Hearing her words, Jiang Meishu fell silent, pressing her lips tightly together. “Thank you.”
The phrase she uttered most frequently in Liang Qiurun’s presence was “thank you.”
She wasn’t foolish; she could naturally sense Liang Qiurun’s kindness toward her. It manifested as both material support and emotional care.
He even took her self-esteem into consideration, deliberately refraining from offering money or ration coupons.
Liang Qiurun’s hair was tousled by the cold wind, revealing his full features: a high forehead, thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin lips—each aspect undeniably handsome.
“Comrade Jiang, this is the sixth ‘thank you’ you’ve said to me today.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Meishu paused abruptly, muttering under her breath, “Factory Director Liang, you’re truly attentive.”
He even remembered clearly how many times she had expressed gratitude.
Seeing her like this, Liang Qiurun’s lips curved upward slightly. “Alright, shall I take you home or back to the hospital?”
He raised his wrist to check the time.
“I don’t want to go to either.”
“Could you take me to my sister’s place?”
“But… is it convenient for you?”
Liang Qiurun replied, “It’s on the way.”
After they got into the car, he asked Jiang Meishu, “What’s the address?”
Jiang Meishu, holding her belongings, answered, “Still Qudeng Hutong.”
The Shen Family and the Jiang Family actually lived in the same hutong, separated only by a few Dazayuan courtyards.
Liang Qiurun nodded and instructed Secretary Chen, “Head to Qudeng Hutong.”
Secretary Chen glanced at him, wanting to say that they might not have enough time, but he saw his leader shake his head slightly.
Gritting his teeth, Secretary Chen stepped on the accelerator, driving at breakneck speed. The journey from Mao’er Hutong to Qudeng Hutong, which usually took half an hour, was completed in just ten minutes.
He wasn’t as composed as his leader.
The thought of Director Zhu waiting for his leader to discuss such a significant business deal made him anxious.
The key is, his leader acted as if nothing was amiss.
Secretary Chen stole several glances at him through the rearview mirror, but Liang Qiurun remained unmoved each time.
When they finally arrived at Qudeng Hutong, the car came to a stop.
Only then did Liang Qiurun ask Jiang Meishu, “Shall I walk you in?”
At this question, Secretary Chen inwardly groaned. What time is it already, Leader? You’re still going to escort her? We’re right at her doorstep.
Sure enough, the next moment he heard Jiang Meishu say, “There’s no need. The car can’t enter the hutong.”
She got out of the car. “Thank you, Factory Director Liang. Thank you, Secretary Chen.”
Liang Qiurun waved his hand, watching her figure disappear into the hutong entrance before turning to Secretary Chen. “Back to the factory.”
“Take me to the office.”
Secretary Chen wiped his sweat. “Leader, I thought you weren’t in a hurry.”
Such a massive order.
If their factory could secure the cooperation with Hei Province’s pig farm, their production capacity would at least double.
Perhaps even more.
Liang Qiurun’s voice remained calm and measured. “Rushing won’t accomplish great things.”
“Besides, agreeing too readily with Director Zhu yesterday means we should let him wait today.”
This was how business negotiations worked.
A rhythm of tension and relaxation, push and pull—that was the correct approach.
Jiang Meishu had just stepped out of the car when Aunt Li from the hutong, with surprisingly sharp eyes, called out, “Meilan? I’m not mistaken, am I? Did you just get out of a sedan?”
She had just come out to take out the trash, and wow, there was this fancy car parked at the entrance of their shabby hutong.
Could it have parked in the wrong place?
Before she could get a closer look, she saw Jiang Meilan stepping out of the car.
Aunt Li’s eyes widened in disbelief. She immediately stopped in her tracks and blocked Jiang Meishu’s path, eagerly asking for gossip.
Jiang Meishu lied without batting an eye, “Aunt Li, you must have seen wrong. Someone like me—how could I possibly step out of a fancy car? Even if you bundled together every family in our hutong, we probably still couldn’t afford a car like that.”
