Chapter 64: Vain people always change
"When I knew you were coming, I told my mom, and she said it was no problem," Zhao Guodong said. "My mom originally wanted you to stay over there, but considering you had something to talk about with Cuihua, I decided to go over myself."
Zhao Guodong discussed this with Niu Cuihua. They were also worried that Niu's mother would not be used to living in the Jiang family, so it would be much better for her to live with Niu Cuihua and the others.
"I'm going back to see my mother-in-law. We haven't seen each other for many years." said Niu's mother.
"It's time to meet her. My mother also asked you to come over for dinner." Zhao Guodong said.
"You're welcome, mother-in-law, you're so polite." said Niu's mother.
In the evening, Jiang's mother prepared a large meal and invited Zhao Guodong and his family to come over, along with Niu's mother. Niu's mother had wanted to help, but Jiang's mother told her to rest up and that Niu Cuihua would be able to help out. Jiang Moli wasn't home; she had a performance that evening, not one she had chosen specifically, but arranged by her work.
Jiang Moli couldn't just take leave because of personal schedule issues and force everyone else to cooperate with her. That wouldn't be good. Furthermore, the early publicity had indicated that Jiang Moli would be in the show, and she was the lead actress. If she didn't appear without prior notice, it would be tantamount to deceiving the audience.
"Isn't your sister-in-law here?" Mother Niu asked when she didn't see Jiang Moli.
"Moli is going to a performance and will be back late." Jiang's mother said.
"Then let's wait for her to eat together." said Niu's mother.
"No, she'll be back very late tonight, so we can eat first." Jiang's mother said, "Don't worry about her having nothing to eat. Her boyfriend will pick her up. If she's hungry, they can eat outside."
"Mom, my younger sister is going to perform. She's already scheduled a time," Niu Cuihua explained. "If she doesn't go, it won't work. Everyone knows she's going to perform, and some people go just for her."
"Yes, we have to go to the performance, we have to go to the performance." Mother Niu nodded. She sat there feeling a little nervous and restrained.
Father Jiang sat next to Mother Jiang. He agreed to Mother Jiang's invitation to Mother Niu and the others to come over for dinner, so he naturally wouldn't turn his face away. Mother Jiang asked Mother Niu to eat more and even picked up some food for her.
"Mother-in-law, I'll do it myself." Mother Niu said hurriedly.
"Just treat it as your own home. Don't be polite." Jiang's mother didn't ask Niu's mother if she had other things to do this time. Niu's mother told Niu Cuihua that if Niu Cuihua couldn't solve the problem, she would talk to Zhao Guodong. If that didn't work, they would come and tell Jiang's mother, "Since you're here this time, just stay here for a few more days. Don't rush back. It's a rare opportunity for you to come here."
"Hey." Niu's mother said, "This dish tastes good."
"I don't know if it suits your taste." Jiang's mother said, "I just made some casually."
Jiang's mother bought and made twelve dishes, including stewed pork feet with soybeans, stir-fried pork with green peppers, stir-fried beef, sweet and sour fish, stuffed tofu, seaweed fried eggs, bitter melon and egg drop soup, just to make Jiang's mother eat more.
"You can eat less rice and more vegetables," Jiang's mother said with a smile. "Eat more and don't waste it. Basically, we only eat this one meal tonight. Some dishes won't taste good tomorrow. My daughter usually wants to eat food that's cooked that day. She doesn't like food that's been cooked the day before. Sometimes she won't even eat food that's been cooked the other day."
"Is that so?" Mother Niu really didn't know. She only knew that the leftovers of the country people had to be saved for the next day, so there was no way so much food would be wasted.
"That's right," Jiang's mother said. "She gets a salary every month and also contributes part of her food expenses. I cook whatever she likes."
Sheng Jiahao gave Jiang Moli some money and asked her to hand it over. He ate at Jiang's house from time to time, so he couldn't give her nothing. Although Sheng Jiahao often brought food, oil, rice, noodles, and other things, and bought some meat, he felt that these things were not enough, and it would be right to give her more.
