Chapter 76: If you don’t agree, almost all your friends around you will get married
"How could it be?" Shi's mother slumped on the sofa. She understood what her husband meant. That is, her family members had done something when they received the red envelopes. Those people did not think that Bai Meiqi and Shi Nan would divorce, and did not think about returning the red envelopes, so they took out some money from the red envelopes.
This kind of thing has happened before, but it only happened in other people's homes. Shi's mother never thought that such a thing would happen in her own family. How could there be a problem with the red envelope?
"What should we do now?" Shi Nan just wanted to know what to do next.
"What else can we do? This is the only way," Shi's father said. "Do you know how much money they took out? There were so many red envelopes, and each one had a different amount. Do you really expect them to register the money when they took it out?"
The shame has been lost, but the money has not been fully refunded.
At that time, the family had no idea whose red envelope was short of money, so how could they return it?
When Bai's mother arrived home, she spoke so loudly that many people heard her. Once word spread, some people's red envelopes contained less money. Some, to make the envelopes look better, folded them up, which was better. Those with good relationships gave larger red envelopes. Having more money in these envelopes made it easier for others to take money out.
When Niu Cuihua learned about the red envelope, she lamented that she hadn't returned it to her sister-in-law. Otherwise, others might have thought she had taken the money out. She thought it wasn't right, and she worried her family would frame her. She wasn't sure if the red envelope was truly flawed.
Niu Cuihua brought some dried tofu and other things to Jiang Moli's house. Jiang's mother was at home at the time, so Niu Cuihua told her mother about the red envelope in vivid detail.
"I was setting up my stall when Shi Nan's mother stuffed a red envelope into my hand and told me to return it to Jasmine. I thought, 'No way, she'll run away again.' I had no choice but to wait until I sold some tofu before returning the red envelope," Niu Cuihua said. "Today, I found out there were problems with the red envelopes they returned. Some of them contained incorrect amounts, or less money. Did they return the red envelopes to my younger sister? Was the amount missing?"
"I came to return it this morning. Your younger sister took the red envelope and went to work. I don't know if the amount in the red envelope is correct." Jiang's mother said, "Don't worry. Even if you brought it back, your younger sister wouldn't suspect you stole the money. She still has basic trust in her family."
"That being said, I still wanted to come over and talk about it." Niu Cuihua said, "Don't let anyone misunderstand."
"Well, don't worry." Jiang's mother said.
Niu Cuihua went back quickly. She walked to the door and turned back. She took out two dollars from her wallet and handed it to Jiang's mother.
"Mom, go buy whatever you want to eat." Niu Cuihua said, "Logically, Guodong and I should take care of you in your old age. Uncle also raised Guodong. It's just that our financial conditions are not good, and we borrowed your money to buy the house. Don't refuse it, we can make money. Now that Mom is here, I feel much more relaxed."
Niu Cuihua didn't want Jiang Moli to suffer too much. According to their rural customs, whoever inherits the family property should provide for their parents in their old age. This is true. Jiang's mother herself has a lot of family property, but she has already given all of her savings to Zhao Guodong, which is a big contribution. Zhao Guodong should provide for Jiang's mother in her old age. Jiang's father didn't give the house to Zhao Guodong because he was not Zhao Guodong's biological father. All in all, Zhao Guodong and his wife still have to give Jiang's father and mother some pension money.
Regardless of whether Jiang's mother has a pension or not, Zhao Guodong and his wife should do what they should do instead of letting Jiang's mother worry about them.
"Don't worry, Mom. We can make money making tofu, and even more." Niu Cuihua said, "Before, you always gave us money. Don't be mean. If we have money, we'll give you some. If not, there's nothing we can do. We don't necessarily give you the money every month."
"Okay, I'll keep it." Jiang's mother nodded.
Jiang's mother didn't intend to compare Zhao Guodong with Jiang Moli, nor did she plan to go out and talk about the retirement money Zhao Guodong and his wife gave her. In terms of real contribution, Jiang Moli contributed more. Jiang's mother wasn't the kind of person who always thought about her son. If her son contributed a little, she wouldn't have to praise him for what he did, as if her daughter didn't do well.
