Chapter 59: A Big Cockroach
"It was just an accident," Jiang Yuqin said. "I've taken a few days off. I'll be fine after a good rest."
"Ask for leave?" Wang Chunfen was surprised to hear this. "Is it enough to just ask for leave?"
"Okay." Jiang Yuqin said, "Rest at home for a few days and have a good rest."
"You..." Wang Chunfen found that she couldn't speak clearly to Jiang Yuqin. Is this a matter of having a good rest? Jiang Yuqin fainted, which means that Jiang Yuqin's health is not very good.
If it were Wang Chunfen, she would have taken this opportunity to say she no longer wanted to raise the adopted son, giving him to his biological mother or his grandparents. Jiang Yuqin had a wonderful life in the Jiang family, but after she married Ding Chao, her life became quite difficult.
Wang Chunfen had told Jiang Yuqin that she didn't think Ding Chao was a bad person. She felt he treated her well, cared for her, and looked after her. Wang Chunfen didn't really think Ding Chao was caring for her; she thought he was just taking advantage of her. But Jiang Yuqin couldn't figure it out, and no one else's advice was going to help. She could only continue to endure it on her own.
"Forget it, I won't tell you." Wang Chunfen said, "Whatever you want is fine."
"I..." Jiang Yuqin opened her mouth for a moment before saying, "I'm doing fine now."
"Good? What's good?" Wang Chunfen asked, "When you were still married, you could eat whatever you wanted. But what about now?"
"It's pretty good now." Jiang Yuqin said, "Life is not just about eating and drinking."
"..." What do you mean it's not just about eating and drinking? Wang Chunfen wanted to get married because she wanted to live a better life, not raise someone else's child.
Before Wang Chunfen got married, her purpose was clear: she wasn't marrying to suffer. Love, or not, is completely unreliable. Love is not as real as money. Some love is superficial, meaning the woman makes one-sided efforts while the man doesn't care.
Between Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao, Wang Chunfen felt that Jiang Yuqin was the one giving. No matter how much Jiang Yuqin contributed, Ding Chao never complained. He only hoped that Jiang Yuqin could do more. If Jiang Yuqin did more, Ding Chao would have to do less.
Wang Chunfen stared at Jiang Yuqin with complicated eyes. She really didn't know what to say.
"Hongwang is still a good person," Jiang Yuqin emphasized. "We've raised him for quite some time and have some feelings for him. Letting him stay here is the best option. His biological mother has remarried and may even have children. He didn't get a good life there. His biological grandparents are even less likely to care for him. They have other grandchildren, and we can't let Hongwang go back and suffer. With my husband and me, the child will at least have enough food and clothes, and there's hope for the future. If he goes back, his life will be bleak."
“…”Wang Chunfen was silent.
"Chunfen, you're a mother too," Jiang Yuqin said. "Ever since I became pregnant, I've felt more and more that bringing a child into this world isn't easy. My husband and I are only taking care of one extra Hongwang, not many people. We can still take good care of one Hongwang. You're willing to let such a young child suffer, but I can't. I've raised him for all these years, and I can continue to do so."
"Okay, you keep raising me, you keep raising me," Wang Chunfen said. "I'm a bad person, okay?"
Wang Chunfen treated Jiang Yuqin as a friend, and she wanted her friend to live a good life, so she talked so much to Jiang Yuqin, but Jiang Yuqin obviously didn't think so. Wang Chunfen thought she should stay out of Jiang Yuqin's affairs and say less. Jiang Yuqin obviously didn't take her words to heart, and she might even tell Ding Chao about them.
Just as Wang Chunfen thought, after Wang Chunfen went back, Ding Chao returned home and Jiang Yuqin said what Wang Chunfen said.
Jiang Yuqin had her own thoughts. She couldn't take the initiative to ask for the child to be sent away. She was just repeating what others had said. If Ding Chao wanted to send the child away himself, Jiang Yuqin would naturally be happy. If you say Jiang Yuqin has no feelings for the child, she is still so kind to the child on the surface. If you say she has feelings for the child, she always secretly wonders whether Ding Chao will send the child away himself.
