Chapter 90: I kept saying it over and over again
"That's not true," Jiang Yuqin said quickly. "I still need to save up for the TV."
"My brother needs milk powder," Ding Hongwang said. "Milk powder costs money."
"My younger brother is still young. He will be hungry and cannot eat anything else. Of course he has to drink milk powder." Jiang Yuqin said.
"So my brother spent all the money for buying the TV." Ding Hongwang said.
Those neighbors always liked to say those things in front of Ding Hongwang, and Ding Hongwang heard them all. Ding Hongwang was also a little scheming. When he said these things, he didn't say them in front of Ding Chao, but in front of Jiang Yuqin.
Ding Hongwang, at a young age, had already mastered the art of double-dealing, always striving for the best for himself. He deeply disliked Jiang Yuqin's younger brother, believing his adoptive parents had only one daughter; why a son? Despite his frustration, Ding Hongwang dared not show it in front of Ding Chao.
In front of Ding Chao, Ding Hongwang acted very pitiful, which was different from his attitude in front of Jiang Yuqin.
At night, Ding Hongwang went to sleep next door, and Jiang Yuqin told him what Ding Hongwang had said.
"He is still young. Those people talked to him, but he told you directly. This shows that he is still too naive." Ding Chao did not blame Ding Hongwang. Ding Hongwang dared to say it directly, which showed that Ding Hongwang had no bad intentions.
“…” Jiang Yuqin looked at Ding Chao, who was still speaking for Ding Hongwang.
"Now that we have our own son, Hongwang is understandably worried that we won't treat him well," Ding Chao said. "As for you, don't take Hongwang's words to heart. He's just a child. You said you'd treat him like your own son. No, we can't just ignore him now that we have our own child."
When Ding Chao was at work, everyone else was saying the same thing. They were all wondering if Ding Chao would neglect Ding Hongwang now that he had a biological son. They also said that if Ding Hongwang's biological father were still alive, Ding Hongwang would have a very good life and wouldn't have to worry about being disliked by his adoptive parents.
When Ding Chao heard those words, he naturally felt uncomfortable. The leader didn't say anything bad about Ding Chao, but he hinted that Ding Chao should be nicer to Ding Hongwang. He also said that Ding Chao and Jiang Yuqin had a child, which could be a big deal or a small matter.
It is said that when people are gone, the tea gets cold. Ding Hongwang’s father has been dead for so many years. Why are these people still thinking about Ding Hongwang’s father?
Ding Chao couldn't say in front of these people that he was sending Ding Hongwang away, nor could he say that he would pay more attention to his own son. He could only say that he had always treated Ding Hongwang as his own son. Ding Chao had put himself on the spot a long time ago. He also asked Jiang Yuqin to treat Ding Hongwang well. Jiang Yuqin had to treat Ding Hongwang well now and couldn't treat him too badly.
"Yuqin, our biological child is ours after all," Ding Chao said. "There are no parents who are not perfect, and that refers to biological parents. Adoptive parents are not biological parents after all, so others will inevitably doubt us. Hongwang knew his own life experience when he was very young, so he is naturally more sensitive."
Ding Chao rarely speaks so much, and he said all these words for Ding Hongwang.
"If our own children suffer a little, others won't complain. If Hongwang suffers a little, others will say we value our son." Ding Chao said, "As for children, it's okay when they are young, but when they grow up, they still have to go through some hardships. This son you gave birth to will support our family in the future."
Ding Chao didn't want to be good to his son, but he was afraid Jiang Yuqin would show it too obviously and that others would criticize him. He and his wife should be good to their son quietly, without showing it too obviously in public.
Ding Chao's voice was quite loud. He said it deliberately, thinking that Ding Hongwang could hear him. Ding Chao wanted to make Ding Hongwang understand that he had no intention of abandoning him or treating him badly.
"Alas, I don't mean anything else." Jiang Yuqin said, "I'm telling you this just because Hongwang asked those questions. I can't let you misunderstand me."
"Hongwang is older now, so be careful with your words." Ding Chao spoke in a slightly lower voice. "He's not our biological child, so it's inevitable that he has some thoughts. It's not his fault. He's so young, and he remembers what others say. Don't bother with him, just a kid."