When some neighbors learned that Jiang's mother was with her daughter and son-in-law but not her son, some people even talked about her behind her back.
"It's fine if the child's father follows, but since he doesn't have any other children, why would the child's mother follow him?"
"Don't you have a son? Why don't you go and follow him?"
"One son and one daughter, each with their own, how wonderful."
…
Jiang's mother knew what those people said about her behind her back, but she didn't care what they said. If Jiang's mother really said that to her daughter, her daughter would definitely be very sad.
Jiang's mother and father were still married, and Jiang Moli had plenty of room to live in, so there was no need for them to separate. If other families didn't have the financial resources, they would have allowed the elderly couple to live separately with their children, but Jiang Moli and her husband had good financial resources, so there was no need to separate Jiang's father and mother.
In the evening, when Jiang Moli came back, her mother told Jiang Moli and her husband that Niu Cuihua gave her two dollars when she came.
"She said she doesn't necessarily give it every month. She gives it when she has money. There's nothing we can do when she doesn't have money," said Jiang's mother.
"Just take what they give you," Jiang Moli said. "Spend it yourself, and we can also give you a little every month."
"No, no, you don't have to. We don't have to pay for food and accommodation here, so we don't need you to give us any more money." Jiang's mother said quickly, "You will also buy us clothes and shoes. Food, clothing, housing and transportation are all covered. We can buy other things ourselves. The money we have is more than enough. If we really need money, we will definitely tell you."
"It's okay. From now on, we will give you..."
"Give me ten yuan," Sheng Jiahao said. "Ten yuan isn't much, it's very little. If you're not satisfied, then give me more."
"Satisfied, satisfied. I'm not telling you this just to get you to give me money." Jiang's mother frowned.
"Jasmine, you guys save it for yourselves." Jiang's father said.
"It's okay, Dad. Just think of it as saving it for us." Jiang Moli joked, "Dad, I'm your only daughter. Won't all your things be left to me in the future?"
Jiang's father and mother didn't keep all their money together. With Zhao Guodong around, Jiang's father was still worried that Jiang's mother would give it all to Zhao Guodong. Although Jiang's father didn't have much money, compared to Sheng Jiahao's family, it was very little, but he still wanted to save more for his daughter. They lived here and rented out the house, and the rent had to be saved. Jiang's mother understood what Jiang's father meant, but she didn't ask him to take out the money.
Jiang's mother didn't blame Jiang's father for being wary of her. Jiang Moli was her biological daughter, and when Jiang's father gave her things, Jiang's mother felt that she hadn't suffered any loss. It was a good thing, and she should support Jiang's father. If it were someone else, they might have quarreled with Jiang's father, saying that she was his only daughter, so why couldn't she manage the family's finances more?
"I'll leave them all to you." Father Jiang nodded.
"When Cuihua came, she also said that several of the red envelopes that the Shi family returned were missing money." Jiang's mother asked, "Is the amount of the red envelopes that the Shi family returned to you correct?"
"No, there are two dollars missing." Jiang Moli said, "I thought one of us took out two dollars, so I asked Jiahao."
"I didn't take out any money. I just gave her a red envelope according to the amount we agreed on at the beginning." Sheng Jiahao said, "When I took the red envelope, I felt something was wrong."
"The Shi family is really inhumane." Jiang's mother said.
"They might not have done this themselves. I guess the person who received the gift took it away." Jiang Moli said, "I think the host doesn't know."
"Yes, it's possible for something like this to happen." Jiang's mother said, "Did something like this happen when you got married?"
"..." Jiang Moli didn't expect that Jiang's mother would think of this immediately, "Probably not."
"Next time you return the gift, add a little more," Jiang's mother said. "Don't give back the original amount, or they might take it away."
"Mom, don't worry about this." Jiang Moli said, "If you want to return the gift, we will definitely return it well."
