Winter midnight, it was quiet, except for the whistling northwest wind, there was no sound at all, so if soone knocked on the door in the dead of night, it was particularly striking.
Zhan Jing was feeling all kinds of discomfort today. She used to sleep comfortably with a new cotton quilt, but tonight she’s covered with an old quilt that Zhan Jing found from who knows where, making her feel all sorts of discomfort.
Even if it’s uncomfortable, she can only endure it. However, at this point, how co Gong Dajiang and his wife haven’t arrived yet? Did Zhao Gang mistake soone?
The likelihood seems small upon reflection, there’s the Southern accent, they’re looking for Gong Tao, plus Zhao Gang recognized their appearance, usually they wouldn’t make a mistake.
Zhan Jing, lying on the kang, still wondered if they might have been eaten by animals coming down the mountain at midnight.
If they were truly eaten, how nice that would be. Anyway, Zhang Lan and the others arrived without notice, we could just pretend not to know.
Even if the Gong Family wants to lay bla, it has nothing to do with them.
Zhan Jing was thinking well, but unfortunately, soone knocked at the door in the middle of the night.
They ca, they really ca. But to co so late at night, they were truly trying, Zhan Jing just wanted to say why it hadn’t snowed heavily today, otherwise the old couple might have worn themselves out.
"They’re here." Gong Ruwen heard the knock and opened his eyes swiftly.
It turns out the older brother hadn’t fallen asleep either. Zhan Jing thought his heart must be sothing big to be able to sleep at such a crucial mont, didn’t expect he was just pretending.
"Sleep, pretend we don’t know about this." Gong Ruwen was completely determined to sleep this ti, anyway, the kids need sleep too, and who would get up in the middle of the night?
Yes, if they pretend they don’t know soone is here, if they all pop up, then aren’t they telling Gong Dajiang and his wife they know about this?
Since they want to act, let’s continue acting, we can’t just let them act.
Zhang Lan felt cold, she hadn’t expected they would arrive at this point, truly both cold and hungry.
If prior thought was about eating at, now Zhang Lan only thinks of having a bowl of hot water.
Cai ina actually waited until she had fallen into a daze, anyway, being awakened by a midnight knock is normal.
"Who is it." Cai ina mumbled sleepily.
Hearing the sleepy voice, Zhang Lan beca enraged, the old couple had traveled all the long way, facing various hardships, how could their son and daughter-in-law be sleeping?
"It’s ."
"Your mother-in-law." Zhang Lan said angrily.
The guide was surprised, normally guests would give notice in advance, and be t at the station, why hadn’t Gong Tao gone to et them.
The villagers now thought less of Gong Tao, showing this lack of filial piety, knowing how heavy the snow was, and still not picking up the elders.
"Mom?" Cai ina was surprised, "Mom, how co you ca?"
"Why didn’t you write to us?"
"Or send a telegram, we had no idea at all." Cai ina seed innocent.
While expressing surprise, Cai ina walked towards the courtyard.
Even though the door wasn’t open, Cai ina didn’t believe Gong Dajiang and his wife, visiting for the first ti, could find their way in without help from soone.
Moreover, Zhang Lan was speaking so aggressively, wasn’t it just to imply their son and daughter-in-law were being unfilial?
Evidently, they wanted to take them by surprise but were trying to sar them, oh the anger Cai ina felt.
"Mom, you weren’t planning to co up the mountain to dig ginseng, were you? Gong Tao and I really have no idea where to dig ginseng."
"We are also new to the Northeast, we really don’t know."
"Mom, really.." Cai ina said all the things she needed to say first, then opened the door and saw soone standing outside, "Hello."
"Thanks for bringing my mother-in-law here, I’m really sorry."
"My in-laws didn’t give us any advance notice, really sorry." Cai ina was being all kinds of polite.
Zhang Lan felt angry, for she deliberately spoke so fiercely earlier to let people know Gong Tao and his wife weren’t filial, but hadn’t expected the silent daughter-in-law, Cai ina, turn the situation around with just a few words, surprising Zhang Lan greatly.
What surprised Zhang Lan more was Gom Dajiang with his one fatal remark, "Before leaving, I said to send them a telegram, so they’d know we were coming."
"But your mom adamantly said no, really thinking we could just walk ho after getting off the train."
Why would her husband speak up now, especially siding with Cai ina, making Zhang Lan so angry.
The village boy understood a lot after hearing that they ca without notifying, and considering the aunt’s proud tone and hidden criticism of how the couple was unfilial, he understood a lot.
Though he was a man, as a married man, he understood so things, "Then I’ll go back first."
"Take care, not seeing you off." Cai ina thanked them again and took the light luggage from Zhang Lan, it was so light, "Mom, we asked around, not only is there no nearby ho selling ginseng, even if there were, we don’t have money to buy it."
"We hardly had money when we ca to the Northeast."
"After paying you several years of pension money, we barely had enough left for the travel expenses." Cai ina spoke all sorts of grievances.
The village boy walked away, but not very far, hearing this slowed his steps thoroughly.
What, pension money? Gong Dajiang had never heard of it, "What pension money, your mom and I have retirent inco."
Gong Dajiang might be biased, but he never habitually reached his hand to his children for money, not understanding what Cai ina ant.
Gong Dajiang actually denied pension money? Cai ina was not having any of it, "Mom, ever since I married Gong Tao, we’ve been living independently, no matter our salary or how we lived, we gave you five yuan each month."
"This ti we were coming to the Northeast, and you demanded three years’ worth of living expenses, 180 yuan, our monthly salary isn’t even that great, with household costs, and Ni Zi’s health isn’t well."
Zhang Lan panicked, she hadn’t expected Cai ina to reveal this.
Gong Dajiang was angry, the wife didn’t counterclaim, so sothing must’ve been going on, "I genuinely never expected pension money, although I raised you, I never thought of taking pension money."
"Dad, you never expected, but Mom took it. Every month on payday she had to be given, if not she’d make a fuss." Huh, just one sentence "didn’t expect pension money" suffices? The thing is our money has gone to Zhang Lan.
Though knowing the money in Zhang Lan’s pocket could not be reclaid, Cai ina couldn’t stand the fact there was no trace despite paying.
Although it’s not clear, evidently the villagers who should’ve walked far weren’t far, seemingly eavesdropping.
In the past, Cai ina would feel uncomfortable upon hearing soone eavesdrop, but now she practically hoped they’d listen more, even if afterward Zhang Lan spread bad words about them, as long as today’s story spread, Zhang Lan couldn’t stir up trouble.
User Comments
0 comments from readers