Chapter 91: Postpartum Confinement
"This..." Miao Guifeng has not yet thought about bringing her eldest daughter to the city, and the house has not been actually bought.
Miao Guifeng and his wife had saved some money, but it was still a little short of what they needed to buy a house. They were thinking about saving a little more. It was almost time this year, and they had to buy a house. They couldn't put it off any longer.
"Let's talk about it after the house is decided." Miao Guifeng said.
"Your eldest daughter can still do some things. She can sweep the floor and wash vegetables," Miao's mother said. "It's not that we force them to do these things, but we country people always start working early. Your second daughter is a little younger, and she plays in the mud all day long, getting all dirty. It's no use scolding her. If you say a few words to her, she'll just say she wants her own parents."
Erya was even more boisterous than Daya. Miao's mother rubbed her brows. The money Miao Guifeng sent every month was not particularly small, but Miao's mother's daughter-in-law still couldn't treat these two children the same way she treated her own daughter. After all, biological children were biological children, and those who were not biological children were not biological children. Miao's mother couldn't force her daughter-in-law to treat Miao Guifeng's children well.
Miao's wife was sometimes upset, complaining that Miao Guifeng hadn't sent much, that they were the ones taking care of the two children, and that Miao Guifeng didn't need to worry. Miao's wife also said that Miao Guifeng's first child was a son, and there was no need for her to have three more daughters, yet Miao Guifeng insisted on having them. Miao Guifeng gave birth to three daughters, and then sent two of them to Miao's wife.
Miao's mother knew what Miao's wife was thinking, but Miao Guifeng was her biological daughter after all. Miao Guifeng also said that if she gave her money, Miao's mother would have no choice but to do more.
"Er Ya runs out all day long, chasing the village dogs without fear of being bitten. She's quite wild," Miao's mother said. "If possible, you'd better take Daya and Er Ya back with you. Let Daya help you with some things and let Daya look after Er Ya, San Ya and the others. Aren't you planning to buy a house? Someone needs to live in the room you're living in now. Wouldn't it be more convenient for Daya and Er Ya to live together?"
Miao's mother couldn't possibly say that her daughter-in-law didn't like Daya and Erya. Daya would be more obedient and do more things, but Erya was different. The children were growing up day by day, and they couldn't stay in the countryside forever. They had to go to school and there were many things to do later.
"Mom, wait a little longer." Miao Guifeng said.
"Can you take the children back when school starts in September?" Miao's mother asked. "I'm old, and taking care of children is tiring. With so many children, it's inevitable that there will be times when I can't take care of them all. In the summer, those children are more likely to go out to play in the water, and things can get bad easily."
"Then we'll wait until summer," Miao Guifeng said. "We'll see then, and once we buy a house, we'll go and bring them back."
Miao Guifeng understood her mother's meaning. In her previous life, she had brought Daya back earlier so she could take care of her younger sister. In this life, Miao Guifeng was so busy taking care of her son that she hadn't given much thought to Daya and Erya. Miao Guifeng rarely visited her daughters in the countryside; her priority was her son. She had let him down in her previous life, so in this life, she had to take good care of him and make him happy around her.
"When that time comes, if you don't come to pick up the child, I will send the child to you, so you don't have to come back." Miao's mother said.
Miao's mother was determined to send the child to Miao Guifeng. The child had been staying in the countryside and not receiving good treatment. If the child could receive good treatment, it would be fine. The key point was that the child was not always with his biological parents, and it was easy for the biological parents to ignore the child. Miao's mother also did not want to watch Erya suffer over there all the time. If something really happened to Erya, it would be terrible.
It is better to let Erya go to Miao Guifeng to bother her biological mother than to let Erya bother them in the countryside.
"Okay." Miao Guifeng nodded.
In the evening, Miao Guifeng talked to Yang Bingrong about Daya and Erya, and she sighed.
"Erya and the others are too naughty. Mom wants to send them back home." Miao Guifeng said, "Their behavior also proves that my mother has not abused them and is still very good to them."
