Chapter 2

Even the Jiang family didn’t know Jiang Ling was seeing someone, let alone the nosy aunties in the neighborhood.

The original Jiang Ling had been resentful about her parents making her sleep in the living room.

Out of anger, she went and registered the marriage with Song Guanshu, planning to move out of the house quietly, never contact her parents again, and let them live to regret it.

In this era, if a young man walked a girl home alone, even if they weren’t officially a couple yet, it was already more or less taken as such.

Although Auntie Cui had asked about the relationship between Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu, in her heart, she already had an answer.

Jiang Ling thought, they’ve already registered the marriage, she wouldn’t be able to hide it for long anyway, so she just said it directly, “He’s my partner (duixiang).”

In Beicheng, the term duixiang could be used for a boyfriend or girlfriend, and even for someone you were already married to.

She was telling the truth. It just depended on how the aunties chose to interpret it.

Being good-looking was one thing, but the way he was dressed—clean and neat, pushing a bicycle—he didn’t look like the son of a worker. He looked more like a child from a high-ranking cadre’s family.

Auntie Cui had a loud voice. “Young man, where do you work? What do your parents do?”

The other aunties all perked up their ears, curious to know what kind of family the Jiang family’s third daughter had married into.

Jiang Ling still remembered that in the original book, Song Guanshu didn’t like to talk about his family. She gave a vague answer, “Just an ordinary family.”

Her words were vague and noncommittal. Some people believed this young man came from a powerful background and that his family didn’t allow him to speak about it publicly.

Others, unable to stand the idea of Jiang Ling doing well, believed the part about him being from an ordinary family.

Someone sneered sarcastically, “And here I thought you were so full of pride, able to land some big catch.”

Auntie Cui knew that Xu Dahua was holding a grudge against Jiang Ling because her son had tried to pursue her and was rejected. Now she was taking the chance to kick her while she was down.

Auntie Cui thought it wasn’t Jiang Ling’s fault either. That youngest son of Xu Dahua’s was no good—didn’t even have a temporary job, loafed around all day. To put it bluntly, he was just a street bum.

Even if she had a daughter, she wouldn’t want her to marry into their family.

The two families lived door to door, but their relationship wasn’t particularly close. They were both unemployed housewives. Even though some looked down on Xu Dahua, since Auntie Cui occasionally went grocery shopping with her, she still said a few words in her defense.

“What nonsense are you saying? It’s a good thing the child has found a partner,” Auntie Cui said. “She just has a sharp tongue, that’s all. Don’t take her words to heart.”

Jiang Ling wasn’t going to stoop to argue with a petty and sharp-tongued old woman. She urged Song Guanshu, “It’s getting late. You should head back.”

Song Guanshu replied gently, “Alright. Take good care of yourself. If anything happens, just send someone to call me.”

Auntie Cui gave a good-natured tease. “Looks like we’ll be drinking your wedding wine again this year.”

On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, just the day before yesterday, Jiang Ling’s eldest younger brother got married. They hosted two banquet tables, inviting relatives and neighbors for a meal.

Xu Dahua let out a mocking snort. “Taking time off work to date? You must be real desperate for a man.”

It wasn’t even time for the factory to get off work yet. She had come home early, clearly having taken leave to sneak out and fool around with a man.

The words were nasty. The other aunties nudged her a couple of times, telling her to watch her mouth.

Sun Yilan came to the supply station to buy vinegar. Upon hearing this, she was so furious she exploded, “Bullshit, you old hag! What twenty-something doesn’t date? Your eldest son is already thirty and still not married, not even dating. Planning to stay a bachelor his whole damn life?”

That was Jiang Ling’s mother. Though she favored sons over daughters, she would never let her child be humiliated by outsiders.

She stomped over to the counter and slapped the money and ration coupon down hard. “One bottle of vinegar.”

Xu Dahua considered herself a senior. She thought young girls had thin skin and wouldn’t dare talk back if she said something harsh.

Sun Yilan was different. They were all tough, strong-willed housewives, and this time, she was the one in the wrong.

Turning her head aside, she pulled Auntie Cui and a few other neighbors along. “Let’s go home.”

As she stepped out of the convenience supply store, she shouted loudly, “I won’t stoop to her level!”

Using that to save face, she made her retreat look less pitiful.

The store clerk silently took the vinegar bottle from her hand, carefully filled it, and handed it back with caution, afraid this madam might smash the bottle in a moment of anger.

Having just quarreled, Sun Yilan was still fuming. Seeing her third daughter still standing at the entrance of the supply store, she snapped impatiently, “Let’s go. What, are you waiting for me to invite you home or something?”

Jiang Ling lowered her lashes and followed closely behind her.

