Chapter 120 Understanding in the Heart
Jie Jinlan actually didn’t know Lu Shaotang. She had never spoken to him, not even made eye contact.
All her knowledge and feelings about Lu Shaotang were from what she heard and her own imagination.
All she imagined about Lu Shaotang was that he was a military officer, with a respectable status, a high salary, very handsome and tall, all of which were extremely good, and could give her a good life and great vanity. He
was just a symbol of a good partner, not a person.
She always had a feeling of dissatisfaction before: If Lu Shaotang looked at me, he would definitely like me. Now that he finally looked at her straight in the eye, standing in front of her as a living person, she was suddenly frightened and her legs went weak.
Although it was just a casual glance, less than a second, the sense of oppression that came over her made her brows tighten, her hair stand on end, and her back feel cold.
She didn't know why it was like this.
It's too scary!
Soldiers are really rough and rude, so scary!
No, no, she can't find such a person.
Everyone in the room had already made way to let Lu Shaotang in.
"Wow, he's really tall, you see he has to lower his head to enter the room."
"Don't mention it, just look at his appearance and height, he really matches his third cousin."
"Hey, do you think he will beat his wife? He looks so fierce."
Lin Shu didn't expect Lu Shaotang to really come over. She originally sat on the edge of the kang, but she stood on the ground and stretched out her hand to him, wanting to introduce the secretary and the old woman to him.
Lu Shaotang subconsciously reached out to take her hand, and held it naturally, not allowing her to pull it back.
Lin Shu was not shy, and introduced him.
The secretary's wife and the captain's daughter-in-law and others praised Lu Shaotang for his good looks and righteousness.
Other neighbors who were watching the excitement smiled and whispered.
"Hey, look, they are holding hands."
"They are really young, why are they so clingy."
Nowadays, no matter how hot the woman is outside, and even dares to flirt with men and tell dirty jokes, she is too embarrassed to hold hands with her man in front of others.
How embarrassing, so shy!
Let her scold the man, but holding hands, beat her to death.
Look at that young couple, oh my, how sweet they are.
No matter how late they go back to their parents' home, the husband won't wait to pick them up, but they come in a hurry.
Look at the young man's big strides, he is in a hurry. When
Lu Shaotang came, Lin Shu said goodbye to Old Lady Jie and others, ate a hand-rolled noodle, and took away 30 yuan, a quilt cover and two kilograms of cotton. The scissors were not left behind, the boy took them.
Although he didn't bring any gifts when he came, he brought so many when he left, as if he was returning a gift, and those who didn't know were very surprised.
"How can the Xie family be so generous? They gave their granddaughter so many gifts in
return?" "It's not like their family can do such a thing. How can they be so generous to their daughter?"
"What? That's the eldest daughter-in-law who borrowed the Lu family manor for several years. The mother-in-law was afraid that she would forget to ask for it."
"Oh, it's so embarrassing to ask for it at the door. Isn't the mother-in-law of the Lu family afraid that people will say that she doesn't give face to her daughter-in-law and relatives."
"So what? If anyone owes us 30 yuan, no matter who owes it, I can go and ask for it back. Who cares about face these days?"
The eldest aunt was so angry when she heard it.
So Lin Shu didn't bring anything with her, and she came to eat a meal of hand-rolled noodles for nothing, and she didn't get anything good at all?
How generous is a person who can pay back the money he borrowed?
If someone else had borrowed money, would they have paid it back so readily?
No matter what she felt in her heart, she smiled warmly, caring about Lu Shaotang very much, asking him if he was hungry or not, and making hand-rolled noodles for him.
She wanted to invite Lu Shaotang to dinner.
She wanted to get close to Lu Shaotang, so that she could ask him to help arrange a place for her eldest grandson in the army, or arrange a job for her youngest son.
Lu Shaotang naturally refused, saying that it was late and his parents were worried about him at home.
Panpan: "Grandma, I will come to see you later."
Tiantian stuffed a piece of candy into Grandma Jie's mouth in front of many people.
The old ladies were so envious of the excitement, "Look at these two children, they are so filial."
Mrs. Xie was very happy. Although the family lost money today, she didn't lose anything. She didn't feel anything.
Lu Shaotang carried the two children out and motioned Lin Shu and him to follow behind without being crowded.
Lin Xia really couldn't hold back her laughter. Let's go quickly. These two kids are so good at making trouble.
