Chapter 83 The plot was not accurate after all
"I'm the one next to you." Sheng Jiahao hugged Jiang Moli. "Don't be afraid."
"He..." Jiang Moli said, "Those women... they are also pitiful people, encountering such things."
It was the case with Bai Meiqi, and now it is the case with this woman. They thought they had met their true love, but they didn't expect to meet Shi Nan and the Shi family. These people are not good people.
"I really can't tell... We grew up together on the same street, and I thought he was quite gentle and refined." Jiang Moli said, "I didn't expect him to become like this now. You say his mother forced him to do it, but he's a grown man, can't he control himself? He can move out and live away from his mother. If his mother chases him, he can go to another city. He doesn't have to stay in this city."
Jiang Moli didn't understand what Shi Nan was thinking. Shi Nan clearly had other options, but he chose this approach. When this matter got out, everyone thought Shi Nan was terrible.
A few people felt that Shi Nan was forced into a corner. If Shi Nan hadn't married the female college student, how could she possibly have his child? Of course, she would have had to abort the child. In this day and age, women can remarry after having children. As long as the female college student kept quiet about the abortion, no one else would know. Shi Nan showed the gestating male fetus to Shi's mother to scare her into not interfering in her affairs.
Anyway, Jiang Moli was not one of those few. She just felt that those women were too pitiful. They became tools for Shi Nan to fight against his mother. Shi Nan had never thought about being nice to them from the beginning. He only wanted to climb up.
"Don't worry about him." Sheng Jiahao said, "If he doesn't appear in front of you, just pretend you don't know."
"Yeah." Jiang Moli responded softly, "Just thinking about that scene...it's too scary."
It was too hard to believe that Shi Nan had become like that. Jiang Moli didn't want to think about it, but sometimes when she heard something, she couldn't help but think about it. Once someone like Shi Nan changed, there was no telling what he would become. Shi Nan had a certain level of intelligence; after all, he was a college graduate.
"He..." Jiang Moli looked up at Sheng Jiahao, "Will he cause you trouble? He's so petty..."
Jiang Moli was with Sheng Jiahao, not Shi Nan. It wasn't that Jiang Moli thought too highly of herself, but people like the Shi family were very petty, and they were really exaggerated. They might make things difficult for Sheng Jiahao.
"I didn't want to tell you, but the company Shi Nan worked for wanted to be in the same industry as me, but now it's gone," Sheng Jiahao said, "They had internal problems."
"Is there a problem internally?" Jiang Moli was surprised. "Is it Shi Nan..."
"I don't know. He has only been working for a few years and doesn't have that much ability yet," said Sheng Jiahao.
"If there are enough ants, they can kill an elephant," said Jiang Moli.
"Yes, yes." Sheng Jiahao said, "Relax, I can still handle these things."
Shi Nan was about to be fired from the company, but he was not fired in the end because he was with the daughter of the company boss. Shi Nan had been with other women before, and the boss's daughter knew about it, but she still insisted on being with Shi Nan.
The boss had some admiration for Shi Nan. Shi Nan was ambitious and could accomplish something. He didn't care about how many women Shi Nan had had before. The boss himself had a mistress outside and he had an illegitimate child, just a daughter, so he didn't care.
Although Shi Nan was not fired, the boss had no intention of re-employing her. The boss's first wife had only one daughter, and this daughter was love-brained, and the boss had no choice. The boss was afraid that Shi Nan would use his daughter to seize the company in the future, so he was still on guard. The boss arranged for the illegitimate son to work in the company, which Shi Nan only found out after he and the boss's daughter Pan Yun got married.
Shi Nan heard from others that the boss only had one daughter, who hadn't even graduated from junior high school and wasn't particularly pretty. If it weren't for the company, Shi Nan wouldn't have been able to be with such a woman.
Less than a month later, Shi Nan married the boss's daughter. The boss gave his daughter a house so that she could live there. The boss didn't care about Shi's family. It was true that the boss's wife only had this one daughter, but she knew her husband had someone else outside and that he wouldn't let his daughter inherit the family fortune. What her daughter needed was someone who could fight for her.
