Chapter 19
Zhen Zhen glanced at her, pushed her aside, and leaned against the window slit opened by Tao Aihong to look inside.
Jiao's mother's voice could be heard from time to time, Zhen Zhen could only sigh, she was truly a true master of PUA and brainwashing!
Many rural women of this generation have this skill that they have learned without any instruction. With just a few words, they can make their daughters willingly serve their parents and brothers.
It is no wonder that Jiao Huilan was tortured so much by her mother-in-law after marrying into the Meng family, but she did not know how to resist. It turns out that the root cause was here.
In the memory, the original owner was not satisfied with Jiao Huilan as his daughter-in-law. Jiao Huilan was gentle but not beautiful enough.
In fact, Jiao Huilan has good facial features, but her skin has become dark and yellow due to years of wind and sun exposure, and she has nothing to do with the word "beautiful".
It just so happens that the original owner is a senior member of the Appearance Association just like Zhen Zhen. Even if she goes to the street to buy an apple, she has to look at the face, not to mention finding a daughter-in-law.
What's more, Jiao's mother is a weirdo who doesn't even look down on the original owner, who is a top-notch woman. Not only does she have a bad reputation, but she is also a drinker and a whore. She usually gambles and hangs out with the men in the village. Even at her age, she still has the nerve to flirt with the young men in the village.
Two years ago, the village discussed whether she should be criticized for her situation, but she escaped because she was a poor peasant for 18 generations.
Although the original owner had a bad reputation, she felt quite superior and thought that everything from her appearance to her figure was impeccable. She married a soldier and was definitely not the same type of person as Jiao's mother.
However, Meng Daguo had no confidence in his mother's character. He thought that only the gentle Jiao Huilan could tolerate his mother. If he married a powerful wife who quarreled with his mother all day long, the family would definitely not be able to survive. That's why he decided to marry Jiao Huilan.
Mother Jiao didn't take her daughter's struggle seriously at all. She picked up the noodles in her left hand and wrapped the red date cakes and meat buns in the house with her right hand and put them in her arms.
"Yo yo yo! I heard the roosters crowing. How many chickens did your mother-in-law prepare for you? Your nephew has been in poor health recently and needs chicken soup to nourish himself. Go and catch the chickens so I can take them back with me."
Of course Jiao Huilan was unwilling. It would be fine if she came from her parents' home empty-handed, but if she took so many things back, how could she hold her head up in her husband's family?
"Mom, I haven't divided the family property yet. If my mother-in-law sees this, how will I explain it to her?"
"What do you need to explain? When you finish your confinement, have another child with Daguo. As long as it's a boy, you will have the final say in this family!" Jiao's mother disagreed.
Jiao Huilan said that she didn't want her mother to touch things at home. She had finally earned her mother's love and didn't want to create a rift between them because of her.
"Mom, you can't take these things!"
"You little bitch, you forgot your mother now that you have a man! Who is your real mother? You are such a traitor! If your nephew doesn't take good care of himself and gets sick, I won't forgive you!"
Jiao Huilan was about to cry, and before she could stop herself, she was thrown aside by Jiao's mother. Jiao's mother took a net bag and prepared to catch the old hen. When she went out, she caught a glimpse of Zhen Zhen and Tao Aihong standing at the door.
Mother Jiao smiled guiltily and stuffed the net bag into her sleeves. "Hey! Mother-in-law, it's windy outside, why are you standing here?"
Zhen Zhen raised an eyebrow, "Catching a thief!"
"Oh my! You are such a joke. How could a thief come here in broad daylight?"
Zhen Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or not, "It's far away in the horizon and yet it's right in front of us!"
Unfortunately, in the world of the best, there is only righteousness and confidence, and no guilt or shortness of breath. Mother Jiao probably thought that Zhen Zhen would not dare to quarrel with her, her relative, so she walked towards Zhen Zhen with her head held high.
