Zhuang Zhixi took on the role of a matchmaker, beginning to play cupid for Old Man Lan, while showing less concern for Ming Mei, his actual granddaughter. Ming Mei was quite easygoing and somewhat casual about things. She was more curious about whether these people, now discharged from the hospital, would stir up any trouble.
Whether they caused trouble or not, Ming Mei found it all quite interesting - these people enriched both her life and her savings.
Ming Mei rarely watched movies nowadays; she couldn't help it - there was too much gossip in their courtyard to keep up with. Looking at it this way, movies weren't anything special compared to the entertainment value of following the neighborhood gossip.
Unexpectedly though, both Aunt Zhou and Aunt Su remained surprisingly well-behaved after leaving the hospital, which was rather unsettling - their good behavior was actually quite frightening.
However, Zhou Qun returned from his first day back at work with a dark expression. He ran into Ming Mei at the entrance of the alley and managed a forced smile, greeting her: "Hey there, Zhuang's wife, off work?"
Ming Mei responded with a clear, crisp "mm-hmm" while curiously observing Zhou Qun's expression, asking, "Brother Zhou Qun, you're back at work already? Shouldn't you rest a bit longer?"
Zhou Qun replied, "We are all successors of socialism and screws in the factory machine. The factory's operation needs countless screws, and can't function without mine. Our electrical team is already smaller than other teams, if I keep taking leave, others will have to work much harder. I can't let my personal matters affect everyone else. Don't you agree?"
Ming Mei nodded, thinking to herself how artificial his words sounded.
She didn't believe a word of such hollow talk, but Ming Mei just blinked her eyes and politely said nothing more. Her silence seemed to encourage Zhou Qun, who continued talking endlessly.
"You're still young, lacking life experience, and I'm much better than you in this regard. You see, we all married too early. It's not that marrying early is bad, but when you marry too young, you don't really know what you want, and your choices might not be the best. People our age can't really give good advice either. Take Xiao Zhuang for example - his job actually has no deeper career prospects, something you surely didn't understand before marriage. I wonder why your family didn't point this out to you. But you should know that only technical work offers career development. Look at me, I'm already a level-seven electrician. In our machinery factory, I'm the only one so young at this level. In every aspect, I can proudly say I'm a capable person. If you have any confusion about work or life, you can come to me. As someone a few years older, I'm happy to help clear your doubts. We're all working class, we should help each other. Little Mrs. Zhuang, or should I call you Ming Mei? Your name sounds quite..."
Ming Mei immediately cut in: "You'd better stick with 'Little Mrs. Zhuang.' I'm not comfortable with unfamiliar people using my given name, or you can call me Comrade Xiao Ming like others do, that works too."
She continued chattering: "But Brother Zhou Qun, I don't think what you're saying is right at all. How can you say our Zhuang Zhixi has no future? I think he's doing quite well. Yes, maybe he's not as ambitious as you, wanting to become a factory director, but you can't just say we have no future."
Zhou Qun: "..." Can't you understand what I'm saying? Is the point about Zhuang Zhixi? Does his future matter? Shouldn't you be admiring me? Zhou Qun's expression changed slightly.
Moreover, his face darkened further, becoming extremely uncomfortable.
He had already learned about his mother's mischief in the security office, how dare she claim he would become factory director, what would everyone think, and more importantly, what would the current factory director think? Zhou Qun was already angry about this matter.
Now things were getting even worse.
"Oh wait, Brother Zhou Qun, you're an electrician now, so how many steps would it take to become factory director?" Ming Mei asked curiously, "Can you be directly promoted to factory director through special promotion? If you become factory director, would you get separate housing allocation? Would you still live in this courtyard? If you move out, would you take your mother with you?"
Ming Mei continued chattering: "I heard your mother wants to teach Deputy Director Zhang a lesson, make him clean toilets, would you listen to your mother?"
"Oh right, I heard you're going to fire people from the security office, is that true? Won't you get beaten up if you do that?"
Zhou Qun: "..."
His mouth twitched severely, deeply feeling that Zhuang Zhixi's wife was just as annoying as Zhuang Zhixi himself - lacking awareness and irritating.
