Chapter 27
"Comrade, do you want to buy the cloth and make it yourself, or leave it in the store and let us make it? It takes about two to three days to make a children's shirt." The old tailor asked as he placed the cloth on the counter.
Nowadays, some young people will buy sewing machines when they get married. They will buy some cloth on weekdays and go home to make their own clothes.
"I have some old clothes that my child used to wear. You can make them according to the size." Ye Meihe took out a gray-brown child's clothes and randomly selected two fabrics. Then, she pretended to look at the family photo on the glass cabinet casually, "Can you show me this photo?"
The old tailor took out a photo and pointed at Jiang Shan in the photo: "It's a mother and daughter, looking for this boy. It's this beautiful child, but all the children in their family are pretty." Seeing that Ye Meihe was very interested, he handed the photo to her, "The child in the photo was only two years old, and now he is three years old."
Ye Meihe stared at Jiang Shan in the photo without blinking.
Children change every day when they are young, but she still recognized Jiang Shan at first sight.
He was very small at that time, but still had some baby fat, a little chubby, and his eyes were as clear and innocent as they are now.
"Comrade, have you seen this child?" The old tailor saw that she was staring at the photo intently and asked, "If you have seen this child, can you think about it carefully? His family must be very worried."
"Never seen it." Ye Meihe said without even thinking.
Are you in such a hurry? Where did you go so early in the morning?
When she picked up Jiang Shan, the child was soaked like a drowned rat, his little body curled up and trembling constantly.
Over the past ten days, she had taken care of the child patiently and had already developed feelings for him. Therefore, when she learned that the child's family was looking for him, her first reaction was resistance.
"That's right. After so long, the children might have been kidnapped." The old tailor sighed. "I felt sorry for them, so I agreed to let her put the photos and the missing person notice here. In fact, looking for the children in this way is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Yes, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
After hearing what he said, Ye Meihe noticed that there was a missing person notice next to the place where the family photo was placed.
She lowered her eyes and looked carefully.
The handwriting was crooked, ugly, and even difficult to recognize.
But I don’t know why, but watching it makes me feel upset.
She could imagine how the mother had clumsily written down the revelation and then taken it to town to ask around about her son's whereabouts.
"Comrade, do you have the cloth coupons?" The old tailor calculated the cost of cloth and clothing.
Ye Meihe took out the cloth coupons, gave some money, and made an appointment with the old tailor to pick up the clothes the next afternoon after get off work.
When she left, she took another deep look at the family photo and the missing person notice, then got on her bicycle and rode away without looking back.
The old tailor watched her as she left. After a moment, he looked down at the clothes she brought with her and said to himself, "She's wearing nice clothes and has a bicycle. She looks like a respectable person. How come the clothes she brought for the child are so shabby..."
Ye Meihe rode her bike all the way back home.
There are dozens of families living in the textile factory compound. At this time, the smell of rice wafts out from every household.
"Are you back?" someone said to Ye Meihe with a smile.
"I'm back." Ye Meihe got off the bicycle and pushed it. "I just went to buy cloth to make clothes for the kids."
"You two are so kindhearted. You picked up a child on the street and took care of him as if he were your own. I think you should just raise the child in your home. You two have a good bond as mother and child."
"It was picked up after all. If his parents come, I have to return it..."
"Didn't Yongyuan say that the police station had no news? Maybe his parents don't even want to look for him! They treat him like a weed, and you two treat him like a treasure. In the end, this child is a blessing."
Ye Meihe was silent.
After she and her husband picked up Shanshan, they did want to send him back to the police station, but because the child caught a cold and had a high fever, she let her husband make the trip alone.
Later, Sun Yongyuan went there in a hurry and did not even leave his unit and contact address. He only said that the comrades in the police station said that no one had reported to the police because of missing a child in those two days.
She was very angry after hearing this. A normal person would go to the police station to report a lost wallet, so how come no one came to look for a missing child?
So after that, she said she would never let her husband take the children to the police station again.
Later, when the child had a high fever, she took care of him patiently.
