Wen Hua’er’s unexpected apology drew everyone’s attention.
Except for Little Uncle Jiang, every face in the room was filled with astonishment.
“Cough, cough, cough…“
Hu Yanyan was in the middle of drinking water and nearly choked to death.
She coughed for quite a while before catching her breath, tears and snot streaming down her face as she stared at Wen Hua’er as though she were a complete stranger.
She simply couldn’t believe it.
Her hot-tempered eldest sister-in-law, who could explode at the slightest spark, had actually changed after one trip back to her parents’ home.
Normally, even when Wen Hua’er came back alone, she’d spend three or four days in a cold war with her mother-in-law.
Yet this time…
She had actually apologized first.
After apologizing, Wen Hua’er lowered her head and busied herself fussing over the son in her arms.
She felt terribly awkward.
Taking the initiative wasn’t her strong suit.
But Jiang Lai’s words kept echoing in her ears.
Ma Laihua stared blankly at Wen Hua’er for two seconds.
Her eyes gradually reddened before she reached over and picked up little Jiang Xiaowei.
Now that her eldest daughter-in-law had apologized, she no longer maintained the dignified airs of a mother-in-law.
After the incident, Jiang Jianshe had already spoken privately with Ma Laihua.
She knew she’d been wrong to make such a major decision on her own.
After all, she’d spent money that belonged to the whole family.
She stammered awkwardly,
“I… I was wrong.”
“I should’ve discussed it with all of you first.”
“Your father and I will save more money from now on.”
“We’ll try to get Xiaowei’s surgery done as soon as possible.”
Hearing her mother-in-law apologize in person, the grief Wen Hua’er had been suppressing finally burst free.
Before she’d even married into the Jiang family, her own mother had repeatedly warned her.
“Your mother-in-law is difficult to get along with.”
“She has so many sons. If you don’t fight for your own share, no one will fight for you.”
Ever since joining the Jiang family, she’d argued with her mother-in-law every so often.
This latest incident had angered her the most.
Without consulting anyone, Ma Laihua had spent a thousand yuan securing a job for her daughter, seemingly without caring about her own grandson.
People secretly mocked Xiaowei’s eye behind his back.
He was still little, but he already understood what people meant.
She desperately wanted him to recover and become an ordinary child.
She had resented her mother-in-law for failing to distinguish what was most urgent.
But after hearing Jiang Lai tearfully describe all she’d endured over the years…
Only then did she realize—
Her mother-in-law was a mother too.
She also had to think about her own child.
“Mom…”
The two women looked as though years of resentment had finally melted away.
They were just about to embrace and pour out their feelings when—
“Mom! Mom!”
Jiang Lai’s voice cut through the emotional atmosphere at exactly the wrong moment.
“This fish is huge!”
“I’ve never eaten anything this big!”
Hearing Jiang Lai call out, Ma Laihua hurriedly wiped away her tears.
She quickly picked up a piece of fish belly for Jiang Lai, another for Wen Hua’er, then another for Second Sister-in-law.
“Eat.”
“Everyone eat.”
Thanks to Jiang Lai constantly keeping the mood lively, the reunion dinner turned out surprisingly cheerful.
The only unhappy person was Little Uncle Jiang.
The family dinner didn’t end until after nine o’clock.
On the walk home, Little Uncle Jiang secretly tugged at Jiang Lai’s sleeve.
“What were you making such a fuss over?”
“You acted just like some country bumpkin seeing the city for the first time.”
“And like you’d been terribly mistreated back home.”
“What’s so special about that fish?”
“It wasn’t even as tasty as the crucian carp I catch.”
“And that spicy chicken was dry as firewood.”
“It wasn’t half as good as your grandma’s cooking.”
Jiang Lai laughed.
“Grandma’s cooking is naturally unbeatable.”
“But aren’t the two of us country bumpkins who just came to the city?”
The original Jiang Lai might have been a nominal educated youth in the countryside, but she’d never truly suffered.
She’d never gone hungry or lacked warm clothes.
Still…
Thinking about that enormous carp made her lick her lips unconsciously.
“I have to admit…”
“That giant carp really was much tastier than the little crucian carp back home.”
“If Little Sister likes it, I’ll buy one for you after I get paid.”
Third Brother Jiang Chunxiang casually slung an arm around Jiang Lai’s shoulders.
He had been busy courting his girlfriend recently and had gotten home late.
