She led Liang Meifen up the mountain. She was well prepared for this trip. Although it cost her money as well as her life, she tied one end of the rope to her body and the other end to the tree, and told Liang Meifen: "As long as the ice doesn't crack, you don't have to worry about me. Let's take turns and save some strength."
This is a physical job. After the two women finished, their arms were so sore, but the men in the family couldn't take leave, so they were the only ones who came. Who told them to make money?
The two women took turns to do the work. Although they didn't know how it worked, it was really useful. In one morning, the two women caught a basket of fish. The two women sat on the ground, panting.
Liang Meifen wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "This job requires a man."
It is said that everyone wants to have a son now, especially in rural areas, not only because of the old idea of passing on the family line, but also because having a boy means there is an extra labor force in the family, which is extremely important.
Zhao Guihua glanced at Liang Meifen and said, "Alright, hurry up and pack up and go back. You go home directly and I'll go to the black market."
Priscilla Leung: “Ah?”
She looked at her mother-in-law in shock and said, "You went to the black market by yourself? How can you do that?"
Zhao Guihua: "Why not? Look at you. If you go and encounter an inspection, you will probably be in trouble. I will have to take care of you then."
If it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't do all the fishing in the mountains by herself, she wouldn't have wanted to bring her daughter-in-law with her. It's not that she was afraid that she would tell others, but that this person was easily startled. She was so scared that her face turned pale over such a small thing.
This is too much to bear! Zhao Guihua unzipped her trouser belt, unbuttoned a small button on her trouser waist, took out two bills and five yuan from her secret pocket, and said, "Let's split up. I'll go to the black market to secretly sell fish, and you go to the granary to buy some grain and make some white flour dumpling soup for dinner."
These words shocked Leung Mei-fun again.
Is his family so rich now? What kind of family is this? Why do they still eat fine grains every day? Even though she didn't say a word, Zhao Guihua could see what she meant. She glared at her and said, "Do you have any objection to my decision? We have to go up the mountain every day these days. We are so tired that we can't even eat some fine grains?"
Liang Meifen felt wronged: "Mother-in-law, that's not what I meant."
She also likes to eat fine grains. Isn't she afraid of making her family poor? But when she looked at her mother-in-law's mean look, she thought, "It's okay if she wants to spend it, it's not her money anyway! This old woman doesn't know what's good for her!" She said, "Okay, I'll go to the grain station to buy grain after we get to the city."
She wanted to ask, "Is there no more fine grain at home?" Seeing that her mother-in-law was about to go back, she hurriedly followed her and said, "Let me ride the bike."
Zhao Guihua said quietly: "You can ride as you like, but you have to be careful. If Xiaohong falls, Xiao Ming at home will probably kill you."
Liang Meifen had already started to pedal, but she stumbled and almost fell. She took a deep breath and felt that this life was really unbearable. It was fine that her mother-in-law was a vicious old woman, but her new sister-in-law was also a mysterious one.
How could a normal young wife name a bicycle? She sighed sadly, thinking that she was the only normal person in the family.
Liang Meifen pedaled her bike, thinking she was being discreet while asking, "Mother-in-law, my sister-in-law is getting paid for a service position, right? Level 16?"
The salary of this service post, the bigger the number, the lower the level; if you reach level one, it is very high. This is completely opposite to the machinery factory, where for riveters like Zhuang Laonian, the bigger the number, the higher the level. Level one is a newcomer.
Zhao Guihua curled her lips and said, "Why don't you just ask her how much her salary is?"
Liang Meifen smiled awkwardly and said, "I, I didn't mean that either."
Zhao Guihua sneered and said, "If you don't mean that, don't ask. Don't play tricks in front of me. Don't brandish a sword in front of Guan Gong. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Liang Meifen blushed and thought to herself that this was such a wicked mother-in-law. She had it so hard, but what could she do? After all, she and Zhiyuan were truly in love. She lamented her pitiful fate, but still couldn't help asking, "Actually, I kind of want to know."
Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes and snorted, "Her salary is probably in her early thirties, which is higher than the third brother's."
