Chapter 32
Jiang Xinfeng took a stool and sat at the door of the dormitory area, stretching her neck to look at the street.
A neighbor passing by greeted her: "Auntie Zhou, are you sitting here to cool off?"
What I really want to say is, why are you sitting outside at this time? Aren't you afraid of the heat?
The autumn heat is raging today. It's so hot at this time.
Jiang Xinfeng said happily: "My granddaughter is coming back today, I'll wait here."
Yu Huifang shared her joy about her daughter's return with her neighbors a few days ago, but her joy does not mean that everyone will tell others like her. There are still many people who don't know about it.
Cao Weiqing, who was about to leave, asked suspiciously, "Jia Ni is coming back?"
Cao Weiqing lived in the family building at the back, not next to the Zhou family, and didn't know about this.
She was surprised and asked three times: "Come back for Mid-Autumn Festival? I remember she went to the countryside for a few days, right? Why is she back now?"
Jiang Xinfeng fanned herself with a palm-leaf fan, her face etched with a smile. "My granddaughter is quite capable. She's now in charge of purchasing things for their team. She came to Qiyang to do some shopping, and she came home to stay for a few days."
Zhou Jiani: Her breasts are even better than hers!
The more Jiang Xinfeng thought about it, the happier she became. If her granddaughter stayed for two more days, maybe she could really spend the Mid-Autumn Festival at home before going back.
Cao Weiqing couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then you have to nourish the child well. He must have suffered a lot these days, right?"
"Well, this isn't a big deal. Aren't we responding to the nation's call? But I'm heartbroken that there are those wicked people who took advantage of my granddaughter's trip to the countryside to ruin her reputation..." Jiang Xinfeng raised her hand and wiped her eyes distressedly. "Poor granddaughter, she was so pure and innocent, but now she's being turned into charcoal."
Cao Weiqing was surprised: "Where did you say that?"
Jiang Xinfeng was just about to mention the Liu family when his cloudy old eyes widened and he hurriedly stood up from his stool. He clapped his hands happily on his thigh and said, "Oh, our little ancestor is back!"
Walking briskly on tiptoe.
Zhou Jiani ran over quickly and shouted happily: "Grandma——"
"My precious egg, come here and let me see it." Jiang Xinfeng was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth. "Hahahaha, oh my, let me see, it's black, it's really turned into a little charcoal, haha."
Zhou Jiani's eyes were filled with bitterness before she could even stop. She twitched her lips and asked, "Grandma, am I your granddaughter?"
Cao Weiqing knew that the Zhou family loved their children, but she was surprised to see them doting so much. She came over and said with a smile, "Jia Ni is back. Your grandma has been sitting at the door waiting for you."
Zhou Jiani called out with a smile, "Aunt Cao!"
Cao Weiqing greeted Yu Huifang again, and after saying hello, he was attracted by the things in the cart pushed by the couple and exclaimed, "Jiani brought back so many things?"
Yu Huifang smiled and said, "My daughter is very capable. She came to Qiyang to purchase things for her brigade and help the villagers earn money. The baskets are full of vegetables grown by the villagers. She got up at three in the morning to pick them and took a day-long train ride to bring them here. Don't you think she is very kind!"
Cao Weiqing's mouth twitched slightly, thinking that the Zhou family's praise for their child might be an heirloom, but he also politely agreed, "Jiani is indeed a good child." He then asked, "Were these baskets also woven by the villagers?"
Yu Huifang continued with a smile: "Yes, or else my daughter is good, this time she..."
Cao Weiqing: ...
Zhou Jiani came over with a blush on her face and said, "Aunt Cao, these are from the weaving workshop of our Qianjin Brigade. We're going to ask the department store and supply and marketing cooperative here. If we can sell these things to the provincial capital, it will be good for the team and the members."
The woven baskets they brought were very impressive, and they also brought ready-made vegetables. Cao Weiqing originally wanted to go out to buy vegetables, so he simply went back with them and picked a few dishes from the ones Zhou Jiani brought.
Just as Liu Qin said, a hundred or so kilograms of vegetables are not enough in this dormitory area.
Zhou Jiani also followed the rules and produced a certificate issued by the brigade to prove that the crops were grown by local villagers and that she represented the entire Qianjin Brigade.
Not to mention the vegetables, the woven baskets she brought were almost divided up. Zhou Jiani tried to stop them left and right, and she even left half of them unmarked. She even planned how to take them out of the house and put them away quietly. Now there is not much left.
I stopped a group of products with words on them and prepared to use them as samples to discuss at the department store.
After the final count, there were two ingot baskets and two flower frame frames left. She said that one set would be used as samples and the other set would be sent to her teacher to help her find information.
The beveled square ones are the least popular. Three were sold on the road, and only four were sold here, leaving thirteen.