Her words made Aunt Li genuinely doubt her own eyesight, but then she noticed Jiang Meishu was wearing a beautiful new outfit.
“Is this corduroy? And the whole set is made from the same fabric,” she said, reaching out to feel it. “Oh, it’s even padded with cotton.”
“Cotton is a special supply item these days—ordinary people can’t get their hands on it, let alone corduroy fabric. A set like this would take at least seven chi of cloth. Forget the cost, just the cloth ration coupons alone would take a year to save up.”
“Meilan, have you struck it rich?”
Jiang Meishu hadn’t expected Aunt Li’s eyes to be so sharp, picking up every detail with just a glance.
She subtly shifted her body away. “You know my family’s situation, don’t you?” Her mind was working faster than ever before. “In the dead of winter, I can’t even scrape together a full set of new clothes. Anyone could guess that this outfit is borrowed.”
“Don’t you remember? I even borrowed a school uniform from my aunt’s child for a blind date.”
“Alright, Aunt Li, I need to go find my sister now. Let’s chat another time.”
Living in the same hutong, Jiang Meishu didn’t want to offend Aunt Li, especially since Aunt Li was known as the “neighborhood informant.”
After that rapid-fire explanation, Aunt Li actually recalled how, when the Jiang sisters needed clothes for blind dates, their mother, Wang Limei, had desperately borrowed outfits from all over the courtyard.
She muttered to herself, “Could it really be borrowed?”
“But that doesn’t make sense. My eyes are sharp enough to thread a needle—how could I have been so mistaken?”
Jiang Meishu paid no mind to what Aunt Li was thinking. Instead of heading home, she turned and hurried toward the Shen family’s place.
If she went home, the nice things she was carrying wouldn’t make it to her sister.
Even though her older sister, Jiang Meilan, had married into the Shen family, Jiang Meishu had never actually visited their home. She’d only heard about it and had no idea which room was theirs.
She ran to the entrance of the communal courtyard and asked, “Excuse me, which unit is Shen Zhanlie’s home?”
The person she asked gave her a suspicious look. Jiang Meishu explained, “I’m a relative of Shen Zhanlie’s wife.”
That cleared things up. “I see! No wonder you look so much like Shen Zhanlie’s wife. You’re Meilan, right?”
Though they didn’t see each other often, everyone in the hutong was at least somewhat familiar with each other’s faces.
Jiang Meishu responded vaguely, “I’m looking for my younger sister, Jiang Meishu. Is she here?”
“I think she’s home,” the person said, pointing to a room in the middle of the courtyard. “That’s the Shen family’s place. Go check over there.”
Jiang Meishu thanked them sweetly, glanced around, and then headed toward the middle room. Having lived in a communal courtyard herself, she knew all too well—the middle room was usually the smallest one in the entire compound.
This also meant that the Shen Family was likely much smaller than their own. The thought weighed heavily on Jiang Meishu’s heart as she approached the Shen residence and knocked on the wooden door. “Godmother, is my sister home?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Mother Shen felt her way out. Years of excessive weeping had left one of her eyes blind, but the other could still see.
“Is that you, Meilan?” Mother Shen could only make out a faint silhouette of Jiang Meishu through the door.
Jiang Meishu responded, “It’s me. Is Meishu home?”
Mother Shen called into the house, “Meishu, your sister is here.”
Jiang Meishu hadn’t gone to the hospital to visit Jiang Chenliang today because Eldest Brother of the Jiang Family was off duty. With her mother and Liang Rui also there, three people tending to one patient were more than enough.
Hearing the commotion outside, she set down the matchbox she was holding and hurried out. “Mei—Sister, what brings you here?”
Jiang Meishu carefully observed her sister. A thick layer of paste coated the thin calluses on her hands, clearly from working at home.