He took a deep breath and said, "My mother was just joking, don't take it seriously."
Ming Mei's eyes were very serious: "How can that be just a joke? I heard she was very serious about it. It's a pity I'm not working at your factory, I can't eavesdrop at the security office. I heard many people from your factory went there to listen in. Your mother really has influence! Look, she commands attention in our quadrangle courtyard, and she can attract everyone's attention at your factory too. Even Aunt Su's childbirth news had to take a back seat to your mother's drama. That's really something!"
Zhou Qun: "...I'm home. You should hurry back for dinner."
By this point, he no longer wanted to talk to Ming Mei. He had some messy thoughts before, but now they were all gone. Looking at Ming Mei now, he found her face rather repulsive.
You're the one who won't shut up!
For a woman, no matter how beautiful her face might be, without a gentle and servile nature, she's destined to go nowhere.
Zhou Qun let out a cold sneer and turned to go home. Ming Mei pushed her bicycle home, where Zhuang Zhixi curiously asked, "What were you talking about with Zhou Qun?"
Ming Mei's big eyes sparkled with amusement as she said, "He tried to sow discord, so I just pricked his heart a little."
She smiled faintly, thinking that he shouldn't assume she was naive enough to be fooled just because she seemed simple-minded. She might be inexperienced, but she wasn't stupid.
"That dog has ill intentions," Ming Mei complained.
Zhuang Zhixi's expression didn't change, but the corner of his mouth lifted meaningfully: "So he's set his sights on my household..."
Ming Mei rubbed Zhuang Zhixi's face, saying, "Don't worry, I won't be fooled or tricked, I'm not stupid enough to believe someone like him. He shouldn't try to take advantage of me. If he dares to provoke me, I'll keep pricking his heart until he hurts."
For someone so concerned about face, tearing off his mask would be extremely painful.
Zhuang Zhixi looked down at his wife and said, "If he dares to bother my wife, I'll give him a Foshan shadowless kick."
Ming Mei burst out laughing.
The couple walked hand in hand to the main house for dinner. They had eaten well yesterday, so today's meal was simpler - two stir-fried vegetable dishes and two pickled side dishes. These were pickles that Zhao Guihua had made some time ago, one radish and one Chinese cabbage.
Because the taste was different from regular pickles, they were quite popular, with a refreshing flavor.
It was better than winter now, with more variety in vegetables, though in early April, the selection wasn't particularly abundant. Adding one more dish meant one more flavor, which was quite nice. Ming Mei especially liked the pickled radish, finding it very refreshing.
The spicy cabbage, in comparison, was less appealing.
"Mom, how do you make this? I never had this at my parents' home," Ming Mei asked curiously.
Zhao Guihua replied, "It's Korean style. It's not common around here. I heard about it from someone else and tried making it myself. Didn't expect it to turn out well."
Ming Mei: "I think it's really tasty. Could I ask how to make it, to teach my mom?"
She was always like this, saying whatever was on her mind directly. If something worked out, fine; if not, that was fine too. She never beat around the bush or spoke with hidden meanings. She was just very straightforward.
Zhao Guihua: "Don't ask, it's hard to explain. If you like it, just ask your mom to come learn from me. I'll teach her."
Zhao Guihua had quite a good relationship with Ming Mei's mother, Lan Ling. Although they were now just unfamiliar in-laws, to Zhao Guihua, they were decades-old sisters.
Ming Mei: "Sure."
Liang Meifen moved her lips slightly, wanting to suggest inviting her mother too, but that was just how she was - always hoping for benefits but reluctant to speak up. She pressed her lips together, looking expectantly at her mother-in-law. However... there was no however.
Her mother-in-law had simply ended the topic there.
Liang Meifen started feeling upset again, but Zhao Guihua deliberately avoided looking at her. These little things never bothered Zhao Guihua - to put it bluntly, if you want something but don't fight for it yourself, how can you expect others to offer it to you?
If you want to have your cake and eat it too, then forget about it.
Zhao Guihua turned to look at Zhuang Zhixi: "Have you talked to Aunt Wang about that Luo Xiaohe matter?"