"Eat more." Niu Cuihua picked up some food for Niu's mother, "Mom, my mother-in-law is right, just eat as much as you want."
Niu Cuihua felt sorry for her mother. She had long known what kind of person her mother-in-law was, and Jiang's father basically wouldn't bother with them about these things. This family was all very nice people. Niu Cuihua wanted to slap herself twice when she thought about when she first came to the city. What kind of person was that? They talked nonsense without knowing anything.
"My mother-in-law cooks delicious meals, and the two little ones often eat here," Niu Cuihua said. "When I'm out selling tofu and don't have time to look after them, they stay here."
"Mother-in-law, father-in-law, I'm really sorry to trouble you." Niu's mother sighed. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest when she saw Niu Cuihua picking up food for her. Her daughter picked up too much.
"Eat." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, you're welcome."
"Yes." Jiang's mother nodded.
Although Jiang's father was a grown man, he didn't eat much unless he was doing manual labor. Jiang's mother cooked a lot of rice, fearing Niu's mother would eat too much. Country people have larger appetites, and Niu Cuihua's appetite was particularly large. Jiang's mother couldn't cook too little rice, or else she wouldn't feel like she wasn't eating enough.
After dinner, Jiang's mother cleaned up the dishes, and Niu's mother wanted to help clean up. Jiang's mother asked Niu's mother to sit down and rest for a while. Jiang's mother cleaned up the dishes quickly, and after she finished, they sat together. Jiang's father sat next to her for a while, then went to his room. Jiang's father wanted to leave, but then he remembered that she was Zhao Guodong's mother-in-law, so he decided not to go out. Going back to his room would be the same.
"Mother-in-law, seriously, if Cuihua does something wrong, just tell her directly." Mother Niu said, "She's from the countryside and doesn't understand those things."
"She knows a lot now," Jiang's mother said. "She's very good this way. She can take care of the children, do housework and make tofu. On the other hand, Guodong doesn't have to do so much. It's Cuihua who's doing the hard work."
"Don't women have to do these things?" said Niu's mother.
"If my daughter heard you say this, she would definitely say it's nonsense," Jiang's mother said. "Men and women are equal. If women go out with men to earn money, then men should also do housework and take care of children with women."
Jiang's mother agreed with her daughter's words, but she also knew that few men could do that. Many men let women do the housework, take care of the children, and do everything they could, while still thinking they were working hard outside.
"The child isn't just Cuihua's, he's Guodong's too," Jiang's mother said. "Guodong was in the countryside as an educated youth all those years ago, and it's all thanks to you all who took care of him. As his mother, I could only send him some things, and I had no way to take good care of him."
"You've done a great job," said Niu's mother. "You sent so many things, and we benefited from it too."
Mother Niu brought a lot of things this time, but she knew they were worthless and wouldn't sell for much in the countryside. But she brought them anyway. If she didn't bring them, she wouldn't have anything else to bring. Even with the household contract responsibility system, farmers were still very poor. They still had to pay the public grain tax, and after that, there wasn't much left at home.
"Of course, of course." Jiang's mother said, "I'll let Cuihua take you out for some fun later. Cuihua, I have a new quilt here. Bring it over later and I'll give it to you. It'll be useful for you and your mother to cover yourself with, since it's cold."
Young people can still bear the cold, but the elderly cannot.
"It's much warmer in the city than in the countryside," said Niu's mother. "It's cold over here. When I woke up this morning, the faucets were frozen and the sink was covered in a thick layer of ice."
"It just so happens that it's a little warmer these few days." Jiang's mother looked at Niu's mother's clothes, which were also thin.
Jiang's mother stood up and went back to her room to get a thick, warm coat.
"I've never worn this coat before. It's new," Jiang's mother said. "You're about the same size as me, so take it and try it on."
"No, no." Mother Niu quickly refused.
"Take it." Jiang's mother said, "Big sister, you don't dislike my clothes, do you?"
"I don't mind." Mother Niu said quickly, "Such nice clothes..."
