Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The voice that was cursing was unfamiliar—a woman shouting at the top of her lungs, "I've worked hard to serve your family of three, and you only give me fifteen yuan a month. Other people doing the same work as me get thirty to forty yuan a month, and they even have help from time to time. They receive food during holidays and can go home when they want. What about you? There's nothing, and you still look down on me, acting like I'm begging for your favor. Yes, I am begging for your favor—I wanted you to introduce me to someone, but where is this person? It's been two months, and I haven't even seen a shadow of him."

"A family of miserly thieves—why don't you just die of stinginess? You're taking advantage of your own people, and you still claim to be decent folk. Pah, I won't serve you anymore. Do whatever you want. Ungrateful wolves, I must have had bad luck for eight generations..."

Then came Yang Yao's voice, but it was inaudible.

However, the woman seemed to have been provoked. "What good would talking nicely do? If you have the ability, compensate me with money. Introduce me to someone. You want everything without giving anything in return, right? Have some shame."

After saying this, the upstairs became quiet.

The family of six at the dining table looked at each other.

It was Jin Xiuzhu who reacted first. "Let's eat."

She then lowered her head and silently ate, guessing that Zhang Qiulai must have inadvertently revealed her salary. Zhang Qiulai's previous salary was thirty yuan, all given by Fang Min and her husband. Now, Jin Xiuzhu shared the cost with her, paying twenty yuan each.

Soon after, a loud bang echoed from upstairs, followed by hurried footsteps on the stairs outside. The sound alone indicated how angry this person was.

Jin Xiuzhu wondered what new trouble had arisen upstairs.

Upstairs, Yang Yao sat in the living room with a dark expression. The door to the bedroom was open, and inside, Zhao Yun held her son on the bed, not looking too pleased either. Her son, who had been drinking milk, started crying uncontrollably after the commotion caused by his aunt.

Zhao Yun gently patted her son's back.

Yang Yao, hearing this, grew increasingly annoyed and finally snapped at Zhao Yun in the room, "Cry, cry, all you know is to cry. Can't you, as a mother, comfort him?"

Zhao Yun paused in her actions. She pursed her lips and lifted her head to glare icily at Yang Yao.

Yang Yao turned his head away, his chest heaving with anger. He couldn't help but say, "We agreed that your mother would come over, so why did we end up with this person? Fifteen yuan is too little? She should look around and see how many people earn fifteen yuan a month. If she's so capable, why doesn't she work in a factory? And why does she want me to introduce her to someone? How am I supposed to do that? Doesn't she know what she looks like? She bullied Hero away, and I didn't say anything. Now, she has the nerve to argue and call me a miser."

This made him even angrier. "I ask you, what is your family's intention? Do they still consider you their daughter? Not only are they not helping, but they're also causing me trouble..."

Hearing Yang Yao's self-righteous complaints, Zhao Yun felt disgust.

To her surprise, Yang Yao kept going, even blaming her for driving away his mother.

Zhao Yun grew furious and put her crying son on the bed before walking to the doorway to shout, "Yang Yao, you spineless coward! Whenever something happens, you blame everything on me, right? Was it my fault that your mother left? That was because of your own incompetence. Don't you know what kind of person your mother is? She forced out the older ones, drove away the younger ones, and bullied your own son. You couldn't protect any of them, and it was you who eventually drove her away. Don't make it sound like you did it all for me, as if you had nothing to do with it. If you had any talent, you wouldn't be living like a dog."

Yang Yao stood up in anger. "You..."

Zhao Yun, no longer the gentle and considerate wife, glared coldly and cursed, "What 'you'? Every word I said is true. You're useless, and you're a coward! What right do you have to scold me and my family? If your mother were reliable, would I need to beg my family to find someone to take care of me? Go to other families and see whose daughter-in-law needs her family to come and serve her after giving birth. It's not like we're living together as in-laws."

