the meal that Ding Chao left for her, she felt very warm inside. "Is the problem solved?" Ding Chao asked.
"I asked Chunfen, and she said she didn't say it. Her family doesn't even know about it," Jiang Yuqin said. "Chunfen even swore, so it couldn't have been her who said it."
"It's fine as long as she didn't say it." Ding Chao said, "It might have been someone else who said it."
"I don't know who told me that," Jiang Yuqin said. "I can't just ask everyone one by one. If I do that, everyone will know that I asked. I can't let Second Aunt know. It's because I want to hide it from her that those people are willing to give me money. If Second Aunt knew, they wouldn't give me money anymore. Actually, I don't want to upset Second Aunt."
Over the years, Second Aunt Jin had been quite kind to Jiang Yuqin, and she had even visited her home for delicious meals. Jiang Yuqin was now primarily concerned with getting money from Jin Manzhi and her family. Raising a child required a lot of money, and she felt a bit tight financially. She hadn't bought any new clothes or cosmetics recently.
"I don't absolutely need them to give me money, but I deserve it," Jiang Yuqin said. "I live under the thumb of my stepmother. They just tell me what to do and never lend me any money. They know my life is not easy."
Jiang Yuqin firmly believed that her life in the Jiang family was not easy before, so Ding Chao naturally could not say that Jiang Yuqin was living a good life in the Jiang family.
"Let's live a good life from now on." Ding Chao said, "Second Aunt came this time and you didn't tell her. She should believe you."
"I hope so," Jiang Yuqin said. "This sounds ridiculous. Second Aunt won't believe what they say. They have no evidence, they're just talking. My mom won't say anything, my dad won't admit it, and I said I don't know. Second Aunt won't force us to tell her. Second Aunt will be scared, afraid that things are really as those people say. If that's the case, Second Aunt will be upset. Second Aunt has children. I don't go to Second Uncle often, and I didn't ask him for money in front of Second Uncle, so it's okay."
At the Zhao family, Aunt Zhao San found Old Lady Zhao. She exaggerated Jiang's mother's faults in front of Old Lady Zhao and said that Niu Cuihua did not know how to respect her elders. She asked Zhao Guodong where he was, but Zhao Guodong pretended not to know.
"It must be that woman Lu Hongyan who told Zhao Guodong not to recognize us." Aunt Zhao gritted her teeth. Lu Hongyan was Jiang's mother's name.
After being kicked out of the Zhao family, Jiang's mother never went back, nor did she expect them to pay child support to Zhao Guodong. The Zhao family were cold-hearted and ruthless, vying for personal gain. They only cared about profit. They wouldn't do anything that didn't benefit them. Jiang's mother did tell Zhao Guodong not to go to the Zhao family, not to count on them, because they couldn't rely on them.
"I didn't say anything else. I just asked Zhao Guodong to shoulder the responsibilities of his deceased father." Aunt Zhao San said, "Zhao Guodong should give you pension money."
"Zhao Guodong..." Old Mrs. Zhao was a little dazed.
Mrs. Zhao's sons were not very interested in supporting her and her husband. Both sons hoped that the other could contribute more money. Fortunately, Mrs. Zhao and her husband had some money, so they did not spend all of it.
After Zhao Guodong returned, Mrs. Zhao's children all hoped that Zhao Guodong could contribute money. If Zhao Guodong contributed two or five yuan a month, the rest of the Zhao family would have to contribute less. The Zhao family members set their sights on Zhao Guodong. The others did not go to Zhao Guodong and his wife, but Aunt Zhao went to look for them herself.
The more Aunt Zhao thought about it, the angrier she became. She hadn't come yesterday, and only came tonight. Aunt Zhao couldn't sleep last night, thinking all the time about what Zhao Guodong and his wife had done.
"The couple, one of them beat me up, and the other pretended not to know me," Aunt Zhao San said. "Zhao Guodong has been led astray by Lu Hongyan."
"What kind of good person can Lu Hongyan bring out?" said Old Mrs. Zhao.
"Mom, if they don't give us pension money, they won't let us go to pay our respects to Big Brother," Aunt Zhao said. "Zhao Guodong doesn't give us pension money because he doesn't treat Big Brother as his real father, and he doesn't consider himself a member of the Zhao family. So how can he be qualified to pay his respects to Big Brother? Who the hell does he think he is?"
