Chapter 119 Sweetness of Milk
Lin Shu and Lin Xia were laughing so hard that their bellies burst.
Lin Yue was still wondering, why did his grandma wear tattered clothes during the Chinese New Year when she was not like this before?
Pan Pan looked at his aunt and cousin meaningfully, and also looked for the figures of his aunt and cousin's wife, sighing heavily, wanting to accuse them of being unfilial, how could they let the old lady wear such poor clothes?
Uncle Jie never showed up from beginning to end, because Mrs. Jie and his aunt paid him out, fearing that he would not be able to show his ability when they forced Lin Shu to pay.
Second Uncle Jie and his aunt were the old workhorses of the Jie family, and they could not even think of taking a break during the Chinese New Year. They were doing weaving work in their little house, weaving straw boxes.
Although my second aunt has some intellectual disabilities, she is quite strong and can work well. My
second uncle Xie taught her to weave straw, and she earned a lot of work points every year, and even extra money during the Chinese New Year.
When Panzi was tired of telling stories, he and Tiantian went to inspect the great-grandmother's house.
In their opinion, the Xie family's yard was too small, and it ended after just a few steps.
Because of their talent for storytelling, the neighbors now looked at them with admiration, and they walked especially beautifully.
The two children wandered into the room of my second aunt.
This room was really small, not as big as their straw shed. There was only a small kang with a tattered quilt on it.
Apart from that, the room was bare.
It was winter, and the house was as cold as an ice cellar. The two children shivered.
Second Uncle Jie and Second Aunt Jie were weaving straw goods. Their hands were covered with frostbite, pus and bleeding, but they continued to weave. They were afraid of getting the straw dirty, so they wiped their hands with dirty rags.
When they saw the two cute children come in, they were stunned for a moment and didn't know what to do. Although it was their own room, they were so cramped that they didn't know where to put their hands and feet.
Panpan: "Second Uncle Grandpa?"
Second Uncle Jie was so excited that his eyes were red, but he didn't dare to agree, for fear of scaring the children.
The second aunt also wanted to give something to the children, but they had boiled dried sweet potatoes on New Year's Eve, which were black and bitter. There was not much of it, and they were only half full after eating it. There was nothing in the house for the children to eat.
The two of them lowered their heads in shame, feeling guilty and embarrassed.
Tiantian peeled two White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket, "People who still work during the New Year are the most hardworking. Our commune secretary said that such people should be rewarded."
She handed them to their mouths.
Looking at the white and chubby little hands, they both shed tears.
No one has been so generous to them in their lives, giving them candy?
Oh my God.
This must be a dream.
Second Uncle Jie quickly wiped his eyes with his rough hands full of blood, and said incoherently: "No, no, you, you eat it."
Panpan reached out to help and stuffed the candy into his mouth.
Second Uncle Jie had lost several teeth due to malnutrition, so the candy went into his mouth very smoothly, and immediately a sweet milky taste that he had never tasted before melted in his mouth.
My aunt, my cousin, and several children were so distressed.
In fact, a piece of milk candy would not make them so jealous, but since Second Uncle Jie, who they thought was not worthy of eating it, ate it, the jealousy brought by the milk candy doubled.
Several people stared at Second Uncle Jie and Second Aunt.
Panpan did the same and stuffed Second Aunt's candy into his mouth.
Second aunt was even more embarrassed. She dared not close her mouth. She drooled as the candy fell out and fell on the straw.
She hurriedly picked it up. She had never seen this before. It must be very expensive and she was not worthy of eating it.
Panpan: "Eat it quickly, this is a prize!"
Second uncle Jie did not dare to look up at the eldest aunt and others outside. With trembling hands, he stuffed the candy into his wife's mouth and let her hold it in her mouth to taste it slowly.
It's a great pleasure to taste such a sweet milk in this life.
He has never tasted what his mother's milk tasted like. When he was a child, he secretly asked his eldest sister, and his eldest sister said she didn't remember. Later, his eldest sister said it was a little sweet.
This candy is so sweet, is it better than his mother's milk?
Watching them eat the candies, Panpan and Tiantian left the cold little house and said to the neighbors in the yard: "Look, my second uncle and second uncle are the most diligent. Where is my eldest uncle? Why doesn't he work? My grandma said that the eldest brother is the role model of the family. He has to set an example for the family members. If he is lazy, he will be beaten with a stick."
The eldest aunt really wanted to strangle the two kids to death and throw them out!
They have been serving you for most of the day!
She smiled and said, "Tiantian, do you still have White Rabbit candies in your pocket? Share some with your brothers."
The granddaughter let it go.
