Chapter 12 Living Expenses
What kind of person is Jiang Xinbai? As mentioned before, he never loses out on anything and he is not a hard-working person. So when she heard what Li Huifen said, she knew there must be something fishy going on.
But she still smiled and said, "Look at what you said, it's all for the good of the family, I'm definitely happy to do it. Sister-in-law, the money you guys earn from making matchboxes is given to mom for household expenses, so I'm helping the family by doing more housework, it's what I should do."
"Who said the money should be given to mom? All the money I earn is mine." Li Huifen became anxious when she heard Jiang Xinbai say this.
"Oh~, so it's private money!" Jiang Xinbai's voice dragged out. He wanted her to work for free, but it was impossible.
Sun Erni looked at the younger daughter-in-law who blew up the older daughter-in-law with just one sentence, and she couldn't help but shook her head in her heart. This Li Huifen just didn't have the bearing of a sister-in-law.
"Okay, okay, Xiaobai, if you want to make money, then next time there are matchboxes, you can come along. The four of us will make it together and then divide the money." Sun Erni was fair. They were both daughters-in-law, so she couldn't leave her out.
Li Huifen was holding back her anger and threw the newly glued matchboxes into the basket. "It's just a small amount every month, and I can't make much money. And I have to share it with several people. This job is really unbearable."
"Huifen, let's talk nicely. If you think the pay is too little, then quit." Sun Erni frowned and glanced at Li Huifen. The more she spoke, the more inappropriate she became. Xiaobai had just come in and her sister-in-law was targeting him like this. It would be a joke if anyone knew about it.
"Mom, when did I say I would quit? You are biased."
Sun Erni's eyes narrowed, "Then why do you say I am partial to you? Can you give me a clear explanation?"
"Then you gave it back..." Li Huifen paused, "Anyway, you are biased."
Seeing this, Jiang Xinbai pulled a small stool and sat down next to her mother-in-law, smiling and saying, "Mom, I'm not as dexterous as you, so I won't make things more complicated." She didn't want to paste the matchboxes anyway, so this was a good excuse.
Seeing her daughter-in-law's sincere expression, Sun Erni sighed, "Forget it, we'll talk about it next time when we have a chance. Anyway, you guys should take care of your own housework, and you can take turns cooking."
"Yeah, I'll listen to mom." Jiang Xinbai looked obedient.
"Okay, it's okay, just go and play with your sister." Sun Erni waved her hand. She couldn't just sit there and watch them work.
Jiang Xinbai had just that in mind, and went upstairs with a smile on his face.
"Why are you here? I saw your mother-in-law and the others were making matchboxes, didn't you go to help?" Jiang Xinlan looked at her younger sister in confusion.
"Are you the only one at home? Where are your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law?" Jiang Xinbai looked into the house and found that only his fifth sister was at home alone.
"Of course they went out. It's so boring to stay at home." It was only because she was not familiar with the place, otherwise she would have gone out to chat and go shopping.
"That's perfect. I have something to talk to you about." Jiang Xinbai pulled her to sit down. "Second sister, let me ask you, you don't have a food ration when you live in the city, so will your two sisters-in-law have any objections?"
After all, there is no food ration, so the extra person has to eat the ration of others. If there is not enough food, they have to spend money to buy expensive food. It is impossible for them not to have objections, right?
Jiang Xinlan rolled her eyes at her sister and said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Looking at your behavior, do you think you can have no objection? This is all money."
She paused here and said, "We have rural household registration. As long as we don't settle in the city, the children we have in the future will also be from the countryside like us, unless..."
"You can only settle down in the city if you have a job," Jiang Xinbai said.
"It's easy for you to say that. It's not easy to find a job. Money and luck are both essential." Although Jiang Xinlan had some money in her hand, she would not take it out unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Then I will definitely know. So what should I do? Before, I was just thinking about marrying into the city, but now eating is the top priority." Jiang Xinbai was a little worried. How difficult it would be to have a job now? She didn't even dare to think about it.
"My mother-in-law does have a temporary job, but she can't transfer her household registration with this." It's true, Jiang Xinlan had thought of this idea, but later she found out that only formal workers could settle in the city and transfer their food relations, so she simply gave up this plan.
Jiang Xinbai sighed, "That's definitely not possible, otherwise if we keep going around, we'll all become city dwellers."
If temporary workers can also register their residence, then a chain of interests will be derived. You give me the job, and I will give it back to you after I transfer my residence registration. In this way, a temporary worker's job may allow many people to settle down.
"Oh, why think so much? Just be thick-skinned." Jiang Xinlan didn't care. Since the family hadn't been divided anyway, she could eat her food. Who could stop her from eating?
"But will you go back to the village to pick chestnuts this year?" Jiang Xinlan was a little hesitant. After all, she and her younger sister were married. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to go back and compete with her parents' family to pick chestnuts?
Jiang Xinbai thought about it and realized that there were chestnuts. She replied happily, "Why not go? They're free and can fill your stomach, so why not? Besides, we were the ones who discovered those chestnut trees."
Speaking of this, Jiang Xinbai and her sister were lucky. The year before last, they went up the mountain to pick wild vegetables and walked far away without noticing. Now, they saw several wild chestnut trees. In August and September last year, they led the Jiang family to the mountains and brought back several bags of chestnuts quietly. This year, they must not miss it.
Jiang Xinlan thought about it and nodded, "Okay, call me when you come back to the village."
"Okay, you're supposed to go home every three days, so why don't you wait until Jinsheng doesn't have work this Sunday? I'll call you then."
After the two sisters agreed on a time, they chatted for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, Jiang Xinbai slowly walked downstairs.
As soon as she entered the house, she ran into Sun Erni who was sweeping the floor in the living room. "Mom, you take a rest first, I'll do it, I'll do it." Jiang Xinbai hurried forward and pretended to grab the broom.
Sun Erni tilted her body slightly and said with a smile, "It's almost done, so you don't need to get your hands dirty, just take a rest!" After saying that, she stared at Jiang Xinbai's belly meaningfully, thinking that maybe her eldest grandson is already in his mother's belly, so she should be careful.
Jiang Xinbai didn't think much about it, retracted her outstretched hand, then ran into the house and took out fifteen yuan, saying with a smile: "Mom, this is our living expenses for this month. Jinsheng asked me to give it to you before he left." No wonder Yang Jinsheng didn't have time to talk to her about this today. She had discussed this with her fifth sister upstairs.
Generally, a family would hand over ten yuan for living expenses after marriage, but she had no food connection in the city and had to buy expensive food, so even if she paid five yuan more, she was getting a bargain, which just happened to shut up her two sisters-in-law.
Sun Erni took the money and looked at it, frowning, "Why did you give me five more dollars?"
"Mom, this is what Jinsheng and I discussed. I don't have a food ration, so if I pay a little more, it's considered as a bargain for me. Please accept it." Jiang Xinbai said softly while hugging her mother-in-law's arm.
"Mom, what are you whispering to my younger brother and sister-in-law?" Li Huifen stood at the door and stared at her mother-in-law's hand, wondering if her mother-in-law had given something good to the third brother's family behind her back. She said that her mother-in-law was biased and refused to admit it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