Shi Nan was indeed not a very good person, but Pan Yun insisted on marrying her, and Mrs. Pan agreed.
This time, Shi's mother didn't say much to Shi Nan. What else could she say? She was afraid that Shi Nan would do something else. Shi's mother already knew that Shi Nan was not the same Shi Nan as before, and she had no way to control him.
I haven’t even graduated from junior high school yet…
Shi's mother was very upset when she thought about this. If that woman's family wasn't a little rich, that woman would be really terrible. How could her son, who graduated from college, be with a woman who didn't even graduate from junior high school? Shi's mother didn't dare to say it in front of Shi Nan, and only dared to whisper it to Shi's father in the room.
"He said he would get married, so he got married." Shi's mother's eyes were red. "He didn't even take us as his parents seriously, and he didn't even listen to us. He made up his mind, just told us, and took the household registration book away directly. It's better...it's better for him to be with Bo Meiqi from the beginning."
"They're together," Shi's father said. If anyone was to blame, it was their initial belief that the banquet cost too much, and their insistence on trying to reduce it, which led to the subsequent events. If they hadn't tampered with the banquet, none of this would have happened, and Shi Nan would still be with Bo Meiqi.
"Alas," said Shi's mother, "It's better to sleep with a female college student than this."
"The last time he was not so rich." said Shi's father.
"..." Shi's mother glared at Shi's father. She was really unhappy. Didn't her husband see that she was unhappy? She had been worrying about Shi Nan's affairs, but things turned out like this. Shi's mother really didn't expect things to turn out like this. She thought that her son would be able to find a college graduate wife after graduating from college, and that her son and daughter-in-law would have a good relationship.
All this was very different from what Shi's mother had imagined. When others asked her if she regretted it, they said that wouldn't it be better for Shi Nan to be with Jiang Moli, or even with Bo Meiqi...
regret?
Shi Ma did regret it, but in front of those people, she couldn't say she regretted it. She could only say that everyone has their own karma, that she couldn't control much, and that it all depended on her son's preferences. As a parent, she had to accept the kind of person her son liked.
"When I left, everyone asked me if I regretted it," Shi's mother said. "Some also said our daughter-in-law is rich, and that Shi Nan can just live in his wife's house. They said we don't have to worry about so many problems. They'll take care of the banquet and everything."
Yes, that's what Pan Yun said, and that's what the Pan family meant. The Pan family didn't want any problems with the banquet, and since the Pan family was paying for it, then Shi's mother couldn't just interfere and had to let the Pan family make the decision.
Shi Nan misjudged his boss, his father-in-law. On the surface, his father-in-law only had one daughter, but in fact he had other illegitimate children. Shi Nan wanted to rely on his wife to get the company, but the boss ended up having illegitimate children, some of whom were older than Pan Yun.
In such a strict era, how could the boss have an illegitimate child?
Shi Nan didn't understand, but the facts were already in front of him, and he had to accept this reality. He couldn't say anything bad about his wife. This time, he made a mistake and didn't investigate thoroughly. Even if he had, Shi Nan might be able to make Pan Yun like him, but he might not be able to make the other boss's daughter like him.
"I can only say that our Shi Nan has no shortage of people who like him." Shi's mother said. She didn't know Shi Nan's ambitions, only a little bit. Shi's mother felt bitter, but she still hoped her son would listen to her. "Alas, I don't even dare to say more in front of Shi Nan. As long as my daughter-in-law can give him a son, that's enough."
Shi's mother didn't dare ask for too much now, and could only keep reducing her demands. She also didn't dare to talk too much in front of her daughter-in-law, fearing that other problems would arise later. Shi Nan had encountered problems in his previous marriages and relationships, and Shi's mother was afraid that if she continued to cause trouble, her son would not get married and live alone, without giving them the opportunity to have grandchildren.
When Jiang Moli once again heard news about Shi Nan from Sheng Jiahao, she felt that Shi Nan really knew how to climb up.
