Chapter 47: Drifting Apart, We Are Sisters After All
Jiang Moli narrowed her eyes slightly when she heard what Shi's mother said. Shi's mother must be vicious. She was standing with her boyfriend, didn't Shi's mother see it?
"I've met you," Jiang Moli said. "We're just ordinary friends who grew up together. Even though we're in different places, we're just fellow villagers. It's nice to meet each other. But my boyfriend will be there soon. With him around, there's no such thing as ordinary friends."
"Having me is enough for Jasmine." Sheng Jiahao felt Jiang Moli's resistance to Shi's mother. The moment Shi's mother opened her mouth to speak, Jiang Moli grabbed Sheng Jiahao's arm.
Sheng Jiahao had heard Jiang Moli talk about some of the Shi family's affairs when he was in the capital. Even if he hadn't heard about it before, it was impossible for him to think Jiang Moli was bad now. Sheng Jiahao had been with Jiang Moli for a while, and he knew what kind of person she was. He knew that Jiang Moli and Shi Nan were just ordinary friends, and at least Jiang Moli had no intention of having anything happen between them.
"You two have a good relationship, get engaged soon," Shi's mother urged. "You're still young enough to get married, so get engaged first. Decide sooner rather than later so everyone knows you're going to be together."
Shi's mother wished Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao would get engaged sooner rather than later, preferably before the Lunar New Year. When Shi Nan returned from the Lunar New Year holiday, he knew Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao were engaged, but it was difficult for him to go look for her. Jiang Moli was back at work, and she didn't have as much time to play with her friends. Shi Nan couldn't ask anyone to call her out, and even if they did, it would be for several people to play together.
If Jiang Moli had some dignity and didn't want to upset her boyfriend, she wouldn't have had much contact with Shi Nan. This was what Shi's mother really thought deep down in her heart. She looked down on Jiang Moli.
In this world, women often look down on women. Some women are treated fairly, with little to no one around them looking down on them. These women live in a happy nest. But there are still many women in this world, especially those from the lower classes, who often receive unfair treatment and are discriminated against.
For example, if a woman is too thin and can't gain weight no matter what she does, and can't gain weight even if she eats meat, noodles, or other high-calorie foods, men will say she's too thin, saying that if she gets pregnant and has children, the child will be malnourished. They also say that thin women can't have short hair and that long hair looks better. The mothers of those men will also say that women are too thin and don't have big enough hips, and that such women can't be their daughters-in-law.
Shi's mother was one of those people, and Jiang Moli didn't like to get too close to her. On the surface, Shi's mother had lived in the city for many years and was considered a city dweller. She seemed fair and just, not looking down on women. But in reality, deep down, Shi's mother looked down on all women except those she considered herself to be, and even her own daughter would be suppressed by her words.
Jiang Moli didn't want a mother-in-law like Shi's mother. She wasn't with Sheng Jiahao, and it was impossible for her to be with Shi Nan. Jiang Moli knew it in her heart, but she just didn't say it out loud.
"We have to get engaged," Sheng Jiahao said, "We're getting engaged for ourselves, not for others."
"Come in and sit down." Jiang Moli said to Sheng Jiahao.
"Okay." Sheng Jiahao followed Jiang Moli in.
Seeing Jiang Moli leave like that, Shi's mother snorted in disdain. She disliked Jiang Moli more and more. In Shi's mother's eyes, Jiang Moli was an uneducated person who wanted to climb up the social ladder. Since Jiang Moli couldn't climb up to Shi Nan, she climbed up to Sheng Jiahao. Shi's mother thought that the conditions of the Sheng family were really good, better than her own family's conditions. She also thought that the Sheng family might not allow Jiang Moli and Sheng Jiahao to continue forever.
Shi's mother didn't want to admit Sheng Jiahao's excellence. She thought that after her son graduated from college, he would definitely be better and more powerful.
Jiang's mother invited Sheng Jiahao to have dinner at home. Sheng Jiahao thought about buying more grains, oil, rice, noodles and other things. Sheng Jiahao had dinner at Jiang's house many times. Sometimes when he sent Jiang Moli back, Jiang's mother would invite Sheng Jiahao to dinner. She even specially cooked extra food.
