Chapter 63: I am content
She put down the stone plunger in her hand, looked around, and then put the money and bills back into Shen Meng's hand.
"Zhenping's wife, what are you doing? I don't want this banknote, you can take it back. And this candy, such a rare thing, you can take it back to give to Mingkai and his children. If you can bring things over, I will know that you are a sensible person. I am angry, but not at you. We are all from the same village, there is no need to be so polite. I am angry at your Uncle Guai, that old guy. He went to help you and forgot to pick someone up from the county town. He almost lost his job driving the ox cart. How can I not be angry?"
Shen Meng was stunned for a moment when she heard this. She had been sleeping at home until now and had no idea what had happened in Uncle Guai's family. This made her even more embarrassed.
Many people in the village who were slacking off were eyeing Uncle Guai's job. They could earn ten work points a day by going back and forth between the commune, the county town, and the Lujia Village production team. They didn't have to work hard. Who wouldn't want such an easy job?
"I'm really sorry, auntie. I, I didn't know about this. Because of this, you should take the money. If Uncle Guai really loses his job as a bull cart driver, I'll be really guilty. Auntie, how about this? You give Uncle Guai a dollar to the production team, and the village cadres won't say anything. If there's anything else, I'll go and talk to someone."
Zhu Juying paused in her refusal. Although she didn't beat her husband this time, she was afraid that someone would use this to gossip about the old man in the future.
"Okay, Mrs. Zhenping, I'll take the money you gave me for the sake of my dignity, but you have to take the ticket back. I can't take the extra fifty cents either. It's not ours, so we can't take a cent more."
"Auntie, I'm not a fool. I come here to pretend to be rich. I gave you the cotton coupons because I heard from Uncle Guai that Xiangxiang is engaged and will get married next year. A married girl must have a decent quilt, right? The coupons I gave you will be spent by you and Uncle Guai. Zhenping sends me some coupons every month, and I can't use them all. You can take them and consider them as a gift from our family to Xiangxiang." Zhu
Juying looked at Shen Meng, who was smiling and speaking softly. She was reluctant in her heart and couldn't bear to hand over the cotton coupons. She was nineteen years old and was engaged to a pretty good family. She only had this precious daughter. She asked around about the character of her in-laws several times and only agreed after knowing that they were a good family.
Although her old man was driving a cattle cart in the production team, he was still a farmer after all. The family had no wealth. The cotton quilt that was saved for the daughter was taken away by the newly married daughter-in-law two years ago.
At that time, her daughter Xiangxiang hugged her and comforted her, saying that it was okay, that her family had nothing in her later years, and she would not let her feel embarrassed. This matter has been on her mind for several years, and she felt sad when she saw the child.
Now what Zhenping's wife handed over was not a simple cotton ticket, but her daughter's dignity!
"Okay, good child, thank you, auntie. Next year your sister Xiangxiang is getting married, you must come to drink a glass of wedding wine!"
"Okay, I will definitely come. Then auntie, you keep these and don't let others see them. It's getting late, I'll be home soon."
"Hey! Go back!"
Zhu Juying looked around with the bills, quickly put the things in her arms, swept out the crushed sesame seeds in the mortar and put them in a porcelain bowl, and went back to the house. After
work in the evening, Lu Xiangxiang returned home carrying a hoe, and her mother pulled her into the house. Zhu Juying's daughter-in-law Huang Maochun saw this and her eyes rolled around. She dropped the hoe and went to eavesdrop.
"Where are you going? It's time to cook?" Lu Xingchang shouted at her.
"Don't bother with it." She yelled softly and ran over.
Yao Jinzhu, Lu Xiangxiang's sister-in-law, coughed twice and said loudly, "Maochun, what are you doing? It's your turn to cook tonight. Hurry up, the child will be hungry soon."
Listening to the noise in the room, Zhu Juying opened the door with a "pop".
"What are you doing? Do what you should do. Don't just find trouble all day long. Xingchang, you should also take care of your wife. What kind of person is she?"
