Upon hearing this, Ji Xia couldn't help but scoff: "Aunt Zhang, this is a matter for our Ji family, you don't need to worry about it."
"Even if your sister-in-law doesn't work, the Ji family can still afford to raise two children. No matter how big the problem is, even if my brother can't handle it, we still have my parents. You can go home and retire in peace!"
As Ji Xia spoke, she cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, glanced at the millet porridge and corn pancakes that Ji Zhijun had brought over, and smiled knowingly as she did not bring out the food that she had specially saved.
"Brother, I'm going back to school. If there's anything, have Xiao Lan tell me tonight?"
"Okay, I understand. You can go ahead with your work!"
Ji Zhijun waved his hand, signaling Ji Xia and Chen Jing to leave, while he invited Granny Zhang and the other two to sit at the table.
Granny Zhang wanted to plead with Ji Xia, but Ji Xia didn't even glance at her. She went back to her room, packed her backpack, locked the room, and left with Chen Jing.
Helpless, Granny Zhang could only try to persuade Ji Zhijun: "Zhijun, your father and I promised Ah Hong last night that she could work in the city and we wouldn't take her job anymore."
“I understand, but my parents still want her to go back to the countryside to take care of the child. My mother is getting old, and these past few days she has to take care of the child and do housework at home. She is too tired and her body can't take it. The child also misses his mother.”
Granny Zhang was both angry and anxious: "What's so tiring about taking care of your grandson? Every woman goes through this. While you're taking care of the child and grandson, you two can also earn some money."
Ji Zhijun served himself a bowl of porridge before glancing at her indifferently: "Mother, raising sons is my responsibility as a father. I still have some strength, and I earn quite a bit of work points every year. It's no problem for me to support the three of them, mother and son."
"You're such a blockhead. All your brothers and sisters are working and earning money in the city, while you're the only one staying in the countryside with your parents. You're only hurting my Ah Hong."
“I’m the eldest, so I should be taking care of my parents in their old age, and my mother can’t look after two grandsons. Alright, the Ji family has already made up our minds about this. Mom, don’t worry about it. I’ll take you home after we finish eating!”
"We don't need you to take us; we can walk by ourselves."
As she spoke, Granny Ji moved the preserved vegetables and tofu from the plate into her bowl, picked up the bowl of porridge and drank it all in one gulp. She then divided the four corn pancakes on the table among herself and her two children.
The mother and her two children scraped all the pancakes and two plates of vegetables off the table, and then drank the remaining millet porridge in the pot before angrily getting up.
"We're leaving, no need to see us off, that's all!"
She grabbed Zhang Bao's hand, ordered Zhang Qing to hurry up, and then slammed the courtyard gate shut.
Zhang Qing looked at Granny Zhang suspiciously: "Mother, are you just going to let this go like this?"
"Forget it? Who said forget it? Let's go find Ah Hong. No matter what, she promised to give her family five yuan a month, and she has to keep her promise."
Granny Zhang angrily returned to the hospital with her two children, while Zhang Lan was trying to persuade Zhang Hong to let her stay.
Hearing that Ji Xia had assured her that the job would still be hers, Zhang Hong felt much more at ease and agreed: "Alright, you can stay by my side for now. If Mother asks about you when she comes to town, I'll tell them."
Zhang Lan happily replied, "Don't worry, big sister, I will definitely take good care of my two nephews. I'll do my own things when I have time."
"I understand, but we'll have to figure out how to rent a place in the city another day."
As the two sisters were talking, Granny Zhang came over again, and immediately started yelling, "Look at this! Your in-laws are really bullying you! They have to give a perfectly good job to the second wife! What do they mean by 'can't take care of the children'? They insist you stay home to take care of the children!"
Zhang Qing also said in a teasy tone, "Big sister, I told you long ago that the Ji family doesn't treat you as real family. Now you believe me, right? Only your maternal family will always be your family."
Zhang Hong merely sneered upon hearing this, not even glancing at Zhang Qing, and indifferently glanced at Granny Zhang and Zhang Bao: "Mother, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"What are you trying to say? We're just doing this for your own good."
Granny Zhang embellished Ji Zhijun's words and told them to Zhang Hong. When Zhang Hong heard that the twins were crying and making a fuss at home, demanding that she be taken from her, she felt heartbroken.
Zhang Lan was secretly delighted. She was just looking for an excuse to stay when the excuse was delivered to her doorstep.
She whispered, "Big sister, you and I have always taken care of Kang Kang and Le Le, so it's not surprising that they're not used to living with their grandma."
"How about I stay in the city and help you take care of the kids? I've been taking care of them for two months, and Kang Kang and Le Le are used to me now and they don't make a fuss."
“No, you’ve been in the city for two months already. If anyone should stay, it should be me.”
Zhang Qing glared fiercely at Zhang Lan and angrily shouted at Zhang's mother.
"You want me to keep it? I wouldn't dare. If I upset you, you might pour water on the bed, hit my head, or even kill the child. I'm afraid the entire Zhang family would have to pay for it with their lives."
Zhang Hong sneered and then said to Granny Zhang, "Leave A-Lan in the city to keep me company. I'll talk to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. A-Lan is used to taking care of two children. The children won't make a fuss, and my mother-in-law won't be tired."
“If you don’t agree, I’ll just go home and take care of the baby. I can breastfeed the baby and not have to buy formula. If his dad is hardworking, we can manage.”
"Mother, this is not fair."
Zhang Qing knew that he had offended his elder sister yesterday, and he felt a little regretful. He then clung to Granny Zhang even more tightly.
Grandma Zhang shook off her daughter's hand, looked left and right, and when she thought of the five yuan, she was tempted.
Anyway, there's still a daughter working at home. Zhang Lan can stay in the city to help take care of the child, and the family can earn five yuan a month, which is better than staying at home.
Staying at home cutting pig feed every day, how many work points can you earn? Two or three work points a day, which adds up to only a dozen or so yuan a year.
Granny Zhang agreed and let Zhang Lan stay in the city. Zhang Hong was discharged from the hospital that evening and went back to the countryside to stay with her son for two or three days. After resting, she and Ji Zhijun took the child back to the city.
Since Ji Xiangjun was not yet married, the couple discussed it and decided to work for a few months first, and then find another house to move out after Ji Xiangjun got married.
Zhang Lan stayed in the city, taking care of the children and doing housework, while also helping Ji Xia with cross-stitch and other handicrafts.
When Zhang Hong returned, Sun Xiaoyu quickly handed over her work to her, while Ji Xia let her get familiar with the job for a few days. After the midterm exams, Ji Xia took some time to help her complete the onboarding procedures, officially making her a salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative.
After completing her resignation and onboarding procedures, Ji Xia hurriedly returned to school.
Yang Cuiqin waved to her excitedly: "The midterm exam results are out, shall we go take a look? How did you do?"
Ji Xia smiled slightly at her, "It should be fine, anyway, I've done all the ones I knew how to do. Where are the grades?"
Just then, Gao Yuanlong rushed in from outside, excitedly shouting, "Ji Xia, you got first place in the grade! That's amazing! How did you do it?"
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