Chu Yu wanted to help in the kitchen, but Deng Fangping chased her out.
“It’s rare for you to be home, so take a good rest. You don’t need to help in the kitchen. If you’re bored, go visit some neighbors with Yunyun. Many people in the village have been asking me about you.”
Yunyun pulled Chu Yu out, and just as they reached the door, they saw Liao Hongmei walking over with a winnowing basket. Upon seeing her, Liao Hongmei was startled, her withered face momentarily lost in thought. She then lowered her head and walked back expressionlessly.
After the last fire, Shu Aiguo built a new house, but Shu Jiandang's house was burned down. They had no money to rebuild, so they could only build a small house using the remaining kitchen wall. The whole family huddled in this small house.
Shu Jiandang was completely defeated. He did nothing all day but drink on credit, sometimes a whole bottle at a time, and then went to sleep.
Liao Hongmei had no choice but to farm crops while collecting scraps.
"Didn't she sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) before? Even if she couldn't open a shop, setting up a stall wouldn't have made her so destitute." Chu Yu was somewhat surprised.
“Her,” Yunyun said, pouting, “look at her. She’s always filthy, her hair is a mess, her house is dirty and dilapidated, and she doesn’t care about hygiene at all. When she sets up her stall, her food cart is always greasy, and customers either find flies or cockroaches in their food. Once, a customer had a terrible stomachache after eating there and had to be taken to the hospital. That family overturned Liao Hongmei’s stall, and Liao Hongmei never dared to set up her stall again.”
Chu Xiang scoffed: "The main problem is that no one buys from her stall. If she could make money, she wouldn't be so stupid as to collect trash."
“Actually, you can make money by collecting scraps if you do it properly. These days, scrap metal prices are cheap, and you can often find antiques. If she puts her heart into it, she can turn her life around,” Chu Yu said frankly.
"Can she really run a business with care? If you're a bad person, it doesn't matter what you do. It's true that you don't need to care about hygiene when collecting scrap, but she often runs into men who come to deliver scrap, and before long, she's hooked up with one of them. Just last month, when she was arguing with that man, Shu Jiandang saw them. Shu Jiandang grabbed a bottle and smashed the man's head open. He paid for the man's medical expenses, but he doesn't dare to divorce Liao Hongmei, so he can only drink all day."
Chu Xiang is not a saint; she holds grudges. Shu Jiandang's disdainful and mocking gaze is still fresh in her mind. The couple stole the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) recipe and opened a shop across the street, deliberately trying to compete with them.
Chu Xiang kept a record of every single detail. She had no sympathy for this so-called uncle. If it weren't for Chu Yu's quick thinking, her whole family would have been burned to death. Chu Xiang hated them to the core and wished she could trample them underfoot.
Chu Yu never expected Liao Hongmei to have fallen to such a low point.
Even if this couple had terrible character, their relationship was still pretty good. It's shocking that Liao Hongmei would commit adultery. Indeed, rural stories are the most captivating.
Chu Xiang pulled Chu Yu aside and whispered:
“I heard she even charges money for it. What’s the difference between her behavior and prostitution? She’s old and not pretty, and her price is low, just a few cents a time. She’s made our family lose all face. I’m too ashamed to come back, afraid that people will find out that Shu Jiandang is my uncle.”
The Shu family is famous for producing Chu Yu, a top scholar in the imperial examinations. Many people know that their family lives in Shanguan Village. When people mention Liao Hongmei, who does such dirty work, they say:
"She is the top scholar's maternal aunt."
How embarrassing!
Chu Xiang is Chu Yu's biggest fan and will not allow anyone to smear her sister. She hates Liao Hongmei even more and spits at her doorstep.
Chu Yu went home for the Chinese New Year, and Jiang Meifeng also returned.
Jiang Meifeng has been in Beijing for more than half a year. She is not living well in Beijing. She does laundry and cooks for her son and daughter-in-law every day, and she doesn't dare to complain at all, for fear that Dai Qinxue will abandon Zhou Jian'an.