Lu Xingchang opened his mouth, facing Huang Maochun's angry eyes, and dared not fart.
Seeing her son in such a dead state, Zhu Juying felt as if she was thinking that before she got married, her aunt had praised her and said a lot of nice things to her. Her family thought she was an honest girl, but she had offended a family of evildoers and her son had become a different person.
She was too lazy to say anything to them. It was useless to say more. She had already married a daughter-in-law and had a grandson. What else could she do? She had to live a muddled life!
Huang Maochun, who had not listened to her, immediately became angry.
"You old fool treat me as an outsider. You have to hide what you are saying from others. And you, Yao Jinzhu, you are a bunch of hungry ghosts. If I were asked to cook, I would not cook today. I wonder if my whole family would starve to death without me."
"Mao Chun, don't say that. I will do it. Yesterday my younger sister cooked, and the day before yesterday my eldest sister-in-law cooked. Today it is our turn to cook."
"Shut up, you cook, who will wash the clothes, who will take care of the children, I don't care, I've worked all day, I'm exhausted, I just want to eat ready-made food." She
snorted coldly, turned her head and went into the house, Lu Xingchang saw Yao Jinzhu with red eyes, sighed and said: "I'm sorry, sister-in-law, she has this temper, don't mind it, I, I'll go back to the house first, Xiaodan will come back and sleep with his mother, he will be beaten." Yao Jinzhu was
so angry that her chest hurt, she never thought that her brother-in-law, who used to be honest, spoke and acted slowly, has become such a coward now.
"What kind of person is this!"
Her parents-in-law, her husband, children, and the second brother and his wife were all hungry, she wiped her eyes and turned into the kitchen.
Inside the house, Zhu Juying told Lu Xiangxiang everything and handed her the cotton coupons for her to see.
Although Lu Xiangxiang felt sweet inside, she still reluctantly pushed them back.
"Mom, I can't take advantage of Sister Meng's family just because I'm getting married. I heard from Brother Changhong that the army can't issue many coupons and allowances, and some soldiers even use their own allowances to subsidize the families of their fallen comrades. The soldiers defend their country and endure hardships, so why should we be afraid of such hardships? I don't want this. They didn't give much betrothal gift, and I don't bring any dowry. It's fair. When the weather gets cold, Sister Meng will have to make winter clothes for Mingyang's children. I'm afraid that the cotton coupons were saved by Brother Zhenping. Mom, we can't accept them."
"You are such a sensible girl, but you have to come to our poor family. Your parents are sorry for you." Zhu Juying was heartbroken.
"Mom, please don't say that. Many families don't treat their daughters as human beings. I have never suffered any hardship since I was a child. I am content. It's okay, mom. Even if I don't have a dowry, I can still live a good life." Lu Xiangxiang reached out and hugged Zhu Juying.
Over there, Shen Meng heated up the pig's trotter soup. The soup was light and didn't smell. When Lu Mingyang and the other children got home from school, she had already packed the pig's trotters and soup in a backpack.
"Mingyang, mother has wrapped the baby's head with a cage cloth and put two lunch boxes with pig's trotter soup. When you take your brother and sister out, walk slowly and avoid people so that no one sees you. Mother is waiting for you at home!"
"Hey, mother, don't worry. We have delivered the meal many times. We will definitely deliver the meal to brother A'man without anyone knowing."
When they went out, they happened to meet Xie Jinghao who came with Xiaogang. She saw that it was almost dark, and Mingyang was still carrying the backpack, and Mingliang and Mingfang were following him. They knew they were going out.
"Where are you going? It's getting dark, don't run around!"
"Aunt, let's go collect the pig grass we picked after school. We know where it is."
Shen Meng waved at her. Just as she handed the pig trotter soup to her, she heard her say, "These kids are really sensible. They even earned work points on the way home!"
Shen Meng: "......."
Pregnancy makes people stupid for three years. You believed my nonsense!!!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