"Take it and wear it." Jiang's mother said.
"Mom, just take it." Zhao Guodong said to Niu's mother.
Zhao Guodong had just noticed that Niu's mother's clothes were quite old. Perhaps these were her better clothes. Niu's mother was going to the Jiang family, so she naturally wore better clothes and even changed before coming. Niu's mother didn't want the Jiang family to look down on the Niu family or Niu Cuihua, but this was the best she could do.
The money that Niu Cuihua and his wife sent to the Niu family was too big to spend casually as there were so many people in the Niu family and they had many things to spend money on.
Niu's mother came here by train today and was exhausted from the long journey. Before Jiang Moli came back, Niu's mother went back with Niu Cuihua and the others to rest. It was impossible for Niu's mother to wait for Jiang Moli, a younger generation, to come back.
Zhao Guodong came back with Niu Cuihua and the others, carrying a new quilt. He would go to Jiang's mother's place later.
Niu's mother knew that there was an empty room in Jiang's mother's house, and she didn't dare to say why Niu Cuihua and her husband didn't live there. Niu's mother thought about it and understood that Jiang's mother was a second-married woman, and Jiang's father only had Jiang Moli as his biological daughter. Jiang's father was naturally worried that Jiang's mother would want to take the things away and give them to Zhao Guodong. It would be better for both of them to stay away from each other.
"This quilt feels soft to the touch." Mother Niu sighed.
"This is a new quilt my mother-in-law specially had made last year. It used a full twelve kilograms of cotton, and she watched it being made right next to me," Niu Cuihua said. "I originally thought she was going to save it for my sister-in-law as a dowry, but I didn't expect her to give it to us directly when you came."
"Your mother-in-law is quite nice," Niu's mother said. "Why did you pick up food for me like that just now when we were eating?"
"My mother-in-law won't be unhappy." Niu Cuihua said, "She said she doesn't want to eat leftovers, and that's true. My sister-in-law doesn't like to eat leftovers, and she pays more for food. Sometimes, they cook a little more, and if they don't finish it, they give it to us."
"It's not that they didn't finish their food. It's that your mother-in-law made extra for you," Niu's mother said. "They told you that leftovers are leftovers. Maybe your mother-in-law had already put the food on separate plates and used clean chopsticks to stir it a few times."
"Is that so?" Niu Cuihua was surprised.
"Most likely," Niu's mother said, "Your mother-in-law is a kind person. You should respect her. You can't be like you were when you first came to the city, not knowing anything and just complaining nonsense."
"No, it won't be the same as before." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, don't worry, I'm no longer the Niu Cuihua I used to be. Mom, you can wear this coat. I haven't seen my mother-in-law wear it."
"Even if it was worn by your mother-in-law, it's still excellent." Mother Niu sighed, "Your mother-in-law even gave me a brand new coat."
"My mother-in-law gave it to you, just take it." Niu Cuihua said.
Zhao Guodong sat there for a while, sorted out his things, and then went to the Jiang family. When Zhao Guodong went there, Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao had just returned. It was almost ten o'clock. Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao had eaten barbecue outside and ordered some more. One portion was for Jiang's mother, and the other was for Zhao Guodong to take to Niu Cuihua and the others.
"Brother, your portion is also in there. You can eat with them. After you finish eating, come over and rest." Jiang Moli said.
"Has your girlfriend gone home?" Zhao Guodong asked.
"Let's go back. It's so late. Just put down your things and go back." Jiang Moli said, "The food is still hot. Hurry and take it back. I won't go over. I just finished eating and I smell like barbecue all over. I need to go wash up and go to bed early."
"Okay, you go and have a rest." Zhao Guodong picked up the barbecue that Jiang Moli mentioned.
Jiang's father and mother had not slept yet. Jiang's mother opened the box containing the barbecue, which contained two chicken legs, beef skewers, lamb skewers, pork belly skewers, corn, enoki mushrooms, oysters and abalone.
"We've already eaten, and you still bought so much." Jiang's mother said.
