When Ji Changze went back, he said the same things as he had just said to those old ladies to Father Ji and Mother Ji.
The two were immediately taken aback.
As soon as the younger son finished speaking, they didn’t speak for a long time.
Ji Changze waved at them: “Dad, Mom, what are you doing?”
Mother Ji reacted and suddenly grabbed her son’s arm. Her face was full of surprise. She quickly asked, “Is what you said true, Changze? Are you really a worker?”
“How can this be faked? I brought all the money back.”
Ji Changze took the 10 yuan, swaying in front of his parents, and said in a particularly proud tone, “I have already spent all the money you gave me before, but that the factory director gave me advance payment, how could I get more money?”
Listening to his tone, it seems that it was a proud thing to spend the money given by the parents for the marriage.
If this was changed to other parents, you wouldn’t know how stuffy they would feel.
But when it came to the Ji parents, who regarded their youngest son as their heart and soul, they would just skip over it.
It couldn’t be helped, Ji Changze had done so many heartbreaking things since he was a child. If they were angry half to death every time, they would have died long ago.
To sum it up in one sentence, they were not worried about the lice.
(TNote: not worried about the lice = don’t sweat the small stuff.)
Both of their attention was diverted to the fact that their youngest son, who had no future, actually went to work as a worker.
Mother Ji took the ten yuan and was very excited.
“Dad, do you see that? Our Changze has made it!”
She hadn’t been so happy when Ji Changguang was a worker before. After all, Ji Changguang was hard-working and had some education. From the beginning, they never worried about what he would do.
But it’s not the same with Ji Changze.
This boy has been lazy since he was a child. Let alone work hard, it was good enough that he didn’t mess things up.
Although they love Ji Changze, they sometimes worry about what the younger son will do when they were gone.
He’s a worker, and there’s 20 yuan a month.
Ji Changguang’s salary was still only 25 yuan.
Mother Ji was so happy that she took her youngest son and boasted, “I’ve said long ago that Changze is a promising young man. Changze, when you go to the factory, you have to work hard. It’s a good job, and many people in the village want to become workers, but they can’t.”
Ji Changze trailed off, “What’s the big deal? This was the reward of my kindness. Would I become a worker if I didn’t kindly help the factory director up?”
“Yes, yes, our Changze is just good-hearted.”
Mother Ji cheerfully boasted a few words about her youngest son, how comfortable and soothed her heart must be.
Now that Changze was getting married, he had also become a worker, which was a double happiness.
No wonder she heard the magpies chirping by the persimmon tree at the entrance to the village this morning.
(TNote: magpie chirping = an auspicious sign.)
Father Ji was puffing on a dry cigarette. Although he didn’t say much, his face looked relaxed and happy, obviously happy that Ji Changze, his youngest son, had become a worker.
“By the way, Eldest Sister-in-law’s family also asked me to bring some food back.”
Seeing that they were both convinced, Ji Changze turned and took the food from the tricycle and handed it to them.
Mother Ji looked at the dishes in surprise. Ji Changze coaxed her to send out the pheasant before and said he would bring back some dishes, but she didn’t believe it at the time.
Who was willing to send out the meat that was already in their mouths?
But in the end, she saw so many dishes now. This pheasant meat, she was afraid that half the fowl was there.
Looking over it, there was actually fish.
Ji Changze didn’t say that the fish was also from him, but only looked smug: “It’s not. Let me tell you, sister-in-law was especially affectionate with me when I went over there. Their family immediately took out the best food to entertain me. Didn’t I take the pheasants over? There were only two drumsticks, one for me to eat and the other for me to bring back.”
As he spoke, his hand settling into the air, pointing to the pheasant in vain, boasting: “Sister-in-law also said that she couldn’t take time off there, or else she would have come back with Elder Brother. Next time, she must take time off and come back to see you. Mom, isn’t Sister-in-law very kind to our family? Why are you always bad-mouthing her?”
Mother Ji looked complicated.
Looking down at the pheasant, indeed, there was a chicken drumstick lying there.
Who doesn’t know that the fattest and most delicious part of pheasants is its two legs. The Liu family didn’t even touch them at all and sent them all to their Ji family’s stomachs.
Thinking of what the eldest son said before, Mother Ji felt a little guilty at heart.
Thinking about it now, in fact, the eldest daughter-in-law was also very kind to them. Ever since she got married to Changguang, she always bought this and bought that and sent it back, but Changguang, that stubborn thing, never told her that these things were bought by Huifen.
