Spicy daughter-in-law, wicked mother-in-law, foul-mouthed brother-in-law
On weekends in Beijing, the alleyways are packed with children kicking balls, throwing sandbags, and playing jump rope. Bicycles carrying young men and women come and go, their bells ringing occasionally to clear the way. People on the streets are full of energy, and very few are wearing patched clothes.
The two, adorned with gifts, struggled to ride their bicycles and finally arrived at the small villa in the east of the city. The roadside was shaded by green trees, and old people were picking vegetables under the trees, their faces beaming with smiles, listening attentively to everything around them.
Several older women saw the two packing boys approaching and quickly greeted them, "Isn't this Shaocheng? And who is this?"
Lin Shaocheng originally wanted to pretend he didn't see it; he was known as a man of few words among his neighbors. But he had no choice but to speak up, "This is my girlfriend."
The difference in their eyes was that they hadn't heard anything about Lin Shaocheng getting married.
Another old woman said, "He doesn't look like a local. Did you meet him during the Down to the Countryside Movement? Xiao Cheng is the only one with a conscience."
The group of men were beaming with excitement. Many of the young men who had come back would abandon their wives as soon as they returned to the city, leaving their wives in the village as divorced women.
If Lin Shaocheng were to start chatting with them, it would be endless. He said, "My family is waiting for me, so we'll be going now."
Several old women looked at Lin Shaocheng and Li Guorong with expressions of amusement, and without even cleaning up the dishes, they quickly followed them to the foot of the Lin family's small building to listen to the commotion.
Li Guorong got off her bicycle, and Lin Shaocheng quickly took the large item from her hands. It was a very heavy gift, and Lin Shaocheng lifted it with his hands. He should have bought something so heavy.
Li Guorong was stunned by the small Western-style building in front of him. The building was extremely symmetrical, with blue bricks on the outside and red bricks on the inside. The wooden windows had a shiny, oily sheen. Although it was said to be two stories, there was an attic on the second floor, and the attic had a terrace. It was just like a building from a TV series.
Li Guorong clutched the oil paper of the gift bag tightly in her hand. She grabbed Lin Shaocheng's hand and whispered with delight, "Will we live here from now on?"
Lin Shaocheng's already expressionless face became even more stern. "The dormitory is also very good."
Li Guorong grabbed Lin Shaocheng and opened the wooden door. The first floor was different from what she had expected; it was empty, which disappointed her.
Lin Shaocheng closed the door and said, "My living quarters are on the second floor and above."
There was a mop basin next to the stairs, which gave it a very homey feel, and Li Guorong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon entering the second floor, she found herself in a completely different world. There were trees she didn't recognize symmetrically placed near the entrance, and a sofa, a rarity in this day and age, in the center. Its beige tone gave off a sense of peace and tranquility, and lilies were arranged in a transparent glass vase on the table in the middle.
A woman in the middle stood up. She looked to be only in her thirties, with hair that reached her neck and thin bangs. She wore a blue shirt over a black skirt and slippers. She greeted the woman with a smile, but her beautiful eyes were scrutinizing her from head to toe.
The older man on the left put down his newspaper, his face beaming with a gentle smile. Anyone who saw him would think he was a good-tempered man, much like how Lin Shaocheng and Li Guorong interacted in private.
On the right is a young man, a size smaller than Lin Shaocheng. Anyone could tell they are brothers, but Lin Shaocheng has a cold look in his eyes, while this young man exudes arrogance.
Lin's mother quickly greeted him, "This must be Guorong. He's really handsome."
Li Guorong sat on a single sofa, while Lin Shaocheng did not sit with his parents, but instead moved a chair to sit next to Li Guorong.
Lin's father's smile froze for a moment before returning to normal. "Your marriage was quite impolite of Shaocheng to not consult us. What are your plans for the future?"
Lin's mother quickly glanced at Lin's father and said, "That's right, we can't always live outside. We're tired of eating the same old communal meals outside. Our house is so big, it's the right thing to do is to come back and live here as soon as possible. We should also have a few more children while I'm still young and can help you take care of them."
Li Guorong blushed upon hearing this. It's always good to have in-laws. In her previous life, after she had her daughter, Ye Fan couldn't take good care of her, so her mother traveled all the way to the north to help her take care of the child.
Lin Shaocheng didn't speak, but looked down at Li Guorong and replied, "The dormitory is quite convenient. I'll bring Guorong to visit you when I have time."
Li Guorong's smile froze. She thought her in-laws were nice, but she was bored to death being alone in the dormitory, and people kept gossiping. She couldn't even exercise properly at night.
Lin's mother naturally noticed the change in Li Guorong's expression and quickly came over to hold his hand.
She raised an eyebrow. Her knuckles were large, and the calluses on them had faded. It seemed that her eldest son was really considerate. "I'm retired at home all by myself, with nothing to do. All these years, I've only had you two sons. I've wanted a daughter for a long time, but you won't let Guorong keep me company. You heartless bastard."
Hearing these gentle words, Li Guorong, sitting on the sofa, was even less inclined to return to that pigeon coop. He wondered why Lin Shaocheng would choose to live in a dormitory instead of his luxurious mansion. "I feel a sense of warmth and closeness to you as soon as I see you, Auntie, and I want to stay with you."
Upon hearing this, Lin's mother quickly took off a bracelet from her wrist and put it on Li Guorong's wrist. The bracelet was clear and bright, with a light green color that was very elegant.
Li Guorong politely declined, saying, "This is too much. This bracelet looks very expensive. I'm a rough person, and I'm afraid I'll break it." Li Guorong was wearing the gold bracelet that Lin Shaocheng had bought for her, and the shimmering gold and jade made her momentarily mesmerized.
