Chapter 66: The old lady was lying on the stretcher
"I hit her, twice, really hard," Niu Cuihua said. She spat again in the direction Aunt Zhao San ran. "This woman always comes to embarrass us, asking us to pay, treating me like a fool. She came over when we first arrived in the city."
"Look at your mother-in-law's attitude. Treat them the way she treats them," Niu's mother said. "It wasn't easy for your mother-in-law to raise your man."
"Yes, I know," Niu Cuihua said. "I just heard her voice and picked up the broom to hit her. I guess my mother-in-law didn't hit her because you were here. My mother-in-law doesn't give them face. If she gives them face, they will get ahead of me. Don't I sell tofu? The Zhao family has relatives living nearby, and they want to take my tofu for free. I won't give them tofu."
"Don't give it to them," said Niu's mother. "If anyone should give it to them, it's your mother-in-law. It's not their turn."
"That's right," Niu Cuihua said. "They are such bastards. My mother-in-law raised my husband, and now they want money."
Niu Cuihua particularly hated the Zhao family. Every one of them was wicked, each one focused on getting Zhao Guodong to pay. Those people didn't even come in person, so they just asked Aunt Zhao San to come. Niu Cuihua wouldn't let them succeed. No matter who came, she wouldn't agree.
"Mom, please go inside and rest," Niu Cuihua said. "I'll go out and sell tofu first."
"Okay." Mother Niu nodded, "Come back soon."
"I'll come back after I sell everything." Niu Cuihua replied.
In the hospital, Aunt Zhao San glanced at Old Lady Zhao lying on the hospital bed. She said angrily, "I went over and saw Zhao Guodong's mother-in-law. Those people were all talking nonsense. They just refused to pay, and Zhao Guodong refused to come. They also said that if we had the guts, we would sue them."
“…” Old Mrs. Zhao was silent. She knew exactly how they were going to sue Zhao Guodong.
They knew exactly how Mrs. Zhao and her husband had helped their other children and how they had forced Mother Jiang to leave. If they were dealing with other people, they could have been a little more ruthless and asked for money, but Mother Jiang would never have asked Zhao Guodong for money.
There had already been a big fight back then. If it escalated again now, it wouldn't do the Zhao family much good. This was why the Zhao family encouraged Aunt Zhao San to go find Zhao Guodong. No one else was willing to go find Zhao Guodong, as they all knew they were in the wrong.
"Mom, you fell and broke your bones this time, and it cost you a lot of money." Aunt Zhao San said.
Aunt Zhao San can't give too much money because her husband is unwilling to give it.
"It would be great if Zhao Guodong could contribute some of the money. With my eldest brother gone, Zhao Guodong should have taken on the responsibility of fulfilling his filial duty," said Aunt Zhao San. "But he just doesn't want to give any money, not a single cent. It's no use going to his workplace to look for him."
"Have you looked for it twice?" asked Mrs. Zhao.
"Well, I looked for her twice. Once I went to see Zhao Guodong, and once I went to see Zhao Guodong's wife. Zhao Guodong's wife even hit me with a broom. She hit me really hard." Aunt Zhao San was indignant. "She, a junior, dared to hit her elders with a broom. She didn't listen to any reason at all. It was clearly their problem, and they still..."
"You'd better not go to them in the future." After Mrs. Zhao fell and had surgery, she heard her children arguing over there. They were all talking about who would pay for the medical expenses and how to allocate them.
If the eldest brother were still alive, he would have given the money directly, and there would be no need for others to argue about how to pay the medical expenses.
As Mrs. Zhao lay in bed, she thought about the past. She thought she had only fallen and broken bones, and she was not lying in bed unable to move. If she had been lying in bed unable to move, would those people be even more unhappy? Would they have wanted her to die directly?
There is no filial son by the bed of a long-term patient. Old Mrs. Zhao thought that her illness was not long-term. Old Mrs. Zhao felt bad. After the quarrel, those people asked her how much savings she had. She knew that these people wanted her to pay for the treatment herself.
Mrs. Zhao said she had no money. How could she have saved any? She had none. She did have a little, but it wasn't much. She hoped her children would pay for the medical expenses without her having to pay. Mr. Zhao's point was that they should still contribute a little and not burden their children too much.
