Ma Xiulan replied to Zhao Xingjia: "Dream on."
He turned around, got on his bike and rode away. Zhao Xingjia chased after him, but his feet hurt, and he was soon left behind. He yelled in anger:
"You can also give me that old bicycle you had before."
The only response he got was Ma Xiulan's graceful departure.
Zhao Xingjia wanted to ask Niu Chunhua about his mother's recent situation, but Niu Chunhua had already left quickly.
He kicked the stone pillar on the roadside in anger, and the next second he squatted on the ground with pain in his feet. How long will it take for his mother to calm down and become the same as before?
He walked to the ward with a droopy head, and met the doctor who urged him to pay the bill. He asked for 600 yuan from the Chen family, compensated his mother with 530 yuan, and gave his grandmother and the other two 30 yuan as hard work fee. Now he only had 40 yuan left.
Chen Zhenzhen has stayed here for two days and has already spent several dollars, so we should take her back tonight.
Originally, Zhao Youcai arranged for Zhao Erjie and Zhao Yang to sleep together in the second brother's bed. Now that Chen Zhenzhen and Zhao Xingjia are back, Zhao Erjie has no place to sleep.
The bunk beds for the sisters Xingmin and Xingfeng were bought by Ma Xiulan. They were moved away when Ma Xiulan left. It was said that they were sold halfway through.
The bed Xingfeng used during the week before she got married was a makeshift one made by taking two boards from Old Lady Wang's bed.
Xingfeng got married and there was no bed for her at home, so she didn't go back to her parents' home for three days.
Now Zhao Erjie can only squeeze with Old Lady Wang on her 1.2-meter-wide bed. Listening to Old Lady Wang's snoring and teeth grinding all night, she wants to go back to her home.
Little did she know that Old Lady Wang also wanted her to go back.
As soon as the sun rose, she started to keep talking about when the Li family (Zhao Erjie's in-laws' family) would come to pick them up, and from time to time she asked Zhao Yang to run to the gate of the courtyard to see if there were any outsiders coming.
After lunch, there was still no movement from the Li family, so Old Lady Wang asked Zhang Zhaodi to go and tell them that if they wanted to take Zhao Erjie back, the Li family would just need to prepare 200 yuan. If they didn't take her back after today, the price would not be the same tomorrow.
Zhang Zhaodi went out reluctantly. Why could Chen Zhenzhen lie in bed and wait for her second aunt to serve her while she had to run errands miserably?
Arriving at the Li family, Zhang Zhaodi was surprised that she couldn't even get in. She thought it might be because she had just married into the family and the Li family didn't recognize her, so she shouted through the door:
"I'm Zhao Laidi's niece-in-law, and I have something to say."
Old Lady Li (Zhao Erjie's mother-in-law) said through the door: "Get lost, Zhao Laidi and I have nothing to talk about."
Not even allowed in, Zhang Zhaodi angrily slammed the door and said, "My grandma said that your family must take 200 yuan to pick up my second aunt today. Otherwise, the price will be higher tomorrow. You should hurry up today."
Old Lady Li opened the door and poured a basin of vegetable washing water onto Zhang Zhaodi:
"You're asking me for 200 yuan. I'm telling you, you're dreaming! Even if Old Lady Wang offered me 200 yuan to send Zhao Laidi to my house, I'd still have to think twice about whether I wanted that bitch Zhao Laidi or not."
The weather was already a bit chilly at the end of October. Zhang Zhaodi was caught off guard and drenched in water. She was furious:
"You damn old woman, why are you throwing water on me? I'm just a messenger."
Old Lady Li slapped him and said, "Who are you calling an old woman? Besides, who asked you to pass on the message? If you want to pass on the message, who else should I throw it at?"
Zhang Zhaodi covered her face and wanted to make a scene, but she saw that there was a big family behind Old Lady Li, as well as neighbors watching around, all of whom were speaking up for Old Lady Li.
She could only glare at Old Lady Li hatefully, then quickly went home and told the story of the Li family with exaggerated details.
"Grandma, look at me, I'm not even smiling even though I've been slapped. Old Lady Li is still calling you an old bitch and saying that if you give her 200 yuan, she'll have to think about whether she still wants Second Aunt."
When Old Lady Wang heard this, she was so furious that her sparse hair seemed to stand on end. She cursed Old Lady Li with a hundred different swear words.
Finally, he slapped his thigh and said, "Let's go. I'm going to find a matchmaker now. I'm sure many people will be vying for such a good daughter of mine. The Li family can just wait to regret it."
Zhao Erjie was reluctant. She was already at this age, and there wasn't a good family she could marry into.
At least the Li family's husband has a gentle personality. If the mother-in-law can endure a little longer, she will die and she will be able to be the head of the family.
But her opinion was not important. Old Lady Wang had already taken her to the matchmaker Fang's house and asked the matchmaker Fang to find a suitable one for her in the next two days.
The matchmaker smiled and said, "What do you want from the man?"
Old Lady Wang didn't care: "It doesn't matter. Men are all the same. I just want to find a good one for my daughter. Oh, and I want a 200 yuan betrothal gift."
Matchmaker Fang already knew what kind of person Old Lady Wang was, so it wasn't surprising to hear her request:
"Coincidentally, I have someone suitable. He's a 58-year-old man with a job. His wife just died and he's looking for a companion. He has five sons and two daughters, but his daughter-in-law is a bit more capable."
She was more than just powerful, she was a well-known shrew who dared to chase her father-in-law for two blocks with a knife.
Old Lady Wang didn't take it seriously: "What's wrong with my daughter-in-law being powerful? My daughter used to be the mother-in-law, and the stepmother is still a mother. It's him, and I'll see him tomorrow."
Matchmaker Fang readily agreed.
On the way back, Zhao Erjie tugged at Old Lady Wang's clothes and whispered:
"That man is ten years older than me. He married someone else right after his wife died. How can he be a good person? I don't want to marry him. Just take 200 yuan and send me back to the Li family. I promise that as soon as Mrs. Li dies, I will give you all the Li family's property."
Old Mrs. Wang thought to herself that she had to discuss this matter with Youcai. Now that her old man was dead, she had to listen to her son.
When Zhao Youcai got home in the evening, he was about to ask Old Lady Wang if she had gone to her second uncle and second aunt's house on Longyang Street today. He didn't know how things went.
Zhang Zhaodi blocked him and complained that she was running errands today and was splashed with water while she was pregnant. What if it affected the baby? She wanted some money to go to the hospital.
Zhao Youcai saw that Zhang Zhaodi was as strong as a bull and did not believe her lies at all.
But Zhao Xingye, a new father, was only concerned about his child and kept comforting Zhang Zhaodi:
"Don't worry, Dad will definitely care about our child. You are suffering today because of Second Aunt's matter."
Zhao Youcai took out some change from his pocket, thinking that two yuan would be enough, as the registration fee was only thirty cents.
Zhang Zhaodi grabbed it directly:
"Thanks, Dad. We're going to the hospital."
Zhao Youcai looked at the disappeared four yuan and eighty cents with heartache. The fourth son's wife was too shameless.
After finishing the meal made by Zhao Erjie, he pulled Old Lady Wang into the house.
Old Lady Wang quickly recounted everything that had happened today. She also felt that she could hold on a little longer. It would be more cost-effective when Old Lady Li died. She didn't know whether the man introduced by the matchmaker Fang would stop the second son from getting the money back.
"Son, what do you think?"
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