Miao Guifeng said this in her previous life, saying that her eldest and second daughters had not suffered any grievances in the countryside, and she still said this in this life. How could the two children not have suffered any grievances if they did not grow up with their biological parents? It was just Miao Guifeng who was playing dumb. Miao Guifeng was unwilling to admit that her two children had been wronged in the countryside. She felt that her son was the one who really suffered. In his previous life, his son grew up in someone else's home and did not receive a good treatment. Compared with her son, her two daughters had a good life.
"Mom wants to send them over here, so we need rooms. We should buy a house with two rooms soon," Miao Guifeng said. "The eldest and second daughters can live in this room, and when the third daughter is a little older, we can let her come over to live with us too. One room for Tianlang and one for us, it's just right."
Miao Guifeng thought about it and decided to live with their son in the future. Since they didn't have that much money right now, they could just buy a two-bedroom apartment. Later, when they had more money, they could buy a bigger house. Once the house was demolished, they'd have more money, but for now, they had to hold back.
After her house was demolished, Miao Guifeng had to buy a bigger house, at least a three-bedroom one, so her son would get married and have children, and her grandchildren would have room to live. When the house was demolished, she would get extra housing and money. Miao Guifeng was thinking about her future. She had no intention of starting a new business; she was content with selling roasted sweet potatoes.
Miao Guifeng herself didn't have much talent, and she figured she'd get a good chunk of the demolition compensation, so why bother working so hard? She wasn't completely incapable of doing something else, but rather worried about not making enough money.
How many people open a shop and then go bankrupt after a while. When you see others opening a shop and making a lot of money, when it is your turn to open a shop, you may not be able to make as much money, and you may even have to lose money.
Yang Bingrong and Miao Guifeng's son is named Yang Tianlang. They both want their son to have a bright future and develop better.
"It's good that Daya and the others are back. Daya can help wash the sweet potatoes." Miao Guifeng said. Erya is indeed a bit naughty. In her previous life, Erya didn't like to do much work. When Miao Guifeng asked Erya to do something, she would scream.
Thinking about it now, Miao Guifeng felt that Erya was fine. She could vent any dissatisfaction in this life directly without compromising with the Yang family, which made her feel much better. Daya was like Miao Guifeng in her previous life, and Erya was like Miao Guifeng in this life. However, Miao Guifeng now obviously liked Erya a little more, and her favorite was still her son.
Miao Guifeng ignored Daya a lot, and since the younger daughter was around, she received more attention.
"Go wash." Yang Bingrong had no objection. It was indeed not good for his two daughters to stay with Miao's mother all the time.
"When the child goes to school, the household registration should not be registered yet. If we register the household registration at this time, we will have to pay a fine, which is quite a lot of money." Miao Guifeng said, "We have to use the money we have to buy a house, so we don't have that much money to pay the fine."
If possible, Miao Guifeng planned to delay paying the fine. The child was already born, and if the child's academic performance wasn't good enough, they wouldn't have to continue attending middle school or high school. It didn't matter whether the child was registered or not, as long as he stayed home to do things.
Wouldn’t it be a disaster if the people in the Family Planning Office knew about the existence of these children?
Those people can't just kick the children out of the country and leave them to fend for themselves abroad. That won't work.
In her previous life, Miao Guifeng hadn't registered her three daughters' household registrations. Some families also dragged their feet. Some families would even resort to trickery and make a scene, insisting that the relevant authorities register their children. Those unscrupulous people, on the other hand, would register their children if they could avoid paying the fine. Many families, to avoid paying the fine, refused to register their children, believing that their children could still attend elementary school, middle school, and high school, which would require a household registration.
It’s easy to get away with elementary and junior high school. Just talk to the school principal, and he will make some concessions and let your child go to school.
"Okay." Yang Bingrong nodded. He also wanted to buy a house early.
While Jiang Moli was still in confinement, Miao Guifeng and his wife went house hunting again. This time they wanted to decide on a house. Miao Guifeng and his wife had been looking at houses nearby. They were unwilling to pay a high price for a house, and they thought that others would reduce the price a little, so they did not show any urgency to buy a house.
When Jiang's mother went to collect the rent, Miao Guifeng and her husband asked her again, but she told them not to ask anymore. The house was impossible to sell, so they should forget about it. Jiang's mother and father wanted to keep the house as a backup plan. Selling it wasn't just a backup plan for Jiang's mother and father, but also for Jiang Moli. Jiang's father had already said that the house was for Jiang Moli, and no one else could have their eyes on it.
