LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 34: Who Is Smarter Between the Sister-in-Laws?
Su Danhong was naturally happy to be pregnant. Despite being happy, she did not inform Mother Ji about it immediately. She was going to wait three months for the pregnancy to be stable before she said anything.
She made a delicious meal for Xiao Hei to celebrate. Feng Fangfang saw it when she arrived.
Suddenly, she had a painful expression on. “My god! Danhong, do you usually feed this dog the good stuff, eh?”
She saw the marbled pork belly. Her family didn’t even eat this for their meals. Were their meals not as good as a dog’s?
Su Danhong did not expect her to come and said without thinking, “This piece of meat has been out for a long time and it’s a little undercooked. I’m afraid of upsetting my stomach and did not take it to our parents. It’s better to give it to Xiao Hei.”
Her impression of Feng Fangfang was neither good nor bad; it was just so-so. The last time Ji Jianguo and Ji Jianye worked on planting the fruit saplings and ate the included lunch, Ji Jianguo probably went home and spoke about it. The next day, Feng Fangfang came over with Hou Wazi and several workers ended up not having enough to eat. Mother Ji almost criticized her on the spot.
Mother Ji didn’t have a good impression of her eldest daughter-in-law because of what happened on the first day of the New Year.
Although Mother Ji didn't criticize Feng Fangfang in front of everyone, she did not dare to bring Hou Wazi a second time. It could be assumed that she was taught a lesson by Mother Ji in private.
“Why did eldest sister-in-law come here all of a sudden today?” Su Danhong asked. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘹𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤.𝘤𝘰𝘮
As soon as she said this, Feng Fangfang remembered her business. It did not matter whether the piece of meat Xiao Hei ate was good or bad, she was not going to try and snatch food from a dog.“Danhong, I heard you hired Ji Hongjun and Xu Aidang as long term workers?” Feng Fangfang questioned.
As soon as she said this Su Danhong knew why she had come. She nodded and said, “Well, everyone in the village knows about it. Eldest sister-in-law, is there something wrong?”
“How much do you pay them each month?” Feng Fangfang asked.
Su Danhong smiled. “Not much, just enough for them to earn some extra income. I also heard our parents say that their families had the most financial difficulties.”
Feng Fangfang’s lips twitched when she heard Su Danhong’s reply and said, “It’s just as mother said, but how can such a good job be given to others? Your eldest brother-in-law is idle at home and he is always quick-witted when he works. Danhong, why don't you fire one of them and let your eldest brother-in-law come and help?”
Su Danhong had guessed earlier that she had come for this and said with a smile, “That won’t work. I already came to an agreement with them. An upright person should be trustworthy so they have a foundation to stand on. I promised them, so I naturally have to let them do it.”
Moreover, she wasn’t going to ask Ji Jianguo and Ji Jianye. As a matter of fact, if Mother Ji hadn't asked for them to come, then she wouldn't have hired them. She had money, so who couldn’t she hire? But she didn’t want to use relatives.
She never wanted to use favors if she could solve it with money.
And this was her mountain, and she didn't want to have anything to do with these relatives. As for Father Ji and Mother Ji, that was another story. The old couple came to help her supervise the work and no one could say anything about that.
“But aren't you being taken advantage of?” Feng Fangfang pressed her.
Su Danhong continued to smile. “I use money to pay for them to work for me. I have nothing to lose.” As for what you’d like to think, you can keep thinking about it. Can’t I decide who to hire If I am the one spending my own money?
Feng Fangfang knew what she meant. She looked at her third sister-in-law. She did not believe that Su Danhong had changed until she took out 400 yuan to settle the dispute on the first day of the New Year. It was only then that she believed Su Danhong had really changed!
The Su Danhong from before was someone that no one would want to take half a cent from, let alone 400 yuan at once. If she knew that their parents had given 500 yuan to Yun Lili to buy a house in the past, then she might have caused more of an uproar than they did.
Who would have thought this third sister-in-law, who was possibly possessed by something, would change so much?
Not only did she appear gentle and peaceful, but she was also much more difficult to deal with than she used to be.
Her words and actions were so watertight that people could not even pick out the slightest problem about her. Also, in regards to the matter on the first day of the New Year, everyone in the whole family would always remember her kindness.
"Danhong, I know you can ask whoever you want to work for you, but now that you have money, you have to help out a bit. Just look at Hou Wazi. I'm going to send him to primary school this year. Tuition fees are required every year and it costs more than 30 yuan a semester,” Feng Fangfang began to pour out her complaints.
Su Danhong said, “The 200 yuan you took from me on New Year’s Day is enough for Hou Wazi to use for several years. Yesterday, Hou Wazi came over and I gave him two big meat buns to eat. I dote on him, too.”
Feng Fangfang choked.
Her son went back yesterday and said that he was hungry in the middle of playing with other kids. That’s why he ran over and asked for food from his third aunt, who gave him two big pork buns with lots of meat!
“Oh, by the way, I still have a piece of cloth leftover from when I made clothes for Jianyun. Since Hou Wazi will start attending school, take the cloth back and make him a book bag, eldest sister-in-law.”
Su Danhong finished speaking and went in to take a piece of cloth out. The quality was very good and it was enough to make a book bag.
Feng Fangfang took this cloth and went home.
Ji Mudan came over to discreetly find out more information. “Eldest sister-in-law, what did third sister-in-law say when you went over? Did she agree with you?”
“She didn’t agree to it. Just let that idea die.” Feng Fangfang originally intended to say that Su Danhong didn’t want to help their families. However, when she thought of the two big meat buns her son ate and this piece of cloth, she swallowed it and said, “She already made agreements with Ji Hongjung and Xu Aidang, and said ‘an upright person should be trustworthy so they have a foundation to stand on’.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Mudan scoffed, “What ‘foundation to stand on’? Since when was Su Danhong concerned about trust?”
“She's really different, too. Don't look at her the way you used to. All right, she said no, so don’t go running over there,” Feng Fangfang said.
Her son liked going over there all the time. Ever since Su Danhong changed for the better, she did not hide her food and her son had grown up a lot. In order to avoid causing problems with Su Danhong and making her irritated, Feng Fangfang decided to get along with her third sister-in-law.
Moreover, she could embroider and her embroidery could earn so much money. Who were they going to go to if they had an emergency or offended someone?
But Ji Mudan clearly didn't come to the same realization as her and began to gossip to her. “I heard that she hired them for almost ten yuan a month!”
10 yuan!
Feng Fangfang was very tempted by this, but Su Danhong made it clear that she would not change her workers and there was no need to continue the discussion.
That’s why she let Ji Mudan whine. When the other side didn’t respond, Ji Mudan became upset and went back home.
The next day, Su Danhong went up the mountain with a watering can. Ji Mudan met her halfway. She snickered and asked, “Third sister-in-law, are you going to go up the mountain?”
“Yes, I brought some water to see if water leaked and replenish it.” This was the usual tone Su Danhong used to outsiders.
“You’re working so hard. I hope those saplings can live well, otherwise your money will be wasted, and then the villagers will laugh at you.” When she finished speaking, she left.
Su Danhong glanced at her departing figure. These peculiar words were blaming her for not hiring Ji Jianye, right? Apart from this, she couldn't think of any other reason, so she went up the mountain without taking it seriously.