Chapter 198
As soon as the door opened, the living room suddenly became quiet.
Zhou Jiani took a quick look around the house. Her aunt and the others had already left, and the guest sitting in the house now was her aunt Yu Huixiu.
When Yu Huixiu saw Zhou Jiani come out, she didn't even wait for her niece to say hello. She quickly explained the whole story, offering a bunch of reasons, trying to persuade Zhou Jiani to persuade her stubborn mother. She repeated the saying, "Broken bones are connected by tendons," and concluded, "We're all relatives. How can we really not interact for the rest of our lives? Jiani, your mother is too stubborn."
Zhou Jiani smiled and poured Yu Huixiu a glass of water. "Auntie, you came here by yourself? What does my uncle say about this?"
Yu Huixiu choked, her expression stuck for a moment. Yu Huifang pressed the issue, "Jia Shicheng isn't happy about this either, is he? I'm telling you, you're really ruthless. Back then, you treated my two sisters like servants, ordering us around. Now he feels you've been intimate and wants to reconcile with them. Why don't they just do it themselves? Instead of you instigating it?"
Yu Huixiu pursed her lips for a long time without saying anything. Suddenly, her eyes reddened and tears began to fall. She said, "I'm not like you. My life isn't as smooth as yours. You don't need the support of your family, but I do..."
Yu Huifang was so disappointed with her that she said angrily, "How can those two guys support you? They'd be better off just scraping the flesh off your waist."
Yu Huixiu was crying softly, and Jiang Xinfeng beside her was speechless. Her daughter-in-law, her younger sister, couldn't stand up on her own, and she still relied on her greedy brother who would take advantage of her to support her. How many supplies and resources could she give away?
Yu Huifang looked unhappy. It was New Year's Day, and her own sister came to her house crying. Was she deliberately trying to embarrass her in her husband's family?
She suppressed her anger and asked, "Did you have a fight with her uncle?"
Yu Huixiu cried without saying a word, just shook her head.
Zhou Jiani changed the subject and asked, "Auntie, did Guoqing and Guochang take the college entrance examination?"
Speaking of her two sons, Yu Huixiu sniffed and said, "He applied, but didn't pass. Jiani, I heard you were admitted to Hua University? Your uncle asked me to ask your mother if there's going to be a wedding banquet at home. He and your aunt want to come and congratulate you. Listen to me, Jiani, no matter what we do, it has nothing to do with you young people. Your uncle and aunt want to congratulate you because it's the elders' wish. Don't be so extreme like your mother."
After saying this, she glared at her eldest sister lightly. She thought her eldest sister was too independent.
Yu Huifang gritted her teeth. She couldn't say anything too harsh in front of the child. She felt that her own sister was born with a mean streak. After not having any contact with her for so many years, she wanted to open her heart to her as soon as she saw the slightest sign of kindness.
Just as he was about to kick his sister out, there was a knock on the door. Brothers Jia Guoqing and Jia Guochang came in, faces filled with shame. They called out to everyone in a circle, and finally fixed their eyes on Zhou Jiani. Jia Guoqing asked, "Cousin, congratulations on getting into Huazhong University!"
The tone was full of sincerity and admiration.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Thank you. Don't be discouraged, both of you. Start preparing now and study hard for a few months. You can try to get into high school this year."
Jia Guochang said, "Cousin, this is what we are planning. We should prepare well this year and try to get into university."
Yu Huixiu said quietly from the side: "Your aunt is so lucky to have such a promising daughter..."
"Hye-su!"
Yu Huifang really couldn't stand it anymore. If it was just ordinary compliments, she would be willing to accept it, but these were Yu Huixiu's repeated self-pitying words. Where would the brothers Guoqing and Guochang put their faces?
She said, "Guoqing and Guochang are both ambitious children. They know this and are willing to work hard, but you have to be strong too. If you don't stand up for yourself, you'll drag them down with you."
The two brothers walked in with humiliated looks on their faces, obviously knowing that their own mother had come to embarrass them.