Sheng Jiahao is a grown man, he can't always take advantage of his girlfriend's family.
"Mom, when we just came back, we met Brother Shi Nan's mother." Jiang Moli said.
"I guess she's afraid you'll go to the capital to meet Shi Nan." Jiang's mother served Sheng Jiahao some soup. Sheng Jiahao quickly stood up. Jiang's mother waved her hand and said, "Sit down, sit down."
"Thank you." Sheng Jiahao said.
"Shi Nan's mother is on high alert right now, afraid that others might be interested in her college-aged son," Jiang's mother said. "Her son has great potential. He'll be a great man after graduation. You and her son are not on the same level. You have different cultural levels, so you're not worthy of being friends."
"Those are other people." Sheng Jiahao quickly added that he didn't have such an idea.
"I'm not talking about you, I'm not talking about you." Jiang's mother smiled and said, "No one in your family has such thoughts. You've all been very good to Jasmine. Jasmine grew up on the same street as Shi Nan and the others. We were good friends when we were little, and in recent years, things have become like this."
It was somewhat regrettable. Jiang's mother hadn't expected Shi's mother's attitude to change so drastically. Actually, everything had been traceable, but Jiang's mother and the others hadn't paid attention before. After Shi Nan was admitted to university, Shi's mother spoke more bluntly, and everyone understood what she meant: their children were not worthy of playing with Shi Nan. Even though Shi Nan himself was performing well, everyone still asked their children to be more cautious.
After Shi's mother returned home, she called Shi Nan. It happened that Shi Nan had just returned to the dormitory after class and had not yet gone to the library.
"Moli brought her boyfriend back today," said Shi's mother. "They have such a good relationship."
"During the honeymoon period, the relationship will naturally be good." Shi Nan tried to keep his tone calm. He was not jealous, he was not jealous, he was jealous to death.
"I guess they'll be engaged soon," said Shi's mother. "The elders from both sides have already met and are satisfied with each other. They'll get engaged first and then get the marriage certificate later."
"Yes." Shi Nan said, "This is indeed the correct procedure."
Shi's mother listened carefully to her son's tone. Seeing that he didn't seem very unhappy, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was just afraid that Shi Nan was still thinking about Jiang Moli. The capital is so big, and there are so many people in the school. Shi's mother thought that her son would meet more people in a big place, and he would definitely forget Jiang Moli and would not think about her too much.
Shi's mother was making a phone call in her own home, unknown to anyone outside. Some neighbors saw Shi's mother talking to Sheng Jiahao and Jiang Moli, and they did tell others about it. Shi's mother had already expressed her thoughts to the neighbors, and everyone knew that she didn't want Jiang Moli to be her daughter-in-law.
"Shi Nan's mother just met Jasmine and asked her when she was getting engaged."
"She hopes Jasmine will get engaged soon so her son will give up."
"Maybe she still thinks Jasmine likes her son, but she doesn't agree, so Jasmine looks for someone else."
"Given her expression, she changed so quickly. There's no way the Jiang family would let their daughter suffer there."
"Their family has some money, so they look down on others."
…
The Shi family was considered relatively wealthy in the area, well-fed and well-dressed. When Shi's mother went out, she would often make sarcastic remarks about others, saying they were barely fit to eat vegetables, that they weren't as wealthy or free as hers, that she could eat more meat, and that others shouldn't even think about it; they could just smell the meaty aroma wafting from their homes. If the aroma of meat didn't cost money, then that meant they were making a profit.
When others heard this, they were angry with Shi Mu, but they didn't want to argue with her because it would not benefit them, so they had to leave quickly.
After Shi Nan was admitted to university, Shi's mother's behavior became even worse. In the past, others thought Shi's mother was quite nice, but now everyone thinks that Shi's mother has become much more sarcastic and mean. Having a son who is a university student is really different.
When Niu Cuihua was cooking, she heard people talking about Shi Mu, Shi Nan and others. She wondered what this had to do with Jiang Moli.
When Zhao Guodong returned home, Niu Cuihua asked him.
