Chapter 089: Turbulence in the Family Compound
The first thing they did when they got to work was distribute the cherries they had brought from home. Zhou Zhixing placed the bag he was carrying on Jiang Nan's desk. Jiang Nan untied the net bag and handed out the cherries one by one.
"Brother Zou, Brother Qiang, come and try the cherries from our West River Bank Brigade."
Zou Li seemed to have thought of something. It was not right to answer the call, nor was it right to refuse it.
Seeing this, Jiang Nan chuckled: "Brother Zou, are you afraid to eat cherries because of a trauma?"
Zou Li blushed, but before he could say anything, Wen Qiang waved his hands, "Xiao Nan, I don't like cherries. Give them to Zili and Gengsheng. They're young, so they're sure to love them."
Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng had bitter expressions on their faces, the words of refusal were on the tip of their tongues, but they just couldn't bring themselves to say them.
Jiang Nan chuckled: "Well, I finally brought it back. Fruit is so hard to come by these days, and you're still being so pretentious."
Lan Qingshan came over to join in the fun: "If they don't eat them, I will. The cherries on the west bank of the river are very famous."
Shao Yong, the leader of Group 5, also rushed over to ask for some. The office was filled with the sound of people spitting out fruit cores. Puff, puff, puff, like a peashooter.
After the murder, the office suddenly calmed down and everyone went back to work and dealt with trivial matters.
But Jiang Nan always felt that this was the calm before the storm.
Why? Because the dormitory building construction has started!
There were protests not long ago. Now that construction has begun, there will be fights over how to distribute the land after it's completed. Jiang Nan gets a headache just thinking about it, but his biggest headache right now is something else.
A new recruitment notice has come out.
The notification was urgent this time. The notification came on the first day, and the exam was on the second day. If Jiang Nan and Jiang Mancheng hadn't been keeping an eye on this, they would have almost missed the registration deadline.
Since joining the construction team as a materials clerk, Jiang Mancheng has had more free time. Wan Hu, though the team leader, had suffered from nervous breakdown after repeated ghost sightings, and wasn't paying much attention to the team's management. This gave Jiang Mancheng an opportunity to exploit his situation. He was a good socializer, and within a short time at the construction team, he had become a prominent figure. Now, seeing the job posting, he didn't even need to ask for leave. He rode his bike to the west bank of the river, panting, to tell Jiang Manping.
The oilfield's rush to recruit workers this time must have been a lesson learned. Last time, the gap between notification and exams was so long that so many things got in the way. This time, time was tight, and everyone was busy preparing application materials and reviewing. By the time work ended, nothing much had happened.
Finally, I got off work. As soon as I arrived at the family compound, I found that what Jiang Mancheng said was true. Ye Chunping came back with Yuan Jianshe!
Speaking of these two, no one knew how the conversation ended, but Ye Chunping actually stayed at Yuan Dali's house. She even came out with him in the evening to enjoy the cool breeze and chat, looking very proud, which really shocked everyone in the building.
Although everyone thought Yuan Jianshe would look for another, no one expected him to choose a young educated youth from the countryside. She didn't look like a particularly pretty young woman. She looked wasted, maybe around 23 or 24. Yuan Jianshe's taste was really poor.
In fact, Ye Chunping is only twenty years old, but she has been in the countryside for almost two years. Even if she is lazy, doing farm work is tiring, and she has wasted three or four years.
Old Lady Liu was always the one to start a conversation. She looked at Yuan Jianshe in disbelief, then at Ye Chunping, and shrilly said, "Jianshe, you've decided already? That's too fast, isn't it? Didn't you go to your uncle's house? Could it be that your uncle's family introduced you?"
I have to say, the truth behind what happened to Old Lady Liu was revealed.
However, her words made both Yuan Jianshe and Ye Chunping look dark. Yuan Jianshe already knew that Ye Chunping had been married to his cousin. How could he be so unlucky to be relied upon by such a woman?
It was also because he only went back for one day and didn't hear anything more. Otherwise, even if he was threatened again, Yuan Jianshe probably wouldn't agree.
Ye Chunping was incredibly grateful. No matter how things went, she had finally left West River Bank and started a new life. She was incredibly proud of herself. But hearing about the Wei family made her feel a little guilty. "Well, I'll have to keep an eye on Yuan Jianshe from now on. No matter what, I can't let him go back to West River Bank."
