Chapter 277 Holding Back
The house wasn't big, just two rooms and a kitchen. The furniture was old, the wood was worn shiny, and some parts had peeling paint.
Compared to the drafty, leaky mud-brick houses in the countryside, it's a world of difference.
Li Hongmei walked around the room, her face full of novelty and satisfaction.
She walked to the corner, picked up the enamel basin with the word "award" printed on it, and looked at it from left to right, becoming happier with each look.
Suddenly, he slapped his thigh excitedly and shouted, "Honey, look at this! Even the washbasin was issued by the army! This is an honor!"
Qiao Xuezhi squatted by the threshold, holding a cigarette in his hand, silently smoking.
Amidst the swirling smoke, he raised his eyes and looked at Li Hongmei, who was bustling about inside the house, and whispered, "Hongmei, we've come here to seek refuge, so don't cause trouble for your little sister."
"You don't know anything!"
She lowered her voice, her tone tinged with impatience and disdain, "This is a military compound! Do you know what living here means? Miaomiao can go to a military-affiliated school, where the teaching quality is high and the teachers are responsible; when she looks for a job, her status as a military dependent gives her preferential treatment and adds points to her employment prospects! Isn't every aspect better than outside?"
She got more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes shining as if she could already see a bright future: "Once our family is firmly established here and our lives are settled, we'll bring my parents here too! A happy family living together, full of joy and laughter, that'll give us hope for the future, wouldn't that be wonderful!"
At night, Qiao Wanyin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
It was a bit stuffy in the bed, but her mind was in even more turmoil.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves outside the window. She stared at the ceiling, her mind filled with the events of the day.
Fu Lian noticed her movement and gently put his arm around her: "What's wrong? What's on your mind again?"
“Li An”.
She slowly turned over to face him, her voice soft yet clear, "You really shouldn't have let your second sister-in-law go to kindergarten."
"We're family."
He smiled nonchalantly, his tone relaxed, "She's diligent and capable. You're busy at work, so having her help look after things will save you from getting distracted. Isn't that a good thing?"
Qiao Wanyin sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously tugging at the corner of the blanket.
She knew he genuinely cared about her, wanted to make her life easier, and also wanted her family to live a decent life and have someone to rely on.
She was deeply grateful for this gesture.
But she knew all too well what kind of person Li Hongmei was—
She's greedy for small gains, always trying to grab an extra bunch of scallions when buying vegetables; she loves to gossip, spreading rumors and gossip about everyone; she's a chatterbox, never-ending, and even Aunt Wang next door gets annoyed by her and has to close her door to avoid her.
"Second sister-in-law..."
She paused, then said in a low voice, "She's really not an easy person to get along with."
Fu Lian patted her shoulder, his tone gentle yet comforting: "Isn't unity important these days? We're all family. Give her a chance, give it a try. Maybe she'll change once she's in the city."
Outside the window, the moonlight quietly spilled onto the clothesline, like a thin layer of frost covering the clothes.
The faded military uniform swayed slightly in the wind, the red five-pointed star on the collar shining brightly in the cold moonlight, as if silently reminding people of a certain responsibility and boundary.
Qiao Wanyin stared at that red dot, feeling as if a heavy stone was lodged in her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.
She knew—
If Li Hongmei stays, trouble is inevitable.
The next morning, Li Hongmei put on the polyester shirt that Qiao Wanyin had given her. It was starched and washed very neatly, and the buttons were fastened tightly.
She walked in with her head held high and her steps brisk, shouting as soon as she entered, "Wow! You sing even more energetically than the commune's radio station!"
The children were singing "Learn from Lei Feng" in unison, their voices clear and crisp. Her shout interrupted them, and they all froze, turning around to look.
Just as Qiao Wanyin was about to say a few words to introduce and explain the identity of this "temporary helper," Li Hongmei had already warmly grabbed the hand of a parent next to her, her face beaming with smiles: "I'm Principal Qiao's second sister-in-law! Your child is so pretty, with big eyes and fair skin, he looks like a good candidate for the army!"
The parent was pulled so hard they stumbled, their face stiffened, and they quickly pulled their hand back, chuckled awkwardly, and didn't dare to say anything. They then turned and led their child to a corner.
Qiao Wanyin stomped her feet as she watched, feeling a dull ache and a heavy weight in her heart.
She pursed her lips, forcing herself not to explode on the spot.
Li Hongmei would wipe the sweat from one child's forehead with a handkerchief, and then pull up the collar of another child's clothes, her movements as rough as if she were packing luggage.
She's like a protective mother hen, flapping her wings, meddling in everything and wanting to manage everything.
Qiao Wanyin watched her wander around the yard, her steps hurried and her voice loud, and felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were watching a firecracker that was randomly jumping around on her territory.
"Second sister-in-law, take a break."
She forced a smile and handed her a glass of cool water, saying, "There are teachers here to look after you, so don't tire yourself out."
Li Hongmei took the enamel mug from the glass; the mug was printed with a faded double happiness symbol.
She tilted her head back and gulped down the water, which trickled down her chin and neck. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and said casually, "Oh, it's so boring being idle! Sitting at home makes me itchy all over. It's much more comfortable to be working!"
Before she could finish speaking, she darted to the slide and shouted at the top of her lungs, drowning out all the children's laughter: "Kids! Line up! One by one! No pushing! No shoving! Listen to your grandma, okay!"
Qiao Wanyin stood there, opened her mouth, moved her throat, but ultimately said nothing.
She was the head of the kindergarten, the person in charge here, but she couldn't scold her relatives in front of so many parents and children.
After all, her second brother's family had traveled hundreds of miles from their hometown to find her, weary from their journey, carrying with them hope and reliance.
She couldn't just turn cold and drive people away.
That day, when no one was looking, Qiao Xuezhi quietly pulled her to a corner at the end of the corridor.
Qiao Wanyin's heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her voice, asking softly, "Second Brother, what's wrong?"
"You know your second sister-in-law's personality, don't you?"
Qiao Xuezhi took a deep drag on his cigarette, his brows furrowed, and his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and anxiety. "She just can't stand to see you doing well. She's jealous of how comfortable you are now, and she's unhappy about it. She always wants to take advantage of you and get some benefits."
He sighed deeply, and a wisp of smoke slowly escaped from the corner of his mouth, swirling twice in the dim light, like an unresolved worry: "But I know very well, Second Brother, your life isn't easy. You have to be careful in everything you do. It's not as glamorous as it seems on the surface. I know it wasn't easy for you to gain a foothold in the city."
"I don't want to hold you back."
He spoke in a low voice, his tone filled with guilt and struggle.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Wanyin's eyes welled up with tears, her nose stung, and she almost burst into tears.
This silly second brother has her in his heart. Even though he is struggling to make ends meet, he can't bear to make her suffer in the slightest.
"Second brother, I understand."
She took a breath and tried to calm her voice, "We're family, connected by blood, even if our bones are broken, our tendons are still connected. If you're in trouble, who else will help if I don't? If I should help, I should lend a hand."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