Zhuang Zhixi nodded: "Yes, Aunt Wang said she'd help me look into the situation."
Zhao Guihua sighed inwardly, thinking that the butterfly effect really did exist. Look how small changes could lead to bigger ones - in her previous life, there was no hospitalization incident, so there was no Luo Xiaohe matter.
But in this life, with the hospitalization incident, now there was the Luo Xiaohe situation.
Come to think of it, in the previous life, Old Man Lan Sihai had gone on several blind dates, but none worked out. It wasn't that Old Man Lan didn't like them; rather, the women seemed fine at first but then suddenly changed their minds.
They later found out that Aunt Zhou had been causing trouble behind the scenes. In the previous life, there was also a housing issue, though not as serious as this time. But it was enough for Aunt Zhou to hold a grudge and stir up trouble. With Aunt Su helping on the side, their efforts naturally doubled in effectiveness.
Though these two old ladies didn't get along, they could unite for personal gain. At that time, Aunt Su still wanted to develop a relationship with Old Man Lan, so she was happy to cooperate with Aunt Zhou.
However, this time, Zhao Guihua felt things wouldn't develop the same way as in her previous life, especially since, by coincidence, the women's side had learned about the situation from these two old ladies and knew about their ill intentions.
"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Zhuang Zhixi asked curiously.
Zhao Guihua replied, "Nothing much."
As they were eating, suddenly a sharp crying sound came from outside. Zhao Guihua: "Here we go again..."
As soon as people returned home, the drama would start. She really wondered where they got all their energy from, and sighed: "There's really no peace."
Zhuang Zhixi rushed to the door with his rice bowl, looking toward the Zhou family's place. Indeed, it was Aunt Zhou's crying - she always cried as if someone was strangling her, making terrifying sounds. While others in the family crowded around curiously to watch the commotion, Zhao Guihua calmly continued eating.
"Zhou Qun must be angry with his mother about those rumors at the factory."
"Who wouldn't be upset? His mother not only doesn't help but actually undermines his work. And Zhou Qun has always been proud..."
"Isn't Zhou Qun supposed to be filial?"
"Even filial piety has its limits when dealing with Madam Zhou Li's unreasonable behavior."
The commotion at the Zhou family drew everyone out to watch, each hoping the drama would escalate.
Old Man Lan was particularly quick to come out, being the first one there. After all, he had heard this courtyard was lively, but this was his first time actually watching the drama unfold. He stood there slurping his noodles endlessly, watching the Zhou household with great interest, and remarked: "What a remarkably harmonious family!"
The onlookers: "..."
However, they couldn't help but notice that for an old man, he was eating quite well. Not only was he eating white flour noodles, but there were even strips of meat in his bowl - he was eating meat strip noodles.
Aunt Su noticed too, her eyes flickering as she said, "Brother Lan, you're eating so well. My grandson hasn't had meat in such a long time..."
Old Man Lan retorted: "Isn't your grandson the little thief? If he's not eating, isn't he stealing from everywhere? Why worry about him going hungry?"
Aunt Su's face immediately darkened, trembling with anger. While she was usually quite calculating, she couldn't handle someone like Old Man Lan. He always brought up her most precious grandson, and while she could tolerate most things, this was her breaking point. The three children were her heart and soul, and she couldn't even pretend to be calm. She snapped sharply: "How dare you talk like that, Old Man Lan!"
Just moments ago it was "Brother Lan," and now it had become "Old Man Lan."
What a quick change.
Old Man Lan responded righteously: "What's wrong with speaking the truth? Don't think you can fool me just because I just moved here. I know everything that goes on."
Aunt Su was trembling with anger when Old Man Bai came out and quickly stepped forward: "Sister, why bother arguing with him?"
He then glared at Old Man Lan, saying: "Brother, that's not very manly of you. What kind of hero picks on a widow?"
He had heard that this man was looking for a partner, and Aunt Wang had somehow managed to find quite a few suitable matches for him, which made him extremely jealous. Although he himself hadn't wanted to find anyone these past years, the fact that Aunt Wang, as a neighbor, had never actively offered to help him find someone really seemed unfair. All those years living in the same courtyard seemed wasted.