Miao Guifeng refused to give up. She thought Jiang's father's house was the most suitable. If Miao Guifeng and her husband bought this house, they would be able to take care of their daughter who lived in the Yang family. Jiang's father and mother refused, and Miao Guifeng didn't dare to talk to Jiang Moli directly. She only dared to talk to Niu Cuihua. Niu Cuihua didn't care about these things, so Miao Guifeng had to ask someone else.
Jiang Moli's baby was almost a month old, and Teacher Lu suggested a full-month banquet, held at the hotel. Jiang's father and mother had no objections. They planned to invite only close relatives and leave out those more distant. A full-month banquet wasn't a grand affair, so there wasn't a need for so many tables.
Teacher Lu asked Jiang's parents to make a guest list to see how many people they wanted to invite and how many tables they wanted to arrange. Teacher Lu also asked Jiang Moli who she wanted to invite. Jiang Moli didn't plan to invite any colleagues, just a few close friends like Zhou Yaran and Fan Xiaoxue. There weren't many people, not even enough to fill a table, so there were only three or four people.
Sheng Jiahao was a businessman and knew a lot of people, but he didn't plan to have more people around. The child was still so young, so he could just take her out and have her look at her when the time came. He couldn't have people watching her all the time, for fear of too many people and too many germs.
"It's the baby's full moon celebration, and mom and dad are very serious about it." Jiang Moli said in the room.
Before she was out of confinement, Jiang Moli had to stay in her room more and not run out all the time. Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu were all keeping an eye on Jiang Moli. They all wanted her to have a good rest, and Jiang Moli remembered all of that.
"We only have this one child, so it's normal for them to value him." Sheng Jiahao said, "Let's not talk about them, let's talk about you and me. Don't we value him too?"
"That's true." Jiang Moli nodded. "Giving birth to a child will give the child more attention."
Jiang Moli couldn't help but look at her child more. It was small but very cute.
Just when Jiang Moli was about to say something else, there was a knock on the door, and Jiang's mother brought her food again.
"Hurry up and eat! It's freshly cooked. I've let it cool down for you." Jiang's mother said, "It's not that hot yet. You have to eat it all. Eat more so that you can recover and go on stage later."
Jiang's mother, Teacher Lu, and the others didn't want Jiang Moli to stay at home all the time. They all knew that Jiang Moli was not the type to stay at home. If Jiang Moli wanted to go to work or perform on stage, then she could go. The child would be taken care of by others, so there was no need for Jiang Moli to keep an eye on the child.
"Mom, I'll be out of confinement in a few days. Can I eat less?" Jiang Moli said.
"No," Jiang's mother said, "Not just this month, but next month, you still have to eat more. But next month, you can eat a little less."
"It's better to eat less." Jiang Moli said, "If it's this late, I really can't eat anymore."
Some things taste good at first, but after eating them for a long time, you get tired of them, especially those that have no taste.
Jiang Moli tried hard to eat those things and tried not to waste them, but sometimes she felt like vomiting after eating and didn't want to continue eating.
"You have so much food, but you don't want to eat it. Others don't have it yet." Jiang's mother said.
"Of course I only care about myself, how can I care about others?" Jiang Moli said, "Whether others have so much food or not is their business."
Jiang Moli looked at Sheng Jiahao, and Jiang's mother said, "You don't have to look at Jiahao. Jiahao has food. You don't have to give it to him."
Sheng Jiahao had gained several pounds recently, and Jiang Moli couldn't eat any more, so she let Sheng Jiahao eat. Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu were not unaware of this, but they knew Sheng Jiahao was sensible, so they didn't say much.
Just because Jiang's mother and the others didn't expose it doesn't mean they didn't know about it.
"If you hadn't given birth and were in confinement, would you have thought we were so fond of forcing you to eat so much?" Jiang's mother said, "Eat. I'll watch you eat."
"Mom, go ahead and do your work. I'm here," said Sheng Jiahao.