Pursing her lips, she said, “I wanted to see you. Is it a good time to talk?”
Mother Shen immediately understood. “You two sisters chat. I’ll take this batch of matchboxes to Zhang’s wife.”
She was making space for the sisters.
Mother Shen was both clever and kind-hearted.
Jiang Meishu thanked her, and only then did Jiang Meilan pull her into her living quarters. She didn’t reside in the main hall but in a small shack beside it.
The shack was no more than two or three square meters, low enough that one had to duck to enter. The wind howled outside, and drafts seeped in through gaps.
Jiang Meishu took one look, and tears began to fall. “Sister, you live in a place like this?”
“Why are you crying?”
Jiang Meilan pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed. “I think it’s quite nice here. At least no one will drive me away.”
“Besides, it’s quiet and private. No one will just lift the curtain and walk in anytime.”
“Meishu, don’t pity me.”
This was the life she had chosen.
Jiang Meishu said, “It’s not pity, it’s heartache.” Her heart ached intensely. “The wind blows in at night—how do you sleep? The weather’s getting colder day by day. What will you do in winter?”
Jiang Meilan poured her a cup of plain water and tapped her forehead with a mischievous smile. “I’ll sleep hugging your brother-in-law. He’s like a furnace—with him around, it’s plenty warm.”
Jiang Meishu didn’t want to engage. She didn’t take the water, turning her head away in silent frustration.
“After all that careful choosing, you ended up with a family whose home leaks wind even when you’re sleeping.”
She had known the Shen Family was poor, but she never imagined they were this destitute.
It wasn’t even half as good as the Jiang Family. At least the Jiang Family’s narrow bed was indoors. But the Shen Family? Getting married meant being relegated to the outdoors—what difference was there from sleeping under the open sky?
Jiang Meilan remained optimistic. “Things are a bit tough now, but they’ll get better.”
After all, Shen Zhanlie would thrive in the future, and so would she. They just had to endure a couple of hard years after marriage.
“How did your matchmaking go this morning?”
She was still concerned about Jiang Meishu.
Jiang Meishu replied, “It went fine. Factory Director Liang and I have basically settled things. But I wanted to discuss the marriage registration with all of you before proceeding.”
As she spoke, she opened the bag she was carrying and took out two large, white Da rou baozi.
“Keep these two for yourself.”
“And this Roast Duck—I’ll give you half, I’ll take the rest back.”
“The plate of Lüdagun only had six pieces. I ate two, so there are four left. I’ll share half with you.”
Watching her younger sister stuff things toward her like a little hamster, Jiang Meilan felt a wave of tenderness. “I don’t want them. Take everything back. There are many people at home.”
Jiang Meishu widened her eyes, mustering rare assertiveness. “If I give them to you, keep them. If I take them back, do you think any will be left for you?”
“Sis, you need to nourish yourself more.” She lowered her gaze to Jiang Meilan’s stomach. “I’m worried you might be pregnant and won’t get enough nutrition.”
Given the Shen Family’s current situation, nutrition was hardly a concern.
At Jiang Meishu’s words, Jiang Meilan didn’t refuse further. “I think I might be expecting soon too.”
Her expression softened. “If I really am, that would be wonderful.”
“Wonderful? You can’t even feed yourself properly—how will the child survive on thin air?” Jiang Meishu’s voice carried a hint of displeasure. “Sis, our family’s situation is too tough right now. Don’t rush into having a child. Wait until things improve, okay?”
These were her heartfelt words.
In her past life, she had seen too many friends and classmates whose lives fell apart after having children.
She didn’t want her sister to end up like that.
Jiang Meilan sighed. “I’ll leave the matter of a child to fate. If it happens, I’ll accept it. If not, I’ll focus on earning money.”
Seeing that her sister had a clear mind, Jiang Meishu felt relieved. She glanced around the room and touched the quilt. “It’s a bit thin. When I go back, I’ll talk to Mom about bringing over the quilt you used before you married.”