Although the Xie family didn't give the kids New Year's money, they didn't give the Xie family kids money either. This is really the credit of the kids, and it saved the family money.
Mrs. Xie personally sent them out with a cane.
When they reached the gate of the courtyard, Secretary Jie, his eldest son and the team leader came over and greeted Lu Shaotang enthusiastically.
"Come on, go sit down and have a couple of drinks. We, your father, your team secretary and team leader are all old friends."
Lu Shaotang was impatient with these social events. If they were friends, you should go and socialize with them.
He smiled for the sake of his wife and children, but firmly declined.
The old woman of the secretary gave money to the two children again.
The team leader's daughter-in-law followed suit.
Each of them gave fifty cents.
It was customary to use the excuse of giving children New Year's money to socialize with adults.
Of course the two children didn't want it!
Grandma said, no reward without merit.
Although they wanted to receive the New Year's gift, they had to give it legitimately. Their relatives had to give it to them. If they didn't, they would be considered as being a thief. They couldn't accept it from outsiders.
Lin Shu thanked them one by one. Lu Shaotang didn't like to talk about appearances, so she said it perfectly, giving him face and taking care of everything.
This made the branch secretary and the team leader feel very comfortable.
On the way to the village entrance, Secretary Xie enviously said, "Your commune is doing well this year. You can buy two more tractors. Our commune also wants to buy one, but we can't afford it even if we have money these days."
Lin Shu could only think that he was envious. After all, she didn't have the nerve to ask Director Guo of the tractor factory for a quota, right?
After a few words, they reached the village entrance. Lu Shaotang said to Secretary Xie and others, "Please stay." Secretary Xie said,
"Shaotang, take good care of your father and your secretary."
Lu Shaotang agreed.
Old Mrs. Xie was hardworking and went out in the cold weather. She said goodbye to Lin Shu and her two children affectionately, "Come and visit often."
To outsiders, she was really affectionate.
Second Uncle Xie and his aunt were far behind the crowd, holding two crumpled bills in their hands, wanting to give them to their two sons as New Year's money.
Second Uncle Xie pushed him, "Hurry, hurry, we have to go."
Second Uncle Xie hesitated to move forward, there were too many people, and he was embarrassed to squeeze through.
In the end, he watched Lu Shaotang, who stood out from the crowd, slowly disappear in the crowd.
It was dark when they returned to the Lin family.
Mother Lin hurriedly set the table, "Are you hungry? Come on and eat on the kang."
Father Lin hurriedly let them in and asked the two sons to get on the kang, "You must be frozen, take off your shoes and cover yourself with the quilt to warm up."
Panpan and Tiantian reported to their grandmother and grandfather about the relatives they had visited.
"Great-grandmother is fine, nothing is wrong."
Mother Lin was quite concerned, and asked carefully what was wrong with her, whether she had an IV drip or something.
Lin Shu: "It's fine, no cough, no headache, no fever. By the way, my aunt has returned all the money and cloth and cotton that she lent me before."
Lin Shu left the cotton and cloth to Mother Lin, who had given out a lot of cloth coupons as rewards last year, so she had nothing to lose.
Mother Lin refused to
take them, and asked her to take them back. Lin Xia indicated to Lin Shu that it was okay for her to take them back, but she shouldn't ask her grandmother to take them from her mother again.
Father Lin took the wine pot and boiled some wine, wanting to drink a few cups with his son-in-law and son.
Lin Shu saw the tea tray and teapot on the kang table, "Are there guests today?"
Lin's mother: "Your second aunt is here."
Lin Shu: "My second aunt is here? Didn't her cousin come back today?"
Lin's mother: "No, hey."
Lin Shu glanced at her, "Then why don't you let your second aunt stay overnight?"
Lin's mother: "Your second aunt... is so thin that her bones are visible. I don't think she is in good health."
Lin Shu: "She has never eaten enough in her life, and she has never eaten good food. If she has something delicious, she feeds it to my uncle and cousin. How can she be healthy?"
Thinking of her second uncle and second aunt, Lin Xia, who was originally very happy because her two sons helped Lin Shu get the money back and asked her aunt to make her a bowl of hand-rolled noodles, now her smile is gone.
Lin Xia said to her mother, "Mom, my second uncle and second aunt have been brainwashed by my grandmother. You'd better be careful not to be PUA by them again, otherwise our life will be like theirs."
