"You can tell me everything slowly. You don't have to break off the relationship right away."
It was still late summer, and the weather in Harbor City was neither hot nor cold. Her grandma stood up and turned on the incandescent lamp in the central room. She picked up the kettle and began to make tea. Her grandpa lit a cigarette to learn about the actual situation of his daughter's late night visit.
Liang Meijuan shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it now. My eldest brother and sister-in-law will come later."
"You also called them?" Grandpa asked.
"I originally wanted to go to their house directly, but Chen was worried that something would happen, so he suggested to talk about it here. You can be the judge."
Liang Meijuan said stiffly.
Grandpa nodded. He naturally knew his daughter's temper. Fortunately, his son-in-law was gentle and knew how to be tactful when he encountered trouble.
"But, what made Laosan so angry?"
Grandpa wondered in his heart.
At this time, her grandma put down two cups of tea. She sat aside silently and looked at her daughter and son-in-law for a while.
Before long, there were footsteps outside the door. Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt also lived in the countryside. It was only 5 minutes away from Grandpa's house.
The night in the countryside was very quiet, so they could still hear Eldest Aunt's complaining voice. "Why is Liang Meijuan so mad in the middle of the night? Why can't she talk about it tomorrow?"
However, when they entered the door, they saw Liang Meijuan's cold face. Eldest Aunt immediately shut her mouth and stopped talking.
Now that everyone was here, Liang Meijuan finally began to talk about the reason.
"I called Chen Hansheng this evening. In fact, I wanted to ask about Xiaohai."
Liang Meijuan glanced at Eldest Aunt. "Chen Hansheng is in the university anyway. He has a canteen and a dormitory. In fact, I don't need to worry too much about him. However, I don't know how Liang Xiaohai is doing. He didn't join Rocket 101."
No one doubted that. Liang Xiaohai was Liang Meijuan's biological nephew. It was normal for her aunt to care about her nephew.
"It was also at this time that Chen and I learned that Rocket 101 went bankrupt a few days ago."
Liang Meijuan's face was full of sadness. "Hansheng was too independent when he was a child. We didn't know when Rocket 101 was founded, and we didn't know when it went bankrupt. In short, he was alone."
Grandpa, Grandma, Eldest Uncle, and Eldest Aunt looked at each other.
The influence of Rocket 101 had always been in the country's universities, but it was rarely seen in daily life, let alone in the countryside. Therefore, they only knew that Chen Hansheng had set up a business, and the results reported on TV were not bad. He had once become the pride of his family.
She didn't expect it to close down so quickly. However, First Aunt was also puzzled. What did this have to do with her?
"I heard that the company went bankrupt, so I asked him if he had any debts. Actually, from my perspective, studying is much more practical than starting a business. If he has any debts, Old Chen and I will help him pay them off. He can also focus on his studies."
Liang Meijuan continued, "Chen Hansheng said that there were no difficulties. He even praised Liang Xiaohai and his girlfriend for being very enthusiastic."
Liang Meijuan paused for a moment. First Aunt did not react at first. Shouldn't Liang Xiaohai be single? After thinking about it, this girlfriend should be the girl from another province with the "100,000 yuan" betrothal gift.
"And then? Why are they so enthusiastic?"
Eldest Uncle treated it as a story and urged his sister to continue.
"They said."
Liang Meijuan gritted her teeth and said, "If Hansheng wants to borrow money, he doesn't have it. But if he is hungry, he can go to the factory to look for them. They can give him a few meals."
The living room suddenly became quiet. Everyone instantly understood what was going on. These words were too harsh.
"Old Chen and I are not dead yet."
Liang Meijuan became agitated: "What do they mean? As long as Old Chen and I are still alive, how can they let Chen Hansheng beg for food?"
First Uncle's expression was embarrassed. First Aunt glared at him. They are here to find trouble, and you are still asking so stupidly.
It was quiet for a while. Then Grandpa knocked on the pipe and said slowly: "Maybe Xiaohai also wants to help, but the meaning he expressed was wrong. He stopped studying after he graduated from junior high school. He is also a straightforward person. He is not as good at talking as Hansheng."
"Yes, yes. Maybe he said something wrong."
Grandpa did not say anything. Eldest Aunt knew that she was in the wrong and also did not say anything. But when grandpa spoke, she hurriedly said, "Besides, we have not acknowledged that girlfriend. Liang Xiaohai will definitely not marry her."
"That's it?"