"I told you, Hongwang has been with us for all these years. He is our son, our biological son." Jiang Yuqin said, "I can't possibly drive Hongwang away."
Ding Chao didn't know what Jiang Yuqin was thinking, but his idea was simple: "Hongwang is our son."
Ding Chao spent little time at home. When he got home from work, he would just sit there and wait for food and drinks. He didn't have to do housework or take care of the children. Jiang Yuqin took care of everything. Ding Chao would at most give Ding Hongwang some money and sometimes take him out to play. Ding Hongwang liked Ding Chao very much, but he didn't like Jiang Yuqin that much. Jiang Yuqin just thought boys preferred to be around other men, and she didn't think about Ding Hongwang's ungrateful behavior from time to time.
How could such a young child think that others were ungrateful?
"Yes, you are right." When Jiang Yuqin heard this, she understood what Ding Chao meant.
After Wang Chunfen went back, her husband said a few more words to her, saying that she always said those things to Jiang Yuqin, and Jiang Yuqin would never appreciate it.
"We have to talk about it, just in case it works." Wang Chunfen sighed. "She... really, I never thought she would live like this now. Originally, I thought she could live a good life and find someone who treats her well and has a good family background. In the end, she chose this person. What's love? Is it really that important?"
"It's very important to her." said Wang Chunfen's man.
When the neighbors learned that Jiang Yuqin had only taken a few days off to rest, they simply felt that Jiang Yuqin was truly kind to Ding Hongwang and that she was too persistent. She was pregnant and still so weak, yet Jiang Yuqin didn't know how to rest properly, letting others take care of Ding Hongwang first, and she still had to take care of him herself.
September arrived quickly, and Jiang Moli received a notice from the director of the "Dream of the Red Chamber" production crew. The crew had already coordinated with the provincial Xiaobaihua to loan Jiang Moli out for about ten days, including travel time. Adding a few more days, it would be half a month. The crew director originally wanted Jiang Moli to join the crew earlier, but the provincial Xiaobaihua happened to have a performance, so she was delayed for a few days.
Jiang Moli was about to leave, and before leaving, she met Zhou Yaran. Jiang Moli went to Zhou Yaran's house, and she said that she would tell Zhou Yaran after she received the notice from the crew.
"Dream of the Red Chamber?" Zhou Yaran was surprised. She knew the production crew of this TV series. They had been auditioning actors last year. Zhou Yaran knew about the auditions for "Dream of the Red Chamber," but she didn't go. She preferred to just lie back and relax rather than struggle. If she did, she had to be able to fight.
"Yes." Jiang Moli said, "The filming should be completed soon."
"That's great." Zhou Yiran said, "Jasmine, you are really capable."
"If you want, if there is a crew filming, you can also go for an audition." Jiang Moli said.
"Someone came to you for an audition," Zhou Yiran said, "If I had gone there alone, it might not have been so good."
"It's not impossible to go there on your own initiative." Jiang Moli said, "If you take the initiative, you can also get many opportunities."
"Forget it, forget it, I still prefer to stay in South City." Zhou Yiran waved her hand. Filming is not that easy.
"Okay, it's up to you." Jiang Moli said, "Whatever you want to do, just do it."
"Yes, I will." Zhou Yiran said.
This time, Teacher Lu did not go with Jiang Moli. Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli to the airport. Jiang Moli's filming location was relatively concentrated, and her role was not particularly large, so the filming time was not long.
"When you get there, if anything happens, remember to contact us," Sheng Jiahao said. "If anyone bullies you, tell us too."
"I'll be back soon," Jiang Moli said. "They're not mentally ill. They wouldn't just pick on me and bully me. The director asked me to audition, not me. I'm doing fine."
"You're not familiar with the place, so things might still go wrong." Sheng Jiahao said, "Don't go out casually at night."
"We're shooting a night scene," Jiang Moli said.
"..." Sheng Jiahao was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses. Indeed, the role played by Jiang Moli mainly appeared at night. "When shooting night scenes, be careful. Stay close to the main group and go back to the hotel to rest together. Don't stay outside alone."