"Was my cousin wrong? Giving her fifteen yuan a month is stingy. If you gave her thirty yuan a month, would she be this angry? Workers in factories only work eight hours a day. She took good care of me, cooked for us, and washed our clothes. What more do you want? All you know is to compare me to others. Why don't you compare yourself to better people?"

Yang Yao huffed angrily. "How did I not give her money? Didn't I hand over the money to you? Clearly, you gave her less."

Zhao Yun laughed bitterly. "Every month, you send half of your salary back home and give ten yuan to your eldest son. After covering expenses, how much is left? Are you expecting me to pay the difference? You can't even support a family, so why did you get married in the first place? Isn't that just harming others?"

Yang Yao retorted, "That's my mother. I can't just abandon her."

Zhao Yun sneered. "In the end, it's still your fault. I truly regret marrying you. I must have been blind to think you were a good person. You're not even half as good as my ex-husband."

Yang Yao never expected that, in Zhao Yun's eyes, he wasn't even comparable to her ex-husband. He stepped forward in anger, looking at Zhao Yun's plump figure and sallow complexion. In a fit of rage, he blurted out, "You're not regretting marrying me; you're regretting not marrying Jiang Mingchuan, right? But look at yourself. Even Jiang Mingchuan would thank his lucky stars for not marrying you..."

"Shut up!"

Zhao Yun interrupted furiously. Appearance was something she cared about deeply, and his words were like a stab to her heart. "I used to be pretty. Whose fault is it that I look ugly now? You're a coward, and you know it better than anyone else. You're inferior to others, which is why you wanted to marry me. Back then, I was a worker with money and a house, which made you look good. But you're also insecure, always feeling overshadowed by me. You say I've become ugly, but why don't you ask who made me this way? Do you think my ugliness gives you an opportunity to belittle me? Forget it. Even if I'm ugly, I'm still better than you. You're the one who's truly ugly inside and out. Don't think I don't know that you stole someone else's chance to join the army..."

"Smack—"

In a fit of rage, Yang Yao slapped her.

Zhao Yun froze, holding her face and turning to look at him in disbelief.

She asked calmly, "You hit me?"

Seeing her reaction, Yang Yao also froze. He looked at his hand, then at Zhao Yun, panting heavily before hastily apologizing, "I... I didn't mean to. Don't be angry. It's my fault. I won't do it again..."

Zhao Yun lowered her head. Yang Yao's words reached her ears, but she didn't seem to hear them. She pursed her lips, shook off Yang Yao's hand, and turned to enter the room, closing the door behind her.

Zhao Yun sat on the bed. Her son had fallen asleep, and her daughter had quietly entered the room and was gently patting her brother's belly, though it didn't help. However, she didn't dare call for her mother. She rarely saw her mother argue with others. The last time was when her father passed away, and Grandma and Uncle came to demand that her mother give up her job and the house. That was the last time her mother argued with anyone.

But this time, Uncle actually hit her mother.

Tang Ying bit her lip and quietly moved closer to Zhao Yun, placing her small hand on her mother's arm. Meeting Zhao Yun's blank gaze, the little girl softly said, "Mom, don't cry. Mom still has me."

Zhao Yun, who had been suppressing her emotions, felt her nose turn sour upon hearing these words. She bent down and hugged her daughter, burying her face in her daughter's neck and sobbing silently.

Tang Ying stretched out her small hand and patted her mother, just as she had tried to soothe her brother to sleep. Wanting to make her mother happy, she racked her brain and said, "My teacher praised me today. She said my braids looked nice that morning. No one in the class has braids as pretty as mine. Their moms don't know how to braid hair prettily."

Actually, she was lying. The teacher hadn't praised her. The teacher had praised Fu Yanyan, who had different braids every day, which Tang Ying envied.

She didn't understand why her mother disliked Auntie Jin. She thought Auntie Jin was quite nice. Whenever Auntie Jin went to school to bring an umbrella for Fu Yanyan, she would bring something delicious.