Lin's mother originally thought that the second daughter's words were unpleasant and impersonal, but she was attracted by the words she had never heard before, "What brainwashing?"
Lin Xia glanced at Lin Shu and said what she said at the time with her own understanding, and tried to make Lin's mother understand.
After all, Lin's mother was uneducated and uninformed, not as good as her.
She learned quickly, but Lin's mother couldn't.
As expected, Lin's mother refused to admit that she had been brainwashed since she was young. She said, "How can children not feel sorry for their parents? Your grandmother and grandfather had a hard time at that time. They had to support a large family without two acres of land. Your grandmother never had a bite of pork head until she died."
As she spoke, she wanted to wipe her tears again.
Tiantian took her handkerchief to wipe her tears.
Panpan: "Grandma, my great-grandmother eats very well, much better than us. She eats a big box of egg cakes. Look at my eldest cousin, he is so fat. Hey, my second aunt and second uncle are as thin as the bark of the old locust tree in the yard, dark and wrinkled, and older than my great-grandmother."
Lin's mother was so upset that her heart was aching. It was not only my second brother and second sister-in-law, but also my second sister.
Those hands were rough. They were a generation behind me. They were really more wrinkled than an old lady in her seventies or eighties.
She didn't want to say it before, but now she couldn't help but said to her daughter-in-law: "Your second aunt doesn't even have a pair of decent shoes, so I gave her the old cotton shoes." She glanced at Lin Shu with a guilty look. The new cotton shoes were given by her daughter to help her.
Lin Shu: "Mom, when you give things to my second aunt in the future, give them after you have made a hole in your pocket. Don't let my first aunt take away the good things."
Lin's mother sighed, "Those old cotton shoes are quite old. They have been patched several times. Your first aunt won't do that."
She took out a small black patched cloth bag from the kang, "Your grandmother knew that your second aunt had a bad stomach, so she gave her a pound of millet to make porridge for her stomach. When I heard from your cousin that I was in the hospital, your grandmother asked your second aunt to come and see me. Your second aunt insisted on giving me the millet."
Seeing Lin's mother wiping tears with emotion, Lin Yue's eyes also hurt, and Lin's father was also sad.
Sisters Lin Shu and Lin Xia: "…………"
Lu Shaotang did not interrupt, but ate and drank in silence. He was not interested in the private affairs of his parents.
Tiantian and Panpan were busy wiping the tears of their grandma and grandpa.
Lin Xia couldn't stand it and wanted to say a few words to her parents, asking them not to be too nice.
Lin Shu winked and signaled her not to say anything.
Lin's mother was feeling sad. She was touched by her mother's love for her sisters and by her second aunt's reluctance to give her food. Now you say that your mother is playing tricks on you, how can she listen?
She will only think that you are so inhuman. Your grandma is an old lady, why is she brainwashing you? What is she trying to do?
This Xiaomi is really sincere.
This kind person always thinks that others are as kind as her. She can't see the sharpness of some people's thin kindness.
Her kindness is not sharp, but pure and sincere.
During the meal, Lin's mother kept putting meat on Panpan and Tiantian's plates, asking them to eat more.
Lin Xia originally wanted to show off that it was the first time in her life that she had eaten hand-rolled noodles from her uncle's house, and that she had not given any benefits to her uncle's family, and had even brought back pancakes, but now she did not dare to say anything.
Mother Lin feels sorry for her mother. If you say that you have taken advantage of her mother, she will only feel sorry for the old lady even more.
After dinner, Lu Shaotang took the initiative to clean up the dishes. Seeing this, Lin Yue helped his brother-in-law to wash the pots and dishes.
Mother Lin and Father Lin hurriedly said no, no, how could they let their son-in-law do housework.
Lu Shaotang: "It's okay, mother, you can go to the kang and talk."
Panpan: "Grandma, you feel sorry for your mother, and my second aunt and mother also feel sorry for their mothers. Come on, I'll give you some candy."
He doesn't give his candy to anyone.
After hearing the child's seemingly innocent words, Lin's mother thought about how she felt about her mother, and then put herself in the shoes of the two daughters who felt sorry for her. The second daughter was divorced and couldn't help at home, the third daughter lost her husband and she couldn't help much, and the eldest daughter's family was not doing well recently. It was good for her not to cause trouble for them.