Li Guorong came to her senses and took out the gifts she had bought. The two batches of red peony and rose-red woolen fabrics made Lin's mother's eyes widen. Lin Shaocheng, on the other hand, quietly flipped through the remaining items. These were not the ones he had bought yesterday. He remembered that he had clearly bought cyan and light purple fabrics.
Lin's mother sat back down and looked at the girl in front of her again. She was wearing a red dress with blue polka dots, some wispy bangs, a red hair clip, red lips, and her rouge was too heavy. She looked at her son with some suspicion. His face was indifferent. Apart from his earlier panic, his eyes were now full of amusement, waiting for her to make them get lost. She was determined not to let him have his way.
Lin's mother couldn't help but sneer. Before she could speak, Lin Yicheng said, "My goodness, did you buy this, sister-in-law, or did my brother buy it? You really have good taste."
Li Guorong smiled and said, "I bought it. I spotted it at the state-run store. It's so bright and fresh, it's rare to see one like this."
Lin's mother's mouth twitched. If it weren't for the old man's instructions yesterday, this country bumpkin wouldn't have been able to enter the house today. Thinking about the money she spent hiring people to clean and cook every month, she held back. "Yi Cheng, this color is popular in the village. What are you doing?"
Li Guorong looked embarrassed, only then realizing that her younger brother was mocking her, but Li Jiaoniang hadn't said that Lin's mother liked this kind of lust.
Lin's father said, "Shaocheng, it's perfect to make two bed sheets with this bright peony color. We don't have any red bed sheets at home. We can find a tailor to make two new outfits with this rose-red woolen coat. We can't say our family is too poor."
Lin Shaocheng silently held Li Guorong's hand. Li Guorong regained his courage. Lin Yicheng seemed to have discovered a new continent and began to unpack the box of pastries on the table. He commented, "I thought my sister-in-law was from out of town and brought some pastries from out of town. We're all tired of these Beijing pastries."
Lin Shaocheng said, "In the first few years, you couldn't even get your hands on this if you wanted it, but you've already forgotten your roots after just a few years."
Lin Yicheng pursed his lips and opened another box. Inside was a bright red jewelry box with magnolia flowers inlaid on it. Li Guorong quickly said, "This is for Auntie. I heard from the shopkeeper that foreigners buy this when they come here."
Lin Yicheng continued his sarcasm, "It's all just to fool those stupid foreigners. This is the new China now, and if this thing were buried in the ground, people would think it was dug up from the Qing Dynasty."
Lin's mother chuckled. She was dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law no matter how she looked at her. She dressed like a clown, and when she bought things, she didn't even ask about her taste. And the jewelry box? Wasn't that just a waste of money?
Li Guorong's eyes reddened slightly. She wanted this jewelry box but couldn't bear to buy it. These things were all expensive and of high quality, so what was the problem?
Lin Shaocheng stood up, his face ashen.
"Alright, I see it's quite lively with all the red and pink. This is your sister-in-law. As the eldest sister-in-law, she is like a mother. Show her some respect."
Seeing his grandfather come down, Lin Shaocheng had no choice but to suppress his anger.
Li Guorong quickly stood up and said, "Hello, Grandpa."
Grandpa Lin looked the girl up and down. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her limbs were strong. She was a good mother, but unfortunately, she was a little short.
Grandpa Lin said, "Take Guorong to see your room. If there's anything missing, make sure to arrange it quickly."
Lin Shaocheng quickly said, "Grandpa, the company dormitory is closer to my workplace. I think we should stay in the company dormitory."
Li Guorong felt wronged and didn't really want to live in this big house.
Grandpa Lin replied, "What's wrong with staying at home? It's not like you're suffering. Besides, there's plenty of food and drink at home, and a big house to live in. It's not safe for a girl to wait for you alone in the dormitory."
Li Guorong was startled. Where was it not safe? What did this mean? Did they suspect her of being promiscuous?
Lin's mother said, "It's so boring to be alone in the dormitory. Come with me to go shopping and buy some clothes. We can talk about girly topics. You don't need to worry about Yi Cheng. That's just how he is. He's just a smart aleck but doesn't mean any harm."
This combination of harsh words and sweet promises left Li Guorong somewhat bewildered, and his resolve to stay wavered once again.
Seeing Li Guorong's hesitation, Lin Shaocheng said, "Then I'll take Guorong to my room to have a look."
Li Guorong instinctively followed Lin Shaocheng. The two entered the attic, which was only slightly lower than the second floor. Lin Shaocheng's room was three times the size of the dormitory room. One wall was lined with wardrobes, which had many empty spaces inside. There was room to store her dresses. There was also a large double bed, which was much more luxurious and larger than the dormitory bed.
Lin Shaocheng seemed to be saying something in her ear, but she didn't hear it. She was lying on the bed, with a full-length mirror and a dressing table on her right. The sound in her ear grew louder, and she came back to her senses.
"Go home right away, you hear me?"
Li Guorong stood up. "Isn't it good to live here? I think your parents are easy to get along with, only your younger brother is a little bad."
Lin Shaocheng sighed, "I'm worried that you'll have to do housework. Housework is exhausting, and my family is very picky."
Li Guorong used to cut pig feed at home very early, and when he was little, he had to carry his younger brother on his back. Now he can eat rice, braised pork, and wear nice clothes. Doing some housework? This is Beijing, not a village. His old hag makes him work but doesn't give him food.
“I want to live here. In the dorm, I can’t even sleep properly at night, let alone have a baby.”
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