"He's really fast." Jiang Moli said, "Is it true that the worse a man is, the more people like him?"
"Probably not." Sheng Jiahao said, "It's just that these men are good at pretending."
"..." Jiang Moli was silent.
"Shi Nan's father-in-law has an illegitimate child, and the illegitimate child has joined the company." Sheng Jiahao said, "Those people want to fight for the property, but it's not Shi Nan's turn to fight."
"There's also an illegitimate child?" Jiang Moli was puzzled. "Didn't they say they only had one daughter?"
"There's an illegitimate child." Sheng Jiahao said, "Not just one illegitimate child. His father-in-law has a son, so it's impossible for his daughter to inherit the family property."
What's the use of being the eldest wife's daughter? If the boss is unwilling to give the family property to his daughter, then it will be difficult for her to get those things. Even if Shi Nan fights for it, he won't get much. He's not stupid.
"But Shi Nan can still make use of his father-in-law's connections." Sheng Jiahao said, "I guess he will go out on his own soon."
This was Sheng Jiahao's guess. Shi Nan would definitely be ostracized in the company. His father-in-law's illegitimate son wouldn't allow Shi Nan to occupy a high position, and Shi Nan's wife would definitely want her to take the top position. Boss Pan had a ruler in mind. He knew what to do. He would definitely make Shi Nan do more hard work, but without giving her too many benefits.
In order to get more, Shi Nan may choose to leave his father-in-law's company and work on his own. Then he can use the connections of his father-in-law and mother-in-law to perhaps develop his career even better.
"No matter if he works alone or not," Jiang Moli said, "he has great ambitions. I don't know how far he can go."
Jiang Moli found that she disliked Shi Nan more and more, and even hated Shi Nan. Shi Nan's actions reminded Jiang Moli of the vicious supporting characters in those novels, such as the heroine's father who did not value his own daughter and married a new wife.
"You should have less contact with him. Not only do I not have contact with him, you should also not have contact with him." Jiang Moli said.
"No contact, no contact, I can't become a person like him." Sheng Jiahao gently pinched Jiang Moli's face, "I know about him, let me tell you."
"Yeah." Jiang Moli nodded.
Xie Shaojun and Shi Nan gave Fan Xiaoxue money on time every month. Shi Nan and his wife held a wedding banquet. A month after the wedding banquet, around September, Pan Yun discovered that Shi Nan had visited Fan Xiaoxue, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Shi Nan rarely visited Fan Xiaoxue's place. He went there to give her money. Fan Xiaoxue's intention was that these people had to give her money. If they didn't, they would send someone else. Fan Xiaoxue would then tell Shi Kaihua in prison that Xie Shaojun and Shi Nan hadn't given her any money. Fan Xiaoxue just wanted to embarrass Xie Shaojun and Shi Nan. Shi Nan even acted like he valued Shi Kaihua as a brother, which made Fan Xiaoxue laugh.
"You must be Fan Xiaoxue." Pan Yun dressed up carefully and came to Fan Xiaoxue's shop to find Fan Xiaoxue.
"It's me, Shi Nan's wife. What do you want to talk to me about?" Fan Xiaoxue attended Shi Nan's wedding banquet. Even if she hadn't attended, she had met Pan Yun.
"Don't think about people you shouldn't think about. Shi Nan is my husband. Didn't you say that? I am his wife." Pan Yun said.
"You and your mother-in-law are quite similar." Fan Xiaoxue said, "People from the same family are alike."
"What do you mean?" Pan Yun didn't understand.
"You all think that Shi Nan is a delicious bun, but you don't ask others whether they think your Shi Nan is a delicious bun. You always think that others are thinking about Shi Nan." Fan Xiaoxue said.
"If you hadn't seduced him, why would he come to you and give you money?" Pan Yun said.
"Ask him why he gave me money?" Fan Xiaoxue sneered, "If it weren't for them, would my man be in jail? My man..."
"Pan Yun." Shi Nan came over, he quickly grabbed Pan Yun and dragged Pan Yun away.
