Chapter 45: I Am Not a Trash Can

Watching Li Xiangqin's calm expression, the fourth daughter couldn't help but offer a word of persuasion.

"Mom, I heard Third Sister-in-law is causing trouble again. Don't lower yourself to their level, and don't get angry. Once they suffer the consequences, they'll realize how good life was at home. They'll be begging to move back then."

"Our home isn't a recycling center. Why would I take back trash I've already thrown out just to cause myself more grief?"

Since they chose to walk out of this door, there would be no way they could come back to stir up trouble, except perhaps for gatherings during holidays out of courtesy.

Who wouldn't want a peaceful life?

"Don't worry about family matters; focus on your own work first. Once your job is stable, I reckon I'll be about to retire. Then, your Auntie Er-ying and I will help you look for a good partner."

At the mention of her own affairs, the fourth daughter's face flushed red.

"Mom, there's no rush with my business."

"I know, but we are a daughter's family; we have to prepare in advance and choose carefully."

Being thin-skinned, the fourth daughter stopped trying to persuade her mother and turned to run away.

Among the siblings, only the fourth daughter was the most simple and kind-hearted; she had to be strict when it came to choosing a partner. She had to find a young man of good character for her.

Saturday afternoon,

Just as Zhang Jianguo arrived home from work, Zhang Yanli rushed toward him with a face full of exhaustion, shouting at him,

"Zhang Jianguo, when exactly are you going to talk to Mom? If this keeps up, I'm going to go crazy!"

"What's wrong? It's just taking care of the kids for a few days, isn't it?"

Seeing her disheveled appearance, Zhang Jianguo couldn't help but frown. His mother had looked after them for five or six years without ever acting like this.

"Zhang Jianguo, do you have a conscience? Do you know how exhausting it is to work and look after the kids at the same time? And you? You just throw your hands up like a hands-off manager, leaving me to work myself to the bone alone. I've even been late twice just because of picking up and dropping off the kids, and you're still standing here making sarcastic remarks?"

If this continued, she would have no chance at the factory's excellence awards.

The more she thought about it, the angrier Zhang Yanli became, and she slumped into a chair.

"I don't care. You must give me an answer this week. If your mother doesn't take over the kids, I definitely won't get the award this time. When the entire burden falls on you alone, don't you dare complain."

Seeing that she was truly angry, Zhang Jianguo set his briefcase on the table and hurried to soothe her.

"You think I don't want Mom to lend a hand? You've seen it yourself—Mom's temper has been bad lately. Not to mention her outbursts, she's even dared to get physical when provoked. To be honest, I almost don't recognize my own mother anymore. The day before yesterday, the Third Brother and his wife moved out too. The house hasn't been peaceful for a while. How am I supposed to bring it up with her?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yanli was stunned. Lately, she had been so preoccupied with work and the children that she hadn't had the energy to pay attention to anything else.

"What are the Third Brother and his wife fighting about now? With his twenty-yuan salary, he actually dares to move out? What is he thinking?"

"Who knows what's in their heads? The day before yesterday, the Third Brother went to borrow twenty yuan from the Second Brother to rent a place. It seems they are determined to live on their own."

Zhang Jianguo shook his head. He had long known that the Third Brother's wife had her eyes on his mother's job. But the couple lacked any sense of tact; could they not see that his mother's temper was currently explosive?

Charging straight into the line of fire—he actually admired their courage.

Zhang Yanli blinked, and thinking of the Third Brother and his wife's character, she couldn't help but curl her lip.

If she were the mother-in-law, she wouldn't look kindly on that sickly woman, Zhao Meijuan, either.

The Third Brother's affairs had nothing to do with her, and it wasn't her responsibility to worry about them.

But if the two of them moved out, wouldn't that leave a room vacant?

"Maybe the couple has their own plans; it's better that they moved. It just so happens to free up a room for Leizi and Xiaxia so they don't have to squeeze in with Mom."

Zhang Jianguo glanced at his wife and spoke gloomily, "Don't forget, Mom is also working now."

"That's hard to say. She can just keep taking sick leave. She's retiring in six months anyway; what does it matter if she works those six months or not? But it matters to me. This year's excellence award depends on this. If it gets delayed, I won't let you off easy."

Zhang Yanli snorted, gritting her teeth in anger.

"I'm warning you, persuade your mother as soon as possible. Otherwise, the responsibility for picking up and dropping off the kids will fall to you. You are the father; you can't just dump all the problems on me."

At the mention of picking up and dropping off the kids, Zhang Jianguo indeed felt guilty. He raised his hand to push up his glasses and cleared his throat.

"Just bear with it a little longer. I'll try to test the waters with Mom, but I suspect it's a long shot... Otherwise, maybe we can ask your parents to lend a hand first? Once my mother's emotions have calmed down, we can talk to her about it?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yanli jumped up and pointed at Zhang Jianguo's nose.

"The grandchildren of the Zhang family, and you want my parents to pick them up? They can barely manage their own grandchildren; if you send your children over to add to the chaos, aren't you clearly just making my brother and sister-in-law angry?"

"We both have the surname Zhang, and both children are grandchildren of the Zhang family. Why distinguish between maternal and paternal grandchildren?"

Seeing his wife so agitated, Zhang Jianguo teased her with a smile.

"Besides, we don't go without buying things for your parents during the holidays. To show my filial piety to your father, I even asked someone to buy him two bottles of Moutai—even my own father hasn't drunk it. Surely they wouldn't refuse to lend a hand when we are in difficulty?"

"Zhang Jianguo, listen to what you're saying! Isn't it only natural to visit your parents-in-law during the holidays? Are you starting to keep score with me now?"

Zhang Yanli's eyes turned red with anger. Ever since her father-in-law passed away, the whole family had fallen into chaos.

Her mother-in-law's personality had changed drastically, becoming unreasonable. The peaceful life they once had had been turned into a living hell by their family.

"Oh, I was just saying, why are you getting so angry?"

Zhang Jianguo stood up and guided her back into her seat by her shoulders.

"I know you've been tired lately and your emotions are unstable. Let's not cook today. Let's take the kids to the state-run restaurant for a good meal, how about that?"

Zhang Yanli turned her head away. Although she was angry that Zhang Jianguo was bringing her parents into it, he had indeed been good to her parents over the years, so she couldn't let things escalate into a fight.

Afterward, the family of four dressed up neatly and went to the restaurant happily. They spent several yuan, but they ate very happily.

"Daddy, Mommy, the braised pork is so delicious! Can we come again next time?" Zhang Leizi's mouth was covered in oil, his face full of satisfaction.

"Yes, yes, yes. As long as you behave and don't bother your mother, we'll come back to eat in a while."

Zhang Jianguo rubbed his son's head, holding his son's hand in one hand and his daughter's in the other; the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

Looking at the family of four, a smile appeared on Zhang Yanli's face as well. But as soon as she thought about having to go to her mother-in-law's, the smile faded.

Reaching the intersection, Zhang Jianguo paused.

"Do you want to take the kids back first, or should we go see Mom together?"

"Let's go together."

Zhang Yanli also wanted to know her mother-in-law's attitude; it was best to resolve the issue with the children once and for all.

Saturday and Sunday happened to be Li Xiangqin's days off. Early in the morning, she took her meat coupons to queue up and buy two catties of fatty pork and four catties of noodles.

She would render the fat into oil for cooking and use the pork cracklings with bean sprouts to make a pot of braised noodles.

(End of Chapter)