Chapter 49 The Proud Prince Returns to the Palace
"Even if you can't get anything, it's good to satisfy your desire for food." Niu Cuihua said. She didn't say that Miao Guifeng did anything wrong.
Niu Cuihua didn't know what Miao Guifeng had gone through, but she knew her mother-in-law was sending away her child, a son. If she had been through something like that, she'd have been hysterical, too. She couldn't possibly be polite to those people. If she was polite to them, they would bully her.
When it is time to be strong, you still have to be strong.
"This is their family business." Niu Cuihua added, why should they care so much about other people's family affairs.
"Isn't this telling you not to be like her?" asked the neighbor.
"I can't be like her. My mother-in-law and the others are all very nice." Niu Cuihua said.
"Didn't you think they were bad before?" asked the neighbor.
"That's because I was stupid before. I was too foolish to appreciate the kindness of others. Now I understand." Niu Cuihua admitted her previous mistakes. "I was wrong, I was wrong, and I won't deny it."
Seeing Niu Cuihua like this, the neighbors didn't say anything else. They had initially thought Niu Cuihua and Jiang's mother and her gang would get into a fight, but who would have thought she wouldn't? Miao Guifeng had seen Niu Cuihua several times before, and the two of them had been quite close. The neighbors were all wondering if Niu Cuihua would end up like Miao Guifeng, wondering if they would always be together, if they would become a syndicate.
Jiang Yuqin asked Che Lijuan to find her a job, and Che Lijuan had no choice but to do so. If Jiang Yuqin had a job, everyone would give her less money. If she didn't, she would definitely ask for more money.
Che Lijuan found her husband, who wasn't very happy about it, but he still arranged a job for her. Initially, it was a street sweeping job. Che Lijuan said Jiang Yuqin didn't like street sweeping, saying it would be easy for other acquaintances to see her sweeping the streets, which would be embarrassing. She also didn't want Jiang Yuqin to embarrass herself by running around outside.
"It's good enough to have a job, why is it so troublesome?" Che Lijuan's man's face turned cold.
Despite this, Che Lijuan's husband finally arranged for Jiang Yuqin to work in a private factory. The management of that factory had a good relationship with Che Lijuan's in-laws, so they arranged for Jiang Yuqin to work there first.
Che Lijuan went to find Jiang Yuqin, who was washing clothes at the door of the rental house.
"I've found a job for you," Che Lijuan said. "My husband wants you to sweep the streets..."
"I'm not going." Jiang Yuqin said immediately.
"Listen to me, he said that, and I said no," Che Lijuan said, "He asked someone he knows to ask you to work at that person's factory. If you go there to work, you still have to work hard and don't be lazy. My husband found this job for you because he owes someone a favor."
"How long can I do this job?" Jiang Yuqin asked, "Do I need to work in shifts? I told you, I don't work in shifts."
"You don't have to work shifts." Che Lijuan said, "You can rest on the weekends."
"Where's the salary?" Jiang Yuqin was afraid that these people would cheat her.
"You're indispensable," Che Lijuan said. "If you do those things well, your salary will be good. It's better than just staying at home and making firewood boxes."
"Can it really be cured?" Jiang Yuqin didn't quite believe it.
"It really works." Che Lijuan said, "Just try it and you'll know. If I try to cheat you, you can still come back to me, right?"
Che Lijuan was a little annoyed. She had tried so hard to help Jiang Yuqin, but she was still finding fault with her. Che Lijuan thought she had done nothing wrong to Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin was now a vampire, and she had to make things difficult for her.
"Pack up and you can go straight to work tomorrow," Che Lijuan said. "Don't expect to work in a private company forever. If the factory goes bankrupt, you really can't work there. But they've only been open for a short time, so they should be able to work for a long time. Don't be disgusted by the fact that it's a private factory. Many state-owned factories have no orders and have asked their workers to stop working. Having a job is enough."
Che Lijuan was afraid that Jiang Yuqin would be picky again and would insist that they arrange for her to work in a new state-owned factory. Che Lijuan didn't have such great ability, and her in-laws wouldn't be able to support her family to this extent.