"Didn't you come back late today? My brother's mother-in-law is here again, and I don't know what to buy. Jiahao and I are having barbecue, so I packed some for you guys." Jiang Moli said, "You can't be too stingy when giving food to others."
"Did Jiahao pay?" asked Jiang's mother.
"Yes, he paid for it." Jiang Moli nodded, "Mom, eat it while it's hot, eat it quickly, don't wait until it gets cold, otherwise it will taste bad. You two should eat more and finish it all. Your portion is still small, and my brother's portion is bigger. I'm young and strong, so I can eat more."
Sheng Jiahao brought the things in and placed them on the table in the living room. Jiang Moli felt that the things were heavy and didn't want to carry more.
Niu Cuihua had already locked the door. When she heard the knock, she was still wondering who it was. When she heard Zhao Guodong's voice, she hurried to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Niu Cuihua smelled the aroma of meat.
"Did you go buy food?" Niu Cuihua asked.
"No, my younger sister and her boyfriend had a barbecue outside after the performance, and she brought some for us." Zhao Guodong said, "My younger sister also asked me to eat with you. My portion is here."
"You have to stay here and take care of the children." Niu Cuihua said.
Zhao Jiaojiao had just fallen asleep and hadn't fallen asleep yet. When she heard there was food, she got up quickly.
When Zhao Guodong opened the barbecue and put it on the table, Niu's mother was stunned.
"So much food? How can I finish it?" Mother Niu thought about what she had eaten in the evening.
"It's edible." Zhao Guodong said.
"Eating so much at once..." Mother Niu was a little embarrassed, not because she was afraid that her stomach couldn't bear it.
During this period, Niu's mother ate more oily food. It was New Year, so she ate a little better. It was not like the usual month or two when she didn't eat oily food. In that case, eating so much meat all at once would really be difficult for her body to handle.
"Mom, please eat." Niu Cuihua picked up a chicken leg and handed it to Niu's mother. She looked at the chicken legs. There were five chicken legs. It seemed that Jiang Moli had ordered according to the number of people.
"Okay, I'll eat it." Mother Niu took the chicken leg.
Mother Niu took a bite and nodded, "It's delicious. Your mother-in-law cooked so many dishes tonight, and your sister-in-law also bought barbecue at this time. It's really good."
"I'm just saying that my life here is pretty good," Niu Cuihua said. "It's much better than life in the countryside. I live a very good life."
"As long as you're living well," Niu's mother said. "I came here this time...actually, I wanted to borrow some money from you. Your brother is getting married, and your future sister-in-law wants a larger gift and better furniture. We only have so little money, including the money you send back. Alas, I know this is too difficult for you, so I thought if you have some, I'd lend it to you, but if you don't, forget it. I'd take this opportunity to come and see you."
Niu's mother was a little worried about Niu Cuihua, and wanted to come to the city to see how Niu Cuihua was doing.
"Just now when I was at your mother-in-law's house, I wanted to ask for help, but I didn't think it was appropriate. I came to borrow money from you, not from them." Mother Niu sighed, "There are so many troubles at home, and I have to come to you."
"It would have been nice if you had come earlier. We saved some money and just paid some back." When Niu Cuihua learned her mother was coming, she thought her mother might not just come to see her. Niu Cuihua didn't think her mother was wrong to do this. People in the countryside are like this. If there is no need, who would be willing to spend the money for the ticket? "After deducting the children's tuition, we only have 20 or 30 yuan left."
"You still need to eat and drink." said the cow's mother.
"Food and drink are not so bad. If we earn a little more every day, it's enough for food and drink. But other things are hard to do." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, we only have these thirty yuan. We don't have more. This money is what we saved when we came to the city. Although we say it's saved, we still haven't paid off the money we owe my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law is kind and didn't ask when we would pay her back."
"Does it require a lot of money?" Zhao Guodong asked.
"Go find some good fir wood in the mountains. It's good enough to make furniture," said Niu's mother. "Thirty yuan will be enough. I don't see you have anything else. I'll give your brother the sewing machine you left behind."
