Chapter 41 [41] Let it rot in your stomach.
Zhou Wei had been working the night shift for the past half month and should still be sleeping at this time. Tang Yuanyuan went to eat and set up the stall as usual, planning to talk to Zhou Wei in the evening.
On this side, Zhou Wei's mother hadn't been able to sleep well for two nights because she discovered her daughter's worries.
My daughter's words, "I don't want anything," kept repeating in my mind.
Isn’t this stupid!
She thought she had her husband under her thumb all her life and her two sons were filial to her, but unexpectedly, she gave birth to a daughter with a stupid brain.
My mother-in-law is a son-in-law, very stingy and likes to hold on to money. Even the Zhou family's own daughter doesn't have a single nice piece of clothing.
I cried bitterly in front of my husband and planned for two years before dividing the family. I now have the salary in my own hands so that my daughter can live a good life.
In their generation, most women were treated like animals, just given food to eat and survived. Many people raised their daughters in the same way, but she didn't think so. She didn't have a good life herself, so she wanted her daughter to have a better life. In this alley, Zhou Wei's life could be said to be the best.
The two brothers never dared to bully their sister. In fact, the two daughters-in-law she chose were both good-tempered, for fear that the one with a strong temper would not be able to tolerate Zhou Wei in the future.
In terms of loving their daughters, Zhang Lancao is most like herself, so the two of them are naturally the closest. Although the two families are separated by an alley, she likes to bring her daughter to the Tang family to play the most.
But later, the old lady and the old man of the Tang family fell ill one after another. Zhang Lancao took care of the old lady, and before she could even catch her breath, she was busy taking care of the old man again. She even didn't take care of her daughter's tuition. She was very angry and didn't want her daughter to have much contact with their family.
What she hated most in her life was women who worked hard without complaint, because it made her angry.
I’m afraid my daughter will become stupid if she reads too much.
If your husband and son are not used, are you keeping them as a gift?
Unexpectedly, my daughter fell in love with Tang An!
She was careless. She always thought that her daughter was one year older than Tang An, so she didn't think about it.
I did nothing yesterday except visit relatives and look for a suitable young man to introduce to my daughter so that she can get married off sooner rather than later.
She managed to find three: a driver at the train station, an electrician at the power supply bureau, and a technician who took over his father's job at the grinding wheel factory.
Maybe it doesn't sound very decent, but for ordinary workers like them, these are the most decent resources they can access.
Zhou Wei is pretty and has a good temper. Most importantly, her mother is good at managing things. This kind of ability to manage things is not like Zhang Lancao's good reputation for being honest and simple, but the ability to manage the household in an orderly manner.
The husband and sons both work honestly, don't do frivolous work, and don't take on things alone. The four brothers take turns to take care of the parents-in-law in their old age, and the four sisters-in-law take turns to take care of them when they are sick. If anyone dares to be lazy, Zhou Wei's mother will scold you so badly that you won't be able to raise your head to see anyone for three days.
She is a straightforward person and will not tolerate those who like to cheat and take advantage of others. Now that the five members of the family all have salaries and their lives are getting better and better, she has a lot of room for choice whether she is choosing a daughter-in-law or a son-in-law.
So she picked out three for her daughter at once.
As for clothes, the skirt that Tang Yuanyuan gave to her daughter is very beautiful.
Steady and fashionable.
Zhou Wei was stunned: "Blind date?"
"Three?"
"Whose family is so blind?"
Zhou Wei's mother poked her forehead and said, "You silly girl, don't you look at yourself? Your two brothers are regular workers, your father is a team leader, and there are no troubles at home. You are beautiful and have a good personality. There are many people who want to adopt you as their daughter-in-law."
"I'm not exaggerating, but with your qualifications, you can choose any good man in this area. Don't rush into being Tang An's nanny."
"Tang An may have great potential in the future, but he's still just a kid now. It'll take him ten years to make it big, right? He still needs milk. His mom is dead, his dad is a fool and now he's useless, and his sister doesn't care about him anymore. If you really get together with him, you'll be a burden to him."
"You are Wang Baochuan in the opera, and you have to eat coarse food for eighteen years."
"You can't be confused!"
Zhou Wei bit her lips, feeling extremely flustered.
Do you really want to find a partner?
Nowadays, blind dates are arranged by both the man and the woman going to the matchmaker's house and taking a look at each other. If they are satisfied, the matchmaker will pass on the message and the woman will go to the man's house to take a look at the household items. If she is also satisfied, the adults of both families can discuss and set a date.