Because of this, he couldn't stand the sight of Old Man Lan.
Old Man Lan couldn't be bothered with this old fellow and said directly: "Whether I'm manly or not is none of your business. You'd better worry about yourself. Look at you - you're twenty years younger than me but look like we're the same age. Who knows how you've wasted away your life, you can't even take care of yourself yet you're worried about whether I'm manly or not."
It was rare for Old Man Lan to speak without sarcasm, but the truth was even more infuriating!
"You... you... you!"
The neighbors who had come to watch the drama had to admit that Old Man Lan wasn't wrong. The two old men were at least twenty years apart, but looking at their appearance, they could have been the same age. If anything, they might have guessed Old Man Lan to be younger. After all, his hair was meticulously combed, and his clothes were neat and clean, while Old Man Bai looked like a typical bachelor.
He was unkempt, his hair so oily it could be used to cook a dish, and his clothes were filthy.
The man simply didn't take care of himself.
"Being manly isn't about appearances, Brother Bai, don't mind this," Aunt Su didn't want things to escalate further. This Old Man Lan was a technical expert, backed by the factory director, and had several apprentices. They would be at a disadvantage if they provoked him.
Aunt Su didn't care who would suffer losses, but if Old Man Bai got into any trouble, wouldn't that mean spending money? This she absolutely couldn't agree to. Old Man Bai's money was essentially her money.
She couldn't waste it - she was still planning to make new clothes for each of her grandsons in the summer.
This reminded her of how her daughter-in-law had handed over her salary after receiving it, making Aunt Su even more angry, feeling that Wang Xiangxiu was truly useless. Whenever she wasn't around, that worthless woman couldn't keep the family running.
Her mind working quickly, she hurried to pacify Old Man Bai, saying: "Brother Bai, we're all neighbors, it's not good to keep fighting like this, making ourselves a laughing stock. We're better than that... Besides, some things are just misunderstandings. After all, it's just that our family is having such a hard time, and the children want to eat meat..."
"That's no problem, wait, I'll buy a pound of meat tomorrow, you can cook it for the children." Old Man Bai was being very generous. While he was usually quite stingy elsewhere, he was different when it came to Aunt Su.
Sure enough, this earned him Aunt Su's smiling response: "Old Bai, you're so generous!"
Old Man Bai smiled proudly, looking toward Old Man Lan.
However, Old Man Lan was watching them like it was a show, and somehow, his gaze made people uncomfortable. Just as he was about to say something to save face, they heard Aunt Zhou wailing again: "What did I do wrong? I only wanted the best for you all, and you don't appreciate me at all. Now you're even blaming me. Jiang Lu, you're nothing but bad luck! You're just a hen that can't lay eggs, yet you dare to gossip about me. I'll beat you to death!"
"Mom, you can do whatever you want at home, I'll listen to you, but you can't embarrass Brother Qun in public. Do you know how hard it is for him? Your thoughtless words have caused him so much trouble..." Jiang Lu argued back reasonably.
She hadn't been to the factory these past few days, so naturally, she was unaware of the rumors until today when she realized how far they had spread. Initially, she thought it wasn't a big deal, but seeing Zhou Qun's furrowed brows, how could her heart not ache?
Moreover, after Zhou Qun explained everything in detail, she couldn't help but want to have a serious talk with her mother-in-law.
Otherwise, if things continued like this, it would only cause trouble for Brother Qun. How could he possibly develop his career?
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law argued back and forth, creating quite a scene.
Everyone at the doorway was thoroughly entertained by the drama, except for Zhao Guihua, who wasn't particularly interested. Honestly, she had seen Zhou Qun's tactics before - when he wanted to control Jiang Lu, he would use his mother to pressure her; when he wanted to teach his mother Madam Zhou Li a lesson, he would use Jiang Lu against her.
No matter what, he always managed to stay above the fray, maintaining his facade as a good person. He was nothing but a genuine hypocrite.
Seeing everyone else watching the drama, Zhao Guihua decided to wash the dishes instead. Little Hutou wandered nearby, asking, "Why are they always fighting?"
