Chapter 385 Returning to My Mother's Home
"Yuanyuan, take this with you."
"Mom, you don't need to bring all this." Seeing how much stuff Lu's mother had prepared, Meng Yuan couldn't help but speak the truth: "They don't deserve it!"
This isn't a question of whether they're a good match or not.
Lu's mother said, "It's not good to come empty-handed during the New Year; it'll give people something to say."
"Mother, I didn't come empty-handed, don't worry, I'm all ready."
As she said this, Meng Yuan grabbed a sack and went straight to the kitchen.
The remaining people, seeing this, also followed out of curiosity.
Then I saw Meng Yuan squatting in the corner, picking at the coal briquettes.
No, they're not coal briquettes, they're coal cakes.
The coal briquettes will be transported over, and there will be a lot of coal dust and slag underneath.
These were bought with money, so we can't waste them. We mix them with yellow soil, spread them into thin pancakes, stick them to the wall, and then scrape them off with a shovel after they dry.
This isn't as durable as coal, but it's passable for starting a fire in a stove.
Something is better than nothing.
In no time, Meng Yuan had filled half a sack with coal briquettes.
Mr. and Mrs. Lu were utterly stunned. "Yuanyuan, you...you're planning to take this with you?"
“Yes!” Meng Yuan gestured to Huo Zhan to tie the sack tightly with a rope before explaining.
Previously, when they called, they always complained about being poor, saying that they were so poor that they couldn't even afford to buy coal briquettes!
It's cold now, so this is the perfect gift.
Coal briquettes were cheap, costing 1.35 yuan per 100 jin (50 kg).
This half-sack, at most, is only worth two or three cents.
Seeing that it was almost time, Meng Yuan said, "Father, Mother, we'll be going now."
Lu's mother nodded, but her feelings were somewhat complicated.
The daughter-in-law is always thorough in her work, and this is the first time Lu's mother has seen her childlike side.
It's clear how deeply her family hurt her.
Since that's the case, let her be happy.
I wonder what my in-laws will think when they see this huge bag of coal briquettes?
At this time, the Hao family.
Meng Yuan's mother, Qi Fang, and stepfather, Hao Chunlai, were completely unaware of Meng Yuan's arrival. At that moment, the couple were in the house, smashing pots and bowls and arguing fiercely.
That's the downside of tenement buildings; the soundproofing is practically nonexistent.
The couple had just started arguing when all the residents on the floor heard it.
The factory is not doing well this year and is in a state of partial shutdown. The younger generation has all gone to their parents' homes, leaving only the older generation at home.
Winter is already boring enough, so when something fun finally comes along, everyone is very enthusiastic.
So, a few elderly women, having nothing better to do, quickly ran to the house of Granny Li, which was diagonally opposite the Hao family's house.
"What's wrong with them today? It's only been two days since the Lunar New Year started, why are they arguing again?" As soon as they entered the door, the group couldn't wait to ask.
"Sigh, isn't that how it is for couples who get married later in life? There's always a distance between them!"
Aunt Li had obviously been listening for a while, and looked completely unfazed.
After gesturing for them to sit down, Aunt Li added quietly, "It sounds like they were arguing about holiday gifts."
The people living in the tenement building were all elderly people from the motor factory, and everyone knew the Meng family's situation very well.
When Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai got married, they each brought their children from previous marriages.
Qi Fang herself has two daughters and a son, and Meng Yuan is the eldest child in the family.
Hao Chunlai has two sons and one daughter.
For the first few years of their marriage, the two seemed to get along quite well, and no one noticed anything amiss.
But when the children actually grew up and were ready to start their own families, the conflicts between the two gradually became apparent.
First, Hao Chunlai schemed against Meng Yuan to raise money for his eldest son's betrothal gifts, forcing her to go to Xinjiang Province and even taking over her temporary job.
Later, when his second son got married, he schemed against Qi Fang's second daughter.
This time, no money was spent; the two families were exchanging brides.
It's like exchanging Qi Fang's second daughter for a wife for Hao's second son.
But when it came time for Qi Fang's youngest son to get married, Hao Chunlai did nothing but talk a good game and didn't contribute a single penny.
Even if Qi Fang is soft-hearted and muddle-headed, she has figured out something is off over the years.
Because of this, the couple has had many arguments over the past two years.
Just then, there was another loud crash from next door, sounding like an enamel basin falling to the ground, which startled several elderly women and made their hearts pound.
Fortunately, one of the elderly women, surnamed Fan, managed to stay calm.
While keeping her ears perked up, she also gave her fellow women a live simultaneous interpretation performance!
"Fangzi scolded Hao Chunlai for being a scoundrel and for his disgusting behavior!"
Hao Chunlai retorted, saying that she was being petty and that family members shouldn't be divided into "yours" and "mine."
"Fangzi was unhappy now. She said that if there was no distinction between 'yours' and 'mine,' then why did you give all the holiday gifts that your youngest daughter had sent over the years to Boss Hao without even asking her?"
"He also said, why didn't he contribute a single penny to his own youngest son's wedding!"
"What happened next? What did Hao Chunlai say?" The older women were all eagerly watching the drama unfold online.
