Chapter 279 New Hope
She interrupted him rudely, raising her voice even higher, "Look at this yard, look at these conditions! The cement floor is paved neatly, every household has running water, and the children can walk to school in just a few steps! If Miaomiao can study here, how high can she fly in the future? Maybe she can even get into university and wear a cadre's uniform! Are you going to let her dig in the soil and farm for the rest of her life?"
Qiao Xuezhi finally looked up, his eyes slightly red, filled with struggle and pain.
His voice was hoarse: "But...but Wan Yin has her own difficulties. She's an officer's wife, and she has to be careful about what she does. If we insist on staying, what if it affects her reputation and she gets gossiped about? Do you think I, as her brother, can live with myself?"
The room fell silent.
Only the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window made the silence seem all the more heavy.
In the corner, Miao Miao was woken up by the noise. She groggily sat up from under the tattered quilt, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and asked timidly in a low voice, "Dad, Mom, what are you arguing about? Is it... is it because I secretly ate half a steamed bun last night, and you're angry?"
When Li Hongmei heard her daughter's voice, her heart clenched.
She rushed over in a few strides, pulled Miaomiao into her arms, and stroked the child's back repeatedly with her rough hands. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Miaomiao," she asked, her voice choked with emotion, "Do you want to go to school in the city? Do you want to eat white flour buns every day, drink milk, and wear little leather shoes with bows on them?"
Miao Miao nodded, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum: "I...I want to go to school, and I also want to draw picture books. All my classmates have them, but I don't..."
Did you hear that?
Li Hongmei suddenly looked up, tears streaming down her face. She pointed angrily at her husband, her voice already hoarse, "Even a little girl knows where it's better! She's only five years old, and she already knows there's candy and education in the city! You're an adult, and you don't even understand as much as a child?"
She gasped for breath, her chest heaving, and said, word by word, "That's your own sister! The sister you carried on your back since she was little, the one who cried from hunger! Now she's married well, adorned with gold and silver, and has become a military officer's wife, can't she lend us a hand? Can't she give her niece a way out?"
"Qiao Xuezhi, I'm telling you, even if it kills me," she wiped her face, her eyes fierce as knives, "this time, I'm staying! For Miaomiao, for the lives of our whole family, I'm going to risk it all! Even if I have to beg her on my knees, I'll make sure Miaomiao stays in the city!"
Qiao Xuezhi sighed deeply, slowly raised his right hand, held the cigarette that had burned out between his fingers, and stared blankly ahead.
He glanced down at the ground, then with a swift motion, pressed the cigarette butt hard against the ground, grinding it back and forth several times until the faint spark was completely extinguished, turning into a small clump of ash that mixed into the soil.
"Hongmei, we can't do this..."
His voice was low and hoarse, as if it were being squeezed out from the depths of his throat, filled with weariness and helplessness, "If this continues, something bad will happen sooner or later."
"I can't care about that!"
Li Hongmei suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing with a stubborn and obstinate light. She stomped her foot, the heel hitting the concrete with a crisp sound. "If you dare to buy a ticket, I'll take Miaomiao and jump into the river right now! You say one word, I'll take one step. Try me if you don't believe me!"
These words were like a thunderclap in the silent night. Qiao Xuezhi froze on the spot, his face turning deathly pale.
His lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He wasn't unfamiliar with threats, but this one was different—he knew that if she said it, she really would do it.
The night grew deeper.
The surrounding noise had long since dissipated, and even the wind had quieted down.
A pale, cold moon quietly crept over the eaves, its silvery light streaming through the half-open window, inch by inch, into the room, casting slanted shadows on the floor.
The moonlight was like a silent gaze, making one's heart tighten.
Qiao Xuezhi sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on his sleeping daughter Miaomiao in the crib. Her small face looked particularly peaceful in the moonlight, her breathing was even, and there was a faint smile on her lips.
He glanced again at his wife lying on the other side—Li Hongmei had her back to him, her shoulders slightly hunched, her whole body curled up like a block of ice that kept everyone at arm's length.
She didn't say a word, but that silence was heavier than any words.
Qiao Xuezhi felt as if a wet cotton ball was pressing down on his heart, cold and heavy, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he simply closed his eyes silently.
The next morning, the morning breeze was slightly cool, and the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
Qiao Wanyin got dressed, picked up her small cloth bag, and walked into the kindergarten gate.
The yard had just been watered, and the air was filled with the damp scent of earth.
Before she even reached her office, she heard a lively chatter coming from afar.
It was Li Hongmei, chatting and laughing with several military family members around the flower bed. Her voice was clear and crisp, like the beating of gongs and drums.
"Of course!"
Li Hongmei raised her eyebrows, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and said with great enthusiasm, "Our Wanyin is a favorite of the leaders! Yesterday evening, Political Commissar Li's wife came to ask her personally when she was free, saying she wanted to invite her to dinner and have a chat, they were so affectionate!"
Qiao Wanyin stood not far away, and a chill ran down her spine as she listened, making the hairs on her neck stand up.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong. She quickly walked over and called out softly, "Second Sister-in-law."
Li Hongmei turned her head and saw it was her. Her smile didn't fade at all. Instead, she exclaimed even more exaggeratedly, "Oh my, I was just talking about you! Speak of the devil and he appears! Everyone, come and see, this is my family's 'star' Qiao Wanyin!"
Qiao Wanyin frowned, ignoring the stares of others, and hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing her arm and whispering, "Second sister-in-law, let's talk in the office, there are too many people here."
Li Hongmei was taken aback, somewhat bewildered by her sudden seriousness, but she still followed her across the courtyard and into the small office of the kindergarten.
Once the door was closed, the noise outside was immediately shut out.
Qiao Wanyin turned around and, without beating around the bush, went straight to the point: "Second sister-in-law, I'll have my husband, Li An, help your second brother find a decent job in the county town, something stable. The salary won't be high, but it'll be enough to support the family. What do you think?"
The smile on Li Hongmei's face froze instantly, and then her expression changed drastically, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on her head.
Her eyes widened, and her voice suddenly rose: "What do you mean? Do you think we're in your way? Are you trying to kick us out?"
"It's not about rushing."
Qiao Wanyin quickly waved her hand, her tone softening rapidly, with a hint of reassurance, "I'm genuinely thinking of you. The county is so far from our hometown..."
It's close by, and transportation is convenient. If your second brother could have a stable job, the children's schooling and household expenses would be covered. Besides…”
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