Aunt Zhao San suggested that if Zhao Guodong was not allowed to go to pay tribute to his biological father, perhaps Zhao Guodong would give in.
"I'm afraid it's useless." Old Mrs. Zhao knew Jiang's mother better than Aunt Zhao San. "Over the years, how many times have we run into them when we visit the graves during Qingming Festival? They always stray from our paths. We can't stay there every day. If we were there every day, they would burn paper money in front of the portrait. If there's no portrait, they'd just bow in the open space and say your eldest brother's name."
Old Mrs. Zhao and her husband had used this method before. They had already used it when they drove Jiang's mother and Zhao Guodong out of the Zhao family, but it didn't work. Jiang's mother didn't care about these things at all. If she could hold a memorial service, she would hold it. If she couldn't, forget it.
"Have you gone to their unit and told their leaders?" asked Old Mrs. Zhao.
"I haven't entered their unit yet, and haven't told their leaders yet. Should I go and tell their leaders?" Aunt Zhao San said.
"Your eldest brother and his family still have jobs." Old Mrs. Zhao was afraid that the matter would get out of hand. Lu Hongyan was not an easy woman to deal with. "When Lu Hongyan left our home, she asked us to pay her a sum of money. Then she went to your eldest brother's workplace and started a scene."
Whenever Mrs. Zhao thought about those things, she felt at a disadvantage.
So many years had passed, and Third Aunt Zhao had forgotten all about it, but Old Lady Zhao still remembered. The reason the rest of the Zhao family didn't dare to make a scene in front of Zhao Guodong was because Jiang's mother was there. Zhao Guodong had been with Jiang's mother for so many years, so he must have listened to her. This was evident from his behavior this time.
"Don't go to their workplace and tell them. If you want to talk, just talk to them properly and reason with them." Mrs. Zhao said, "Your father and I are old, and we can't do much. We just eat a few mouthfuls of food, and we wear old clothes. There's no need to buy new clothes."
Mrs. Zhao meant that she and her husband spent little money, and if Zhao Guodong could contribute some, that would be the most appropriate thing to do. Mrs. Zhao's two sons wanted Zhao Guodong to contribute, but they were unwilling to show up, so they hoped that Aunt Zhao would go to Zhao Guodong and his wife.
On a new day, Jiang Moli went to the provincial Xiaobaihua to report. She completed the registration procedures and went to see the leader. The leader was very happy to see Jiang Moli. You know, they had been eyeing Jiang Moli for a while and wanted her to come and report as soon as possible.
"You've arrived just in time. We were wondering when you'd arrive," the dean said. "You were singing 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday' earlier, weren't you?"
"Yes." Jiang Moli nodded, "And learn other operas, not just this one."
"It just so happens that we've adapted 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents,' so you can still play Cuiyun," the director said. "The original actress has gone to another group, doing another play. She wasn't quite up to the task of portraying Cuiyun; it didn't feel right, and she herself didn't think it was a good fit."
Just as Jiang Moli thought, Provincial Xiaobaihua really wanted her to continue playing Cuiyun.
"I'll do whatever the boss arranges." Jiang Moli had no objections. She had been transferred from another unit and had no connections here. It wasn't like she was using her connections to steal someone else's role. It was because the other person wasn't performing well that the boss sent Jiang Moli over.
Jiang Moli stayed in the dean's office for a while, then went to rehearsal with the others. Since the provincial Xiaobaihua adapted "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday," the lines and other aspects were different from what Jiang Moli had performed at the South City Drama Troupe. Jiang Moli had to learn it all over again and perform according to the adapted content.
The assistant director had taken Jiang Moli to the theater for rehearsal. He and the director had been racking their brains over the role of Cuiyun. Several people in the production team had auditioned, but none felt quite right. After several changes, everyone felt the role was a bit too hot to handle.
Originally, this character was adopted as an adopted daughter, initially a servant, and there was still a process of growth. But others prefer to play one of the five daughters, and many viewers will focus on the five couples. Even if an adopted daughter or servant has a highlight moment, it depends on how it is played.
