Chapter 72 Why doesn’t your uncle make your flaws bigger?
"Mom's busy." Ding Chao frowned. Before he married Jiang Yuqin, he brought Ding Hongwang with him. He wanted Ding's mother to help take care of the child, but she refused and even asked Ding Chao to send the child away. "Mom really doesn't have the time. I can't help take care of the child."
Ding Hongwang goes to school, but needs someone to pick him up and drop him off.
Ding Chao was always in a rush, so he didn't pick up Ding Hongwang from school, leaving Jiang Yuqin to do the same. Jiang Yuqin was pregnant, and she worried about her health and the prospect of another miscarriage. She considered having Ding Chao send the child to Ding's mother for a while, so she could help with school.
"Can you send the child to your mother?" Ding Chao asked.
"I..." Jiang Yuqin paused for a moment, "You know my mother has remarried a long time ago. It's impossible for her to help take care of the child. We still get money from my mother. What happened to your mother?"
Jiang Yuqin was troubled. A poor couple often suffers from many problems. Their family didn't have much money, and socializing and eating out were all necessities. Even though Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao both worked, neither of them was good at saving. They always wanted to eat well and always bought meat.
Zhao Guodong and his wife knew they were in debt, so they didn't dare buy meat all the time. They only bought more meat when they first returned to the city. Niu Cuihua is now very frugal, trying to buy some meat for the family once a week. The children are still young and need nutrition, but it's impossible to have meat for every meal.
Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao were different. They ate meat every meal and bought meat more than once a week. Ding Chao said Ding Hongwang needed to nourish himself, and Jiang Yuqin said Ding Chao needed to nourish himself. After Jiang Yuqin became pregnant, she bought more meat.
After the lesson of the last miscarriage, Jiang Yuqin dared not to eat more, nor did she dare to let Ding Chao and Ding Hongwang eat all the good things. Jiang Yuqin remembered the last pregnancy and miscarriage, and she had some opinions about Ding Hongwang, but she was still quite nice to him on the surface.
Ding Hongwang was out playing and not at home. Jiang Yuqin said these words to Ding Chao, which she had thought carefully.
"Just wait until I give birth, it will be quick." Jiang Yuqin said, "It's only a few months. Can't you let your mother help take care of the baby?"
"I told you, my mom doesn't have time. If you want, just ask a neighbor to take care of the child." Ding Chao said, "Isn't it the same before?"
"It's impossible for the neighbors to take him with them at night, so he still has to come back to rest." Jiang Yuqin said.
"If you can take the child, then take him. If you can't, then you don't have to, I'll take care of him!" Ding Chao's attitude was very firm. He would never send the child to the Ding family.
"..." Jiang Yuqin didn't know what to say after hearing this, as she was afraid that Ding Chao would be angry.
Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao almost got into a fight, and since they lived on the roadside, others overheard them. They said Jiang Yuqin didn't want to be a good stepmother at all, that she still wanted to throw the child away, and that she should have been thrown away by the Jiang family in the first place.
Jiang's father and mother didn't live there, so they didn't care what outsiders said. Jiang's mother tidied the yard, tilling the soil herself with a small hoe, without the help of a servant. She also bought some vegetable seeds and planted the onions and garlic first, then scattered some vegetable seeds and watered the fields.
When Jiang Moli returned home, she didn't see her mother in the living room. She went to the backyard and saw her mother watering the vegetable garden.
"Mom." Jiang Moli said, "You're really quick."
Jiang Moli's wedding leave ended today. She had just returned from a trip with Sheng Jiahao. Jiang Moli loved the feeling of being able to see her parents when she returned home. Having them around was a joy and a relief.
"If we don't hurry up, the weather will get even colder." Jiang's mother said, "If I had known earlier, I would have come here to till the soil and plant some vegetables first."
"It won't take that long." Jiang Moli wiped the sweat off Jiang's mother's forehead with a handkerchief. "Let's go wash our hands and have dinner. Dad is back too."
"Okay, let's go eat." Jiang's mother nodded.
Sheng Jiahao served soup to Jiang's father and mother. Jiang's mother said, "Just take care of your own business and don't worry about us old couple. From now on, we will eat together and we can just serve it ourselves."