After dinner, Jiang's mother went to the home of Mrs. Wen next door, while Jiang's father went to the backyard to check on the vegetable patch. Jiang's mother wasn't going to tell Mrs. Wen about Niu Cuihua giving her retirement money, but about Shi Nan. This kind of thing wasn't a secret; many people knew about it.
"Even the leaders were hospitalized," Jiang's mother lamented. "This marriage is now divorced."
"It's a good idea to get a divorce," said Mrs. Wen. "If you keep putting it off, it will be difficult when you have children."
"That's right. You'll have to apologize and repay the favor later, and it won't cost you much." Jiang's mother said, "With a mother-in-law like that, sooner or later something bad will happen. It's better to divorce early. If you can control your marriage and your family agrees, then just get a divorce. There's no need to wait. Waiting won't lead to a good outcome, and it will only make life worse."
Jiang's mother and Old Lady Wen were gossiping, with Jiang's mother mainly talking and Old Lady Wen listening. Old Lady Wen thought the gossip was quite interesting, probably because Jiang's mother told it in a more vivid way.
Sheng Jiahao took a small hoe and followed Jiang's father to weed and turn the soil.
"It's so cold, there's not much grass." Jiang Moli didn't take the small hoe, she didn't go to turn the soil.
"Come back tomorrow morning to pick the bok choy," said Jiang's father. "We'll eat them tomorrow, so pick them tomorrow. There's no need to pick them today."
"It's so close, not far away. You can pick it whenever you want. Even if you get up in the middle of the night to pick it, no one will stop you." Jiang Moli said.
"It's too late at night. It might scare people." Father Jiang said, "This radish is still a little small."
Jiang's father and mother also planted radishes and will pull them out when they grow a little bigger.
"We have to buy some plastic wrap next time. It's too cold, so we have to cover the vegetables to prevent them from getting frozen." said Jiang's father.
"Let the driver go with you to buy it, so you don't have to carry it yourself." Jiang Moli said.
"It's just a little thing, not heavy." Jiang's father said.
"Don't say it's not heavy. Such a large piece of land, if you really buy something with it, it will still be a bit heavy." Jiang Moli said, "You are so old, don't hurt your back. If you hurt your back, it will hurt you and you will have to spend money. You said you would leave the money to me, so don't spend it on these things."
"Okay, let the driver go." Jiang's father said.
"You're the same as Mom, so you need to be more careful. Don't blame me for nagging you. As you get older, your body is more prone to problems. It's not as good as it was when you were young." Jiang Moli said, "Take care of your health, eat more good food, and replenish yourself."
"Jiahao, be careful, don't step on the vegetables." Jiang's father decided to keep a closer eye on his son-in-law and not say those words to his daughter.
"..." Jiang Moli looked at her father's expression and knew that he was afraid that she would continue talking, and she had no intention of continuing.
The red envelope incident made the Shi family lose face again. People on the street were all saying that the Shi family had messed up a good hand of cards.
Shi Nan found Fan Xiaoxue's husband Shi Kaihua and several other male friends to have dinner and drinks together. He was really sad and upset that a good thing had turned out like this.
"Shi Nan, what are your plans now?" Shi Kaihua asked.
"Maybe I need to find a company to work for." Shi Nan said.
"Then go to work. It's good to work." Shi Kaihua said.
"Have you ever thought about starting a business?" Xie Shaojun, who grew up with Shi Nan and the others, didn't really want to work in a factory, but rather wanted to start his own business. "Have you seen Jiang Moli's husband? He drives a car. He runs a factory and makes a lot of money, so he can marry a beautiful woman. I'm not saying Moli is bad, but everyone should strive to be better. If this man didn't have a penny, would Jiang Moli be with him?"
Xie Shaojun knew that Shi Nan still liked Jiang Moli, so he said this on purpose.
"Shi Nan, it would be great if you were still in the investment promotion office of the development zone. That place has plenty of money," Xie Shaojun said. "You could work there for a few years before leaving. You'd have connections and money, so you could start your own business, right? But now, you've quit so quickly and no longer work there. There's no way those people would even take you seriously."