Her heart that just felt sorry for her mother was instantly divided into several parts.
It is said that only when you raise a child will you know the kindness of your parents, but after raising a child, the heart that loves your parents will also be divided.
She went up to the kang again and took the red date cake for them to eat.
Tiantian told Lin's mother that the second aunt and the second aunt looked very pitiful.
"They are working even though their hands are frozen, the house is like an ice hole, their cotton pants are all torn and tattered... Oh, they are dirty and skinny, and look like beggars without mothers."
"My eldest cousin dresses like people in the city, his clothes are brand new, and he is white and plump."
"My second uncle lives in a house that is not even as big as my straw shed. My grandma would definitely not let my second uncle live like that. Grandma, is my second uncle a child adopted by my great-grandmother?"
Mother Lin was stunned, "We were poor at that time, so poor, every household couldn't eat enough."
Panpan: "That family didn't make their own children look like beggars, right? Why is my second uncle like that?"
Mother Lin was stunned again, not knowing what to say. Am
I right?
Children should not blame their parents.
But is she right?
The family didn't allow the second brother to marry at such an old age. They said that the family was poor and they couldn't afford the bride price, so the second brother could only remain single.
Mother Lin forced herself to suppress the discomfort in her heart. It was not because she was uncomfortable with the question from her child, but because she was dissatisfied with her own mother.
She couldn't say bad things about her parents behind their backs. That would be unfilial and ungrateful.
Her parents were too poor and suffered too much at that time, so they had no choice.
Lin Shu said, "It would be better if we could divide the family."
Mother Lin: "Your grandmother won't agree."
She also had to admit that her mother didn't divide the family just to let the second brother work for the family and earn work points.
"Your second uncle has no children. If they don't separate and live together, there will be someone to take care of him if he feels unwell. When he gets old..."
Lin Xia couldn't help it, "Mom, who do you think will take care of my second uncle when he is sick?"
It must be my second aunt.
Mother Lin was embarrassed, but she didn't want to say anything bad about her mother and eldest brother, so she started talking about the eldest and second aunts.
She was thinking of asking Lin Yue to go to the eldest sister's house tomorrow.
During the Chinese New Year, it is basically the aunts and cousins who visit each other.
Lin Shu and the others don't have to go. Lin
Yue is going to the eldest aunt's house, so the gift he brings should be important, and basically he should follow the rules of visiting relatives.
Lin Shu said to her mother, "Mom, Lin Yue will definitely have to find a partner in the future, and we have to prepare the gift and other things. Baoer will definitely be by your side, and when he grows up, he will need money for food, clothing, and education, so you have to prepare it."
Mother Lin: "Don't worry, I know what to do. Don't worry that I will be like your second aunt, I won't."
She felt distressed, but she also remembered what her mother-in-law said.
When my mother-in-law was dying, she said, "It's okay for you to feel sorry for your family. Just do the same as everyone else. If you use my sons, grandsons, and granddaughters to subsidize your family, you won't be able to be buried in the old Lin family's tomb when you die. See if the Jie family will let you go back?"
Lin's mother actually knew that when she was a concubine, she was a member of the Jie family. When she got married and had children, she was a member of the Lin family. When she died, she would be buried in the Lin family's ancestral tomb. At that time, she would be buried with the ancestors of the Lin family and be supported by the descendants of the Lin family.
There was no place for her in her family.
No matter how much she felt sorry for her, she would only send some food and drink to her mother, but she would not touch the foundation.
Seeing her like this, Lin Xia was quite surprised and said with a smile: "Mom, you are amazing. You haven't been brainwashed."
Lin Shu: "Our mom was brainwashed by grandma in reverse."
Lin's mother said angrily: "I think you are feeding me a drug."
What brainwashing is it? Isn't it just
feeding me a drug? Make me confused, and then I will be obedient.
Lin's mother is just kind and loves her parents. She is not really stupid.
The millet that the second sister brought was full of worms and balls. She would definitely not eat it and would feed it to the chickens, but she knew that the second sister would definitely eat it and treat it as a treasure. After all, the second sister usually eats sweet potatoes and dried sweet potato grits.
The mother doesn't want to eat it, but she gave the millet with worms that she doesn't want to eat to the second sister. The second sister was moved and would give the mother a few pounds of good food in return, right?