Zhou Wei's mother arranged the three blind dates at four, five, and six o'clock respectively.
Zhou Wei's mother deliberately took Zhou Wei past the Tang family's door, "Xiao Peng's mother, what are you busy with... I'm taking Xiao Wei to a blind date... He works at the power supply bureau, and he eats official food... If she marries him, he'll pay her a salary..."
Zhou Wei felt her head buzzing and looked in the direction of the Tang family.
The courtyard gate opened and Tang An stood at the door.
From a distance of several meters, his dark eyes fell on him.
His eyes were sad, but he was forcing a smile on his face.
It seems like it's about to break.
Zhou Wei felt very sad and her legs felt like they were filled with lead as she was being pulled away by her mother.
When she turned the corner, Zhou Wei looked back and saw Tang An standing at the door, motionless.
Zhou Wei thought, she is a snob.
Zhou Wei was not used to this kind of occasion. She took a quick glance and found that the man was completely different from Tang An. He was white and plump, with a simple and honest face, and everything was written on his face.
The other party was obviously very satisfied with Zhou Wei. Generally, men and women do not talk to each other during such blind dates. The more shy ones may not even dare to look at each other's appearance.
The man, however, boldly approached Zhou Wei and tried to shake her hand: "Hello, comrade, I'm Fang Shi."
Zhou Wei felt that the other person's arms were thicker than her legs. She hid behind her mother and her eyes turned red.
She unconsciously compared herself to Tang An, who spoke in an uneducated, worker-like manner and even called her gay. Tang An, on the other hand, would not say that. He would praise her for being as agile as a butterfly.
She could imagine that after they got married, their conversations would probably be the same as those between her mother and father, about food, salary, and children.
He doesn't look like Tang An at all. Not only does he look gentle and refined, he also speaks in a pleasant and beautiful voice. He can recite and write poetry. At first glance, he looks like an intellectual.
Zhou Wei's mother smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Why are you so loud, kid? My daughter is quiet and has never been around boys. She was scared by you. She wouldn't act like this when facing her father and brother at home."
Fang Shi rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice unconsciously: "It's my fault. I spoke too loudly. It has nothing to do with comrades."
When others praise their daughters, they always praise them for being virtuous and able to endure hardships, but Zhou Wei’s mother is different from ordinary people.
"My daughter is very caring. As soon as her father and brother come home, she makes them sugar water and water to wash their faces. She speaks sweetly to them. Her two brothers are also very kind to her. She is the darling of our family. We are reluctant to let her work. She can just work a small shift. I don't want her salary. When she gets married, I will give it all to her. I will also prepare a dowry for her. I just want a man who can care about her and do more housework. I dare not marry a lazy man who will leave everything to his wife. Such a man is a jinx and will ruin a family. We dare not hire him."
Zhou Wei's mother was not polite either. She asked Fang Shi if he could do housework and who would manage the family's finances in the future. When asking these questions, she was mainly looking at Fang Shi's mother's reaction. She smiled kindly, just like her son, and took the initiative to verbally promise that her daughter-in-law would be the head of the family.
The mother and son are really as honest as the matchmaker said.
Fang Shi glanced at Zhou Wei secretly, and his face turned red all the way to his neck.
Zhou Wei's mother put on a high attitude, gave the matchmaker a look, indicating that this was the end of the day, and then took Zhou Wei away.
Zhou Wei's mother noticed that Fang Shi's eyes were glued to his daughter and he wouldn't look away. When he was sending them out, he didn't pay attention to his step and fell to the ground, making a big fool of himself.
Everyone burst into laughter, and Fang Shi immediately looked at Zhou Wei nervously for her reaction.
Zhou Wei pouted. She looked down on him to begin with, and now she looked down on him even more. She hid behind Zhou Wei's mother.
All three blind date candidates showed their liking for Zhou Wei without exception. The second blind date candidate was a skinny guy with less regular features. Zhou Wei's mother looked at her son's face again and saw that his mouth was very thin. He subconsciously pursed his lips in a bitter look and held his head high. When she saw her son staring at Zhou Wei, she instinctively made this disdainful micro-expression.
It's obvious that this is the kind of mother who is mean to her daughter-in-law. Usually, the son can't persuade his mother to accept the bride, so he doesn't even ask and directly signals the matchmaker to leave.
It's obvious that the man and his mother are not having a good life. There is no point in communicating with such people.