There is nothing to hide about this. Nowadays, even neighbors generally know how much money other families make. If a family has no workers but still enjoys a life of luxury, you will see that someone will report it to the street office. Immediately, an old lady with a red armband will come to investigate.
So there is nothing to hide.
Liang Meifen was surprised: "She only earns over 30? How is that possible? Hasn't she only been working at the post for over two years?"
Normally, for someone like her with a short working experience, the salary would be around 20 bucks, not more than 25 bucks. This was something that Mei-Fun Leung knew.
Zhao Guihua said casually: "After she started working, she once caught a gang of thieves on a bus. She beat seven of them alone and was commended!"
Priscilla Leung: “Ah!!!”
Her bicycle went into the ditch with a whoosh. Zhao Guihua said, "Fuck you!"
She jumped off the bike quickly and grabbed the bike, saving both Mei-Fun and the bike. It was a close call, and she would have fallen into the ditch if she had only half a meter left. Zhao Guihua was speechless and scolded, "You are a pig, riding your bike into the ditch, are you trying to kill yourself? You're going to get upset if I don't scold you for a day, right?"
Zhao Guihua was howling. Liang Meifen was used to it. She hung her head and took deep breaths. After a long while, she finally recovered and said, "Mom, my sister-in-law... one against seven?"
Zhao Guihua: "Yeah, that's right, one against seven, what? You want to try it?"
Leung Mei-fun's face needs to be whitened again.
Zhao Guihua: "I heard that the thieves pulled out knives, which pissed her off, so she beat them all down. Think about it, our family is lucky to have married such a capable man."
Liang Meifen: “…”
It's on the verge of collapse. We can't live like this!
Zhao Guihua looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, who looked like she had seen a ghost, and said, "What are you doing? She can't hit you, so why are you afraid? Okay, let's go quickly. I still have to go to the black market."
Liang Meifen: “…”
Her mother-in-law was a tough old lady who dared to venture into the black market; her sister-in-law was a tough young wife who dared to fight with knife-wielding thieves and fight seven of them alone; her...her life was too bitter! It was really too bitter, how could she have suffered such a family!
Liang Meifen was so upset that she almost couldn't recover, but looking at her mother-in-law's bullying face, she gritted her teeth and started riding again. This time, she didn't dare to chat and concentrated on riding. If "Xiaohong" fell, she felt that she would really be beaten.
Life is so hard.
Leung Mei-fun felt the pressure of life and rode her bike silently.
At this time, her unlucky mother-in-law began to nag, and Zhao Guihua said: "You don't have to be afraid, Mingmei is not a tiger, we are a family, she is not the kind of person who will attack casually."
Liang Meifen uttered a muffled "hmm".
"Besides, Mingmei's personality is optimistic and gentle. As long as she is not too immoral, neither will she nor her family. Mingmei's father is even more vicious than Mingmei, so just don't provoke him."
Leung Mei-fun was trembled and felt confused.
"The Ming family seems to have some foundation. I seem to have heard that several of Ming Mei's uncles know a little bit of fighting skills..."
Priscilla Leung: Woo woo woo.
Life is really hard. I really don't dare to provoke this younger sister-in-law in the future. Where is her authority as the eldest sister-in-law?
Fortunately, they arrived at the black market soon after entering the city. Her mother-in-law finally stopped nagging. Although they had rarely been to the black market, every old local household knew where the black market was.
Everyone knows the reason. After all, who doesn't want to eat and drink something?
As soon as Zhao Guihua arrived at the black market, she immediately left her eldest daughter-in-law behind. In her opinion, this idiot who was always nervous would only slow down her speed in drawing her sword. She covered her face, put her hat on her head, and entered the black market carrying the fish basket on her back.
As soon as she entered, a man came up to her and made a "five" gesture. Zhao Guihua took out fifty cents and handed it to him. She really spent money before she earned any money. However, the two men didn't say a word. One took the money and stood at the entrance of the alley again, while Zhao Guihua carried the fish on her back and found a place to set up her stall.
Although Zhao Guihua is not an experienced person, she has a lot of experience. She has heard a lot of things like this and can remember them well.
As this man gets older, he can no longer remember what he ate last week, but he can talk about old things from decades ago over and over again. Although life in the compound was hard during that time, Zhao Guihua thinks of that time the most often when she gets older.
