Zhang's mother didn't know how to respond. Did they really want Zhang Hong to take the child and go back to her parents' home with them?
She glared angrily at Zhang Qing. It was all her daughter's fault for insisting on coming over and causing trouble. Now that things had escalated like this, how was she going to clean up the mess?
Zhang Qing ignored him, his eyes fixed on Zhang Hong's smooth skin and slightly auspicious face.
After three or four years of marriage and two children, her older sister not only didn't become uglier, but seemed to be even prettier than she was a few years ago when she was born in Zhangjiakou.
Not only is she beautiful, but her hands also look much whiter and more delicate, clearly showing that she has been well cared for by her husband.
Why can her older and younger sisters live well, but she has to stay at home to take care of her parents and younger brother?
With gritted teeth, Zhang Qing said loudly, "Big sister, the Ji family is really going too far. I've been married into their family for several years, working like a slave, and even after having children, they still want to take back my dowry."
"You're about to take your child away, so isn't it only right that you take back the bride price and postpartum expenses? You've spent so much money from the Ji family, and you won't even give us a child. What do you take others for?"
"Hmph, since that's the case, you can keep the child!"
Zhang Qing pushed her older sister's shoulder forcefully: "Sister, you haven't been home for many years. Pack your things and go back to your parents' house for a few days."
Zhang Hong glared angrily at Zhang Qing, while Ji Xia calmly replied from behind, "Those things were all bought with money from the Ji family. If you want to go back to your parents' home, then go back. As for your belongings, you are not allowed to bring even a needle. If you dare to bring anything, I will call the police and say you are thieves."
Zhang's mother and Zhang Qing were so angry they gritted their teeth. Ji Xia raised an eyebrow and said to Chen Jing, "Didn't my brother just say that he's looking for Captain Liu? He and my second brother are comrades-in-arms and know each other well!"
Chen Jing loudly agreed: "I'll go right away, right away, I guarantee I'll find Captain Liu."
"No need to look anymore, I have nothing to pack. I don't want any of the Ji family's things."
Zhang Hong closed her eyes, turned around and handed the child to Ji Zhijun. She held back her tears and looked at her son for a while before turning around and walking away.
Zhang's mother stamped her foot inwardly, unsure whether to back down or grit her teeth and continue.
Zhang Qing turned around and shouted at Zhang Lan, "What are you all standing there for? Get out of here!"
“You can leave, but Zhang Lan is my nanny, not a relative. She said she’d get ten yuan for two months, so if you leave now, I won’t give you the remaining five yuan,” Ji Xia said calmly.
Zhang Lan looked at her mother, bewildered, and said, "Mother—"
"What do you mean, 'mother'? We agreed on two months, so you're staying to complete those two months."
Zhang's mother was in a state of turmoil. She thought of the five yuan and couldn't bear to part with it. But then she thought that keeping Zhang Lan here might give her a chance to calm things down.
Zhang Lan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and obediently agreed to stay. Zhang Qing had no choice but to reluctantly follow Zhang's mother and Zhang Hong.
She wanted to stay behind and have Zhang Lan go back with her, but seeing the disgusted looks in everyone's eyes in the living room, she turned around with resentment and followed them out.
As soon as the three members of the Zhang family left, the two babies seemed to sense the sadness of parting and burst into tears.
Ji Zhijun held the crying baby, looking worried. Ji Xia quickly reached out and took the baby from him, saying, "Brother, let me hold him. I know him well."
Ji Zhijun handed the child to Ji Xia, then sat back down in his chair and sighed.
Seeing this, Zhang Lan quickly went into the inner room and brought out the other child, humming a nursery rhyme as she held him, slowly calming him down.
After a while, the two children were finally calmed down. Ji Xia put the children back in their cribs, asked Zhang Lan to make them formula, and then sat down next to Ji Zhijun.
"Brother, I'm sorry, I went a bit too far."
Ji Xia looked at Ji Zhijun uneasily. Ji Zhijun felt depressed, but upon hearing this, he simply shook his head: "We were forced to go too far. If we compromise once, they will use the child to manipulate us every time."
"Big brother is right. This is how you deal with people like this, otherwise they'll take advantage of you."
Chen Jing patted Ji Zhijun on the shoulder and gently comforted him, "But don't worry, brother. I'll ask a few brothers from Xiapo Village to keep an eye out. Once your sister-in-law goes home and suffers a bit, she'll naturally know who her family is."
Ji Zhijun also felt that the Zhang family had gone too far, and he wanted Zhang Hong to recognize the true nature of her family. He nodded sadly upon hearing this.
Because Zhang Hong left, the group simply prepared two dishes for lunch and then left.
Although the autumn harvest was over, Secretary Ji was still quite busy. As Secretary Ji's eldest son, Ji Zhijun couldn't stay in the city for too long.
However, he heeded his sister's advice and, after returning home, asked his mother to go to the city with the brigade's oxcart to take care of her grandson.
It's not reassuring to entrust the two grandsons of the Ji family to Zhang Lan alone, as there's a fear that Zhang's mother might return and harm the two grandsons.
With Ji's mother around, Zhang Hong wasn't too worried even though her parents had come to the city together.
When Ji Zhijun returned home, he found that Party Secretary Ji and Captain Chen were squatting in the field discussing the distribution of grain and money.
Seeing Ji Zhijun return to the brigade, Brigade Leader Chen waved cheerfully: "Zhijun's back? Didn't you bring your wife and two kids back?"
When Zhang Hong and her two babies were mentioned, Ji Zhijun looked gloomy, which surprised Secretary Ji.
"What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"
Ji Zhijun shook his head: "No, we didn't argue."
"We didn't argue, so why are you giving me that look?"
Ji Zhijun's lips moved, and he subconsciously glanced at Captain Chen. Secretary Ji said irritably, "What are you looking at? There are no outsiders here. Just say what you have to say."
Ji Zhijun thought about it and realized it made sense; Chen Jing and Ji Xia were getting married soon, and their two families would become one.
Even if he didn't say it, the Chen family would find out, so he told them about the Zhang family's demands.
Hearing that the Zhang family demanded that Ji Xia transfer her job to Zhang Qing, or else they would force Zhang Hong to divorce Ji Zhijun, Secretary Ji's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort.
Upon hearing this, Captain Chen laughed and said, "Divorce? You kicked out the Ji family for your own family? Zhijun, if your wife is such an idiot, it's better to divorce her, so she doesn't raise the children to be stupid too."
Ji Zhijun was stunned for a moment, but then he thought of how Zhang Hong had spent two or three hundred yuan of her family's money on her postpartum care in the city. How could she argue with him for the sake of her own family when her in-laws were like this?
If Ji Xia hadn't mentioned that working at the supply and marketing cooperative would earn her over a hundred yuan a month, she really would have given up the job; Captain Chen was right.
Ji Zhijun sighed and said to his father, "Father, my younger sister asked me to find Mother to come to the city. There's only one young girl at home to take care of the two children, and I'm worried about her."
"Why don't you bring the child back? Your sister has to go to school and work in the city. Why do you want her to take care of your child in the city?"
Secretary Ji glared at his son with displeasure. Ji Zhijun touched his nose sheepishly, speechless.
In front of Captain Chen, how could he say that the person in the city who took care of his child was not his younger sister, but his sister-in-law?
If this gets out, who knows what people will say about the Ji family!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