When he arrived, the stove was cold, the house was empty, and only two lunch tins sat on the table.
He’d been about to make do with those when the neighbors told him his little sister had come home and everyone had gone to the state-owned restaurant.
So he’d rushed over.
Dinner had already started by the time he arrived.
After sharing one meal together, he found himself unexpectedly fond of this little sister.
It wasn’t the affection between siblings who’d grown up together.
Rather…
It was the instinctive protectiveness of an older brother.
The kind that said:
I’m the older brother.
You’re the little one.
I’ll look after you.
I’ll show you all the new things.
That mixture of affection and pity was exactly what Jiang Lai had been hoping for.
The original owner had been sent back to the countryside when she was barely a month old.
During those difficult years, the situation was unstable, famine struck, and with three growing boys to raise, Jiang Jianshe and Ma Laihua worked tirelessly.
They rarely took the three brothers back to visit her.
To be honest…
Apart from blood ties, they lacked the closeness that came from growing up together.
If she wanted to become part of this family as quickly as possible…
The best method was to make them understand what she’d sacrificed for the family.
Hearing Jiang Chunxiang’s generous promise, Jiang Lai immediately returned one of her own.
“Third Brother, you’re the best.”
“When you get married, I’ll buy your eldest son a solid gold longevity lock.”
The promise struck Jiang Chunxiang right in the heart.
He grinned so widely he looked positively foolish.
Blushing slightly, he scratched his head.
“It… it’s not time to talk about marriage yet.”
“It’ll happen soon.”
“My Third Brother is handsome and charming.”
“There’s no way my future third sister-in-law is getting away.”
Her praise inflated his ego immediately.
He straightened his collar, spat a little into his palms, slicked back the hair beside his temples, then threw Jiang Lai a flirtatious wink.
“Am I really that handsome?”
Jiang Lai widened her fox-like eyes in exaggerated admiration.
“Third Brother is unbelievably handsome.”
“Even more handsome than the educated youths from the city.”
“Hehehe…”
Completely losing his bearings from the compliments, Jiang Chunxiang laughed foolishly and skipped ahead.
Little Uncle Jiang watched his retreating figure with utter disdain.
“Lailai.”
“Are you blind?”
“Your Third Brother’s just a fool.”
“Of course, of course…”
Jiang Lai immediately gave him a thumbs-up.
“In the whole Jiang family, Little Uncle is the most handsome.”
“You inherited every good feature our Jiang family has.”
“I’ve noticed…”
Little Uncle Jiang poked her forehead.
“Ever since you came to the city, you’ve become quite the smooth talker.”
He studied her carefully.
Something about her felt different now.
Jiang Lai sighed dramatically.
“You don’t understand.”
“I barely saw my brothers while growing up.”
“If I don’t flatter them a little…”
“How am I supposed to survive here?”
Little Uncle Jiang’s smile faded.
He became unusually serious.
“This is your family.”
“You don’t need to curry favor with anyone.”
“If you don’t want to stay here…”
“We’ll go back tomorrow.”
“I can still support you by farming.”
Among everyone, the original Jiang Lai had been closest to her little uncle.
Normally cheerful and carefree, he had quietly worried ever since learning she planned to return to the city.
The two had lived together for more than ten years.
He’d carried her on his back before she even knew how to walk, taking her into the fields and up the mountains.
Now she would be living somewhere he couldn’t watch over her.
It would have been strange if he weren’t sad.
Seeing her usually playful little uncle acting so seriously, Jiang Lai also put away her teasing smile.
“People have to look forward.”
“Reform and Opening Up has already begun.”
“Those who dare are already starting businesses.”
“Little Uncle…”
“If you come across an opportunity, don’t hesitate.”
“You’re not someone who can stay content farming the same few acres forever.”
Little Uncle Jiang had always been Grandma Zhao’s biggest headache.
The novel never explained what ultimately happened to him.
But Jiang Lai had the feeling he’d definitely make a big gamble in life.
She simply didn’t know how it would end.
Little Uncle Jiang nodded firmly.
“I know.”
“I’ve been thinking about starting a livestock business.”
“You know your grandma.”
“She refuses to give me any startup money.”
“No wonder all those educated youths fought so desperately to come back to the city.”
“The city’s so much better than the countryside.”
“Just look at these roads.”
“Not a single dirt pothole anywhere.”