Chapter 79

Chapter 79

After returning home, the family of six took some time to rest and recuperate. Although they were only staying in the capital for a short while this year, they still needed to prepare everything necessary for the New Year. Jiang Mingchuan took the children out again to the department store to buy couplets, sugar, meat, and vegetables.

Meanwhile, Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi stayed at home to prepare dinner.

Bai Jingzhi asked her sister-in-law about what precautions to take during pregnancy. She had no experience and was worried about not knowing what to do when something happened.

Jin Xiuzhu thought for a moment, "Why don't we contact Qian Yufeng after the New Year? See if she can find a suitable person. If she does, we'll have someone come over to take care of you. You're so busy with work and have no time to cook or do laundry. Having someone to look after you would be better."

"Ah? Is it necessary to have someone take care of me now? Wouldn't that be a bit too much?"

Bai Jingzhi wasn't used to being taken care of and felt unworthy.

"What's wrong with that? Look at Aunt Zhang Qiulai from Ji Ling's side; now the whole family relies on her. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. As long as you don't tell anyone, who would know?"

Bai Jingzhi nodded hesitantly, "From what I understand from Ji Ling's mother, if I get pregnant, she wants to come and take care of me."

"Absolutely not. I've already turned down that offer for you. Don't give in. Having an elder take care of you might be good, but there will always be times when you clash. Since she's an elder, you'd end up feeling wronged. Ji Ling earns a decent salary, and so do you. Hiring someone to take care of you won't affect your life much. Living comfortably is key. Do you want to live under someone else's thumb?"

Thinking about the situation her sister-in-law described, Bai Jingzhi quickly shook her head. She had grown up living under her adoptive parents' scrutiny and didn't want to go through that again. She was not good at pleasing others and feared she'd only swallow her grievances.

"Don't worry. Our family's circumstances are better than Ji Ling's. You need to have confidence. Don't be too accommodating. If Ji Ling does something wrong, argue and fight. Otherwise, people will think you're easy to bully."

Bai Jingzhi looked at her sister-in-law in surprise. Her colleagues had advised her to get along well with Ji Ling and avoid arguments, but her sister-in-law suggested fighting. She couldn't help asking, "Would arguing affect our relationship?"

"What's the harm? In a marriage, either one party dominates the other. The kind of life you want depends on you, not the other person. If you want to be submissive, then do everything Ji Ling says. If you want to be the head of the household, then praise where necessary and argue where necessary. Establish your position from the start."

She raised an eyebrow at Bai Jingzhi and asked, "Do you understand?"

Bai Jingzhi hadn't expected so much wisdom about marriage. Though it seemed challenging, she nodded, "I'll remember it and try it out."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "But remember, be sweet and charming where necessary. We shouldn't lose out."

Bai Jingzhi also smiled. While she wasn't good at talking outside, she could praise Ji Ling well. Whenever he came to visit, he would complain about her laziness while tidying up and cooking for her.

When Jiang Mingchuan and the three children returned, each carried large bags filled with not just meat and vegetables but also new clothes and shoes.

Liu Liu was the happiest, having gone out in old clothes and returned fully dressed in new ones, with two little red flowers in her hair.

As soon as she entered, she circled around Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi, asking if she looked nice.

Bai Jingzhi smiled, "You look beautiful, Liu Liu."

Satisfied, Liu Liu went back to the living room, bouncing around.

For dinner, they had rice. For the past few days, they had been eating noodles and dumplings for convenience. The pre-made ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative were frozen solid due to the cold weather, making them easy to cook but tiresome to eat repeatedly.

Eating fragrant rice made everyone feel more comfortable.

Bai Jingzhi said, "Ji Ling mentioned that his hometown mainly eats steamed buns. I wonder if I'll be able to adapt."

Jiang Mingchuan replied, "Back then, we didn't even have tree bark to chew on. What can't we adapt to?"

Jin Xiuzhu gave him a disapproving look, "We aren't delicate people. We'll eat whatever they do."

Bai Jingzhi found her sister-in-law's words comforting and smiled in agreement.

After dinner, Jiang Mingchuan and He Yan went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Jin Xiuzhu whispered to Bai Jingzhi, "Some things are best kept between us. Don't mention them to your brother; he doesn't understand."

