Chapter 6 Chapter 6 My parents really love me
There are six households on the second floor. The Liu family is in the middle, with Director Jiang's family on the left and Deputy Chief Li's family in the Security Department on the right.
Deputy Section Chief Li's mother, Aunt Zhao, was picking vegetables on a small stool in the corridor. When she saw Liu Mianmian, she called out, "Xiao Ding, your Mianmian is back!"
The first to come out was the eldest sister-in-law, Ying Xiaofen. She had a melon-seed face and short hair, and looked quite neat. She held a handful of green onions in her hand and said with a smile, "You're back! Come in quickly!"
Ding Mingxia, her biological mother, held up a spatula, leaned over to take a look, and smiled gently: "Come in quickly, I just need to stir-fry two more dishes."
Ding Mingxia is much more fashionable than her daughter-in-law. Her medium-long hair has obviously been permed, and she has a small silk scarf tied around her neck. Her facial features are delicate and she still has charm. It can be seen that she must have been a beauty when she was young.
Combining the original owner's memory, Liu Mianmian was sure that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had never been so enthusiastic towards "her".
Especially the eldest sister-in-law Ying Xiaofen, since the original owner came to the city, the three words "not welcome" have almost been engraved on her forehead.
The house had two and a half bedrooms. As soon as Liu Jinshi got married, her son would immediately have his own room. But who would have thought that Cheng Yaojin, a country bumpkin with no job, would show up and wonder when he'd find a partner to marry? If they stayed at home for another four or five years, their son would be a teenager, and they'd have to consider the issue of marriage and housing again.
The original owner had heard Ying Xiaofen complain to Liu Yongjie about these words with his own ears.
In addition, some relatives and friends teased her about the "real and fake sister-in-law", which made Ying Xiaofen feel very embarrassed.
Ying Xiaofen probably didn't expect that her "real sister-in-law" would get married earlier than Liu Jinshi.
"Yongjie, pour a cup of tea for your sister and brother-in-law." Liu Zhigang sat on the sofa in the small living room and instructed his eldest son with the airs of the head of the family.
Liu Yongjie didn't even raise his eyelids, leaning back in his chair without moving. Ying Xiaofen hurriedly poured tea and said to Shen Weizhou with a smile, "This is the tea that Dad has kept for several years. Normally, he wouldn't drink it. Weizhou, try it. Be careful, it's too hot."
She looked familiar and called him affectionately, but Shen Weizhuo just glanced at the teacup on the table and didn't say anything.
No one spoke and the atmosphere suddenly became cold.
Liu Mianmian took a sip of tea and caught a glimpse of Liu Zhigang frowning. He didn't know whether he was unhappy with Liu Yongjie for turning a deaf ear to his words, or unhappy with his new son-in-law, Shen Weizhou, for not actively greeting anyone or making small talk.
Liu Zhigang was the director of the third workshop at the military factory, and Liu Yongjie followed his father there to work. As both his biological father and his boss, Liu Yongjie should have obeyed Liu Zhigang's orders.
But in reality, Liu Yongjie was spoiled by his grandparents and wasn't particularly afraid of his father. Furthermore, Liu Yongjie always felt that his father wouldn't bother him with a job because he couldn't get a job as a government official and could only work as an ordinary worker in a workshop.
He always looks like he's half dead at home.
The sizzling sound of cooking could be heard from the kitchen, and the rich aroma of meat and vegetables hung in the air, but the small living room was plunged into an awkward silence.
No one spoke. Liu Zhigang opened his mouth several times, then closed it again. Liu Mianmian guessed that he felt that speaking up would be beneath his dignity as the head of the family. He also tried to wink at Liu Mianmian several times, but Liu Mianmian ignored him and drank her tea seriously.
Not long after, Liu Jinshi and Liu Hao came back.
Liu Hao clutched a candied haws stick as the aunt and nephew entered, chatting and laughing. Liu Jinshi wore a liver-red coat over a snow-white shirt. She had delicate features, a well-proportioned figure, and a confident demeanor.
Seeing Liu Mianmian and Shen Weizhuo sitting on the sofa in the living room, Liu Jinshi greeted them naturally, while Liu Hao expressed his diswelcome with a roll of his eyes.
As soon as Liu Jinshi came back, the family atmosphere became exceptionally harmonious.
She first discussed some of the current policies and work of the military factory with Liu Zhigang, and subtly praised the work of the third workshop. Liu Zhigang's expression obviously softened.
Then she told Liu Yongjie that she had written an article for their group, praising them for sacrificing time to reunite with their families during the Spring Festival and working overtime to ensure production. The article had passed the review and would be broadcast throughout the factory tomorrow. Liu Yongjie finally had a smile on his face.