“You’ve got a boyfriend and didn’t tell the family? Is it because your father and I made you sleep in the living room, and now you’re holding a grudge?” Sun Yilan asked. “If I hadn’t come out to buy vinegar today, I’d still be hearing about you dating from someone else.”

Jiang Ling didn’t answer directly. She only said, “Things have been busy at home these past few days, and I just haven’t found the right time to tell you.”

The corridor in the tube-shaped apartment building didn’t have any lights. It was fine during the day, but pitch dark at night, with nothing visible and easy to trip over.

The Jiang family lived on the third floor, the farthest unit from the shared washroom and bathroom.

The good part was that they couldn’t smell the stench or the greasy fumes. The bad part was obvious too—if someone had an upset stomach, it could be quite a hassle.

Their room was only forty square meters, yet it had once held seven people. Now that two of the Jiang daughters had married off, the space finally felt a little less cramped.

The good days hadn’t lasted long before Jiang Liwen got married, and now the third generation was already on the way.

Sun Yilan placed the vinegar in the cupboard outside. In tube-shaped apartment buildings like this, every household did the same. The rooms were too small, so the dish cupboard had to be placed outside the door. Everyone was dirt poor, so there wasn’t anything worth stealing anyway.

The rest of the family was about to get off work, but Sun Yilan wasn’t in a rush to cook dinner. What she was anxious about was learning more about Jiang Ling’s partner.

“Tell me, what does his family do? Where does he work?”

The youngest in the Jiang family, Jiang Liwu, was in his third year of junior high school, and school was starting tomorrow.

Because the senior high school entrance exams were coming up, he was studying in the living room.

He was trying to focus, but the conversation between those two kept drilling into his ears.

Finally, he put down his book. “Third Sister, you’re dating someone?”

Jiang Ling laughed to herself. Not only dating, she even went and got the marriage certificate while she was at it!

There wasn’t really anything about Song Guanshu that needed to be kept secret, so Jiang Ling simply said, “He’s from the Technical Section at our factory.”

Sun Yilan had once worked at the daily chemical factory too. A few years ago, when her eldest son Jiang Liwen was about to be sent to the countryside, she gave up her job so that he, a junior high graduate, could take it.

She had been away from the factory for quite a few years now, and didn’t know a single one of the new workers.

But upon hearing he worked in the Technical Section, Sun Yilan nodded. The Technical Section was a good department. Without the right connections, you couldn’t get in.

“Find a time to bring him home so we can meet him,” she said, sounding like a caring mother, “If everything looks good, you two should get things settled. After all, you’re a grown girl now. You can’t keep living in the living room forever.”

Jiang Ling smiled and thought to herself—So you do know.

She took Jiang Ling’s hand and began nagging softly, “Don’t blame Mom for being biased. You’re a girl, you’ll get married sooner or later. Your second brother still has to live in our home. He’s about to take the senior high school entrance exam. It’s a critical time for him. People come and go in the living room, and if he doesn’t sleep well at night, it’ll affect his classes during the day. You’re his third sister. You wouldn’t want your brother to fail his entrance exam, right? If he has a good future, you older sisters will benefit from it too.”

“I understand. But I also can’t sleep well in the living room, and that affects my work during the day. I plan to move into the staff dormitory.”

Sun Yilan instantly switched back to being a mother reluctant to part with her daughter. “You’ve got a partner now, and you’ll be married before long. I still want to see more of you while I can. If you move into the dormitory, I’ll only see you during the holidays.”

She wasn’t just reluctant about her daughter, she also hated to part with the ten yuan her daughter handed over as household money every month.

Jiang Ling had lunch at the factory canteen, breakfast at home, and still came home to sleep at night.

Her monthly wage was forty-eight yuan, and nearly half of it was handed over to the family.

The Jiang family’s food and drink were very simple. The total monthly cost for the entire family’s meals was just over ten yuan. And what Jiang Ling handed in each month was already enough to cover it.

Jiang Ling also gave Jiang Liwu pocket money every month. Since she provided it, Sun Yilan didn’t have to.

If Jiang Ling moved into the staff dormitory, she wouldn’t be handing over household money anymore. Of course, Sun Yilan didn’t want to let her go.

Jiang Ling asked in return, “Then what should I do?”

“You’ll just have to put up with it a little longer. Stay home until you get married.”

It wasn’t very warm in the room. Jiang Ling rubbed her icy fingertips together and said, “Little brother needs to prepare for the senior high school entrance exam. His sleep has to be guaranteed. But you and Dad both snore at night, so he won’t sleep well either. So how about letting Liwen and his wife stay at his father-in-law’s place for a while? Once Little Brother finishes his exams, I’ll probably be married by then too. You’re reluctant to part with your daughter, but I’m sure his mother-in-law doesn’t want to part with her daughter either.”

