Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Jiang Xiaoci is a girl who is easy to coax...
The second brother brought her to the door of her grandparents' house, which turned out to be a small courtyard with its own entrance. The gate was open, and Jiang Xiaoci stood outside the door and started shouting.
"Grandpa and grandma, my second brother and I are here."
When Jiang Peizhong heard the voice, he knew it was his son's stepdaughter from his second marriage. Listen to the little girl's voice, what a kind and lovely child.
Jiang Peizhong was busy but did not forget to persuade his wife: "Wei Hai just called and said that Comrade Wen Ying was very carsick and was not expected to come tonight. Look how sensible that girl is. She even took a car to see us first. You can't be so rude later. Also, I have prepared a red envelope. You can give it to her."
He Suwen was not happy. If they didn't want to come, then why did they let the two children come?
She had a preconceived notion that she didn't like her daughter-in-law, and even brought up the past, saying that she couldn't be raised well if she wasn't her own child: "Wei Hai has no conscience. I let him decide on his own to marry a wife, and he actually married the one from his hometown."
Jiang Peizhong thought it through: "He married her himself, whether he lives a good life or not, he won't blame us. But if it is because of us that they have conflicts, then we must blame them. No matter how unhappy you are, you have to keep it to yourself."
Through the glass window, He Suwen saw the strange little girl in the yard. She indeed had fair skin and a pretty appearance, but it was a pity that she was not her biological granddaughter.
And that delicate daughter-in-law, can motion sickness really be that severe? Haven’t you had enough rest after a whole afternoon?
Letting a child take the lead, it seems that she is not an easy daughter-in-law to get along with.
…
It was the first time Jiang Xiaoci met the grandparents here. At first glance, she knew that grandpa was much easier to please than grandma.
She opened the bag she brought with her, took out a can of tea and gave it to Jiang Peizhong: "Grandpa, this is the tea produced in our village. It's all new tea this year and it tastes very good."
Then he took out another can of scented tea and gave it to He Suwen: "Grandma, this is also scented tea produced in our village. You will become more and more beautiful after drinking this scented tea."
He Suwen has lived for decades and feels embarrassed to show disrespect to a polite and well-behaved girl who brings gifts to his door.
She suppressed the bitterness in her heart, took out the red envelope and said, "Thank you, but grandma doesn't drink flower tea, there are too many small insects."
There are inevitably some small insects that feed on nectar in the stamens. Grandma is afraid of insects, so she had to put the scented tea aside. Fortunately, she had a spare gift.
She took out another one and said, "Grandma, this is for you. It's a walnut, sesame and red date cake made in my hometown. It's really delicious. I couldn't bear to eat it on the way, so I'm giving it to you."
The cut pieces of pastry looked dark and unappetizing.
He Suwen smiled and said, "Grandma is healthy and doesn't eat these messy things. You can keep them for yourself."
Even Jiang Yunyi couldn't stand it anymore after rejecting the little girl's kindness twice. He thought, why not just take it and decide whether to eat it or not? Why did he have to reject it in person and embarrass a little girl?
Jiang Weihai's family was strict, and Jiang Yunyi couldn't contradict her grandmother. But she couldn't bear to watch it, so she turned her head towards the door, wishing she could take her silly little sister away from here right now.
Jiang Xiaoci didn't care. Just as she was about to pack the things back, Jiang Peizhong came to her rescue with a smile: "Grandpa likes sweets, leave them for him. Your father just called and said he might not be back tonight. You and your brother should go back early to take care of mom."
Grandpa’s kind attitude made Jiang Xiaoci’s frustration disappear.
She hadn't coaxed her grandmother yet, so she said, "I've made porridge for my mother. She's sleeping at home, so she doesn't need me to take care of her. My brother and I are here to have dinner with grandpa and grandma."
He Suwen's mouth twitched: "How can I cook with a plaster on my hand? Your grandfather can cook some porridge and heat up a steamed bun, but if he asks him to cook, he can't even make three dishes and a soup."
Jiang Xiaoci quickly explained: "Grandma, I can cook. I will cook for you and grandpa. Otherwise, my brother and I wouldn't come so early."
She said to Jiang Yunyi again: "Brother, you stay with grandpa and grandma and I will cook this time."
Although Jiang Yunyi couldn't contradict his grandmother, he could still accompany his new sister. He said expressionlessly: "How long can you do this on your own? Come and help me."
…
Jiang Xiaoci was so happy that her second brother was so willing to help with cooking. She hurried to the kitchen and worked with Jiang Yunyi to quickly prepare four dishes and a soup. The soup was the hot and sour soup that grandma liked.
Jiang Xiaoci served a bowl of hot and sour soup to grandpa and grandma respectively, and took credit for it: "Brother said grandma likes to drink something sour, so I added a little more vinegar, grandma, you try it."
He Suwen rejected the child's kindness several times in a row. She felt bad, and her hardened heart softened. She nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
As soon as my hand touched the porcelain bowl, I was suddenly scalded. I twisted my hand while moving something a few days ago and put on a plaster. My hand had no strength, and I was scalded so I subconsciously pulled my hand away. The bowl of hot and sour soup fell on the table with a "clang", spilling the soup all over the table.
