Chapter 15 Going Abroad
"They said they would arrange work for you once you get there."
"Two thousand dollars a month!"
Jian Li's aunt Wang Menglan excitedly talked about how wonderful America was, and the gold chain around her neck swayed left to right as she spoke.
Jian Li stood aside and looked at her aunt Wang Menglan carefully.
Wang Menglan and Wang Mengmei are seven or eight years apart in age. In appearance, only their eyes can be seen as sisters. Other places are not alike. Wang Mengmei is tall and slender, while the elder sister Wang Menglan is short and thin because she had no food to eat for several years. It was only in recent years when the economy has improved that Wang Menglan gradually gained some weight and looked less skinny.
Don't be fooled by Wang Menglan's thin appearance, she is very efficient in doing things. Whether it is her parents' home or her husband's home, she is in charge of everything.
When Wang Mengmei gave birth to Jian Li, Wang Menglan's daughter Qian Ping was already in elementary school.
The family Wang Menglan married into was named Qian. There were four or five brothers in the family, and they all learned how to build houses from their uncle. Before the economy was opened up, the family made a living by making some furniture for other people or building pig pens and stove houses for them.
But since the 1980s, the first batch of people who made money have appeared in the villages and towns. No matter where these people made their fortune, they would return home to build a grand brick and tile house.
The brothers of the Qian family could not handle the daily work, so Wang Menglan's husband Qian Jinlai took the opportunity to recruit a few people to work together. At first, they were afraid to recruit more people because of the "seven up and eight down" restriction. Later, when the decision was finally made, Qian Jinlai let go.
He couldn't get involved in the big business in the county town, but he was the only one in the surrounding area.
Wang Menglan was also not idle. She followed the workers wherever the house was built, cooked for the workers, helped collect materials and watched over the site. The couple was so busy all year round that they had no time to take care of their home.
Jian Li's older cousin Qian Ping grew up in such an environment.
Last year, Qian Ping failed the college entrance examination and was not admitted to university. She studied for a year and took the exam again this year, but failed again.
Jian Li looked at her aunt who was beaming with joy.
It was the same in her previous life. When her daughter failed to get into college twice, Wang Menglan felt that she had lost face. Although she and her husband were too busy with business to take care of their daughter's education in the past decade, Wang Menglan still felt that her daughter should go to college to bring honor to herself.
"It's all because of you that I've been bullied in the past my whole life. If you don't do better, how can you be worthy of me?"
Wang Menglan was injured when she gave birth to Qian Ping, and she didn't get pregnant again for several years. Finally, she was relieved. Wang Menglan was thinking about going to a big hospital to see if she could have another boy. But the town started to promote family planning...
In this way, Wang Menglan, like Wang Mengmei, both have only one daughter.
Wang Mengmei lives in the city, surrounded by workers. Everyone has a stable job and knows that work is more important than having a boy, so there is no discrimination against girls.
But in the countryside, people like Wang Menglan suffered a lot of gossip.
Wang Menglan is strong-willed. She pretends to be a good girl and is content with it, but secretly she cannot get over this hurdle, so she usually lets Qian Ping make progress.
Qian Ping was indeed motivated and always ranked first in the class.
Just when Wang Menglan thought she had a sure shot at university, Qian Ping failed the college entrance exams twice in a row, causing her to lower her proud head bit by bit in the eyes of others...
Wang Menglan is still showing off.
"I told Ping Ping to work hard there and try to stay there in the future."
"This kind of opportunity is not available to everyone. If you go, you must be humble and cautious to leave a good impression on others..."
Wang Yuedong was smoking a cigarette. He seemed to feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't get a word in.
My eldest uncle, Sun Cuifang, was very jealous and wondered if she should quickly get along well with her eldest sister-in-law. If her own child failed to get into university in the future, could she also go there?
That’s America!
Wang Yunyun quietly asked Jian Li: "Do you think Sister Pingping wants to go?"
That’s America!
After Wang Yunyun asked this question, she felt that she had said too much. Who wouldn’t want to go to the United States?
She didn't have such a situation around her, but a classmate at school had a distant relative who went to the United States. He came back to visit once and described that place as a paradise on earth.
"Food and drinks are very cheap. You can eat meat whenever you want. Have you ever tried fried chicken? They say it's only one cent a piece!"
