Jiang Liye hung his head without saying a word.
Jiang Lifeng angrily kicked him. “What on earth happened?”
Jiang Liye mumbled, “Nothing much. Just got into a bit of an argument with someone and couldn’t help throwing a few punches.”
From his tone, Jiang Lifeng knew it wasn’t anything serious and secretly sighed in relief.
“Who was it this time?” Jiang Lifeng continued to ask.
But Jiang Liye said, “Ah, big brother, don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing.” As he spoke, he touched the corner of his mouth and couldn’t help but hiss in pain.
Jiang Lifeng snapped, “Fighting with someone during the New Year is nothing? You’re not a kid anymore. Can’t you stop solving problems with your fists like some hot-headed teenager?”
Though Jiang Liye was a troublemaker outside, he still respected his older brother, who had raised him and his siblings since childhood, and obediently lowered his head to listen to the scolding.
Seeing that Jiang Lifeng had said his piece, Su Guiying cleared her throat and asked, “Where’s Qingning’s fourth aunt?”
Granny Jiang replied, “She hasn’t returned from her parents’ home yet.”
Jiang Lifeng glanced at the fourth brother sitting in the corner and asked curiously, “Did Old Four not go with her today?”
It was tradition for daughters and sons-in-law to visit the wife’s family on the second day of the New Year.
“I went,” Jiang Liye said. “I came back after lunch. She said she wanted to stay at her parents’ home and come back tomorrow.”
Jiang Lifeng nodded. “Then you go pick her up tomorrow.”
No need to say it—this couple must have had another argument.
Jiang Liye opened his mouth but finally managed an “Mm” in agreement.
Jiang Qingning sat on the bed eating candy, her eyes scanning the cramped little room of the Jiang family. In the novel, the Jiang family was only briefly mentioned, serving merely as a contrast to show how poor the family her counterpart married into was.
Grandpa Jiang had been a technician at a glass factory. Unfortunately, he passed away when Jiang Lifeng was sixteen, leaving behind a family of orphans and widows. Granny Jiang was only a temporary worker at the factory.
The eldest, Jiang Lifeng, took over his father’s job at the factory to support his four younger brothers and two younger sisters. He had been doing this for over a decade.
Fortunately, they were all grown up now, and the burden had lightened considerably. The second sister had married in the countryside, the third brother had a stable job and needed no worry, and the fifth brother had been admitted to university and was about to make something of himself.
The ones still causing concern at home were the fourth and sixth siblings.
The fourth brother had been a troublemaker since childhood, with fighting and brawling as common occurrences, and he still didn’t have a stable job. Whenever Jiang Lifeng thought about this, it made him anxious despite having lived a straightforward life for half his years.
As for the sixth sibling, the youngest sister in the family, she hadn’t gotten into university after graduating high school last year and hadn’t found a good job either. She was another problem to solve.
“Mom, I bought the meat pies. Is Big Brother and his family here?” A gentle male voice sounded from outside the door.
Jiang Qingning quickly called out, “Fifth Uncle, we’re already here!”
A tall figure stood at the door, backlit and blocking most of the light. Even in a bulky cotton-padded jacket, his slender and handsome build was apparent. He wore glasses and had a smile at the corner of his mouth.
He greeted the people in the room with a smile. “Big Brother, Sister-in-Law, you’re here.”
Jiang Qingning hopped off the bed and walked two steps over to her fifth uncle’s side. Tilting her head up, she said with a beaming smile, “Fifth Uncle, Happy New Year!”
Jiang Liwen, the fifth brother of the Jiang family, looked the most like Granny Jiang—handsome and refined. Not only was he the most educated, but he was also gentle and elegant in character. Jiang Qingning loved playing with good-looking people.
Jiang Liwen smiled warmly and patted his niece’s head. “Happy New Year, and happy birthday, Qingning. Congratulations on growing another year older!”
Jiang Qingning squinted her eyes, enjoying the head pat from the handsome man. She twitched her nose slightly, catching a familiar scent. “Fifth Uncle, it smells so good.”