Alas, it makes Old Mrs. Zhao sad to think about it. How could the old couple end up living like this?
"Mom...if they could pay, everyone would feel more relaxed, wouldn't they?" Aunt Zhao San said. "Second brother and the others are about to start a quarrel. Can you bear it? It's because no one is well off. And your son-in-law said that our family has no money and asked me to pay less. He also said that I am a married woman and it's not our job to pay this money in the first place."
Aunt Zhao San hoped that Old Mrs. Zhao would understand that her family didn't have to pay, but they still paid, which showed that their family valued Old Mrs. Zhao.
Mrs. Zhao understood what her daughter meant. These people had to say something when they gave a little money. Mrs. Zhao and her husband had made many plans for these children. When the eldest son died, they drove his biological children out of the house. Now these people were still thinking of asking for money from the eldest son's children.
"Zhao Guodong is so cruel," said Aunt Zhao San. "He's not afraid of being struck by lightning."
“…” Old Mrs. Zhao thought that Zhao Guodong was not afraid of being struck by lightning, but she was a little scared.
Maybe it was a fall that frightened her, or maybe it was something else. Mrs. Zhao had a dream last night. She dreamed of her eldest son, who asked her if Zhao Guodong was doing well. Mrs. Zhao said that Zhao Guodong was doing well, that he had married and had children. The eldest son then asked her what the Zhao family had prepared for Zhao Guodong. Mrs. Zhao hesitated in the dream. The eldest son suddenly turned black and his figure became distorted: You are lying to me, you are all lying to me!
Then, Mrs. Zhao woke up from her dream. When she woke up, she covered her neck with her hands, as if someone was strangling her in her dream. Her eldest son hadn't had time to strangle her neck yet, and she woke up, wondering if he was strangling her.
Old Mrs. Zhao felt incredibly guilty. She hadn't felt this guilty before. It was just that so many things had happened recently, leaving her feeling guilty, and she couldn't quite recover. She was even wondering if she should burn paper money for her eldest son, fearing he was seeking revenge.
Some people say that young and strong people are not so easy to be targeted by dirty things, but old people are very easy to be targeted by dirty things.
Old Mrs. Zhao was terrified that her eldest son, who had passed away, would be targeting her. She was already thinking about what she would do after she was discharged from the hospital. She had to make some offerings to her eldest son and burn more paper money.
"Mom, if it really doesn't work, let my second brother and the others carry you to their doorstep and see what they can do." said Aunt Zhao San.
"No, no need." said Mrs. Zhao.
Old Mrs. Zhao said no, that was useless. Aunt Zhao San thought her idea made sense, so she asked her second brother and his people to come over, and also asked her son to come over, and they carried Old Mrs. Zhao directly to the door of Zhao Guodong's house.
Aunt Zhao San did what she said. Those people ignored Old Madam Zhao's wishes and insisted on making her lie on the stretcher.
When the doctors and nurses at the hospital learned that the Zhao family wanted to take Old Mrs. Zhao out of the hospital, they also said that it was so cold that it would be better not to move the old lady, but those people insisted on moving her.
Uncle Zhao was arguing with his brother about medical expenses, and the couple was also arguing. When they heard Aunt Zhao say that they should carry the person to Zhao Guodong's place, they suddenly had an idea and decided to do it. If Zhao Guodong could come up with the money, that would be the best.
Before Zhao Guodong returned home, at around three o'clock in the afternoon, the Zhao family carried Old Mrs. Zhao to the door of Zhao Guodong's house.
At that time, Niu Cuihua had already taken the children to the Jiang family, and Jiang's mother had also gone there. There was no one at the rental house. Seeing that Niu Cuihua and her family were not at home, the Zhao family felt that there was not much point in making a fuss here, so they simply sent Mrs. Zhao to the gate of the compound.
Old Mrs. Zhao just wanted to pretend to be dead and fainted. She told her children that she couldn't come and that she and her husband would pool money to pay for the medical expenses, but her children disagreed. Old Mrs. Zhao understood that her children regarded the money in the hands of the old couple as their own, and they just wanted Zhao Guodong to pay.