The little one was confused.
Zhao Guihua replied, "They're just too idle."
Instead of watching the commotion, she went back to her room and took out Xiao Yanzi's dresses. Both dresses were finished, but she still hadn't managed to buy a sewing machine - those ration tickets for sewing machines were truly hard to come by. Zhao Guihua called out, "Xiao Yanzi."
"I'm here!"
The little girl came running in with thundering steps. Though she didn't fully understand the situation, she had been thoroughly enjoying watching the drama outside.
Zhao Guihua said, "Come, try on the dress."
"Is it for me? Is this really for me?" The little girl's eyes grew wide, her cheeks flushing with excitement.
"Yes, it's for you."
Zhao Guihua had created a striped dress by joining fabric strips together - it was adorable and charming.
Xiao Yanzi excitedly moved closer, saying, "It's so pretty!"
Zhao Guihua said, "Come, try on the dress, let's see if it needs any adjustments."
Xiao Yanzi immediately grabbed the dress, eager to put it on. Zhao Guihua couldn't help but laugh at her impatience, noting how the little girl had always been fond of pretty things from an early age.
She said, "Come here, let Grandma help you put it on."
She quickly removed the little girl's thick clothes before helping her into the dress. Checking the fit, it was slightly loose but actually quite suitable - this size would last her two or three years. She nodded and said, "It fits well, now take it off."
Xiao Yanzi clutched the dress, reluctant to move.
Zhao Guihua explained, "The dress needs to be washed before you can wear it, and besides, it's still too cold. You can wear it in a few days when it gets warmer."
Xiao Yanzi mumbled in response, and Zhao Guihua had her try on the other dress as well, nodding with approval, "Not bad, they both fit well."
Xiao Yanzi swayed happily, delighted that she indeed had more new clothes. Grandma hadn't lied to her after all.
Little Hutou remarked from the side, "It looks so pretty - no one is prettier than my sister."
Bright colors were rare these days, with most clothes being rather dull and gray. Colors like red and yellow were particularly scarce, and buying any clothing was quite difficult. Fortunately, among the fabric strips Zhao Guihua had collected, there were several pieces in these bright colors. Though they were only used as accents in the dress, you couldn't tell it was due to fabric shortage.
That's the advantage of fabric strips - they were mostly long pieces, which made them easier to cut and piece together than irregular scraps. The resulting pattern was quite attractive, suitable not just for little girls but even for adults to wear.
Though it did require more work.
Zhao Guihua laid both dresses over a chair, and Xiao Yanzi's eyes remained fixed on them, unwavering.
Zhao Guihua assured her, "Don't worry, I'll wash them tomorrow and put them away for you."
Xiao Yanzi nodded seriously with her little face. She knew that new clothes, touched by many hands, weren't clean. They needed to be washed thoroughly before wearing - it wasn't hygienic otherwise. Children needed to maintain good hygiene to avoid getting sick.
If you get sick, you have to go to the hospital for shots and medicine.
Medicine is bitter.
Shots are painful.
She didn't want that!
Xiao Yanzi immediately declared, "They need to be washed."
Zhao Guihua agreed, "That's right."
The little girl hummed a tune she had learned in kindergarten, walking around the room with her hands behind her back. She no longer cared about the drama outside, occasionally glancing at her new clothes. Soon, her attention returned to her grandmother: "Grandma, what are you sewing now?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "There's a bit left, I'm making some cleaning rags."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed the little girl's eyes fixed on a small piece of red fabric. After thinking for a moment, Zhao Guihua suggested, "How about I make you a bean bag?"
Xiao Yanzi's eyes lit up again as she nodded quickly. Zhao Guihua said, "Alright then, I'll make you one."
"Grandma, I want one too - Hutou wants one too!"
"Okay, I'll make you one as well."
Zhao Guihua asked, "By the way, did your uncle give you the fruit he picked from the mountain the other day for catching sparrows?"
Both children paused, shaking their heads in unison.
They had no idea about this.
Zhao Guihua figured it out - with all the chaos, her third son must have forgotten about it. She said, "When your uncle comes back from watching the commotion, ask him to teach you."
