Chapter 119
Zhou Jiani's grandfather died early, so Jiang Xinfeng only gave birth to Zhou Wanli and Zhou Peilan, a brother and sister. Her son-in-law Hong Guangwei is a technician at Jincheng Electric Meter Factory, and Zhou Peilan is a cadre of the factory committee.
Jincheng is far away from here, and Zhou Peilan and her family haven't been back for five or six years.
Zhou Jiani didn't have much contact with her aunt's family in her previous life.
But her mother told her that her aunt took care of her for a while after she was born and loved her very much. When her aunt was in Qiyang, she also bought her small clothes and knitted sweaters and shoes for her. In recent years, she has also received packages from her aunt.
Zhou Jiani said, "Then I'll pick you up at the station tomorrow."
Yu Huifang had a good relationship with Zhou Peilan, her sister-in-law, even better than with her own siblings. When Nini was born, her mother-in-law was ill, and it was her sister-in-law who helped take care of the child. She was delighted to hear her sister-in-law was coming back, and hurriedly said, "Your father and I will go there tomorrow morning."
Zhou Jiani: "My aunt has two children now, right?"
Jiang Xinfeng: "Your cousin Hong Ming is about thirteen or fourteen this year, and your cousin Hong Jingdan will be six after the Lunar New Year." The old lady wiped away her tears again. "Five years ago, your aunt planned to come back for the Lunar New Year and was about to book her tickets when she found out she was pregnant with our second child. After she gave birth, she didn't move because the child was still young, and that's been going on ever since."
Yu Huifang packed her things and said to Jiang Xinfeng, "Pei Lan only told us about this when she was right here. She probably didn't plan to stay at home."
Jiang Xinfeng uttered an "Ouch!" and suddenly realized something. She said, "I have to go back to the Hong family."
After they went to Jincheng, her mother-in-law gave the house to her eldest sister-in-law and her family. They had a conflict about this when they came back a few years ago.
Now that several years have passed, it's a rare opportunity for her to come back. If she doesn't go back to live there, her elder sister-in-law will really think that the house belongs to them.
"It seems that Perrin should have notified them." Jiang Xinfeng said.
Yu Huifang said, "Then I'll pack some New Year's goods. Peilan and the others will come over for lunch tomorrow. If we go back to the Hong family, let them take their things. If they don't want to go back, we can squeeze in and make room."
She hurried to make arrangements, while Zhou Jiani assisted her. She heard her mother sigh, "Your aunt is much more clear-headed than your aunt. Your aunt knows how to fight, but your aunt foolishly sends it out, unable to stop it. It's similar to what happened to you some time ago."
After saying that, he added angrily, "Your two uncles are nothing but good-for-nothings. They never get enough of taking advantage of you."
Zhou Jiani's grandparents have both passed away. In her mother Yu Huifang's words, they died after feeding their son and sucking the little girl's blood.
Yu Huifang was the eldest in the family and was often disliked by her parents who favored boys over girls. So when she had a daughter, she spoiled her to death and tried her best to make up for what she didn't enjoy in her childhood. However, she didn't use the right method and spoiled her a little too much.
Fortunately, my daughter didn't continue to be stupid and woke up in time, otherwise she would have vomited to death.
After her, her parents had another daughter. Before she was out of the confinement period, they wanted to give the younger daughter away. Later, they failed to do so. At least they gave her food and raised her like a puppy or kitten.
Later, Grandma Jiani gave birth to twin boys. She was overjoyed. They were treated like grandparents, but they became unmotivated and less ambitious than her two daughters. Both sisters were good students, and after graduation, they were assigned to work in state-owned factories.
Both sons are unemployed, and the eldest of the twins has taken over Yu's father's job. What about the second son?
The idea of the two elders is the same as that of most parents in families that favor boys over girls. Daughters are meant to be sacrificed for their sons, and their education should not be wasted.
So they made a fuss at home, asking the two sisters to give up one of their jobs, no, two of them.
The job that the eldest son was taking over was too hard, so he wanted to change it. He asked one of the daughters to take it, and the other daughter gave it up directly.
Yu Huifang did not agree and kept her things. No matter how harshly her mother scolded her or how she threatened her, she gritted her teeth and did not nod.
At that time, she also warned her younger sister Yu Huixiu not to give in, not to change at all. If a grown man finds this job tiring, how could you not feel tired if you take it over?
Yu Huixiu was a bit weak-willed and couldn't stand her mother's threat to hang herself, so she gave the job to her younger brother. For so many years, she couldn't hold her head up in her husband's family because of this.
