In the hazy morning light, Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie and Ruan Cuizhi breathed in the refreshing mountain air and walked along the mountain road from Jinguan Village back to Fengyan Village. The sun peeked out from the top of the hill in the east, outlining the undulating mountain line.
Ruan Cuizhi said: "Your fifth uncle should be home before noon."
Although the two families are far apart, everything is still done on time. Ruan Changsheng calculated the time to go to the town. After having the banquet at Qian's house, he brought the bride back and arrived home just in time for the banquet at noon.
The banquet was eaten sporadically, and the excitement lasted until the bridal chamber at night, and the wedding was over.
Ruan Xi glanced at Ruan Jie and said with a smile, "I wonder what our stepmother looks like."
Ruan Jie: "Fifth Uncle has high standards, she must be very beautiful."
When she came here last year, some villagers saw her and said she was very beautiful.
The three of them were talking as they walked home. When they got home, it was time for breakfast, so the family members served their rice, picked up chopsticks, and then sat down at the table one after another to eat breakfast together.
After a day's rest, Ruan Changfu and Feng Xiuying looked much better, not as tired as when they just came back yesterday. The spirit and expression are relaxed, and the atmosphere at home naturally becomes relaxed as well, and we feel more like a family.
Since we are a family, of course we should chat about insignificant things and not be so restrained, making the home like a reception for leaders where everyone pays attention to their words and actions and behavior, which makes the family feel distant and alienated.
Liu Xinghua asked Feng Xiuying, "How old is Xiaobing?"
Hearing this, Feng Xiuying glanced at Ruan Hongbing who was eating in her arms, smiled and said, "According to his age, he is six years old. He was born in 1969 and is still in kindergarten. We plan to let him go to first grade next year."
Liu Xinghua subconsciously wanted to ask about the other children, but then she thought that she had never seen them and might never see them in her lifetime, so there was no point in asking and she stopped asking.
So she continued the topic, "It's good to be able to go to school. Children in the mountains have a hard time. If they want to go to school, there is nowhere to go."
As she spoke, she glanced at Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie, Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua, "They all went to school for a few years before the revolution. Then the revolution killed our only teacher, so they were not allowed to teach and never went to school again."
Liu Xinghua said this simply to follow the topic subconsciously, but although she said it unintentionally, others took it seriously. The smiles on Ruan Changfu and Feng Xiuying's faces suddenly looked less natural.
After all, the contrast in these words was too obvious. The other children were all going to school and living a good life in the city, but Ruan Xi was the only one in the countryside who couldn't even finish elementary school and lived a hard life in the mountains.
Ruan Changfu said: "This time I took Xiaoxi over and let her continue to go to school. She still needs to learn to read. I didn't think it was a big deal in the mountains, but when I got out, I realized that not being able to read is like being blind."
He didn't know many words at first, but later he learned how to read and write in the army.
Hearing this, Ruan Cuizhi looked at Ruan Xi, and the two exchanged glances secretly without saying anything.
Sun Xiaohui said, "Brother and sister-in-law, are you going to take Xiaoxi with you this time?"
Feng Xiuying smiled and said, "If conditions permit, I will take over."
In fact, it was because he couldn't bear it any longer. If he continued to bear it, Ruan Xi would start to talk about others. If they really left her in the countryside and ignored her completely, and let Liu Xinghua find her a random country guy to marry, I'm afraid Ruan Xi would hate them for the rest of their lives.
After all, they are their own children, and they are not so cruel as to do this.
Moreover, we have already said that we would take Ruan Xi over. We have been saying this for so many years, so we can't just ignore it.
Sun Xiaohui smiled, looked at Ruan Xi and said, "Xiaoxi, you are going to live in the city and enjoy life. People will envy you."
Ruan Xi looked at her and said bluntly, "Second Mom, you are jealous."
“…”
The smile on Sun Xiaohui's face suddenly froze.
This damn girl!
In this kind of atmosphere and occasion, no one was giving her any face!