"I know, I know." Jiang Moli said, "Don't worry, I'm not a three-year-old child, there's no way I don't know. I will definitely film well and keep up with the main group. I will definitely not fall behind and will not be out there alone."
Sheng Jiahao kept telling Jiang Moli for a while, worried that she wouldn't know how to be careful. Jiang Moli certainly knew to pay attention to the situation and she would try her best to protect herself. Jiang Moli was a person who paid great attention to her own safety. She wanted to protect herself better and she would never let her life be a mess.
Jiang Moli got on the plane and Sheng Jiahao went back.
When Sheng Jiahao returned home, Teacher Lu was sitting in front of the TV.
"Moli, in this line of work, you have to travel a lot," Teacher Lu said. "I've already told you this. Can you get used to it?"
"Yes." Sheng Jiahao said, "Moli is on a business trip, and I am on a business trip too."
"This way, the time you two spend together might be even shorter," Teacher Lu said. "You better take care of yourself. Don't think about other women just because you're not together."
"No." Sheng Jiahao frowned. How could he have such an idea?
Sheng Jiahao absolutely didn't have such thoughts, really not.
"That's good," Teacher Lu said. "I'm reminding you not to make the wrong move. Jasmine is a very good girl, and that's her job. If you can accept it, then be together. If you can't, then don't waste her time. It's not that I think Jasmine is bad, I'm just worried you might hurt her."
Teacher Lu didn't think Jiang Moli's diploma was not high enough, just like Shi's mother did. She didn't think Moli was unworthy of her son. Instead, she felt that her son was unworthy of Moli. Her son had a high diploma, so what? If her son didn't do well, then this son was useless.
"Mom, you worry about these things more than Auntie does." Sheng Jiahao said.
"Moli's mother thinks that since you have a high degree, you can make money, and you're a grown man, it's hard for a mother-in-law to say anything about her son-in-law, especially a future son-in-law," Teacher Lu said. "Even if others don't say anything, we have to know what's going on in our hearts. We have to do things well and not wait for others to tell us."
"Yes, we won't wait for them to tell us. We'll do it ourselves." Sheng Jiahao said, "Mom, what are you looking at?"
"In the commercials," Teacher Lu said. "The show 'Five Daughters Paying Homage' produced by the Provincial Xiaobaihua Group was aired on TV in July. It received a very good response and was even broadcast on CCTV. Even now, those stations are still showing it repeatedly, sometimes at five or six in the morning. Apparently, there are still people watching."
"I heard from Jasmine. Jasmine said it was okay," Sheng Jiahao said. "As for how it was, Jasmine didn't say. But someone on the street called Jasmine Cuiyun. During the filming, her makeup wasn't very heavy, more elegant, but you can still tell."
The makeup for the two versions, the stage version and the real-life version, differ slightly. The makeup for the stage version is heavier, while the real-life version is lighter, and more in line with the real-life setting.
"Our province is famous," Teacher Lu nodded. "People from other provinces also watch it. Jasmine is participating in 'Dream of the Red Chamber' this time. It's a good thing, 'Dream of the Red Chamber' is one of the Four Great Classical Novels."
"That's great." Sheng Jiahao said, "Jasmine will be gone for nearly half a month."
After Jiang Moli arrived at the crew, she tidied herself up a bit and then followed the etiquette instructor to learn. Jiang Moli didn't say anything nonsense, didn't say the etiquette instructor's instructions were wrong, and didn't say that it was not good to do so. She was right to follow the instructions.
The etiquette teacher didn't teach Jiang Moli all the rules, but only the ones Jia Yuanchun needed, so that Jiang Moli could act like a virtuous concubine. Jiang Moli studied hard with the etiquette teacher, and asked the teacher to check if she was doing it right. If she was wrong, she would ask the teacher to correct her.
After studying the etiquette rules for two or three days, Jiang Moli started filming. The etiquette teacher was very satisfied with Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli herself came from an opera background and had learned a lot of relevant etiquette rules. Jiang Moli joined the crew late, but it didn't look like she joined late at all.