"I'm not busy. I'm watching her." Jiang's mother said, "Don't think you can fool me just because you're almost out of confinement."
"I'm eating." Jiang Moli said, "Mom, you don't have to say anything. I'm eating, I'm eating."
"Eat, eat," Jiang's mother said. "Once you're out of confinement, we won't be watching you so closely anymore. But you still have to be careful. Women don't recover that quickly after giving birth."
"I know." Jiang Moli said, "Mom, you've told me many times, and I've written it down. There's no way I didn't write it down. Don't worry, I wrote it down. I haven't even looked at the new notebook yet. You kept telling me to read less and look at those tiny words, but I haven't even looked at them."
"It's because you're in confinement after giving birth." Jiang's mother pulled the blanket towards Jiang Moli and asked her to cover herself with it more.
The unit leader gave Jiang Moli a new notebook and asked her to take a look. Jiang Moli quietly read a few pages, but she hadn't finished it all. Jiang's mother and Teacher Lu often came over to see if she went to bed on time at night, so Jiang Moli had no time to read. The unit leader didn't mean to let Jiang Moli finish reading immediately. After all, it would take some time before Jiang Moli could go on stage again.
The invitations to the full-month banquet were sent out before the child was even one month old.
Jiang Yuqin was upset when she learned that Jiang Moli's child was going to have a full-month banquet. Her family had no money, so they didn't have a full-month banquet for their child. They also didn't want to hear Ding Hongwang say they were spending their money on his younger brother. Ding Hongwang wanted a TV so badly, and Ding Chao suggested they save some money and try to buy one sooner rather than later. More and more people were buying TVs these days, so it would be good to have one at home. This would save Ding Hongwang from having to go to other people's houses to watch TV and then have to look up to other people.
"Moli's son is having a full-month banquet. She's afraid others won't know she's given birth to a son." Jiang Yuqin couldn't help but say while dining with Ding Chao and the others, "For such a young child, it doesn't matter whether there's a full-month banquet or not. They say that children who keep a low profile are easier to raise."
Even though Jiang Yuqin was sad, she still wanted to hold a full-month banquet for her son. However, she had no money, so she had to give up the idea of holding a full-month banquet for her child.
"I'm sorry to have wronged you." Ding Chao understood what Jiang Yuqin was thinking. He also wanted to hold a full-moon banquet for his son, but Ding Hongwang had been in a bad mood recently, and Ding Chao didn't want to upset him. Another thing was that Ding Chao didn't have much money. He wasn't one to save money, and when he had it, he tended to spend it. Jiang Yuqin was the same way.
If Ding Chao and Jiang Yuqin knew how to save money, they would have already saved quite a bit. Jiang Yuqin still had a job, and it wasn't like they were unemployed. As a dual-income family, they could still save money if they tried. But Jiang Yuqin and Ding Chao didn't like to save money; they liked to enjoy it early.
"I'm not wronged. Why should I feel wronged?" Jiang Yuqin said, "I just think Jiang Moli is so proud."
“…” Ding Chao didn’t say anything.
"She's not the only one who gave birth to a son. I also gave birth to a son." Jiang Yuqin said, "We didn't go through as much trouble as she did."
"Yeah." Ding Chao nodded. "It's good for you to do this. It saves money and helps manage the household."
Ding Chao had originally wanted to say "saving money," but then decided it wasn't quite right, so he added "housekeeping." Ding Chao knew exactly how to make Jiang Yuqin happy. As long as Ding Chao was willing to coax her, Jiang Yuqin would be extremely happy and immediately feel that she wasn't being wronged. She was clearly living in a deep love.
No matter who comes, no one can change Jiang Yuqin's mind.
"That's right." Jiang Yuqin smiled. "If I were as extravagant as Jiang Moli, our family would have been broke long ago. Jiang Moli just found a rich man. If her man wasn't rich, she wouldn't have been able to do that. Jiang Moli also knew that she had a lot of money, so she found such a man."
“…” Ding Chao looked at Jiang Yuqin. He thought it would be best for Jiang Yuqin to maintain this state.