"I won't leave, I won't leave." Pan Yun said, "You have to explain yourself clearly, I..."
"Go back and I'll tell you." Shi Nan said.
Shi Nan and Pan Yun didn't live here. He had noticed something unusual today, so he followed Pan Yun. Then, Shi Nan saw Pan Yun go to find Fan Xiaoxue, and he knew that Pan Yun wasn't here to find Shi's parents. Pan Yun had been spoiled growing up, and she was self-centered. Others had to revolve around her, not her revolving around others.
Fan Xiaoxue watched Shi Nan drag Pan Yun away, and she just felt a little ridiculous. Shi Nan had been looking for such a wife, and he dared not tell her all those things. Shi Nan certainly didn't dare, for fear that his wife would be stupid and tell everything.
Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao went to Niu Cuihua and her husband's house together. When they came out and passed by Fan Xiaoxue's shop, they happened to see the scene. Shi Nan walked away, and Jiang Moli walked over. When Jiang Moli and her husband came, Shi Nan was already pulling Pan Yun. Jiang Moli only stopped for a moment, and Shi Nan and Pan Yun had disappeared from her sight.
"Are they here to cause trouble for you?" Jiang Moli asked.
"Shi Nan's wife thinks I seduced her man." Fan Xiaoxue said, "If it weren't for her man, would my man be in jail?"
Every time Fan Xiaoxue thought about this, she felt particularly sad. Others said that Fan Xiaoxue got a lot of money, and that she was taking advantage. Fan Xiaoxue really wanted to say, those people are taking advantage of this, let's see if they are willing to take advantage of this. Fan Xiaoxue has to do a lot of things herself. Her in-laws and her own family do help a little, but it's not like she doesn't have to work and can just sit back and enjoy the benefits.
Those people didn't know the pain Fan Xiaoxue was feeling. She would rather her husband not have gone to jail. If her husband was in jail, her children would be treated as inferior by others.
"Don't worry about them." Jiang Moli said, "Don't be too polite to them."
"I'm not being polite with them," Fan Xiaoxue said. "I just want them to pay me the money every month. My husband's in jail, and I can't even look at him when I visit him. These people shouldn't think that just giving money to others will solve their problems."
"Oh." Jiang Moli knew that Fan Xiaoxue was feeling uncomfortable, but no matter how uncomfortable she was, there was nothing she could do. She could only endure it.
"Want some popsicles? They're free." Fan Xiaoxue said.
"No more eating." Jiang Moli said, "We have to go back."
"Okay, come and visit me someday when you're free," said Fan Xiaoxue.
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded.
Jiang Moli and his wife occasionally visited Niu Cuihua and her husband, but not often. Perhaps once every one or two months was fine. Their vacations were unpredictable, and Niu Cuihua had to make tofu and sell it, so Jiang Moli didn't like to bother her. She also didn't want to come at a fixed time every month; it felt like a reminder: "You guys should pay me back."
Shi Nan dragged Pan Yun into the car and took her home.
"What do you want to say?" Pan Yun asked.
"Fan Xiaoxue and I don't have any romantic feelings for each other. If I wanted to be with her, I would have been with her a long time ago. I..."
"I don't believe it. My dad told my mom the same thing before, but in the end, he still got together with someone and they had a child," said Pan Yun.
"Fan Xiaoxue has a husband." Shi Nan said.
"Yes, my father's lover also had a husband." Pan Yun said.
Pan Yun felt that she was not a fool. She didn't know what happened to other people, so how could she not know what happened to her father? Her father had fooled her mother in the same way, and her mother was stupid, having been fooled for so many years.
"My father's illegitimate children all joined the company." Pan Yun said, "In order to marry you, my mother had no choice but to let them join the company."
"..." Shi Nan lowered his head slightly. What does this have to do with him? Even if he didn't marry Pan Yun, those people would still have to join the company sooner or later.