Zhen Zhen has been fighting wits and courage with her stepmother for many years. Facing a top-notch woman like Jiao's mother, she naturally has a thousand ways to deal with her, but why should she personally fight against a top-notch woman of this level?
She just smiled faintly, pushed Tao Aihong's waist, and pushed her second daughter-in-law, who was also a top-notch woman, into the battle.
Zhen Zhen's thinking is very clear. The best things can only be dealt with by the best. If Jiao's mother is willing to sacrifice her face, then she needs Tao Aihong, who is equally shameless, to deal with it.
Tao Aihong was a little confused. She was wearing thick clothes, so Zhen Zhen's strength was not obvious. She felt that although she was more than five months pregnant, she was as light as a swallow and her slender body could be blown away by the wind.
As soon as she stood up, Jiao's mother's old face fell.
"Eryong's wife, what do you mean?"
After all, Tao Aihong is the younger generation, how could she dare to go against Jiao's mother?
"I...I don't mean anything!"
Seeing her frightened, Jiao's mother glared at her, relying on her status as an elder. "Alright, if you have nothing to say, just get out of the way! I've been here for quite a while, too. I have to hurry back to serve my daughter-in-law and my grandson! By the way, mother-in-law, I'll take my daughter's chicken home and raise it for a few days. I'll send it to you when it's ready!"
Tao Aihong pouted and was about to move away, but was grabbed by Zhen Zhen.
Zhen Zhen sighed and looked at Tao Aihong resentfully, "Aihong, that old hen was saved by mother with great effort for you and Huilan to eat while you were pregnant! Mother couldn't bear to eat it herself, and took good care of it day by day, fearing that the hen would become thin and sick, and you and Huilan wouldn't be able to feel mother's love for you when you ate the chicken!"
Tao Aihong didn't expect that her mother-in-law would take the initiative to say these words to her.
She always felt that her mother-in-law was not close to her, but who knew that her mother-in-law was secretly paying for her and the baby in her belly?
Although Tao Aihong felt that something was a little strange, she was immediately hit by the stick of love from her mother-in-law and became dizzy.
"mother?"
Zhen Zhen said sincerely:
"Aihong, I'm fine, but I'm just worried about you!"
"Worry about me? What do you mean?" Tao Aihong was a little confused. Why couldn't she understand what her mother-in-law said?
Zhen Zhen sighed and almost started talking from the origin of mankind.
"Eat one less chicken, your body will be less protected, and your child will have less nutrition! Without nutrition, the child will not be smart, and without intelligence, he cannot go to a good school, and without going to a good school, he will have no future, and without a future, he can only farm in Batou Village like his father! Farming in Batou Village means he can only marry a poor and ugly woman, and give birth to a son who is neither smart nor poor and ugly, and the son will have no future for generations! But the reason is..."
Tao Aihong was confused by her mother-in-law's words, so in the end, the root cause of her descendants' failure was actually because of the chicken that was kidnapped by the vicious old lady Jiao today! !
How could Tao Aihong tolerate this!
Besides, the reason why the best is the best is that only she can get the advantage!
She hasn't taken enough advantage of the Meng family yet, so how could she want the turn of an outsider like Old Lady Jiao?
Tao Aihong's temper flared up. She rolled up her sleeves and said viciously, "Jiao, what do you want to do?"
For the first time, Zhen Zhen felt that Tao Aihong was a good person and someone she could get along with! She really fought!
Mother Jiao didn't expect that Tao Aihong, a newcomer who had just entered the family, would dare not show respect to her. She was humiliated by the younger generation and couldn't get off the stage. She said in a very aggressive tone:
"What are you doing? This is the chicken your mother-in-law gave to my daughter! It was saved from my daughter's mouth. I can take it if I want to. What's your business? Who do you think you are? It's not your turn to give orders in the Meng family!"
As she spoke, she pushed Tao Aihong with disdain.
The push was not heavy, but Tao Aihong staggered a little, and was supported by Zhen Zhen in time.
But Zhen Zhen finally found the opportunity to take action.