"A man has money, that's what men have," Jiang Yuqin said. "Rich men tend to become bad. Do you know Shi Nan's father-in-law? He has several illegitimate children, all born at a very early age. You have to know that in that era, hooliganism was a serious crime. He even had the nerve to father those illegitimate children. He's amazing."
Jiang Yuqin meant that Sheng Jiahao would end up like Boss Pan sooner or later, and since she herself couldn't live the same life as Jiang Moli, she could only hope that Jiang Moli wouldn't have a good life.
Jiang Moli didn't know what Jiang Yuqin was thinking. If she knew, she would just roll her eyes and let it go. Jiang Moli couldn't keep staring at Jiang Yuqin. Jiang Yuqin's child was born a few days before and after Jiang Moli's child, so Jiang Moli didn't think much about Jiang Yuqin's child.
Whether Jiang Yuqin's child had a full-month banquet was not something Jiang Moli should be concerned about.
When Jiang Moli held a full moon banquet, Zhou Yaran came with her son. Zhou Yaran also said to her son, "That's my younger brother, my younger brother."
"Where is my sister?" Zhou Yiran's child asked.
Zhou Yiran's child remembered that the adults had talked about his younger sister before, and he started thinking about his younger sister.
"That's my younger brother. He can be prettier than my younger sister." Zhou Yiran said.
Jiang Moli laughed when she heard what Zhou Yiran said.
"I'm telling the truth." Zhou Yiran said, "You're so beautiful, your man is not bad, and your child will definitely not be bad."
Fan Xiaoxue didn't bring her child with her. She came here on her own and asked her in-laws to help take care of the child and run the store. Fan Xiaoxue's husband is still in prison and hasn't been released yet. Fan Xiaoxue originally wondered if Jiang Moli would invite her to attend her child's full moon banquet. She had invited Jiang Moli when her child was one month old, and she was a little worried that Jiang Moli would stop interacting with her.
Some neighbors on the street were saying that Jiang Moli and Fan Xiaoxue were completely different, and that Jiang Moli shouldn't continue to associate with Fan Xiaoxue. Some even said that Fan Xiaoxue should take the initiative to stay away from Jiang Moli and not make things difficult for her. If Jiang Moli took the initiative to stop associating with Fan Xiaoxue, Fan Xiaoxue would lose face.
Jiang Moli didn't pay attention to what the neighbors said. She still considered Fan Xiaoxue a friend, but she was often busy with other things and rarely went to that street. Jiang Moli didn't really want to go to that street. Some people said unpleasant things, and Jiang Moli didn't want to listen to them at all.
Just stay away from those people and don't listen to what they say.
Jiang Moli also greeted Fan Xiaoxue, otherwise she would just ignore her.
"Sister Xiaoxue," Jiang Moli asked, "Where's your child?"
"My mother-in-law takes care of her." Fan Xiaoxue said.
"Why don't you bring him here?" Jiang Moli asked.
"I'm afraid he'll cause trouble. He's a troublemaker right now." Fan Xiaoxue said with a smile, "Let him stay home and let him cause trouble for other people."
"You can bring him to my place to play in the future," Jiang Moli said.
Jiang Moli said something to the guests. Someone saw Jiang Moli's figure and whispered over there.
"I think she looks the same as before she had children. You can't even tell she has given birth."
"This figure is still very good, still so beautiful."
"Comparing myself to others is really frustrating. Look at all this extra fat on me."
…
A relative pinched the fat on her belly and wondered why she had so much. After giving birth, she didn't lose weight, she gained weight. Look at Jiang Moli, she still has such a good figure.
"I don't know if she started exercising before she was out of confinement." said a relative.
"Probably not. I heard she eats a chicken every day," said another relative. "Actually, she doesn't eat a whole chicken. She just eats the juicy parts like the legs. If one chicken isn't enough, she'll kill two or three."
"Yes, her family allows her to eat these." The relative nodded. "It's better to eat more. After giving birth, you have to nourish yourself. You can't not nourish yourself."
Jiang Moli's uncles came to attend the baby's full moon banquet, but they left in a hurry. They didn't even wait until the evening to finish the banquet, and they left in the afternoon. Jiang Moli's uncles felt that they hadn't helped Jiang's mother much when she was a widow. Even now, when they interacted with Jiang's mother and others, they didn't ask her for money, and they tried not to tell her about any family difficulties.
