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After work, the couple walked together, and Wang Zhenhe didn’t hide anything from his wife. He repeated what his sister had said. Zhang Lan couldn’t help but smile. It was always the same. She wondered if there would ever be a change.
Seeing his wife trying to suppress her laughter, Wang Zhenhe found it amusing as well. “Alright, laugh if you want. It’s hard to hold it in. It’s not just you finding it funny. Even I wonder if my mother has lost her mind. My words have fallen on deaf ears all these years. Even I feel like a three-year-old being coddled by my mother. Sigh, my dear, that’s what I thought from the beginning. It wasn’t easy for my parents to raise us, and they’ve also faced hardships. They never let us go hungry. I always wanted to fulfill their wishes while they were alive. I didn’t want them to regret not being able to enjoy things when they were sick. It would be too late to regret once they’re in the coffin. Crying and wailing at their funeral would be a joke. Unfortunately, my family hasn’t made any progress over the years. They’ve taken my sincerity for foolishness. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
Wang Zhenhe’s face showed a wry smile of helplessness. Zhang Lan understood her husband’s predicament, but some people just didn’t show any respect. The more respect you showed them, the more they felt they could bully and deceive you. “Zhenhe, it’s not your fault. You’ve cherished family ties, but think about what we’ve gained from it. Even a simple ‘thank you’ or an apology would suffice. But now they’re starting to push you and lead you back down the old path. I’m not upset about a few ears of corn, but this isn’t just about the corn. You know what’s at stake. If this doesn’t work out, your mother will have to change her approach.”
Wang Zhenhe’s face showed a wry smile of helplessness. Zhang Lan understood her husband’s predicament, but some people just didn’t show any respect. The more respect you showed them, the more they felt they could bully and deceive you. “Zhenhe, it’s not your fault. You’ve cherished family ties, but think about what we’ve gained from it. Even a simple ‘thank you’ or an apology would suffice. But now they’re starting to push you and lead you back down the old path. I’m not upset about a few ears of corn, but this isn’t just about the corn. You know what’s at stake. If this doesn’t work out, your mother will have to change her approach.”
Having spent so many years with her mother-in-law, Zhang Lan had a sense of the situation. Her mother-in-law was no ordinary old lady. She had been raised as a young lady within the family, and even though the family had fallen on hard times, she had still weathered many storms.
Wang Zhenhe could only shake his head helplessly. “Sigh, let her be. I don’t want to meddle anymore. If what had happened to you and the children this time isn’t enough to teach me a lesson, then I don’t deserve to be your husband.”
Back at home, the children eagerly recounted the events of the afternoon to their parents. Wang Qian pouted in dissatisfaction. “Dad, what’s with your sister? If she’s craving something, she could just come and tell us openly. But instead, she’s a grown woman and still resorts to stealing. I’m embarrassed for her. If this gets out, people will think our family has poor morals.”
Wang Zhenhe smiled at his youngest daughter’s complaint. She looked so cute with her pouting lips. “Silly girl, don’t worry about their affairs. Tell me, what should we have for dinner tonight?”
Before his youngest daughter could respond, his eldest daughter brought out the cherry juice they had forgotten to serve at lunch. It had been cooling in the water for a while and was just the right temperature.
“Dad, Mom, come and taste this. We made it in the morning, but Mingjun forgot to serve it at lunch. It’s really delicious,” the daughter said.
The couple quickly got bowls and served some to the children. The family enjoyed the refreshing cherry juice in the scorching summer, and Wang Zhenhe found it both refreshing and heartwarming.
After dinner, the father continued to take the children to their studies, while Zhang Lan stayed home to tidy up. She repaired the torn clothes and shoes for the children.
The elderly lady of the Wang family had been waiting at the door since her daughter told her that she had informed her third son. However, she was disappointed when he didn’t show up. Even more disappointed was Wang Zhi, as the absence of her third brother meant that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the tender corn for the time being.
Wang Zhenguo noticed the disappointed expressions of the mother and daughter. “Mom, what’s wrong with you today? You seem so dispirited at dinner. And you too, little sister. Why are you so down even during dinner?”
Wang Zhi lazily replied, “Brother, don’t you want to eat boiled corn? I’m craving it.”
The mention of boiled corn made Wang Zhenguo’s mouth water. “Mom, our corn should be ready by now. We planted it quite a while ago, didn’t we?”
The elderly lady looked at her son with annoyance. “All you think about is eating. The corn at your third brother’s place is ready. Go and pick some. Also, what do you think about the girl I introduced you to? Her family background is good, even though she may not be as pretty as the first one. I think she’s still good. At least, when you get married, her family will be able to provide a lot.”
Wang Zhenguo was satisfied with the girl’s background, but there had been no response from the matchmaker. He felt uneasy about it. If it worked out, his father-in-law would be the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, a relationship that many people would want to cultivate but couldn’t.