"Moli and Shi Nan grew up on the same street and have been friends for many years," Zhao Guodong said. "Maybe they're older, and Shi Nan's mother thinks that close contact between men and women is inappropriate, so she wants to avoid suspicion."
"Avoid suspicion?" Niu Cuihua curled her lips. "I think their family looks down on Jasmine. At first I thought your sister was bad and had a bad temper, but I don't think so now. If she had a bad temper, she would be bullied to death. I've only been here for a few months, not even half a year. Look, Miao Guifeng is talking about your sister, and now the family is talking about your sister again..."
Niu Cuihua counted on her fingers, "These people are so malicious towards your sister."
Zhao Guodong looked at Niu Cuihua twice. He really couldn't believe that these were the words Niu Cuihua said.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You don't allow me to mend my ways." Niu Cuihua said, "My parents are getting married for the first time, not the second time. In the countryside, I don't feel much when others get married for the second time. But when it comes to your mother and uncle, I do feel something. Also, some people in the city are too bullying. No wonder you always say that your mother and her family have it hard, and ask me to be more careful."
Niu Cuihua's feelings were becoming more and more obvious. "What did Jasmine do to them? Isn't Jasmine just prettier and more outstanding? Jasmine didn't go to high school or college, so what? Did those people go to high school or college themselves? And you still have the nerve to look down on others. I think Jasmine is pretty good. You're right, your sister has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She's been pretty good to our family."
"Have you seen Jiang Yuqin?" Zhao Guodong asked, "recently."
"I met her while buying groceries, but we didn't talk much," Niu Cuihua said. "She's not your uncle's biological daughter anymore, so I don't have much to say to her. We met and each went about our own business."
"She used to compete with Jasmine in everything at home. She even wanted to share the things that Jasmine's grandmother gave her." Zhao Guodong said, "My mother is a stepmother. In front of Jiang Yuqin and Uncle, she could only ask Jasmine to share the things. No matter how much Jasmine protected her things, it was useless."
"How miserable." Niu Cuihua sighed.
"Mom has to do that. We live in a large courtyard, and with the living room door closed, others can hear the noise," Zhao Guodong said. "My mom remarried, and she brought me with her, so she has to be nicer to Jiang Yuqin. Grandma Jiang and her family are nicer to Jasmine, but if my mom treats Jiang Yuqin badly, they'll tell on her too. My mom is caught in the middle, and it's hard for my sister, too."
"Isn't it difficult for you too?" Niu Cuihua said.
"I'm fine. As a man, I can handle a little more without any problems," Zhao Guodong said. "Don't blame Jasmine for her bad temper. She's actually quite good. She lives in the city, not the countryside, but her life isn't particularly easy, and she's not pampered."
"Your uncle's ex-wife was really too much. She had a child with another man and asked your uncle to raise the child, causing your sister so much suffering." Niu Cuihua said, "You should have told me more about it before."
"I told you, but you..."
"Forget it, I won't be like that again." Niu Cuihua thought of what Zhao Guodong had said to her before. Zhao Guodong did say a lot, but she didn't care much and didn't take his words to heart. "Didn't I only think that you had suffered a great injustice before? I didn't expect that your sister had suffered a bad injustice too. Your sister just acted very strong, you really can't tell at all."
"My sister didn't want us to worry," Zhao Guodong said. "She's always been very sensible. You said she told us to move out the day we returned to the city. She wasn't just telling us, she was telling her dad too. You were so irritable the moment you came back, as if everyone had wronged us. You even spoke ill of other people's daughters in front of uncle. If we stay there any longer, uncle will definitely be unhappy, and he'll blame mom, too."
Niu Cuihua looked embarrassed. She really didn't know so many things at that time. She was only thinking about herself, her husband and children.
"When my mother brought me to marry my uncle, I was still young. She never told me how difficult it was, but I know it was very difficult for her," Zhao Guodong said. "Maybe it was only after I had my younger sister that she was able to relax a little. She had a job and a salary at the time, but her salary was not as high as my uncle's. She had to spend more money on me, so her finances were very tight. Don't blame me for not giving me the job. My younger sister was still young, and she couldn't always sacrifice her for me. She couldn't take it for granted that my uncle would treat her well. Jiang Yuqin is still here, and my younger sister has an older sister."