Bai Jingzhi smiled and agreed.

She had initially planned to discuss her and Ji Ling's situation with her brother but decided against it. Her brother was as stubborn as her sister-in-law described, and it was her sister-in-law who truly cared for her.

Jin Xiuzhu added, "Tomorrow morning, you can sleep in. When you're at home, there's no need to follow strict rules. Next year, you'll be spending the New Year at Ji Ling's place, and it won't be as free."

Bai Jingzhi felt a pang of sadness and said softly, "I've talked to Ji Ling. We agreed to alternate years. Why should we only go to his place? My brother and sister-in-law only have me as their sister."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "What did Ji Ling say?"

"He said okay, but I'm not sure if he meant it."

Jiang Mingchuan, who had heard this from the kitchen, looked pleased and said, "That's right. Why should we only go to the man's family for the New Year?"

Then he addressed his daughters, "Did you hear that? Learn from your aunt."

Fu Yanyan immediately responded, "I won't get married."

Jiang Mingchuan didn't see a problem with this, "Good. Not getting married is fine. Your parents will support you."

Usually agreeing with her sister, Liu Liu remained silent, staring wide-eyed.

Fu Yanyan, finding this unusual, turned to her sister, "What about you?"

Liu Liu looked a bit guilty and whispered, "I have to get married. I promised Little Jiu that if I marry him when I grow up, he'll buy me lots of chocolates."

Jiang Mingchuan was speechless.

Fu Yanyan tried to hold back her anger but couldn't, "What's wrong with the food we have at home? Are you going to marry him just for chocolates?"

Liu Liu looked innocent, "But we don't have chocolates at home."

Jiang Mingchuan gritted his teeth, "I'll buy you chocolates tomorrow."

Liu Liu brightened up, "Then I won't marry Little Jiu."

Jiang Mingchuan finally relaxed.

Jin Xiuzhu, however, wasn't upset. How could one take a child's words seriously?

He Yan pinched his sister's cheek. "All you know is to eat."

Liu Liu hummed. "What else am I supposed to do? Isn't the mouth made for eating?"

He Yan couldn't refute that.

After resting for two days, on New Year's Eve, the whole family slept until ten in the morning.

After a casual breakfast, everyone started preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner. Jiang Mingchuan and He Yan were cooking in the kitchen, while Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi cleaned the house and put up couplets. Afterward, they moved to the living room to make dumplings. Fu Yanyan and Liu Liu were tasked with rolling rice balls. Liu Liu found it fun and rolled the balls large and flat, proudly showing them to the family after each one. She received praise and continued rolling even larger ones.

Since they would be leaving after the New Year, they didn't prepare too much food for the New Year's Eve dinner, fearing leftovers. They cooked six dishes for the evening meal, symbolizing smooth sailing.

Each dish was plentiful, and the whole family gathered around the table, enjoying the feast. The wine from the wedding banquet a few days ago, which was low-alcohol plum wine, was brought back by Jiang Mingchuan. It tasted sweet, and even the children had a few sips.

That night, as they ate and drank, He Yan, who had a low tolerance for alcohol, got slightly drunk and started singing, tapping his chopsticks on the table.

He had learned the song from watching TV at Old Man Zhang's place. Finding it pleasant, he had memorized it.

Fu Yanyan watched He Yan's rough adolescent voice singing and saw the happy smiles on everyone's faces. Her heart lightened.

This was a completely different experience from her previous life, and she hoped every year could be like this.

On the second day of the New Year, the family set off early for Province H, leaving before dawn to avoid crowds. However, when they arrived at the train station, they found it still quite crowded, with many people sleeping outside, huddled together.

The journey from the capital to Province H took two days and one night. Jiang Mingchuan had bought sleeper tickets, ensuring the whole family was in the same compartment. The daughters slept in the middle bunks, Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi on the lower bunks, and He Yan and Jiang Mingchuan on the top bunks.

After eating and drinking their way through the journey, they arrived in Province H. Ji Ling had come to the train station early to meet them. With his height, he spotted Jin Xiuzhu and the others as soon as they disembarked and hurried over to take the luggage from Bai Jingzhi.