She acted like a shrew and said in a cold voice, "I heard that a pregnant woman in the next village was pushed and gave birth to a stupid son. Old lady Jiao, you dare to push my daughter-in-law. You don't care about the descendants of our Meng family!"
Tao Aihong was squeezed out of the battlefield and was a little uncomfortable for a while.
But old lady Jiao was stunned by this hat. She just pushed them, so why didn't she take the descendants of Meng family seriously?
She pinched her waist and tried to act tough, but ended up causing Zhen Zhen to stumble. She became furious and screamed that she wanted to argue with Zhen Zhen.
"You Meng family clearly want to bully others! I, Old Lady Jiao, will never let you go!"
Zhen Zhen was about to search the house when she saw the door opened and the three brothers Meng Daguo came in. Since she had three sons and these three took advantage of her, there was no need for her to do some things herself.
She fell backwards and fell next to a haystack.
The three Meng Daguo brothers were chatting and laughing.
They were shoveling snow outside and ran into some good friends from the village, so they started a snowball fight. Men are young men until death, so once they started playing, they lost their composure and everyone was sweating.
Hearing that his mother-in-law was coming, Meng Daguo called his brothers to go home. But when he reached the door, he saw his mother being beaten!
Beating their mother on their Meng family's territory? How could Meng Daguo tolerate it!
"Mom!" Meng Daguo picked up the hoe, Meng Eryong took the rake with a dark face, and handed a fork to Meng Hua.
The three brothers came over with their belongings.
Zhen Zhen stood up slowly, looked at the confused Jiao's mother, and said tenderly and considerately: "Daguo, don't worry! Your mother-in-law wanted to take our chicken and had a conflict with me, but she didn't hit me or push me. I slipped and fell accidentally!"
When these words came out, the three brothers were furious. In this day and age, a hen's butt is as valuable as a bank. It's bad enough that he came to the Meng family to obey the hen, but he even dared to beat their mother! Did he really think that all the men in the Meng family were dead?
Meng Hua stuck a fork in Old Lady Jiao's foot. Old Lady Jiao felt pain in her foot and jumped up high, "Ouch! The Meng family is beating people!"
Meng Eryong's rake followed closely behind, raking her butt.
Old Lady Jiao covered her buttocks and said, "The Meng family murdered someone! Murdered someone!"
Old Mrs. Jiao wanted to make more trouble, but Meng Daguo hit her hind legs with a hoe. She felt so much pain that tears came out. She could only limp away, cursing, and without looking back.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"It's okay, Daguo. I'm sorry to have caused you trouble. After all, she is your mother-in-law. I'm afraid you have offended the Jiao family this time!"
Zhen Zhen and Old Lady Jiao had a complete falling out because of a grudge.
In the original novel, because of the original owner's harsh treatment, Jiao Huilan brought her three daughters back to her parents' home, hoping that her parents' home would give her a meal and at least allow the three of them to stay for a night. However, when Jiao's mother saw her daughters coming back with three burdens, she beat and scolded her daughters and kicked them out of the house.
Jiao Huilan had nowhere to go and was hurt by her mother's scolding, so she thought about jumping into the river.
It can be said that although the tragedy of Jiao Huilan in the original novel was caused by the original owner, it was also closely related to Jiao's mother. Zhen Zhen did not want such a relative, so he planned to find a reason to make enemies and completely cut off contact.
"Mom, it's over. They were not nice to Huilan and Daya. I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore!"
Although Meng Daguo favors boys over girls, he also wants to have a son, but how can his daughter be rejected by others? Jiao Huilan took Daya back to her parents' home. Jiao's mother often beat and scolded Daya, and even encouraged Daya to steal money from neighbors. Giving candy to the children of her brother-in-law's family made Daya drool, not to mention that Jiao's mother often came to Meng's house to take things.
Jiao Huilan also knew what her husband was thinking. Although her mother made her feel ashamed, she still felt a little relieved that her husband knew how to protect her and her daughter.