Xie Shaojun really felt that Shi Nan had wasted a great opportunity. It was such a good company, but Shi Nan just quit when he said he would.
"I have to resign," Shi Nan replied. "I can't stay there any longer. If I continue, people will just get bored. I won't get any of the good things."
"That's right, your mother... Oh, it would have been so much better if those things hadn't happened at the wedding banquet." Xie Shaojun said, "You're in the investment promotion office in the development zone. Kaihua and I are going to start our own business, and you can still help us out. You and your colleagues at work..."
"Not very familiar." Shi Nan knew what Xie Shaojun was going to say. He really wasn't very familiar with those people. Shi Nan had only been in there for a short time, and then he was busy with his blind date and marriage with Bo Meiqi. How could he have the time to get along well with those colleagues?
At the time, Shi Nan thought that marrying his boss's niece would make interpersonal relationships in the office easier to handle, but who could have imagined what would happen later? If those things hadn't happened, Shi Nan would still be working at the company.
"It's okay, it's okay." Xie Shaojun said, "We're not very familiar with each other, and it doesn't matter much. After all, you know each other, which is better than the rest of us. We don't even know those people."
"..." Shi Nan thought that this was not a comfort at all. He had already given those people a bad impression.
"As long as you know those people, it's easy to handle some problems." Xie Shaojun said, "If we want to start a business, we can probably only sell some things first. College students, can you set up a stall outside and sell some products?"
Xie Shaojun poured a glass of wine for Shi Nan. Shi Nan really didn't think about setting up a street stall. Shi Nan felt that setting up a street stall was too low-level work and not suitable for him.
"Then find a company to work for, a good one," Xie Shaojun said. "You didn't come with us to set up a stall, but you can invest money. This job is physical and a bit mental, but since you didn't go, you can invest money. When we make money, we'll open a store and a company."
Shi Nan was thinking about the feasibility of this matter, and Xie Shaojun looked at Shi Kaihua again.
"I probably can't start a business with you guys." Shi Kaihua said, "My wife won't agree. My wife doesn't know I came out to drink with Shi Nan. If she knew, she would definitely not let me out."
It wasn't that Shi Kaihua didn't want to cooperate, but he felt that this thing was a little unreliable. They didn't have that much ability. Could they succeed in starting a business just by saying so? If setting up a street stall could really make a lot of money, many people would have done it long ago.
Moreover, Shi Nan had just lost money when she got married. Even if the Shi family were to contribute some money now, how much would they be able to come up with? Shi Kaihua's family wasn't well off, and Xie Shaojun's wasn't much better off either. Without sufficient capital, it was a shame to talk about setting up a stall and starting a business. Don't risk losing money instead of making a profit.
"Isn't it okay if you don't tell your wife?" Xie Shaojun said.
"I have to tell her. She'll know if she just sniffs it." Shi Kaihua said, "We have children to raise, so we can't invest the money. If you two can start a business together, then do it. I'll let it go."
Shi Kaihua just wanted to have a drink with these people, that's all.
When Shi Kaihua returned home, Fan Xiaoxue was very unhappy when she saw that he reeked of alcohol.
"Did you go drinking with Shi Nan?" Fan Xiaoxue asked.
"I went drinking with him." Shi Kaihua could hold his liquor quite well, not yet drunk, and his spirits were still okay. "Shaojun asked me to drink, so let's drink together. Shi Nan lost her job, and Shaojun asked us to all contribute some money and start a business together."
"Don't." Fan Xiaoxue said, "With just these people, you still want to start a business? Shi Nan is here. No matter how much money you make, it won't be yours. It will belong to the Shi family. Wake up and don't even think about doing business with Shi Nan."
"I told them right away that my wife disagreed and I couldn't start a business with them," Shi Kaihua said. "They wanted to start a business together, so they could go and I wouldn't go."
"Yeah." Fan Xiaoxue nodded. "Don't be jealous of others making a lot of money. Don't you know how capable you are? Xie Shaojun is a very good deceiver. Even if you really listen to him, you may not make money. And don't think that Shi Nan's university graduation is useful. If he really was, he could still get a divorce and resign from his job."