Ye Meihe has always wanted to have a child, but she couldn't get pregnant no matter how many doctors and medicines she sought. She gave up, but Jiang Shan's appearance gave her hope.
She likes Jiang Shan very much.
Ye Meihe felt that the child was a little thin, so she fed him white flour buns and rice for every meal, as well as fish and meat, in the hope of making him plump and white. She also enrolled her child in a daycare center, and wanted to support him through elementary school, junior high school, and high school in the future... If the college entrance examination hadn't been canceled, she would even have wanted to support him through college.
But now, she realized that she might have been overthinking.
Jiang Shan’s biological mother and sister were looking for him. Perhaps they did report to the police at that time, but they did not go to the same police station as Sun Yongyuan.
They had sought help from the public security comrades, but there was no news for a long time, so they went around the streets looking for the person with family photos and missing person notices.
This method is not smart, and the chance of finding the child is still slim, but it is their only hope.
"What's wrong, Meihe?" The colleague waved his hand in front of Ye Meihe's eyes, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Ye Meihe came back to her senses and forced a smile: "No."
She pushed the bicycle to the shed, locked it, took out her key and went home.
As soon as you enter the door, you can smell the aroma coming from the kitchen.
"Didn't you say last time that children need to eat an egg a day to get nutrition?" Sun Yongyuan came out with a bowl in his hand and said, "I remembered that Shanshan hasn't eaten eggs today. The cafeteria has steamed eggs, but I was afraid they would get cold after I got them back, so I made one for the child."
They don’t usually cook at home. The couple are busy with work, so they take their tickets to the canteen to get food after get off work every day.
But after having a new child in the family, they had to give him extra meals from time to time, so they learned to cook some simple dishes.
"Do you know how to do it?" Ye Meihe picked up Shanshan who was following behind Sun Yongyuan and said with a smile, "It takes a lot of knowledge to steam a steamed egg well. How about I try it?"
Sun Yongyuan handed the bowl to her, took off his apron and tied it around her.
Ye Meihe didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "It's just steaming an egg, no need to wear an apron." Even so, she still raised her arms and looked helplessly at the little guy standing beside her, "Shanshan, do you think your uncle is stupid?"
Shanshan tilted her fair little face up, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing her tiny teeth, and smiled shyly.
Steamed eggs do not require any frying or flipping skills. They are ready in a short while.
The steamed egg is delicate and smooth, with a few cuts on it, drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil, and sprinkled with chopped green onions. It is fragrant and looks very appetizing.
It’s time for dinner.
Ye Meihe picked up Shanshan, put him on the chair next to her, and gave him a spoon and a bowl of rice.
Jiang Shan could eat by himself. He scooped up some white rice with a small spoon, put it into his mouth, and then gently scooped up a mouthful of steamed egg.
"Be careful of the heat!" Ye Meihe said quickly.
But Jiang Shan was slow and methodical. He held the small spoon and blew it against his mouth: "Huh - Huh -"
After a long time, he put it into his mouth.
Ye Meihe rubbed Jiang Shan's head: "Shan Shan, I'll feed you, okay?"
Although the child can eat by himself, she just likes him, feels sorry for him, and wants to treat him better.
Jiang Shan didn't quite understand why the aunt did this, but he nodded obediently anyway. Whenever the aunt brought the spoon to his mouth, he opened his mouth and ate one bite after another. He was very obedient.
"Meihe, your hand..." Suddenly, Sun Yongyuan held his wife's wrist and pointed at the joint of her index finger, "What's wrong with that?"
"It was just boiled." Ye Meihe said with a smile, "Look at how clumsy I am. I used my hands to pick up the bowl as soon as it came out of the pot."
Ye Meihe was not a pretentious person, she was just joking and didn't take it seriously.
Sun Yongyuan smiled and said to Jiang Shan, "Shan Shan, Auntie just said Uncle is stupid. I think she is stupid, right?"
Ye Meihe glared at Sun Yongyuan unhappily and continued to feed Jiang Shan with a small spoon.
Unexpectedly, at this time, Jiang Shan did not open his mouth.