Jiang Moli read "Dream of the Red Chamber" many times at home and during her graduation performance. She also researched a lot of material. Jiang Moli simply wanted to perform better, to give her character more body. From the script to the actors' performance, the design and re-creation of the actors' movements and expressions were all crucial.
Jia Yuanchun's visit to her parents required a boat trip. The boat scenes were brief, but they were filmed several times, with a few lines spoken back and forth, shot from different angles. Jiang Moli, standing on the boat, was initially a bit apprehensive about the swaying motion, but quickly calmed down once the scene really began.
During the break between shoots, when there was little rest, a group of people stayed there, and someone joked, "Big sister, not big sister, not the oldest among us, she is even younger than her younger sister."
The actors in the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions" are relatively young, not particularly old. Many of them are in their early twenties, and some are even younger.
Everyone joked around a bit and soon it was time to move on.
The scene where Jia Yuanchun meets her sisters was quite long, and we had to show all the emotions Jia Yuanchun felt when she saw her family. This scene was not finished in one day, and we continued to shoot these scenes for the next two days.
The actress who plays Shi Xiangyun is also an opera singer. Other roles have also been played by opera singers, and some graduated from dance schools. There are relatively few who come from a serious background in TV dramas. Ancient costumes require beautiful posture, proper etiquette, and a perfect fit in every aspect.
This is a parallel universe. These actors have different names and slightly different looks from the actors in the version of "Dream of Red Mansions" that Jiang Moli saw in her previous life, but these people have good acting skills and good character.
During the filming, there was an incident where one of the actors brought her boyfriend, who seemed to have some social status. Something happened during this incident, which had nothing to do with Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli had a small part, and the actor was not trying to compete with her for the role.
Jiang Moli did not have direct contact with those people, but instead heard Ruan Songling, the actor who played Shi Xiangyun, speaking.
"Whoever's acting here isn't seconded here." Ruan Songling said to Jiang Moli, the two of them staying in a corner of Rongguo Mansion, "Everyone has to rush, it's not them who are in a hurry. They are still thinking of adding more scenes, or changing to a more important role, but the director didn't agree."
"Then what?" Jiang Moli asked.
"The director said she can continue acting if she wants to, but forget it if she doesn't want to," Ruan Songling said. "The director doesn't indulge them."
"Shall we go?" Jiang Moli asked.
"No," Ruan Songling said. "With such a good opportunity, how could I possibly leave? She wants more scenes, but it's not that easy to add scenes. She's probably testing the director. With her boyfriend's connections, she figured it wouldn't hurt to test the waters. Most of our cast members were already confirmed long ago, and we're all studying the script together. There are also people like you who didn't attend the Red Mansions class with us, but most of them don't have that important roles."
"Aren't you also studying opera?" Jiang Moli wondered, "How can you have so much time to attend classes?"
"Yes, I'm not the only one in our unit who can sing opera." Ruan Songling said, "This is not just acting, it's also learning. It's always good to learn more knowledge."
"You're right." Jiang Moli nodded, "I came here to study hard."
As both students of opera, Jiang Moli and Ruan Songling had a lot to talk about. They didn't dwell on others' faults, but occasionally shared gossip about the crew. Actors like Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai were more lively, acting like two completely different characters, often joking around.
Jiang Moli was also infected by them watching them like that. However, Jiang Moli rarely joked. She was playing Jia Yuanchun, so she usually tried to be dignified so that she could get into the role better. The others saw Jiang Moli like this, and they liked to tease her even more.
During Jiang Moli's filming, Jiang Yuqin suffered a miscarriage.
Jiang Yuqin hadn't expected to have a miscarriage, and she had already taken some time off to rest. She fell at home, but she didn't think the fall was particularly serious, so she quickly caught herself with her hands. However, she still had a miscarriage.
Wang Chunfen had a premonition long ago. Jiang Yuqin cared so much about Ding Chao, and she also had to take care of her adopted son. How could her health be good?
When Jiang Yuqin was lying in the hospital, Ding Chao took Ding Hongwang to visit Jiang Yuqin.
