“Little Sister, it’s been so long. The last time I saw you, you were only eight years old.”
Her second sister-in-law, Hu Yanyan, walked over carrying little Yuanyuan in her arms, greeting Jiang Lai with a warm smile.
Jiang Lai returned a sweet smile.
Her little niece was only three years old and peeked shyly at her from her mother’s embrace.
Since this was their first meeting, Jiang Lai had nothing suitable prepared as a gift.
The original Jiang Lai wore a red string bracelet around her wrist with a small peach pit charm tied to it. She slipped it off and dangled it teasingly in front of the little girl.
Three-year-old Jiang Huiyuan’s curiosity quickly overcame her shyness.
Her large eyes followed the little peach pit intently.
Taking the opportunity, Jiang Lai gently tied it around the child’s wrist.
“Grandma always said this charm keeps away bad luck.”
“I’m grown up now.”
“So I’ll give it to little Yuanyuan.”
Beside the tiny peach pit hung a delicate little silver bell, perfectly suited for a little girl.
Seeing that her young sister-in-law understood social niceties so well, Hu Yanyan’s smile became even warmer.
Ma Laihua came out carrying a little jacket, took Jiang Huiyuan from Hu Yanyan’s arms, and said,
“Let’s go.”
“We’ll walk to the state-owned restaurant. The banquet should be starting by the time we get there.”
Pretending not to know, Jiang Lai asked,
“Hasn’t Big Brother and Sister-in-law gotten off work yet?”
At the mention of her eldest son, Ma Laihua’s expression immediately darkened.
“Forget about them.”
“They’re nothing but trouble.”
“Don’t upset Mom anymore.”
Hu Yanyan quietly explained,
“Mom used all the family’s savings to buy you a job.”
“Sister-in-law got angry because that money had originally been set aside for Xiaowei’s surgery.”
“They’d agreed on it a long time ago.”
“Mom couldn’t stand Sister-in-law’s tone, so they argued.”
“Sister-in-law got angry and took Big Brother and Xiaowei back to her parents’ house.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lai’s heart grew heavy.
This was the height of the return-to-the-city movement.
Without a job assignment—without a work unit willing to accept your household registration and personnel file—you were practically an undocumented person, unable to live a normal life.
Ma Laihua hadn’t wanted her daughter trapped in the countryside forever.
The moment she heard someone was selling a job position, she’d made the decision to spend a thousand yuan buying Jiang Lai a receptionist position.
There was another family in the alley.
Yuan Huiping’s sister-in-law, Zhao Ting, had been injured and could no longer perform farm labor, forcing her to return home.
In the original novel, Zhao Ting was another tragic character.
Raised in a family that favored sons over daughters, she’d been forced to go to the countryside in junior high school.
For five consecutive years, her parents had never once asked how she was doing.
This year she’d injured her leg while working and had been allowed to return home to recuperate.
Her parents had originally promised that when they retired, they’d give their job to her.
Now they’d changed their minds and planned to pass it to her temporary-worker sister-in-law instead.
The Zhao family had been fighting every few days because of it.
It was precisely because of Zhao Ting’s situation that Ma Laihua had become determined to spend a fortune buying a city job for Jiang Lai.
On one side was her own daughter’s chance to return to the city.
On the other was her grandson’s chance to receive surgery.
It couldn’t have been an easy decision.
She had probably agonized over it countless times before finally choosing her daughter.
Who could have imagined that, in the original novel, Song Tian would steal that opportunity?
“Mom.”
“Grandma packed us so many things.”
“Take out some flour, potatoes, eggs, and two salted fish.”
“I’ll go bring Sister-in-law back.”
Ma Laihua froze.
Although her face remained unhappy, she stubbornly replied,
“She left on her own.”
“We don’t need to invite her back.”
Hu Yanyan looked back and forth between mother and daughter, suddenly feeling nervous.
Eldest Sister-in-law’s temper was almost identical to Ma Laihua’s.
The two of them could argue fiercely over the smallest matters.
Whenever they had a serious fight, Sister-in-law would pack up Big Brother and their son and return to her parents’ home.
Since both families lived in the same factory district, however, the three of them would always come back a few days later.
The cycle repeated itself over and over throughout the year.
“Little Sister…”
“In another few days, Sister-in-law will come back on her own…”
“Mom.”
“I’m really lucky you fought so hard to get me this job.”
“But Xiaowei is Sister-in-law’s precious son.”
“The way you love your child and the way she loves hers are exactly the same.”
“I know this wasn’t an easy choice for you.”