"Just a small thing." Sheng Jiahao said.
"After dinner, you can go out for a walk. If you don't like walking outside, you can take a walk in the front and back yards." Jiang Moli said, "Mom, do you want to get a puppy or a cat?"
"No, no." Jiang's mother refused to keep a cat or dog. "Do you think it's easy to raise a cat or dog? If you just raise a cat to catch mice, that's fine, and you give it some leftovers. But look at those people who keep cats as pets. They treat them like their children and spend a lot of money on them. That won't work. I don't have that much time to waste on cats and dogs."
Jiang's mother felt that raising her son and daughter was already a difficult task, and she didn't want to keep a cat or dog. While cats and dogs provide companionship and emotional value, Jiang's mother had no plans for one. Personal interests varied, and Jiang's mother felt that growing vegetables was sufficient.
"If I had that much time, I might as well think about making more delicious food for you." Jiang's mother said.
"Okay then." Jiang Moli nodded. "It depends on your preference. I'm just worried that you might find it boring."
"No, living with you guys won't be boring." Jiang's mother said, "When I went out today, I saw an old lady next door with a snow-white dog. She was holding it. I don't have one. I can't spend so much time on cats and dogs."
Jiang's mother was more practical. She'd suffered a lot, and she didn't keep cats and dogs because she felt she couldn't be responsible for their lives. Simply raising a cat to catch mice was fine, and simply having a dog to guard the house was fine, but if you had to walk the cats and dogs and make special food for them, then forget it.
"I was just chatting with her for a while," Jiang's mother said. "She asked me to come in and sit down, so I did. She was telling me how she raises her dog and what kind of food it eats. It seems like dogs eat better than humans. We didn't eat that well at home before, so no wonder the dog's fur is so shiny."
"They are rich and can do whatever they want with their dogs. Even if they want to feed their dogs lobsters shipped from abroad, that's no problem," Jiang Moli said.
"Let them raise it. I can't, not at all." Jiang's mother waved her hand. "Just look at what others are raising."
"That's fine." Jiang Moli nodded. "I don't have time to raise cats and dogs. Maybe I'll have to wait until I'm older before I can raise them."
Jiang Moli couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't keep cats and dogs in the future, but she didn't have the heart to do so right now.
"Do you want to raise it?" Jiang Moli asked Sheng Jiahao.
"I don't have time." Sheng Jiahao replied, "I don't raise one."
Sheng Jiahao wanted to spend more time with Jiang Moli and didn't think about raising cats or dogs.
On Jiang Moli's first day at work after her wedding, she distributed candies to everyone. The candies were all packed in a small red bag tied with a red string. There were candies and chocolates in the bag, and these things were not cheap.
Qiao Yuwei picked up a chocolate and put it in her mouth. "It's delicious."
"I'll give you another bag." Jiang Moli stuffed another bag into Qiao Yuwei's pocket. She had brought many bags with her, all arranged by Teacher Lu. Teacher Lu said they were all packed and had the boxes delivered. Jiang Moli could distribute them to some people, while Teacher Lu would have people help distribute the rest.
Teacher Lu had worked at the Provincial Xiaobaihua School and was very familiar with the people there. She even came over and asked someone she knew to help distribute the money, giving some to people in different departments. Teacher Lu didn't let Jiang Moli go with her. She didn't do this to smooth the way for Jiang Moli, but because many people in the unit knew that Jiang Moli was Teacher Lu's daughter-in-law, there was no need to hide it.
"If I take it, will it be not enough?" asked Qiao Yuwei.
"No, my mother-in-law packed a lot of extra bags." Jiang Moli said, "The quantities here were all arranged by my mother-in-law. She also asked me to bring some extra to our group. If anyone likes it, they can eat more. It's just some candy and the like. Don't be disgusted, just share in the joy."
"It's really delicious." Qiao Yuwei said, "Is it expensive?"
"I don't know," Jiang Moli shook her head. "I really don't know. It wasn't arranged by me. I don't do much. It was all arranged by my mother-in-law and the others. It's much easier for me."
