Chapter 41: Rolling Eyes When There Is No Tiger in the Mountain, the Monkey Becomes King
Jiang Moli rarely asked Sheng Jiahao about his work. They worked in different industries, so even if she did ask, she wouldn't know much. If the internet was more developed, Jiang Moli could still look it up and search online.
For example, if you want to know how much a person pays in taxes and, in turn, their salary, intelligent AI can directly provide a range, eliminating the need for painstaking calculations. While this range isn't a precise number—it's likely somewhere between a certain amount and a certain amount—it's sufficient, and certainly better than having to wade through the math yourself.
You know, many people who graduate from college, oh no, from high school, don't have a solid grasp of mathematics, not to mention some other knowledge.
In her previous life, Jiang Moli was like this. Even if the intelligent AI could infer some problems, she would not do it herself, unless precise numbers were needed or unless it would affect her future. Otherwise, Jiang Moli didn't care whether the number was accurate or not.
Jiang Moli didn't ask how much Sheng Jiahao made per month. She knew he was probably making quite a bit. Perhaps Sheng Jiahao's career was just getting started, so he wasn't making any money yet and was mainly focused on investment. That was fine. As long as Sheng Jiahao wasn't too clueless, as long as he had a bit of smarts, in this era where even the most ruthless of players can soar to the sky, he could still make money.
"We originally planned to acquire a state-owned factory, but ultimately gave up," Sheng Jiahao said. "The factory leaders asked us to relocate those employees, but we're a private factory and can't take on that many employees."
If there were a lot of orders and they really needed so many employees, that would be fine. The key point was that Sheng Jiahao and his team had just started their work and they didn't need so many employees.
"Some employees at state-owned factories are rather lazy, which is not what we want," Sheng Jiahao said. "Those people have all sorts of complicated relationships within the company, and if we really let them come here, there will be other problems. Although they have experience and can get started more easily, directly bringing people over from their original units will still cause a lot of problems later. After some discussion, we finally decided to open a new factory directly. Those machines also need to be upgraded, and the machines in the old factory are not new after acquiring them."
Sheng Jiahao and others might have to invest more money upfront if they opened a new factory directly, but this also has its advantages. Replacing new machines from the beginning can help the factory develop better. If they use old machines, they will soon have to overhaul them and invest in new machines, which still costs money.
"Our factory is hiring. Employees from state-owned factories who have lost their jobs can come to our factory to apply," Sheng Jiahao said. "This kind of recruitment is much better than directly recruiting people from state-owned factories."
"Yeah." Jiang Moli nodded. "I don't understand these things. I just found out about it because someone on our street recently stopped working and was yelling. Normally, I don't care whether others have lost their jobs or not. It has nothing to do with me whether those people have jobs or not. Whether they have jobs or not is their own business. I can't help them find jobs."
Jiang Moli is not that kind. If she is too kind, she will be bullied.
"There are many private factories out there; they can apply for positions there," Sheng Jiahao said. "Over the years of reform and opening up, state-owned factories are no longer what they used to be. They're responsible for their own profits and losses. Factories with good performance can persist and grow, while those with poor performance will sooner or later be eliminated. This is a market economy; the market will regulate, and the fittest will survive. In the past, you could get by, and the government paid for the products, whether they were good or not. That's no longer the case. If performance isn't good, factory leaders have to reflect and find a way out."
Many factories cannot find a suitable breakthrough and end up selling their factories.
You have to know that many factories were originally privately owned. During special times, those factories were nationalized, regardless of whether the individuals agreed or not. After those private companies became state-owned, the state assigned personnel to manage them, and not everyone could manage those companies well.
At this time, it's perfectly normal for some state-owned factories to close down. With the communal economy and state-subsidized orders, some people are complacent and don't think about making progress. They simply think that others aren't working as hard, so they can't work as hard themselves. They can't afford to suffer losses and need to take it easy.
"Many people still don't want to work in private factories," Sheng Jiahao said. "State-owned factories reimburse medical expenses, provide kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools for children, and provide pensions when they retire. Even if private factories offer higher wages, many people are reluctant to work there. They think private factories only look better in the short term, but in the long run, state-owned factories are still better."