She found a spot to squat down, and soon someone came up to her and whispered, "How much is the fish?"
Zhao Guihua: "One dollar and a half for one, four dollars for three."
"There are big ones and small ones..."
Zhao Guihua: "You can't choose a big one?"
"Okay, give me three."
This big fish is quite good, otherwise it wouldn't be sold for less than one dollar and fifty cents. You know, an old hen only costs two dollars.
But just as Zhao Guihua thought, it would be tantamount to not eating fish during the New Year. This was for good luck. The middle-aged man quickly picked three big ones and left happily. He was the first one, so he definitely picked the biggest one.
Make money!
"I'll have three, too."
The price is higher than that in the grocery store, but the grocery store has a fixed quantity, which is not the case here. Besides, this is much bigger than the one in the grocery store. If you buy three at once, it is actually no worse than the one in the grocery store.
Zhao Guihua opened the shop quickly and did good business. She sold several more and finally stopped selling. It was said that the black market made a lot of money. In just a short period of time, she earned an ordinary worker's monthly salary.
Three for four dollars, basically everyone buys three, and Zhao Guihua already has twenty-four in her hand.
She looked at the basket and saw that there were still a dozen fish left. Because she had been picking fish, the remaining ones must be smaller than the ones she bought. It didn't seem so at first glance, but if you keep watching, you will naturally feel that it's a bit inappropriate. Because of this, after selling for a while, she slowed down.
Zhao Guihua looked around for a while, then stood up decisively, carrying a bamboo basket on her back and coming to a meat stall, and asked in a low voice, "How much?"
The stall owner was a middle-aged man who was used to doing this. He spoke quickly: "One dollar with a ticket, one dollar and two cents without a ticket. Look, all I have here is pork belly."
The ticket price at the grocery store is 80 cents. It's the end of the year and it's only 85 cents even if it's a little higher. But Zhao Guihua can understand why they want this price. Why would they take risks in the black market if they can't make money? Zhao Guihua decisively said, "I'll trade these 13 fish for your 10 kilograms of meat. Do you want to do it?"
The place where she sold fish just now was not far from where she sold meat. Both parties knew each other's price. Although Zhao Guihua sold it for 1.5 yuan, she only bought three pieces. In fact, it was more than 1.3 yuan, only a little more than a pound of meat.
But this cannot be calculated in this way.
The remaining fish in Zhao Guihua's hand were the leftovers, and they were not as big as the fish she had just sold, so they were not worth the price. In addition, meat was always available, so a one-to-one exchange was definitely not possible.
If you want, the price is negotiable.
Of course, if the stall owner doesn’t want it, that’s another matter.
The stall owner looked over, hesitated for a moment, and then bargained, saying, "Eight catties."
It seems that the stall owner still wants it.
Even though fish doesn't sell as well as meat during normal times, it's not bad during the New Year. He has both fish and meat, which attracts more people, and people who want to buy fish and meat will come. Maybe they'll buy the other thing as a side dish.
Zhao Guihua: “Nine pounds.”
She said, "Look, I'm not small anymore."
The butcher also picked at them and said, "Look, this one is small. And this one, this one is not big either."
Zhao Guihua: "It's about the same. Let's each take a step back and go to 8.5 jin."
The stall owner said with emotion, "Big sister, I just want to have fish and meat, and make a little more money by selling them. If I sell more, it won't suit me. I sell meat for 1.2 yuan. If there is no profit, I can't do it. Don't you think I'm right? How about this, 8.3 jin, what do you think?"
Zhao Guihua: "Okay, change!"
The two of them exchanged decisively, and the people around them were stunned. You two really know how to have fun!
Zhao Guihua had come here for the meat. After she had exchanged her fish, she put on her small backpack, bent over and quickly left the black market. A boy came up to her and asked, "How much are the fish?"
"One dollar one!"
"Ah, you..."
Everyone looked at him with contempt, thinking that this old guy was very bad! Zhao Guihua didn't care how the stall owner sold it. If she wanted to reduce the risk, she would always suffer a little loss. If she wanted to avoid losses in everything, she would be cheated in a place like the black market.