The third blind date candidate's family was a few houses away from the Tang family. Zhou Wei's mother didn't find any major problems with it, but she felt that the man was not as warm to her daughter as Fang Shi. She was obviously satisfied with her, but he was just putting on airs.
I'm afraid that my daughter's temper can't beat him.
Zhou Wei's mother was optimistic about Fang Shi. When Tang Yuanyuan arrived at Zhou's house, the mother and daughter were talking about this.
"Yuanyuan, you've come just in time. Our Fang family has another big celebration today. We've found a date for Xiaowei. He's a regular employee of the power supply bureau. He's got a good temper, and so does his mother. The best part is, he cares about Xiaowei. They just arranged a blind date two hours ago, and he immediately went out to buy all these things. Look at the malted milk, wafer biscuits, canned yellow peaches, and jelly. Look, they're all good stuff. Marrying him will definitely bring you happiness."
Zhou Wei lowered her head and bit her lip, obviously not very happy.
Tang Yuanyuan thought about the strange things that happened between the mother and daughter yesterday, and her heart skipped a beat: "Xiao Wei is so young, why is she suddenly going on a blind date?"
Zhou Wei's mother: "How can you be young? You're already 16, Yuanyuan. You need to study. You don't understand. At your age, it's best to find a partner. Right now, it's the girls who choose the men. After a few years, it will be the men who choose the girls. I'm not talking about you. Don't worry."
"For someone like you who can study and make money, you can always choose a man."
"If Xiaowei was as clear-headed as you, I wouldn't worry about this. Please help me persuade her. If she misses this opportunity, she'll probably end up worse off in every aspect later on."
Zhou Wei's mother had a good idea. Her daughter had never seen a man before and was blinded by Tang An. Once she saw Fang Shi's good qualities, she would definitely throw Tang An into the back door to make trouble.
As a cultured person, if culture cannot be turned into money to provide Zhou Wei with food and drink, then culture is nothing but shit.
What's wrong with the workers? They are honest workers who are paid by the government.
When you have a child, you don’t think about love or affection anymore. All you think about is how to make life good at home.
Tang Yuanyuan pushed Zhou Wei out the door and said, "Auntie, I want to have a heartfelt talk with Xiaowei. I want to make sure she doesn't get confused."
Zhou Wei's mother: "No matter how I put it, among all the girls in this area, I like you the most."
"I know it clearly."
"Auntie will make you some malted milk."
Zhou Wei's mother made two full bowls of malted milk, a bowl of canned yellow peaches, and a plate of wafer biscuits.
Tang Yuanyuan closed the door and got straight to the point.
"Zhou Wei, you are not happy with this marriage. Are you still thinking about Tang An?"
Zhou Wei choked on the malted milk and it got in her throat and nose, making her feel very uncomfortable.
He wiped his mouth in panic. Although he denied it, Tang Yuanyuan understood it immediately.
It was strange. Before, she said that Tang An didn't wash his hands after going to the toilet, but she had obviously given up the idea.
"Why are you thinking about him again?"
Zhou Wei understood at this point, "How could a boy who always carries a handkerchief and washes his hands before pouring tea go to the toilet without washing his hands?"
"Yuanyuan, have you seen through my feelings for your brother for a long time, and think that I, a factory girl, am not worthy of him, so you deliberately lied to me?"
"Zhou Wei, even though I hate factories and think being a factory girl has no future, I never look down on workers. Just like I feel bad for my mom sweeping the streets, but I don't look down on cleaners. I just hope I can have a better life, not that I look down on anyone."
"I was just being a little bit thoughtful."
"So, you like Tang An again?"
Zhou Wei waved her hands nervously: "I just think it's too hard for him to be alone now, and he has to take care of his father, so I reached out to help him, I didn't think there would be any consequences for him."
Heartache is more painful than the word "like"!
Tang Yuanyuan would rather Zhou Wei was attracted to Tang An because he thought he could go to college and have a bright future.
No wonder in the dream, when the rich girl came to her door, Zhou Wei retreated on her own and left without a trace.
This has been the spirit of dedication from the very beginning, without expecting anything in return.
The last person who did not ask for anything in return was her mother, and she ended up in such a miserable situation.
Tang Yuanyuan thought that she was probably born cold-blooded, and even if she had her own children in the future, she would not do it without asking for anything in return.