Fan Xiaoxue now felt that Shi Nan was not a good person. Shi Nan did not know how to handle the affairs of the family. Shi Nan had fallen to this point, which was also his retribution.
At the beginning, when Shi's mother said that to the young girl on the street, Shi Nan didn't know to stop her. He even had the nerve to confess his love to Jiang Moli when he graduated from college.
Many girls on this street hated Shi Nan very much. They didn't like Shi Nan at all. It was because of Shi Nan that they were ridiculed and talked about by Shi's mother. Fortunately, many girls were talked about like that, so they didn't feel embarrassed.
Time quickly approached the end of the year, when many people were ordering tofu. Niu's mother had originally thought about whether she should go back home at the end of the year, but when she realized there were so many orders, she naturally couldn't go back.
Niu Cuihua's previously made fermented tofu is now edible. Some people have tried it and asked her to make more. She didn't make much fermented tofu before, only making it for her family. She used to make dried tofu and tofu puffs, mostly using fresh tofu and selling them directly. Fermented tofu takes a long time to make, and the hair on the tofu must be well-grown. Niu Cuihua hadn't initially considered selling it.
"My mom said the two pieces of fermented tofu your family sent last time were incredibly delicious," Fan Xiaoxue said. "You really should make more."
"I make it for my family," Niu Cuihua said. "I don't plan on selling it, so I make less."
Niu Cuihua sent Jiang Moli two jars of fermented tofu, one of which Jiang Moli gave to Teacher Lu, who also said that the fermented tofu tasted good. Niu Cuihua and her husband didn't have much money, and it was difficult for them to buy expensive things, so they just gave Jiang Moli some homemade things.
When Sister Sheng brought her children over, Teacher Lu took out a piece of fermented bean curd to go with the porridge. Sister Sheng said that the fermented bean curd Teacher Lu bought this time was delicious. Teacher Lu directly said that it was made by Sister Jiang Moli, not bought.
"Moli's sister-in-law is okay. She doesn't always run to look for Moli." said Second Sister Sheng.
Originally, Second Sister Sheng was still thinking that Jiang Moli was helping Zhao Guodong and his wife so much, and Zhao Guodong and his wife would not think of relying on Jiang Moli. Second Sister Sheng was also embarrassed to ask Jiang Moli to stop helping Zhao Guodong and his wife so much. After all, Zhao Guodong and his wife were Jiang Moli's brother and sister-in-law. Second Sister Sheng herself wanted to help her brothers more. If her brothers lived well, then her brothers would help her more.
"It's not bad," Teacher Lu said. "They only go there once or twice a month."
"You know everything?" Second Sister Sheng asked in confusion.
"Jasmine's mother told me that when I went over there," Teacher Lu sighed. "Isn't it because she's afraid we'll be unhappy? Jasmine's mother feels that she and Jasmine's father have moved in, which is already very troublesome for Jasmine and Jiahao. They don't dare to cause more trouble for Jasmine and Jiahao."
"Isn't that a bit too cautious?" asked Second Sister Sheng.
"Not to mention that I will be cautious when living with my daughter and son-in-law, even living with my son and daughter-in-law will make me cautious." Teacher Lu said that even when she faces her son and daughter-in-law, she is not as casual as before and will pay more attention.
Teacher Lu is still teaching at school, has a job, and earns money. She is considered a person with a certain social status. She has this feeling when facing her children, let alone Jiang's mother who has retired.
"Your generation has grown up, and you're more capable of earning money. You've become the backbone of the family," Teacher Lu said. "Isn't it just that I have to pay more attention to your expressions?"
"Mom, please don't look at our expressions. We dare not make things difficult for you." Second Sister Sheng said hurriedly.
"That's true, but we as parents still have to step back," said Teacher Lu. "That's what happens when people get old."
Seeing Jiang's mother like that, Teacher Lu felt even more strongly that she shouldn't live with her son and daughter-in-law. She couldn't guarantee that if she lived with them, she would become like Jiang's mother. Maybe, maybe not, it was hard to say. But Teacher Lu was sure that if she did live with them, she would definitely pay more attention to their opinions.