"That's great." Qiao Yuwei sighed.
Jiang's mother's relatives had returned home. Some of them had left on the day of the return party, but most of them had left the next day. Jiang's mother had gone over to talk to them, just asking a few questions. Jiang's mother's family wasn't particularly powerful; if they had been, they would have rushed to her defense the moment she was kicked out by the Zhao family.
The Lu family were ordinary people, not rich, just trying to make ends meet. Jiang's mother hadn't considered asking her family to come over, as even if they had, it wouldn't have helped. Everyone was poor, so as long as everyone lived their lives well, that was all that mattered.
Old Lady Wen from next door saw Jiang's mother working the land and came over with her dog to take a look. Old Lady Wen was a decade older than Jiang's mother, having lived through much hardship and never farmed. She chatted with Jiang's mother for a while. She was highly educated and could quote from classics, and Jiang's mother just thought she was amazing.
Jiang's mother didn't think that Mrs. Wen was deliberately showing off her knowledge, nor did she think that Mrs. Wen was bad.
"Won't your son-in-law and daughter say anything if you farm like this?" said Old Mrs. Wen.
At first, Old Mrs. Wen thought that Jiang's mother was Sheng Jiahao's biological mother. Usually, the man's parents live with the family, and it is rare for the woman's parents to live with their daughter after marriage.
"No," Jiang's mother said with a smile, "They said we can do whatever we want in the backyard. People standing outside may not be able to see what's going on here. We can also plant in the front yard. I said I don't want to plant in the front yard anymore. It's such a large area, it would be too tiring. Let them plant some flowers and plants in the front yard, it will look better."
"The front yard is suitable for planting some flowers and plants." Mrs. Wen was still holding her little dog. "People passing by would feel happy when they see it."
"Yes, if people passing by saw that there were vegetables growing inside, it would feel different." Jiang's mother said, "Sister, the flowers and plants in your house are very beautiful."
"I picked it specially." said Mrs. Wen.
Old Mrs. Wen was a well-known old lady with a bad temper in the neighborhood. Her son, daughter-in-law, and others didn't live here. She originally lived here with her husband, but after he died, she lived here alone. Her son and daughter-in-law asked her to move in with them, but she refused, preferring to live here.
Compared to the house where Sheng Jiahao and his wife live, Mrs. Wen's house is slightly smaller, but it also has a front yard and a backyard. Mrs. Wen also has servants who take care of her at home. There are servants who boil water and cook, and they also take care of flowers and plants and pets.
Some people disliked Mrs. Wen's eccentric temper, but they still tried to get close to her because the Wen family was powerful. Some people pretended to understand those literary passages even though they clearly didn't understand them, and said them in front of Mrs. Wen. Mrs. Wen deliberately said something wrong, and those people said it right, and continued to follow Mrs. Wen's words.
Mrs. Wen didn't like people like that; they were too insincere. When Jiang's mother approached Mrs. Wen, she didn't bother to be pedantic and even insisted that Mrs. Wen put the dog on a leash when she walked it.
When Mrs. Wen heard those words, she asked Jiang's mother if she knew who she was. Jiang's mother said that they were neighbors and that it was not allowed to walk the dog without a leash. The dog owner thought the dog was well-behaved, but in the eyes of others, the dog might appear fierce, even if it was just a small dog.
Jiang's mother also told Mrs. Wen about Jiang Moli's childhood, saying that Jiang Moli was afraid of dogs without leashes and didn't dare to get too close for fear that the dogs would rush up and bite her.
This made Mrs. Wen realize that Jiang's mother didn't know her identity, and that Jiang's mother was just a mother who cared about her daughter.
"If you think those flowers are good, go to my place and dig some seeds for me," suggested Mrs. Wen.
"How can this be embarrassing?" Jiang's mother asked again, "Could it be a rare variety? I heard that some varieties of flowers are extremely expensive, worth a month's salary."
"They're all home-grown," said Mrs. Wen. "It's best when someone appreciates them. Don't worry about the expensive varieties. When you've finished growing the vegetables, I'll come over and pick them. Don't be reluctant."