The two of them had different thoughts, and the neighbors, unable to hear any response, began gossiping again.
Old Lady Sui rolled her eyes to the right and looked at Ye Chunping. "My dear, how many female educated youth are there in Xihe'an? Are there any female educated youth from the capital or Shanghai? What are their family conditions like? What's their temperament like? Are they good-looking?"
Everyone looked at Old Lady Sui with disdain. This was truly unbelievable. Sui Qiang had snatched Sui Yun's job. Everyone in the office knew about this. Anyone who cared about their daughter would not choose the Sui family.
What's more, Sui Qiang used to be close to Dong Jiaojiao, and many people in their No. 1 Courtyard saw it. Who wouldn't be suspicious?
Sui Qiang's reputation is ruined.
In the past few days, Old Lady Sui has been busy arranging blind dates for Sui Qiang. She's been on several blind dates, but either she's met with malicious men who want to marry him and suck the blood of the other sisters in the Sui family. Or they're from poor families who want to sell their daughters for the bride price. She's been on several blind dates, but she hasn't found anyone she likes.
Old Lady Sui was already anxious, as she was still dreaming of having a great-grandson. Seeing Ye Chunping, her eyes suddenly turned and she had her eyes on the educated youth.
Even if it was educated youth, she still had to be selective. It had to be female educated youth from the capital or Shanghai. She was not willing to accept anyone else.
I have to say, the abacus beads make quite a loud noise.
However, Ye Chunping's eyes rolled around.
She was not a fool, so she naturally saw through Old Lady Sui's harsh temper. However, being harsh was not useless. It depended on who was being harsh on, right?
Ye Chunping immediately smiled and said, "Speaking of the educated youth on West River Bank, Tang Xi stands out the most. She came from Shanghai, and her family is quite well-off. Her parents and three brothers are all workers, and I heard her parents are even officials. She had no choice but to go to the countryside. I heard that big cities like Shanghai have strict regulations, and every family must have someone go there. She was the only one of the right age, so she was forced to go. But her family is well-off, and they send her money and things every month. Even in the countryside, life is pretty good. I heard her family has a lot of connections, so as long as Tang Xi has been in the countryside for a year, her family will arrange for her to return to Shanghai and help her find a job."
The more Old Lady Sui listened, the brighter her eyes became. If this educated youth with such good conditions married into their family, hehe, all those things would belong to them.
Return to Shanghai? If so, they would have to take their family with them and arrange for work.
Otherwise, they won’t agree!
Hahaha.
Old Lady Sui almost laughed out loud. She held Ye Chunping's hand and kept asking questions, as if she wouldn't let her go until she explained clearly: "How long has Tang Zhiqing been here? What does he usually do? What does he like to cook? Can he cook? Is he handsome..."
Ye Chunping was very proud of her own cleverness, while Old Lady Liu and others who were watching coldly were clicking their tongues, thinking that the young wife Yuan Jianshe had found was not a good one!
While they were chatting happily here, a group of people came rushing over from Building No. 5 in the back. They were the Dong family of Yuan Jianshe's ex-wife.
Dong's mother was so angry that her face turned blue. It had been less than a month since her daughter Jiaojiao died, and that bastard Yuan Jianshe had already found her again. Isn't that infuriating? If the Dong family could swallow this, how could they continue to stay in Courtyard No. 1?
That’s right, the Dong family is transferring jobs and preparing to stay in the Tenth Operation Office.
In the past, the Dong family's eldest son-in-law was a member of the Revolutionary Committee, and they often relied on his influence to bully others at the headquarters. Now that the eldest son-in-law has stepped down, the eldest daughter, Dong Tingting, has also divorced. But when they offended someone, they were still married, and divorce was not enough to avoid it.
The Dong family needed to make plans for themselves and leave headquarters as soon as possible to avoid the current limelight. As for the future, they certainly wouldn't stay in the operations department forever. Their eldest daughter was so beautiful, she would definitely be able to move up.
Transferring to the Tenth Operation Office was just a temporary measure for the Dong family.
These people have only been transferred to the headquarters. On the contrary, transfers from the headquarters to the front line are still rare and easier. They have been busy with most of the work in the past few days.
The family of Dong Shengli, the second son of the Dong family, originally lived in Courtyard No. 1, so it was natural for them to move here.