“You little girl, your nose is really sharp.” Jiang Liwen shook the plastic bag in his hand. “These are freshly baked Mending meat pies from South Street.”
“Wow, no wonder it smells so delicious!”
This shop’s meat pies are a time-honored brand. It’s said the shop owner’s ancestors had been running a meat pie shop since the Qing Dynasty. After Liberation, during the public-private joint operation period, the owner went to work in a factory canteen as a master chef. After the Reform and Opening Up, he resigned and returned home to resume his family business.
Su Guiying had tried them a couple of times before, and the taste was truly delicious. “That shop has always had great business. It’s probably even more crowded during the New Year. Did you have to queue for a long time, Fifth Uncle?”
Jiang Liwen smiled gently. “It wasn’t too bad.”
“Thanks for your hard work, Fifth Uncle. Take a rest.” Jiang Qingning pulled Jiang Liwen to sit down.
Fourth Uncle Jiang Liye joked from the side, “Qingning, I’m injured too. How come you’re not showing any concern for me?”
Jiang Qingning said seriously, “Fourth Uncle didn’t behave and went to fight.”
Jiang Liye: “…”
Granny Jiang laughed. “Qingning is right. We won’t play with your Fourth Uncle.” She then turned and glared at her troublesome fourth son, adding impatiently, “You’re old enough, but you’re still not as sensible as Qingning.”
Jiang Liye: …
Seeing that it was getting late, Su Guiying stood up. “I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare dinner.”
Granny Jiang quickly rose. “No need for you to trouble yourself. I’ve already prepared the ingredients ahead of time. We just need to cook them now. I can handle it alone.” As she spoke, she briskly walked out.
Su Guiying still followed her to the kitchen set up in the yard. “The two of us can work faster.”
Inside the room, Jiang Liwen began clearing the table. Jiang Liye fished half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Jiang Lifeng beside him, but was waved off. “Don’t smoke at home. If you want to smoke, go outside.”
Jiang Qingning pinched her nose and frowned. “Smoking stinks! Fourth Uncle, if you smoke, I’ll tell Granny and have her hit you with a broom.”
Jiang Liye tucked the cigarette behind his ear and said helplessly, “Why are you a tattletale just like your little aunt? Ah, well, the young ladies in our family are not to be trifled with.”
“Who says we can’t be trifled with?” Speak of the devil—a bright, lively female voice came from the doorway, followed by a pretty young woman rushing in. “Fourth Brother, were you talking bad about me again?”
“Who’s talking bad about you? You’re never home, and as soon as you come back, you pick a fight with me.” Jiang Liye rolled his eyes.
“Hmph, you have the nerve to say that about me? I just heard at the courtyard gate—you got into another fight, didn’t you?” The siblings started bickering the moment they met.
“Happy New Year, Little Aunt.” Jiang Qingning spoke up, interrupting the two.
“Oh, our Qingning looks so pretty today! That bright red outfit is really festive.” She bent down to pinch Qingning’s little cheek, smiling warmly. “You must have eaten lots of tasty things these past few days, you little rascal.”
“Little Aunt, have some candy.” Jiang Qingning held up the candy in her hand.
“Haha, you eat it. Auntie is trying to lose weight lately, so no candy for me.” After saying this, she plopped down casually next to Jiang Qingning, took off her thick cotton-padded jacket, and casually tousled her hair, making Jiang Qingning stare at her intently.
Little Aunt might not have Fifth Uncle’s delicate, refined features that resemble Granny Jiang’s, but her own features were bright and striking—pretty face, great figure, very “cool.”
When it came to beauties, Jiang Qingning was always tolerant. If Little Aunt wanted to pinch her cheeks, she’d let her do it a couple of times.
Dinner was quickly ready. The whole family squeezed tightly around the small table, sitting close together in cramped conditions. However, the Jiang family was clearly used to it, efficiently setting out bowls and chopsticks in an orderly manner.
Granny Jiang said, “The third brother’s family has something going on today, so they won’t be coming. Let’s start dinner.”
Aunt Jiang Shan snorted lightly. “Third Brother must have been held back by Third Sister-in-law again. Her family is so interesting—something always comes up during holidays.”
