Chapter 3 — Negotiating Conditions

“Didn’t your family send a letter in advance? I can see even Baosheng is quite surprised,” Cheng Wenhua was puzzled.

Li Baosheng was indeed surprised because the matter of Xia Shao coming here was never mentioned to him at home.

The old couple thought that since they had already sent the person away, there was no need to let him know, to prevent him from hiding things from his wife.

Tian Cuifen didn’t know whether Cheng Wenhua’s statement was genuine puzzlement or if she already knew something and was speaking sarcastically.

“Wait a moment, I’ll go with your father to take a look.” She hurriedly went into the house, lowering her voice to ask Li Changshun, “What should we do?”

Li Changshun had already put on his shoes and was getting ready to put on his coat. “Don’t panic. Wenhua probably still doesn’t know. If he knew, there would have been a commotion already. Xia’s siblings probably heard something from somewhere.”

He said that, but when he went out, he still carefully observed Cheng Wenhua’s expression.

Tian Cuifen was even more anxious, wanting to walk faster, but seeing Cheng Wenhua clutching her stomach, she had to slow down.

Even if Cheng Wenhua didn’t know now, who knew if, when they arrived, Xia Shao would start causing trouble?

After all, they had delayed her for four years and still wanted to delay longer…

As soon as the couple entered the house, they immediately looked towards the siblings from the Xia family, only to find the two of them sitting on chairs near the door, drinking water. One was fidgeting impatiently, while the other kept their eyes lowered, gentle, and quiet.

As for their own Baosheng…

It didn’t matter whether Baosheng mentioned it or not, he was still sitting blankly by the kang, still not coming back to his senses.

Seeing the visitors, Xia Shao pursed her lips into a soft smile and said, “Uncle Li, Aunt Li.” After calling out to them, her gaze passed over them, looking at the three-year-old girl sleeping behind Li Baosheng. “I didn’t expect that after five years, Baosheng’s child would be this big.”

Although she still had the same appearance and her voice lacked any aggressiveness, Tian Cuifen felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.

On the other hand, Li Changshun remained relatively calm. Taking off his glasses, he wiped the fog from them while smiling, “You came early without saying anything? I was just telling your aunt that you should have arrived, asking her to go pick you up at the train station tomorrow.”

This was clearly said for Cheng Wenhua’s benefit, a way of testing whether Xia Shao wanted to make a big deal out of things.

Upon hearing this, Xia Shao simply lowered her gaze and said nothing. Xia Wanhui, on the other hand, opened his mouth, glanced at Xia Shao, then closed it again.

Li Changshun’s suspended heart finally settled down. Putting on his round glasses, he introduced the two sides, “This is Baosheng’s wife, Wenhua. And these are Baosheng’s relatives from his aunt’s side. Wenhua, you can call them cousin and cousin.”

After finishing, he quickly checked the time. “It’s late, and you have children. Let them stay at my place.”

Regardless of what was going on, they needed to get the Xia siblings out now, lest they have any contact with Baosheng’s wife.

Children are easy to agitate. Cheng Wenhua indeed couldn’t keep them, nor did she suspect anything. She got up and escorted them out. At the door, she even handed a flashlight to Li Baosheng, “The nearby lights are all off. Take our parents and cousins with you.”

Li Baosheng looked at her, then at Xia Shao, and followed them.

Once they reached the mouth of the alley, he couldn’t hold back anymore and asked Xia Shao, “Why did you come all the way to the northeast?”

“To marry you, what else? Did you think otherwise?”

Xia Wanhui finally couldn’t hold back. In fact, if Xia Shao hadn’t instructed him beforehand, he would have punched him as soon as they met.

Li Baosheng was stunned by her words, quickly looking at Xia Shao, “Y-You came to marry me?”

He was at a loss. “I didn’t mean to break off the engagement. We grew up together, and I’ve always considered you my wife. But our family is unfamiliar here. We need to marry someone local to establish ourselves. When you were betrothed, you were still so young, not even fourteen…”

Initially, he didn’t agree to marry someone else.