"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it." Jiang Yuqin said.
"Just let it go," Ding Chao said. "We've all said that we should treat Hongwang as our own child, so we have to treat him as our own."
"Yes, he's my biological son." Jiang Yuqin said, "Hongwang said he wanted to buy a TV, but we really don't have the money right now. If I had money, I would buy it for him. It doesn't mean that we won't buy him a TV just because we have a son."
Jiang Yuqin had no other choice. Even if she went to her parents' house to borrow money, she wouldn't be able to borrow that much. Living without a TV wasn't impossible; many families didn't have one. Jiang Yuqin and her husband were known for their extravagant spending. They were renting more apartments, and the rent had to be paid every month.
"If we had a house of our own, we wouldn't have to pay rent." Jiang Yuqin thought of the Jiang family's house again. How great it would be if she was still Jiang's father's daughter. Then she could go and ask for Jiang's father's house. Unfortunately, she was not Jiang's father's biological daughter, so Jiang's father would never give the house to her.
Jiang Moli went to the hospital to give birth in early April. She didn't go when she was in labor, but stayed in the hospital a few days before it started. Jiang Moli gave birth smoothly and gave birth to a boy.
The skin of the newborn baby is still a little red and wrinkled. Jiang Moli looks at the child and wonders if she was like this when she was a child.
Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu both made chicken soup for Jiang Moli, asking her to replenish her energy. Giving birth takes a lot of energy, and women need to replenish their energy during the confinement period to regain the lost vitality.
"It's a small one." Jiang Moli said.
"It's not small anymore. If it were any bigger, you wouldn't have a good time giving birth." Jiang's mother said, "It's not particularly heavy, but it's not light either. It's over five kilograms."
"Oh." Jiang Moli looked at her son and found it quite strange.
Before Jiang Moli was discharged from the hospital, Zhou Yaran came to the hospital to visit Jiang Moli. When Zhou Yaran learned that Jiang Moli had given birth to a son, she lamented that they could no longer be in-laws, but their son could play together.
"Boys are good, boys are good, being brothers is good." Zhou Yiran said, "Brotherly relationships can be very good too."
Zhou Yiran wondered if she had said something wrong. She had just said that they could not be in-laws.
"I didn't think of you giving birth to a daughter." Zhou Yiran added.
"It's okay. If we really have a daughter, then there's nothing wrong with it." Jiang Moli said, "My husband and I have already decided long ago that we will have this one child, regardless of gender. Boy or girl, men and women are equal, and girls can also be heirs. Our family doesn't have so many rules."
Jiang Moli and her husband truly thought so, and Teacher Lu and the others had no other ideas. Sheng Jiahao had thought about it. If Jiang Moli gave birth to a daughter, he would also hand over the business to her, not to his nephew or niece. Sheng Jiahao was not that stupid. He knew who was closest to him, and that was his own child. Not siding with his own child, but siding with someone else's child, was a fool's errand.
"That's right," Zhou Yiran said. "With family planning, many families only have daughters. Some people don't want daughters, so they go for a checkup. If the baby is a girl, they'll abort it. They don't want children anymore. If they want to have a second child, they'll do it secretly and register the child under someone else's name."
"Yeah." Jiang Moli nodded.
"Have you eaten?" Zhou Yiran asked, "I wanted to make some soup, but I thought your mom and your mother-in-law would definitely make soup for you, so I decided not to. I'm not a very good cook, so the food I make isn't very tasty."
"A lot of things can't be added. It doesn't taste good." Jiang Moli had already drunk the soup and disliked it for being tasteless. Her mother told her to eat more, saying it would be good for her health. "I've already eaten quite a bit."
"That's good." Zhou Yiran said, "After you are discharged from the hospital, I will visit you again and bring you food."
"You don't have to bring her any food." Jiang's mother said with a smile, "You young people don't really understand confinement. Don't sneak food into her while she's in confinement. She can't eat that yet."
"Okay, I won't," Zhou Yiran said quickly. "Yes, the customs of confinement after childbirth are different in every place. When I was in confinement, my mother and my mother-in-law had different opinions. One said this, the other said that I couldn't. I didn't know which one to listen to."