Jin Xiuzhu carried Liu Liu, while Jiang Mingchuan carried Fu Yanyan and their luggage. He Yan and Bai Jingzhi handled the rest of the bags.

Ji Ling took all the luggage from Bai Jingzhi and Jiang Mingchuan. "There's no space at home, so we arranged rooms in the county. We discussed it as a family and decided Jingzhi should leave from the county guesthouse."

As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Mingchuan and Jin Xiuzhu, mainly focusing on Jin Xiuzhu. He realized that although Jiang Mingchuan harbored some hostility towards him, it stemmed from his deep affection for Jingzhi, his only sister. Bai Jingzhi, on the other hand, seemed outwardly friendly but was actually very calculating.

Sure enough, Jiang Mingchuan said, "Whatever you decide is fine."

Jin Xiuzhu asked, "How is the new room arranged?"

Ji Ling replied, "Everything is ready. My mother had it renovated, repainted the walls, and added cabinets and desks. It will be convenient if we return to live here."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. "That's good. Our family is ordinary, but we care about your attitude. Since you value Jingzhi, we feel comfortable entrusting her to you. From what we see, your family is excellent, and my sister hasn't made a mistake."

Ji Ling felt relieved, turning to Bai Jingzhi, who smiled shyly at him. He smiled back.

He thought having such a sister-in-law was great; Jingzhi would have less to worry about.

Ji Ling led them out of the train station, taking a bus to the county. After placing their belongings in the guesthouse, he took them out for dinner. By the time they finished, it was dark, and he sent Jin Xiuzhu and the others back to the guesthouse, planning to pick them up the next morning.

That night, Jin Xiuzhu and the others stayed at the guesthouse. Bai Jingzhi wanted to sleep with Jin Xiuzhu, so Jiang Mingchuan had to share a bed with his son.

Before sleeping, Bai Jingzhi held Jin Xiuzhu's arm. "Sister-in-law, meeting you has been truly fortunate. I hope one day I can live as transparently as you."

Jin Xiuzhu was taken aback, then fell silent. Hearing Bai Jingzhi's gentle breathing, she sighed softly. "Living transparently isn't easy; it comes with countless lessons."

But Bai Jingzhi was already asleep. Jin Xiuzhu lay awake, looking at the dark room.

Sometimes she wanted to teach her daughters to be as shrewd as herself, to avoid future pitfalls. Other times, she wished they could remain innocent and pure.

The next morning, Ji Ling came to pick them up. After breakfast, they followed him to his home.

Ji Ling's home was about ten kilometers from the county. He and two comrades rode bicycles to meet them. He carried Bai Jingzhi and Fu Yanyan, while one comrade gave his bicycle to Jiang Mingchuan, who carried Jin Xiuzhu and Liu Liu. The other two comrades shared a bicycle, carrying He Yan.

Midway, one comrade grew tired and switched places with another. As he stepped down, he patted He Yan's shoulder. "You're heavy, kid. You'd make a good soldier."

He Yan chuckled. "I plan to apply to a military academy next year."

The man was pleased. "Good. Come visit often."

"Of course. My aunt is marrying into this area, so I'll be coming often."

Bai Jingzhi heard this and turned to smile.

Liu Liu held onto her father's handlebars, calling out happily, "Dad, ride faster!"

After about half an hour, they reached Ji Ling's hometown production team. His house was in the Fourth Production Team, surrounded by fields and houses.

Zhu Ying was already waiting at the production team entrance with her daughter and granddaughter. Many people gathered around, curious. Even Ji Ling's uncle and aunt came, though they stood separately, peeking curiously.

Seeing Bai Jingzhi get off Ji Ling's bicycle, everyone marveled. One aunt exclaimed, "Whose daughter is this? She's so beautiful."

Bai Jingzhi blushed and lowered her head.

Zhu Ying quickly stepped forward. "Stop staring; you're making my daughter-in-law shy."

She greeted Jin Xiuzhu warmly. "Thank you for coming. The roads here are rough; let's go home for some hot tea."

Ji An also welcomed them. "Come home, come home. It's warm inside."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. "We're not tired at all; we're just happy to be here."