But what his parents said made sense. Now that he was a worker, Xia Shao wasn’t the most suitable match for him.

Li Baosheng felt guilty, “It’s my fault for not telling you earlier, making you come all this way for nothing. At that time, I was the only one old enough in my family. I had no choice. You’ve always been understanding, I’m sure you’ll understand my predicament.”

Xia Shao was dumbfounded.

He tore up the engagement, made her wear the green hat, and said she must understand his predicament?

Was it because the original host was too forgiving before, or was this guy just not right in the head?

Should she apologize to him: I’m sorry, Mr. Li, I shouldn’t have come here to make things difficult for you?

To be honest, Li Baosheng was good-looking, fair, and gentle; otherwise, Cheng Wenhua wouldn’t have taken a liking to him. But Xia Shao had just met someone who could be a national vase. Looking at him now, she just felt his looks weren’t good enough, and he lacked clarity and assertiveness.

Xia Shao didn’t look at him again, turning to Li Changshun, “Auntie said the kang collapsed at home, and there’s no place to stay. Shall we discuss it at the hotel?”

“The kang collapsed? When did that happen?” Li Baosheng clearly wasn’t in the right state of mind.

Tian Cuifen’s excuse for the Xia siblings was pierced by her own son, and her face turned green.

But Li Changshun noticed the key point, “Discuss? Discuss what?”

“Discuss the conditions.”

Xia Shao was willing to leave along with their words, indicating she wasn’t prepared to escalate the matter. After all, there was no benefit to her if things got out of hand.

They were already married, with a child on the kang and one in her belly. Could they still separate them?

But not escalating the matter didn’t mean letting it go.

Xia Shao smiled at the three of them and asked, “Do you think canceling a marriage is such a big deal that a few apologies can smooth things over?”

Back in the small room at the hotel, Tian Cuifen’s mood was completely different from the afternoon.

Li Changshun’s expression wasn’t great either. Seeing that Xia Shao was different from five years ago, he gave up on playing the emotional card and sent Li Baosheng away.

Under the dim light, he stared at Xia Shao for a long time before asking, “What conditions do you want to discuss?”

“I want 1500 yuan,” Xia Shao made an audacious demand.

“Why don’t you just rob us!” Tian Cuifen almost jumped up, “1500, even if we don’t eat or drink, it would take us four years to save up.”

This was in the city; in the countryside, they wouldn’t even earn 100 yuan in a year.

Xia Shao lowered her head, “It’s been fifteen years since the engagement was made. You’ve delayed me for four years. Shouldn’t I ask for this much?”

“1500 is enough to get two jobs for the newcomer!” Tian Cuifen was about to stomp her feet but was stopped by Li Changshun’s glance.

Li Changshun pushed his glasses up, “Come up with something more reasonable. He’s already married, and we shouldn’t keep hiding things.”

They didn’t have to hide things. Why did the two of them rush over here as if they were afraid she and Li Baosheng’s wife would talk too much?

Xia Shao bit her lip, seeming to be in a dilemma, “Then… I want to find a job in Jiangcheng. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

This was her real purpose. When she made the audacious demand earlier, it was just to make it harder for the Li family to refuse.

After all, she had transmigrated. In the short term, it was okay, but after spending a long time together, she would definitely notice the differences from the original host.

Rather than going back to her hometown in Guanli to do farm work, deal with crappy brothers, it was better to stay here and work as a laborer.

If she compared marriage to a job, her husband to her boss, and he breached the contract first, wouldn’t it be reasonable for him to compensate her with a new job?

Tian Cuifen felt it was unreasonable, very unreasonable. Their daughter-in-law hadn’t found a place to settle down yet, so why should they find a job for Xia Shao?

Moreover, if Xia Shao were to really stay in Jiangcheng, wouldn’t it be more troublesome in the future?

Li Changshun furrowed his brows. “Can we change the subject?”