"They all care about you." Jiang's mother said.
Jiang's mother and others have consulted a doctor, and there is also a special nutritionist at home, all of this is to help Jiang Moli recover better.
When He Jingxian learned that Jiang Moli had given birth to a boy, she wondered how Jiang Moli could be so lucky. In this way, Jiang Moli wouldn't have to have a second or third child like herself...
He Jingxian really wanted Jiang Moli to give birth to a daughter, not a boy. He Jingxian wanted Jiang Moli to have a taste of the road she had walked, which was not a pleasant experience.
Back when they were still in school, He Jingxian thought she wasn't doing badly. But later on, the gap between them grew wider and wider. He Jingxian wasted a lot of time having children, and people at work even called her a "relative." The worse she got, the more she started thinking, "Since I've already had two children, why not a third? I still have to give birth to a son."
When He Jingxian returned home, she specifically said, "Jiang Moli gave birth to a son."
"What?" Qi Shixin had just finished cooking. "Who gave birth to a son?"
"Jiang Moli." He Jingxian said.
"..." Qi Shixin was silent. He Jingxian would always talk about Jiang Moli from time to time.
"Jiang Moli didn't have a child early on. She didn't have a child until several years after getting married." He Jingxian said, "Now the fate has come, and a son is here. Tell me, if we hadn't been so anxious to have a child back then, could I have a son now?"
"I don't know." Qi Shixin had no idea. He only knew that He Jingxian didn't care enough about their child. Qi Shixin used to be a bit carefree, but now he had to cook and take care of the child.
He Jingxian doesn't take care of the child, and no matter what the Qi family says, it's useless. Qi Shixin has to take care of himself.
"Don't worry about her," Qi Shixin said. "Think about yourself instead."
"It was when I was thinking about myself that I remembered Jiang Moli's matter," He Jingxian said, "Jiang Moli always steps on me. No, now she steps on me several times. Back then, we graduated from school together and worked in the same unit..."
"She was about to be transferred, and you are not in the same unit." Qi Shixin knew a lot about Jiang Moli, mainly because He Jingxian always talked about Jiang Moli.
He Jingxian always talks about Jiang Moli, which means that the Qi family has delayed He Jingxian. If the Qi family had not delayed He Jingxian, He Jingxian would also be a famous actor now.
Qi Shixin didn't know how many times he had heard it. He Jingxian loved to say this over and over again, and Qi Shixin's ears were almost callused.
"She hadn't been transferred yet, and we were still working in the same unit for a while," He Jingxian said. "I'm not originally from Nancheng, and I don't have a Nancheng hukou, so of course I've fared worse than she has. If I had a Nancheng hukou earlier, I would definitely have fared worse than her, but not necessarily."
"Okay, not bad." Qi Shixin didn't want to say anything more.
Qi Shixin felt exhausted. He still had to take care of his daughters, and they needed to eat. As for his three daughters, Qi Shixin had been taking care of them for a long time and was used to it. He felt that he could not rely on He Jingxian.
He Jingxian deliberately brought up Jiang Moli's situation in front of Qi Shixin. She felt bad, and she needed to talk more about it, letting them know what she had given up to have a child. Jiang Moli had achieved immense success, while she, still relatively young, was about to step back for someone younger. He Jingxian had to step back; her figure hadn't recovered well, and wasn't as good as it had been before.
In order to continue on stage, He Jingxian could only step back. One step back would open up a new world.
"Her son probably won't learn opera," He Jingxian said. "Their family is so rich, and his son has to be the heir, inherit the family fortune, and manage the company. How could he possibly learn opera? She can't do what her mother-in-law did and ask her son to find a daughter-in-law who can sing opera. Not everyone who sings opera can sing well."
He Jingxian was still resentful that Teacher Lu had refused to help her. If Teacher Lu had been willing to help her, He Jingxian wouldn't have had to marry to stay in the South City Theatre Troupe, and she wouldn't be in this situation now. If He Jingxian had been able to join the South City Theatre Troupe directly, she would have been much freer, not having to be controlled by others, and would have been able to develop well.
"..." Qi Shixin fed the child, "Open your mouth and eat."
