Chapter 84 Bankruptcy Doesn't Have That Much Face
When Sister-in-law Tang arrived at Song Fenglan's front door, she hesitated, wanting to ring the doorbell but not daring to. After lingering for a while, she was taken away by officials from the relevant departments. They questioned her about why she was loitering in front of Song Fenglan's house and whether she had any ulterior motives.
"No, she's my husband's cousin. I just wanted to talk to her." Mrs. Tang never expected that she would be stopped by the relevant authorities.
Sister-in-law Tang suddenly understood why her husband hadn't come to see Song Fenglan; perhaps he had already anticipated this outcome.
“My mother-in-law has given her things many times, but I just don’t want her to accept them,” Sister-in-law Tang answered truthfully. “I want her to give the things to us privately.”
Sister-in-law Tang couldn't stay silent; these people kept coming to ask her questions, and she simply couldn't withstand their inquiries.
When Song Fenglan learned that Sister-in-law Tang had been taken away by the relevant authorities, it was only after someone from those authorities called her and confirmed that such a person existed that the authorities released Sister-in-law Tang.
When Song Fenglan told Qin Yizhou about this incident, she was speechless.
“What my third aunt gave me is mine. She’s dreaming if she expects me to give it to her secretly,” Song Fenglan said.
"Ignore her," Qin Yizhou said.
“There are plenty of people who ignore it,” Song Fenglan said.
Suddenly, Song Fenglan thought of the original female protagonist who lived on the same street as Aunt Yu, who, like Fan Yani, was a novel's heroine. It was a series of stories with different heroines in different locations. Fan Yani was a decent person, but Song Fenglan hadn't really looked into the heroine in the capital.
Song Fenglan knew that the female lead was quite troublesome; she had heard about it when she went to Nancheng. Song Fenglan wanted to go to Nancheng as soon as possible to avoid the female lead and prevent herself from becoming cannon fodder. She also didn't want her child to become a comparison group with the female lead's children; she wanted her child to develop better.
While at her aunt's house, Song Fenglan overheard some people from the neighborhood saying certain things.
"Luckily, she gave birth to a son, so her husband will pay more attention to her. If she had given birth to a daughter, what use would she be?"
"Her belly is strong enough to give birth to a boy."
"Having a son doesn't really help much, does it? Her mother-in-law still doesn't interfere much with her, does she?"
...
Song Fenglan disliked people always saying she had given birth to a boy; those people insisted on linking boys with material things. Song Fenglan never wanted to have a boy or a girl, but those people just cared a lot and were always thinking about having a boy.
Whether it's a boy or a girl, they're all my biological children.
Even if Qin Zihang were a girl, Song Fenglan wouldn't plan to have another boy. Her life isn't meant for having children; she has many important things to do.
"What are you thinking about?" Qin Yizhou asked, noticing Song Fenglan's dazed expression.
“Thinking about some things from before,” Song Fenglan said, “when I was living at my aunt’s house, everyone said I was lucky, that my first child was a boy.”
"Are you unhappy?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“A little. Their words make me feel like I’m sexist,” Song Fenglan said. “If I say anything about my son, people will think I’m bragging that I gave birth to a boy. They’re too sensitive.”
I just said it simply, without any intention of speaking to others.
Song Fenglan has always been like this, but others don't see it that way.
“I show off my son, I show off that I have a great man, even though I myself am incapable,” Song Fenglan said. “I can’t function without a man.”
Song Fenglan felt this idea was extremely distorted; no one else meant it that way at all. Did they really think that, just to ensure Song Fenglan didn't discriminate against girls, she had to have a daughter and then go around saying, "Oh, this is my daughter, isn't she wonderful?"
Song Fenglan would never do that; she would think she was out of her mind.
"Are men really that important?" Song Fenglan asked.
"To be honest, you can live a good life even without me." Qin Yizhou thought about it carefully. With people from relevant departments protecting Song Fenglan, she could get a divorce or remarry whenever she wanted. As long as Song Fenglan continued to research good things, she could do that. "Don't listen to them. They're polluting your ears."
“I think so too,” Song Fenglan said.