Jiang Meilan instinctively refused, “No need.”
“If we don’t bring it, how will you sleep in winter?”
“Let me handle it.”
Jiang Meilan studied her closely. “I feel like you’ve matured a lot since going on that blind date.”
Her sister had never bothered with such details before.
Jiang Meishu lowered her eyes, revealing her slender, pale neck. “Sis, I’ve suddenly realized that Mom loves us, but not entirely.”
“We have to plan for ourselves.”
Silence fell abruptly in the room. Jiang Meilan reached out and gently touched her sister’s face, her heart aching. “You’ve grown up.”
“But don’t bring up the quilt with Mom. She won’t agree.”
She wasn’t Jiang Meishu.
She was Jiang Meilan.
In their mother’s eyes, she didn’t need help. The only one deserving of their mother’s pity was Jiang Meishu.
It wasn’t jealousy.
Jiang Meilan believed she was born this way.
The older sister, even by just a minute, would always be the older sister.
Jiang Meishu insisted, “How do you know it won’t work if I don’t try?”
As she stood up, Jiang Meilan noticed her clothes. “New outfit?”
Jiang Meishu didn’t really want to discuss this topic. Bringing it up made her feel guilty—after all, it was only through the marriage swap with her sister that she now enjoyed resources that should have been Jiang Meilan’s.
Only when Jiang Meilan asked did she slowly nod. “Yes. Old Liang thought my clothes were too shabby and took me to the Tailor Shop to buy this.”
She worried Jiang Meilan would be upset.
To her surprise, Jiang Meilan wasn’t angry. Instead, she looked at her with admiration, “You have fair skin, this color looks very good on you. Keep wearing it, no need to take it off.”
Jiang Meishu was still somewhat puzzled as to why she wouldn’t let her remove it.
The next moment, she heard Jiang Meilan say, “Putting aside Liang Qiurun’s flaws, he’s quite generous. Looking at it that way, he seems like a good marriage prospect.”
“Since the blind date was successful, go back and ask our parents for their opinion. If there are no issues, settle the marriage sooner rather than later.”
“Meishu.” She looked up at her, expression serious, “Whether it’s Shen Zhanlie or Liang Qiurun, they’re the only prospects we can grasp. Hold on tight.”
“Don’t listen to what the family says anymore.”
“Also, be wary of Mom.”
At these words, Jiang Meishu was still confused, “Be wary of Mom?”
“Why should we be wary of Mom?”
In Jiang Meishu’s eyes, Wang Limei, though not perfect, was still someone she believed loved her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived all those years of illness.
Of course, when it came to blind dates, Wang Limei had initially agreed to her meeting Shen Zhanlie with the idea from the start that after marriage, she could rely on her maternal family.
Under these circumstances, being told to be wary of Wang Limei, she truly didn’t understand.
Jiang Meilan saw her out, her face showing some concern, “Just consider me overthinking things.”
“Mom is a good person, but remember, she’s not just our mom. She also has an eldest son and a youngest son, plus two grandchildren.”
“We have a place in her heart, but we’re not the top priority.”
“So, if you feel Liang Qiurun is suitable, hold on tight and don’t let go no matter what anyone says.”
Though Jiang Meishu didn’t fully understand, she knew her sister wouldn’t harm her, so she nodded, “I understand.”
“Alright, no need to see me off. It’s windy and cold outside, you should go back in.”
Jiang Meilan hummed in agreement but didn’t listen, watching Jiang Meishu’s retreating figure as she murmured, “Mom, you love Meishu the most. You won’t let her down, right?”
When Jiang Meishu returned home, Wang Limei had already come back from the hospital.
She had left Jiang Dali to watch over things at the hospital.
Noticing Jiang Meishu’s return, she immediately spotted the new clothes her daughter was wearing. Wang Limei’s smile instantly widened, “So the blind date was successful?”
