Chapter 39: No Excuse for Bad Talk

"Go to the town office for a meeting at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late." The captain patted Jiang Daguo on the shoulder.

After being praised for most of the day, Jiang Daguo still couldn't get used to it. He smiled honestly and said, "Okay."

After talking for a while, the captain and his men left.

The Jiang family then started to eat dinner.

They were eating in the main house while the neighbors were standing in the yard chatting and watching the fun.

They refused to leave until eight or nine o'clock.

Aunt Gui, the neighbor, touched the bicycle and said, "Daguo, can you give the bicycle to our third child? I heard that the bicycles given as rewards are of poor quality. He has been riding bicycles since he was a child, and he can tell whether a bicycle is good or not just by looking at it."

Jiang Daguo looked embarrassed, "It's dark now, and I can't see clearly on the road. It would be bad if the third child fell down."

"My third child has bright eyes, he won't fall." Aunt Gui waved her hand and said.

"We are about to go to bed, why are you riding a bike?" Aunt Jiang stood up, waved her hand, and started to chase people away.

"Oh, isn't it a car of poor quality?" Aunt Gui raised her eyebrows.

Liu Xihua was embarrassed, "The reward car can't be broken."

"Come on, I heard that the rewards are given away because people can't sell the items. You can't get the money back anyway, so how can you give good things?" Aunt Gui rolled her eyes.

Jiang Daguo didn't know much about bicycles. He touched his forehead and thought, is it really that bad?

Jiang Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. This Aunt Gui was so annoying.

[Dad, why should our car be divided into good and bad ones by Gui Po's son? I won't give it to you! She said this on purpose to irritate Dad! ]

[How could such a big bicycle factory send a broken bicycle? Dad was even reported in the newspapers and on the radio. If they sent a broken bicycle, wouldn’t it bring shame to the bicycle factory?]

When Jiang Daguo heard his daughter's thoughts, he suddenly understood.

How could he doubt the bicycle factory?

It shouldn't be like that.

Jiang Daguo stood up and said, "It's getting late. I have to go to town with the captain and others for a meeting tomorrow. I need to go to bed."

What he said meant to chase the person away.

Aunt Gui had no choice but to walk out. "If you don't want to lend it to me, then don't lend it to me. Why are you chasing me away? You are so stingy."

The Jiang family sent their neighbors away and closed the door.

Everyone gathered around the bicycles and excitedly chatted about family matters for a while before going back to their rooms to sleep.

Jiang Xiaoxiao slept in her little bed, thinking secretly that getting a bicycle was the first step. Next, she would help the Jiang family build a house.

This house is so shabby, crowded and small.

Besides, she will be able to walk next year, and she wants to wear nice clothes and shoes.
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At eight o'clock the next morning, the team leader Jiang Guoping arrived. He shouted cheerfully in a loud voice, "Daguo, we are going to the town."

Jiang Daguo walked out, surrounded by his family, pushing his bicycle.

When Jiang Guoping saw his expression, he was stunned for a moment, but soon he started laughing again.

Because Jiang Daguo dressed differently than usual.

"Why are you dressed like a groom?" Jiang Guoping patted Jiang Daguo on the shoulder and bent over with laughter.

Jiang Daguo looked at his body, turned around and walked into the house with an embarrassed look, "I'd better change it, it's too awkward."

He combed his hair into a slicked back bun, wore a white shirt and army green trousers, and his shoes were Jiefang rubber shoes that had been brushed clean overnight.

The clothes and pants were indeed what he wore when he got married. He had to do farm work every day and was reluctant to wear them, so they were kept in a box. Early in the morning, Liu Xihua took them out and insisted that he put them on.

[Dad is so handsome. Dad should wear something nice when he goes to receive an award]

Jiang Xiaoxiao vaguely saw that Jiang Daguo was dressed more refreshingly than usual and couldn't help but admire him.

Liu Xihua, who was holding Jiang Xiaoxiao, freed one hand to pull him back and said with a smile, "Don't change, it looks good."

