After seeing her husband and daughter off, Huang Cuilan ran to the factory to ask for leave and rushed to her parents' home.
"My daughter, are you back? Why aren't you at work today? How's the thing I asked you to do going? Your niece is waiting for your news. I heard you get about thirty yuan a month."
Huang Cuilan looked at her mother and said, "Mom, it's very difficult for me. I can't stay in my husband's house anymore. Can I go home to be with you and Dad?"
Huang's mother raised her eyes, slammed the table and shouted, "Does your in-laws dislike you? Well, the Zhang family has become rich and looks down on people, right? They even want to drive you away! That bastard forgot how his son and nephew treated me. They drank and ate my food. He has no conscience..."
Huang Cuilan looked at her silently.
Huang's mother cursed for a while, then took a breath, "Tell me. Is that bastard having someone else outside? How many times have I told you to manage your man's money? Well, you don't listen to me, so now everything is ruined. Which bitch is it? I'll tear her apart and make her cheat on you."
Huang Cuilan held Huang's mother and said, "Don't make a fuss. The child's father is not someone else now, but it should be soon. My second brother said that many people are interested in him now. Mom, I want to live a good life with him."
Huang's mother heaved a sigh of relief. "That's right. We have to hold on to our own man and not let him get away with someone else. Your second brother also mentioned this to me. Don't listen to his nonsense. Which girl would want to be someone else's stepmother? Your mother-in-law won't let those impure little devils into the house either."
My daughter, don't be afraid. No one can make you move because of the three sons you gave birth to. As for you, remember to hold on to your man's pocket. The money is in your hands. If a man doesn't have money to please a woman, who would be willing to follow him..."
Huang Cuilan smiled bitterly and shook her head. Still asking for money? For the past two years, all her salary had gone to support her parents, and he had paid for all the household expenses. How could she ask for it?
Listening to her mother's words, Huang Cuilan pondered further. Her brother was right. With her man's looks and job, there were plenty of men willing to throw themselves at him. City girls were different from village girls. She couldn't be foolish.
"Mom, stop talking. I came back just to tell you that I won't be able to send you money or food anymore. You and Dad have enough to eat in the village, so I have nothing to worry about. I can't take care of my eldest brother anymore. My Xizi and my two brothers are so old now, I have to save money for them."
"They have their grandparents, don't they? Your eldest brother's family is in such a difficult situation. If you don't help them, what will happen to them?"
Huang Cuilan stood up, shook her head and said, "Big brother's family has two working parents, which is much better than the people in the village. I can't make a living on my own anymore, and I can't take care of others. I came here just to tell you that from now on I can only take care of myself."
When Huang's mother saw her about to leave, she quickly stepped forward and held her back, "Okay, Mom got it. Sit down for a while, your dad will be back soon."
Huang Cuilan shook her head again. "No. My child's father is leaving for the provincial capital to study tomorrow. He'll be gone for almost a year. I have to go back and pack my luggage."
Huang's mother frowned after hearing this, but she didn't stop her anymore. She sent her out of the village and couldn't help asking, "Is your niece's case really hopeless?"
Huang Cuilan gave her a funny look and said, "I'm leaving."
Huang's mother watched her daughter leave and disappeared, then returned home with a heavy heart. When Huang's father returned around noon, she immediately perked up and recounted what Huang Cuilan had said.
Huang's father puffed on his pipe. When he heard that his son-in-law was going to the provincial capital to study for a whole year, his eyes flashed, "If you don't want your daughter to be divorced and embarrassed when she comes home, then you can make trouble."
"What's wrong with me?"
Father Huang tapped his pipe and said, "Okay, you didn't make a fuss. I can't argue with you, but don't forget that your daughter is your biological child, just like your eldest son. I haven't dared to look for my in-laws in the past two years. Do you know what I mean?"
Huang's mother curled her lips.
Huang's father glanced at his wife's new clothes, shook his head, and said, "Since my daughter said that, something must be wrong and she's getting angry. For her own good, you should stop bossing her around."
After saying that, Huang's father stood up and went to the yard, looking up in the direction of the county town with great worry. This time, his son-in-law had been away in the provincial capital studying for so long, and his daughter was not with him. He wondered if something would happen to him.
In the past, he had been thinking about his son-in-law's future, but now he had given up on that thought. A lid fits a pot, and the gap between the couple's status was too big, which was not a good thing.
After Huang Cuilan finished expressing her thoughts, she felt as if she had put down a heavy burden on her mind. She was oblivious to her old father's worry and returned to the county town with ease.
At noon, as soon as Zhang Guofu entered the living room, he smelled the aroma of meat, vegetables and rice. Hearing the cheerful laughter of his wife and children coming from the kitchen, he was a little dazed.
Xizi brought the dishes and smiled at him, saying, "Mom is going to pick us up from school today to eat. I went to call my grandparents, and they told us to eat on our own. We'll go to his place tonight."
Mai Miao ran up to Zhang Guofu with a smile on her face, "Dad, Mom has prepared your favorite dishes, and also a lot of fried noodles for you to take to the provincial capital."
Zhang Guofu stroked her short hair and pulled her to the table with a smile.
Xiao Zuo and Xiao You came up with their bowls and chopsticks. "Dad, we have delicious food. Would you like a drink?"
Zhang Guofu laughed dumbly. "I'm not your grandfather, why would you drink? I'm going to the provincial capital this time, so you should behave yourself at home and stay home. Can you do that?"
"no problem."
"Dad, be careful out there by yourself."
"Dad, let's go to the provincial capital to visit you on the weekend."
Xizi patted Xiao Zuo on the forehead and said, "You only know how to play. Dad is going to study, so you should study hard at home. If you don't get an 80 or so on the test this semester, believe it or not, your uncle won't give you a penny when he comes back."
Xiao Zuo's eyes lit up, "Brother, is my uncle really coming back for summer vacation?"
Xizi glanced at him sideways and said slowly, "They didn't come back last year. This time, our grandma won't go to the capital, so he and my aunt will definitely come back."
"Yes, that's right. I have to write a letter to my uncle and ask him to bring Ping An back."
Xiao You interjected, "Second brother, tell your uncle in the letter that he said Ping will be the fifth. It's time for him, the fifth, to step down."
"So from now on, who should answer when someone calls Xiaowu?"
As soon as the words fell, everyone at the table laughed non-stop.
At the dinner table, Zhang Guofu smiled as he picked up some food for the children. He glanced at his wife, turned his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it in her bowl.
Huang Cuilan was so happy that she was beaming with joy, laughing while eating.
Zhang Guofu's eyes dimmed when he saw this, and he sighed secretly. He didn't know how to treat his daughter-in-law, who was neither to be taken lightly nor to be taken seriously.
If you pamper her and let her do what she wants, there will be no peace in the family. If you treat her coldly, she will be trembling with fear, as if she has suffered a great injustice.
All of this often left Zhang Guofu feeling exhausted. What was a husband and wife supposed to be? In his mind, they should be like his parents, working together for the family and their children, just as they were for their parents. When he was tired, he wanted someone to be there for him, not just to fawn over him.
He breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of leaving tomorrow. It would be nice to be apart for a while, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to get some fresh air.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
