Xia Xiao'e put the little glutinous rice balls on the kang and sat down herself. She watched the little glutinous rice balls sucking their fingers and talked to Yu Sui in detail:
"Sister-in-law, this is the first woolen dress I have ever worn since I was a child. I really don't want to wear it, but I really like it. Thank you so much. But please don't buy it for me in the future. It's too wasteful to wear such a thick dress at home! You should buy it for little Tangyuan. Everything he eats and uses costs money!"
Sister-in-law, actually you gave the money to my parents. Usually my mother would buy a bunch of meat and other things for the family first, and then give my second brother a few dollars to go out to a restaurant. Then she would buy a lot of things to show off at her parents' home, and give a few dollars to my uncle. Then the money was gone, and it was never my turn to give it to her. Oh, a few days ago, she used it to pay my tuition of five dollars per semester.
I heard my father tell my mother that they should save some money for my second brother to use for getting married in the future, but my mother said that if the family has money, my eldest brother will not be willing to give it to my second brother when he gets married in the future. Besides, my eldest brother should provide for them in their old age and should serve them well with food and drink.
Sister-in-law, to be honest, even though they're my parents, I can't stand this. It's only because my eldest brother was a successful soldier that he can afford to give them so much money. If there were any other young people in our brigade, would they do this? They're not old. Who would rely on their son for their entire life? Aren't they all so busy taking care of their children that they don't have time to spare!
Because you gave them money, the brigade allocated them all that land, but they didn't have time to plant it. Before I came, everyone else had already been accumulating fertilizer and planting some winter wheat when they had time. Isn't it all food when the wheat is harvested? That wheat harvest would be enough for a few extra wontons and noodles! The family next door planted Chinese mustard greens and radishes, and they sell them at the market for a couple of yuan each time—so much money!
But my parents just watch the land lie idle, unwilling to plant it now. I heard my mother bragging to others that even without planting, she still gets paid every month, which is better than others who work themselves to death. So, sister-in-law, what are you asking me to say? They are like this... well, they are my parents after all, and I can't despise them. But sometimes I think, if you don't give me any, it might be better.
After listening to these words, Yu Sui once again admired Xia Xiao'e in her heart.
This little girl doesn't look like she was born to Ah Fen. She must be God's chosen one, to work and worry about the family.
Yu Sui nodded seriously:
"Xiao E, you're right. At their age, they should still be working hard. It's unreasonable for them to rely on us for support now. After all, your eldest brother wasn't raised by your mother when he was a child. So your eldest brother won't give you this money anymore, but you don't have to come back. Your eldest brother and I have decided that when we get to the capital, I will help you find a good technical school so you can learn some skills. Then, you won't have to rely on others for the rest of your life and you'll be able to support yourself."
Xia Xiao'e was stunned: "You, you, sister-in-law, you said... send me to learn technology?"
"Yes. A good technical school, not just any kind. For example, one that teaches clothing pattern making, accounting, shorthand, or something like that. Those who learn these skills will have an easier time finding work in society, safe from the elements. And when you're looking for a partner, you can find someone like that. Both of you will have a good income, so life will be much easier than in the countryside."
Xia Xiao'e looked at Yu Sui with her mouth open. As she looked, she threw herself into Yu Sui's arms and burst into tears.
Yu Sui: "Hey, Xiao E, what are you doing? Are you unwilling or what?"
Xia Xiao'e quickly shook her head: "No, no, I'm just too... too moved! Sister-in-law, do you know, mother showed me a family, it's my aunt's nephew from her mother's family, he's so ugly, I heard my aunt tell my mother that as long as I marry her nephew in the future, she will be kind to my grandmother. If I don't marry her nephew, will she not be kind to my grandmother?
I got angry when I heard this. My mother took it as an imperial decree and said a lot of words praising my aunt. Then my aunt said that we were all family anyway, so she would tell me first and then I would get married when I turned 18. There was no need to tell me about it in the meantime to avoid making me feel embarrassed.
But when my mother got home, she told my father that my aunt was stingy and wanted to save the wedding gifts and engagement money, so she said she wouldn't mention it until I was eighteen. Sister-in-law, if you can really let me study abroad and I don't have to come back, you've saved me, and I kowtow to you!
As Xia Xiao'e said this, she actually knelt down and kowtowed to Yu Sui.
Yu Sui quickly grabbed her and said, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing! Get up! If you really want to thank me, you should work hard to improve yourself and learn advanced knowledge and etiquette instead of doing this whole kowtow-to-me thing. I don't like it."
Xia Xiao'e immediately didn't dare: "Then, how should I thank you, sister-in-law?"
"In this family, you should honestly help out. Later, when you go to school, study honestly. And when you enter society, be an honest person. Do you understand?"
"Oh, I understand."
In this way, Xia Xiao'e became Yu Sui's follower and was extremely loyal.
Ah Fen was becoming more and more anxious.
There was no news from the daughter, and as the letter she wrote to Xia Linsheng was approaching the border, no one knew whether it had arrived, so naturally there was no reply.
Yu Sui's family celebrated a happy and peaceful New Year, but during her New Year, Afen had a quarrel with her family members because of money.
Xia Linsheng didn't send them any money, and Afen was used to spending the bulk of the money every month. After the winter, she didn't have much money left to buy things.
It just so happened that the land had been distributed to each household, and the production team's dividends had been distributed to everyone before the land was distributed, so Afen's family had naturally spent it all long ago.
Logically, it would be Afen's family that would suffer, but who made Afen give money to her brother every month?
My brother from my mother's side has become accustomed to receiving this kind of "sky-falling" money every month. Now that it's suddenly gone, how unhappy would he be?
Besides, it's a customs clearance, and people are still waiting for Afen to give money to buy some things.
If there is no money, who else can I blame but Ah Fen?
Afen's parents, brother and sister-in-law called her "Tian" and took turns scolding her. When they found out that Afen had sent their daughter out of Tian and that her whereabouts were unknown, they despised her even more.
Afen's parents think that it is only right for Xia Linsheng to give them the money every month. Are they crazy to think of sending their daughter to help Xia Linsheng?
Afen's brother and sister-in-law thought, even if Xia Xiao'e disappeared, what did it have to do with giving them money? One less person in the family means less expenses, so shouldn't they give more to her parents? Why is there still no money? How can they be so heartless?
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