But Zhou Jiani doesn't dislike this small square basket. She sells it quickly in the group buying group. She personally likes this set of slanted storage baskets very much.
It's not popular on the inclined circular road, but it's okay here. There are seven left, she kept five and kept the remaining two as samples.
A neighbor saw the coasters and pot holders and asked about them, and sure enough, he was completely disgusted.
Comrade Yu Huifang wanted to buy a set of coasters and pot holders out of support for her daughter, but Zhou Jiani stopped her. It was unnecessary, really unnecessary!
After the final count, I owed three laces and four gold ingot baskets respectively, and promised to bring them to them next time.
There was a bustle downstairs. On the second floor, Lv Cuilan stretched her neck to look down several times, curled her lips, retreated, closed the door, and muttered, "Your third sister's stupid idea is always this bad. Didn't she say she could suppress the Zhou girl? She's coming back now. Just wait and see. Yu Huifang, that bitch, will definitely bring Zhou Jiani to question us. If there's another commotion, we'll be criticized every time we go out. How can your father ever move up!"
Sitting there sulking.
Liu Aifang was adjusting the hair ornaments on her braid in front of the mirror, but she said, "It's just right that Sister Jiani is back. She has the best relationship with my sister and is the most protective of her. She won't let her mother cause a fuss."
Lu Cuilan said unhappily, "If she were good friends with your sister, would she complain to her mother?"
Liu Aifang said, "Mother, it's not necessarily a complaint. It didn't happen in the first place. Aunt Zhou asked her out of the blue, and Sister Jiani must have subconsciously denied it. Aunt Zhou is such a smart person, she can guess what happened."
The twelve-year-old girl looked at herself left and right in the mirror. The flower was bought by Sister Jiani for her sister, and her sister gave it to her before she left.
Turning around, she saw her mother sitting there sulking. Liu Aifang stepped forward and said flatteringly, "Mom, don't worry. Sister Jiani is the easiest to coax. I'll go find Sister Jiani tonight and apologize to her on my sister's behalf, and this matter will be over."
Then he said, "You and Aunt Zhou are awkward here, maybe my sister and Sister Jiani can still get along well in the countryside."
Zhou Jiani helped her grandmother up to the second floor, and her parents followed behind with the stacked empty baskets and the remaining woven baskets.
Yu Huifang took an afternoon off, and Zhou Wanli put his things down and went back to the factory.
Seeing the familiar home again after a lifetime, Zhou Jiani felt a little sore in her nose.
It’s been such a long time!
Yu Huifang came in, put the things down, and said with a smile, "Nini, go to sleep for a while. Your grandma and I will pick some leeks. We will make leek dumplings tonight. After we are done, you can bring a plate to Comrade Xiao Qiu."
Jiang Xinfeng asked, "Who is Comrade Xiao Qiu?"
Yu Huifang laughed and lowered her voice, "Mom, you don't know, Comrade Xiao Qiu looks..."
Zhou Jiani loudly changed the subject: "Mom, I bought some dried shrimp!"
Comrade Yu Huifang was attracted by the shop, and left her grandmother there expectantly waiting for her to come back and continue the topic of "Who is Comrade Xiao Qiu?"
Zhou Jiani put the dried shrimps in after taking out the dried cowpeas, and now she took them all out and added pickles and dried shrimps.
She didn't take the noodles because the weight difference was too big, so she planned to take them out when she came back from outside tomorrow.
Yu Huifang urged her to go to bed again. Zhou Jiani stood up and said, "There's no rush to sleep. Everyone is free now. I'll go stand at the door of Liu Ailing's house."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law immediately became excited.
Zhou Jiani instructed: "Grandma, Mom, you guys just stand by and watch. Leave it to me, I'll make sure they play clearly."
Yu Huifang grabbed her daughter and said disapprovingly, "Baby, you're only a teenager. Don't let people think you're too aggressive. Mom will scold her for you!"
Zhou Jiani said with a smile: "Don't worry, Mom, I'm just going to have fun, I won't fight with them."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Yu Huifang and her mother-in-law followed.
As soon as she left the house, Zhou Jiani's expression changed. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention in the corridor, she raised her hands to rub her eyes, then turned around and yelled at her mother, crying, "I told you I didn't lie. Ailing really didn't say those things to me. Ailing said it was her mother who made up the rumors. Why don't you believe me, Mom?"
Yu Huifang: ...My daughter, please rehearse with mom before you go out!
Zhou Jiani angrily ran to Liu Ailing's house and knocked on the door, making it bang loudly. She shouted, "Is Aunt Cuilan home? Aunt, please come out and help me decide what's going on with that letter."
It was Liu Aifang who opened the door. She smiled stiffly and said, "Sister Jiani, you're back. Sister Jiani, that was just a misunderstanding. Please keep your voice down and let's go in and talk..."