Liang Meijuan heard grandpa's explanation and suddenly became quiet. She looked at her father blankly.
Chen Zhaojun knew that his wife was about to get angry. Just when he was about to comfort her, Liang Meijuan suddenly cried.
Old Chen was flustered and distressed. He hurriedly wiped away his wife's tears. Liang Meijuan pushed her husband's hands away and casually wiped them dry herself. She said, "I've never been loved since I was a child. But I have to accept it. After all, I have two older brothers and a younger sister. I don't get much attention. I understand all this."
"In the past, our family was very poor. It was not easy for us to kill a chicken during Chinese New Year. The chicken legs were given to my older brother to eat and the chicken wings were given to my fourth brother to eat. I could only eat the chicken feet. You guys also deliberately said that if you eat the chicken feet, you will be able to walk far in the future …"
Chen Zhaojun felt that Liang Meijuan was getting further and further away from the topic. He was worried that the topic would become bigger and bigger. He could not help but remind Liang Meijuan: "Why are you saying this? There is no need to mention the things that happened in the past."
"No, I have to mention it."
Liang Meijuan simply went all out: "I can accept it if I suffer a little, but why should my son be treated unfairly as well?"
In fact, this kind of situation was very common. The poorer the family in the northern part of Jiangsu, the more they valued boys over girls. Liang Meijuan was a girl who was in the middle of the family. Naturally, she was not paid attention to.
In the future, as the average quality of the people improved, this kind of tradition would be changed.
For example, Xiao Hongwei and Lv Yuqing who were formal college students did not have this kind of thought at all. Lao Xiao really cared about Xiao Rongyu. "Princess Xiao" was a real title.
"Okay, you guys said that I will be able to walk far in the future after eating the chicken feet, then I will keep my head down and try my best to run."
Liang Meijuan was lost in her memories: "After I graduated from high school, I worked in a state-owned cotton factory while I insisted on going to night school. After I got my diploma, the Human Resources Bureau happened to be recruiting people. I went to apply. Sister Sun who was in charge saw that I was diligent, so she gave me a position that was not available."
"Thus, I ran from the countryside to the city, and it was in the Human Resources Bureau that I got to know Lao Chen."
Liang Meijuan took a look at Chen Zhaojun, and the expression on her face became a bit gentler: "After that, I gave birth to a son. Although he was not obedient at all, and often made me angry, but I only have one son."
"It is fine as long as I understand the things that happened in the past. But why does Chen Hansheng have to endure this kind of vexation?"
Liang Meijuan questioned: "After Lao Chen and I got married, although we ran from the countryside to the city, we did not neglect the matters at home."
"Have I, Liang Meijuan, ever been short of money to buy cigarettes during festivals?"
"It has been so many years, which relative in the family needs help? Have Lao Chen and I ever refused?"
"Liang Xiaohai went on a blind date, Chen Hansheng came back from a school that was a few hundred kilometers away, and only a few cigarettes of Zhonghua cigarettes were sold. Have we ever cared about that?"
… …
Every time Liang Meijuan said something, the other people in the room would become more and more confident. Liang Meijuan and Lao Chen belonged to a middle to late stage family.
When they were young, their conditions were also very ordinary. However, after Chen Hansheng entered junior high school, their material conditions became more and more relaxed. Some of their relatives went to the city to do business, and they were also able to help out.
At the end of Liang Meijuan's words, Liang Meijuan slammed the table: "It is not like you all do not know about Chen Hansheng's bad temper. If it was someone else who said that to Liang Xiaohai, if Liang Xiaohai did not get slapped a few times, would he be able to let this matter go?"
"Liang Meijuan, pay attention to your words, what do you mean by Liang Xiaohai is going to get slapped? Who dares to touch Liang Xiaohai?"
Although big aunt was angry that her son was too stupid, but she also could not tolerate talking about her son like that.
Next, the two sisters-in-law began to habitually go against each other. Chen Zhaojun rubbed his temples helplessly. He was starting to doubt his wife's motive a bit.
Chen Hansheng's matter was just a prelude, and Liang Meijuan seemed to want to say out all the grievances that she had suffered all these years.
"However, I still support your decision!"
Chen Zhaojun had an honest look on his face as he smoked his cigarette, but in his heart, he was thinking, If my son is wronged, I will speak up for my son, and if my wife is wronged, I will stand up for my wife.
I, Lao Chen, am not afraid of anyone!
… …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