Yu Huifang angrily scolded Yu Huixiu, "Does she really want to die? The rope is almost hanging to the ground. Is she going to hang it around her neck or waist? The neighbors can see that she is trying to scare us. How can you be so stupid?"
Yu Huixiu didn't understand her elder sister's hard-heartedness. She said with disappointment, "It doesn't matter if she's just threatening or serious. A mother wants to hang herself, and a daughter can just watch? Sister, how could you be like this!"
Yu Huifang said with a chilling heart, "I've already given in once. When your brother-in-law gave me the betrothal gift, I said I'd keep half and take half away, but she disagreed and insisted I keep it all. She threatened to hang herself, and I knelt beside her for over half an hour, begging for over half an hour. In the end, I married her with two quilts. It's only because my mother-in-law is so kind and didn't make a fuss. If it were someone else who made a fuss, I'd never be able to hold my head up high in my life."
"You know this, and now you still fall for her tricks?"
Yu Huixiu shook her head: "I don't dare to gamble... Anyway, I've already given in. I'm just at home looking after the kids and cooking for their dad..."
Yu Huifang said angrily, "Jia Shicheng agreed? Didn't he give you any disapproval about this?"
Yu Huixiu didn't say anything for a long time, and finally said weakly: "Don't be uncomfortable for two days, it will be fine in a few days."
The result is that it hasn't gotten better for so many years.
The Yu family has four siblings, and their relationship has been strained since the incident. Yu Huifang was furious with Yu Huixiu, who accused her of being stubborn. Later, she was bullied by her in-laws, and whenever her husband brought up the matter in anger, he would say, "Why wouldn't his aunt let you go? You're the only one who's capable and generous."
Yu Huixiu became less and less willing to interact with her elder sister, and now the two families only visit each other symbolically during the New Year holidays.
Yu Huifang and her two younger brothers did not visit each other during the New Year and simply cut off all contact.
Now, seeing her sister-in-law on her husband's side having such a strong character and having a good relationship with her elder brother Zhou Wanli, she feels a little envious.
Zhou Jiani felt bad listening to her mother's lament. Yu Huifang was very clear-headed about her sister's affairs and often felt indignant.
But in her previous life, she became the person her mother hated the most. But because she was her biological daughter, her mother could only swallow her anger and be angry at her daughter for not living up to her expectations, but she had no other choice.
Thinking of the text in the dream, Zhou Jiani felt like a needle piercing her heart, thinking about how her mother became humble because of her.
Yu Huifang was packing her things when her daughter hugged her. She patted her daughter's hand in amusement and said, "How come you are still like a child even though you are so grown up?"
She said she was dissatisfied, but her body was enjoying it. With such a big daughter hanging on her, she struggled to move back and forth to pack her things, and she kept laughing happily.
After tidying up for a while, Zhou Jiani made an excuse to go out, and after dark she came back home carrying a woven bag.
Yu Huifang asked angrily, "Where did you go when I wasn't watching you for a while?"
Zhou Jiani raised her hand and stuffed an egg cake into her mother's mouth. She smiled and said, "I went to a few state-owned restaurants nearby and actually ran into them. They had the last two roast chickens from the restaurant on the west side of Heping Road and asked me to buy them."
The roast chicken was from a state-owned restaurant. She also took twenty preserved eggs, two pounds of egg cake, a large piece of fat and lean pork belly, and twenty pounds of rice from the warehouse.
Jiang Xinfeng knew at a glance that these things were not easily available through normal routes. She was a little worried and condemned, "Oh, the inspections are strict at the end of the year. We can't go into those alleys..."
This winter, my granddaughter brought back a lot of things.
Not to mention food, just the cotton alone gave everyone in the family a new set of cotton-padded clothes and a new quilt this year.
Not to mention the food, this year I am fatter than any other year.
Bring back the leftover ham and lamb legs.
There were also ribs, chicken, rabbit, carp, hairtail, kelp, dried shrimp, rice noodles, vermicelli, fungus, white wine, and a lot of rice and flour were also brought back.
Some of these were given by Comrade Xiao Qiu.
Even the peanuts, melon seeds, walnuts, and dried dates that Zhou Jiani brought back this year were more than enough for everyone to eat. They didn't use the supply coupons for the melon seeds this year and exchanged them for other things.
I saved some peanuts for myself and replaced the rest with oil.
Zhou Jiani lied blatantly: "With my current interpersonal relationships, do I still need to go to alleys? I already asked them to keep it for me."