Little Hutou immediately became anxious, moving toward the door wanting to call someone. Zhao Guihua could see this without even looking up, and said, "What's the rush? It's already dark, we can't do anything today anyway."
Little Hutou let out a soft sigh - he really wanted to catch sparrows.
The children swallowed, feeling a bit hungry.
She worked quickly, soon finishing two bean bags - one light red and one green. The light red fabric had some uneven coloring, which was why Zhao Guihua hadn't used it for the clothes, but it was fine for bean bags.
Zhao Guihua said, "Once I go up the mountain to find some grass seeds to put inside, they'll be ready to use."
"Great~"
Both children became excited - children these days really didn't have many toys.
"Grandma, when will you take us? We want to go to the mountain too."
Zhao Guihua replied, "What business do little children have going up the mountain? It's very tiring. You stay home and let your uncle teach you how to catch sparrows."
"But we want to go play."
Little Hutou fidgeted with his fingers, quietly advocating for himself. He really wanted to go play - boys tend to be more mischievous after all, and he was eager for adventure in the mountains and seas. Some of his classmates had relatives in the countryside who said they could climb trees and play in rivers.
Although city children had better lives than those in the countryside, they had never experienced playing in rivers.
He really wanted to go, and although adults wouldn't say it, Little Hutou wasn't a four or five-year-old anymore. He was already a big seven-year-old this year, and he knew about the family's secret fishing spot outside.
Hmph, the adults tried to keep it secret, thinking children wouldn't know, but he had overheard everything.
Little Hutou really wanted to go, but his grandmother dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.
Zhao Guihua said, "What's there to go for? Tomorrow, when your uncle takes you sparrow hunting, you won't even think about the mountain anymore. Going up the mountain is tiring and makes you hungry, but with sparrow hunting, you can roast and eat them right away. Which do you prefer?"
Little Hutou replied, "Sparrows."
Children will always choose food!
That's meat, after all.
Zhao Guihua nodded, saying, "That's more like it."
Sparrows were considered one of the Four Pests now, and catching them was praised by everyone. No one would accuse you of destroying the ecological balance or disregarding sparrows' lives. That wasn't the case at all - the more you caught, the better it was considered. Otherwise, these creatures wouldn't be such a nuisance to crops, which was truly troublesome.
That's why they earned their reputation as one of the Four Pests.
In a few years, the Four Pests would change to become rats, flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches.
But for now, cockroaches weren't included - sparrows were among them instead.
Sparrows were actually the lesser concern - if you caught rats, that could be a good way to earn some pocket money. Rats were numerous in these times, destroying grain and making a mess of things. Various departments strongly encouraged the elimination of the Four Pests, and neighborhoods would organize several rat-catching campaigns each year.
Ordinary citizens could also catch rats, and they could exchange them for money. Though it wasn't much, it was still a way to earn some extra income. Rat tails could be exchanged for money, and some skilled rat catchers could actually make a decent bit of pocket money from this.
Don't doubt it, there really was such a reward at that time.
In her previous life, Zhao Guihua had considered this idea to generate income for the family, but catching mice proved even harder than fishing, so she eventually gave up. However, Zhao Guihua suddenly remembered something and slapped her forehead as she recalled Bai Fendou.
She vaguely remembered that Bai Fendou was quite skilled at making traps to catch mice, and he had earned quite a bit of pocket money from it.
As Zhao Guihua's thoughts returned to the present, the argument outside was winding down to its conclusion.
Everyone who had been watching the drama filed back inside, still savoring the entertainment. Ming Mei remarked, "A movie ticket costs ten cents, so that's how we save money!"
Liang Meifen responded with confusion: "???"
Puzzled and bewildered.
Ming Mei insisted confidently: "By watching this drama instead, didn't we save money on movie tickets?"
Liang Meifen thought about it seriously and nodded: "That actually makes sense."
Little Hutou burst out: "Uncle, Uncle! Grandmother says you have seeds that can attract sparrows!"
He blinked his eyes and said, "I want some!"
Zhuang Zhixi slapped his forehead: "Oh right, I completely forgot about that."