Jiang Liye picked up a piece of Chinese cabbage and dropped it into her bowl. “You’re such a meddlesome little sister-in-law. Don’t stick your nose into your brother and sister-in-law’s business.”
“Mom, look at Fourth Brother—he’s picking on me again.” Jiang Shan turned to her mother to complain.
“Hey, I was kindly serving you food. How did that turn into me picking on you?”
Granny Jiang put a meat pie into her youngest daughter’s bowl. “Hurry up and eat.”
Jiang Liye said, “Mom, Little Sis just said she wants to lose weight. Don’t give her the meat pie.”
Jiang Shan picked up the meat pie and took a big bite, glaring at her fourth brother. “Mind your own business. I’m eating it anyway.”
Jiang Qingning chewed her meat pie while smiling as she watched Little Aunt and Fourth Uncle bicker—it was a regular feature every time she visited the Jiang family.
Su Guiying looked at Jiang Shan’s lovely figure and said with a smile, “Little Sis isn’t fat at all. You don’t need to lose weight.”
Jiang Shan replied, “I’m losing weight to find a job.”
Jiang Lifeng asked curiously, “What kind of job requires losing weight?”
Jiang Shan explained, “It’s a modeling company. They have height and weight requirements for interviewees. I’m still two kilograms away from their standard.”
Jiang Lifeng said, “I asked Dayong before the New Year. Their machinery factory will be hiring temporary workers after the holiday. You should go and apply then.” He had a traditional mindset and preferred his younger siblings to find stable jobs.
Jiang Shan waved her hand dismissively. “No way. The work at the machinery factory is dirty and tiring. Besides, I’ve heard even the regular workers’ wages have started to be reduced, let alone temporary workers.”
Su Guiying suggested, “How about I go back and ask around at our cotton mill to see if there are any suitable positions for Little Sis?”
But at that moment, Granny Jiang spoke up. “Oldest, Guiying, you two don’t need to worry about this. Shan is a grown-up now and should learn to support herself. Over all these years, you’ve helped her through school—you’ve already done your duty as older siblings. You can’t have her relying on you for a lifetime.”
With the old lady having spoken, the topic was dropped.
Winter days were short, and by the time dinner was over, the sky was completely dark.
The Jiang family home was limited in space and couldn’t accommodate them for the night. Granny Jiang urged, “The wind has picked up, and it might snow tonight. You should hurry back with Qingning. Be careful on the road.”
Jiang Liye grabbed a flashlight and followed them out, seeing them off to the end of the alley before turning back home.
The return journey felt even colder than the trip there. The biting winter night wind was relentless. Although Jiang Qingning was completely wrapped in Jiang Lifeng’s army coat, she could still hear the howling wind whistling past her ears.
Never before had she missed her previous life’s convenience of being chauffeured everywhere as much as she did at that moment.
Once home, Jiang Lifeng quickly brought out the foot-washing basin and a thermos flask. “Good thing I boiled a pot of hot water before we left. You and Qingning should soak your feet to warm up.”
“Let’s soak together,” Su Guiying said to her husband while feeling Jiang Qingning’s hands to check if she was cold.
Jiang Lifeng poured the hot water into the basin. “I was cycling the whole time, so I’m not cold. You two go ahead and soak. I’ll boil another pot of hot water.”
As soon as their feet touched the hot water, they couldn’t help but shiver slightly, but soon a warm current spread from their feet upward, dispelling the chill in their bodies.
The family of three sat together, comfortably soaking their feet. Jiang Qingning rolled her eyes, pretending to ask casually, “Mom, is Little Aunt going to work at a factory too?”
Su Guiying explained with a smile, “Your Little Aunt is going to a modeling company, not a factory.”
“What’s a company?” Jiang Qingning continued to ask.
Jiang Lifeng explained, “A company is a privately run enterprise. They make money for themselves, unlike our state-owned units.”
“Oh, does Uncle-in-law run his own company too?”
Su Guiying nodded. “Yes.”
Jiang Qingning raised an eyebrow. “Dad, Mom, let’s start our own company too.”