“So let me handle this.”
Ma Laihua quietly wiped away her tears.
Without another word, she gently put Jiang Huiyuan down and began packing a little of everything.
Keeping her head lowered, she muttered,
“Over all these years…”
“Your eldest brother has never once brought gifts when visiting his in-laws.”
“Every time your sister-in-law says they’re leaving, he obediently follows behind her.”
“That big fool doesn’t understand a thing.”
“His mother-in-law has cursed him behind his back more than once.”
She sighed.
“Fortunately, you take after your grandmother.”
“Not me.”
As she spoke, she’d already packed half a sack of food.
Holding it tightly, she said anxiously,
“Hua’er’s mother is a formidable woman.”
“If you go there, you’ll only end up being bullied.”
“Forget it.”
Jiang Lai accepted the sack and slung it over her shoulder.
Confidently, she smiled.
“Mom.”
“You said yourself I take after Grandma.”
“Has Grandma ever been the kind of person who lets herself be bullied?”
“But…”
She cut Ma Laihua off.
“You and Second Sister-in-law go to the restaurant first.”
“I’ll bring Big Brother and the others afterward.”
Big Brother’s family couldn’t wait.
Her eldest sister-in-law wasn’t a bad person.
In the original story, even after Big Brother lost an arm, she stayed by his side, supporting both the family and his increasingly difficult temperament.
She never stopped trying to find treatment for little Xiaowei.
Jiang Lai couldn’t allow Big Brother to end up with the tragic fate he’d suffered in the novel.
These past few days, he was surely working overtime at the factory to earn extra money.
She refused to watch Jiang Chunfeng—a gifted technician—slowly become a bitter, broken man.
After Jiang Lai left the alley, Ma Laihua suddenly realized something.
Jiang Lai didn’t even know where Wen Hua’er lived.
She hurried outside.
But by then, Jiang Lai had already disappeared.
Hu Yanyan comforted her.
“Mom.”
“I saw Little Sister heading toward the Wen family’s neighborhood.”
Ma Laihua sighed.
“Forget it.”
“Let’s go.”
Holding her granddaughter, she walked toward the state-owned restaurant, her heart still full of worry.
The truth was…
Jiang Lai didn’t know where Wen Hua’er’s family lived either.
But she had one great advantage.
She could ask.
The factory district was large, but nearly everyone knew one another.
The residents were also quite friendly.
Seeing Jiang Lai travel-worn and carrying so much luggage, one woman assumed she must be a relative of the Wen family and personally led her to their gate.
“This is the Wen family.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
“I really met a kind person today.”
“Oh, don’t mention it.”
The courtyard gate stood half open.
The Wen family had a larger courtyard shared by two households.
The moment Jiang Lai entered carrying her bundle, someone from the neighboring house poked their head out.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Excuse me.”
“Is this the Wen family?”
The woman pointed toward the west side before disappearing back inside.
Before Jiang Lai even had a chance to knock, she heard a woman inside angrily scolding someone.
“How did I give birth to such a useless daughter?”
“The moment you argue with your mother-in-law, you run back to your parents’ house.”
“And you drag three extra mouths with you!”
“You don’t contribute a single cent for food!”
“That Ma Laihua is heartless!”
“Why care so much about a daughter she didn’t even raise herself?”
“At fifteen or sixteen, she could’ve married some country fellow and brought in ten or twenty yuan in bride price.”
“Why bother bringing her back?”
“If you can’t hand over money for food tomorrow, then don’t stay here!”
“You eat my food.”
“You drink my water.”
“And I won’t spend another penny on you!”
“As for Jiang Chunfeng…”
“That big fool is worthless.”
“I never approved of him from the beginning.”
“I told you not to marry him.”
“But you insisted!”
A softer voice immediately pleaded,
“Mom…”
“Chunfeng gets off work soon.”
“It won’t be good if he hears this.”
“Hmph!”
“That man eats four steamed buns every meal.”
“If I raised a pig instead, at least I could slaughter it next year and trade it for money!”
“Mom…”
“We’re trying to save enough money for Xiaowei’s surgery.”
“His little aunt only went to the countryside because she took her family’s place.”
“It’s only natural that Mother-in-law wants to bring her home.”
“Could you let us wait until after Xiaowei’s surgery before paying living expenses?”
“No!”
“His own grandmother doesn’t care about him.”
“So I, his grandmother on his mother’s side, have to!”
“If you don’t give me money for food tomorrow…”
“…then go back to your husband’s house.”
“Stop coming here just to make me angry!”