"Yes." Jiang Moli nodded, "I also like working within the system."
Jiang Moli's provincial Xiaobaihua troupe is part of the system, as are local theater troupes. They have a regular staff, receive annual and holiday benefits, and their salaries are not low. They are also paid according to their work, with more work earning more. Different roles, participation in different performances, and the number of performances all affect their final income.
"Within the system, you're guaranteed a stable income, no matter the weather. You don't have to worry about losing your job. You can basically stay in the system forever," Jiang Moli said. "If you were in a private company, you might not last that long. You might be fired in your thirties before you even get old. It's hard to find a job when you're fired in your prime."
The age limit for civil service exams is 35 years old, and some private enterprises also have a recruitment limit of 35 years old. People working in private enterprises who are over 35 years old are more likely to be laid off.
Thirty-five is clearly a good age. You've had plenty of experience working for a few years, have a mortgage, a car loan, and children to support, and your job is stable. Yet, such people are often laid off. This is fine if they've made a lot of money before, but if they haven't, being laid off can leave them without a source of income and even making it difficult to pay their mortgage.
"This problem does exist." Sheng Jiahao said, "It's not so bad now."
"Yeah." Jiang Moli said, "Your new factory is quite good. It can indeed solve many problems."
"There are advantages and disadvantages. In the long run, building a new factory does have many benefits." Sheng Jiahao picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs for Jiang Moli.
After dinner, Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli to work. Jiang Moli went to work to rest for a while, and then continued to rehearse. If everyone did not rehearse together for a whole set, they would also have to practice individually.
Ma Yuwen left the provincial Xiaobaihua (Little Hundred Flowers) program and returned to her original workplace. After her return, the local theater troupe offered her a very important role. Ma Yuwen, having returned from the provincial Xiaobaihua program, was indeed quite capable of outdoing many others. She didn't need to fight for opportunities herself; her superiors would proactively give her opportunities.
There is still a big difference between working in a big place and working in a small place. It is possible to do it even if you don’t have such strong strength.
When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king.
Zhu Zhixuan and Ma Yuwen originally worked in different units. After Ma Yuwen returned, she did not contact Zhu Zhixuan every day. Zhu Zhixuan did not know what Ma Yuwen was like after she returned.
When Zhu Zhixuan saw Jiang Moli, she felt uncomfortable and rolled her eyes unconsciously.
"..." Jiang Moli saw Zhu Zhixuan rolling her eyes.
Jiang Moli didn't go up to Zhu Zhixuan or say anything about her. Jiang Moli hadn't really taken root in her new workplace yet, and she didn't want to offend anyone in less than a year. In the workplace, sometimes you have to turn a blind eye and pretend you didn't see things. Everyone in the workplace feels aggrieved, and sometimes speaking up only makes things worse.
"Your eyes are about to pop out." Teacher Li was right next to Zhu Zhixuan and she saw it.
When Zhu Zhixuan heard this, her heart skipped a beat and she lowered her head slightly.
Teacher Li knew what Zhu Zhixuan was thinking, and everyone who was rehearsing with them also knew it. Zhu Zhixuan simply thought that Ma Yuwen left because of Jiang Moli, so Zhu Zhixuan hated Jiang Moli.
Before Ma Yuwen left, Ma Yuwen and Zhu Zhixuan had a good relationship. They would often talk together and relieve their stress. After Ma Yuwen left, Zhu Zhixuan's relationships with others were not as good, and she was in a bad mood. It was hard to describe why. Zhu Zhixuan was under some pressure, which was why she had a problem with Jiang Moli.
Originally, when Ma Yuwen was still around, Zhu Zhixuan thought she didn't hate Jiang Moli that much. Zhu Zhixuan couldn't control herself. She originally thought that Ma Yuwen was the one who hated Jiang Moli the most. She didn't expect that she would dislike Jiang Moli more and more.
Jiang Moli was so dazzling, she performed so well.