It made her think that Liu Huifen, a city dweller, despised her in-laws from the countryside, and didn’t come to see them. He always comes back alone without a message.
As it turns out, Huifen is dutiful to them, and she prepared everything for them.
Yesterday, Mother Ji had a bit of a grudge against her eldest daughter-in-law for never coming to see her. But today, after Ji Changze said that Liu Huifen couldn’t ask for leave, that grudge was gone.
She took the dishes and smiled at Ji Changze: “Don’t talk nonsense. When have I ever spoken ill of your eldest sister-in-law? I think Huifen is very nice.”
Father Ji smoked in wonder, looking at his wife: “What Changze said is right. Aren’t you always talking about Huifen being bad here and there?”
Mother Ji frowned. “Is that my fault?! Isn’t it Ji Changguang, that little brat, who doesn’t know how to talk about his wife half the time. If he didn’t say anything I wouldn’t know anything, would I misunderstand Huifen?!”
Father Ji felt that this matter could not be calculated like this. He puffed a cigarette: “You can’t blame Changguang, you never asked him …”
“Then why don’t you ask?! You’re making it sound like it’s my fault. Why didn’t you ask Changguang who bought all those things before, and now you’re saying it’s me?”
Saying this, Mother Ji was very angry: “I think you and Changguang have the same virtue. Everything is my fault and Huifen’s fault. You two stood by and watched the drama. Well, do you remember that when I was 25 years old, Changguang fell and your Mother blamed me? Hey, you didn’t even think to help me, and you just watched me be scolded by Mother.”
“Oh yeah, and Changze ran off to the side of the mountain when he was little, and your Mother blamed me for not watching the boy, did you say a word for me? No. Changguang is definitely like you. He doesn’t know how to protect Huifen, and you don’t know how to protect me. If it weren’t for you father and son, we have no idea how good the relationship between in-laws and daughter-in-law would be, and it’s all your fault!”
What is she scolding and blaming him for?
Seeing this, Ji Changze hurriedly interjected: “Anyway, it’s okay. Next time Eldest Sister-in-law comes, we’ll just be nice to her.”
Mother Ji immediately changed her face when she heard her youngest son speak, and looked at Ji Changze with a face full of motherly love. Her voice was lower by an octave:
“Still, our Changze is sensible, unlike your Dad, who still brings up sesame seeds and rotten grain.”
(TNote: brings up sesame seeds and rotten grain = brings up old problems from the past.)
Who was it that talked about a whole bunch of things just now?
Seeing his dissatisfaction, Mother Ji glared at her husband: “Is what I said true? Are you unconvinced? Ji Aiguo, you’re always like that. You never remember anything. Changze, Mom will tell you how unreliable your Dad is. When I was pregnant with Changguang, your Dad told me that he saw a beautiful patch of wild chrysanthemums on the East Mountain and wanted me to pick them for me. What happened? You’re already in your 20s this year, not to mention the flowers, I haven’t even seen a single leaf.”
She looked very much like she was feeling indignant for Liu Huifen: “Changguang is also like this. He never said a good word for Huifen in front of Mom, which is harmful to our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. You Ji family men, you only know how to team up to bully me and Huifen.”
After that, Mother Ji took a loving look at Ji Changze again: “Apart from my Changze, my Changze is so good, so sensible and so successful, I taught him.”
(TNote: I guess his boasting was also inherited…. bruh.)
Ji Changze seized the opportunity and patted his chest with a proud expression. He promised: “Mom, don’t worry, I was taught by you. I’m definitely not the same as Dad and Elder Brother. I will definitely treat my wife well!”
If he had said that before, Mother Ji’s heart would, more or less, feel sour.
Why is the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law always tense? It’s because the mother worked so hard to raise her son. But in the end, the son was going to protect and love another woman.
Especially when there was conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, it’s strange that a son could feel comfortable with another woman and against her.
But now, Mother Ji didn’t feel sour at all.
She thought that her youngest son was really nice. Completely unlike his conscienceless father and eldest brother, particularly refreshing.
So, Mother Ji agreed loudly with a happy face, “Oh, not bad for my Changze.”
Ji Changze smacked his mouth and smiled: “To show my determination to be good to my wife, I’m going to settle down now!”
Mother Ji froze, “What are you going to do?”
It’s not official yet, is it?
Ji Changze, who has always had a bad reputation in the village, was full of righteousness: “Isn’t An Xiaolu’s mother ill? The team allowed her to cook at home, so I’s going to her house to see if I could eat some food.”