Jiang Xinfeng thought about it and felt relieved.
Yu Huifang also took it seriously. Looking at the preserved eggs, she smiled broadly and lowered her voice, saying, "Oh, these preserved eggs are even rarer than chicken eggs. Which supply and marketing cooperative got them from? I'm craving them. I'll go cut a couple and dip them in some soy sauce and vinegar to try."
Zhou Jiani followed in and got a plate of roast chicken. As she unpacked it, she tore off some meat and stuffed it into Yu Huifang's mouth. Yu Huifang ate while scolding, "Take it out and eat together."
But she felt so relieved in her heart because her daughter really loved her.
The next morning, Yu Huifang stir-fried noodles. After dinner, Zhou Wanli went out to borrow an air pump to inflate the car. He also borrowed two thick hemp ropes and tied two wooden boards to the back seat of one of the cars, ready to use them to tie up the luggage when he went to pick up the passengers at the station.
The twins slept until they woke up naturally in the morning after the holiday. Jia An came out of the room and saw her sister was about to go out. She asked, "Where are you going to play?"
Yu Huifang said unhappily, "Do you think your sister is just playing around like you guys? Let's go pick up your aunt. Go back and wake Jiaping up, wash your face, brush your teeth, and eat. Your aunt and the others will be here soon."
Jiaping and Jiaan had no impression of their aunt. They just often heard about her from their parents, and the only impression they had was of the package.
Jiang Xinfeng sighed again, "The last time Peilan came back was when Jiaping and Jia'an celebrated their first birthday. Then when she wanted to come back, she was pregnant with her second child..."
Jiaan asked grandma, "Who is the second child?"
Yu Huifang smiled and said, "Your aunt's sister."
The family of three, Yu Huifang rode one bike by herself, and Zhou Wanli rode one bike with their daughter to the station.
It was already New Year's Eve, but the station still had a large passenger flow. There was no place inside to store bicycles, and if they were left outside, they were afraid that someone wouldn't be able to keep an eye on them and they might be stolen. So Zhou Wanli asked Zhou Jiani to watch the bicycles outside while he went in with Yu Huifang.
Zhou Jiani waited outside for about half an hour before she saw her parents and her aunt's family coming out.
Zhou Peilan spotted Zhou Jiani in her military coat and immediately smiled fondly, "Nini, you're already this tall?"
There have been quite a few changes. I still remember her as a delicate little girl, but after not seeing her for a few years, she has grown into a grown-up lady and looks much more mature.
"Aunt!" Zhou Jiani greeted with a smile, then looked at Hong Guangwei next to her and called out, "Uncle!"
Hong Guangwei nodded and said with a smile, "She's grown up."
Zhou Peilan stared at her niece as if she couldn't get enough of it, and said with a smile: "That's right, I remember you were only this tall, you were only twelve or thirteen at that time, with two ponytails, and your grandma fed you during meals..." She raised her hand to gesture.
This was the case a few years ago. Of course, she had the ability to eat on her own, but Jiang Xinfeng loved to feed her.
Zhou Jiani was embarrassed. In fact, her grandmother often feeds her by hand now.
He then introduced her to her cousins, saying, "Nini and Mingming have met before, but they've almost forgotten, right?"
Hong Ming was a little shy and called her cousin. He was not completely unimpressed. He just remembered that this cousin from his uncle's family was very beautiful, and... she disliked him and was unwilling to take him out to play.
I feel really unfamiliar with my cousin Hong Jingdan. This is the first time I meet her.
Zhou Jiani took out the little tiger doll that Yu Wanxia had made after several reworks and tried to tease her with a smile. The little girl hung in her uncle Zhou Wanli's arms, looking at everyone with a confused look on her face. She called "sister" in a low voice, then lowered her head to look at the little tiger stuffed in her hands. It was very well-behaved and quiet.
"Can you give me a hug, sister?" Zhou Jiani clapped her hands.
Hong Jingdan was stunned for a moment, still holding the little tiger in her hand, and opened her arms to Zhou Jiani. Zhou Jiani took it, adjusted the hat on her head, and said, "You are so good!"
Zhou Peilan laughed and said, "I couldn't sleep well in the car. I woke up for a while and fell asleep for a while. I woke up about ten minutes before getting off the car, but I couldn't wake him up."
Zhou Wanli packed the luggage onto the car and made arrangements, saying, "Guangwei and I will take the luggage and ride away, and you guys can take the car."
