Chapter 87
It was a coincidence. This time, when she went to the post and telecommunications office, she ran into Li Wang again. He seemed to be packing something.
“Sister Qingzhi, Qinglan, are you sending a letter or making a call?” Li Wang asked with a smile.
“We’re here to make a call,” Ye Qingzhi said, pushing Ye Qinglan’s back and having her go and make the call, while she stayed behind to chat with Li Wang. “Are you going to deliver mail?”
“Yes,” Li Wang said, looking at Ye Qingzhi and sighing in his heart. So beautiful. You can’t tell at all that she’s a mother of two. “Is the house Qinglan is living in now alright? If you have any trouble in town, you can find me.”
In any case, he was a local. It might be better for him to step in for some matters.
“It’s great. Thank you…” Hearing Ye Qinglan call her, Ye Qingzhi smiled at Li Wang with embarrassment. “I’ll go over now. I won’t delay you from delivering your mail.”
“Fourth Sister, we’re in luck. Fifth Brother is here. You can talk to him,” Ye Qinglan said, handing the receiver to Ye Qingzhi.
“Hello, Qingsong, is it convenient for you to talk now? Mm, alright, I’ll be brief…” Ye Qingzhi told him everything about the Du family’s situation, then quickly asked, “Have you been in contact these few days? What did Du Xiaoxiao’s family say?”
“Fourth Sister, I went to the city yesterday and met with Uncle and Auntie Du. They said I don’t have to marry into their family, but the first child born has to have the surname Du. If we get married, they will arrange a job for me, and my household registration will be transferred to the city. If I’m willing, I can live with them. If not, he has prepared a wedding house for us. Fourth Sister, Uncle and Auntie Du are both very nice. I’ve already agreed,” Ye Qingsong said, his lips curving into a slight smile at the thought of Du Xiaoxiao’s parents.
Hearing this, Ye Qingzhi could only think that they were indeed worthy of being a deputy factory director and a trade union director. They had won over Ye Qingsong’s heart in an instant.
They said he didn’t have to marry into their family, but Ye Qingsong’s household registration was transferred, and the first child would have the woman’s surname. In fact, it was no different from marrying into their family, just without the title. But Ye Qingsong would be very grateful to them and would even treat them as his biological parents. In fact, Ye Qingsong was already biased towards the Du family.
But Du Xiaoxiao’s parents were indeed not bad. As long as Ye Qingsong did not cause trouble, his life would not be bad.
“Alright. Your brother-in-law also said that the Du family is not bad. Do you know what job they’ve arranged for you? Forget it. Your father-in-law is a deputy factory director. He will definitely arrange it well for you. Qingsong, you grew up in the countryside and don’t know many things. You should learn from your father-in-law. If you don’t understand, just ask. If you run into any trouble, you should also discuss it with your father-in-law. You must not act on your own,” Ye Qingzhi said solemnly.
“Fourth Sister, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” Ye Qingsong said with a smile.
After hanging up the phone, Ye Qingzhi was just about to take out her money when Ye Qinglan beat her to it.
“What are you doing?” Ye Qingzhi glared at her.
“You paid last time. I’ll pay this time,” Ye Qinglan said, putting away the change and linking her arm with Ye Qingzhi’s affectionately. “Fourth Sister, let’s go for a walk.”
The town was only so big. There was actually nothing to see. Ye Qinglan just wanted to talk to Ye Qingzhi.
In the countryside, only those who were not promising would go and be a live-in son-in-law. Ye Qinglan had always thought that Ye Qingsong was the most amazing. She had never expected that he would marry into someone else’s family and be a live-in son-in-law.
“Fourth Sister, it’s not easy to be a live-in son-in-law. Fifth Brother, he…” Ye Qinglan suddenly didn’t know what to say.
“He’s not a live-in son-in-law. The Du family is very nice. They said that your fifth brother doesn’t have to marry into their family. The first child just has to have the woman’s surname. They will also arrange a job for your fifth brother. In the future, your fifth brother will be a city person and will eat rationed grain,” Ye Qingzhi said, not going into too much detail.
Sure enough, Ye Qinglan’s eyes lit up. She looked at Ye Qingzhi with excitement. “Is the Du family that good? Fifth Brother doesn’t have to marry into their family? The first child just has to have the woman’s surname? They’re even arranging a job for Fifth Brother? Oh my, the Du family doesn’t have any other schemes, do they?”
“What schemes could they have?” Ye Qingzhi asked with a laugh.
Indeed, besides Ye Qingsong himself, there was nothing that the Du family would be interested in. Or rather, if it weren’t for Du Xiaoxiao’s liking, the Du family’s parents might not have taken a fancy to Ye Qingsong.
“Ma probably won’t agree,” Ye Qinglan said, thinking of Ding Aixian and couldn’t help but frown.
“Big Brother and the others will agree,” Ye Qingzhi said, a hint of sarcasm on her lips. “Ma also has to listen to Big Brother and the others now.”
The Ye family had few rooms, especially after the children of the first and second branches had grown up. At this time, if Ye Qingsong got married and moved out, freeing up a room, the first and second branches would only be happy. How could they stop him?
The facts were also as Ye Qingzhi had said. In fact, there were some differences, because Ye Qingsong had told Ding Aixian and the others that he was going to be a live-in son-in-law.
“What did you say? Say it again,” Ding Aixian said, looking at Ye Qingsong in disbelief.
Wang Guqiu and Yu Xiaoyan, the two sisters-in-law, exchanged a look, both pulling on their own men’s clothes and constantly giving them a look.
To be a live-in son-in-law was no different from a daughter getting married. In this way, the old Ye family’s things had nothing to do with him.