Jiang Yuqin is no longer Jiang Moli's sister, but no one can change what happened in the past. That was the situation at that time.
"I've said so much to you, but you still can't understand and feel like I've always been at a disadvantage." Zhao Guodong said, "Let's move out and feel it for yourself. It's better than anything else."
Niu Cuihua followed Zhao Guodong to the city, and Niu Cuihua's relatives kept borrowing money. In the end, they had to go to Jiang Moli to borrow money. Jiang Moli was really good to them. When they were in the countryside, Jiang Moli even sent them things.
"Other people's sisters are not as good to me as mine," said Zhao Guodong.
"She's very good to you and to the older girl too." Niu Cuihua originally thought that Jiang's mother and her people would treat her younger son better, but it turns out that Jiang Moli values the older girl more. Jiang's mother treats both children equally. "It's a bit unfair that such a good person like your sister has to be criticized."
"Then you should help Jasmine more. If others say something about her, you should fight back." Zhao Guodong said.
"Yes, we have to fight back." Niu Cuihua nodded.
Jiang Yuqin had been pasting matchboxes for a few days, feeling irritated. Her hands were constantly sticky. That would have been fine, but her adopted son was constantly messing around, making things difficult for her. Wang Chunfen had been helping out, but now she wasn't. Jiang Yuqin was practically breaking down trying to paste the matchboxes herself. This wasn't just pasting matchboxes; it was clearly a form of torture.
"No more pasting matchboxes tomorrow." Jiang Yuqin sat on the bed holding her adopted son, while Ding Chao was still eating.
"Not anymore?" Ding Chao thought that it would be good if Jiang Yuqin could paste matchboxes. Jiang Yuqin could do things at home and take care of the children. How great it would be.
"Yes." Jiang Yuqin said, "You can't make much money, and it's troublesome."
"Then you won't do anything?" Ding Chao asked.
"I still have to find something to do," Jiang Yuqin said. "Chunfen cleans houses for people, so I think I should do that too. Hourly workers are paid by the hour, and one hour's pay isn't cheap."
"I can't bring my child with me when I go to clean, right?" The first thing Ding Chao thought of was his child.
"It's true that we can't bring the children there, but we don't go there every day. We only go when there's work," Jiang Yuqin said. "Chunfen doesn't have work every day. Sometimes there's work only once every few days. Too many people haven't worked, and everyone is looking for something to do."
"The child is still young. If you want to go, ask a neighbor to take care of him." Ding Chao said, "Go after you've made arrangements."
"I'll arrange it." Jiang Yuqin coaxed the child to go to bed early. "But I have to give him some money. I won't do it without money. They said the child is too noisy and they don't want to help take care of him. I said I would help them in the future, but they were unwilling to do so. I had no choice but to pay him."
Jiang Yuqin thought that since they were all neighbors, there was nothing wrong with helping to take care of the child. When they asked for money, Jiang Yuqin didn't want to give it, but she had to.
"I can't count on my mom and the others, so I asked them to find a job and let me make matchboxes." Jiang Yuqin looked down on the job of making matchboxes. If others like it, let them do it. Jiang Yuqin had never suffered such hardship since she was a child. The Jin family was really too unreliable. "I thought about looking for my sister, the one who got married. Isn't she from a rich family? I want to see if she can find me a stable job. I don't have to do this forever. If the company allows me to resume work, I will have to go back."
"Take a look." Ding Chao had no objection, as long as he was not asked to find a job for Jiang Yuqin.
Sheng Jiahao returned to his parents' home. Seeing his mother like that today, he felt particularly uncomfortable. So what if they were college students? They were ordinary people, and those who hadn't gone to college were also human. No one was saying one was superior, but it was true that college students had an easier time finding a job.
"Did you have a fight with Jasmine?" Teacher Lu saw that Sheng Jiahao didn't look very good.
"No," Sheng Jiahao replied. "Just now, when I was sending Jasmine home, I ran into one of their neighbors. That neighbor has a son who's a university student. She was urging me to get engaged to Jasmine as soon as possible. I met that neighbor's son when I went to the capital. She was worried that Jasmine might target her son."
