Chapter 2 (1)
It doesn’t matter if you don’t go to see it, but once you go to see it, Li Ren will not be able to go home until three days later.
Of course it was work-related, but Yu Jia always felt that her husband was just being angry.
Busy in the kitchen, Yu Jia made Li Ren's favorite sour radish and old duck soup. When it was almost ready, she asked Li Ren to taste it.
Li Ren poked his head out of the book and said, "You try it."
"I'm afraid it's too salty."
Still, he pored over his Capital. After arriving in the big city, he learned that high-ranking officials were thoroughly familiar with Capital and that several colleagues were cramming for it. He immediately felt a sense of crisis, a sense of shame, and a courageous act. He bought a set of the complete works of Marx and Engels, poring over them day and night. Yu Jia, worried that he was struggling, suggested that he focus on the key points. Li Ren immediately retorted, "How can you be sloppy in your scholarship? You must be a complete person and a complete writer."
I had no choice but to let him go.
"Her dad." Yu Jia held up the soup spoon. A pool of duck soup hung there, waiting to be tasted. Li Ren, irritated by the call, covered his book and came over to taste it. Yu Jia asked how it tasted. Li Ren said, "What's the big deal? It's a little salty or a little bland." Yu Jia knew he was still angry about what happened that day. If she didn't talk it out, it seemed like she couldn't get over it. He always found fault with the little things.
Liren had this problem: he was generous in front of outsiders, but easily fussy with those close to him. Yu Jia said, "It wasn't me who went to get the umbrella that day. It was your daughter who saw it was raining so hard that she insisted I go get you an umbrella." A far-fetched excuse. How could such a large organization not have an umbrella?
Li Ren remained silent, reclining on the sofa and continuing to read. Yu Jia knew this was working, so he continued, "You're in seclusion, so what? You're not saying anything, so what's there to speculate about?" Li Ren immediately said, "I forgot. I was just busy thinking about it, okay? Is it a capital crime? Take a knife and chop off my head."
She was being unreasonable. Yu Jia ignored him, clearing the table, serving the dishes, and preparing to eat. She stood there motionless. Yu Jia went inside and called Sisi, telling her to wash her hands. Then he whispered, "Call your dad to eat." Only his daughter could move him.
Don't talk while eating, don't talk while sleeping. Sisi took her mother's "teachings" to heart. But when Liren returned, Yujia changed this rule again. She wanted Liren to talk to her more. It was unknown when the couple started talking less.
Liren used to be a chatterbox. Now, if she didn't ask, he wouldn't say anything. If she did, he'd say what he wanted to say. Most of his words were half-answered. He was very frugal with his words.
Yu Jia had raised questions, and Li Ren explained that many work matters had to be kept confidential. But Yu Jia wanted to talk about more than just work! Even family matters, gossip, and the fun of life.
Li Renbu. His work is his life now. His life is his work. He wants to take advantage of this wave of good fortune to move up a level. He is addicted to promotion and can't stop.
Sisi sat down and took out her phone, placing it where her father could see it. The screen had a large crack. The day before, she had told her mother she wanted to buy an iPhone. Yu Jia flatly refused. "Focus on your studies. Just be able to make and receive calls. Don't be so vain."
Sisi didn't appeal. She knew her mother didn't make much money, was a stingy, poor goddess. Dad was the true God of Wealth. Over the past two years, as she'd gotten older and more discerning, she'd honestly grown to despise her mother.
Frugality is a virtue. But excessive frugality can make one appear petty. She hated shopping with her mother. Even during Chinese New Year, Yu Jia couldn't bear to buy a decent piece of clothing. Yu Jia also disliked shopping, always calling it a waste of time. But in her daughter Sisi's eyes, her mother had nothing but time. Who was she saving that time for?
Sisi thought one of her mom's "magic tricks" was a complete joke. Whenever Yu Jia bought clothes on Taobao, to avoid making a mistake, she would order all the same styles and colors. After buying them, she'd carefully select the colors she liked and return the rest. Why? Tricking the shop owner? It wasn't that her mom didn't have time. She was just bored out of her mind.
"My phone is broken." Li Ren sat down and saw Sisi's phone at a glance. Use a declarative sentence.
"It's not easy to repair." Sisi said.