In this way, Jiang Yuqin temporarily got a new job. Jiang Yuqin used her background to suppress those people in the Jin family, making them do things for her and give her money.
The Jin family is so good to Jiang Yuqin, which makes some people feel very strange. Are the Jin family such good people?
"Isn't it because her father...her adoptive father doesn't care about her?"
"We are her family after all. If we don't take care of her, who will?"
"It just means her life isn't going well. If we help her, her life will be better."
…
When others asked the Jin family, they all said the same thing.
The Jin family didn't dare to reveal who Jiang Yuqin's biological father was, only saying that Jiang Yuqin was pitiful. The neighbors didn't feel pity for Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin wasn't Jiang's father's biological daughter. She had lived in the Jiang family for so many years and had even gone to school, finishing junior high school. Many families without money had their children drop out of school early, but Jiang Yuqin was considered to have studied a lot.
Aunt Zhao told Jiang's mother that Jiang Yuqin had found a new job. They were sitting in the courtyard talking about this.
"She said she found a job that doesn't require shift work and gives her weekends off, and the salary is pretty good," Aunt Zhao said. "How could those people at Jin Manzhi be so nice to Jiang Yuqin? Didn't Jiang Yuqin go there years ago? They even sent her to you and wouldn't let her stay with them."
Aunt Zhao felt that there was something fishy going on. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed wrong, especially wrong.
"Is there something going on here? Who is Jiang Yuqin's biological father?" asked Aunt Zhao.
"You'll have to ask Jin Manzhi about that," Jiang's mother said. She had no intention of revealing Jiang Yuqin's biological father to anyone. It wouldn't make much sense to reveal it so early. She also wanted to see Jiang Yuqin embarrass the Jin family. Jiang Yuqin had embarrassed her stepmother for so many years, and Jiang's mother was unhappy.
In Jiang's mother's eyes, Jin Manzhi had long known about Jiang Yuqin's life experience, and so did her second uncle. Those people had let Jiang Yuqin cause trouble in the Jiang family, and they were going too far. There was no way Jiang's mother could easily let this go, and neither could Jiang's father.
Jiang Yuqin's biological father had to be revealed by the Jin family themselves, and they had to let Aunt Jin know it themselves.
Jiang's mother knew that Aunt Jin was in a bad mental state, which was one of the reasons why she was reluctant to talk about it.
"Jin Manzhi is truly terrifying. Even after getting married, she still went looking for another man, leaving your husband to raise their daughter for someone else for so many years." Aunt Zhao said, "Jiang Yuqin didn't suffer either. Before she got married, she needed your help. After she got married, she had the support of the Jin family, so her life was really easy. Don't make things difficult for her."
"She's been with us for so many years, and it's hard to let go of her feelings," Jiang's mother said. Of course, they had to let go, but it wouldn't look good for them to deliberately embarrass Jiang Yuqin. They'd taken the compensation from the Jin family, and that was enough. They'd let the Jin family handle everything else and see how they made their own arrangements.
"..." Aunt Zhao looked at Jiang's mother. She didn't believe how deep her feelings for Jiang Yuqin could be.
Time passed day by day, and the Chinese New Year was approaching, but Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were still not engaged.
Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao weren't in a rush at all; they thought getting engaged next year would be fine. Sheng Jiahao did want to get engaged sooner, but he respected Jiang Moli's opinion. An engagement required the elders of both families and their closest relatives to sit down together for a meal. It wasn't something that could be considered an engagement simply by preparing some things.
Shi's mother thought Jiang Moli would hold on to Sheng Jiahao tightly and ask for an early engagement, but Jiang Moli never got engaged. This made Shi's mother a little anxious. Her son was about to come back for the New Year, but there was no movement from the Jiang family.
"Is your Jasmine still not getting engaged?" Shi's mother went to ask Jiang's mother herself. She ran into Jiang's mother on the road while she was buying groceries. Regardless of whether Jiang's mother was happy or not, she asked directly, "Is it the man who doesn't agree? That's right, your Jasmine didn't even finish high school, she..."
"It's not that the man doesn't agree, it's that Jasmine just joined a new unit and she doesn't plan to get engaged at this time. Engagement requires preparation and time." Jiang's mother really wanted to roll her eyes at Shi's mother.
