Then that month, she went to ask for another twenty yuan and thirty jin of grain coupons. Combined with her salary, she lived quite comfortably. When she got home, she ate noodles and thought, "So, with a monthly salary of 38.5 yuan, just eating is enough to live so well! No wonder Wei Shuqing was so determined to get a divorce." She also realized that she needed to eat better to take care of herself; that year in Northeast China had really taken a toll on her. Of course, she planned to keep asking for more, tacitly accepting that the twenty yuan and grain coupons as subsidies.
After finishing my meal, I washed myself with hot water, applied clam oil, and went to bed.
Lying in bed, she was already planning how she could buy new clothes once she received her money next month, and then she fell into a sweet sleep.
When Wang Dong learned that Wang Hong was going to the countryside, he cursed Qi Zhifang a thousand times in his heart. He turned around and ran away angrily, shouting, "I'm going to find her!"
Wang Hong pulled Wang Dong aside and said, "Brother, don't beg her. Even if she offered me a job, I wouldn't take it. So what if I have to go to the countryside? I'm not afraid. Anyway, I won't acknowledge her anymore."
Wang Dong, his eyes red, said, "Honghong, you..."
Wang Hong, holding back her tears, said, "After I'm gone, it'll just be you and Grandma left at home. Brother, from now on, you'll take care of Grandma for me!" Wang Dong nodded, unable to speak, afraid that if he opened his mouth, tears would flow.
Wang Hong looked at Qi's mother and said, "Grandma, take good care of yourself. I'll come back and take care of you." The three of them hugged each other and wept bitterly, hating Qi Zhifang even more.
Wang Dong gave Wang Hong fifty yuan, 30 jin of grain coupons, some daily necessities coupons, and all the money and coupons given by the educated youth office. He said he would send her money every month. With great reluctance, Wang Hong packed her bags and left.
After seeing Wang Hong off, Qi's mother and Wang Dong went back to work, while Qi's mother went back to sew shoe soles for a while. Seeing that it was almost time, she headed to school.
As Zhao Aiguo said goodbye to his classmates, he saw Qi's mother smiling and saying, "The old lady is out for a stroll again?"
Mother Qi forced a smile. "Yes, you've come over again!"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "Want to take a walk together?"
Qi's mother smiled and nodded and walked over. The two walked side by side. Zhao Aiguo noticed that Qi's mother was not in a good mood and her eyelids were swollen. He said, "What's wrong, old lady? Are you crying? Did your husband give a handkerchief to another old lady but not to you?"
Qi's mother glared at him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! My old man went to see Marx a long time ago! I'm in a bad mood because my granddaughter went to the countryside today, and from now on, it'll just be me and my grandson living in that house. Just thinking about it makes me feel uneasy!"
Zhao Aiguo blinked and looked at Qi's mother, saying, "Doesn't your daughter live with you?"
Qi's mother choked on her words. She couldn't very well say that her daughter was a convict living on her own! She stammered, "She has her own house..."
Zhao Aiguo asked in confusion, "Then why don't your grandson and granddaughter live with their mother? Why do they live with you?"
This is quite novel in this day and age, because children usually live with their parents or grandparents, unless there is a special occasion and they go to their maternal grandparents' house. Of course, special circumstances or the homes of high-ranking officials are not included.
Qi's mother sighed and didn't continue, changing the subject and saying, "My poor granddaughter! She was sent to the countryside before she was even 16."
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "That's for sure! That fresh-faced little cabbage turned into an old cabbage stalk in just a few days there. I said, how did you raise your daughter? You raised her to be so heartless!" Then he covered his mouth and said, "Wait a minute, people going to the Northwest at this time of year are usually from families with some problems. Old lady, could you be from a family with a stain on your record? You keep coming to see me every day, don't get me into trouble!"
Mother Qi, her face flushed with anger, said unhappily, "My grandson and daughter both work at the arsenal, what problems could there be! You're so young, yet you think so much!" She sighed and said, "It's not like her mother initially agreed to give him a job, so she wasn't in a hurry to apply. In the end, all that was left was the Northwest. My daughter! She's been selfish and self-centered since she was little, with no plan. She's lost several jobs, and now she's got another one that she doesn't even know how long she'll last, and she absolutely refuses to hand it over. No one can persuade her otherwise..."
Zhao Aiguo laughed and said, "These days, a job is passed down through generations. Your daughter can find several jobs! This is it." He gave a thumbs up and continued, "This woman has character! What's that saying again? If the King of Hell wanted her to die at midnight, she'd be gone by midnight. She's all about 'my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens'!"
Qi's mother was speechless, looking at Zhao Aiguo as if he were an idiot, thinking to herself, "This child is quite handsome, but he really doesn't know how to speak!"
Zhao Aiguo, oblivious to this, kept smacking his lips, asking, "Where's your son-in-law? I've never heard of the child's father."
Qi's mother sighed and said, "My son-in-law was a martyr. He sacrificed his life to protect the people's property."
Zhao Aiguo exclaimed, "Good heavens, she's supposed to be a military wife? How come she has such low awareness! Why doesn't she care about her own child? Has she found someone else?"
Qi's mother shook her head and said, "No, she's always alone."
Zhao Aiguo suddenly realized something and his eyes lit up. He gossiped, "Let me tell you, old lady, you should go check on her. A widow who doesn't raise her children, doesn't care about them, and is living alone—that's not normal. Hopefully, something bad will happen." Just as Qi's mother was about to retort, Zhao Aiguo's eyes lit up again. "Old lady, you go ahead! I saw my grandfather!"
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Wait for me, wait for me..." and ran forward in a flash.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