He leaned his head closer, pouting his lips, and blew at the red spot on Ye Meihe's fingers.
“Huff—”
Ye Meihe was stunned.
The softest part of her heart was inexplicably hit, and her nose felt slightly sour: "Shanshan, are you worried about your aunt?"
"It doesn't hurt..." Shanshan pointed at her finger and said in a baby voice, "It doesn't hurt..."
This aunt treated him better than his grandmother, eldest aunt, second aunt, and some of the other aunts in his family.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Ye Meihe's eyes were red. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and hugged him tightly. "Shanshan, blow on it and it won't hurt anymore."
She picked up such a good child, and she wanted to raise him forever.
She thought, it would be okay to keep raising it, right?
After all, she didn't kidnap him or buy him. She took him home and gave him the best care when he was most at a loss...
"Let's eat." Sun Yongyuan said, "The food is getting cold."
"Shanshan." Ye Meihe suddenly said, "Do you like our family?"
"I like it." Jiang Shan nodded confusedly.
"Are you willing to stay in our house from now on?" Ye Meihe thought for a moment, mustered up her courage, and asked.
This time, Jiang Shan didn't even think about it and shook his head: "No."
"Why?" Ye Meihe asked anxiously.
"I want to go home." Jiang Shan said, "I miss my mother, my brother, my sister, and Youyou."
Ye Meihe's eyes dimmed and she said nothing more.
Sun Yongyuan looked at his wife in confusion and picked up a piece of pork ribs for Jiang Shan, "Shanshan, eat."
…
When Meng Jinyu and Youyou arrived at Fenglin Village, it was already dark.
From a distance, I could hear the old men and women chatting at the village entrance talking about the Jiang family.
"I heard that Jiang Lao San is clamoring to split up the family!"
"This daughter-in-law hasn't even been married yet, but she's already making a fuss about wanting to be single. I thought she was kind and gentle, and she was easy to talk to, but I didn't expect her to be so powerful!"
"What's the point of having a son? His elbows are bent outwards, and he only leans towards his wife!"
As they were talking, they saw Meng Jinyu and immediately pursed their lips and remained silent.
"Have you eaten everything?" Meng Jinyu waved her hand generously, took Youyou and walked towards her home.
"Eat it, eat it!"
"Why are you back so late?"
Only after the mother and daughter's backs gradually disappeared did the uncles and aunts start chatting again.
"I used to think Jin Yu was a powerful person, but think about it, she has been married to the Jiang family for more than ten years, and her life has been getting more and more prosperous. She has taught the children well, and I have never heard of any quarrels between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, or the sisters-in-law..."
"Wenwen, you've only been here for a few days, and you're making so much noise all day long."
"A harmonious family brings prosperity. Just let the Jiang family's third son do what he wants. If he keeps doing this, sooner or later the whole village will laugh at him!"
Meng Jinyu heard all these words, but she let them go in one ear and out the other and didn't take them to heart at all.
She walked all the way to the end of the village, and when she passed the educated youth site, she happened to meet Lin Li and Jiang Zhihong who were taking a walk.
"Lin Zhiqing, Jiang Zhiqing." Meng Jinyu greeted them.
Youyou said obediently, "Hello, uncle and aunt."
Lin Li smiled and rubbed Youyou's cheek, saying, "Youyou's pigtails look really nice today."
"This is the one my mother gave me!" The little girl puffed out her chest.
Jiang Zhihong smiled, took out a candy from his pocket and stuffed it into Youyou's pocket: "Uncle will treat you to candy."
Youyou's eyes immediately sparkled, and she tilted her head back and asked Meng Jinyu, "Mom, can I have it?"
Meng Jinyu laughed: "Hurry up and thank uncle and aunt."
Lin Li was so amused that her eyes curved with laughter. She peeled off the candy wrapper and stuffed the candy into Youyou's mouth.
The little guy tasted it and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, with the corners of his mouth raised, forming a pair of shallow dimples.
…
Meng Jinyu cooked dinner and the mother and daughter simply filled their stomachs.