"I make money, I don't know how to spend it..." Zhao Guihua hummed a little tune from later generations.
Zhao Guihua had a smooth start and her steps were brisk. This was her first time selling things on the black market. You know, she didn't sleep most of the night before, thinking about how to get in, how to walk out, and how to escape if she met anyone.
This matter has been discussed for several times, but today it is of no use at all.
But she didn't regret at all that she had thought so carefully yesterday. If she hadn't been so thoughtful, she would have cried if something really happened.
As a human being, you have to have plans for success.
Zhao Guihua entered the alley with a basket on her back and saw a group of children setting off small firecrackers. The children couldn't afford expensive ones, so they bought the weak ones that were like pinching nits. Her two little ones, Hutou and Xiaoyanzi, were also standing there, watching the older brothers and sisters playing, and they were very envious.
Zhao Guihua then remembered that tomorrow was the Little New Year!
She called: "Tiger Head!"
When Tiger Head heard the cry, he immediately led his sister over and said crisply, "Mother!"
Zhao Guihua rubbed the little guy's head and said, "Want to play with firecrackers?"
Hu Tou's eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Zhao Guihua smiled and took out two dimes and said, "Go buy a box."
Two cents, the smallest box, but it was enough to satisfy a six-year-old like Hu Tou. As expected, the little guy's face was flushed with joy, and he took his sister and ran to the state-owned store.
Zhao Guihua went home with a bamboo basket on her back. It was not time to get off work yet, and the yard was not busy. Zhao Guihua went home quickly. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Liang Meifen in a daze. She asked, "Did you buy noodles?"
When Liang Meifen heard this, she quickly came back to her senses and nodded and said, "I bought it!"
She said anxiously, "Mom, apples are coming to the grocery store!"
She had no money, so she didn't buy it.
Zhao Guihua saw through Liang Meifen's reason at a glance, and she felt sad in her heart, saying, this eldest daughter-in-law has been working for seven or eight years and has a lot of money in her hands, but she hasn't saved a penny. How stupid she is.
She said, “Go ahead and buy it.”
She handed her daughter-in-law five dollars and said, "Go quickly."
"Okay!"
Leung Mei-fun hurried out. It was like that at that time. All supplies were in short supply. Although many supplies were in continuous supply at the end of the year, there were more people buying them, so they would definitely be sold out by the time she left.
She hurried out, Zhao Guihua looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, thinking about the fish sale. There was no doubt that she and her eldest daughter-in-law did the work, and they should share the profits, but when she saw Liang Meifen's inability to save money, she felt that this was not acceptable.
She is doomed to be an evil mother-in-law.
She made up her mind and started to cut the meat. More than eight pounds of meat was really a lot. She found a jar and quickly cut it into pieces and pickled it. She sealed the jar after it was done. This pickled bacon can be kept for a long time.
Zhao Guihua finished her work and opened the cabinet under the stone table. The space under the stone table for cutting and preparing vegetables in his family was hollow and specially used to store some food. After locking it and covering it with a thin layer of wood, you couldn't tell that it was a cabinet.
These people have survived the famine years, so everyone has some skills in hiding things.
Even though Zhao Guihua changed the meat today, she didn't plan to eat meat today. She had been eating well recently, so she had to make a living. Zhao Guihua had just finished cleaning up when she heard the sound of footsteps. Two children ran in, "Grandma, give me a match!"
They bought small firecrackers, but no matches.
Zhao Guihua: “Here.”
She warned: "Be careful when you play, don't hurt yourself, and come back early after playing. The New Year is coming soon, wait for your uncle to come back, and let him take you to buy some more for us to keep for the New Year!"
Tiger Head jumped up with a roar and said happily, "That's great!"
There is no little boy who doesn't like firecrackers. Little Swallow likes it too. She gathers nearby and giggles. The little girl says softly, "Pa pa pa~" imitating the sound of firecrackers.
Zhao Guihua: "Okay, let's go play."
"good!"
The two children ran out hand in hand. When they got to the yard, they saw Jin Lai and his three children also walking out. Hu Tou was a little scared, so he pulled his sister and ran, saying, "Hurry up!"