"Is she mentally ill?" Teacher Lu didn't mean to look down on Jiang Moli, nor did she want others to look down on her. "We perform opera. This is national opera. It's very important and must be passed down from generation to generation. We also have serious jobs. We don't necessarily have bad luck."
Just like Teacher Lu herself, she is doing better than many people. Those who have higher diplomas than Teacher Lu may not necessarily do better than her.
"These people look down on others either because of their job or because of their diplomas. Jiahao, you can't be like that," Teacher Lu said. "If you're like that, break up with Jasmine as soon as possible and don't hurt her."
"Mom, it wasn't me, it was someone else," Sheng Jiahao said. "I was originally going to go directly to my own place, but on second thought I came back. It would be terrible if those rumors got to your ears. Jasmine and that man's son are just ordinary friends, they just grew up on the same street."
"The most important thing is that you believe in it yourself," Teacher Lu said. "As long as you believe it yourself, it's better than anything else. I'm just worried that you might have some doubts. Don't think that Jasmine has to marry a college student. There are many people who like Jasmine very much, and there is no shortage of excellent people."
"That's right." Sheng Jiahao knew this. "Jasmine is so good, and many people like her. I'm very lucky."
Sheng Jiahao didn't want the relationship between him and Jiang Moli to be too bumpy, and he didn't want his mother to think too much. He preferred to tell his family more so that they would be nicer to Jiang Moli.
After a few days of work, Jiang Moli had a day off, which was a Thursday. If they didn't have a performance, they could have a weekend off, but they had to perform most weekends. If they didn't, would they all be rehearsing all the time?
There are many people in the unit and many mouths to feed. It is not enough to rely solely on government subsidies. They still need to have a certain number of performances.
Niu Cuihua made dumplings and originally wanted to invite Jiang Moli and the others over to eat. Considering that the rental house was not very spacious, Niu Cuihua simply put the dumplings in a bamboo basket and sent them to Jiang's house. She also took her son and daughter to kindergarten. When the children got out of school, Niu Cuihua would go to pick them up.
"They're just vegetable buns, not meat buns. We only have vegetable buns at home," Niu Cuihua said. Her family was short of money, so she didn't try to be extravagant. She didn't buy extra meat buns, just vegetable buns. "I sent them to you guys to try."
"Vegetable buns are good too." Jiang Moli picked up a bun and took a bite. "It tastes good. It's made of cabbage, right?"
"It's cabbage." Niu Cuihua nodded. "These cabbages have been blanched. If you don't blanch them, the steamed buns will be too watery and won't taste good."
Mother Jiang took the vegetable buns out of the bamboo basket and placed them in a bowl. Niu Cuihua gave out a dozen or so of them. These buns looked plump and white, indicating that Niu Cuihua's cooking skills were quite good.
Just as Niu Cuihua was about to reach for the empty basket, Jiang Moli pulled out some ribs from the refrigerator. They were already chopped, piece by piece. Jiang Moli had bought them today, thinking she'd ask her mother to make her some sweet and sour ribs. Jiang Moli grabbed a bowl and filled it with a few pieces of ribs.
"Use it to make soup." Jiang Moli said, "It's not much, just a few pieces. We can eat the rest ourselves."
"This...how can I feel so embarrassed?" Niu Cuihua was really embarrassed. She came here to deliver the buns and had no intention of taking anything.
"Stew some pork rib soup to nourish the child," Jiang Moli said. "The child is still growing. If he lacks calcium, his hands and feet will ache easily."
"Okay, I thank you on behalf of our two children." Niu Cuihua said.
Jiang Moli put the bowl of pork ribs into the bamboo basket. Jiang's mother handed the basket to Niu Cuihua, who took the things and went back with the child.
After Niu Cuihua walked away, Jiang Moli said, "Sister-in-law has changed a lot."
"People always have to grow up." Jiang's mother said, "They have been in the city for a while. If she still doesn't understand, then there is nothing we can do."