After being released, Sister-in-law Tang dared not mention seeing Song Fenglan again. She realized why Aunt Song always went to see Song Fenglan and brought her gifts—it was because Song Fenglan was very capable. If Song Fenglan didn't have any ability, Aunt Song wouldn't have valued her so much.
Tang Shaotao was in a bad mood after learning that his wife had been taken away.
Now that his wife is back, Tang Shaotao's mood is still not good. Looking at his wife in front of him, he feels that life is a bit difficult.
"You saw the person?" Tang Shaotao asked.
"No," Sister-in-law Tang replied. "I just walked around your cousin's door a few more times. The people inside the house hadn't noticed me yet, but the people outside had already spotted me."
"Don't go there again," Tang Shaotao said.
"I'm not going," said Sister-in-law Tang.
"Hmm," Tang Shaotao said.
Then, Tang Shaotao and his wife looked at each other and fell silent. They both knew they couldn't go to Song Fenglan; she was a tough nut to crack, and if they tried to cross her, they'd be in deep trouble.
Fan Yani's sister-in-law, Niu Cuihua, is a formidable woman; even her husband listens to her. Niu Cuihua is different from Li Hui; she knows how to make and save money, while Li Hui only knows how to spend it.
That day, Li Hui rushed up to Guo's mother and asked, "Look at your good son! Your good son hit me!"
It wasn't really a fight, but Li Hui was being unreasonable, and Guo Peng instinctively pushed her. Then, Li Hui started hitting Guo Peng, and Guo Peng didn't fight back.
The main reason was that Li Hui suspected Guo Peng of having an affair. She insisted on making a scene, and although Guo Peng denied having another woman, Li Hui refused to believe him. When Guo Peng wanted to go to work, Li Hui dragged him away, saying it was his day off and he shouldn't be going.
Guo Peng was lying to her about the job.
Guo Peng said he was working overtime, but Li Hui still didn't believe him. She insisted that Guo Peng was going to see a woman.
Li Hui said many hurtful things to Guo Peng, insisting that he admit his mistake. Guo Peng hadn't done anything like that, so how could he possibly admit it?
So Guo Peng was hit by Li Hui. Before Guo Peng could get to his mother, Li Hui ran over first.
"Your son is seeing other women and you still have the nerve to hit me!" Li Hui said. "Don't you guys care? Is this how your family raises him? Is this really okay? It's disgusting!"
“You…I’ll go with you to take a look,” said Guo’s mother.
Before Guo's mother could go over, Guo Peng arrived.
Guo Peng had scratches on his face, neck, and arms. Li Hui showed no mercy to Guo Peng, scratching and kicking him relentlessly; she harbored many resentments. Li Hui felt that Guo Peng wasn't that powerful; even at the grain bureau, he wasn't that much of a catch—not much of a lucrative position. Li Hui believed that Guo Peng should be promoted to regimental commander like Qin Yizhou, so that Li Hui could become a regimental commander's wife; that would be better, and others wouldn't look down on them.
"How did it become like this?" Guo's mother was shocked.
“She did the call,” Guo Peng said. “I didn’t see any other women outside.”
Guo Peng didn't know what Li Hui had said to his mother; he only knew he hadn't done anything to wrong Li Hui. Li Hui insisted on going dancing, ignoring the gossip and rumors. Guo Peng could only tell himself: the innocent will be proven innocent.
But Guo Peng still felt uneasy, though he endured it. Even at this point, Li Hui was still causing trouble.
When Guo's mother saw her son like this, and then looked at Li Hui, who was basically unharmed, Li Hui's eyes were red. Oh, Li Hui probably hurt her hand too.
What could Guo's mother say? She couldn't very well start a fight with Li Hui.
"You two should go back." Guo's mother didn't want to get involved in their affairs anymore.
"Mom, you're just siding with your son!" Li Hui said. "He's your own son, so you..."
“If I were on his side, I should make him divorce you.” Guo’s mother had always tolerated Li Hui, who looked down on her as her mother-in-law, but Guo’s mother never spoke ill of Li Hui in front of Guo Peng. “You two, if you can make it work, then make it work; if you can’t, then get a divorce. Can you even make it work?”
Guo's mother asked the two people in front of her, since she didn't rely on them anyway.