"These are all excuses. After all, your Jasmine didn't go to high school. She graduated from college. Jasmine doesn't understand. You as parents should understand. You should let them get engaged earlier and settle things first. Don't let the duck in your mouth fly away." Shi's mother said.
"It's not like the duck in your mouth flew away, so you don't have to worry." Jiang's mother said, "Girls should be cautious when getting engaged and married."
"Your daughter's boyfriend is a college graduate!" Shi's mother emphasized, "So many people are eyeing your future son-in-law. If your daughter isn't anxious, you should be a little anxious too. You have to help your daughter..."
"I think you're the one who's anxious." Jiang's mother's face turned cold. "Are you afraid that Jasmine will cling to your son? Let me tell you, even if Jasmine breaks up with her boyfriend, there's no way Jasmine will cling to your son. Even if your son insists on pursuing Jasmine, there's no way she'll be with him!"
"There's no way my son would pursue your Jasmine," said Shi's mother displeased. "He and someone who didn't even finish high school or college have different cultural levels and can't live together."
"Let your son find a college student, find someone outstanding." Jiang's mother said, "My daughter Jasmine has a partner. When she gets engaged is her freedom. It has nothing to do with you. Please don't talk about Jasmine here. Jasmine has nothing to do with your family. I will tell Jasmine not to be friends with your daughter Shi Nan in the future. Stay away from your daughter Shi Nan. Your daughter Shi Nan is your family's treasured treasure. Are you still waiting for him to marry the princess?"
Jiang's mother didn't want to talk to Shi's mother much, because what Shi's mother said was too unpleasant to hear. When Shi Nan just started high school, Shi's mother's face changed a little. After Shi Nan went to college, Shi's mother turned into this disgusting look.
Not only Jasmine, but also some of Shi Nan's other friends were talked about by Shi's mother.
Some other young girls on the street didn't dare to get too close to Shi Nan, because Shi's mother would ask those girls if they wanted to marry into her family.
In the evening, Jiang Moli had just finished her meal and returned to her room when someone knocked on her window. She opened the window and found it was Fan Xiaoxue. Fan Xiaoxue and Jiang Moli were neighbors, and she was one year older than Jiang Moli.
"Sister Xiaoxue." Jiang Moli came out of the room.
"Jasmine." Fan Xiaoxue pulled Jiang Moli aside.
"What's the matter?" Jiang Moli asked puzzledly.
Jiang Moli and Fan Xiaoxue used to have a lot of contact, but after Jiang Moli went to art college, she had to be busy with work, and the number of times she and Fan Xiaoxue met became much less. Fan Xiaoxue also had to work, so the two of them didn't have much time to spend together.
"Shi Nan will be back soon." Fan Xiaoxue said.
"Come back if you want." Jiang Moli said, she thought of what her mother had just said. Her mother told her not to get close to Shi Nan and not to think of being just ordinary friends. She said that the Shi family was afraid that Jiang Moli would miss Shi Nan. When Jiang Moli heard what her mother said, she naturally stood on her mother's side. She and Shi Nan should have had less contact.
"Have you been told?" Fan Xiaoxue asked.
"Huh? You were told off?" Jiang Moli raised her eyebrows.
"I met Shi Nan's mom today, and she said that at my age, I should find a partner and get married soon," Fan Xiaoxue said. "She said that since I don't have a degree, I shouldn't even think about getting one with a higher degree. She told me to be more down-to-earth. Damn, I haven't seen her son in ages, haven't had any contact with him in ages."
"Uh..." Jiang Moli didn't expect that Shi's mother also mentioned Fan Xiaoxue.
"It's true. We're told to find a partner sooner rather than later, saying that finding one sooner will help us find a better partner. But then some people are told to just sit around and work, saying their son will be busy when he returns." Fan Xiaoxue said, "Shi Nanren hasn't even returned yet, and his mother is already clearing obstacles for him. We're all just obstacles."
Fan Xiaoxue was very unhappy, so she came to find Jiang Moli. There were quite a few people playing together, and Jiang Moli was the prettiest among the girls. People from other streets thought Jiang Moli was pretty, and some even came over specifically to see her.
