In the afternoon, when Xia Dahe and the others got home from get off work, they saw Xiao Yunxi in Xia Liang's arms and rushed over to hold her. Xia Liang had already breastfed her, so Xiao Yunxi was very well-behaved, staying quietly in her grandfather's arms without crying or fussing. Xia Rong told Xia Liang to go to the study, and the two siblings went into the study and closed the door.
Xia Rong pulled out several thick bundles of 100-yuan notes from a hidden compartment in a bookshelf and handed them to Xia Liang. The siblings had always used cash and had never deposited money in a bank. Although information wasn't as readily available as in later generations, checking someone's bank statements was still quite easy, so they always used cash. Xia Liang looked at the bundles of money her brother had taken out—one bundle of a hundred notes, six bundles in total. Xia Rong spoke first, saying, "I've recently discovered some new business opportunities, so I'm making quite a bit of money. I'll give you the larger sums first, and I'll keep the rest as capital." Xia Liang had no objections. She didn't want to argue with her brother about not taking advantage of him; he wouldn't listen anyway. She could only wait until later to make big money with her brother.
That evening, Gu Weiguo and Han Yulan came to pick up Xia Liang and her son. They also invited their in-laws to have dinner at their home on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, saying that they had never properly invited their in-laws to dinner before. Zhao Danxiang agreed, and Xia Liang and her daughter went home with her parents-in-law.
Before they knew it, it was the 26th of the twelfth lunar month. On this day, her father-in-law was still at work, while her mother-in-law and Aunt Wu were at home preparing food. Xia Liang was sitting on the sofa with her daughter watching TV, while Han Yulan was helping to fry meatballs and fish. She would feed Xia Liang a meatball or a piece of fish every now and then, and Xia Liang was almost full.
In the afternoon, Han Yulan said to Xia Liang, "I'm going out to pick up your parents." Xia Liang replied, "I'll go. You don't need me to do anything here; I'm just sitting around doing nothing anyway." Han Yulan said, "Put on your hat and scarf, don't get cold." Xia Liang answered, "Okay." After getting dressed, Xia Liang wrapped up Xiao Yunxi and went out to wait. Whether it was bad luck or something else, she ran into that woman named Liu Xiaoli again. She had told her mother-in-law about it after returning home that day, and her mother-in-law said that the woman was stupid and told Xia Liang about their family's situation. Xia Liang couldn't help but sigh, "Sexism is deadly. They spoil their sons, they don't know how to work hard, they only know how to suck the blood of their sisters at home. Their daughters are also suffering because of it. If they're smart, they'll leave that family far away and pretend they never existed. But if they're not so clear-headed, like Liu Xiaoli, they'll not only harm themselves but also their in-laws." Xia Liang didn't want to talk to her, pretending not to know her and turning her head away. But Liu Xiaoli was oblivious and walked straight towards Xia Liang: "Xia, what are you doing standing at the gate of this compound?" Xia Liang replied, "Waiting for my parents." Liu Xiaoli was a little unhappy. She looked at Xia Liang's parents, who could visit her in-laws anytime, and then looked at her in-laws, who had only invited her family once, right after the wedding. She didn't even remember how her parents and brother had acted when they came. They wanted everything good, and they didn't even ask openly, instead complaining about being poor, saying things like, "We country folk are miserable, we don't have enough to eat, we work in the fields all year round, and we still can't fill our stomachs." In the end, they managed to plunder several large bundles from the Zhang family and take them home. Add to that the work situation, and who would dare invite her family over?
She smiled insincerely and said, "Why didn't you pick them up at the station? Do you think they can find their way to the compound?" She had picked up her parents from the station when they came before. This Xia Liang was truly unfilial, unlike herself, always thinking of her family. Xia Liang said calmly, "They live in the county town. I've been here before and can find them." Liu Xiaoli's voice immediately rose: "Aren't you from the countryside? How come your parents live in the county town?" Xia Liang was startled by her raised voice and quickly looked at the baby in her arms. Surprisingly, the little one was completely unaffected and still fast asleep. She looked at Liu Xiaoli unhappily, knowing what she cared about, and said in a harsh tone, "What's wrong with my parents living in the county town? My dad has a job there, and my brother and sister-in-law are both workers. What's wrong with them living there?" She knew Liu Xiaoli would assume her in-laws had found jobs for her father and brother. Xia Liang was deliberately trying to annoy her. Sure enough, Liu Xiaoli immediately bristled, her eyes wide with anger, and said, "You Zhang family!" Then she ran home. Xia Liang chuckled and turned to continue waiting for others.
The Xia family arrived shortly after. It had snowed heavily a couple of days prior, leaving a thick layer of snow on the ground. Thinking that riding a bicycle might be unstable, they came by tricycle. Xia Rong rode in front, while Xia Dahe, Zhao Danxiang, and Zhou Xiaohui sat in the back, holding their daughter Xiaoxinran. Seeing Xia Liang from afar, Zhou Xiaohui stood up and called out, "A-Liang!" Xia Liang saw them too and instructed, "Sit still quickly, be careful not to fall." Zhou Xiaohui quickly sat up. Zhao Danxiang, looking at her daughter's flushed face, said, "What are you waiting for? It's not like you can't find us. Look how red your face is, and you're holding the child." Xia Liang said ingratiatingly, "I'm not cold. Look how warmly I'm dressed. Let's go back." Only then did Zhao Danxiang relent. Zhou Xiaohui made room for Xia Liang, who sat down with the child in her arms.
Upon arriving at the Gu family home, Xia Liang called out, "Mom, we're back!" Han Yulan washed her hands and came out to greet them. After settling them in, she brought out some fruit, melon seeds, and candy, and then moved the stove in front of them. Zhao Danxiang said, "Mother-in-law, don't bother, we're not cold." Han Yulan replied, "How can we not be cold in this awful weather? Warm your hands quickly." Zhao Danxiang tried to get up to help but was refused. Han Yulan pressed her down to sit on the sofa and watch TV, saying, "It'll be ready soon, just sit still, you don't need to lift a finger." Zhao Danxiang could only sit on the sofa and watch TV. A little while later, Gu Weiguo also returned. After he came back, Han Yulan focused on cooking in the kitchen, letting Gu Weiguo entertain his in-laws.
Xia Liang went to the kitchen and told Han Yulan about her encounter with Liu Xiaoli. Han Yulan laughed and said, "She knows your dad and brother have jobs, so she might think I helped you out. She'll probably cause a scene when she gets home." She then sighed and said, "The Zhang family is really unlucky to have such a daughter-in-law. My son is so lucky to have found you. It's a blessing for our whole family." Xia Liang was completely embarrassed.
Sure enough, Liu Xiaoli started making a scene as soon as she returned to the Zhang family home. She insisted that her in-laws help her parents find jobs as well. She believed that she was much better off than Xia Liang and that she should be treated better than Xia Liang. Zhang's mother, not knowing what her daughter-in-law was up to this time, asked, "What are you trying to do now? Before, you wanted to find a job for your younger brother. It's one thing for your brother, he's so young, but your parents are already old, what can they do?" Liu Xiaoli said, "But the Gu family helped find jobs for Xia Liang's father and brother."
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