Many people were discouraged by their predecessors when they first came to the provincial Xiaobaihua. They initially thought they were very good, but after seeing the more outstanding predecessors, they realized that they were not that capable, and the proud peacock had its tail feathers knocked off.
Teacher Li didn't say much to Zhu Zhixuan, just a reminder. Jiang Moli didn't say much to Zhu Zhixuan now, acting very calmly. That was because she was sensible. She had just come to the new unit not long ago, so it was not good for her to argue with someone who had been there for many years. She still had to be careful and cautious.
Teacher Li looked at Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli had a good temper. If Jiang Moli had said something to Zhu Zhixuan, Teacher Li wouldn't have thought she was wrong. Zhu Zhixuan had rolled her eyes first. However, she could still argue that she wasn't rolling her eyes at Jiang Moli, that she wasn't naming anyone, that she was just standing there thinking about something and rolling her eyes, not at anyone in particular.
In this kind of situation, everyone knows what happened, but without evidence, it will become an unsolved case. You can't just let everyone fight in teams and whoever has more people will win.
"She's rolling her eyes at you." Someone said to Jiang Moli.
"She didn't talk to me." Jiang Moli said, "She didn't point at me either. Maybe she didn't roll her eyes at me."
Jiang Moli thought to herself that she was not a three-year-old child and had to rush forward to ask for justice. If Jiang Moli really rushed forward, others would say she was narrow-minded. This was the workplace, not the vegetable market, not the place for them to quarrel.
After coming to the new unit, Jiang Moli thought that she should work harder and prove herself with her ability.
Maybe because Zhu Zhixuan was not serious during rehearsal, she was called upon by the director several times.
"If you don't want to act, let someone else do it," said the director.
Zhu Zhixuan knew the phone number of Ma Yuwen's unit, and when she finished rehearsing and went to rest, she called Ma Yuwen. Zhu Zhixuan's eyes were slightly red. She had been named by the director several times today, which made her wonder if the director was deliberately helping Jiang Moli.
The better Jiang Moli performs, the worse Zhu Zhixuan looks.
"When performing, don't be influenced by others." When Ma Yuwen learned that Zhu Zhixuan's performance was not good due to others' influence, she sighed, "Your state of mind has been affected. Just perform your own performance well and don't worry about whether others are performing well or not."
"After you left, I..."
"You just think Jiang Moli is bad, and you're angry?" Ma Yuwen thought about it and knew it. She didn't think Zhu Zhixuan was complaining about injustice for her, but that Zhu Zhixuan was doing it for herself. "She's capable, and that's what she deserves. Didn't you also say it? Without her, there will be others. Don't dwell on it. I don't either."
After Ma Yuwen returned to her original workplace, her supervisor valued her. While her base salary wasn't high, she calculated her salary after participating in performances and found it would be the same, or even slightly higher. This was primarily due to her playing important roles and having more screen time, which allowed her to earn more. After Ma Yuwen arrived at her local workplace, everyone there treated her like a senior.
Some people privately mocked Ma Yuwen, saying she had returned because she couldn't stay at the Provincial Xiaobaihua. Ma Yuwen didn't care what those people thought. Whether she could stay at the Provincial Xiaobaihua or not, she had been there before, while the others didn't even qualify to join the Provincial Xiaobaihua, and those people were even more hopeless. If those people were truly capable, the leaders wouldn't have valued Ma Yuwen so much.
Ma Yuwen felt better and not so bad anymore. Zhu Zhixuan said those things to Ma Yuwen, but Ma Yuwen could not help Zhu Zhixuan.
"You have to stay there. As you get older, you will see other outstanding people." Ma Yuwen said, "We are lucky enough to have met Jiang Moli. But you never know if you will meet more Jiang Moli in the future. Times have changed, and more and more people will learn opera."
"It takes time for those people to grow up." Zhu Zhixuan said.
"Yeah, that's why I say we're lucky," Ma Yuwen said. "We haven't encountered so many powerful people all at once. You need to adjust your mindset and not let it ruin yours. Don't focus on Jiang Moli, let's focus on what we can get."