Shi Nan still felt that he had been cheated. If he had known earlier that Pan Yun's father had those illegitimate children, he might have changed his target instead of choosing Pan Yun. However, if Shi Nan changed his target, other people might not necessarily like Shi Nan, and he might not succeed.
"You and Fan Xiaoxue can't be together." Pan Yun said with a stern face, "If you marry me, my family will buy you a house and a car, and you can live so comfortably. You can't be ungrateful. With these conditions, I can find a live-in son-in-law."
"It's impossible for me and Fan Xiaoxue." Shi Nan said.
"It's not just Fan Xiaoxue, there's also Jiang Moli." When Pan Yun inquired about the situation, she heard people say that Shi Nan had confessed his love to Jiang Moli.
"I'm not with them. They're all married." Shi Nan frowned. "Don't talk about them. They're not worth a single toe of yours."
"They're worth it." Pan Yun curled her lips. "I went to your mother's place, and she didn't look very happy. I think your mother likes those people more."
"No, that's just how Mom is." Shi Nan said.
"That Jiang Moli even appeared on CCTV, and she's pretty..."
"She has a husband, and he's richer than me." Shi Nan said, "I have nothing to do with her."
"It's best if they don't have any relationship," Pan Yun said. "I heard her husband is quite powerful and his company is quite large. If you offend them, my dad will be unhappy."
"No offense, no offense." Shi Nan said.
Before, Shi Nan was almost fired by the company. If it weren’t for him being with Pan Yun, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in the company.
Shi Nan coaxed Pan Yun for a long time, telling her not to be angry, saying that he didn't want to be with another woman, and that he would be with Pan Yun. Pan Yun was satisfied and no longer so angry.
Fan Xiaoxue didn't go to find Shi's mother, nor did she go to find Shi Nan. She just waited for those people to send money. The neighbors knew that Xie Shaojun and Shi Nan had gone to see Fan Xiaoxue, and some people said that Fan Xiaoxue was missing a man because she didn't have a man anymore.
Some people were saying bad things about Fan Xiaoxue, spreading rumors that she was seeing another man. Fan Xiaoxue thought she spent all day at the shop and at home, so how could she have the time to be with another man? Those people just saw that Fan Xiaoxue had opened a shop, and they couldn't stand her getting any better.
When Shi's mother learned that Pan Yun and Shi Nan had come to the street, and that they had just left, she felt very uncomfortable. They had come here, so why didn't they come home?
"They don't come." Shi's mother said to Shi's father.
The two of them stayed at home. Their daughter had long been married, and their only son had a bad attitude towards the family. After her daughter got married, Shi's mother rarely contacted her family. People knew that Shi's mother valued Shi Nan, and that others were not as important in her eyes. Sometimes, Shi's mother would scold her daughter, saying that she was too unfilial.
A married daughter doesn't have to make a living under the rule of Shi Mu, so people are too lazy to talk about those things.
"When we went to their place, they also said they were doing well and told us not to worry," Shi's mother said, "They told us not to go there so often."
Yes, Pan Yun and Madam Pan both said so. Madam Pan naturally didn't live with Pan Yun. Madam Pan didn't treat Shi's mother too well. She had already inquired about it. When facing someone like Shi's mother, she had to be more imposing. To put it bluntly, Shi Nan relied on her family for a living. If her daughter didn't like him, she would never let her daughter marry Shi Nan.
Shi's mother was nothing in front of Mrs. Pan. Mrs. Pan was not like Bai's mother, who would give Shi's mother face. Mrs. Pan was not like Jiang's mother, who would say a few harsh words. Jiang's mother lived on the same street as Shi's mother at the time and was somewhat concerned about the impact. Mrs. Pan did not care about the impact. She only knew that Shi Nan was not good enough. Her daughter did not go to college, so what? The Shi family was marrying up.
"They also asked why Shi Nan married their daughter. We all know it in our hearts." Shi's mother felt wronged. Very wronged, not just a little bit wronged. "They always say bad things about us, and say it directly to our faces. They don't give us any face at all. People like this are really terrible, very terrible, not just a little bit terrible."