Aunt Fan frowned and listened carefully, then shook her head. "Hao Chunlai was stammering; I couldn't hear him clearly."
The women exchanged glances, each giving a knowing look. "They're stammering; it's obvious they're guilty!"
"Here it comes, Hao Chunlai has spoken again. This time his voice was even louder than Fangzi's. He said that Fangzi is being unreasonable and always brings up old grievances whenever they argue."
"And they keep saying these are all old, trivial matters, is it really necessary to bring them up every day?"
Fangzi said, "Why shouldn't I speak up?"
"Exactly, why shouldn't we say anything!" Several older women echoed in their hearts.
Others might not be able to see it clearly, but their neighbors on either side could see it perfectly.
"I don't know what Fangzi was thinking. When that man left, the youngest of her children was already ten years old."
"Just hang in there for a few more years, and once the kids are all working, things will be much better!
"Who can argue with that? Two daughters and a son, plus a permanent position—what great conditions!"
Aunt Fan was both envious and puzzled. "Why would someone so eagerly become a stepmother? Is being a stepmother so easy?"
"Yes, Lao Hao is such a shrewd person."
An old woman standing nearby couldn't help but chime in, "Before he married Fangzi, he couldn't even get a hot meal when he came home. His house was a complete mess, like a pigsty."
"Now it's great, there's food as soon as I get home, and someone washes my clothes when they get dirty. I heard that Fangzi went to take care of his two daughters-in-law during their postpartum period."
The old woman's words, though rough, were true: "No matter how you look at it, this deal is a huge loss. I don't know what Fangzi is after."
"Exactly! With my explosive temper, when Lao Hao enrolled Meng Yuan back then, I insisted on enrolling both of his sons as well!"
Fangzi is so foolish; she didn't even say a word after her daughter was sold.
"To put it bluntly, it's fortunate that the Meng family still has a son, otherwise, with Fangzi's muddle-headedness, she would have been eaten alive by Lao Hao's whole family sooner or later."
"By the way, Meng Yuan hasn't come back for seven or eight years, has she?"
"Yes, that's about right. I remember she went to Xinjiang in 1963."
Mentioning Meng Yuan, the older women couldn't help but sigh.
What a beautiful and sensible girl! It's such a pity she's stuck with such a clueless mother.
Amidst the sighs and lamentations of the crowd, a figure hurriedly walked past the window.
Some people with sharp eyes recognized it immediately.
"Hey, isn't that Meng Yuan?"
Upon hearing this, the other elderly women all stopped talking and peered over.
"It really is her!"
Meng Yuan was already eighteen years old when she left, and her facial features hadn't changed much since then.
It's true that she's become more beautiful, and she also exudes a sense of maturity and composure.
Seeing that Meng Yuan was carrying a large bag of things, the older women had different expressions.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
...
Inside the house, Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai were arguing fiercely when they heard a knock on the door.
Hao Chunlai yelled irritably, "Who is it?"
Meng Yuan said calmly, "It's me."
That sound...
It sounds so familiar.
Qi Fang was stunned for a moment, but before she could react, Hao Chunlai had already stepped forward and opened the door.
I saw Meng Yuan.
A hint of surprise flashed across Hao Chunlai's face.
But soon, his gaze was drawn to the sack next to Meng Yuan.
"Oh my, Yuanyuan is back." Hao Chunlai was both surprised and delighted. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Why did you bring so much stuff back to your own home? Come in quickly."
Having said that, he stepped forward.
Without saying a word, he took the package, weighed it in his hand, and was instantly overjoyed.
Qi Fang hadn't recovered from the argument yet, and upon seeing this, she immediately said, "This is a gift from my daughter, it's none of yours, let go of me!"
He emphasized the words "my daughter" very heavily.
Having been humiliated by Qi Fang in front of his stepdaughter, Hao Chunlai's face instantly turned ugly.
But he held back his anger, saying, "Look at you, what are you saying? Yuanyuan has finally come back, can't you just say less and not make the child laugh at you?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Fang seemed to realize it as well.
While she was distracted, Hao Chunlai quickly carried the items back to his room.
After thinking for a moment, I found another lock and locked the package directly into the cabinet.
In the living room, Qi Fang looked at her daughter's expressionless face and felt a little dissatisfied. "When did you get back? Why didn't you write a letter to let us know beforehand?"
After saying that, she glanced behind Meng Yuan again, "Where's the son-in-law? Why isn't he with us for the New Year..."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yuan interrupted him: "He doesn't have time."
"Are you that busy? You don't even have time to come back for a meal?"
Perhaps due to being cooped up at home for too long, Qi Fang's temper has become much worse than before.
"Alright, alright, the child just got back, why are you saying these things?"
Hao Chunlai was always good at saying nice things. "You two haven't seen each other for a long time. Chat for a while. I'll go out and buy some groceries. We'll have a nice family reunion dinner at noon."
That's disgusting to hear.
Meng Yuan said directly, "No need to trouble yourself, I'm just back to get my things, I'll leave as soon as I'm done!"
Upon hearing this, both Qi Fang and Hao Chunlai paused for a moment.
"Take what?"
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