Read Returning to 1995: Contentment with Modest Prosperity

Chapter 39

The old man of the Ge family was called Ge Qiang. He was not tall, and as he got older, he became hunched over and looked even shorter. This short stature was also passed on to his children. Ge Changjun and Ge Changyuan were both less than 1.7 meters tall.

When Ge Qiang entered the room, Huang Guihua hurried forward to take the things from his hand, and then helped him take off his coat and get his shoes.

Ge Qiang followed Huang Guihua very naturally and was helped to the sofa by Huang Guihua. The warm water in the cup was just the right amount.

Jian Li walked out of the inner room and happened to see this scene.

Jian Feng and Wang Mengmei also saw it.

Jian Feng silently called out "Uncle", Ge Qiang hummed, then took the remote control and changed the opera program.

Ge Cong stood up with interest. All the children, grandchildren and grandchildren of the family were present, but Ge Qiang ignored everyone and asked no questions.

Everyone is used to him being like this.

Ge Qiang didn't have anything else going for him in his life, but he had a good fate.

Before marriage, he relied on his parents, and after marriage, he relied on his wife. When his first wife died, a new wife, Huang Guihua, came in with a lot of money and worked hard without complaint.

When the special period was over, a relative from overseas came back to the family. That person left his hometown far away, and after counting, Ge Qiang was the only young generation left in the family.

Then he contributed money and effort to support Ge Changyuan, Ge Changjun and Ge Yaqin to go to school, and also helped Ge Changjun to get connections with relevant departments and open a construction company...

In Ge Yaqin's words, "No one can compare to my father's luck in his life, let alone other things."

It's just that no one can compare to him.

Ge Qiang had an easy life since he was young. The hardest time was when he worked in a cotton mill. He felt it was very hard to go to work on time every day. Later, when he got married, he even stopped working in the cotton mill and waited for his wife to support him. After his first wife died, he was supported by the next one.

In recent years, he has not cared about anything at home or outside, just wanting to have fun. He is either drinking and playing cards with others outside, or watching TV and raising fish at home.

It doesn't matter what.

So he didn't care when his eldest son Ge Changfeng was forced to stay at home by his step-wife.

Later, Huang Guihua felt that it was not justifiable and sent Jian Feng back, but he didn't care.

Huang Guihua was afraid that others would say she was being harsh on Jian Feng, so she invited him to come over to celebrate the New Year every year, but he didn't mind.

In Ge Qiang's heart, his children are not as important as a fish.

Huang Guihua made him unhappy, so he raised his hand and hit her.

The same applies to all his children, regardless of whether they are his own boys or girls. Anyone who offends him will be treated the same way.

During the few years that Jian Feng was in the Ge family, he initially couldn't bear to see Ge Qiang beating Huang Guihua, so he stood up several times.

Ge Qiang attacked Jian Feng together.

You said people were gossiping about you, but Ge Qiang is not afraid of being gossiped about.

He has no shame anyway.

Jian Feng was beaten several times, but it was useless. Huang Guihua also didn't appreciate it.

No matter how badly Huang Guihua was beaten the day before, she still served Ge Qiang food and drink the next day.

He also blamed Jian Feng for being nosy.

"You know shit. Beating is love and scolding is affection."

Jian Feng couldn't understand it. His biological father had never beaten anyone before. Before he died, he asked the factory leaders to take good care of his wife and children. He only dared to die after getting this promise.

Is it true that gentleness, kindness and responsibility are no match for violence, insult and debauchery?

Jian Feng advised Huang Guihua to divorce more than once. They knew many neighbors at the cotton textile factory, and they received a monthly subsidy. As long as they did a little work, they would be able to survive.

But Huang Guihua was determined that she couldn't live without a man.

She attributed the beatings she received to the fact that she had not given Ge Qiang a son.

After several years, Ge Changjun and Ge Changyuan were finally born.

Huang Guihua straightened her back and was beaten less often, but she still had to serve Ge Qiang.

Later, with the birth of Ge Yaqin, the family's financial situation improved, and Ge Qiang gradually stopped beating her.

Huang Guihua called it "making it through."

She had survived the most difficult time and was finally able to enjoy her life. She was content that the man did not beat her.

Because of Ge Qiang's temper, few of his children are close to him.

He lay on the sofa watching TV while the men in the family gathered together talking and the women worked in the kitchen.

Soon a large table of New Year’s Eve dinner with rich dishes was served.

At the New Year's Eve dinner, Ge Qiang ate with a slurp, wiped his mouth, and went back to watching TV.

Jian Feng only moved his chopsticks a few times while facing the dishes on the table.

After dinner, Huang Guihua hurriedly pulled Ge Changjun to complain, while the others gathered around the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Jian Li and Ge Cong ignored each other. One was eating melon seeds while the other was reading a book in the house.

As the son of the third child, Ge Changyuan, Ge Cong obviously came to his grandmother's house quite often and was much more at ease than Jian Li.

After a while, Huang Osmanthus came out with a smile on her face.

Although her eyes were still red, you could tell at a glance that she was having a good conversation with her son.

Ge Changjun's expression also calmed down a bit.

When the clock struck twelve, everyone packed up and went to bed.

There were four rooms in the house, one for each family. Jian Feng and his family lived in the smallest room. It had a narrow spring bed that was uncomfortable to sleep on.

Wang Mengmei couldn't sleep, and Jian Feng couldn't sleep either.

Wang Mengmei closed her eyes and said, "Can we not come next year?"

She could see that her husband was in a bad mood after he came in.