Sun Xiaohui smiled stiffly but said nothing. Feng Xiuying beside her suddenly said in a gentle voice, "Xiaoxi, don't talk to your elders like that."
Hearing this, Ruan Xi looked at her biological mother again.
Her expression and eyes were very sincere, like an innocent child, without any falsehood or hidden meaning in her words. She said, "How should I say it? No one has taught me, so I don't know how to say it."
However, the more this happened, the more embarrassed Feng Xiuying and Ruan Changfu felt and the more guilty they felt.
Feng Xiuying laughed dryly and said, "I'll teach you slowly later."
Ruan Xi smiled slightly, "Thank you."
Perhaps she had gotten used to it, Feng Xiuying didn't feel embarrassed when she saw Ruan Xi being so polite and distant. On the contrary, she subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, because this showed that although Ruan Xi resented them, he was willing to go with them.
Originally, she was worried that Ruan Xi resented them and might have a big fight with them, and would not want to go to the city with them, which would cause chaos and make people laugh at her.
But looking at her current attitude, although she is being polite to them, she is still willing to go to the city.
Come to think of it, unless you are stupid, who would want to stay in the countryside and suffer?
It's enough if she's willing to go to the city. It's even better if she doesn't make a fuss. Give them face, and they will compensate her well.
Today is Ruan Changsheng's wedding day, so the house soon became busy. Some people from the village came to help, and some came to chat with Ruan Changfu. As more people came, the place soon became lively.
As a junior, Ruan Xi didn't do any more work and just waited patiently for Ruan Changsheng to pick up the bride home.
It would take some time for the bride-picking team to arrive, so Ruan Xi called Ruan Jie aside, hid behind a haystack, and spoke to her in private: "Xiao Jie, you heard it at the dinner table this morning. My parents are going to take me to the city."
Ruan Jie nodded, and she was a little reluctant to say this, but she still said: "Sister, you can go with peace of mind, don't stay in this mountain. Life in the city is better, and there are schools to go to, which is much better than in the mountains."
Ruan Xi looked into her eyes and said, "I want to take you with me."
Ruan Jie was stunned when she heard this, and she blinked for a long time without reacting.
Ruan Xi reached out and took her hand and said, "You still remember, I told you before that I would take you out of the mountains. This is the chance. If you don't go with me this time, I'm afraid there will be no chance in the future. Knowledge can change destiny. Only with enough knowledge can you change your destiny. Come with me, and we will go to the city to study."
Ruan Jie felt very moved when she heard this, but...
Ruan Xi didn't let her speak, and only asked: "Don't say anything, just answer me, do you want to go or not?"
Ruan Jie pursed her lips and nodded heavily after a moment.
If she could go, she would definitely like to go, but...
This was so impossible that she didn't even dare to dream about it.
Ruan Xi patted her hands, "Don't worry about anything, just leave it to me. I'll go and convince them to take you with them. I only have one request of you, even if your parents are in a rage, you are not allowed to waver, understand?"
Ruan Jie looked into Ruan Xi's eyes and gained infinite power from her gaze.
She said nothing, looked at Ruan Xi and nodded heavily, "Yes!"
The two sisters hid behind the haystacks, holding hands and whispering, from the country to the city, and then to the future, and then suddenly heard a woman shouting: "Here she comes! Here she comes! The bride is coming!"
Hearing this, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie's eyes lit up, and they ran out hand in hand, "Let's go take a look."
When they heard the shout, it wasn't just the two of them who ran to see the bride, there were also other adults and children in the village. They all ran to the roadside to join in the fun, making it like a welcoming ceremony, and it was very lively for a while.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie squeezed in the crowd and stretched their heads to look, only to see a bunch of adults and children following Ruan Changsheng's wedding procession on the mountain road. They all ran over to join in the fun, and of course the main reason was to see the bride.
The bride was dressed in red, sitting in a sedan chair covered with bright red silk flowers, with her hair tied up and putting on makeup, adding a touch of bright red to the green mountains.