Dong's mother disliked her second son very much. He had been listless since childhood and could not even say nice words. Dong's mother looked down on him. However, even though she looked down on him, she still wanted to take advantage of him. After all, he was her son, and he should provide for her in her old age.
Dong Shengli is a filial man, at best. At worst, he's a coward. Even with his entire family living at his house, he doesn't dare say a word. Dong Shengli's wife works in the oil field, so she's supposed to have a temper. But having given birth to three daughters, she can't stand up to her mother-in-law.
Let’s put it this way, this is the listless person in the family.
But Dong Shengli didn't think he was depressed. He had no son, so he couldn't be tough. Now he had to rely on his nephew. How could he be tough? However, Dong Shengli still had some ambitions, that is, when he had a son, everything would be fine.
Look, when they came to Building No. 4 to cause trouble, Dong Shengli and his wife lagged behind, only adding to the momentum but providing no assist.
A large group of people from the Dong family came to Building No. 4. This excited Jiang Nan, who had just finished work and came to Courtyard No. 1, and thought, "Oh my god, there's something exciting to watch right after work. God is really good to her."
She pushed the cart excitedly, stretched her long legs frantically, and ran to Building No. 4, took the best seat to watch the show, and watched it with relish.
Zhou Zhixing smiled and shook his head, then quickly followed.
Everyone loves to read this gossip, regardless of gender.
Dong's mother put her hands on her hips and cursed, "You are such a jerk! My Jiaojiao's body is still warm and you are already looking for another one. Are you a human being? You are such a heartless bastard! Why did my Jiaojiao marry you? You are such a worthless bastard! Are you worthy of my Jiaojiao? Look for her, look for her! I'll let you look for her again!"
Dong's mother became more and more angry as she spoke, and she acted extremely quickly. Before anyone could react, she attacked Yuan Jianshe with two big blows, stunning him.
Not only was Yuan Jianshe stunned, but Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were also stunned. Dong's mother's actions were too fast. They didn't have time to react before the two slaps were over.
It was, a little unexpected.
Or perhaps it was the old lady who was well-informed. Yuan Jianshe's grandmother, Mrs. Wang, was the first to jump up and say, "You bitch, you dare to hit my grandson? I let you hit my grandson, and I'll beat you to death, bitch! Watch this!"
Wang raised her hand to hit Dong's mother, but her eldest son, Dong Ping'an, grabbed her arm and raised it high. Dong Ping'an's arm muscles instantly bulged, and he shouted arrogantly, "If you want to hit my mother, you have to ask my permission."
Dong's mother held her head high, very proud: "See? I have my son to protect me. Ask around in the oil fields, everyone knows that my son is filial! You old bastard, how dare you be so arrogant to me! If you dare to lay a finger on me, my eldest son will not forgive you!"
Wang was so angry that she jumped up and down, yelling at her second son, Yuan Dali, "You unfilial bastard, you just watched your mother being bullied! Come on, or I won't let you go!"
Yuan Dali, though called Dali, was a small, thin man. He was just a kitchen helper, a regular employee who did odd jobs. How could he dare to go against Dong Pingan? He knew that Dong Pingan was going to be the deputy captain of the drilling team three, a much more respectable position than his.
But since Wang had said so, Yuan Dali couldn't bear the reputation of being unfilial. He gritted his teeth and said, "You...Brother Dong, please let my mother go. Let's talk it out peacefully. Fighting won't solve the problem, right? Let's just be calm, okay?"
"Bah." Dong's mother ignored the words and started to talk about the Dong family's reasoning. She raised her voice and said, "Everyone, judge for yourself. If this man wants to marry again, shouldn't he ask our Dong family first and get our consent? You know, our Jiaojiao is his original wife. Yuan Jianshe, on the other hand, brought a wife home without saying a word. This is marrying a wife, but it's a slap in the face of our Dong family! If we let the Dong family off easily today, will anyone be able to step on our Dong family in the future? Tell me, everyone, is this reasonable?"
"That's right. Logically, the new wife should have the consent of the original wife's family and should kowtow to her portrait."
"This is so outdated! We live in a new society now, and this kind of thing is no longer popular."
"Even if this isn't popular, you can't just keep silent about it. I think Yuan Jianshe is doing the wrong thing."