"There will be more in the future." Ding Chao comforted Jiang Yuqin.
"Why didn't I look at the ground? How could I fall on flat ground?" Jiang Yuqin blamed herself. She didn't think it was her husband's fault, nor did she think it was her adopted son's fault. She felt it was her own fault. It was all because she didn't pay attention, which led to other things. If she had paid more attention, she wouldn't have fallen. If she hadn't fallen, the child would not have died.
Jiang Yuqin's eyes were red. This was her and Ding Chao's first child, and it was gone just like that.
"Be more careful next time." Ding Chao brought fish soup to Jiang Yuqin and asked her to drink some.
Wang Chunfen stood at the door of the ward and heard what Jiang Yuqin said. She was even more speechless. Why was Jiang Yuqin still blaming her? Wasn't it Ding Chao who didn't take good care of Jiang Yuqin? Ding Chao didn't know to send the child to his parents for a while, wait until Jiang Yuqin gave birth, and then bring the child back.
This was a matter between Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao, and Wang Chunfen couldn't bring herself to discuss it. Jiang Yuqin was the type of person who would be completely moved if the man she loved did even the smallest thing for her. She didn't even consider that she had done more for her partner, and Ding Chao had done far too little for her.
Wang Chunfen finally walked in. She saw Jiang Yuqin's haggard face and thought about her before she got married. The Jiang family raised Jiang Yuqin very well, but after she got married, Jiang Yuqin really didn't take good care of herself.
"You..." Wang Chunfen looked at the child that Ding Chao was holding. "Yuqin needs to rest. A miscarriage is harmful to her health. When Yuqin returns, stew a few more chickens for her to nourish her. Only after her body has recovered can she get pregnant and have children again."
Wang Chunfen really wanted to ask Ding Chao to send the child away first, but Jiang Yuqin had already had a miscarriage, so there was no point in saying these words at this time.
"We'll definitely stew it," Ding Chao said. "Yuqin, if you need anything, please ask the nurse. I'll take Hongwang back first. He's too young to stay in the hospital all the time."
Ding Chao was worried that Ding Hongwang would be frightened. He had always been very kind to the child and was worried that he might contract a virus in the hospital. The hospital had many viruses and many patients, so Ding Chao had to consider the child. Ding Chao was thinking about his adopted son, but he didn't think about Jiang Yuqin.
"Yes, you guys should go back quickly." Jiang Yuqin said, "Don't let Hongwang stay in the hospital."
"You guys chat, we'll go back first." Ding Chao said.
When Wang Chunfen saw Ding Chao leave like that, she looked at Jiang Yuqin again, and Jiang Yuqin was not dissatisfied at all.
After Ding Chao and the child walked away, Wang Chunfen asked, "How did you fall? Why did you fall for no reason? Did the child bump into you?"
"No……"
Wang Chunfen thought Ding Chao had taken the child far away, but she didn't expect Ding Chao to come back with the child.
When Ding Chao heard what Wang Chunfen said, his face immediately darkened.
"I didn't bump into him!" Ding Hongwang said loudly.
Wang Chunfen turned around and saw Ding Chao and Ding Hongwang.
"Hongwang didn't hit Yuqin," Ding Chao said coldly. "You keep trying to sow discord between us. What's your intention?"
"Yes, yes, yes, Hongwang didn't hit me." Jiang Yuqin said quickly, "I didn't notice the cup next to me, and I didn't see the water in the cup spilled, so I accidentally fell."
Wang Chunfen looked at Jiang Yuqin and said, "Listen to what you said later. Where did the cup come from? Where did the water come from? Did you pour it yourself?"
"I……"
"Wang Chunfen, what does our family's affairs have to do with you? Hongwang is still so young, how could he have bumped into Yuqin and hurt her?" Ding Chao said, "Yuqin didn't put the boiling water in the pot properly and scalded Hongwang before!"
When Jiang Yuqin heard Ding Chao mention that she had scalded Ding Hongwang by not putting the boiling water in the pot properly, her face became even uglier. She blamed Wang Chunfen for making Ding Chao bring up the past.