The Zhao family covered Old Lady Zhao with a thin quilt, regardless of whether she was cold or not. They were thinking that it would be good if Old Lady Zhao looked well.
These people didn't celebrate the Lantern Festival at home, but had to come here at this time just to ask Zhao Guodong to pay.
When Jiang's mother learned that the Zhao family had brought old lady Zhao in, she didn't want to clean up the vegetables first, she had to deal with the scum. Jiang's mother was about to rush out with a kitchen knife, and Niu's mother hurriedly followed her.
"Mom, give me this knife." Niu Cuihua said hurriedly. She was afraid that Jiang's mother would really chop people to death, which was not acceptable.
Jiang's mother thought about it and decided, "Well, maybe instead of a kitchen knife, why not grab a stick?" After taking two steps, Jiang's mother decided that this wasn't going to work either. It was a shame there wasn't a phone at home. If they had, she would have called the reporters right away. Jiang's father stayed home to take care of the two children, while Niu Cuihua, Niu's mother, and Jiang's mother went out together.
"Oh, she's still alive, not dead?" Jiang's mother looked at Old Lady Zhao lying on the stretcher. The people had already put the stretcher on the ground and didn't lift it up. "She looks so pale. Is she cold or angry?"
"Where is Zhao Guodong? Where is he?" Aunt Zhao San came out.
"He's at work," Jiang's mother said. "Are you going to make a scene? Today is a good day, isn't it?"
"Take the money. As long as you take the money, we will leave." Aunt Zhao San said.
"Yes." Uncle Zhao agreed.
"That's my mother's medical expenses. Zhao Guodong has to pay it on behalf of his father." Aunt Zhao San said, "If you don't give us the money, we won't leave."
"Then don't leave." Jiang's mother said. It would be better for these people to call her and ask the reporters to come over. Such things happened during the Lantern Festival, and those reporters loved to report such things.
When Mrs. Zhao heard this, she felt something was wrong.
"Let's go back." said Mrs. Zhao.
"Don't go back. Why go back?" Aunt Zhao Er said, "Mom, this money should have been paid by them. We can't all pay for you. Where would we get so much money? Today, if they don't give us money, no one can celebrate this festival."
"Okay, you guys stay here. You absolutely have to stay here," Jiang's mother said. "Do you want to yell a few more times so everyone knows my son is disrespectful to his grandmother? Come on, say it loudly!"
Old Mrs. Zhao was panicking, thinking that Jiang's mother definitely had a backup plan for doing this.
"Let's go back, let's go back." Mrs. Zhao's hand was broken, not her leg, and she wanted to get up. But Aunt Zhao was quick to hold Mrs. Zhao back, refusing to let her go.
"Third sister." Aunt Zhao Er signaled Aunt Zhao San to help and not let the old lady get up and run away by herself.
"Mom." Aunt Zhao San hurriedly helped to hold down Old Madam Zhao. When they came, they should have tied Old Madam Zhao directly to the stretcher instead of letting her lie down.
Old Mrs. Zhao said she wouldn't come, but she came in the end. She actually still wanted Zhao Guodong to pay.
"Cuihua, watch them." Jiang's mother handed the wooden stick to Niu Cuihua.
"Okay." Niu Cuihua nodded.
Jiang's mother didn't go out the front door, but took a detour through the back. She knew the newspaper's phone number and called them directly, asking the reporters to come over. When the reporters heard someone was causing trouble with their injured mother, they had to come over to take a look. Jiang's mother wasn't afraid of the reporters' random reports. Reporters in this era still have some conscience. They still know not to write news at random and still pay attention to the authenticity of their reports.
Jiang's mother also knew someone who worked at the newspaper. She made a phone call and had someone contact her friend. The newspaper quickly arranged for a reporter to come over. The leader urged the reporter to hurry, saying that if they arrived too late, they might not be able to take photos.
When the reporter arrived, the Zhao family was still there. Uncle Zhao and his men were wearing thick clothes, and they didn't care if Mrs. Zhao was cold. There was no mattress under the stretcher, so Mrs. Zhao was lying directly on the ground, with only the stretcher cloth between her and the bed.