"I think so too. Dong Jiaojiao... ahem, what was originally reasonable has now become unreasonable."
Jiang Nan pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket and cracked them with relish. "You know, watching the fun and learning all these secrets? It's feudal dregs, but it's also an eye-opener."
This knowledge will not be gained in vain, it will come in handy one day.
Zhou Zhixing coughed lightly, and Jiang Nan rolled her eyes before pulling out another handful of sunflower seeds and handing them over. The two of them, each with their own handful of sunflower seeds, were thoroughly amused by the excitement.
Jiang Nan whispered, boasting proudly: "It has to be me. I can see the experience even from watching the fun. I even carry some melon seeds with me."
Zhou Zhixing gave Jiang Nan a thumbs up: "Yes, you are smart, clever, and experienced..."
Jiang Nan raised the corners of her mouth. She loved hearing that. She was just that outstanding in this life.
At this time, at the forefront of the battle, Ye Chunping saw that the Yuan family was gradually losing ground, but she was furious. She had finally arrived at the oil field family compound, and she couldn't let these people interfere!
Ye Chunping pinched her waist and forcefully joined the battle. She cursed angrily, "You are too much of a bully! Dong Jiaojiao is dead, and Brother Jianshe is no longer the son-in-law of your Dong family! What, you still want to use these old social customs to control people? Let me tell you, Brother Jianshe is good-tempered, but I am not someone who can be bullied! It's been so many years since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Marriage is free, have you heard of it? Free marriage! What, you still want to use the old social methods to oppress people? Are you still thinking of enslaving your son-in-law and making him work like a slave for your family? I tell you, no way! I, Ye Chunping, will be the first to disagree."
Jiang Nan admired Ye Chunping very much. She was truly a woman who could stir up trouble on the West River Bank!
After a moment of shock, Yuan Jianshe recovered and looked at Ye Chunping's frantic outburst, finally feeling a sense of satisfaction. At least, this was a woman who would stand up for him. He lowered his head, not intending to get involved. Go ahead and argue, the more fierce the better. The fiercer it was, the more innocent and pitiful he looked, and the more it showed that he was a truly good person.
With Ye Chunping joining in, Wang regained her arrogance. She continued, "That's right, how dare you make such a fuss! My Jianshe can marry whoever he wants, it's none of your business! Do you still think this is the old society, where a second marriage requires the consent of the original wife? What a joke! Besides, who the hell is Dong Jiaojiao? Ask around in the office, and everyone will say Dong Jiaojiao is a slut! My Jianshe was unlucky enough to marry her! You still want to control my Jianshe? No way!"
Dong's mother was so angry that she jumped up and down: "I told you to say Jiaojiao, I told you to say Jiaojiao!"
As he spoke, he took three or two steps forward and grabbed Wang's hair and started pulling it out, tugging at her with great force. Wang cried out in pain, but his hands didn't stop, pulling at her clothes and hair, the moves were similar.
The two sides fought fiercely, rolling on the ground, raising dust, and the battle was extremely intense.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing put away their melon seeds. Okay, let's go and break up the fight. This guy's hair is almost plucked out, we can't just stand by and watch.
But before the two of them could make any move, the old men and women who were watching the fun pulled them apart.
"It's okay to quarrel, but violence is not allowed. If something goes wrong, you will be taken to the police station."
"That's right, you can't use violence. Hey, look, Xiaonan and Xiaoxing are here. If you fight again, there's no need to call the police. They can just send you to jail!"
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing: Um, well, they don’t seem to be that free.
I don't know if they were idle or not, but this sentence obviously worked. The two sides stopped fighting and started arguing again, arguing back and forth.
The Dong family insisted that Yuan Jianshe must obtain his family's consent to remarry, and the Yuan family insisted on the freedom of marriage.
One claims to be right, the other claims to be legal, and neither can convince the other.
The onlookers were very happy to watch the quarrel. It was quite a high level.
I learned it, I learned it.
It is true that you never stop learning as long as you live.
The argument lasted for over half an hour, during which time the building manager, Mrs. Cao, did offer some words of advice. But it was no use, absolutely no use. Both sides believed they were right and would not listen to anyone.
The quarrel was so fierce.
Fortunately, no matter how intense the quarrel was, no one fought, which made Old Mrs. Cao, Jiang Nan, Zhou Zhixing and others quite relieved.