Tiantian pressed her bulging pockets and said, "No more, really no more."
Every time she went out during the New Year holidays, her grandparents would fill her pockets with candies, so that she could generously share a piece with friends she got along with.
She had given away several pieces before, but Panpan was reluctant to give even half a piece.
She liked this candy herself, so she couldn't share it.
You guys don't have any work to do during the New Year, so you don't need rewards.
This second aunt and uncle are very similar to her second uncle, who is also very hardworking. When he is busy at home all day, she wants to reward him.
Of course, the second uncle is not as pitiful as the second great-uncle.
The second uncle's cotton-padded trousers are thick and bulky, and he even complained that he was not working hard enough, so he deliberately asked for thinner sewing. The cotton-padded trousers of the second great-uncle, well, there is probably no cotton in them, they are all rolled up.
After a round of inspection at the Xie family.
Panpan brought up the matter of her aunt's debt again, "Aunt, you should pay my mother back the money as soon as possible, so that my mother can honor my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother doesn't even have good cotton pants to wear."
Her aunt said with difficulty, "I'll give the same to your great-grandmother, as your mother's filial piety."
Tiantian was unhappy, "How can it be the same? My grandma said that you can't pretend to be a good person by talking. If you use my things to pretend to be a good person, people will think you did it. Then what about my mother?"
Her aunt wanted to throw them out into the mountain ditch.
Damn it, why didn't that damn brazer catch those two little dogs?
Seeing that some neighbors were still lingering here, she began to force a smile and shoo them away, "It's noon, go home and cook."
"Oh, it's New Year's Day, just have two meals, no rush."
"Yes, we just finished eating."
The eldest aunt-in-law said unhappily, "Today is the third day of the New Year, you don't go back to your parents' home, and the daughters don't go back to their parents' home?"
"Going back to your parents' home is also about seeing each other and having fun. Look how lively and festive your relatives are. Look how much fun they are, they are better than anything else."
"Not bad at all, no one in the village has been walking on stilts or dancing the yangge for many years, and these two kids are more exciting than a stage for opera."
In the house, old lady Jie asked Lin Shu and Lin Yue about their well-being and deliberately ignored Lin Xia.
She has always been like this, and she uses this routine with her children and grandchildren.
Although she is not a big shot, she automatically unlocks this power trick, praising one and stepping on the other, so that everyone will fawn on her.
Because of this, Lin Xia once made a scene at her grandmother's house when she was a child, and later never visited again. After
so many years, the old lady still plays this trick, only a fool would fall for it.
In the past, the old lady praised Sister Lin and stepped on Lin Xia, but then Grandma Lin interfered. She then praised Lin Shu and tried to control Lin Shu's marriage, but was again interfered by Grandma Lin. Old Lady Jie
always hated Grandma Lin, but she was also proud of it. It doesn't matter if you are powerful and capable, you are powerful only if you live long.
Lin Shu smiled and said to Old Lady Jie, "Grandma, my second sister is very capable in the unit. Now she is helping to deliver electricity to the countryside. Whether we can use electric lights here, it may be because of my second sister's efforts."
I'll give you some ideas, just think about it.
Haha.
Old Lady Jie looked at Lin Xia in disbelief. Does this idiot have that ability?
Lin Xia smiled and said, "Yes."
She also looked at Old Lady Jie's room. "If the electricity is on, you can put this light bulb here, and put the switch rope next to you. You can turn the light on and off by pulling it. You don't need to light the oil lamp."
Old Lady Jie looked up and immediately had a plan in her mind. How could this idiot be so capable?
She smiled and said, "Then you have grown up."
When the fool really steals electricity for her village, she will have to publicize it all over the village to let people remember the good son of the Jie family.
My granddaughter steals electricity for you, shouldn't you show your appreciation?
Even if you don't give eggs and money, you should still remember the good son, right?
In the future, her family will have extra face in the village, and they will all have to smile along.
She has quickly made plans and asked her eldest daughter-in-law and eldest granddaughter-in-law to tell the women in the village that whoever comes to her first to line up will have their electricity stolen first.
She never thought about whether to ask Lin Xia or not, and she made the plan as a matter of course.
As for what Panpan said about paying back the money, Mrs. Jie didn't take it seriously at all.
It's easy to borrow money but hard to pay it back. How can it be so easy to pay it back?
Besides, if the eldest daughter-in-law wanted the money, she probably spent it herself and didn’t give it to her for safekeeping.
It’s impossible for her to pay it back.
If the eldest daughter-in-law doesn’t want to pay it back, then don’t pay it back. Anyway, she uses it as an excuse to help her son get married and have children. Now the family is short of money, so why not wait until next year to pay it back?