Yu Huixiu couldn't understand her elder sister's idea. She just wanted her family to live in harmony. Why did she become so uneasy with Guoqing and Guochang?
Jia Guoqing and Jia Guochang didn't want to see their mother continue to stay at their aunt's house crying, so they took Yu Huixiu away with a somewhat tough attitude.
Yu Huifang had indeed made her younger sister very angry. She didn't even say a word of politeness to keep the meal, but only warned her two nephews: "Just use your own judgment. Your mother is confused, so you can't be confused."
"Aunt, we know."
After leaving the dormitory area, Jia Guochang said angrily, "Mom, why don't you understand?"
Yu Huixiu was heartbroken that her eldest sister hadn't given her face. Although her niece didn't say anything, that very silence was another kind of contempt in her eyes. She thought her son was angry and embarrassed that she had failed to reconcile. She said quietly, "I understand. Your eldest aunt on your uncle's side has a good and comfortable life, and she looks down on me, her unfortunate sister. And your cousin has risen to fame overnight, and she looks down on her incompetent aunt."
Jia Guoqing said coldly, "Mom, what does this have to do with my aunt? We're talking about my two uncles. Why can't you see that they're not interested in our relatives? They heard that my cousin got into Huazhong University and think she has a bright future, so they want to take this opportunity to mend their relationship with my aunt. They're all people who won't do anything without profit. And you, foolishly, are trying to speak well of them, running around everywhere, but in the end, they don't even think highly of you."
Jia Guochang forced himself not to speak up for his mother and did not try to stop Guoqing from speaking harshly.
These words really hit Yu Huixiu in the heart, but she also had her own stubbornness: "For so many years, I didn't expect my sisters to live together. I just wanted us to live in harmony. If I say we can live in harmony, then they can recognize my good side if they want to, and forget it if they don't want to recognize my good side... In fact, your aunt is too cruel."
The two brothers of the Jia family felt deeply powerless. They knew that reason would not work, but they made a fierce threat that if their mother interfered in the affairs of those two uncles again, they would pack up and go back to the countryside and never come back.
Yu Huixiu was driven away, but unexpectedly, the house still welcomed uninvited guests on the first day of the new year.
Zhou Jiani met her uncle Yu Chengchun and his son Yu Yang.
Zhou Jiani ran into Yu Chengchun on the main street of the residential complex. She and Li Yan were walking out, while Yu Chengchun was walking in with a young man, so they passed each other. Zhou Jiani had some impression of Yu Chengchun, but Yu Chengchun hadn't seen her in years and had no idea what his niece looked like now. He walked straight past her with a young man about Hong Ming's age, glanced at her, and didn't seem to recognize her at all.
She didn't feel embarrassed that her relatives suddenly wanted to repair the relationship after it had come to this.
Li Yan saw Zhou Jiani's suppressed smile and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Nothing, let's go quickly."
She went around to pay New Year's greetings to Li Yan, and then went to the factory to call the Qianjin Brigade. As expected, Yu Wanxia and the others did not go back. During the New Year spent in the Qianjin Brigade, several people took turns to talk to Zhou Jiani on the phone.
In the first year when the college entrance examination was resumed, all parties were not fully prepared and the notification letters arrived at different times. Fortunately, they had things to look forward to, and the few people who spent the New Year away from home were not sad at all. They said they felt it was particularly meaningful.
She called the capital again to wish her a happy new year, and Du Yunxin expressed on the phone that she hoped she could go there earlier.
When I got home at noon, I didn't see my uncle and his family, but they must have been there, otherwise her mother's expression wouldn't be so subtle.
Zhou Jiani took the initiative to ask: "Mom, when I went out, I saw my uncle and a young man. Is that Yu Yang?"
Yu Huifang then said angrily, "Who would have thought that he would come to cause trouble on New Year's Day? I get annoyed just by seeing him."
He came, but the relationship was definitely not established.