As they say, with age comes wisdom.
Just by looking at the new clothes on her daughter, she knew the blind date must have gone well.
Otherwise, her daughter wouldn’t be wearing new clothes.
Jiang Meishu acknowledged with a sound, placing her things on the table, “It was successful.”
“However, I told Factory Director Liang that I need to discuss with the adults first before moving forward.”
Unlike her sister’s rush to get married the same afternoon after a morning blind date, Jiang Meishu still felt somewhat unreal about the situation.
“That’s the right approach.”
Wang Limei stepped forward and felt the fabric of her new clothes, “Good material, corduroy with cotton padding.”
“It seems Factory Director Liang is quite satisfied with you, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.”
Jiang Meishu didn’t care for this tone and called out unhappily, “Mom.”
“Alright, alright, I know you young girls are easily embarrassed. I won’t say anymore.” Wang Limei was genuinely pleased as she pulled Jiang Meishu down to sit. “Now that you’ve settled things with Factory Director Liang, I can finally rest easy.”
“This morning, our neighbor Xiaolan’s mother submitted her application for rural assignment.”
Hearing this, Jiang Meishu’s heart sank. “What does Xiaolan think about it?”
Chen Xiaolan was a year younger than her.
“She couldn’t find a suitable partner herself, so she has no choice but to go to the countryside.”
“Even crying won’t change anything.”
“So,” Wang Limei looked at her, “Meishu, you and your sister have been sensible by getting married. This way you avoid being sent down to the countryside, where we wouldn’t even be able to see each other.”
This was the truth.
Jiang Meishu hummed in agreement, touching the quilt as she prepared to mention that her sister had no thick bedding for sleeping. Before she could speak, Wang Limei hurried out. “I’m going to call your aunt back. We’ll discuss your situation with Factory Director Liang tonight and make further plans.”
Her younger daughter was marrying up – they couldn’t handle it as carelessly as they had with the elder daughter’s wedding.
Watching her mother leave, Jiang Meishu swallowed her words. Her eldest brother’s three children came running over, drawn by the smell.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Meishu took three pieces of roast duck from the bag – skin, meat and bones all together. “Just taste a bit for now. We’ll save the rest for tonight when Aunt and the others might come.”
Dale nodded, holding the bone and sucking on it, completely unwilling to let go. The other two children did the same.
That afternoon, as soon as Jiang Lamei got off work, Wang Limei called her over to the Jiang Family.
Almost the entire family was gathered there.
“This is basically the situation – Factory Director Liang and our Meishu have successfully matched through the blind date.”
“What should we do next?”
Marrying up was completely different from marrying down.
Jiang Lamei never expected her niece to pull off such a big match, succeeding in the blind date right away.
Jiang Lamei stood up and paced in the small room. “Let me think about this.”
After quite some time, Jiang Lamei turned back to Wang Limei and Jiang Meishu. “Let me ask you – do you want Meishu to be able to stand firmly on her own feet after going over?”
“Of course.”
Wang Limei responded instinctively. “Naturally I want my daughter to marry well and have a good life, not be mistreated by her in-laws.”
“But—” she worried, “the Liang Family isn’t like the Shen Family. We all know what Mother Shen’s temperament is like, but we’ve never had any contact with Mother Liang. We don’t know what it will be like for Meishu after she marries into their family.”
“Sister-in-law, what are your thoughts?”
Mentioning Mother Liang gave Jiang Lamei a headache too. She had only encountered Mother Liang briefly that day, but the woman’s frosty demeanor remained unforgettable.
“Maybe we should just have them register the marriage directly – cook the raw rice into cooked rice.”
This—
Wang Limei instinctively said, “But if they register the marriage and she encounters a terrible mother-in-law, wouldn’t our Meishu be finished?”
That was indeed true.
Jiang Meishu, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. “During the blind date this morning, Factory Director Liang told me that after we marry, we’ll live separately from his parents.”