"Oh no, oh no." Shi's father perfunctorily replied to Shi's mother. He didn't care about those things. Shi Nan could just make his own decision.
After Jiang Moli won the award, she performed more often this year and toured more often in other cities. Seeing that Jiang Moli was always going to other cities, Jiang's mother even packed her things for her.
Teacher Lu came over specifically to talk to Jiang's mother. She was worried that Jiang's mother might have other ideas. Yes, Teacher Lu, the mother-in-law, was worried that Jiang's mother might have other ideas.
"Moli won an award, and her company wants to take advantage of the momentum to promote it." Teacher Lu sat on the sofa, holding Jiang's mother's hand and speaking earnestly, "Our opera has stagnated for many years, and it's only in recent years that it's started to develop slightly better. It's necessary to strike while the iron is hot, not only to consolidate Moli's position in the opera world, but also to promote our opera. Moli is making a contribution, and she is also helping all of us."
"Is she that powerful?" asked Jiang's mother.
"Yes, yes," Teacher Lu said. "I met with my former colleagues, and they all praised Jasmine. Not just them, but also teachers and actors from other opera genres. They all like Jasmine very much. We're all opera singers, so we have a mutual understanding. You don't have to worry that we'll be unhappy if Jasmine doesn't have a baby sooner. She's still young and can wait another two years."
Sheng Jiahao went to see Teacher Lu and told her that Jiang's mother wanted him and Jiang Moli to have a baby soon. Sheng Jiahao asked Teacher Lu to talk to Jiang's mother and tell her that it didn't matter whether they had a child or not, because Sheng Jiahao and Jiang Moli still had time. Sheng Jiahao made a lot of money, but he really couldn't mess around just because Jiang Moli didn't have a child, nor would he mess around just because Jiang Moli went on tour in another city. Sheng Jiahao knew what he wanted since he was a child. He had to be worthy of Jasmine and himself.
"Did Jasmine come to you to tell you this?" Jiang's mother was puzzled.
"No, it's not," Teacher Lu said with a smile. "It's Jiahao. Mother-in-law, you know Jasmine's personality. Jasmine has made a decision, so there's no way she'd let me tell you. It's Jiahao who asked me to tell you more. We all think that Jasmine doesn't need to rush into having a baby. Pregnancy takes time, and a performance takes quite a bit of time, which will have some impact. Once Jasmine becomes pregnant, if she's in good health, she can continue performing for the first few months. If her belly gets bigger, she'll need to rest."
"You're all on Jasmine's side." Jiang's mother sighed. "It's not that I absolutely want Jasmine to have a baby early. Aren't I just worried about her?"
Seeing how much Sheng Jiahao has contributed to the family, and thinking about her daughter's desire to delay having children, Jiang's mother was somewhat worried that Sheng Jiahao might object. Jiang's mother thought Sheng Jiahao was a good son-in-law, and she didn't want her daughter to lose such a good man by insisting on her own way.
"Don't worry about that. Jiahao wouldn't dare let Jasmine down. If he did, I wouldn't acknowledge him as my son," Teacher Lu said. "Jiahao truly loves Jasmine, so he wouldn't do anything rash. Don't worry. If he did something rash for the sake of the child, it would mean he's not a good person."
"Alas," Jiang's mother said, "I worry too much."
"It's not that you worry too much, it's that all parents want to think more about their daughters," Teacher Lu said. "If it were me, I'd worry about my daughter too."
"Fortunately, you are Jasmine's mother-in-law." Jiang's mother said.
"Actually... I do have selfish motives. I'm an opera singer myself, and I hope our industry will prosper and develop further," Teacher Lu said. "When my children were young, I didn't let them learn opera. I let them study other things because opera wasn't developing well at the time. So, for their better future, I let them pursue other pursuits."
Teacher Lu thought a lot about her own children, but when it came to Jiang Moli, she thought more about justice.
"I hope you won't blame me." Teacher Lu said.
