Chapter 32
The family compound was full of people from Zhou Changsheng's parents' workplace. When they saw someone coming from Meng Li's home, they all craned their necks to look.
After all, Zhen Zhen represents Meng Li's family, and his words and deeds can easily affect their evaluation of Meng Li.
Zhen Zhen nodded at them gently.
The people in the family compound didn't expect that Meng Li's family was so outstanding.
Although she is a mother, she dresses elegantly, speaks politely, and speaks fluent Mandarin. She stands out in this small county town.
The people in the family compound were secretly amazed. Town household registration was popular these days, and they all thought that Meng Li married into Zhou Changsheng's family just to get his town household registration. They talked about Meng Li in private, but who would have thought that Meng Li's family was completely different from what they had imagined.
"Meng Li, is this your aunt? Your aunt is so beautiful."
Zhen Zhen thanked her generously without any hesitation, and then said to Meng Li:
"I came to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things. Your parents asked me to give you some fruits."
Meng Li rarely saw her family after she got married. She was very happy from the bottom of her heart. "Auntie, what did you buy at the supply and marketing cooperative?"
"Buy some milk powder for Erya and Sanwa." Zhen Zhen handed the candy and peach cakes to Meng Li.
People were staring at them. They had two children who were fed with milk powder, but they bought three bags of it? What kind of family is this?
The candies and peach cakes given as gifts are all famous brands. The net bag is so heavy that it looks like it weighs four or five kilograms. It’s really worthwhile to buy such good things for someone’s home!
It seems that Meng Li's aunt is of extraordinary status. She is either an official or an official's wife.
Meng Li also felt that her aunt was too polite. It was already a trouble for her to be asked by her parents to bring things, but she was still so polite. Life was not easy for anyone these days.
But I was still very happy in my heart, thinking that my aunt cared about me and I could hold my head up high in my husband's family.
Meng Li said: "Auntie, you are too polite. We are all family, why do we need such nice things?"
"Last time I saw you were not in good spirits, and your eyes were dark when you stood up. I guessed you had low blood sugar, so I brought some sugar and peach cakes for you to replenish your blood sugar."
Meng Li felt inexplicably sad. She was not happy living in her husband's family after marriage, and the care and concern from her own family made her feel warm at heart.
She held Zhen Zhen's arm and said affectionately, "Auntie, come in and sit down. I'll pour you some water!"
Zhen Zhen smiled and followed her into the house.
The workshop allocated to the Zhou family is only about 60 or 70 square meters, which is not considered large in the future market, but in the 1970s when housing was in short supply, it was considered quite good.
Nowadays, houses don’t care about the public area. A 70-square-meter house can have three bedrooms, plus a corridor and yard, and look quite spacious.
There are quotations and calendars hanging in the house, as well as a certificate of commendation that Zhou Changsheng's father received from his unit. It looks like a very typical working-class family.
Zhou Changsheng and Meng Li's house was located on the east side, blocked by the kitchen, so the lighting was poor, and the Zhou family was reluctant to burn a coal stove, so the house looked damp and cold.
Meng Li brought some water, but Zhen Zhen was not used to drinking tea from the shared enamel teapot, so he didn't drink it.
"Your mother brought you cornmeal and cucumbers and tomatoes. They were picked this morning and are very fresh."
The Meng family planted grains and vegetables in their private plot. This season, there were so many vegetables that they could not be eaten up, so Zhen Zhen asked them to plant some cucumbers and tomatoes as well to feed the children in the summer.
The Meng family has a bunch of children, and both of their daughters-in-law are not vegetarians.
Mrs. Meng misses her daughter, so it is definitely not possible for her to bring rice and flour. After all, food is tight at home, and her son's family is not well fed. You usually live with your son, so how can you support your daughter?
But no one will say anything if you bring fruits.
Meng Li looked at the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, feeling happy. She chatted with Zhen Zhen about some family matters, asking about her eldest brother's children, her second brother's family, and also about Zhen Zhen's children.
"Erya is good at eating and has grown up to be plump. Sanwa refused to drink breast milk, so I bought him some milk powder. He has gained weight now and is about 25 pounds. Although he is not as heavy as Erya, he is in good spirits."
Zhen Zhen thought again of what Mrs. Meng had told her when she went out in the morning.