Although Fu Yanyan didn't talk to her much, she would share her umbrella with her when she noticed that she didn't have one. When Tang Ying told her mother that a classmate had walked her home, she was referring to Fu Yanyan.

Fu Yanyan even gave her some cakes, which were very tasty.

Previously, she didn't think Uncle Jiang downstairs was that great, but now, she thought he was much better than Uncle Yang. She said angrily, "Uncle Yang is a bad person. He hit Mom."

Hearing this, Zhao Yun tightened her hold on Tang Ying.

Everyone downstairs heard the commotion upstairs. After dinner, Jin Xiuzhu urged the children to wash up quickly and not to worry too much.

He Yan led the preoccupied Yang Yingxiong back to their room.

Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Jin Xiuzhu suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "Did you hear what Zhao Yun said just now? She mentioned that Yang Yao took someone else's place to join the army..."

Jiang Mingchuan frowned tightly and shook his head. "We're not sure if we misheard or if they were just saying things in anger during their argument. Even if it's true, it happened over ten years ago when he joined the army, and there's no way to investigate it now."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. "Still, if it's true, Yang Yao's actions are despicable. I've heard that military positions are scarce; usually, even an entire brigade might not get one. He took someone else's spot and ended up with a good life, while the other person is probably still struggling in the countryside."

The original "Jin Xiuzhu" was from the countryside, so Jin Xiuzhu knew that people there had to earn work points all year round, sometimes even going out in the rain. Despite the hard work, food was often scarce, and they would go hungry every year.

Thinking about this, she couldn't help but ask, "Should we report this to higher-ups?"

Jiang Mingchuan thought for a moment and told her, "Don't get involved in this matter. Perhaps Commissioner Zhu next door also heard it."

Jin Xiuzhu agreed, thinking that the argument was loud enough for Commissioner Zhu, who had been coming home early these days, to have heard it.

The next morning, Fang Min came over with her son, followed by Zhang Qiulai, who looked somewhat uneasy. Upon arrival, she grabbed a broom from the corner of the room and started cleaning Jin Xiuzhu's house.

Jin Xiuzhu tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen and worked even harder.

Jin Xiuzhu looked at Fang Min in confusion, who explained with a smile, "Yesterday morning, when she went to the supply store to buy groceries, she ran into Yang's relative from upstairs—the one who left during the argument last night. I've heard my cousin mention this person a few times. Whenever they meet, she tries to chat and pry information..."

Hearing this, Zhang Qiulai paused in her task and straightened up, looking annoyed. "She always asks me questions, but I don't bother with her. Yet, she seems shameless and deliberately blocks my path. Yesterday was the same. She said she earns fifteen yuan a month and can eat whatever she wants. I couldn't hold back my anger and told her that it's such a small amount—less than half of what I make. When I work and take care of children at my cousin's house, they feel sorry for how hard I work. They used to pay me thirty yuan, but now it's forty. During the New Year, they gave me six days off and sent me clothes, sweets, biscuits—all kinds of nice things. I didn't want them, but she insisted on giving them to me."

After finishing, she glanced at Jin Xiuzhu, trying to please her. Previously, when she came to work, Jin Xiuzhu had told her to keep a low profile and avoid anyone who tries to talk to her, as it could cause trouble.

But this time, she couldn't resist and ended up telling someone about her situation, making her feel very anxious.

For some reason, she feared the gentle and smiling Jin Xiuzhu more than the quiet and reserved Fang Min, feeling that she shouldn't offend her.

So, she asked Fang Min to come over and plead on her behalf, fearing that Jin Xiuzhu might kick her out in anger.

Fang Min laughed and said, "It's that person's strange personality that causes her to pester my cousin. Otherwise, my cousin wouldn't bother with her. Still, it's better now that she's gone, and we don't have to worry about her spreading rumors. What do you think?"