"How could I possibly blame you? Jasmine is blessed to have a teacher like you and a mother-in-law like you," Jiang's mother said. "I heard someone who went to school with Jasmine is about to have her third child. She had daughters in her first two pregnancies, and now she's having another. It's only been a few years, and she's already had three children in a row. With all that, will she still have time to perform?"
"I don't have much time to perform on stage. I'm basically giving birth to my child," said Teacher Lu.
"That's why she keeps having so many children." Jiang's mother sighed again. "That's because her in-laws insist she has to have sons, not daughters. They have to keep having children. That way, she has no time for anything else. It's only because she met you that Jasmine has time for those things."
"Even if Jasmine hadn't met us, she could still have done those things," Teacher Lu said. "With you all here with her, Jasmine doesn't have to rush into marriage. She can arrange everything herself."
"That's right. If she had married later, we wouldn't have been able to force her to marry sooner." Jiang's mother nodded. "She loved opera as a child and would practice no matter how difficult it was. Back then, there was a little girl who bent down and almost became paralyzed. At that time, I didn't want Jasmine to sing opera. Opera requires not only singing, but also flexibility. But Jasmine insisted, and there was nothing we could do about it."
"Moli is strong-willed, which is wonderful. We need people like her in our opera," said Teacher Lu. "Mother-in-law, you really don't have to worry. Jiahao and Moli have a great relationship. They have a very good relationship. It's not like they'll become sour just because they're apart for ten days or half a month. True love means that no matter how far apart, their hearts are always connected."
"Yes, yes." Jiang's mother nodded again.
"As parents, we just need to support them and help them develop better. That's all we need," Teacher Lu said. "I can't guarantee anything else, but I'm sure Jiahao will never let Jasmine down."
"I'm overthinking it. I have to ask you to tell me this." Jiang's mother said.
"That's our fault," Teacher Lu said. "It's not your fault. Many families are like that. Parents-in-law want their daughters-in-law to have children soon. We didn't think about her having children soon, we just wanted her to fulfill her dream. My daughter often says that Jasmine is me. Jasmine is not just doing her own thing, she's also doing what I want to do. My daughter is right. That's how it is. When I see Jasmine on stage, I think of myself."
"Jasmine didn't do this for you," Jiang's mother said. "She did this for herself."
"Jasmine is even more radiant and charming this way," Teacher Lu said. "She wants it that way, so she doesn't feel so much pressure. If I lie on top of her, I'm so heavy, how can she move? Don't you think so?"
"It's not heavy," Jiang's mother said. "We'll eat here later. The vegetables in the garden are growing very well. We can't eat them all. Pick some and take them over."
"Okay, that's great. I don't have to go to the market to buy vegetables." Teacher Lu said.
Jiang Moli was unaware of the conversation between Teacher Lu and her mother. She performed with great enthusiasm, and many people came to see her. During the tour, the flyers even mentioned that Jiang Moli was the winner of the XX Award, and included a few words about her. Jiang Moli didn't feel ashamed, but she just needed to promote her more so that others would know how talented she was and more people would come to see their opera.
Jiang Moli was already married, but some people still wanted to invite her out for dinner after watching an opera. Of course, it was impossible for Jiang Moli to go out. She was in the system, not in a related company. When Jiang Moli said she didn't want to go, the leaders of her unit helped her to block it.
In ancient times, actors were always easily bullied. Rich men who took a fancy to actors would take the better ones as concubines, while the lesser ones would just be played with for a bit and then discontinued. The provincial leaders of Xiaobaihua were not fools. No matter how much money the rich gave them, it would be useless. They didn't rely on the tips from wealthy businessmen to survive; they had the support of the country.
Qiao Yuwei was deeply envious of Jiang Moli. She felt like she had witnessed her rise to prominence. Jiang Moli had been a provincial Xiaobaihua in 1982, and now it was 1988. It had only been a few years, and yet Jiang Moli had achieved such success. Qiao Yuwei was now playing important roles, even the lead in other adaptations. But the difference between her and Jiang Moli was enormous, not just a little bit. The distance between them was enormous.