"The prince has returned to the palace." Jiang Moli joked.
"What prince? I think he's just a loach jumping onto the shore. Who the hell does Shi Nan think we are? Do we have to play with Shi Nan? It's really disgusting that Shi Nan has such a mother." Fan Xiaoxue said, "If she wasn't an elder, I would have said a few words to her in the street."
Fan Xiaoxue had a crush on Shi Nan and had thought about being with her, but when Shi Nan was admitted to university, Fan Xiaoxue gave up the idea, not only because of what Shi's mother said, but also because Shi Nan and the others were of different cultural levels and would eventually belong to different circles.
After Fan Xiaoxue gave up on pursuing Shi Nan, she still felt reluctant and still had some feelings for him. When Shi's mother said that again, Fan Xiaoxue returned home and was scolded by the elders. They told her not to get close to Shi Nan, saying that Shi Nan was a college student and was different from them.
Whenever Fan Xiaoxue thought of Shi Nan, she felt that Shi Nan wasn't that good anymore. Sometimes, she even wanted to step on Shi Nan. Shi's mother's words to Fan Xiaoxue had completely humiliated her. Fortunately, the neighbors knew what kind of person Shi's mother was and how she often showed off Shi Nan. Otherwise, people would have thought Fan Xiaoxue was chasing Shi Nan relentlessly.
"I know Shi Nan is different from us. He's a college student," Fan Xiaoxue said. "It's disgusting, extremely disgusting."
"Don't pay attention to those people." Jiang Moli said, "You know Brother Shi Nan's parents. Brother Shi Nan is a college student, and they are so arrogant. Let them be. Anyway, we have no plans to be with Brother Shi Nan. With his family situation, marrying him will be a suffering. Even if Brother Shi Nan finds a college student as his partner in the future, there will still be other problems. We won't get involved. It has nothing to do with us."
Seeing that Fan Xiaoxue looked so unhappy, Jiang Moli tried to comfort her.
"We didn't go to college, but we have decent jobs and can make a living on our own. We don't need to rely on men for support." Jiang Moli said, "We make our own money and can buy whatever we want. We can still live without men."
"We're really miserable. Those men are okay, but not much better off. They're called incompetent, looked down upon, and their self-esteem is suppressed." Fan Xiaoxue said, "Shi Nan's mother must have done this on purpose. She's offended a lot of people. Now, few people dare to get close to Shi Nan, for fear that his mother will come to their door."
Shi Nan didn't come home for the New Year, which was fine, as Shi's mother could be a little quieter. Shi Nan was going home for the New Year, and Shi's mother was afraid someone would do something to him. Shi's mother kept a tight rein on Shi Nan's affairs, fearing someone would take advantage of her. Shi's mother said those things deliberately, just to upset others. If others had any dignity, they wouldn't have been able to get close to Shi Nan.
It's not that Shi Nan didn't know what his mother would do, but he didn't expect her to go so far. Others would not be so detailed in front of Shi Nan, so as not to make Shi Nan feel that they were always speaking ill of other people's mothers, and they also didn't think that Shi Nan would speak ill of his mother for them.
After Fan Xiaoxue talked to Jiang Moli for a while, she went back. Fan Xiaoxue did not ask Jiang Moli when she and Sheng Jiahao would get engaged. It was their freedom to get engaged when they wanted to.
"What did Xiaoxue come to see you for?" Jiang's mother asked when she saw Jiang Moli coming home.
"Why else could it be? Shi Nan's mother must have told her about it." Jiang Moli said, "I thought she was just talking to you. I didn't expect that."
Fan Xiaoxue prefers to be close to Shi Nan, and Jiang Moli and other friends can feel it. But that was all in the past, not in the present.
Shi's mother really didn't give others any face and had to say those words. Jiang Moli thought that if it were her, she would not say it.
Who doesn’t have a young lover in their youth? It’s not wrong to like someone.
Fan Xiaoxue didn't pursue Shi Nan relentlessly, nor did she force Shi Nan to agree to her pursuit.
"When women like us see her precious son, we lose our minds," Jiang Moli said. "Sister Xiaoxue is very angry."
