Meng Shuyun explained the whole story and her purpose in seeking her out.
She composed herself and said sincerely, "Fangjie, to be honest, I have a mountain of work to do right now, and I really can't handle it all by myself. After thinking about it, I thought of you. Would you be willing to work with me?"
Upon hearing this, Ding Fangjie slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Let's do it! Why not? I happen to have a sewing machine at home. Just bring the fabric to me tomorrow."
As she spoke, she handed over a cloth bag, saying, "Take these things back with you, so your children won't go hungry."
Meng Shuyun took the cloth bag, opened it, and found a packet of milk powder inside.
This milk powder is very expensive; one pack costs five yuan.
Her old friend's concern for her at this time moved her to tears.
I must spend more time with Fangjie in the future; I can't let her kindness go to waste.
Seeing that Meng Shuyun was hesitant and unwilling to accept it, Ding Fangjie pretended to be angry, rolled her eyes at her, gently patted the back of her hand, and scolded, "Alright, alright, this is not for you, it's for Xiulan's two children."
Upon hearing this, Meng Shuyun instantly suppressed the emotion that had just welled up within her.
In the hearts of these two old friends, they are not as important as their two grandchildren.
After saying goodbye to Ding Fangjie, Meng Shuyun returned home late at night. The dim light shone from inside the house, adding a touch of warmth to the slightly dilapidated home.
Before even entering the house, I saw Yu Xiaoqiu standing at the door carrying a bag of potatoes and holding some hair accessories.
"Auntie," Yu Xiaoqiu said shyly, "I'll give you these potatoes. I'm not much of a help, so please don't mind."
Meng Shuyun quickly declined, "I'll accept the hair accessory, but you can take this potato back. We're out of fabric today, I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
Fearing that Meng Shuyun wouldn't accept it, Yu Xiaoqiu quickly grabbed a handful of potatoes and put them on the back of the bicycle before running away.
As Meng Shuyun watched her departing figure, her heart felt warm.
Yu Xiaoqiu's family was struggling financially. This bag of potatoes was probably something they themselves wouldn't normally eat, but they were thinking of using it to help themselves.
As Meng Shuyun stepped into the house, she immediately saw the sewing machine in the main room, which was polished to a brand-new shine.
Xiaoli and Xiaojuan, with their sharp eyes, spotted their grandmother returning and ran over like two cheerful little birds to boast.
"Grandma, Grandma, my sister and I have washed the sewing machine! Look, it's as good as new!" The two sisters looked up with their rosy cheeks and their eyes were full of anticipation.
Looking at their adorable appearance, Meng Shuyun's heart softened, and she reached into her pocket and took out two milk candies.
With many children in her family, she had long developed the habit of keeping candy in her pocket, and she couldn't bear to disappoint her two children.
When it was time to eat, Xiaoli and Xiaojuan were busy setting out the bowls and chopsticks, while Su Xiuju and Meng Kangshun carried steaming hot dishes out of the kitchen.
Sitting in the main seat, Meng Shuyun watched the family bustling about yet enjoying each other's company, feeling a mix of emotions.
At this moment, Su Xiulan took out an envelope from her pocket, handed it to Meng Shuyun, and said, "Mother, the family is in trouble right now. Here's ten thousand yuan for you to use. The house definitely needs to be built, and money is needed everywhere."
Seeing this, Su Xiuju put down the stir-fried vegetables she was holding, took out an envelope from her pocket, and gently placed it in front of Meng Shuyun: "Mother, although I didn't give as much as my second sister, please accept it. It will help out a little."
Although Meng Kangshun did not speak, he silently placed an envelope on the table.
It was as if they had planned it together.
Seeing this scene, Su Xiumei felt a mix of emotions, a bitter taste in her mouth.
Of all the family members, she felt the most useless, unable to help or contribute any money.
She lowered her head in shame, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet. She secretly blamed herself, thinking that if she were as successful as her second and youngest sisters, she wouldn't be so anxious and helpless at this moment.
What are you doing?
Meng Shuyun was moved, but she still handed the money back one by one. "Don't worry about building the house. Our hair accessory business will definitely get better and better. The house can't be built all at once, and we're not in a hurry to use the money."
It was rare for the whole family to sit down together for a meal, and Meng Shuyun didn't want to spoil the mood, so she stopped them from continuing their conversation, saying, "Alright, stop talking and start eating."
After eating and drinking to our hearts' content, we spent a long time cuddling with the two little ones in the room before going back to our room to rest.
Not long after Meng Shuyun fell asleep, she vaguely saw a dark figure flash into the room.
She was about to ask a question when another figure flashed in, and less than two minutes later, another person entered.
In the darkness, the three figures stared at each other, almost screaming out loud.
With a "click," the room lights came on.
Meng Shuyun looked closely and realized it was Su Xiulan and her sister, along with Meng Kangshun.
Meng Shuyun: "..."
Outside the courtyard, the sounds of washing and rinsing could still be heard.
"What are you doing?" Meng Shuyun asked, puzzled.
The three of them, as if caught red-handed thieves, hurriedly dropped the envelope and ran out of the room.
Meng Shuyun hurriedly chased after her. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Su Xiumei. Her eyes widened, and she asked, "What are you doing now?"
Su Xiumei was squatting by the water vat washing clothes when she was startled by the sudden noise. She scratched her head guiltily and said, "Mother, I... I couldn't sleep, so I got up to wash some things..."
Actually, she was feeling terrible because of what happened during the day, and she couldn't sleep, so she got up and started working, filling the water tank with water.
Meng Shuyun looked at her, opened her mouth, but didn't say anything, only sighed helplessly.
...
As night deepened, someone pounded on the Qin family's gate repeatedly.
"Who is it? It's so late at night, are you trying to summon a ghost? Can't you talk about it tomorrow?" Qin Hongying heard the noise outside the door, took off her apron, and scolded her irritably.
She muttered to herself as she went to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Qin Hongying froze, stunned, and stood there for a long time, unable to react when she saw Jiang Xue holding the child standing in the doorway.
Jiang Xue didn't stand on ceremony. Holding her child, she squeezed past Qin Hongying and said, "Aunt Qin, I heard from Su Xiangbei that you and my father-in-law, Su Dahai, got your marriage certificate. I'm homeless now, you can't just abandon me."
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