Niu's mother was really helpless because the girl wanted those things and refused to marry without them.
"Clean up the house you were originally living in and use it as their new home," Niu's mother said. "The girl's elders said it's not a new brick house, but a mud one, so they don't mind. But the furniture must be good, and other things must be prepared. I know they took the betrothal money to marry off your future sister-in-law's brother, and they can't get it back."
"If it doesn't work, then change another one." Niu Cuihua said.
"How can it be so easy to change? These days, the price of marrying a daughter-in-law is rising rapidly. Everyone is trying to see whose daughter is more valuable." Niu's mother said, "They have to have those things. Your future sister-in-law is also comparing herself to others and doesn't want to lose face. We think we'll leave them alone after they get married."
"Then you go and borrow money, and then let them pay it back themselves," Niu Cuihua said. "Do you really think you don't have to pay back the money you borrow? Don't they want to live a hard life themselves, so they make others suffer?"
Niu's mother glanced at Niu Cuihua, and Zhao Guodong also glanced at Niu Cuihua. Zhao Guodong thought that Niu Cuihua looked a bit like Jiang Moli. Niu Cuihua interacted with Jiang Moli from time to time, and she felt that Jiang Moli was very smart. It would not be wrong for her to learn from Jiang Moli.
"Mom, we can only lend you thirty yuan. We don't have any more." Niu Cuihua said, "It's not that I don't want to borrow from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but I don't have the face to borrow money. My mother-in-law paid for half of Jiaojiao's guzheng lessons, and my sister-in-law bought Jiaojiao's guzheng. We also borrowed so much money from my sister-in-law, and we still haven't paid it back."
Niu Cuihua is thick-skinned, but not to this extent.
"No need to look for them, this is all." Mother Niu said, "If your future sister-in-law doesn't want to, then forget it. If she does, then she can marry into our family. Our family is relatively well-off in the village, and we can still give them these things. If they go to another family, they will have nothing."
Niu's mother thought it was fortunate that Niu Cuihua didn't directly tell her that she was going to her mother-in-law to borrow money, because she was afraid that Niu Cuihua would not be able to think it through. Niu Cuihua had relied on those people to live such a good life in the city, and Niu's mother hoped that her daughter could maintain this situation in the future.
"Your mother-in-law and sister-in-law are very kind to you." Mother Niu said, "No matter who they are, don't ask your mother-in-law or sister-in-law to borrow money for them."
"Mom." Niu Cuihua's youngest son finished the chicken leg in his hand and wanted to eat something else.
Zhao Guodong gave his son a skewer of meat, and Zhao Jiaojiao took it herself. Zhao Jiaojiao already knew that this was her own home, she was eating at her own home, and she could take whatever was placed there, unless her mother said she couldn't eat it.
"Is it delicious?" Niu Cuihua asked the two children.
"It's delicious, very delicious." said Zhao Jiaojiao.
The barbecue is not spicy, but there is a separate chili seasoning, so they can sprinkle it on if they want it spicy.
"Your aunt bought it." Niu Cuihua said.
"Aunt is the best." Zhao Jiaojiao said.
Mother Niu looked at Zhao Jiaojiao. She felt that Zhao Jiaojiao looked much more unfamiliar, but Zhao Jiaojiao was still very good. Mother Niu was trying to find out what Jiaojiao was like in the countryside, but she couldn't remember it.
After taking a shower and changing her clothes, Jiang Moli went to the living room. Jiang's father and mother had not finished all the barbecue, so there was some left.
"Can't eat anymore?" Jiang Moli asked.
"It's okay. Your brother will come over soon and let him eat." Jiang's mother said, "If he can't finish it, let him take it back and heat it up tomorrow. Your brother will eat it the night before."
"Okay." Jiang Moli had no objection. She really had no objection at all. "Mom, my brother's mother-in-law didn't come here just to see them, right?"
"Why do you care if they're just visiting them?" Jiang's mother said, "It doesn't matter what."
"That's right." Jiang Moli nodded.