Ma Yuwen thought Zhu Zhixuan had a good mentality, but she didn't expect that Zhu Zhixuan's mentality would have problems so quickly.
"Maybe I can't adapt for the time being. It would be better if you were still here." Zhu Zhixuan said.
"I have my own journey ahead of me," Ma Yuwen said. "I won't say any more. I still have to go to rehearsal. That's all for now."
Ma Yuwen wasn't at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers anymore. She didn't want to dwell on it, nor did she want others to think she was deliberately targeting someone or trying to make them feel uncomfortable. That would be bad; others would say she wasn't at the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers, yet she was still letting others cause trouble there. If anyone at her current workplace knew about it, the leaders would also talk to Ma Yuwen.
Now that everyone has left, don't make things difficult for yourself.
Ma Yuwen did not use Zhu Zhixuan as a tool, and Zhu Zhixuan should not use her, Ma Yuwen, as an excuse.
After Zhu Zhixuan finished her call with Ma Yuwen, her mood did not improve. Ma Yuwen was not here, so she spoke lightly. Zhu Zhixuan thought that she was still in the provincial Xiaobaihua and her close friend was planning to leave, so she naturally could not be so relaxed with Ma Yuwen.
I don't want to leave. I have finally come to this point, how can I leave?
Zhu Zhixuan was dissatisfied, but she had no choice but to go back and continue rehearsing.
Jiang Moli and Teacher Li and the others all got along well. Teacher Li and the others knew that Jiang Moli was no threat to them. Teacher Li and the others were old, waiting for the younger generation to rise up and take over. They had already prepared themselves mentally, so they wouldn't be like Zhu Zhixuan. Teacher Li and the others had once been glorious, so their retreat wasn't a sudden one; it took time.
"Sometime, when you visit your future mother-in-law, you can also come find me." Teacher Li said to Jiang Moli with a smile, "I live very close to your future mother-in-law's house."
Teacher Li always likes to talk about "future mother-in-law". Jiang Moli was a little shy at first, but not anymore. Habits change people's mentality. Habits are really terrible. Jiang Moli couldn't help but think so.
"Okay." Jiang Moli said, "I'll go over some other day when I'm free and have more time. Don't ask me to go over because you're not home."
"Just let me know in advance and I'll make sure I'm at home," said Teacher Li.
Teacher Li has children, none of whom are opera singers. One daughter works at a film studio. Teacher Lu and Teacher Li are similar: they both care about their children's futures and put a lot of thought into planning for their futures. Teacher Li originally wanted her daughter to sing opera, but her talent wasn't great. She would either lose her voice or break into pieces while singing.
Zhou Yiran was okay, and her mother was quite satisfied. Teacher Li's daughter, she thought, looked like her father, not her. If she had been like her, she wouldn't have had such a big problem. Fortunately, her daughter wasn't limited to singing opera; she could do other things.
Zhu Zhixuan's ability in the unit is not high. If Ma Yuwen was there, others might think Ma Yuwen was better. Zhu Zhixuan was much worse and rolled her eyes at others.
Almost no one in the unit stood on Zhu Zhixuan's side, so Zhu Zhixuan sat alone in the corner in a depressed mood.
Jiang Moli didn't take the initiative to talk to Zhu Zhixuan. They were colleagues, and no one needed to accommodate anyone else. Unless Zhu Zhixuan was very powerful, like Teacher Li, Jiang Moli would be willing to show some respect to her.
Please, this is the workplace, not home.
Teacher Li was very nice to Jiang Moli, so Jiang Moli said a few more words, "Teacher, I heard that we are going to the capital to perform, is that true?"
"It's true. We've been talking about going to the capital for a long time." Teacher Li said, "Our performances are all scheduled in advance. This time we're going before National Day, which is in September."
"I haven't been to the capital yet." Jiang Moli sighed.
In her previous life, Jiang Moli had been to the capital, but she didn't visit many places. In this life, Jiang Moli has never been to the capital.
Past lives and present lives, parallel time and space, Jiang Moli still wanted to go to the capital to take a look.