She even praised Liu Mianmian and Shen Weizhuo, praising Liu Mianmian's beautiful clothes and Shen Weizhuo's good complexion. In short, everyone was happy, and the depressing atmosphere disappeared.
When it was time for dinner, Ding Mingxia joined the "praise group". The mother and daughter had the same style and made Liu Zhigang and his son smile.
Of course, they did not ignore Liu Mianmian and Shen Weizhuo.
But no matter what they said, Shen Weizhuo's expression did not change at all, and he didn't say much.
Liu Mianmian followed Shen Weizhuo's example and practiced the principle of silence being golden. She ate her meal in silence, only making a few perfunctory "hmm" and "ahh" sounds.
Eating is the most important thing. No matter what happens, eat first.
*
After dinner, Ying Xiaofen and Liu Jinshi cleared the table. After a satisfying meal, Liu Mianmian took out a bag of candy from the bag she had brought and opened it, saying, "I'll go call the neighbors over to eat some wedding candy."
After eating, you can start working.
By the time the others realized what was happening, Liu Mianmian had already grabbed a handful of candy and taken it out. Soon, the neighbors upstairs and downstairs were all called over. Liu Mianmian simply opened both bags of candy, grabbing a handful for each person, and then shared the melon seeds from the fruit bowl on the coffee table with everyone.
Seeing that two big bags of White Rabbit milk candies were about to be divided up, Liu Hao stared and shouted, "That's my candy, you country bumpkin... woo woo woo...", but his mother covered his mouth.
Ying Xiaofen was also very distressed. She only had one child at home, and these two large bags of candy should have belonged to her little Hao! This was something she could only think about, not say.
Deputy Section Chief Li stood in the corridor, holding a bowl of noodles, and said with a smile: "It's different after getting married. Mianmian's temper has improved."
Liu Mianmian opened another cigarette from the bag she brought and stuffed two packs directly into Deputy Section Chief Li's pocket: "Uncle Li, I know you like to smoke, so these cigarettes are for you. Thank you for helping me find it. Otherwise, I would still be farming in the countryside."
Deputy Section Chief Li was shocked. "Hey, hey, hey, these cigarettes are not necessarily available even if you have money. No, no, I can't accept them."
Liu Mianmian insisted: "I am happy today. If you hadn't helped me find my way back, how could I have come to South City and settled down there? Two packs of cigarettes are just two packs of cigarettes. How can they compare to my life and future? You must accept these cigarettes. This is a small token of my appreciation!"
These neighbors did contribute to the original owner's recovery, but the original owner always thought that they looked down on her and did not interact much with them.
Deputy Section Chief Li finally accepted the cigarettes, and Liu Mianmian took the opportunity to distribute cigarettes to the other people.
Seeing that only one pack of cigarettes remained after the two packs, Liu Zhigang and Liu Yongjie were stunned. They hadn't felt anything when the candy was shared, but they were deeply distressed when the cigarettes were shared. These were special cigarettes, and even money couldn't buy them.
Normally, no one would really accept such expensive cigarettes, but Liu Mianmian said that she was thanking everyone for helping to find her.
Then, Liu Mianmian took out two bottles of Moutai from the bag and said with a smile: "These two bottles of wine..."
Ding Mingxia couldn't bear it any longer and hurried over to interrupt her: "I'll put the wine away first. Your father's blood pressure has been a little high recently and he can't drink. I'll hide it so that he won't drink it secretly out of greed." She quickly took away the two cans of oranges that were left in the bag.
God knows her heart was bleeding as she watched two packs of cigarettes and two packets of candy being eaten like that.
But what Liu Mianmian said was so high-sounding that she couldn't stop it.
Liu Mianmian smiled and said, "My mother is always so understanding, thoughtful and considerate."
The neighbors were a little confused, but they were always happy to receive the things, whether it was milk candy or cigarettes, they were all high-end goods. Liu Mianmian said that it was to thank everyone for their help. Thinking about the fact that they did contribute more or less, it was not a bad thing to take a handful of candy and a pack of cigarettes.
Besides, Ding Mingxia is usually gentle and kind, and has always had a good reputation, so they all agreed: "Old Ding is indeed a good person."
Only Director Jiang's eldest daughter, Jiang Hongmei, leaned against the railing, spat out a melon seed shell, and laughed, "How funny."
Liu Mianmian's mouth twitched slightly, and she almost couldn't continue acting. She calmed down a little, sighed softly, and continued, "My parents really love me. I was ignorant before and blamed them in my heart. Now I think I shouldn't have done that. I grew up in the countryside eating coarse grains and sweet potatoes. Isn't that a lack of experience? They set high standards for me, isn't it for my own good?"