Jiang Moli was discharged from the hospital and returned home to recuperate after giving birth. Sheng Jiahao did not live in the same room with Jiang Moli, and he temporarily slept in another room. Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu meant that Jiang Moli had to rest well. At night, Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu did not let the child stay in Jiang Moli's room. Instead, Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu took turns to take care of the child, and there was also someone who was specifically responsible for taking care of the child.
"Mom, are you still eating?" Jiang Moli looked at the food her mother brought over and ate it.
"Eat, eat more," Jiang's mother said. "Look at you, you've eaten so much, and you haven't gained weight. If you weigh yourself, you're only less than ten pounds heavier than before you were pregnant. If you don't eat more, you'll lose all those ten pounds."
Jiang's mother didn't think that these ten pounds of fat were too much. Her daughter was not very fat to begin with, so gaining ten pounds was nothing.
"The most important thing at this time is to take good care of your body, rather than thinking about the performance on stage." Jiang's mother said.
"Your mother is right." Teacher Lu came over. "You can practice your body shape later. You still need to eat more this month. Don't eat too little. If a woman doesn't take good care of herself during the confinement period, it will affect her whole life."
"Eat, I'll eat." What else could Jiang Moli say? She could only eat.
Jiang's mother killed a chicken every day, most of the time she did it herself instead of asking the chef to do it. Jiang's mother wanted her daughter to have a good confinement after childbirth, so it was always better to do it herself so that she could take better care of her.
Niu Cuihua and her husband brought their children to visit Jiang Moli. The two children looked at their little brother and were not very brave to touch him.
"We came here by bus. We don't know if the children's hands are contaminated with bacteria. Don't let them touch the children too much." Niu Cuihua took the initiative to say, "Children are very delicate."
Niu Cuihua didn't say that children from the countryside are tough, or that they can be touched in any way. It's not that children from the countryside don't have problems; some do.
"It's okay. Just wash your hands and disinfect them." Jiang Moli said, "It's not that complicated."
"Yeah, that's right." Niu Cuihua nodded, but she still didn't let her child touch Jiang Moli's child.
"Go eat something." Jiang's mother said.
Jiang's mother took Niu Cuihua and the others to the living room and let them eat some eggs and other things. Jiang's mother prepared a lot of red eggs. When someone came to the house, she would boil eggs for them. Old Mrs. Jiang and her friends had come here a long time ago. The old lady was old, so she didn't get too close to Jiang Moli's children. Old Mrs. Jiang had good teeth and could chew beans, the kind of fried soybeans, the hard ones.
"There are so many things to eat." Zhao Jiaojiao exclaimed.
"Eat, eat." Jiang's mother said, "These cakes are all edible. Eat as much as you want."
"That's a lot." Niu Cuihua said.
"I asked the chef to make it specially." Jiang's mother said with a smile, "You guys can eat it. Not everyone can eat Jasmine."
Jiang's mother didn't let Jiang Moli go downstairs. If Jiang Moli wanted to walk around, she could walk around the room upstairs. The room upstairs was spacious and not particularly small, so Jiang Moli didn't have to go downstairs. Jiang's mother, Teacher Lu, and others were all staring at Jiang Moli, worried that she wouldn't pay attention.
Jiang Moli said that she was not careless. It was her own body. She paid close attention to her body and wanted to make her body very good.
After Niu Cuihua and others went downstairs, Sheng Jiahao came to Jiang Moli's room.
Recently, if Sheng Jiahao didn't have anything important to do, he would go home early and spend more time with Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli would always stay alone in her room and get bored. Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu wouldn't let her read, saying it would damage her eyes. Jiang Moli stopped reading, and even when she watched TV, she couldn't watch it all the time.
Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu came to Jiang Moli's room from time to time. They had to check on her to see if she was taking good care of herself. They were worried that she wasn't listening to them and that she was secretly doing something else.
When Jiang Yuqin learned that Jiang Moli had given birth to a son, she was a bit upset. She was still in confinement after her baby's birth. She didn't eat a chicken every day; two or three chickens was considered good during confinement, especially with people like Ding Chao and Ding Hongwang.