"No, no." Jiang's mother said with a smile, "The vegetables I grow are cheap."
"They are all grown by myself, so there is no difference between cheap and expensive ones." said Mrs. Wen.
"Okay, then I won't be polite with you." Jiang's mother said, "I don't know much about growing flowers. My son-in-law and his family said they wanted to find someone to do it. I thought my child's father and I could still take a look at flowers."
"Yes, yes," said Mrs. Wen. "They are all flowers and plants, and they are very tenacious. If they are gone, we can replace them."
All I can say is that the flowers and plants have no chance to stay in the yard. That’s what Old Mrs. Wen thinks. She doesn’t feel sorry or regretful at all.
When Jiang Moli returned home from work, she saw some flowers transplanted in the front yard, some of which still had buds. This made Jiang Moli a little confused. Didn't they say the flowers they ordered hadn't arrived so soon? They had to wait two days.
"Mom, did you and Dad buy it?" Jiang Moli asked.
"No, the old lady next door gave it to me." Jiang's mother said, "I dug it out myself and selected it myself."
"I was saying that some flowers look very expensive," Jiang Moli said. "I thought the flowers I bought had arrived. Jiahao said that they would arrive in two days. If you want good varieties, you'll have to wait."
Jiang Moli didn't know about Mrs. Wen's reputation outside. She just thought it was good that Jiang's mother could get along well with the neighbors next door. Jiang Moli was originally worried that there would be no one to talk to when Jiang's mother came over. It was also good that Jiang's mother could chat with the neighbors next door.
"There are a lot of beautiful flowers planted in their yard," Jiang's mother said. "I specifically chose these with buds. Those that have already bloomed are hard to dig up because they easily knock off the petals. It's better to transplant these buds. I planted them shortly after digging them out, so they should be more likely to survive."
"It should be possible." Jiang Moli nodded.
At night, Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were lying on the bed. Jiang Moli said that the neighbor next door was nice and that Jiang's mother had even started talking to him.
"Come to think of it, we haven't seen our neighbors many times since we came here." Jiang Moli said, "You may not run into them when you take a walk outside."
"No need to say hello deliberately." Sheng Jiahao said.
"I think so too." Jiang Moli nodded. "It seems that everyone here is quite wealthy. Everyone should just live their own lives. You don't need me to do your madam diplomacy, do you?"
"No need." Sheng Jiahao hugged Jiang Moli, "Just do what you want to do, that's all. You look beautiful when you sing on the stage."
"I think so too." Jiang Moli leaned on Sheng Jiahao's shoulder.
Jiang's parents quickly rented out the house. They came every month to collect the rent, and the tenants didn't have to deliver it. When Jiang's mother came, she could also visit Niu Cuihua and her husband. Without Jiang's mother to help take care of the children, Niu Cuihua would have a harder time.
When Jiang's mother saw Niu Cuihua busy in the yard, she walked over.
"Mom." Niu Cuihua saw Jiang's mother and quickly wiped her hands on her apron. "Please go inside and sit for a while."
Niu Cuihua was just making braised tofu and would sell it later.
The two children were still in school, not at home. Niu Cuihua had to wait until the children got out of school before picking them up. While the children were still not home, Niu Cuihua had to do more things.
"The quantity is too much." Jiang's mother could tell at a glance.
"Now that we have a dedicated kitchen and a bigger pot, it's easier to do these things." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, Guodong and I have agreed that we will pay Xiaomei back a certain amount of money every month. We used to pay for the rent every month, too. Also, you don't have to pay for Jiaojiao's tuition anymore, we'll pay for it ourselves."
"Can you do it?" Jiang's mother came over, thinking of paying Jiaojiao's guzheng tuition for the next month.
Jiang's mother and her family knew the guzheng teacher, who, hoping to earn more money, agreed to a slight discount and monthly tuition. Not everyone was willing to let their children learn these instruments, and some parents were reluctant. Fortunately, there were so many children, so the teacher still managed to take on a few students.
"Okay." Niu Cuihua said a little embarrassedly, "Mom, I was ignorant before, and you didn't bother me. I can't be ignorant anymore. I've thought about it and decided to ask my mom to come over and help take care of the baby someday. My mom doesn't make much money back home, but she's very good at making tofu. She can make tofu with me and help me take care of the baby, and I'll give her some money when the time comes."