"Youyou, Mom wants to go to the brigade to see if there's anything I can do to help." Meng Jinyu said, "Can you stay at the village chief's house for a while?"
Meng Jinyu was always busy and never slacked off. Finding the child was her personal matter and she felt embarrassed for delaying the team's work because of it.
Besides, she felt bad about the deducted work points, so she wanted to work more at night. Even if she could only make up one or two work points, it would be better than nothing.
More work points meant more food, and she had to feed her children.
"Okay." Youyou said, "I'll go play by myself."
Meng Jinyu took Youyou to the village chief's house.
However, although the village chief's family likes Youyou, in the long run, it will always cause trouble to others.
She had to find a way to take good care of the child.
After all, since the memories of her past life have been awakened in her mind, she should make use of this. Going to the fields to earn work points is just enough to fill her stomach.
She had to create a better life for herself and her children.
At this moment, Youyou arrived at the door of the village chief's house.
As soon as she saw her, Liu Lanxiang said happily, "Our Youyou is here!"
Liu Lanxiang really likes this little girl. In the past, because of Mianmian's matter, their whole family seemed to be shrouded in a shadow, and no one could be happy, as if if they were happy, they would be sorry for the dead Mianmian.
But now, Youyou appears.
Whether it is the village head and his wife, or Xu Weiwei and her husband, everyone likes Youyou very much. The child’s innocent smile can heal the wounds in their hearts.
"Village head grandma! Youyou is here!" Youyou tilted her little face and called out sweetly, and Liu Lanxiang's mouth almost stretched to her ears.
She took Youyou's hand and was about to take the child back to the house.
However, at this moment, a crisp voice rang out.
"Yuzu!"
Little Tuanzi turned around and saw Sister Erni and Uncle Liang.
Uncle Liang has been home for a while. Since there is no new work during this period, he doesn't have to go out.
Although Youyou's words had frightened Jiang Ai Qiu so much that she no longer dared to be mean to Sister Erni, now that Uncle Liang was home, Sister Erni's life became even happier. Her skin became whiter, her face gained weight, and she regained her old smile.
Youyou is especially happy for sister Erni!
"Sister Erni!" Youyou ran over in surprise, opened her short arms wide, and gave Sister Erni a tight hug.
The two little kids hugged each other, so happy that they jumped up and down on the spot, their clear laughter echoing.
"Youyou! Come to my house and play!" Erni held Youyou's little hand tightly.
Liu Lanxiang quickly said, "Youyou, the village chief is waiting for you to play chess at home."
Erni pulled Youyou tighter: "My dad made me a wooden table, we can take our books and learn words on it!"
Looking at this scene, Meng Jinyu couldn't help laughing.
Her little daughter is popular and seems to be studious and motivated. Anyone who wants to coax her home uses "study" as "bait".
"Youyou, mom is going to work first and will come to pick you up later." After saying this, Meng Jinyu went to the brigade.
"Youyou, go home with the village head."
"Come on, come on, come to my house and play!"
“Then I—” Youyou tilted her head, unable to make a decision for a moment.
Just when everyone was in a stalemate, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo came out of the Jiang family with their heads down.
"Brother, why do you think they are quarreling?" Jiang Guo said, "I have never seen uncle and second uncle so angry."
After Jiang Huanming proposed to split the family, Jiang Gaoming and Jiang Jianming, who were usually easy-going, turned pale. Zhu Dali and Wang Xiaofen said that the third family had made it on their own, regardless of the young and old in the family, which made Ruan Wenwen say a few sarcastic words.
Old Mrs. Jiang was the most reluctant to divide the family property, but the third wife seemed determined, and she had no other choice but to shout at the top of her lungs, asking them to leave and never come back.
The two younger brothers and sisters from their eldest uncle's family were so scared that they started crying. Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo had never seen the house in such a mess, so they quickly slipped away.
"I don't want them to quarrel." Jiang Guo said.
"There's nothing we can do. We'll quarrel even more fiercely in the future." Jiang Cheng said, "Guoguo, are you willing to split up?"