"She criticized you, and you responded back," Jiang's mother said. "You really think her son is a delicious bun."
"Sister Xiaoxue said that since he hasn't returned yet, his mother has cleared the obstacles for him." Jiang Moli said, "I said, the prince has returned to the palace."
"You are quite good at teasing." Jiang's mother chuckled.
"Isn't it?" Jiang Moli said, "It's not that I have to say anything about Brother Shi Nan, but the current situation of their family is like there is a throne to be inherited. Brother Shi Nan is the prince, the crown prince. Everyone has to kneel beside them and cheer for them three times, long live, long live, long live."
"Aren't you afraid that Shi Nan will find out?" Jiang's mother asked.
"I'm not afraid. What's there to be afraid of? Even if he comes, I'll say the same thing to his face." Jiang Moli said, "Their family has always been like this. It was okay before, but not anymore. College students are really amazing, very amazing."
In her previous life, Jiang Moli attended a top university in the country, yet she wasn't proud. Jiang Moli still remembered that after she graduated and started working, she didn't emphasize her university at all. Someone who had just joined the company with her said to her face, "You always emphasize what your university is, and how great it is." This left Jiang Moli speechless. Besides the initial self-introduction, when did she ever mention her university?
Sometimes, you don’t take those things to heart, but others insist on taking them to heart, and take them very seriously. Jiang Moli has known this for a long time. One person cannot care what other people think. Don’t try to persuade them. It’s not a particularly good relationship. Just let them do whatever they want. Let them do whatever they want.
"He's truly remarkable, the first university graduate from our neighborhood," Jiang's mother said. "Back then, your junior high teacher asked you to go to high school, but you refused. Now, you're looked down upon."
"This is my own choice. I want to pursue my dream." Jiang Moli said, "If people look down on me, then so be it. Life is like this. You can't have this and that too. You can't have everything your way. There will always be regrets in life."
Early in the morning, Sheng Jiahao came to pick up Jiang Moli to go to work, and he also bought food for Jiang Moli.
"I've already had breakfast." Jiang Moli said, "Do you dislike my skinny appearance?"
"No, I just bought some so you can try them." Sheng Jiahao said, "Meat buns."
"Then I'll eat some." Jiang Moli said, "We had porridge this morning with diced radish. My mom also fried an egg, but no meat buns."
Jiang's mother was always frugal when shopping for groceries and cooking. She was like this when she had a job, and she's still like this now that she's unemployed. She didn't let anyone eat poorly just because she wasn't working. Jiang's father now gave her more money, and the quality of the family's food didn't decline; it even improved.
It was all because Jiang Yuqin's background was exposed, so Jiang's father wanted Jiang Moli to eat better and spend more money on food. How much does food cost? Jiang's father was willing to spend money, so Jiang's mother would spend money. If she didn't spend money, Jiang's father would give her less money later. Jiang's mother knew Jiang's father too well. She would spend whatever Jiang's father gave her. After all, it was food money, and there was no need for Jiang's mother to be stingy and save money.
"It smells good." Jiang Moli took a bite of the meat bun and saw the meat inside.
"I'll buy it for you another day." Sheng Jiahao didn't always bring meat buns to Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli usually came out after having breakfast at home.
Jiang Moli didn't ask Sheng Jiahao what to do. It was Sheng Jiahao's first time to be in a relationship, so he tried hard to do things better.
"Will it be too troublesome?" Jiang Moli asked.
"No trouble, I'll buy it on the way." Sheng Jiahao said, "Don't I need breakfast too?"
"How long are you working at night? And you have to come pick me up so early." Jiang Moli said, "It's not on my way."
"If I want to see you, even if it's not on my way, it will become on my way." Sheng Jiahao said, "If I don't want to see you, even if it's on my way, I have to say it's not on my way."
"Yes, this is it." Jiang Moli nodded, "My mom met Brother Shi Nan's mom yesterday, and his mom told my mom to get engaged as soon as possible, because the duck that talks about the mouth will fly away. Not only my mom, but also Sister Xiaoxue, she was also told."
