Chapter 157 Gift Giving
Listening to her mother's incessant complaints, Sun Yiyi suppressed her anger. She didn't want to argue with her mother on her first day back home, so she smiled and explained, "Ayong has to go to work and can't leave. The children are still young and it's inconvenient for them to walk on mountain roads, so I didn't bring them with me. If you really miss the children, you can come to Sijiu City to see them."
After hearing Sun Yiyi's explanation, Sun's mother didn't stop there. While taking the gift from Sun Yiyi's hand, she scolded, "It's true that comparisons are the thief of joy. We both work, but the Lin family's son-in-law has time to spend with his mother-in-law, while my son-in-law doesn't. The Lin family gets a dutiful son-in-law after marrying off a daughter, while I get nothing after marrying off a daughter and am even looked down upon by my in-laws."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yiyi's face darkened. She hadn't wanted to argue with her mother, but her mother insisted on forcing her to. Her mother really didn't learn her lesson.
Her attitude suddenly turned cold and hard. She said expressionlessly, "Mom, don't forget what you did back then. You offended everyone in my husband's family. The fact that they didn't stop me from coming back is already a big favor to you. You still want A-Yong to be filial to you? That's simply a pipe dream. Besides, Comrade Lin Yuanshu's wife is a cook. He doesn't need to rush to produce during the New Year, so he naturally has plenty of time to go back to his mother-in-law's house. The two situations are different. How can you conflate them..."
She wasn't exaggerating; Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory's production tasks this year are even heavier than in previous years.
The medicines produced by the factory are not only for domestic use but also sold abroad, so the workers at Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory are extremely busy.
If it weren't for the fact that her two children needed constant care, she would have wanted to apply for a factory job. After all, Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory is different now; it recruits workers from time to time, which greatly increases the chances of family members like her getting employment.
She hopes that Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory will continue to thrive so that she will have more interview opportunities, instead of the situation where she wants to find a job but can't find an interview opportunity.
After hearing Sun Yiyi's words, Sun's mother didn't feel guilty. She always believed that the fault didn't lie with her. It was clearly the Zhou family who were being petty. What did it have to do with her? She was pregnant and didn't even know to stay at home. Instead, she had to argue with her. What business was it of hers?
Just as Sun's mother was about to continue arguing with Sun Yiyi, Sun's father came out of the living room. He had heard the entire conversation between the two of them.
To prevent the two from arguing, he intervened, saying, "Today is a joyous occasion, so please don't say such unpleasant things. Come in and sit down to rest."
He turned to look at Sun Yiyi and said with a smile, "Your mother was overjoyed to know you were coming back today. She went to the state-run food station early this morning to buy you meat so she could treat you to a good meal. She still cares about you, even though she's a bit sharp-tongued. She just wants her children to be filial."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yiyi knew she couldn't continue arguing with her mother, so she went into the living room without saying a word.
Mr. Sun glared at Mrs. Sun, his eyes warning her not to cause trouble at this time.
Sun's mother saw the meaning in Sun's father's eyes. She awkwardly came to Sun Yiyi and pretended to be pitiful, saying, "Sigh, I didn't mean to get angry with you. It's just that Comrade Lin Yuanshu's parents keep bragging to me about how filial their son-in-law is. Even though their daughter didn't come home for the New Year because of work, she still had her son-in-law to keep her company. I find this hard to bear. I'm both envious and jealous."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "That's why I hope my son-in-law can come over for New Year's Eve dinner. I don't expect him to be particularly filial, I just hope he can come so I can tell others that my son-in-law is not unfilial and that he came to see me for the New Year."
She wasn't lying. The Lin family took their son-in-law out for chats every day; wasn't that just them showing off to the villagers? Showing off that they had such a filial son-in-law.
Sun Yiyi pursed her lips and said softly, "I'll bring A Yong here when he's on vacation."
Since she gave birth to twin sons, she has gained some say in the Wei family. After all, the Wei family had only one son per generation for three generations, and she broke this pattern, so naturally they would not treat her the same way as before.
Sun Ma's sorrow instantly turned to joy. She smiled and said, "Okay, I will definitely treat A Yong well and will not let you down."