"I think it's good for us to live together." Jiang Guo said, "But my mother told me that after the separation, we can eat more meat and eggs every month."
"Then your stepmother asked you to express your position, why didn't you say it?" Jiang Cheng asked.
Jiang Guo shrugged: "I'm not stupid. Everyone is arguing so much, and if I still clamor for a separation, won't I be scolded by the adults? Besides, after the separation, I might have to light a fire and cook at home, which is not as comfortable as it is now."
In fact, ever since Ruan Wenwen came to this family, she has been secretly brainwashing the brother and sister about the benefits of separating the family.
Later, when her true identity was revealed, Jiang Cheng no longer listened to her, so she began to win over Jiang Guo's heart.
Ruan Wenwen painted one big rosy picture after another for Jiang Guo, saying that life after the separation would be as beautiful as a painting. Just now, when she was arguing with everyone about the separation, she was secretly pulling at the corner of Jiang Guo's clothes from behind, hoping that she would say a few words for her.
But Jiang Guo is unwilling to get involved.
"I'm just a kid." Jiang Guo said seriously, "As long as I have food to eat, it doesn't matter where I live."
With a "puff", Jiang Cheng was amused.
He was willing to stay in the Jiang family, firstly because he was afraid of adding burden to his mother, and secondly because he was afraid that Jiang Guo would be used as a tool by his stepmother.
But it seems that although Jiang Guo is easy to coax, he is not the kind of person who will hit anyone wherever he is directed.
"Brother, I don't want to go home." Jiang Guo sighed, "Our family used to be happy every day, and Mom got along well with everyone, but now everyone has a gloomy face and no one is happy?"
"I don't want to go home either." Jiang Cheng said, "Wait until they have had enough of the quarrel, then go back."
The brother and sister walked aimlessly with their heads hung, shoulders drooped, kicking pebbles on the ground.
Just at this moment, a soft and sticky voice was heard.
"Everyone wants to invite Youyou to their home, but there is only one Youyou."
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo looked up and saw their sister surrounded by several people, standing at the door of the village chief's house, looking helpless.
Although the little dumpling looks small, he is the focus of everyone's attention.
She tilted her head, with her pigtails sticking up high and a sweet smile on her lips, like a cute porcelain doll on the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative.
The moment they saw their sister, the depression in Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo's hearts seemed to suddenly dissipate.
And at this moment, Youyou also saw her brothers and sisters.
Jiang Guo hasn't seen his sister for several days.
Thinking of how her sister got angry at her because of her mother, she scratched the back of her head, awkwardly reached out her hand, and gently tugged at her sister's fingers: "Youyou - let me take you out to play."
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she felt guilty again.
That day, little Dumpling took his mother away in a rage, not even bothering to glance at her.
The little guy must be angry and doesn't want to pay attention to her...
Jiang Guo lowered his eyes, retracted his hand in frustration, and drew circles on the ground with his toes.
Jiang Cheng said: "Youyou, big brother will take you to the back mountain to play and pick wild fruits."
Youyou tilted her head and said in a baby voice, "Okay."
She loved picking wild fruits the most, but going up the mountain was too dangerous, especially at night, so her mother wouldn't let her go.
But it’s different with my brother around!
Youyou said apologetically to the village head grandmother and Erni sister: "Youyou has to play with her brothers and sisters today. I will play with you another day, okay?"
My brothers and sisters...
Hearing this, Jiang Guo quietly raised the corners of his lips and smiled foolishly.
Youyou followed her brothers and sisters and went to play happily.
There are so many games for older children to play, and the little ones play until they are sweating and giggling all the time.
Tired of playing, Youyou went home, got a kettle filled with boiled water and brought it out, then sat on the edge of the field with her brothers and sisters to rest.
"Shanshan used to like watching us play, following us like a little tail bug." Jiang Guo held up her chin, and said sadly, "I wonder where he is now."
"It would be great if Shanshan could go home." said Jiang Cheng.
Youyou told her brothers and sisters that she and her mother went to the town to look for Shanshan with a missing person notice.