“That might work.” Jiang Lamei was also assessing Jiang Meishu’s standing in Factory Director Liang’s opinion.
“But with this blind marriage, we still don’t know what kind of person the mother-in-law is.”
“How about inviting both families for a meal? Then we can discuss the marriage details in person?”
Wang Limei thought this was a good idea too. “Then let’s proceed with this arrangement.”
However, she then became concerned. “But our home is rather small – I’m afraid the Liang Family might look down on us when they visit.”
“It might also make Meishu lose face.”
Jiang Meishu didn’t seem to mind. “Anyway, Liang Rui has been to our home before.”
“Then let’s follow what your aunt suggested – see if we can invite the Liang Family over for a meal, so our two families can discuss the wedding matters.”
This is the difference in how the Jiang Family treated the Liang Family versus the Shen Family.
When the eldest daughter married Shen Zhanlie, neither set of parents shared a meal nor met in person. They simply obtained a marriage certificate, and that very evening Jiang Meilan went to live at the Shen Family home.
Yet for the youngest daughter and Liang Qiurun, there were so many procedures.
Jiang Meishu sighed hesitantly, “Should I go speak with Factory Director Liang?” Having never married herself, she truly understood nothing about these formalities.
She didn’t dare.
“What would you say?” Jiang Lamei laughed at her, “You’re still confused yourself. This is a matter for us adults.”
“Alright then, I’ll go consult Factory Director Liang’s mother.”
Since she had been the matchmaker who arranged this blind date, it seemed appropriate for her to approach the elder from the other side.
With an adult taking the lead, Jiang Meishu breathed a sigh of relief. “Then you go ask.”
She said cheerfully, “Factory Director Liang treated us to a roast duck this morning. We’ve eaten half, but there’s still half left. Auntie, if you don’t mind it being less, why not take some for Xiao Juan?”
This made Jiang Lamei smile. “No wonder Xiao Juan enjoys your company.”
It was strange—by relationship, Meilan should have been closer to Xiao Juan, yet in reality, Meishu got along better with her.
Jiang Meishu divided the remaining half of the roast duck into two portions and handed one to Jiang Lamei. When Jiang Lamei left, Wang Limei looked at her daughter with surprise. Jiang Meishu touched her face, “What is it?”
“You’ve grown up.”
“You understand social graces now.” Wang Limei sighed with emotion. “Before, when we had food at home and wanted to give some to your aunt, you’d cling to that half pig’s trotter crying, refusing to let go.”
Reminded of her childhood behavior, Jiang Meishu felt embarrassed. Covering her face, she said, “I was young and didn’t know better back then.”
Wang Limei looked at her. “Yes, now you’re a grown woman, soon to be married.”
Mentioning this, Wang Limei felt inexplicably melancholic. “You’re different from your sister. I raised you myself, and you’re marrying into a prominent family like the Liangs.”
“If the dowry is too modest, I’m afraid the groom’s family might look down on you.”
“Your father and I will discuss it these days and see how we can prepare a respectable dowry for you.”
Jiang Meishu hummed in agreement. Only when no outsiders remained did she bring it up: “I went to see Sister this morning. She’s living in that small shack, and the blankets are very thin. Mom, could we send her the quilt she used before?”
As soon as she said this,
Lin Qiaoling, who was washing dishes, instinctively replied, “I’ve already given that quilt to Dale. With five of us sharing two quilts, it wasn’t enough.”
“So I took it upon myself to use it.”
Jiang Meishu immediately frowned. “It’s not like Sister isn’t coming back. Why take her quilt?”
Lin Qiaoling set down the bowl immediately. Not wanting to offend her soon-to-be-married sister-in-law, she promptly pulled Dale forward. “Look how your niece gets runny noses from the cold at night. Without enough quilts, she’ll be sick all winter.”