She dared not say anything when Dai Qinxue tormented Zhou Jian'an; she dared not complain when Dai Qinxue made her do chores; she dared not say anything when Dai Qinxue hit Zhou Chufei.
When Shu Hui was alive, Jiang Meifeng had countless ways to torment her, but now that she had such a formidable daughter-in-law, she didn't dare utter a sound.
But when the villagers saw her, they would say, "Meifeng, you are so lucky. You went to Beijing with your son to enjoy a life of luxury. No one in our village is as good as you."
Although she had a hard time in Beijing, Dai Qinxue bought her some new clothes when she returned. Jiang Meifeng wore a new overcoat and leather shoes, looking quite smug and even a bit like a city person.
"Of course! My son got promoted in Beijing and he treats me extremely well, buying me meat every day. My daughter-in-law is also very filial, buying me clothes and shoes. I, Jiang Meifeng, am truly blessed to have a son who is a college graduate, and my daughter-in-law's family are officials. I'm destined to enjoy a life of happiness!"
Jiang Meifeng glanced at the other person's worn-out cotton shoes and raised her head.
Sun Qiaozhen, who was standing next to her, was her elementary school classmate. The two were from the same village and got married one after the other. They had been comparing themselves to each other their whole lives. Sun Qiaozhen used to say that she had bad luck because her husband was a paralyzed man, but look at her now.
Her son is a college student with a promising future. In the eyes of the villagers, Jiang Meifeng is an official's wife who lives a life of luxury in Beijing. How could Jiang Meifeng possibly look down on Sun Qiaozhen, a country girl?
"Oh, Qiaozhen, you're here too? What a coincidence! I was wondering why you didn't buy any new clothes or shoes for the New Year? What's wrong? Is your daughter-in-law not letting you buy them? That doesn't make sense. I heard your granddaughter is working in a garment factory now. She should spend some money to show her filial piety. How come you can't even bear to buy her a new outfit?"
Jiang Meifeng's sharp tongue and arrogant demeanor infuriated Sun Qiaozhen.
Sun Qiaozhen cracked sunflower seeds and sneered, "Jiang Meifeng, you went to Beijing for a few days and now you think you're some kind of city person? You look down on us country folk? I'm not as lucky as you. My granddaughter works in a garment factory. She doesn't earn much, but she's still filial. She bought me candy and a new cotton-padded coat. In the dead of winter, when my joints hurt, she even massaged my legs. Unlike you, your granddaughter is successful. She's the top scorer in our province's college entrance exam and went to Tsinghua University. But so what? Does your granddaughter even acknowledge you?"
Jiang Meifeng was stunned for a moment, thinking to herself, what nonsense is Sun Qiaozhen spouting!
She doesn't have a granddaughter who's a top scorer in the college entrance exam, and she's going to Tsinghua University? That's even more impossible.
Tsinghua University isn't a place anyone can just go to. These days, getting into a junior college is considered a great honor, how could anyone possibly get into Tsinghua University from such a small, run-down place like a county town!
"Sun Qiaozhen, what nonsense are you talking about? Whose granddaughter is the top scorer in the college entrance examination and goes to Tsinghua University?"
Sun Qiaozhen was stunned, never expecting that Jiang Meifeng was unaware of this matter.
"Are you serious or just pretending? Everyone knows your granddaughter, Chu Yu, got the top science score in the province and went to Tsinghua University. The provincial TV station came to interview her, it was broadcast on TV, and the good news was in the newspapers for a whole month. City leaders, county leaders, and township leaders all went to visit Shu Aiguo. She was so famous! By the way, your former daughter-in-law, Shu Hui, opened a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) shop in Deyang. Business is booming, and she was in the newspapers too. She's made a lot of money."
Jiang Meifeng stood there, stunned, for a long time before she came to her senses.
Did Chu Yu get into Tsinghua University? And was she the top scorer in the college entrance examination?
Is that the eldest granddaughter whom she looks down on and wishes she could kill in a ditch?
How come no one told her about something so important!
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