The three Jinlai brothers saw it and quickly followed. As soon as they left the courtyard, they arrogantly asked, "What are you holding in your hands?"
Tonglai jumped up and down: "I want to play with firecrackers, I want to play with firecrackers too!"
Jin Lai said fiercely: "Hand it over!"
Hu Tou put his hands behind his back and mustered up his courage: "No, I won't give it to you, this is mine!"
Why would he give his own things to others?
But Hu Tou was still a little scared. He held his sister's hand tightly, and his palms began to sweat.
This child is used to being domineering and is spoiled by his family. When the three boys go out together, the strong boys huddle together and always dominate the alley. The children in the alley are not willing to play with them three.
Seeing that Hu Tou refused to give it to him, he directly pushed him. Hu Tou staggered back. Jin Lai said, “Give it to me!”
Just grab it! "What are you doing!"
A scolding was heard. Mingmei saw from a distance that these three little bastards were bullying others. She ran a few steps quickly, held Hutou and looked at the three kids with a frown. To be honest, she had a very bad impression of these three children.
It would be fine if he just committed petty theft, but he was also so arrogant and domineering.
But she was not the kind of person who would hesitate. Mingmei glared at the three children and looked around. She saw someone had thrown a brick not far away, so she walked over and picked it up. Jinlai stepped back instantly: "You, you, you, what are you doing! If you hit someone, my mother will not let you go!"
Mingmei stared at the three little bastards, turned her head and threw them to the side, raised her foot, and snap!
The brick was broken into two pieces. Mingmei smiled very brightly and said, "Did you see it?"
The three kids were dumbfounded, and the kids around them who were secretly looking at them all exclaimed and froze. Mingmei's smile became even brighter, and she said, "If you three dare to bully Hutou and Xiaoyanzi again, that brick will be your fate!"
Jin looked at Mingmei's smiling face, then at Zhuantou. After two consecutive glances, he felt that the smile of this new bride was terrifying. He swallowed his saliva and nodded quickly. After nodding, he pulled his two brothers and ran away. Yinlai and Tonglai also ran away.
Mingmei looked at their running backs, snorted, patted Hutou's head and said, "If someone bullies you in the future, don't hide it, tell them when you get home."
Tiger head with starry eyes: "Aunt, you are so awesome, so awesome, so awesome."
Mingmei was pleased and said, "Of course, I am not an ordinary person."
She showed off a bit, then said, "Okay, go ahead and have fun."
Mingmei walked into the yard carrying her cross-body bag and happened to meet Zhou Li coming out to pour water. She snorted and turned back into the house.
Mingmei: "Oh my god~ Who is this person?"
She muttered something under her breath, then walked in, smiling, "Mom, I'm off work."
Zhao Guihua: "You got off work pretty early today."
Mingmei: "Today, someone got into a fight to get on a bus, and there was a fight. I went with the driver, Mr. Li, to explain the situation. Now that we're done, I'm back." At this point, Mingmei exclaimed, "No, I have to go find Brother Zhixi. I made an appointment with him, and he came down to pick me up, but I came back early. What if he made a wasted trip?"
Mingmei came back in a hurry and left in a hurry. Zhao Guihua's mouth twitched and she said, "This girl ran like a rabbit."
She chased out and called, "Mingmei."
"Um?"
Mingmei turned around: "What's the matter?"
Zhao Guihua took out five yuan and handed it to Mingmei, saying, "You and Lao San go buy some firecrackers."
Mingmei looked down and said, "That doesn't need that much money, does it?"
Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes, "Why not? Little New Year, the 30th, the first day, the 15th, when it is not used? Buying five yuan is just right."
Mingmei: “Oh.”
She took the money and went out quickly. It was Mingmei's first time to go to the Qianjin Machinery Factory. If you want to know what the performance of a car is, Mingmei knows a lot about it. She has been hanging around in such places since she was a child, and the places where her family works are all related to cars.
But if you said the machinery factory, Mingmei would not understand at all. She was still a little curious and didn't know if she could go in. Mingmei quickly arrived at the factory. It was the time to get off work and songs were playing on the radio.
"We workers have power, hey..."
