Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Let others not underestimate the Jiang family. ...
Last night, two people, one big and one small, passed by this alley. It was pitch black and Jiangzai couldn't see anything clearly.
At this moment, they came out in broad daylight. Jiangzai walked and looked along the way, and seemed very curious about everything he saw.
He saw a very big tree, which was even bigger than the soapberry tree at home. He, his brother Xiaosheng and Pengpeng couldn't hug it even if they held hands together. Even his brother Mingming might not be able to hug it either.
How can there be such a big tree? There are so many whiskers on the tree.
Xia Li saw Jiang Zai's pace slow down, turned around and asked him if he was hungry. She heard from her aunt that the child had not eaten much all day, so she thought about buying him something he wanted to eat in the store outside.
When she heard the child didn't respond, she followed his gaze to the big banyan tree in front of her, and she understood.
She was delighted. Like the children, she wasn't a local. When she first arrived, she had never seen anything like this, not even the banyan trees. She was shocked when she first saw a giant one, but after seeing so many, she didn't think it was anything special anymore. It was just a common tree here.
"This big tree is called a banyan tree. It's very common in this area. See the tendrils hanging down from the tree? They dig into the soil and continue to grow, eventually becoming very large roots. Some big banyan trees are as big as palaces and can't be blown down even by strong winds. Jiangzai will see many of these big trees in the future. And Mommy has a little secret for Jiangzai: this banyan tree is a hundred years old, much older than Jiangzai's grandmother."
Jiangzai exclaimed "Wow", his little mouth slightly opened in surprise, and he looked at the magical tree with even more shock.
"Let's go, we'll watch it later. Finish the call early and come back for dinner." Charlie pulled the child and continued walking forward.
You can visit the tree anytime, but right now I have other important things to do. I hear there's a very large and spiritual banyan tree in the old square, with enormous aerial roots. It's said that on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, and during festivals, people burn incense and worship beneath the tree. I'll see if I can find time to take Jiangzi to see it.
After they got out of the alley, Xia Li walked a few steps towards the store and then stopped with Jiang Zai. She stood there and thought for a few seconds. She decided to go to the newsstand to make a public phone call, which was only a few steps away.
She was mainly concerned that she and her aunt often shopped there, and the people there, as well as other regular customers, were all familiar to her. It would be inconvenient to talk about anything on the phone, so she decided to go to the newsstand she rarely visited, where she could talk freely.
The phone number Jiang Dong's mother gave her belonged to the village, but it was installed in the village chief's house, so it took quite a long time for Xia Li to dial it and for Jiang Dong's mother to connect with her.
As for the long-distance call, Xia Li looked at the old man at the newsstand, then at the long, silent receiver in her own hand. She felt like a rich fool, waiting there with the phone in her hand. However, she thought Jiang Dong's mother had been kind to her, and she didn't want to cause trouble for her. So she simply didn't hang up the phone, to avoid the cost of another call from the other side.
Jiangzai was small now, but he understood what was going on. He knew that this was a call to his grandmother, so he stretched his neck to listen.
Xia Li told him not to worry, because his grandma hadn't come to answer the phone yet.
Fortunately, the wait wasn't long. Jiang Dong's mother must have come running over. Her panting voice came from the phone, "Hello? Hello? Is this Xia Li? Are you there?"
Charlie heard a voice calling from the receiver and quickly picked it up and answered, "Mom, it's me, Charlie."
"Oh, okay, okay, Xia Li, you and Jiang Zai have arrived, right? How is Jiang Zai? Is he adapting well?" Jiang Dong's mother was worried and asked questions one after another.
"We arrived last night, but it was too late, so we didn't have time to call back." Xia Li glanced at Jiang Zai as she spoke, "Well, Jiang Zai, Jiang Zai is also very good. Don't worry, I will take good care of him."
Anyway, there is no sign of guilt in his voice at all.
When Jiang Dong's mother was about to say something, Jiang Zai jumped on his tiptoes twice. Xia Li saw it and said, "Mom, Jiang Zai is here too. He wants to talk to grandma too. I asked him to talk to you."
Charlie handed the microphone to Jiangzai, but the boy was not very active now.
Why don't you pick it up now? Why are you looking at her now?
Xia Li laughed. She extended the microphone forward and placed it next to Jiang Zai's ear, instructing him, "Talk to this place with your mouth. Try it. You can hear your grandma's voice in there."
The microphone cable is like a telescopic spring and can be stretched to a long length.
Jiang Dong's mother heard Xia Li talking to her grandson on the phone and was also waiting for her grandson. However, when she saw that he didn't hear her voice, her tone couldn't help but become a little anxious: "Jiang Zai, Jiang Zai, did you hear grandma talking?"
Jiang Zai raised his head and whispered "Grandma", his eyes blinking and drooping.
When Jiang Dong's mother heard her grandson calling her grandma on the other end of the phone, she burst into tears. She wiped her tears without caring about anything else and gave Jiang Dong some commonplace advice. Like be a good boy around mom, don't be naughty and make mom angry, eat well, wear clothes when it's cold, don't catch a cold, etc.
Xia Li vaguely heard these words and couldn't help but sigh at the old woman's sincere love and care. To be honest, her son had really relied on Jiang Dong's mother for care over the past few years.
No matter what grandma said, Jiangzai nodded obediently and said "hmm" in agreement.
Perhaps out of concern for the money, Jiang Dong's mother quickly asked Jiang Zai to hand the phone to Xia Li. Xia Li took the phone and said, "Mom, do you have anything else to tell me? Jiang Zai, don't worry. I'm his biological mother. Since I've taken him home, I'll definitely treat him well. If he says he misses grandma in the future, I'll bring him over and call you. Don't worry."