"Go back and rest early." Jiang's mother urged Jiang Moli, "You've been so busy lately. If you don't rest well, how can you have the energy to perform later?"
Jiang Moli's performance schedule has been quite full recently, so she really needs a good rest.
When Zhao Guodong came back, Jiang Moli had already gone to her room and lay down.
"You have eaten all these foods." Jiang's mother said to Zhao Guodong. Jiang's father had just gone to soak his feet.
"There are so many?" Zhao Guodong was surprised.
"It's not much. You can finish it in a few bites." Jiang's mother said, "You are such a grown man, eat it."
When Zhao Guodong was at home, he ate some, but not much. Even though the portion was sufficient, he still wanted to let his mother-in-law and the others eat more.
It wasn't that Jiang's mother and father intentionally left some for Zhao Guodong, but they really couldn't eat any more.
Zhao Guodong sat down to eat. He ate everything. Afterward, he brushed his teeth. Jiang's mother prepared some toiletries for Zhao Guodong, so he didn't need to go back.
In the morning, Jiang Moli slept a little late, and she would go to work in the afternoon. At around ten o'clock, Jiang Moli bought some fruit and cakes and went to Niu Cuihua's place to see Niu's mother. As a junior, Jiang Moli didn't want Niu's mother to come to the Jiang family to see her.
Niu's mother was cooking, and Niu Cuihua went out to sell tofu.
"Hello, Auntie." Jiang Moli said, "I am Zhao Guodong's sister."
"Oh, it's you. You're so handsome." Mother Niu was wearing an apron and holding a spatula in her hand.
"You cook, you cook." Jiang Moli said quickly, "I just came over to take a look. These things are on the table. You can take them and eat them."
"You bought those foods last night, why are you buying more today?" Niu's mother said, "You don't have to buy any."
"Nothing, just some food." Jiang Moli said, "I have to go to work this afternoon. We've been very busy lately, so I can't accompany you for more."
"Just let Cuihua stay with me." said Niu's mother.
Jiang Moli said goodbye to Niu's mother and went back home. She didn't know what to say to Niu's mother, so she didn't stay there any longer. Zhao Jiaojiao and her brother were in the room. Jiang Moli looked at her nephew and niece and went back.
When they got home, Jiang's mother saw Jiang Moli coming back so quickly and asked, "Did you see anyone?"
"I saw it. Auntie was cooking." Jiang Moli said, "I didn't stand there for long. I didn't know what to buy, so I just bought some fruit and cakes."
"That's about right." Jiang's mother nodded. "As long as you get the point, it's fine. Sit down and rest for a while. The meal will be ready soon."
Mother Jiang went to cook. They didn't invite Mother Niu to dinner today, so they just sat down to eat as a family. Mother Jiang thought of Mother Niu's worn-out clothes and decided to look in her own closet. There were still several pieces of clothing that Mother Jiang had never worn. Mother Jiang knew without hesitation that Mother Niu must be like an old ox, leaving all the good things to the children and leaving Mother Niu with only the same clothes.
Mother Jiang didn't think Mother Niu was dressing that way on purpose. She'd been to Mother Niu's village before, and her clothes were even shabbier than they were now. It was as if Mother Niu had done her best to present herself at her best, but even that best still looked a bit shabby in front of others. It wasn't that Mother Jiang looked down on Mother Niu, but rather that she felt her mother's behavior was too heartbreaking. Mother Jiang planned to have Niu Cuihua and her husband give her the better clothes when she returned, so the neighbors wouldn't see.
The thing was tied inside the cloth, and those people couldn't see it, so they didn't know what was inside.
After lunch, Jiang Moli went to work.
Jiang Moli is currently participating in two operas: "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents" and "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai." "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" was added last year, so Jiang Moli doesn't need to join another opera group for now. Although Jiang Moli isn't participating in other opera groups, she is rehearsing other operas and will perform them together in due course, rotating them.
