Chapter 32: Notification – The Daily Life of a Sickly Aunt: Drama and Dowries in the Compound

Chapter 32: Notification - The Daily Life of a Sickly Aunt: Drama and Dowries in the Compound

The day after being discharged from the hospital remained quiet.

After breakfast, Lin Qing brewed her own medicine and took it. She then planned to rest on the recliner and think things through.

Jiang Yang had already gone to the Lin family to propose the day before, and it was said that the wedding would happen in the next couple of days. So, someone would surely come today to notify her to return for the wedding banquet.

As her aunt, she definitely had to go back to contribute to the dowry. She recalled that her eldest brother and sister-in-law had only given her 5 yuan, nothing else. According to her sister-in-law, they were also tight on money and didn’t have any extra ration coupons, so they just gave cash.

Although they had maintained a superficial peace with her eldest brother and sister-in-law’s family, she had always known that, privately, things were quite tense, mainly because of her ongoing medical expenses.

Her sister-in-law believed that her parents’ money had always been spent on her, without much support for their own family, so she often got angry about it. Her eldest brother, most of the time, didn’t stop his wife, so she figured her brother probably felt the same way.

When she lived at home, she avoided letting things get too ugly between her parents and her eldest brother and sister-in-law. She usually avoided making a fuss whenever such situations arose, letting her sister-in-law vent and leaving it at that.

Marrying Cen Xi turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t that she wanted to use Cen Xi’s salary to support her parents, but Cen Xi’s good financial situation gave her confidence. She no longer had to worry about her parents being concerned about her well-being and helping her out financially, which would have strained their own health.

As for what to give Lin Shu as a dowry gift, Lin Qing thought about it and decided that she would give something of equal value.

Before deciding on a gift, she heard someone calling from outside.

"Auntie."

Lin Qing got up from the recliner and went to the door, only to find Lin Wu standing there. She had guessed correctly.

"Xiao Wu, what brings you here?" Lin Qing asked, already knowing the answer.

"Auntie, my sister is getting married tomorrow, so my parents sent me to invite you to come back for the wedding banquet."

"Alright!" Lin Qing agreed. She definitely had to go back for this. Coincidentally, tomorrow was Sunday, and Cen Xi didn’t have to work, so he could go back with her.

Lin Wu seemed hesitant, and Lin Qing couldn’t tell what was bothering him.

"What’s wrong?"

After thinking about the situation at home, Lin Wu decided to be honest. He didn’t want to move out of the house, so he wanted to talk to Lin Qing and see if she could persuade their grandparents.

"Auntie... Grandpa and Grandma want our family to move out after my sister gets married." Lin Wu finally blurted it out, feeling a sense of relief.

"What did you say?" Lin Qing frowned slightly.

Looking at Lin Wu’s expression, she knew he wasn’t lying. This was real.

Her parents wanted her eldest brother and sister-in-law to move out of the house. What had they done to upset her parents this time?

Seeing Lin Wu’s intense gaze, she chuckled lightly, "So, you want me to go back and talk to your grandparents?"

"I..." Lin Wu looked at his aunt’s delicate face and suddenly found it hard to speak.

"No, not really."

"If not, then that’s good. I won’t persuade your grandparents. Since they’ve already made up their minds, it must be because your parents have upset them again. I won’t ask my parents to forgive your parents. You know very well what your parents have done over the years, especially your mother, who often causes scenes at home. If your parents feel that the family isn’t treating them well, then moving out might actually be the best thing for you. That way, your parents won’t keep accusing your grandparents of favoritism." Lin Qing spoke slowly, her voice calm and steady, without any fluctuation.

But Lin Wu could sense a hint of anger in her words. Indeed, over the years, his mother had been causing trouble at home, and his aunt and grandparents had always tolerated it, maintaining a semblance of peace in the family.

He finally realized that with his aunt getting married, there would no longer be anyone to mediate between them and their grandparents. All the past compromises had been made by the grandparents for the sake of his aunt. Why had things come to this point? Simply because they were no longer willing to tolerate it.

Lin Wu felt a deep sense of loss and looked down, saying, "Auntie, I understand."

"Glad you understand," Lin Qing asked again, "It's almost noon, would you like to stay for lunch?"

"No, I need to hurry back," Lin Wu felt too embarrassed to stay for lunch, so after finishing his business, he left.

After seeing him off, Lin Qing rested for a while before preparing her lunch. Her lunch was simple—just a stir-fried vegetable and some leftover steamed buns from the morning.

She was quite satisfied with her meal. She had lived through hard times before, and now, having enough to eat was already a blessing. Meat wasn't something they could afford every day; back at her parents' home, she could only have it twice a month. Now, things were better.

In the afternoon, after a nap, Lin Qing went out.

"Oh! Xiao Lin, are you going out?"

Lin Qing turned around to find Mother Li, nodded, and said, "Yes!"

In just a few days, Mother Li had referred to Lin Qing in three different ways, from Cen Gong's wife, to Lin Qing, and now to Xiao Lin, showing a quick progression in familiarity.

"Where are you heading?"

"I'm planning to visit the co-op and the department store."

"I see!"

"My niece is getting married, so I'm going out to buy some things for her trousseau," Lin Qing explained briefly.

Mother Li suddenly remembered the large Lin family that had come the day they moved in, which indeed included a young girl about Lin Qing's age.

"Your niece, your own niece?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Then go ahead!"

After saying goodbye to Mother Li, Lin Qing went straight to the department store, just three stops away.

She decided to check out the department store first, as it had a wider variety of household goods. As for why she also wanted to visit the co-op, it was mainly to see if there were any vegetables she could buy.

She would visit the co-op on her way back since it was close to home. If there was anything she wanted to buy, she could get it directly on her way back without having to carry it from far away.

As soon as Lin Qing entered the department store, she headed to the household goods section. The department store was divided into different areas, each selling different items. She had been here with her mother before, so she quickly found the household goods section.

"Hello! Are there any other colors of pillow towels available?"

"This is all we have, take it or leave it," the salesperson said without looking up.

When there was no response, the salesperson looked up, "You... hello! These are the only colors of pillow towels we have now."

Seeing such a beautiful woman, the salesperson's tone and expression immediately softened, completely different from the previous impatience.

Seeing the change in attitude, Lin Qing didn't say anything. After all, these salespeople were quite arrogant, and not being yelled at was already a relief.