After that, he quickly added: “Of course, I’m not going to bum a meal, but I also wanted to help.”
He can’t even fold a blanket at home., and can’t wait for other people to pass him the water to drink.
Father Ji took a puff of his dry cigarette: “What help? You’re just going to bum a meal.”
“How could you say that!?”
Because of the mention of those old things, Mother Ji’s anger hasn’t gone yet. Hearing her husband tear down her youngest son, her eyes glared back, menacingly:
“Who says our Changze is going to scrounge for food?! Changze! Mom will get you some meat, you bring it over, be nice to their Xiaolu, don’t be like your father and your brother, a trap for their wives.”
Then, five minutes later, Ji Changze went out with the meat from a mix of pheasant and fish, and covered it with cloth.
Mother Ji was just angry at the moment, but now the meat that came back to her mouth, left again. She felt reluctant.
Ji Changze saw this and deliberately made a show of procrastinating: “Mom, can’t we eat this meat at home? An Xiaolu she might not like meat.”
Father Ji passed by, smoking a cigarette: “Hehe.”
The disappointment on Mother Ji’s face immediately turned into righteous words: “Changze, be good. How did Mom teach you? Be nice to your wife. Hurry up and go, but don’t be like your Dad.”
Ji Changze still looked reluctant: “Mom, I remember you don’t seem to like An Xiaolu very much. Let’s eat this meat by ourselves.”
Mother Ji used to have some opinions about this future daughter-in-law.
She was a mute — communication was definitely not smooth.
Her parents’ illnesses and injuries — a burden to the family.
Good looking — attracts the opposite sex too much.
But after having just had a one-sided argument with Father Ji, and thinking about the grievances she had suffered over the years, and the fact that she had misunderstood her eldest daughter-in-law for so long because of Ji Changguang’s careless ways …
That’s right, in the Ji house, Mother Ji could never be wrong.
If she was wrong, it must be because someone gave her the wrong information!
She mustn’t let Changze, the last of the Ji family who can still be salvaged, become a guy who destroys family harmony like his father and brother.
Mother Ji: “Who said that I don’t like Xiaolu anymore? Such a good girl with high education, good looks, and filial piety. I like her very much!”
Ji Changze: Great, the plan worked!
He wandered off with the meat.
Half an hour later, Father Ji was sitting at the entrance, smoking a dry cigarette, when suddenly he noticed his youngest son had ran back.
He raised his eyebrows and stretched his neck to look at Ji Changze’s hand behind his back. “Changze, you didn’t run to eat the meat and come back, right?”
Ji Changze smiled and took out his hand from behind him.
A handful of yellow chrysanthemums landed in front of Father Ji’s eyes.
Father Ji stared at him with wonder: “What are you doing with flowers? You can’t eat it.”
Father Ji puffed his cigarette: “No, you… Mom only needs a few kind words to coax, she’s always been pretty easy to coax.”
Ji Changze: “Dad, it’s easier to coax by saying nice things and flowers.”
Father Ji: … It seems to make some sense.
He answered and waved his hand as if driving a child away, “Okay, okay, go quickly.”
Ji Changze answered on the surface, but quietly stepped outside the door, watching Father Ji take the bouquet of chrysanthemums and walk straight to Mother Ji, who was sweeping the yard.
Mother Ji looked up and saw this scene. At first, she was stunned, and then she was fierce: “What!? Now you want to give me flowers? It’s too late!”
Father Ji looks serious and places the flowers forward.
“I just think you’re perfect for these flowers.”
Mother Ji looked up and down at this bouquet of chrysanthemums, and her eyes stared: “Are you saying that my face is yellow?! Ji Aiguo, you want to die!?!”
Father Ji did not panic and said slowly, “I mean, you are just like them, no matter how cold the day is, no matter how sad it is, you can still look beautiful. When I hold these flowers in my hands, it’s like I hold you in my hands too.”
Mother Ji froze, a blush showing on her cheeks.
She reached over to take the chrysanthemum and gently pushed Father Ji: “You sweet talker… I’ll warm the meat up for you.”
Seeing that they made up, Ji Changze stopped watching.
He leaned against the wall and touched his chin thoughtfully.
An Xiaolu had just returned from getting medicine from town, and had just reached the entrance to the village when a man popped out from behind a large tree.
Ji Changze held the meat in one hand and chrysanthemum in the other.
He passed the chrysanthemums forward.
“Comrade An Xiaolu, these flowers are for you.”
“Because in my heart, you’re like them, you are beautiful no matter how cold or sad the day is, it will always look beautiful.”