The workers were also walking out one after another. Mingmei stood on tiptoe and looked around. The young man from the security department saw her, blushed, coughed, and asked, "Comrade, what can I do for you?"
Mingmei: "It's okay, I'll wait for someone."
"Then comrade, you..."
Mingmei suddenly raised her arm and waved: "Zhuang Zhixi!"
Zhuang Zhixi was walking out in a hurry. When he heard the voice, his eyebrows raised and he laughed. He hurried forward and said, "Why are you here? Didn't we agree that I would pick you up?"
He looked at the blushing security guard and said, "Brother, this is my wife, she's here to pick me up."
Security guard: “…Oh.”
How come this pretty girl is married?
Zhuang Zhixi didn't care what others thought. He pulled Mingmei away and asked her, "Wife, are you cold? Are your hands frozen?"
Mingmei shook her little hands and said, "It's not cold, I've been keeping them in my pockets."
Zhuang Zhixi laughed and said, "That's perfect. I'm cold. Can you warm my hands?"
He held Mingmei's hand directly, and then put it in his pocket. It was inappropriate to hold hands in public, but who would care if they put it in their pockets like this? He smiled and said, "Your hands are so warm, they warm my heart."
Mingmei burst out laughing and said coquettishly, "You are the only one who can talk."
The young security guard who was still looking at this guy with envy in the distance said: "...Fuck."
Learned it.
No wonder he's still single! So this is how people date.
Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei were not in a hurry to go home, but went to buy firecrackers together. Although the firecracker shop was not far from the compound, it was not on this road, so the young couple turned there. Zhuang Zhixi was familiar with the place, so he held five dollars and bought a few firecrackers according to his family's usual needs.
For five dollars, you can buy five strings of big firecrackers, and some small ones.
Zhuang Zhixi bought the firecrackers, tied them up and held them in his hands. He leaned over to Mingmei's ear and whispered, "My mom must have made some money today."
Mingmei: "How do you know?"
Zhuang Zhixi smiled proudly and said, "No one knows a mother better than her son. That's my mother, and no one knows her better than me. In previous years, my family didn't buy firecrackers so happily. This year, they bought firecrackers before the Little New Year. It's obvious that she made some money today and is in a good mood."
Mingmei said angrily: "It's impossible for mother-in-law to not make money when she's so capable."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Hey, you are really good at flattering... ugh."
Mingmei pinched him, and Zhuang Zhixi screamed, then said, "We are outside."
Mingmei snorted.
Zhuang Zhixi stroked his chin and said, "It seems that speculation is really profitable. Even my mother, who is so stingy, has started to become generous."
Mingmei: "Don't mess around."
Zhuang Zhixi: "My mother can do it, but I can't?"
Mingmei nodded: "Yes, you are not as good as mother-in-law."
Zhuang Zhixi: “…”
He sighed: "So in your heart I'm not as good as my mom, but I clearly think I'm pretty good, you..."
"Is that the young widow from our courtyard?" Mingmei suddenly interrupted Zhuang Zhixi. Zhuang Zhixi followed Mingmei's gaze and said, "Oh, it really is."
It was indeed Wang Xiangxiu. She turned out of the alley alone, walking very fast, adjusting her clothes as she walked, her face flushed. She seemed to be in a hurry, and disappeared in a flash. Zhuang Zhixi and Mingmei looked at each other in bewilderment.
Zhuang Zhixi was puzzled: "Why did she come here? She usually rushes home as soon as she gets off work, but today... Hey!"
As he was talking, he saw a familiar face and said, "Fuck."
Mingmei: "What's wrong?"
She looked over and had no idea why Zhuang Zhixi made that sound.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Look at that man over there, don't just look at him, peek, peek, you know what I mean? Don't let him see."
His tone was much more excited. Mingmei: “Oh oh oh.”
She took a quick glance and saw a man in his thirties wearing a blue work suit, which was the work suit of the machinery factory. Although he had only been married to this courtyard for a few days, she naturally knew him very well because this courtyard and this alley were full of employees of the machinery factory.
He is not very tall, and looks half a head shorter than Brother Zhixi, with a square face.
"Is this someone from our factory?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "He's from our courtyard, Zhou Qun, the son of Zhou Li."