Jiang's mother didn't go over to help Niu Cuihua and her husband more often, just so that Niu Cuihua could grow up faster. Before Zhao Guodong and his wife returned to the city, Jiang's mother spent very little time with Niu Cuihua, but she didn't think Niu Cuihua was bad. After Zhao Guodong and his wife returned to the city, the two sides had less contact and kept a distance, but they could still live like before.
On the way back, Niu Cuihua ran into a neighbor who greeted her, "Are you going to buy spareribs?"
"No, it was given to me by my sister-in-law." Niu Cuihua said with a smile, "She only bought a few ribs for herself and shared some with us."
"She's in the provincial capital, working in such a good company, she has plenty of money." The neighbor said, "This little bit of pork ribs is nothing."
"She just left not long ago, how could she have so much money?" Niu Cuihua said, "We even borrowed money from her before."
"She used to work at the South City Theater, and she had a salary," the neighbor joked. "She might have saved a few hundred yuan."
"A little girl needs money for food and dressing up. No one can save that much money," said Niu Cuihua.
Niu Cuihua thought these city people didn't seem to have any ill intentions, but hearing what they said made her feel uncomfortable. Did these people think she was stupid? They said Jiang Moli had saved so much money, so they wanted Niu Cuihua to ask Jiang Moli for money?
That money belonged to Jiang Moli. She worked so hard, and young girls love beauty and dressing up, which all cost money. Niu Cuihua thought about how she had just arrived in the city and how she spent lavishly, spending two hundred yuan in a flash. Even her husband's salary was not easily spent by her. Jiang Moli was still so young, and her salary was not that high. Wouldn't it be gone if she spent a little?
Do these people treat her as Niu Cuihua, who is always staring at the money in her sister-in-law's hands and insists that her sister-in-law give the money to them?
"It costs money. A set of clothes for your sister-in-law costs a lot of money." said the neighbor.
"She also wears old clothes. After she graduated from school, her boyfriend bought her a few sets of clothes. Those clothes were expensive." Niu Cuihua said. She had heard everything from Zhao Guodong.
"Her boyfriend is really willing to spend money on her," a neighbor sighed. "He's a college graduate, a businessman, and he drives a car. If you want a job, ask your sister-in-law's boyfriend to find you one."
"I can't go out to work because I have two children at home," said Niu Cuihua.
"Let your mother-in-law take care of the child. She doesn't have a job," said the neighbor.
"My mother-in-law has given her job to my husband. She has worked for so many years and she needs to take a break. Even an old ox needs a rest." Niu Cuihua took the pork ribs back.
Niu Cuihua was not provoked by those people. She believed that she was no longer the Niu Cuihua who had just returned to the city. She was now very clear-headed and would not let those people lead her away. Niu Cuihua took a few steps and saw Miao Guifeng again.
Miao Guifeng carried her child on her back as she went to buy some sweet potatoes. The family had almost used up all the sweet potatoes, so she needed to buy some more. Miao Guifeng looked at Niu Cuihua and asked, "Cuihua, are you going back home?"
"Yeah, I'm home." Niu Cuihua said, "My sister-in-law just gave me some spare ribs. She bought them today, and really, she only bought a little for herself and shared it with us."
Niu Cuihua deliberately said this in front of Miao Guifeng, saying that her sister-in-law is a very good person.
"It's fine...it's fine." Miao Guifeng felt a little sad when she heard what Niu Cuihua said. She felt that Niu Cuihua had become distant from her.
Miao Guifeng originally thought that she and Niu Cuihua could be good friends like in their past life, but who could have imagined that they would become so distant now? In their past life, they talked about family matters together and gossiped about other people's affairs. The two of them had a really good relationship. Miao Guifeng recalled the events of her past life. In her past life, Niu Cuihua and her sister-in-law had a good relationship. However, Miao Guifeng thought about the house demolition and wanted her good friend in her past life to receive the demolition compensation.
From the very beginning, Miao Guifeng was wrong. The house didn't belong to Niu Cuihua and her husband, so they had no right to dispute it. If the house was purchased by Jiang's mother and father together, Niu Cuihua and her husband could dispute it. But Jiang's father had owned the house before they got married, and he had lived there since his first marriage.