Originally, her mother-in-law treated her badly. She felt that her parents' home was a den of tigers and wolves, and her husband's family was unreliable. After all, women would have no home.
But now her mother-in-law is nice to her and her husband is beginning to protect her, making her feel that her gloomy life is finally bright.
"Mom, it's all my fault!" Jiao Huilan lowered her head.
"Why should I blame you? Your mother's problem has nothing to do with you," Zhen Zhen said, tightening her collar. "It's windy outside, and you're still in confinement after childbirth. If you catch a cold, you'll be in trouble!"
Jiao Huilan nodded obediently with tears in her eyes.
Daya also hugged Jiao Huilan's thighs, "Mom, don't be angry, Daya will be good to you and always be filial to you."
Jiao Huilan hugged her daughter tightly with tears in her eyes.
Zhen Zhen did not expect that these three sons, who were usually busy fighting among themselves, united against the foreign enemy without any ambiguity.
Is this a family?
No matter what, today's incident made Zhen Zhen feel that her three sons were better than the donkeys in the production team. They could eat a little, and her disliked the amount of food each of them ate, but they were not idle eaters after all. Whenever something happened at home, the three of them could handle it, which made her, as a mother, extremely relieved.
At dinner time, Zhen Zhen specially took out a piece of mutton from the space and made a pot of sauerkraut mutton hotpot with pickled sauerkraut.
When she started stockpiling goods, she thought the end of the world was coming, so she stockpiled 250 boxes of eggs to ensure nutritional needs, which totaled 7,200 eggs. Although the family consumed a lot of eggs during this period, the two chickens in the family were replenished with eggs every day. A rough look showed that the chickens had eaten less than 200 eggs, so there were still nearly 7,000 eggs left.
Eggs stewed in a grass pot are much more delicious than those stewed in a gas pot. Zhen Zhen stewed a pot of eggs, and then took out a double-handled clay pot, stewed some pork ribs, and put corn, carrots, and white radish in it. It can clear the lungs and detoxify, and is suitable for winter nourishment. The whole family can eat it.
There were many people eating at home, and I was afraid that the three hungry ghosts would not have enough to eat, so I specially cut a string of sausage and steamed it in the pot, and served it with fragrant rice. This life was simply like heaven.
Meng Hua felt that something was wrong at home these days. The food was much better than in previous years, but he just thought that the brigade had distributed more rice and meat this year. Who knew that each meal was better than the last.
"Mom, where did this mutton come from?"
Zhen Zhen knew that his youngest son was smart, and had already thought of an excuse, "Your father's comrade-in-arms sent it here. Your father is popular, and there are often people who take care of our family on weekdays."
This statement is reasonable. In addition, Old Man Meng's position was not low when he was alive, and his comrades were all well-known figures in the army. It is not excessive to give him some mutton.
"Mom, do you miss Dad?" Meng Hua suddenly asked.
Zhen Zhen slowly sliced the steamed buns and put them in the pan to bake, then said softly:
"Huahua! Of course I miss your father, but I have you three brothers by my side. You are so kind to me, and my sadness has been gradually diluted. I am not as sad as I was at the beginning."
The original owner didn't have any feelings for her man and simply treated Daguo as her ATM.
The original owner was open-minded. Although her husband only came home once or twice a year, the country still helped her look after him. The benefits in the army were good. The monthly food allowance was only a few cents, and the money could be sent back every month for her food and drink. What else could she be dissatisfied with?
After the man died, the original owner felt like the sky had fallen, as if her ATM was gone and she could no longer spend money like before.
But Zhen Zhen hopes to leave a beautiful lie to her three sons. Family harmony is very important to every child, no matter whether the child is three years old, thirty or sixty years old. Everyone needs the nourishment of love.
Meng Hua lowered his head when he heard that. Zhen Zhen picked up the serving chopsticks and stirred the mutton hot pot. "The hot pot is hot. Eat it while it's hot!"