When Fan Xiaoxue returned from the full-month banquet, she was in a very good mood. When others saw her, they asked, "Did you set up a lot of tables for Jasmine's baby's full-month banquet?"
"It's okay." Fan Xiaoxue said.
Someone also asked Niu Cuihua and her husband about the baby's full-month celebration, but they didn't mention it much. Niu's mother didn't go, and Jiang's mother wanted her to go with Niu Cuihua and her husband. Niu's mother felt embarrassed to go, so she went to help her eldest son and daughter-in-law.
When Niu Cuihua and his wife came back, they brought some food for Niu's mother. Niu's mother stayed with Niu Dasao and his wife until the evening.
"Mom, my mother-in-law asked a few questions even though you didn't go," said Niu Cuihua.
"Tell your mother-in-law that I'm going to your eldest brother and his wife's place." said Niu's mother.
"Yes, I told you." Niu Cuihua said, "It doesn't matter, you can go."
"Don't go. Be sensible." Mother Niu said, "Your sister-in-law and the others have helped you so much. We can't just climb up the pole. If I go over, won't there be an extra seat?"
"They are not short of money, so they don't need this seat." Niu Cuihua said.
"This isn't a matter of whether or not there's a seat." Mother Niu said, "It's better to trouble them less."
Niu's mother felt bad. Jiang Moli and her friends had helped Niu Cuihua and her husband so much. Niu's mother knew that Jiang's friends really didn't care about her going to the banquet alone, so she was embarrassed to go.
Niu's mother was from the countryside and didn't know so many rules. She thought that Jiang Moli's relatives were all relatively promising, so she should not go there to avoid embarrassing herself.
"It's nothing." Niu Cuihua said, "Mom, please sit down. I'll go cook."
"The meal is ready." Mother Niu said, "I thought you'd take a break, so I came to cook for you. Otherwise, I would have stayed longer with your brother and sister-in-law."
After saying this, Niu's mother sighed again, "Your brother is useless. He called and said he was coming to the city and asked us to find jobs for him and his wife. Where can we find jobs for them? They don't even know how to find jobs themselves, and yet they have the nerve to say such things."
"Are they coming?" Niu Cuihua asked.
"Yes, they said they were coming," said Niu's mother. "They said they couldn't get food in the country, so they had to come to the city. There are more opportunities in the city."
"What can they do?" Niu Cuihua was unhappy. It wasn't that she didn't want to help her parents, but her brother only cared about asking for money, and there was also her sister-in-law. "Mom, I can't help them. You know, we still owe my sister-in-law money. We've owed it for so many years, and we still haven't paid it back. My sister-in-law always says there's no rush and that we should focus on our own family first. Although they won't say anything if I help my parents, but... my brother is so lazy and likes to eat and do nothing, what can he do?"
"Let them try. If it doesn't work, they can go back." said Niu's mother.
"I don't care about them." Niu Cuihua said, "If they come, they can't stay with me."
Niu Cuihua was worried that if her younger brothers and sisters lived in her own home, those people would not move out.
"My elder brother and his wife didn't stay with me when they came to the city to work. They stayed in the store instead," Niu Cuihua said. "It's my younger brother's turn now. It's best if they find a place to live on their own. They want to stay for a long time, not just for a day or two. If it's just a day or two, then we'll let them stay."
"Find them a house," said Niu's mother. "I'll pay them one month's rent."
"One month... maybe people are willing to rent it out." Niu Cuihua said, "But let's ask first to see if there's anyone willing to rent the house out."
"As for your mother-in-law... forget it, it's better not to ask about your mother-in-law's house." said Niu's mother.
"That house isn't in my mother-in-law's name, it's in my uncle's. It's going to be given to Jasmine in the future," Niu Cuihua said. "We haven't even said we want to live there, so it's even more inappropriate for my brother to rent a house there."
Niu Cuihua couldn't send her younger siblings to Jiang's father's house. It was easier to invite the gods than to send them away. Besides, it was Niu Cuihua who asked her younger siblings to come. Those people would only be very difficult to deal with. Niu Cuihua could face those people herself, but she couldn't let Jiang Moli face them too.