"You should give your mother some money. It's not been easy for her," Jiang's mother said. "It's not that we don't want to help you take care of the child, but we live far away and it's inconvenient to commute. We can live there, but it's not easy to take you there too."
Zhao Guodong is so old now, and Jiang's mother can't help Zhao Guodong and his wife take care of the child all day long.
"It's good for us to live here, with such a big house." Niu Cuihua did not say that the rooms here are not as big as those in the countryside. This is a city, not the countryside.
When Niu Cuihua first came to the city, she would say that the rooms there were too small, but she doesn't say that anymore. She doesn't want to make people laugh at her for saying that. There's a big difference between the countryside and the city.
"With a house, my mother will have a place to stay when she comes." Niu Cuihua said, "It will also be convenient for her to help us."
"You guys decide for yourselves." Jiang's mother took out an envelope from her bag. Inside the envelope was money. "You really don't want it?"
"No," Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, you live with my younger sister. Guodong and I have few opportunities to show our filial piety to you, and we can't help you much. We really can't take this money from you. You and my younger sister have taken out all your savings, so you should save this money and don't give it to us. We will let Jiaojiao continue to learn the guzheng and won't interrupt her guzheng studies."
"You said it," Jiang's mother said. "Your daughter is also a piece of your flesh and blood. You only have two children, so you should treat them better."
When Jiang's mother saw that Niu Cuihua really didn't want the money, she put it away.
"Let's go back first." Jiang's mother said.
"Mom, wait a minute." Niu Cuihua called to Jiang's mother. She went to her room and took out some money, not much, just twenty yuan. "Mom, please give it to my younger sister. This is the money we're paying her back."
"You guys take note of this, and I'll take note of this for you too." Jiang's mother took the money from Niu Cuihua's hand and said, "This money is quite new."
"This is what Guodong exchanged for a new one at the bank," Niu Cuihua said. "I sell tofu outside, and sometimes the money I collect is not very clean."
Niu Cuihua thought that people like Jiang Moli should use cleaner money, as that money would have fewer bacteria on it. After coming to the city, Niu Cuihua learned about bacteria and viruses. It was Jiang Moli who told her that children should eat clean food, as unclean food could harbor bacteria and viruses. Niu Cuihua took those words to heart, and naturally, the things she gave Jiang Moli would also be cleaner.
"This is better," Jiang's mother said, "You have to pay back the money, but you also have to be careful not to overextend yourself."
"Don't worry, Mom. This is the money we saved since we bought the house." Niu Cuihua said, "We didn't buy anything when we bought the house and moved in."
One of the beds was moved from the Jiang family, and some other furniture and other things were also moved from the Jiang family. Niu Cuihua and her husband did not spend extra money.
"I'll pay Jiaojiao's tuition for next month when she goes to learn the guzheng after school," Niu Cuihua said. "Mom, you see, we don't have any other skills, this is all we have. We're not saving fast, maybe just a few dollars a month, or more than ten if we're lucky. It's really not much. It'll take a long time to pay my little sister back. But if we don't pay her back now, it'll be even harder to save that money later."
"It's good that you know what's going on." Jiang's mother didn't say to keep the money. Since Niu Cuihua took it out, Jiang's mother took it back and gave it to Jiang Moli.
During dinner in the evening, Jiang's mother handed the twenty yuan to Jiang Moli in front of Sheng Jiahao.
"Mom, are you giving me your pension?" Jiang Moli joked.
"No, it's the money your brother and sister-in-law returned to you," Jiang's mother said. "Your sister-in-law said they can't save much money every month, so they just need to keep some for their daily needs and return the rest to you first."
"They have two children to support. If there is an emergency, they can't do it without money." Jiang Moli said.
"Don't worry. If that were the case, wouldn't they still ask you for money?" Jiang's mother said, "Take it. Remember it."
"Okay." Jiang Moli said.