"Before, I played the same role as you, in the same city, and the tickets were cheap, but there weren't so many people watching," Qiao Yuwei said. "Now that you're here, the tickets are sold out and hard to come by. The difference is really huge."
"Aren't you still here?" Jiang Moli comforted.
Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli were having dinner together in the hotel. Qiao Yuwei really envied Jiang Moli.
"The lineup is so strong, so the ticket prices are naturally high." Jiang Moli said, "Not only because it's here, but also because of you."
"Many people are coming for you." Qiao Yuwei still knew this. Those people were not coming for her, Qiao Yuwei.
"No matter who they're coming for, they've seen us," Jiang Moli said. "Isn't that enough?"
"That's right." Qiao Yuwei nodded. "Perform a few more times, and I'll become more famous later. But..."
"But what?" Jiang Moli asked.
"I might need to rest for a year or two," Qiao Yuwei said. "I need to have a child first."
"Giving birth to a child..." Jiang Moli was stunned.
"Yes, I've been married for a few years, and it's time to have a baby." Qiao Yuwei said, "Actually, I want to wait a little longer. I finally got the leading role, how can I have a baby now? But this is how my life is. I can't be more amazing. I still have to have children. It's really hard for women. Why can't men get pregnant and give birth to children? Why does it have to be women?"
Qiao Yuwei thought that if she could be like Jiang Moli, she could wait for a few more years with determination, but she was still far behind Jiang Moli. It would be better to have a baby first. It would be better to have one baby, and she could recover faster.
"My husband, while you have not given birth yet. When you give birth, won't my chance come?" Qiao Yuwei joked. In fact, she really thought so.
When Jiang Moli was pregnant, she couldn't participate in many performances. The audience would notice her big belly. When Jiang Moli was resting, someone had to fill in. Even if others couldn't do as well as Jiang Moli, having a year or so was good. It was still an opportunity.
"Okay, your husband." Jiang Moli said, "I should be preparing for pregnancy in the second half of next year and have a baby around 1990."
"Great, that's great." Qiao Yuwei sighed, "It's great to have a plan."
Ma Yuwen, who had left the provincial Xiaobaihua Theater, was still unmarried and childless. She played the lead role because she loved the feeling of acting, while Zhu Zhixuan was already married and had children. Zhu Zhixuan had connections, so she could still play important roles in the local drama troupe, no matter how much her colleagues disliked her.
At first, Zhu Zhixuan felt ashamed of being a relative, but over time, she stopped feeling ashamed. She believed that it was because others weren't strong enough that those people couldn't get promoted. If those people were truly capable, they would have found someone to back them.
Zhu Zhixuan eventually became the person she hated the most. Now, she didn't hate herself anymore, and instead felt she had been too foolish. If she had known earlier that having someone to rely on would make life so much easier, she would have definitely relied on them more instead of relying solely on herself.
Ma Yuwen and Zhu Zhixuan have no contact anymore, but she occasionally keeps in touch with her colleagues at the Provincial Xiaobaihua School. Ma Yuwen is not jealous of Jiang Moli. She thinks those awards and tickets are what Jiang Moli deserves. Facts have proven that as long as you have the ability, you can still shine, but sometimes you need stronger abilities.
"Ma Yuwen hasn't married yet." Qiao Yuwei said a few words, "She... doesn't know when she will get married and have children."
"As for you, just focus on preparing for pregnancy and childbirth." Jiang Moli said, "We're not a private theater troupe. You don't have to worry about losing your job after you give birth."
Jiang Moli didn't say much about Ma Yuwen. No matter what happened to Ma Yuwen, it was Ma Yuwen's business, not Jiang Moli's.
"I'm not worried about that. There will always be work. It's just a matter of how much of a role I have." Qiao Yuwei saw that Jiang Moli didn't mention Ma Yuwen, so she didn't continue talking about Ma Yuwen. Instead, she asked, "You're always performing and filming, and you haven't had a child yet. Will your parents-in-law urge you to do that? And your husband, does he have anything to say?"
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