Ji An's husband, who was quiet, helped push Jiang Mingchuan's bicycle. Jiang Mingchuan struck up a conversation with him.

The village aunts gathered around, pulling Ji An aside to ask about Jin Xiuzhu.

Ji An explained, "She's my sister-in-law's sister-in-law."

"Married?"

"The children are all grown up now. Haven't you seen those three? They're all hers."

The aunt was surprised. "She's too young for that."

Another aunt beside her teased her. "What, do you want to arrange a marriage for your son? Look at how good their conditions are."

The aunt glared at her irritably. "Mind your own business?"

Ji An didn't want to listen to their bickering and quickly slipped away.

Zhu Ying brought Jin Xiuzhu and the others back home. Zhu Ying's house had three rooms: the large middle room and the small side room were a bit old, presumably built earlier. The one on the left looked newly constructed, with its walls clearly white.

Sure enough, Jin Xiuzhu heard Zhu Ying say, "This house was built by the children's uncle. At the time, we thought there weren't many people in the family, so we only built three rooms and a kitchen, just enough for Ji An and me. Since Ji Ling doesn't come back often, building more would be a waste. This one is new. Come and see what it's like?"

Saying this, she led Jin Xiuzhu into the new room. It wasn't small, with cemented floors, a large heated brick bed, two neatly folded red quilts on top, and red 'Xi' characters (double happiness) on the walls and windows. There was also a new desk and cabinet, along with a spittoon and basin in the corner.

Zhu Ying only let Jin Xiuzhu and the others enter, standing at the door to keep the neighbors out, which earned her some complaints from the neighbors.

Ji An quickly explained, "Even my brother isn't allowed to sleep in here these days. He's been sleeping on the living room bench."

Bai Jingzhi couldn't help but smile at this.

Jin Xiuzhu found it amusing as well and came out, saying to Zhu Ying, "It's really nice. You've worked hard these past few days."

Zhu Ying chuckled and waved her hand. "What hard work? As long as you're happy, that's what matters."

Jin Xiuzhu seemed to think of something. "Where's Fang Min? Why haven't I seen her?"

"Your aunt went to the market with your uncle. There's a market today, and they said they wanted to buy some vegetables."

Jin Xiuzhu was concerned. "Isn't your aunt's belly quite big now?"

"Yes, this is Aunt's first time here, and she loves going to the market."

Jin Xiuzhu sighed. "That's true. She looks quiet, but she actually enjoys the hustle and bustle."

After seeing the new room, Zhu Ying led them back to her room for tea.

The living room was cold in winter, so guests were entertained in Zhu Ying's bedroom. Although Jin Xiuzhu felt a bit uncomfortable, she didn't say anything. Zhu Ying invited Jin Xiuzhu to sit on the heated brick bed, and the two children joined her. After playing for a while, Liu Liu started playing with Ji An's children.

The three children were sneaking around. Fu Yanyan noticed and became worried, so she got off the bed and followed them. She then saw the three children sneaking into Ji An's room to eat.

The wedding was tomorrow, and some cold dishes had already been prepared. Zhu Ying's room was for entertaining guests, and since Fang Min was also a guest, the miscellaneous items were placed in Ji An's room, making it easy for the children to sneak in and eat.

Liu Liu didn't want to leave because the food was so good. Ji An's children had initially intended to give her just a couple of pieces, but she kept asking for more, making them regret it.

Fu Yanyan came over and dragged Liu Liu away. As they left, Liu Liu's mouth was stuffed full, and she told Fu Yanyan, "Sister, it's really delicious."

Fu Yanyan, looking at her greasy little mouth, said irritably, "Just as He Yan said, you'll definitely be lured away by food someday."

Liu Liu puffed out her cheeks. "No way."

Fang Min returned with the others at noon. Jin Xiuzhu talked with her for a long time. After lunch, Jin Xiuzhu and the others left, as there was still much to prepare for the wedding banquet the next day.

Bai Jingzhi left with them.

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi got up early to get ready. Just like during the engagement party, Jin Xiuzhu applied makeup for Bai Jingzhi and dressed her in a beautiful red coat.