At first, Uncle Zhao and his men came over on a small tricycle, but they felt that the tricycle was not pitiful enough and decided to just put the person on a stretcher. Old Mrs. Zhao didn't know if the others were cold, but she was cold anyway. She wanted to get up, but her daughter and daughter-in-law wouldn't let her.
Old Mrs. Zhao felt a little regretful. She should have hidden herself at that time and should not have followed these people here.
The reporter took out his camera and took a lot of photos of the Zhao family, and even took a close-up of Old Mrs. Zhao.
"Who are you?" Aunt Zhao Er quickly spotted the reporter.
"We're from the Nancheng Daily," the reporter said directly. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"Don't say anything, let's go back quickly." When Mrs. Zhao saw the reporter, she was wondering how the reporter came. Then she remembered that Jiang's mother asked them not to go back early and asked them to stay here.
No, no, Old Mrs. Zhao pushed Aunt Zhao San and Aunt Zhao Er away and ran away at great speed.
"..." The reporter didn't expect that Mrs. Zhao's legs were fine, so he took a lot of pictures of Mrs. Zhao.
When Uncle Zhao Er came to his senses and asked the reporter to hand over the film, the reporter ran away quickly. As a journalist, you still have to be vigilant and not let others take the film away at will.
"Oh, this is it." Aunt Zhao San slapped her thigh suddenly. She didn't expect her mother still had the strength to push her away. You know, one of her mother's hands had just undergone surgery.
One can only say that human potential is limitless. Mrs. Zhao didn't care whether her hand hurt or not; she only knew she couldn't embarrass herself there. Jiang's mother must have had a deeper meaning by letting the reporter pass. Mrs. Zhao figured that if she ran away, her children would surely follow.
The neighbors were originally watching the excitement. They were wondering how long Old Lady Zhao and her people would stay, and they also thought that Old Lady Zhao was really pitiful. They never expected that Old Lady Zhao would just run away. Her movements were really not like those of an old lady.
Seeing this, Uncle Zhao Er and the others had no choice but to leave. It wasn't that they didn't want to catch the reporter. Hadn't the reporter already said that he was from the South City Daily and that they were going to the South City Daily to look for him? They had to go quickly. Uncle Zhao Er's heart was pounding, and he felt very bad.
"It's all your fault. What did you say about sending Mom here?" Uncle Zhao said coldly. "There's nothing we can do. Zhao Guodong didn't come, but the reporters did."
"The reporters are here, so let's go and explain to them that it's Zhao Guodong's fault," said Aunt Zhao San. "The public has sharp eyes."
"Do you think Zhao Guodong's mother won't tell everything?" Uncle Zhao Er said.
"Mom, what if today's incident gets reported to the workplace?" asked Aunt Zhao San's son.
Third Aunt Zhao's son was originally reluctant to get involved in this mess. He thought his family only needed to pay a small amount of money, and other matters were of no concern to his family. However, Third Aunt Zhao insisted that they carry Old Lady Zhao over. Old Lady Zhao had not been very helpful when she came, and now she had just run away. Third Aunt Zhao's son felt that this was a big pit, and why did his own mother have to step into it?
"Yes, what if it gets to the workplace?" Aunt Zhao Er stared at Aunt Zhao San.
"I knew you'd come up with bad advice." Uncle Zhao frowned.
"What do you mean?" asked Aunt Zhao San.
"I blame you for what you said," Aunt Zhao San's son whispered. He had told his mother not to interfere, and his father had told her too, but she simply wouldn't listen. Now, with something like this happening, they didn't know what kind of report that reporter would write.
It’s so annoying, so annoying!
Aunt Zhao's son left quickly. He wasn't going to the newspaper office. Those people were going to the newspaper office, so they went there. Aunt Zhao's son just wanted to go home quickly and didn't want to stay here at all.
Before the Zhao family even reached the Nancheng Daily newspaper office, they had already started arguing. Their meaning was clear: Third Aunt Zhao was primarily responsible. If Third Aunt Zhao hadn't insisted that they carry Old Lady Zhao over, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Why are you blaming me? It's all because of Mom. Why did she just run away?" Aunt Zhao San complained, "Why didn't Mom think about us?"