"It's been so many years, let others say whatever they want. With your mother in that state, I will support her to make trouble, as long as she is not afraid of being embarrassed."

The couple are honest people, but they have been honest for too long, and Wang Mengmei is feeling angry.

You've obviously already fallen out, why bother to keep putting on this facade!

Is it interesting?

It is true that Huang Guihua is a mother, but she has never done what a mother should do.

Wang Mengmei: "Jian Li is getting older, so we should just be like Ge Changfeng, so what if we don't come?"

Just when Wang Mengmei thought her husband would not answer, Jian Feng hummed lightly.

"I won't come next year."

Jian Feng also found it extremely boring.

Obviously, he and his family of three could have spent the New Year happily at home, just like they did last night.

Why do I have to suffer this tonight?

Huang Guihua was busy picking up food for her son and daughter-in-law all night, but she ignored his family.

He knew that Huang Guihua had stepped on him on purpose.

From childhood to adulthood, Huang Guihua has done this countless times.

It seemed that only by being mean to him could Ge Qiang believe that she was really determined to become the daughter-in-law of the Ge family.

Now that I think about it, it's really boring.

Huang Guihua is pitiful, but she doesn't need anyone's pity.

She has her own set of survival rules.

"I won't come here anymore."

****

The next morning, Jian Li got up early to collect the New Year's money.

Ge Changjun and Ge Changyuan had given their money, so no matter how reluctant Huang Guihua was, she also gave her a thin red envelope.

Jian Li opened it and saw that there was only fifty cents inside.

Taking a peek at Ge Cong again, Huang Guihua gave Ge Cong fifty yuan!

Jian Li secretly told Wang Mengmei: "My grandma only gave me 50 cents, you two should not give her more!"

It was customary every year that Jian Feng and Wang Mengmei would give Huang Guihua some money as a gift when they left on the first day of the new year.

Usually fifty.

Jian Li felt cheated.

Even if her father gave her 500, her grandmother wouldn't even look at her in a good light.

Jian Feng finally gave him fifty yuan.

After giving him fifty yuan, Huang Guihua spoke before he even said that he didn't plan to come again in the future.

The implication was that there was no room at home, so Jian Feng didn't need to come anymore.

"Originally, I was afraid that people would say you were ungrateful. After all, the Ge family has provided you with food for more than ten years. It's not that you don't want to come. Now you have a family and a career, so just don't come. After all, your last name is Jian."

Huang Guihua had the final say anyway, so Jian Feng said nothing and went back home with his wife and daughter.

*****

On the second day of the New Year, I went back to my parents’ home.

Wang Mengmei carried a lot of things in large and small bags, and her family of three rushed to the bus station and took the earliest bus.

Although there were fewer people during the Chinese New Year, everyone brought a lot of stuff on the bus. Wang Mengmei was the one who brought the least.

The car shook as it drove from Taocheng to Wangjiazhuang. Jian Li was made drowsy by the air in the car. After getting out of the car, she was woken up by the cold air.

"Uncle!"

Jian Li was very happy to see her uncle again.

Wang Yuedong didn't know how long he had been waiting on the roadside when he saw Jian Li coming towards him.

"Sister, brother-in-law."

"Xiao Li, you've lost weight!"

Jian Li put on her new clothes and turned around proudly: "Hey, I have lost weight."

"You look better when you're thin. Xiao Shuai has been talking about you all the time."

I don’t know what Jian Li said to Wang Shuai, but this guy talks about her every day and always says “my sister said so”.

Wang Yuedong asked Wang Mengmei to put the things in the car: "Let's go, the elder sister is back."

Jian Li jumped up: "I want to take a ride!"

It snowed a few days ago. The roads in the city were fine, but the roads in the countryside were all muddy and Jian Li didn't like walking on them.

Wang Yuedong certainly had no objection and asked Jian Li to sit in the back seat with two boxes of dry goods.

Jian Feng stamped his feet: "It's really cold."

Wang Yuedong continued, "The one in the world a few days ago was so big that it was almost as deep as a leg. The one in your city shouldn't be that big, right?"

"Not much, just a few small snowflakes."

“How many days off do you have?”

"Your sister can come later. I'll get it before the fifth day of the new year."

…

The bicycle meandered its way through the muddy village road. A journey that normally would only take ten minutes took us half an hour.

After entering the village, she arrived at a place that Wang Mengmei was familiar with.

Wang Mengmei greeted people as she walked. From time to time, she saw girls visiting their parents’ home. Since it had snowed, they couldn’t ride bicycles. They were all accompanied by their children and men. It was common to see various oil-paper bags hanging on the handlebars.

The better conditions are that there are instant noodles, ham, sausage and milk tied to the back seat. Anyway, I am going back to my mother's house on the second day of the Chinese New Year, so I must not lose face.

Wang Mengmei took another close look at her own and felt that she was finally not inferior to others.

Only then did I feel more at ease.

After entering the house, Jian Li jumped down first, put her hands on her waist and shouted.

"I, Hu Hansan, am back again!"

Then Wang Yunyun, Wang Shuai and Qian Ping all came out of the house.

"Little Pear!"

"Sister! Why are you here just now?"

"I miss you so much!"

Wang Mengmei was dumbfounded, Jian Li used to get along well with her cousins, but when did she become so popular?

Wang Shuai pulled Jian Li and said, "Sister, I'll show you something good!"

Wang Yunyun didn't let go either: "I have something good to show you too!"

The brother and sister, one on each side, were carried into the house by Jian Li.