Chapter 537: The Gossip and Survival System (36)

Less than two months after saying this, Xie Yang received her first paycheck after being promoted to Engineer: seventy-eight yuan and fifty cents.

"What are you so happy about?"

Gu Yu'an didn't have to work overtime that day, so he arrived at the Xie Family home right on time after work. Seeing his partner showing off to Grandma Xie about something, he raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile.

"Because I got a raise!"

Xie Yang smiled and shook the pay stub in her hand. A fishy scent reached her nose, and her gaze fell upon his hands. She couldn't help but be delighted: "Are they distributing seafood today?"

"Yes." Gu Yu'an held a smile at the corners of his mouth and shook the sea shrimp in his hand, "Just right for celebrating with you."

Ever since the two of them established their romantic relationship, he would come to the Xie Family home for meals whenever he wasn't working overtime, out on field duty, or attending necessary social engagements.

After his aunt heard about this, the look she gave him was as if she were looking at a "man who lives off a woman."

She asked several times, confirming that he brought his monthly grain rations and the benefits issued by his unit to his partner's home, before she finally let him off the hook.

Xie Yang followed him into the kitchen. Seeing the sea shrimp, which weren't exactly jumping around but were still quite fresh, she clicked her tongue in envy.

The benefits and treatment of a Bureau-level Cadre were truly much better than those of a Technician at a Mechanical Factory.

In addition to the generous monthly ration coupons, he would occasionally be issued a few welfare vouchers, which could be used to pick up goods at the store.

Sometimes it was southern fruits like bananas or pineapples, and sometimes it was fresh seafood that was hard to buy in Beijing.

Like these large prawns the length of a finger this time.

"Yo, these shrimp are really big."

Grandma Xie, holding her young grandson who had just learned to walk and was wobbling along, came over to take a look, then quickly exited the kitchen with a smile.

She left the space to the young couple.

As for her, she truly didn't worry that her granddaughter getting married would bring any changes to this home.

Even if there were changes, they would be good changes.

"The prospective son-in-law is visiting again?"

Li Axiang was washing vegetables by the water basin. Seeing Grandma Xie walking out while holding her toddler grandson who was learning to walk, she was filled with envy:

"Old sister, you really are blessed! You have a grandson, and your granddaughter has found such a good partner."

A Public Security Bureau Chief, no less!

To say nothing else, this title alone was enough to protect this whole family, old and young.

It was a pity she only had one son and no daughter; though she was envious, she couldn't bring herself to feel jealous.

Besides, ever since Xiao Xie started seeing her partner, the public security in the surrounding area had improved quite a bit. Especially in their Number 8 Compound, let alone thieves or troublemakers, even the sanitation workers who came regularly to collect night soil worked more meticulously than before, no longer swinging the manure scoop around carelessly and making the courtyard stink to high heaven.

This was all thanks to the Xie Family.

Grandma Xie heard this and said with a chuckle: "Everyone is blessed. Isn't your Fuqiang also setting a date, and the family is about to hold a happy event?"

Mentioning her son, Li Axiang said modestly: "Sigh, our Fuqiang is just finding someone who knows how to care for him to muddle through life together."

But the joy on her face could not be concealed.

Although it was her son's second marriage, he was marrying a maiden.

Of course, she had entrusted a matchmaker to look in the surrounding countryside; how could one possibly marry a young, healthy woman who was a first-time bride in the city?

However, on the day she paid the bride price, she accompanied her son to the woman's home to see her. She had a big chest and big hips, looking like she was good for childbearing, so she quickly set the date. Perhaps by this time next year, she would be able to hold a big grandson.

Li Axiang grew more and more enthusiastic as she spoke. She had finished washing the vegetables long ago, yet she still stood by the water basin chatting with Grandma Xie.

It wasn't until Zhang Baogen shouted at the top of his lungs that "the pot is smoking" that she hurriedly carried the vegetable basket to drain and went home.