Aunt Zhao wiped the corners of her eyes with her palms: "That's right, parents are all for their children. Look, when you came back today, your parents were busy at home early in the morning." The old lady was widowed at a young age and raised three children alone with great difficulty. She loved her younger generation very much. Naturally, she believed that Liu Zhigang and his wife loved their biological daughter who was found with great difficulty.
As a mother, which one doesn't devote all their efforts to their children? The aunts and sisters-in-law all sighed with emotion.
Ding Mingxia put her things away and came out. She was slightly stunned when she heard the neighbors praising the couple for their love for their children. Then she smiled and said, "Parents are so pitiful. They want to pour out their hearts and souls to their children. We don't want anything else. We just hope that they can live a good life, peaceful and happy."
Liu Mianmian's eyes were slightly red, and she said with emotion: "Mom, I know, I will definitely live a good life with Shen Weizhou."
She looked at Shen Weizhuo. Shen Weizhuo had a blank expression on his face, and his dark eyes held an ambiguous meaning.
Liu Mianmian calmly looked away and continued her lines: "We will support each other and run our own little family well. Although Wei Zhou and I are currently unemployed and have no income, we both have confidence and will work hard to live a happy life."
She suddenly changed the subject and continued, "So, Mom, when you said you would bring me back the 2,000 yuan betrothal gift from the Weizhou family, I thought about it and felt that I should leave some of this money for you as a token of my appreciation as a daughter."
Ding Mingxia was confused. So what?
Someone exclaimed: "Oh my, the Shen family gave two thousand as a betrothal gift, wasn't it two or three hundred?!"
The Shen family's generous betrothal gifts were well-known in the family compound. Someone curiously asked Ding Mingxia how much the betrothal gift was, and she vaguely said, "Not much." Everyone assumed that with such a large betrothal gift, the betrothal gift might be a modest gesture, following the crowd and giving two or three hundred, or at most three or five hundred.
I didn’t expect it to be two thousand.
Thinking it wasn't much, Ding Mingxia didn't want to say anything for the sake of face, but it turned out to be too much and she kept a low profile.
Two thousand!
Last year, the factory director's family only spent 880 yuan to marry their daughter-in-law!
Almost everyone was shocked, including Liu Yongjie and Ying Xiaofen, because Ding Mingxia had told them that "it's not much, only two or three hundred, not even enough for the dowry."
It turned out to be two thousand.
It’s almost ten times different from two or three hundred.
In fact, not only other people were shocked, but Ding Mingxia was also shocked.
She really didn't expect that Liu Mianmian would know about this matter and even say it in public. She thought that Liu Mianmian's temper might not get along well with the Shen family, so no one would tell her about the betrothal gift.
When she said that she would take all the betrothal gifts back to the Shen family and that the small amount of betrothal gifts would be used to supplement her dowry, Liu Mianmian was obviously very happy and had no doubt at all.
Ding Mingxia felt a buzzing on her forehead. It was not until this moment that she realized that Liu Mianmian was very abnormal today.
They thought she had become more sensible and had a better temper after getting married, but it turned out that she had been setting a trap for them.
Ding Mingxia was so angry that she felt dizzy.
The neighbors began to murmur. Liu Zhigang and Director Jiang next door were in competition. Their relationship was not good to begin with. Director Jiang's wife, Qian Aizhen, had always been at odds with Ding Mingxia. She was eager to see the fun and said loudly, "Old Ding, you keep saying the betrothal gift isn't much. Are you not going to give it to your daughter?"
Jiang Hongmei spat out a melon seed shell and choked her mother, "Comrade Qian Aizhen, do you think Aunt Ding is you? You're always sucking the marrow out of your daughter just to support your precious son."
Qian Ai was so angry that she picked up a broom and chased Jiang Hongmei to beat her.
Ding Mingxia was so angry that she almost vomited blood. She looked at Liu Zhigang, and Liu Zhigang's face was also very ugly. The couple had originally planned to save the money as pension, but now that Liu Mianmian had exposed it in public, they could no longer hide the money.
The cooked duck was about to fly away. Ding Mingxia was so distressed that she almost suffocated. She forced a smile and said, "Sister Qian, how could you misunderstand me like this?"
He added, "Mianmian, child, it's all good that you have this filial piety. We agreed that you can take everything back. Don't worry, your parents have jobs and can earn their own wages. How could they take your betrothal money?"
At this point, it is impossible not to take out the money.
Ding Mingxia gritted her teeth and said, "I'll give it to you right away."
