When Qian Duoduo returned, she saw that the houses next door were already having their roofs covered with cotton-stone tiles. She went to the yard next door and saw Ling Yun standing there. She walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, the roof-raising and tile-laying is really fast!"
When Lingyun saw Qian Duoduo return, he smiled and said, "This is the first time I've ever seen tiles like these."
Qian Duoduo: "Aren't they available in the South?"
Ling Yun nodded: "I haven't seen it before, and I don't know if it can be used in the south."
Qian Duoduo said, "The weather in the north is dry, so this cotton stone tile is just right. Even if it rains, it won't last long. But the air in the south is humid, so this cotton stone tile probably won't be very good."
Lingyun saw a fragment of a cotton-stone tile next to him, picked it up, and tried to bend it with his hand. Although it was a bit hard, he could still bend it.
Qian Duoduo pulled her to the water's edge and said, "Sister-in-law, throw it here, and we'll check on it again tomorrow."
Ling Yun nodded and threw the cotton-stone tiles in her hand into the water. Qian Duoduo pulled Ling Yun and said, "Sister-in-law, let's go home first. Dad and my older brother can handle things here!"
Ling Yun looked around and realized there was nothing he could do, so he followed Qian Duoduo home. When they were just a few steps from the door, he saw a woman in red with a little girl by her side. However, the woman looked at him with some hostility.
When Qian Duoduo saw this woman, she greeted her casually, "Sister Xiaohua, you've come back to your parents' home."
Li Xiaohua glanced at the spot where Qian Duoduo was holding Ling Yun's arm and said casually, "Hmm, Duoduo, who is this person?"
Qian Duoduo said with a smile, "This is my sister-in-law. She's really amazing. She's a deputy county magistrate in Guangdong Province. My brother is a company commander. They're a perfect match. My sister-in-law is well-educated and kind, and she's very friendly to all of us younger siblings. I really like my sister-in-law."
Li Xiaohua glanced at Qian Duoduo, who was smiling happily, and said in an unfriendly tone, "Guangdong Province is so far away. If anything happens at home, they can't help. What's there to be happy about?"
Qian Duoduo sighed and said, "Sister Xiaohua, the way you're talking makes it sound like it's good to live close by. There's a saying that goes, 'Far away, good; close, bad.' When we're far apart, we all want to get close to each other when we meet. But when we go home, some things come out into the open. People who are afraid of being taken advantage of will see everything as a loss."
Li Xiaohua was stunned. She hadn't expected Qian Duoduo to defend her sister-in-law, whom she had just met, so much. Then she thought about what Qian Duoduo had said, implying that her parents were not as kind to her as they had been when she was unmarried. Back then, she and her nephews had the same good food at home, but now, when she went home, her mother wanted her to bring back a lot, or even more, things. Otherwise, she would be accused of not caring about her nephews or her brothers' hard work.
She looked unwell and left with her child.
Ling Yun glanced at the woman, then at Qian Duoduo, and asked in a low voice, "Who is she?"
As Qian Duoduo walked, she said, "Her father is the village accountant, and as you know, he is the brigade leader. Over the years, the two families have gotten along quite well. However, Aunt Li is not a very nice person, so we don't like to play with her children. I heard that she wanted Xiaohua to marry into our family, but my eldest and second eldest brothers, who are of marriageable age, have both joined the army. So, she found Xiaohua the second son of the brigade leader in the next village. That little girl just now is her child."
Upon hearing this, Ling Yun immediately asked, "Does your older brother know her too?"
Qian Duoduo laughed and said, "Of course I know her. She's two years younger than my eldest brother and about the same age as my second brother. When we were in school, she didn't do well in school, and Aunt Li even wanted my eldest brother to tutor her. My mother didn't agree. She said it wasn't appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together, and it would damage her son's reputation." She looked around and whispered in Ling Yun's ear, "Mainly because Mom doesn't approve of Aunt Li and Li Xiaohua. She said that Accountant Li is a decent person, but he has bad taste and married a spendthrift woman."
Seeing that Qian Duoduo not only explained things clearly but also made her older brother and mother more aware of their presence, Ling Yun smiled and said, "Mom is quite wise."
Qian Duoduo breathed a sigh of relief. "Big brother, this is all I can do for you. Besides, where did you get the idea that my mother is wise? She was told by Dad that she couldn't introduce a daughter-in-law like Wang Qiaofen to the eldest son. They say if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. If Wang Qiaofen is crooked, how upright can Li Xiaohua be? Besides, Li Dafa can't even control his wife. He's a good-for-nothing. Having such in-laws is such a terrible thing!"
When Ling Yun returned home, he showered Jin Jinxiu with compliments, praising her endlessly. Jin Jinxiu was so flattered that she almost lost her bearings, finding her daughter-in-law wonderful in every way.
When Qian Sheng returned with his three sons, he was somewhat bewildered to see Jin Jinxiu holding Ling Yun's hand in such an intimate manner. Hearing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law praising each other, Qian Sheng was even more puzzled. Seeing Qian Duoduo smirking to the side, he kicked the old maid and said, "What's wrong with your mother? She's not usually this boastful."
Qian Duoduo said with a smile, "It's mainly because my sister-in-law's words are so sweet. Look, my mother's eyes are practically closed from smiling."
Qian Feng was naturally happy that Jin Jinxiu and Ling Yun had a good relationship, so he wouldn't have to be caught in the middle anymore. In the military compound, many of the military families lived with their mothers-in-law. There were a few who got along well, but most of the mothers-in-law were criticizing their daughters-in-law outside the home, saying this and that, and always trying to set rules for them. The men in the family only trained and didn't care about anything else. He felt that this was wrong, so he didn't want Ling Yun to suffer like that. Today, after the roof beam was raised, he had talked to Qian Sheng about this topic while they were working.
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