"It was inside the pocket of my jacket, I’ve been wearing it since I got on the train. No one knew it was there. Dan Dan, how did the money disappear?"
"You’ve been wearing it? Didn’t you take it off when we got off?"
Liang Weixiang thought back to when she was changing clothes at the train station and soone bumped into her. Suddenly realizing, she slapped her thigh and exclaid, "Dan Dan, soone stole my money. Quick, let’s get off. Let’s hurry to the train station." She shouted to the driver in front, "Comrade, stop the car. We need to get off. Comrade, stop the car."
"Comrade, we can only stop at the station. Please sit down quickly."
"By the ti we get to the station, the money will be gone. Hurry, stop the car."
Liang Weixiang kept shouting for the driver to stop, not understanding. Zhang Dandan was so embarrassed she could have died.
When they finally reached the next stop, they quickly got off the car.
"Mom, the money was lost at the train station. It’s no use going back. Who knows where that person has gone now. I told you at the ti to endure a bit, but you wouldn’t listen. Now, it’s all gone. You brought only fifty yuan, when did it beco so much?"
"Can’t a mom have so secret money? Your dad doesn’t even know about this money. What if we can’t find it back? I’ve been saving for years. I saw that person’s face, let’s go back and see, maybe we’ll run into them."
"Mom, just let it go. Anyway, Aunt’s family is wealthy. You can stay at her place without worrying about food and drink. Maybe she’ll even give you money. It’s just right that it got lost. Last ti I ca, just said everything was lost, and in the end, the clothes they gave were my cousin’s, all brand new and very pretty. Not only did they prepare clothes for , but gave money. Mom, when you get there, just play the poor card." Zhang Dandan advised with experience.
Of course, Liang Weixiang knew what to do, but she couldn’t just lose all her hard-earned money, right?
In the end, Liang Weixiang still dragged Zhang Dandan to the train station. They wandered around the station for more than an hour but didn’t see the person who bumped into her.
In the past few days, the snow hadn’t lted yet, and the cold wind was howling. The two of them froze at the train station for more than an hour.
By the ti they arrived at Liang Hongi’s house, their hands and arms were almost numb.
Liang Hongi had been paying special attention to visitors these few days. Whenever soone knocked, she would peek through the crack in the door first.
Seeing it was Liang Weixiang and her daughter, she quickly ran to her daughter’s house in the backyard to call Qin Xiu.
Then she slowly ca back to open the door for them.
"Why so slow? I’m freezing to death." Was the first thing Liang Weixiang said to Liang Hongi.
Liang Hongi didn’t respond to her complaint, instead, she asked, "Hey, why are you here?"
"Why can’t I co? Dan Dan said your restaurant is big and must need a lot of people. Hiring others is still hiring, why not use your own people. Letting outsiders make all that money for nothing. So, I ca with Dan Dan." As she spoke, Liang Weixiang looked around the yard.
Just as her daughter said, Liang Hongi’s yard was even bigger than that of their village secretary. This house was impressive, with a very high threshold.
No wonder her daughter said this place was good.
Zhang Dandan awkwardly smiled at Liang Hongi, "Aunt, I told my mom not to co, but she insisted. I couldn’t help it."
"Didn’t I tell you all, we don’t need people at the shop now, didn’t let you co. Coming here is a wasted trip."
"What, how could it be a wasted trip. How could you not need people, aren’t there many people in the shop? Just dismiss one or two, wouldn’t that work? It’s a lot per month, just given to others for nothing. Why not give it to ? I do work just as well as them back ho."
"Sister Wei Xiang, our shop’s staff are all long-tirs, they’ve worked diligently for many years, well-skilled, nothing wrong with their work, why should I dismiss them?" Liang Weihong spoke coldly, not inviting them inside.
Liang Weixiang, freezing with chattering lips, just wanted to warm up by the fire, impatiently waving her hand, "Let’s not talk about this first, let us in to warm up. We lost our money on the way and searched for more than an hour at the train station, wearing too little, I’m freezing to death."
"Truly like mother, like daughter," Liang Hongi gave Zhang Dandan a aningful look but still let them in. Liang Weixiang had never seen such good furniture in her life. Not even the principal’s ho of their town school had furniture like this.