Jiang Yuqin had been taking care of the child at home all day, and it had been like this for several days in a row. The child was either crying for food or accidentally falling down. This gave Jiang Yuqin a headache. Usually when she asked the neighbors to help take care of the child, Jiang Yuqin only took care of the child when she got home, and she felt a little tired, not to mention taking care of the child all day.
"How do you raise children?" Jiang Yuqin asked Wang Chunfen. She felt like she was going crazy.
Jiang Yuqin couldn't beat or scold her adopted son, nor could she let him cry all the time, so she could only be more accommodating to him.
"Raising a child requires patience. A child is a living person, and they will make noises and make a fuss," Wang Chunfen said. "A child is not a rag doll. If you put a rag doll aside and don't feed it, it won't make a fuss. But if you don't satisfy the child, the child will make a fuss. When the child is older, when people dislike him or her, you will probably find it even more difficult to raise a child."
"Is it so difficult?" Jiang Yuqin said.
"Before, you were working and at work, so you didn't have to face the child for a long time." Wang Chunfen said, "Now that you are not working and are taking care of the child at home, you will find that the child is much more noisy. You will gradually get used to it."
Wang Chunfen no longer mentioned asking Jiang Yuqin to send the child away. Saying anything would be useless and would only make Jiang Yuqin think that Wang Chunfen was not a good person. Wang Chunfen did not persuade her. She asked Jiang Yuqin to take good care of the child and be a good stepmother. No one could stop Jiang Yuqin from being a good stepmother.
When Jiang Moli returned home, she was still humming a song. Sheng Jiahao had something to do and didn't come to pick Jiang Moli up from work. Jiang Moli got off work early, so she took the bus home directly. If Sheng Jiahao came to pick Jiang Moli up, Jiang Moli would ask Sheng Jiahao what the capital is like. Sheng Jiahao studied in the capital for a few years, and he should have walked around and seen more of the capital's scenery.
"Is there good news?" Jiang's mother cooked millet porridge and steamed buns.
The weather was hot, so Jiang's mother prepared some delicious food first and let it cool down. She didn't send any buns to Niu Cuihua and her husband. She'd thought about sending some when she made them, but then decided against it. She was afraid Niu Cuihua would become dependent on them, spending more recklessly. When she ran out of money, Niu Cuihua and her husband would come to Jiang's mother for money and food.
Jiang's mother thought about Jiang Moli lending money to Zhao Guodong. If Jiang Moli didn't lend money, it would not be good. Zhao Guodong and his wife would also say that they did not value the brother-sister relationship. Jiang Moli lent money, and Jiang's mother thought that Niu Cuihua and his wife should not always ask Jiang Moli for money.
"Meat buns?" Jiang Moli saw the buns in the bowl.
"Yes, meat buns," Jiang's mother said. "There are two kinds. One has more meat and a little bit of chives. The other is fried with bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, and long beans. It depends on which one you like. You can have both."
"So many!" Jiang Moli saw a basket of buns on the table. "Are you sending these to my brother and sister-in-law?"
"No need to send it to them. Why would you send it to them? They can cook for themselves." Jiang's mother said, "Put the leftovers in the refrigerator. You can have them for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Oh." Jiang Moli thought that Jiang's mother was going to bring food to Zhao Guodong and his wife, so she looked up at her mother.
"We make steamed buns and dumplings at home, and they're used as staple foods," Jiang's mother said. "Now that I have time, I can make more noodles. We can't have to serve these dishes every time we make them. Your father and I are the elders, and it's the younger generation's responsibility to be filial to us."
Jiang's mother saw clearly what kind of person Niu Cuihua was. After she saw what kind of person she was, she didn't want to have much contact with her. Initially, Jiang's mother hadn't been able to get Zhao Guodong to stay in the city, and it was Jiang Yuqin who stayed there. Niu Cuihua felt that Zhao Guodong had suffered a loss. Niu Cuihua was also lavish with her money, often giving more to her parents' home. It was a relief that Jiang's mother hadn't complained to Niu Cuihua.
Things like giving money to the parents' home should be discussed between Niu Cuihua and Zhao Guodong themselves. If others discuss it, it will only make them unhappy.
