kvmb Chapter 297 Qin Huairu hurried back to the 4th courtyard
Chapter 297 Qin Huairu hurried back to the 4th courtyard
Walking on the cobblestone path back to the courtyard, Qin Huairu's steps were a little heavy, and her heart seemed to be entangled in tangled threads, complicated and confusing.
She held tightly in her hands the bag of treasure she had just found; the heavy weight of it made her feel both fortunate and filled with guilt.
She pursed her lips slightly, hiding the complicated emotions deep in her heart. Qin Huairu took a deep breath and tried to calm her inner waves. She knew that she could not have any weakness or hesitation at this moment.
She raised her head, took a firm step, and walked towards the gate of the courtyard step by step. Every step seemed to be stepping on her own destiny.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, the familiar bustle and noise hit her. The neighbors in the courtyard didn't know about the accident at the steel mill yet, and they gathered around her enthusiastically, with warm smiles on their faces.
"Huai Ru is back! It's so late, are you here to see your mother-in-law?" Aunt Zhang asked with a smile, her eyes full of concern.
Qin Huairu forced a smile and replied, "Yes, Aunt Zhang, I'm here to see grandma." Her voice trembled a little, but she tried to stay calm.
"Hey, I said Xiao Qin is lucky!" Aunt Li patted Qin Huairu on the shoulder, her tone full of praise. "Look, she married Director Yang, it's really enviable."
Qin Huairu's mouth curled up into a bitter smile. She knew how much envy and jealousy were hidden behind these compliments. But she didn't say much, just nodded gently.
"Huai Ru, your aunt's son Zhuzi is about to reach working age." Aunt Wang suddenly interrupted, "When the time comes, please help put in a few good words in front of Director Yang and see if you can find him a good job."
Qin Huairu's heart sank suddenly. She knew how difficult this request was for her. But she took a deep breath and tried to make her tone sound normal:
"Aunt Wang, don't worry." Qin Huairu smiled, but her eyes were firm. "Now the policy is good, factories are expanding production, Zhuzi will definitely be able to get a good job by then, and there will be no need for our Jianye to help."
After saying this, Qin Huairu turned around and ignored the neighbors who were talking at once behind her. Their voices intertwined into a vague noise in her ears. She could only smile and nod in response, but she was already feeling a little impatient.
The smile on her face gradually became stiff, and it was not until she walked into the gate of the Jia family that she felt a sense of relief.
Jia Zhang had heard the noise outside a long time ago, and she knew that Qin Huairu had returned. But she did not go out to greet her as usual, but remained sitting at the table, busy sewing the soles of Banggeng's shoes. She occasionally glanced at the door, but quickly retracted her eyes.
Qin Huairu smiled again, walked into the house and said to Jia Zhang, "Mom, you are still sewing the soles for Banggeng. You are so hard-working." As she spoke, she put the snacks in her hand on the table. The snacks were beautifully packaged and exuded an enticing aroma.
Jia Zhang's eyes lit up immediately when she saw the snacks, but she still tried to maintain her reserved attitude and said:
"You've just come back, so why are you spending money on buying things? Director Yang won't have any objections to you, right?" There was a hint of blame in her tone, but more of it was a desire for snacks.
When Qin Huairu heard Jia Zhang mention Director Yang, her expression froze slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She pretended not to care and replied:
"Mom, Jianye is actually very considerate. The last time he came back, he saw that you and Banggeng had lost some weight, so he specifically asked me to buy some snacks for you, saying that you can eat them when you are hungry." As she said this, she gently placed the box of snacks in her hand on the table.
When Jia Zhang heard Qin Huairu's words, she felt very happy and smiled. She nodded with satisfaction, got up and walked to the table, eager to see what snacks Qin Huairu had bought. When she opened the package, a sweet smell came to her nose, making her swallow.
Qin Huairu had been worried all day and just wanted to have a good rest. She said to Jia Zhang: "Mom, I'm a little tired. I want to go back to my room and lie down for a while." Her voice was a little hoarse, revealing the exhaustion of the day.
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhang said without raising her head: "Go ahead, your quilt is in the closet, just take it out and cover yourself with it." Her tone was full of concern and tenderness, which made Qin Huairu feel a little warm.
Qin Huairu nodded and turned to walk towards her room. She pushed the door open, sighed softly, and shut out all the fatigue of the day.
She walked to the bed, opened the cabinet, took out the quilt, and gently covered herself with it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if to put all her troubles behind her.
After Qin Huairu walked into the room, Jia Zhang slowly raised her head, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed in her eyes. She curled her lips and muttered to herself:
"She's only been the factory director's wife for a few days, and she's already complaining about being tired. Before, when she was working in the workshop, she was busy until late at night every day, and I never saw her come home to complain."
There was a hint of sarcasm and dissatisfaction in Jia Zhang's tone, but her face quickly regained its composure. She lowered her head and looked at the exquisite pastries in the bag, running her fingers lightly over them, as if she was selecting the one that suited her best.
Finally, she picked up a piece of mung bean cake, took a light bite, and the fragrance of mung beans spread in her mouth.
After taking a bite, Jia Zhang thought it tasted good, so she took the mung bean cake and walked out. She walked into the crowd and began to eat it in small bites.
Her movements seemed very graceful, but in fact she made an unconscious "crunching" sound every time she chewed, which made people around her frown.
The second aunt couldn't stand seeing Jia Zhang's appearance. She frowned and said with a somewhat unhappy tone: "I say, Jia family, why are you smacking your lips when you eat? This sound makes me feel sick!"
As soon as the second aunt finished speaking, a small ripple was stirred among the crowd around her. Whispers rose one after another, and from time to time someone cast a curious or slightly mocking look at her.
When Jia Zhang heard these discussions, her expression did not change at all. She even deliberately raised the sound of "baji" as if she was showing her "happiness" to everyone.
She knew in her heart that the reason why Second Aunt said that was simply because she was jealous of the mung bean cake in her hands and her daughter-in-law's filial piety, and this jealousy made her even more proud.
Jia Zhang raised her chin slightly, with a bit of provocation in her eyes, as if she was showing off to the second aunt. She felt the envious eyes from all around, and she felt even more proud in her heart, as if she had really become the object of everyone's envy.
She continued to eat the mung bean cake slowly, savoring each bite as if she was tasting the most delicious food in the world.
However, there was only a small piece of mung bean cake after all, and no matter how carefully Jia Zhang tasted it, she finally finished it. She gently wiped the corners of her mouth, and then looked at the second aunt with a bit of disdain and provocation on her face.
She deliberately raised her voice and said, "Second Aunt, I know you are jealous of me. I can't help it. My daughter-in-law is filial and always thinks about me. Unlike your daughter-in-law, after marrying your son, she abducted him away."
After saying this, Jia Zhang smiled triumphantly and turned to leave. Her back looked particularly proud in the crowd, as if telling everyone that she was the happiest person in this courtyard and the one who was most respected by her daughter-in-law.