He said that the gift was fake and his intention was to ask Zhen Zhen to check on Meng Li's condition. Everyone in the family was worried that she had a quarrel with Zhou Changsheng and that she would not be Zhou Changsheng's match in a fight.
"What happened between you and him?"
Meng Li rubbed her hands. "Last time I said I didn't want to be a free babysitter, my mother-in-law rushed over and scolded me, so I didn't dare to say it again."
"Does he still want you to share every scallion?"
Meng Li nodded. "Yesterday I asked him to bring me a popsicle. He asked me for a penny and said he was running errands for me. He also asked me to treat him, so I spent two cents."
Zhen Zhen hadn't seen such a weirdo for many years. Even his colleagues were not so polite. Why was he still looking for a wife when he was like this? It would be better for him to live alone. No one could take advantage of him.
However, things between husband and wife are often a matter of one willing to fight and the other willing to be beaten.
If Meng Li couldn't bear it any longer, she could have just brought it up early and stopped the losses in time. But if she wanted to keep things quiet and endured it day by day, who knows how she could live her whole life.
Zhen Zhen said, "What kind of life you can have depends on yourself. Zhou Changsheng is not your leader, nor is he your colleague. You don't have to please him or tolerate him. You can just speak out your true thoughts and let him know what kind of person you really are."
Meng Li is not a softie. Her personality is somewhere between Mrs. Meng and Old Lady Meng.
She originally wanted to endure it, thinking that maybe if she did, her mother-in-law and her husband would discover how much she had gone too far. After all, how could a person not have self-awareness?
But some people seemed to have no idea who they were and took advantage of her time and time again.
She would find it disgusting to have a man like this as her husband!
Meng Li seemed to have made a decision and raised the corners of her lips:
"Okay, Auntie, I'll listen to you. I've only been married to him for a few months, and I've already spent all my savings from work on household expenses. My mother-in-law is taking advantage of me and always says I'm a spendthrift. I don't know where the money goes, I don't save a penny, and I'm waiting for her son to support me. Isn't that infuriating?"
Zhen Zhen nodded: "This kind of person is often like this. When you reason with her, she won't reason with you. When you don't reason with her, she will reason with you again."
Meng Li understood. She actually thought about divorcing Zhou Changsheng, but she was afraid that if the matter got out of hand, it would bring shame to her family.
Divorce is such a shameful thing, my parents will not be able to hold their heads up.
Divorced girls cannot go home for the New Year because their parents' home will bring trouble to their family.
Zhen Zhen comforted her, left the things behind, and was about to go back.
"Uncle Zhou is still waiting outside. I'll come to see you next time. Some things can't be delayed. As I said before, even if you get divorced, our Meng family can still support you."
Her words inexplicably made Meng Li feel better.
In the evening, Zhou Changsheng and his parents came back. When they reached the alley entrance, they heard that some relatives had come to Meng Li's house. Zhou's mother suspected that these country relatives had not had enough food to eat and came to Zhou's house on purpose to eat for free.
But when we arrived at the family compound, the relatives had already left.
Meng Li went in carrying her clothes. There was a large bucket of clothes soaking in the bucket outside the door. They were all the clothes they had taken off last night.
"Oh! Meng Li, what are you doing? What will we wear tomorrow if you don't wash our clothes?" Zhou's mother scolded.
Zhou's father unbuttoned his collar and went to the kitchen, only to find that the kitchen was empty and the food was cold. Dinner had not been prepared yet, so he immediately looked unhappy.
"Meng Li, why haven't you cooked yet? If you haven't cooked yet, what are we going to eat when we get home? How can you be a daughter-in-law?"
Zhou's father and mother usually eat in the company cafeteria and have never been separated from them, but recently Zhou Changsheng said that the weather was hot and the food in the cafeteria was unhygienic, so he asked Meng Li to make some more rice for the two old people to replenish their bodies.
Meng Li did it yesterday, but who knew she would kick the bucket today.
Zhou Changsheng was very dissatisfied with his wife, frowning, "Meng Li, what's wrong with you? Whose daughter-in-law is like you, not washing clothes and not cooking?"
Meng Li: "I don't want to do it if I don't have money."
"No money? Where's your salary?"
"I haven't even asked you for your salary yet, but you're already thinking about it? I should keep my salary for myself, but what's the reason? Just because you're a human being, I'm not a human being and I won't spend money?"