"Okay, okay, just wear it like this. It's getting late, let's set off now?" Jiang Guoping turned the bicycle around and urged Jiang Daguo.

Jiang Daguo patted the seat, got on his bike, followed Jiang Guoping into the town.
-
At noon, Jiang Daguo and team leader Jiang Guoping came back.

Several neighbors gathered around him. "Daguo, what reward did the town give you?"

"What's wrapped behind the seat?"

Jiang Daguo pushed his bicycle to the gate of his house and stopped. He nodded and said with a smile, "Nothing, just two sheets."

"Take it out quickly and take a look."

Someone was quick and pulled the paper bag out from the back seat.

There were two printed sheets inside, one pink with yellow peony flowers, and the other blue with purple peony flowers.

People in the village are not rich. Only young married couples need to buy new bed sheets. No middle-aged couple would be willing to buy them.

Someone joked, "Daguo, Xihua, are you two going to relive your wedding night?"

Liu Xihua was so embarrassed that she smiled and hit the old lady.

Aunt Jiang took the two new sheets, weighed them in her hands and said, "The sheets on my bed and your father's bed are all patched, so give us the blue one. Give Meizhi the pink one. When she got married, I gave her too little dowry, and she has always felt aggrieved."

When Liu Xihua heard this, her face suddenly changed.

She didn't want to give it.

But she didn't know how to refute her mother-in-law in front of so many people.

When the neighbors heard this, they knew that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were going to quarrel again, and they all looked excited, waiting to see the fun.

Liu Xihua quietly pulled Jiang Daguo's sleeve and asked him to speak.

But Jiang Daguo’s mouth is even dumber than Liu Xihua’s. How can he win an argument against his mother?

With an embarrassed look on his face, he thought for a long time but still didn't know how to express his objection.

Jiang Meilan, who was holding Jiang Xiaoxiao, walked over and said, "Mom, there are no patches on the sheets on your bed."

"Where is it? Do you want me to go into the room and pull down the bed sheet to show you?" Aunt Jiang glared at her little daughter.

She cursed in her heart, the damn girl actually had her elbow pointed outward.

He rushed into the house in a rage and tore off an old bed sheet and threw it on the floor.

When Liu Xihua saw the old bed sheet, her face suddenly became even more embarrassed. This was not the one her mother-in-law usually used. This was the one her great-grandmother had used before.

After my great-grandmother and great-grandfather passed away, some old bed sheets and curtains that looked intact were not thrown away. Instead, Liu Xihua collected them and folded them in the storage cabinet, using them to wrap unused quilts in the summer.

"Mom, this is not what you usually use, this is..."

"What part of it is not used by me? I have always used this." Aunt Jiang jumped up and interrupted Liu Xihua.

"Oh, Xihua, your mother-in-law has a hard time too, just give her a bed."

"That's right, why are you so stingy?"

The neighbors who came to watch the fun and didn't mind the trouble started to add fuel to the fire.

Liu Xihua and Jiang Daguo, who were not good at arguing, were left at a loss for words.

Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at this scene and snorted in her heart.

It's too much!

[Mom, you can’t give it to grandma, and even more so to your aunt. They won’t remember your kindness if they take your things.]

[Why not give it to the younger and second aunts and say it’s their dowry?]

Jiang Meihua was weak in character but kind-hearted. She helped Liu Xihua whenever she was free. Unfortunately, she got married two years later and died early.

The third sister-in-law Jiang Meilan is confused and greedy, but not a bad person. Most of the time, she will side with Liu Xihua.

For example, recently, after Jiang Meilan finished her homework, she would take her out to play, which made Liu Xihua less worried.

The one holding her now is Jiang Meilan.

According to the custom in the countryside, the eldest sister-in-law would give a piece of cloth to her younger sisters-in-law as a dowry, so it would be better to give it to them now.

After giving it to the neighbors in front of them, Aunt Jiang couldn't find an excuse to say something bad about Liu Xihua and ask for more cloth.

(End of this chapter)