When Meng Hua came back to his senses, Meng Daguo and Meng Eryong were already eating happily.
"You two are pigs? Leave some for me!" Meng Hua protested, but no one paid any attention to him.
Zhen Zhen glanced at Tao Aihong and served her a big bowl of pork rib soup.
Tao Aihong was flattered and actually became shy and pretended to be humble, "Oh, Mom! It's too much. I can't eat it."
Zhen Zhen thought, this is just one bowl, how can it be enough for you? So he gave her another big spoonful of ribs.
"Aihong performed well today. She knew how to stand up for this family and was very protective of her mother. This shows that Aihong considers herself a member of the Meng family from the bottom of her heart. Mother wants to praise you. I hope you will continue to do well and become a pure person soon!"
Tao Aihong blinked. She was a primary school graduate and didn't quite understand what a pure person meant. How could she not be pure? She had breasts and a butt, and she was pregnant with a baby. She was a pure, pure woman.
Jiao Huilan was also eating happily while cooking on a small stove. Zhen Zhen gave all the yarn he had knitted for Daya and Erya to Jiao Huilan, who praised him repeatedly:
"My mother's weaving skills are getting better and better, and her taste is also good. I have never seen such beautiful patterns."
Daya praised: "Grandma's knitting is really good! People praised my hat and asked me where I bought it!"
Zhen Zhen was quite happy, admitting that she was a little addicted to knitting. There were really no entertainment activities in those days, and the most popular activity for the whole village was to have babies every night. She did not have the objective conditions, so she could only knit to kill time.
After practicing with Daya and Erya, her knitting skills have improved.
"Daguo's clothes are old, so I'll knit you a new sweater! Look, the yarn is caramel-colored, it will definitely look good on a man."
Jiao Huilan smiled, "This is the first time I've heard of caramel color. Mom is absolutely right."
Meng Daguo felt warm inside. This was the first time his mother had knitted a sweater for him. He used to be envious of Da Ya and Er Ya when they wore new sweaters, but as a grown man, he didn't have the nerve to ask for it. He didn't know what it felt like to wear a sweater knitted by his mother.
Zhen Zhen took out caramel-colored wool to knit a sweater for Meng Daguo. The wool did not come from her space. She had exchanged it with a woman in labor in the hospital for noodles when she went to the county town last time.
She only had yarn for girls in her space, and this dark caramel color looked pretty nice, and she thought it was very suitable for her three sons.
Meng Daguo came over and said, "Mom, will this be too hard for you? If you really can't do it, forget it! It's just a sweater!"
"How can that be counted? You wear that tattered sweater every day, and it makes your mother feel sad! How can a man not have a decent piece of clothing!" Zhen Zhen laughed.
Meng Daguo felt even more relieved, but he didn't show it on his face and agreed calmly.
Originally, Meng Daguo had agreed to order a bed from a carpenter, but the carpenter broke his leg years ago and was recuperating in bed. It also snowed recently, so the order was delayed.
So much so that Zhen Zhen had to sleep in the same bed with the villain's son.
At night, Zhen Zhen lit a kerosene lamp and candles, and leaned on the bed to knit. Meng Hua came in after washing her feet, and when she saw the sweater in her mother's hand, she was immediately delighted.
I didn't expect that his mother still loves him so much! She seems to be less gentle to him than before, but secretly she gives him a big sweater.
Mom is so mean. She didn't even come to measure his size. He has grown quite a lot taller in these few months. The old size is no longer useful!
But as long as his mother loves him, he will like him no matter whether he is old or young.
Meng Hua jumped onto the bed happily, causing the bed to creak. Zhen Zhen gave him a look of disdain, "Why are you acting like a monkey?"
"I am the little monkey and you are the mother monkey! Why are you scolding yourself, mother?"
Don't say! Meng Hua, who had just washed his face, had a wet spot on his hair, which was combed back. With a three-dimensional face, he really looked like a nobleman from the Republic of China.
Unfortunately, there are too many people who are calculating and treacherous.