If the fight breaks out again, will they try to stop it or not? It's not tiring enough.
I have to say, these people are very good at comforting themselves.
On this side, perhaps because they were tired of arguing, after the two families exchanged a round of harsh words, there was a rare moment of silence.
During this time, Dong Jiaojiao's elder sister Dong Tingting, who had been silent all the time, unexpectedly spoke.
Dong Tingting's voice was very gentle, and within that gentleness was a mixture of sadness and pity. She said, "I know my Jiaojiao was naive and not a qualified daughter-in-law. But she's gone now, and as the saying goes, the dead are the greatest. Grandma Wang, Jianshe, and this female comrade, please stop slandering my sister. Also, please be considerate of my mother. She must be sending someone young off, and it must be painful. Just think about it. Neighbors of Courtyard No. 1, I know my sister had a bad reputation in the family compound when she was alive, but please, considering that she's gone, forgive her and stop gossiping about her. After all, Jiaojiao is dead, she's dead."
She sobbed and sobbed, looking very sad, with tears in her eyes, which attracted the sympathy of everyone who came home from get off work.
Well, the "people" here refer only to the grown men. The women, on the other hand, stared at their men warily, fearing that they might be seduced by a vixen.
"Tingting, don't cry. We will definitely not say anything bad about Jiaojiao, so don't be sad. If anyone dares to say bad things about Jiaojiao again, Dawei will be the first to disapprove."
"Tsk, Dawei, who do you think you are? Tingting, don't be sad. I, Ge Erleng, won't watch you get bullied. Don't worry, if anyone gossips about your family, I, Ge Erleng, will beat him to death!"
"That's right, Tingting..."
"Tingting..."
Jiang Nan glanced at the excited crowd and clicked his tongue twice. Men, I look down on them. I really look down on them. I look down on them very much!
Zhou Zhixing laughed: "Okay, I was just watching the fun, why are you angry?"
"Who's angry?" Jiang Nan was unconvinced and retorted softly, "I just look down on these people! Ha, men!"
"Okay, I didn't say I wanted you to like me. It's enough if you like me, and it would be better if other men don't like me."
Jiang Nan squinted his eyes and said, "That's enough, you. I don't know who you learned this from, you're always talking so greasy. Aren't you greasy?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled and shrugged, and the two continued to watch the fun.
In the bustling center, Dong Tingting showed a bitter smile, like a white lotus swaying alone in the wind and rain, sad and helpless. She said: "Thank you everyone, I..."
She covered her mouth, as if she was about to cry, but tried hard to hold it back. After a long time, she put her hand down and spoke again: "I really don't know what to say. Jianshe, what happened today is mainly my family's fault. Really, I admit it. My family shouldn't have picked on you like this. But please understand, my mother is just too sad. After all, Jiaojiao has been gone for less than a month. My mother loves Jiaojiao so much and thought... thought you would be the same. She really didn't expect you to look for another one so soon. I know you must have your reasons for doing this, and it's definitely not because you are heartless. I understand. How can a man not look for another one? We all know that. Here, on behalf of my family, I apologize to you, and I hope you can forgive my mother."
After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply. She looked so weak that she would fall down at the slightest breeze, but she stood up with strength and continued, "Mom, big brother, second brother, let's go. This time, our family is wrong, and Jianshe's family is right. Marriage is free now, and it doesn't say that if your wife dies, you can't marry again. Let's go. Jiaojiao is our child, not the Yuan family's. Let's not force others to be as sad as we are. Let's go."
Jiang Nan looked at Dong Tingting deeply. This woman has put so many blames on the Yuan family.
She glanced at the top of Yuan Jianshe's head. Hmm, it was starting to smell.
With Dong Tingting's show of weakness, the backs of the Dong family as they left seemed somewhat miserable and sad.
Someone began to chirp quietly.
"Hey, you guys, have you ever seen Yuan Jianshe sad after Dong Jiaojiao died? Why haven't I seen it?"
"I haven't seen it either. I heard he had no expression at the scene of the corpse. How cruel! They say a husband and wife are bound by love for a hundred days. This is too heartless."
"That's right. Dong Jiaojiao was a little immoral when she was alive, but she was still his wife. Isn't he sad at all?"