Grandma Xie watched happily until her granddaughter came out and called: "Grandma, dinner is almost ready."

"Hey, coming!"

She took her young grandson's hand and walked toward home:

"Let's go, let's go feed Xiao Shitou some fresh shrimp meat!"

Lou Xuefang, leaning against the doorframe and cracking melon seeds, looked down at her visibly pregnant belly. She straightened her waist, walked into the room, and said to her mother-in-law who was busy cooking: "Mom, when can our family buy some shrimp? Your eldest grandson suddenly wants to eat big shrimp."

Niu Cuifen: "..."

Heh, the grandson is still in his mother's womb; what the hell would he know about shrimp?

Lou Xuefang continued: "Sigh, it's a pity my sister-in-law couldn't find a partner like Bureau Chief Gu, otherwise our family could have meat on the table constantly. Look at how good the food is at Old Lady Xie's house lately."

Niu Cuifen kept a wooden face: "... The Xie Family's food was pretty good before, too."

"Is that so?" Lou Xuefang said in surprise, "There are three of them, old and young, relying only on Xiao Xie's salary, yet their food is so good? Our family has Dad and Taozi, two Formal Workers, plus you, Mom, pasting matchboxes every other day, so why can't we even eat a decent meat dish?"

She paused, then realized with a start: "Oh, is it because my sister-in-law needs money for high school? And you have to save tuition for her to go to college? It's not that I'm complaining, Mom, but doing this is a bit cold to me and Taozi. Taozi works hard, leaving early and returning late, and I'm carrying the Wang Family's eldest grandson, yet because of my sister-in-law's schooling, the three of us can't even get a bite of meat... Sigh, if my sister-in-law had good grades, I wouldn't say anything, after all, college students are very rare, but her grades, tsk tsk tsk..."

Niu Cuifen's face turned several shades darker upon hearing this.

For the sake of her daughter-in-law carrying the Wang Family's grandson, she endured it and didn't explode.

But Wang Lin, who was in the inner room pretending to do homework while actually secretly reading a copy of *Popular Cinema* magazine borrowed from a classmate, was furious:

"Who do you think you are! You're just a cheap woman my brother spent money to marry back to warm his bed and bear children. My mom tolerates you because you're carrying my brother's child; otherwise, she would have swept you back to your maiden home with a broom long ago! What are you! You've brought such big trouble to our family since you married in, losing all the face of our Wang Family, and now you have the nerve to ask for meat? Do you want to eat shit instead?"

Lou Xuefang was so angry her face turned pale. Supporting her waist with one hand, she pointed at Wang Lin with the other and cursed: "Fart! It was your brother who knelt and begged me to marry into your Wang Family. What right does a sister-in-law who is destined to be an outsider have to scold me? You're a high school student, you've studied for so many years, has it all gone to the dogs? Haven't you heard the idiom 'the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother'? I'll let you see for yourself today!"

Saying this, she grabbed a feather duster and waved it to beat Wang Lin a few times.

Wang Lin let out a cry of pain, grabbed the broom in the corner, and swiped it back.

"Enough! Stop it!" Niu Cuifen shouted in a rage.

But the sister-in-law and sister were blinded by anger and couldn't hear a word.

"Ah—"

A few minutes later, a shrill scream came from the Wang Family home.

Lou Xuefang had a miscarriage!

Caused by her sister-in-law Wang Lin hitting her with a broom!

Of course, this latter piece of information was inferred by the neighbors in the Dazayuan based on Lou Xuefang's miserable state at the time.

Niu Cuifen's family naturally tried their best to cover it up, claiming that the daughter-in-law had fallen by accident.

After all, once word got out, what kind of good husband's family could Wang Lin hope to find in the future?

What family would dare to take in a daughter-in-law capable of beating her own sister-in-law until she suffered a miscarriage?

No matter how popular a high school diploma is in the marriage market, it still cannot compare to carrying on the family line!