"Let's go back." Niu Cuihua lowered her head and said to her youngest son, "You and your sister are so lucky. Your aunt is so kind to you."
Miao Guifeng looked at Niu Cuihua's departing figure, still a little dazed. Was she going to lose this friend?
Niu Cuihua didn't consider Miao Guifeng a friend. She had thought Miao Guifeng, who had come from the countryside with her, would help her adapt to city life more quickly. But that wasn't the case. She believed Miao Guifeng was only trying to trick her.
If Miao Guifeng had not encouraged Niu Cuihua to fight for the house and had not encouraged Niu Cuihua to talk about Jiang Moli's boyfriend, perhaps Miao Guifeng and Niu Cuihua could still be friends.
Miao Guifeng was reborn. She thought she was God, that she could control the fate of others, that she could help Niu Cuihua get more money, and that both of them could have a better life. But Miao Guifeng was wrong. She was not God. She could not control so many things. She was not the god who controlled fate.
Aunt Zhao saw Miao Guifeng and Niu Cuihua say those two words, she walked over to Miao Guifeng and said, "Aren't you both from the countryside? Is there nothing to say?"
"I have to go back and wash the sweet potatoes." Miao Guifeng said.
"You can't wash sweet potatoes at any time," Aunt Zhao said. "You...you two broke up?"
"No." Miao Guifeng felt uncomfortable. She and Niu Cuihua had never been good friends in this life, and it turned out like this just from the beginning.
"That's right, you haven't had a good time," Aunt Zhao said. "We're all neighbors, so just a few words are enough. You don't live in the same compound, so you might see each other when you go out to buy groceries. You can call us neighbors, but sometimes you might not see each other for ten days or half a month. Guifeng, how are your roasted sweet potatoes selling?"
"That's it, just to make a living." Miao Guifeng said.
"Is it easy to make money?" Aunt Zhao asked.
"Average." Miao Guifeng said.
"I don't want to tell you, because you're afraid we'll have to go sell sweet potatoes too?" Aunt Zhao said, "Don't worry, we're all neighbors. If we really sell roasted sweet potatoes, we won't sell them in the same place as you. It's really hard for you to sell roasted sweet potatoes with your child on your back, and your mother-in-law doesn't even help you. Look at Cuihua, her mother-in-law and her sister-in-law will help. Even if they don't help take care of the child, they will give her some money and gifts."
“…” Miao Guifeng pursed her lips.
"They are both country wives, but Cuihua is not so disliked." Aunt Zhao said.
"She moved out." Miao Guifeng reminded Aunt Zhao.
"Her parents-in-law are remarried, so it's better for them to move out soon," Aunt Zhao said. "You can't just try to steal their house. You can't do that."
Miao Guifeng felt as if her heart had been stabbed again. She suspected that Aunt Zhao had done it on purpose, but she had no evidence. Miao Guifeng quickened her pace, and so did Aunt Zhao. The two originally lived in the same yard, and were walking in the same direction.
After returning to the compound, Miao Guifeng took a large basin and placed all the sweet potatoes in it. She turned on the faucet, and water flowed into the basin through the extended hose. The sweet potatoes were not cleaned thoroughly and still had some dirt on them.
When Miao Guifeng buys sweet potatoes, she rubs off the dirt to avoid adding weight. There are so many sweet potatoes, it's difficult for her to rub them off individually, so she negotiates with the seller, asking for a small deduction for the weight of the dirt. Seeing that she buys so many sweet potatoes and always buys from him, the seller lowers the price.
"It'll take a while to wash so many sweet potatoes," Aunt Zhao said. "Why don't you put the child down?"
"Can you help me look after the child?" Miao Guifeng asked.
"Oh, I have things to do at home. The kids at home probably made a mess again, and I have to clean it up." Aunt Zhao said hurriedly. She didn't want to help Miao Guifeng take care of the children.
Aunt Zhao didn't like Miao Guifeng that much; she just loved gossiping. Miao Guifeng had a huge argument with her mother-in-law, threatening to split up the family business. Their relationship was now strained, and while Aunt Zhao and the others initially believed that Mother Yang was wrong, they came to believe that Mother Yang knew she was wrong, and that everyone else should forgive her.