When Jiang Yuqin heard people say that Jiang Moli ate a chicken a day, she felt particularly sad. Jiang Yuqin and Jiang Moli grew up together. Jiang Yuqin used to always compare herself with Jiang Moli. She had to eat the same food as Jiang Moli and could not eat worse than Jiang Moli. If she ate better than Jiang Moli, she would not say anything.
And now, Jiang Moli eats so well, while Jiang Yuqin eats so poorly.
The person who said this to Jiang Yuqin was a neighbor.
During her confinement, Jiang Yuqin had to cook and couldn't stay in her room all the time, as there was still a little breeze. Ding Chao had to work, and Jin Manzhi couldn't come to help Jiang Yuqin with her confinement. Even after Jiang Yuqin gave birth to a boy, Ding's mother still didn't come to help her much.
This time, Ding's mother didn't say: Humph, a girl.
Ding's mother bought clothes for her grandson, but she didn't give Jiang Yuqin a red envelope. Ding's mother believed Jiang Yuqin might not spend the money on her own grandson, but rather on Ding Hongwang. Jiang Yuqin's kindness to Ding Hongwang was well known. When Jiang Yuqin gave birth to her first daughter, she made sure Ding Hongwang used formula, even though the family didn't have enough money.
This made Ding's mother dislike Jiang Yuqin very much. Even if she didn't like her granddaughter, she was still her biological granddaughter, and Ding Hongwang was not her biological grandson. Ding's mother cared more about her granddaughter than Ding Hongwang.
When Ding's mother came to see her grandson again, Jiang Yuqin asked, "Mom, can you help us cook for a few days?"
"I'm busy." Mother Ding frowned. "I'm taking the time to come and see the kids, which is already very kind of me. You still want me to cook for you? If I cook for you, what will the people at home eat?"
"Aren't there my sister-in-law and the others?" Jiang Yuqin said, "The others can still cook. I'm in confinement now, so I can't be exposed to too much wind..."
"Even if you're particular, many people still have to do things during the confinement period." Mother Ding said, "When I gave birth to your husband, I didn't stay in confinement for a long time. Are you that delicate?"
"I... Jiang Moli gave birth to a child, and her mother-in-law went to help her with the confinement, giving her a chicken a day." Jiang Yuqin also wanted that, but she knew that Ding's mother would not be so good to her.
"If you were Jiang Moli, you could eat two chickens a day without any problem. Are you her?" Ding's mother asked, "Don't you know how much stuff there is at home? You spend all day thinking about this and that, and don't even think about whether you have the money. The food at other people's houses is so good, you might as well just go there and eat it."
"Mom, that's not what I meant. I just want you to help cook for a few days." Jiang Yuqin explained, "I don't have to eat chicken..."
"You're just a greedy girl," said Ding's mother. "Hasn't our family been good enough to you? And you still insist on eating chicken. You only know how to eat chicken. Why don't you cut a piece of meat from your own mother and cook it?"
Ding's mother's words were harsh. She simply refused to help Jiang Yuqin with cooking. She believed that if she helped Jiang Yuqin with cooking more, the eldest daughter-in-law would be unhappy. Ding Chao and his wife often lived beyond their means and didn't provide any pension, so Ding's mother still had to rely on her eldest son and daughter-in-law for her retirement. She would rather help the eldest wife with more things than help Jiang Yuqin.
"You're not working, so why can't you cook?" Ding's mother said, "We lived a hard life before. There was nothing good to eat when I was pregnant, and no chicken to eat during the confinement period. We were lucky to have a pumpkin."
"..." Jiang Yuqin stopped talking. She already knew her mother-in-law's attitude. Her mother-in-law just didn't want to help her cook.
Jiang Yuqin felt bad. If her mother-in-law helped her cook for a few days, she would still let others say that her mother-in-law cared about her. Jiang Yuqin was upset when she heard those words. Her mother-in-law didn't even pretend. It was just a few days of cooking, not all the time, but her mother-in-law didn't want to do it.
Ding's mother had always been like this, not like she is now. She looked down on Jiang Yuqin. She didn't ask for a betrothal gift, and she stole the family's household registration book to marry Ding Chao. A woman like that was worthless. Ding's mother and the rest of the Ding family felt they didn't need to treat Jiang Yuqin too well. Someone who didn't want money wouldn't be a pity even if she divorced Ding Chao. Besides, Jiang Yuqin loved Ding Chao so much, no one in the Ding family thought she would divorce him.
