Three days is neither a long nor a short time. I thought it would be easy, but by the second day, my breasts were so engorged that I couldn't move. They were like an iron hammer, fixed in front of my chest. My clothes were soaked through. I applied a hot towel to absorb the leaking milk, which slightly relieved the swelling and pain. This went on for two days, going back and forth several times. At night, I was afraid that my baby sister would touch me, so I moved the bed to the side of the bed. I couldn't sleep at night and could always hear Tangtang's heart-wrenching cries. My heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
On the third day, feeling that she had reached the point of weaning, Jiang Shuya couldn't wait to ride her bike home. The moment she entered the house and saw Tangtang, she was playing with a musical doll in a rocking horse. Tangtang blinked her big, dark grape-like eyes at her, and Jiang Shuya was momentarily stunned.
When she came to her senses, she excitedly wobbled forward, pulling the rocking horse along with her legs, no longer rushing to her arms as before. Instead, she held up her toy and babbled to show it off. She picked up her beloved Tangtang, spun her around, and made Tangtang giggle.
It wasn't until she heard footsteps coming downstairs that she saw Huang Minghao, his eyes shining, looking at Tangtang with great enthusiasm, completely different from how he had been a few days ago.
When he looked at Jiang Shuya again, his cold gaze returned instantly, as if she shouldn't have been there and was an unnecessary presence.
Then I saw the old man enthusiastically laying lines and laying the foundation in the yard. I was surprised to find that the pear tree in the front yard had been dug up and filled in in the past two days. There was a lot of sand, stones, cement and wood in the yard. I wondered where the old man had bought the illegal building materials.
The cell phone in the bag beeped, indicating that my father had made several calls, all to unknown numbers.
When I answered the phone, I learned that the old man had actually contacted my father directly and bought the materials for him. Could it be that my father paid for them?
Huang Minghao took off his coat and started helping out in the yard. His mother-in-law also went over to fetch water and cement. The three of them had a clear division of labor and worked together seamlessly, which made Jiang Shuya a little uncomfortable for a while.
Not long after, Jiang Shuya saw her father walk in with two other people. Still in shock, she murmured, "Dad, why are you here?"
Jiang Donglai stepped forward and affectionately patted Tangtang's head. His eyes caught sight of the bruise on Jiang Shuya's forehead. After a moment's hesitation, he pointed and asked, "Where did this bruise on your eye come from? Who hit you?"
The old man laying bricks nearby heard this, looked up, glanced at Huang Minghao who was working, and seeing that he didn't say a word, he went up and kicked him, then gestured with his lip.
Huang Minghao glanced at Jiang Shuya, then quietly turned away without a word, burying himself in shoveling sand. Seeing this, she felt utterly disappointed, thinking to herself, "What a person who has the guts to do it but not the courage to admit it."
Looking at her father's scrutinizing gaze, she casually told a lie: "I accidentally pulled on a grape vine a few days ago and fell."
Jiang Donglai paused for a moment, then, without saying anything more, led the two men he had brought to begin pouring the foundation beams on the prepared ground.
The two men hadn't been here before. They were about the same age as Jiang Donglai, and Jiang Shuya didn't recognize them. Her father must have paid to hire them. She had wanted to ask her father how he had persuaded her mother, Li Dalan. It was unbelievable that Huang Guohua had gone through all this trouble and still managed to get his hands on her parents.
She understood her parents; they wouldn't have done such a thing if there were no greater interests at stake. She vividly remembered her mother's cruel actions. When her uncle from their hometown came to Nanjing for heart bypass surgery, he didn't have enough money and wanted to borrow from Li Dalan. Normally, this was life-saving money, which shouldn't have been a concern. However, facing her own brother's plea for help, Li Dalan remained unmoved and refused to offer assistance. Even her father couldn't bear it and urged her to help her uncle through his difficulties, but she still coldly ignored him. Later, during her uncle's surgery, she only symbolically bought some fruit to visit him in the hospital. From then on, she stopped contacting her family, and her uncle also stopped communicating with her.
In front of Huang Minghao's family, she couldn't bring herself to speak, swallowed her curiosity, and didn't ask any more questions, thinking that she would find a time to find out eventually.
When it was lunchtime, Huang Guohua took the initiative to start a conversation. Seeing how hard his in-laws had helped all morning, contributing money and manpower without complaint, he was deeply moved and said confidently, "In-laws, we are all family. So, I won't treat you as an outsider. After my house is built, and after the demolition and relocation compensation, I'll make the decision here today. You won't need to buy one then. I'll give you a house, which will be a gift to Shuhuai. With a house, Shuhuai can stay in Jinling to work and get married in the future. Having a house will solve this big problem."
She glanced at Huang Minghao and continued, "The young couple got the demolished houses, so they can have all of them. They won't have to worry about housing anymore. Having more houses will make their lives easier. They still have to raise children, don't they? We old folks only need enough houses. Besides, what do we need so many houses for?"
Huang Minghao, who was eating in silence, rolled his eyes at Huang Guohua, looking down on his words with disdain. He thought to himself, "What a big mouth he has."
At this moment, Jiang Shuya looked at him with the same expression, scoffing at his words and not exposing his hypocrisy. She picked up the drink on the table and raised it to Huang Guohua in a toasting gesture, saying, "Then my father will wait and see!"
At this moment, Jiang Donglai smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and with a joyful expression, he raised his beer glass and toasted Huang Guohua.
Looking at her father's innocent expression, Jiang Shuya felt both amused and annoyed. For someone who had been doing business away from home for many years and was used to all sorts of people and deceit, it was hard to believe that he spoke so casually. Could it be that he really thought they were family?
Sure enough, not two days later, Jiang Donglai took the initiative to mention that Li Dalan wanted to draw up a contract agreement. They shouldn't just listen to what people say to each other. They should draw up a contract, have each other sign it in person, and find a guarantor to act as a witness. This way, there would be a guarantee. After all, it takes several years from demolition to receiving the house. Time is long, and people's hearts are unpredictable. This way, they can both provide mutual protection and prevent one party from going back on their word.
After Jiang Donglai said this, the old man standing to the side hesitated for a moment, his face darkened, and he scolded, "Why don't you trust me, my in-laws? I wasn't just saying it for show." Then he waved his hand and said, "There's no need for such trouble. When we get the house, we'll just notify you to come and choose a house."
Jiang Donglai wore a forced smile, looking somewhat embarrassed. He then shifted the blame to Li Dalan, saying, "Yes! A relative's word is always a word, and I certainly believe it. I also said that there was no need for such trouble, but Xiaoya's mother insisted on drawing up a contract, and I really couldn't persuade her otherwise."
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