Sheng Jiahao didn't say anything. It didn't matter when the Zhao Guodong couple returned the money to Jiang Moli. Sheng Jiahao didn't need Jiang Moli to use the money to live. That money was Jiang Moli's pre-marital savings. Even if it was the money Jiang Moli saved after marriage, Sheng Jiahao wouldn't say much. In Sheng Jiahao's eyes, that money was not much.
If Jiang Moli hadn't married Sheng Jiahao and moved into such a big house, she wouldn't have been able to take out the money so quickly to buy a house for Zhao Guodong and his wife. She might have waited until Zhao Guodong and his wife asked for a loan, or she might have waited until she and Sheng Jiahao got married. In short, before Jiang Moli got married, she had to think more about herself and couldn't just take out her savings.
Jiang Moli did not tell this to her mother, nor did she say much to Zhao Guodong and his wife. There was no point in saying it.
Jiang Moli put the money away. She didn't ask her parents to take the money. Her parents had a salary and a pension, and Jiang Moli thought she was still relatively poor.
To be honest, Jiang Moli didn't expect Zhao Guodong and his wife to pay back the money so early. After returning to the room, she took out a notebook and wrote down how much money her brother had paid back on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year.
"Did you write it down?" Sheng Jiahao asked.
"I've got it in mind. I have to remember it clearly." Jiang Moli said, "I only take the money I lend, not interest. I can't forget to remember it, or I can say that they didn't pay me back enough."
"If it's not enough, will you say it?" Sheng Jiahao raised his eyebrows.
"If the difference is only a few dozen dollars, I can't say anything." Jiang Moli said, "Maybe they remembered it wrong."
"They shouldn't have forgotten it." Sheng Jiahao hadn't expected Zhao Guodong and his wife to start paying back the money so soon, let alone that they planned to pay back a little every month. Sheng Jiahao even thought that if Zhao Guodong and his wife didn't pay back the money so early, it wouldn't matter. He could support Jiang Moli and didn't need Zhao Guodong to pay back the money to live.
Ever since Zhao Guodong and his wife returned to South City, they've basically been relying on Jiang's mother or Jiang Moli, taking advantage of them. It's not that Zhao Guodong and his wife don't want to help Jiang's mother and Jiang Moli more, it's just that they're not capable enough. It's not that Zhao Guodong and his wife don't know that they haven't contributed much. They know it well. They work hard to live a good life and make more money, but they're still far behind Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao.
"Huh?" Jiang Moli tilted her head and looked at Sheng Jiahao, "Do you trust them so much?"
"Believe it." Sheng Jiahao said, "If they don't pay back the money now, they can wait a few years and start paying it back. That's fine."
Some people would play dumb, saying they didn't remember borrowing so much money. Even if they did, they would claim they didn't have the money and would keep dragging it out. Sheng's father lent money to others, but sometimes he couldn't get it back, or others wouldn't pay it back, leaving him with no recourse.
Since Zhao Guodong and his wife started to repay the money so quickly, it means that they must be sincere in repaying the money and are not thinking of playing tricks.
"My mom said that my sister-in-law plans to ask her mom to come over to make tofu together. With her mom around, it will be more convenient for her to take care of the children." Jiang Moli said, "That's right, my mom can't do much over there."
"It's our mother." Sheng Jiahao said.
"Yes, yes, yes, my mother is also your mother." Jiang Moli said, "Our mother's tofu-making skills are not that good, and it is not convenient for her to come here. It would be much more convenient if your sister-in-law's mother came. Now, the people in the countryside have a hard time. They have to pay taxes to the government by farming in the countryside, and they can't make much money."
Jiang Moli knew that people on the street would say that Niu Cuihua was so eager to support her family, and that Jiang Moli was helping Niu Cuihua for nothing. This is how Chinese families are supposed to work: grandparents help take care of the children so that the young couple can focus on other things.
Since Jiang's mother couldn't go over, then it wouldn't be wrong to ask Niu's mother to come over. Niu's mother wasn't living there for free, and she could help out with things. If Niu Cuihua hired someone to help, she would have to pay them, so it would be better to ask her biological mother to come over.
"I didn't even ask my brother about his life in the countryside," Jiang Moli said. "I knew it would be the same if I asked. It's already a foregone conclusion."