After a while, Ding's mother left, fearing that Jiang Yuqin would force her to stay and do something. Jiang Yuqin was even more unhappy to see Ding's mother leave so soon.
In the evening, Jiang Yuqin talked to Ding Chao about Ding's mother and she felt wronged.
"I just want your mother to help cook for a few days." Jiang Yuqin said.
"If that doesn't work, ask your mother to come over and cook for you for a few days." Ding Chao said, "Forget about my mother."
Ding Chao didn't want to trouble his own mother. "Mom lives with my eldest brother and his wife. We haven't given her any money for her retirement, and she's already having a hard time."
Earlier, Ding's mother had told Ding Chao about the pension money, but Ding Chao didn't have any money. Ding's mother didn't force Ding Chao to give the pension money, but she was even more angry about Ding Chao supporting Ding Hongwang. She wondered why Ding Chao didn't know how to give the money to his biological parents.
Ding's mother talked about Ding Hongwang in front of Ding Chao. Ding Chao was unwilling to talk about himself and Ding Hongwang's biological father. He said that he decided to raise Ding Hongwang from the beginning, so he had to be responsible to the end.
"Look at other people's mothers-in-law, look at my mother-in-law..." Jiang Yuqin said, "Other people eat a chicken a day during confinement, but I..."
"Let's not compare ourselves with others." Ding Chao frowned. "We don't have that much stuff at home. If we had those things at home, I would also be willing to let you eat a chicken a day. It's all my fault. I don't have the ability."
"It's not that you don't have the ability," Jiang Yuqin said. "Actually... other people's conditions aren't that good. I'm talking about Jiang Moli. She eats well... and her mother-in-law even takes care of her. I thought of her, and then I thought of myself, so I thought of asking Mom to come over and help cook for a few days."
"It's no use for Mom to come and cook for a few days." Ding Chao said, "Just listen to what others say."
Ding Chao knew that those people must have said something in front of Jiang Yuqin, making her compare with Jiang Moli. It just so happened that Jiang Yuqin and Jiang Moli were both born at the same time. Jiang Yuqin knew that Jiang Moli was treated well, so she would have some ideas.
"Your sister...she is not your sister." Ding Chao said.
"Yeah, I know." Jiang Yuqin certainly knew that Jiang Moli was not her biological sister. If Jiang Moli was her biological sister, she would definitely make a fuss. She would say that her father and stepmother were not good enough to her, and that Jiang Moli could eat so much during her confinement period, while she did not have so much to eat.
Jiang Yuqin would also try to steal the chickens raised by Jiang's parents, preventing them from killing chickens for Jiang Moli. Jiang Yuqin might even stay at Jiang Moli's house and refuse to leave, insisting on eating those things too.
However, Jiang Yuqin and Jiang Moli have no blood relationship, so Jiang Yuqin cannot do that.
"I just... just thought about those things..." Jiang Yuqin said, "When she and I were kids, there wasn't much difference..."
Ding Chao looked at Jiang Yuqin's face, and the beautiful face of Jiang Moli appeared in his mind. The difference between Jiang Yuqin and Jiang Moli was too big. Jiang Moli was bright and beautiful, a famous actress, and she also acted in TV dramas, and her acting was very good. Looking at Jiang Yuqin again, Jiang Yuqin's skin was poor, and she was inferior in every aspect.
Jiang Moli's role in "Journey to the West" has already aired, and her role as the Queen of the Kingdom of Women has become an instant hit. Her lines are incredibly popular, as is the soundtrack—everything about it is a hit. Many of the female characters in "Journey to the West" are incredibly popular, each with their own distinct character. The most popular are Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, and the four masters and apprentices all have their own distinct personalities.
The Water Margin starring Jiang Moli has not been broadcast yet, and the TV series has not been edited into a final film, so we have to wait a while.