"Buy a new one," Li Ren said without hesitation. Sisi remained silent, looking at her mother. Li Ren looked at his daughter, then at Yu Jia. His wife remained silent, holding her breath. Li Ren deliberately said, "Buy a new one." His words were final.
"Thank you, Dad!" Sisi exclaimed in delight. She applauded herself, using the emperor to control the princes. Dad agreed, and Mom didn't argue. Dad was the head of the family.
The meal was a quiet one. Yu Jia never contradicted her husband in front of their daughter. Li Ren was a man who cared about appearances, and she wanted to establish his authority. As usual, the two of them would have a few words before bed. Yu Jia then brought up the issue of the phone, her point being that the child shouldn't be spoiled like that. The phone had only been used for less than three years, and if the screen was cracked, she could just replace it. There was no need to go to great lengths to buy another one. "Following trends is exhausting," Yu Jia concluded.
Li Ren was neither anxious nor angry. He was always thoughtful. Yu Jia had asked a fortune teller to tell his fortune. His day pillar was Ding Fire. He looked cheerful but was actually gloomy, "wise but almost demonic." He hummed and continued reading. After a while, he closed the book and asked, "How long have you been here?" Yu Jia couldn't follow his thoughts. Then he realized that he was talking about how long he had been in the big city. Yu Jia told him the time. Li Ren said, "This is not the provincial capital, let alone my hometown. The child has just arrived and has seen the world, so it is inevitable that she will feel a little inferior. I think this vanity should be satisfied. Girl, be more confident."
Yu Jia instinctively wanted to retort: Could this confidence come from her phone? But on second thought, she felt her husband's words weren't entirely unreasonable. Not to mention her daughter, even she, having just arrived in the big city, felt insecure. It wasn't obvious on the surface because she was an adult, sensible, and able to conceal it. She was forcing her confidence. She believed that with time, with familiarity and understanding, she would truly develop confidence.
My daughter can't do that. She's still young and doesn't have the ability to adjust. If a phone can give her even a little confidence, that's a good thing, isn't it?
Li Ren said this, and Yu Jia could only agree. Seeing her waver, Li Ren pressed her, "I was wrong that day. I should have called and told you." Then, with a wry smile, he said, "I was anxious too." Yu Jia asked what he was anxious about. Li Ren said, "I only realized how complicated the environment is here after coming here. The interpersonal relationships are more dense than a spider web. Opportunities to write materials are rare nowadays, and when I do get one, I have to seize it."
Writing materials is his forte.
Hearing her husband's words, Yu Jia felt a pang of self-blame. He was working so hard for his career, and she was causing him trouble because of a little suspicion and worry. She knew Li Ren's hardships. She had known it since their time in the provincial capital. They lived apart, but Yu Jia could imagine the difficulties Li Ren might face. Having been an official's wife for so long, Yu Jia had developed some political awareness. However, she hadn't anticipated the magnitude of Li Ren's difficulties, that he would be "a hero without a place to use his talents."
In a big city, everyone who enters is just a drop in the ocean. She had been somewhat opposed to taking this step. But as a self-made person, there was no reason not to seize the opportunity. Her husband was determined to become a noble, so how could she be a stumbling block? If she dared to say no at this critical juncture, her father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and everyone in her in-laws' family would have drowned her in spit.
She can only support, must support. "Virtuous" or not "virtuous" is two different things, if it is "inside", then "help" is needed.
"How can I help you?"
Li Ren smiled but said nothing. After a pause, he added, "But for things like this, out of sight, out of mind. In the future, you and Sisi should go out together and see the world. There's no need to stay here breathing in the smog every day."
Yu Jia's scalp tingled instantly. It was this trick again. Li Ren always liked to make assumptions - to frame people directly so that you would obey his decision. She didn't want her daughter to study abroad, nor did she want to follow her. She felt that their relationship needed to be repaired. In the past, they lived apart and were far away from each other. Now that they were finally close, if they didn't seize the time to sit back to back, there would be big problems. Yu Jia was about to speak, she didn't agree with the idea of going abroad. But Li Ren had already laid down and said, "Sleep." She reached out to turn off the bedside lamp on his side. It seemed that the only way she could help was to make herself disappear from his sight.
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