The hot soup splashed onto the back of Jiang Xiaoci's hand, turning it red immediately.
Jiang Yunyi really felt that grandma was going too far. He pulled Jiang Xiaoci over and went to the kitchen to rinse the back of his scalded hand with cold water. He angrily said, "It doesn't matter if you don't eat this resentful meal. We will leave soon."
Jiang Peizhong thought his lover was doing something bad on purpose and he could no longer bear it. He frowned and went to the kitchen to get a rag in silence.
He Suwen was frightened. She really didn't mean it. Seeing the child was frightened and standing at the kitchen door, she didn't dare to come over. She quickly ran over to ask, "How is it? Does it hurt?"
Before Jiang Xiaoci could speak, He Suwen suddenly heard an unfamiliar conversation and saw a paragraph of text insulting her viciously:
"Oh my god, this old woman is so hateful. She keeps bullying a little girl. It's a pity that she doesn't know that the little girl's mother is her own daughter."
"Wait until she finishes bullying her daughter and finds out that Gu Wenying is her biological daughter, I'll see if she won't regret it to death."
He Suwen was horrified. At that moment, she went over the events of the past few decades in her mind.
She originally had a lovely and beautiful daughter, but the child later got lost, so she adopted Jiang Weihai. How could it be possible that Weihai’s newly married wife, who was married for a second time, was her biological daughter?
…
Jiang Peizhong had already cleaned up the table. Looking at his absent-minded lover, he suppressed his anger and said in a very low voice: "You are already in your forties. How can you bear to repeatedly make things difficult for a young girl who is trying to please you?"
He Suwen clutched the collar of her clothes in front of her chest, her heart was pounding and she couldn't breathe. If she hadn't heard the conversation just now, wouldn't she and her own daughter become enemies?
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. With a gulp, she fainted.
…
Jiang Xiaoci's hand was not seriously injured, but her grandmother suddenly fainted. She was so scared that she cried out "wow" and stood aside, at a loss as to what to do.
The house was in chaos and neighbors rushed over. They helped He Suwen to her room, pinched her Ren Zhong acupoints and massaged her acupoints. When the people in the house came out and said that grandma had woken up, Jiang Yunyi grabbed Jiang Xiaoci and took her away to prevent her from staying there and suffering.
How happy she was when she came, how sad she was when she left. Jiang Xiaoci kept turning her head to look out the window and didn't talk to her second brother along the way.
From the reflection in the car window, Jiang Yunyi saw that the little girl was already in tears and was biting her lips and crying silently. She looked so pitiful, so pitiful that his heart ached.
Dad has remarried, and showing a bad face will only make things difficult for him. My sister knows to take the initiative to show her kindness, but grandma bullies a little girl who always shows her kindness. The more Jiang Yunyi thought about it, the more indignant he became. The sense of justice in his heart prevailed, and he couldn't help but comfort her.
"I saw everything that happened today. Grandma fainted because she was fighting with herself. It has nothing to do with you. Stop crying."
Jiang Xiaoci stopped sobbing, thought it through, and said, "Brother, grandma really didn't break the bowl on purpose. Tomorrow morning, can you come with me to apologize to grandma?"
"Why are you apologizing? This is obviously not your fault."
Jiang Yunyi felt a surge of anger in his heart. So what if it was a reconstituted family? Everyone was equal. Why should Jiang Xiaoci have to give her a cold shoulder when she tried to please her?
Jiang Yunyi said: "Grandma is just like that. Since she doesn't accept it, there's no need to please her. You don't have to go to her house."
Jiang Xiaoci shook her head and said, "No, brother, grandma must have something else to do. I remember that dad said that grandma lost her daughter thirty years ago today. Maybe she saw me today and thought of her daughter. She felt so sad that she fainted. When we get home, don't tell mom. Just say that we are very happy at grandma's house."
Seeing how pitifully she cried, Jiang Yunyi felt soft-hearted, and he also remembered that before his grandmother adopted his father, she did have a lost daughter.
This little sister, who had been wronged, was still looking for reasons for the harmony of the whole family. He couldn't bear to refuse her, and his heart softened. He nodded and agreed: "Okay, then I will accompany you over early tomorrow morning."
…
On the other side, He Suwen had recovered and was sure that she had not heard wrong before. Jiang Xiaoci's mother was her biological daughter who had been lost for many years.
She was impatient and immediately asked Jiang Peizhong: "The child must have been scared just now, where are Xiaoci and Yunyi? Call them in quickly."
"I was scared. I asked the children to go back first."
Jiang Peizhong and his wife have always respected and loved each other, and rarely had arguments. This time his wife went too far, and he couldn't help but say something harsh: "Su Wen, what's wrong with you? Do you have to make a family laugh at outsiders and make your own family feel uncomfortable?"
There was too much misunderstanding here. He Suwen hurried to get up: "I'm going to Wei Hai's house now to see his wife and Xiaoci."