I just wanted to pull Zhou Jiani.
Zhou Jiani pouted and shook it off, shouting, "Aifang, how could this be a misunderstanding? Your sister told half the village that Aunt Cuilan disliked me and deliberately spread rumors about me. Then when I came back, my mom said Aunt Cuilan claimed that Ai Ling wrote to her. Are you guys really going to play with my reputation like this?"
The aunts, grandmothers or grandmas who stayed at home opened the door and came out to watch the fun.
Lu Cuilan couldn't sit still any longer and rushed out, "How could that damn girl talk nonsense like that? I only believed her because she wrote to me saying that. Otherwise, I would have made up such rumors out of nothing!"
When she came out and saw Jiang Xinfeng next to her, her heart shuddered.
Jiang Xinfeng refused to give in that day and insisted that if she was confirmed to have spread the rumor after a face-to-face confrontation, she would go to the factory to find Jiefang, his leader, so she would never take the blame.
That dead girl of her family is fine. In the countryside anyway, it doesn't matter whether one has a good or bad reputation. Her family's Lao Liu's work cannot have any black spots.
Liu Aifang, despite her young age, had a lot of her sister's demeanor. She said in a weak voice, "Sister Jiani, can I apologize to you on behalf of my sister? You two have such a good relationship, do you really have to cause trouble between your two families?"
Liu Aifang was even a little angry. Zhou Jiani had always protected her sister in the past. But the two of them had only had this one conflict since they were so old, and she had to make it known to everyone.
Her sister was right. Zhou Jiani was indeed willful and capricious, and would do anything when she got angry.
Zhou Jiani also looked angry and said, "Aifang, I have to die with a clear conscience, right? You all have your own reasons. Your sister said it was Aunt Cuilan who made up the rumor about me, and now Aunt Cuilan says it was your sister who made it up. Who should I believe? What do your family think of me?"
The neighbors who were watching the fight didn't know how to stop the fight.
Yu Huifang couldn't help but yelled, "You spread rumors about our child, and all you have to do is apologize? Aifang, I'll treat you like a child and not bother with you. Go back to your room, and we'll talk to your mother."
He pointed at Lu Cuilan and said, "This matter is not over yet. I can't let you treat my daughter like this."
Seeing that they were not giving in, Lu Cuilan felt her scalp tingling. Thinking of what Zhou Jiani had just said about not knowing who to believe, an idea suddenly came to her mind, and she quickly chased Aifang to get the letter.
Liu Aifang was reluctant, so she took out the letter and tore her third sister's face in front of Zhou Jiani.
But if she refused to take it, they would not give in. It affected her father's work, and her mother was determined to beat her to death.
Then she looked at Zhou Jiani with pleading eyes. Zhou Jiani turned to persuade Yu Huifang and said, "Mom, don't be too angry. We just want justice."
Seeing that Zhou Jiani ignored her, Liu Aifang turned around angrily to take out the letter, threw it into Zhou Jiani's hand angrily, and stood aside with a pout.
Zhou Jiani scanned ten lines at a time.
Liu Ailing was cautious and didn't say much else. She just told a story that didn't happen as if it were true, saying that the girl was throwing a tantrum and being willful and refused to write home. She would find time to help persuade her.
There was a look of helplessness between the lines.
This is to prepare the letter for her parents to read.
Zhou Jiani's eyes narrowed, her face beaming with joy, as if her plan had succeeded. She muttered quietly, "Great! With this letter, I can go to the commune and sue Liu Ailing!"
The neighbors didn't really hear what was said, but Lu Cuilan and Liu Aifang heard it clearly and their faces changed.
It's not that serious, is it? I just said a few bad words about her. Why did you have to report it to the commune?
Liu Aifang cried out in disbelief, "Sister Jiani, I've already let you read the letter. What else do you want? How can you be so cruel? You're not that kind of person in our hearts!"
Zhou Jiani pouted and said, "Why not? Your sister has already portrayed me as that kind of person. I'm willful and capricious, and I've been spoiled by my family. It's all written in the letter..."
Before she could finish her words, Liu Aifang suddenly rushed over, snatched the letter, and threw it into the coal stove burning at her door. There was a hint of pride in her eyes, and she whispered, "Sister Jiani, now the evidence is gone!"
Liu Aifang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Let's see how you sue me!"
Lu Cuilan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Zhou Jiani was too cruel. She would sue for no matter how small the matter was. Let her sue, but what could she do without evidence?
Yu Huifang was so angry that she was about to attack, but she heard her daughter say quietly, "Aifang, what you burned was not a letter? You burned your parents' innocence!"
The letter was not a big deal and the words were not very harsh.
But there is no belief, so it can be said that Lu Cuilan was just spreading rumors, and she was spreading rumors through her third daughter's mouth.
Now, she can go to the factory and act like a little girl!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