Jiang Moli didn't mention that Fan Xiaoxue had once had a crush on Shi Nan. This was a girl's secret, and it wasn't something she wanted other men to know. Sheng Jiahao and Fan Xiaoxue had only met a few times, and it was because of Jiang Moli that Sheng Jiahao came here to see her.
"His mother told Sister Xiaoxue to find a partner quickly, saying that she's still young and shouldn't wait until she's older. When she's older, all the good men are already picked up." Jiang Moli said, "Sister Xiaoxue came to me last evening very unhappy about all this. She said that Shi Nan got into college, and that this meant he was being abandoned by everyone. That's not abandoning everyone, it's that his mother is betraying us. His mother wants him to leave us. The prince is back in the city, everyone get out of the way."
"Then you should have less contact with them." Sheng Jiahao said.
"There are few college students nowadays, and they are all very precious." Jiang Moli said.
"No matter how precious they are, they are still human beings," Sheng Jiahao said. "Every industry needs people. Not everyone can be the top one. If everyone were so talented, the world wouldn't be what it is today."
"That's right." Jiang Moli said, "I don't think I'm much worse than college students. If I keep thinking that way, I'll feel inferior."
"Don't feel inferior. You are so capable. It's only natural that others would feel inferior when seeing you." Sheng Jiahao said.
Sheng Jiahao likes Jiang Moli's boldness and self-confidence. He can't see how Jiang Moli is such an inferior person. When he thinks of Jiang Moli like that, he finds it difficult to describe her vividly.
When Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli to work, Jiang Moli had already finished eating the meat buns. Jiang Moli waved goodbye to Sheng Jiahao and went into the work.
Shi Nan came back, and his mother went to the airport to pick him up. His mother even helped him carry his things. Shi Nan said he wanted to carry his things himself, but his mother said he was a college student and a pillar of the country, so she couldn't let him carry his things. Shi Nan had no choice but to let his mother carry his things.
When the neighbors saw Shi Nan coming back, they would say a few words.
"Yeah, Shi Nan is back."
"College students, come back."
“Coming back from the capital is just different.”
…
Some would say a few polite words and praise Shi Nan. Shi's mother smiled and was very happy.
"Let's go home," said Shi's mother.
It happened that Fan Xiaoxue was walking on the street. She saw Shi Nan and then walked aside. She didn't run into Shi Nan. Shi Nan didn't pay much attention to Fan Xiaoxue. He had little contact with these people in high school. Even if he saw Fan Xiaoxue walking aside, he wouldn't think it was a big deal.
Fan Xiaoxue looked at Shi Nan. Shi Nan had few things in his hands, so it was basically Shi's mother who was holding those things. Fan Xiaoxue did not move closer. When Shi's mother turned around to look at Fan Xiaoxue, she glared at her.
"You're sick." Fan Xiaoxue muttered. She had already distanced herself from Shi Nan, but Shi's mother still had the nerve to act like that.
Fan Xiaoxue thought Shi Nan didn't need these street buddies anymore. It was because no one had kept up with Shi Nan. Shi Nan could go find someone else to play with instead of hanging out with these uneducated people. People without diplomas couldn't keep up with them. Men without diplomas were just boastful, like hooligans. Women without diplomas only wanted to marry rich men, Fan Xiaoxue said self-deprecatingly.
Haha, women without a diploma also have dignity, not without dignity. Everyone has different IQs, but that doesn't mean that people without a college degree are bad. They can do other people's things.
Fan Xiaoxue felt very uncomfortable. For a moment, she wanted to rush to Shi Nan and ask: Shi Nan, do you know what your mother said?
Fan Xiaoxue thought Shi Nan should know something. It was impossible for him to be completely unaware. Even Jiang Moli had been mentioned by Shi's mother. Jiang Moli was so beautiful, and so many people admired her. Shi's mother also liked Jiang Moli before, but her attitude changed so quickly.
"Shi Nan is back." A neighbor said in Fan Xiaoxue's ear.
"Yes, the college students are back." Fan Xiaoxue snorted.
"Aren't you friends?" the neighbor asked, "Why don't you go over and take a look?"
"We're hopeless, and we're not college students, so we won't get close." Fan Xiaoxue said, "Men and women shouldn't touch each other. We have to be careful about the boundaries. Remember the boundaries, understand? If I'm not careful, people will think I'm chasing after their college student and want to marry him."