"Zhou Wei, I had a dream last night. In the dream, you supported Tang An until he graduated from college, but he married someone else. You had no choice but to leave your hometown alone. You were so tired that you fell ill all over, and then you died at a young age."
"That dream was very real, just like your past life."
"Zhou Wei, that outcome is terrible. Don't go down that path."
In fact, the principles are similar.
Zhou Wei is not stupid, how could she not understand?
Tang An is still too young, she is just a little girl, and she is also afraid of the heavy burden that Tang Aiguo has.
She knew even more clearly that as long as Tang An went to college, she would be as annoying as he was dazzling.
"Yuanyuan, I know what you said and what my mother said are both right."
"I'd like to be with Fang Shi."
After saying this, Zhou Wei hugged her face and started crying.
Tang Yuanyuan: "Don't you really dislike that Fang Shi?"
Zhou Wei: "What's the big deal about whether I like it or not? My mom says that the most important thing is to have a good life."
Tang Yuanyuan felt that Zhou Wei was using these words to convince herself to give up.
"What do you like about Tang An?"
"It doesn't make any sense anymore."
"Why is it meaningless? Tang An and Fang Shi are not the only two men in the world. If you don't like Fang Shi, then just find someone you like."
"But I'm just a factory girl. No educated guy would be interested in me."
"So, you actually like people who read books! Zhou Wei, then why don't you continue studying yourself?"
"I don't like studying, and I'm not good at it. I'm especially afraid of the teacher being mean to me. The thought of being called stupid by the teacher makes me dread going to school."
“…”
I don’t like studying, but I admire people who are good at studying.
"Zhou Wei, why don't you go to night school? The teachers there won't scold you and won't care whether you study or not. If you stick with it, you can get a college diploma. Then you won't be a factory girl anymore and you can find a cultured man."
"Ah? Me? No, no, I always do badly on exams."
"Zhou Wei, you're going to night school because you're a bad student. All the students who go there are just as bad at studying as you. I heard there's even an old lady who only studied up to second grade there."
"real?"
"Why would I lie to you? Look, my clothing store is open during the day, and you'll have free time at night. You can definitely improve yourself and become an accountant, pharmacist, or nurse. You don't need to go to college. I think you should give it a try and see if you can do it. So, let's go to night school tomorrow. You sign up. I also have free time at night. You can study with me, and I'll teach you if there's anything you don't understand."
"Okay...but what about my mom? She's set her sights on Fang Shi and won't agree."
"I don't think your mother has set her sights on Fang Shi. She's afraid you'll fall for Tang An. What's important isn't Fang Shi or Tang An, but whether you're confused or not. If you keep doing stupid things, your mother will only place her hopes on Fang Shi."
Zhou Wei felt that she was now very clear-headed: "I understand."
Tang Yuanyuan: "Then prove it to us. You have to do both. On the one hand, arrest Ye Da, and on the other hand, have a serious contact with Fang Shi. Wait a few days, and you have a valid reason to convince me. I promise that I can convince your mother and I will not force you to be with Fang Shi."
Zhou Wei must be so busy with work, dating, and improving her academic qualifications by attending night school that she has no time to think about Tang An.
Zhou Wei nodded, "Okay, I agree to both. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to register for the night university."
Tang Yuanyuan passed the message to Zhou Wei's mother again: "Aunt, Zhou Wei agreed to try to get along with Fang Shi, but she doesn't know if Fang Shi is really as honest as he appears to be. She feels that she needs to observe him. Also, she thinks that it is better for her to have it than for a man to have it. She should go to night school to improve herself and learn some real skills. Do you think her idea is right?"
Zhou Wei’s mother was very happy!
Marry your son with your head down and marry your daughter with your head up. The daughter finally understands and becomes more cautious and prudent.
"Yuanyuan, you have a way. No wonder such a young person can do business so well, even better than those men."
"I have never seen a girl smarter than you."
"Don't go, I'll show you my cooking skills and make you some big meat dumplings."
Tang Yuanyuan couldn't help but sigh that these mother and daughter had completely different personalities.
Mom is smart and capable, but Zhou Wei is as honest as a piece of wood.
Zhou Wei's mother also commented on Tang Yuanyuan in her heart: such an honest mother gave birth to such an amazing daughter.
Tang Yuanyuan left Zhou's house and went to Tang's house again.
Tang Aiguo's hand was simply bandaged and he took some painkillers.
When Zhang Lancao was around, he looked very young, but in just ten days, he looked completely different.