"Go back." Guo Peng reached out to grab Li Hui's hand, but Li Hui shook off Guo Peng's hand.
"Will it pass?" Guo's mother asked again.
"I'll go back then." Li Hui had no intention of divorcing Guo Peng. If she divorced him, she wouldn't be able to have children, and no one else would treat her well. At least Guo Peng could still stand there and let her hit him. If it were another man, he wouldn't be so accommodating to Li Hui; other men would be looking for a woman who could have children.
Fan Yani peeked out and saw Guo Peng and his wife leave. She pursed her lips.
These two should just stay locked up; don't let them cause trouble for others!
Fan Yani thought Guo Peng was alright, but since he loved Li Hui so much, even after his divorce and remarriage, he probably wouldn't forget her. The woman who married Guo Peng later might have to endure his emotional abuse and be treated like a breeding machine. And if things went wrong, and that woman had a child, and Guo Peng wanted a divorce again, and then wanted to remarry Li Hui with the child, that would be even worse.
Reality is often more dramatic than fiction. Fiction still needs to adhere to logic, but reality often doesn't follow logic at all.
"Mom, have a cup of grass jelly," Fan Yani said.
"Take it and sell it," said Guo's mother.
“We have to sell it, and we also have to eat it,” Fan Yani said. “You can eat it; it’s our own stuff, so the cost isn’t high.”
Guo's mother then accepted the herbal jelly, which she also ate at other times.
"Is it sweet?" Fan Yani asked.
"Sweet," said Guo's mother.
“Mom, my eldest brother and sister-in-law have their own way of getting along,” Fan Yani said. “We don’t need to worry about it.”
"Them..." Guo's mother felt terrible when she thought about Guo Peng and his wife.
"I guess they're just making a fuss," Fan Yani said. "It's unlikely that my brother and sister-in-law will get divorced. My brother loves my sister-in-law so much, it's better if they don't."
Guo's mother wanted to hold her own grandson, but Niu Cuihua was already pregnant, so Li Hui didn't need to give birth.
Fan Yani's business is doing well; her husband even helps her out when he's home. Aunt Pang sometimes comes over to buy cookies and other snacks; her two children really enjoy them.
Gao Xiuxiu treats her two daughters very differently. She dotes on her elder daughter more and doesn't care as much for her younger daughter. While others might show more affection for their younger daughter, Gao Xiuxiu does the opposite; she still wishes her younger daughter were a son.
At the research institute, some professors' students attended Song Fenglan's lectures. Song Fenglan lectured her group members, and her student Ding Wenbo naturally attended as well.
Duan Yue didn't go; he was hesitant to go, even though others said it was okay. Anyone in the research institute who wanted to attend could go, but those who were just observing shouldn't ask too many questions. If everyone was asking questions, Song Fenglan wouldn't be able to lecture; if everyone was answering their questions, how would the others learn?
"Didn't you attend the class?" Professor Ma was Duan Yue's mentor. He knew that Song Fenglan was giving a class to the group members tonight to make up for their shortcomings in related areas.
Professor Ma had heard of Professor Song Fenglan, and he had to admit that Song Fenglan knew a lot.
Back then, when Song Fenglan returned to the capital for the Spring Festival, she was called back to the institute to work overtime, and she helped the institute solve many problems.
"I didn't go," Duan Yue said. "Teacher, I want to learn from you."
“I’m not giving you a lecture right now,” Professor Ma said. “If you have time, you can go and listen to her lecture. All of us have gone to listen. Engineer Song is very capable. Whether it’s materials, aircraft design, engines, or any other aspect, she knows a lot. If you listen to her lecture, you will have a sudden realization and understand a lot of things.”
"You have a wealth of experience..."
"No need to praise me. Do you think I don't know myself?" Professor Ma said. "Learning has no end. Or are you afraid that if you go to listen, Engineer Song will see you and she will scold you and stop you from listening? Young man, don't take yourself too seriously. She may not even remember you."
"I..." Duan Yue was silent for a while. It was he who refused to be Song Fenglan's graduate student.
“Professor Song doesn’t lack graduate students, she doesn’t necessarily have to supervise them,” Professor Ma said. “Forget it, if you want to learn, then go ahead; if you don’t want to, then forget it.”
