He Yanming said that since Xiaohua disagreed, the child would have to live outside. It's not safe for a girl to live alone outside. Living in the staff dormitory would be safer, as there would be someone in charge.
Zhu Mei hadn't considered having He Yan rent a place for her daughter to live outside for a long time; instead, she wanted to live at He Yan's house.
That's the commander's house! All the guests who come and go are important people. If her daughter stays there for too long, who knows, some wealthy family might take a fancy to her.
From then on, their entire family rose to prominence.
Zhu Mei wasn't a calculating person before, but ever since she saw her sister-in-law Ye Xiaohua come home dressed so smartly and stylishly, she no longer looked like a country bumpkin.
She was happy for her sister-in-law, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness.
Why is it that we're all from the countryside? She works in the fields during the day and has to feed the cows and ducks when she comes back at night. She doesn't even have a few clean clothes to wear all year round.
If Ye Xiaohua can live such a life, she can't. Her life is already set. She only hopes that her daughter can marry into a wealthy family like her aunt, become a city dweller, and enjoy a life of luxury and wealth.
He Yan had no idea that Xiao Hua's sister-in-law had this idea. He assumed that since the child was old and refused to study, she had to come out and earn some money to help support the family.
He Yan instructed Zhu Mei not to mention to Xiao Hua that he had agreed to let the child come over, as he knew Xiao Hua's temper all too well.
He made a decision about her affairs without her consent. If Xiaohua finds out, she'll probably kick him out of her house with a big stick.
Zhu Mei was also afraid that her sister-in-law would be angry with her, so she hurriedly said on the phone that she would definitely not tell Xiao Hua and that He Yan could rest assured.
He Yan urged Zhu Mei to bring the child to the sea as soon as possible, because his vacation was about to end in a few days, and he wanted to get things arranged before returning to his unit.
Zhu Mei was excitedly buying some travel essentials for her daughter Ye Fang, while Li Hong, the second son's wife, watched as her sister-in-law went to the market several times and bought a lot of things, bottles and jars.
Zhu Mei is usually not very generous; she'll mend and wear her child's socks until they're torn, but she's so willing to buy her daughter several sets of clothes this time.
Zhu Mei was thinking about going to a big city, where the girls would definitely dress very fashionably and stylishly. She couldn't let her daughter lose face in the big city and let others tell at a glance that she was from the countryside.
In order for her daughter to establish herself in the big city as soon as possible, Zhu Mei really went all out this time, even buying expensive clothes for her daughter at the market.
"Sister-in-law, have you struck it rich? You've bought so many clothes for the kids!"
Zhu Mei didn't want Li Hong to know that her daughter was going to the sea to stay with her aunt and uncle. If Li Hong found out, she would definitely go to He Yan too, and her daughter would have to go as well. What if He Yan thought that all of them, these poor relatives, were shameless and looked down on them, and wouldn't let any of them go?
So she refused to tell anyone that her daughter was going to stay with her aunt and uncle, and she also told her husband not to tell anyone.
"A girl should have a few nice clothes to wear when she grows up."
Zhu Mei made up a random excuse.
"Didn't Fangfang stop going to school? Why is she wearing pretty clothes while doing farm work at home?"
Li Hong felt there must be something fishy going on. The child was no longer in school and not old enough to be considered for marriage. Why would Zhu Mei be so generous in buying so many pretty clothes for her daughter, just so she could stay home and do farm work?
"What are you saying? Can't you wear a few decent outfits at home? The child is growing up and knows how to care about her appearance. She keeps nagging me to buy her pretty clothes, it's giving me a headache. If she wants to buy them, then let her buy them!"
Li Hong clearly didn't believe Zhu Mei's words, but since the other party was unwilling to talk about it, there was no point in her asking any further.
"Second Aunt, my sister is going to work outside, that's why my mom bought her pretty clothes."
Zhu Mei's son, Shuanzi, was a talkative boy, and he accidentally let it slip.
Li Hong looked at Zhu Mei in surprise: "Fangfang is going to work in the city? Who is she going to? It seems that only Xiaohua is in the city. Are you suggesting that Fangfang go to the sea to find her aunt and uncle?"
"Didn't our parents say that none of the children in the family are allowed to go to sea to look for Xiaohua, so that He Jia won't think that Xiaohua's poor relatives are causing trouble?"
Zhu Mei quickly retorted, "Who said Fangfang went to see her aunt? Xiaohua doesn't even have a say in the He family. If Fangfang goes to see Xiaohua, she'll just suffer the same mistreatment in the He family as Xiaohua."
"Where will Fangfang go to work?"
Li Hong was completely baffled and couldn't think of anyone else Fangfang could go to. In the 1990s, working in rural areas required having relatives to help out and guide you; it wasn't possible for someone to go to work in another place on their own, especially a girl who was only a teenager. It was always relatives helping each other.
"Fangfang went to Dongzhou. My cousin works as a seamstress in a textile factory in Dongzhou. She said the salary is not low."
Dongzhou was one of the first cities to open up to the outside world, and now there are many factories there. I've also heard that some people from nearby areas go there to work.
Li Hong didn't know exactly which cousin it was, but judging from her detailed description, it must be her.
He Yan told Lu Zhan, and Lu Zhan asked how old the child was, just to make sure he wasn't a child laborer.
He Yan thought for a moment. He had met Xiao Hua's eldest niece before. She was tall and looked older than Li Xiao Hua, probably at least eighteen or nineteen years old.
"Don't worry, he's definitely an adult."
Lu Zhan: "That's good. As long as you're an adult and not a child laborer, you can learn from the senior staff and work as a front desk employee when you arrive. It's not a physically demanding job."
He Yan said gratefully, "Thank you, brother."
Faced with his gratitude, Lu Zhan was speechless. They were like brothers who had grown up together since they were little, and there was no need to thank him for such a small thing!
"Speaking of which, after you were released from quarantine, you arranged a job and accommodation for your wife's niece. Was your wife touched? Did she have a better impression of you?"
He Yan sighed helplessly: "You're still moved? I made this decision on my own. Xiao Hua's sister-in-law approached Xiao Hua, but Xiao Hua probably refused."
Otherwise, why would I have asked you to arrange a dormitory for that child? If Xiaohua agrees, why not just live with Xiaohua? With her aunt watching over the child, how could anything happen to her?
So her sister-in-law came directly to me. How could I refuse? She's her own niece. If I help her, it means I'm acting without Xiaohua's consent; if I don't help, it means I'm being heartless to my wife's family. What good impression would they have of me then? I'm really caught in a dilemma.
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