"You don't have to pay for school or medical treatment. The doctors are good. They will give you a full body checkup when you enter the hospital, and they will call you regularly to ask about your health."
"The homeless people on the street have plenty of food and drink, and can even afford to eat meat and fish. They can buy a house after working for a year."
…
Wang Yunyun couldn't help but feel jealous.
But I also find it strange.
If America is so good, why are there still homeless people?
Jian Li: ...
I have to say that Wang Yunyun still grasped the essence.
Jian Li replied in a low voice: "I think Sister Ping Ping probably doesn't want to go."
If I wanted to go, I wouldn't have gone with someone and come back after just a few days.
Yes, Wang Menglan had the same experience in her previous life.
She was so eager to prove her daughter's excellence that she didn't care about many other things. After Qian Ping failed the exam again, she was determined to send her daughter abroad.
To this end, she even gave several thousand dollars to the "fellow countryman" who was said to have returned from the United States, just to ask him to take Qian Ping to the United States.
As for what she would do in the United States, she actually didn't think that much about it.
After all, this is America!
As long as you go there, you will find opportunities to make a fortune everywhere.
So after the deal was settled, she entrusted her daughter to the other party, and then waited happily for her daughter to go there, and then she would earn money and send it back, so that others would envy her.
In her previous life, Jian Li found out very late, so she couldn't remember the details.
All I know is that Qian Ping followed someone away, but came back on his own within two days.
My aunt was furious, but no matter how she asked, she couldn't get any result.
Qian Ping didn't stay at home for long. She failed to get into college and became a stain on Wang Menglan's family.
So I went south to work soon after, and within a year I got married and moved to another place more than a thousand kilometers away from Taocheng...
After that, Qian Ping never returned to his hometown again.
…
To be fair, it’s been so long that Jian Li almost forgot what Qian Ping looks like.
While she was still sorting out the information of her two lives, Qian Ping, who was late for her marriage, arrived on a bicycle.
Qian Ping has the kind of appearance that old people like, with round cheeks, a pair of almond-shaped eyes, and is pretty and likable.
The moment she saw the person, the barrier in Jian Li's heart disappeared instantly.
She still remembers that when she came here for summer vacation as a child, Qian Ping, Wang Yunyun and she often played together.
They said they were playing together, but most likely Qian Ping was just accommodating them.
Qian Ping is just a big sister.
Although she has no younger brother at home, she lives like an obedient and sensible older sister.
"sister!"
Jian Li jumped onto Qian Ping.
Qian Ping almost dropped the pork belly in her hand.
Jian Li leaned on Qian Ping: "I miss you so much, why don't you come back for the summer vacation?"
Wang Menglan took the pork belly and rolled her eyes: "It's still summer vacation, and you're already 18."
It was called summer vacation in the past, what is it called now?
I have graduated twice.
The little facial expression Qian Ping had just revealed disappeared again after Wang Menglan interrupted her.
She lowered her head and dared not speak, as if she had made a mistake.
Jian Li looked left and right, relying on her young age, and said recklessly: "Aunt, what are you doing? I was talking to my sister nicely, but as soon as you said that, my sister stopped talking."
Wang Menglan was never nice to her daughter, but was very friendly to all the children of her brother's wife. She didn't get angry when Jian Li said that, but just glared at her daughter who could do nothing even with three sticks, and then asked Jian Li with a smile if she wanted some candy.
"Ask your sister to take you to buy it."
Jian Li got off Qian Ping and pulled her elder sister's hand: "No need, I made some money this summer, I'll treat you to ice cream."
Wang Shuai appeared out of nowhere and said, "Ice cream? Where is the ice cream? Sister, will you treat me to ice cream?"
Jian Li: "...Whoever invited you, I'll dig you to death."
Wang Shuai didn’t spend any of the money he earned this summer vacation!
Before, Jian Li was afraid that this kid would learn bad things after taking the money, but now she gets angry when she sees this living Grandet.
To what extent did Wang Shuai go?
He was reluctant to buy any ice cream, and when Jian Li and Wang Yunyun were eating, he would secretly take the ice cream sticks and lick them.
Jian Li was almost going crazy and felt disgusted every time she thought about it.
She and Wang Yunyun forced Wang Shuai to search his pockets, insisting that he take out money to spend.
But after searching the whole house, they couldn't find any of Wang Shuai's money.
Jian Li despaired and asked Wang Shuai what he was going to spend the money on.
