Chapter 15 : Comfort

“So, this time when Qingqing went to the city, I didn’t give her any money.”

It wasn’t until these words were spoken that everyone understood.

“Qingqing is the youngest sister in the family and the only girl. We usually spoil her a bit… but let’s not talk about the past. Recently, Qingqing has become more mature. We don’t know what kind of grievance she suffered, but she was given these egg cakes as compensation. Yet, she didn’t keep them for herself; she brought them back to share with everyone.”

“Among siblings, harmony is important. If there are any issues, speak them out openly. Don’t keep them bottled up inside, or they’ll only grow and disrupt the peace. All your father and I want in this life is a happy and harmonious family. Don’t make us uneasy in our old age.”

As she finished speaking, Ma Xiuzhi glanced pointedly at Liang Junqiang, whose face turned bright red. Even he, usually dense, understood the implication and quickly responded, “Yes!”

Ma Xiuzhi nodded, “Speak up about any issues right away, or it might be too late…”

“Mom, I have something to say,” Liang Qingqing quickly raised her hand, smiling.

Surprised that Qingqing responded so quickly, Ma Xiuzhi paused before asking, “What is it?”

Liang Qingqing had already prepared her words and took the opportunity to speak up, “Mom, Dad, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Brother, I’ve wanted to say this for a while but never found the right moment.”

“Like Mom said, let’s not talk about the past. I was young and foolish then, did a lot of stupid things, and caused a lot of trouble for everyone. I’m truly sorry!”

As she spoke, Liang Qingqing stood up straight and bowed deeply, even though these actions were attributed to her former self.

Wang Xiaomei, startled, quickly reached out to support her arm. “Little Sister, what are you doing?”

“Yes, why are you suddenly saying all this? We’ve never felt that you were a burden. We’re all family!”

“Is something bothering you? Tell me, and I’ll help you solve it,” Liang Junqiang offered.

Hearing their concern, Liang Qingqing felt her eyes inexplicably well up with tears. She struggled to hold back her emotions and smiled, shaking her head. “Thank you!”

“I’m fine; I’ve just been reflecting on many things lately. I want to start working in the fields. Even though I may not be strong enough to earn many work points, I can still help lighten the family’s burden a little.”

“I want to contribute to this family!”

After saying these words, Liang Qingqing felt a sense of relief, but the others looked at her in shock, as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide with disbelief at what they were hearing.

Ma Xiuzhi was the first to react. “Qingqing, are you really okay?”

“I’m really fine!” Liang Qingqing said with a helpless smile, spinning around in a circle for emphasis. “I’m an adult now; it’s time I started earning my own way. I can’t rely on all of you forever, can I?”

“Did someone say something to you?”

Ma Xiuzhi frowned, thinking this over and over, and could only come up with this possibility. At the same time, Huang Shumin’s face popped into her mind. It seemed like ever since she married into the family, Qingqing had started behaving differently. Although the changes were positive, today’s events were particularly unusual.

“No, what could anyone say? Even if someone did say something, if I didn’t figure it out myself, could anyone force me?”

That’s true enough.

Ma Xiuzhi wanted to say more but was interrupted by Liang Xueyong, who said, “It’s a good thing that Qingqing has come to her senses. Don’t overcomplicate things. I think it’s great; she reached the age where she should start learning things.”

The last sentence effectively silenced Ma Xiuzhi.

Although she didn’t want to bring it up, the truth was that Liang Qingqing was at the age where they needed to start thinking about her marriage. They had planned to focus on this after settling their second son’s marriage.

Their daughter seemed well-behaved in every way, and no one at home dared to treat her poorly. However, as a young woman, she would eventually get married, and once she was at her husband’s house, no one would pamper her. If she didn’t know how to do anything, people might not say anything to her face but would definitely gossip behind her back.

Moreover, they couldn’t be there for Qingqing forever. She would eventually have to manage her own household, so learning how to do things early on was only beneficial.

With this in mind, Ma Xiuzhi nodded and said she would ask the team leader if they could assign Qingqing a relatively easy job.

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing’s eyes lit up. She sweetly hugged Ma Xiuzhi and acted playfully, while also giving Liang Junqiang a look. “Second Brother, aren’t you going to check on Second Sister-in-law?”

Liang Junqiang snapped out of it, instinctively looking at Ma Xiuzhi. Seeing her nod, he quickly ran out.

By now, it was getting dark. The warm, humid evening breeze hinted at an impending heavy rain.

As he approached the room, Liang Junqiang hesitated, his steps slowing. He clasped his hands in front of him, paced back and forth for a moment, then gathered the courage to knock gently on the door, softly calling, “Wife?”