There will be things to do next year, so what about the year after?
It will just go by like this year after year.
So Mrs. Xie is not as panicked and embarrassed as the eldest aunt. It doesn’t matter to Xie Jinkui and Xie Jinlan either
. The grandmother is the head of the family. If the sky falls, there will be milk to support it. They just need to enjoy it. Lin Shu didn’t expect to get the money back today. To be honest, the Xie family is different from Zhao Meifeng.
Zhao Meifeng is by her side, and she is the younger generation of her parents-in-law. She has many ways to deal with her.
But Granny Jie is the original owner's grandmother and Lin's mother's biological mother. If she treats Granny Jie and Granny Jie cries to Lin's mother, public opinion and family affection will be unfavorable to Lin's mother.
She can break off the relationship with the Jie family, but Lin's mother can't.
Even if Lin's mother is disappointed with Granny Jie, she can't break off the relationship with her because she is her biological mother.
Otherwise, how could those mediators spare no effort to speak for the old scumbag and persuade his children to forgive him?
In the world, at least among government officials, family affection and filial piety are still very important standards for measuring social atmosphere.
For the work of Lin's father and Lin Yue, Lin's mother can't treat Granny Jie badly.
Lin Shu's purpose is to come here to let Granny Jie know that they are not her biological children and are not so easy to manipulate. If you want to get benefits, just keep quiet.
Don't think of manipulating our mother like you manipulated my second uncle and second aunt!
Pretending to be sick on the second day of the Lunar New Year, believe it or not, I will take you to the hospital for ten days of injections?
Feeling that it was about time, Lin Shu wanted to say goodbye.
After being tortured by the children, Old Mrs. Jie was too embarrassed to ask for money. In the future, Lin's mother would not suffer too many losses and troubles. This trip was not in vain.
At this time, the brigade secretary and the brigade leader of Jiejiaguanzhuang heard that the most beautiful military wife of the Fighting Commune was coming to visit relatives, so they sent their wives or daughters-in-law who had not returned to their parents' home to come and walk around.
So Lin Shu did not say goodbye and sat back.
The secretary's daughter-in-law looked to be in her early fifties, and the daughter-in-law of the brigade leader was about the same age as Lin Shu.
The secretary's wife smiled amiably, "My dear, how are your mother-in-law? I haven't seen her for a few years."
Lin Shu was quite surprised, "Auntie, you know my mother-in-law?"
The secretary's wife: "Yes, my old man and your father-in-law also know her."
At that time, the Lu family was a landlord, and the secretary's family was a poor peasant. The landlord of the Xie family official manor was unjust and mean to the tenants. Renting his land was like working for nothing and not having enough to eat, so they had to go out to do odd jobs in their spare time.
Secretary Xie went to the Lu family manor to do odd jobs to earn some food to support his mother.
These days, being a poor peasant is glorious, so Secretary Xie's wife is not afraid of people knowing.
How many people in this village have not farmed for the landlords?
The landlord Xie and his son were shot to death.
The captain's daughter-in-law also spoke to Lin Xia and Lin Shu warmly, "My father-in-law said that you sisters are role models for us women. One of you is an electrician in the city. A man must be capable to be an electrician, let alone a woman. Sister Lin Shu is also amazing. The newspapers praise you. We also know that you are the most beautiful military wife."
Old Mrs. Jie, the eldest uncle, Jie Jinkui, and Jie Jinlan listened to it and immediately felt uncomfortable.
They thought that Panpan and Tiantian were bragging because Fang Dihua taught them to show off, but they didn't expect it to be true?
These two girls are so promising?
Old Mrs. Jie's eyes changed again when she looked at them.
Although she didn't expect her two granddaughters to support her in her old age, they could still add luster to her face.
To Mrs. Xie, her children were divided into those she loved and those she didn't love. The same was true for her grandchildren. Since she didn't expect them to support her in her old age, she didn't need to be nice to them. She would support those who made her proud, and those who didn't make her proud and she didn't love should stand aside and not bother her.
She didn't care about the unpromising children of the eldest daughter.
The second daughter's family was even worse.
No one would have thought that the fourth daughter's family had the most promising children.
It's not that they were very promising, it was mainly because Grandma Lin married her three granddaughters well, but it was a pity that Mrs. Xie didn't get any credit.
At first, Uncle Xie and Auntie Lin wanted to ask Sister Lin and Sister Lin to help them find jobs for their children. Even if they didn't have the ability to find jobs, they could just live in their house and find a job as a nanny, or find a chance to find a partner in the city.