Zhuang Zhixi opened his eyes wide, he himself did not expect that he could see such gossip. These two people walked out of the alley one after another. It was no wonder that Zhuang Zhixi thought too much, mainly because these two people were a little unusual.
One was hurriedly arranging his clothes, while the other also had a sneaky look on his face.
Zhuang Zhixi: "I really didn't expect that..."
You know, everyone in their courtyard knew that Bai Fendou really liked Wang Xiangxiu and had been waiting for her. Now he was 31 years old and still hadn't married yet. He had been supporting their family. As for Zhou Qun, he had no contact with the Zhou family. Although it was obvious that Zhou Qun was very good to his children, he had no contact with the two widows of the Su family. They just nodded and greeted each other when they met.
But this...
It would be interesting if the two of them were related.
Mingmei was halfway through eating the melon when she felt that her melon was undercooked. She quickly pulled Zhuang Zhixi and said, "What's going on? What do you really mean? Are they related? Didn't you listen to what my mother-in-law said?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "This is Zhou Li's son. He has almost no contact with Wang Xiangxiu in our courtyard, but he came out from an alley. Who would believe you if you said there was nothing fishy? Coincidence? Of course it could be a coincidence, but do you think their expressions look like a coincidence? They look sneaky, right?"
Mingmei opened her mouth wide and felt that she was indeed very inexperienced.
She sighed sincerely: "You guys are so lively here."
Although they didn't really see anything, the young couple was still quite shocked. They were both shocked all the way home. It's not that they are ignorant, but this incident is indeed a bit shocking.
The young couple followed Zhou Qun and returned to the courtyard one after the other. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Hutou and Xiaoyanzi sitting at the door with a small stool waiting for someone.
"Uncle!!!"
When they saw their uncle today, they were particularly happy: "Firecrackers, you bought firecrackers!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, come and help quickly."
"good!"
Tiger Head and Little Swallow jumped and shouted, attracting the attention of people in the yard. The three Jinlai brothers looked at them enviously and asked, "Mom, when will our family buy firecrackers this year?"
Wang Xiangxiu was cooking and said, "Don't worry, there are still several days."
"But tomorrow is Chinese New Year. I saw that Chef Li's family also had firecrackers today. Li Weiwei and his family all had them, and Hu Tou had them too. Only our family didn't have any!" Jin Lai looked at his mother unsatisfied and said, "We want some."
Yinlai and Tonglai nodded: "Mom, buy it, buy it."
Wang Xiangxiu: "Where can we get the money? You guys wait a few days until mom gets her salary and then you can buy it."
"No no no!"
Mrs. Su watched this and said, "Don't make things difficult for your mother. Life is not easy for our family. The young boy is eating us out. What about the three of you? We only rely on your mother to earn money. Life is difficult."
She glanced at Wang Xiangxiu and said, "Your mother hasn't bought a piece of clothing for three years in a row. It's not easy for her. We have to eat first. It's not your mother's fault. It's your mother's fault. She's weak. Otherwise, if she worked harder, she could earn some money... It's my fault."
Wang Xiangxiu turned around and cried, "Mom, what are you talking about? I know you have also contributed a lot to this family."
She thought about it and said, "Okay, let's buy it this year too!"
She gritted her teeth, took out two dollars from her pocket, and said, "Take this money and go buy it tomorrow during the day, but don't put it away, you have to keep it until the New Year."
Mrs. Su stared at the money, her eyes flickered, and then she said softly, "I'll keep an eye on them."
She added, "I estimate that Zhaodi and Laidi will be back in the next few days. I will borrow some money from them then. Their brother is gone, and the three Jinlai are the roots of the old Su family. As their aunts, they can't just ignore them."
When Wang Xiangxiu heard that her elder sister-in-law was coming back, she was relieved from the bottom of her heart and said, "This is good. When Jin Lai and his friends grow up, they will definitely be filial to their aunt."
Grandma Su: "That's right. My children are the most filial. In fact, they have their own children too. Why would they really need us three Jinlai to take care of them in their old age? We three Jinlai can just support our aunt at the critical moment."
Jin Lai said loudly: "I support my aunt."
Mrs. Su: "Oh, that's right. When your aunt comes to visit, you three must tell her about it."