"Eat yours," Jiang's mother said. "Eat first if you're hungry."
"Dad hasn't come back yet." Jiang Moli said, "You haven't eaten either. I'd better wait a while."
"What are you waiting for?" As soon as Jiang's father came back, he heard Jiang Moli say that they had to wait a while.
"I told her to eat if she was hungry, but she said you hadn't come back yet and she was waiting for you," Jiang's mother said. "She's been rehearsing at work for so long, it's very tiring."
"Eat first. Eat quickly when you're hungry." Father Jiang handed the cakes in his hand to Mother Jiang. "I bought some egg cakes and put them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh."
"Are you still buying egg cakes?" Jiang's mother looked at the egg cake in her hand. Jiang's father used to buy less cakes, but he has been buying more recently.
"Didn't you say Jasmine would be hungry after rehearsing for so long? If she's hungry at night, she needs to have something to eat." Jiang's father said, "Buy some eggs and put them in the refrigerator. You can also buy some dried rice noodles. If she's hungry at night, you can cook some noodles for her."
Father Jiang was afraid that Jiang Moli would be hungry, as he only had this one daughter. Father Jiang had been keeping Jiang Moli busy lately. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night, and when he went to sit in the living room, he would look in his daughter's room. Oh, he had a daughter, another daughter, and she wasn't missing.
It is difficult for others to understand the panic in Jiang's father's heart. This panic has spread from the time he found out that Jiang Yuqin was not his biological daughter to the present.
"Dad." Jiang Moli looked at her father more. Her father had really changed a lot in recent times.
"Eat, eat quickly." Jiang's father said, "If you're hungry, your stomach will feel uncomfortable."
As Father Jiang spoke, he personally served porridge to Jiang Moli.
"Dad, you eat too." Jiang Moli said.
The whole family sat together happily drinking porridge and eating buns.
Niu Cuihua's relatives from her mother's side still called her to ask her to borrow money. Niu Cuihua only had a little money on hand, and she spent it without paying attention. She didn't dare to lend money to those people anymore, so she just said she had no money.
"I really have no money." Niu Cuihua said, "Second Aunt, it's not that I don't want to lend you money, I just really have no money."
"When others ask you to borrow money, you have money to lend to them. But when I ask you to borrow money, you don't have money to lend to me?" Niu Cuihua's second aunt was naturally very unhappy. "I don't borrow much, just ten yuan will be enough."
"Really? Your husband even borrowed money from his sister a few days ago. He needed money to enroll the child." Niu Cuihua said, "There's really no other way. I have no money, so I can only ask his sister."
"Where is his mother?" asked Niu Cuihua's second aunt.
"His mother had already given him two hundred yuan, and that money has been spent. It's only been a little over two months since we returned to the city, and the money is gone," Niu Cuihua said. "I've lent out dozens of yuan."
"Where's your husband's salary?" Niu Cuihua's second aunt thought Niu Cuihua was stingy and refused to lend her money.
"We've almost spent all our salary. If we hadn't, we wouldn't have to borrow money from my sister-in-law." Niu Cuihua said, "We even borrowed twenty yuan from her."
"Can't you borrow a little more?" Niu Cuihua's second aunt said again.
"Loan money must be repaid, not that it doesn't need to be repaid. Besides, his sister is not stupid, there is no way she would lend us so much money." Niu Cuihua said, "Second Aunt, I really have no money left."
Niu Cuihua's second aunt was very unhappy and quickly hung up the phone.
Niu Cuihua sighed. She had no choice but to refuse these people's requests for money. It would be fine if she had money, but if she didn't, she really couldn't make any money. They all thought she had made it big in the city, and they all came to her for money. Before, Niu Cuihua had simply lent them money. She also felt that she had a good life in the city and couldn't refuse those people's requests for money.
It has only been more than two months, and several people have already asked Niu Cuihua to borrow money.
Niu Cuihua's second aunt failed to borrow money from Niu Cuihua, so she naturally went to Niu Cuihua's mother. She said in front of Niu Cuihua that Niu Cuihua no longer recognized them after moving to the city, and that others could borrow money from Niu Cuihua, but she could not.