Fiery joy danced on everyone's brows.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie squeezed in the crowd and waited for the team to get closer. When they got closer, Ruan Jie grabbed Ruan Xi's arm and shook her, saying, "Sister, look quickly, you are really beautiful. I said that Uncle Wu has good taste."
Ruan Xi smiled and said, "I saw it, it is indeed very beautiful."
The other onlookers also looked at the bride and whispered to each other:
"Oh, Xiao Wuzi's wife is really pretty."
"Xiao Wuzi is really capable. He didn't need a matchmaker to find a wife, which saved the family a lot of money and trouble. He went out to look for a wife himself, and not only did he find such a beautiful wife, but she's from the town! He's really capable!"
"Who says it's not? It's really enviable."
…
Ruan Changsheng followed beside the sedan chair, his face smiling so much that it looked like it was reflected on red paper.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie waved at him and called him, "Fifth Uncle."
Ruan Changsheng looked at them and waved at them.
When Ruan Changsheng brought the bride to the doorstep of the house, the sedan chair landed and the bride got off. Then there was a series of things like blocking the door, etc., all of which were relatives from the family joining in the fun and asking for wedding candies to share in the good fortune.
After the bride came in and sat down in the bridal chamber, many people leaned over the door of the bridal chamber, stretched their heads to look inside, and said as they looked in, "Oh, it's so beautiful no matter how you look at it. Xiao Wuzi is so lucky."
Qian Chuan was naturally happy to hear that, but she was too embarrassed to show it, so she just pursed her lips and lowered her head to smile.
It was only after the commotion was over that Ruan Changsheng realized that his elder brother Ruan Changfu had returned.
He was wearing a brand new Zhongshan suit, and he found Ruan Changfu and said with a smile: "Brother, you are back!"
Ruan Changfu was sitting on a high bench talking to an old man in the village. When he saw Ruan Changsheng, he stood up quickly and said with a smile, "How could I not come back for your wedding? Look, Xiao Wuzi has grown up and got married."
Ruan Changsheng smiled and said, "The chief came back in person to attend my wedding. I am so honored!"
Ruan Changfu raised his hand and hit him, "I'm your elder brother, what chief!"
After being punched by his eldest brother, Ruan Changsheng suddenly found the familiar feeling of being a family and was extremely happy.
As soon as the bride arrived home, the banquet began.
Ruan Changsheng brought Qian Chuan, who was wearing a red dress, to the table to toast and get to know everyone in the family. After paying respects to parents, he then paid respects to his eldest brother and his wife, his second brother and his wife's wife, then Nguyen Cuy Chi and Nguyen Cuy Lan, and the rest were the children of Nguyen Xi's generation.
After the banquet began, the Ruan family was bustling with activity. In the evening, there was a bridal chamber disturbance, which lasted until late at night.
This day belongs alone to Ruan Changsheng and Qian Chuan.
Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie and Ruan Cuizhi returned to the tailor shop in the middle of the night. They were so sleepy that their eyelids were drooping. They washed up and went to bed.
The next day, he got up early again and returned to Ruan's house, having breakfast with Qian Chuan, the newcomer.
After breakfast, Ruan Changsheng took Qian Chuan out for a stroll, obviously to show off his wife.
After all, I didn’t bring her here when we were in a relationship before because I was afraid of gossip. But now she’s my serious wife!
After Ruan Changsheng took Qian Chuan away, the house became quiet.
Because there had just been a wedding in the family and Ruan Changfu had not left yet, no one went to work immediately. Nguyen Changgui would follow Nguyen Zhigao and Nguyen Changfu whenever he had the chance, both to curry favor with his elder brother Nguyen Changfu and to take advantage of the situation.
Ruan Changfu didn't have much time to waste. He spent too much time on the road and couldn't stay at home for long. He and Feng Xiuying agreed that he would stay for another day and had to go back tomorrow, otherwise there would not be enough time.
That being the case, some things naturally cannot be delayed.