Professor Ma thought that Duan Yue hadn't worked in the workforce yet, and that Duan Yue's ideas were too presumptuous and prone to impulsiveness. Professor Ma didn't say anything more. He didn't object to Duan Yue attending other teachers' lectures; as long as he could learn something, then he should listen.
Professor Ma himself was the same way when he was in school; he would attend any class he could learn about. Even if he didn't choose that particular course, he would still find a way to attend.
Professor Ma touched his face and said that sometimes, in order to learn, you have to be a little thick-skinned. If you're too thin-skinned, you might not be able to learn much.
Duan Yue stood there for a while. He took his notebook and went over, but when he got to the door, he found that there were many people inside. Duan Yue stood at the door for a while longer, not daring to go in.
Song Fenglan didn't look at the door; she just lectured, explaining everything she knew in detail and making it clear to the listeners.
When Song Fenglan finished her evening lesson, Duan Yue was still standing at the door. He had heard some of what Song Fenglan said, but not much, and he didn't understand it. Duan Yue thought that perhaps it was because he hadn't listened to Song Fenglan's lectures beforehand that he couldn't understand it now.
When Duan Yue tried to go in, Song Fenglan had already left with her things. Song Fenglan needed to go back and rest; she had to go back to work the next day.
As Duan Yue took a step, Ding Wenbo came out.
"Are you here to attend a class?" Ding Wenbo asked.
"Just passing by," Duan Yue said.
“That’s true, the teacher has already finished explaining, we’ll have to wait for the next time.” Ding Wenbo noticed Duan Yue’s embarrassment.
Duan Yue refused to be Song Fenglan's graduate student. He was too embarrassed to attend Song Fenglan's classes. Also, he had a small hope in his heart that Song Fenglan was really terrible, incredibly terrible.
“You might not understand it if you didn’t listen before,” Ding Wenbo said. “Even now, I still don’t quite understand it. I don’t know if it’s because my foundation isn’t solid or because it’s too profound. I guess it’s both.”
"Shall we go?" someone asked from behind.
"Let's go, let's go." Ding Wenbo quickly walked to the side.
Duan Yue also moved to the side so as not to delay others from entering or leaving. Some people were still studying in the conference room, while others were working overtime in the laboratory.
"Do you want to go back to school?" Ding Wenbo asked.
Their school isn't far from the research institute; you can walk there, or if you think that's too slow, you can get a bicycle and get there faster.
Ding Wenbo often stayed with his team members until quite late, even when Song Fenglan wasn't working overtime.
They're also working overtime on experiments. Ding Wenbo has so much to learn, and if he doesn't take this opportunity to learn more, he won't have such a good chance again.
"Go back..." Of course Duan Yue had to go back to sleep. If he didn't go back to school, where would he stay?
Walking along the road, Ding Wenbo did not persuade Duan Yue to attend Song Fenglan's class. Once a person has a prejudice in their heart, no matter what others say, it will be useless.
When Song Fenglan returned home, Qin Zihang went to bed, but Qin Yizhou sat in the living room. Qin Yizhou waited for Song Fenglan; he wouldn't go to rest unless it was very late.
After Song Fenglan washed up and went to her room, Qin Yizhou even gave her a shoulder massage.
"Is this force okay?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"You're getting better and better at it," Song Fenglan exclaimed. "You're really amazing."
"It's nothing," Qin Yizhou said. "While waiting for you, I was thinking, isn't our kind of life pretty good?"
“It’s nice, simple and plain,” Song Fenglan said. “I like this kind of simplicity; I don’t need too much excitement. If you want excitement, don’t come to me.”
“I like it this way too.” Qin Yizhou handed a banana to Song Fenglan.
As the year drew to a close, Qin Yizhou delivered New Year's gifts to the Qin family. He went to deliver them himself, without Song Fenglan or Qin Zihang.
Qin Yizhou had already determined his mother's attitude towards Qin Zihang and Song Fenglan. His mother preferred his elder brother's child, and Qin Yizhou would never let his child carry a sedan chair for his elder brother's child.
"Where's Zihang?" Qin's mother looked around but couldn't see Qin Zihang. "Did he not want to come on his own, or is it your wife...?"
