Liang Chao and his wife were quietly celebrating their future in their own room, ignoring the sarcastic remarks from others outside.
Looking at the pile of things on the table, Liang's mother felt a mix of emotions.
The second son joined the army after graduating from high school and was gone for more than ten years. If he hadn't been injured, he would never have been able to come back.
For so many years, they've been away, only occasionally returning, and even then, it's always a brief visit, lasting only a few days. Before their relationship has even truly blossomed, they're gone again.
Compared to her eldest and third brothers who had always been by her side, she was honestly a little biased. However, her second brother had lost his left hand and refused to accept the organization's work assignments, fearing that he would cause trouble for others, which worried her so much that she couldn't sleep at night.
Later, she went to a small, privately owned store, but she became even more worried. There were no benefits whatsoever; what would she do when she got old? Today, her second son returned home beaming, carrying a whole bunch of things. She didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed.
"Oh my, my second brother has really struck it rich! He's brought back so much stuff all at once. I'll have to try to curry favor with him from now on."
"So what if you've become successful? There are clearly three people in your family who need to visit their parents' home, but you only brought back two gift boxes. That's quite stingy."
Both Liang's eldest sister-in-law and her brother's wife have their eyes on that gift box; it would be so impressive to take it back to her parents' home tomorrow. There's only one, how are they going to divide it? Why not take one more back?
"Shut up, all of you. This was given to me by the second son. What does it have to do with you? You're not stingy. What have you given me and your father all these years? If you want to take a gift box back to your parents' home, go buy it yourselves. How can you be so short-sighted?"
While Liang's mother was still lamenting her relationship with her second son's family, two troublesome daughters-in-law walked right into her trap.
"Mom, you can't say that. Isn't Second Brother a store manager there? What's wrong with bringing back one more gift box? They have so many in their store, who would notice if there's one more or one less? We're family, why are you making such a fuss?"
Liang's mother rolled her eyes in anger at what Liang's third wife said. What kind of talk was that? It was like encouraging her second son to steal from her own home.
"Shut up, you rotten wretch. Taking without asking is stealing, what kind of thinking is that?"
“If you keep thinking like this, our Liang family’s little temple can’t contain a big Buddha like you. When the third brother comes back, I’ll ask him if he knows what you’re thinking. No, you’re all getting out.”
Liang's mother was furious. What kind of character is this? Morally depraved!
When Liang's eldest daughter-in-law realized things were going badly, she slipped away.
That evening, Liang's two sons were given a severe scolding by their mother, who almost resorted to physical punishment.
The two Liang brothers felt humiliated after being scolded by their parents in front of a room full of younger family members. They went back to their room and started arguing, almost coming to blows.
Yu Yin was unaware of the Liang family's farce; she was in the middle of a blissful state, thinking that at this rate, her farm would be a reality in the near future. Although there was no sign of it yet, it didn't stop Yu Yin from daydreaming.
The fact that the other employees took their benefits home also sparked a lot of discussion among the neighbors.
Huang Shan and Yu Yin are neighbors, so they attract a lot of attention. After all, which family in the neighborhood doesn't have a child who has returned from the city?
They used to look down on Huang Shan for selling things at a stall, thinking it was shameful. Now that Huang Shan is working at a privately owned store, they still think it's a dead-end job, not as prestigious as working in a state-owned factory.
Seeing Huang Shan carrying large bags of things into the door, some curious people inquired, "Huang Shan, are these the perks you're giving out?"
"Yes, it's a Mid-Autumn Festival perk."
Huang Shan didn't mention the red envelope. She knew Yu Yin didn't like to be ostentatious. If the gift was seen, there was nothing she could do, but she would let it go.
How much do you earn a month?
Another aunt with a long, thin face quickly asked, "If the salary isn't low, it's not impossible to make do. It's better than just eating for free at home, right?"
"A little over thirty."
Huang Shan wasn't lying; the base salary was over thirty, plus bonuses, which were much more than the base salary.
"Huang Shan, is your shop still hiring? My son doesn't mind if it's an individual, he can make do."
Good heavens, you have such a big face, we can still tolerate you, but we can't tolerate you. Go somewhere cool and stay there.
Huang Shan mentally grumbled a bit, but smiled and said, "Auntie, we're not hiring for now, it's just a small business..."
Before they could react, Huang Shan grabbed her things and hurried into the yard. These gossipy old women were so annoying.
"What's with the attitude? You're just an old maid who can't get married, what are you showing off for? You wouldn't even go if I invited you. Who knows, you might get arrested again one day for speculation and profiteering, then what will you do! Bah!"
The aunt was furious and went home cursing and swearing. There was still a lot of trouble at home, and the daughters-in-law might cause trouble again.
The other women who had been watching left when the main person had left and they couldn't find out anything more, so they also left.
As for what he was really thinking, only he knows!
Who's outside?
Aunt Huang heard Huang Shan talking to someone and had just come out when she saw her daughter carrying things in.
“My neighbor asked me about my job, and he had a disgusting look on his face, as if he was looking down on me but still wanted to make money.”
"Alright, stop talking nonsense. If someone hears you, you'll ruin your reputation. By the way, when are you taking a break? Your second aunt is going to introduce you to someone. Why don't you go check it out?"
Aunt Huang is worried about her daughter who is so old but not in a hurry to find a partner!
"I won't look at it. My conditions are clear: I'll only look at it if you agree to them. Otherwise, there's no point in discussing it."
"Who would agree to your conditions? You think you're some kind of hot commodity, planning to never get married? You..."
Huang Shan didn't give her mother a chance to continue speaking, interrupting her directly, "With these conditions, if it's not acceptable, I'll never marry. Sister-in-law, please take these things; they're all food, keep them for cooking later."
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