The people on the provincial Xiaobaihua side are more powerful. They are not just performing in one play, but have other options. Many people are striving for other more important roles instead of always focusing on the role of Cuiyun. Unlike some small places, where there are fewer plays, everyone basically focuses on a certain role.
"Isn't this the future daughter-in-law of Teacher Lu?" Someone saw Jiang Moli and said with a smile. After she finished speaking, she realized that her words were ambiguous and quickly said, "I'm not saying you're using a backdoor. Your future mother-in-law doesn't like backdoors. She does everything in a fair and impartial manner. Let her recommend candidates, and she let us go to the opera ourselves and let us see the students ourselves. Seeing for ourselves will be more accurate."
This isn't Teacher Lu's fault. She used to recommend students, but things got out of hand. She became less willing to recommend students, especially during the difficult times when some students attacked her, which left her feeling quite disheartened. She cared for her students, letting them visit her home and giving them extra meals. She did what she could, but she didn't do much more.
"Just call her Teacher Li," said the assistant director.
"I live on the same street as your teacher Lu, and we are friends." Teacher Li walked over to Jiang Moli with a smile, "Don't be afraid, we are all very nice. There are many elderly people in our unit, and we need new people like you."
Teacher Li placed her hands on Jiang Moli's arms and looked at everyone, "Don't bully our Moli."
Jiang Moli looked at Teacher Li, "Teacher Li."
"Okay." Teacher Li nodded.
The other people in the crew knew that Jiang Moli was Teacher Lu's student. They had heard it before. They knew that Jiang Moli was not recommended by Teacher Lu, but was chosen by the director and his team. The director and his team had wanted to recruit her for a long time.
Many people had been in South City for a while, and they knew the newcomers. Jiang Moli was one of them. Jiang Moli was indeed very good, and she won awards in almost every competition she participated in. She was very strong. They didn't think about whether Jiang Moli got in through connections. If she did, Jiang Moli wouldn't get far. If she had the ability, then that was it. Why pay so much attention to her?
The drama "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents" is very popular, and many people want to participate in this drama, but not everyone can participate. Some people are not suitable for certain roles, they are just not suitable.
The assistant director asked Jiang Moli to read the script and the lyrics. Since Jiang Moli was here, she should start learning it early. Once Jiang Moli had mastered it, she could take over the role directly. This play itself had only been adapted recently and had been performed three or four times before. The role of Cuiyun was just not up to par.
At first, the director and assistant director thought it might be because of the change in Cuiyun's lines, so they changed the lines again, but it was still not good. If these people had not seen Jiang Moli's Cuiyun, it would be fine. After seeing Jiang Moli's Cuiyun, they felt that this was more than just not good enough.
If you just ask the audience, you will know clearly which characters they like and which they dislike.
People from the unit wanted to participate in this play because they wanted to perform effectively, not ineffectively. If others didn't think their performance was good, it wouldn't be remembered, and it would be ineffective. They might as well go to another group.
"Can she act well?" someone whispered.
"She should be able to. She's a very good actress in the local theater troupe, and many people like her performance." Another person replied quietly, "The leaders also have a liking for her, so she can't be too bad. Her presence should improve the results."
The main reason was that no one was trying to compete with Jiang Moli for the role. Others had tried, but the director and the others weren't satisfied. Under these circumstances, others wouldn't think Jiang Moli was trying to steal someone else's work. Jiang Moli was performing well in her original company, and many people liked her. If she persisted, more people would definitely like her, and sooner or later she would be able to enter the provincial Xiaobaihua.
Not everyone is so stupid as to wonder whether others are using connections to get in through the back door or whether others are incompetent.
On Jiang Moli's first day at work, she met her colleagues, who were all quite easy to get along with.
When getting off work in the evening, Sheng Jiahao came to pick up Jiang Moli and asked her some questions.
"Teacher Li lives near Teacher Lu's place." Jiang Moli said, "When I first saw her, she looked familiar."
Jiang Moli didn't go to Teacher Lu's place very often, nor did she always meet Teacher Li. When Jiang Moli and the others went to Teacher Lu's house, Teacher Li was not there. Teacher Lu did not specifically introduce Teacher Li to Jiang Moli and the others. At most, Teacher Lu would say that XX was in the provincial Xiaobaihua. Teacher Lu would also praise some seniors and let Jiang Moli and the others learn from them.
