Chapter 42 Whoever contributes is useful
The dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.
Shen Qing finally felt a sense of happiness after eating the braised pork and eggs, stir-fried eel, and cold-mixed purslane, accompanied by smooth white rice.
If I could live in a spacious and bright house;
A large yard where you can grow flowers and vegetables, and preferably a few fruit trees and a grape rack. In the summer, you can lie on a rocking chair and rock, then pick a bunch of grapes and eat them without washing them.
In summer, there are cool and refreshing silk clothes, and in winter, there are warm and windproof furs;
When traveling, we have donkey carts and horse carriages to get around...well, then our days suddenly go from feeling a little bit of happiness to feeling overflowing with happiness!
Pulling her thoughts back to reality, she looked up at her children who were gathered around the large iron pot and asked casually, "What do you think would happen if your aunt came back?"
Jiang Shui was the first to react, his eyes sparkling as he quickly replied, "Auntie, please sleep with me. There's room for you at home."
After she finished speaking, she was afraid that she was wrong, so she looked at her mother with unwavering eyes.
Jiang Xiangdong took a big bite of food and said puzzledly: "My aunt has been married for several years, how could she come back?
We are not far from Shili Village. If she doesn't return to her husband's home on the same day, will her mother-in-law and husband be willing?"
A married woman always lives in her husband's home, and she has to hurry back when she comes home. Otherwise, who will cook the meals, wash the dishes and clothes, feed the chickens and ducks, and serve the parents-in-law?
Huo Bing glanced at Jiang Xiangdong, then turned to look at Shen Qing, and made his attitude clear: "I am looking forward to my aunt's return. Whatever mother says, I will do it."
Jiang Xiangnan chuckled and echoed: "I'll listen to my mother too!"
In the past, he might not have been willing to do so. The house was small and there was not much food. If his aunt came back, not only would she take up the food, but it would also bring bad reputation. He would definitely be laughed at by other playmates when he went out.
But now he has good food and good accommodation, and his sister-in-law is kind and can help with the housework. Why would he disagree?
He is not stupid!
As for being laughed at by his other playmates? What a joke! He's no longer the same person he used to be. Why would he need playmates? He simply doesn't have time to play!
Jiang Xiangbei also understood, and responded silently but firmly: "I agree, I'll listen to my mother."
Jiang Xiangzhong nodded directly without saying anything.
I don’t know what my mother did outside today, so she started dinner late, so they could eat together when he came back. She wasn’t waiting for him on purpose.
They wouldn't even wait for him for meals, and he had no say in other matters at home. Besides, he felt that his mother and family members were different.
In the past, they all paid much attention to him as a scholar, and would bow unconsciously when talking to him, being very humble;
Now, no one knows what they are busy with, but they look more and more confident. They no longer pay much attention to him, but revolve around his mother. Everything revolves around his mother, and his mother's words are like imperial decrees.
Jiang Xiangdong: ...Didn't I ask for their opinions? Why don't they say anything? They all say they'll listen to me!
Did they discuss it and forget to inform him?
He quickly added flatteringly: "Mom, I'll listen to you too! I'll do whatever you tell me to do!"
Shen Qing basically understood his family's attitude towards Jiang Yu.
In fact, Jiang Yu's return did not affect the men in the family much. The ones who were most affected were Jiang Shui and Huo Bing, because they could only sleep together with Jiang Shui, and Huo Bing had to prepare one more person's ration for meals. Even so, the two of them still looked forward to Jiang Yu's return.
Even though Jiang Yu had a bad reputation after being divorced, the ones who were most affected were the sisters Jiang Shui and Xiaohua, who were also women.
Jiang Shui and Huo Bing didn't consider this either. They just wanted Jiang Yu to come back.
Her daughter and daughter-in-law are both very good, but as for her sons, forget it. It's enough as long as her sons are obedient and can help.
She smiled lovingly at her three sons and said, "Eat more and eat your fill."
Jiang Xiangdong looked very touched and nodded heavily with his mouth full of food.
Mom is so kind! He has already eaten so much, but she still lets him eat more, worried that he won’t be full.
It turns out that it’s right to listen to your mother!
Jiang Xiangnan and Jiang Xiangbei shuddered and hummed softly.
There are plenty of dishes and rice today, and everyone can eat as much as they want and be full, but my mother is so concerned that she is afraid that they will not have enough to eat. Something is wrong.
And what did mom do when she went out this afternoon?
Why are you suddenly talking about my aunt? Is she really coming back?
But is the Liu family willing to release him?
Don’t let him go... The two looked at each other, as if they understood something.
Shen Qing: .....Very good, finally there are two people who understand. As for the boss, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand, just be obedient and work hard.
Jiang Xiangzhong had understood it a long time ago.
His usefulness flashed through my mind. Whether it was writing a letter of divorce or a letter of reconciliation, he could help.
He realized that it was useless for this family to say anything. What mattered was what they did, and what they did had to be useful.
His mother now only cares about the contributions of her sons. Whoever makes a contribution will be useful.
He looked at his mother and showed his worth: "If you need me to write, I can do it."
Shen Qing nodded: "You should eat more too."
Jiang Xiangzhong raised the corners of his lips and smiled.
·
After dinner, Shen Qing returned to the house and counted all his belongings.
The grain at home had gone from three sacks when she arrived to three sacks and two cloth bags. These were similar to the old-fashioned sacks used in rural China in the 1970s and 1980s, each holding 200 kilograms! The cloth bags held 100 kilograms each, and the two large bags were filled entirely with flour.
Moreover, the food in the sack has changed from corn with corn cobs to a bag of pure corn kernels without corn cobs and a bag of rice. The remaining sack contains several small cloth bags filled with soybeans, mung beans, red beans, millet and other grains.
Now we eat multi-grain porridge or corn grits porridge with wild vegetable cakes in the morning, and either pasta or rice at noon and in the evening. We eat about five or six kilograms of food a day. The current food reserves at home can last for at least three months.
Shen Qing bought some from the mall from time to time to replenish her food supply. She didn't buy too much, deciding to keep it around 500kg but not more than 600kg. People who have experienced hunger and have had too little food will feel insecure.
There was too much food, and there were many things to do on the road to escape. It was tiring to carry the heavy food, and she could secretly replenish it later, so it didn't need to be too much.
After the mall continued to sell small wild fish, wild river shrimps, eels, loaches and some miscellaneous fish that she had never heard of, after deducting the money spent on buying food, there was still 13,000 yuan!
It’s really cost-effective to buy food in the mall, especially rice and flour.
With food stored and more than 13,000 yuan in savings, it will be no problem for Jiang Yu to have enough food to eat when she comes back, and there will be no problem supporting one more person.
Shen Qing poured out the silver again and put them together.
When I first arrived, I had over 11 taels, and I gave over 1 tael to Huo Bing. Later, I bought oil, wool, silk thread, etc., and only had over 3 taels left.
Today I made twelve taels from selling brushes, and paid them one tael and three qian as wages. Cloth accounted for the largest portion of the purchases, spending more than three taels. Together with the other items, the total cost was five taels and two qian, leaving five taels and five qian left. The total cash at home is more than eight taels.
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