Ye Chunping was a sharp-tongued person. Upon hearing everyone's discussions, she jumped up and down and started cursing: "Don't you know what kind of person Dong Jiaojiao was when she was alive? You were blinded by a few nice words from a slutty vixen? What? Have you forgotten that Dong Jiaojiao didn't even live with my Jianshe family when she was alive? How can a couple have any feelings if they don't live together? You're still sad. With Dong Jiaojiao being like that, it's a shame for my Jianshe family not to be happy."
Someone was not happy about this and whispered, "You are so mean! The person is dead and you are still here making sarcastic remarks. What kind of person are you?"
Wang retorted unyieldingly, "What's wrong with being dead? Can all the sins committed in life be wiped out just by dying? Pah, there's no such thing as that! Bad people are still bad people after death, they won't become good people, so save your energy. You used to be a cricket Dong Jiaojiao all day long, and now you act like a real person, Pah! Pah Pah Pah!"
Wang turned into a spitting machine, spitting non-stop.
Yuan Jianshe was good at pretending. He spoke at the right time: "Grandma, Chunping, okay, I know you are doing this for my own good. I have been cuckolded for more than half a year, and you feel wronged and unwilling for me. But everyone is right, the dead are the greatest, so please stop talking. The person is dead, let's go back."
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Yes, Yuan Jianshe had been cuckolded many times. The man looked at Yuan Jianshe with a hint of sympathy, and stopped teasing him.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had enough of the fun and locked their car, preparing to go home. They happened to see Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, who were listening to the gossip at the other end. They quickly went over and listened to the low chatter.
Tong Lili: "Why are you pretending? Who can't see that you're a vixen?"
Widow Qin, who rarely came to see her daughter, had a very grim expression on her face. She pulled her daughter's arm, dragged her to a corner, and began to instruct Tong Lili, "You'd better keep a close eye on Lin Bing and Lin Youliang. That Dong Tingting is not someone you can get along with easily. She might be in trouble. Mother has noticed that her ability to seduce men is much better than that of Dong Jiaojiao before. You'd better pay more attention to her."
Tong Lili instantly gnashed with hatred: "What a bitch!"
Widow Qin advised: "Okay, let me tell you, these men are all cheap bones, you should..."
The mother and daughter were whispering about how to keep a close eye on the man. Over there, another young wife, Cheng Meijuan, spoke up: "This Dong Tingting is obviously pretending. What kind of understanding and righteousness is this? Bah! She's a divorced woman, what does she know? It's really disgusting. These days, which decent woman would get divorced? She's really pretending!"
Sun Qiaolian rarely agreed with her daughter-in-law: "That's right, that slutty vixen looks like she's not a good person. I'm telling you, keep a close eye on your men and don't let Dong Tingting fool you! This woman is much more sophisticated than Dong Jiaojiao, she's not an easy person to deal with!"
Qiu Pan'er pricked up her ears immediately, alarm bells blaring in her heart: "That's right, she's obviously not a good person! These days, how can a good woman get divorced! She must have done something shameless. It must be shameless!"
Jiang Nan couldn't help but sigh. Dong Tingting had united the wives on the fourth floor. Didn't she see her mother, Chen Jinhua, looking warily at Jiang Mancheng?
Jiang Mancheng: wronged, helpless, and sad!
He immediately expressed his loyalty: "Jinhua, please don't look at me. Don't you know me? I don't even care about other women. I only care about you. Dong Tingting is not even as good as you! Really, if you doubt me again, I will be heartbroken."
Chen Jinhua snorted, "Remember what I said today. Okay, Xiaonan, go home."
Jiang Mancheng: "Remember, I will definitely remember. Jinhua, I'll carry the vegetable basket. Give it to me. I can't let you do all this. Let me do it..."
Lin Bing & Fang Nanshan & Tian Jiaguang: "Tsk, pretty boy~"
Jiang Mancheng: I am a pretty boy, and I am proud of it!
Jiang Nan giggled all the way. Her father was really something. He never forgot to show his love for her.
Zhou Zhixing was also shameless. Even though he was not called, he followed them as if nothing had happened, carrying bags and helping people, and was very attentive all the way.
The four of them quickly returned to the Jiang family.
Jiang Nan plopped down on the sofa, picked up the radio and started tinkering with it, asking, "Dad, Mom, will the Dong family live in our No. 1 Courtyard from now on?"