“She’s an only daughter. Her family said that as long as I’m willing to marry into their family, they will arrange a job for me and make me a city person. Ma, I’ve already agreed,” Ye Qingsong said, looking up at Ding Aixian.
“Slap!” Ding Aixian slapped her younger son in anger.
Ye Shuiping had liked Ye Qingshan, this eldest son, the most. But she doted on Ye Qingsong, this younger son, the most. She was still waiting for her younger son to support her in her old age. But he said he was going to be someone else’s son?
“Ma… why are you hitting Qingsong? They’re willing to give a job. It’s normal for Qingsong to be willing. If I had had this opportunity when I was young, hiss, why are you pinching me?” Ye Qingfeng said, slapping away Yu Xiaoyan’s hand and rubbing the pinched spot. He continued, “In short, I don’t object.”
“You… you…” Ding Aixian’s finger, pointing at Ye Qingfeng, trembled slightly. Her gaze turned to Ye Qingshan. “Eldest, what do you think? Qingsong can’t marry into their family. It’s so shameful. It’s our old Ye family’s face that’s being lost.”
Ye Qingshan also felt it was shameful and did not want Ye Qingsong to be a live-in son-in-law. But the words were on the tip of his tongue when his arm was poked by Wang Guqiu. He knew that Wang Guqiu had her eye on Ye Qingsong’s room and his private plot.
“Eldest?” Seeing that he was not speaking, Ding Aixian called out unhappily.
As the eldest son of the family, and with his father’s death, he was the pillar of the family. He could not be like the second son, Ye Qingfeng, and say that being a live-in son-in-law was a good thing. If this got out, outsiders would think that he could not tolerate his youngest brother.
“Qingsong, you’re not young anymore. When Dad was alive, he was already looking for a match for you. But you didn’t like this one and didn’t like that one. Last year, because of Dad’s matter, it was delayed. This year, you’re already twenty-four. The matter of marriage should be hurried. With our family’s conditions, it’s not hard to marry a pretty girl. A live-in son-in-law? Life is not as good as you think,” Ye Qingshan said earnestly.
Ding Aixian nodded repeatedly and held Ye Qingsong’s arm. “That’s right. Your big brother is right. You’re a militiaman in the village now and have a subsidy every year. If you find a hardworking wife, your life will definitely be comfortable. You can’t be a live-in son-in-law. To live by looking at other people’s faces, can you stand it?”
Ye Qingsong’s attitude was firm. “Her parents have prepared a separate wedding house. We don’t have to live with them. Ma, I don’t want to farm. I want to go to the city and be a worker.”
Wang Guqiu and the others exchanged a look. The woman’s qualifications were really good, with both a job and a house. If that was the case, then the fifth son would be living in luxury!
Ding Aixian wanted to hit him again, but was dodged by Ye Qingsong. He said firmly, “Ma, I’m sorry. No matter if you agree or not, I’m getting married. Big Brother, Second Brother, after I get married, I don’t want the room at home or the private plot. As for Dad’s compensation money, I’ll give my share to Ma, as my filial piety to her.”
He said it was for Ding Aixian, but she was an old woman. What could she spend money on? In the end, it would still end up in the hands of the first and second branches. So Wang Guqiu and Yu Xiaoyan kept giving the two brothers a look, telling them to hurry up and agree.
“Have you thought it through?” Ye Qingshan asked in a deep voice.
“I’ve thought it through very clearly,” Ye Qingsong said with a solemn expression.
As soon as Ye Qingshan nodded, Ding Aixian knew that there was no room for negotiation. She held Ye Qingsong’s arm and wailed, which made his heart feel very bad.
He held Ding Aixian and gently patted her back. In the future, he would still be filial where he should be.
Half a month later, both Ye Qingzhi and Ye Qinglan received a letter and a package. It was from Ye Qingsong, saying that he was already married and his job had also been arranged. He had entered the power grid. At the end was his current address. In the future, they could send letters to this address.
The package was not big. Inside was a bag of wedding candy and a fountain pen. Because Ye Qingsong had said that his sisters were learning to write, Du Xiaoxiao had bought them fountain pens.
“This fountain pen looks so expensive. Fourth Sister, what should we give for Fifth Brother’s wedding?” Ye Qinglan asked, carefully putting away the fountain pen.
“I’m planning to send some yarn,” she said. When Ye Qingsong had said he was preparing to get married, Ye Qingzhi had already prepared it.
Ye Qinglan was not surprised. When she had gotten married, her fourth sister had given her yarn, red ones.
“I’ll send her a piece of leather,” she said. Ye Qinglan immediately shook her head. “I’ll send some yarn too.”
“It’s just a small token from us. Anything is fine,” Ye Qingzhi said, seeing that it was getting late and preparing to go back to the family compound.
“Fourth Sister, wait a minute,” Ye Qinglan said, putting the freshly bought sponge cake into Ye Qingzhi’s basket. “This is from me, the little aunt, for the children to eat.”
Since she had said so, Ye Qingzhi could not refuse. In any case, it was a back-and-forth.
“Mama, hug,” Yangyang said, seeing Ye Qingzhi and immediately opening his small hands.
“Why are you sitting here? Where’s Haohao? You’re not playing with the other little friends today?” Ye Qingzhi asked, washing her hands and taking out a piece of sponge cake, breaking half of it for him.
“I wanted to come back,” Yangyang said, his small head drooping on Ye Qingzhi’s shoulder, as if he were very unhappy.
“What’s wrong? Can you tell Mama?” Ye Qingzhi asked in a soft and gentle voice.
“Mama, the cake is delicious,” Yangyang said, already happily eating the sponge cake.
Ye Qingzhi stroked his head and decided to ask Gu Yao later.