"It's not appropriate, it's not appropriate." said Niu's mother.
"There are people renting there. We can't just kick them out and let my brother live there," Niu Cuihua said. "Things like this are easy to figure out once you think about it."
Jiang's mother and the others didn't know Niu Cuihua's brother was coming. Actually, they had anticipated this. Niu Cuihua's brother and sister-in-law had arrived, and the others knew there was money to be made in Nancheng. Sooner or later, they would have come to Nancheng. Whether or not those people came to Nancheng had nothing to do with Jiang's mother and the others. It was impossible for Jiang's mother and the others to help the Niu family. If Zhao Guodong and his wife had any dignity, they wouldn't have asked Jiang Moli to find jobs for those people.
After Jiang Moli finished her confinement, she started looking at new scripts, which were indeed quite good. Jiang Moli was naturally willing to act in them, as everyone liked good scripts.
When Jiang Moli went to work, the unit leader held a brief meeting to arrange a new play and perform the old plays. The unit leader meant that Jiang Moli could go on stage after recovering a little, and she didn't need to perform too many times, but a few times would be fine.
When Jiang Moli went to give birth, the boss at her workplace was distressed when he saw the company's revenue. Why was it so low? Couldn't it be more? Why weren't other people as good as Jiang Moli?
Yes, Jiang Moli not only won awards in the opera field, but also acted in TV dramas. She played several roles, all of which were very good and effective performances. Many people remembered Jiang Moli.
After Jiang Moli came back, some people had to step back a little. When Jiang Moli was not around, some people thought they could hold on, but they didn't. From the beginning, those people were arrogant until now. They didn't say much in front of Jiang Moli. They were not as good as Jiang Moli. If they continued to talk about defeating her, wouldn't they be laughed at?
After the meeting, Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei had lunch together in the cafeteria.
"They don't dare to say they can compare to you now." Qiao Yuwei said, "They probably think that once you go on stage, there won't be so many tickets, and then they can rally again."
"We'll know when we go on stage." Jiang Moli said, "I don't know if there will be more tickets after I go on stage, but I hope there will be more."
"There will definitely be more." Qiao Yuwei said, "I heard people say they like your singing and that others' singing is boring. They're waiting for you."
Qiao Yuwei really heard others say that, and she was not trying to fool Jiang Moli.
"I don't know yet," Jiang Moli said. "I'm not saying they don't support me, nor am I saying you're lying to me. Some people just talk the talk and don't necessarily put in the real money. Until that time comes, no one can be sure what the final outcome will be."
Jiang Moli is not too arrogant. If she is too arrogant, if something goes wrong, others will step on her and say she is too proud. Even if Jiang Moli is humble in her daily life, others may still say she is arrogant. Jiang Moli does not do anything specifically for anyone. She only knows to do her own thing well.
"You're just too modest," Qiao Yuwei lamented. "Even when you were still in confinement, our boss told us to get ready, saying you'd be performing soon after your return. He was very anxious. Not to mention recently, even around the Chinese New Year, ticket sales for our company's performances weren't very good. The number of tickets didn't meet the boss's expectations, and he got angry, saying we had gone wrong and asked us to reflect on ourselves. But has our reflection been any use?"
"Uh..." Jiang Moli blinked, "I've heard a little bit, but I don't know it very clearly."
"Our self-reflection didn't work at all," Qiao Yuwei said. "Some people wrote pages of self-reflection and read them out in front of everyone. I was speechless. Even after the self-reflection, the number of ticket sales remained low and didn't increase."
Qiao Yuwei knew that those people just wanted to please their leaders, so they just did what they wanted. Qiao Yuwei thought that she should not reflect on the situation so sincerely, as everyone knew what was going on.
The reason why a pillar is called a pillar is that it can support a drama, and even support an entire troupe or unit.
Is it so difficult to acknowledge the excellence of others?
Qiao Yuwei had long since acknowledged Jiang Moli's excellence. She knew there was a huge gap between them. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up to Jiang Moli. Teacher Li also often said that Jiang Moli was talented and hardworking. It was normal for Jiang Moli to be better than them. It would be strange if Jiang Moli was not as good as them.