Niu's mother didn't know how many people had asked Niu Cuihua for money. She knew a few people, but she couldn't call and tell Niu Cuihua not to lend them money. Niu's mother was so far away from Niu Cuihua that talking wouldn't be of much use. But since Niu Cuihua's second aunt had come to Niu's mother and told her about it, Niu's mother still had to call and ask Niu Cuihua.
Just three days after Niu Cuihua's second aunt asked her to borrow money, Niu's mother called Niu Cuihua to ask about the situation.
"My uncles and aunts asked me to borrow money, and I gave them all." Niu Cuihua said, "And my aunt and her friends, dozens of dollars were gone in a flash. We didn't even have the money for the children's tuition, so we had to borrow money from my sister-in-law. Guodong didn't want to borrow money from his mother, saying that his mother had given him 200 yuan before..."
"Two hundred yuan, it's only been a short time and you've spent it all?" Mother Niu took a deep breath.
"Yeah, I spent it all." Niu Cuihua said with a guilty conscience, "I bought some things and borrowed some money, so that's it."
"You've been a household tycoon, so why are you spending money so recklessly?" Niu's mother asked, "Do you lend money to everyone who asks you to borrow money?"
"I..." Niu Cuihua paused, "They are all relatives. How could I not lend them money? When I turned around, I found that I had no money."
"You really are..." Mother Niu didn't know what to say to her daughter. She had always thought her daughter was extravagant. She had told her daughter about it, but she looked nonchalant. "Your in-laws aren't a wealthy family. Your mother-in-law remarried and gave your husband the job. You still want to ask her for money, and she might not be able to come up with much. City people need money to live. Calculate how much you spend each month and stop wasting money."
"That's because I just arrived." Niu Cuihua said.
"Don't buy such expensive clothes for yourself," Niu's mother said. "Don't buy such expensive things for us either. Don't put too much pressure on Guodong. When you go to the city, live a good life. Don't lend money to others who ask you to borrow money. Guodong earns money too easily. He has several mouths to feed. Others think you are rich, do you really think you are a tycoon?"
"I thought... I didn't pay attention." Niu Cuihua said, "I always felt that making money in the city was easier..."
A few days ago, Niu Cuihua really felt that way, but now she doesn't feel that way anymore. Groceries cost money, rice cost money, oil, salt, and seasonings—everything costs money. Niu Cuihua calculated carefully and realized that it really costs a lot of money every month. If there were any personal favors, Zhao Guodong's salary wouldn't be enough.
"You're just overthinking it." Niu's mother said, "You need to be more careful, okay? I won't talk to you anymore, the phone bill is expensive!"
Niu's mother simply told Niu Cuihua not to lend money to those people, no matter who asked her to borrow money. Those people might not pay back the money, which would be fine, but the key point was that Niu Cuihua herself had no money, so Niu Cuihua and her husband had to go and borrow money from others.
How much money can Niu Cuihua's sister-in-law lend them, and how many times can she lend it to them?
People are not fools. After one or two times, if they know that Niu Cuihua and her husband borrowed money in order to lend it to relatives, they will definitely not be willing to lend them money again.
After hanging up the phone, Niu Cuihua went back home. She was in a bad mood.
"Are you looking for money again?" Zhao Guodong asked.
"No, it's my mom. She told me not to lend money to others." Niu Cuihua said, "I didn't know so many people were asking me to borrow money. If I had known, I wouldn't have lent them money, or I would have lent them less. Second Aunt asked me to borrow money, but I really don't have any money. What would we do if I lent her the money? Second Aunt asked for ten yuan."
Niu Cuihua felt sad. Those people didn't even ask if she was doing well in the city. If they did, they could have asked again. Some people just asked if she was tight on money, and then just borrowed money.
"No, I won't lend them anything." Niu Cuihua said, "I know we have to make a living and can't lend them all the money we have. You don't need to tell me more, I know everything, everything."