Jin Xiuzhu picked up on the meaning behind her words and turned to look at Zhang Qiulai, who smiled apologetically. Jin Xiuzhu sighed. "Let's forget about it this time, but the trouble you caused isn't minor. I suspect that the couple upstairs is in for some trouble."

In the past, Jin Xiuzhu referred to Yang as Captain Yang, but this time, she used his full name.

However, neither Fang Min nor Zhang Qiulai noticed the change in her address. Both of them exchanged glances, knowing that Jin Xiuzhu wasn't one to speak recklessly, and were surprised to learn that the consequences were so severe. Zhang Qiulai, in particular, deeply regretted her words from yesterday. "It...I..."

She didn't know what to do.

Jin Xiuzhu comforted her. "It's not your fault. Even without you, their marriage would have eventually fallen apart."

Zhang Qiulai merely hastened their separation. Zhao Yun was a strong-willed person, while Yang Yao had a mediocre and selfish nature. It was inevitable that something would happen between them.

Arguments between couples were normal, and Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan had their share, but they always held back and avoided saying hurtful things. However, Zhao Yun, known for her calm and cautious nature, exposed the ugliest side of Yang Yao, indicating that she truly wanted nothing more to do with him.

As for Yang Yao's slap last night...

Jin Xiuzhu wasn't sure if Fang Min had heard about it, but if she were Zhao Yun, she would have left with her child today.

Surprisingly, Zhao Yun showed remarkable restraint and made no move.

Bai Jingzhi and her three children were due to start school on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Bai Jingzhi needed to return to school early and wouldn't be able to celebrate the Lantern Festival at home. Therefore, Jin Xiuzhu prepared glutinous rice balls filled with sesame paste and red bean paste ahead of time.

After making them, she sent the children to deliver some to Qian Yufeng, Wang Ling, and Chef Zhang, even though they likely didn't need them. The gesture was meant to convey goodwill.

After eating the glutinous rice balls, Jiang Mingchuan and the children accompanied Bai Jingzhi to the city early the next morning before dawn.

Before leaving, Bai Jingzhi hugged Liu Liu tightly, reluctant to part.

Fang Min chuckled. "Acting like a child."

Bai Jingzhi smiled shyly and left with her belongings. Jin Xiuzhu saw her off at the door, giving her detailed instructions. "Be careful getting on and off the bus. Keep your money safe. Don't talk to strangers, and don't sleep too soundly..."

"Okay."

At the turn of the stairs, Bai Jingzhi waved with a bright smile before descending out of sight, followed by Jiang Mingchuan and the others.

Once they were out of sight, Jin Xiuzhu closed the door.

Fang Min sighed. "When I first met your sister-in-law, she was quite reserved and shy. I never expected her to change so much, becoming someone who brings joy to those around her."

Hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu felt a sense of pride.

In the past, the nanny by her side had told her that women needed to be nurtured by love from men. The favored concubines and mistresses of nobles and officials could be easily distinguished from those who were neglected. Those who were favored remained youthful and radiant, regardless of age.

Jin Xiuzhu once believed this wholeheartedly, but now she realized that the nanny's words weren't entirely accurate. Regardless of who they were, as long as they were cared for with love, they would become better versions of themselves.

This was true for Bai Jingzhi, He Yan, Yang Yingxiong, Daya...

Initially, Daya would lower her head and shrink back when calling someone, but at some point, she began to take the initiative to visit others, ask Bai Jingzhi questions, and greet people with a smile.

Jin Xiuzhu believed that everyone needed to be loved.

With Bai Jingzhi gone, Jin Xiuzhu's three children were also preparing to start school.

This year, they didn't have to travel to nearby production teams for schooling, which, although not far, still required a round trip of nearly fifty minutes.

This was under clear weather conditions; during rainy days or winter, the journey was much more arduous. Many children from poorer families only had one pair of shoes for the winter and had to walk barefoot in the rain or snow, only putting their shoes back on after drying their feet at home.

Fortunately, the school within the military compound was halfway completed and could accommodate the relatively small number of children living there, allowing classes to resume.