Jiang Mancheng placed the basket on the dining table and began to pick vegetables. "I guess Dong Tingting got divorced. Her husband offended someone, and the Dong family can no longer stay at the headquarters."
Zhou Zhixing was very understanding. He followed along as they picked vegetables and even advised Chen Jinhua, "Aunt Chen, you go and take a rest. Uncle Jiang and I will cook."
Chen Jinhua raised the corner of her mouth. Seeing the man and Zhou Zhixing busy at work, she thought for a moment, went to the warehouse, took out a net bag, and began to pack the cherries. "Pack these cherries. We can make sauce today. I'll pick out some big, good ones and send them back for Dad to try."
"Okay." Jiang Mancheng said, "I'll send it tomorrow. I remember Xingtian likes to eat this. Send more. If it's not enough, we can go back to Xihe'an to get more."
Jiang Nan tuned the radio to the model opera channel. It wasn't that she liked listening to that, but there were no other channels. The high-spirited and passionate singing voice poured out from the radio, and Jiang Nan shuddered and fell on the sofa, giggling non-stop.
"That's enough." Jiang Mancheng complained, "Just laugh at home, but hold it in when you go out. Do you hear me?"
"I hear it, I hear it. Dad, this play is really refreshing to listen to."
Indeed, the result of this refreshment was that on the day of the second job recruitment exam, Jiang Nan's group, Team 6, was responsible for patrolling outside the exam room. Jiang Nan was extremely responsible and never rested for a moment. Last time, a candidate had their admission ticket snatched away, so this time, such things had to be prevented.
There are those who, unable to pass the exam themselves, harbor ulterior motives, jealous of those who succeeded, capable of such vile acts as secretly paying off scoundrels to sabotage others' exams. Before the last exam was even over, the police station received several reports of stolen admission tickets. This time, Shen Mingguang specifically dispatched Team 6 to patrol the area, also to deter those scoundrels.
However, the bad guy was not caught, but Jiang Nan saw something incredible.
The story begins with Cheng Gaigai's future in-laws, the Jing family.
On the day of the exam, Jing Damu's two older brothers accompanied the four children in the family to take the exam with sour faces.
Next to him, Secretary Jing was wearing a Zhongshan suit, standing straight, lowering his head and softly reminding his nephews what they should pay attention to in the exam.
Not only were the four nephews not grateful, they also looked impatient.
"Uncle, now that grandma's dead, you're not going to care about us anymore, are you?" the oldest boy said indignantly. "Grandma said, if it weren't for my dad and uncle working hard on the land to support your education, you wouldn't have been able to go to school! Now that you're a big shot, you have to support us! You've already arranged a job for my brother, why haven't you arranged one for us?"
Jing Zhiyuan's elder brother, Jing Zhipeng, said coldly with a sour face, "Little brother, now that you've made it, you want to get rid of us, right? You wish! Although mother is dead, our kindness in supporting your education is not fake. Everyone in the village knows this. If you don't help us, you're letting mother down and being unfilial!"
Jing Zhiyuan adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly, "Brother, I believe I've repaid you enough. I've been working for over a decade, and every month, I've sent more than half of my salary back home. During the most difficult years, my three children were almost starving to death, but when you came home asking for food, I lent it to you without hesitation. Because of this, my wife hasn't spoken to me for a year, and my children all blame me for being partial."
"You owe us that!"
Jing Zhiyuan took a deep breath. "Yes, I owe you, but haven't I paid you back enough? Not only are you ungrateful, but you constantly complain that I don't help you. Love the Party, ask yourselves, have I ever treated you badly? I've paid for your education since you were little!"
The oldest boy muttered quietly, "How much does it cost to go to school now? Uncle, you went to university back then!"
"That's right, you want to get rid of your poor relatives now that you've gained benefits, right? You've made my dad and uncle so angry that they went to Secretary Tu to ask him to judge the situation!"
Jing Zhiyuan took off his glasses, rubbed his nose, and ignored his nephews' dissatisfaction. He continued, "Big brother, second brother, is this what you said to your nephews? What good will it do you if I lose my job?"
Jing Zhipeng snorted for a long time, then turned to the boys and said, "Shut up."
Jing Zhiyuan began to reason with you: "You always say I'm sorry for you, that I'm taking up your study resources. But neither of you even made it to junior high school. Even if I let you go to school, what can you really learn?"