When Teacher Lu went to visit Jiang Moli and her husband, she spoke very naturally to Jiang's mother and tried not to put any pressure on her.
At this time, Jiang Moli was busy again, and Zhou Yiran got her marriage certificate.
"I thought you were going to wait until the first month of the lunar year." Jiang Moli was eating. She was sitting in the cafeteria of her workplace.
"Aren't the relevant departments closed during the first month of the lunar year?" Zhou Yiran said, "Let's get the marriage certificate early and schedule the wedding banquet for the sixth day of the first lunar month. Do you have any performances then? If you do, it's fine. We can treat you and your wife to a meal alone."
"There will be performances on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, but not on the sixth," Jiang Moli said.
"Then we chose a good time." Zhou Yiran said.
"Will you...invite He Jingxian?" Jiang Moli suddenly thought of He Jingxian. She did not invite He Jingxian to her wedding. She and He Jingxian were just ordinary friends.
"Yes, she invited me and my mom, so of course we have to invite her. We have to ask her to return the money she gave us. We won't invite other colleagues," Zhou Yiran said. "We are just ordinary colleagues. How can we possibly invite them? The invitations will be sent out one after another in the next few days. Notify the relatives who are far away early. For the relatives who are closer, it's not so difficult. We can send out the invitations two or three days before the wedding banquet."
"Contribution money..." Jiang Moli didn't think Zhou Yiran was doing it for the contribution money.
"She probably won't be able to attend the wedding banquet." Zhou Yiran said, "She's pregnant, there's no way she can go."
Zhou Yaran deliberately invited He Jingxian. If He Jingxian didn't go, He Jingxian's man could go. Zhou Yaran wondered how He Jingxian would feel at that time. He Jingxian was so career-oriented at the beginning, but now she stayed at home to give birth to a child.
"It feels quite sad." Zhou Yiran said, "He Jingxian stayed in South City. She really stayed in this way."
"We think it's sad, but she might not think so herself," Jiang Moli said. "Once we give birth to a son, everything will be easier."
"I don't know if she can give birth to a son." Zhou Yiran said.
Niu's mother didn't go home for the New Year. She sent some of the money Niu Cuihua had given her back home and bought some other things to send back. Niu's mother continued to stay at Niu Cuihua's house. The important thing was to complete the orders and make more money. After the New Year, some people would need to prepare banquets, some of which were prepared at home, and they would also need some tofu.
Niu Cuihua meant that when there weren't so many people ordering tofu, Niu's mother could still go back. But Niu's mother thought about it and decided that there was no need to rush back. The round-trip fare would cost money, and it would be better to give that money directly to her family.
On New Year's Eve, Jiang Moli and her husband didn't invite Niu Cuihua and her husband to celebrate with them. They celebrated with Jiang's father and mother. Jiang Moli and her husband celebrated the Little New Year with Teacher Lu and others. Teacher Lu and his family weren't so particular about celebrating New Year's Eve together. Second Sister Sheng was married, and she spent New Year's Eve with her family. That's why the Sheng family decided to get together for the Little New Year, which was considered a shared New Year celebration.
The domestic staff had a holiday for the Lunar New Year, but some, like the cook, worked overtime. The cleaning lady also cleaned the house thoroughly before returning home to celebrate the Lunar New Year with her family. Those who worked overtime received overtime pay, and like those on holiday, they also received holiday bonuses and other benefits.
Jiang's mother didn't take the initiative to ask Zhao Guodong and his wife to come over for the New Year. She even said that it was time for Zhao Guodong and his wife to celebrate the New Year on their own. Zhao Guodong and his wife had a child, and Niu's mother was still there, so Zhao Guodong and his wife had to stand on their own instead of coming to Jiang Moli's house for the New Year.
Jiang Moli and her husband meant that if Jiang's mother wanted Zhao Guodong and others to come over, then she should call them. If Jiang's mother didn't have this idea, then there was no need to call them. Jiang Moli hadn't even asked before her mother said it, so Jiang Moli and her husband didn't say anything else.