Some people at work are writing new plays, and while they haven't even finished writing them yet, some are already thinking about roles. As the first round of opera performers to perform in new plays, they need to build awareness for opera and be at the forefront. However, those performing in the first round don't have to worry about being surpassed by those who come after them. Those who come after them worry about not being able to match their previous performances. If the first round of opera performers truly don't perform well, people are more forgiving.
However, everyone is trying to make the opera well-known during the first round of opera actors. Only in this way can the play be passed on better and opera actors from other drama troupes may rehearse the play.
Many new and successful plays are licensed to other troupes, allowing them to be performed by other troupes. "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday" is a prime example. Because it was such a hit, the original copyright holder opened up the rights, allowing other troupes to follow suit.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Moli had just finished training and saw Qiao Yuwei sighing over there.
"Nothing." Qiao Yuwei said, "I just spent almost all the money I had. I don't know how I spent so much money."
Qiao Yuwei had originally thought that her monthly salary was quite high, so she should be able to save more. But when she looked at it last night, she realized she was saving nothing at all. She'd practically spent all her money. Sometimes, before payday even arrived, she'd already run out of money.
Skincare products are a must, you can't skip them. Makeup is also a must. Treating yourself to a nice meal every now and then is also a must. New clothes and the like are also essential. Women always need to look good, so these things are also essential.
After thinking about it, Qiao Yuwei felt that there was no way to spend less money, so she had to continue spending money.
"Moli, do you moonlight?" Qiao Yuwei asked. "No, you perform more shows and you're the lead actor, so you get more money."
"There is no moonlight yet." Jiang Moli said.
"What do you mean temporarily?" Qiao Yuwei wondered.
"I'm not married yet, I just have a fiancé." Jiang Moli said, "When we go out together, he usually pays, and I rarely pay. This part of the money is saved."
"After you get your marriage certificate, can't you let him continue to pay?" Qiao Yuwei said.
"Yes, I can let him continue to pay, but I can't guarantee that I won't spend money lavishly." Jiang Moli said, "After getting married, there are so many things to spend money on."
"You haven't even gotten married yet, but you're already thinking about the money you'll spend after marriage?" Teacher Li heard the conversation between Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei.
Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli quickly stood up and called out, "Teacher Li."
"Sit down, all of you," Teacher Li said. "Can I listen to you young people chatting for a while?"
"Yes, yes, of course." Qiao Yuwei said, "We are talking about the moonlight issue. I have been working for several years and have not saved any money. I have spent all my money."
"Think about where you spent your money and write it down in a notebook," said Teacher Li.
"I've already written it down." Qiao Yuwei said, "I just feel that the money can't be saved, it all has to be spent."
"Then spend it," Teacher Li said. "Spend it however you want. You're a girl, and you don't need to prepare a betrothal gift. After you get married, if your husband can't support the family, it's his problem. You just need to support yourself. Right, Jasmine?"
"Yes." Jiang Moli nodded. She suspected that Teacher Li was teasing her because what Teacher Li said was what Jiang Moli would say.
"You guys chat." Teacher Li didn't sit here all the time. When she did, people would feel embarrassed to chat. Teacher Li's seniority meant that people would think about speaking more cautiously.
After waiting for Teacher Li to leave, Qiao Yuwei looked at Jiang Moli again, "How can we save money? Those things, if we buy cheaper ones, are not easy to use."
Qiao Yuwei is a little vain. She doesn't want her colleagues to know that she uses very cheap things, so she still has to use something more expensive.
"I don't know." Jiang Moli shook her head. "I spend money whenever I want to. I never calculate how much I spend in a month. It's only when I'm running low on money that I think about how little I have left and whether I need to save some money."
In her past life, Jiang Moli was like this, and in this life, she's still like this, nothing has changed. It's not that she hasn't changed at all, though. She's made a lot of changes in this life, like depositing a little money every month. In an era without the internet, she worried about data storage issues, so she saved a little every month for peace of mind. Jiang Moli also keeps some cash at home, and she checks how much she has every month.
Basically, Jiang Moli doesn't need to go to the bank to withdraw cash, because the salary paid by the company is in cash.
