Chapter 959

Tan Ying's voice was very calm, even carrying a hint of scrutiny, as she said, "Look, this is the difference between you and many other mothers."

Old Mother Tan's eyes widened. Furious, she slammed her chopsticks onto the table and shouted, "You dead girl, why is your speech so choking? What's wrong with me being a mother? How did I provoke you?"

Tan Ying ignored her agitation and simply stated the facts calmly.

"Usually, when a mother hears that her daughter is being transferred to the Northern Capital to be the secretary for the director of a large factory, she doesn't know how happy she should be. She wouldn't first care about whether she can be taken along to enjoy a good life, nor would she be dissatisfied with the amount of money left behind. First, she would take my hand and ask, 'Yingzi, have you packed your things? Is it cold over there? Are there any clothes you're missing? The weather is hot now; the Northern Capital is even hotter than here. Do you want Mom to sew a mosquito net for you? If the unit doesn't provide bedding, do you want Mom to make you a few new quilts to take along?'"

Speaking to this point, Tan Ying pointed to the gifts piled up beside her: "Look, these are the benefits issued by the unit; there is plenty of cotton and cloth. You said you wanted a sewing machine to do needlework yourself, so I bought you a sewing machine. You don't have to work in the fields now, and you don't even have to cook, because these are all handled by the neighbors, Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu."

The reason Tan Ying didn't say "hired" was because in this village, "hired labor" sounded unpleasant, while saying "helping out" was much easier on the ears.

But of course, this wasn't free help; Tan Ying gave this elderly couple fifty yuan a month.

In this era, fifty yuan definitely counted as a high income.

Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu were in good health, but the family burden was heavy, with six children—four sons and two daughters. The eldest daughter was married, and the eldest son had just gotten married last year. If Tan Ying hadn't asked them to help, relying on those few work points, the eldest son's marriage would likely have been in jeopardy.

There were still three sons at home, two of whom were about to take wives, and the youngest daughter and youngest son were still in school.

Although there were many laborers in the family, to tell the truth, in this day and age, relying solely on farming really didn't make money.

If you talk about building greenhouses to grow vegetables, the technology wasn't mature yet, the supporting facilities weren't complete, the investment was large, and the risk was too high.

There were many job opportunities in the city, but of their two sons, one had poor legs and feet, and the other had poor eyesight; neither passed the exams.

Fortunately, the Old Wu family had a good family reputation and was quite united, so they managed to get by.

Although they were neighbors with Tan Ying's family, because Old Mother Tan was mean-spirited and there was a fool in the family, the two families didn't associate much in the past and had even fought.

The cause was that Old Mother Wu had taken a fancy to Tan Ying. Although Tan Ying was a few years older than her second son, she felt that if she could marry Tan Ying into the family, it would truly be a sign of great fortune from the ancestral graves.

This thought had barely emerged before it was nipped in the bud by the shrewd Old Man Wu.

Old Man Wu scolded her: "This Tan Ying, her family is saving her to trade for a wife for their fool son! Besides, even if that couple agreed, once the two families became in-laws, could the trouble ever end? With the character of the Old Tan family, whoever marries their daughter is doomed!"

Although this didn't happen, somehow it reached Old Mother Tan's ears. She stood on the wall and cursed the Old Wu family for a full two hours, until the Brigade Leader arrived to pull her away.

Old Mother Wu didn't lower herself to her level and let her curse, but she was uncomfortable in her heart.

Later, Tan Ying went to the military factory and became a leader within a few years.

It would be a lie to say the Old Wu family wasn't envious, and it was true that they felt a bit of regret.

But this sort of thing is: obtaining it is my luck, losing it is my fate.

Old Man Wu saw things most clearly. Otherwise, how could he and his wife have raised six children?

Regardless of whether the children had health issues, their children were clean and had good personalities. The two youngest were still in school, and Old Man Wu was determined to support one of them to become a university student.

The eldest daughter wasn't traded for a bride price either; she married well, and her husband entered a factory in the county seat through recruitment and could occasionally subsidize the household expenses.

But even with such subsidies, life was still tight.

Later, Tan Ying came to their door and stated her idea: let Old Man Wu and his wife take care of her parents and her foolish eldest brother.

At that time, the household contract responsibility system hadn't been implemented in Jiangcheng yet, but it had started in some areas. Their village hadn't moved yet, so everyone still had to work in the fields together.

However, for the family's private plot, Tan Ying let Old Man Wu's two sons help plant it, and after the harvest, they would share thirty percent. This not only avoided the "big pot" mentality of "doing well or poorly is the same," but also provided tangible benefits.

Although Tan Ying knew Old Man Wu wasn't that kind of person, the ugly truth had to be stated upfront.

Old Man Wu was responsible for looking after the fool, and Old Mother Wu was responsible for cooking and laundry.

The hours were the same as going to work.

Fifty yuan a month, issued punctually on the first of every month.

Fifty yuan a month—to tell the truth, in two months, one could save enough for a bride price.

Working for a year, that would be six hundred yuan.

Six hundred yuan in the countryside was an astronomical figure, higher than the Brigade Leader's income. Not only could they marry off their sons and support the children's schooling, but they could even buy beautiful floral dresses for their granddaughter.

So with this extra fifty yuan every month, the Old Wu family's life changed instantly.

Tan Ying also promised to issue benefits during holidays, and she bought two sets of the labor protection clothing issued by the unit for the elderly couple.

So, when this couple from the Old Wu family came to help, the villagers didn't know how envious and jealous they were.

Tan Ying was very reassured.

Not to mention the good character of Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu, just considering the many eyes in the village watching, if they really did anything poorly, there would have been people gossiping behind their backs, wanting to replace them to earn this money.

When Tan Ying returned, Aunt Wu knew this girl had big things to say to her family, so she made an excuse to go back to the house next door. And Old Man Wu was busy in the fields at this moment.

Tan Ying's foolish eldest brother was well-fed and clean, lying on the bed and wailing.

So now, at home, there were only the four members of the Tan family.

Tan Ying looked at the elderly couple in front of her, and the emotions suppressed for many years finally broke through the dam.

She remained calm, but every word hit the ground like a nail: "Ask your conscience, from the time I was born to you until I grew to five years old, what have you ever done for me?

After five years old, I basically supported myself. You went to work in the fields, and I had to take care of my eldest brother at home while doing laundry and cooking.

When I first started cooking, I had to step on a small stool to reach the stove. I've been burned by fire, scalded by water, and crushed by a falling pile of firewood..."

She paused, her eye sockets turning red, but her voice grew increasingly cold: "And you? You cursed me every day as a 'money-losing commodity.' In my memory, from childhood to adulthood, it was nothing but cursing and beating. And now? More than half of my monthly salary is given to you. Ever since I could work in the fields, it hasn't been you supporting me; it's me supporting you, supporting your family of three!"