Jiang Dale looked timidly at Jiang Meishu. “Auntie.”
Rubbing her temples, Jiang Meishu avoided looking at the child and said to Lin Qiaoling, “Before my sister married, did the children in this house go through winters without any covers?”
This gave her the feeling that the whole family was eagerly waiting for her and her sister to marry.
That way, they could free up not just the rooms but all the household items as well.
“So we used to cover ourselves with clothes,” Lin Qiaoling defended herself. “The children caught colds every year too.”
Cotton was a strategic material, even harder to obtain than fabric. Therefore, the family treasured it dearly.
Jiang Meishu went to see Wang Limei and asked, “Mom!”
“Doesn’t my sister have any dowry? Cotton quilts, a four-piece bedding set, a tin thermos flask, enamel mugs—does she have any of these?”
It seemed she had none.
Because she had never seen her mother preparing any.
Wang Limei opened her mouth, “Given the Shen Family’s circumstances, even if we gave a dowry, it would just benefit the younger siblings.”
Jiang Meishu said, “The quilts are for my sister to use, for her own covering. They won’t benefit others.”
This—
Wang Limei looked at Lin Qiaoling, who was unwilling. “Mom, when others marry off their daughters, they ask for a bride price to help subsidize the family’s sons. Not only did you not ask for a single cent, but you also had Dad constantly look out for Shen Zhanlie at his workplace. If we give Meilan a dowry on top of that, it would be like we’re paying to marry her off.”
As the daughter-in-law and the eldest sister-in-law, giving too much dowry to the eldest sister-in-law essentially meant infringing on her own interests.
Jiang Meishu asked, “Then, sister-in-law, when you got married, didn’t your parents give you any dowry at all?”
This—
The air instantly fell silent.
Jiang Meishu had always been gentle, both in personality and temperament, and had never been this sharp before.
With this question, the atmosphere grew still.
Did Lin Qiaoling have a dowry when she got married?
Of course, she did. The pair of Double Happiness enamel basins they still used were part of it, not to mention she often boasted about how much her family valued her—when she married, her family gave her sixty-six yuan as a dowry.
This was why she was held in high regard throughout the entire compound.
Of course, this was also why Lin Qiaoling believed she could hold her head high in the Jiang Family. In her eyes, how well a woman fared in her husband’s family depended entirely on how much her own family valued her.
Jiang Meishu’s words left Lin Qiaoling speechless.
She said nothing.
But Jiang Meishu had more to say, “My sister just got a marriage certificate and married off with nothing. You can go out and ask—is there any other family whose daughter gets married like this?”
“People who don’t know better would think she lost both her parents.”
This was rather harsh.
Wang Limei immediately raised her voice, “Jiang Meishu, do you even hear what you’re saying?”
Jiang Meishu, usually as soft as clay, also flared up. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Mom, when my sister got married, our family not only didn’t give her a dowry, but we even begrudged her the quilts she had before marriage.”
“Mom, does my sister even have parents?”
She was tearing into her family for Jiang Meilan’s sake.
Some things, when left unspoken, maintained an atmosphere of harmony. But once spoken, that harmony shattered.
It was like lancing a boil.
Where the pus flowed, nothing remained but desolation.
Wang Limei raised her hand to strike Jiang Meishu, but Jiang Meishu didn’t flinch or avoid it. “If my sister won’t say it, I will. If she won’t fight for it, I will.”
“I can’t always hide behind my sister.”
“Mom, you promised me back then that if my match with Shen Zhanlie succeeded and I married him, I could rely on my family. Now, my sister isn’t even asking to rely on the family—I think we should at least give her the dowry that rightfully belongs to her.”
“Just like you worry about whether I’ll be looked down upon in the Liang Family, don’t you worry that my sister will be despised by her in-laws in the Shen Family?”
“Mom, sister was once your beloved daughter too.”