Aunt Zhao San's eyes were red. She felt that she had done all this for Old Lady Zhao. Old Lady Zhao just ran away without caring about their life or death, and she ran away in front of the reporters.
It wasn't that Old Lady Zhao ignored those people; she felt that if they continued to stay there, they would be doomed sooner or later, so it would be better to run away. As time went on, Third Aunt Zhao and the others forgot how powerful Jiang's mother was, but Old Lady Zhao hadn't forgotten.
Don’t forget that Zhao Guodong is not a three-year-old child. The Zhao family cannot control Zhao Guodong, and they have no way to make Zhao Guodong speak for them.
Mrs. Zhao was afraid of death, so she ran back to the hospital. She had just had surgery on her hand, and she pushed so hard. As soon as Mrs. Zhao returned to the hospital, she quickly found a doctor and asked him to take a look at her hand.
The doctor asked Mrs. Zhao why she was using her injured hand so hard, but Mrs. Zhao avoided his gaze.
“…” As soon as the doctor saw Old Mrs. Zhao like that, he knew that these people were probably not going to do good things.
The reporter didn't return immediately. He later visited Jiang's mother to inquire about the situation. Jiang's mother directly explained how the Zhao family had kicked her and Zhao Guodong out of the house. She also said that the reporter could go to her late ex-husband's workplace to interview him. That job was originally supposed to be Zhao Guodong's, but the Zhao family took it away. Zhao Guodong had no job when he grew up, so he had to go to the countryside.
The reporter had already received instructions from her supervisor and knew that he was friends with Jiang's mother. If what Jiang's mother said was true, then the reporter would report it truthfully. The reporter thought he had to write a report quickly, briefly covering the details first, and then go into more detail in the next issue.
Niu Cuihua and her mother went to cook. By the time Jiang's mother finished talking to the reporter, Niu Cuihua and her mother had almost finished their conversation. When Zhao Guodong came over, the reporter had just left.
Niu Cuihua called Zhao Guodong over and briefly told him about the Zhao family. Zhao Guodong was so angry that he wanted to leave.
"Don't go," Jiang's mother said. "It's a big holiday, so eat at home. Your mother-in-law said she'll be back tomorrow, so you should accompany her for dinner."
Jiang's mother didn't let Zhao Guodong go to the Zhao family. If Zhao Guodong went to someone else's territory, he would easily suffer losses. So Zhao Guodong had to stay with the Jiang family. Jiang's mother hated the Zhao family very much. They were all black-hearted people. They didn't care whether Zhao Guodong was good or not. They just wanted to suck his blood.
"I've found some reporters and asked them to report on it," Jiang's mother said. "So that the Zhao family won't come over all the time. Won't they threaten you? Let everyone know what they did!"
"Mom." Zhao Guodong looked at Jiang's mother.
"You're useless, letting them make such a fuss for so long," Jiang's mother said. "Do you think it's okay for them to come here once or twice a year? You can handle it? These people will come again if you don't kill them."
Jiang's mother was unwilling to let the Zhao family off the hook, so she told everyone about the matter. Jiang's mother wasn't afraid of embarrassment; if there was any embarrassment, it would be the Zhao family. Initially, it was the Zhao family who said Zhao Guodong wasn't a member of the Zhao family, not the eldest son of the Zhao family, and now, those people were saying Zhao Guodong was a member of the Zhao family.
The Zhao family is so shameless, they say everything.
"Eat, eat." Mother Niu said hurriedly.
When Sheng Jiahao took Jiang Moli home, Niu's mother and the others had already gone home. Jiang Moli didn't know what happened during the day and evening. After the performance, Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao went to release river lanterns and played for a while before returning.
Many people release river lanterns by the river, including men, women, young and old, and more of them are couples.
Jiang Moli wrote her wish on a piece of paper: "Everything goes well, everything goes smoothly." Jiang Moli didn't write anything else, as she felt that just this one sentence was enough. Sheng Jiahao accompanied Jiang Moli to release the river lanterns, and then sent her back. The two hugged and said goodbye at the door, but Sheng Jiahao didn't go in.