Zhou Peilan said to her niece: "Nini, let your sister come down and walk. It's quite heavy."
The child was well-raised. The five-year-old girl was already a bit heavy. It was indeed difficult for Zhou Jiani to carry her directly to the bus stop. She said, "Walk a little further before putting her down. She looks quite tired."
Hong Ming whispered, "Sister, let me hold you, you take a rest."
Zhou Jiani handed it over.
Yu Huifang took them to the car, asked about the journey, and said, "Mom is finally looking forward to your return. Stay at home for two days and talk to her."
Although he guessed that his sister-in-law would not live at home, he said this to change the subject and formally ask Zhou Peilan about her arrangements.
When this was mentioned, Zhou Peilan quickly shook her head and said angrily, "Sister-in-law, I'm going back to live in our courtyard. If I don't come back, our family will all be named Zhang."
The family her elder sister-in-law married into was named Zhang.
"Then leave Mingming and Jingdan at home."
Zhou Peilan: "Jingdan asked our mother to help me look after it for two days. Mingming has to go back. Humph, in my mother-in-law's eyes, I have no right to her house. Her eldest grandson is the rightful owner. I have to take Mingming back to get the house back. Sister-in-law, after the New Year, please ask if there is anyone who wants the house. I will sell the house, and all the money is mine. My eldest sister-in-law has to live there. Not only can she not see anything, but she won't even get a good word."
Zhou Jiani said from the side, "Aunt, it's a shame to sell the house. Why don't you ask the neighborhood committee to find out if there's anyone renting it? They can collect the rent for you, or compile it once every six months or quarter and mail it to you."
Zhou Peilan turned around and smiled, "Nini's idea works." Then she asked about her experience in the countryside, "Nini, I heard you've done quite well since going there. You even made baskets for the provincial government, and I heard they're selling very well."
Yu Huifang was surprised: "How did you know?" She remembered writing a letter to her sister-in-law before winter, but did not mention Jiani's achievements in the countryside.
Zhou Peilan glanced at her sister-in-law and snorted softly, "My eldest sister-in-law told me this on the phone. You don't know, that person is really..."
She said that her niece from her mother's side helped sell baskets in the village. The baskets were beautiful, but they were not cheap. She said that Mingming's grandmother saw them in the department store and they were very rare, but she just couldn't bear to buy them.
Being reluctant to buy them means that you hope she can tell her brother and sister-in-law and ask her niece to send two home?
What a plan.
Zhou Peilan was happy for her niece, but at the same time, she scolded Hong Guangwei's family and said, "She's really good at calculating. Does my niece owe her anything?"
After getting in the car, the aunt and sister-in-law had endless things to say, whispering all the way. Zhou Jiani took her cousin with her, and she stared at her cousin. She did talk a few words to her cousin, asking him what grade he was in and how his grades were. There was nothing else to talk about.
They were faster than Zhou Wanli and Hong Guangwei. After getting off the car and walking to the dormitory door, they saw Jiang Xinfeng waiting there. The old lady hugged her daughter and cried with joy. She then pulled her grandson to look at her again and again, and then looked at her granddaughter whom she saw for the first time, and she was also very fond of her.
Jiaping and Jiaan were also there, calling her "Aunt," "Cousin," and "Sister" without any emotion.
On the way home, I met some familiar neighbors and had a lively chat with them.
After entering the room, Zhou Jiani went to make tea, poured a bowl of malted milk for her cousins, and took out some egg cakes for them to eat.
Hong Ming had grown up and knew how to be polite. He waved his hand shyly and said, "Sister, I don't want to eat."
"Eat, eat something to fill your stomach first."
Jiaping and Jiaan rarely saw children younger than them at home, so they took the initiative to greet Jingdan and said, "Sister, eat."
Zhou Peilan took out three red envelopes, and Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Auntie, I don't want them. I'm earning a salary now."
Zhou Peilan didn't think much of it. Earning work points in the countryside would also bring in a monthly income. She thought Zhou Jiani was referring to this, but she still stuffed it in and said with a smile, "It's your business to earn a salary. This is my aunt's gift for the past few years."
Jiang Xinfeng wiped the corners of her eyes, and said with a smile, her eyes red, "Take it. Just take it, your aunt gave it to you. It doesn't matter how much it is. It's a token of her appreciation."
Zhou Peilan said: "That's right, I'll listen to your grandma."
Zhou Jiani had no choice but to take it: "Thank you, aunt!"
Yu Huifang also prepared red envelopes for the Hong brothers and sisters.