He said, "I'll help you set it up tomorrow."
"Yay!" The child jumped up and down excitedly, while his sister Xiao Yanzi also started bouncing, "Xiao Yanzi wants to join too!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure, everyone can join."
Zhuang Zhixi was very skilled at catching sparrows. When he was a young boy during the difficult times, he had to think of ways to find food or risk starving. So catching sparrows was a simple matter for him.
As long as there was bait, there was no worry about sparrows not taking the bait.
"Tomorrow after work."
"Yay!"
Watching the children clinging to his brother, Zhuang Zhiyuan thought back to their childhood, when young Zhuang Zhixi used to cling to him the same way. He had found it so annoying back then, mainly because this kid... despite being young, always wanted the bigger portion. He was truly asking for a beating.
He would cry if he didn't get his way.
It had nearly driven him crazy, but now watching his own son pestering his uncle, he smiled slightly, feeling that his son was somehow getting revenge for him.
"Oh right, your mother sent word today, asking you to visit your family home tomorrow," Zhuang Zhiyuan said as if he had just remembered, though in truth, he had been keeping it in mind. He just didn't particularly like talking about this matter.
Nobody was foolish - Liang Meifen's family was taking advantage of their daughter to support their son. As Liang Meifen's husband, he naturally felt uncomfortable about this. As a man, he couldn't directly speak about it, but even though he didn't say anything, he was genuinely unhappy about it.
Before they had children, he hadn't minded much, after all, Liang Meifen's family had raised her and paid for her education. But now they had children and their own family to care for, and her family's constant taking advantage was becoming very irritating.
To be honest, Zhuang Zhiyuan could have tolerated it, but what really crossed the line was when Liang Meifen gave up her job. This touched Zhuang Zhiyuan's bottom line.
He said: "Your mother sent the message through your neighbor today. You should go tomorrow morning and come back after lunch there."
He felt nothing but disgust towards his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law.
Zhao Guihua looked up at Liang Meifen.
Liang Meifen immediately became expectant. In the past, whenever she visited her family, her mother-in-law would let her take some gifts. This time... she was very hopeful, as they had smoked rabbit at home. She looked eagerly at Zhao Guihua, but Zhao Guihua coldly said: "You can visit your family, but you should know what to say and what not to say. If I find out you've told them about our fishing spot, don't ever come back."
Liang Meifen: "!!!"
She hadn't expected her mother-in-law to say this. Zhao Guihua continued: "Alright, everyone go to your rooms."
In the past, she had cared about face and, although she looked down on these in-laws, she maintained proper etiquette. But now, heh!
She wouldn't waste money feeding wolves just because she had extra to spare. Some people would always feel entitled no matter how much you gave them. She used to care about saving face, but after living through this once, she knew that when someone doesn't care about face, it means nothing.
After sending everyone away, she added: "Liang Meifen, wash your daughter's dress before you leave tomorrow."
"Okay." Liang Meifen was still somewhat hopeful, but Zhao Guihua maintained her cold demeanor and didn't mention anything else. Liang Meifen immediately felt dejected. Both families returned to their rooms, and Liang Meifen, with reddened eyes, said: "Zhiyuan, why didn't Mom mention preparing any gifts for me?"
Zhuang Zhiyuan casually replied: "What are you dreaming about?"
Liang Meifen: "But she always did before."
She protested.
Zhuang Zhiyuan glanced at his foolish wife and said: "You didn't give your job to your brother before either."
Liang Meifen was suddenly speechless. After a while, she dropped a tear and said: "Then give me twenty yuan."
Zhuang Zhiyuan, who had already laid down, sat up abruptly and said: "How much do you want?"
Liang Meifen mumbled: "I haven't been home for a long time, I need to bring more gifts, otherwise what will my parents think of me, and what will they think of you as their son-in-law? Twenty yuan is reasonable. This money is buying our face."
This honest man, Zhuang Zhiyuan, suddenly became angry and shouted: "Face? What face do you have? Is your face worth half a month's salary? Do your parents treat you like family? You gave your job to your brother and still want more? What else do you want?"
"But they raised me..."