Many of these older people still have very serious feudal ideas, and they all think that there are no wrong parents in the world.
Miao Guifeng looked at the sweet potatoes in the basin and could only scrub them with a brush. She once wore rain boots to step on the sweet potatoes, but her mother-in-law and the others all criticized her, saying it was unhygienic and easy to overturn. That was before Miao Guifeng started selling roasted sweet potatoes. When she was selling them, she didn't wear rain boots to step on them when washing them. If the buyers knew, they would be unhappy.
Miao Guifeng said the sweet potatoes were peeled anyway, so what was the problem with stepping on them with rain boots? The soles of rain boots have been cleaned and aren't very dirty. During the roasting process, some dust would still collect on the surface of the sweet potatoes.
As Miao Guifeng was brushing the sweet potatoes, she thought of Niu Cuihua's happy face and threw the brush into the basin. The next moment, Miao Guifeng had no choice but to pick up the brush again and brush the sweet potatoes carefully to make them cleaner.
After a while, the child started crying again, and Miao Guifeng had to get up and feed the child. Miao Guifeng had to take care of the child herself and pay more attention to herself, and could not rely on her mother-in-law.
When Yang's mother heard the baby crying, she didn't think about helping Miao Guifeng take care of the child, but was thinking about what dishes she should cook for lunch.
Jiang Yuqin went to find Che Lijuan, but Che Lijuan still didn't let her in. Instead, she pulled her to a corner. Che Lijuan had a cold face and took out two yuan from her pocket.
"I don't have a job, these are all I have." Che Lijuan said, "Take it and go back."
Che Lijuan was very impatient with Jiang Yuqin. This sister just came to her to ask for money, and Che Lijuan didn't want such a sister at all.
"Our factory has stopped production. Can you find me a job?" Jiang Yuqin said, "Not a two- or three-shift job. I want to work during the day and be able to go home on time, and have weekends off."
"What are you thinking about?" Che Lijuan thought Jiang Yuqin was crazy. If there was such a good job, she would do it herself and let her brothers and sisters with the same father and mother do it instead of Jiang Yuqin.
"Just tell me if you can find me a job." Jiang Yuqin asked, "Is your mother-in-law at home?"
"I can't think of anything about work." Seeing Jiang Yuqin about to take a step, Che Lijuan quickly held Jiang Yuqin and said, "Okay, okay, I'll think of a way."
"Think about it carefully, think about it more." Jiang Yuqin said.
"We have to wait for a while." Che Lijuan said, "It won't be that fast. I need to find someone to think of a solution."
"Hurry up, don't make me wait too long." Jiang Yuqin said, "We are sisters after all, real sisters!"
"..." Che Lijuan was annoyed. Jiang Yuqin knew she was trying to trick her. She had calculated that she couldn't let her in-laws know about Jiang Yuqin's background.
"I'll come to see you again in two days." Jiang Yuqin said a time.
"Too soon. Wait a week." Che Lijuan said in a negotiating tone, "You need connections. I can't find you a job myself."
"Okay, one week at the latest." Jiang Yuqin said, "Don't make me wait too long. In the past, it was the Jiang family who arranged the work for me. Now, it's your turn."
Che Lijuan looked at the smile on Jiang Yuqin's face and felt it was blindingly bright. Too blindingly bright, incredibly blinding. Jiang Yuqin's own life story was clearly something she couldn't bear to see the light of day, yet she still had the nerve to use it to threaten them. The key point was that Che Lijuan and the others really didn't want Jiang Yuqin to tell anyone, so they could only go along with her for now.
After Jiang Yuqin left, Che Lijuan did not go to her mother-in-law to ask her mother-in-law to find a job for Jiang Yuqin. Instead, she went back to her parents' home to see if her parents could help her. Che Lijuan went to her parents' home in the evening. It was too early and her family was not at home.
"Dad, Mom, Jiang Yuqin asked me to find her a job. What can I do?" Che Lijuan said angrily. "She wants me to ask my in-laws to find her a job. She doesn't want to work shifts, have weekends off, and the salary can't be low. Where can I find such a good job for her? It's an easy job, wouldn't I do it?"
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