The teachers were selected from the military wives, as many of them had signed up. To ensure fairness, a special exam was organized, and they chose three Chinese teachers, three math teachers, one music teacher, one art teacher, and one physical education teacher.

Jin Xiuzhu had initially wanted to participate, but looking at her little daughter in her arms, she reconsidered.

She didn't want to be halfway through a class and have to change her daughter's diaper.

Having their children study within the military compound made things much more convenient. They could now return home for lunch every day, making the house livelier.

Unlike before, when the kids would bring their lunches to school every day. The food would easily spoil in summer and be cold in winter. Even if they warmed it over a small brazier, only the bottom part would be hot while the rest of the meal remained cold. At first, this caused her daughter to have diarrhea.

Now, it was better. After coming back for lunch, they could even take a nap.

However, on the second day of school, when her daughter came back for lunch, she told Jin Xiuzhu, "This morning, Aunt Zhao went to school and took Tang Ying away."

Jin Xiuzhu paused as she was serving food, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean 'took away'?"

Fu Yanyan shook her head, uncertain. "They just left. Aunt Zhao had a bag in her hand and pulled Tang Ying along. Tang Ying was about to go back to the classroom to get her backpack, but her mother wouldn't let her. She said that Tang Ying wouldn't need these things anymore. Without telling the teacher, they just left."

In truth, Fu Yanyan had an ominous suspicion, but she didn't want to say it directly. She had a feeling that they might not see this mother-daughter pair for a long time.

Thinking about it, she suddenly felt a sense of surreal absurdity.

In her previous life, Zhao Yun's family always seemed to overshadow theirs. Even if nothing happened to their family, Zhao Yun would stir up trouble. The more they fought, the better Zhao Yun's family seemed to fare.

This time, however, Jiang Dad and Jin Xiuzhu were very loving, and she and He Yan got along well. Instead, it was Zhao Yun who couldn't continue living with Captain Yang and was taking Tang Ying away.

Jin Xiuzhu had a bad feeling, but she still told her child not to worry too much. It was probably just something temporary.

Around three in the afternoon, cries from upstairs reached Jin Xiuzhu's ears. She felt slightly relieved, thinking that she must have been mistaken.

However, after some time, the crying didn't stop. Even Fang Min, who was sleeping next door, was woken up. She came over and asked Jin Xiuzhu, "What's going on upstairs? Why is the child crying continuously?"

Jin Xiuzhu shook her head. "Let's wait and see."

There wasn't much to say about something that wasn't certain yet.

Fortunately, after a while, the child's crying stopped.

But around five or six in the evening, the child upstairs started crying again. This time, the crying was less forceful but didn't seem to stop.

That night, they ate next door. As soon as Jin Xiuzhu returned home with her child, Jiang Mingchuan also arrived. Jin Xiuzhu suggested he eat something next door, but Jiang Mingchuan shook his head. "I'll just make something simple."

It was likely that the neighbors had already washed the dishes. Going over there to eat would just cause them trouble. So, he went into the kitchen and cooked himself a bowl of noodles.

As Jiang Mingchuan emerged with his noodles, someone knocked on the door. Jin Xiuzhu was sitting across from him, drawing. Jiang Mingchuan told her to stay put and went to open the door himself.

To his surprise, Yang Yao stood outside, holding his child.

Jiang Mingchuan looked puzzled. "What's this?"

Yang Yao spoke in a somewhat ingratiating manner. "Something came up at home. I need to go out for a bit. Could you watch my child for me?"

Jiang Mingchuan frowned. "What's going on? Where's your wife?"

Yang Yao looked embarrassed. "We had a fight, and Zhao Yun left the child and went away. I'm going to the city to find her."

Hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu got up and walked behind Jiang Mingchuan. Without agreeing, she directly refused. "This is your child, and you should be the one to take care of him. We can feed him, but we can't take care of him. If anything happens, we can't bear the responsibility. Although we've recognized Yang Yingxiong as our godson, that doesn't mean we'll take care of all your children. We're not living bodhisattvas."