Zhou Changsheng didn't expect Meng Li, who had always been obedient, to jump up and down, "Then don't I give you money every day?"
"Give me money? How much money will you give me?"
Zhou Changsheng looked a little unnatural.
He also knew that he would not be justified if he said this.
But the couple spends their own money. He can have sumptuous meals for just a few cents a day, and Meng Li doesn't need to pay rent like before marriage. Isn't it good for them to each get what they need?
"You spent 23 cents on groceries yesterday, and I gave you 12 cents, plus an extra five cents!"
Meng Li was really angry. "How dare you say that! I asked you, do I have to pay for hiring a nanny to buy groceries? Do I have to pay for laundry and cooking? Do I have to pay for the oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar I use for cooking? But you pretended not to know anything and just split the money for the groceries with me. How can you be so shameless! I have never seen a man as stingy as you in my life!"
It was the first time that Zhou Changsheng was scolded and scolded for his misconduct. He was so angry that he said, "Meng Li, you must tell me everything so clearly? How can you be so realistic! You are full of calculations everywhere!"
"You don't count? You don't count that you're taking every nickel from me? You can split the bill with me, but you have to pay for my labor! It's 10 cents an hour. I buy groceries, cook, wash clothes, and clean. It takes at least four hours a day. You have to give me 40 cents!"
Zhou Changsheng was very angry. He had never seen such a fussy and nagging woman.
Sure enough, his friend was right. He shouldn't have married a country woman. It would have embarrassed his parents in front of the neighbors and made him lose his style.
When Zhou's mother heard this, she also jumped up.
"How come you talk about money all the time? I've long said you shouldn't marry a country girl. Look at how unworldly she is. Housework is supposed to be a woman's job, and you're still trying to calculate the money! You're dreaming! I've never seen a woman like you!"
"I've never seen a man who doesn't even pay for food and wants to eat and drink for free! I've also never seen a man who buys five tomatoes for five cents, gives three cents, and then doesn't just take three tomatoes, but also cuts off a small half to take away!"
Zhou's mother felt ashamed when she said such a shameful thing. She would never allow her to slander her son like this. She pointed at her and cursed:
"My Changsheng is good at living. Besides, you are still living in my house. Should I ask you for rent?"
Zhou's father pulled her aside and signaled her not to say such harsh words. After all, they had just gotten married, and if the matter got out of hand, they would lose face.
"Rent? I do the housework, I cook the meals, I wash the clothes. Shouldn't you three pay me the same as a nanny? I'll pay you the market price of 22 yuan a month. Zhou Changsheng and I will split the rent for this shabby house in half, at most 3 yuan each. Calculate how much you have to pay me every month!"
"You you you..." Zhou's mother was very angry.
Meng Li threw away her sleeves and turned into the house.
She was not only angry at herself for being blind enough to marry Zhou Changsheng, but she was even more angry that she lost all her savings after marrying him.
She was shy before, and when her mother-in-law asked her to cook but didn’t pay her, she was too embarrassed to ask for money, so she used her salary to supplement the money.
Before she got married, she could save ten dollars a month, which she could use to buy clothes, watch a movie, and go to the park with friends every month.
After getting married, I can only do laundry and cook at home, and use my own money to support the family.
She is so unrealistic! She won't serve me anymore!
The family left in a bad mood. The neighbors heard the quarrel and asked:
"Lao Zhou, what's the quarrel in your family?"
Zhou's father smiled awkwardly, "My daughter-in-law is ignorant and has a bad temper!"
Meng Li just cooked her own meal and took a bath after eating. But when she came back, she found that the two kilograms of sugar and two kilograms of peach cakes her aunt had sent were missing.
"Where's the stuff I put here?"
Zhou's mother snorted disapprovingly:
"Changsheng has taken it to the leader's house. I'm warning you, Changsheng is about to be promoted. This is a critical moment. As his wife, don't hold him back!"
Meng Li was furious, "Zhou Changsheng is so shameless!"
"Who are you calling shameless? Are you making a fuss over a few pounds of sugar and crispy pastry? You really have no knowledge of the world!" said Zhou's mother.
"You've seen the world, and yet you still try to steal even five cents! It's so shameful!" Meng Li slammed the door shut.
The mother and son who lived next door were both stunned when they heard this, and then they lowered their heads to eat their meal in silence.