Zhu Qiyu was nonchalant. “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll ask the matchmaker tomorrow. You have a good appearance and a good family background. You’re more than enough for that girl. How could she look down on you? But, son, you should sweet-talk her in the future. Women need to be coaxed. Once you win her over, you’ll be in charge. Not to mention your father-in-law. His position is quite significant. You’ll probably benefit a lot in the future.”
Wang Zhi, feeling that her brother and mother had gone off-topic, pulled her mother’s hand unhappily. “Mom, where did the discussion about the corn go? Did you forget?”
The elderly lady, feeling irritated, slapped her daughter. “All you think about is eating. Your brother’s marriage is the real deal. If he can marry into that family, you’ll have access to the fabric and delicious food from the supply and marketing cooperative. Don’t be careless.”
Wang Zhi thought her mother was being foolish. “Mom, the supply and marketing cooperative is a public institution. You can’t just take things as you please. Even the director can’t do that.”
The elderly lady pointed at her daughter’s forehead. “You think you’re smart, but you’re actually naive. Can you just take things as you please? I heard they often handle internal goods. We usually can’t see them. If your brother has this connection, you’ll be able to see and enjoy them. Besides, who knows about the wastage?”
The elderly gentleman, listening to the women’s conversation, cleared his throat. “You’re still dreaming before anything has been settled. Stop thinking about other people’s things. Just focus on your work and stop thinking about these things.”
Enticed by the promises made by the elderly lady, the siblings began discussing how to get the family to agree to their marriage.
On the following day, Zhu Qiyu went to find the matchmaker from the neighboring village, who was well acquainted with the family. The elderly lady didn’t beat around the bush and directly inquired about the other party’s opinion on the marriage proposal.
“Sister-in-law, I won’t hide it from you. The girl is interested in your son, but her parents are not very keen. They’ve heard that your family mistreats daughters-in-law, and they are not willing to marry their daughter into such a family,” the matchmaker explained.
Upon hearing this rumor, Zhu Qiyu couldn’t help but curse, “Who spread such nonsense? This tarnishes our family’s reputation. Zhao Dagui, you are a renowned matchmaker. I’ve never heard of you failing to arrange a marriage. You must find a way to make this happen. I’m entrusting this matter to you. If it succeeds, I’ll give you ten yuan as a token of gratitude.”
The mention of ten yuan made the matchmaker, Zhao Dagui, somewhat tempted. Normally, arranging a marriage was a simple task, but now that the elderly lady was offering such a substantial reward, she was determined to make it happen, even if it didn’t work out.
“Sister, with your words, I will do my best to help. Additionally, your son should take the initiative, and the girl’s family is shy. If your son takes the lead, I will do my best to make it happen,” Zhao Dagui assured.
With Zhao Dagui’s assurance, Zhu Qiyu nodded in understanding. Some things didn’t need to be explicitly stated. Everyone involved was experienced and understood the unspoken implications.
As Zhu Qiyu hurried back home from Zhao Dagui’s place, she unexpectedly met the returning eldest daughter-in-law on the way.
Wang Mei and her husband had hastily moved to the city, and life had been difficult. They had nearly exhausted their savings over the past two years. In the city, she realized that everything required money. Her husband’s income was barely enough to support the family, especially with the children attending school. She had to cut back on expenses and save as much as possible. Additionally, she had left in a hurry and didn’t know if Zhang Lan was alive or dead. She needed to return and check on her.
Seeing the elderly lady hurrying from the east, the mother and daughter-in-law unexpectedly crossed paths.
“Mom, where are you going?”
Zhu Qiyu looked up and saw her eldest daughter-in-law returning, and her face lit up with a smile. “Mei, how’s life in the city? Why did you come back alone?”
The elderly lady, not seeing anyone else, casually asked, but as soon as she mentioned it, Wang Mei became displeased. “Mom, last time, the third son dared to hit his brother-in-law. Of course Huang Youcai woudn’t dare to come.”
Zhu Qiyu was quite distressed about the situation. She couldn’t even control her third son now. It was all because of the trouble caused by her eldest daughter. Annoyed, she said, “Enough, don’t try to take advantage of the situation. Last time, you almost killed his wife. It’s fortunate that you didn’t take her live. If it weren’t for your antics, the third son would still be obedient. Now, he doesn’t even listen to me. Who can I reason with?”
As they walked and talked, they arrived at the back of Wang Zhenhe’s house. Wang Mei looked at the five-room house with envy. “Mom, look at your son. He doesn’t have a penny, yet he dares to build a house. It’s really frustrating. Look at where I live now. It’s even smaller than the place we used to store hay. They say the city is good, but I think the countryside is better. Look at how good it is here. We don’t have to spend money on food and drink. What in the city doesn’t cost money?”