Zhen Zhen rolled his eyes, "Alright, go to sleep! Monkey!"
Meng Hua smiled and crawled into the end of the bed, "Mom, why is your quilt so warm!"
If you hadn't moved in, she would have been even warmer! Zhen Zhen concentrated on knitting and ignored him.
Meng Hua was lying on the bed, wondering why his mother hadn't told him that the yarn was for him. He analyzed carefully, although his mother's attitude towards Meng Daguo had improved a lot, it was difficult to change a person's nature. Meng Daguo was stupid and not as handsome as him. He didn't like his mother, so his mother would never weave the yarn for Meng Daguo.
Meng Eryong is a little smart, but too slick. It is impossible for his mother to knit such beautiful wool for him.
By process of elimination, he was the only one left.
Both of his brothers have military coats, but he doesn't, so it's his turn to have this sweater!
After Meng Hua finished his analysis, he felt completely relieved and fell into a deep sleep hugging the quilt. However, because he snored too loudly, his beloved mother kicked him twice in his sleep.
In the middle of the night, Meng Hua started grinding his teeth again. Zhen Zhen couldn't stand sleeping with a stinky man who snored and grinded his teeth. The next day, he asked Meng Daguo to call Mrs. Meng and Mrs. Meng's father and said straight to the point:
"Mom and Dad, Daguo's father's subsidy will be delivered in the spring. I want to save some bricks in advance and build a few rooms for my family when the money arrives."
Old Mrs. Meng had never thought of taking the money, because she knew that her daughter-in-law would never let the money fall into her hands!
But she never thought that this scrap of skin could be used to build a house! She thought Zhen Guizhi would use all the money to support her parents, or just buy clothes and food for herself, and spent it all early!
The house is built for the Meng family and their three grandchildren. Why would they disagree?
Zhen Zhen added, "Meng Hua has nowhere to live now, so he has to share a room with me. It would be inappropriate if word got out that his grown-up son was sleeping with his mother. I thought we should build it as soon as possible, so that there won't be a lot of rain in the middle of the year, which would slow down the progress."
When Old Mrs. Meng heard that Meng Hua had no place to live, she was heartbroken and couldn't wait to build a house.
"Okay! I'll ask your dad to find Li Decheng and find a way to get you a few truckloads of bricks! Get all the bricks as soon as possible! Your uncle is a good at building houses, ask him to find a few people to help you, and ask your sister-in-law to help you cook, and ask the kids in our family to come over and throw bricks, so we can build the house as soon as possible!"
Zhen Zhen couldn't ask for more, "Then I'll trouble you, Mom and Dad."
Old Lady Meng always felt that this little bitch was talking awkwardly. She immediately glared at her and said, "We are all family. Why are you still talking about troubles? Who are you hurting?"
After the snow stopped, the weather turned nice. The temperature got warmer day by day, and people in the village gradually resumed work.
However, Song Xiaoyu, the second daughter of Zhang Cuihua next door, became jealous and ran into the house as soon as she got off work.
"What are you crazy about?" Zhang Cuihua was drying the bed sheets and glared at her daughter unhappily.
"Mom, a group of educated youth came to the village. One of them, Cheng, is a vixen. As soon as she arrived, she seduced Brother Meng Hua to work for her. Who does she think she is to be worthy of Brother Meng Hua?"
Zhang Cuihua felt like the sky was falling, "No, what do you mean, you little bitch! You don't like Meng Hua, do you? Song Xiaoyu, let me tell you! I, Zhang Cuihua, can't afford to lose that person! Your sister always tried to get close to Meng Daguo, but Meng Daguo ignored her, and you followed suit. You can like anyone else but Meng Hua! What's so good about Meng Hua! Can he pick up dung or raise pigs? An embroidered pillow!"
Song Xiaoyu pouted and said angrily, "He can't pick up dung or raise pigs, but he looks good! What's wrong with an embroidered pillow? Just looking good is enough!"
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