"Your parents are not here, so you can't go back and rely on them." Jiang Moli said, "If I don't have money, I won't give it to my parents and just wait for them to support me."
"You... you can do this," Qiao Yuwei said. Jiang Moli's family lives in South City. With her parents' support, Jiang Moli will have more money. Qiao Yuwei lives in South City by herself, and she has to take care of her daily expenses. "My mother often scolds me, saying that I can't save money, saying that I don't know how to give her some money to save. She also told me not to give her money to save, because she's afraid that I will charge her more and ask her for money."
"Then you can save it for yourself." Jiang Moli did not ask Qiao Yuwei to give the money to her parents to save.
Many women, after starting work, give their money to their mothers to save. Later, their mothers claim the money is gone, but in reality, they gave it to their brothers. This isn't just one mother who does this; it's a very common phenomenon. Asking parents to hand over the money, and if they refuse, there's nothing anyone can do; suing isn't an option.
"It's such a headache." Qiao Yuwei said, "It seems I still need to work harder and participate in more performances."
"Work hard." Jiang Moli encouraged Qiao Yuwei, "There will be opportunities."
That evening, Jiang Moli went home early. The Lantern Festival was just two days away. She had a performance during the festival, so it wasn't convenient for her to go out to see the lantern festival. Jiang Moli planned to make some lanterns early. She and Sheng Jiahao bought some materials, and after dinner, they worked on them in the living room.
"Can you do this?" Jiang Moli looked at Sheng Jiahao, "Why haven't you finished it yet?"
"It's a bit difficult to make." Sheng Jiahao rarely makes lanterns by himself. When they buy materials for making lanterns, they just listen to what the boss says.
The boss explained it very simply and also gave them a simple instruction manual with a pattern on it. The boss told them to follow the pattern and it would be done quickly.
Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao bought six lanterns, and planned to give one to each of Zhao Jiaojiao and her brother after they were made.
"Why don't you buy ready-made ones?" asked Jiang's mother.
"..." Jiang Moli was silent for a while, "Maybe my brain was rusty at that time?"
Jiang Moli wondered why they didn't buy ready-made ones. They just thought that making them themselves would give them a greater sense of accomplishment. After they bought the materials and started making them, they felt that this sense of accomplishment was not necessary.
"Do you want to let your father take a look?" Jiang's mother asked.
"No need, let him do it." Jiang Moli said, "He just said he could do it."
Jiang's mother looked at Sheng Jiahao who was struggling with the lantern materials and said, "You two can do it."
Jiang's mother didn't care. She couldn't control the little interests of these young people.
"Like this, like this, is that so?" Jiang Moli pointed at the lantern in the pattern.
When Jiang's mother heard what Jiang Moli said, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. What did she mean by "this and this"? What on earth was this like? Forget it. Anyway, these two people get along well. Jiang's mother thought she didn't need to worry about it.
Fortunately, these lanterns are not very complicated to make. Sheng Jiahao looked at the pattern, and after a while, he got the hang of it and quickly made one of the lanterns.
"It's a bit ugly." Jiang Moli said with some disdain, "It's not as good-looking as it's sold."
"The next one will look better." Sheng Jiahao said, "This is the first one to practice with."
"It has to look better." Jiang Moli said, "If it's ugly, I'd be embarrassed to show it to Jiaojiao and the others. You can't bully children. Children's aesthetics haven't been formed yet, so they don't know what's good or bad, but others might laugh at them. It's not okay if others laugh at me."
"It's okay, we bought the good ones and pretended that we made them ourselves." Sheng Jiahao said in a low voice.
Jiang Moli opened her eyes wide and looked at Sheng Jiahao. Sheng Jiahao said again, "I bought it and put it in the car. Those people didn't see it and didn't know."
"You're so clever." Jiang Moli chuckled and whispered, "That has to be done quietly."
"Aunt!" Jiang Moli's voice had just fallen when Zhao Jiaojiao's voice reached her ears, "Aunt, future uncle-in-law."
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