Chapter 55: Returning Home
"Don’t you worry, Sister-in-law. Xiao Qing is a sensible girl. Just look at the clothes in the yard—she washed them all. Aren’t they spotless?"
Li Hongying looked at the clothes drying in the yard.
The two clotheslines were packed full, and among the garments were men’s underwear.
While her daughter had also washed the whole family’s clothes back at the Jiang residence, Jiang Dahai and his son, Jiang Peng, had always washed their own underwear. They never let her touch it.
Li Hongying was naturally timid. Even though she felt this was improper, she couldn’t bring herself to mention it in front of Jin Yulan.
’Her daughter had only just arrived at her in-laws’ house. If she angered Jin Yulan, her life here would surely be difficult.’
’Oh well, this is the path my daughter chose for herself.’
’It’s all fate.’
Jin Yulan had seen it all and knew just how to put a worried mother like Li Hongying at ease. "Don’t you worry, Sister-in-law. Now that Xiao Qing is part of our family, I’ll be sure to treat her like my own daughter. I won’t let her suffer the slightest bit."
These were the very words Li Hongying wanted to hear. She nodded again and again. "Sorry for all the trouble."
"Now you’re sounding like a stranger. Never mind that Xiao Qing is my daughter-in-law now; with the long friendship between our families, I’d have to look after her as her auntie anyway, wouldn’t I? We’re not some wicked mother-in-law who abuses her daughter-in-law."
After that, Li Hongying had nothing more to say. She stood up to leave.
"I was just in the area and wanted to drop by for a look. You’re all busy inside, so I’ll be heading back now."
Jin Yulan got up to see her out, offering a polite, empty invitation. "You’ve come all this way. Why not stay for dinner before you go?"
"Not today, I still have things to do at home. I’ll come again another day when I have time."
Li Hongying glanced back and, seeing that Jiang Qing had no intention of walking her out, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
After an internal struggle, Jiang Qing ran after her.
"Mom, I’ll walk you out."
"Alright then, Xiao Qing, you go see your mom off. It’s not easy for her to make the trip, so go and have a few more words with her."
Seeing that the mother and daughter needed to have a private chat, Jin Yulan tactfully stopped in her tracks.
Once the mother and daughter were out the door, she returned to the main hall, took the items Li Hongying had brought with her, and locked them away in a cabinet.
’The house is full of gluttons. If you don’t hide the good stuff, it’ll be gone in two days.’
"How are things at home? Jiang Peng isn’t bullying you, is he?"
Hearing her daughter’s question, Li Hongying replied, "Xiao Peng might be a bit of a screw-up, but he’s not a bad kid at heart. You shouldn’t always be so hard on him."
"That brother-sister pair are two of a kind—neither of them is any good!"
Jiang Qing cursed irritably before asking about the things she had left behind at home.
She had left in such a hurry that she only brought a few changes of clothes and the textbooks she needed for studying. Many of her personal belongings were still at the Jiang family’s home.
"I’ve packed up the things you and Moli left behind. If you need anything, just come back and get it. As for the room you and Moli used to share, Xiao Peng is living in it now."
Jiang Qing sneered.
’On the surface, he pretended to want me to stay home and wait for my wedding, but the moment I left, he moved his own son into my room.’
’He clearly had no intention of leaving me a place to come back to.’
’Whatever. I never expected anything from that insincere, hypocritical stepfather anyway.’
...
KNOCK, KNOCK.
"Xiao Jiang, time to get up."
Jiang Moli struggled to sit up in bed. She turned to glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand—only 8 o’clock—and immediately flopped back down.
"I’m going back to sleep! Stop yelling!"
Hearing the reply from inside, An Hui simply pushed the door open and said to the figure on the bed, "Xiao Jiang, get up. I’ll be taking you back to your parents’ home in a bit."
’Sending me back to my parents’ home?’
’Does this mean they can’t stand my shenanigans anymore and are kicking me out?’
’No way. I have to cry, scream, and make a huge scene. I need to make it big enough for the entire Military District Courtyard to know about it. It’d be a waste not to earn a wave of Scorn Points.’
’Otherwise, this marriage would have been for nothing!’
Jiang Moli sprang out of bed, flung open a trunk, and briskly started packing her luggage.