It was too late and Sheng Jiahao had to drive back, so Jiang Moli didn't let Sheng Jiahao go home.
"Mom." Jiang Moli said happily. She had just put down the small lantern in her hand. She felt that the atmosphere was a little off. "Mom, you...you had a fight with someone today?"
No way, today is the Lantern Festival, who can my mother quarrel with?
Jiang Moli didn't quite understand, as her brother was sitting next to her.
"Brother..." Jiang Moli looked at her brother. Could it be that her mother and her brother's mother-in-law had a quarrel?
"The Zhao family came. They carried your brother's grandmother and dropped her off directly at the gate of our compound. I called a reporter." Jiang's mother said.
"It should have been done a long time ago." Jiang Moli said, "We shouldn't have spoiled these people. They pop up every now and then, just like annoying bugs. It would be great if we could get things done sooner rather than later. Um, is my grandmother paralyzed, or is she going to die?"
"She's fine, she can still run. It's just a broken arm." Jiang's mother sneered. "She keeps telling them to go back. Everyone knows what she's thinking. She's just pretending to make us think differently. When they kicked your brother and me out, your brother's grandmother said she had no other choice..."
"She's really not a good person, she's so good at pretending." Jiang Moli said, "Mom, you must show them some respect and let them know that you are not easy to bully. It's been so many years, why are they still bullying you? It's totally wrong."
"Don't worry about this. Go wash up and rest." Jiang's mother said, "I'll pack my things. Your brother's mother-in-law is leaving tomorrow, and there are some things she needs to take back with her."
"Oh, okay." Jiang Moli nodded.
Jiang Moli didn't dare to say anything else. Her last name wasn't Zhao, so the Zhao family's affairs had nothing to do with her. Jiang Moli looked at her father, who said, "Are you hungry? I'll make you a bowl of vermicelli noodles."
"Okay, I want a fried egg." Jiang Moli said.
Then, Jiang Moli went to take a shower and Jiang's father went to cook vermicelli.
Mother Jiang went to pack up her things, taking out the clothes she rarely wore. She discarded the worn-out clothes and took out the good, wearable ones, especially the thicker ones. Mother Jiang thought about how much Mother Niu had helped Zhao Guodong and his wife, and she couldn't help but repay her. Mother Jiang didn't have enough money to buy new clothes, so she had to use these old clothes.
The next morning, Zhao Guodong took the things that Jiang's mother had sorted out back home. Niu's mother was going to take the night train, so by the time she arrived at the county town, it would be daytime, and it would be much more convenient to travel from the county town to the township and village.
"My mom told you not to dislike them," Zhao Guodong said. "They are all clothes she has worn."
"Don't despise it, don't despise it, these are all good things." Mother Niu said quickly, how could she despise it.
The Zhao family said they were going to stop the reporters from writing about the incident, but in the end, no one went to the newspaper office to stop them. They all wanted to send someone else to go, and they wanted to push Aunt Zhao to go. Aunt Zhao did go to the newspaper office, but just as she reached the door, she was brought back by her uncle.
The reporter was quick. This kind of article needs to be finished early; otherwise, it would have been reported by someone else. Jiang's mother's friend took a look at the reporter's report and, after confirming it was correct, sent it to print.
Early in the morning, people in South City read the South City Daily and they could see reports about the Zhao family.
During the day, the reporter even went to the workplace where Zhao Guodong's father had worked. There were some people there who had worked with Zhao Guodong's father, so they could interview them. Those people hadn't seen Zhao Guodong in a long time. Zhao Guodong's father's job had been taken over by his uncle. Some of them also felt that his uncle was wrong. They thought that when the time came, his uncle would give the job to Zhao Guodong, but his uncle didn't.
"We've already kicked people out, so how can we give them jobs?"
"That's what those people are guessing. They just don't want to believe that the Zhao family is bad."
"Zhao Guodong's father married late because of his brothers and sisters. If he hadn't helped those people, he would have been able to get married and have children a long time ago."