After waiting a while, the room remained silent, as if no one was inside.

Seeing this, Liang Junqiang closed his eyes, bit his molars, and knocked again, this time speaking even more gently, “Shumin, can I come in?”

This time, he finally got a response.

“What do you want?”

Judging by her tone, she was still angry.

“Is everything alright? I’ll come in to check on you,” Liang Junqiang said as he pushed the door open, not waiting for Huang Shumin to respond. Luckily, she hadn’t locked the door, and it swung open easily. As he entered, he could see her lying on the bed, facing away from him and motionless, in the dim light from outside.

“Do you want me to get you a cup of hot water?”

“No!”

“How about I bring a towel to wipe your face before you sleep?”

“No!”

Hearing this, Liang Junqiang scratched the back of his neck. Remembering what his mother had said and the look on her face, he felt completely at a loss. It was obvious there was a misunderstanding, but how could he explain it? He couldn’t make it too clear, but if he didn’t clarify, he wouldn’t be able to explain it properly. It was a dilemma!

He mulled it over for a moment, feeling that cutting down fifty trees would be easier than this.

Meanwhile, Huang Shumin lay on the bed, biting her lower lip. When she didn’t hear Liang Junqiang say anything for a while, she sneaked a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. She saw him standing there, lost in thought, with a blank expression. He was clearly thinking about something else in this situation, not caring about her at all! At that thought, the grievances she had been holding in burst forth, and tears began to fall.

“Liang Junqiang, are you just going to stand there like a door guard? Get out!” she shouted.

Her angry outburst snapped Liang Junqiang out of his thoughts. Hearing the sob in her voice, he panicked and quickly rushed to the bedside. “Why are you crying?” he asked anxiously.

“You’re the one who’s crying!” Huang Shumin tried to hide her face, but Liang Junqiang, with his strong grip, didn’t let her get away. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t escape.

“Okay, okay, it’s me who’s crying,” he said, rubbing her face with his rough fingers, making her cry even harder.

Seeing this, Liang Junqiang stopped moving. He waited until Huang Shumin had cried herself out before cautiously taking out an egg cake from his pocket. “I saw you didn’t finish your meal earlier. Are you still hungry? Here, have this egg cake.”

“I don’t want it!” Fresh tears welled up, fueled by frustration.

“Xiao Mei brought these back for us specifically. Are you sure you don’t want it?”

“No!” Eating it would be like admitting defeat to the favoritism in this family. If she did, her in-laws would just spoil Liang Qingqing even more, and she might end up having to support this lazy sister-in-law!

Liang Junqiang thought for a moment, then sighed heavily. When Huang Shumin turned to look at him, he feigned a troubled expression and said, “Are you sure you don’t want it? You probably won’t get another chance.”

“We’ve never bought such good things before. If it weren’t for…”

He briefly explained the situation about the egg cakes and Qingqing’s plans to start working. Of course, he didn’t mention certain things that might upset Huang Shumin, wanting to keep peace between her and his parents.

“What?”

Their parents hadn’t given Qingqing any money, and the egg cakes weren’t bought by her; they were compensation from someone else. And Qingqing was going to start working to earn work points the next day?

It was a lot to take in, and Huang Shumin was stunned for a while, even suspecting that Liang Junqiang was making it up to placate her. With this in mind, she voiced her suspicion.

“Why would I lie to you? Our parents have spent almost all their savings recently; there’s no money left to indulge Xiao Mei.”

Realizing she’d misunderstood, Huang Shumin’s eyelashes fluttered with guilt.

Even though Liang Junqiang hadn’t said it outright, it was clear that apart from their own wedding, there hadn’t been any major expenses recently. Moreover…

With another brother nearing marriage, her mother had added extra demands to the dowry list at the last minute, even though it was already agreed upon.

It was a dishonest move, and most families would have backed out and found another bride, as there were plenty of fish in the sea. But the Liang family didn’t break the engagement. Liang’s parents, seeing the young couple’s mutual affection and worried that a broken engagement would damage her reputation and future prospects, reluctantly accepted the terms and brought her into the family with a grand ceremony.

Since the wedding, the Liang family hadn’t mentioned the incident again, showing her great respect.

They had treated her well, and yet she had thrown a tantrum in front of the elders over a misunderstanding. It was inappropriate.

Moreover, she hadn’t been part of the family for long. She had no right to question how the Liang family spent their money before. She had known they were famous for doting on their daughter, and by marrying into the family, she had to accept the risks that came with it.