“He didn’t want to come himself,” Qin Yizhou replied. “I didn’t want him to come either. Mom, you know why I didn’t want him to come.”
"What do I know?" Qin's mother said. "It's almost the New Year, and your wife and son haven't even mentioned coming over. We are your family, not your enemies."
“If it weren’t for this blood relation, we would probably be enemies now,” Qin Yizhou said. “I was born to you, you are my biological mother, and I’m here to see you. But… Fenglan wasn’t born to you, she is your daughter-in-law, that doesn’t mean she has to obey you and do whatever you want. My elder brother and I have already separated the family property, and the inheritance has been divided.”
Qin Yizhou reminded his mother that he didn't owe his older brother anything.
"Your older brother has had a tough time," Qin's mother sighed. "Because of your sister-in-law... because of what happened with your previous sister-in-law, your older brother couldn't get a promotion. Now that you're doing well, you should help your older brother out."
"Is this your idea, or is it my brother's?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“Your eldest brother didn’t say anything,” Qin’s mother said. “I just think that since you are brothers, if your eldest brother does well, it will also benefit you.”
"I haven't seen any benefits, but I've seen a whole bunch of downsides," Qin Yizhou said. "Mom, what do you take me for? Do you think I have great abilities? Don't think that just because I'm a regimental commander, I'm something special. In the capital, I'm nothing."
Qin Yizhou had a clear understanding of himself; there were far too many powerful people in the capital. When Qin Yizhou was in the army, he could be considered a top soldier, but the country was so vast, there were countless top soldiers, and Qin Yizhou wasn't the only one. Qin Yizhou became a leader and was promoted; similarly, many others could reach his position.
The Qin family's connections weren't that useful in those people's eyes. If they were, Brother Qin wouldn't have failed to get promoted.
“My brother has a stable job and will have a pension when he retires, so it’s not bad,” Qin Yizhou said. “Too much of a good thing is bad.”
“Your eldest brother originally had a chance,” Qin’s mother said. “He was implicated by Tian Keshu. It’s not that he lacked ability, he…”
“He’s not irreplaceable. Even if he hadn’t been promoted, someone else could have done the same thing as our eldest brother,” Qin Yizhou said. “We can’t take ourselves too seriously.”
"I'm just asking you to help your older brother out, and you're making such a fuss. Just tell me if you'll help or not." Qin's mother looked unhappy.
"I won't help, I can't help." Qin Yizhou repeated the same words. "If I could help, I would find someone to help. The fact that I didn't find anyone means that this matter is out of the question. Maybe in a few years, my older brother can get promoted on his own."
"Do you have to treat your older brother like this? So heartless?" Qin's mother said. "Have you forgotten how your older brother took care of you when you were little? He even carried you on his back..."
"So the eldest brother got the majority of the family fortune, and they'll take care of you in your old age. I have no objections," Qin Yizhou said. "I approve of this plan."
Qin Yizhou felt he had been very tolerant of his older brother, who took the lion's share of the benefits. Even though the house his parents bought for him wasn't great, he hadn't complained. Qin Yizhou didn't expect anything from his parents; he wasn't a three-year-old.
"You...you're still blaming us," Qin's mother said. "Your wife came over, and before I could finish speaking, she left. As for you, you listened to me, but you didn't want to do anything; you were just fooling me."
"I really should go back." Qin Yizhou stood up; he didn't want to argue with his mother about these things.
Qin Yizhou was relatively alright; he could still sit there and listen to his mother's words. If it were Song Fenglan, she would have left immediately.
"Qin Yizhou!" Qin's mother called out to Qin Yizhou.
Qin Yizhou stopped and turned to look at his mother, his eyes indifferent and devoid of emotion.
Qin's mother was frightened by Qin Yizhou's gaze. She opened her mouth but didn't say anything more about her older brother. "You should leave. You should leave."
Then, Qin Yizhou left. As he walked to the door, he ran into his father, who was returning from fishing.
"Did you go back?" Qin's father asked.
"Yes, I'm going back," Qin Yizhou said.
"Be careful on the road," Qin's father said.
"Okay," Qin Yizhou replied.
The father and son didn't say anything more and just passed each other by.
Qin's father returned to the living room and put the things in the corner.