"I was too tired from work, that's why the accident happened."
"He's just too nosy. Even after getting married, he still helps those people. But those people he helps are all ungrateful."
…
Even though Uncle Zhao Si and these people worked in the same factory, they didn't interact much with him and didn't like him much. But Uncle Zhao Si didn't care whether these people interacted with him or not. He only cared about the work and the salary.
When the Zhao family saw the newspaper, they were furious and blamed each other. They even started arguing in Mrs. Zhao's ward.
"Didn't you go to the newspaper office? How come there's such a report?"
"Aren't you guys going?"
"Where's the third brother?"
…
When doctors and nurses hear people arguing, they either don't want to intervene or are afraid of getting beaten up if they do. So, they're better off not going in. Some patients, unable to bear the brunt of the arguing, will say a few words, but they usually stay in their own rooms. Some even go to watch the fight.
Aunt Zhao San made some soup for Old Lady Zhao. When she came over, she was surrounded by her other brothers and sisters.
"Third sister, didn't you go to the newspaper office? How come there is such a report?" Aunt Zhao Er asked Aunt Zhao San while holding the newspaper.
"I..." Aunt Zhao San picked up the newspaper and took a look. "Yesterday evening was too late, and it was the Lantern Festival. I thought the reporter wouldn't report the story so quickly, so I decided to go back for dinner and go over today."
"Did you go there today?" asked Aunt Zhao Er.
"Not yet. Don't we have to make soup for mom first?" said Aunt Zhao San.
"It's too late for you to go today." Aunt Zhao Er was furious. "Look at the report above. Our family has lost all face."
"It's not entirely our fault," said Aunt Zhao San. "Let's go find the reporters and explain things to them."
"What's the point of saying it now?" Uncle Zhao said, "Third sister, if you're going to do something, just do it well. Can you please stop thinking about eating? Are you a glutton? Do you only care about eating?"
"..." Aunt Zhao San felt uncomfortable, "Why are all of you talking about me?"
"It was your idea." said Aunt Zhao Er.
At this moment, Jiang Moli met Sheng Jiahao and briefly told him what happened yesterday. The two of them sat in the restaurant to eat lunch, and Jiang Moli talked while eating.
"I just bought a newspaper and took a look," Jiang Moli said. "Luckily, the reporter didn't try to be mysterious and didn't plan to reveal the answer in the next issue."
Jiang Moli saw the photo of Old Lady Zhao running away. The reporter's description was quite humorous and ironic.
"My mother and my brother are really miserable." Jiang Moli said.
"Those guys are such bastards." Sheng Jiahao said.
"When I was very young, those people didn't care about my brother. When my mother was worried about tuition, she didn't go to the Zhao family. There was no way they would give my brother money." Jiang Moli said, "I once thought my brother had no other relatives."
In the past, Jiang Moli really thought so. She felt that her brother was too pitiful. He had no uncles, no cousins, no grandparents. When Jiang Moli knew a little about those things, she felt that her brother was indeed miserable. It would be better for him not to have those relatives at all.
"You don't have to pay attention to those people, I will take care of it." Sheng Jiahao said.
"My brother is still too gentle with them, not strong enough." Jiang Moli said, "Others have bullied us right at our doorstep, but he's still like that, not even knowing how to hold them down."
"This time, I will hold it down." Sheng Jiahao said, "The job your brother's father left for him shouldn't belong to anyone else."
"My brother already has a job," Jiang Moli said, "but you're right, that job shouldn't be theirs. Do you have any ideas?"
"With the report, this matter will be easy to handle." Sheng Jiahao said, "Which unit? Maybe I know someone there."
So Jiang Moli told Sheng Jiahao about the company. She knew exactly what company it was from what her mother had told her. Jiang's mother always said that the company had good jobs and good salaries, and that it would have been great if Zhao Guodong had been able to go there.
"Brother, do you still want to go to that unit?" Sheng Jiahao asked.
"Let's not go." Jiang Moli said, "If my brother goes there now, those people have been with his fourth uncle for who knows how many years, and they will definitely think that my brother has gone too far. Those people like to smooth things over, always thinking that since they are all blood relatives, they should just make things small. They might even think that if my brother's fourth uncle gives him some money, the matter will be over. After all, my brother already has a job."
