Zhou Meimei helped Ding Ermei slowly walk back to Zhoujia Village.
As soon as she got home, Zhou Meimei shouted, "Is anyone home? We're back!"
"Oh my, little sister's back? When did you arrive?" Ding Xiaocui hurriedly came out of the house when she heard Zhou Meimei's voice.
"I took the first bus back this morning, and after getting off, I went to the hospital to take care of my mom," Zhou Meimei hurriedly told herself, trying to "take credit."
Upon seeing Ding Ermei's stern face, Ding Xiaocui shrank back and asked, "Mom, why were you discharged from the hospital? I was thinking of coming to the hospital after dinner to take over from my sister-in-law in taking care of you!"
Ding Xiaocui got home two hours earlier than Chen Jinfeng.
As soon as I got home, I collapsed onto the bed and slept like a log. I just woke up a short while ago.
After returning home, Chen Jinfeng hurriedly went to sleep, without having time to tell Ding Xiaocui that Zhou Meimei had returned.
"Hmph! Are you waiting to starve to death in the hospital if you don't leave? You're all so lazy, you don't even know to bring me a bite to eat." Ding Ermei rolled her eyes at Ding Xiaocui and said.
"Mom, the doctor said you can't eat anything before 1:30 pm, so I didn't dare to take you," Ding Xiaocui said after a moment of surprise.
"I can't eat, but Meimei needs to eat! You two are all lazing around at home while Meimei is working so hard taking care of me in the hospital, and what do you do? You, as her older brother and sister-in-law, don't even bring her a meal. Is that fair?" Ding Ermei seized the opportunity to vent her anger.
"Mom, I really didn't know my little sister was back. Little sister, what would you like to eat? Your second sister-in-law will make it right away," Ding Xiaocui asked with an embarrassed smile.
"Let's have noodles! Remember to fry two eggs and put them in. Mom wants plain porridge; the doctor said she needs to drink it for two days in a row." Zhou Meimei ordered without any hesitation.
“Okay, I’ll do it right away.” Ding Xiaocui turned and left.
Ding Ermei was clearly in a bad mood.
Ding Xiaocui would rather do chores than stand in front of Ding Ermei and be scolded.
Zhou Bingqiang and Chen Jinfeng didn't come out; the couple were sleeping soundly inside, snoring loudly.
Zhou Bingqiang and Chen Jinfeng both stayed up all night last night and are now fast asleep, unable to wake up at all.
With Zhou Meimei's help, Ding Ermei slowly walked into her room.
Zhou Fugui was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a newspaper and smoking, filling the room with smoke.
Seeing that Ding Ermei was about to lie down on the bed, Zhou Fugui made way for her and sat down at the small square table.
"Dad, it's been a long time. Did you miss me?" Zhou Meimei sat down on the stool next to Zhou Fugui.
“Once you’re married, you belong to someone else’s family. I have your two older brothers by my side, why would I miss you?” Zhou Fugui glanced at Zhou Meimei and said slowly.
"Dad, can't you just say something to comfort me?" Zhou Meimei stomped her foot, unhappy.
"If I'm trying to comfort you, who's going to comfort me? A married daughter comes back to her parents' home and doesn't even know to bring back something to appease her father. It's really outrageous." Zhou Fugui couldn't help but scold him a few times.
This daughter, I don't know if she's some kind of Pixiu spirit, only brings back some things when she goes back to her parents' home for the Lunar New Year, she doesn't show any filial piety at other times.
"Dad, how could I possibly have time to buy anything? This time I was really scared. I thought I was going to become a motherless child." Zhou Meimei sniffed and put on a sad look.
“Your mother just loves to cause trouble. If she keeps this up, she might really kill herself one day,” Zhou Fugui said irritably, glancing at Ding Ermei.
Ding Ermei closed her eyes and didn't say anything.
This hospitalization cost the family twenty yuan, and Ding Ermei didn't want to anger Zhou Fugui.
Seeing that Ding Ermei had "gone soft," Zhou Fugui stopped scolding her.
These past few days, Ding Ermei has been arrested and taken to the police station and then to the hospital, and no one has washed Zhou Fugui's clothes.
No one brought Zhou Fugui water to wash his face in the morning, and no one brought him water to wash his feet in the evening. Zhou Fugui was too embarrassed to ask his daughter-in-law for help, and that's when he realized that although Ding Ermei was a bit slow-witted, she usually took good care of him.
"Ahem! Meimei! Has your company been hiring any temporary workers lately? If so, keep an eye out for your second brother." Zhou Fugui cleared his throat and got down to business with Zhou Meimei.
Ever since Zhou Fugui gave his job to Zhou Meimei, Zhou Bingxing has gone from being a "good boy" to a "rebellious boy".
Every time I talk to Zhou Fugui, we inevitably exchange a few sarcastic remarks.
After much thought, Zhou Fugui decided that Zhou Meimei should help Zhou Bingxing resolve his employment issue so that the family could return to its former harmony.
"Dad, our cotton mill only hires permanent employees, we rarely hire temporary workers." Zhou Meimei's face fell, and she was unhappy.
“Or, could you ask your in-laws to help you see if any other companies are hiring temporary workers? Your second brother has always been clever and has always stayed in the countryside to work; it’s a pity,” Zhou Fugui said after taking a puff of his cigarette.
"Dad, a temporary job now costs three or four hundred yuan! Do we have that kind of money?" Zhou Meimei asked.
"Cough cough cough..." Zhou Fugui choked on his own saliva.
Three or four hundred yuan. Before Ding Ermei was swindled, she and Zhou Fugui might have been able to scrape together that money. Now? That's probably impossible.
"Dad, you don't mean you want me to do you a favor and then spend money to find a job for my second brother, do you?" Zhou Meimei's face was long.
“Meimei, didn’t Dad give you the job? It’s a permanent job. You got your second brother a temporary job, so you’re still the one who’s profiting.” Zhou Fugui tried to reason with Zhou Meimei.
"Dad, I'm not happy with what you're saying. You gave me this job voluntarily, I didn't steal it. When you gave me this job, you didn't say I should find jobs for my brothers later! Otherwise, I wouldn't want it! Being a rich housewife abroad is much more comfortable than being a worker." Zhou Meimei said with disdain.
"Shut up, are you out of your mind?" Zhou Fugui snapped.
Zhou Meimei pouted but didn't say anything.
"Never say things like that again. If someone hears you, it will be a huge disaster. Your Aunt Hua was just joking back then. Don't take it seriously. Just live a good life with your son-in-law and don't think about anything else," Zhou Fugui warned with a gloomy face.
"Okay, Dad. Don't say things like I owe my brother a job anymore. When I become a manager in the factory in a few years, I can help my nephews find a way." Zhou Meimei took the opportunity to make a condition.
It's not easy to rise from worker to cadre, and Zhou Meimei doesn't know if she'll ever have that opportunity in her life.
Zhou Meimei's implication was that if she didn't become a cadre, she wouldn't be involved in her nephews' affairs anymore. Even if she had, Zhou Jiaxiang and Zhou Jiasheng were still too young!
It takes at least ten years before one reaches working age.
Zhou Meimei said this because she wanted to have more freedom for another ten years.
This way, Zhou Fugui wouldn't ask about her work every time she went back to her parents' home.
“That works too. I’ll talk to your second brother about it.” Zhou Fugui thought for a moment and agreed.
Since the son is already like this, if the grandson can go to the city, maybe he can find a chance to escape rural life?
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