Chapter 50 : Is she really that good?

After lunch, Lin Lan prepared to take the children to dry the herbs.  

“Mom, isn’t He He working at the textile factory? I want to ask her something.”  

“Yes, okay. He He, go chat with your sister-in-law, and the rest of you come with me.”  

Lin Lan had no choice but to agree.  

“Alright, Mom. Sister-in-law, whatever you want to ask, I’ll tell you everything I know.”  

Xiao He He liked her sister-in-law very much, even though she was older than her.  

“Let’s go to our room.”  

Ye Suiwan took her hand and led her inside, not forgetting to give Xiao Yuyan a look that said, “Don’t worry.”  

Lin Lan happened to catch that look.  

After Ye Suiwan closed the door, Lin Lan pulled Xiao Yuyan aside.  

“I’m telling you, you’re not in good health at the end of the year, so take it easy.”  

Lin Lan warned him seriously.  

Xiao Yuyan’s ears turned red.  

“Mom, I understand.”  

Xiao Yuyan replied through gritted teeth.  

“Hmph, you’d better know that you should treat Suiwan well. You have a very good wife.”  

Lin Lan smiled as she said this.  

“Yes, I remember, Mom.”  

“Oh, by the way, Mom, you’re taking me back to Beijing at the end of the year. I’ll buy a ticket for the day I go back home.”  

Then—snap!  

Lin Lan slapped Xiao Yuyan on the back.  

Xiao Chufan, Xiao Jinzhou, and Xiao Nuannuan were stunned.  

This was definitely the first time they had seen their eldest brother get hit.  

“You brat, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Isn’t it tomorrow?”  

“What time is the ticket? I haven’t prepared anything yet!”  

“What are you guys looking at? Keep working.”  

With that, she headed straight for the cellar, she needed to figure out what to pack for her in-laws.  

These two kids, seriously…  

Meanwhile, inside the room, Ye Suiwan had no idea that her husband had just been slapped and scolded by his own mother.  

“He He, how is your work at the factory? Are you tired?”  

Ye Suiwan started with some casual small talk.  

“Sister-in-law, I’m not tired. I’m used to it. I’m trying to transfer to the office.”  

“So you’re on the assembly line right now?”  

Ye Suiwan really didn’t know much about it.  

“Yes, sister-in-law.”  

“You live at my mother-in-law’s house, right? You don’t have a dormitory?”  

“You know, your brother and I got married just a few days apart, so we haven’t had much time to get to know each other yet!”  

Ye Suiwan added.  

“Well, with so many people in one house, the dormitory allocation usually favors couples who have been working longer.”  

“Sister-in-law, to be honest, I was upset that Li Yang didn’t come to your wedding with my eldest brother.” She had even had a big fight with him over it.  

As Xiao He He said this, she fell silent for a moment, as if all the energy had drained from her.  

“He He, in our family, daughters who marry out are treated like spilled water. But I think you know how much your mother loves you. As your sister-in-law and as someone else’s daughter too, I don’t believe I’m just ‘spilled water.’”  

“If you ever have something you don’t feel comfortable telling Mom or your eldest brother, tell me instead.”  

“Your sister-in-law is the head of the household now, you know that, right?”  

Ye Suiwan flashed her a playful smile.  

Xiao He He was caught off guard by that smile and soon found herself smiling too. She nodded.  

“Sister-in-law, I know. Thank you. My brother is really lucky to have married you.”  

Xiao He He’s eyes were filled with sincerity.  

“And our He He is an amazing girl too. Graduating high school and getting into a textile factory, and now working towards an office job that’s impressive, isn’t it?”  

Ye Suiwan looked straight into her eyes, speaking with absolute conviction.  

Her words struck a deep chord in Xiao He He’s heart.  

Was it true?  

Was she really that good?  

But her husband always scolded her for being dull and rigid. Her sister-in-law constantly looked down on her. Her mother-in-law casually called her a “hen that doesn’t lay eggs.” Even though her father-in-law didn’t say anything directly, his entire family treated her with indifference.  

The only time she felt valued in that family was when she handed over her paycheck.  

Yeah… How could she forget?  

Back in the Xiao family, she had been loved by her mother, protected by her eldest brother, and adored by her younger siblings. When her father was still alive, he had doted on her even more.  

It had been a long time since she had given back to this family in any way.  

How long had it taken her to save up the 10 yuan she brought home as a gift this time?  

One year? Two years?  

She earned quite a bit of money every month, her first-year salary had been 17.84 yuan, and now, in her third year, it was 36 yuan!  

But where had all that money gone?  

Why was she living like this?  

Did her sister-in-law say those things because she knew something?  

Did her eldest brother know something too?  

She had always avoided burdening her family. She knew that even though her eldest brother looked impressive in the army, he was constantly risking his life. She also knew their mother had to raise three children alone, and as a married daughter, she didn’t want to take up more of her mother’s time and energy.  

Had she been wrong all along?  

When had she started distrusting her own family?  

How long had it been since she even thought about these things?  

Had she become numb to it all?