"That makes sense." Sheng Jiahao nodded, "You can also ask my brother."
"Do we need to ask him?" Jiang Moli asked.
"Ask him, just in case he wants to go over there." Sheng Jiahao said, "Didn't you just say that the salary and benefits at this company are better?"
"Okay, I'll go ask my brother." Jiang Moli said.
In the evening, Sheng Jiahao sent Jiang Moli home and helped to send Niu's mother to the train station. Niu Cuihua and her husband also went with them, and the child was sent to Jiang's mother. Niu Cuihua and her husband were already riding in Sheng Jiahao's car, and since they were going out at night, it was better not to take the child with them.
At the Jiang family, Jiang Moli told her mother what she had said to Sheng Jiahao at noon.
"When brother comes back, ask him whether he wants to go to his father's former unit or stay in his current unit." Jiang Moli said.
"Let him stay at his current workplace and not go back to his father's. There aren't many old employees left. If your brother goes there, he'll only meet people who are acquaintances of his fourth uncle. They might try to make things difficult for him, making it difficult for him to get a promotion," Jiang's mother said. "His current workplace may pay slightly less, but the people around him are much kinder. As long as he performs well, he can expect a promotion and a raise."
Jiang's mother didn't want Zhao Guodong to have anything to do with the Zhao family anymore, even though the job was originally left by Zhao Guodong's biological father.
"Then don't want this job?" Jiang Moli asked, "I think the same as you. Jiahao told me to ask my brother."
"Your brother is short of money. Jiahao is worried that you didn't ask your brother. If he knew, he would feel uncomfortable. Maybe your brother would go to work in that factory to get more money." Jiang's mother said, "He's not wrong, but do as I say in this matter. When your brother comes, I'll tell him. If he insists on going, then I will no longer be involved in his affairs."
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded.
Niu Cuihua and her husband sent Niu's mother to the train, and Sheng Jiahao sent Niu Cuihua and her husband back. Sheng Jiahao went back only after Niu Cuihua and her husband got off the train.
When Niu Cuihua and her husband arrived at Jiang's house, Jiang's mother asked about Zhao Guodong.
"I don't want that job." Zhao Guodong said.
"We can't accept it." Niu Cuihua said, "If we accept that job, those people will pester our Guodong, right? Mom, we can't accept that job."
"What about you? Do you want to go and work there?" Jiang's mother asked.
"Me?" Niu Cuihua was surprised. "I didn't think about it."
Niu Cuihua really didn't think about it. "Mom, we have to have backbone. We can't ruin our future for a so-called job. To put it bluntly, if we really want a proper job, can't we just find our future brother-in-law? He's so capable, he can definitely find me a stable job. I think selling tofu is pretty good now. I make a lot of money, and I can control my time and take care of my family more."
Jiang Moli looked at Niu Cuihua. She didn't expect Niu Cuihua to say that.
Yes, if Niu Cuihua needs another job, that is indeed possible.
Jiang Moli nodded, "Yes, that's right. We are not short of that job. We are fighting for our reputation without making money."
"That job is too hot to handle. Even if we get it, we don't know what will happen in the future." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, we don't want that job."
"Think it over carefully," Jiang's mother said. "Once you make a decision, you can't regret it."
"No regrets, no regrets." Niu Cuihua said repeatedly.
"Mom, we don't want that job." Zhao Guodong repeated.
"Moli, you heard it, your brother and sister-in-law don't want that job." Jiang's mother said.
"Okay, I heard it. Leave it to us from now on." Jiang Moli said.
"Leave it to you?" Niu Cuihua was puzzled. "Little sister, is this too much trouble for you?"
"It's okay, don't worry. I guarantee they won't dare to bother you again." Jiang Moli said, "What's the point of just one report? Everyone will forget about it in a couple of days. How can we not teach them a lesson? My brother doesn't want that job, and they shouldn't want it either. It wasn't theirs in the first place. Letting them have it for so many years is like my brother fulfilling his filial duty on behalf of his father!"
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