Xia Shao remained silent.

Li Changshun sighed. “It’s our fault in my family for this matter. You have your demands, and logically, we should try our best to meet them. But policies have changed in recent years. The country is worried about a lack of people farming in the countryside and doesn’t allow random hiring. If it were in ’57 or ’58, you wouldn’t need to search for work. Just get off the train carrying your luggage, and someone would ask if you needed a job. The factory would arrange everything directly.”

“Just now, Auntie mentioned arranging a job for Lai Di. It seems there might be a way, right?”

Li Changshun shifted all the difficulty to the blind, then turned and glanced at his wife.

He wanted to say more, but Xia Wanhui, who was listening nearby, grew impatient. “Arranging a job for your family’s Lai Di is fine, but not for my sister. We even brought the engagement contract from before. You tell us whether you’ll arrange it or not.”

Xia Shao could still negotiate, but when it came to Xia Wanhui, it was a direct confrontation.

Sometimes impetuous people are more difficult to deal with than clever ones. Li Changshun felt a headache coming on. Luckily, at that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“The police are conducting inspections. Bring out your introduction letters.”

These days, without an ID card, even staying in a hotel requires registering with an introduction letter. The register of the hotel not only had to be reported to the police station but also would be inspected by the police, who would come down. Therefore, state-owned hotels and guesthouses would specifically reserve a room for the police.

The knock on the door came at just the right time, and Li Changshun was near the door. He turned around and opened it.

A young policeman came in. He glanced at the four people in the room and then at the register. “Who is Xia Shao? Who is Xia Wanhui?”

“I am Xia Shao.” Xia Shao took out the introduction letter from the yellow canvas bag she carried.

The young policeman took it and checked it against the register. “You’re here to get married, right?” Then he looked at Li Changshun and his wife. “What about you two?”

Li Changshun said, “We are relatives. We just came to visit and will leave soon.”

“Then leave earlier. Don’t stay here.”

The policeman returned the introduction letter to Xia Shao, emphasized it again, and then left to check other rooms.

However, although he left, there was still silence in the room.

The sound of the room inspections outside made everyone choose to remain silent, especially Xia Shao, who seemed not to be in a hurry for answers at all.

Li Changshun didn’t know whether Xia Shao was patient or just naturally reserved, but today, she had already exceeded expectations.

After a standoff for a while, Xia Shao began to yawn, and then Li Changshun said in a deep voice, “Let’s consider this matter when we return.”

Xia Shao replied calmly, “Auntie chose this guesthouse quite comfortably.”

She didn’t have to spend any money, so of course, she’s comfortable.

Li Changshun stood up with a serious expression. “() ‘Come []% read the latest chapters% complete chapters'” “Rest first, and I’ll give you news tomorrow.”

As he was about to leave, he glanced back at Xia Shao and said, “It’s been several years, and my niece has really grown up.”

Xia Shao’s expression dimmed. “There’s no other way. People always have to grow up.”

This remark made Xia Wanhui think of her poisoning, and Li Changshun thought of Xia Laosan’s passing. They didn’t say anything more and just turned and left.

When the couple returned home, it was already midday.

Li Laidi hadn’t slept yet. As soon as she heard the door, she immediately turned on the light and asked, “How did it go?”

Li Changshun’s expression wasn’t good. He poured himself a glass of water before entering the door.

Seeing this, Li Laidi looked at Tian Cuifen again.

Tian Cuifen’s face was tense. She had already been scolded by Li Changshun on the way back for not handling things properly. But how could she have known that Xia Shao would be so bold after not seeing her for five years, daring to negotiate terms with them?

She tentatively asked her husband, “Should we ask Wenhua’s father to help Xia Shao get a job?”

With the engagement contract in Xia Shao’s hands, she was afraid Xia Shao would reveal it regardless. If that happened, not only would she possibly get promoted to deputy manager, but offending Cheng Jingli, the manager, might make it difficult for Li Changshun, the accountant, to work smoothly.