"We sometimes buy tickets to listen to other people perform." Jiang Moli said, "We need to learn more."
"Teacher Li is indeed Xiao Baihua's." Sheng Jiahao said, "Where my parents live, there are many people who sing opera."
"So many people are singing opera. They must be training their voices and singing, right? Haven't you learned a few lines?" Jiang Moli asked.
"Mom told us to study hard and didn't let us learn opera," Sheng Jiahao said. "In that era, opera development was hampered. My mom sometimes wondered if she was singing opera wrongly, and she told us not to follow her example and to do other things. We weren't particularly passionate about opera, so we didn't have to sing it, so we just learned other things. My second sister could sing a few simple lines, but she had no intention of singing opera. She just knew a few lines to fool people, and that was enough."
"That's true," Jiang Moli said. "It's already pretty good for ordinary people to be able to sing a few lines. There's no need to learn more."
Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli back home. He did not eat at Jiang's house and went back soon.
Jiang Moli returned home and her mother asked her about her work situation.
"Are you adapting to the new unit?" Jiang's mother asked.
"It's just the past, but I'll get used to it eventually," Jiang Moli said. "Just as I expected, they want me to continue playing Cuiyun in 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday.' This play has been revised, and some of the lyrics and music are quite different, so I have to learn them all over again. They told me to learn quickly, get the hang of it quickly, and try to get on stage sooner."
"That's not bad. At least there's another role like this. You haven't really lost a good one." Jiang's mother said, "You're still young. In a few years, you'll be able to play more important roles. Don't worry."
"Don't worry." Jiang Moli nodded. "I've thought about it. I just joined the new unit, so I have to perform well and not let my mind wander. I'll do whatever they ask me to do."
"Yes, that's right. You don't understand the situation in your new unit yet, so don't talk nonsense." Jiang's mother said.
After Jiang Moli finished her meal, she heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw Zhou Yaran. Zhou Yaran came to see Jiang Moli on purpose. She knew that Jiang Moli had just reported to her new unit today, so she wanted to come and see her.
"Come in and sit down. Have you eaten?" Jiang Moli pulled Zhou Yiran into the living room.
"I've eaten." Zhou Yiran said with a smile, "I just came to see you. How are you doing in your new unit?"
"Not bad." Jiang Moli said, "There are many seniors in the new unit."
Jiang Moli felt that the people in the new unit seemed older, which might be related to the talent gap.
"Then you have to be careful. They are all seniors, you have to respect them and don't make mistakes carelessly." Zhou Yiran said, "But I believe in you, you can do well. If you do well and others still have opinions about you, that's their problem, not yours."
"Of course, I won't blame other people's problems on myself." Jiang Moli said, "Don't worry, you know me. If the enemy comes, the general will stop it; if the water comes, the earth will cover it; if the sky collapses, there are tall people to hold it up. As for me, I will do my job well and there will be nothing else to worry about."
"Has your unit told you how to arrange your work?" Zhou Yiran asked.
"Yes, they asked me to play Cuiyun in 'Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents' Birthday'. This version is a little different from our original unit's version, so there have been some changes," Jiang Moli said. "We performed it a few times, but they said it didn't achieve the expected effect, so they asked me to play Cuiyun."
"It won't offend anyone, right?" Zhou Yiran said.
"Probably not." Jiang Moli said, "It's not like I got the role myself."
"That's right, you didn't steal it." Zhou Yiran said, "Then aren't you and He Jingxian playing the same role in different units?"
"Yes, that's right." Jiang Moli nodded, "It doesn't matter. We are not in the same unit."
"Aren't you afraid that others will compare you to each other?" Zhou Yiran asked.
"Don't worry." Jiang Moli shook her head. "Many operas are performed by many drama troupes, and everyone's interpretation is different. Whether it's good or not depends on what the audience thinks."
"That's right," Zhou Yiran said. "You're much stronger than He Jingxian, so you really don't need to be afraid of her. I'm not worried about your ability, but I'm worried that you won't know anyone in your new unit and might be bullied."