The family exchanged pleasantries for a moment before Zhou Wanli and Hong Guangwei came in carrying their luggage. Hong Guangwei called out, "Mom." Yu Huifang hurriedly called out to him, "Guangwei, come sit down and have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."
She left her sister-in-law and mother-in-law to talk, then got up and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Zhou Jiani went in to help and whispered, "Is my aunt going back to fight in the afternoon?"
Yu Huifang glared at her daughter unhappily and whispered, "What's the point of fighting? We need to go back to the house."
Zhou Jiani didn't come back home during the New Year in her previous life, so she didn't know what happened at home today. But she didn't hear her mother mention it much later, so she probably has to come back, otherwise her family would definitely scold her all the time.
But I never heard her family mention whether the house was sold or not. After all, she didn't come back that often at that time, and because of her indulgence, the family was in chaos and she had no time to take care of the affairs of her relatives.
The mother and daughter were busy in the kitchen when they heard Zhou Peilan raise her voice and say, "If you don't come back, we won't be able to live like this anymore..."
Then came the sounds of Hong Guangwei quietly apologizing and Zhou Wanli trying to stop the fight.
A moment later, Zhou Peilan came in with red eyes: "Sister-in-law, we are family, no need to be polite, stewing a pot of cabbage for lunch..."
Before she could finish her words, she saw the roast chicken on the plate, the chopped ham, the thawing spareribs next to it, and the rice being washed. She took a breath and quickly stopped him, "No, no, no, no, sister-in-law, these are our New Year's dishes. Listen to me, we'll just stew some cabbage and make some cornmeal porridge for lunch. We brought rations and national food coupons..."
Yu Huifang pushed her out: "You only come back once every few years, can't your sister-in-law afford to give you a meal?"
Zhou Peilan, whose emotions had just calmed down, turned around, hugged Yu Huifang and cried.
After lunch, Xiao Jingdan couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell asleep. While she was asleep, Zhou Peilan and her husband, together with Zhou Wanli and his wife, went to the Hong family together.
Zhou Jiani wanted to follow, but Yu Huifang didn't let her. She said, "Why are you, a little girl, watching this? Your dad and I are just going to help out. Your grandma and I will stay at home to look after the twins and your cousin."
The group left in a mighty manner. Although Jiang Xinfeng was worried about her daughter, she also had to get busy with the New Year. She started to make fried food at home, prepare the stuffing, and prepare the ingredients for the evening meal.
Zhou Jiani was helping out on the side.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon and they still hadn't returned. Hong Jingdan woke up and cried for her mother. Zhou Jiani came into the room and coaxed her a little, and she stopped crying. She sat there obediently and watched her two little cousins play tricks on her.
It was almost five o'clock when my parents, aunt and uncle came back in high spirits, having won a great victory.
Originally, she wanted to keep them at home for dinner, but Zhou Peilan said, "No, my mother-in-law is already making a fuss. She thinks I kicked her daughter out on New Year's Eve. If we don't go back to celebrate the New Year, we won't have a peaceful New Year."
As she said this, she glared at her husband, and Hong Guangwei could only force a smile.
Jiang Xinfeng and Yu Huifang quickly packed up a bunch of things and asked her to take them, saying, "Don't bother cooking when you get home. Just eat something ready-made."
Zhou Peilan didn't bother to be polite with her family. She left the food coupons and the local specialties they brought back from Jincheng. Yu Huifang refused to accept them. She heard her sister-in-law say, "Sister-in-law, take them. If you leave them with us, they might be taken away at any time at home."
As it was getting late, they didn't stay any longer. After sending the family out, Jiang Xinfeng asked them in detail about what happened in the afternoon.
Yu Huifang smiled and said, "His aunt uses courtesy first and then force."
Before Zhou Peilan was about to return, she sent a telegram to her family and called her family before leaving, asking her elder sister-in-law to vacate the house, but no one took her seriously.
Zhou Peilan went back home that afternoon and threw everything she saw out of the house, causing chaos and howling. Fortunately, Hong Guangwei stood by his family and drove his sister's family out.
Jiang Xinfeng nodded and said, "That's the only way to make a scene."
After talking about Zhou Peilan, Yu Huifang said to her daughter, "Nini, on the way, I told your aunt about the development of your factory's knitting industry. I said you wanted to help the factory export. Your aunt said she has a classmate who is in charge of selecting products for foreign trade exhibitions. She asked you to bring a few samples after the New Year, and she will take you to visit."
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