"Just don't borrow it," Zhao Guodong said. "If you don't know how much you spent, you can take a pen and paper and write it down."
Niu Cuihua didn't study much, but she still knew some simple words and could memorize them. Niu Cuihua didn't need to remember, because she knew she had spent a lot of money in the past two months.
When Aunt Zhao was chatting with Jiang's mother in the compound, she said that someone called Niu Cuihua to borrow money, and that Niu Cuihua almost had a quarrel with that person.
"Your daughter-in-law has so many people asking to borrow money from her. She gets a call every now and then, all asking to borrow money." Aunt Zhao said, "She must have lent out quite a bit of money."
"I don't know. They manage the money themselves," Jiang's mother said. "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings."
"We have to take some measures. How can they make ends meet if they keep lending money out?" Aunt Zhao said. "If they run out of money, won't they still have to ask you for it?"
"I don't have that much money." Jiang's mother fanned herself with a fan.
"You don't have a job, so you really don't have that much money. Your husband is rich, and your daughter is rich too," Aunt Zhao said. "Your daughter's boyfriend is also rich. When is your daughter going to get engaged? Have they discussed it? Hasn't she already met with the elders on both sides?"
"They're not engaged yet," Jiang's mother said. "Jasmine just started working at a new company, and she's not yet of legal marriage age."
"Engagement isn't marriage, so it's better to get engaged sooner rather than later," said Aunt Zhao. "The sooner we get engaged and finalize it, the less likely we'll regret it."
"We can get divorced after marriage, let alone an engagement. A few months is not a big deal." Jiang's mother said.
"Your future son-in-law is so well-endowed," Aunt Zhao said. "He's a college student, too. He..."
"He's well-off, and our Jasmine isn't bad either," Jiang's mother said. "They do want to get engaged soon, but Jasmine has been busy lately, so we'll have to wait."
"Don't they want to get engaged?" asked Aunt Zhao.
"No." Jiang's mother said.
"They say the man doesn't want to get engaged so soon," said Aunt Zhao.
"They know nothing and are just talking nonsense," Jiang's mother said. "Young people have their own ideas, and they think differently from us old people. I support Jasmine. She has to do her job well first, so let her do it."
"Your husband only has this one daughter. Don't they want to marry into the family?" Aunt Zhao held a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds in her hand.
"Whether or not we marry into the family is irrelevant. Isn't the child's surname Jasmine's? "Jia Li's happiness is the most important thing," Jiang's mother said.
Aunt Zhao originally thought that Jiang Moli was going to marry into the family, and that the Jiang and Sheng families hadn't reached an agreement. But after hearing what Jiang's mother said today, she became a little confused, "You didn't tell anyone about the marriage?"
"No." Jiang's mother replied.
"Then you can have two children, one with your son-in-law's surname and the other with Jasmine's surname." Aunt Zhao said.
"This is family planning," Jiang's mother said, "They can have as many children as they want."
Jiang's mother didn't interfere. Whether to have one child or two children was a matter for Jasmine after she got married.
When Jiang's mother learned that several people had approached Niu Cuihua to borrow money, she didn't criticize her in front of Aunt Zhao and the others, nor did she go to Zhao Guodong. Zhao Guodong was already a grown man; he knew what to do. Jiang's mother didn't want to control Zhao Guodong like a three-year-old child; she had to give him some freedom.
"Why don't you guys pay more attention to it?" said Aunt Zhao.
"Why worry so much? Just relax," Jiang's mother said. "When you have time, go out for a walk, take a stroll, and have some fun. We don't need to worry too much about our children's affairs; they will take care of them themselves."
Aunt Zhao looked at Jiang's mother. She thought that although Jiang's mother said this, she might want to take more control of things after a while. Jiang's mother didn't have a job and always stayed at home. Why should she take care of those things?
Jiang Moli will be going to the capital in a few days, and she told Sheng Jiahao in advance.
"Should I prepare some thicker clothes?" Jiang Moli asked Sheng Jiahao, "Will the temperature in the capital be very low in September? Will there be a big difference between day and night? Will there be a lot of mosquitoes there?"
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