The Xiang family's house is considered to be the most imposing in Xiaoqiu Village. With six spacious tiled houses, it stands out among the adobe houses.
Nowadays, most of the houses in rural areas are built with mud. Some wood chips, straw and other materials are mixed into the clay to increase the durability of the wall. After the wall is built, a layer of lime and cement slurry is brushed on the inner and outer layers, and then scraped smooth with an iron sheet. The main body of the house is considered completed, and some wooden beams are built on the roof, and then some tiles are laid. This is the home that most farmers use to shelter from wind and rain.
This type of adobe house has poor tolerance, and generally needs to be repaired every one or two years. If there is a strong storm, the house will leak severely.
The brick and tile house of the Xiang family was not really made of blue bricks and tiles. In fact, it was still made of adobe, but a layer of blue bricks was laid on the outside of the house, which made it look grand and clean. The money that Xiang Qianjin had sent back over the years was enough for the Xiang family to build a real tile house, but it would cost at least four or five hundred yuan, and most of the savings that the family had accumulated over the years relying on Xiang Qianjin would be gone in an instant.
This old house will definitely be left to the youngest son Xiang Guangming in the future. How could the other sons and daughters-in-law agree to that? Everyone took a step back, and it became the current "big tiled house" which is only for show. No compensation was made, and the other sons who had already received their shares were each given another 50 yuan. Of course, Xiang Qianjin had no share of any of this.
Now, this grand house is occupied by the old couple of the Xiang family, as well as Xiang Guangming who has not yet married. Xiang Qianjin also has a room, but he rarely comes back to live there. The other brothers and sisters all have their own houses, so these large houses seem a bit empty.
When Xiang Qianjin accompanied Yin Hong back home, there was no one at home, only a few hens pecking at pebbles in the yard.
"The stove is still cold, let's go forward. Or you can drink some boiled water to fill your stomach. Your factory provides lunch, so it won't be long before you can eat." Yin Hong covered the steamed bun hidden under her cotton-padded jacket, but she was reluctant to take it out to give it to her son.
With such a strong body, it doesn't matter if you skip a meal.
"There are some raw sweet potatoes in the well. Why don't you eat a few before you leave? They're crispy and sweet. Your nephew loves them the most." Yin Hong looked at her son's cold eyes and opened her mouth and said.
Xiang Qianjin glanced at her and felt that the cold wind outside was not as cold as his heart.
"Don't bother me. I'll go back first. I said what I should have said last night. You know my personality. Tell Yin Xiuli to be quiet. Otherwise, don't blame me for not recognizing him as your sister-in-law."
As he moved forward, his brows rose and his eyes were bloodshot, making him look a little ferocious.
Seeing this scary look again, Yin Hong felt a chill down her spine. She didn't know how her mother-in-law taught her son. He was so reckless and only knew how to scare her as a mother.
"I know, I know." Yin Hong lowered her eyebrows and responded in a low voice, holding the hem of her clothes even tighter.
Xiang Qianjin looked at her deeply, knowing that his mother had not listened to him yet, feeling a little frustrated, but as long as he did not agree, no matter how many schemes his mother and sister-in-law made, it would be useless. His head was throbbing from not sleeping all night, Xiang Qianjin shook his head and turned to leave.
Yin Hong watched her son walk away, locked the gate of the yard, and walked towards the Fan family.
"Qianjin, I heard that you brought your mother back, so I was just about to go back to see her." A thin old man saw Xiang Qianjin and happily went to greet him.
The old man had a head full of white hair, a slightly hunched back, and a dark face full of wrinkles. At this moment, he was looking at Xiang Qianjin with curved eyebrows, rubbing the dried mud on his hands, and was overjoyed.
He looks honest and kind, and is 80% similar to Xiang Qianjin.
"Dad——" Xiang Qianjin called out to the old man affectionately when he saw him, and most of his original depression also dissipated.
It turned out that the old man was Xiang Qianjin's father, also known as Xiang Laoshi by Miao Sanfeng. Judging from his appearance, he was indeed an honest man.
"Your sister-in-law is really something. She left your mother at your place and didn't care about you. You must be tired from working every day, but she still went to cause trouble for you." Xiang Laoshi got angry when he thought of this. He looked at his tired son and said, "Qian Jin, did you not sleep well last night? Otherwise, don't go to work today. It's just one day less of wages. Your health is more important."