Zhen Zhen brought back a few sacks of melon seeds and told Lao Zhou that they were fodder given by her second brother. Because the words printed on the outside of the sacks indicated a certain kind of fodder, Lao Zhou did not doubt it.
Jiao Huilan carried the melon seeds into the kitchen and started frying them in a hot pot.
Practice makes perfect, and this time everyone was much more adept at frying melon seeds.
After frying, they were packaged as before. By the time these sacks of melon seeds were almost fried, Meng Hua’s previous batch of melon seeds had all been sold out.
"Mom, I'll give you all the money!" Meng Hua wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although he was tired, his eyes were bright.
Zhen Zhen didn't ask for money. She smiled and served him a bowl of watermelon juice, which she had squeezed by hand.
Daya drank a lot, and Erya and Sanwa also wanted to drink. However, Zhen Zhen was afraid that it would affect their breastfeeding, so she didn't let them.
Meng Hua finished it in one breath, wiped the sweat off his face and asked:
"Mom, this watermelon juice is so sweet, how is it made?"
"It's not difficult, just crush it and make juice. I know you've been working hard and I'm afraid you'll get a heat stroke, so I've prepared green bean soup and watermelon juice. I just want you to have a sip of ice cold juice when you come back, so you can feel better."
Meng Hua felt warm in his heart when he heard this. His mother's love was so meticulous, just like a touch of coolness under the scorching sun, making people feel comfortable.
Meng Daguo was unhappy because he had been busy with work recently and had not helped his mother for a long time.
If he went to the county town, how could he get Meng Hua's turn?
But he couldn't leave. Meng Hua only took three centimeters a day now. If he didn't go, it would arouse suspicion.
Zhen Zhen counted all the money and earned a total of 52 yuan. She was a little surprised, "How come it's more than yesterday?"
"Later I charged 20 cents per bag," said Meng Hua.
"Two cents? Is there anyone who would buy it when it's so expensive?" Meng Daguo exclaimed.
"It's not an option even if it's expensive. When a man takes a woman out on a date, he has to pretend to be rich. Besides, I'm the only one here, so it's not normal to sell cheaply. This way I can make money much faster."
Zhen Zhen also felt that his price was too cheap. Since Meng Hua said it was okay, then it was okay!
Children need to make their own decisions. Even if the decision is wrong, they can just adjust it next time. There is no need to rush to deny it.
Tao Aihong was excited when she saw the money.
I have earned more than fifty yuan in these two or three days? After deducting the cost, I should have made a profit of thirty or forty, right?
According to this calculation, they can earn at least three or four hundred yuan a month, which is equivalent to the income of their whole family in the past three or four years.
If it were sold at the price set by Meng Hua, it would be three to four thousand a month, which is an astronomical figure.
Now they are not large-scale, but after the autumn harvest and the start of the cat winter in the village, everyone of them will have time to invest. If several people go out to hawk their wares together, they can earn three times the money. How much can they earn in a month?
Everyone felt it was unreal thinking about the money flowing in like water.
My god, they are really amazing. They can make so much money just by picking a project. They must have found the right way!
Zhen Zhen didn't feel anything. She went to Meng's house and told them about Meng Li's situation. Seeing that Meng Li was not beaten, Mrs. Meng was relieved.
When Zhen Zhen returned, the melon seeds were almost fried. She fished out the eel that Meng Daguo had caught, and the eel had already spit out the mud.
Jiao Huilan used the clay pot that Zhen Zhen bought to make a stewed eel, and followed Zhen Zhen's instructions to make scrambled eggs with cucumber, fried bitter melon and stir-fried vegetables.
The greens were stir-fried with pork fat and some soaked mushrooms. It tasted absolutely delicious.
When Zhen Zhen first started stockpiling goods, she focused on dried vegetables and canned foods, which were convenient to take out and eat.
She also took out a few strands of kelp and soaked them, wanting Jiao Huilan to make some cold kelp salad for her tomorrow.
Jiao Huilan is an expert at making mixed kelp. She adds some chopped chili peppers and seasonings to the dish, and the resulting kelp has no fishy smell at all. It tastes sour, spicy and refreshing, and is very suitable for eating in the summer when you have no appetite.
After dinner, Zhen Zhen made milk for the children as usual. This was her only housework.
