Lin Damei knew that she couldn't change Xiaoxiao's mind right away, so she asked, "You didn't tell Yunshu about what happened at home yesterday, did you?"
Yan Xiaoxiao felt a little awkward: "I'm sorry, Mother, I just told you because Yunshu asked me."
Lin Damei sighed and said nothing. Her son was as cunning as a sieve, while her wife was too honest. The couple was fine as they were. She could just keep an eye on things.
Seeing that her mother's expression wasn't good, Yan Xiaoxiao asked cautiously, "Mother, are you not angry anymore?"
Lin Damei glanced at Yan Xiaoxiao and finally replied, "No, you can go to work after the third child is old enough to go to daycare!"
After starting work and interacting with people, she realized that people's quality of life has improved and their aspirations have changed. She suggested to her sister-in-law Yumin that Xiaoxiao should get to know the families of high-ranking officials and see what their families are like.
Yan Xiaoxiao naturally replied, "That's right, Yunshu works too hard by himself, so I naturally have to share the burden with him."
Lin Damei stopped talking and took a towel to wipe Fanfan's face. Zhu Jiabao was really something. They were not outsiders, yet he still gave her food, saying it was Fanfan's food. How could a little baby eat so much?
Seeing that she wouldn't accept it, and that Xiaoxiao would also help, and that the things would be split equally with Xiaoxiao, she knew that this was because she couldn't bear to see Yunshu suffer and wanted to subsidize him. Yunshu was a stubborn child, and his meager salary was barely enough to support him. Nowadays, food wasn't something you could just buy with money. Lao Zhu must have known that Yunshu was in trouble, but Lao Ming couldn't see it.
They said she was in charge of the money, but she knew all the household expenses perfectly well.
Yan Xiaoxiao suddenly apologized: "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't stand up for you yesterday when Ye Shuhua and the others were targeting you."
Yesterday, after she got back, she told Yunshu about it. Yunshu analyzed the situation for her and said that she didn't need to feel inferior. She and Ye Shuhua were equals. Ye Shuhua was rude and yelled at her elders. You don't need to be polite to rude people. She was a veteran. How could she not beat a delicate good-for-nothing?
They even said that Mom wasn't afraid to stand up to so many people on her own, which meant that Mom didn't care about those people. Since Mom didn't care, they didn't need to give them face. Father-in-law and eldest brother's family both cared about face, so they would only make a scene at home and wouldn't make a scene outside. To them, that would just be a handle to use against them.
Lin Damei suddenly said, "Actually, Yunshu and I should apologize to you. We didn't stand up for you when you got married, which made you suffer."
She had initially harbored illusions about Lao Ming and Ming Yunshan, believing that after living together for so many years, they would consider her family. She thought that in a family, there is always someone who has to compromise, and for the sake of family harmony, she was willing to take a step back.
She took a step back, and Yunshu also compromised. Xiaoxiao followed suit. In addition, Ye Shuhua was educated and had a respectable job, so Xiaoxiao always felt inferior when facing her. Furthermore, Lao Ming openly and secretly praised Ye Shuhua and belittled Xiaoxiao, so she became very insecure. She went from a cheerful girl to the quail she is now. It's not Xiaoxiao's fault; it's her and Yunshu's fault.
Yan Xiaoxiao was flattered, after all, no mother-in-law would apologize to her daughter-in-law before. She quickly waved her hand and said, "I'm not wronged. If it weren't for you, Mother, I wouldn't have a stable home. I'm very grateful to you."
Lin Damei didn't dwell on the past: "Let's not talk about the past. From now on, you stand tall and be as good as anyone else. If Lao Ming tells you something, you should tell him right away. From now on, no one in the Ming family can bully you, understand?"
Yan Xiaoxiao was so moved she almost cried. Meeting her mother was the greatest luck of her life. She knew her mother truly loved her and was even willing to fight with her father-in-law for her sake.
Lin Damei couldn't stand this and said with utter disgust, "Didn't you hear your Uncle Zhu say that Fanfan hasn't eaten yet? Hurry up and cook, waiting for me to do it!"
Yan Xiaoxiao agreed and went to cook.
Lin Damei shook her head as she watched. With such a silly look on her face, she was completely under her son's thumb. If it weren't for her, wouldn't she have been bullied her whole life? Her son was the best at coaxing people into working like an ox.
After taking care of Zhu Fanfan's basic needs, Da Mei took her away, leaving Yan Xiaoxiao at home to look after the child and make some clothes for Fanfan. After all, Zhu Jiabao had said that he would continue to provide food, specifically requesting Xiaoxiao. She was grateful and naturally had to repay the favor. Food was hard to come by, and fabric was also rare, so she had to give back. Xiaoxiao had specially learned from a tailor, so making two sets of clothes for Fanfan was quite simple.
Lin Damei led Zhu Fanfan to the square. Many of the equipment in the square were modified from military training grounds to improve the children's physical fitness. Soldiers could also relax here during their breaks, so the square was quite lively.
When Lin Damei arrived, there were already several old ladies there. They waved to Lin Damei from afar, and Lin Damei quickly went to the row of seats in the corner.
Dayue pulled someone over to sit next to her: "Come on, we've been waiting for you."
Lin Damei sat down without ceremony and said, "I'm late. What's new today?"
The group of elderly women had nothing much to do, so they chatted idly. There was nothing in the entire compound that they didn't know about.
Da Yue pouted: "There really is. That old lady from the Jiang family is causing trouble again."
Lin Damei immediately became interested and asked with schadenfreude, "What, her daughter-in-law is finally fighting back?"
Da Yue rolled her eyes: "What are you thinking? Her daughter-in-law has been thoroughly bullied and is completely submissive. How could she possibly fight back? It was her old man who brought up the idea of dividing the family property."
Lin Damei found it unbelievable. According to traditional values, the family should not separate while the parents are alive. The Jiang family ancestors were all scholars who always talked about the rules. The daughters-in-law and sons had argued, but they still refused to separate the family. How did they come to this conclusion?
Da Yue leaned over mysteriously and whispered, "I heard that the youngest daughter-in-law has something on the eldest son and said she wants everyone to die together, that everyone is doomed. The Jiang family has been looking grim these past two days."
In her opinion, with more people, the family should be divided up. It's a new society now, why are we still living like feudal society? All the benefits go to the eldest son, and the second and third sons will be scolded if they have any objections. Even the daughters-in-law have to work like slaves. If the family doesn't separate, all the family's wages are given to the mother-in-law. If they don't, she threatens to ruin the children's jobs.
I've never seen anyone so prejudiced against their own family, especially a family of scholars. Brothers working together can achieve great things, but this family seems to be afraid of their own members having any ability. This is the only oddball family in this area, and to make matters worse, the old man holds a high-ranking official position.
This old lady Jiang doted on her grandson to an extreme degree, showing favoritism to an unbelievable extent. The other children in the family were not convinced and often beat her grandson when no one was around.
Lu Hehua chimed in, "The Jiang family isn't exactly news, but the fact that an old lady has moved into the building is quite a peculiar thing."
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