Jiang Moli didn't pay special attention to when those TV series were broadcast. When someone asked Jiang Moli to play other roles, they were basically costume dramas. Jiang Moli also sang opera in costumes. She looked good in ancient costumes and she looked good in modern clothes. It was just that others had preconceived ideas about Jiang Moli. They had a specific impression of her and wanted her to play in costume dramas.
Jiang Moli happened to be pregnant, so she didn't accept the notices for those TV dramas. After Jiang Moli gave birth to her child, she finished her confinement and estimated that it would take one or two months for her to recover. Then Jiang Moli would be ready to go on stage.
When the unit leader came to visit Jiang Moli, he asked her when she would go back. The leader had already deeply felt Jiang Moli's appeal. No leader doesn't like good performance, so naturally he wanted Jiang Moli to take the stage earlier.
Although they still don't know whether the effect will be good if Jiang Moli returns to perform after giving birth, they still have some expectations.
"Take good care of her." The leader said. He saw Jiang Moli sitting on the soft sofa.
Jiang Moli met him in a reception room next door, where all the windows were closed. Jiang's mother and the others were afraid that Jiang Moli would be blown by the wind, so no matter who came, Jiang's mother would take a closer look.
"I think you're in pretty good shape," the leader said. "You're in pretty good shape."
The leader was a man, and he didn't mean to be picky. He just thought it was okay. They weren't going to film a movie. If they were, Jiang Moli might look a little fatter in front of the camera. But if she were to sing opera on stage, Jiang Moli's figure wouldn't be bad at all; it would be quite excellent.
After Jiang Moli gave birth, she ate a lot, but she didn't gain weight. Jiang Moli breathed a sigh of relief. She had originally planned to exercise after the confinement period, but fortunately she didn't gain any more weight.
"It will be back soon," the leader said. "Many viewers are waiting for you to return, and we are waiting for you to return too."
"It may take another one or two months after the confinement period." Jiang Moli said.
"The unit has a new notebook, you can take a look at it," said the leader.
We don’t know the final effect of the new script yet, but the leaders hope that it will be popular. If Jiang Moli can sing it, there may be good results.
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded.
The leader gave Jiang Moli some fruit on behalf of the unit and also gave her a red envelope. Jiang Moli did not personally see the leader off, but Teacher Lu did.
When Jiang Moli was pregnant and about to give birth, Teacher Lu often came over. When Jiang Moli was in confinement, Teacher Lu simply lived here, and Teacher Lu and Jiang's mother took care of Jiang Moli during her confinement.
The other members of the Sheng family had come to visit Jiang Moli, and they had no objection to Teacher Lu staying here to help Jiang Moli with her confinement. Second Sister Sheng was originally worried that Teacher Lu and Jiang's mother would have conflicts if they were both helping Jiang Moli with her confinement. But when Second Sister Sheng saw that Teacher Lu and Jiang's mother seemed to have such a good relationship, she didn't say much.
Jiang's mother served Jiang Moli another bowl of chicken soup with a chicken drumstick in it. She thought if Jiang Moli didn't like other parts of the meat, she could just eat more chicken. At worst, she could give the rest away. Jiang's mother and her family couldn't eat that much chicken either, and it wouldn't be good to keep it in the refrigerator.
Teacher Lu’s meaning is the same as Jiang Moli’s. The most important thing is that Jiang Moli can eat more.
"Eat more." Jiang's mother sat next to Jiang Moli. "Jiang Yuqin gave birth to a child earlier than you. I heard that she wanted her mother-in-law to cook for her for a few days, but her mother-in-law refused to go. Her biological mother remarried early, so there was no one to help her with the confinement period, so she had to do it herself. She had to cook, and there wasn't much delicious food."
"She..." Jiang Moli took a bite of the chicken leg. She hadn't thought about Jiang Yuqin for a long time. "She gave birth too?"
"It's a boy," said Jiang's mother.
"A boy." Jiang Moli said, "That's good, she has both a son and a daughter."
"She also has an adopted son, and that adopted son is no fool. When she gave birth to her daughter, she and the adopted son shared the same milk powder," Jiang's mother said. "When she gave birth to a son, she thought about buying a TV for the adopted son."
"Uh, shouldn't she be taking care of herself after her baby's birth?" Jiang Moli said, "She won't die from not watching TV. Watch less TV."
