The crackling of firecrackers signaled the official start of the wedding banquet. The workers began serving dishes, all of them hearty and substantial: braised fish, stewed pig's trotters, rabbit stew with potatoes, pheasant with mushrooms… Everyone was extremely satisfied, picking up their chopsticks and digging in. Who was paying any attention to the newlyweds anymore?
Seeing them enjoying their meal made Qiao Xiaoni feel comfortable.
Su Chenhao: "Honey, let's go back inside. There are people taking care of us outside. The people inside are still waiting for us."
In rural areas, ordinary guests sit outside at banquets, while the main guests sit inside. Today, the Qiao family has an unusually large number of people, and two tables have been set up on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the main room, where all the important relatives are seated.
Qiao Xiaoni nodded, turned around, and followed him back into the house. As soon as she entered, she heard the conversation inside.
"In-law, I heard that your little shop in town has made a lot of money. Is that true?" The voice was sharp and sounded a bit old. I thought of what my sister-in-law had told me yesterday.
She thought to herself, "Oh no, I forgot to tell my parents."
He quickly lifted the curtain and went inside, where he saw an elderly woman with gray hair talking to Qiao Haisheng. She was dressed in a floral suit, typical of a rural woman, and her mouth was wide open.
"My daughter has been married into your family for so many years. Even if she hasn't done anything great, she has certainly worked hard. Now that you've become successful, you can't forget about us!"
Qiao Haisheng gave an awkward laugh. He really didn't have much to say to Tao Chunfang's parents. They lived quite far apart and had only met once, at their wedding. Now, their child was already so grown up. Besides, they were women, and he really didn't want to say anything, but he still had to respond.
"You're going a bit off-topic. We're in-laws, so just say what you want to say."
Yang Lanying: "Then I'll be frank, my youngest daughter is already 17 years old this year."
"She's been idle at home with nothing to do, so I'm thinking of getting her some work at the shop to supplement our household income. But this requires your approval, so I'm practically begging you today. Please, just agree!"
"Chunfang's sister?" Qiao Haisheng frowned. "You've really put me in a difficult position. It's just a tiny shop; we don't need so many people to help us."
Besides, the child is so young, are you comfortable letting her go to work in the city?
Yang Lanying's face darkened: "From what you're saying, does that mean this is off? We're in-laws, after all. My daughter has been married into your family for so many years, diligently managing the household. She's done a lot, if not great, she's certainly put in a lot of hard work! I've only made such a small request, why can't you agree to it?"
Tao Chunfang was so angry she didn't know what to say. Everything happening before her eyes was exactly as she had expected. This was a scheme to get her in-laws to agree in front of everyone.
Li Meihua glanced at her daughter-in-law, reached out and held her hand to calm her down. She was pregnant, and if she got sick from getting upset, it would be her family who would suffer.
Seeing that his son remained silent, Qiao Tianli decided to speak up: "Chunfang's mother, according to seniority, you should call me uncle."
I have something to say here, and you might not like it.
Yang Lanying: "You're exaggerating. According to seniority, I should call you uncle."
How old are you this year? You look very healthy.
Qiao Tianli glanced at everyone and said, "I'm 75 years old this year. If your father were still alive, he would be two years older than me."
I'll be so shameless as to tell you something today. There's an old saying that goes, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts."
You arranged for your daughter to work in the store, how will you calculate her wages? Besides, my son's store doesn't need to hire anyone right now, but you're forcing someone in, aren't you just asking us for money?
As an elder, I might have been a bit harsh in what I said. Go back and think about it carefully, and you'll understand.
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