"Chunfen, don't talk nonsense if it's not true." Jiang Yuqin said.
"I think you should stop interacting with each other in the future!" Ding Chao said.
"Jiang Yuqin, what do you think?" Wang Chunfen asked Jiang Yuqin.
Jiang Yuqin's eyes dodged, "Chunfen, don't say such things in the future. Hongwang is just a child..."
"What a little kid! What about Ding Chao? He's an adult. Can't he leave the child with his parents for a while? He knew you were pregnant..."
"It's not that he doesn't want to, it's that he can't let go." Jiang Yuqin was irritated. "Wang Chunfen, are you jealous of me? Don't you want me to live a peaceful and happy life? Do you have to say that? You say this every once in a while. You don't want me to live a good life at all."
"I don't want you to live a good life? I just want you to live a good life so much, I want you to live a happy life so much." Wang Chunfen sneered, "I do this for you, and you blame me."
"I've been wanting to say this for a long time. Did you say those things to Yuqin to make her quarrel with me and divorce me?" Ding Chao said, "I don't like to talk about you, but you still have the nerve to continue saying these things in front of Yuqin."
Wang Chunfen looked at Jiang Yuqin, but Jiang Yuqin didn't dare look at Wang Chunfen. The fact was clear, Jiang Yuqin was on Ding Chao's side, and she felt that Ding Chao was not wrong.
"Okay, it's my fault. I won't come to see you, Jiang Yuqin, anymore, okay?" Wang Chunfen said, "You don't have to come to see me either. Let's not look for each other, whatever."
Wang Chunfen turned around and walked away, but after she walked out of the ward door, she stopped again. She had prepared a red envelope for Jiang Yuqin, but she hadn't given it to her yet. Forget it, she wouldn't give it to her. Wang Chunfen didn't leave immediately because she heard what Ding Chao said to Jiang Yuqin.
"How many times have I told you to stop listening to your friend? You're still hanging out with her and listening to her." Ding Chao was very unhappy. "She wants you to divorce me, will you?"
"She...she's not my friend anymore." Jiang Yuqin said this, and then she felt that what she said was right, and immediately repeated it again, "Yes, she's not my friend anymore. You just saw what she said. Even if she still wants to be friends with me, I can't be friends with her!"
When Wang Chunfen heard Jiang Yuqin's words, she felt her heart ache. She had thought so much about Jiang Yuqin, but in the end, she only heard these words.
What kind of life is Jiang Yuqin living? Doesn’t she feel it herself?
Yes, Jiang Yuqin felt that she was already living a very happy life.
Wang Chunfen leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. She and Jiang Yuqin were no longer friends, and she didn't have to worry about Jiang Yuqin anymore. Wang Chunfen told herself that this was good. She had long since given up on caring about Jiang Yuqin's mess. Wang Chunfen took a step forward, and she was about to leave. This time, she really couldn't care about Jiang Yuqin's affairs anymore.
When Ding Chao and Ding Hongwang appeared at the door again, Wang Chunfen had already left.
Wang Chunfen wasn't stupid. Jiang Yuqin had said that to Ding Chao, which meant that Jiang Yuqin would never interact with her openly in the future. Wang Chunfen didn't want to keep her relationship with Jiang Yuqin secret. She, Wang Chunfen, made friends, and it wasn't like they were shady. They should just get things out in the open and interact with each other openly.
Inside the compound, Aunt Zhao told Jiang's mother about Jiang Yuqin's miscarriage and asked, "Do you want to go see her?"
"Why are you looking at her? She's not our daughter." Jiang's mother said bluntly, "If anyone wants to go see her, it should be her biological parents who go to see her!"
"You've raised her for so many years, don't you have any feelings for her?" Aunt Zhao said.
"If you were us, would you have any feelings for her?" Jiang's mother said, "She bullied our Jasmine a lot. Whenever Jasmine got something delicious, she would take it away from her. Jiang Yuqin always called me a vicious stepmother. Now that I'm not her stepmother anymore, why should I care so much?"