In this era, Jiang Moli herself was reluctant to go to the countryside, fearing that she would suffer there. When Jiang Moli performed, she usually went to big cities instead of the countryside. When Jiang Moli was in the South City Drama Troupe, she went to the countryside with people from her unit. At that time, she just felt that the countryside was too hard. She didn't dare to go out alone, for fear of being caught and locked up in a room.
Before Jiang Moli and her colleagues went to the countryside, the unit leaders repeatedly stressed to them that female comrades should not act alone and that male comrades should protect female comrades more.
"Mom, more or less, feels guilty towards my brother," Jiang Moli said. "Dad feels that Jiang Yuqin isn't his biological daughter, and he bought her a job for nothing. Even if he got the money back, my brother would still go to the countryside as an educated youth."
Jiang's mother felt a thorn in her heart, and Jiang's father also felt a thorn in his heart. If Jiang Yuqin was Jiang's father's biological daughter, it would be fine. Jiang's mother would not think there was anything wrong with Jiang Yuqin staying in the city. But Jiang Yuqin was not Jiang's father's biological daughter. Jiang's mother thought about what happened in the past and felt that she did not fight hard enough to let Zhao Guodong stay in the city. She would think that she was a vicious stepmother. Jiang's father was also worried that his wife would remember the past and would not care too much about it.
Since Jiang Yuqin's life story was exposed by Old Lady Jiang, Jiang Moli has clearly felt the changes in her parents. Father Jiang has become much nicer to Jiang Moli, and his attitude towards Mother Jiang has also improved. Father Jiang has also become more tolerant towards Zhao Guodong.
Others who didn't spend much time with Jiang's father and mother would hardly notice the change. But Jiang Moli spent a lot of time with her parents, so she felt it.
"Now that we're married and living in a big house, I'm thinking of taking out my savings," Jiang Moli said. "Otherwise, I'd still hold on to that money."
"Are you afraid that we won't get married in the future and will break up?" Sheng Jiahao asked.
"Yeah." Jiang Moli nodded vigorously. "Women should always think more about themselves and have a way out."
“…” Sheng Jiahao was silent for a while, “You are right, you should think more about yourself.”
"Don't you think I'm wrong?" Jiang Moli asked.
"You're right, it's me who didn't give you enough sense of security." Sheng Jiahao said.
"It's safe for now. Look, I lent all my savings to my brother, and I have to start saving money again." Jiang Moli said with a smile.
After Shi Nan had been with his boss's niece for a while, Shi Nan's parents went to meet her parents. Shi Nan's boss was not there, and the boss suggested that the two families just discuss the matter without him being there.
"The betrothal gift can't be too high." Shi's mother had a sense of superiority in front of Bai's father and mother. "Shi Nan is a college graduate. He is marrying a wife in a serious way, not buying one."
When Bai's mother heard what Shi's mother said, she felt a little uncomfortable. She then thought that Shi Nan did graduate from university and had a bright future.
"This house..."
"Just get housing from the company," said Mother Bo. "With Uncle Meiqi here, it won't be a problem."
"We have to make it clear that it's the company's house. Our Shi Nan is not marrying into the family." said Shi's mother.
"Mom." Shi Nan wasn't very happy. What was his mother saying? One moment she was saying the betrothal gift couldn't be too high, the next she was saying he wasn't marrying into the family. He wasn't marrying into the family, so why was he saying so much? Shi Nan was worried that Bo Meiqi's parents wouldn't be happy and that the marriage wouldn't go through.
"I'm right." Shi's mother looked at Bo's mother, "Your daughter Meiqi hasn't even graduated from college yet. She..."
"Mom!" Shi Nan stopped her mother from continuing. "Meiqi has a stable job, a good one, at a primary school in the development zone. We live in the house allocated by the company, which is convenient for commuting."
After this conversation, Shi's mother did not leave a very good impression on the Bai family, but Bai's mother also felt that Shi Nan would oppose what Shi's mother said, so Shi Nan was still a good person.
