Although Zhou Yuanyuan was six years old this year, that was according to Yuyuan County's calculations. Actually, Zhou Yuanyuan wouldn't be five for another two months. Zhao Yunxiang couldn't bring herself to discuss the Zhou family's affairs with a child who wasn't even five.
Zhao Yunxiang didn't know that Zhou Yuanyuan's "core" had changed. Zhou Yuanyuan actually knew about the bad things that Zhao Yunxiang was reluctant to talk about.
In the Zhou family, the old lady, Wu Jinfeng, was the one who had the final say. Zhou Chunping, who prided himself on being a state worker who ate commercial grain, was indifferent to the little matters at home. In Zhou Chunping's own words, "If a grown man were to meddle in all the family affairs, wouldn't that make him a nagging woman?"
Therefore, Wu Jinfeng had the final say on all matters big and small in the Zhou family, including marrying off daughters and daughters, all of which were decided by Old Lady Zhou Wu Jinfeng.
The Zhou family's eldest daughter-in-law, Li Chunjiao, and the second daughter-in-law, Gu Dahua, were both brought back by matchmakers sent by Wu Jinfeng. When they were young, Li Chunjiao and Gu Dahua were both well-known for their ability to work efficiently and effectively in the surrounding area, and they were both skilled at farming and working.
As for the brother-in-law Wang Xiaoqiang, firstly, Wang Xiaoqiang is from the county town, and secondly, Wang Xiaoqiang's whole family eats commercial grain. If Zhou Zhimei marries him, it would be considered "marrying up".
Only the third daughter-in-law, Zhao Yunxiang, was chosen by Zhou Zhixin himself, so he asked Wu Jinfeng to send a matchmaker to propose marriage to her.
Because of this, Wu Jinfeng was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Yunxiang.
Zhou Zhixin spent little time at home, and since all the members of the Zhou family were born actors, Zhou Zhixin always thought that his wife and children lived well in the Zhou family over the years, and his parents and relatives also cared deeply for Zhao Yunxiang and her two children.
Zhou Zhixin didn't know that Zhao Yunxiang had just married into the Zhou family and was hated by Wu Jinfeng because she "touched" Wu Jinfeng's interests.
In rural areas, mothers-in-law have many ways to discipline their daughters-in-law. For a cunning mother-in-law like Wu Jinfeng, dealing with a shame-averse daughter-in-law like Zhao Yunxiang is a piece of cake.
After Zhao Yunxiang and Zhou Zhixin got married, Wu Jinfeng took advantage of Zhou Zhixin's absence to punish Zhao Yunxiang several times. The incident started because of the salary Zhou Zhixin sent home every month.
The Zhou family had an old tradition, passed down from generation to generation in Yuyuan County. Before their sons and daughters got married, all their earnings were handed over to their parents for unified management. Only when they needed to spend money could they ask their parents for it.
Before the three Zhou siblings started families, they gave all their earnings to Wu Jinfeng. Of course, their eldest son, Zhou Zhigang, and their second son, Zhou Zhiqiang, continued to work as farmers in Zhoujia Village, earning little year-round except for the production team's annual bonus. Their youngest daughter, Zhou Zhimei, helped Wu Jinfeng with household chores after graduating from junior high school. Wu Jinfeng wouldn't even let her work in the fields, let alone earn any money.
Only the third son, Zhou Zhixin, joined the army at the age of sixteen. For the first four years, he sent home every penny of his eight yuan monthly allowance. After being promoted, he also gave most of his monthly salary of more than ten or twenty yuan to Wu Jinfeng.
After Zhao Yunxiang married, Zhou Zhixin and Zhou Chunping agreed that he would keep 5 yuan for his own expenses out of his monthly salary of 25 yuan, and send the remaining 20 yuan to Zhao Yunxiang. She would then give 5 yuan to Wu Jinfeng as a pension for the couple in the third room. Zhao Yunxiang would keep the rest for her own expenses, as they had just gotten married and would have a child soon, which would require a lot of extra expenses.
Zhou Chunping was a man who cared about his reputation, and although he felt a little unhappy that Zhou Zhixin had already made up his mind, he agreed without hesitation. Wu Jinfeng, on the other hand, had a long, gloomy face and remained unhappy for several days.
Before Zhao Yunxiang married, the twenty yuan Zhou Zhixin sent home went straight into Wu Jinfeng's pocket. At the time, pork cost 35 cents per pound, rice 18 cents per pound, and flour 14 cents per pound. With Zhou Chunping's monthly salary of 18 yuan and the money Zhou Zhixin sent back, the Zhou family lived comfortably.
With Zhao Yunxiang's arrival, Zhou Zhixin's twenty yuan gift suddenly shrank to five. How could Wu Jinfeng, ever the competitive type, feel? Without Zhou Zhixin's fifteen yuan, how could Wu Jinfeng support her youngest daughter, who had married in the county town? And how could she retain the hearts of her sons and daughters-in-law?
Wu Jinfeng looked at Zhao Yunxiang, the newly married woman, and felt that this third daughter-in-law was completely at odds with her. Not only had she stolen her son's heart, but now she was also trying to take his money.
Zhao Yunxiang didn't know how much Wu Jinfeng hated her. After Zhou Zhixin left, Zhao Yunxiang rushed to do things in the Zhou family every day, leaving Wu Jinfeng, who always wanted to find fault, with nowhere to start.
The opportunity has finally come!
After Zhou Zhixin returned to the army, he sent money back in the first month. Zhao Yunxiang went to the post office in town to get the money, and as soon as she got home, she immediately gave a five-yuan bill to Wu Jinfeng.
Wu Jinfeng looked at the thin piece of paper money, her face as dark as if ink could drip out of it.
Zhao Yunxiang was at a loss as to what to do. Wu Jinfeng snatched the money from her hand and threw it to the ground.
Wu Jinfeng also sat down on the ground, slapping her thigh and crying.
Wu Jinfeng cried and howled, and it was difficult for her to speak clearly, as she complained one sentence after another. First, she complained that Zhou Zhixin had married a wife and forgotten his mother, then she complained that Zhao Yunxiang, a young wife, had instigated a separation between her husband and her mother-in-law, and then she complained that she was old and annoying and should not be alive in this world.
Zhao Yunxiang, a newly married young wife, had never seen such a scene as that of Wu Jinfeng, and was stunned on the spot.
After her two sisters-in-law persuaded her for a few words, Zhao Yunxiang finally realized that Wu Jinfeng thought the money was not enough.
In desperation, Zhao Yunxiang had to hand over the twenty yuan sent back by Zhou Zhixin to Wu Jinfeng without missing a penny.
Wu Jinfeng stopped crying and got up after being persuaded by the other two daughters-in-law.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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