She didn't want the things he brought. Yu Chengchun gave New Year's money to Jiaping and Jia'an, and she gave the same amount to Yu Yang, not making any profit or loss. It was like her uncle came here to exchange for two Great Unity coins.
"Everyone gave ten yuan, and I gave Yu Yang twenty. He also wanted to leave you some New Year's money, but I pushed it back."
Anyway, given her mother's temper, she was very open-minded and kept a sullen face without giving any good face. Yu Chengchun stayed there with a thick face and even expressed some regret for not meeting his niece Zhou Jiani.
Zhou Jiani laughed out loud: "Yes, I saw him. We bumped into each other when we were about to leave the dormitory area. We were walking across from each other. He clearly glanced at me, but it seemed like he didn't recognize me."
Yu Huifang: "It's a good thing he didn't recognize you. I guess his family wanted to ease the relationship because they knew you were admitted to Huazhong University and that you have a promising future."
Zhou Jiani couldn't understand: "But my admission to Hua University has nothing to do with them."
Yu Huifang had a cold face and didn't say anything. Zhou Wanli and Jiang Xinfeng didn't want to lose face for Yu Chengchun, so they exchanged a few polite words.
During the greeting, Jiang Xinfeng asked Yu Yang what grade he was in and how his grades were doing...
Yu Chengchun was also willing to belittle his son to open up more topics, saying, "He's not good at studying. He's ranked in the bottom five or six in the class."
Although he looked disgusted when he spoke, there was no blame in his eyes. He spoke with a smile and full of doting. At the end, he also mentioned Zhou Jiani: "She is far inferior to your cousin, haha."
Yu Huifang simply didn't believe that her elder brother had suddenly changed his personality and was thinking about his biological sister. She always felt that Yu Chengchun came with a purpose. The only thing she could think of was that Jiani was admitted to Hua University. But Jiani was right, being admitted to Hua University had nothing to do with Yu Chengchun.
"Would they like you to tutor Yu Yang?"
Zhou Jiani shook her head. "Probably not. I'm going to the capital in a couple of days. How many days can I make up for the missed lessons? Besides, the two families haven't interacted in years. He probably doesn't have the confidence to reconcile just because they say so."
Yu Huifang couldn't figure it out and was too lazy to think about it.
After lunch, Zhou Jiani went to Aunt Su's house. Although Xiao Min didn't come home for the New Year, Aunt Su wasn't too sad because she had something to look forward to. When she saw Zhou Jiani, she kept thanking her and said, "I couldn't get as much information as you did for them. If it weren't for your information, Minmin would have had a tough time this year..."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "We are family, so let's not be so polite."
But Su Meiqiao couldn't resist her good mood and gave Zhou Jiani a big red envelope, refusing to let her refuse no matter what. She also said, "You are not a county official now, so there is no question of taking bribes. Isn't your aunt back now? In a few days, when the relatives at home have almost finished entertaining you, call your aunt and we can have a meal together."
Zhou Jiani was helpless: "I just wanted to come and wish you a happy new year, but it seems like I came here just to receive red envelopes."
Su Meiqiao laughed heartily: "If you come to me every year and give me something every year, I will be happy to give it to you!"
Not to mention anything else, Jiani bought her gifts several times. Her daughter Minmin really benefited from Jiani and never suffered any grievances after going to the countryside. She also made several good friends because of Jiani, and they all had a positive influence on each other.
**
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Xiao Min and Sun Ping returned to Qi Yang. However, Xiao Min brought the notice with her, while Sun Ping's notice had not arrived yet. The two of them came to find Zhou Jiani and played for a day. Sun Ping stayed for two days and then returned because she was worried.
On the eve of the Lantern Festival, Bai Haoyang and Yu Wanxia returned to the capital. They passed by Qi Yang and stayed there for most of the day. Zhou Jiani treated them to a meal and sent them on the train.
Wang Qianjin and Sun Ping continued to wait in the Qianjin Brigade.
After the Lantern Festival, on the 18th day of the first lunar month, Zhou Jiani boarded a train to the capital.
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