As these words fell, Wang Limei closed her eyes. “Meishu, your sister is different from you. The Shen Family marrying your sister is like receiving divine blessing for eight lifetimes, which is why I didn’t give her—” a dowry.
Marrying Meilan off to the Shen Family meant their family suffered a loss, while the Shen Family gained immensely.
“Mom, didn’t you tell me that family life shouldn’t be about calculating these things, but about living harmoniously together? Wasn’t that why you originally chose the Shen Family for me?”
“I went to see sister recently. She and Shen Zhanlie are living in a shack that can’t block wind or rain. If the weather turns cold, she’ll get sick from the freezing temperatures.”
She didn’t understand.
Even Liang Qiurun, whom she had just met for the first time, worried that she wasn’t dressed warmly enough and feared she might get sick.
Why didn’t her mother worry about her sister?
Wang Limei remained silent for a moment, seeming somewhat helpless. “That’s something the Shen Family should worry about, not our family.”
At the very least, when Meilan was with the Jiang Family, she had never let Meilan go hungry or cold. But once Meilan married into the Shen Family, she became part of the Shen Family.
This was the path she chose herself.
Jiang Meishu looked disappointed. “If I get married, will I be like sister—becoming part of the Liang Family and no longer part of the Jiang Family?”
She didn’t understand.
What was wrong with people in this era?
Even their own birth mother would consider them part of another family once they married.
Wang Limei sighed. “Meishu, why are you dwelling on these things?”
“Ask your sister-in-law—after she married, didn’t she become part of the Jiang Family?”
“Then go ask the other young wives in the Dazayuan—don’t they follow their husbands wherever they go?”
Jiang Meishu felt it wasn’t her who was sick.
It was this era—the people in this era were sick.
They all treated daughters as married-off girls, like water spilled on the ground.
They treated their once blood-related daughters as strangers.
“Mom, I don’t care about others. I’m asking you—is my sister your daughter or not?”
“Just answer me this question.”
Wang Limei’s tone was strained. “Yes.”
“Then return sister’s quilt to her,” Jiang Meishu said. “Additionally, take half from my dowry and give it to my sister.”
Hearing this, Wang Limei frowned. “Meishu, do you know what you’re saying?”
“Your sister married into the Shen Family, while you’re marrying into the Liang Family. Given your sister’s capabilities, she won’t necessarily be mistreated by her mother-in-law in the Shen Family. But you’re different—our family status is already low. If your dowry is insufficient, you’ll definitely be looked down upon in the Liang Family.”
Jiang Meishu, “I don’t care.”
“Mom, I don’t care.”
“I only care whether my sister can have a thick quilt this winter, whether she won’t freeze.”
“You—”
Wang Limei grew angry, raising her hand to poke her forehead. “Foolish child!”
“Your sister stole your intended match, and you’re still protecting her like this? Are you stupid?”
Jiang Meishu, “We agreed to the marriage swap—willingly agreed to the marriage swap.”
“I only know that whenever I needed help, my sister has always protected me.”
She persuaded her mother, then turned to retrieve Jiang Meilan’s thin quilt, taking out along with it the money Jiang Meilan had previously compensated her with.
Jiang Meilan had said she felt guilty about the marriage swap and had given her all the money she had.
“What other dowry items are there?”
Jiang Meishu held the quilt and the money as she went to ask Wang Limei, “What other dowry do I have? Give a portion of each item to my sister.”
This—
Wang Limei instinctively replied, “I haven’t bought them yet.”
“However, I originally planned to give you a pair of Double Happiness enamel basins as dowry if your blind date with Factory Director Liang had been successful.”
Jiang Meishu instinctively asked, “Anything else?”
This—
The air suddenly grew quiet.
Wang Limei looked at Lin Qiaoling. The usually smooth-talking Lin Qiaoling hadn’t stepped out but remained standing inside the room.
This made it difficult for Wang Limei to speak up. She lowered her head and said, “Just this pair of enamel basins.”