Sun Yiyi wasn't happy about her mother's words because she knew it would take a lot of effort to persuade A Yong to come to her parents' home. She couldn't be happy at all, but she didn't want people to say that she wasn't favored by her in-laws and that her husband didn't want to meet her parents.
Mr. Sun nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that their efforts over the past few days had not been in vain. They had won over their daughter again, and his son's future job would depend on her.
In any case, his daughter lives in the city and has a better life than them. Saying a few nice words to her and getting her to be more filial to them can only do good, not bad.
The atmosphere between Sun Yiyi and her mother became harmonious again, as if nothing unpleasant had happened before.
Sun Yiyi stayed at her parents' home until the morning of the second day before leaving. Her parents originally wanted her to stay a few more days, but Sun Yiyi was worried about her children at home and didn't want to stay any longer.
The Sun family put Sun Yiyi on the oxcart at the village entrance and stayed there until the oxcart was far away and Sun Yiyi was no longer in sight.
Sun Yiyi was also deeply moved by this. There was only a slight unpleasantness when she first returned to her parents' home. Otherwise, she had a very pleasant time there. Her sister-in-law had no complaints about her arrival and welcomed her warmly.
Her parents' behavior made her feel the warmth of home; they would give her meat to eat and prepare new quilts for her, etc.
On their way home, the Sun family met Sun's younger sister, who was carrying a bamboo basket containing five eggs and two pounds of flour.
The younger sister was overjoyed to see her parents and came over with a big smile. "Dad, Mom, I just got home and knocked on the door but no one answered. I thought you were visiting relatives and weren't home. I was planning to go home and come back another day, but I didn't expect to run into you like this."
Grandma Sun rolled her eyes at her daughter and son-in-law, took the bamboo basket, and said irritably, "I really hope we go to visit relatives. If you have nothing to do, don't always come back to your parents' house. It's like you don't have a home. You come back every day to eat for free. My family will be ruined by you sooner or later."
The younger sister's smile froze instantly. She was deeply hurt and retorted softly, "We didn't eat for free. We always brought things with us. I heard that my sister was back and wanted to come and see her. Mom, could you let me know next time my sister comes back?"
Her mother always treats her this way when she delivers things to her door; if she didn't deliver things, her mother probably wouldn't even be allowed to enter the door.
Sun's mother said impatiently, "The things you two brought aren't even enough to fill your teeth. If we're meant to meet, we'll meet again. I don't have time to notify you! If we can meet, we can meet; if not, then forget it. You're late today; your sister went home a long time ago. See you next time!"
She didn't like her youngest daughter very much. She didn't listen to her and insisted on marrying a useless man. If she had listened to her, she wouldn't have had to pay such a large dowry for her daughter-in-law.
A disobedient daughter doesn't deserve her kindness; she has many children, so she doesn't need another daughter.
The younger sister knew that her parents didn't like her, so she didn't argue with her mother. She knew that arguing would be useless; once her mother had made up her mind, it was hard to change it.
She didn't continue following behind her parents, but stayed where she was, watching them walk further and further away.
The younger sister's brother didn't even think of saying a good word for her, after all, he also complained that his younger sister was disobedient, and his sister-in-law, as an outsider, was even less likely to speak up for her.
The younger sister's lover hugged her tightly and comforted her, saying, "I will always be by your side."
The younger sister nodded, looking regretful, and said, "It's a pity I couldn't meet my older sister this time."
She really wanted to see her sister. If it weren't for her sister, her parents would definitely have married her off to that man who liked to beat his wife. It was her sister who saved her.
The younger sister's lover smiled and said with determination, "If you really want to see your sister, I can take you to Beijing to see her."
The younger sister decisively shook her head and refused, saying, "Forget it, I don't want to cause trouble for you, sister. Life isn't easy for you in the city either. We'll have a chance to meet again in the future."
The younger sister's husband said softly, "Okay, I'll keep an eye on things at your house from now on. Whenever your sister goes back to her parents' home, I'll bring you here immediately."
