Chapter 25: Pride

◎Mother-Daughter Conversation◎

Sure enough, when Wei’s mother heard that her daughter had knitted her a new hat, her eyes immediately fell on Wei Xuan’s hands. However, after staring at it for a while, she hesitated and said, “Dear, this red hat… I’m so old, can I still wear it? Won’t people laugh at me if I wear it out?”

Wei Xuan lowered her head and looked at the hat, not noticing anything wrong with it.

“Mom, this red isn’t bright red, it’s perfect for your age. I’ve seen many people in the city around your age wearing this color. If you don’t believe me, try it on and let everyone see. I’m sure it will look great.”

“Yes, Mom, try it on so we can see.”

Wei’s mother was still somewhat doubtful. “People in the city really wear this color?”

Seeing that her mother was tempted, Wei Xuan didn’t give her a chance to back out. She immediately took the hat and put it on her mother.

Once it was on and adjusted, Wei Xuan stepped back and looked at her mother, saying, “This color looks really good.”

Wei’s third sister-in-law also looked over with envy. “Mom, you look really lively in that hat.”

Everyone began praising her, and soon, Wei’s mother got used to the color. She even urged Wei’s father to try on his hat.

The hat Wei Xuan made for her father was dark gray, a color that was more easily accepted. Without much thought, Wei’s father put it on.

It turned out to be quite warm.

The two of them put the hats on and didn’t take them off.

Wei Xuan saw that everyone really liked the gifts she brought, and she felt very happy. She reached into her bag and was about to take out the socks she had knitted from the leftover yarn.

“How come there’s more?” Wei’s mother saw that Wei Xuan was still taking things out and felt a little pain in her heart. How much money must all of this have cost?

Wei Xuan smiled helplessly and said, “Mom, there’s nothing else. This is the last thing—it’s a small pair of socks and a little vest knitted from the leftover yarn I used to make your hats.”

After speaking, she looked at Wei’s third sister-in-law and said, “Third sister-in-law, when the baby is born, I might not be able to be home, so this is my early gift to my nephew.”

Wei’s third sister-in-law didn’t expect there to be something for her. She was pleasantly surprised and said, “Then I’ll thank you in advance for the child, little aunt.”

Wei’s elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law felt a little sour, but they also knew that although the little aunt had bought a lot of food, most of it had been eaten by their own children, so they wisely kept quiet.

Seeing their younger sister-in-law doing better and better now, they realized they’d be foolish to offend her.

Wei’s third brother also happily touched the small clothes his little sister had made for his child, then said to Wei Xuan, “Little sis, you’re really skilled! I never realized you could do all this before. You’re really getting more impressive!”

Wei Xuan calmly replied, “I didn’t learn before, but now I have a lot of free time at work. In the afternoons, I have nothing else to do, so I just focus on these things!”

After giving out the gifts, Wei’s elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law went to the kitchen to prepare the meal, while Wei’s third sister-in-law, who was about to give birth, stayed in the main room to chat with Wei Xuan.

Wei’s mother divided the things Wei Xuan had brought for the children, keeping the rest for herself. These were all good things, so she planned to save them for later.

At lunch, Jiang Che, Wei’s father, and the three Wei brothers all drank quite a bit.

When Wei’s mother found out that her daughter wasn’t leaving in the evening, she was so happy she hurriedly went to set up a bed, asking her son to help her son-in-law back to the room to rest, then took Wei Xuan back to her own room to talk.

Mostly, Wei’s mother asked Wei Xuan how she had been living in the city, whether she had been mistreated, and so on.

Wei Xuan patiently told her everything, including the move to the new place.

Of course, she didn’t mention the business and making money part, as it might worry her mother too much.

After asking about these things, Wei’s mother pointed to Wei Xuan’s stomach and said, “Nier, you’ve been married for over six months now. Isn’t there any news yet?”

Wei Xuan rubbed her forehead; she knew her mother would ask this.

She casually deflected, “No, Mom, it’s not urgent. We just moved out, so let’s wait a bit. Once we have some money saved up, we’ll think about having a child. After all, Jiang Che and I are still young, so there’s no rush with the kid thing.”

Wei’s mother slapped her lightly and said, “So now you know you need to save money, huh? Looking at all the things you brought today, it made my heart skip a beat. I’m really afraid that you and your husband are spending more than you earn.”

Wei Xuan smiled and flattered her mother, “Mom, this is just an occasional thing. I don’t come home often, so when I do, I want to buy more things to show my respect to you and Dad.”

Wei’s mother knew her daughter was dutiful, but she was worried about her spending habits, fearing that in the end, she wouldn’t be able to save a single penny and would end up struggling.

So, she patiently advised her, “You’re still young and don’t understand, but when you have children, you’ll know. There are many places where money needs to be spent. If you can save now, do so. Your dad and I have you and your brothers, so you don’t need to spend your own money. If you want to do something nice, just come home and visit us more often.”

Wei Xuan felt warm in her heart from her words. This was truly a parent who wholeheartedly cared for her children.

“Mom, I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry, I’m doing just fine, no need for you to stress.”

The mother and daughter exchanged heartfelt words, and then Wei Xuan remembered her younger brother, Wei Xiaolong.

“Mom, Xiaolong will be in the second year of high school next year, right?”

When it came to her youngest son, Wei’s mother was very proud, “Yes, he’ll be in his second year. This year, the team leader came over and said that if his grades continue like this, after graduation, they’ll have him work at the public accounting office, doing some odd jobs and learning. He’ll take over the accountant’s position in the future.”

Wei Xuan paused for a moment, thinking it would be best not to comment just yet. After all, once the college entrance exam policies are restored, she believed Wei Xiaolong would choose the path that would be more beneficial for him.

Wei Xuan had also considered whether she could try taking the college entrance exam, but she felt that her interests weren’t really in that direction. She still thought it was more important to manage her little family well.

Moreover, the original owner had poor grades in school, and she herself had never really received a proper education. Now, suddenly having to take the college entrance exam with no one to guide her—it felt like a big challenge!

But if anyone in the Wei family had the opportunity to attend college, she felt she could offer some advice or help when necessary. After all, college students were highly respected in this era, and their future prospects were bright.

Wei Xuan and Jiang Che spent the night at the Wei family’s home. The next day, Wei’s father even specially called over two of his younger brothers to join them for lunch.

So, the three families ate together at noon. After the meal, since it was the second day of the Lunar New Year and the time for the daughters to visit their parents’ homes, the three brothers went with their wives to their respective family homes. In the end, only the second cousin-in-law drove a bullock cart to take them to the county town to catch a bus.

This second cousin-in-law was quite the chatterbox. He didn’t stop talking the entire way, but Wei Xuan found him interesting. Despite his constant talking, he didn’t come across as annoying at all.

Upon arriving in the county town, the two of them got off the bullock cart, and Jiang Che thanked the second cousin-in-law, saying, “Thank you for sending us this time. Next time we go to the city, you must come to our house for a meal!”

The second cousin-in-law readily agreed, waving his hand and saying, “Alright, it’s settled then. The bus is almost here, you two should hurry up.”

“Thanks, cousin-in-law. We’ll head out now. Be careful on your way back,” Wei Xuan waved her hand as she followed Jiang Che onto the vehicle.