Jiang Xiaoxiao had already fallen asleep, the lights in her room were turned off.
The next morning, bright and early, Jiang Xiaoxiao was preparing to head back. After all, she had only taken a few days off from the production team and had already been gone for four days with the round trip.
It would take another day to return to the city.
Besides, her sister and brother-in-law were going to take the train the next day; if she didn’t leave today, would she just linger around here?
"We’ll take you to the station," her sister and brother-in-law said with a smile, avoiding any ntion of what had happened yesterday.
Qin Ming specifically went to the village to exchange for a few eggs, boiled them, and gave them to Jiang Xiaoxiao to take with her on the road.
"It’s okay, really. Why would you see off? It’s quite a distance. There’s a bus at the village entrance, and I can take it directly to the county. Then I’ll transfer to another bus to leave. Why make it so complicated? I’m your sister; if you treat like a guest, I’ll get upset.
And, sister, your belly is so big now, you really need to take care of yourself. Be extra cautious the day after tomorrow when you take the train. Let my brother-in-law have a good talk with the train attendant to see if there’s a way to get a sleeper berth.
Don’t worry about spending money. In this life, no amount of money is ever enough. The safety of people cos first, money is secondary."
Jiang Xiaoxiao was truly worried about her elder sister’s pregnancy. Her belly was noticeably larger than normal.
She feared any complications during childbirth and hoped they could return to the city quickly. At least there, they would have access to a hospital.
Doctors there could help, and the conditions are much better than those of the rural production team.
"Ah, you’ve beco quite the bossy lady! Alright, alright, I get it. We won’t see you off. We’ll just walk you to the village entrance to catch the bus, is that okay?"
Jiang Yue understood her sister’s personality.
There was really no need to be formal with her sister.
The couple escorted her to the bus stop, watching as Jiang Xiaoxiao boarded the bus.
As the bus was about to depart, Jiang Xiaoxiao stuck her head out of the bus window, yelling to her sister.
"Sister, you have to leave early tomorrow to wait for the train. Trains are prone to delays. Be careful about your belly; there are a lot of people on the train. Brother-in-law, you must take good care of her, or I’ll be very upset with you.
Next ti when I take a leave, I’ll co to see you again. By then, I’ll visit you in your little place in the county."
Jiang Xiaoxiao waved and left.
Jiang Yue tears fell down imdiately.
Not knowing when she would see her sister again after this goodbye.
Wasting her sister’s good intentions.
The couple dejectedly returned ho.
Neither had the heart to do anything, just sitting there, staring at each other.
Jiang Yue sighed.
Despite everything turning out for the worse as expected, life had to go on.
"Alright, alright, we can’t keep moping like this. It’s not healthy for the baby either. I’ll just take a nap."
After what had happened the previous day, how could Jiang Yue get to sleep? She was just starting to feel weak.
Qin Ming nodded, taking his wife’s shoes off her swollen feet, which almost couldn’t fit her shoes anymore.
"Rest well for a while. I’ll go out to chop so firewood. What do you want for lunch? How about I make you so noodles?"
Qin Ming gently suggested.
Jiang Yue weakly nodded.
The village bedding was all stacked layer by layer, right on top of the whistled stove.
She pulled down a quilt to prepare for a nap.
But as soon as she opened it up, she noticed a cloth handkerchief placed in the middle.
Qin Ming was puzzled, "I’ve never seen this handkerchief before. It’s not yours."
Jiang Yue recognized it, "It looks like Xiaoxiao’s; I’ve seen her use it before. She’s always so forgetful. She probably left it here when she slept, and it got folded into the bedding. Wait, there’s sothing inside this handkerchief, let take a look."
When she opened the handkerchief, she saw a thick stack of money inside and was almost startled out of her wits.
"This is...?"
Qin Ming was also taken aback.
The largest denomination at the ti was only ten yuan, and the handkerchief was filled with them in a thick stack, quite a sum.
"There’s also a letter here."
Jiang Yue opened it to read, and tears fell again, feeling like she’d cried enough for a lifeti in the past few days.
The best care in the world cos from one’s own family.
Her sister had eavesdropped on their conversations but pretended not to know anything all along.
That always spoiled and inconsiderate sibling quietly helped them in a ti of need.
"Don’t cry, what’s going on, tell already, you’re driving crazy with worry."
Qin Ming was extrely anxious.
His wife was crying in such a way; he didn’t know what the letter said but it clearly concerned them as a couple or she wouldn’t be so upset.
"Read it yourself. My sister left us 1,000 yuan; it was for her protection when mom left. She left it all for us now."
Qin Ming unfolded the letter, and indeed, there were only a few words from Jiang Xiaoxiao explaining that the 1,000 yuan was left to help them through current difficulties and admonished them not to let family ties cloud their judgnt in handling affairs.
The Qin family was insatiably greedy and wouldn’t be solved easily otherwise.
According to the character of Qin Dazhi and He Guixiang, it definitely left endless troubles, and she told Qin Ming to take good care of his elder sister.
Otherwise, he’d have to answer to her.
Qin Ming’s eyes turned red.
He didn’t know his sister-in-law well, but since she ca, everything she had done.
Everything was motivated by care for her family, nothing like the family he knew.
She was the true family mber, considering them in every matter.
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