"Have you seen your son?" Qin's mother asked.
“I saw him,” Qin’s father said. “He went back.”
“He won’t even help his older brother,” Qin’s mother said. “When asked, he says his position in the capital is insignificant and he can’t help his brother. Why did I only give birth to such a son? I think he listens to his wife.”
“There’s really nothing we can do to help,” said Qin’s father. “He’s right. The capital is full of capable people. He’s only been back in the capital for a short time, and he hasn’t even warmed his seat yet. So many people are scrambling to be transferred to the capital. If he makes a mistake, he could be transferred or dismissed at any time.”
Qin's father had no intention of asking Qin Yizhou to help his older brother. "You don't understand these things, so don't talk nonsense."
"Eldest brother...don't you think about the eldest brother?" Qin's mother said.
"The eldest has his own destiny," said Qin's father.
"It's been years, and he still hasn't been promoted. Everyone else has been promoted, but he's still stuck in the same place," Qin's mother said. "You know how heartbroken the eldest is. Now that the eldest is better, he's better off with Yizhou..."
“The eldest son’s matter is very difficult to handle; Yizhou can’t get it done,” Qin’s father said. “It involves spies, and countless eyes are watching. Our family has connections with the Tian family. Even if the eldest son divorces the Tian family woman, they still have children. The two families are still connected, and the eldest son can still be threatened.”
Qin's father was a veteran of war; he wasn't so foolish. He was quite clear-headed: "The eldest son is already ruined; don't drag the other son down with him."
"I didn't want him to drag me down with me, it's just..."
"He can't save the eldest brother," Qin's father said. "And don't even think about the Song family helping the eldest brother. The Song family has overseas connections. If they go to help the eldest brother, what will people think? Will they think the Song family has spies? They finally escaped trouble. Would they sacrifice themselves for the eldest brother?"
Qin's father didn't know what to say about his wife. She was always causing trouble and always coming up with bad ideas.
"Don't do anything that the boss didn't ask you to do, or anything we didn't ask you to do," Qin's father said. "Don't you understand how complicated things are here?"
"How could I not understand?" Qin's mother thought she understood perfectly well. "I only know that the eldest son and Yizhou are brothers."
"Even between brothers, accounts must be kept clear," said Qin's father. "Yizhou cannot sacrifice his own future for his elder brother."
"He did it all for Song Fenglan..."
“That’s his wife,” Qin’s father said. “It was his own decision.”
Qin's father thought Qin Yizhou's decision was right; the Song family was doing well now.
“Don’t say those things,” Qin’s father said. “The child has finally come back for a visit, and you say these things. It’s obvious you’re trying to drive him away and not let him stay here any longer.”
"No, I..."
"Stop talking." Father Qin didn't want to hear it.
These words from his wife show a lack of common sense. "I already thought I wasn't smart enough, but you're even less so."
"..." Qin's mother was upset. Her husband called her stupid, right?
When Qin Yizhou returned home, he eventually told Song Fenglan what his mother had said. Qin Yizhou was worried that his mother might act impulsively and talk to Song Fenglan about his older brother's situation; they really couldn't help his brother.
"Fortunately, Zihang didn't go with you," Song Fenglan said. She was now trying to prevent Qin Zihang from having much contact with the Qin family.
The Qin family treats everyone else like fools, expecting them to sacrifice themselves for their brother Qin's family.
“He really shouldn’t have gone,” Qin Yizhou said. He had to go see his parents; he was their biological son. “They were talking about it over there because of my older brother.”
“What good will it do to tell them?” Song Fenglan said. “Just because they told us, do you have to help them?”
“No,” Qin Yizhou said. “I told Mom we can’t help. Right now, everyone’s watching spies, and the crackdown is really strict. We should avoid getting involved if possible. When I married you, my older brother was worried that you would affect him.”
Qin Yizhou told the truth, and even if he hadn't said it, Song Fenglan would have known it.
“What goes around comes around,” Song Fenglan said. “He couldn’t help us then, and he can’t help us now. He’s not unemployed; he wasn’t fired and can still work at his original company, just not yet eligible for a promotion. But… if he can’t get a promotion now, it will be difficult for him to get one later. And even if he does get promoted, he can’t reach the same heights as someone who got promoted earlier.”