She also took out the small family photo she had hidden in her pocket and said, "Look."
Jiang Cheng took the family photo.
Looking at the family gathered together neatly in the photo, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.
"Even if my brother can come back, our home will no longer be the same home after he comes back." Jiang Cheng said in a low voice.
Jiang Guo gently touched the brothers and sisters in the family portrait: "Home is not the same home anymore, but the brothers and sisters will never change."
Youyou felt that what she said was right, and she listened seriously, as if something suddenly became clear to her.
Jiang Cheng pursed his lips, feeling an inexplicable sense of sadness in his heart.
He raised his eyes and saw that his two sisters were sitting next to him. They didn't separate, but he didn't seem so sad anymore.
"Youyou, in a few days, Guoguo and I will go to school." Jiang Cheng said.
Youyou said in surprise, "Mom will be very happy!" She thought for a moment and then said, "Will it be like before, and I won't be able to see you anymore?"
"No." Jiang Cheng said, "We are going to study in the school run by the commune and will not return to the town."
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo wanted to go back to school, but they were reluctant to go back to the school in town.
This time Jiang Huanming was reliable. He found out that the commune had established a new school with classes for all grades from primary school to junior high school, and the teachers were educated youth who had gone to the countryside.
This way, the brother and sister don't have to travel far to go to class.
"It must be fun to learn a skill." Youyou looked curious, her eyes full of longing.
Jiang Guo said: "Youyou, do you want to go?"
"Can I?" Youyou's eyes were expectant yet confused.
"Of course! When school starts, I'll take you out to see the world!" Jiang Guo patted her chest, paused, and asked cautiously, "Youyou, are you willing to let me take you?"
…
Before going to bed that night, Youyou was chirping and looked particularly excited.
Meng Jinyu smiled and rubbed her little head, listening to her talking about the fun things she did with her brothers and sisters in the evening.
In fact, the four children she gave birth to have always had a good relationship with each other.
In my memory of my previous life, my brothers and sisters never quarreled over any trivial matters. No matter what happened, they always stood up and faced it together.
In this life, although she told herself to know how to make choices and not to insist on Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo staying by her side, deep down in her heart, these two children hold the same position as Youyou and Shanshan.
Take Jiang Guo for example. Even if the child said excessive words and did excessive things and hurt her feelings, does she hope that the child will be completely misled and will only feel satisfied when he is severely slapped in the face?
No.
No matter who they stay with, Meng Jinyu hopes that they can live a good life.
Just learn to let go and no longer hold on to it.
"By the way! Mom, my brothers and sisters are going to the commune to go to school!" said Youyou.
"As long as you are willing to study." Meng Jinyu was surprised and relieved.
The mother and daughter talked for a long time, and at the end, they finally felt a little tired.
The noise in the room gradually became quieter, and Youyou nestled in her mother's arms and fell asleep peacefully.
…
It is a foregone conclusion that the third branch of the Jiang family will be separated.
Seeing that Jiang Huanming and Ruan Wenwen were determined to leave, Old Lady Jiang was so angry that she was shaking all over. She said, "If you want to divide the family property, you can do whatever you want, but there are no extra rooms at home, so you have to find a place to live!"
This put Jiang Huanming in a dilemma.
Before, he was so coaxed by Ruan Wenwen that he didn't even consider the question of where to live after the separation. Now that he thinks about it, he is in a dilemma.
Jiang Huanming thought about borrowing a room from the village chief like Meng Jinyu did, but that would be so embarrassing for him!
Besides, the village chief lent the house to Meng Jinyu because of his special circumstances, but he might not be able to borrow it. Otherwise, everyone in the village who wanted to divide the family property would go to the village chief. There would not be so many idle houses in the whole village.
While he was hesitating, Ruan Wenwen came up with an idea for him.
"Isn't there a house next to the youth education center? It's big and bright." Ruan Wenwen said, "When the time comes, we can go and take that house over, whether we buy it or rent it. That's real money. Can the village chief not live with money?"
