Chapter 16: Returning to My Parents’ Home

“Mom, Eldest Sister, I have something to discuss with you.”

Gu’s mother and Gu Yunchi were still in shock. Two hundred portions! They had sold out so quickly!

“Y-you… you speak.”

Jiang Yiyi recounted her deal with the women today and the forty portions of cold skin ordered by the state-run restaurant. “Going forward, I plan to do wholesale. The volume will only increase. Elder Sister working alone is too hard, and she won’t be able to handle it later. I want to rent a place in the county and have my older brother and sister-in-law help. I’ll pay them a monthly salary of thirty yuan each.”

“Good.”

Gu’s mother agreed without hesitation. Her eldest daughter was indeed working too hard, getting up before dawn every day to make cold skin. It was fine for a day or two, but her body wouldn’t be able to take it in the long run. Her daughter-in-law was also tired from running back and forth every day. Renting a place in the county would solve that problem.

Gu Yunchi’s eyes lit up. If Jiang’s older brother and sister-in-law helped, she could also sell cold skin. She wasn’t afraid of hard work; she could sell from morning till night.

“Since you both agree, I’ll go back to my parents’ home now. I might be back late tonight.”

Gu’s mother thought she just wanted to have a good chat with her family and nodded, asking Gu Yunchi to move a bag of flour for Jiang Yiyi to take back.

Jiang Yiyi put down the twenty catties of flour she bought, went back to her room, took three hundred yuan, carried a watermelon and five catties of meat, and carried the flour back to her parents’ home.

Jiang’s family lived somewhat far away, about eight or nine li. The village was quiet; everyone must have gone to the fields to work.

The Jiang family’s gate was closed but unlocked. Someone must be home. Jiang Yiyi pushed the door open and entered. Her mother was washing clothes. Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw her daughter. She froze. This was the first time her daughter had returned home since getting married.

“Mom.”

Jiang’s mother hurriedly stood up, wiping her hands on her clothes again and again, quickly stepping forward. “Yiyi, d-did something happen? The five hundred yuan you gave me is still untouched. I’ll have your father get it for you.”

Compared to her memory, Jiang’s mother had aged a lot, with quite a bit of white hair at her temples. Jiang Yiyi handed the watermelon to Jiang’s mother, who hurriedly hugged it.

“I… I came to ask for my older brother and sister-in-law’s help. Where are they?”

“They’re in the fields. I’ll go call them.”

As she spoke, Jiang’s mother was about to put the watermelon down to call them, but Jiang Yiyi stopped her.

“I’ll go find them. Put the watermelon in the well to cool it down. We’ll eat it later.”

After saying this, she propped up her bicycle, carried the meat and flour into the kitchen, putting the meat in a basin and the flour into the flour bin.

Jiang’s mother stood there at a loss, opening her mouth several times to speak but not uttering a single word.

“Which field are they in?”

“The one west of the village.”

Jiang Yiyi pushed her bicycle out. Jiang’s mother hurriedly followed to the gate, watching her ride away, still somewhat dazed.

Everyone was working in their fields. Seeing someone riding a bicycle over was quite rare, and they couldn’t help but take a closer look.

“Isn’t that Jiang’s daughter? She finally decided to come back to her parents’ home?”

“She’s even riding a bicycle. She must have married into a wealthy family.”

“So what if she married into a wealthy family? She hasn’t been back to her parents’ home in two years. She clearly wants to cut ties with her family. If I had a daughter like that, I would have gone to her house to make a scene.”

“Exactly. She enjoys her good life, but doesn’t care about her family. What’s the use of having such a daughter?”

“Look at how anxious she is. Something must have happened. She didn’t think of her family when she was enjoying herself, but she remembered them when she had problems.”

“That’s right.”

…

Jiang Yiyi naturally didn’t hear these discussions. She found her family’s field according to her memory.

Jiang’s father and Jiang Jinfeng and his wife were bending over to work.

“Dad, Older Brother, Sister-in-law.”

Hearing the call, the three looked up in disbelief.

Seeing that it was really their daughter, who hadn’t been home in almost two years, Jiang’s father quickly walked to the edge of the field. He knew his daughter had resentment, resenting that her parents were not capable, forcing her to marry early.

Countless sleepless nights, he and Jiang’s mother had regretted more than once. They should have firmly stopped their daughter from marrying. At the time, they only considered that the Gu family’s conditions were good, and Gu Yunze was a soldier with a monthly allowance, so their daughter wouldn’t suffer after marrying him. They hadn’t considered that Gu Yunze was often away from home, and his mother-in-law was weak, so their daughter had to shoulder all the responsibilities in the Gu family.

“Yiyi, did something happen?”

Jiang’s father also had a lot more white hair.

“Nothing happened. I’m selling a food item, and I can’t handle it alone. I want to ask my older brother and sister-in-law to help.”

“Jinfeng, go with your wife to help your sister!”

Jiang Jinfeng responded and quickly went with Zhou Fen.

“No rush, let’s go home and talk.”

They returned home.

Jiang’s mother took out the watermelon she had put in the well and cut it open, placing the largest piece in front of Jiang Yiyi. Jiang Yiyi gave it back to her and gave a piece to Jiang’s father, inviting Jiang Jinfeng and his wife. “Older Brother, Sister-in-law, you eat too.”

Jiang Jinfeng and his wife exchanged glances and each took a small piece, taking a bite.

Jiang Yiyi also took a small piece and ate it.

The watermelon had been carried from the county to the Gu family and then from the Gu family here. It was a bit warm from the sun. Although it had been cooled in the well, it hadn’t been long enough to have much effect.

However, the Jiang family thought it was very sweet, sweeter than ever before, especially Father and Jiang’s mother. It was sweet to their hearts.

“The amount I need for my food item is large now, and my family can’t handle it. I want to rent a house in the county and have my older brother and sister-in-law help. I’ll pay them thirty yuan each per month.”

Jiang Jinfeng almost dropped his watermelon. Thirty yuan each, sixty yuan for the couple! He wouldn’t even dare to dream of earning so much money.

Jiang’s father swallowed even the watermelon seeds. “We’re family. Why give a salary? Just have your older brother and sister-in-law help you. The field work isn’t busy now; your mother and I can handle it.”

Jiang’s mother nodded in agreement.

“My business is going to be big. Older Brother and Sister-in-law will have to live in the county long-term. Thirty yuan is just the starting point; it will increase later.”

It will increase!

Jiang’s father didn’t know what kind of food Jiang Yiyi was selling, but even if it was expensive, could it be more expensive than dishes in a state-run restaurant? He had heard that dishes in state-run restaurants cost several yuan a portion, and the waitresses only earned thirty or forty yuan. If his daughter gave all her earnings to her parents’ family, her in-laws would have objections.

“Thirty yuan for the two of them is enough; sixty is too much.”

Jiang Yiyi didn’t allow any rebuttal. “That’s settled then. Thirty yuan each. If you agree, Older Brother, come with me to the county to buy a bicycle after we finish eating. If you don’t agree, I’ll find someone else.”

Jiang Jinfeng looked at Jiang’s father.

Seeing Jiang Yiyi’s firm attitude, Jiang’s father nodded, afraid of upsetting her.

Jiang Jinfeng finished his watermelon in a few bites, wiped his mouth, changed into clean clothes, and went to the county with Jiang Yiyi.