"Xia Li, it's come to this, what else can Mom worry about?"
Jiang Dong's mother was actually thinking, "I'm still worried, but what's the point of worrying?" The family was already in this state, so what if she forced Jiang Zai to stay home and not let him live with his biological mother? Without his biological father around, what would happen to the child if she, as a grandmother, became useless one day? As an old woman, she just hoped that Jiang Zai would grow up well and that her son Jiang Dong would be born soon.
As for after he gets out, she won't ask for anything. He can do whatever he wants and go find his wife and children. Jiang Dong, when the time comes, you'll see how the wife you insisted on marrying and pampering back then takes care of your son.
I hope she can live up to your previous kindness.
Her children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and she can’t control them.
Jiang Dong's mother sighed inwardly. Someone poked her elbow, and she sat up straighter and asked Xia Li, "Xia Li, there's one more thing I'm really embarrassed about."
Jiang Dong's mother hesitated, and Xia Li was a little confused, so she asked what was going on.
It wasn't until Jiang Dong's mother mentioned the village's recruitment of young people that Xia Li remembered the incident she had mentioned earlier. She suddenly realized, "Mom, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This is true. Our factory does have a recruitment plan. Any young people with good character and hard work are welcome to come and try, regardless of gender."
In fact, it's not just her factory; other factories are also reportedly hiring. I've heard that some factories are even organizing personnel to go to certain provinces to recruit workers. So, the demand is quite high, and if people come, as long as they are suitable, they will be able to stay.
Xia Li wasn't the type to begrudge others their success, nor did she have the mentality of harming others to benefit herself. She hadn't contacted the people back home before for a reason, but now that things were clear, it was just a simple matter, and she had nothing to lose.
It means just being a guide, taking care of Jiang Dong's mother, and letting others owe Jiang Dong's mother a favor.
Xia Li promised Jiang Dong's mother that she would inquire about the news in the next two days and let Jiang Dong's mother roughly determine how many people meet the requirements and are willing to come. She will call back as soon as possible.
Xia Li's words reassured Jiang Dong's mother, giving her enough face and a little power. They would see how those who had previously laughed at her family, whether openly or covertly, would have the nerve to come over and see who would still look down on her family.
Jiang Dong's mother hung up the phone and turned around to see that besides the people who came with her, there were also quite a few people around her. What were they doing? They had nothing to do, right? Seeing an old woman like her making a phone call?
A group of people were crowded in the living room of the village chief's house. Among them were some who came specifically to inquire about the recruitment. They had heard the news from others before. It happened that there were young people of appropriate age in their family who wanted their children to go out and try their luck, so they came specifically to check out the situation.
Of course, there are also some who just come to join in the fun. There is never a shortage of such people in Zhuangzi.
"Jiang Dong's mother, what's going on? What did your Xia Li say?" The anxious man asked directly.
"What else can I say? Of course it's possible. Let's see which young men and women are willing to go over the next two days. But we have to be selective. If we just let any of them go and they don't want us, wouldn't that be a waste of money? We also have to consider their character. If someone of bad character goes and something happens, wouldn't my Xia Li, as the introducer, be embarrassed?"
"Yes, yes."
"That's exactly what's going on."
Everyone agreed, even the village chief's wife, after all, she also had a daughter who graduated from high school but had no job.
Although Jiang Dong's mother felt bitter, she was actually a very strong person. Although the people in the village knew that her eldest daughter-in-law had come back and taken the child away, no one knew the specific situation.
Even when people wanted to laugh at her, question her directly, or expose her shortcomings, she would insist that she had asked her daughter-in-law to come back because her child was older and she was worried that the child's studies would be affected, so she asked her mother to take the child to the city to study. If someone continued to ask, she would show off the money Xia Li threw down on the train, saying that her daughter-in-law had grown up outside and felt sorry for her mother-in-law, so she left it for her.
Although there was indeed her own money in it, she had stuffed it into Xia Li's pocket, and Xia Li had thrown it back, and even stuffed an extra 500 yuan into it. In any case, she had the good intention to do so. Of course, Jiang Dong's mother would never know that the 500 yuan was actually found by Xia Li in her son's locker.
Therefore, she was justified. Moreover, Xia Li was now helping young men and women in the village find jobs, jobs that could earn them hundreds of yuan a month. Just look at who in the village could earn hundreds of yuan a month back home.
Everyone is envious of having a job that pays around 100 yuan.
So, when some people heard that the Jiang family's daughter-in-law could introduce them to jobs that paid so much, they were very excited. Although they worried that it was fake, they were also afraid that if they hesitated, the opportunity would be gone. After all, if they missed the opportunity, they would never see it again.
If this thing really came to pass, then Xia Li would have earned enough face for their Jiang family. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, Xia Li was still the daughter-in-law of her Jiang family, and she had not divorced her Dongzi.
Many people present really thought so now. After all, people had always said that the daughter-in-law had run away, but now it seems that she had not run away at all, had she returned home? Moreover, she knew that her husband was in trouble outside, and she was willing to come home to see her mother-in-law and children. Such women are rare nowadays. After all, the people in the village have seen and known a lot of things. Many men have encountered problems and their wives have left them and their children. Now it seems that Jiang Dong really has good taste. No wonder he insisted on marrying this daughter-in-law back then. Everyone thought that this guy was short-sighted and only wanted Xia Li's beauty. It turns out that Jiang Dong was also attracted by Xia Li's kindness. Jiang Dong was already in prison, but Xia Li did not come back to add insult to injury and demand a divorce. She seems to be a kind and righteous woman.
Xia Li didn't know that the thing she casually agreed to actually created a good reputation for herself and allowed Grandma Jiang Zai to hold her head up high in the village, so that others would not look down on the Jiang family.
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