The younger sister looked at her husband with a face full of gratitude. She knew why her parents treated her coldly, but she didn't regret it. Although her life wasn't easy and she had to work every day to earn work points, at least she was safe and didn't have to worry about being beaten to death by her husband.
Besides, her family is struggling financially because her parents demanded such a high dowry. Now she and her partner have to pay back the money her partner borrowed to raise the dowry.
Her parents complained about her, but she also complained about her parents.
"Okay, since my parents don't want to see us, there's no need for us to keep trying. We'll avoid going home if we can avoid it in the future," the younger sister said resolutely.
The younger sister's husband quickly nodded in agreement, afraid that if he agreed too late, his wife would regret it. He really didn't want to be insulted by his mother-in-law. He wasn't a man without a temper; if it weren't for his wife's sake, he would have already stormed off. How could he stand there and be insulted?
Meanwhile, the Zhou family was preparing for their reunion dinner. Because of the busy production schedule during the Spring Festival, they had their reunion dinner a few days later. Mr. and Mrs. Xue arrived at the Zhou family's house carrying a bag of fruit, pastries, and candies.
When Zhou Ma saw what Xue Ba and Xue Ma were carrying, she was quite surprised. She said sarcastically, "Is the sun rising in the west today? You actually brought gifts to our door. After being in-laws for so many years, this is the first time I've ever received fruit and pastries from you."
Mr. Xue smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
Aunt Xue straightened her chest and said confidently, "My dear in-law, that's not how it works. A few years ago, my family had a lot of expenses and we really couldn't afford to buy gifts. Now that my youngest son is about to graduate from high school, we have a little spare money, so I immediately bought gifts to see you. Thank you for your understanding over the years."
Zhou Ma raised an eyebrow. For her granddaughter's sake, she didn't say anything more. Instead, she took the gifts from Xue Ma and invited the two of them into the living room.
Seeing this, Sister-in-law Xue breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely worried that her mother-in-law would do anything to drive her parents away, since it was not like her mother-in-law was incapable of doing such a thing.
She poured a glass of brown sugar water for each of her parents.
Xue's mother and father sat on the sofa, looking around.
Sister-in-law Xue frowned and said in a low voice, "What are you looking for? It's the New Year, don't cause any trouble. If you anger my mother-in-law, she might not let you in next time. Don't come crying to me then."
Seeing that there were no outsiders in the living room, Aunt Xue spoke frankly, "Don't worry! We won't cause any trouble. Hasn't your sister-in-law arrived yet?"
Her main purpose in coming to the Zhou family this time was to see Lin Yuanshu; otherwise, she wouldn't have been willing to buy so many nice things to give away.
Among the relatives she knew, Lin Yuanshu was the most capable and had the widest network of connections. Her youngest son had graduated from high school and did not want to go to the countryside as an educated youth. She wanted Lin Yuanshu to help her youngest son find a job.
Sister-in-law Xue's expression was very complicated, and she said with a heavy heart, "No."
Because her mother-in-law was worried that Lin Yuanshu might contract schistosomiasis and then transmit the disease to them, she forbade them from contacting Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Xiangyang. She also didn't know if Lin Yuanshu would come here for the New Year today.
Even if they did come, they would most likely be kicked out by their mother-in-law.
Zhou Xiangyang has really angered her parents-in-law this time, and they are not allowed to mention the two of them for a while.
Although she wanted to please Lin Yuanshu, she also understood that she couldn't really offend her in-laws. After all, she still had to stay in this family, while Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Xiangyang didn't, so they could be fearless, but she couldn't.
Aunt Xue didn't notice anything unusual about Sister-in-law Xue, so she quickly asked, "When will she arrive?"
Sister-in-law Xue shook her head again, looking bewildered. "I don't know, but then again, why are you looking for the second son's wife?"
Just as Xue's mother was about to tell the truth, Xue's father coughed twice and explained, "It's nothing important. We saw her story in the newspaper and admire her selfless dedication, so we wanted to talk to her."
Sister-in-law Xue was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and couldn't help but sneer. She said irritably, "Next time you make up an excuse, make up a more normal one. This excuse sounds ridiculous. I'm warning you, Xiao Er's wife is not like the people you know. If you offend her, you'll have to bear the consequences yourselves."