This coat was made by Zhu Ying, and Jin Xiuzhu decided to let Bai Jingzhi wear it, considering it was her future mother-in-law's gift.

Although the style was simple, Bai Jingzhi looked very pretty in it.

Seeing that it was still early, Jin Xiuzhu also got herself and her daughters ready, though they didn't wear red, fearing it might attract too much attention. Instead, they wore semi-new blue cotton coats, with Liu Liu and Yanyan wearing red flowers in their hair.

Around nine in the morning, Ji Ling came to fetch the bride. He Yan was prepared and blocked the door with his sisters, demanding red envelopes and posing riddles for the future uncle-in-law.

Ji Ling had no choice but to have someone find paper and a pen and solve the problems while leaning against the wall.

After solving them, Fu Yanyan stepped forward again, blocking the door and insisting that Ji Ling do a hundred push-ups on the spot.

Laughter erupted outside, urging Ji Ling to hurry up.

Inside the room, Bai Jingzhi and Jin Xiuzhu heard the commotion and laughed. Jin Xiuzhu peeked through a crack in the door and saw Ji Ling taking off his coat and doing push-ups while counting aloud.

In the cold winter, he was slightly sweating.

Bai Jingzhi turned to look outside and met Ji Ling's gaze. Before they could react, the people around them noticed and started cheering again.

Bai Jingzhi blushed.

After playing for a while, Ji Ling and his companions finally pushed the door open. Fearing more challenges, Ji Ling picked up Bai Jingzhi and ran.

The three children chased after them.

Jin Xiuzhu stepped outside and saw Jiang Mingchuan standing at the door. "Why are you standing here?"

Jiang Mingchuan smiled. "Nothing, let's go."

Jin Xiuzhu walked down the stairs with him, naturally linking arms with him and comforting him. "Ji Ling is a good match for Jingzhi."

"I know, but I feel like I'm letting my sister down."

"Don't think like that. Your sister adores you. She told me this morning that she dreamed last night that we never reunited, and she was sent to the countryside by her adoptive parents, where she married and had children, and her husband beat her every day. She woke up feeling relieved it was just a dream."

Jiang Mingchuan knew Jin Xiuzhu was trying to comfort him, but it did make him feel better. Compared to her adoptive parents, he seemed to be doing much better. "A while ago, Jingzhi's adoptive parents called me. They said her sister ran away and asked if I could help find her."

"When did this happen?"

"Just before we returned to the capital. You didn't know about it. I asked for details, but they couldn't provide much information, so I told them to report it to the police."

Jin Xiuzhu understood, "If you can't help with this matter, then don't get involved. The country is so big, where would we even start looking?"

"Hmm."

Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan also went to Ji Ling's house. Although Ji Ling's family didn't have the best relations with some of their relatives, they had a good relationship with the village. Therefore, for this wedding, they held a continuous banquet, setting up tables right outside their home, stretching long, with almost the entire village coming over to eat.

Jin Xiuzhu joined in the fun, sitting down to eat with three children. Across from her was Fang Min; both of them were just there for the festivities.

Fang Min looked completely different from her usual meticulous self, wearing a thick black coat and a scarf around her head. If you didn't look at her face, she could easily be mistaken for any young wife in the village.

She seemed quite comfortable with this appearance, saying, "This pregnancy has been comfortable. Everything tastes delicious, and I sleep well too."

"That's great."

"Yes, I hope the baby will be as well-behaved when it's born."

As she said this, Bai Jingzhi followed Ji Ling out of the new room to serve tea. Seeing the happy and shy faces of the newlyweds, both of them couldn't help but smile.

Fang Min sighed, "They are truly a perfect match."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "Indeed, she picked him herself."

Fang Min's smile faded slightly, sighing, "Time flies. When I first saw Jingzhi, she was a quiet and frail little girl. I never thought she'd be getting married now, and to Ji Ling."

Jin Xiuzhu teased her, "Who's faster than you? You're already having your second child, and in a few years, you'll be a grandmother."

Fang Min retorted, "You'll be a grandmother before me."

"Be one I will. I really want He Yan to give me a grandchild to play with."

Fang Min couldn't argue back, "Who did you learn that from? Your skin is getting thicker by the day."