Chapter 276 Just Can't Stay Still
As she spoke, she subtly tugged at Qiao Xuezhi's sleeve, signaling him to leave quickly.
"Since you've come all this way, have dinner at home tonight. I'll go buy some hearty dishes."
She pulled her husband out, her steps decisive and sensible, without waiting for Qiao Wanyin to reply.
Qiao Wanyin then realized—they wanted to stay here.
They weren't here to visit relatives or stay a few nights; they were determined to settle down, make their home, and never return.
Her heart sank suddenly, as if someone had grabbed her chest.
"Second brother, second sister-in-law, are you planning to settle down here?"
She spoke slowly, her voice calm, yet with a barely perceptible tremor.
"I knew my little sister was the smartest!"
Li Hongmei slapped her thigh, her worried expression instantly vanishing, replaced by a joyful smile. "That's right, that's exactly what I mean! My daughter and I don't want to go back to that poor mountain village!"
Her voice was high and clear, as if she had finally poured out the words that had been bottled up inside her.
“I used to be a gossip and said a lot of hurtful things to you. Do you remember? I said you've read too many books and become wild, and that you've been hanging out with city people for too long and look down on your own people... I even told the people in the team that you were trying to climb the social ladder and disgracing our ancestors.”
She paused, her tone suddenly softening, even tinged with regret, "I also said that your dating habits were improper, that marrying a military officer was a waste of time... all those words were my fault."
"But all that is in the past. We are family, blood is thicker than water, let's not bring up those old grievances in the future."
She held Qiao Wanyin's hand, her palm rough and hot. "Look how presentable you are now. You're dressed neatly, live in an apartment building, have running water, a radio, and even the sofa has floral cushions... We're not jealous of you, we genuinely think you're amazing."
“We have no other hope but that your second brother can find a decent job here, one that doesn’t involve carrying bricks or working in the sun, even sweeping the streets would be fine. And Miaomiao can also study here and go on to middle school and university.”
Li Hongmei's voice choked as she spoke of her daughter, "She's smart, better than any of us. We can't let her life be wasted in the mountains."
Qiao Wanyin was stunned.
She stood there, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the sugar jar, her fingertips turning white.
She knew her family was struggling financially.
Before leaving, she saved every penny and used all her savings to build a new house for her second brother.
The three brick houses, with tiled roofs and glass windows, were better than most houses in the village.
She originally thought they could live a peaceful life, guarding their house and land, and grow old together in peace.
Unexpectedly, the person actually tracked them down to the military region.
This is a military compound, specifically the family quarters. Entry and exit require registration; unauthorized personnel are not permitted.
Not to mention she doesn't have the authority to keep people, even if she did, she wouldn't dare to.
She was just an ordinary military dependent; her husband was a platoon leader, not yet promoted, and his connections with superiors were incredibly complex, so she had to be careful with every move she made.
If it is found that relatives have been improperly placed in positions of power, the consequences range from a public reprimand to jeopardizing the husband's future.
What made her even more uneasy was that Li Hongmei was petty and concerned about her reputation. She wasn't a bad person, but she was capable of hurting others for her own benefit.
She remembered one year during the Spring Festival, her second sister-in-law almost came to blows with a neighbor over a piece of cured meat.
On another occasion, when the village was distributing relief grain, she fabricated stories about other families "pretending to be poor" and stole the share that should have been theirs.
If she stays and causes trouble, I'll be the one who suffers.
If they really stay, who knows what kind of trouble they might cause?
But you can't just kick someone out the door without saying a word once they've arrived at your doorstep.
She smiled and said gently, "Second sister-in-law, you must be exhausted from your long journey. Take a few days to rest, and I'll show you around and help you get familiar with the area when I have some free time."
Li Hongmei could easily tell that these words were just polite formalities.
On the surface, they were warmly received, but in reality, they maintained a polite distance.
But she was determined to stay and wasn't in a hurry at all. She had plenty of time to take things slowly and deal with whatever came her way.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry to have troubled you and Li Antian!"
She smiled broadly and spoke politely, but she had already made up her mind.
Just then, Song Yazhi and her husband returned carrying the groceries they had just bought.
Upon seeing his in-laws, Fu Xianxiu immediately went up to greet them warmly: "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, you must be tired! Did you have a safe journey?"
Qiao Xuezhi, however, appeared unusually reserved, with his head down, rubbing his hands, and speaking haltingly, unable to utter a complete sentence.
"It's...it's alright, the journey was...alright."
Li Hongmei was quick and efficient; without saying a word, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen.
She first helped pick and wash the vegetables, then quickly scrubbed the pot and cut the meat, her movements swift and efficient.
After the meal, while others were still talking, she had already taken the initiative to clean up the dishes and utensils, washing them spotlessly.
Then he picked up a broom and swept the living room and hallway thoroughly, not even letting the dust in the corners of the walls go untouched.
I was busy all afternoon and barely had a break.
Song Yazhi felt embarrassed and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Oh dear, we're so sorry to bother you! You've just arrived and you're already working. We feel bad about it."
Li Hongmei waved her hand with a smile: "We're family, why are you talking about bothering us? I just hate being idle, I feel restless when I'm not doing anything."
In the evening, Fu Lian returned from the regimental headquarters and smelled the aroma of food as soon as he entered the door.
He took off his military cap, washed his hands, and looked around the room.
Li Hongmei was now pulling out all the stops, serving tea and water, showing concern and warmth, and behaving exceptionally attentive.
Fu Lian patted Miao Miao's head, squatted down, and gently asked, "Baby, are Grandma and Great-Aunt good to you?"
Miao Miao nodded sweetly: "Okay! Grandma will peel an apple for me."
He smiled, stood up, and turned to Qiao Xuezhi, saying, "Second Brother, you've traveled such a long way and look travel-worn. Why don't you rest at the guesthouse for a couple of days to catch your breath?"
Li Hongmei immediately chimed in, her voice loud and clear: "Oh dear, why stay in a guesthouse! That's just a waste of money! We're not picky. We can clean the storage room, lay out a mattress, and sleep just as well!"
She spoke with such conviction, as if staying in a guesthouse was an enormous waste.
"That won't work."
Upon hearing this, Fu Li'an immediately put down his chopsticks on the table and said firmly, "Old Zhang recently went home to visit relatives, and his house is empty. You should go stay at his house first, and we'll talk about it when he comes back."
Li Hongmei's eyes lit up immediately, as if she had grasped a lifeline, and her voice became excited: "This...this really works? Won't it cause trouble for others?"
"We're all family, what's there to be polite about?"
Fu Li'an laughed heartily and patted her shoulder. "Old Zhang's family lives in the row of bungalows behind, very close to the kindergarten. If Second Sister-in-law can't stay idle, she can help Wanyin look after the children, saving her the trouble of running back and forth every day."
Li Hongmei was so happy that she danced with joy, her smile almost overflowing.
She quickly picked up a large piece of braised pork and put it into Fu Lian'an's bowl, saying repeatedly, "Oh, this is great! It's such a help! I just can't sit still, I'm happiest when I'm working!"
That evening, the whole family moved into Old Zhang's house.
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