Jiang's mother felt that Jiang Yuqin was too disappointing. When Jiang Yuqin was still in the Jiang family, Jiang's father did not allow Jiang Yuqin to marry Ding Chao, but Jiang Yuqin insisted on stealing the household registration book to marry Ding Chao. Now Jiang Yuqin has become like this, it is also Jiang Yuqin's own fault. If Jiang Yuqin had been more sensible, things would not have come to this point.
"That's true." Aunt Zhao nodded. "Yuqin did have a bad temper back then. She was so stubborn before she got married, but how come she became like a quail after she got married?"
Aunt Zhao didn't quite understand Jiang Yuqin's change. She felt that Jiang Yuqin had such a bad temper, and she would probably become more assertive after getting married. Look at Miao Guifeng, how bad her temper is now. None of the people in the Yang family dared to say anything about Miao Guifeng.
"For her man." Jiang's mother rolled her eyes. "She loves her man so much, how could she possibly listen to anyone else? Naturally, whatever her man says is right, and whatever others say is wrong."
"Alas, men are just like that," Aunt Zhao said. "Her man is really not that good. He raised someone else's child, but didn't take good care of his pregnant wife. Jiang Yuqin fainted earlier, and after a few days of rest, she went back to work. She still has to continue taking care of the child, washing clothes, and cooking."
Although many people like Aunt Zhao had gone through the same thing, Jiang Yuqin had a job and a salary, so she was able to find a way out. Many people of Aunt Zhao's generation did not have jobs and just stayed at home to do housework and take care of children.
"Jiang Yuqin has to do everything," Aunt Zhao said. "Even though she's pregnant, her husband doesn't even bother letting her rest. He really doesn't care about her."
"This is the man Jiang Yuqin loves, the one who was willing to marry him even if it meant stealing his household registration book," Jiang's mother said. "How could we possibly care so much? Back then, our man didn't know her background. Our family treated her well enough, but she didn't cherish it. She had a miscarriage, but it was her own fault. Our family has never let her down. We've been so kind to her."
Aunt Zhao couldn't say that the Jiang family wasn't good enough to Jiang Yuqin, because Jiang Yuqin wasn't Jiang's father's biological daughter.
"How long will your daughter be away on this business trip?" asked Aunt Zhao.
"It'll take a while." Jiang's mother's expression softened as she spoke of her daughter. "She'll be back once she's done with her work."
"Your daughter is always on business trips like this. Aren't you afraid that her fiancé will be unhappy?" Aunt Zhao said.
"What's there to be unhappy about? He knew from the beginning that Jasmine would be traveling frequently," Jiang's mother said. "If he wasn't satisfied, he would have been unhappy a long time ago. His mother even accompanied Jasmine to an audition before."
"His mother is accompanying Jasmine?" Aunt Zhao was surprised. "I didn't hear you mention that before."
"It's just a small matter, so I won't talk about it." Jiang's mother said. It's not good to bring up every little thing that happens.
"Your family won't say it, but if it were the Shi family, they would definitely say it, and they would say it every day." Aunt Zhao said, "Their Shi Nan is a senior in college, and they have mentioned it several times. They also said they don't know where Shi Nan will work in the future. It doesn't matter whether it's in the capital or in South City, these are both good places. If Shi Nan is in the capital, they will have to save more money for him, saying that Shi Nan might find a girlfriend in the capital and get married in the capital in the future. They say that if Shi Nan returns to South City, he will definitely be able to get a good job, and they say that the people in the job will introduce him to a good partner without anyone else's introduction."
Shi's mother often talked about Shi Nan outside, every few days, telling her how Shi Nan was doing in the capital. She also talked about the other children on the street, telling them to study hard. Even if they couldn't go to college in the capital, they could still go to a less crowded place. She said that it was not easy for someone like Shi Nan to appear on their street.
"Shi Nan's mother often says that if it were in ancient times, our street would be called Champion Street," Aunt Zhao said. "She says that her son's admission to university has boosted the feng shui of our street, and the rents would be higher."
"..." Jiang's mother's lips twitched slightly. This really sounded like something Shi Nan's mother would say.