Erya opened her mouth wide when she saw her holding the teacup, and Sanwa also moved his little mouth to look for the pacifier.
Zhen Zhen thought it was fun. Children grow up so fast. After Sanwa gained weight, his facial features became more and more handsome, which made people happy to look at him.
Today, Lao Zhou went to the county town to buy piglets. He reminded Zhen Zhen that it usually takes half a year to a year for pigs to be released from the pen. If they don't buy piglets at this season, it might be too late.
Previously, it was stipulated that farmers could raise pigs but not sows. A few days ago, Li Decheng came back from a meeting and said that raising pigs is now encouraged, and every family can raise one after the relaxation of the regulation.
Zhen Zhen was a bit of a clean freak and always felt that the pigpen was dirty, but in this day and age one couldn't be too picky. Besides, there were three sons at home, so if it got dirty, he could just ask them to clean it up.
She planned to buy a piglet.
In March, Zhen Zhen bought four chicks, but one of them later fell ill and died. Now there are five hens in the family.
Nowadays, chickens are raised according to the population. There are nine people in her family, so five chickens meet the regulations.
Jiao Huilan said this morning that the three little hens are about to lay eggs, and five eggs a day are enough for the family to eat. If we raise a pig, we can basically be self-sufficient.
But this is not what Zhen Zhen is planning.
She called her son and daughter-in-law in.
“I want to raise pigs.”
Several people looked at each other, thinking that this matter had been discussed during dinner.
Everyone was very excited at that time, and they wanted to buy the piglet right away and treat it like a master, taking good care of it until next year, and then give it a knife and eat its bones and meat.
Why are you bringing up something you already talked about?
Zhen Zhen sat on the edge of the bed with her legs apart and glanced at them.
"I went to see the place where you slaughtered wild boars last time. It's a remote and secluded place with mountains on all sides. Locals also say that there are ghosts there and it's unlucky, so few people go there. It's perfect for raising pigs. I was thinking, can I buy a few more and raise them there, and then slaughter them and sell them when pork is the most expensive during the Chinese New Year."
After all, pork makes money quickly, and if melon seeds are not easy to make, they will have a way out.
Meng Daguo rubbed his hands excitedly.
He is not as eloquent as Meng Hua, and he certainly cannot sell more melon seeds than Meng Hua, but his advantage is that he can endure hardships. He is willing to get up early every night and go to the pig farm to take care of the piglets.
Pork is a hot commodity, so once you take it to the market, people will rush to buy it. You might even find a buyer without having to take it out.
After all, some people give a whole pig as a gift.
As long as he can raise pigs, he won't have trouble selling them.
Meng Eryong didn't have any objection.
The pig farmer is able to endure hardships, and he can share the money just by lying down.
Meng Hua is good at selling melon seeds, and he can make money without doing anything.
He hoped that his brothers could start some businesses so that he could just sit back and wait for the money.
No one had any objection, so Zhen Zhen started to buy piglets.
The next day, Meng Hua went to work with a hoe on his back. Just as he reached the educated youth dormitory, he was stopped by Cheng Su.
"Meng Hua!"
The morning light cast orange shadows on her face. Her skin was fair and clear, and her eyes were bright, making people want to bring all the beautiful things in the world to her.
Meng Hua was excited, his heart was beating fast. He was very capable and good at planning other things, but when it came to love, his IQ became a negative number.
He walked up quickly, "Cheng Su!"
Cheng Su nodded shyly, twisting a light green handkerchief in her hands, and hesitated to speak:
"Meng...Meng Hua, I have something important to tell you."
Meng Hua's throat tightened when he saw her shy look. Nowadays, it was common for girls to use handkerchiefs as tokens of love. Could it be that Cheng Su also wanted to confess her love to him?
Unexpectedly, although Cheng Su seems reserved and graceful, she is actually a straightforward and passionate girl.
It's just that he got up late this morning and didn't even wipe the eye mucus clean. If he had known this would happen, he should have rubbed lard on his hair.
Meng Hua cleared his throat, "Cheng Su, just say what you want to say! There's no need to keep some things in your heart."
Cheng Su nodded with a red face. She handed the handkerchief out, causing Meng Hua's ears to turn red and his heart to beat. The next second, she said:
"Can you help me deliver the handkerchief to Aunt Zhen?"
Meng Hua:? ?
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