Jiang Huanming frowned and thought for a while: "You remembered it wrongly? That room - someone lives there!"
The house next to the educated youth site was where educated youth Lin and Jiang lived.
They were a couple. Not long after they went to the countryside, they got to know each other and got together.
The two educated youth had made many contributions to the village and applied to the higher authorities, and were then allocated this house.
"I'm still living here for now, but who knows what will happen in the future?" Ruan Wenwen winked at Jiang Huanming. "If they get divorced, can they hand over this house?"
Jiang Huanming was confused: "Lin Zhiqing and Jiang Zhiqing are getting divorced? How is this possible! Everyone in Fenglin Village knows how good their relationship is! What's more, Lin Zhiqing is pregnant, so it's not their turn to get divorced!"
…
At this moment, Jiang Zhihong and Lin Li were at a loss as to how to return to the city.
They came out of the educated youth point holding a letter, walking side by side, with their brows tightly furrowed and looking absent-minded.
If you count them up, the two of them have been working in the countryside for several years.
When I first came here, I was looking forward to going back. Now, many years have passed, and I finally have news.
The letter was from Jiang Zhihong's mother. She found out that the unit had a quota for recruiting educated youth to return to the city to work and be assigned to their brigade.
But there are conditions for returning to the city, you have to be unmarried.
Lin Li and Jiang Zhihong are among the most capable educated youth in this group. If they meet the unmarried requirement, they will have a great chance of returning to the city after submitting their application.
But the thing is, they are not unmarried.
"Forget it, don't think too much about it." Lin Li said softly, "We have been in the countryside for so many years, and we can still live here."
Jiang Zhihong held Lin Li's hand and said, "You are pregnant. If you can be recruited back to the city by your company, you won't have to work in the fields anymore. Your life will be much easier."
"What can we do?" Lin Li smiled bitterly and shook her head, "We don't meet the requirements."
At this time, a slow voice came from behind.
"Why is there no solution? Just have a fake divorce." Ruan Wenwen walked forward.
The couple turned around at the same time.
Ruan Wenwen said: "The return to the city quota is so precious. Just because you are married, you give up this great opportunity. Isn't it a pity? As long as two people truly love each other, they will miss each other even if they are separated."
After a pause, she added, "Besides, one person will go back this time, and the remaining one will continue to wait for the opportunity to be recruited back to the city. Maybe next month, or maybe by the end of the year, you can reunite in the city?"
Lin Li and Jiang Zhihong were stunned.
Fake divorce...
Marriage is not a joke, so how can you talk about divorce so easily?
Ruan Wenwen looked at the two of them quietly, feeling confident.
In the previous life, Lin Li and Jiang Zhihong decided to get a divorce after much consideration.
After the divorce, they both applied for a return-to-city quota at the same time. Jiang Zhihong got it, but gave it to his pregnant wife.
Lin Li returned to the city alone to give birth to her child, but who would have known that not long after the confinement period, she was notified to work overtime.
Because it was an overtime job with sudden notice, her parents went home and there was no one to take care of the child, so Lin Li took the child to her in-laws' house.
But she didn't expect that day, she met a drunk man on the road.
The drunk man rushed around and almost hit her. Lin Li asked him to be careful, but she didn't want to anger him.
The other person was very strong and pushed her hard. The child in her arms fell to the ground and his face turned purple.
The child hit the back of his head. After examination, the doctor said that it would affect his intellectual development.
Lin Li couldn't accept the blow and cried at home.
Her father felt sorry for his daughter and granddaughter, so he went to settle the score with the drunk as soon as he came out of the hospital. During the argument, the old man fell to the ground.
Older people may get into trouble if they fall.
The scene was very chaotic. The old man had a heart problem and he fainted and never woke up again.
Although the drunkard was later punished by law, Lin Li suffered a double blow, feeling heartbroken and guilty, and became depressed.
She was depressed and unable to get over the problem, and one afternoon she chose to end her young life at home.
Jiang Zhihong was heartbroken when he found out.
Even many years later, he still regretted not staying with his wife and regretted making the foolish decision for the opportunity to return to the city.