"The boss is counting on you to perform and increase revenue," Qiao Yuwei said. "If ticket prices are low, the money we earn will also be reduced."
Qiao Yuwei sighed. She didn't want to take less money at all; she wanted more. The amount they received depended on the number of performances they participated in, the roles they played, and the ticket sales. If the ticket sales weren't good, the company wouldn't pay them that much. The company wasn't a charity; it didn't pay more for more work, and it depended on performance.
"It will be fine." Jiang Moli said.
"Now that you're back, everything will be fine." Qiao Yuwei said, "The child is still young, and it's time to use the money."
Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli gave birth to their children at different times. When Qiao Yuwei was not at work, there were more tickets because Jiang Moli was there to support them; when Qiao Yuwei came back to work, there were fewer tickets because Jiang Moli was no longer there to support them.
"We have to wait a while." Jiang Moli said, "The old play still needs to be performed, and the new play needs to be rehearsed. Rehearsals take time."
The unit leader wanted Jiang Moli to perform the new play as soon as possible, preferably first to create momentum for the new play. Before Jiang Moli came to the unit to rehearse the new play, the leader had already asked others to rehearse first, thinking that after Jiang Moli came back, she could perform the new play as soon as possible.
Jiang Moli's first play after giving birth was definitely different. The boss even had people promote it, making sure everyone knew that Jiang Moli was really going to perform, and it wasn't just a case of crying wolf.
When Jiang Moli was pregnant and giving birth, the company initially used her name. The audience did not see her and even demanded a refund. Later, the company stopped using her name. This was how it should be. If Jiang Moli did not appear on stage, people would feel cheated if they used her name for publicity.
"We don't know how the new play will perform," Qiao Yuwei said. "We still have to see how the audience reacts. We've been rehearsing for a while, and we're the only one missing."
"Well, I will try my best to keep up with everyone." Jiang Moli joked, "I will definitely not drag you down."
"It's not you who is dragging us down, it's us who are dragging you down," said Qiao Yuwei.
"That's not right. We should say it's mutually beneficial," Jiang Moli said. "A red flower needs green leaves to complement it."
Qiao Yuwei likes Jiang Moli's mentality. Jiang Moli has always been very nice to everyone. She has never looked down on others just because she won an award. Qiao Yuwei likes chatting with Jiang Moli, and Jiang Moli still speaks the same way as before.
"It'll be fine, don't worry." Jiang Moli said, "If our unit goes bankrupt, what will happen to those local drama troupes?"
"It will be fine, it will definitely be fine." Qiao Yuwei nodded firmly. She believed in Jiang Moli. Jiang Moli would definitely be able to lead them to make the unit develop better.
Jiang Moli quickly joined the rehearsal. She had also practiced a little at home, having the music sheet at hand. Regarding the movements, Jiang Moli designed them herself, adding to the choreography provided by the director and others. Jiang Moli listened carefully to the director's words, and the director and screenwriter would point out any shortcomings she had.
"They say pregnancy makes one stupid for three years. If I do something wrong, you must tell me." Jiang Moli said to the director with a smile, "Don't be afraid of making me sad and upset, so don't keep it to yourself."
Jiang Moli said this deliberately. She never thought she was different from others. Her success was inseparable from everyone's support. Jiang Moli did not naively think that her success was all due to herself. That was wrong. They were a whole. Only when the whole was good could Jiang Moli, an individual, appear good.
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Author's words: Pre-collected "Alley Fireworks [1980s]", ISBN: 9848389
With the reform and opening up, some people opened shops and some opened companies.
Li Yuru's parents opened a restaurant, which was doing well. Students from nearby often came to buy food, making Li Yuru very popular in front of her classmates. Her parents wanted her to learn cooking, but she shook her head, saying she couldn't stand the cooking fumes and wanted to be a delicate girl.
Li Yuru's brother came back from the countryside, and her sister-in-law followed him from the countryside, asking the Li family whether they were not going to recognize her or the child.
The heroine of the next door tragic drama has awakened. She no longer plans to marry early for the sake of her younger siblings, but instead thinks about attending night school.
The alleys were in chaos, with all sorts of things happening, big and small.
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