"Alright, stop packing. Hurry up, wash your face, get something to eat, and go back to your parents’ home with me."
Jiang Moli’s temper flared. She planted her hands on her hips and raised her voice. "Hey, what’s the meaning of this? You’re kicking me out, but you won’t even let me take my things back? What, are you trying to steal my dowry?"
An Hui was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? Today is the day for your bridal homecoming visit. Aren’t you going back to your parents’ house?"
Jiang Moli gave a tactical blink, her hands dropping from her hips. "Oh, the homecoming visit."
’It might have been awkward, but as long as she wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassment was on someone else.’
"Mom, it was my fault for misunderstanding you. But, facts aside, are you completely blameless in this?"
An Hui wore a ’what on earth are you talking about’ expression. "How am I at fault?"
Jiang Moli argued self-righteously, "For something this important, you should have told me at least a day in advance so I could prepare."
"Forget it. We’re all at fault here. I won’t hold a grudge if you don’t. That’s that. I’m going to wash my face."
An Hui stared at her retreating back as she dashed into the bathroom. "..."
’The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This daughter-in-law is just like that little rascal of a son of mine—it’s like she can’t get through a day without aggravating me!’
...
「At the Jiang family’s front door.」
Jiang Dahai paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back, glancing toward the end of the alley every so often.
Today was his daughter’s bridal homecoming, so he had specially taken the day off work. He and his son had even cleaned the house from top to bottom, just waiting for her to arrive.
"Mr. Jiang, it’s already 9:30. Your Moli isn’t back yet?"
’I’m the emperor, and I’m not even worried. Why are you lot of eunuchs in such a panic?’
Jiang Dahai was inwardly annoyed by his nosy neighbors, but he just laughed it off. "She’ll be back soon."
Jiang Moli’s marriage into the Military District Courtyard was the most sensational and talked-about topic in the machinery factory’s family residential area lately.
On every street corner and after every meal, it was all anyone talked about.
Today was her homecoming visit, and everyone in the residential area was watching. Some had even come over specifically to wait for the drama to unfold.
You could tell how well she was doing with her in-laws just by looking at her during her homecoming visit.
If she returned with a rosy complexion and a wide smile, it meant she was living a comfortable and pampered life with her in-laws.
Conversely, if she returned looking gloomy, her life with her in-laws was surely a difficult one.
Aside from the Jiang family, every other woman in the residential area was hoping for the latter. None of them wanted to see Jiang Moli living well with her in-laws.
’They weren’t living the good life, so why should Jiang Moli get to?’
...
Before long, a group of people appeared at the end of the alley, led by none other than his brother-in-law, Ruan Fuguo.
"Dahai, what’s this? Did you know we were coming and came out specially to welcome us?"
Ruan Fuguo’s voice preceded him.
Jiang Dahai went up to greet them. "Fuguo, Fu Qiang, Fushun, what are you all doing here?"
Ruan Fuqiang laughed heartily. "Isn’t it Moli’s homecoming visit today? We came to help you put on a good show."
According to tradition, for the bridal homecoming, the bride’s family would typically invite relatives and friends to a banquet to welcome the new son-in-law.
Since Lu Cheng had returned to his military unit and wouldn’t be accompanying his daughter on her visit, Jiang Dahai hadn’t planned on hosting a banquet. He just wanted to have a simple meal and chat with his daughter.
But now that his relatives had shown up at his door, he couldn’t very well turn them away. He had no choice but to welcome them inside with a smile.
「At the entrance of the residential area.」
Jiang Peng sat listlessly on a large stone millstone, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth as he craned his neck to peer out the main gate.
’It’s so late. Why isn’t my sister back yet?’
’She couldn’t have forgotten today was her homecoming, could she?’
Shi Yu, who was beside him, nudged his arm. "Jiang Peng, your three uncles are here today. They must be here to borrow money from your dad again."
"My dad’s broke. All his money went to buying my sister’s dowry."
Zhang Lei said, "Your dad may be broke, but your sister is rich, right? Didn’t the Lu Family give her a huge bride price?"
Jiang Peng smirked. "If they manage to borrow a single cent from my sister, I’ll stop calling them my uncles and start calling them my dads."
The words had barely left his mouth when a slap landed on the back of his head.