Since it was going to be taken out anyway, there was no need to be shy. Ding Mingxia went into the house and took out the money. An envelope with the words "Nancheng Military Factory" printed on it was handed to Liu Mianmian. She was extremely reluctant to give it away, but she still said considerately and generously: "Look, I have the money ready and waiting to give it to you."
In fact, the price of Clivia in Chuncheng has been rising steadily. I heard that someone sold a pot of Clivia for a sky-high price of 140,000 yuan at the beginning of the year. Her brother from her mother's side is planning to buy the Clivia and transport it to Chuncheng for trading.
She prepared to invest these two thousand yuan without telling Liu Zhigang.
Ying Xiaofen reacted and glanced at Liu Yongjie, who stood up with a chuckle: "Mom, Dad, this is not a small amount of money. Shouldn't we discuss it with our family first?"
Liu Hao rushed over like a cannonball and hugged Ding Mingxia's legs: "Grandma, use the money to buy me candy, schoolbags, and toys. Don't give it to this woman, don't give it to this country bumpkin."
He grabbed Ding Mingxia's hand and yelled.
Before Ding Mingxia retracted her hand, Liu Mianmian quickly took the envelope, squeezed it, and found it was bulging, so she estimated it was about right.
Her face was filled with disappointment and sadness. She said, "Mom, I originally wanted to leave this money to you. You're getting older, and you deserve to have some money around you. But I've changed my mind now because I've realized that if I leave this money, some people will just take it for granted, and I'm afraid the money won't end up in your hands. Just leave the money with me for now, and let me know if you need it."
She said earnestly, "As the old saying goes, raise a daughter in wealth and a son in poverty. At such a young age, money is already so important to him. He has no respect for me as his aunt. Mom, you really should educate your child properly!"
After sighing for a while, Liu Mianmian glanced at Shen Weizhou and said dejectedly, "Let's go."
*
After the neighbors dispersed, Ding Mingxia closed the door and slumped down on the sofa, her voice filled with suppressed sobs: "She's not even going home to visit. She's trying to force me to death. Not only did she take the money, she also said those words!"
Liu Yongjie sat back in his chair, his face not looking good. He asked in a deep voice, "Mom, why did you lie to us and say the betrothal gift was only two or three hundred?"
Ding Mingxia paused for a moment before saying, "You spend money lavishly, how could I dare tell you? If you could quit playing cards and not hang out with those bad friends, why would I hide it from you?"
Liu Yongjie tutted his words and said irritably, "So much money, and you just gave it to her like that?"
Ding Mingxia sighed, "What else can we do? You know her temper. If she gets angry, it will never end. Then our family will become the laughing stock of the family compound. Where will we put our faces? Besides, we can't offend the Shen family for two thousand yuan. Marrying is to take advantage of the situation, not to make enemies. Your father, your sister, and your future all depend on them."
Liu Yongjie curled his lips and said, "What future do I have as a workshop worker?"
In the end, he didn't say anything more, which meant he accepted Ding Mingxia's statement.
Ying Xiaofen coaxed Liu Hao while secretly rolling her eyes.
Liu Yongjie, this fool, was fooled by his mother every time and had no idea what to do. In her opinion, the old couple wanted to hide the money on purpose, but Liu Mianmian was not a pushover either, and in the end, everything was in vain.
Liu Jinshi sat next to Ding Mingxia, patted her back gently, and advised softly: "Mom, two thousand yuan is not the most important thing. Maintaining the relationship with the Shen family is the most important thing."
She reminded Ding Mingxia: "If the Shen family asks about it in the future, this money was agreed upon in advance and she was asked to take it back when she returned home."
Liu Jinshi lowered her eyes slightly. Ding Mingxia usually discussed everything with her, but she didn't know about this matter in advance. If she had known, she would have advised Ding Mingxia not to lose the big picture for the small.
Shen Weizhuo's mother, Yu Wan, is the deputy director of the National Defense Industry Office, which is the direct superior department of the military factory. Yu Wan has a say in matters concerning the military factory.
Liu Zhigang frowned and said, "Jinshi is right. This matter ends here."
Pointing at Liu Yongjie: "And you, if you don't want to be a workshop worker forever, don't mess with that girl!"
Liu Yongjie remained silent.
Ding Mingxia hugged Liu Jinshi and sobbed.
She knew the truth, but the two thousand yuan, the cigarettes and candies that were spent, and the dividends from her investment in Clivia that could have multiplied many times over... were all gone, all gone!
When Ding Mingxia thought about this, she felt so heartbroken that she couldn't breathe.
At the same time, Liu Mianmian left the military factory's family compound with a huge sum of money. She was refreshed and said to Shen Weizhou with a smile: "Come on, sister has a lot of money now, let me buy you a soda."
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