Zhou Yiran and Jiang Moli have been friends for many years and have worked together at the South City Theater for several years. Zhou Yiran cares about her friend Jiang Moli very much.
"You have to hold on and don't go back." Zhou Yiran said.
Generally speaking, people who were transferred to the Provincial Xiaobaihua basically stayed there. Except for a few cases, some people were sent back to their original units, which was not a good thing.
"Pooh, pooh, pooh, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that." Zhou Yiran reached out and slapped her own mouth.
"It's okay, it's okay." Jiang Moli grabbed Zhou Yiran's hand, "It's nothing."
"You take my share and stay well in the Provincial Xiaobaihua. There's no way I'll be able to get into the Provincial Xiaobaihua in my lifetime. I'm pretty good as long as I can stay in my current unit." Zhou Yiran shrugged. "My mom often says that there's a talent gap and there aren't that many outstanding people. If there were more outstanding people, how could I have the chance to go on stage? I could only hide in the audience and cry quietly, asking why I couldn't go on stage. I said my mom was wrong. I didn't think about going on stage or not. As long as I could stay in the unit and get a salary, wasn't that enough? Doing less and making less money is no big deal. I don't have a big family waiting for me to support."
"Indeed, that's right, yes." Jiang Moli agreed with Zhou Yiran's words, "It's so nice to be a salted fish."
"You're just a salted fish that doesn't want to turn over." Zhou Yiran said, "If it really doesn't work, I can do a carp somersault."
Jiang's mother watched Jiang Moli and Zhou Yaran talking happily, and she brought some fruit. Jiang's father went out to play first, so that Jiang Moli and Zhou Yaran could have a good chat.
In the past, Jiang Moli would have taken Zhou Yaran directly to her room. But now, Jiang Yuqin was not at home. Jiang Moli was Jiang's father's only biological daughter, so Jiang Moli didn't have to be so particular and just let Zhou Yaran stay in the living room to talk to her.
"I also met your neighbor, Teacher Li, at the new unit," Jiang Moli said.
"Teacher Li is the provincial Xiao Baihua." Zhou Yiran said, "My mother once wanted me to become Teacher Li's disciple and learn from her. I only studied with her for a few days and then stopped studying with her."
"Why?" Jiang Moli wondered.
"It's because I'm weak and can't stand the hardship," Zhou Yiran said. "When you were little, you could practice your movements while crying, but I just hid away. If I didn't hide, I would often play it off, not afraid of being scolded. Teacher Li noticed my lazy attitude and told my mom to just study with her instead of her. Teacher Li didn't say anything wrong, but my mom understood immediately and even beat me up."
"This..." Jiang Moli couldn't help but think that Zhou Yaran had so many opportunities, while she didn't have the same conditions as Zhou Yaran. Jiang Moli didn't envy Zhou Yaran. If she were Zhou Yaran, she might be like her, just thinking about being comfortable instead of thinking about working harder and making progress.
"Teacher Li is a good person," Zhou Yiran said. "She's a senior, and with such a big age gap between you two, there's not much competition between you. Someone of Teacher Li's age probably has to leave opportunities to the younger ones."
"I'm not sure." Jiang Moli said, "We'll take it one step at a time."
"If you have any problems, tell me. My mom has some connections." Zhou Yiran said, "If someone bullies you, we don't have to be cowards."
"That's the workplace, so there are bound to be some small things. They're not important." Jiang Moli said, "Don't worry, it's okay. I will work hard. I'll treat you to a meal when I get my salary."
"You have to treat me to a meal, you can't not." Zhou Yiran nodded. "You're working at such a good company, so you should get a raise, right?"
"Yes, the basic salary has been increased." Jiang Moli said, "It will depend on the performances you participate in. If you participate in performances, you can get more. If you don't participate in performances, there will be no extra salary."
At the train station, Miao Guifeng was selling roasted sweet potatoes, and after Yang Bingrong finished his meal, he went to help her. In the past, Miao Guifeng would have said that Yang Bingrong worked during the day, so she wouldn't have to work so hard and that she could do it on her own. Now, Miao Guifeng doesn't say that. She says, "How could a grown man like Yang Bingrong have to work so hard? If he made more money, she wouldn't have to set up shop."