What Brother Qin does is something others can do; he's not irreplaceable. The important thing is that others don't have this ability, only he does, so he gets very good treatment.
Just like Song Fenglan now, no one can replace her for the time being, so she is treated very well.
"Second sister-in-law is pregnant," Song Fenglan said. "Second brother gave Zihang so many things, we should also send some things over. The baby hasn't been born yet, so let's prepare some things first."
"Okay, sure." Qin Yizhou had no objections. "I'll go to Mom's place and pick Zihang up in a bit."
Qin Zihang was at Song's mother's place, playing with his older cousins. Qin Zihang had grown up quite a bit; he rarely asked Song Fenglan childish questions anymore. He preferred to appear more mature and composed, and wasn't as clingy to Song Fenglan as he used to be. When they were outside, Qin Zihang no longer constantly talked about how amazing his mother was.
Song Fenglan felt a pang of nostalgia for when Qin Zihang was younger, a time when she felt needed by her son. Even when he sometimes made people laugh or cry, she was still happy.
Qin Yizhou and his wife went to Song's mother's place to pick up Qin Zihang, and they had just finished having dinner there before heading back.
When Qin Yizhou returned home again, he said in his room that he wanted to give his second sister some things, and Song Fenglan had no objection.
“You go and deliver it, I won’t go,” Song Fenglan said. “As for Zihang, don’t bring him either. Treating your family members the same way will save us from any complaints.”
Regardless of whether Qin Erjie's child was good or not, Song Fenglan knew that the Qin family was all troublesome.
“No problem,” Qin Yizhou said.
When Song Fenglan and her family of three returned, they met Qin Erjie. Qin Erjie had visited Qin Zihang and the others, but she made no demands on Song Fenglan and did not expect Song's eldest brother to help her.
Sister Qin had no intention of causing trouble for Qin Yizhou and his wife. She knew perfectly well how her family treated Song Fenglan. Sister Qin was very satisfied with her current life; it was much better than her life in the countryside.
It was Jiang Erge's restaurant that went out of business; the customers preferred Aunt Yu's cooking, not Jiang Erge and his wife's. Since the restaurant couldn't stay afloat, they had to think about doing something else.
"This shop has been rented for a year," Aunt Yu said. "If you don't run a restaurant, what will you do?"
"Selling shoes?" Jiang Ersao asked.
"Do you think you can make money just because no one opens a shoe store here?" Aunt Yu said. "Other people sell shoes at stalls, coming every few days to sell, so you don't need to open a store at all. The cost of opening a store is there, and the shoes you sell can't be cheap. How many people around here buy expensive shoes?"
Aunt Yu was having a headache. She had originally hoped that her second son and daughter-in-law could revive the shop, but now, the shop was barely surviving, and it was better to close it down sooner rather than later to avoid further losses. Aunt Yu was heartbroken about the money; it wasn't a small sum.
“Mom, my husband and I are quite educated,” said Jiang Ersao. “Why don’t you go to the Song family and see if we can work for their company? We can do a lot of things.”
Jiang Ersao had this idea for a long time. She didn't want to be busy in the kitchen anymore; she wanted to sit in the office.
"No," Aunt Yu refused. "How about you apply to other companies and see if that works out?"
Jiang Ersao had tried other companies, but none wanted her or her husband. What could she do? They said they were educated, but they only had a junior high school education; there were plenty of people with similar levels of education. Jiang Ersao and her husband had lived in the countryside for many years; they weren't very good at many things, didn't have strong connections, and weren't particularly eloquent, so no one wanted them.
“Mom, if you just open your mouth, Auntie and the others might agree,” said Jiang Ersao. “They have quite a few people in their company, so adding two more wouldn’t be a big deal.”
“That’s not how you use personal relationships,” Aunt Yu said. “Think about it again. If that doesn’t work, you can sell stinky tofu.”
"Stinky tofu?" Jiang Ersao's pupils contracted slightly. It was stinky tofu.
"If we don't sell stinky tofu, fermented tofu will do too," Aunt Yu said. "Your cooking skills aren't great, so this is all you can make. But if the seasonings are good, these things can still attract customers."