Aunt Xue muttered to herself, "We're not stupid, why would we say anything that would offend anyone?"
She never intended for Lin Yuanshu to help her youngest son find a job for free. They had already prepared compensation, so Lin Yuanshu wouldn't be angry about it, since they weren't planning to get something for nothing.
Sister-in-law Xue: "..."
It seems her mother has no self-awareness at all. They don't want to talk about it, and she's too lazy to ask so many questions. At worst, she'll just stay by her parents' side after Lin Yuanshu arrives. With her mediating, they probably won't start arguing.
Even if they argue, Lin Yuanshu will probably not make things too difficult for her parents, considering that she spoke up for him.
Time passed slowly, and as the closing bell rang at Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory, the dormitory building gradually became lively.
The aroma of food wafted from every household. After all, it was the Lunar New Year, and even the most frugal families would treat themselves to a good meal during these few days to reward themselves for a year of hard work.
Aunt Wen, Aunt Hua, and others carried the "three treasures"—noodles, white sugar, and canned fruit—into the Zhou family's living room. This has become the most popular gift-giving standard recently.
When Zhou Ma saw the things in their hands, she said very warmly, "You are too kind. You didn't need to bring any gifts!"
As she spoke, she prepared to take the gifts from Aunt Wen and the others.
Mr. and Mrs. Xue looked at Mrs. Zhou with envy. Mrs. Zhou was living such a comfortable life. During the New Year, people would come to deliver gifts to her door. Unlike them, they were the ones who had to give gifts to others, but no one gave them anything in return.
Aunt Wen smiled and gently stepped aside to avoid Aunt Zhou's hand. She quickly glanced around the living room and asked in confusion, "It's almost time for your family reunion dinner, why hasn't Comrade Lin Yuanshu come over yet?"
They specifically chose this time to come so they could chat with Lin Yuanshu.
Aunt Zhou pursed her lips, her face neither flushed nor her heart skipped a beat, and said, "She's very busy every day! It's understandable that she's so elusive, after all, the leaders value her very much."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "I know what you're thinking. You brought these gifts to thank Xiao Er's wife for her past care. I can just hand these things over to her. There's no need for you to make another trip. I'm sure you don't have ulterior motives!"
Zhou Ma looked at them with a strange look in her eyes, as if to say, "You don't want to ask my daughter-in-law for a favor, do you?"
Aunt Wen was the first to stand up and deny it, saying, "Of course not. Just like you said, we were just thanking Comrade Lin Yuanshu for his past care, and we didn't mean anything else."
Zhou Ma gave an "I see" look and then snatched the gift from Wen Da Ma's hands without hesitation.
Although Aunt Wen was a little reluctant, she still made up her mind to let go. It wasn't that she wanted to ask Lin Yuanshu for a favor, but rather that she wanted to connect with Lin Yuanshu when she gave him the gift. She didn't expect that although she gave the gift, she didn't connect with him.
Seeing that Aunt Wen had handed over the gifts, the others could only reluctantly comply, even though they had ulterior motives, they were unwilling to admit it.
Mr. and Mrs. Xue exchanged a glance. They had a new understanding of Lin Yuanshu's connections. They were quite surprised that so many people wanted to curry favor with Lin Yuanshu.
However, they didn't feel jealous at all, since the more popular Lin Yuanshu was, the greater the chance that he could help them get things done.
Zhou Ma chatted with Wen Da Ma and the others for about half an hour. However, Wen Da Ma and the others did not see Lin Yuanshu for a long time and did not want to continue their awkward conversation with Zhou Ma, so they could only leave with regret.
Just as Aunt Wen and her group left the Zhou family's living room, they ran into Sun Yiyi, who was returning home.
Sun Yiyi greeted everyone with a smile, then asked with a puzzled look, "Where did you all go?"
Aunt Wen sighed and said truthfully, "I just thought it had been a long time since I'd seen Comrade Lin Yuanshu, so I brought him some things. But Comrade Lin Yuanshu hasn't come to the Zhou family for the reunion dinner yet, and we felt bad about staying there, so we had to leave first."
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