Li Changshun hadn’t spoken yet, but Li Laidi refused, “Why should we get her a job? What about me if we do? If we arrange a job for Xia Shao first, it won’t be so easy to do it for me next time. Even if I become a store manager, I still need connections to get things done. Baosheng’s father-in-law isn’t dough; you can’t just knead him however you want.”

In Tian Cuifen’s mind, her son was more important. She patiently persuaded her daughter, “You’re not even eighteen yet; there’s no rush.”

Li Laidi wasn’t stupid. She understood immediately: “So you mean not to arrange a job for me and arrange one for her? Why? I’m your daughter!”

Tian Cuifen felt annoyed by the question, “Who are you talking to? Try talking to the other sisters. If it were them, I would have slapped them already.”

Seeing the mother and daughter getting more and more agitated, Li Changshun slammed the enamel basin heavily on the table and said, “Shut up, both of you!”

He hadn’t spoken yet, but the two were already arguing.

Did they really think Xia Shao’s job was so easy to arrange? She was a rural-to-urban migrant; if she wanted a job, she’d have to change her household registration.

The Li family probably won’t get a good night’s sleep tonight. In comparison, Xia Shao in the guesthouse was much more comfortable.

She soaked her feet in hot water, relieving the fatigue from days of traveling by boat and car, then slipped under the covers and fell asleep.

Jiangcheng had abundant forest resources, unlike her hometown, where they burned straw. Under the kang were large chunks of firewood. This stuff lasted longer than straw. By the time the warmth from the kang dwindled, the horizon was already glowing faintly.

After Xia Shao washed up and tidied the bed, she laid down, fully dressed.

Xia Wanhui occasionally leaned over to look out the window. “Sister, do you think they’ll agree?”

Deep down, he certainly hoped

Xia Shao would stay and work. Although it was far from home, she wouldn’t be mistreated and wouldn’t risk being poisoned by pesticides. But the Li family had only been in the northeast for five years; whether they could arrange it or were willing to arrange it, no one could say for sure.

Xia Shao laid her hands on her stomach, looking peaceful. “They are the ones paying for the hotel stay and providing meals. They aren’t in a hurry, so why should you be?”

Indeed, she could live like this for the rest of her life. Since becoming a corporate slave, she hasn’t experienced such days again.

Xia Wanhui thought about it and agreed. Rarely did they have to do any farm work, so he also lay down with Xia Shao.

Sure enough, the Li family didn’t dare to let them go hungry. They sent food over after seven o’clock.

Li Laidi brought the food, slammed the noodles and pickled vegetables onto the table, then took the empty bowls and left.

Xia Shao immediately antagonized her. “Are you trying to make me not want to eat your food? Maybe I should go to Baosheng’s brother’s house. He’s easy to talk to, and his wife is hospitable.”

Li Laidi was furious, but she turned back, picked up the food, and gently put it back on the table. “Is this okay?”

In the past, she bullied Xia Shao, made her do the work, and snatched things from her. When did it become Xia Shao riding on her neck?

Li Laidi kicked a stone on the roadside as she left, feeling more angry when her toe hurt.

Xia Shao enjoyed her meal, got enough rest, and went out with Xia Wanhui for a walk, getting familiar with the city they would live in.

The area near the train station was a bit remote, with only a paper mill and a textile factory nearby. To get to the street where the Li family lived, they had to cross a river. No wonder the Li family settled them there; they probably didn’t want to bump into acquaintances.

They didn’t go far. When they returned, Li Changshun had been waiting outside the door for half an hour already.

Li Changshun never expected his family to be in chaos, while these two culprits didn’t wait for news in the guesthouse but wandered around carefree.

Suppressing his displeasure, he followed them inside and got straight to the point with Xia Shao: “You’re a rural-to-urban migrant, and I really have no way to help you with a job. But I can introduce you to someone with job opportunities. Many factories hire family members, so you can still work in the factory.”