"..." Jiang Ersao still felt that these things were too difficult to sell, and more importantly, she felt that these things were somewhat cheap.
"Don't always think about relying on others; you have to be capable yourself," Aunt Yu said.
Previously, Aunt Yu had a low status in her husband's family. After the Song family was exonerated, Song's mother often invited Aunt Yu to visit, and Aunt Yu's status in her husband's family improved accordingly.
Through the wooden partition of the room, Sister-in-law Jiang overheard Aunt Yu's words. She glanced sideways at the door; her second sister-in-law really knew how to think. If Aunt Yu helped the second branch of the family get their people into the Song family's company, then wouldn't she also be able to consider it?
They are all daughters-in-law; a mother-in-law cannot show favoritism.
“Think about Yufei. Her aunt doesn’t even talk to her anymore,” Aunt Yu said. “Unless everyone gets together, it’s not certain whether she’ll even be allowed to enter her aunt’s house.”
Aunt Yu reminded Jiang Ersao not to think too much, as the Song family wouldn't give them that many benefits.
That night, Jiang Ersao complained to Jiang Erge.
“Your mother clearly has a way to help us, but she won’t,” said Jiang Ersao. “She even made us sell stinky tofu and fermented bean curd. Can we make money selling these? What if we don’t make any money and end up smelling terrible? If she just asked, Auntie would have helped us.”
"How about I try selling stinky tofu?" Jiang Erge suggested.
"Your mother was just saying that, but you really want to try it?" Jiang Ersao said. "What about me? Should I go sell pickled vegetables?"
When Jiang Ersao lived in the countryside, she learned to pickle vegetables from the locals, using salt and red wine lees. Jiang Ersao didn't like pickled vegetables; she hated them. In the countryside, when there were no other vegetables to eat, she would eat pickled vegetables every day. There was only one bowl of pickled vegetables on the table, nothing else.
"We're already in the capital, do we still have to do those things?" Jiang Ersao was annoyed. She came to the capital to enjoy a life of comfort.
“Mom and Dad said that this room will be allocated to us now,” said Jiang Erge.
“We’re not talking about the house right now, we’re talking about work,” said Jiang Ersao. “We’ll all get together during the New Year, right? Mom can pick a good time to talk about it, and maybe it’ll work.”
"..." Jiang Erge thought of the Song family members. Standing in front of them, he felt insignificant and subconsciously inferior. His family was not as good as the Song family; the Song family members were all too strong, and each of them had a powerful aura.
“You’re going to sell stinky tofu? I’m not going. I need to have a proper job. We have so many children. Your parents still let us eat together now, but what about later?” Jiang Ersao said. “You still need to think more about the children. We don’t have much savings, and we can’t afford to spend it all. It’s true that your parents paid a year’s rent for the shop, but we also work and don’t earn any money.”
Barely breaking even is actually a loss, because you have to factor in utilities, rent, and labor costs. Breaking even means you've lost money on labor; all the work was for nothing.
“A company has so many positions, and your mother has had your cousin living at home for a long time. It's not unreasonable for your mother to ask for a position.” Jiang Ersao was trying to force Jiang Erge to talk to Aunt Yu. “If your mother won’t go, can’t you go and say it directly?”
"I don't have that much influence," Jiang Erge sighed.
“You don’t have that much influence, and your mother won’t step in, so what am I supposed to do?” Jiang Ersao said. “Am I just supposed to stay at home? Do you think that because I married far away and my family isn’t around to help me, this is how you treat me?”
The Jiang family lived under one roof. Aunt Yu heard noises coming from her second son and daughter-in-law's room and sighed. Aunt Yu knew that her second son's family returning to the capital must have something going on; there was no way it could be nothing. Other unemployed educated youth returning to the city were willing to sweep the streets, but her own second daughter-in-law didn't want to do those dirty and tiring jobs; she just wanted a job that paid well and had little work.
"What do you think about the second son?" Aunt Yu asked her husband, but he didn't answer. Aunt Yu knew that her husband didn't want to worry about it and wanted her to worry about it.
The day before New Year's Eve, Brother Qin went to see Qin Yizhou and said, "You're back. Let's invite Second Sister and the others to have New Year's Eve dinner together and have a family reunion, how about it?"
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