Xiang Laoshi felt sorry for his third son: "Don't work so hard. You are already in your twenties. It's time to think about your own affairs. Send less money every month. Your eldest brother and his friends are capable and need to rely on you, their younger brother, for support. Don't listen to your mother. She is confused."
"Dad, I have a girl I like. Starting next month, I will send home ten dollars a month. I will save the rest to get married."
In front of Xiang Laoshi, Xiang Qianjin was obviously much more relaxed. He could be completely honest with Xiang Laoshi about things that he couldn't tell Yin Hong.
Xiang Laoshi originally thought that his proposal would be overturned by his son. After all, every time he talked about this matter, his son always acted indifferent, which made it difficult for Xiang Laoshi to help his son even though he wanted to.
But unexpectedly, the son who had always been skinned by his old woman suddenly figured it out, and Xiang Laoshi was both surprised and happy.
"Okay, okay." Xiang Laoshi rubbed his hands, his eyebrows wrinkled with joy: "Who is the girl? Who are the people in her family?"
Xiang Qianjin blushed: "The girl doesn't know what I mean yet." Thinking of his performance at dinner yesterday, Xiang Qianjin felt a little discouraged. He felt that he must not have a good impression in Jiang Dani's mind now.
"You kid, try harder!" Xiang Qianjin patted his son's shoulder. Xiang Qianjin was much taller than his father, and Xiang Laoshi almost had to stand on tiptoe to reach his shoulder.
"Don't worry about your mom. Dad will work for you. You just save money and marry a wife in style." Xiang Laoshi knew that the money given by the third son was too little, and his confused old wife would definitely do something naughty under the instigation of her daughters-in-law. As a father, he could not do anything else, but he could always control his wife.
The third child has done enough for this family, and it’s time for him to think about himself in the days ahead.
With Xiang Laoshi's promise, Xiang Qianjin felt a little more hopeful. His mother had always been the one making the decisions in their family, but he knew in his heart that his mother still had the old feudal idea in her bones, that is, the husband is the God. If his father was really willing to help him do his mother's work, his pressure would be relieved a lot.
Thinking of this, Xiang Qianjin's steps became much lighter after he said goodbye to Xiang Laoshi and left Xiaoqiu Village.
Here, Yin Hong had already arrived at the Fan family's courtyard and called out a few times: "Aunt Miao, Aunt Miao, are you home?"
After a few noises, a thin and shrewd old lady walked out of the house, followed by a woman in her thirties or forties.
"Xiaojuan is also at home, Aunt Miao, I want to ask you something." When Yin Hong's eyes glanced at Fan Xiaojuan, there was a hint of disdain and embarrassment on her face.
"Sister Yin, why are you here at my house? Come in." Miao Guifen walked to the yard to greet them. The Xiang family had a much better reputation in the village than theirs. Ever since the eldest daughter-in-law gave her daughter such a bad idea, Miao Guifen now felt like someone was talking behind her back whenever she went out. Although she got the benefits, it still made the old lady feel a little embarrassed.
No matter what the reason was, Yin Hong's visit now was an opportunity for their family to break the ice with the villagers.
Yin Hong followed Miao Guifen in. Fan Xiaojuan poured her a glass of water. Yin Hong thanked her and pushed the glass inside without leaving any trace, not even intending to take a sip.
"I haven't been here for a while, and this house is different from before." Yin Hong looked at the freshly painted house. There was a brand new curtain hanging on the window, a whole set of brand new tea bowls on the table, and even the table was newly made. Has the Fan family made a fortune?
"Hey, isn't Xiaojuan a filial child? She always brings something back to honor me and her father." Miao Guifen's eyes were filled with uncontrollable pride. Although the villagers now point fingers at them, the benefits they get are real.
I don't know what connections Lu Hui used to marry Fan Xiaojuan to a city man, and the betrothal gift was a full 100 yuan, not including other pots and pans. Although the old man had a bad temper and loved to beat people, he gave half of his monthly salary to Fan Xiaojuan for household expenses. As long as he calculated well, he could save some money every month. I don't know what kind of magic potion Lu Hui had fed Fan Xiaojuan. It was obviously she who pushed Fan Xiaojuan into a pit of fire, but Fan Xiaojuan was still grateful to this sister-in-law from the bottom of her heart, and she always brought something home every time she came back.
When Yin Hong heard that these things were brought by Fan Xiaojuan, she immediately looked up to her and felt that Fan Xiaojuan was actually a good person. She knew how to take care of the family and was not selfish at all, unlike her son who had ulterior motives towards her as a mother.