So Feng Xiuying asked Liu Xinghua to call Ruan Xi to her room and formally tell her about going to the city.
Feng Xiuying said to Ruan Xi with a guilty look on her face: "Xiao Xi, Mom knows that I have treated you badly over the years, and I feel bad about it. Mom and Dad are planning to take you to the city now, do you have any ideas?"
Ruan Xi looked at Feng Xiuying and then at Liu Xinghua, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Yes, I have a request."
Feng Xiuying felt comfortable seeing Ruan Xi was willing to talk to her, so she hurriedly said, "Tell me what you want. As long as mom and dad can do it, we will definitely satisfy you."
Ruan Xi looked into her eyes and said, "I feel uneasy going there alone. After all, I have never lived in the city and I am afraid I won't be able to adapt. I don't have any feelings for the sisters there and I am afraid we won't get along. I want to take Xiao Jie with me."
Feng Xiuying was stunned after hearing this and looked at Liu Xinghua.
Liu Xinghua was also a little surprised and was stunned for a while.
She didn't know Ruan Xi had this idea, but now that she heard Ruan Xi bring it up, she thought, wouldn't it be better if she took Ruan Jie along? The two sisters will have someone to take care of them, and Ruan Jie can completely get rid of that vicious mother Sun Xiaohui and marry into a good family in the future.
Seeing Feng Xiuying didn't say anything, Liu Xinghua came back to her senses and cleared her throat and said, "I think it's okay. Xiaoxi and Xiaojie have always had a good relationship. I'll feel at ease if they go together. You already have so many children there, and one more Xiaojie is not too many. You don't need to worry about them because they are so old. It's just a matter of having one more meal. If it doesn't work out, I'll transfer money to you regularly."
Hearing Liu Xinghua mention the money transfer, Feng Xiuying quickly said, "Mom, how dare we do that?"
In order to prevent Feng Xiuying from saying no, Liu Xinghua thought for a moment and used Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui as a push, looking at Feng Xiuying and continuing, "Xiaoxi has been at home since she was a child. She was raised by her uncle and aunt. They have helped you raise your daughter for more than ten years. Now it's not too much to ask you to help raise her for a few years, right?"
Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui didn't even care about Ruan Jie, let alone Ruan Xi.
But in order to get the eldest brother and his wife to agree to this, they had no choice but to use this kind of thing to kidnap them. Liu Xinghua knew Ruan Changfu well. If she said this, he would definitely agree, as he was a person who cared most about this kind of face.
He and Ruan Changgui are two extremes. Ruan Changgui only cares about himself and no one else. He always puts his own family first in everything. He is unwilling to suffer any loss and will not let others take advantage of him. Ruan Changfu, on the other hand, cares more about other people's views and opinions, and the impression others have of him, so he is more generous to others, and his family members have to sit at the back.
Sure enough, before Feng Xiuying could say anything, Ruan Changfu walked into the room and said, "Mom is right, let's take Xiaojie with us. It's not easy for the second child to take care of the family for me all these years, and this is what I should do."
Liu Xinghua glanced at Ruan Xi, and Ruan Xi quietly put her hand in her palm and gently pinched her fingers.
Feng Xiuying never had any ideas and always listened to Ruan Changfu. Since Ruan Changfu had already agreed, she naturally said nothing, and only said: "Then ask Xiaojie to pack up and go with us tomorrow."
Ruan Xi was happy, she lowered her eyebrows, pursed her lips and smiled.
Feng Xiuying saw that the smile on her face was genuine this time, and she subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that this was a good thing, at least her daughter would be happier and treat her better, and would not embarrass her all the time.
Just when she was feeling comfortable, she suddenly stood up from the high stool and exclaimed, "I've been busy since I came back. Little Wuzi's wedding is so lively. I brought back a bag of delicious food, but I forgot to take it out. What do you think of my brain?"
Liu Xinghua directly pulled Ruan Xi to stand up and said, "Let's go and see what delicious food there is."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