He was thinner and darker, with deep wrinkles between his brows and a bitter look on his face.
In my previous impression, the house that was always filled with fragrance is now dark and gloomy, like a mushroom house in the shade, emitting cold and damp air.
Looking carefully for the source, it was the quilt that had not seen the sun for many days, wrapped in the smell of sweat and the salty smell of tears, and the fishy smell emanating from Tang Aiguo's dirty hair and severed fingers.
The rice in the bowl was just plain noodles, not even a single vegetable leaf, let alone an egg.
Seeing Tang Yuanyuan's eyes fixed on the noodles, Tang An suddenly stood up: "What are you doing here? To enjoy the jokes of my father and me? We're both living in such a state of poverty right now, are you particularly happy?"
Tang Yuanyuan: "What's wrong with you?"
"Didn't Mom live like this before? Tang Aiguo is much less of a worry than Grandpa. Has Tang Aiguo ever pooped in bed? Grandpa has to take medicine three times a day and get a massage, and Mom has to get up early at night to sweep the streets and take care of the family's meals and clothes."
"Grandma is three years, Grandpa is two years, that's five years in total."
"If your life is so miserable, then what kind of life was Mom leading before?"
"Tang An, do you know now how hard Mom's life was?"
Tang An said with a stern face: "If you are not back to see Dad, then leave."
"You are not welcome, Dad or I."
Tang Yuanyuan: "You don't have to chase me away. I'll leave after I finish my two sentences."
"You are a member of the Tang family. Tang Aiguo is your own responsibility. Don't think about dumping it on Zhou Wei. Don't drag him into this fire pit."
Tang An: "Tang Yuanyuan, you are also a member of the Tang family. You have Tang family blood in your veins. Dad's mental illness is because you beat him, and it is your responsibility. Why do you leave me alone?"
Tang Yuanyuan: "He spent all my tuition."
"I dropped out of school last year and took on the responsibility of the family."
"Because of your snitching, Mom ended up staying here and having an accident."
"Just because, every penny I spend now is earned by myself."
"Tang An, it's time for you to take responsibility for the Tang family."
"If you leave Tang Aiguo to Zhou Wei and use her money to study, I will look down on you for the rest of my life."
Having said that, there is no need for Tang Yuanyuan to stay here any longer.
The Tang family now no longer has the feel of her mother, and she doesn't want to stay there even for a second longer.
Tang Aiguo grabbed his hair in pain: "I saved some money for tuition, I haven't spent it all, I have..."
Tang An covered Tang Aiguo's mouth, his eyes as sharp as knives, revealing his ruthlessness.
"Dad, I'm the only one left for you now."
"My sister won't come back to take care of you."
"Just keep the tuition fee matter to yourself."
Tang Aiguo gave a sinister smile. With a talent like his, he was destined to achieve success in the future.
Things like washing clothes, cooking and taking care of the elderly should be done by a woman.
And he is just a student.
Someone should pay for his college education.
There have been before, and there will be in the future.
Men from ancient times to the present have been successful because they are supported by all things and worshipped by all people.
And history is written by the successful ones.
He wouldn't care about such trivial matters as whether it was a man or a woman serving him.
Li family.
Li Mu developed a new function for the big wolf dog. He collected the clothes from the clothesline and folded them. The dog would squat at his feet with its butt raised, and then carry the clothes into the bedroom.
"The boss's dog is different. No wonder people call it a lackey."
"Tang Yuanyuan, isn't my dog awesome?"
Tang Yuanyuan: "Then can you train it to catch thieves? I heard that dogs are very sensitive to smells. Now the thieves don't dare to come, but I don't know if they have given up."
Something suddenly flashed through Li Mu's mind. He walked out with the dog and stopped in front of the Zhao family's door.
Tang Yuanyuan: "What are you doing? Aunt Huang, why don't you tell me, have Aunt Zhao and Zhao Shun gone back to their parents' home?"
Li Mu measured the height of the courtyard wall with his eyes and smiled wickedly: "I want to see if there is really no one here, or if he is afraid to come out because of his injured foot and is hiding at home to recover."
Tang Yuanyuan: "But Aunt Huang wouldn't lie. Zhao Shun's foot isn't injured."
Li Mu: "Who says thieves must be men? What if it's a woman?"
"Aunt Zhao fainted from crying and couldn't even walk. She had to be supported all the way to the cemetery. If the injury was only on her foot, would she be crying just to confuse people?"
"So where is she most likely to be now?"
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