Jing Zhipeng snorted and said indignantly, "That's because we are sensible and know that our family is in financial difficulty, so we don't want to study. Unlike you, you are not considerate of the family at all, you don't work, and you only care about studying. In those years, the family couldn't even eat enough, and they tightened their belts to support you. Have you forgotten? I have done enough, and I asked you to find a job for your nephew, but you kept dragging your feet. I think you don't want to do it at all. This time when Mom went to your house, you made her so angry that she almost died..."
Jing Zhiyuan's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. "Brother, if that's what you mean, let's go to the police station and have them investigate to see how Mom died. Mom was clearly ill, but you didn't bring her any medicine when you came. She was ill and had no medicine to take. I ran downstairs to get medicine, but when I came back, she was already dead. Can you blame me for this?"
Jing Zhipeng turned his head away and muttered softly: "You have medicine there. You just deliberately didn't give mother the medicine..."
Jing Zhiyuan stood still, staring at Jing Zhipeng straight in the eyes, as if he wanted to see through him: "Brother, every time you come, you ransack my house. Don't you know if I have any medicine at home?"
Jiang Nan watched the Jing family arguing outside the examination room from afar. She remembered the last time she saw Cheng Gaigai wearing plain clothes, and couldn't help but look at Jing Zhiyuan twice.
This little episode did not affect the exam. Jiang Nan watched his cousin Wang Ze and Zhou Zhidao enter the examination room one after another, and the exam proceeded as scheduled.
However, not long after, Jiang Nan quietly rubbed against Zhou Zhixing and told him what he had just seen.
"You mean there's no way to arrest someone for something like this without any evidence?"
It turned out that Jing Zhiyuan really watched his mother Jing die.
Old Lady Jing had always believed that the children of the family were a whole. As long as one child showed promise, and one child helped the other, slowly, all the descendants of the Jing family would become successful. She had married before the Liberation, and had seen many families dominate small towns. She secretly believed that as long as the brothers worked together, Baishui City would eventually have a place for their family!
Upon learning that her youngest son had a talent for studying, Old Lady Jing, despite her two older sons and their wives, worked tirelessly to support him through college. Now that he's become Secretary Tu's chief secretary, she feels it's time for him to return the favor. The old lady first asked for a job for her eldest grandson, Jing Aihua. Seeing Aihua's sensible nature, Jing Zhiyuan agreed to let him take on a temporary position, eventually securing a permanent position before the end of the year. This gave Old Lady Jing hope, and she wanted her other grandsons to join the oilfield as workers.
But Jing Zhiyuan was just a secretary, so how could he have such great power? Even Secretary Tu wouldn't dare to arrange for four workers to work at once. He first used the excuse of an exam to force his four nephews to take it. However, the nephews clearly had no talent for studying, and none of them passed the exam before the New Year.
Old Lady Jing was worried. Her four eldest grandsons had no jobs, so how could the Jing family survive?
After the New Year, the anxious Jing's mother frequently stayed at Jing Zhiyuan's house to put pressure on her youngest son. She felt that everything was the daughter-in-law's fault, and that she must have been suppressing her youngest son and not letting him do things for the family.
I have to say that the thought processes of mothers-in-law all over the world are basically the same.
Everything is the daughter-in-law's fault, the son is not at fault at all.
Early that morning, Jing Zhiyuan's three children had all gone to school, and his wife, who was working the night shift at the hospital, hadn't returned. Seeing no one was around, Jing's mother began pressuring her youngest son to find a job for her grandson. She was old and somewhat confused, and no matter how Jing Zhiyuan tried to explain, she wouldn't listen. Eventually, she resorted to shady tactics, clutching her chest and feigning illness.
Jing Zhiyuan had no choice but to play along. He stood up and said he was going to buy medicine for his mother, then ran out as if escaping.
Perhaps this action angered the old lady, and she actually fell ill. When Jing Zhiyuan came back with the medicine, thinking that the old lady's anger had subsided, she was only breathing her last breath.
Jing Zhiyuan panicked. When he hurriedly opened the medicine bottle and fed the medicine to his mother, he hesitated.
As long as his mother is alive, he will compromise sooner or later.
He couldn't escape the burden of filial piety, but if...
The result of hesitation was that Old Lady Jing took her last breath and died in Jing Zhiyuan's home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