Jiang Peizhong stopped his wife and said, "What will Comrade Wen Ying think if you chase the child there in the middle of the night? Wei Hai is not home yet. You two should all wait a moment. We can go together tomorrow."
She still had to wait for another night. He Suwen was extremely anxious and cried and cried, thinking back to the past events again. She would know if it was her daughter just by looking at her.
…
Jiang Xiaoci had adjusted her mentality. When she arrived at the door of her house, she took out a palm-sized portable mirror and looked at herself. Her eyes were fine and there was no sign that she had been crying.
She said to Jiang Yunyi, "Second brother, you promised me not to tell mom what happened at grandma's house just now."
Jiang Yunyi nodded slightly. He was originally very angry about his grandmother's attitude, but the person involved, Jiang Xiaoci, was able to analyze the situation rationally. He also thought it through along the way. His grandmother was indeed strange at that time, and there might really be a misunderstanding here.
When tomorrow morning comes, the old and the young will talk out the problem. If they can resolve it, then they will resolve it. If not, then they will just go their separate ways.
…
When I got home, Gu Wenying was already up. She had slept for the whole afternoon and felt much better. She smiled and asked, "Did you two come back after eating or on an empty stomach?"
Jiang Xiaoci immediately said, "We had four dishes and a soup at my grandparents' house. Grandma's hand was injured a few days ago, so she couldn't cook. My brother and I cooked, and grandma praised our hot and sour soup for being delicious."
Gu Wenying sincerely thanked Jiang Yunyi: "Thank you for cooperating with Xiaoci outside."
Jiang Yunyi felt guilty and his eyes were a little vague. He had already promised Jiang Xiaoci not to tell anyone, so he could only nod silently again and go back to his room.
Gu Wenying went to the kitchen and got a bowl of porridge that her daughter had prepared in advance. She ate it slowly without any side dishes.
He sighed while eating and whispered to Jiang Xiaoci, "Your second brother is indeed a bit difficult to get along with."
Jiang Xiaoci thought to herself that her second brother didn’t help her so much and even got angry with grandma. Her second brother was the best.
She immediately said, "Mom, my second brother looks cold on the outside but is warm on the inside. He will accompany me to grandma's house tomorrow morning."
"Why do you have to go tomorrow morning? Did anything unpleasant happen between you tonight?"
Mom is smart, but she is not easy to fool. Jiang Xiaoci quickly said, "No, it's because the meal she made tonight is so delicious. Grandma said she will treat me to her most famous steamed buns tomorrow morning."
Since my hand is injured and I can’t cook, how can I knead the dough to make buns? Gu Wenying was half-believing and half-doubting, and decided to wait for Jiang Weihai to come back tomorrow and go to her mother-in-law's house to see what the actual situation was.
…
Jiang Xiaoci had never encountered a situation where she had to keep lying before, and she was worried all night, thinking that if she couldn't talk things out with her grandmother in the morning, she would be exposed in front of her mother.
Early in the morning, before her mother got up, she took her second brother out.
On the way, Jiang Yunyi wanted to buy her breakfast first: "You don't really plan to go to grandma's house for breakfast, do you?"
Jiang Xiaoci was very conflicted. "Brother, I can't eat. Mom taught me not to lie since I was a child. She said that if I lied, I would have to keep lying to cover it up, and it would get out of control. I am like this now. I just want to go to grandma's house as soon as possible. If we really can't reconcile, I will go home and admit my mistake to mom."
Jiang Yunyi suggested: "Why don't we go back now and confess to your mother directly."
Jiang Xiaoci said quickly, "That's a later step. Let's talk to grandma first."
The two came to their grandparents' house again, and this time Jiang Xiaoci hesitated and didn't shout.
Jiang Yunyi felt soft-hearted when he saw her aggrieved look, and couldn't help but knock on the door: "Grandpa, grandma, are you home?"
After a flustered sound of footsteps, the gate opened. It was grandpa who opened the door. Grandma's hands were covered in flour. It seemed that she only saw Jiang Xiaoci in her eyes. She went forward and hugged her, her voice trembling with pity and guilt.
"Were you scared yesterday? It's all grandma's fault. Come in quickly. I made you my most famous steamed buns with preserved vegetables and pork. Let's talk while we eat."
Jiang Xiaoci was a girl who was easy to coax. She didn’t know what had happened, but she could sense that her grandmother’s attitude was different from yesterday.
She immediately responded emotionally, and said with a smile: "Grandma, I can also make dumplings, I will help you."
Jiang Yunyi was confused and looked at his grandfather in confusion: "Grandpa, have you convinced grandma?"
Jiang Peizhong didn't have that ability, and he didn't understand: "I don't know, you got up at four o'clock to knead the dough and chop the stuffing, regardless of the pain in your hands. You scolded me for meddling in other people's business when I tried to persuade you. I was going to bring you breakfast, but I came just in time. Your grandma rarely makes steamed buns with preserved vegetables and pork, so it's a rare treat for me."
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