It seemed like God was playing a joke on them, and by some strange coincidence, his fate changed the trajectory of their lives.
Ruan Wenwen remembered all of this, and she also knew that the college entrance examination would be resumed next year. By then, with the couple's abilities and ambition, they would be able to take the college entrance examination and graduate from Fenglin Village.
But what does this have to do with her?
She wants a share of the property and the house the couple now lives in.
Thinking of this, Ruan Wenwen sneered and walked forward.
This pair of lovers had to be separated even if she didn't want to.
…
"Early in the morning, I asked you to go to the canteen to get porridge, but you took an empty lunch box there and brought it back empty again." Sun Yongyuan put the lunch box on the table helplessly. "What happened to you these past two days? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ye Meihe hesitated for a long time, then made up her mind and said, "Shanshan's mother and sister are looking for him everywhere, but I can't bear to give the child back to them."
Sun Yongyuan could feel that Ye Meihe was distracted these days, as if she had something on her mind.
But he didn't expect that his wife was suffering because of Jiang Shan's matter.
"You are really making a fuss! You knew his family was looking for him, why didn't you send him back?" Sun Yongyuan frowned, "Where are the child's mother and sister?"
"Shanshan can live a better life in our home. I can love him like his own mother, and our family is well-off, so we will not treat him unfairly in any way," said Ye Meihe.
"Your logic is twisted!" Sun Yongyuan said, "At the beginning I said to send the child to the police station, but you disagreed. Yes, we really love him, but we should adopt him through formal adoption procedures. Picking up a child and raising him at home, what's the difference between this and human traffickers?"
Ye Meihe was shocked and shook her head vigorously: "Don't be so harsh! We picked up this child. If he was picked up by someone with bad intentions, what would his situation be now?" Her eyes were red and full of sadness. "Just listen to me calmly. Shanshan is obedient and smart. He is still so young. If we raise him for a few years, he will forget his biological parents. By then, he will be just like my own child. You know how much I want a child."
"Even if you want to have children, you can't do this."
"Of course you don't care. If I can't have a baby, you can find someone else. Divorce is not uncommon nowadays anyway."
"What's the point of talking nonsense?"
"Anyway, I don't agree to send Shanshan away! At worst, I can apply for a transfer, take Shanshan to work in another place, and never come back. Let's see who can find us!"
The couple quarreled so much that they finally parted on bad terms.
Looking at Ye Meihe turning and leaving, Sun Yongyuan held his forehead with one hand, feeling annoyed.
At this time, Shanshan rubbed her eyes and came out of the house.
"We had a fight and woke you up, right?" Sun Yongyuan asked with a sigh.
Shanshan nodded.
"Did you hear what we were arguing about?" he asked again.
The child shook his head at this moment, he really didn't hear it.
Sun Yongyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over, squatted in front of Jiang Shan, and held the child's shoulders with both hands: "Think about it, do you remember where you live?"
But Jiang Shan's answer disappointed him.
That's right. The child is only three years old. He has always lived in the village and has rarely gone out. He always follows adults wherever he goes. It is impossible for him to know the exact location of his home.
Moreover, adults usually called each other by their names without their surnames. These days, people in the village used the same few characters over and over again. Even if Jiang Shan remembered that his parents' names were "Jin Yu" or "Huan Ming", he couldn't find out who they were or where they lived.
But even so, the child still had to be sent back.
Sun Yongyuan thought about it, and after sending Jiang Shan to the nursery, he went back to his mother's home and asked the old lady to pick up the child in the afternoon.
As for him, he took half a day off, rode his bicycle, and left the unit.
Sun Yongyuan remembered that his wife said that she saw the photo left by the child's mother in a fabric store.
But when he expressed his strong desire to send the child back to his biological parents, she refused to tell him where the fabric store was.
But it doesn’t matter. How many fabric stores are there in Jiangcheng?
Go to each room and ask each room, you will always get news.
No matter what, Shanshan must be sent home so that the child can be reunited with his family.
Even so, he couldn't bear to do so.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