"good!"
The three kids took the money and excitedly discussed what firecrackers to buy tomorrow. Mrs. Su lowered her voice and asked, "Didn't you say last time that you wanted to find an opportunity to get close to the third brother of the banker? How is it going? Any progress?"
Wang Xiangxiu shook her head: "It's not that easy. I've thought about it. I took it for granted. Although his salary is almost thirty, they are a newly married couple. They are in the middle of a warm relationship. I won't get any benefit if I go up to him."
Mrs. Su looked at her daughter-in-law and said encouragingly, "You are so pretty, it's not hard for you to win over a young man who has just learned about the world. I know you can do it. A young man like this can be lost if you just beckon him with your fingers. I'm not asking you to sell anything. We just want to touch his hand and get some benefits. It's not a bad idea. Don't you think so? In the end, we are all doing this for the children."
Wang Xiangxiu bit her lip and said, "Okay, I'll look for another opportunity. There really isn't one recently."
Mrs. Su: "Okay, Mom will try to find an opportunity to talk to his young wife and see if she can plead our case. Our family is in such a difficult situation, they should help a little if they have money." In the past, the family had no money to share, and Zhao Guihua was in charge of the finances, so she had no idea where to start.
But things are different now. Each branch of their family manages their own money, and she feels that she still has a chance.
How can a young wife save money? Money in her hands is a waste.
She smiled and said, "Tomorrow is the Little New Year, let's cook some meat."
Wang Xiangxiu frowned in embarrassment. Her life was so miserable. She had to worry about food and drink every day. She couldn't breathe at all. But what else could she do? Her husband was gone. She smiled bitterly and said, "I'll try my best. Bai Fighting has spent all his money."
Otherwise she couldn't find Zhou Qun.
She sighed and lowered her head to cook.
Mrs. Su said softly, "If there is no other way, we can still eat steamed bread. We don't have to eat meat. There is no need to go to those people for a little money. Mom loves you."
Wang Xiangxiu felt particularly warmed by these words. She said, "Mom, I know."
Fortunately, she has such a good mother-in-law, otherwise she doesn't know how she would have survived.
Wang Xiangxiu expressed such feelings, but someone else expressed the opposite feeling, that is Liang Meifen. Liang Meifen listened to her mother-in-law's words and cursed in her heart: "Evil mother-in-law. She is really a miserable person."
Zhao Guihua: "I made some money from selling fish today. Not only did I make some money, I also got some meat. But I won't share the money or the meat with any of you. You all live in this family, and we haven't split up to the point where we have to sort out everything. Today, I went with the eldest daughter-in-law, and the third daughter-in-law also borrowed a bicycle. These things should be included in the calculation, right? So it's impossible to sort them out clearly. There's no need for everyone in the family to sort them out. I'll hold on to this money. If the eldest daughter-in-law works hard and the weather gets warmer after the New Year, I'll make a set of clothes for Hutou and Xiaoyanzi as compensation."
Liang Meifen: "Mom..."
Zhao Guihua blew his beard and glared: "What are you yelling for? Are you calling for my soul? I can't give the money to you. I don't trust you!"
Mingmei looked at her sister-in-law silently, and felt that her sister-in-law was a bit miserable. She would be most comfortable with the money. But Mingmei didn't dare to talk to her easily. She was as honest as a salted fish.
Liang Meifen: “…”
What a mean mother-in-law! She said aggrievedly: "I didn't ask for money. I just said that Xiaoyanzi is still young and grows fast, so there is no need to make one for Hutou. Make two sets for Hutou. When Hutou is done wearing them, let Xiaoyanzi pick them up and wear them."
Zhao Guihua got when she heard this. She slammed her bowl on the table and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Isn't Xiaoyanzi your daughter? You are a woman but you still favor boys over girls. I don't like people like you who are confused! Eat, eat, eat quickly. After you finish eating, get back to your room. I get angry when I see you! You are a fool!"
The house was quiet.
Liang Meifen pouted in grievance, feeling that she had a miserable life. Woohoo, tonight, let's go to the toilet! A safe haven for sadness!
Arctic Ocean of Tears!
(End of this chapter)
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