After the Shi family left, Bai's mother said to Bai Meiqi, "You are living with Shi Nan, not with his mother. You live in the company's house, and they live in their original house. You won't have any more contact in the future, so there shouldn't be any problems."
"Mom, do you really think Shi Nan is good?" Bai Meiqi was a little unwilling.
Bai Meiqi liked Shi Nan a little bit, and she thought that Shi Nan was a college student and worked in the investment promotion office of the development zone, so Shi Nan was really good. But Bai Meiqi felt that Shi's mother looked down on her. She really didn't go to college, and she was not unemployed, and she was not waiting for Shi Nan to come home to make money.
"It's okay." Bai's mother said, "There aren't many perfect weddings. There are always some minor flaws."
“…” Bai Meiqi was silent.
"Your uncle introduced Shi Nan to you because he thinks he's good. Someone your uncle thinks is good should be good too," Bai's mother said. "Shi Nan is a college graduate, so he'll have good prospects for promotions. Those who went to college during that special era don't have their academic credentials recognized, which can affect their promotions. Shi Nan is different. He was admitted to university after the college entrance exam was reinstated, so his prospects for advancement are much brighter."
"I'm not saying he doesn't have a bright future, it's just that his mother is like this..." Bo Meiqi couldn't stand Shi's mother's attitude, "She's still like this in front of you."
"Mothers all want their children to have better marriages, so they tend to be a little picky." Bai's mother said, "Mothers-in-law also like to set rules for their daughters-in-law, so that they will be a little more afraid of them. It's okay, as long as Shi Nan stands by you, it won't be a problem."
Bai's mother had no intention of rejecting this marriage. As long as Shi Nan was excellent, everything else was not that important. Bai Meiqi's personal wishes were not particularly important. Bai Meiqi didn't have anyone she particularly liked, so it was just right for Bai Meiqi to be with Shi Nan.
Shi's mother wanted Shi Nan's leader to take care of Shi Nan, but she also felt a little disgusted with Bo Meiqi. Shi Nan went back with his father and mother, and he told his parents a few more words, asking them not to say too much in front of those people.
"If my boss finds out, it's not certain whether Meiqi will marry me." Shi Nan deliberately frightened his parents.
"Your leader doesn't know how to introduce you to a better one." Shi's mother said with disdain.
"Meiqi is my boss's niece. The other good ones are not his nieces." Shi Nan said, "Do you think he is helping his nephew-in-law or helping a stranger?"
"My nephew's son-in-law is indeed more important." Shi's mother said, "Let's settle the matter as soon as possible."
Shi's mother didn't want to bow her head in front of the woman. She always thought that her son was a college graduate, while Bai Meiqi was just an elementary school teacher. Shi's mother felt that her son had lost out. Shi's mother was unwilling to admit that her son had taken advantage. She even felt that it was Shi Nan's leader who forced Shi Nan to be with Bai Meiqi. If it weren't for the pressure from the leader, Shi Nan wouldn't have to be with Bai Meiqi. The leader threatened people's futures, and others had no choice but to compromise.
The Bai family members didn't know that Shi's mother felt that Shi Nan's leader was threatening Shi Nan. They all thought that Shi's mother's problem was just a small one and not a big deal.
The news that Shi Nan had obtained a marriage certificate with his leader's niece soon spread throughout the streets. Shi Nan wanted to tie his leader's niece down as soon as possible, but the Bai family thought that it didn't matter whether they got the certificate earlier or later.
Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao held their wedding banquet in early October, and Shi Nan and Bai Meiqi got their marriage certificate at the end of October.
Two days after Shi Nan and Bo Meiqi got their marriage certificate, they received an apartment allocated by their work unit. Shi Nan's supervisor played a significant role in this; without him, they wouldn't have gotten the apartment so quickly.
After Shi Nan and Bo Meiqi got their marriage certificate, Shi's mother felt that everything was settled, so there was no need for her to give Bo Meiqi too much face. Shi's mother even went to the house allocated by Shi Nan and Bo Meiqi's work unit. This small two-bedroom apartment was too small for her mother to accept.
"Why doesn't your uncle build you a bigger house?" Shi's mother asked. "How can you live comfortably in such a small house with only two rooms?"
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