But Mrs. Xie was not interested in letting her sons and grandsons go to the city to work. How could they flatter her in the city?
She didn't want to please others for the future of her children and grandsons.
She would be old and gone in the future, so what did she care?
She still liked her precious sons and grandsons to stay by her side to flatter her and take care of her in her old age.
Of course, promising grandchildren would be good too, as they could give her money to spend!
She didn't mind having too much money!
Now her mind was full of calculations, how to get Lin Shu to show up with Jin Lan, so that she could find a good partner for Jin Lan.
She asked Lin Shu: "Will your son-in-law come to pick you up later?"
Panpan and Tiantian said that Dad would come to pick up Mom. She seemed not to pay attention, but in fact she remembered all the useful information.
Lu Shaotang will definitely be promoted this time. He must have comrades who are not married. Isn't it just right to introduce them to Jinlan?
Lin Shu: "I guess. Not necessarily."
She didn't make an appointment with Lu Shaotang. If he has something to do, he may not come back.
When the secretary heard that Lu Shaotang was coming, she smiled and said: "Then come to my house for dinner tonight. Our old man is an old Eighth Route Army soldier. Our eldest son also served in the army and later retired."
Generally, if it is a military officer, it is called transfer, and if it is an ordinary soldier, it is retired.
Although her eldest son served in the army, he did not get promoted because he had no connections and no special abilities. He retired
as a squad leader. Now he is the director of public security in their brigade.
Panpan said to her aunt, "Grandma, give my mother some money, and we'll go visit my grandma."
Before, in front of the neighbors, her aunt could still use the excuse that her son was getting married and having children and that the family had to pay a lot of money to borrow money. She didn't refuse to pay it back, but she just
made excuses. I didn't know that Old Lady Jie was younger, so I pretended to be ignorant.
Now that they said this in front of the secretary and the team leader's family, they couldn't hold back.
They were so good at flattering people on a daily basis, whether it was to get some benefits for the family or to be assigned easy work with high work points, the key was to save face.
Old Mrs. Xie was afraid that they would say something, so she immediately smiled and said, "Your uncle will not forget it."
She turned around and scolded the eldest aunt, "Hurry up, you are so slow, you said you would give money to the child just now, but you haven't done anything yet."
The eldest aunt didn't want to move, but everyone in the room was looking at her, so she had to move.
Most of the money in the family was in the hands of Old Mrs. Xie, and the eldest aunt also had some, but not much, but it was enough to pay back the thirty.
After all, the Xie family was used to sucking blood from the whole family to support a few people, not like other families who had to buy things for the whole family, so money was naturally saved.
The aunt-in-law was heartbroken as she gave money to Lin Shu. She didn't know that Lin Shu didn't come here for money. She thought Fang Dihua had already taken out all the money in the account book, so she returned 34.5 to Lin Shu without missing a cent.
Lin Shu was stunned!
She was not afraid of asking for money from the scoundrels, but she was afraid of asking for money from such elders and relatives, because she might not get it even if she broke off relations. She couldn't force the old woman to death. How could she know that the two boys would get the money back!
Tiantian sighed, "The cloth and cotton..."
The secretary's wife and the captain's daughter-in-law looked at the aunt-in-law. They really knew a little about this matter. The aunt-in-law used to take things from Lin Shu and show them off.
Old Mrs. Xie glared at her aunt-in-law. Anyway, she was not short of cloth and cotton, and they got them from her aunt-in-law's house, so the whole family got them.
At this time, the cheerful voice of the neighbors came from outside, "It's the grandson-in-law of the Xie family, right? Oh, he's so tall and handsome, it's the first time I see him."
The aunt-in-law immediately went to get the cloth and cotton .
The cotton was the family's share and was to be used to make Xie Jinlan's dowry quilt, and the cloth was also to make a quilt for Xie Jinlan.
Xie Jinlan's face just turned dark and then brightened up, and she hurried out to greet Lu Shaotang.
He rode a bicycle to Fangshi, accompanied by his grandmother's uncle to talk to the cadres of their brigade. He politely declined the dinner invitation and hurried over to pick up his wife.
Although his wife did not lose any meat when he was not at home, he was worried about her going to the homes of troublesome relatives when he was at home.
Even though he did not know about the conflict between Lin Shu and the Jie family, he knew something was wrong from his wife's attitude towards the Jie brothers and sisters yesterday and the sisters' whispering at night.
Jie Jinlan walked towards him, wanting to smile coquettishly.
Lu Shaotang finally looked at her straight in the eye, but Jie Jinlan was so scared that her legs went limp and she subconsciously made way.
Lu Shaotang went into the house.