Although the chef was working overtime, Jiang's mother still prepared the flat meat filling and wrapped the flat meat.
"People further south like to eat flat meat, and further north, many people eat wontons," Jiang's mother said. "Wontons also have meat fillings, but the methods of making these fillings are different."
"Flat meat is delicious. As for wontons, I like steamed ones, they are more flavorful." Jiang Moli said.
"You just like to eat delicious food." Jiang's mother chuckled.
Jiang Moli looked at Sheng Jiahao, who was making dumplings with his father, and used the chives grown by his father and mother. Jiang Moli looked down at her hands and decided to just take a look.
"It's better to wrap the meat flat. The meat filling is sticky and you don't have to worry about it leaking out if it's not wrapped well." Jiang Moli sighed.
"You make the flat meat, and your dad and I will make the dumplings." Jiang's mother handed the chopsticks to Jiang Moli.
"Although the filling won't leak out and get all over the pot, wrapping the flat meat does require skill," Jiang Moli said quickly, fearing her mother would insist on her doing it. "Mom, your skills are excellent, really good."
"You, you just know how to talk." Jiang's mother chuckled.
"Wrap it well." Jiang Moli walked in front of Sheng Jiahao, "If the filling is exposed, you will have to eat it yourself."
"How dare you talk about Jiahao when you don't do anything yourself." Jiang's mother said.
"With you guys here, what else do I need to do? Isn't it just waiting for food?" Jiang Moli said, "Mom, I don't have a performance tonight, so I can spend the New Year with you. Are you happy?"
"Happy, happy." Jiang's mother said, "Talk less and don't drool on the food."
"Oh." Jiang Moli pouted. Okay, okay, she would say less.
On New Year's Eve, He Jingxian had an argument with her sister-in-law.
"Why don't you move out? Why are you still living here?" He Jingxian's sister-in-law rolled her eyes and said this.
When He Jingxian heard this, she fell silent. He Jingxian calculated her and her husband's salary. Her husband was very extravagant and always spent his money cleanly. They also had to rely on Qi's father and mother to help raise the child.
After Mrs. Qi said that, she felt that He Jingxian and Qi Shixin should move out sooner rather than later. He Jingxian and her husband shouldn't always live here. He Jingxian was about to give birth to her second child, and they couldn't live in such a small room with two children, or let Qi's mother sleep with the older child all the time.
Seeing the two daughters-in-law arguing, Qi's mother had some thoughts in her mind. She didn't want them to keep arguing like this. After He Jingxian gave birth, there would be more things to deal with. It was about time for He Jingxian and her husband to move out. She could let them rent a house nearby so that Qi could take care of the child more easily.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, He Jingxian stayed in the room and talked to Qi Shixin about the house.
"Do you know? Jiang Moli lent money to her brother, and her brother bought a house." He Jingxian said.
"Yeah." Qi Shixin nodded, "Have you saved any money?"
"I..." He Jingxian didn't expect Qi Shixin to ask such a question. "How could I have saved so much money? I left my job when I came to study. I'm not like Jiang Moli, who studied in South City and was able to continue working at her job while studying. After graduation, she often participated in performances and earned more money. As for me, I was pregnant and had a baby."
"She has no children, but you have children. You are still better than her." Qi Shixin said.
He Jingxian frowned slightly. That was not what she meant. She did not intend to compete with Jiang Moli in having children.
"I mean, can we buy a house?" He Jingxian said, "Jiang Moli's parents are not as powerful as your father. Your father is the deputy director of the factory, and he..."
"I am not the only child of my father, and he doesn't have enough money to buy a house for us." Qi Shixin didn't want to buy a house. He had told his parents a long time ago. His parents told them to just rent a house and not buy one for the time being. They could buy a house after they saved some money.
"They lent us the money, and we can just pay it back later, right?" He Jingxian said, "Jiang Moli can help her brother, so can't your brother help you, his younger brother?"
"My sister-in-law doesn't want to." Qi Shixin said, "After my brother got married, he has been different."