Jin Xiuzhu disliked Yang Yao's behavior. He took advantage of their soft hearts. Yang Yingxiong had stayed with them for so long without any indication of gratitude, not even a simple greeting. It was as if he could just be discarded.

Now another child was being thrust upon them. It was too much.

When Jin Xiuzhu said this, Jiang Mingchuan didn't say anything else.

Yang Yao's expression turned awkward as he explained, "Sorry, I didn't think about it that much."

Before coming, he hadn't considered these things. He had assumed that Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu were good people and wouldn't ignore his child. He hadn't expected them to refuse outright.

Fang Min, hearing the commotion, opened her door to see what was happening. Seeing the tear-streaked face of the child in Yang Yao's arms, she couldn't bear it and offered, "Let me watch him for a bit."

Yang Yao gratefully responded, "Thank you, thank you."

Eagerly, he handed the child to Fang Min and promised, "I'll come back as soon as possible."

Fang Min nodded.

She didn't actually like Yang Yao, but the child was innocent. Especially since she now had her own child, she couldn't bear to see any child suffer.

Yang Yao left.

Jin Xiuzhu watched as he disappeared down the corridor, then turned to Fang Min with a sigh. "You, you're really too soft-hearted. Don't you know that once you give in once, there will be a second and third time, and you'll just keep causing yourself trouble."

Fang Min didn't know what to do. "What else could I do? We can't just leave him, right? And even if I didn't step in, you would have softened eventually. My child is young, so it's fine."

Jin Xiuzhu didn't say anything. Fang Min was wrong; she wasn't that kind-hearted.

The reason she had taken in Yang Yingxiong as a godson was because she believed the boy had good character and was almost grown, so he could be raised by her side. As for this child, he was too young to tell anything about him. Moreover, both his parents had personalities she disliked, so she wouldn't extend kindness recklessly.

Closing the door, Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan returned to the living room.

They saw He Yan and Yang Yingxiong standing at the entrance to the room. Yang Yingxiong wore a worried expression. He had heard his father's voice earlier. He had also heard his father and Aunt Zhao arguing a few days ago. He thought they had reconciled, but now Aunt Zhao had left his younger brother and taken his sister away. He felt that this situation was serious.

He hesitated, then looked at Jin Xiuzhu. "Auntie?"

Jin Xiuzhu sensed his thoughts and comforted him. "Don't worry. You're alright. If you have anything to say, wait until your father comes back."

Yang Yingxiong nodded, his expression calming as if he had made a decision.

He Yan greeted Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan before leading Yang Yingxiong back into the room.

Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan took turns washing up before returning to their room together. Jin Xiuzhu and Liu Liu lay on the large bed, and seeing there was still space beside them, Jiang Mingchuan squeezed in, sandwiching his daughter between the two.

Jin Xiuzhu shot him an annoyed glance before sighing, "Xiaoying is a good child. Many people can only share in prosperity but not adversity, yet this child, despite how his father treats him, is willing to shoulder responsibilities that aren't his as soon as he hears there's trouble at home."

Even when he has food, drink, and clothes here, with nothing to worry about, he still wants to return to his old home.

Instead of feeling angry, Jin Xiuzhu couldn't help but praise him, "Such character is rare. This child will surely achieve great things in the future."

Jiang Mingchuan chuckled at her words, "He's so young, and you already know he'll achieve great things? Still, the kid is indeed good. He must be worried that Zhao Yun won't come back and his father will leave the younger one with us?"

Jin Xiuzhu hummed in agreement. The last time she mentioned to Fang Min that Yang Yao and Zhao Yun were having issues, he must have overheard.

"He's not stupid. With Zhao Yun leaving the son behind and taking only the daughter, it seems unlikely she'll return."

Jiang Mingchuan glanced at their sleeping daughter. These two adults' inaction would ultimately cause suffering for the children.