Zhou Hongxia quickly withdrew her gaze, returning a gentle smile to Yang Lihua.
“Welcome back, Lihua.”
It was as if her earlier resentment and surprise had been only a trick of Yang Lihua’s eyes.
Had Zhou Hongxia’s momentary lapse been caused by the plot diverging from her expectations? Or… did she possess some kind of “premonition” at another level of perception?
Yang Lihua noticed the subtle shift, though she remained outwardly composed.
Zhou Hongxia, with a tone of polite testing, complimented her, “I heard Lihua passed the test to become a full-time worker at the textile factory. That’s really impressive.”
After all, having a sister-in-law with a stable job would be advantageous for her future in the family.
Yang Lihua wondered quietly how much she would contribute to the family each month—half of her salary? All of it?
“I was just lucky,” Yang Lihua replied shyly, lightly brushing her hand over her cheek. “It happened that the textile factory was hiring.”
Humph—luck?
Zhou Hongxia clearly didn’t believe it was mere luck. How could a young girl who hadn’t even graduated pass the exam for such a good factory? Perhaps the Yang family had pulled some strings or paid to secure her the position.
With two daughters graduating simultaneously, only Yang Lihua “passed” and became a formal worker. She hadn’t considered her elder sister Yang Lijuan at all.
This future sister-in-law seemed difficult to deal with. Her status in the household might not be low; otherwise, her family wouldn’t have arranged such a good job for her.
“Luck is part of skill too,” Zhou Hongxia continued, her tone casual. “The textile factory is one of the province’s top factories. Lihua, your salary must be quite good. Many of the girls at our factory contribute part of their wages to their families each month, helping out, making life easier for their parents.”
Yang Lihua inwardly snorted. She hadn’t even married in yet, and Zhou Hongxia was already inquiring about her salary and how much she sent home. Too eager, perhaps?
What, afraid I won’t contribute, so you want to benefit first? And with your temporary worker wages, surely you barely have enough for yourself.
“Third sister said she sends five yuan to the family each month,” Yang Lishu jumped in before Yang Lihua could speak. “She’s moved to the factory dorm now; all five yuan go to our parents.”
Proudly, she suddenly turned to Zhou Hongxia. “By the way, Sister Hongxia, you’ve been working a long time, right? Your salary must be higher than Third Sister’s. How much do you send home each month?”
Humph! The haughty look on her face—don’t think I didn’t see that disdainful expression. She’d implied before that girls going to school is pointless, that it’s just to stop others from studying.
Not yet married in, and already trying to assert control over the Yang household. Her parents are still living here; it’s not your place to meddle.
Zhou Hongxia’s smile faltered. Her fingers whitened slightly as she gripped the teacup. A temporary worker, apprentice wages—only 18 yuan a month—and she still had to pay for meals, clothes, and her younger brother’s tuition and living expenses. How could she possibly contribute money to her family?
If she answered briefly, she’d lose face, seeming unfilial. If she spoke too much, she’d expose her inability to provide, making the Yang family think she only cared about her birth family. Any answer could be easily challenged.
Yang Lishu’s seemingly casual question had struck right at the nerve.
Su Meilan and Yang Daqiang were stunned. They hadn’t anticipated this question and instinctively looked to Zhou Hongxia, waiting for her reply.
While they hoped a daughter-in-law would help their family, a bride constantly sending money to her birth family might seem an unsuitable choice.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Although slow-witted, Yang Lixin sensed the tension and hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
“Lishu! How rude! Stop talking nonsense here. Go inside!”
“Yes, yes, Lishu, take Lijun out to play. Kids should be outside, not causing trouble here,” Su Meilan added, though her satisfaction with Zhou Hongxia had clearly dropped.
It seemed the Zhou family’s situation wasn’t as good as Director Wang had described; there were things they didn’t know.
Yang Lihua quietly observed. During her absence, Zhou Hongxia and Yang Lishu hadn’t gotten along well.
In the original book, the “troublesome” Yang Lihua drew Zhou Hongxia’s dissatisfaction, but she had been indulgent with the silly Yang Lishu.
Now, just a short absence had allowed the fourth daughter, outspoken and impulsive, to directly challenge Zhou Hongxia.
Yang Lihua’s sensitive, sharp-witted sister had unexpectedly detected Zhou Hongxia’s subtle superiority and disdain and responded cleverly.
Seeing the atmosphere tense, Yang Lihua spoke gently, easing the situation, “Lishu, don’t cause trouble. Sister Hongxia’s family circumstances are different from ours. Whether she contributes more or less, it’s all from the heart—how can you compare?”
Perhaps her family didn’t know Zhou Hongxia was just a temporary worker, nor how Director Wang understood her situation.
The matchmaking meeting ended awkwardly but decently. At least, Yang Lixin and Zhou Hongxia had set a time to meet again.
“Lijuan, stop staring! Quickly clear the teacups on the table,” Su Meilan said, frowning slightly, still pondering Yang Lishu’s question about contributions.
Yang Lixin, meanwhile, wore a satisfied smile, clearly reminiscing about his interaction with Zhou Hongxia and eagerly anticipating their next meeting.
Yang Lihua glanced around and casually said, “Big brother, Sister Hongxia seems really nice—gentle and soft-spoken.”
Yang Lixin immediately brightened at her praise, wearing a proud grin. “Right? I think she’s great, speaks so softly… she seems like someone who knows how to manage a household.”
“Yes,” Yang Lihua nodded, then added with curiosity, “I heard Sister Hongxia works at the food factory. That’s good too. By the way, big brother,” she asked, “what exactly does she do at the food factory? Workshop worker or office staff? Did she tell you? She’s a permanent worker, right?”