"I don't think the rent is higher, isn't it? It's still the same, isn't it?" Aunt Zhao said. "Shi Nan from Nan's family isn't the only one who got into a good school in South City; there are others too. Look how proud they are, as if everyone on our street is relying on their son for support. When her son graduates from college, won't he have to go out and work?"
"You'll get promoted faster after graduating from college and starting work," Jiang's mother said. "You'll be able to climb to a higher position and make a lot of money in the future."
"Let's wait and see what he does after he graduates from university," Aunt Zhao said. "His family will surely be very proud of him for a long, long time."
"They should be proud of themselves," said Jiang's mother.
"People in their family say bad things about Jasmine, and you still say they should be proud of it?" Aunt Zhao said.
"It's true that they should be proud of their son getting into university," Jiang's mother said. "Our Jasmine has no connection to their family. Whatever they say is useless."
"You are open-minded." Aunt Zhao said.
Miao Guifeng planned to send her eldest daughter to the countryside, just like she had done in her previous life. Miao Guifeng readily told her mother about it, and she agreed. Her mother would help take care of the child, and Miao Guifeng would send some money back every month so her mother wouldn't suffer any setbacks. Her mother figured if Miao Guifeng paid, she'd take care of the child. If she didn't, she'd still have to take care of the child for a few more years.
Originally, Miao Guifeng planned to send her eldest daughter to the countryside after the Lunar New Year, but it was difficult for her to take care of two children and sell roasted sweet potatoes. So Miao Guifeng asked her mother to come to Nancheng and let her take her eldest daughter away.
"Don't you plan to wait any longer?" Miao's mother asked Miao Guifeng while holding the child. "The child hasn't been weaned yet."
"Didn't your sister-in-law give birth?" Miao Guifeng said, "I'll buy some more milk powder so the baby can eat something else in the future. Mom, please ask your sister-in-law to help feed her a little milk, not too much, just don't let her cry too much."
"I won't let her cry too hard." said Miao's mother.
"I have no choice. The eldest is still here, and I have to take care of him," Miao Guifeng said. "I also have to go out and sell roasted sweet potatoes to make some money. I'll send some to you, and that'll cover the money for the second child's milk powder. If I don't go out and sell roasted sweet potatoes, how can we make ends meet with just their father's salary? We can't make ends meet."
"At the beginning, I said you would marry a city man and live a good life. But in the end you still have to sell roasted sweet potatoes." Miao's mother said.
"It's still good in the city, I can go out and sell roasted sweet potatoes. In the countryside, no one will buy roasted sweet potatoes when I go out to sell them," said Miao Guifeng.
"Country people often eat sweet potatoes, so who would want to eat roasted sweet potatoes? The sight of sweet potatoes makes me want to vomit." Miao's mother said, "Then I will take your second child back tomorrow. Does he need to register his household registration first?"
"Not yet," Miao Guifeng said. "It will be in time to register her household registration when she is ready to go to school. It will be troublesome to register her household registration now."
"Well, that's one way to do it," Miao's mother said. She didn't think it was wrong, as many people did the same. Since the child wasn't in school and didn't need a household registration booklet, they didn't need to register their child so early.
Having more children than allowed is subject to a fine, and Miao Guifeng and his wife are currently short on cash. They'll consider registering their children after a few years, when they have more money. Since the eldest child is a boy, they'll register him first. There's no rush for the second child, a girl.
"Your mother-in-law told me today that you are too fierce," said Miao's mother.
"She made the mistake first. I can't just give in to her just because she's my mother-in-law." Miao Guifeng said, "Mom, don't worry about her. I think she's just bored and wants to start making trouble."
Miao Guifeng deliberately raised her voice so that Yang's mother in the living room could hear. When Yang's mother heard what Miao Guifeng said, she said, "What a sin! How could she have such a daughter-in-law?"
Miao Guifeng heard Yang's mother spit, and she immediately opened the door.
"What a huge cockroach." Mother Yang didn't look at Miao Guifeng, but took the broom and hit it in the corner. "Don't run, you can't run away."
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