"Your brother didn't raise you, and you know exactly how much you've contributed to them over the years. Liang Meifen, don't treat people like fools! If you're not happy here, just go back to your parents' home. I won't stop you!"
He didn't even wash up, just pulled the blanket over his head.
Liang Meifen: "You..."
Her tears instantly fell, and she kept sobbing, but seeing her husband remaining silent and ignoring her, she felt that her life had been nothing but suffering. Why did no one understand her?
"If you want to cry, go cry outside," Zhuang Zhiyuan said in a muffled voice.
Liang Meifen stood up to leave, but looking at her husband again, who wouldn't even glance at her, she suddenly felt panicked.
She hesitated, then said softly: "Zhiyuan, I know, I know you resent me..."
"Yes, I resent you for not considering your own children, and still not understanding what's what." Zhuang Zhiyuan sat up and said: "Look at how your parents treat you. What can they do besides asking for money and things? Are you still craving that tiny bit of affection? Are you living with them or with me and the children? Do you even know what you've done? You have no job now, we have two children to raise, how dare you ask for twenty yuan?"
Liang Meifen: "But, but my parents have more money than they can spend, and Third Brother and his wife have more than they can spend too..."
She thought she was being reasonable.
"Even if they have more money than they can spend, it's not yours! Have some shame!" Zhuang Zhiyuan, who cared about face, exploded when he heard Liang Meifen's words. Such talk was utterly embarrassing when said openly.
He was mortified.
"Liang Meifen, if I hear you say something like this again, get out!" Zhuang Zhiyuan's voice rose.
"You!"
"I mean what I say. Clearly, I need to make things crystal clear since you won't stop. You're not the only clever one in this world. If you keep having such thoughts, keep helping your family, we'll get divorced! Get out!" After shouting, he covered his head and went to sleep.
He wasn't usually someone who raised his voice, and typically was very sweet with Liang Meifen, after all, theirs was a love marriage.
But comparisons can be cruel.
Among all the daughters-in-law in the courtyard, none were like his wife, and he found it embarrassing. Before, he could pretend not to see it, but now his brother was married too. The comparisons within the family were stark and real. How could he feel comfortable?
This time he truly exploded.
Liang Meifen never expected Zhuang Zhiyuan to get so angry with her. This was the first time she had seen him this furious with her. She was completely stunned, unable to find words, and could only silently weep...
The sound of their argument carried over to the next room. Zhuang Zhixi vaguely heard it and said, "My sister-in-law is making a scene again."
"Let her be."
Ming Mei said, "Isn't this what she wanted anyway?"
Ming Mei didn't care about any of that. Instead, she was more interested in going up the mountain. She excitedly said to Zhuang Zhixi, "Next holiday, let's go up the mountain again. If we can gather something, we can add more to our secret savings!"
Ming Mei felt happy thinking about her substantial secret stash.
However, she soon became a bit worried and said, "Brother Zhixi, do you think it's safe to keep my money hidden under the bed?"
Although she had locked her small box to the bed frame, she was still worried. After all, there were thieves in their neighborhood. What if someone sawed through it? This was her entire fortune!
"Should we think of another way to hide the money?" Ming Mei fell into deep contemplation.
Zhuang Zhixi laughed but still went along with his wife's concerns. Though it seemed unlikely that anyone would steal it, his wife's cautiousness wasn't wrong. It was quite adorable, actually.
He said, "How about this: we can put the box up on the roof beam. Your box is about the same size and color as a brick. If we put it up there, at first glance it'll look just like a brick. Plus, it's dark up there, so no one would notice. It'll definitely be safe."
His wife was mainly worried about Jin's children, but putting it up there would solve that problem - children couldn't reach that high. Even if real thieves came, they wouldn't need to worry. Thieves generally don't mess with roof beams - it's considered unlucky.
So there was really nothing to worry about.
"That's a good idea," Ming Mei agreed enthusiastically. She said with determination, "Let's put it up there right now. This is all my savings!"
Zhuang Zhixi laughed and said, "Alright!"
The young couple gleefully began hiding their money - ah, these were the troubles of wealthy people!