Shi Nan had already walked away, and he did not hear the conversation between Fan Xiaoxue and the neighbor. Shi Nan was thinking about meeting Jiang Moli, but he could not go to see Jiang Moli right away. He had to go home first and sort out his things.
Everyone on the street knew how happy Shi's mother was. Some even said that if their family had a college graduate, they would be like her. Some understood, some were dismissive, and some mocked her. Fan Xiaoxue stood there and said nothing. If she did say a few more, others would think she was jealous of Shi Nan's college education, that she was just sour grapes.
Fan Xiaoxue turned and left. What were she looking at? If she looked at her any longer, others would talk about her.
At Shi's house, Shi's mother put the luggage in Shi Nan's room.
"Knowing you'd be back, I took the quilts out to dry in the sun," Shi's mother said. "And I've opened the windows for ventilation. It's cold outside, so close the windows first. Take a comfortable shower and change your clothes. Or maybe you should eat something first?"
"I'll go take a shower first." Shi Nan said.
Shi's mother was busy running around, worried that Shi Nan might need something. She even wanted to help Shi Nan find some clothes, but Shi Nan refused.
"Mom, you don't have to find clothes, I can find them myself." Shi Nan said, "You go make something to eat, I'll eat later."
"Okay, I'll go make some food." Shi's mother said quickly.
As soon as Shi Nan came back, everyone in the street knew about it. One person told another, and soon, except for those who were out at work and not at home, almost everyone knew that Shi Nan was back. Even Niu Cuihua knew.
Niu Cuihua had been here for several months and had heard people talk about Shi Nan, the first college graduate in the neighborhood. She had also heard Jiang's mother tell them to have less contact with the Shi family, saying that Jiang Moli had a boyfriend and wasn't interested in being with Shi Nan, and asked Niu Cuihua and the others not to make a fool of themselves.
When Niu Cuihua heard what Jiang's mother said, she realized that there was a lot more to it. Niu Cuihua was speechless. City people could still look down on others like this. She originally thought that these people only looked down on country people. She didn't expect that those people who grew up together and had been neighbors for so many years could still look down on others like this, and say it directly.
"Mom." Niu Cuihua took the child to Jiang's mother, "Shi Nan is back."
"Okay, I see." Jiang's mother said, "Have you prepared something for your parents? The New Year is almost here, and it won't be in time if they send it later."
"I sent it. I also sent the things you gave me, and a few dollars." Niu Cuihua said.
Jiang's mother sorted out some of Jiang Moli's old clothes and gave them to Niu Cuihua. Some of the clothes were too big for Niu Cuihua to wear, and Jiang Moli's figure was even smaller. These clothes were not for Niu Cuihua to wear, but for Niu Cuihua to alter and give to Zhao Jiaojiao. Zhao Jiaojiao only had a few winter clothes, which were not thick and felt very thin. Zhao Jiaojiao's nose was red from the cold.
"This is the clothes Jasmine wore," Jiang's mother said. "I bought it two years ago. It's still wearable."
"Little sister, aren't you going to wear it anymore?" Niu Cuihua asked.
"Her boyfriend bought her new clothes, and she bought some for herself too," Jiang's mother said. "She's going to work at a new company, and she's not a student anymore, so she needs to dress nicely."
"Yes, I should dress better." Niu Cuihua now felt that she shouldn't have bought such expensive clothes before. She stayed at home all day to take care of the children, so why did she need to wear such expensive clothes? When she wore such expensive clothes, others would think they were cheap. When Jiang Moli wore cheap clothes, others would think they were expensive.
Before, Niu Cuihua saw a piece of clothing that Jiang Moli was wearing. She thought it was particularly beautiful, so she asked the price. She originally thought that the clothing was very expensive, but it turned out to be much cheaper than the one Niu Cuihua was wearing.
"These clothes are still in such good condition. Little sister, are you really not going to wear them anymore? Do you know?" Niu Cuihua was worried that Jiang's mother had taken out Jiang Moli's clothes to give away. "Maybe you took the wrong ones? These clothes are still so new."