Once, Qi Shixin asked his brother for money after his brother got married, and his sister-in-law was very unhappy. His sister-in-law said that he was already so old and his brother still had to support the family, so she asked him not to ask his brother for money. His sister-in-law said it bluntly, and Qi's brother did not say anything wrong about her, so how could Qi Shixin not understand?
Brother Qi was on the side of his wife and children, not Qi Shixin. Qi Shixin had to raise his children on his own, and if he didn't have money to buy a house, he would have to rent one.
"Forget about buying a house." Qi Shixin said, "If you had saved that much money, it would be fine. But how did Jiang Moli save so much money?"
"How should I know?" He Jingxian asked, "Her brother probably bought the house with not only her money, but also her parents' money."
"With so much money from so many people, it's certainly possible." Qi Shixin nodded. "Don't even think about our parents giving us money to buy a house. It's impossible. What were you arguing with your sister-in-law about today? There was nothing to argue about, but you still had to."
"Am I the one who wants to quarrel? Your sister-in-law is going too far." He Jingxian was unhappy. "I think she just doesn't want us to live here. She wants us to move out as soon as possible. I'm pregnant now, how can I move out? If we move out, who will pay the rent? We are both my parents' sons, why do you have to move out?"
"My eldest brother was born early." Qi Shixin had already accepted this fact and didn't think about arguing with his parents. "If we really need to rent a house, we can rent a house nearby. If we don't have rent, we can ask my parents for it."
"I only have a basic salary now, and you spend it all very quickly every month. I asked you to save a little, but you didn't." He Jingxian was melancholy. How could she have ended up like this? She was waiting for housing from her company, but she didn't know when it would be. "Second Auntie refused to help us get housing through connections."
"It's not that Second Aunt doesn't want to go, it's that Second Aunt has no other choice." Qi Shixin said, "Second Aunt has already let you into your unit. If you ask for more, that would be asking for more."
"..." He Jingxian didn't think she was asking for more. She just wanted to own her own house. What could be wrong with that? If there was anything wrong, it was that Second Aunt Qi wasn't powerful enough.
After the Lunar New Year, Zhou Yaran's wedding day soon arrived. After the wedding, Zhou Yaran and her husband lived in her in-laws' home. Zhou Yaran still wanted to relax after marriage and didn't want to work hard. With her mother-in-law around, she could cook for her. Her in-laws' home was not far from her parents' home, so if Zhou Yaran was unhappy, she could still go back to her parents' home.
Jiang Moli once asked Zhou Yiran if she was afraid of conflicts between her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Zhou Yiran said she was not afraid, and that if there really was a conflict between her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, she would just move out.
Just as Zhou Yaran expected, He Jingxian did not come to attend Zhou Yaran's wedding banquet. Jiang Moli did not go to look for He Jingxian at the wedding banquet, but she could see her when Zhou Yaran and his wife went to toast.
Jiang Moli watched Zhou Yiran and his wife toast, and she sighed, "Almost all my friends are married."
"You're married too." Sheng Jiahao said.
"Yes, I got married too." Jiang Moli nodded. "It felt like time flew by, it was gone in a flash."
When Jiang Moli just graduated from school, she felt that she was very young, super young. Now more than three years have passed in a flash, and in a few months, it will be four years.
After a while, Jiang Yuqin gave birth. Ding Chao was not at home when she was about to give birth, and Ding Hongwang was at school. Jiang Yuqin had to pack her things and walk to the hospital. Fortunately, a kind neighbor saw her and took her to the hospital on a tricycle to give birth.
When Ding Chao got home from work, he didn't see Jiang Yuqin. He heard from a neighbor that Jiang Yuqin had gone to the hospital to give birth. His first thought was that Ding Hongwang was still at school. So Ding Chao went to pick up Ding Hongwang first, took him to eat, and asked a neighbor to help take care of the child before he went to the hospital himself.
"Let his family pick up the child so he can go see his wife earlier." Seeing Ding Chao's actions, the neighbors were at a loss for words. "He really treats Hongwang as his own son."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