These days, Miao Guifeng's mind keeps replaying what Jiang's mother said: she married a useless man, he wasn't strong enough, and he didn't make enough money. This was the fundamental problem. Even if Miao Guifeng schemed to make others unhappy, it was useless. Outside the neighborhood, there were still many people living better lives than Miao Guifeng.
"You have to watch out. The sweet potatoes have to be roasted thoroughly before you can give them to people." Miao Guifeng said, "If the sweet potatoes are not roasted thoroughly, they won't be sweet or soft enough."
Although most of their business at the train station is one-time, they still have some repeat customers. Someone selling things nearby looks at your accent and charges a high price if you have an accent from another area, and the goods might not be very good.
Miao Guifeng saw this and thought it was wrong to do that. It was bullying. She told people that it was not a good idea. They said those people might not come in the future, and that things at the train station were more expensive than other places, and everyone knew that.
Miao Guifeng had no choice but to accept the insistence of others. She couldn't tell those outsiders that the goods were too expensive, and she couldn't offend the people who often set up stalls nearby. If Miao Guifeng criticized the stall owner, they would also criticize her, and her business would be ruined.
The relevant departments of Nancheng Railway Station have designated an area for these street vendors, restricting them to setting up stalls in this area and not going elsewhere. If they set up stalls outside the designated area, not only the urban management but also the relevant personnel of the railway station will ask them to move elsewhere and not allow them to stay there.
"Let's go to Nanshan. Let's go to Nanshan."
"Go to sugarcane, go to sugarcane."
"One price, come and get on the bus."
…
There were many people at the train station exit soliciting rides, calling out, many of them were illegal taxis, charging high prices, and some would even take a detour and charge more.
There were a lot of people coming in and out, carrying bags of all sizes.
With Yang Bingrong around, Miao Guifeng simply put the child down. She held the child in her arms and had to tie a rope around the child for fear that someone would snatch the child away.
Miao Guifeng's child wasn't snatched away, but other people's children were snatched away at the train station. Someone collapsed on the ground, crying uncontrollably. Someone came out of the train station and said someone else's child was missing.
"She said she went to the toilet and the child was lost."
"I didn't let the child be there, so I asked him to stand there and wait for a while."
"Several people were helping to look for the child, and there were loudspeakers, but they couldn't find him."
…
Miao Guifeng heard people talking about lost children and asked, "Did someone really lose a child?"
"Yes, someone lost their child. If you're setting up a stall here with a child, you'd better be careful," the man said. "It's not easy to find a lost child. The child would have already left. How could you possibly wait for them here? There's a bus station next to this place, not just a train station."
The man left very quickly, and since he didn't know what the child looked like, he had no way to help find the child.
Miao Guifeng hugged the child tightly, fearing that her own child would be lost. Miao Guifeng did not ask Yang Bingrong to help find the child, but said, "Stay here, don't go anywhere else, our child is still here."
"I didn't go anywhere else." Yang Bingrong didn't dare go. He was also afraid that his child would get lost. "I'd better not set up a stall selling sweet potatoes here in the future. It's too dangerous."
Yang Bingrong looked at the child in Miao Guifeng's arms. They had to think about the child.
"If you don't come out to sell sweet potatoes, what are you doing?" Miao Guifeng said.
"Why don't we just sell them on our street and take as many as we can," Yang Bingrong said. "We can make a little money, that'll be fine."
Yang Bingrong didn't want to worry about it. After work, he had to come back to help sell roasted sweet potatoes, and he couldn't rest much. Yang Bingrong felt a little tired. He made a little money, but the whole family worked so hard.
"I tied the child up with a rope, and I was holding him and carrying him on my back." Miao Guifeng said, "It's okay during the day, but if you come earlier at night, it won't be a big deal."
At night, Zhou Yaran did not go back. She slept with Jiang Moli. Before Zhou Yaran left, she told her mother that she came to see Jiang Moli and that she might stay at Jiang Moli's place at night and not go back.
"You are still sleeping in this room. Haven't you thought about moving to the bigger room next door?" Zhou Yiran asked. She remembered what Jiang Moli had said before, that the room Jiang Yuqin originally lived in was bigger, and that Jiang's father said that Jiang Yuqin was the older sister, so he should let the sister sleep in the bigger room.
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