She thought to herself how Liang Hongi knew how to enjoy life.
With the coal-burning stove in the living room, the house was warm, and Liang Weixiang and her daughter gradually ward up, starting to feel lively.
They got up wanting to go inside Liang Hongi’s room.
"What are you doing?" Liang Hongi couldn’t stand how Liang Weixiang acted like she owned the place.
"Why so loud, I just want to see your place." Liang Weixiang looked at Liang Hongi’s brand new jacket and said, "Hongi, I didn’t know it would be this cold here when I ca. Didn’t bring any thick clothes, find a couple of pieces of your clothes. Let wear them first."
"They won’t fit, you’re too fat."
Liang Weixiang frowned, looking at Liang Hongi, who was still so slender in her forties, feeling a surge of jealousy.
"Winter coats are bulky, and I’m not much fatter than you. Look, I even fit into Dan Dan’s clothes."
When she raised her arms to show Liang Hongi, the seams under her armpits were already ripped open, and the fabric was stretched.
Zhang Dandan saw her clothes torn and got anxious imdiately, "Mom, I told you not to wear them, you insisted. Really, take it off now. Aunt, please find my mom so clothes. She’s not fit for mine."
Liang Hongi frowned and said, "Your mom isn’t any better fit for mine. My jacket’s not even as loose as yours... Oh, wait, I have two pieces. You wait here."
Saying this, Liang Hongi went inside to bring out two worn-looking jackets, "These I made my first year here. Besides so worn edges, everything else is good. They’re really warm."
"Hongi, I’m still your cousin, right? It’s just a couple of jackets, you live in such a big house, why are you so stingy. Now that you have so spare money, you look down on us old relatives, don’t you."
"Cousin, aren’t you describing yourself? All these years, haven’t you been looking down on us? Every ti you return to your mother’s house, you never rest without throwing a few insults my way. When my parents passed, we didn’t have money for the funeral. When I dragged myself through the rain to borrow money from you, what did you say? Even if I had to beg, I should keep away from your doorstep. Now you co to our house asking for this and that, what is all this? Slapping your own face, are you?"
"Hongi, that was just a joke back then, you took it to heart. Besides, we’re not here to beg. These clothes are nice, I’ll wear them for now." ntion of old matters made Liang Weixiang feel a bit embarrassed. She just arrived and couldn’t afford to anger Liang Hongi over two jackets.
With the clothes in hand, Zhang Dandan quickly urged Liang Weixiang to change her clothes.
"Where are Ah Hui and Xiao Wan? Why haven’t we seen them?"
"Ah Hui went to work, Xiao Wan is at her place." Liang Hongi glanced at the clock and said, "You haven’t eaten, right? I’ll make sothing for you to eat first, then Dan Dan, you take your mom to your place. I still have to go to the shop this afternoon."
With Liang Hongi’s words, Zhang Dandan’s face flushed, and she mumbled, "Okay, Aunt."
"I’ll sleep in the sa room with Dan Dan, right? That’s fine, where’s the room, I’ll put my luggage there first." Liang Weixiang assud it was her daughter’s room.
Liang Hongi frowned and looked at Zhang Dandan confused.
Zhang Dandan smiled sheepishly, "Mom, it’s not here. Aunt, you go cook, I’ll explain to mom."
Liang Hongi didn’t bother with the mother and daughter, quickly preparing them a al, wanting to send them off as soon as possible.
Lin Wan worried her mom couldn’t handle Liang Weixiang’s mother and daughter alone, so she brought Han Yi over to have a look.
Anyhow, they’ve been dining at mom’s for dinner every day, never cooking themselves.
Just as Lin Wan ca in, Liang Weixiang was curiously surveying the things in the house.
"This furniture is truly beautiful." Unlike before, when at their old ho, with heavy rain outside, it would rain inside too. Even among the worst in the village, they were not the last, then second last.
Unbelievably, in the blink of an eye, transford into a nouveau riche, wealthier than her own family.
The sudden contrast made it hard for Liang Weixiang to reconcile, deep down, Liang Hongi was still that woman who wore patches, had dark skin, coarse hands, and was dirt poor.
User Comments
0 comments from readers