"You didn't take the wrong one," Jiang's mother said. "She fixed it herself last night. If you don't mind, take it back and have Jiaojiao alter it. It's freezing cold, and Jiaojiao must be frozen. Her hands are ice-cold."
"It's even colder in our hometown, and everyone dresses like this," Niu Cuihua said. "Children are resistant to the cold."
"Children aren't that cold-resistant. Dress warmly. Don't wait until your hands crack before you feel bad." Jiang's mother had raised a child herself, so she knew whether children were truly cold-resistant. It was just the adults who thought they were cold-resistant. They thought about how they had gotten through it as children, and they thought children today were already enjoying it. "How can they keep out the cold with clothes that thin? Their noses are always running."
Mother Jiang looked at Zhao Jiaojiao, whose little face was a little cracked and red from being frozen.
"If your feet are cold, wear an extra pair of socks, or even two pairs, and buy a larger shoe size," Jiang's mother said. "Moli wears two pairs of socks because she says they keep her warmer. Also, give Moli's blanket to Jiaojiao. The quilt Jiaojiao is using is a little light. Put another blanket on top of it and she'll be warm."
The quilt on Jiang Moli's bed was lighter because she also covered herself with a blanket. Zhao Jiaojiao didn't have an extra blanket, so the quilt was lighter. Niu Cuihua meant that Zhao Jiaojiao was still young and a heavy quilt would weigh her down.
Is that a matter of pressing the body? Is that a matter of whether or not you'll get cold?
Jiang's mother didn't know what the Niu family did to Niu Cuihua, but she knew that Zhao Jiaojiao was her granddaughter.
"Moli knows that your Jiaojiao is cold, but you, as a mother, don't know." Jiang's mother said, "And your little one is cold too. Who wouldn't be cold? You're not like them, so you don't feel it."
Some clothes are not long, so they can be put directly on Zhao Jiaojiao and worn as long clothes, which is not a big problem.
"Are you cold?" Jiang's mother asked Zhao Jiaojiao.
"It's not cold, it's not cold..." Zhao Jiaojiao looked at her mother, and then said, "It's cold, icy cold."
"Look, just because you say the child isn't cold doesn't mean he isn't cold," Jiang's mother said. "The clothes she was wearing won't freeze her to death, but it will make her very cold and uncomfortable. Jiaojiao is in good health, but if she meets someone weak, she'll easily get sick."
Jiang's mother put all the clothes on a piece of cloth and tied it up, and placed another thick blanket next to it. Jiang's mother and Niu Cuihua took the things over first and helped Zhao Jiaojiao make the bed.
When making the bed, Jiang's mother saw a layer of straw under the bed.
"Why is there still straw?" asked Jiang's mother.
"We do this in the countryside. When the weather is cold, we put a layer of straw under the bed so that the wind will not blow up from under the wooden boards, and it will be a little warmer," Niu Cuihua explained.
Jiang's mother was really impressed, but then again, country folk didn't have that much money to buy so many quilts. Thinking of the quilt she had slept in for years, she decided to use that one as a mattress pad and sleep on the other quilts.
Then, Jiang's mother went back home to get a cushion for Zhao Jiaojiao.
"Mom, children don't need such a soft blanket," Niu Cuihua said. "It's not good for the body."
"Nonsense, how soft can that be?" Jiang's mother said, "People say that because their family isn't well off and they can't afford to treat their children better. That's why they say that. Some of what they say is false. Don't take it as the truth."
Jiang's mother had long noticed that Niu Cuihua had many outdated ideas, even more rigid than her own. All Jiang's mother could do was to correct them slightly and get Niu Cuihua to give up those feudal dregs.
Although Jiang's mother brought over some old things, Niu Cuihua was very happy. If people can stop thinking about whether others have thrown their garbage to them and recognize the situation, they will feel much better. Zhao Jiaojiao put on warmer clothes and her hands were much warmer.
When Zhao Guodong came back, he found some clothes on the bed, and Niu Cuihua had not had time to fold them.
"Are these new?" Zhao Guodong saw that the clothes were very new, and he had never seen Jiang Moli wear them before, so he said, "No, this is not your size."
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