Jiang Liwu naturally agreed with Jiang Ling’s suggestion. Sleeping in the same room with his parents came with all sorts of inconveniences.

If he could have a room to himself until the senior high school entrance exam, that would be ideal.

“Third Sister makes a good point.”

Sun Yilan slapped him on the shoulder. “Go back to your book. Kids shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking.”

Jiang Liwu sat back down on the small stool by the window. There was natural light there, and it was right next to the radiator—easily the best spot in the whole room for studying.

Sun Yilan looked at her daughter with some hesitation. “You’re the most sensible child in our family. I know you’ll understand the hardships your father and I face. Your sister-in-law is a married woman now. How can a married daughter bring her husband back to live at her parents’ house? People would gossip behind our backs.”

Jiang Liwu curled his lips. His mother always said things like that. His eldest sister, second sister, and third sister had all been called her “most” sensible child.

“I understand it’s not easy for you both. That’s why, me moving into the staff dormitory is the best option.”

Seeing that her daughter couldn’t be persuaded, Sun Yilan simply made her escape. “Your father’s almost off work. I’d better start cooking.”

She grabbed the pot and went outside to make dinner. The moment she left, Jiang Liwu tossed his book aside and darted onto the sofa.

“Third Sister, next time you go out with your partner, can you take me with you?”

Jiang Ling shot him a look. “No. You’d better focus on studying.”

Jiang Liwu was going through his voice change and spoke in a scratchy tone, “Well, I mean, getting in would be great, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t.”

Jiang Ling saw right through him. “Don’t even think about it. If you don’t get into senior high school, Dad’s not going to give you his job.”

Not to mention that as the eldest son, Jiang Liwen was more deeply favored by their parents.

Back when Jiang Liwen had no job and was about to be sent to the countryside, Sun Yilan had given up her own job so her son wouldn’t have to go.

Jiang Zhifu hadn’t reached retirement age yet. He earned fifty yuan a month. If he gave up his job for Jiang Liwu, the boy would have to start as an apprentice, earning only eighteen yuan a month. Not only would the family’s income take a sharp dive, but both parents would be out of work with no source of income, and they’d have to start asking their children for money.

Of course, Jiang Liwu had his own calculations.

His sister-in-law was a temporary worker. If she wanted to become a permanent employee, she’d definitely be eyeing Dad’s job.

There were two sons in the family. Mom had already given up her job for the eldest brother. If Dad’s job didn’t go to him, it definitely shouldn’t go to the sister-in-law either.

“Don’t just focus on those short-term petty gains right in front of you. If you get into college, the school will assign you a job. You’ll be working in an office, which is way better than working in the Production Section.”

These two siblings had a good relationship—they both disliked Jiang Liwen and often gossiped about him together.

Jiang Liwu looked at her suspiciously. “Third Sister, you’re acting a little strange today.” If it had been before, she would’ve definitely taken his side.

Jiang Ling patted his shoulder. “I’ve just seen things more clearly. Don’t let a moment of resentment ruin your whole life.”

In the end, what Jiang Liwu was fighting for wasn’t just the job, but it was also the fairness from their parents.

“Vocational school is hard to get into, but senior high school isn’t as tough. Think about it: if you get into senior high school and then college, Mom and Dad will definitely support you through your studies. Over those seven years, that’s a lot of money. But if you make it into college, you’ll be this in their hearts.” Jiang Ling raised a thumb, meaning the apple of their eye.

At fifteen or sixteen, boys thought more simply. The idea of working in an office didn’t really excite Jiang Liwu, but the possibility of replacing Jiang Liwen as their parents’ favorite—that tempted him.

Just as the siblings finished talking, the rest of the Jiang family came home from work.

“Third one, you’re back early today.”

Sun Yilan followed behind her husband, carrying out dinner. “Your daughter sure has grown bold. She’s dating someone and didn’t even tell the family. If I hadn’t happened to run into them, who knows how long she was planning to keep it a secret.”

Jiang Liwu, quick on the uptake, helped bring out the dishes.

Zhao Hongyun, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but have a change in expression.

She was even more interested than the Jiang family themselves. “Third Sister’s dating? Who is it?”

Her workshop supervisor’s youngest son had taken a liking to Jiang Ling. Even after she had married into the Jiang family as a daughter-in-law, the supervisor had brought it up again at work today.

She had even hinted that if the matter could be arranged, she might be able to convert from a temporary worker to a permanent position.

She had originally set her sights on Father-in-law Jiang Zhifu’s job, planning that after giving birth, she could rely on the credit of bearing a grandson for the Jiang family to have him hand the job over to her.

But if she could become a permanent employee ahead of time, that would be even better.