Wang Shuai looked confused: "Spend? Why should I spend? If it's in my pocket, I won't spend it."
The money he spent lavishly before was not his own. Now that it is his own money, Wang Shuai is not going to spend it.
He just wants to hold it.
In order to save money, Wang Shuai has not eaten any ice cream in more than a month.
At this moment, Jian Li was going to the village outlet to buy ice cream, and he was so greedy that he followed her.
Jian Li, Wang Yunyun and Qian Ping walked in front, and this kid walked obediently behind.
Away from the sight of the adults at home, Jian Li pulled Qian Ping aside and asked her all sorts of questions.
As soon as she left her mother, Qian Ping breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously.
Wang Yunyun: "Sister, are you really going to the United States?"
Qian Ping: “Yeah.”
Wang Yunyun was a little curious: "Does that require English? Everyone there speaks English, will there be no way to communicate after I get there?"
Qian Ping was a little nervous: "I don't know. The person who took me there said it was okay. She didn't speak English either. After we got there, we were in Chinatown. There were only Chinese people there, and they didn't speak English either."
Jian Li: "How long was she gone?"
Qian Ping: “She’s been gone for many years.”
Jian Li snorted: "She's been there for so many years, but she's still only hanging out in Chinatown?"
Qian Ping was stunned for a moment.
Jian Li took the opportunity to attack her sister in rapid succession.
"My aunt didn't even ask how the man lived there, so how could she be so confident in sending it to you? She even insisted that the monthly salary there was 2,000 US dollars, so the US dollars earned and spent were not US dollars? You can't earn money there and then take the money back to spend in China, right?"
"You just said you were going to make money but not what you were doing. When I asked you, you said you were going to wash dishes. How come a meal in the United States has 20 dishes? Where did you get so many dishes for you to wash?"
"Isn't it said that the United States has high technology? Why doesn't the high technology develop a machine specifically for washing dishes? Why does it have to find people to wash dishes?"
…
Jian Li's sudden killing spree left Qian Ping and Wang Yunyun speechless.
Wang Yunyun was suddenly enlightened, and all the vague sense of strangeness in her heart was expressed by Jian Li.
These are obviously loopholes!
"Sister, why don't you just not go..."
Qian Ping was in a state of confusion.
She always listened to Wang Menglan. When Wang Menglan said that the United States was great, she would not doubt it.
After all, that's her mother, can she deceive herself?
But, but, Jian Li's question cleared up some doubts in her heart.
America is so good, why didn’t that fellow countryman stay?
Well, why doesn't she bring her family with her?
Not to mention the places far away, why doesn't she bring her own man with her?
Jian Li took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "Sister, you have to think carefully. Auntie can help you make a decision, but she won't cover the consequences for you. You have to make your own decision about your own affairs."
Wang Yunyun also helped out very seriously: "Sister, I also think Xiaoli is right. Auntie is not going, and no matter how good her suggestion is, it's you who should go. You have to think about it carefully."
Qian Ping looked thoughtful, and Jian Li saw that it was about time, so she didn't say anything more.
It’s not that she didn’t think about going to persuade her aunt, but when she thought about her aunt’s temper, which was inherited from her own mother, Jane Li became discouraged.
She had already summed up her experience in the battle of wits and courage with Ms. Wang Mengmei in her previous life.
That is not to communicate when necessary.
Just rush in, and after that, her mother will beat her to death. She is her own child, is she afraid of being beaten to death?
Jian Li passed on her experience to Qian Ping.
"If you don't want to go, just hide for a few days."
Aunt has no other way out except for that man. If she can just hide for a few days and wait until the man is gone, can Aunt still beat Qian Ping to death?
Wang Yunyun, Qian Ping: …
Jian Li said confidently: "Am I wrong?"
Although it was a serious topic, Qian Ping felt like laughing.
But she still said seriously: "Thank you, Xiaoli. But forget it."
She smiled bitterly and said, "Go out and hide. I have nowhere to hide."
She had studied extremely hard in the past few years and had little interaction with her classmates. As for her eldest and second uncles' homes, her mother found them easily.
"I have nowhere to go."
Wang Yunyun suddenly felt a little sad for her and pulled her to say something.
Jian Li suddenly interrupted.
"Sister, you are stupid, come with me."
"Come to my house and I'll give you half of my bed."
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