The second brother nodded quickly, then said regretfully, "Little sister is absolutely right! I just acted impulsively and didn't think that far ahead!"
"But after my sister reminded me like that, I put myself in her shoes and realized that I would probably feel uncomfortable too."
"It's not that we don't want them to be better off than us, it's just that it makes us feel inferior..."
Ruan Qian nodded gently, "Second brother acted out of goodwill, and that goodwill is very precious."
"My younger sister's thoughtfulness is very gratifying to her older brother. Right now, we're just barely making ends meet, but even now she knows how to be mindful of boundaries when interacting with others..."
"It's much better than later on, when the business grows bigger, good intentions lead to bad outcomes, and you offend everyone, ending up in a bad situation."
"In this respect, we should all learn from your sister-in-law. When she first married into the family, she managed the household with good intentions, helping many relatives and servants..."
"But later, I not only received a lot of complaints, but I also felt wronged and upset."
The second son was taken aback. "How come I didn't know? If I had known, I would have beaten up those people if someone had bullied my sister-in-law!"
The eldest sister-in-law smiled with satisfaction, looked at Ruan Meng with admiration, and said, "That's why! I'm very pleased. Even though my mother taught me a lot in the past, I still accumulated a lot of disappointment after marrying into this family before I learned this lesson..."
"Our little sister is amazing! So young, yet so insightful!"
Ruan Meng was unusually shy and said to her elder brother and sister-in-law, "However, it's not necessarily good for me to say it this way. It seems a bit unreasonable to wait for the other party to speak."
"I'm just afraid of trouble, and I don't want to become enemies in the future."
Ruan Qian affirmed, "Think thrice before you act. It's always better to plan ahead than to create discord later."
Ruan Meng seized the opportunity to say, "That's why I said I'll listen to my elder brother and sister-in-law. If they think we should invite them too, I'll agree."
The eldest sister-in-law chuckled and poked Ruan Meng's forehead, "That's why you're so clever! You dumped the problem on me and your older brother!"
Ruan Meng chuckled, "The capable should do more. I already said yesterday that I'll listen to both Big Brother and you!"
Seeing that they had just returned, Ruan Qian cut to the chase, "In that case, let's agree that if we need someone at home in the future, whether we call for help ourselves or someone else comes to us, it will all be up to your sister-in-law. Is that alright?"
Ruan Meng and her second brother nodded in unison, like chicks pecking at rice.
Ruan Qian added, "I'll go to the Song and Fan families this afternoon to visit them and mention the money your sister-in-law's family gave her as a send-off. Let's not talk about the amount for now."
"Ask them about their situation. If they are short of money, your sister-in-law and I will discuss it and lend them some money."
“They said they felt that our lives had only improved slightly thanks to the money our relatives gave us before we left. So even if we were in trouble, they were unwilling to ask us for help.”
"The Song and Fan families are not bad people, and it's not hard for them to make a living by the sea. But with their talents, it's a bit of a waste for them to just rely on fishing and doing odd jobs."
"Based on my understanding of them, if I ask them to help me catch seafood, they might not necessarily think badly of it, but they will definitely feel frustrated."
"You did a great job today, establishing a connection with the restaurant and forming a cooperative relationship. This will be mutually beneficial in the future. If a suitable opportunity arises, please introduce us to each other..."
"Wouldn't it be better to have a decent job in the city, or to run your own business?"
Ruan Meng suddenly understood, and Ruan Yi regained his joy, nodding repeatedly.
Ruan Meng laughed and said, "Big Brother is Big Brother! That's why we can't live without him!"
After saying that, he turned his head and said, "I won't leave my sister-in-law!"
The second son suddenly laughed, "Back in the day, Dad always said I had a silver tongue and could make everyone happy..."
"I think it's the younger sister who's the better one. Look how well she's won over her sister-in-law! She's fair and square, handling everything perfectly!"
Ruan Meng caught a glimpse of the fleeting sadness in her eyes as her elder brother and sister-in-law laughed heartily.
They must be missing their father!
When the third brother came home, he looked a little depressed.
"Third brother, what's wrong?"
The elder sister-in-law stood up and asked.
The third son was carrying two sweet potatoes when Grandma Liu forced them on him as he was leaving.
The third brother slowly raised his head, his expression even more unsightly than if he were crying.
"When I went to deliver the steamed buns, Granny Liu was sitting alone in the main hall, completely still..."
"I called her for a long time before she realized she was going to pour me some water."
"I offered her the steamed buns, and she was very happy but refused to accept them. She even asked us if we needed anything."
"I sat with her for a while and asked her what she had been sitting on these past two days, but she just smiled and didn't say anything, just sat there..."
"Brother, sister-in-law, I don't know why, but I feel really sad and want to cry..."
I miss my grandmother!
The eldest brother stood up and let the third brother lean against him.
The second brother approached and gently patted the third brother's shoulder. The third brother covered his face and sobbed softly.
Once he had calmed down, he wiped his face and went outside.
The eldest sister-in-law looked at the three brothers, then at Ruan Meng, who was sitting calmly, and smiled silently.
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