Since marrying into her husband's family, she has never cooked a single meal. She has also been ridiculed by her mother-in-law quite often, and most of the people in the neighborhood know about it.
Jiang Shuya knew that Wang Hongjuan wouldn't tell her the truth. In her past life, she always heard Wang Hongjuan complain and worry, but she never saw her go to the city to sell anything.
Because her brother-in-law works in the government, the grapes his unit orders are all sourced from their family, so they naturally have no trouble selling them. Her feigned bitterness and worry is just a facade; she is unwilling to share her resources with others.
Naturally, they kept it hidden. While other families went out to sell their grapes, her family would pick the grapes basket by basket before dawn, put them in the backyard, pack them into boxes, and lock the front door tightly. Only the faint sound of duct tape being used for packing could be heard.
Unlike my past self, who would get up before dawn every day to pick grapes and make trip after trip to the city.
Grapes are a fruit that doesn't keep well and has a short shelf life. If it rains when they're ripe, they'll burst open and fall off easily, making them unsellable.
During peak grape season, the whole family would rush to the city, each person carrying three baskets of grapes on their electric bike, heading into the city before dawn.
Many times, Jiang Shuya would be in a hurry and would go over again in the afternoon. She would always come back just in time for the last ferry to get home. At first, the family was relatively harmonious, but after a few days, her mother-in-law and father-in-law couldn't stand it anymore.
Although it can sell for 5 yuan per jin in the city, people usually buy it by the string, picking and choosing, and there will always be some left to sell at a low price. It's not only slow to sell, but also troublesome.
You have to get up early, and it's not as convenient as just buying directly from the vendors. In the end, only Shuya was left to go out and sell. After a summer, Shuya not only got a bit darker, but her skin also became rough.
Then look at Wang Hongjuan, who sells cosmetics in the mall. She takes good care of her skin and knows how to take care of herself. Compared to her, Shuya pales in comparison and is just a pretty country girl.
Jiang Shuya patted the sleeping baby in her arms, raised her hand and glanced upwards, saying:
"Your in-laws are really capable. They raised three children and built a three-story house with three floors. I really envy you for having such a mother-in-law. She manages everything inside and out so well that you don't have to worry about anything."
Wang Hongjuan glanced at Shuya:
"Are you kidding me? You have no idea about my family's mess. I'm an old woman, and although I have three children, I'm biased and can't treat them all equally. Sigh! I'll tell you about it later."
Seeing Grandma Wang enter the yard, Wang Hongjuan changed the subject, picked up the peeled potatoes, and went into the kitchen.
Jiang Shuya had no interest in listening to other people's gossip. She greeted Grandma Wang and took Bao'er home.
I had just put Bao'er on the bed when my phone started beeping...beep beep...
The phone rang; it was my father from Jiangdong. I answered and told him that I had already inquired about the prices of sand, gravel, cement, bricks, etc., and that there was some secondhand timber available at the construction site—good quality and cheap, more than enough to build a farmhouse.
This way, they could save money. The doors and windows they needed could be bought from the second-hand market, and the quality could be relatively good, saving them half the price. Shuya nodded in agreement.
Hearing Li Dalan on the other end of the phone saying that the workers she hired would be useful to her younger brother and father, and that she would also bring a few experienced bricklayers she had good relationships with, she could build her two-story house in less than ten days.
They had to provide two meals a day, offering good food and drink, and not mistreat those who did hard labor. They also had to pay wages, with different prices for skilled and unskilled workers.
According to market conditions... Ah... Hearing this, Shuya's eyes welled up with tears. Although Li Dalan was not good with words, she still supported her at crucial moments. Which mother doesn't want her daughter to have a good life?
It wasn't until the person on the other end of the phone explained everything clearly, with the last sentence being that bank transfers required an appointment one day in advance and that I could pick up the money the next afternoon.
Jiang Shuya had just composed herself, wiped away her tears, and replied, "Okay." After dinner and a short rest, an elderly man walked in.
Because the previous location was an open space with the main house door wide open, you could see everything just by standing at the door, there was absolutely no privacy.
Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be Huang Minghao's grandfather with a full head of white hair. Yes, Huang Minghao's grandfather. He had his hands behind his back, his back was slightly hunched, he walked slowly, and he was very thin, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
This is the story of an old man who paid 60,000 yuan in betrothal gifts to his grandson to marry Shuya. A year later, the grandfather passed away.
Before he passed away, he told Jiang Shuya and Huang Minghao not to return the 60,000 yuan dowry to their aunt. He said it wasn't their aunt's money, but his own. He said he said it was borrowed from their aunt because he was afraid his other siblings would be unhappy.
Making Huang Minghao repay the money every month serves two purposes: first, to test his sense of responsibility, and second, to teach him that only by being down-to-earth can one achieve real results. The grandfather raised his grandson from a young age and doted on him to the core. Huang Minghao's job was also arranged by his grandfather through his own efforts.
When Jiang Shuya first visited, the old man felt that this granddaughter-in-law was a rare find—well-mannered and hardworking.
When they learned that the bride price was 60,000 yuan, the son's family couldn't afford it. They went around trying to borrow money but couldn't get any. For the first time ever, the grandfather took out the money and, together with the aunt, covered up a lie.
Although the old man doted on his grandson, he harbored various grievances, contempt, and disdain for his eldest son. It seemed that his son had done many things to anger the old man when he was young. Shuya helped the old man sit down, took a cup, poured a glass of water, and placed it in front of him.
Ignoring the gazes from the old man and woman, the old man calmly asked, "You plan to build a house on the land above?"
Jiang Shuya replied with a slight smile, "Yes, Grandpa, we are two households. Doesn't this mean we have our own plot of land? I'd like to build the house on it first, and then divide it into separate households. This will be better for the future."
"It's for the later demolition, not for the family to actually move in, right? Do you have that much money to build it?" The old man asked in a scrutinizing tone.
Jiang Shuya pursed her lips and said, "Yes, I won't lie to you. I've already borrowed the money, and I'll pay it back myself. You're worried that your aunt and the others will be unhappy, right?"
The old man showed a hint of helplessness:
“Your uncle came to me today. He said he has already ordered the bricks and paid the deposit. If he breaks the contract, he won’t be able to get the money back. Your family still owes them money. They promised to give you 10,000 yuan, and now they are paying you 5,000 yuan to settle the debt.”
“Look, this is alright. If you want to build a house, you have an empty space in the front yard, so you can build a two-story house, and you can also build a few rooms in the back yard. When the land is demolished, the square meters will be enough.”
Jiang Shuya knew that her grandfather had come to settle things at her uncle's request, probably because her uncle and aunt had had another fight.
Grandpa came to act as a peacemaker in order to keep the peace.
He knew his second son well; he was notoriously afraid of his wife.
Although Jiang Shuya couldn't bear to see her grandfather act as a peacemaker, she still firmly replied, "Grandpa, to be honest, I've already arranged for the sand, cement, and timber on my side."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