"Other people are stirring up trouble," Jiang's mother said. "They're all saying in front of the child that Jiang Yuqin and her husband don't value him because she has a biological son. They're also saying that it's because Jiang Yuqin gave birth to a child, and the child was spent by her younger brother, so Jiang Yuqin and her husband can't buy him a TV."
"..." Jiang Moli's lips curled slightly. Those neighbors were still as black-hearted as ever.
Back then, those neighbors had said bad things about Jiang Moli and Jiang's mother in front of Jiang Yuqin. They had encouraged Jiang Yuqin to fight and made things difficult for Jiang's mother. They would also say in front of Jiang Moli that Jiang's mother treated Jiang Yuqin better. In the end, who was Jiang's mother's biological daughter? They said Jiang Yuqin was more like Jiang's mother's biological daughter, while Jiang Moli was a child picked up from the garbage dump.
Fortunately, Jiang Moli did not take what those people said seriously and did not have a conflict with Jiang's mother as they imagined.
Those neighbors thought they were joking, but in fact they just said vicious words. They were very bad, not just a little bit bad.
"The child has just been born, and we still need to spend money, and we have to save money to buy a TV." Jiang's mother said, "They still rent a house. For that adopted son, they even have to rent an extra room for him to live alone. Jiang Yuqin is not smart at all. She found such a man for herself and is so proud of herself. I really don't know what she is so proud of."
Jiang Yuqin's mother didn't understand her reasoning. She looked at Ding Chao, and she didn't think he had many good qualities. When a woman marries a man, it's a lifelong commitment, so she still has to consider material things. If they don't have good material things, they'll suffer emotionally sooner or later, and conflicts are bound to arise between the couple.
Poor couples have many worries. Over time, the feelings between husband and wife are worn away.
"Your father didn't want her to get married, but she insisted," Jiang's mother said. "Even though her life is like this, she still wants her mother-in-law to cook for her for a few days."
"She wants to deceive herself and tell herself that her mother-in-law treats her well." Jiang Moli immediately thought of what Jiang Yuqin was thinking. After all, she and Jiang Yuqin had been sisters for many years.
"That should be the case," Jiang's mother said. "It's useless to cook for a few days. She lives like this now. I wonder if she regrets it."
"I haven't regretted it yet." Jiang Moli said affirmatively. Jiang Yuqin has a son now, and Jiang Yuqin should feel that good days are beckoning to her.
"Fortunately, you are not like Jiang Yuqin." Jiang's mother said.
"My mother-in-law is very nice." Jiang Moli said.
"You're saying something nice about me." Teacher Lu came over with a smile. "Jasmine, since you said that, then remember to eat more."
"..." Jiang Moli looked at her mother-in-law and smiled helplessly, "I've already eaten a lot."
"When your second sister was in confinement after childbirth, she was the one who really loved to eat," Teacher Lu said. "She would finish everything we cooked for her. After she left confinement, she complained that we didn't know how to let her eat less, leaving her belly full of fat."
Teacher Lu couldn't help but shake her head when she thought about her daughter's problems. "Being able to eat is a blessing. Don't be afraid of gaining weight. After you gain weight, you can exercise later. Isn't your second sister not that fat now? She's much slimmer."
"Second sister is indeed not fat." Jiang Moli said.
"If you want to lose weight, you can do it if you work out hard," said Teacher Lu. "You're not fat by nature. Your mother isn't fat, and neither are you."
Meanwhile, Miao's mother asked Miao Guifeng if she wanted to let her eldest daughter return to the city. Her daughter, now of school age, hadn't yet registered her household and was studying in the countryside. Without her parents, the child's temper sometimes became stubborn. She would run to the edge of a field, saying she needed to wait for her parents.
Miao's mother has other grandchildren, so it's impossible for her to always look after Miao Guifeng's two daughters. Miao Guifeng's brother and sister-in-law are also their own children, which is better. Miao Guifeng's two daughters can also feel that they are being treated differently.
"The schools in the countryside aren't as good as the ones in the city," Miao's mother asked over the phone. "Aren't you planning to buy a house? Have you bought one yet? If you have a house, can you send your children to school in the city?"
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