Lin Juhua asked her, "Sister, have your brother-in-law paid for your mother-in-law's hospitalization? Last time, I heard your sister-in-law say that she had to pay back the money for the food rations and work points at the end of the year, and she had no money left after paying it back. Besides the eldest son getting married, several of her sons still need large sums of money, and she is crying poor.
I refused to do it. I said there was nothing I could do. I'd always been able to make money and do things year after year. My eldest sister has three sons and is worried too. Your eldest sister-in-law is really bad. I'm not trying to cause trouble, but you split up early. Your parents-in-law are so old, how many work points did they earn for them? She must be broke. It's so rude of her to not pay for your mother-in-law's hospitalization. She even said she'd pay you back at the end of the year. Who would believe that?
Zhang Meili nodded and said, "I know she doesn't want to pay back the money, so I specifically told you this. This time, she's in debt from buying the house, and my father-in-law is counting the money. She can't make the decisions in the family, my father-in-law has the final say.
My mother-in-law hasn't managed the household since the family split up. She must have been heartbroken after her illness last time. The old couple are now in control of everything. Don't worry about them. Let them say whatever they want. Your brother-in-law said he doesn't want money, but he'll give us food rations. He'll collect them at the end of the year. Food is expensive in the city, and according to the ration book, there isn't much. It's not enough for my three sons, so giving them food rations is good."
Huang Cuilan nodded after hearing this. "I've heard her gossip a few times, but I'm too lazy to pay attention to her. We should do what we have to do, but don't make things difficult for the elderly. I think it's better for them not to give it to you this time. They won't bother you with problems in the future. Your sisters-in-law, except for the second eldest brother's family, are difficult to deal with. They are too calculating about what others have. I think when your father-in-law retires as the village accountant, you should bring the old couple to the city in the future. Life in the first house will be difficult, and we can make ends meet by saving a little. We have to take good care of the elderly and children."
"That's what I thought too. I've discussed it with your brother-in-law. We'll buy a bigger house this time and wait until the big house can no longer accommodate us. I won't argue with them. I'm willing to support two old people, just like your brother-in-law and younger brother-in-law are only sons." Zhang Meili agreed with her sister-in-law's idea. If the old people in the village hadn't wanted to live with the eldest son, she would have taken him in long ago.
After hearing this, Lin Juhua said to Zhang's mother, "Mom, even if you and Dad live with Big Brother and Sister-in-law in the future, you can still live with us. We also stay at Big Sister-in-law's house during the holidays. You and Dad can take turns living there. Go to whoever feels more comfortable. I heard that the child's father and Xiaowu have already discussed it. The east wing of the main house will be reserved for you to live in. You can come and stay wherever you want."
"Then I'd be sitting in the toilet without taking a shit. No need, it's just a few steps away. Who would bother going back and forth? It's not like we're playing house. Haha, don't worry about me and your sister-in-law. She listens to me. Ask your sister-in-law, she dares not to listen. Your sister-in-law is very filial. I'm not worried about getting old like those old people in the village. I have three daughters-in-law, and I can't find any in the whole county. You are all filial, so your father and I are not worried at all."
"Haha, Mom, you are so lucky. My brother and sister-in-law are all filial. When my son wants a partner, I will find one according to their aunt's personality."
Mother Zhang shook her head and said, "It's difficult. Besides their personalities, they also have to get along well with each other. Living under the same roof for a long time, they will always have arguments.
Your eldest sister-in-law is the best in our family. She is the eldest sister-in-law and is better than your aunt. Your grandfather always said that as long as your eldest sister-in-law is around, our family will never be in chaos.
I've seen it for so many years, and it's really like that. I'm not praising her, but she's been helping me take care of your brothers and sisters since she entered the Zhang family, and she's never treated anyone unfairly.
We were so poor back then, and it was the couple who worked in the fields in the dark to support the family. When I was pregnant, she didn't come back until she was about to give birth. After finally waiting for a better life, she helped me marry into my second son's family.
The second sister-in-law is not in a hurry and does everything slowly. I get impatient and get angry. Your sister-in-law always speaks well of her in front of me. She is afraid that the second sister-in-law will be scolded by me, so she rushes to do everything. She also always says that your sister-in-law just got married and hasn't figured things out yet. She will get the hang of it once she gets familiar with the situation.
There were times when I saw my second brother's wife just standing there without even trying to lend a hand. I'd get so anxious I'd curse her, and she'd say, "Mom, look at how everything is done by my younger brother's wife at home. Whenever I ask her, she's always happy to help. Don't worry, take your time. My younger brother likes her because she has her strengths. Look at how delicious her cooking is, how fast she learns things, how quickly she picks up anything, and how good the sweaters she knits are. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Compared to the young wives in the village, I think my younger brother's wife is better than others. She doesn't hold grudges, and she's very easygoing and nice.
We couldn't argue, and she listened to me, the eldest sister-in-law. She kept persuading me like this, and I thought about it, the second daughter-in-law's personality was carefree, she didn't hold grudges, and she followed the instructions in a proper manner, much better than those young wives in the village.
When Jiaojiao came home, I honestly said I really liked her and was partial to her. She had been holding hands with Xiaowu since they were little, and I treated her like my daughter-in-law, as well as my own daughter. I couldn't bear to let her work in the fields, and when she got pregnant, I couldn't bear to let her do heavy work, fearing her two older sisters-in-law would complain after a while. Plus, she didn't have her household registration here, so she wouldn't have any food.
I told them Jiaojiao had no food, and your eldest sister-in-law said that Xiaowu's salary was enough to support her, and that she was only 16 years old, just a little older than Xizi, so we should take good care of her. Your second sister-in-law laughed heartlessly and said that Jiaojiao had a cat-sized stomach and no food, so how much could she eat? One meal from me would last her ten days or half a month.
I went back and told your father happily. Your father said that all children are good children, and we will not treat our own children badly. We are going to separate anyway, so let's wait until the child is born at the Spring Equinox. Xiaowu is not worried that he will not be able to support his wife and children.
So, when choosing a wife, you can’t just base it on her temperament. You have to see how she gets along with others. If she has a good temperament, does that mean she doesn’t care about anything? Don’t worry, fate will come. If the child you like is not happy with her, what can you do? My three sons chose their own wives. I never planned to help them choose a partner. It depends on what they like. That’s how their family will feel in the future. If they don’t like their wife, they won’t be happy to work so hard. Look at our village. Those who don’t choose their wives will beat them hard. They don’t even beat dogs like that.
Lin Juhua looked at her sister-in-law gratefully and said, "Sister-in-law, we are a family that doesn't talk about formalities. If you have anything to do in the future, just tell me what to do. I will never say no."
"Okay, I still need your help to make clothes for Xizi and his family for the New Year. Haha, I'm not as nice as my mother said. I just think that we men are brothers. I watched us grow up, and we are not outsiders. I don't have a sister, so I just treat you as my own sisters. Besides, you and Jiaojiao are very good, I know it in my heart. If you were like Guoshu's wife in the village, I would definitely stay away from you. I can't stand it."
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