After thinking about this, Yin Hong told her purpose: "Xiaojuan, I remember the one in front of you was from Qingshan Village. Do you know a girl named Jiang Dani? Her aunt married to the city."
Fan Xiaojuan's eyes widened, and her heart trembled: "Auntie, why are you asking about Jiang Dani?"
"Ah..." Yin Hong sighed, "It's my third son. He likes that girl, so I want to ask you about her personality."
Xiang Qianjin was a well-known promising man in Xiaoqiu Village. He was admitted to a technical secondary school with his own ability, became a worker right after graduation, and also had a city hukou, which immediately opened up a gap between him and those who made a living from the fields.
When Fan Xiaojuan heard that that silly girl Jiang Dani was actually favored by such a promising man, she felt as if her heart was bitten by ants and it ached terribly.
She did not miss the dissatisfaction in Yin Hong's eyes. She rolled her eyes, lowered her head and sighed.
"Xiaojuan, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with that girl?" Yin Hong asked anxiously.
"I don't know whether I should tell this or not." Fan Xiaojuan gritted her teeth, with some hesitation on her face.
"Xiaojuan, you are going to drive me crazy. Is there anything we can't talk about?"
When Fan Xiaojuan saw that the fish was hooked, a sinister smile appeared on her lowered face.
"Since Auntie asked, I'll tell you. Jiang Dani is the daughter of the eldest brother of the man in front of me."
Yin Hong didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that Jiang Dani was actually the niece of Fan Xiaojuan's ex-husband.
"Dani is a pretty and hardworking girl, but——"
Fan Xiaojuan hesitated for a long time, and Yin Hong was almost impatient, so Fan Xiaojuan spoke: "It's just that the eldest wife's family is a bit selfish, they keep their own things very tightly, and are unwilling to help relatives. You also know about my husband's situation, it was because the eldest wife held on to the food tightly that he would steal it."
Fan Xiaojuan's expression was gloomy. "This is a mistake in principle. I can't watch him continue to make mistakes. I can only report this issue to the organization. If it weren't for the Jiang family's eldest wife's ruthlessness, our family would be fine now."
Fan Xiaojuan wiped her tears, and her heartbroken look made Miao Guifen and Yin Hong, who were standing beside her, feel touched.
"I didn't expect Jiang Dani to be this kind of person." Yin Hong slapped the table and said, "No wonder my third child said he would send less money home in the future. It must be that woman who instigated it behind the scenes."
Seeing her angry look, covering her lips with her hands wiping her tears, and showing a look of satisfaction as if her evil plan had succeeded, Fan Xiaojuan knew Yin Hong's weakness. What she cared about most was Xiang Qianjin's salary. If Xiang Qianjin married a woman who was frugal, she would not be able to get a penny of that money. She didn't believe that Yin Hong would still allow Xiang Qianjin to marry Jiang Dani after all this.
"Also, Dani has some issues with her behavior. When I was still living in Qingshan Village, I saw a man who looked like an educated youth flirting with her several times. I didn't want to talk about this before, after all, I was once her second aunt. It's just that Qianjin is such a good person, Dani is really not worthy of him."
Fan Xiaojuan looked so frank and open-hearted that Yin Hong was stunned. She immediately treated Fan Xiaojuan as her confidant, and held her hand, pouring out her grievances.
"Auntie, I have an idea. Would you like to listen to it?"
Fan Xiaojuan listened to her trivial nonsense patiently, her dark eyes flashed, and she spoke softly.
Yin Hong leaned close to her ear as if bewitched.
Fan Xiaojuan's voice was very soft. Apart from Yin Hong, even Miao Guifen who was sitting next to them could not hear their conversation clearly.
After Fan Xiaojuan finished speaking, she sat up straight, picked up the bowl of tea that Yin Hong had not touched, and took a sip. Yin Hong's face turned green, then red, and then purple. She looked at Fan Xiaojuan suspiciously, but the desire in her heart always took the lead, so she gritted her teeth and agreed.
Fan Xiaojuan sent Yin Hong out the door, looked at the good man who was praised by everyone in the village, and sneered.
******
Wolves are ferocious and greedy. If you are targeted by one, a piece of your flesh will be bitten off when you are not paying attention. The wolf-劇 has no front legs and relies on the wolf to move, helping it to do its evil deeds.
Fan Xiaojuan and Yin Hong at this time are the wolf and the hyena, while Jiang Dani, the prey being targeted, is unaware of it and doesn't know what is waiting for her.
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